Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.

0108263 License for publishing multimedia online



Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349
Ancient town becomes new tourist destination in China's Leshan

Xinhua) 09:54, September 15, 2024

Tourists take a rest in a corridor along the street in the ancient town of Luocheng in Leshan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Sept. 13, 2024. The ancient town of Luocheng was founded in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and formed in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Located on a mountain top, the ancient town boasts a unique architectural layout. The boat-shaped street, consisting of stone roads, traditional dwellings and corridors along the street, is called "dry wharf" by locals.

In recent years, the ancient town has recreated ancient streets, alleys and dwellings, where tourists can stroll around, enjoy local food and experience intangible cultural heritage, immersing themselves in a slow-paced life. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

Locals take a rest at a roadside teahouse in the ancient town of Luocheng in Leshan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Sept. 13, 2024. The ancient town of Luocheng was founded in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and formed in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Located on a mountain top, the ancient town boasts a unique architectural layout. The boat-shaped street, consisting of stone roads, traditional dwellings and corridors along the street, is called "dry wharf" by locals.

In recent years, the ancient town has recreated ancient streets, alleys and dwellings, where tourists can stroll around, enjoy local food and experience intangible cultural heritage, immersing themselves in a slow-paced life. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

Children perform martial arts for tourists in the ancient town of Luocheng in Leshan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Sept. 13, 2024. The ancient town of Luocheng was founded in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and formed in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Located on a mountain top, the ancient town boasts a unique architectural layout. The boat-shaped street, consisting of stone roads, traditional dwellings and corridors along the street, is called "dry wharf" by locals.

In recent years, the ancient town has recreated ancient streets, alleys and dwellings, where tourists can stroll around, enjoy local food and experience intangible cultural heritage, immersing themselves in a slow-paced life. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

This photo taken on Sept. 13, 2024 shows local food of the ancient town of Luocheng in Leshan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. The ancient town of Luocheng was founded in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and formed in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Located on a mountain top, the ancient town boasts a unique architectural layout. The boat-shaped street, consisting of stone roads, traditional dwellings and corridors along the street, is called "dry wharf" by locals.

In recent years, the ancient town has recreated ancient streets, alleys and dwellings, where tourists can stroll around, enjoy local food and experience intangible cultural heritage, immersing themselves in a slow-paced life. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

Tourists visit the ancient town of Luocheng in Leshan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Sept. 13, 2024. The ancient town of Luocheng was founded in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and formed in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Located on a mountain top, the ancient town boasts a unique architectural layout. The boat-shaped street, consisting of stone roads, traditional dwellings and corridors along the street, is called "dry wharf" by locals.

In recent years, the ancient town has recreated ancient streets, alleys and dwellings, where tourists can stroll around, enjoy local food and experience intangible cultural heritage, immersing themselves in a slow-paced life. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

A drone photo taken on June 30, 2023 shows a night view in the ancient town of Luocheng in Leshan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. The ancient town of Luocheng was founded in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and formed in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Located on a mountain top, the ancient town boasts a unique architectural layout. The boat-shaped street, consisting of stone roads, traditional dwellings and corridors along the street, is called "dry wharf" by locals.

In recent years, the ancient town has recreated ancient streets, alleys and dwellings, where tourists can stroll around, enjoy local food and experience intangible cultural heritage, immersing themselves in a slow-paced life. (Xinhua)

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun)
Rumer Willis has a new romantic interest in her life - just one month after she confirmed her split from Derek Richard Thomas.

The daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore was spotted kissing a mystery man in Los Angeles on Friday.

Rumer was also seen rolling up the sleeve on her mystery man's navy blue Los Angeles Fire Department t-shirt to admire his tattoos.

The Sorority Row actress, 36, wore a cute light blue sundress with caramel-colored cowboy boots and had her blonde hair in a low bun.

As she made out with the brunette stranger, she held his head in both of her hands.

She recently split from Derek Richard Thomas but Rumer Willis already has a new man in her life

The daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore was spotted kissing a mystery man in Los Angeles on Friday.

The couple kissed, hugged and engaged in more PDAs on a sidewalk near Rumer's car.

At one point, they leaned against the trunk of a tree.

Last month, Rumer broke up with Derek Richard Thomas, whom she shares daughter Louetta, one, with.

The two had been dating since the fall of 2022 and went Instagram official in November of that year.

She announced her pregnancy in December 2022 on social media and welcomed her daughter in April 2023.

'I am single momming it and coparenting,' Rumer wrote on her Instagram Stories last month.

'I'm so grateful for Lou. She is the best thing in my life and I'm forever grateful I was able to have the time in that relationship for her to come into my life.'

And when it comes to grandma Demi, the Indecent Proposal star, 61, dotes on her first grandchild.

The couple kissed, hugged and engaged in more PDAs on a sidewalk near Rumer's car

At one point, they leaned against the trunk of a tree

Last month, Rumer broke up with Derek Richard Thomas, whom she shares daughter Louetta, one, with

Rumer was also seen rolling up the sleeve on her mystery man's navy blue Los Angeles Fire Department t-shirt to admire his tattoos

The Sorority Row actress, 36, wore a cute light blue sundress with caramel-colored cowboy boots and had her blonde hair in a low bun

Last month, Rumer broke up with Derek Richard Thomas, whom she shares daughter Louetta, one, with

'I am single momming it and coparenting,' Rumer wrote on her Instagram Stories last month

'I'm so grateful for Lou. She is the best thing in my life and I'm forever grateful I was able to have the time in that relationship for her to come into my life'

And when it comes to grandma Demi, the Indecent Proposal star, 61, dotes on her first grandchild

During an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, the SNL alum asked Demi, 'How are you taking to the role of grandmother? Do you think youre very good at it?'

The G.I. Jane actress replied: 'Yes.' 'I believe it. I would believe you would be very good at it,' Seth said. 'I was guilty today of already giving her unapproved snacks,' Demi admitted

As she made out with the brunette stranger, she held his head in both of her hands

During an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, the SNL alum asked her, 'How are you taking to the role of grandmother? Do you think youre very good at it?'

The G.I. Jane actress replied: 'Yes.'

'I believe it. I would believe you would be very good at it,' Seth said.

'I was guilty today of already giving her unapproved snacks,' Demi admitted.
The Traitors series two winner Harry Clark has opened up about struggling with his mental health after finding fame on the BBC show.

The British Army engineer, 23, told the Monday Mile Podcast with Aimee Fuller, 'It's so weird, my life's been very 50/50, the whole way through.

'I mean, there's obviously good and bad to it. The bad probably from the four months, and that the success of the show is probably losing myself a little bit.

'Obviously, a council kid from Slough, I go to these events, you finish a drink, or you finish a glass of Prosecco, soon as you finish it, you get another one in your hand.

'And then I'm looking around to pay the bill, and there's no one to pay. So I've just been making the most out of it for four months.

The Traitors series two winner Harry Clark has opened up about struggling with his mental health after finding fame on the BBC show

The former British Army engineer, 23, said: 'I mean, there's obviously good and bad to it. The bad probably from the four months, and that the success of the show is probably losing myself a little bit'

'So I lost my training, and I sort of lost myself a little bit mentally, but just carried on working and now I'm sort of finding that balance.'

Harry won The Traitors' 95,000 prize in January after deceiving his fellow contestants, including Faithful runner-up Mollie Pierce.

He quickly became a fan favourite on the reality programme hosted by Claudia Winkleman due to his warm and cheeky chappy personality.

However, this was a far cry from how he felt in the years leading up to the show, and Harry admitted he previously hit 'rock bottom'.

He said: 'At around 21, I went through a bad time. I was in the darkest place you could possibly be.

'I had feelings of wanting to end it all. I was quite an angry kid. But the Army moulded my characteristics and made me the man I am today.

'I began facing my emotions and learned to give myself time to be angry and sad. I started to set myself time limits to process my feelings. Afterwards, I'd tell myself I couldn't waste any more time being angry or upset.

'I had a realisation that time is the most important thing and I didn't want to waste it. In the Army, I was that guy people would talk to. All I want to do is help. It's a lonely world and it's easy to be blinded by mental health.'

He continued: 'A council kid from Slough, I go to these events, you finish a drink, you get another one and then I'm looking around to pay the bill, and there's no one to pay. So I've just been making the most out of it for four months'

Harry won The Traitors' 95,000 prize in January after deceiving his fellow contestants, including Faithful runner-up Mollie Pierce; both pictured at the NTAs after The Traitors won best reality competition

Reflecting on his The Traitors win, Harry said he was still working when it aired but has since quit the army.

A constant in his rise to success has been his girlfriend Anna Maynard, sister of popstar Conor Maynard, whom he began dating in April 2022.

It comes after Harry's series of The Traitors won the National Television Award for best reality competition, beating the likes of The Apprentice, Celebrity Big Brother, Love Island and Race Across the World.
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright were spotted doing a quiet custody handover Saturday in Los Angeles.

Taylor, 45, drove to his estranged wife's house in his black SUV to pickup son Cruz, three, whom he shares with his fellow The Valley star, 35.

The newly-single Cartwright, who filed for divorce from Taylor in late August and is seeking primary custody of the toddler, looked calm as she walked the boy to his dad's waiting car outside her home.

The reality star kept her look casual, wearing a pair of blue athleisure pants and a bright pink camisole.

Her long, highlighted hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and she appeared to be makeup free behind her glasses.

Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright were spotted doing a quiet custody handover of their son Cruz, three, Saturday outside Cartwright's home in Los Angeles

Young Cruz looked adorable in a khaki green T-shirt, gray shorts and sneakers.

Taylor was seen lifting up the boy to give him a hug before putting him in the car.

The Jax's Studio City owner looked relaxed in a white hoodie with gray joggers and white sneakers. He wore a white billed hat over his dark curls.

Cartwright filed for divorce from Taylor last month after five years of marriage.

Brittany requested primary legal and physical custody over the child as well as that her ex receive visitation rights.

Taylor, who was diagnosed with bipolar syndrome and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder while in rehab, has been trying to put his life back together.

The former couple are also sharing custody of their podcast When Reality Hits, and on Taylor's week to host, he opened up about his diagnoses.

'Ive been this person for years and I had no idea. I was never held accountable for my actions for many, many years until recently  until people have had enough.'

The former SUR bartender said that people  including his wife whom he admitted he took for granted  were 'tired of walking on eggshells' around him.

'Brittany has been asking me to do something like this for a very long time and I just come from a background where we just really dont ask for help,' he explained, adding that she had been begging him to do something about his anger issues for years.

Cartwright, 36, filed for divorce in late August. She is seeking primary custody of her and Taylor's son, with the Jax's Studio City owner, 45, having visitation with the boy

Taylor recently finished a stint in rehab where he was diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar disorder (Pictured in Vancouver, BC in June)

While he was in the treatment facility, he spent seven hours a day in intensive therapy, which made him nervous to leave and go back out into the real life and his life again.

Taylor also admitted he thought he might be a narcissist as well. 'I am a narcissist, yes,' he continued.

'I breadcrumb, I love bomb [and also] gaslighting. Im missing some but I do all these things. I had no idea there were terms for these things.

'I am not a doctor, so I cant say that for sure,' he added. 'But by just looking up the definition, I have to agree.'
Holly Ramsay posed in a white bikini as she gave an insight into her romantic holiday with her fiance Adam Peaty on Sunday.

The couple, who have been dating for three years, shared the news on Thursday that they had become engaged during their trip to Mallorca.

Showing off her dazzling yellow diamond ring, Holly, 24, flashed her taut midriff in swimwear and smiled for a mirror photo.

In other snaps, the could looked as loved-up as ever, with Olympic swimmer Adam, 29, resting his head on the content creator's chest.

'Some of my favourite memories from our engagement bubble,' she captioned the update.

Holly Ramsay posed in a white bikini as she gave an insight into her romantic holiday with her fiance Adam Peaty on Sunday

The couple, who have been dating for three years, shared the news on Thursday that they had become engaged during their trip to Mallorca

They later got ready for an evening out, with Holly looking incredible in a backless satin gown and Adam wearing a smart white shirt.

Sharing their happy news on Thursday, the couple complemented each other's posts by including bible verses after Adam revealed religion had saved him from addiction.

Influencer Holly was the first to share the news as she posted a series of sweet snaps together and wrote: 'I am marrying my best friend. I truly cannot put into words how I am feeling right now. I still remember how big my smile was the morning I got home from my first date with you.

'Thank you for letting the little girl inside of me feel loved, seen and happier than ever. I love you & I cannot wait to be your wife.'

She went on to reference Adam's son George, who he shares with ex-girlfriend Eirianedd Munro.

Holly continued: 'I promise to always be there with you and George, Im so greatful [sic] to be in his life and I cannot wait for more.

'And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13'.

Adam also shared a gushing post announcing the news, which comes after he made a decision to take a break from swimming.

'Some of my favourite memories from our engagement bubble,' she captioned the update

They later got ready for an evening out, with Holly looking incredible in a backless satin gown

She also shared snaps of Adam during a meal out

Sharing their happy news on Thursday, the couple complemented each other's posts by including bible verses after Adam revealed religion had saved him from addiction

In his heartfelt post, he praised his fiancee for sticking with him through his 'lowest times', following his highly-publicised battle with alcoholism and mental health.

He penned: 'I cant believe youre going to be my wife. Im truly the luckiest man on earth to have such a gentle, caring and beautiful woman by my side. You fill my heart to the brim and give my soul peace.

'You have been with me when Ive been at my lowest and helped me understand myself to navigate my own darkness.

'You have also celebrated the highs which have been so many, as for the first time in my life, Im happy with the man Ive become. You came to church with me and joined the incredible community we have there without a question.'

Adam continued: 'Your family have always treated me so generously with their time, emotion and trust. I cant wait to be joined with them too.

'Ive always believed that when two people are engaged and later married that we are no longer two people but we join as one and its the biggest privilege to share that with you.

'Seeing you show the love you give to the most important person in my life, George, even from day one, there was never a question about you becoming my wife one day. Im looking forward to our life together and the many challenges well face.

'I promise to always love you with all my heart.

'Matthew 19:6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.'

Holly shared: 'I am marrying my best friend. I truly cannot put into words how I am feeling right now' as she showed off her bespoke yellow diamond design by Pragnell

Adam also shared a gushing post as he praised Holly for helping him through dark times

Holly's father Gordon shared a sweet congratulatory message

The couple were immediately flooded with congratulatory messages, with Holly's famous father Gordon Ramsay penning: 'Congratulations to you both ! Were over the moon and enjoy this moment ! Welcome to the family'

Thought to be worth 610 million, Gordon has six children with his wife Tana, 49, Megan, 26, twins Holly and Jack, 24, Tilly, 22, Oscar, five and Jesse, eight months.

An influencer with now 347,000 followers, Holly works with brands such as Space NK, Net A Porter and Charlotte Tilbury.

Holly and Adam met in 2021 on Strictly Come Dancing, where Adam starred opposite Holly's sister Matilda.

The influencer unveiled a new tattoo in January this year which she got matching with Adam.

After studying fashion at Ravensbourne University, she dropped out after a year and was admitted to Nightingale Hospital in Marylebone after suffering PTSD from sexual assaults.

A while after, in 2019 she signed with Established Models; a model agency based in London.

In summer 2021 Holly launched a podcast called 21& Over but after 13 episodes it was discontinued.

Adam, Holly and Gordon pictured together at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone last year

Adam pictured competing in the final of the 4 x 100m relay swimming event in Paris

Adam is known for representing Team GB in swimming.

Yet just over a year ago the British swimming champion 'wanted to see a pool again' claiming the sport that shot him to fame had 'broken him'.

A fractured foot in May 2022 became the 'catalyst' of his 'downward spiral' sparking 'three years of hell' where the Olympic hero was left battling with depression, alcoholism and the separation from the mother of his child.

By February 2023 he made the decision to take a competitive break from the sport, after his goggles filled with tears during a training session where he realised 'I don't want to do this anymore'.

Yet thanks to his newly re-found faith and the support of Holly's family, Adam made a triumphant return at the Paris Olympics - adding a silver medal to his trophy cabinet.

As Adam secured his silver medal during the 100m breaststroke race in the French capital, Holly was there on the sidelines cheering him on, holding onto his three-year-old son.

And last month, the swimmer revealed he wants to have more children and looks 'forward to the future' with his 'Hol'.

He told The Times: 'She's brilliant. She's been pinnacle to this moment in my life where I can have peace and I can have that kind of love where it's not defined by anything else other than the connection we have.

'It's great and I look forward to the future'.

When asked what their future together might look like he added: 'I definitely want more kids.'

Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay kiss on the poolside after the swimmer won silver at the Paris Olympics

Adam split from his girlfriend Eirianedd after three years together and apologised for 'letting down' his partner and their son in August 2022

While Holly has become his biggest champion, Adam has also been grateful for the support from her family - namely Gordon, who he said 'inspires me to be successful'.

Gushing over the family, he added that they were all 'incredible people' who are 'very supportive, very welcoming and very loving'.

Alongside his relationship, Adam said his spectacular return to the swimming pool was in part helped by his religion.

Adam, who was born in Staffordshire, was raised Catholic and was always partially spiritual but in recent years he joined an Evangelical Church, where he attends almost every Sunday.

He now describes himself as 'a religious man' and even told the paper: 'I'd rather have my faith and my relationship with Jesus and come second than have a gold.'

Adam now prays every day without fail and has inked a cross onto his torso in the latest in his collection of large tattoos.

The athlete separated from the mother of his son George and partner of three-years Eirianedd in 2022.

His son George was just two years old at the time. Announcing the news via social media, Adam wrote: 'Eiri and George, I'm sorry for letting you down. My only interest is for the well-being of our family at this difficult time.'

The day before Adam and Holly announced their engagement Eirianedd took to Instagram to share a sweet post marking their son's fourth birthday, which Holly 'liked'

Eirianedd took to her own social media to announce the split, predicting she would face an 'incredibly difficult' future.

Their split was in part put down to the doomed 'Strictly curse' after Adam raised eyebrows with his on screen chemistry with pro-partner Katya Jones on the dance floor.

Yet the pair now appear on good terms with each other.

The day before Adam and Holly announced their engagement Eirianedd took to Instagram to share a sweet post marking their son's fourth birthday, which Holly 'liked'.
James McAvoy has revealed he 'might never watch another film with the audience again' after people 'threw things at the screen.'

The actor, 45, who's latest film Speak No Evil premiered earlier this week, recalled seeing the horror for first time at ComicCon.

James plays the lead role of Paddy, a family man with a dark secret, in Watkins' English language adaptation of the 2022 Danish film of the same name.

Speaking in an interview with Sky News, he explained: 'I might never watch another film with the audience again because it was wicked.

'Every time I wanted them to laugh they laughed, every time I wanted them to get shocked and scared they were scared and then they surprised me with other stuff that happened.'

James McAvoy has revealed he 'might never watch another film with the audience again' after people 'threw things at the screen'

The actor, 45, who's latest film Speak No Evil premiered earlier this week, recalled seeing the horror for first time at ComicCon (pictured in the film as Paddy)

He continued: 'People were throwing stuff at the screen at one point when my character was being particularly toxic, which was amazing, it was brilliant.

'One of the things that this film is about is compliance and how compliant we become as a society and that is potentially a big problem.

'We accept terrible behaviour not just from individuals like Paddy but also from society and governments and institutions that run our lives.'

James admitted to drawing on a number of controversial influences while bringing the character to life, among them the misogynist influencer Andrew Tate.

He told Empire: 'The thing I thought I could exploit in the character was, he thinks hes a bit of a... West Country Andrew Tate.

'Hes like, "Im going to teach you what its like to be a man again." But theres a sort of polite face on it that isnt quite Andrew Tate, enough of a sheen of, "Im not one of those guys."

'[Paddys] challenging you, "Do you have a big enough d*** to have a drink with me?", Or, "Im sorry, this is too much for you because youre not real enough."'

'You wanted something a bit agricultural. I had two big visual touchstones. The first was the Australian term bogan, which can be associated with a certain level of toxic masculinity.'

Speaking in an interview with Sky News, he explained: 'I might never watch another film with the audience again because it was wicked. Every time I wanted them to laugh they laughed'

He continued: 'People were throwing stuff at the screen at one point when my character was being particularly toxic, which was amazing, it was brilliant'

James admits to drawing on a number of controversial influences while bringing his Speak No Evil character to life, among them the misogynist influencer Andrew Tate (pictured)

He added: 'And the other was the character Rooster from Jerusalem, played so brilliantly by Mark Rylance.'

Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested in Romania last month accused of crimes against 35 women, including allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old girl.

Now under house arrest in Bucharest, the pair are facing allegations of human trafficking, including the trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, forming an organised criminal group, money laundering, and influencing statements.

The alleged crimes date between 2014 and 2024. The Tate's deny all the charges against them. In the UK multiple women have also come forward and accused both brothers of violent rapes.

A court is also set to rule on October 7 on whether the brothers committed tax evasion in the UK after Devon and Cornwall Police brought a case claiming they had not paid any tax on 12 billion of earnings.

Speak No Evil is released on September 13, 2024.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are trying to do everything they can to make their divorce as easy as possible for their kids.

The estranged couple enjoyed a 'fun lunch' with their children at the Beverly Hills Hotel's Polo Lounge on Saturday, according to a source who spoke to People.

'They all came together for a fun lunch so the kids could hang out,' the insider told the outlet, explaining that Lopez, 55, is 'trying to be friendly with Ben,' 52.

Lopez's twins, Emme and Max, 16, whom she shares with ex Marc Anthony, were there with Affleck's youngest kids, Fin, 15 and Sam, 12, whom she shares with former wife Jennifer Garner. His oldest, Violent 18, was not there as she is attending Yale University.

The insider seemed to credit Lopez with trying to keep the transition smooth.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are trying to do everything they can to make their divorce as easy as possible for their kids. The estranged couple invited their kids for a 'fun lunch' at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel Saturday, according to a source who spoke to People

'A divorce is never easy, but Jennifer doesn't want to be selfish about it. The kids always got along and have fun together. It makes her happy seeing the kids happy together. Happy kids are her priority,' the source claimed.

The pair, who married in July 2022 in Las Vegas and had a more formal ceremony at Affleck's home in Georgia a month later, tied the knot with no pre-nuptial agreement.

According to her divorce filing Lopez who filed the papers herself, citing 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the split.

Lopez, who changed her last name to Affleck after the marriage, wants her last name, Lopez, legally restored.

She has asked that there be no spousal support and that each pay for their own attorneys fees.

'They are still moving forward with the divorce though. They are working out financial details amicably.'

Among those details is the disposal of their Beverly Hills mansion, which has been listed for $68 million. The pair bought it in June 2023, for slightly less than $61 million.

The Oscar winner has moved into his own home in Pacific Palisades, which he bought for $20.5 million in July.

An insider said Lopez is making the kids her priority. 'The kids always got along and have fun together. It makes her happy seeing the kids happy together. Happy kids are her priority,' the source claimed (Pictured in New York City in July)

The former couple did not sign a prenup before they married in 2022. The insider said, 'They are still moving forward with the divorce though. They are working out financial details amicably' (Pictured in Los Angeles in November 2023)

The hitmaker is still house hunting for a place of her own in the Los Angeles area.

She has, reportedly, been looking at an estate in the Holmby Hills area that was formerly owned by designer Max Azria, according to TMZ.

The mansion is in the same neighborhood as the house owned by her ex-boyfriend Sean 'Diddy' Combs, 54, which was recently raided earlier this year by Homeland Security agents after several lawsuits were filed against the music mogul alleging sexual assault, abuse and trafficking.

It's doubtful there would be any embarrassing interactions between the former couple. Combs has listed his house for sale with an asking price of $61 million.
Emily Blackwell gave an insight into the moment she surprised her fiance Jordan Oldershaw and their family with the new she was pregnant on Sunday.

The Made In Chelsea star, 28, revealed she is expecting her first child with her partner on Friday, just three weeks after she announced their engagement.

In the adorable clip, Emily shared her own response after realising she was pregnant before going on to tell her loved ones.

First, the TV personality laid out a baby grow and the positive test to surprise Jordan, before wrapping presents to tell their family.

She captioned the clip: 'Some wholesome content for you all on a Sunday.'

Emily Blackwell gave an insight into the moment she surprised her fiance Jordan Oldershaw and their family with the new she was pregnant on Sunday

The Made In Chelsea star, 28, revealed she is expecting her first child with her partner on Friday, just three weeks after she announced their engagement

Emily became the latest star to jump on the trend of monetising her pregnancy after first announcing the news in a sponsored post with Clear Blue.

Beaming in the snaps she wrote: 'Its giving Mum and Dad all weve ever dreamed of and more.'

Dozens of Emily's celebrity pals flooded her comments with sweet messages to congratulate the couple.

Kicking off the comments, her Made In Chelsea co-star Tiffany Watson penned: 'Yayyy!! so so happy  youre going to be the best mama',

Sophie Habboo wrote: 'Couldnt be happier for you. Biggest congratulations you gorgeous gorgeous people!!! ',

Ruby Adler added: 'omg',

'OMG CONGRATULATIONSxxx', Zara McDermott wrote.

Meanwhile, former TOWIE star Jess Wright penned: 'Aww congratulations darling '

First, the TV personality laid out a baby grow and the positive test to surprise Jordan

The couple then went on to tell their family by giving them gifts

Emily became the latest star to jump on the trend of monetising her pregnancy after first announcing the news in a sponsored post with Clear Blue

She shared this post while holding up one of the Clear Blue pregnancy tests

Emily incorporated her pregnancy announcement post with a paid partnership with Clear Blue.

Underneath her short and sweet caption, she added: 'Grateful to for providing me with clear results and giving me confidence to take on this exciting journey.

'Clearblue Pregnancy Test with Weeks Indicator tells you how many weeks - If the result is pregnant, the test will also indicate time since conception occurred. (*Weeks since conception shown as 1-2, 2-3, or 3+ weeks.)'

But one eagle-eyed viewer couldn't help but notice the timing of the Ad in her post and wrote: ''How do you get an ad deal and get pregnant at the same time, did they ask you?'
Bruce Willis was pictured taking a ride Sunday in Los Angeles, as the actor continues his health battle with aphasia and dementia.

The Pulp Fiction actor, 69, was seated in the passenger seat of a vehicle clad in a black New York Yankees ballcap with a white T-shirt.

The Sixth Sense actor is father to five daughters: Mabel Ray, 12, and Evelyn, 10, with wife Emma Heming Willis, 46; and Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 30, with ex-wife Demi Moore, 61.

The Die Hard star appeared relaxed amid the daytime trek in Southern California.

It came a few days after Moore, 61, updated fans on her ex-spouse's health during a Friday appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, saying that 'given the givens, he is in a stable place.'

Bruce Willis, 69, was pictured taking a ride Sunday in Los Angeles, as the actor continues his health battle with aphasia and dementia

The Pulp Fiction actor was seated in the passenger seat of a vehicle clad in a black New York Yankees ballcap with a white T-shirt

Moore, who had been wed to Willis from 1987-2000, opened up on how she has advised her children to deal with the yearslong family health crisis.

'What I say to my kids is you meet them where they're at,' Moore said in the appearance. 'You don't hold on to who they were or what you want them to be, but who they are in this moment.

'And from that, there is such beauty and joy and loving and sweetness. When I'm in LA, I go over every week, and I really treasure the time that we all share.'

In an August 22 post on Instagram Stories, Rumer Willis shared an image of herself holding her father's hand while answering a question about how the actor has been doing amid his health woes.

Rumer - who was seen with a mystery man Sunday - said, 'He is great. I love him so much. Thank you.'

In May, Rumer said on the Today show that her father had been doing 'good' and was bonding with her one-year-old daughter Louetta, who she shares with ex Derek Richard Thomas.

'I actually got to see him right before I came out' to New York, she said, and 'Lou is just starting to walk a little bit, and she was walking over to him, and it was so sweet.

'Its so nice because I feel like my dad is just like - hes a girl dad, through and through. It almost unlocks that kind of little-kid, girl-dad thing. Hes so sweet with her.'

Moore, pictured in Las Vegas Saturday, said of the family health crisis, 'What I say to my kids is you meet them where they're at'

In an August 22 post, Rumer shared an image of herself holding her father's hand while answering a question about how the actor has been doing amid his health woes

Willis and his wife Emma Heming Willis were pictured embracing this past June

Rumer in the appearance said that she and her relatives have been forthcoming about the family health issue in hopes of spreading awareness to others in a similar circumstance.

'Our vulnerability and transparency as a family about what hes going through to me is so important,' she said, 'because if it can have any impact on another family that is struggling in any way with something like this, or bring more attention to the disease in hopes of finding a cure or anything that can be of service to anybody else, I think is really important.'

Willis is more than two years removed from his health battle going public after relatives including his daughters, wife and ex-wife issued a joint statement via Instagram March 30, 2022 announcing his aphasia diagnosis.

They said that the Hollywood icon 'has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities.

'As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him. This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support.

They continued: 'We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. As Bruce always says, "Live it up" and together we plan to do just that.'

The family subsequently issued a statement on February 16, 2023 announcing that Willis had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD), calling it 'the most common form of dementia' and noting that 'there are no treatments for the disease' currently.

'As Bruce's condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research,' the family said. 'Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately.

The actor is father to Mabel Ray, 12, (L) and Evelyn, 10, with wife Emma

Rumer Willis, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Scout Willis, Emma Heming Willis and Tallulah Willis were pictured at an event in LA on September 23, 2019

The actor's family took to Instagram March of 2022 to reveal he was stepping away from acting following his diagnosis with aphasia

'We know in our hearts that - if he could today - he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.'

The Mayo Clinic defines aphasia as 'a condition that affects your ability to communicate' that 'can affect your speech, as well as the way you write and understand both spoken and written language.'

The actor's family did not announce what caused his bout with aphasia, which has a number of potential causes.

The condition could occur following a head injury or stroke, or can be a predecessor to a brain tumor or Alzheimer's disease. Patients who are living with the condition are typically treated with speech therapy and taught ways to communicate non-verbally.
She's remained private about her long-term relationship with John Miller, but a new report has shed light on Jennifer Garner's romance with the businessman.

'She loves [Miller],' a source told People, adding that the pair spent this weekend together as her ex-husband Ben Affleck cares for their kids, Finn, 15, and Samuel, 12. Their oldest, Violet, 18, is a student at Yale University.

'They are serious. He's also a co-parent and understands her priority,' the source said.

'Their relationship is fun and easy-going,' the source added. 'She's very happy.'

Miller is an attorney and is currently serving as the CEO of CaliBurger and its parent company CaliGroup.

Jennifer Garner is very happy and very solid in her commitment to her boyfriend John Miller and they spend as much time together as their individual co-parenting plans allow them to, seen here in January 2023

He and the Alias actress first connected in 2018, not long after her divorce from Affleck was finalized.

The couple broke up for a bit in 2020 with the 13 Going on 30 star telling People that she was single in March 2021.

They reportedly got back together sometime in 2022.

In early 2023 a source told the outlet that they 'took a long break from dating, but Jen is very happy that they are back together.'

The new report comes as Affleck officially ends his marriage of two years with Jennifer Lopez.

It also comes after insiders claimed that Garner and Miller were working to to get to a 'better place' after the actress' attempts to help Affleck and his split from Lopez led to a 'divide' in their own relationship.

In the months before Lopez, 55, officially filed from divorce from the Argo actor, 52, Garner had adopted the role of 'marriage counsellor' to the struggling couple, with some friends fearing she had been forced to 'play mediator.'

The role appears to have irked Miller too, who understands they have children, but reportedly doesn't like 'sharing' her.

Miller and the Alias actress first connected in 2018, not long after her divorce from Affleck was finalized, seen here at San Diego Comic Con in 2024

'John doesn't like sharing Jen and there is a divide when it comes to her and Ben,' a source told DailyMail.com last month.

The source added that the Cali Group CEO is not fearful that the former couple will spark up a romantic connection again, but has simply struggled with how much energy Garner has put into her ex.

'He wishes it wasn't like that because he understands they are a family, but it gets to him like it would anyone.'

'John doesn't have any fears that they are getting back together  but it has been tough coping with her support for Ben during his split from JLo.'

Garner has lately seemed to be running a lot of interference for her ex-husband Ben Affleck amid his split from Jennifer Lopez, seen here at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

'She loves [Miller],' a source told People , adding that the pair spent this weekend together as Affleck is caring their kids, Finn, 15, and Samuel, 12. Their oldest, Violet, 18, is a student at Yale University, seen here at the 2024 ESPY Awards

'They are serious. He's also a co-parent and understands her priority,' the source said. 'Their relationship is fun and easy-going,' the source added. 'She's very happy'

Miller is now looking forward to moving past the recent saga and instead focusing on the work that needs to be done on his own relationship.

'John is looking forward to Ben and JLo's split being done so he can start focusing on Jen,' the source said. 'Bumpy roads recently are looking to be smoothed out.

'Both Jen and John are hoping for that. It is just going to take a little time. They both want to be in a better place, but some work needs to be done.'

The insider stressed that the pair 'haven't split', adding that 'friends feel that they will be together for a long time. They are very private.'

They also noted that Miller's patience over the past few months has only strengthened Garner's feelings about the relationship.

'The relationship that Ben and Jen have is different, and where that bothers John, Jen actually likes that it is different because that is what attracted her to John in the first place,' they said.

Miller was previously married to violinist Caroline Campbell, with whom he shares two kids. They divorced in 2011.
If it's true that a couple that dresses together, stays together, then Brad Pitt and girlfriend Ines de Ramon are in it for the long haul.

The pair have been dating since late 2022, and it is Brad's first public, confirmed romance since his separation from Angelina Jolie in 2016.

And during several of their recent outings, it has been clear to see that Brad and Ines have been coordinating their very stylish ensembles.

Most recently, Brad was dressed in a 70s-inspired pale yellow suit with dark, exposed stitching and a white top underneath while stepping out in New York City.

Meanwhile, Ines went matching in a textured tan skirt co-ord and nude-toned, suede high heels.

If it's true that a couple that dresses together, stays together, then Brad Pitt and girlfriend Ines de Ramon are in it for the long haul

The pair have been dating since late 2022, and it is Brad's first public, confirmed romance since his separation from Angelina Jolie in 2016

Another noticeable occasion was at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this year.

Brad stood out from the crowd in a yellow jacket and quirky bucket hat, while Ines coordinated with her boyfriend in a pastel light blue minidress with long sleeves and a pleated skirt.

The couple also stepped out in Venice during the film festival this year in very similar outfits.

Brad caught the eye in pale yellow plaid trousers, teamed with a crisp white shirt.

Ines was effortlessly chic in a high-waisted skirt, similar to the colour of Brad's trousers, and white top. They both wore dark sunglasses during the outing.

The pair have been linked since November 2022 but only went red carpet official on August 31 at the festival.

Ines and Brad were the image of showbiz glamour as they posed up a storm at the premiere of Wolfs, his new movie with George Clooney.

The couple also stepped out in Venice during the film festival this year in very similar outfits

As of late, Brad has been stepping out in a number of increasingly bold and trendy outfits as he seemingly undergoes a wardrobe makeover

It appears Anes, who is 26 years his junior, has given Brad's wardrobe a whole new revamp since she started dating him in 2022

They were more casually dressed when they surfaced in New York this week, but still exhibited a dapper sense of late summer style.

For his latest sighting, Brad modeled an eye-catching set of monochrome houndstooth trousers, teamed with a white hoodie.

Lending the look an extra splash of elan with a slope-brimmed hat, he warded off the September rays with a large set of sunglasses.

Meanwhile Ines concealed her enviably toned figure under a flowy cream top, which she wore with a set of off-white trousers that featured flared hems straight out of the 1970s.

As of late, Brad has been stepping out in a number of increasingly bold and trendy outfits as he seemingly undergoes a wardrobe makeover.

With his new look, fans noticed he looked incredibly youthful and reignited viral facelift rumors once again

Recently, Brad - who shares six children with Angelina - signaled his love for girlfriend Ines with a special accessory

Brad and Angelina married in August 2014 after 10 years together but Angelina filed for divorce in September 2016; the former pair seen in 2009

With his new look, fans noticed he looked incredibly youthful and reignited viral facelift rumors once again.

Recently, Brad - who shares six children with Angelina - signaled his love for girlfriend Ines with a special accessory.

The Fight Club star, 60, and the jewelry designer, 34, were spotted grabbing dinner in New York City on Sunday, with the actor wearing an 'I' necklace to signify his devotion.

Brad's unbuttoned white shirt revealed a glimpse of his chest and a collection of necklaces, with a sparkling 'I' for Ines among them. He also sported other Anita Ko necklaces.

The loved-up pair were pictured holding hands as they headed out for a romantic evening together. They were later seen enjoying drinks at celebrity hotspot The Mulberry.

The Hollywood actor made his red carpet debut with girlfriend Ines at the Wolfs Venice Film Festival premiere.

His newfound love was previously married to The Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley.

Ines has no interest in the limelight and kept her three-year marriage with Paul private. Paul, 42, filed for divorce in 2023.

From Angelina Jolie to Jennifer Aniston and Juliette Lewis, Brad has romanced some of Hollywood's leading ladies, and an eagle-eyed Twitter user previously spotted something rather unusual about his string of high-profile relationships.

Sarah McGonagall, a photographer from New York, found an old newspaper cutting which highlighted how Brad has always adapted his look to resemble the woman he's dating.

Sarah McGonagall, a photographer from New York, found an old newspaper cutting which highlighted how Brad has always adapted his look to resemble the woman he's dating

One image showed him beaming with ex wife Jennifer Aniston as they attended the 51st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 1999, both sporting textured sun-kissed hair and golden tans

Meanwhile an image of him with ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow showed a remarkable likeness between the duo, with them showing off matching blonde cropped hair

One image showed him beaming with ex wife Jennifer Aniston as they attended the 51st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 1999, both sporting textured sun-kissed hair and golden tans.

Meanwhile an image of him with ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow showed a remarkable likeness between the duo, with them showing off matching blonde cropped hair.

Taking to Twitter Sarah shared a picture of the article, writing: ' I saw this news article about Brad Pitt and now I can't stop thinking about it'.

The tweet quickly garnered 386,000 likes, 122,000 retweets and 1,400 comments with followers amazed by his chameleon-like abilities.

The collage showed Brad sporting light brown shoulder-length hair, chiseled features and green eyes as he posed with estranged wife Angelina Jolie at a World War Z premiere in 2013 in London.

Going back even further, Brad was pictured with voluminous hair just like that of then-girlfriend Jitka Pohledek in 1994, just a year after showing off a shorter do much like ex girlfriend Juliette Lewis.
Read the full story on Modern Car Collector

Hennessey Unveils Worlds Most Powerful Manual Hypercar: Venom F5-M Roadster

Hennessey Special Vehicles has introduced the Venom F5-M Roadster, now the world's most powerful manual production car. This remarkable hypercar is powered by Hennesseys Fury V8 engine, producing a jaw-dropping 1,817 bhp, and features a gated six-speed manual transmissiona rarity in todays automatic-dominated industry. The car's design emphasizes driver engagement, delivering a tactile, old-school driving experience that many enthusiasts crave.

Image via Hennessey Special Vehicles

John Hennessey, the companys founder, expressed excitement about this milestone: Its old school, its badass, and it offers ultimate driving engagement. The Venom F5-M Roadster, with its aerodynamic enhancements like a 55-inch dorsal fin and stunning open-top design, will see just 12 units produced, each priced at $2.65 million. Despite the high price, all units have already sold, underscoring the demand for exclusive, high-performance vehicles.

Image via Hennessey Special Vehicles

Inside, the Roadsters cockpit features a sleek manual gear shifter made from aluminum and carbon fiber. Hennesseys engineers meticulously calibrated the powertrain, ensuring the Fury V8s immense power can be safely transferred to the road. Designed for extreme driving enthusiasts, the Venom F5-M Roadster is a bold statement in an era increasingly dominated by electric and autonomous vehicles.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
India is seeking investments and technology transfer from South Korea and Japan to establish shipbuilding and ship repair clusters to promote the domestic shipping supply chain in the country, according to a senior government official.

Currently, India holds less than 1 per cent of the global shipbuilding market, dominated by China, South Korea, and Japan.

We are looking at South Korea and Japan for investments and technology transfer for establishing shipbuilding and ship repair clusters in India, TK Ramachandran, Secretary in Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), told a group of journalists here.

Ramachandran was in Goa to participate in the 20th Maritime State Development Council (MSDC), where plans for a mega shipbuilding park, spanning multiple states, were discussed.

We have communicated to them (South Korea and Japan) that you come with your technology and investments, we will provide you land for setting up shipbuilding and ship repair clusters, he said.

Ramachandran also said that Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has written to chief ministers of all states to provide land immediately if Japanese or Korean companies express interest in setting up shipbuilding and ship repair clusters in their states.

At least three states have expressed interest in providing land for establishing shipbuilding and ship repair clusters, he said, without naming the states.

According to him, this ambitious initiative aims to consolidate shipbuilding capabilities across regions, fostering greater efficiency and innovation.

Ramachandran said Indias proposed Rs 25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund (MDF) which looks at providing long-term, low-cost financial support and push towards indigenous ship-building will be basically equity funding.

The equity funding will come from the Centre, PSUs, pension funds and private sector, he noted.

While pointing out that currently, 95 per cent of Indias foreign trade happens through foreign-owned and foreign-flagged vessels, which results in an outgo of USD 110 billion annually from India, Ramachandran said almost 60 per cent of the countrys ship repair work happens outside the country.
Public sector Indian Overseas Bank has secured the Rajbhasha Kirti Pratham Puraskar first prize for the second consecutive year in the Official Language Implementation category for 2023-24 by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The recognition underscores the commitment of the city-headquartered bank in promoting the use of Hindi language and enhancing the implementation of official language policies across its operations.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the award to the banks Managing Director and CEO Ajay Kumar Srivastava in New Delhi at a function to mark the Hindi Day Celebrations and the Diamond Jubilee of Official Languages, a press release from the Bank said.Indian Overseas Bank currently has 3,264 branches, 3,500 ATM network and 7,251 business correspondents. It also offers its service in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

The Ministry of Home Affairs introduced the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar award scheme to encourage the implementation of the official language policy among ministries, departments, public sector undertakings, nationalised banks, among others.
In a nation where governance and justice work in tandem to uphold the Constitution, such an event signifies the harmony necessary for collective effort

The Prime Minister of India attending a Ganesh Pooja at the residence of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is an act that should be seen as a symbol of respect and unity rather than an event warranting criticism. In the complex structure of Indian governance, where the judiciary and the executive function as distinct but interdependent pillars, such gestures are appropriate and reflective of the harmony essential for the nation's progress. To criticise this act would be to adopt a narrow-minded approach, ignoring the more profound significance of the occasion.The judiciary and the executive are two of the most important pillars of Indian democracy. While they are distinct in their functions, they share a common purpose: the preservation of the Constitution and the welfare of the people. The Prime Minister, as the head of the executive, and the Chief Justice of India, as the head of the judiciary, embody the leadership of two vital branches of government.

Their personal or religious event participation reflects mutual respect and understanding of their respective roles in the country's governance.The Ganesh Pooja, a significant religious event in India, represents the invocation of wisdom, prosperity, and the removal of obstacles. By attending such an event together, the two leaders are sending a message that they are united in their goals for the nation, seeking divine blessings for the common good. To view this act as inappropriate would be to overlook the fact that it is not merely a personal gathering but a reflection of shared responsibility in upholding the constitutional fabric of India.Critics of the Prime Minister's participation in the Ganesh Pooja at the Chief Justice of India's residence should remember that performing the Ganpati Pooja is not a crime, but a deeply ingrained part of India's cultural and historical heritage. The significance of Ganesh Pooja, especially when viewed through the lens of its revival by the great freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, is a reminder of its deeper objectivesunity, nationalism, and collective strength. In this context, the Ganesh Pooja is not just a religious ceremony but a powerful cultural symbol that has historically promoted social cohesion, unity, and nationalism. By criticizing such an event, the critics undermine the values that Tilak sought to instil through this festival.In Indian tradition, the term "Karta" refers to the head or manager of a family, responsible for the well-being of the entire household. Similarly, the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice act as the 'Kartas' of their respective domains: the executive and the judiciary. While their roles are different, their objectives often align, especially concerning matters of national interest, law, and justice.

By coming together at a religious event, they demonstrate that despite their institutional separation, they work towards the same larger and greater goalthe welfare of the people and the strengthening of Indian democracy.As the Karta of the executive, the Prime Minister is responsible for running the government, implementing laws, and ensuring the country's development. The Chief Justice, as the Karta of the judiciary, ensures that justice is upheld and that the laws are interpreted and applied in a fair and just manner. These roles complement each other, and public gestures of respect and unity, such as attending a religious event together, only strengthen the understanding and coordination between these two pillars of governance.Only a narrow-minded perspective would find fault in the Prime Minister's attendance at the Ganesh Pooja. Such criticism is often rooted in a limited understanding of the executive and judiciary's roles in the country's broader governance. Criticizing such gestures of goodwill and unity overlooks the significance of collaboration between these branches, which is essential for a well-functioning democracy. By attending the Ganesh Pooja, the Prime Minister and the CJI are reinforcing their commitment to work together for the nation's greater good.It is well-known that Congress, during its tenure in power, had multiple instances where it was accused of attempting to influence or interfere with the independence of the judiciary. One such example that comes to the mind of every informed citizen is when Chief Justice S.M. Sikri retired on April 25, 1973, the day after the Supreme Court's landmark Kesavananda Bharati judgment, which ruled that Parliament could not alter the "basic structure" of the Constitution. Displeased by this limitation on her plans for constitutional amendments, Indira Gandhi swiftly responded by superseding three senior judgesJustices K.S. Hegde, J.M. Shelat, and A.N. Groveron April 26.

Justice A.N. Ray, who was less critical of the government's stance, was appointed Chief Justice.This supersession sent a clear message, influencing the Supreme Court's subsequent ruling in the ADM Jabalpur case (also known as the Habeas Corpus case). During the Emergency declared on June 25, 1975, which suspended fundamental rights including the right to life and personal liberty, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court heard challenges to the presidential order. Attorney General Niren De argued that no judicial remedy could be sought during the Emergency.

Justice Khanna questioned the Attorney General about remedies for severe abuses, like police killings, during the Emergency. The Attorney General admitted there would be no judicial recourse during this period. Despite this troubling admission, the majority ruled that citizens had no right to life or personal liberty during the Emergency. Justice Khanna dissented but was later superseded by Justice M.H. Beg as Chief Justice in January 1977. In November 1976, Congress passed the 42nd Amendment, aiming to undermine judicial independence and establish a more authoritarian regime. The Prime Minister's participation in Ganesh Pooja at the Chief Justice of India's residence underscores mutual respect and recognition of each other's roles and powers.

Unlike Congress, which historically attempted to undermine judicial independence, this gesture reflects a healthy relationship between the executive and judiciary. It demonstrates that both leaders acknowledge and uphold the boundaries of their respective roles, ensuring a collaborative rather than confrontational dynamic in governance and judicial matters.The Prime Minister's attendance at a religious function does not imply interference in the judiciary's functioning or decision-making. There is a significant difference between engaging in respectful cultural or religious participation and attempting to subvert judicial independence for political gains, as seen during the Congress era. To equate the two is to distort history and misrepresent the present.

The Prime Minister performing Ganesh Pooja at the Chief Justice's residence is an act that reflects India's values of cultural unity, mutual respect, and inclusiveness. Only those with a narrow-minded view or divisive political motives would criticize such a gesture. This event represents the healthy relationship between the judiciary and executive, reaffirming their shared commitment to upholding the Constitution and promoting the welfare of the nation. Rather than being a cause for criticism, it should be seen as a celebration of the harmony and unity at the heart of India's democratic and cultural ethos.

(The writer is professor at XLRI and a BJP Leader; views are personal)
he Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed its C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in Cambodia (Vientiane, Laos)and Vietnam ( Hanoi) following the severe flooding caused by Typhoon Yagi, officials said here on Sunday.

Giving details, they said swift and efficient Loading and coordination was carried out by C-17 team at Hindan, Ghaziabad.

Nearly 35 tons of aid comprising of water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, solar lanterns is for Vietnam.

Ten tons of aid comprising genset, water purification items, hygiene supplies, mosquito nets, blankets and sleeping bags for Cambodia.

These aircraft, known for their large cargo capacity and long-range capabilities, are typically used to transport relief materials, essential supplies, and personnel to disaster-affected areas.
In an unexpected move that shook the political circles here, AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that he would resign after two days and would demand early polls in Delhi while vowing not to sit in Chief Ministers chair till people give him a certificate of honesty.

According to Kejriwal, he will hold a meeting of AAP MLAs in the next couple of days, and a party Leader will take over as the Chief Minister. The AAP convener also ruled out the possibility of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia being named Chief Minister. The announcement came two days after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the corruption case linked to Delhis now-scrapped liquor policy. The BJP hit back at the AAP supremo, terming his move a PR exercise and a drama.

The AAP national convener, who reached the party headquarters here on Sunday along with his wife Sunita to address party workers, demanded that the Delhi elections be held in November 2024 with Maharashtra, instead of February 2025. I will only sit on Chief Ministers chair after people give me a certificate of honesty. Want to give agnipariksha after coming out of jail, he said. He also requested all the non-BJP State CMs to not resign in any situation. And run the Government from jail.

Insiders say his resignation caught many by surprise, but the decision may not be as unexpected as it seems because the Supreme Court granted him bail on Friday, but with several conditions which gives more powers to the Lieutenant Governor. The most significant of these is a restriction barring him from entering the Chief Ministers office or signing official documents unless absolutely necessary to obtain the Lieutenant Governors sanctions. He has also been barred from entering the Delhi secretariat.

The surprising decision has left everyone wondering who will be the next Chief Minister of Delhi. Party insiders say Sunita Kejriwal, Rakhi Birlan, Atishi, Gopal Rai and Sandeep Pathak are among the top contenders for the CM post if he resigns. The shock announcement may reap poll benefits for the AAP as Kejriwal framed his recent announcement as a moral stand, suggesting that he will not occupy the CM chair until he receives a certificate of honesty from the electorate.

Experts said the move is likely aimed at addressing corruption and governance under Kejriwals leadership and also serves to rally AAP and its supporters around a narrative of integrity and accountability. Meanwhile, choosing a CM for just a few months has often led to a power tussle and big exits later, as was witnessed in Jharkhand recently between JMMs Hemant Soren and Champai Soren, and in Bihar in 2014 after JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar reclaimed the top seat from Jitan Ram Manjhi.

Terming it as PR stunt, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed that Kejriwal has understood that his image among the people of Delhi is not of an honest leader. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that Kejriwal has no option but to resign because of the bail conditions on him by the Supreme Court. Sirsa claimed that Kejriwal sought two days time to resign from CMs post to convince the party MLAs to make his wife, Sunita Kejriwal the Chief Minister of Delhi. BJP leader Kapil Mishra termed Kejriwals announcement as the victory for the people of Delhi. In the end, the corrupt Kejriwal will have to resign. This resignation is being forced due to the Supreme Courts strict action. The man who was adamant about running the Government from jail had to announce his resignation today. This is a major victory for the people of Delhi against corruption, he said. BJPs Harish Khurana questioned why the AAP Leader is creating a drama. Why after 48 hours? He should resign today. In the past too, he has done this. People of Delhi are asking, he cant go to the secretariat, cant sign documents? What is the point then?

This is not the first time he resigned. The last time Kejriwal resigned, his Government had worked only for 49 days and the decision was hailed as a masterstroke as the AAP returned with mammoth numbers nearly sweeping the polls by winning 67 of the 70 assembly seats in 2015. The BJP won only 3.

You people might be thinking I have just come out of jail, why is he going to resign. They have raised allegations against me They are saying that SC has put conditions on bail. After I resign, AAP will hold a high level meeting and decide a name for CM post, Kejriwal said while addressing party workers at his new headquarters.

He said, Despite the court giving us bail, the case will continue. I spoke to my lawyers. Till the case does not end, I will not sit on the CMs seat. After two days, I am going to resign from the post of CM. I will not sit on the CMs seat till the people elect me and send me to the seat again.

Kejriwal alleged that the probe agencies sent him to jail to break his spirits, and the party.

Why did they send me to jail? It was not like I had committed any crime. They also know this. They just want to break my spirit, break my party, poach our Leaders, Ministers send ED, CBI to torture our Leaders. But our Leaders and workers did not break. But I want to tell you today that they strengthened me by sending me to jail, he said.

AAP convener added, Both Sisodia and I were also stressing about this. He will also not hold any charge. We both will assume our seats when people will reelect us. The AAP national convener said, I will become Chief Minister and Manish Sisodia deputy CM only when people say we are honest. Kejriwal said he would hold a meeting of AAP MLAs in the next couple of days and a party Leader would take over as Chief Minister.

Alleging the BJP tried to prove him corrupt, Kejriwal said the saffron party cannot provide good schools and free electricity to people because they are corrupt. We are honest, he asserted.

They slap false cases against non-BJP Chief Ministers. If they are arrested, I urge them not to resign but run the Government from jail, the Delhi Chief Minister said. I didnt resign (after arrest in excise policy case) because I respect democracy and the Constitution is supreme for me, Kejriwal said and asserted that it is only the AAP that can stand up to the BJPs conspiracies.

Referring to him quitting the Chief Ministers post in 2014 over the Jan Lokpal Bill, just 49 days after assuming power, Kejriwal said, I resigned then for my ideals. I do not have a lust for power.

Saying that the excise policy case would go on for long, the Chief Minister said he wanted to ask the people of Delhi whether he is honest or guilty. He asked people to vote in his favour only if they considered him honest. For me, the BJP is not important, people are important, he said.

Our Leaders Satyendar Jain and Amanatullah Khan are still in jail. I hope they come out soon, the Chief Minister told AAP workers here as he thanked God who was with us through difficulties.

About his time in jail, Kejriwal referred to letters written by freedom fighter Bhagat Singh while in British captivity and said, I wrote only one letter to the Lieutenant Governor from Tihar and was issued a warning. Our freedom fighters were allowed meetings with colleagues but my party colleague Sandeep Pathak was not allowed to meet me in jail, he said.

Addressing AAP workers, Kejriwal said, I had a lot of time in jail. I read a lot of books when I was inside jail like Bhagavad Gita Today, I bought one book written by Bhagat Singh. When he was in jail, he wrote several letters to his comrades, family, sister, his childhood friends and the Britishers sent those letters. I also went to jail and I wrote only one letter to LG Sahab. It was August 15.

I wrote a letter to LG Sahab three days before the Independence Day and asked him to permit Atishi to host the Independence Day. I was given warning that if you write another letter, we will stop your meeting with family. I was thinking not even Britishers did such things, Kejriwal said.

He said he did not resign as Chief Minister despite being arrested because he wanted to save democracy. They have registered cases against (Karnataka Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah, (Kerala Chief Minister) Pinarayi Vijayan, (Bengal Chief Minister) Mamata didi (Banerjee). I want to appeal to non-BJP CMs, do not resign if they register cases against you. This is their new game, he said.

AAP had returned to power in the national Capital by sweeping Assembly elections held in February 2020. AAP won 62 of the 70 assembly seats. The BJP won 8 seats and Congress won none. AAP won a landslide victory in the 2015 elections, securing 67 of 70 seats and Kejriwal was re-elected as Chief Minister for second time. He became the CM for the third time in 2020.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Sunday alleged a larger conspiracy and deep nexus between the hospital authorities and a section of the police in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case.

A day after arresting Abhijit Mondal the officer in-charge of the Tala Police Station and re-arresting former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh  who is already in jail in custody on charges of corruption  the CBI advocates told the Sealdah Court that the two sides had conspired to destroy evidence and hush up the case.

Both Mondal and Ghosh were given three-day CBI remand by the designated court.

Terming the incident an institutional murder the CBI pointed out in point 8 of the remand letter how the officer in-charge showed extra hurry in allowing the cremation of the victims body. The police allowed cremation in a hurried manner when the family members demanded second autopsy, the remand letter said questioning the gap of more than 14 hours between the timing when the report of the incident was first received by the police (at 10.03 am) and lodging of the FIR (at 11.30 pm).

Not only this the officer in-charge of the police station came a full one hour late, the CBI told the court adding how a general diary number 542 was registered describing unconscious state of the victim when the doctors of the medical college had already examined the body in a dead condition.

The CBI was trying to understand the reason behind the intentional mistake left by the police, the lawyer said. The lawyer also told the court that the way the hospital authorities insisted in conducting the postmortem inside the same hospital where the incident took place and that too after sunset, was highly suspicious.

Besides, when one of the autopsy surgeons asked for the requisite police permission for the postmortem to be done post sunset a sub-inspector of the Tala Police Station was allegedly asked to write the letter of permission which was beyond his authority, sources quoting the CBI lawyer said.

A postgraduate lady doctor of the RGKMCH was raped and murdered in the wee hours of August 8 explaining the deep nexus between a section of the police and the hospital authorities, the CBI said. CBI added that there was evidence to show that on the day of the incident Ghosh and Mondal had multiple telephonic conversations.

Besides, Mondal allowed the entire crime scene to be crowded by hospital people and outsiders for hours  people came and went and evidence was allowed to be tampered, lawyers said, adding this took place in front of some of the topmost officers of Kolkata Police.

The CBI sources also said that apart from Mondal there were four more police officers who were under their scanner. Among them, there was an Indian Police Services officer.

Notices would soon be served to some of these officers for interrogation, sources in the central agency said adding however, that there was nothing between the CBI and the police, and that all the steps that are being taken are taken in the interest of the investigation.
With Assembly polls in few States round the corner, fresh spice of Vande Bharat train series are back on the platter of the voters as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off six Vande Bharat Trains and also launched various projects worth Rs 660 crore.

The PMs schedule to flag off the trains and other projects from the Tatanagar Railway Station had to be modified in the morning due to inclement weather which was not feasible for helicopter service from Ranchi to Tata.

Modi landed at Ranchi and the programme had to be scheduled virtually. PM apologised to the people for not being able to reach Tatanagar as my chopper could not take off from Ranchi due to bad weather.

Later during the day PM reached Jamshedpur by road to attend the political programmes and a Parivartan Maha Rally as per schedule. Modi is on a three-day visit to Jharkhand, Gujarat and Odisha where he will flag off several trains, lay the foundation stones and launch projects worth more than Rs 12,460 crore. Jharkhand goes to polls this November.

He flagged off six Vande Bharat trains for Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and UP at Ranchi. Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Annapurna Devi and Sanjay Seth and Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar were present at Tatanagar station.

Sources said some of the rail projects for poll bound Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir are also in pipeline. The work of laying railway lines, doubling of these and developing modern facilities at railway stations are underway at a fast pace in Jharkhand, Modi said.

Jharkhand, which was lagging in development, will also see rapid growth with the launch of these projects, he said. The Centre has increased its investment for the development of Jharkhand. This year, Jharkhand has been given an allocation of Rs 7,000 crore for the development of railway infrastructure. If we compare the budget of the past 10 years, it is 16 times higher. Jharkhand has joined the list of States where 100 per cent electrification of the railway network has been achieved, he said.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that the facilities of the fully equipped, air-conditioned and largest Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) of Madhya Pradesh, which is coming up on the lines of the airport in Indores Kumedi, will be available to the public from December. This bus terminal will add to the pride of Indore and Madhya Pradesh in the country.

The Chief Minister said this during the inspection of the bus terminal here on Saturday. He informed that the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) is being constructed by the Indore Development Authority for Rs 101 crore in the 15-acre area in Kumedi area of ??Indore. The terminal will be ready by coming December. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that the government is working rapidly for the integrated development of the state. He said that the bus terminal will also be highly beneficial during Simhasthaas as it will provide the best transportation facilities to the passengers. He appreciated and congratulated the work of public representatives, district administration, and officials of Indore Development Authority associated with the terminal. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav also inspected the metro rail station being built in front of the terminal. He also gave instructions to complete the metro work at a fast pace.

Among those present on the occasion were Water Resources Minister Tulsiram Silavat, MP Shri Shankar Lalwani, MLA Shri Mahendra Hardia, Madhu Verma, Manoj Patel and Golu Shukla, Divisional Commissioner Deepak Singh, Police Commissioner Rakesh Gupta, Collector Ashish Singh, Chairman of the Scheduled Caste Finance Development Corporation Sawan Sonkar, former Chairman of Indore Development Authority Jaipal Singh Chavda, Gaurav Ranadive, Chief Executive Officer of Indore Development Authority R.P. Ahirwar and other officers and public representatives.

About 1440 buses will arrive at the newly constructed Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) of Indore in 24 hours. The bus terminal will be fully air-conditioned and equipped with all facilities. There will be 14 ticket counters for the convenience of passengers. There will also be a parking facility for about 1000 vehicles. From here buses will go to places like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Chhindwara, Sagar etc. A total of 43 bus platforms have been constructed, out of which 28 platforms are earmarked for outgoing buses and 15 for incoming buses. A daily traffic of 80 thousand passengers is expected in the terminal building, in which about 8 thousand people will be able to travel simultaneously even during peak hours. Separate gates have been made for the arrival and departure of passenger buses.

Separate parking arrangements have been made in the ISBT complex for about 600 two-wheelers, 160 taxi cars, 150 auto-rickshaws, and about 50 private cars. Apart from this, there is also a parking arrangement for about 315 four-wheelers in the basement. Two Sulabh Shauchalayas have also been constructed at the parking lot.

The terminal building has seating arrangements for 500 passengers and a VIP lounge similar to the airport has also been constructed. The ticket counter, inquiry office, police post, medical room, and clock room have been arranged in the terminal block.

The entire terminal building will have an airport-like air cooling system, which is not available in any ISBT in the state. For the convenience of passengers, 16 restaurants, 37 shops, 33 office buildings, and 2 ATMs have also been constructed. ISBT has also been directly connected to the metro station so that metro passengers will be able to reach the bus stand complex directly and bus passengers will be able to reach the metro station directly.
AAP on Sunday lauded its party supremo and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals decision to resign from his post while calling it a rare display of morality and a defining moment in the countrys political history.

Senior AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accusing the BJP for mudslinging against Kejriwal and said, For the last two years, the BJP has been mudslinging at Arvind Kejriwal and all the big leaders of the AAP that these people are thieves, they have committed corruption and earned crores of rupees.

But even after two years of investigation, the ED-CBI do not have the courage to even start the trial. These people (BJP) are not even able to start the case, the Supreme Court of the country itself is saying this, he said.

He claimed that while granting bail to Kejriwal, the Supreme Court that even today CBI is acting like a caged parrot. Bharadwaj further added that in the history of the entire world, Arvind Kejriwal is the only Chief Minister who, after resigning from the post, is saying, "If I am honest, then vote for me, otherwise don't vote for me." The Delhi minister claimed, Kejriwal is jeopardizing his entire career and saying that despite so much mudslinging and such adverse conditions, when the party has been thrown out of its office, many party leaders have been arrested, and the party has no money, even in such a situation, he is going among the people and saying, If I am honest, then put me back in the Chief Minister's seat, otherwise don't.

The senior AAP leader said that in a time when Indian politics has become like a mud bath, such morality and purity are rarely seen. This is unique to Arvind Kejriwal, he affirmed.

Delhi Minister Atishi hailed the decision and said, He built a party from zero against corruption and when that new party won, Kejriwal became the Chief Minister. Then, he resigned from his post only because he could not bring a law against corruption, which he had promised to the people of Delhi.

She said that the AAP supremo cannot tolerate corruption, dishonesty and pocketing public money. Today, the decision of Arvind Kejriwal's resignation has come from the same pain that maybe there is a Delhiite who thinks that Arvind Kejriwal has committed corruption, she said.

We have demanded early elections in Delhi. Elections are going to be held in Maharashtra in November, Delhi elections should be held simultaneously and in this election, the people of Delhi will give their mandate to their brother-son Arvind Kejriwal. The people of Delhi have full faith in Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi asserted.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that the BJP has failed in trying to stop AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested with the intention of ending AAP, but BJP failed in this. Now

He is going among the public, we will take certificates from the public. The people of Delhi will decide whether they are honest or guilty. I have full faith that Arvind Kejriwal will bring the certificate of the people with a huge majority and win the upcoming elections with full majority, he said.
A self-confessed cow worshipper, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is caught between his 'love' for the bovine and a recent observation of the Madhya Pradesh high court which has adopted a clear stance over the rise in road accidents caused by the rampant presence of cows on highways in the state.

The incidents of cow deaths and bovine related accidents on highways in Orchha and Sagar on Saturday have yet again exposed the Madhya Pradesh BJP government's 'love' for the cows and it's reluctance to act against the bovines.

Despite the presence of over 2,400 government or government aided cow shelters across Madhya Pradesh, it is surprising that cows are still found roaming on main roads and highways in the state. The situation is no-different even in the State capital.

In the last few decades, successive BJP governments have initiated several steps to overcome the problem, including the formation of a board for the protection of cows. Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had even formed a separate cabinet for the protection of cows but the situation continues to remain unchanged.

Cow rearers are to be blamed for a part of the problem as they only provide shelter to milching cows and then abandon the bovines once they stop giving milk.

They say that keeping cows beyond the milk giving age is not possible for them as the non profitable bovines would chew into their meager profits.

In a knee-jerk reaction after the death of cows in an accident in Bhopal in August, the state government had announced a four-member committee for a period of 15 days to control cows and other cattle from straying on to the roads.

The panel was headed by the Aditional Chief Secretary of Home department and only the committee can say what happened during those 15 days, as the problem continues to persist.

The Madhya Pradesh high court in Jabalpur repeatedly asked authorities and departments of the state government for explanation over their inability to stop the highways from turning into grazing grounds for cattle.

Notices have been issued to the state government, PWD Principal Secretary, MPRDC, and NHAI but the high court action is yet to bring a change on the ground.

Earlier, during the regime of Congress, then chief minister Kamal Nath had increased the grant given to cow shelter owners to Rs 20 per cow, but in the present BJP government, it has been reduced to Rs 3 per cow.

Senior Congress leader Rameshwar Neekhra, while talking to The Pioneer' said the present grant is ridiculous. One cow's per day feed costs around Rs 100 per day, then what one cow would get in just Rs 3. He applauded the Chhattisgarh scheme-Godhan Nyay Yojana- and described it as excellent. He urged the state government to come up with such a comprehensive plan to save cows from meeting with accidents.

Implemented by Bhupesh Baghel government in Chhattisgarh, the Godhan Nyay scheme was the first of its kind in the country, it helped poor cattle rearers augment their incomes by selling cow dung to the government.

The state government used cow dung, acquired from the farmers, to make organic vermicompost and subsequently promoted the use of organic farming by selling this manure to farmers in the state.

The vermicompost was produced under MNREGA by women organised under Self Help Groups (SHGs).

Around three years ago, then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that the cow, as well as its dung and urine, can strengthen the farm economy and add to the country's financial capabilities but the government has stopped short of backing these pronouncements with credible action.

While there is no denying the fact that the government has developed cow sanctuaries and shelters but the situation on the ground requires participation from the society, he had said.
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
Chief Minister and Gorakshapeethadhishwar Yogi Adityanath said that at a time when much of the world lacked a strong emphasis on civilisation, culture and human values, India was flourishing in all these areas.

From ancient times to the present, Indian civilisation has been deeply rooted in democratic principles. The Rishi tradition emphasised the principle of Live and Let Live, a true form of democracy, one that originated in India, he remarked.

Unlike other cultures that sought to conquer or dominate, Indias ethos has always been one of inclusivity, captured in the timeless philosophy of Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah (May all be happy). This spirit is reflected today in Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, he added.

Chief Minister Yogi made these remarks while presiding over the inaugural conference on India as the Mother of Democracy, which was part of a series of discussions on contemporary issues, held in observance of the 55th death anniversary of Yugpurush Brahmaleen Mahant Digvijaynath Ji Maharaj and the 10th death anniversary of Rashtrasant Brahmaleen Mahant Avedyanath Ji Maharaj on Sunday.

Welcoming Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh who was the chief guest, Chief Minister Yogi said, The evidence of democratic values can be found in India from the Vedic period through the Ramayana and Mahabharata eras. In Indian democracy, the peoples voice and interests have always been of utmost importance. Indian tradition has long upheld the belief that the king is responsible for the well-being of the people.

He added, During the Ramayana era, Lord Ram prioritised the peoples voice, and Lord Krishna oversaw governance through a council of elders. When internal strife broke out in Dwarka, leading to the demise of the council members, Lord Krishna remarked that the laws of the state apply equally to all citizens.

Chief Minister Yogi expressed concern over the fact that a mindset of slavery still prevails among some people in the country, despite Indias deep democratic roots that date back to ancient times. He said, India lost its freedom when it failed to safeguard its democratic heritage.

He pointed out that in ancient India, councils representing the people had the authority to remove autocratic kings, underscoring that in a true democracy, the welfare of the people is paramount. He cited the Vaishali Republic as a prime example from ancient history, where the entire governance system was dedicated to the people's interests.

The chief minister said, Today, all Indians should take pride in their democracy and the nations rapidly growing economy, which is built on democratic values." He stressed that the strength of Indias democracy lies in the protection of the Constitution.

It is the collective responsibility of every citizen to safeguard the Constitution with sincerity and rise above divisions of caste, creed, religion and region, Chief Minister Yogi added. He noted that by upholding the highest respect for the Constitution, India can ensure a stronger democracy.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh stated that the principles of democracy have been shaped by Indias 5,000-year-old values. He highlighted that the true democracy today is deeply rooted in Indian traditions and values.

Singh said, The essence of democracy lies in the freedom to express ones views openly, a principle deeply rooted in thousands of years of Indian tradition. Indian democracy provides people with full freedom, along with the ability to correct its flaws.

The Rajya Sabha deputy chairman remarked that those influenced by Western ideals have mistakenly viewed Indian democracy as an imported concept, largely because of the habit of looking to Greece for inspiration. He pointed out that when India gained independence, many foreign scholars doubted the survival of democracy in the country.

However, today, India stands ready to prove them wrong, as next year marks the Amrit Year of the implementation of the Constitution, he asserted.

Singh said, India is now presenting itself to the world as the true mother of democracy, a topic that had not been widely discussed before but is now being highlighted, including at the G-20 summit.

He praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for advancing significant discussions on Indian democracy through such events. Referring to Chief Minister Yogi as the embodiment of the Ram raj concept, Singh said: Yogiji reflects the spirit of Ram raj, with his work exemplifying ancient Indian values of equal justice and security for all.

The Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, while paying tribute to the revered memories of Brahmalin Mahant Digvijaynath and Brahmalin Mahant Avedyanath, remarked that remembering great figures from the past serves as an inspiration for the future.

Both Gorakshpeethadhishwars played a pivotal role in reviving national, social, and cultural consciousness, and their lives were devoted to upholding Indian values, he added.

The conference was also addressed by former executive president of Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan, Lucknow, Prof Sadanand Gupta, Brahmachari Das Lal of Sawai, Agra and Swami Vishwesh Prapannacharya of Sugreev Kiladhish Ayodhya.

On this occasion, chief priest of Gorakhnath temple Yogi Kamalnath, Mahant Suresh Das from Ayodhya, Mahant Shivnath from Cuttack, Mahamandaleshwar Santosh Das alias Satua Baba from Kashi, Mithileshnath, Rammilan Das, Bhayanaknath from Karnataka, Kamalnath from Ahmedabad, Ravindradas and others were also present.
At 56 and with a surprise announcement of resignation from his post on Sunday, Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal is at a crucial juncture in his political career while completing more than a decade in politics.

A man who has now made his name in the political landscape of the nation, Kejriwal's journey in politics began with his role in the India Against Corruption movement in 2011. The movement, led by activist Anna Hazare, aimed to push for the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill, which sought to establish an independent body to investigate corruption cases.

During this period, Kejriwal emerged as a key figure advocating for clean governance and transparency. His involvement in the movement and his stand against corruption garnered significant public support, setting the stage for his political career. Inspired by the movement and the public's call for clean governance, Kejriwal founded the AAP in 2012.

The party's foundation was built on the principles of anti-corruption and transparency, and it quickly captured the public's imagination, especially in urban areas tired of traditional politics. In its political debut during the Delhi assembly elections in 2013, AAP stunned established political parties by winning 28 out of 70 seats.

This victory propelled Kejriwal to the Chief Ministers office, but his first term was short-lived. After just 49 days in power, Kejriwal resigned, citing difficulties in passing the Jan Lokpal Bill. This abrupt resignation was a controversial move, sparking both criticism for its perceived impulsiveness and praise for his commitment to anti-corruption principles.

Kejriwal and AAP made a remarkable comeback in the 2015 Delhi assembly elections. The party won a landslide victory, securing 67 of the 70 seats. Kejriwal was re-elected as Chief Minister, and his administration set out to focus on key public welfare areas such as education, healthcare, water, electricity, and infrastructure. Kejriwals third consecutive term came after the 2020 Delhi assembly elections, where AAP once again dominated the polls. Representing the New Delhi constituency, Kejriwal continued to focus on the issues of education, healthcare, and infrastructure. However, his political career has also been marked by frequent clashes with the central government.

In 2014, he contested the Lok Sabha elections against Narendra Modi in Varanasi but lost. Despite this setback, he remained a vocal critic of the Modi government, often confronting Delhis Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. Before entering the political arena, Kejriwal was an officer in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). He was actively involved in advocating for governance reforms and the Right to Information (RTI) movement, emphasizing transparency in public offices. He also received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for emergent leadership in 2006.

In recent times, however, Kejriwal found himself embroiled in a legal battle related to the Delhi excise policy. The Supreme Courts decision to grant him bail offered a temporary respite, yet the legal turmoil has cast a shadow over his administration.
Amid the sudden announcement of resignation by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Monday raised questions regarding the resignation two days laters and said that the AAP supremos conduct, image, and character are all under suspicion.

Addressing a joint press conference, Sachdeva said, Arvind Kejriwal stated that he would leave his resignation to the public, but the public had already given its verdict long ago when they sent him to jail and didn't response to the 'Jail ka Jawab Vote Se' campaign.

He claimed that the announcement for resigning from the post in two days' time is probably to settle some remaining issues and gather more money. Given the deep-rooted corruption in the Kejriwal government, the entire cabinet should resign because there is no department untouched by corruption, Sachdeva stated.

The Delhi BJP chief alleged that Kejriwal should have resigned following the incident of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal accusing his aide Bibhav Kumar assaulting her. Arvind Kejriwal is not only the first Chief Minister of Delhi but also the first in the country who called a woman MP to his house and got her mistreated and assaulted. If he had any decency, he would have resigned long ago, Sachdeva said.

He also asserted that Delhiites doubt whether Kejriwal will resign, and added that his past actions and changes in statements cast doubt on his announcement. The BJP leader added that the corruption of Kejriwal, who claims to speak of honesty, has hollowed out Delhi like a termite. Every year, 40 to 45 people lose their lives due to waterlogging, h said.

South Delhi BJP MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri expressed apprehension that Kejriwal's resignation announcement could be just a drama because AAP is an expert in doing drama. A drama of not resigning can also be done by calling a meeting of the legislative party. Therefore, it is not necessary that he resigns as per his announcement. If he submits his resignation to the Lieutenant Governor, only then it will be considered that he has resigned, Bidhuri stated.

Referring to the conditions applied on Kejriwals bail, Bidhuri said, The Supreme Court had made it clear while granting bail to Kejriwal that he cannot work as the Chief Minister. He was barred from entering the Secretariat and was also barred from signing any file and his arrest was also declared valid.

He added that a situation of constitutional crisis had arisen in Delhi and Kejriwal has no option left except to resign. The festive atmosphere created by the AAP after Kejriwal's bail and calling it his victory has also gone. The Supreme Court has granted him bail but now the Chief Minister's chair is slipping out of his hands, the Delhi BJP MP alleged.

Chandni Chowk BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal described Arvind Kejriwal as a person who has outdone even chameleons in changing colours and said, "The demand for Kejriwal's resignation amid controversies has raised serious questions on the administrative capability and accountability of Delhi.

Kejriwal has described himself as a leader fighting for the interests of the common man, but his resignation is being seen as an attempt to divert attention from the recent allegations and controversies surrounding him and his government. He has proved himself to be a 'fugitive' as it contradicts the principles he espoused earlier," he stated, adding that this is not a voluntary declaration but a result of pressure from the Supreme Court which granted him bail but did not allow him to function as Chief Minister.

Further, Sachdeva added that people in Delhi are devoid of drinking water and despite the talk of free electricity, bills are coming with a 45 per cent surcharge. Kejriwal, who talks about free and world-class healthcare services, should explain why more than half of the ICU centers in government hospitals are still non-operational, he questioned. Kejriwal, who spied on opposition leaders and officials, seems to have forgotten about his espionage scandal, and now he is appealing to opposition parties, he said. Further, he added that Kejriwal is showing Bhagat Singh's diary, but he should read his own written 'Swaraj', in which alcohol was called a curse, and now, by engaging in the liquor trade, he has landed in jail.

The Kejriwal government should explain why, if there was no scam in the liquor policy, they withdrew it when the investigation began. The court had sent him to jail, and legal proceedings are still ongoing. Instead of making noise, Kejriwal should focus on these issues, Sachdeva alleged.
After AAP convener and chief minister Arvind Kejriwals announcement that he will resign as Chief Minister after 48 hours, the decision has raised two pressing questions: First, who will serve as the temporary Chief Minister of the national capital until the elections? Second, will the Election Commission allow early elections as requested by the AAP leader?

Another critical factor was the looming threat of President's Rule. The central government, led by the BJP, could have cited policy paralysis to justify imposing President's Rule, which could delay elections by up to six months.

As Delhi is a National Capital Territory, the Lt Governor will forward the Delhi Chief Minister's recommendation to the President through the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Lt Governor has the power to dissolve the Assembly on the advice of the chief minister. Currently, there is no proposal to dissolve the Delhi Assembly, which could reduce the possibility of President's rule being imposed.

First, choosing a CM for just a few months has often led to a power tussle and big exits later, as was witnessed in Jharkhand recently between JMM's Hemant Soren and Champai Soren, and in Bihar in 2014 after JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar reclaimed the top seat from Jitan Ram Manjhi. Now the question is also being raised will Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hand over the responsibility to a family member? However, his wife Sunita Kejriwal's name has been in the news since the Lok Sabha elections when CM Kejriwal came out on interim bail for some time for an election campaign. Since then, there has been a constant discussion about Sunita Kejriwal's claim for the post of CM. Now that the CM has announced his resignation, discussions again intensified about who will replace him as the Chief Minister.

The CMs wife, who is on the second position of star campaigners for Haryana elections, has been actively participating in election campaigns along with the state unit leaders these days. Meanwhile, analysts also say that Kejriwal may not be portrayed that he is promoting dynastic politics because as he and his party have always advocated a clean public image where there is no room for such politics.

But internal dynamics within the AAP could create turbulence. Finding a suitable interim chief minister who commands the respect and loyalty of party members, while also appealing to voters, could be challenging.Kejriwal's successor could either come from the current Cabinet or be strategically selected to leverage caste dynamics, with an eye of assembly polls in Haryana and Delhi.

Many names are doing the rounds including senior AAP leaders Gopal Rai, Sandeep Pathak, Rakhi Birlan, Raghav Chadha and Atishi for the coveted post. Analysts also also giving Atishi an edge as she has risen rapidly since Sisodias arrest and is currently holding more than 10 portfolios, the highest in the AAP dispensation.

The AAP leader holds several important portfolios in the Kejriwal-led government namely Finance, Planning, PWD, Water, Power, Education, Higher Education, TTE, Services, Public Relation and Vigilance. Atishi now oversees 11 portfolios, which is the highest number of departments a minister holds in the Delhi government right now. Atishis importance can be gauzed from the fact that Kejriwal in a letter to the Delhi LG VK Saxena, suggested that cabinet minister Atishi will hoist the national flag in his place during the Delhi governments Independence Day programme.

Possibility of elevation of Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and Deputy Speaker Rakhi Bidlan cannot be denied as they both the close aides of the Delhi CM.

Another thing, despite Kejriwal's demand for early polls, Election Commission has the authority to call for early elections if it deems it necessary due to extraordinary circumstances. However, the EC has historically preferred to adhere to established electoral timelines unless there is a compelling reason to intervene.

Experts say the city government may have to write to the Election Commission giving reasons behind the demand. "Legally, the EC has the power to hold the assembly elections in Delhi alongside Maharashtra. But on previous occasions, the polls in Delhi were held separately. The EC should have a reason to club Maharashtra and Delhi polls," said an expert refusing to be named.

He also pointed out that the electoral rolls in Delhi would be updated in January with January 1 as the qualifying date. When the rolls are updated, the newly-registered voters are able to cast their votes. "Therefore, the EC may prefer holding the polls in Delhi as planned," he said.

The exit  likely to be formalised on Tuesday  will not be the first time that Kejriwal has stepped down as Delhi CM.
In an attempt to enhance the quality of healthcare services, the Uttar Pradesh government is training frontline staff in government hospitals to improve their behaviour towards patients and their attendants.

The initiative aims to address common concerns about the treatment of patients in hospitals, ensuring that people no longer face issues related to staff conduct during their visits.

The government hopes that this move will not only improve the standard of healthcare, but also create a more supportive environment for patients and their families.

By prioritising a compassionate approach, the administration seeks to foster a positive perception of government healthcare facilities, making them more accessible and trustworthy for the public.

Principal Secretary (Medical Health and Family Welfare) Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma said that master trainers had been trained to provide a good experience to patients and their attendants in government hospitals.

During a recent high-level meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasised that respectful and quality healthcare is a critical aspect of public health service. He noted that the behaviour of frontline staff plays a pivotal role in shaping the hospitals image, as it is often the first point of contact for patients.

Frontline staff are being trained to provide respectful and compassionate care, which is remembered by patients long after they recover," Sharma said.

He also stressed that the empathetic approach of healthcare workers can contribute to the patients treatment, as those seeking care are often under significant mental and physical stress.

A kind and supportive demeanour from healthcare staff acts as a balm, helping patients and their attendants navigate difficult times, he remarked.

The government anticipates positive results from this initiative in the near future, with the hope that it will significantly improve patient experiences in the states hospitals.

Mission Director of National Health Mission, Dr Pinky Jowal, said that on the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi, master trainers had been prepared in Lucknow to train all the frontline staff (receptionist/ward assistant/security guard/staff nurse/pharmacist/lab technician) of the state.

These master trainers will be the head/chief medical superintendent of all district hospitals, staff nurse in-charge, hospital manager and district quality consultant.

As part of the Yogi governments initiative, four master trainers have been assigned from each district, with their training completed in nine batches in August. These trainers are now set to educate frontline staff at district hospitals and community health centres across the state.

NHM General Manager (Training) Dr Archana Verma, emphasised the critical role of security guards, reception staff and ward assistants, as they are the first point of contact for patients and their families.

Their attentiveness and behaviour significantly impact the overall patient experience. Training has already begun in several hospitals, with more to follow as micro plans are developed to ensure comprehensive coverage across the state, she said.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that the Madhya Pradesh government is committed to the maximum use and promotion of Hindi. Madhya Pradesh is a major Hindi-speaking state. Not only are doctors and engineers from Madhya Pradesh progressing after getting an education in Hindi but they can also be given the facility to study other courses in Hindi. Later on, students can build their careers by studying MBA and other courses. People who speak Hindi only enhance the pride of the language. Madhya Pradesh government is committed to educating the students in their mother tongue. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav was honoring Hindi Sevis in the Rashtriya Hindi Bhasha Samman Alankaran Samaroha organized by the Culture Department at Rabindra Bhawan today on Hindi Day.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that today on the occasion of Hindi Day, a review related to the language is also necessary. He said the journey of Hindi started from the origin of Awadhi. Despite many difficulties, its journey has been smooth. The Chief Minister remembered many freedom fighters and great men who worked for the cause of both the freedom movement and the national language.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that it is our good fortune that many non-Hindi-speaking people have also been strong supporters of Hindi. In favorable times, new rays of hope emerge from adversity. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that when the British were ruling, Hindi scholars and great men of the country kept everyone connected. It was a difficult task to reject English at that time but the patriots and Hindi lovers, along with their fight for freedom, also continued to make efforts to establish the identity of their language. They enhanced the pride of the national language. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav remembered Madhavrao Sapre and Bhartendu Harishchandra, famous writers Premchand ji and Hazari Prasad Dwivedi apart from Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Subhash Chandra Bose, who while prominently took part in the freedom movement continued to be strong supporters of Hindi.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Late Atal Behari Vajpayee's address at the United Nations in Hindi increased the pride of Hindi. He said that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi uses Hindi even in foreign countries whenever there is an opportunity. As Madhya Pradesh is a Hindi-speaking state, when our people speak Hindi in other states, people are impressed by the purity and pronunciation of their language. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that all these examples increase the pride of the Hindi language.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that today two sisters from Canada and Sri Lanka have been honored by the Madhya Pradesh government for promoting the use of Hindi. The duo has done important work in favor of Hindi. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav instructed the Culture Department to organize such Samman Samarohas every year.
Gautam Majumdar, General Manager (CMG, PMG, CC & DTG) and NP Sanodia, Department Head (DTG) presented the prestigious Information Security Certificate to Gaurav Sharma, Senior Manager (DTG) and Molly Bibileen Khakha, Manager (DTG) at a simple ceremony held at BHEL, Bhopal.

The prestigious Information Security Course for Certified Internal Information Security Auditor (CIISA) based on ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information Security Management System standard was conducted at BHEL Hyderabad from 24th to 26th April, 2024. Both the executives achieved the highest performance grade, 'O' (Excellent).

This certification is given by the STQC (Standardization Testing & Quality Certification) Directorate, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India to recognize BHEL's commitment to excellence in Information Security Management and to advance cyber security capabilities and make the organization a leader in the field.

In the same series, SN Shrivastava, Sr DGM (DTG) and Pradeep Singh Baloria, Sr Manager (DTG) were also awarded ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification for successfully completing the infection cum awareness program.
A programme was held to commemorate 'Hindi Day' by the Tagore International Hindi Centre in the state capital on Saturday.

The event coincided with the start of Hindi fortnight.The program was designed and presented by the Overseas Indian Literature and Culture Research Centre, and the Faculty of Humanities and Liberal Arts, Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal.

An 'International Symposium' on the topic 'Hindi in the World: The World of Hindi,' was held to mark the occasion.

On this occasion, the Tagore International Hindi Centre also presented the 'Hindi Acquisition Curriculum' designed for global Hindi education.

A book titled 'Vishwa mein Hindi: Hindi ka Vishwa' from the Overseas Literature Series published under the 'Vishwa Rang' theme was also launched.

The book, edited by Dr. Deepak Pandey and Dr. Nutan Pandey, focuses on 'The Literary Contributions of Dharmapal Mahendra Jain, a Canadian Writer.

The author, Jain, in his presidential address, noted the rapud strides made by Hindi on the global stage and elaborated on the programs divised for promotion of the language in Canada.

Speaking on the occasion, Aditi Chaturvedi Vats, Pro VC of the university said that the foundation of the ISECT group is Hindi.

She said that Hindi Fortnight has been inaugurated at all six universities of the ISECT University group.The fortnight will see many students present and participate in various programs and events designed for the promotion of Hindi.The Hindi fortnight concludes on September 30.
Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav on Sunday welcomed the decision of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to resign from his post, but claimed that this decision should have happened six months ago.

He should have tendered his resignation six months ago then the public of Delhi would not have gone through a lot of crisis, Yadav said, adding that this looks like a political drama as the Supreme Court has already imposed restrictions on him.

A new Chief Minister should be appointed as soon as possible, the Delhi Congress chief demanded. He said that the public of Delhi is aware and they will surely give an answer to the AAPs misgovernance in the Delhi Assembly elections.

Responding to the announcement of Kejriwal resigning two days later, Yadav said, Kejriwal should have resigned as soon as he came out of jail, as there was no point clinging to the post of Chief Minister with the apex court putting a lot of restrictions on him. Why is he waiting for two days?

He added that Kejriwal had lost his moral right to continue as Chief Minister. He has no right to continue on the post after he was sent to jail in connection with the liquor scam, following his arrest by the ED for money laundering and CBI for corruption, as governance took a back in the past six months, with people going through untold suffering due to waterlogging, water shortage, garbage pile up and deaths due to drowning in flood waters and electrocution, as nearly 40 people had lost their lives in the past two months in rain related mishaps, he said.

He accused the AAP supremo of not resigning so that his family could live in the palatial official residence.
A retired Chief Engineer of PHE department has been duped to the tune of Rs 9.60 lakh in the name of sending him on Haj pilgrimage; accused provided fake plane tickets and a fake Arab visa which was revealed at Delhi airport on June 24.

The entire fraud was revealed during check-in at Delhi Airport after which the victim returned to Bhopal and lodged a complaint with Aishbgah police. After investigation, Aishbagh police have registered a case of fraud against the tour operator.

ASI Pawan Raghuvanshi said that Shahid Hasan (62) lives in Naveen Nagar, Aishbagh, he was posted as Chief Engineer in the PHE department and retired a year ago.

In his complaint Shahid told the police that he and his wife contacted Rafiq Khan, the operator of a travel agency named Al Haj Sahulat Umrah Tour Organization, through an advertisement to go on Haj 2024. When the trip was finalized, he transferred Rs 4.60 lakh in January and later gave a cheque of Rs 3 lakh and finally provided Rs 2 lakh in cash.

On reaching Delhi airport at the time of checking-in at the airport the employees told him that the ticket and visa were fake. From there, when Shahid spoke to the operator of the travel agency, Rafiq, on the phone, he started misleading them.

After realizing that he had been cheated, Shahid reached Bhopal and lodged a complaint at the Aishbagh police station.

After three months of investigation, the police have registered a case against the accused Rafiq Khan and started searching for him. Police said that the accused operates an office in Mulla Colony, Karond, and he is being searched by raiding his possible hideouts.




What Is Declarative Programming



Broadly speaking, there are two ways to program/instruct a computer to perform a task, they are imperative vs declarative programming.



Imperative programming is what we do the most, we write all the code necessary for the computer to perform a task such that the only thing left for the computer to do is fetch and execute CPU instructions. If you are using Java,C#, Javascript...etc you are doing imperative programming.



Declarative programming is a higher-order form of programming, we instruct the computer to perform a task but otherwise let it "figure out" how to do it. Declarative programming requires some sort of software based execution engine. Whereas with imperative programming our code gets compiled into some machine/byte code and then run by the CPU, declarative programming requires

a layer of software that does the "magic" that allows you to use it without having to write the precise logic for completing tasks.

I would guess Structured Query Language (SQL) and the associated Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) that process it represent the most prominent example of the declarative programming paradigm.



These two programming approaches represent a dichotomy that can be summarized as instructions vs directions. With declarative programming you give instructions and let the system handle the rest, with imperative programming you provide detailed directions for how the task should be performed.



In order for declarative systems to be useful, they must provide a sufficiently expressive instruction language/format (ie a domain specific language (DSL)) and provide a comprehensive set of tools to apply given instructions to. This also means that it is difficult to get declarative systems off the ground as it requires a long process of exploration and experimentation to build up the necessary tool set and DSL expressiveness to make them shine. One could liken declarative systems to whiskey, they tend to get better with age...ie if they survive long enough.



AI As Human-To-Computer Language Translator



AI/LLMs "could" solve both the instruction language/format and the tool set problem faced by declarative systems.



Not only does AI eliminate the need for developing a custom DSL, as your DSL now is just plain language, it also allows you to leverage the AI's "intelligence" to fill in the gap for tooling, ie AI CodeGen.

There are many declarative systems out there, most are at best half-baked attempts as they tend to be fairly limited both in expressiveness and in tool set. Many large CRM/ERP/BPM platforms have some degree of declarative capabilities built into them, often referred to as rules engines.



The way you make declarative solutions useful is via tooling, however often the tool set of existing declarative systems tend to be simply exposing imperative capabilities to the declarative layer. For instance a tool might be called "list-interator" in a declarative system, wherein you pass a list and it iterates over it, this is simply a backwards way of doing imperative programming and this type of "tool" often constitutes a large part of the tool set exposed by existing declarative systems.



With AI, your tool set no longer needs to include such superfluous declarative constructs, instead they'll be actual tools that perform various tasks; even more, many of those tools can be built as simple feedback into the AI, ie AI output being used to generate more AI output.



The aim of allowing users to instruct computers vs direct them has been a pursuit that started almost as soon as computers became business tools. The syntax of venerable business application languages such as COBOL and Visual Basic lays this bare.



Consider below an example of instructions (prompt) to build an app via the Solvent-Botworx platform. This is plain language that requires no rigid syntax. *This prompt is the user's instruction, the actual prompt sent to the AI includes a more expansive preamble that instructs it on how to process this request.







Here's the same prompt converted to COBOL, courtesy of AI CodeGen







The syntactic similarities between these instruction forms are obvious. In our case we tell the AI to convert the prompt to a JSON object structure that is then further processed via custom tooling as part of a declarative execution engine.

The AI approach means declarative systems can be built in a way that decouples them from being limited to a particular platform. Furthermore, building declarative systems in the future will be mainly about designing ways to incorporate tooling that acts on AI generated configurations that then further leads to the generation of imperative logic/functionality that can be audited,tested,reviewed before deployment.



Reliability And Consistency



A lot has been made of AI's limitation especially when it comes to accuracy, these are valid critics but are likely mainly a reflection of the initial AI gold rush. Until so-called AGI happens, if ever, ie an AI that is as capable and "sane"(ie grounded) as an intelligent and highly educated human that can simply be told what needs to be done and it will go ahead and figure out how to do it, the most reliable AI solutions are going to be those that rely less on raw AI generated output based strictly on the AI's "knowledge" but rather make use of comprehensive tooling to drive automation.

Such solutions will rely primarily on the AI's abstract intelligence, ie the AI's ability to take instructions (including data) and generate structured output that can then be processed via tooling. It means AI as part of a declarative execution engine.



In fact it is likely we are going to end up with AI winners including some unexpected companies. Sure, I expect the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and other infrastructure service providers to profit but it is also possible some "old-school" software companies are in pole position to benefit immensely from the declarative execution capabilities of AI.

Consider a company such as SAP, they are known for the complexity of their systems and the need to hire expensive consultants to do implementations. One could imagine SAP eventually implementing AI capabilities that exposes their complex systems in a piece-meal manner as tools that can then be glued together via declarative instruction processing, you'll probably still need those expensive consultants but likely not as many of them as you otherwise would. This would mean lower cost for SAP customers and consequently higher adoption of such a platform.





Declarative processing of configurations generated via AI is a way to ground the AI, this requires a lot of work since you don't just offload requests to an AI but rather your processing logic serves as a guardrail to ensure what's being done makes sense. In order for AI to be used in applications that require reliability, this work will need to be done.

This will be true for agentic applications as well, the most useful ones are going to be ones that act on configurations with a definite logic that can determine if what's being proposed by a configuration step actually makes sense. What all this boils down to is, instead of simply saying AI go do X & Y, you instead say here's my instruction along with necessary data, generate a configuration that matches this configuration structure (or schema), then have you declarative processing implementation act on that configuration with all necessarily sanity and safety checks applied.



When it comes to advancing AI capabilities the momentum is towards more model training, that is certainly a prerequisite but it is likely that a declarative processing approach will for the foreseeable future be needed for use cases where reliability and consistency is a requirement. At the moment the leading models are indeed very smart, they are however still "unhinged", grounding them is a requirement for consistency and reliability.

Below is a session showing AI enabled declarative processing on the Solvent-Botworx platform:




The United Malyalee Association (UMA) Bhopal is celebrating Onam festival on Sunday, at 6 PM at the SN Mission Hall, Subhash Nagar, Bhopal. Since its establishment in 1984, UMA has been dedicated to serving the community with compassion and commitment.

Over the decades, UMA has consistently provided essential support, including medical aid, financial assistance, blood donation drives, and more.

OD Joseph, President of UMA, said, Onam festival is an opportunity for us to celebrate our rich cultural heritage and the spirit of togetherness. As we host this years festivities, we are reminded of the resilience and unity of our community. We are honored to continue our engagement with our fellow Malaylees and look forward to sharing this special occasion with everyone.

The Onam Celebrations 2024 will showcase a vibrant array of cultural performances, including traditional and contemporary dances by Kalanjali, Bhopal, captivating classical arts by Prathibhalaya Arts Academy, and dynamic performances by Natyashri.
The Housing Committee of AIIMS Bhopal organized a workshop titled "Sensitization towards Rational Use and Preventive Maintenance of Resources in Hospital Premises" on 14th September 2024. The event, held at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology's Seminar Room, aimed at promoting efficient resource management and preventive maintenance strategies in hospital settings.

The program began with the dissemination of event details via email to all AIIMS Bhopal employees, followed by a display of highlights on the video-wall. Dignitaries were invited, and banners and standees were installed at prominent locations, such as the IPD Gate. The event was structured into three segments: Poster Presentations, Guest Lectures, and the Inaugural Session. A total of 25 posters, prepared by staff and students from Civil, Electrical, Biomedical, and Environmental sections, along with nursing staff, were showcased at the IPD Gallery.

Key guest lectures included "Medico-engineering Research - The Way Ahead" by Col. Chiranjeev Das, SE, AIIMS Bhopal; "Rational Use of Electrical Energy and Energy Audits" by Kailash Mahato, Executive Engineer, CPWD Bhopal; and "Infrastructural Evolution of AIIMS Bhopal" by Kochar, Ex-Asst. Engineer, AIIMS Bhopal. These sessions were chaired by Dr. Prabhakar Tiwari, CMHO Bhopal; Prof. Dr. Rajkumar Patil, Department of Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS Bhopal; and Prof. Dr. K. Pushpalatha, Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Chairperson of the Housing Committee.

The workshop was inaugurated by Col. Dr. Ajit Kumar, Deputy Director (Admin), who emphasized the significance of resource awareness in hospitals. Guest speakers were felicitated, and the proceedings were expertly coordinated by Dr. Ashish Dixit, Medical Officer, Department of AYUSH. The poster section was overseen by Engineer MD Ali Saifi, Engineer Shivam Vijayavargiya and ANS Suchitra.

In her vote of thanks, Prof. Dr. K. Pushpalatha expressed her appreciation to Prof. Dr. Ajai Singh for his continued support, and also thanked Mohd. Kamal Ahmad, Special Director General, CPWD, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, for his encouraging words. Special thanks were also extended to the administrative staff, faculty, engineers, and nursing team for their contributions to the event's success.

The workshop saw 95 registered participants, who actively engaged in interactive sessions with the speakers, expressing their satisfaction with the insights shared. The event concluded with a high tea, fostering networking and discussion among attendees.
A day after their proposed talks with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to resolve the impasse over the RG Kar issue fell through, agitating junior doctors on Sunday took out a mega protest march in Salt Lake area demanding justice for the victim.

Holding placards with slogans such as 'Arji noi dabi kor' (don't request but demand), hundreds of agitators drenched in rain marched from Central Park to Swasthya Bhawan, the headquarters of the state health department, where they have been staging a sit-in for the last six days.

They also raised demands for the resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, West Bengal health secretary and other officials.

"We have been waiting for the last 36 days and still there is no assurance. When will we get justice for our sister?" one of the junior doctors said while addressing participants of the march.

The proposed talks to resolve the impasse over the RG Kar issue fell through on Saturday with the agitating doctors, who had agreed to join the meeting with the West Bengal government after Banerjee's appeal, claiming that they were asked to leave the venue, the CM's Kalighat residence, "unceremoniously" despite relenting on their live-streaming demand.

Banerjee had on Saturday afternoon made a surprise visit to the protest site outside Swasthya Bhawan in Salt Lake and assured the doctors that she would look into their demands and take action if anyone was found guilty.

Junior doctors are on a 'cease work' stir for the 36th day demanding justice for the woman medic who was allegedly raped and murdered in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata.
A proposed 14-lane road near the Atal Setu sea bridge that will connect to Pune via a ring road will bring down traffic on Mumbai-Pune Expressway by 50 per cent, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday.

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways was talking about road plans for Mumbai-Bengaluru at an alumni event organised by COEP Technological University on the occasion of Engineer's Day.

"There is huge traffic on Mumbai-Pune Expressway. A 14-lane road will be built near Atal Setu, which will further connect to Pune via a ring road and then onwards to Bengaluru. This road will bring down traffic on Mumbai-Pune Expressway by 50 per cent," he said.

The Atal Setu is the country's longest sea bridge and connects Sewri in Mumbai to Navi Mumbai.

Speaking at the event, Gadkari said India was ranked third in the world in the automobile sector and in the next 25 years all vehicles will run on electricity and not fossil fuels.

"Our technology should be economical. We can use garbage to make roads. Around 80 lakh tonnes of garbage has been used to build new roads. There is huge scope for researchers in this sector," Gadkari asserted.

Stressing on the Centre's Atmanirbhar (self reliance) concept, he said India needs "smart villages" rather than smart cities.

"The standard of living of farmers should improve. Only then we can call them atmanirbhar," he pointed out.
The Lakhnawi Dastarkhwan at Crowne Plaza Mayur Vihar offered an immersive journey into Lucknow's rich culinary and cultural heritage, recreating iconic locations and combining traditional dishes with cultural elements for an authentic experience, writes SAKSHI PRIYA

The Lakhnawi Dastarkhwan Food Festival at Crowne Plaza Mayur Vihar was nothing short of a culinary journey, expertly designed to transport visitors straight to the heart of Lucknow. What made this event truly exceptional was how it went beyond merely serving food, it embraced the cultural depth of Lucknow, bringing together flavours, ambiance and tradition in an immersive way.

An Authentic Lakhnawi Experience

Upon entering the festival, guests found themselves amidst a scene straight out of Lucknow. The ambiance meticulously recreated iconic locations like Hazratganj Chowk, the Qaisar Bagh Palace and Aminabads bustling food streets. Visitors could not help but feel like they had stepped back in time, transported to the regal and storied city, complete with a charming vintage single-screen theater that paid homage to Lucknows cinematic legacy.

A Feast of Flavours

At the heart of the festival lay a menu that was a tribute to Lucknows culinary richness. Diners were treated to signature dishes like Galouti Kebabs, which melted in the mouth with the perfect blend of spices. Accompanied by Awadhi classics such as Murgh Awadhi Qorma, Gosht Nalli Qorma and Aloo Bukhara Kofta, each bite celebrated the deep flavours and heritage of the Nawabs.

But it wasnt just the dishes that stole the show, traditional breads like Sheermal, Warqi Parantha and Ulta Tawa Parantha provided the perfect pairings. Especially intriguing were the varieties of rotis: the Biscotti Roti, with its biscuit-like texture; Bakarkhani Roti, thick and rich and the sweet Khandari Roti, each adding a unique twist to the meal.

Street food lovers werent left out either, as the festival brought Lucknows bustling bazaars to life with delicious snacks like Tokri Chaat, Aloo Tikki and Pani Ke Batashe, offering a taste of the citys vibrant food markets right in the heart of Delhi. And to wrap up the feast, guests indulged in traditional sweets like Shahi Tukda, Badnam Kulfi, Malai Gilauri and hot Jalebis, offering a delightful sweet ending to an unforgettable culinary journey.

The Lakhnawi Dastarkhwan festival was a rich exploration of Lucknows culinary and cultural heritage. Guests enjoyed melt-in-your-mouth Galauti Kebabs and relished main courses like Arvi Ki Nemarli, Ameer Handi Lazeez, Chingri Shabnam and the iconic Shahi Biryani. The drinks menu added a playful twist, with Chulbuli Begum offering a tangy, bold flair, Lalla Ki Lemonade serving as a refreshing burst of tradition and Pyaar Ka Panchnama presenting a sweet, rosy charm. Nawab Ka Ghoonghat brought a minty, spicy surprise reminiscent of Nawabi secrets, while Aangan Ki Chai provided the comforting warmth of a Lucknowi home. Together, the food and drinks created a truly immersive experience, making guests feel as though they had stepped right into the heart of Lucknow.

The festivals theme, Mezban Kadardan Khansam, was a nod to Lucknows Nawabi culture, Mezban represented the gracious hosts, Kadardan symbolised those who appreciate the art of food and Khansam honoured the master chefs of Lucknow. Executive Chef Roushan Sharma, who curated the menu, fondly shared his childhood memories of Lucknow and the intricate process of perfecting dishes like the Galauti Kebab.

A Taste of Lucknows Culture

But the Lakhnawi Dastarkhwan festival went beyond just serving exquisite food, it truly immersed guests in the vibrant culture of Lucknow. As they entered, they were warmly greeted by a traditional Paan counter, where the sweet meetha paan quickly became a favourite, setting a delightful tone for the evening. Nearby, a Pandit Ji added a touch of authenticity with complimentary hand readings and astrological insights, offering a unique and engaging experience for those curious about their fortunes. A Bollywood cinema corner, featuring posters from films shot in Lucknow, brought a touch of nostalgia, evoking the spirit of the citys cinematic history.

The festival also featured colourful stalls bursting with jhumkas and bangles, perfectly recreating the bustling shopping streets of Lucknow. These vibrant displays contributed to a rich, immersive atmosphere that made guests feel as though they had been transported directly to the heart of the city. Adding to the charm, a vintage letterbox that echoed Lucknows postal history provided a nostalgic touch, making the event not only entertaining but also deeply memorable. Each thoughtfully curated detail helped create an experience that celebrated the essence of Lucknows culture, making it a truly unforgettable evening.

In wrapping up, the Lakhnawi Dastarkhwan Food Festival at Crowne Plaza Mayur Vihar was a delightful dive into Lucknows heart and soul. The festival was more than just a feast - it was a warm, immersive experience that captured the spirit of Lucknow perfectly. If you missed it, dont worry, keep an eye out for the next one. Its definitely worth the experience!
Antofagasta (LON:ANTO  Free Report) had its target price reduced by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from GBX 1,730 ($22.62) to GBX 1,720 ($22.49) in a research report released on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an underweight rating on the mining companys stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on Antofagasta from GBX 2,100 ($27.46) to GBX 2,000 ($26.15) and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a hold rating and set a GBX 2,065 ($27.00) price objective on shares of Antofagasta in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Bank of America restated a buy rating and set a GBX 2,520 ($32.95) price objective on shares of Antofagasta in a research note on Wednesday, June 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Antofagasta currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 1,948.57 ($25.48).

Get Antofagasta alerts:

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Antofagasta

Antofagasta Trading Up 1.5 %

Antofagasta Cuts Dividend

LON:ANTO opened at GBX 1,751.50 ($22.90) on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of 17.27 billion, a PE ratio of 2,968.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -1.08 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 2.78, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 47.84. Antofagasta has a 52-week low of GBX 1,280 ($16.74) and a 52-week high of GBX 2,425 ($31.71). The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 1,902.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 2,038.64.

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 0.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 5th. Antofagastas payout ratio is 4,406.78%.

Antofagasta Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Antofagasta plc operates as a mining company. It operates through Los Pelambres, Centinela, Antucoya, Zaldivar, Exploration and Evaluation, and Transport Division segments. The company holds a 60% interest in the Los Pelambres mine, a 70% interest in the Centinela mine, a 70% interest in the Antucoya mine, and a 50% interest in the Zaldivar mine located in Chile.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Antofagasta Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Antofagasta and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Metals Acquisition (NYSE:MTAL  Get Free Report) and DeFi Technologies (OTC:DEFTF  Get Free Report) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability and risk.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

87.5% of Metals Acquisition shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.8% of Metals Acquisition shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Get Metals Acquisition alerts:

Profitability

This table compares Metals Acquisition and DeFi Technologies net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Metals Acquisition N/A N/A N/A DeFi Technologies N/A 232.34% 12.17%

Valuation and Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Metals Acquisition $322.58 million 1.75 -$144.55 million N/A N/A DeFi Technologies $7.67 million 77.83 -$15.03 million ($0.07) -28.57

This table compares Metals Acquisition and DeFi Technologiess top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

DeFi Technologies has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Metals Acquisition.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Metals Acquisition and DeFi Technologies, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Metals Acquisition 0 1 2 0 2.67 DeFi Technologies 0 0 0 0 N/A

Metals Acquisition currently has a consensus target price of $15.00, suggesting a potential upside of 33.69%. Given Metals Acquisitions higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Metals Acquisition is more favorable than DeFi Technologies.

Summary

Metals Acquisition beats DeFi Technologies on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Metals Acquisition

(Get Free Report)

Metals Acquisition Limited focuses on mining and production of copper and silver. It operates the CSA copper mine in Cobar, Australia. The company was incorporated in 2022 and is headquartered in Saint Helier, Jersey.

About DeFi Technologies

(Get Free Report)

DeFi Technologies Inc., a technology company, develops and lists exchange traded products in Canada, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands. The company provides asset management services, such as investment vehicles, indirect exposure to underlying cryptocurrencies, digital asset indexes, and other decentralized finance instruments. It also participates in decentralized blockchain networks by processing data transactions that contribute to network security and stability, governance, and transaction validation. In addition, the company invests in decentralized finance companies in early-stage ventures. Further, it offers node management of decentralized protocols to support governance, security, and transaction validation for their networks. The company was formerly known as Valour Inc. and changed its name to DeFi Technologies Inc. in July 2023. DeFi Technologies Inc. was incorporated in 1986 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Receive News & Ratings for Metals Acquisition Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Metals Acquisition and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Dino Polska S.A. (OTCMKTS:DNOPY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 300 shares, an increase of 200.0% from the August 15th total of 100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 6,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days.

Dino Polska Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of Dino Polska stock traded up $0.16 during trading on Friday, hitting $39.75. 11,929 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,616. The stocks fifty day moving average is $44.44 and its 200 day moving average is $48.12. Dino Polska has a 12 month low of $38.15 and a 12 month high of $61.00.

Get Dino Polska alerts:

Dino Polska Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Recommended Stories

Dino Polska SA, together with its subsidiaries, operates a chain of mid-sized grocery supermarkets under the Dino name in Poland. The company offers range of food products, including meat, poultry and cold cuts, fruit and vegetables, bread, and dairy products, as well as other food, chemical, and cosmetic products; grocery products, such as children's food, breakfast products, ready to eat meals, beverages, candies, snacks, frozen goods, processed goods, oils, grain and bulk products, condiments, and alcohol and cigarettes; and non-grocery products, which include flowers, cleaning agents, sanitary articles, pet food, and small household appliance products.

Receive News & Ratings for Dino Polska Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dino Polska and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com lowered shares of Grupo Simec (NYSEAMERICAN:SIM  Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning.

Grupo Simec Stock Performance

Grupo Simec stock opened at $27.71 on Wednesday. Grupo Simec has a 12 month low of $26.00 and a 12 month high of $35.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.07 and a beta of 0.29.

Get Grupo Simec alerts:

Grupo Simec (NYSEAMERICAN:SIM  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 22nd. The basic materials company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter. Grupo Simec had a return on equity of 16.68% and a net margin of 24.90%. The business had revenue of $487.42 million for the quarter.

Grupo Simec Company Profile

Grupo Simec, SAB. de C.V. manufactures, processes, and distributes special bar quality (SBQ) steel and steel alloys products in Mexico, the United States, Brazil, Canada, Latin America, and internationally. The company produces I-beams, channels, structural and commercial angles, hot rolled bars, flat bars, rebars, cold-finished bars, electro-welded wire mesh and mesh panels, and wire rods, as well as semi-finished tube rounds and other semi-finished trade products.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Simec Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Simec and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed their sector perform rating on shares of M&G (LON:MNG  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has a GBX 220 ($2.88) target price on the stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a hold rating and set a GBX 225 ($2.94) price objective on shares of M&G in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 240 ($3.14) target price on shares of M&G in a report on Thursday, September 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 223.33 ($2.92).

Get M&G alerts:

Read Our Latest Report on M&G

M&G Trading Up 1.5 %

M&G Cuts Dividend

M&G stock opened at GBX 206.90 ($2.71) on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of 4.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,955.71, a PEG ratio of -2.76 and a beta of 1.47. M&G has a fifty-two week low of GBX 170 ($2.22) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 241.10 ($3.15). The firms fifty day moving average price is GBX 208.14 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 209.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 228.54, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 1.23.

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 18th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 12th will be issued a dividend of GBX 6.60 ($0.09) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 12th. This represents a dividend yield of 3.05%. M&Gs payout ratio is 28,571.43%.

Insider Activity

In other M&G news, insider Edward Braham bought 24,600 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 19th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 204 ($2.67) per share, for a total transaction of 50,184 ($65,625.74). Company insiders own 1.75% of the companys stock.

About M&G

(Get Free Report)

M&G plc, through its subsidiaries, engages in savings and investment businesses in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Asset Management, Life, and Wealth. It offers retirement, savings, and investment management solutions. The company also provides individual and corporate pensions, retirement, annuities, life, savings, and investment products, such as equities, fixed income, multi-asset and real estate.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for M&G Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for M&G and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Paramount, you got some splainin to do! 'I Love Lucy: The Complete Series' Blu-ray Box Set Coming November 5th!
Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NOM  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,400 shares, a growth of 469.2% from the August 15th total of 1,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 7,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.0 days.

Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE NOM traded up $0.01 on Friday, reaching $10.84. The stock had a trading volume of 12,119 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,455. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $10.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.29. Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund has a 12-month low of $8.52 and a 12-month high of $11.01.

Get Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund alerts:

Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $0.0675 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.47%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund

Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund Company Profile

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund by 260.3% during the second quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,639 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 2,629 shares during the period. Whitebox Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund in the second quarter valued at approximately $122,000. Alexander Labrunerie & CO. Inc. purchased a new stake in Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund during the 1st quarter worth approximately $176,000. Matisse Capital purchased a new stake in Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $271,000. Finally, Krilogy Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund by 57.2% during the 2nd quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 54,993 shares of the companys stock worth $569,000 after buying an additional 20,000 shares in the last quarter. 14.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

(Get Free Report)

Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of Missouri. The fund invests in undervalued municipal securities and other related investments the income from which is exempt from regular federal and Missouri income taxes.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shore Capital restated their house stock rating on shares of Epwin Group (LON:EPWN  Free Report) in a report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Epwin Group Price Performance

Shares of LON EPWN opened at GBX 100 ($1.31) on Wednesday. The stocks 50-day moving average is GBX 91.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 87.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 115.28, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 0.72. Epwin Group has a 1-year low of GBX 63 ($0.82) and a 1-year high of GBX 100 ($1.31). The company has a market cap of 140.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,666.67 and a beta of 1.14.

Get Epwin Group alerts:

Epwin Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 19th will be issued a dividend of GBX 2.10 ($0.03) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 19th. This represents a yield of 2.12%. Epwin Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8,333.33%.

Epwin Group Company Profile

Epwin Group Plc manufactures and sells building products in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Extrusion and Moulding, and Fabrication and Distribution segments. It also offers windows, doors, cavity closers, and curtain walling products; wood plastic composite and aluminium decking products, and panels; glass reinforced plastic building components.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Epwin Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Epwin Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Splash Beverage Group, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:SBEV  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 218,300 shares, a decline of 32.2% from the August 15th total of 322,000 shares. Approximately 0.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 713,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Splash Beverage Group Price Performance

Shares of Splash Beverage Group stock remained flat at $0.26 during midday trading on Friday. 306,882 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 506,794. The company has a market cap of $14.95 million, a P/E ratio of -0.52 and a beta of -1.28. Splash Beverage Group has a fifty-two week low of $0.20 and a fifty-two week high of $0.79.

Get Splash Beverage Group alerts:

Splash Beverage Group (NYSEAMERICAN:SBEV  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of ($0.09). The firm had revenue of $1.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.61 million. Splash Beverage Group had a negative net margin of 207.89% and a negative return on equity of 1,659.09%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Splash Beverage Group will post -0.34 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $1.00 price objective on shares of Splash Beverage Group in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $1.00 price objective on shares of Splash Beverage Group in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd.

Get Our Latest Research Report on SBEV

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Splash Beverage Group stock. Choreo LLC increased its holdings in shares of Splash Beverage Group, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:SBEV  Free Report) by 4,390.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,365,599 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,335,185 shares during the period. Choreo LLC owned about 2.63% of Splash Beverage Group worth $343,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.77% of the companys stock.

About Splash Beverage Group

(Get Free Report)

Splash Beverage Group, Inc engages in the manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and sale of various beverages in the United States. It is involved in the manufacture and distribution of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages; and retail sale of beverages and groceries online through qplash.com. The company's products include flavored tequilas under the SALT Naturally Flavored Tequila name; hydration and energy products under the TapouT Performance name; wine under the Copa DI Vino name; and Pulpoloco Sangria.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Splash Beverage Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Splash Beverage Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
1ST Source Bank raised its holdings in Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE:PWR  Free Report) by 16.4% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,548 shares of the construction companys stock after acquiring an additional 218 shares during the quarter. 1ST Source Banks holdings in Quanta Services were worth $393,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. bought a new stake in Quanta Services during the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Quanta Services by 57.8% during the 2nd quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 2,418 shares of the construction companys stock worth $614,000 after acquiring an additional 886 shares during the last quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Quanta Services by 15.8% in the second quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,626 shares of the construction companys stock worth $413,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. BOKF NA increased its stake in Quanta Services by 210.6% in the second quarter. BOKF NA now owns 10,885 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,766,000 after acquiring an additional 7,380 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Achmea Investment Management B.V. raised its position in Quanta Services by 1.1% during the second quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 27,872 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $7,082,000 after purchasing an additional 293 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.49% of the companys stock.

Get Quanta Services alerts:

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on PWR. Northland Securities increased their price objective on Quanta Services from $264.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. B. Riley lifted their price target on shares of Quanta Services from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Quanta Services from $287.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Quanta Services from $299.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Quanta Services in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. They set a hold rating and a $256.00 price objective on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $284.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Karl W. Studer sold 23,357 shares of Quanta Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.51, for a total transaction of $6,318,302.07. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 10,631 shares in the company, valued at $2,875,791.81. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CEO Earl C. Jr. Austin sold 130,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.21, for a total value of $34,087,300.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 593,402 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $155,595,938.42. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Karl W. Studer sold 23,357 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.51, for a total value of $6,318,302.07. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 10,631 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,875,791.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 202,357 shares of company stock worth $53,115,572. Company insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock.

Quanta Services Trading Up 0.4 %

PWR opened at $269.54 on Friday. Quanta Services, Inc. has a one year low of $153.74 and a one year high of $286.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $260.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.24 and a beta of 1.01.

Quanta Services (NYSE:PWR  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The construction company reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $5.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.51 billion. Quanta Services had a return on equity of 16.29% and a net margin of 3.59%. The firms revenue was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.47 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Quanta Services, Inc. will post 7.82 EPS for the current year.

Quanta Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.13%. Quanta Servicess payout ratio is 6.98%.

Quanta Services Company Profile

(Free Report)

Quanta Services, Inc provides infrastructure solutions for the electric and gas utility, renewable energy, communications, and pipeline and energy industries in the United States, Canada, Australia, and internationally. The companys Electric Power Infrastructure Solutions segment engages in the design, procurement, construction, upgrade, repair, and maintenance of electric power transmission and distribution infrastructure and substation facilities; installation, maintenance, and upgrade of electric power infrastructure projects; installation of smart grid technologies on electric power networks; and design, installation, maintenance, and repair of commercial and industrial wirings.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PWR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE:PWR  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Quanta Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quanta Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
BT Group plc (LON:BT.A  Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as GBX 148.20 ($1.94) and last traded at GBX 147.15 ($1.92), with a volume of 46767789 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 145.25 ($1.90).

BT Group Trading Up 1.3 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 187.58, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 139.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 125.31. The stock has a market cap of 14.39 billion, a PE ratio of 1,635.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 0.69.

Get BT Group alerts:

Insider Activity at BT Group

In related news, insider Simon Lowth sold 625,017 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 143 ($1.87), for a total value of 893,774.31 ($1,168,790.78). 43.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

BT Group Company Profile

BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for BT Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BT Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. reduced its holdings in RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:RNR  Free Report) by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 187,218 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 4,359 shares during the period. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 0.35% of RenaissanceRe worth $41,845,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in RenaissanceRe during the first quarter worth $26,000. Blue Trust Inc. bought a new position in shares of RenaissanceRe during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of RenaissanceRe in the first quarter valued at about $31,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of RenaissanceRe in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. acquired a new stake in RenaissanceRe during the first quarter worth about $34,000. 99.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get RenaissanceRe alerts:

Insider Transactions at RenaissanceRe

In related news, CFO Robert Qutub sold 2,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.56, for a total value of $561,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 73,915 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,598,352.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP David E. Marra sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $230,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 85,544 shares in the company, valued at $19,675,120. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Robert Qutub sold 2,500 shares of RenaissanceRe stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.56, for a total transaction of $561,400.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 73,915 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $16,598,352.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

RenaissanceRe Stock Up 1.8 %

NYSE RNR opened at $258.51 on Friday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $238.38 and its 200 day simple moving average is $229.97. RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. has a one year low of $188.24 and a one year high of $261.62. The firm has a market cap of $13.48 billion, a PE ratio of 5.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.38.

RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The insurance provider reported $12.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.88 by $1.53. RenaissanceRe had a return on equity of 27.74% and a net margin of 25.38%. The company had revenue of $2.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.93 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. will post 39.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

RenaissanceRe Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. RenaissanceRes dividend payout ratio is presently 3.45%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Bank of America raised their price objective on RenaissanceRe from $334.00 to $347.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of RenaissanceRe in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $287.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of RenaissanceRe from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, September 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of RenaissanceRe from $257.00 to $240.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of RenaissanceRe from $288.00 to $280.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $272.60.

View Our Latest Analysis on RenaissanceRe

RenaissanceRe Company Profile

(Free Report)

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Property, and Casualty and Specialty segments. The Property segment writes property catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance and excess of loss reinsurance to insure insurance and reinsurance companies against natural and man-made catastrophes, including hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis, as well as winter storms, freezes, floods, fires, windstorms, tornadoes, explosions, and acts of terrorism; and other property class of products, such as proportional reinsurance, property per risk, property reinsurance, binding facilities, and regional U.S.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RNR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:RNR  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for RenaissanceRe Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RenaissanceRe and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited (OTCMKTS:DPZUF  Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 322,200 shares, an increase of 22.8% from the August 15th total of 262,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3,222.0 days.

Dominos Pizza Enterprises Price Performance

DPZUF stock remained flat at $19.79 on Friday. Dominos Pizza Enterprises has a 52 week low of $19.19 and a 52 week high of $39.43. The business has a 50 day moving average of $21.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $24.73.

Get Domino's Pizza Enterprises alerts:

Dominos Pizza Enterprises Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Featured Articles

Domino's Pizza Enterprises Limited operates retail food outlets. The company holds franchise rights for the Domino's brand in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Cambodia, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore. It operates various stores.

Receive News & Ratings for Domino's Pizza Enterprises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Domino's Pizza Enterprises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd trimmed its holdings in EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Free Report) by 4.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 45,446 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after selling 2,350 shares during the quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltds holdings in EOG Resources were worth $5,720,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wright Investors Service Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC grew its stake in EOG Resources by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 820 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Bailard Inc. increased its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Field & Main Bank boosted its stake 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 valued at $788,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PDS Planning Inc grew its position in shares of EOG Resources by 4.1% during the first quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 2,152 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $275,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. 89.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get EOG Resources alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on EOG. Scotiabank dropped their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 12th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on EOG Resources from $166.00 to $167.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, May 24th. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $154.00 to $147.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of EOG Resources from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $143.63.

Insider Activity at EOG Resources

In other news, COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.48, for a total transaction of $505,920.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 35,058 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,434,135.84. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 4,000 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.48, for a total value of $505,920.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 35,058 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,434,135.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Charles R. Crisp sold 6,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.60, for a total transaction of $816,400.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 60,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,648,035.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 21,537 shares of company stock valued at $2,751,612. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

EOG Resources Price Performance

NYSE EOG opened at $119.37 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $125.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $126.25. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 52-week low of $108.94 and a 52-week high of $139.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 2.12 and a quick ratio of 1.89.

EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The energy exploration company reported $3.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.98 by $0.18. EOG Resources had a net margin of 30.33% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The company had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.49 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 12.2 earnings per share 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. Investors of record on Thursday, October 17th will be issued a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 17th. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.05%. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 28.75%.

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 Stories

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.
Gold Fields Limited (NYSE:GFI  Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,170,000 shares, a growth of 20.0% from the August 15th total of 7,640,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,460,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.7 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Gold Fields from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 23rd. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on Gold Fields from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 26th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Gold Fields from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $13.50 to $14.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Gold Fields from $17.50 to $16.70 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Gold Fields presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $15.90.

Get Gold Fields alerts:

Read Our Latest Research Report on GFI

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gold Fields

Gold Fields Stock Performance

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GFI. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in Gold Fields by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 47,241,502 shares of the companys stock worth $750,667,000 after acquiring an additional 2,934,943 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Gold Fields during the first quarter worth $85,326,000. RWC Asset Management LLP grew its position in Gold Fields by 10.0% in the 2nd quarter. RWC Asset Management LLP now owns 3,588,984 shares of the companys stock valued at $53,476,000 after buying an additional 324,885 shares during the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group increased its stake in Gold Fields by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 3,240,748 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,861,000 after buying an additional 139,205 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in Gold Fields by 28.7% during the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,609,289 shares of the companys stock worth $38,878,000 after buying an additional 581,730 shares during the last quarter. 26.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Shares of GFI traded up $0.36 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $14.21. 3,375,289 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,825,872. Gold Fields has a twelve month low of $10.31 and a twelve month high of $18.97. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $15.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $15.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

Gold Fields Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a dividend of $0.1692 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.2%.

About Gold Fields

(Get Free Report)

Gold Fields Limited operates as a gold producer with reserves and resources in Chile, South Africa, Ghana, Canada, Australia, and Peru. It also explores for copper and silver deposits. The company was founded in 1887 and is based in Sandton, South Africa.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Gold Fields Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gold Fields and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Parallel Advisors LLC lowered its stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM  Free Report) by 11.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 126,643 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 15,629 shares during the quarter. Parallel Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $5,394,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EEM. Hardin Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $352,000. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. boosted its stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 79,626 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $3,391,000 after purchasing an additional 1,439 shares during the last quarter. Idaho Trust Bank acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $230,000. NINE MASTS CAPITAL Ltd boosted its stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 24.5% during the 2nd quarter. NINE MASTS CAPITAL Ltd now owns 330,500 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $14,076,000 after purchasing an additional 65,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thornburg Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 74.3% during the 2nd quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,558 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $577,000 after purchasing an additional 5,780 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.39% of the companys stock.

Get iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF alerts:

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of EEM opened at $42.83 on Friday. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a 52-week low of $36.38 and a 52-week high of $44.64. The firms fifty day moving average is $42.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.12.

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 Articles

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.
Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG  Free Report) by 5,194.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 214,093 shares of the restaurant operators stock after buying an additional 210,049 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $13,413,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,732.3% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 20,177,309 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,264,109,000 after purchasing an additional 19,759,754 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,816.1% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 8,356,173 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $523,514,000 after acquiring an additional 8,186,198 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,565.8% during the second quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 5,078,767 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $318,185,000 after acquiring an additional 4,969,916 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,260.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 3,132,332 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $196,241,000 after purchasing an additional 3,060,498 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3,988.6% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,996,492 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $187,730,000 after purchasing an additional 2,923,203 shares in the last quarter. 91.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts:

Chipotle Mexican Grill Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CMG opened at $56.12 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $54.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $80.90. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 1 year low of $35.37 and a 1 year high of $69.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.86 billion, a PE ratio of 59.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.25.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The restaurant operator reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.94 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 44.01%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 18.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $12.65 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.08 earnings per share for the current year.

CMG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Truist Financial restated a buy rating and set a $69.00 price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Stifel Nicolaus restated a buy rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. StockNews.com cut Chipotle Mexican Grill from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 4th. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $54.50 to $55.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a buy rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $62.36.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on CMG

Insider Activity

In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, Director Robin S. Hickenlooper sold 1,790 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.38, for a total value of $100,920.20. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 41,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,340,333.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, insider Curtis E. Garner sold 15,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.02, for a total value of $866,565.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 473,514 shares in the company, valued at $26,052,740.28. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Robin S. Hickenlooper sold 1,790 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.38, for a total value of $100,920.20. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 41,510 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,340,333.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 34,934 shares of company stock worth $1,918,589 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.02% of the companys stock.

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

(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.

Featured Stories

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.
Oracle (NYSE:ORCL  Get Free Report) had its price target upped by stock analysts at Guggenheim from $185.00 to $200.00 in a research note issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the enterprise software providers stock. Guggenheims target price would suggest a potential upside of 23.43% from the stocks previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on ORCL. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Oracle from $150.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Oracle from $160.00 to $173.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. UBS Group upped their price target on Oracle from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Oracle from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Oracle from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $161.13.

Get Oracle alerts:

Read Our Latest Analysis on Oracle

Oracle Stock Performance

Oracle stock opened at $162.03 on Friday. Oracle has a fifty-two week low of $99.26 and a fifty-two week high of $173.93. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $139.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $130.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.68, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $446.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.67, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.01.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, September 9th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $13.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.23 billion. Oracle had a return on equity of 171.38% and a net margin of 20.40%. The firms revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.95 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Oracle will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Oracle

In related news, insider Edward Screven sold 235,918 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.30, for a total value of $34,042,967.40. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 2,626,764 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $379,042,045.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Oracle news, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 15,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.89, for a total value of $2,068,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 58,090 shares in the company, valued at $8,010,030.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Edward Screven sold 235,918 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.30, for a total transaction of $34,042,967.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 2,626,764 shares of the companys stock, valued at $379,042,045.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 1,862,500 shares of company stock worth $266,776,624 in the last 90 days. 42.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Westend Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Oracle in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Fairway Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Oracle during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Tidemark LLC purchased a new position in Oracle in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC bought a new position in Oracle in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, POM Investment Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Oracle during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Institutional investors own 42.44% of the companys stock.

About Oracle

(Get Free Report)

Oracle Corporation offers products and services that address enterprise information technology environments worldwide. Its Oracle cloud software as a service offering include various cloud software applications, including Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP), Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise performance management, Oracle Fusion cloud supply chain and manufacturing management, Oracle Fusion cloud human capital management, Oracle Cerner healthcare, Oracle Advertising, and NetSuite applications suite, as well as Oracle Fusion Sales, Service, and Marketing.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Oracle Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oracle and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Pinion Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Alerian MLP ETF (NYSEARCA:AMLP  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 11,139 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $534,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in Alerian MLP ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $51,416,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its stake in shares of Alerian MLP ETF by 14.3% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 4,946,698 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $210,334,000 after acquiring an additional 619,287 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its stake in shares of Alerian MLP ETF by 470.3% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 442,029 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $20,979,000 after acquiring an additional 364,516 shares during the last quarter. Allen Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alerian MLP ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $12,865,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Alerian MLP ETF by 15.7% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,007,435 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $96,317,000 after acquiring an additional 272,696 shares during the last quarter.

Get Alerian MLP ETF alerts:

Alerian MLP ETF Trading Up 0.9 %

Alerian MLP ETF stock opened at $47.40 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $47.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.94. Alerian MLP ETF has a 12 month low of $40.03 and a 12 month high of $49.44. The company has a market capitalization of $8.53 billion, a PE ratio of 13.08 and a beta of 0.48.

Alerian MLP ETF Profile

ALERIAN MLP ETF seeks investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, the Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index (the Index). The Index is a rules based, modified capitalization weighted, float adjusted index intended to give investors a means of tracking the overall performance of the United States energy infrastructure Master Limited Partnership (MLP) asset class.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMLP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alerian MLP ETF (NYSEARCA:AMLP  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Alerian MLP ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alerian MLP ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Prosperity Consulting Group LLC lowered its position in shares of Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF (NYSEARCA:PCY  Free Report) by 29.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 52,208 shares of the companys stock after selling 22,078 shares during the period. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF worth $1,044,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Syon Capital LLC bought a new position in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,059,000. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF during the 1st quarter valued at about $32,344,000. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF by 1.3% during the second quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,355,618 shares of the companys stock worth $27,112,000 after acquiring an additional 16,998 shares during the period. Financial & Tax Architects LLC raised its stake in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF by 7.8% during the first quarter. Financial & Tax Architects LLC now owns 713,763 shares of the companys stock worth $14,604,000 after acquiring an additional 51,617 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF by 0.4% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 374,287 shares of the companys stock worth $7,486,000 after acquiring an additional 1,471 shares during the last quarter.

Get Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF alerts:

Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF Stock Performance

Shares of PCY stock opened at $21.37 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $20.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $20.39. Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF has a 52 week low of $17.30 and a 52 week high of $21.40.

Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF Profile

The Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF (PCY) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in broad credit fixed income. The fund tracks a tier-weighted index of US-dollar-denominated sovereign debt in emerging markets with at least 3 years to maturity. PCY was launched on Oct 11, 2007 and is managed by Invesco.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PCY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF (NYSEARCA:PCY  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Rock Point Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL  Free Report) by 2.3% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 159,679 shares of the transportation companys stock after selling 3,822 shares during the quarter. Delta Air Lines accounts for 2.3% of Rock Point Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Rock Point Advisors LLCs holdings in Delta Air Lines were worth $7,575,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 26,166.7% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 788 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 785 shares during the period. Rise Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 122.5% during the first quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 821 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 452 shares during the period. Unique Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Delta Air Lines in the second quarter worth about $40,000. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC raised its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 68.7% in the second quarter. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC now owns 877 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 357 shares during the period. Finally, Private Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get Delta Air Lines alerts:

Insider Transactions at Delta Air Lines

In related news, Director Willie Cw Chiang purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $43.90 per share, for a total transaction of $439,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,000 shares in the company, valued at $878,000. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.96% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on DAL shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $66.00 to $62.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $58.00 to $56.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, June 28th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price target on Delta Air Lines from $61.00 to $59.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $61.52.

View Our Latest Analysis on Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines Trading Up 2.1 %

Shares of DAL opened at $45.18 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.16 billion, a PE ratio of 6.50, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.34. The companys fifty day moving average is $42.27 and its 200 day moving average is $46.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.40. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $30.60 and a fifty-two week high of $53.86.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 11th. The transportation company reported $2.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.37 by ($0.01). Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 36.02% and a net margin of 7.46%. The business had revenue of $15.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.45 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.68 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 5.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 30th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.33%. This is a positive change from Delta Air Liness previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, July 30th. Delta Air Liness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.63%.

Delta Air Lines Profile

(Free Report)

Delta Air Lines, Inc provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Airline and Refinery. Its domestic network centered on core hubs in Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Salt Lake City, as well as coastal hub positions in Boston, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, and Seattle; and international network centered on hubs and market presence in Amsterdam, Bogota, Lima, Mexico City, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sao Paulo, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo.

Recommended Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Delta Air Lines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Delta Air Lines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Monash IVF Group Ltd. (OTCMKTS:MNIVF  Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 99,800 shares, a growth of 22.5% from the August 15th total of 81,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently  days.

Monash IVF Group Stock Performance

About Monash IVF Group

(Get Free Report)

Monash IVF Group Ltd. engages in the field of fertility services. It operates through the following segments: Monash IVF Group Australia and Monash IVF Group International. The Monash IVF Group Australia segment provides assisted reproductive services, ultrasound, and other related services. The Monash IVF Group International segment provides assisted reproductive services in Malaysia and party to a co-operative agreement with an assisted reproductive service provider in China.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Monash IVF Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Monash IVF Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Stelco Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS:STZHF  Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 594,300 shares, a decrease of 36.6% from the August 15th total of 937,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 424.5 days.

Stelco Price Performance

Stelco stock remained flat at $47.73 during mid-day trading on Friday. 74 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,604. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $45.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $35.46. Stelco has a twelve month low of $24.10 and a twelve month high of $55.00.

Get Stelco alerts:

About Stelco

(Get Free Report)

Recommended Stories

Stelco Holdings Inc engages in the production and sale of steel products in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It offers flat-rolled value-added steel, including coated, pre-painted, cold-rolled, and hot-rolled sheet products, as well as pig iron and metallurgical coke. The company sells its products to customers in the construction, automotive, energy, appliance, and pipe and tube industries, as well as steel service centers.

Receive News & Ratings for Stelco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Stelco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC raised its position in shares of Corpay, Inc. (NYSE:CPAY  Free Report) by 12.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 266,272 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 28,959 shares during the quarter. Corpay makes up approximately 1.1% of Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLCs holdings, making the stock its 25th largest position. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC owned 0.38% of Corpay worth $70,938,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of Corpay during the first quarter valued at approximately $12,335,000. Empirical Finance LLC bought a new position in shares of Corpay in the 1st quarter worth about $829,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S purchased a new position in Corpay during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,013,000. Agate Pass Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Corpay during the first quarter worth about $3,937,000. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Corpay during the first quarter worth about $949,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.84% of the companys stock.

Get Corpay alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CPAY has been the subject of several recent research reports. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of Corpay from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Wolfe Research raised Corpay from an underperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. William Blair upgraded Corpay to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Raymond James dropped their price target on shares of Corpay from $330.00 to $311.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Corpay from $331.00 to $310.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $332.50.

Corpay Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE CPAY opened at $307.43 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. The companys 50-day moving average is $292.85. Corpay, Inc. has a 52-week low of $220.39 and a 52-week high of $319.94. The stock has a market cap of $21.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.87, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.22.

Corpay (NYSE:CPAY  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $4.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.51 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $975.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $973.84 million. Corpay had a net margin of 26.41% and a return on equity of 38.93%. The firms revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.85 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Corpay, Inc. will post 17.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Corpay Profile

(Free Report)

Corpay, Inc operates as a payments company that helps businesses and consumers manage vehicle-related expenses, lodging expenses, and corporate payments in the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company offers vehicle payment solutions, which include fuel, tolls, parking, fleet maintenance, and long-haul transportation services, as well as prepaid food and transportation vouchers and cards.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CPAY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Corpay, Inc. (NYSE:CPAY  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Corpay Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Corpay and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Westover Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Integer Holdings Co. (NYSE:ITGR  Free Report) by 18.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,704 shares of the medical equipment providers stock after buying an additional 417 shares during the period. Westover Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in Integer were worth $313,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Integer by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 22,084 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $2,557,000 after buying an additional 964 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in Integer by 249.7% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 15,710 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $1,819,000 after acquiring an additional 11,218 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Integer by 3,688.9% during the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 341 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 332 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Integer by 56.7% in the second quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 45,218 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $5,236,000 after purchasing an additional 16,355 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in shares of Integer by 2.4% during the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 9,378 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $1,086,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get Integer alerts:

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on Integer in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. They issued an outperform rating and a $135.00 price target for the company. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Integer from $118.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a buy rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Integer in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $133.86.

Insider Buying and Selling at Integer

In related news, Director Jean M. Hobby sold 11,960 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.66, for a total transaction of $1,431,133.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 2,280 shares in the company, valued at approximately $272,824.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 2.00% of the companys stock.

Integer Stock Up 0.5 %

ITGR stock opened at $126.78 on Friday. Integer Holdings Co. has a 52 week low of $69.40 and a 52 week high of $131.17. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $121.78 and a 200 day simple moving average of $118.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 3.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The company has a market cap of $4.25 billion, a PE ratio of 43.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.09.

Integer (NYSE:ITGR  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The medical equipment provider reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $436.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $437.00 million. Integer had a net margin of 6.31% and a return on equity of 11.48%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Integer Holdings Co. will post 5.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Integer Company Profile

(Free Report)

Integer Holdings Corporation operates as a medical device outsource manufacturer in the United States, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Medical and Non-Medical. The company offers products for interventional cardiology, structural heart, heart failure, peripheral vascular, neurovascular, interventional oncology, electrophysiology, vascular access, infusion therapy, hemodialysis, non-vascular, urology, and gastroenterology procedures.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ITGR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Integer Holdings Co. (NYSE:ITGR  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Integer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Integer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Wilmar International Limited (OTCMKTS:WLMIY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 12,000 shares, a decline of 45.9% from the August 15th total of 22,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 45,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Wilmar International Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of WLMIY stock opened at $24.09 on Friday. The companys fifty day moving average price is $23.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.06. Wilmar International has a 12 month low of $22.10 and a 12 month high of $28.14.

Get Wilmar International alerts:

Wilmar International Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.4044 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 23rd.

About Wilmar International

Wilmar International Limited operates as an agribusiness company in Singapore, South East Asia, the People's Republic of China, India, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Africa, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Food Products, Feed and Industrial Products, Plantation and Sugar Milling, and Others.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Wilmar International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wilmar International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Arrangements are complete to take away sediment to improve access to Barcelona Harbor in Chautauqua County. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it has awarded a $1.5 million contract to Ryba Marine Construction Co. of Cheboygan, Mich., to dredge the harbors channel.

Work is expected to begin next May and continue through early July. The dredging will remove shoals restricting the mouth of the harbor. About 48,000 cubic yards of material will be taken to an authorized placement area in Lake Erie about 3 miles north of the Barcelona harbor light.

The harbor was last dredged in 2023, the Army Corps of Engineers noted, when 65,000 cubic yards of sediment was removed.

We are very pleased to see that this project is moving forward before the start of the busy summer season and thankful for the unwavering support of our federal partners who recognize the importance of a safe and functioning harbor to the economy of our community and the region, Westfield Town Supervisor Martha Bills said .

 Dale Anderson
Wrapmanager Inc. cut its stake in shares of Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR  Free Report) by 14.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,340 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 390 shares during the period. Wrapmanager Inc.s holdings in Entergy were worth $250,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of ETR. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in Entergy by 64.2% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 4,170,045 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $440,690,000 after acquiring an additional 1,630,057 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Entergy during the 4th quarter valued at $127,675,000. Confluence Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Entergy during the 1st quarter valued at $92,257,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Entergy by 25.2% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,961,859 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $400,901,000 after buying an additional 796,316 shares during the period. Finally, ClearBridge Investments Ltd increased its stake in Entergy by 29.3% in the 4th quarter. ClearBridge Investments Ltd now owns 3,115,468 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $315,254,000 after buying an additional 706,059 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.07% of the companys stock.

Get Entergy alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ETR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Entergy from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Entergy from $116.00 to $115.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Argus upgraded shares of Entergy to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Entergy from $124.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH restated a neutral rating and set a $109.50 price objective (down previously from $117.00) on shares of Entergy in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Entergy presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $123.04.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Entergy news, insider Eliecer Viamontes sold 5,166 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $619,920.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 5,117 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $614,040. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, COO Peter S. Norgeot, Jr. sold 11,472 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.16, for a total transaction of $1,321,115.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 37,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,363,182.08. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Eliecer Viamontes sold 5,166 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value of $619,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 5,117 shares of the companys stock, valued at $614,040. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 42,888 shares of company stock worth $5,110,766 in the last ninety days. 0.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Entergy Stock Performance

NYSE:ETR opened at $127.09 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.94. The stocks fifty day moving average is $116.32 and its 200 day moving average is $109.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.18 billion, a PE ratio of 12.75, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.73. Entergy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $87.10 and a fifty-two week high of $127.34.

Entergy (NYSE:ETR  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $2.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.98 billion. Entergy had a return on equity of 10.10% and a net margin of 14.75%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.84 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Entergy Co. will post 7.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Entergy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 13th were paid a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 13th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.56%. Entergys dividend payout ratio is currently 45.34%.

Entergy Profile

(Free Report)

Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. It generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas.

Read More

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ETR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Entergy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Entergy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
The Episcopal-affiliated nonprofit that owns and runs Canterbury Woods is now proposing to develop a new housing project in Angola aimed at single seniors who have experienced homelessness, with more than $3.8 million in state funding to help finance the venture.

Episcopal Community Housing Development Organization, an affiliate of Episcopal Church Home & Affiliates, is planning to construct a new three-story building with 16 units of permanent supportive housing for people age 55 and older.

The new building will include on-site amenities such as laundry, outdoor green space, a 52-space parking lot with two electric-vehicle charging stations, and office space for property and case management providers. People Inc. will provide support services for residents.

Dubbed St. Pauls Apartments II, its an expansion of the nonprofits larger St. Pauls Place at 930 Lake St., with one- and two-bedroom units, each of which has its own private entrance and a patio or porch.

The availability of homes with support services for vulnerable populations is a glaring need in New York, said Episcopal Church Home President and CEO Rob Wallace. Our expansion of the St. Pauls Apartments development will help address this situation by providing 16 dedicated apartments for local seniors who are frail and housing unstable.

The state funding will come from the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistances Homeless Housing and Assistance Program. Its part of $36 million in grants awarded Friday to five projects that will create 249 units of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless veterans, youth who are aging out of foster care, and individuals dealing with serious mental illness or substance abuse disorders in Erie, Monroe, Steuben, Jefferson and Kings counties.

From Brooklyn to Watertown, these diverse projects across New York demonstrate our commitment to invest in housing that strengthens our communities and makes every region of our state a safer, healthier and more affordable place to live, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a release. The supportive housing created through these projects will provide formerly homeless New Yorkers with safe, stable homes and the services they need to thrive in their communities.

HHAP has now committed more than $133.8 million in its current funding cycle, including all $128 million from the fiscal 2025 budget and an additional $5.8 million that wasnt spent in prior years.
The daughters of a judge who was murdered 50 years ago have said they are continuing to seek justice and truth over their fathers death.

Judge Rory Conaghan, who was 54, was shot dead by an IRA gunman in front of his nine-year-old daughter Deirdre at their Belfast home on September 16 1974.

A short time earlier magistrate Martin McBurney had also been shot dead in a separate attack in the city.

A statement from Mr Conaghans daughters Mary and Deirdre said they would be marking the anniversary privately.

They said: It is 50 years since the assassination of our father judge Rory Conaghan.

The Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for both his murder and that of magistrate Martin McBurney who was also shot that morning in a separate incident.

No one has ever been held accountable for our fathers murder despite the familys engagement with police authorities, including the HET (Historical Enquiries Team).

Our mother Gabrielle (now deceased) did everything possible to bring justice to our father and we continue that struggle.

For us all, this has been a life sentence as all subsequent violence and political strategies impact us and are often retraumatising.

Mr Conaghan was County Court judge of Armagh and Fermanagh when he was killed.

His daughters said: He was a man of great intellect and integrity.

He was aware that his life was threatened from 1969 but despite those threats from both sides of the community, he continued to work tirelessly for truth and justice.

He was a committed Catholic, a family man and interested in social justice and equality.

He was committed to change through peaceful and legal processes.

At the time this was a significant operation of the Provisional IRA.

We continue to look for answers and justice for our dad.

We believe that it is likely that information is known about those involved in the organisation and execution of these political assassinations.

We accept the provisions of the Good Friday agreement but will pursue all possible options to find the truth.

Kenny Donaldson, director of victims support organisation the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), said the murders of Mr Conaghan and Mr McBurney by the IRA were designed to cause maximum fear within the legal fraternity.

He said: The terrorists callously murdered both men in front of their families, causing maximum distress to the full family units of both Rory and Martin.

Little is ever said or heard concerning these two men  who were advocates for a better and more socially just Northern Ireland.

They came from either side of our community but the truth is that they were the same  they shared the same values system.

He added: Our thoughts and prayers are with both families as this milestone anniversary is reached, their murders were heinous when they were carried out and they remain so today.

It is essential that justice, truth and accountability is advanced for their families, thats the least that can be done at this point.
A forthcoming legal judgment on the Legacy Act could have significant implications for the protection of human rights in Northern Ireland, the director of a social change organisation has said.

The Court of Appeal is expected to rule later this week on a Government challenge to a High Court judgment that the legacy laws breached elements of the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland  the Windsor Framework.

The Belfast-based Social Change Initiative (SCI) said the ruling could have implications far beyond legacy issues.

The Labour Government announced in the summer it was dropping an appeal against part of the High Court judgment that struck out controversial aspects of the previous administrations Troubles legacy laws.

But it did not abandon its wider appeal, asking the court to rule on part of its legal challenge involving concerns around EU laws and the Windsor Framework.

Article 2 (1) of the Windsor Framework states that the Government must ensure that various rights entitlements in Northern Ireland, which were enshrined following the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, cannot be diminished as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

The Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has cited the need for clarity in relation to how that ruling could potentially affect other Government legislation in the future.

He has said the ongoing appeal related to a technical point of law, which he hoped could be clarified to ensure legal certainty around the human rights framework in Northern Ireland.

The SCI, working in conjunction with the Human Rights Centre at Queens University Belfast and the Donia Human Rights Centre at the University of Michigan, has produced a guide to the issues at stake in the court ruling.

Martin OBrien, director at the SCI said: The forthcoming judgment in the Legacy Act case will determine whether the commitment to ensure that Brexit does not lead to any diminution in the human rights and equality protections of the Good Friday Agreement has any real substance.

We hope our report will help everyone to get to grips with the complex legal issues that the case will decide, and why they matter to us all.

The Irish Centre for European Law, the SCI and the Human Rights Centre at Queens University Belfast are also organising a seminar to discuss the implications of the Court of Appeals judgment.

The event will take place on October 24 at Queens when a panel of legal experts will assess the judgment and its implications.
There is anger in the GAA over a Government decision not to hold a public inquiry into the murder of Sean Brown 27 years ago, Jarlath Burns has said.

GAA president Mr Burns said there were so many unanswered questions remaining around the killing.

GAA official Sean Brown, 61, was abducted and killed by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Club in Co Londonderry in May 1997.

No-one has ever been convicted of his murder.

Earlier this year, a coroner said his ability to examine the death of Mr Brown had been compromised by the extent of confidential state material being excluded from the proceedings on national security grounds.

Preliminary inquest proceedings had already heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.

It had also been alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.

Coroner Mr Justice Kinney said he would write to the Northern Ireland Secretary to call on the Government to establish a public inquiry into the loyalist murder.

On Friday, it emerged that Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn had written to the Brown family to inform them a public inquiry was not the best way to proceed.

Mr Burns told the BBC Sunday Politics programme: If there was disappointment in the GAA about the Casement (Park) decision, there was quite a lot of anger about this.

Something that we thought was a random sectarian murder, whenever the coroners court began investigating it, discovered that there were 25 people involved, there were many government agents, one of the agents, the surveillance on him was dropped the night before the murder.

There are so many unanswered questions.

He added: It was the coroner who said the only way to find out the truth of what happened to a GAA chairman in Bellaghy was by a public inquiry.

Mr Benn said he had enormous sympathy with the Brown family but encouraged them to contact the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) about investigating the death.

Last week, Mr Benn announced that a public inquiry would be established into the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane, who was shot dead in front of his family at their Belfast home in 1989.

The attack, carried out by the Ulster Defence Association, was found by a series of investigations to have involved collusion with the state.

Mr Benn said he based the decision on the exceptional reason that a UK government had committed  more than 20 years ago  to hold an inquiry into Mr Finucanes murder, which had remained unfulfilled.
Female entrepreneurs from across Louth and Meath are set to gather for an inspiring and energetic day of learning at National Womens Enterprise Day on Thursday 17 October. This much-anticipated event, jointly hosted by Local Enterprise Office Louth and Local Enterprise Office Meath, promises to be an invaluable opportunity for local businesswomen to connect, grow, and thrive.

Speaking about the event, Sarah Mallon of Local Enterprise Office Louth emphasised its importance: Whether youre already up and running or you have a business idea that you are ready to progress, this day is designed for you.

The event will be held at The Monasterboice Inn, Drogheda, and will be hosted by the well-known journalist and broadcaster, Alison Comyn. Attendees can look forward to a day packed with networking opportunities, insightful talks, and practical advice tailored to female entrepreneurs.

Our keynote speaker for this years event is Caroline ONeill, the dynamic founder of The Digg Community, Sarah Mallon revealed. With over 220,000 followers on social media, Caroline has built a powerful platform that fosters community, shares learning, and encourages growth. Her authentic and supportive approach has made her a champion for others on their entrepreneurial journeys.

This years National Womens Enterprise Day also shines a spotlight on Meath entrepreneur Elizabeth Oakes, who has been named the 2024 Leading Light. As the founder of Pure Reflections, Irelands pioneering water cremation facility, and Permanent Make Up Clinics, Elizabeth exemplifies true entrepreneurial spirit. Elizabeth constantly sees new opportunities, breaks down barriers, and establishes new services, all while maintaining a compassionate and eco-friendly approach, added Sarah.

The impressive lineup of speakers also includes Emma Duffy, founder of My Forever Tooth Fairy, a Louth-based enterprise that is redefining the tooth fairy tradition while nurturing childrens emotional well-being and self-esteem. Attendees will also benefit from the insights of Geraldine Johnston, a renowned business mentor and advisor from Boyne Communications, who is celebrated for her work with startups, helping them to establish, grow, and thrive.

Places for this event are strictly limited and are expected to book out quickly, Sarah Mallon noted. We encourage all interested female entrepreneurs to secure their spot as soon as possible.

Tickets are priced at just 30, including lunch, making it an accessible opportunity for local businesswomen to invest in their future. For more information and to book your place visit www.localenterprise.ie/louth.
Florence Gillan, a name that has swiftly become synonymous with psychological thrillers, has just released her third book, establishing herself as a leading voice in the genre. This latest release, like her previous works, delves into the dark, tangled web of human emotions, trauma, and manipulation, all while keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

Having taught in a number of Louth schools over the years, Florence is now retired and lives outside Newry. She spends much of her time in her native Sligo in the foothills of Benbulbin.

In 2019, when Florence stepped away from teaching, she attended a writers retreat at the River Mill in Downpatrick, which gave her the courage to send her story out to Poolbeg Press.

The transformative heart of her debut novel Let Them Lie was somewhat inspired by the death of her beloved dog, Cassie.

The authors children were so upset at the burial, she came up with her idea for the unearthing of a box that contained devastating secrets.

Her first book, Let Them Lie, was set in her native Sligo; The Forfeit is set in Sligo and Dundalk; while her new book is set in Dublin.

When asked about her writing journey and the character of Emer Martin, the central figure in her latest book, Florence admits that creating Emer was both a challenge and a revelation. [It] was really hard to actually come up with the idea, she says. I had a lot of different things on the back burner, but Emer just came to meand then the rest of the bits sort of began to explain themselves.

While the original concept for the novel evolved significantly, the dark secrets in Emers background and her move to Dublin remained central to the plot.

Emer, grappling with the trauma of losing her mother and a controlling, manipulative relationship, embarks on a journey of self-discovery that is both compelling and unnerving. Florence reflects on how the characters arc shifted from her initial plans, as certain characters came into the story more prominently than expected, turning the writing process into something that at times seemed to write itself.

One of the books key themes is coercive controla subject that resonates deeply with Florence. She explains how manipulation, a recurring theme in her work, fascinated her from the start.

There was always coercive control, but it was, I suppose, hidden, and people didnt have the language to really articulate whats happening, she says. Emers story highlights the subtle ways in which manipulation can seep into ones lifehow her fiance slowly isolated her from her friends, and how the death of her mother triggered a desperate need to escape.

However, Emer quickly learns that moving cities isnt enough to escape the past. There isnt that sort of geographical cure where just because you move, things are going to be better, Florence notes.

As Emer settles into her new life in Dublin, mysterious eventsdisturbing letters and unsettling experiencesbegin to unearth the trauma she thought she had left behind. Her life, both personal and professional, starts to unravel as she tries to identify the source of the growing threats.

For Florence, capturing this unraveling was critical to maintaining the psychological tension that characterises her work.

I dont think psychological thrillers are comfortable reading. Theyre not like cozy crime, which I happen to love too but theyre not comfortable. You cant sort of sit down and relax. Sometimes, with a good psychological thriller, you actually have to stop, you have to have to get away from it for a while, because its disturbing you a little bit.

Or, you know, you worry about the character a little bit, or youre angry with the character. Because sometimes you can kind of go, how can she be stupid? So stupid? Or why? Why is she letting that happen? How does she not see?

I think for the reader, it can be an uncomfortable experience at times, so you just want to get away from it. And then a lot of times you just, you want to keep turning the pages, because you have to know what happens.

Despite the dark themes, Florence strives to balance tension with moments of reflection, especially in the relationships between her characters. She describes how Emers memories of her late motherlike the smell of her perfume or the sight of her cosmeticsact as poignant reminders of love and loss.

Its that thing where someones gone, but there are still so many pieces of them left behind, she says, drawing on personal memories of her own mother, brother, and sister, whose deaths inspired some of the emotional depth in her writing.

When asked about the evolution of her writing style, Florence acknowledges that her approach has changed over the course of her three novels. Her first book, Let Them Lie, was written with a sense of freedom and spontaneity"completely by the seat of my pants," as she describes it.

However, the demands of publishing her second and third novels on a tighter schedule forced her to become more structured in her process. This one was kind of torture, she confesses, admitting that while the process was harder, it also led to unexpected breakthroughs in the story.

One of the most significant themes in Florences novels is the agency of her protagonists. In Let Them Lie, Bree OHagan gains her power back only when her child is endangered. Emers journey, on the other hand, is one of confusion as she tries to navigate a world where the enemy is unclear.

For Emer, its terrifying because she doesnt know who or what is causing her pain, whereas with Bree, she knows her enemy.

Through her characters, Florence explores how women find strength and agency in the face of manipulation. Emers confusion and eventual determination to discover the truth about her tormentor reflect a powerful message about taking control of ones lifeeven in the darkest of times.

Read Next: Dundalk Chamber elect new vice president

I think she realises she cant just be a victim. She has to, she has to get on top of things. She has to find out whos torturing her, and she has to basically act herself.

Writing psychological thrillers is not only an exploration of the human psyche for Florenceits also a journey of personal growth. After years of doubting herself and her ability to write, she now embraces her new life as an author. Im doing the thing Ive always wanted to do, and Ive never felt more alive, she says.

However, the self-doubt hasnt entirely disappeared.

I think [I] still feel a little self conscious about it, she admits with a laugh. Surrounded by a supportive community of writers and readers, shes beginning to shed that doubt and embrace the title.

As for the future, Florence already has her eyes on the next project, with one first draft nearly complete and another concept involving twins percolating in the background.
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.

If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .

Support our mission and join our community now.
Gardai in County Roscommon have launched an investigation following the discovery of the body of a cyclist in the early hours of this Sunday morning.

The alarm was raised at around 2am after the body of the man, aged in his 50s, was found at Cloonchambers, close to the town of Castlerea.

Gardai say the cyclist was pronounced deceased at the scene and that his body was subsequently conveyed to Roscommon University Hospital where a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

The results of the post-mortem examination will determine the course of the investigation.

READ ALSO: Power outage likely to delay some flights at Dublin Airport

"The road is currently closed for technical examination by Forensic Collision Investigators, and local diversions are in place," said a garda spokesperson who appealed for any witnesses to this incident to come forward.

"Any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, and who were travelling in the Castlerea area between 12 midnight and 2am are asked to make this footage available to gardai," they said.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Castlerea garda station on 094 9621 630, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
Ireland has 3,172 km of coastline  the longest stretch per head of population in Europe.

Its fascinating origins, rich biodiversity, and magnetic charm are celebrated in three-part documentary series Irelands Coast which starts on RTE1 tonight (Sunday) at 6.30pm.

The series will bring audiences on a fascinating journey through time along Irelands coastline, narrated by the Oscar-nominated actor Ciaran Hinds.

Inspired by landmark book The Coastal Atlas of Ireland, published by Cork University Press in 2020, it boasts stunning cinematography, cutting edge graphics, and gripping storytelling.

This breath-taking odyssey uncovers previously unseen marvels of the Irish coast for the first time, as a thematic exploration.

The first episode, called Out of the Depths of Time, reveals the origin story of Irelands coast  exploring the significance of sea level rise and fall in the story.

It explores Irelands territorial waters and cold water coral reefs hidden in the canyons, and embarks on a dramatic journey with the Marine Institute of Ireland to the Porcupine Bank, to examine the role of weather buoys in the deep Atlantic.

The second episode, Coastal Lives, is a voyage into the people of Irelands ancient relationship with the waters that surround the island. It is a deep exploration of the dynamic connections that exists between the Islands population and the coastal environments over time.

The final episode, Future Coasts, explores how climate change is impacting this environment, how technological advances and local communities are striving to protect the coast, and how innovative and imaginative thinking can create more sustainable conditions for this dynamic landscape into the future.
An Bord Pleanala has granted planning permission, subject to conditions, to a major solar farm development proposed for a 126-hectare site in Rathcoursey overlooking Cork Harbour after the application was initially rejected by Cork County Council for contravening the green belt around Metropolitan Cork.

A proposal to develop an electricity substation at the site was also approved by the planning appeals board.

The proposal was initially made by a company called Rathcoursey Solar Farm Limited and was rejected in August of last year by Cork County Council.

This application made in June 2023 led to a large number of submissions and objections by local residents across eight townlands in the vicinity.

The development is now being proposed in the name of rsted, the Danish company with its Irish headquarters in Cork.

The 10-year planning permission granted by An Bord Pleanala includes approval for a total area of 126 hectares, comprising of solar panels on ground-mounted frames with a surface area of around 532,000m. It also comprises of 21 single-storey electrical inverter/transformer stations, five single-storey energy-storage modules, three spare parts containers, 12 ring main units, five weather stations, underground electrical ducting, and cabling within the land.

Council decision

In its reasoning, the council said the subject site forms part of the Metropolitan Cork Greenbelt lands designated as a prominent and strategic greenbelt and high-value landscape, adjacent to the Cork Harbour area, which is also identified as very high landscape value, a sensitive site and of national importance.

Furthermore, the council said the site for the proposed development borders a designated scenic route and, given the designations of the lands, the local authority said it considered that the introduction of an energy development and associated infrastructure of the scale proposed on elevated and visually prominent strategic Greenbelt lands, with a substantial spatial extent, representing a land loss of 126 hectares of agricultural land, would be contrary to policy objective RP 5-13 of the Cork County Development Plan (2022).

An Bord Pleanala published its decision, taken in early August, on its website this week.

According to the decision, as long as the conditions were adhered to, the proposed development would support national and regional renewable energy policy objectives, would be consistent with the Cork County Development Plan, and would not seriously injure the visual or residential amenities of the area or otherwise of property in the vicinity or have an unacceptable impact on the character of the landscape or on cultural or archaeological heritage, would not be likely to have significant effects on the environment or ecology of the area, would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety, public health, and would make a positive contribution to Irelands renewable energy requirements.

There are 17 conditions which must be adhered to by the project developers, according to the An Bord Pleanala decision.

These include that noise levels should not exceed 55 decibels between the hours of 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday inclusive, and 45 decibels at any other time. A protocol for noise monitoring must also be agreed between the developer and the planning authority.

Local objections

Jamesbrook resident Martin Brennan, who objects to the proposal, told The Echo that he was in favour of solar energy and also supported planning being fair.

What I cant understand is that Cork County Council themselves have already suggested that this plan was against their own strategic plan and yet An Bord Pleanala feel that its in keeping with their [the Councils] strategic plan.

He cited several reasons for the objections including the impact the development would have on the visual amenity of the site, its impact on what he described as prime agricultural land, as well as pointing to a study the residents had commissioned about the noise levels the building of the development would create. He also said that he and others felt the consultation process in advance of the planning permission being sought had not been adequate and far from extensive as cited in the application.

He said that he and others would be gathering for a public meeting shortly to discuss the next steps in their campaign.

Theres something fundamentally wrong when a group of residents have heartfelt concerns and if they dont have a hundred grand they cant make those concerns heard, particularly after those concerns are upheld by the County Council, he said.

If An Bord Pleanala read the notes and knew all of these points, then why did they fly in the face of them all if not because of blind adherence to Government policy? A lot of civil-minded residents objected to this development, why are their points not being heard and refuted if they are incorrect?

In a statement in response to a query from The Echo, an rsted spokesperson said: We are glad to have a decision from An Bord Pleanala.

We look forward to considering the next steps for the project.
A 54-year-old man getting into multiple difficulties through alcohol addiction and being homeless in Cork city got his wish of a place to live in Tralee and has turned his life around dramatically.

Judge Mary Dorgan said she would have described Gerard Knightley as a frequent flyer in Cork District Court.

However, the judge noted that there has now been a dramatic turnaround in his life and that he was visibly healthier-looking as he presented in court for sentencing on older offences.

Turning to the probation report, the judge said: This is very positive. And you got your wish to go back to Tralee. And you have managed to put matters behind you.

Defence solicitor Eddie Burke said: It just shows what accommodation can do for people.

Judge Dorgan added: I am going to put you on a probation bond for 18 months.

You should continue to reside at Harbour House in Tralee, continue to engage with alcohol treatment, and attend all probation appointments and abide by their recommendations.

The offences for which he was put on the probation bond included January 22, 2023, when he was begging at Bridge St; November 22, 2023, when he was threatening and abusive, and drunk and a source of danger when he refused to leave a bus stopped at Marymount Hospice, Curraheen Rd, Bishopstown; February 9 this year when he was drunk and a danger at St Patricks Hill; and February 28 at Silversprings Rd, Mayfield, when he was engaging in threatening behaviour with gardai by clenching his fists and telling them f*** off.

Mr Knightley was warned that if he didnt remain on the probation bond for 18 months then he could be sentenced for the charges before the court.

As the hearing concluded, Judge Dorgan said to Mr Knightley: I mean this in the nicest possible way  I hope I never see you again.

He replied: Thank you, your honour.
A protest is set to take place in Cork next weekend, highlighting concerns about the state of the citys bus service. It follows a number of recent public meetings on the issue, organised by Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould.

Mr Gould said that the protest, which is to take place on Saturday, September 21, at 12pm at Parnell Place bus station, aims to call for credible solutions that can be implemented to improve the bus service in the city.

Over the last two weeks, I have listened to the experiences of those impacted by the unreliable bus service in Cork, said Mr Gould.

People from Glanmire, Blarney, Ballyvolane, Mayfield, the Glen, Farranree, Ballincollig, and right across the city came together to discuss the issues they are facing with the bus routes and the solutions that they have, he said.

I want to give people an opportunity to publicly show how frustrated and angry they are.

Mr Gould is calling for people impacted by issues with the current bus service to get involved in the protest next Saturday.

If you have stood at a bus stop in the cold, waiting for a ghost bus; if youve had to collect a loved one from the bus... we are asking you to come out and support us, he said.

Mr Gould also recently raised concerns about a shortage of bus drivers in Cork after he obtained information showing a shortfall of around 10% in bus driver numbers in the city.

The figures show that, as of the end of July, there was a shortfall of 54 drivers in the Capwell depot in Cork city, with 19 drivers in training, leaving a deficit of 35.

Bus Eireann is currently undertaking a recruitment drive in Cork for drivers and held a number of open days as part of these efforts last month.
Criticism of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail from Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman, and Sinn Fein censoring replies to their social media posts are among the stories that feature on Sunday's front pages.

The Sunday Times leads with an interview with Roderic O'Gorman, who has said his coalition partners put political survival ahead of good policies. He also said his party will talk to the Social Democrats and Labour ahead of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael after the next general election.

The Sunday Independent leads with an investigation of Sinn Fein hiding critical replies to its posts on X, formerly Twitter.

The Business Post leads with a story on mounting pressure on Taoiseach Simon Harris to call a November general election, with the latest poll showing Fine Gael remains the most popular party in the country.

Our front page today. Pick up a copy in stores or subscribe at https://t.co/LyVcHklEWC  EXCLUSIVE POLL: Pressure on Simon Harris mounts to call early election as Fine Gael surges  Germans and Spanish demanding slice of Ireland's 14bn Apple pie pic.twitter.com/S0cBzqI6x1  Business Post (@businessposthq) September 15, 2024

The Irish Sun on Sunday leads with a story on Ruth Langsford hiring a 'fierce' divorce lawyer as Eamonn Holmes moves on with his new partner.

Today's front page of The Irish Sun. pic.twitter.com/OiPlc8jmAc  The Irish Sun (@IrishSunOnline) September 15, 2024

The Sunday World leads with a story on a taxi driver convicted of the sexual assault of a young woman.

The Sunday Life leads with a story on a UDA boss accused of being part of the group that murdered the father of Late Late Show presenter Patrick Kielty.

Tensions over the war in Ukraine continue to lead Sundays UK front pages.

The US and UK have raised fears that Russia has shared nuclear secrets with Iran, according to The Observer.

The Observer: Alarm grows over possible Iran-Russia nuclear deal#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/PoLzfoaOhT  Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) September 14, 2024

Meanwhile, The Sunday Times says five former Tory defence secretaries have urged Sir Keir Starmer to let Ukraine use long-range missiles inside Russia.

The Sunday Times: Go it alone and let Ukraine fire missiles, PM told#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/hcazUzRKPx  Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) September 14, 2024

Back on British soil, the Mail on Sunday focuses on a vote to legalise assisted dying for adults with less than six months to live which could take place within weeks.

The Mail on Sunday: Assisted dying bill set to be 'rushed into law'#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/R6s6IxtOCZ  Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) September 14, 2024

The Sunday Express splashes on warnings that Labours budget plans could leave pensioners worse off.

Strictly Come Dancing star Pete Wicks saved his mums life when he was just 12, according to the Sunday Mirror.

Sunday Mirror: Pete: I saved Mum's life at 12#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/o6N0F43KXp  Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) September 14, 2024

The Sunday Telegraph says the UK government will back away from a petrol car ban, allowing hybrids to remain on the market for another decade.

The front page of tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph:



'Labour backs away from 2030 ban on new petrol cars'#TomorrowsPapersToday



Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/jAvdgwmtvS  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 14, 2024

And the Daily Star Sunday splashes on comedian Leigh Francis believing a ghost once haunted his downstairs bathroom.

Daily Star Sunday: TV Leigh: My bog was haunted by ghost #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/owS1biyKA4  Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) September 14, 2024

The New York Times leads with a story on the US Supreme Court's recent ruling on presidential immunity. A story on how Hamas is keeping control of Gaza also features on the front page.
(Photo: Biden campaign website)Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate Senator Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential campaign in the United States.

Pope Francis has criticized both former U.S. President Donald Trump over his plan to deport millions of immigrants and his presidential electon opponent Vice President Kamala Harris over her stance supporting abortion rights.

Francis was asked about the U.S. presidential election on his flight back to Rome from Singapore; and he said not welcoming migrants is a "grave" sin and likened having an abortion to an "assassination," Reuters news agency reported on Sept.14.

"Both are against life," the Pope said on the candidates for the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5 when voters will chose etiher Harris or Trump as the next national leader.

He said both the major US presidential candidates were "against life" and advised Catholic voters to choose the "lesser evil" when casting their ballots in the November election, according to the BBC.

The pontiff said not welcoming migrants - seemingly referring to Trump - is a "grave" sin, and compared Kamala Harris's stance on abortion to an "assassination".

"Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies, the Pope said in rare political comments at a news conference as he completed a 12-day tour through southeast Asia.

Despite criticizing both candidates, the Pope said Catholics should vote.

"Not voting is ugly," the 87-year-old pontiff said. "It is not good. You must vote."

"You must choose the lesser evil," he said. "Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don't know. Everyone, in conscience, (has to) think and do this."

In his comments, the Pope did not refer to Harris or Trump by their names.

- 52 MILLION CATHOLICS

American Catholics make up 52 million and are often seen as crucial swing voters, according to Reuters.

In some battleground states, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, more than 20 percent of adults are Catholic.

The Pope has frequently criticized abortion, which is strictly forbidden by Catholic teaching.

"Forcing a child from the mother's womb is an assassination because there is life there," Francis said.

The Pope's critical comments about Trump were not his first.

During the 2016 presidential election, Francis said Trump was "not Christian" because of the presidential contender's anti-immigrant language.

"Expelling migrants, not letting them develop, not letting them have a life is an ugly thing, it's mean," Francis said on his inflight press conference.

Trump has promised to crack down on illegal immigration, and on the same day the Pope gave his press conference, the former president said he would deport millions of immigrants if re-elected.

Harris has promised to expand nationwide protections for access to abortion after the Supreme Court overturned the law known as Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Pope Francis's remarks came days after Trump and Harris debated one another for the first time. The pair was expected to take the debate stage one more time before election day, but Trump has said he would not debate Harris again
Giant pandas back to China from Austria

Xinhua) 10:00, September 15, 2024

Staff members load giant pandas Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan to a plane at Vienna Airport in Vienna, Austria, Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Zupanc/Xinhua)

VIENNA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Giant pandas Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan left Austria on Friday and arrived in Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan province on Saturday, according to Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo.

A cargo plane carrying the two pandas, who were among the most popular animal stars at the Schoenbrunn Zoo, departed the Vienna Airport on Friday night. The pandas' favorite snacks, including bamboo, sweet potatoes and carrots, were also on board.

When visiting the pandas at the Schoenbrunn Zoo on Wednesday, Chinese Ambassador to Austria Qi Mei thanked the zoo and the Austrian side for taking care of the pandas. She said that the Austrian people will have more opportunities to see the beloved pandas with a new panda conservation agreement between the two countries.

In June, Schoenbrunn Zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) signed an agreement to strengthen their cooperation on giant panda protection and related research. Under the agreement, a new pair of pandas will be sent to the zoo under a 10-year project after Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan's return to China.

Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck, director of Schoenbrunn Zoo, said in a statement that visitors to the zoo will not wait too long for the giant pandas as "a young pair of pandas will be moving in the near future."

He added that the zoo will renovate its facilities to welcome the new panda pair.

Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck, director of Schoenbrunn Zoo, Qi Mei, Chinese ambassador to Austria, Wolfgang Schuessel, former Austrian chancellor, Eva Landrichtinger, Austrian secretary-general of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (from L to R), attend an event to send away giant pandas Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan at Schoenbrunn Zoo, Vienna, Austria, Sept. 11, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Zupanc/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun)
(Photo: Nexta Belarus)Belarussian Christians of different denominations praying in Minsk.

The United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet condemned the violent response of the Belarus authorities to peaceful demonstrations across the country following the presidential election and called for people's grievances to be heard, but Christian leaders were divided in their response to the controversial election.

Orthodox Christian leaders in Belarus and Russia welcomed the victory of President Alexander Lukashenko in the July 9 election in Belarus, as other churches issued different messages appealing for dialogue to halt violence between security forces and protesters, Jonathan Luxmoore reported in Church Times.

Thousands of people gathered outside the state television station in Belarus demanding full coverage of the protests against the disputed presidential election on Saturday July 15, the BBC reported.

Opposition supporters outside the building in Minsk held banners with signs saying "show people the truth" following mass protests that erupted after President Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in the Aug. 9 vote in the former Soviet-bloc nation of some 9.4 million.

CHARGES OF VOTE-RIGGING

The Belarus state broadcaster initially chose not to cover the protests after the election result had been condemned with widespread allegations of vote-rigging.

The Belarus Central Election Commission said Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, won 80.1 percent of the vote and the main opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya gained 10.12 percent.

But Tikhanovskaya who fled the country insists that where votes were properly counted, she won support ranging from 60 to 70 percent.

Metropolitan Pavel Ponomarev of Minsk and Slutsk, the Patriarchal Exarch of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, told President Lukashenko in an open letter, "Compatriots place great hopes in you to protect the sovereignty of Belarus, while preserving our nation's spiritual and cultural heritage."

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russian sent "heartfelt congratulations" and wished 65-year-old President Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, "blessed success" in maintaining "fruitful interaction" with Orthodox Christians.

"For many years, you have striven to protect your country's national interests, caring for its socio-economic development," Kirill said. "It is gratifying to note you invariably pay attention to the spiritual and moral state of the people  to the establishment of enduring ideals of mercy, peace, goodness, and justice in society."

The Archbishop of Minsk and Mahilyow, Monsignor Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, president of the Bishops' Conference of the minority Catholic Church in Belarus, deplored the "unprecedented tensions" and "spilling of blood in active confrontations", and offered to mediate.

"For the first time in Belarus's modern history, brother has raised hand against brother," the archbishop said in a Facebook appeal. "To overcome the crisis, I propose immediately convening an emergency round table to decide the future fate of our fatherland, not on barricades."

Christian Orthodox believers make up 48.3 percent of the population, Catholic 7.1 percent, other believer 3.5 percent, with just over 41 percent of the population of the country non-believers, according to the CIA factbook.

Many Belarussian evangelicals are against the government. Several have taken part in the demonstrations, knowing the big personal risk that comes with any action that could be perceived by the government as rebellious behavior, Evangelical Focus Europe reported.

The Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists in Belarus, the United Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith in Belarus, and the Religious Association of Full Gospel Communities in Belarus (charismatics), released a joint statement on Thursday, calling on "to pray for our country in accordance with God's command in Micah 6: 8".

CALL FOR PRAYERS

"Pray for all people, for those in charge, that they have the fear of God and remember that there is a Supreme Judge over them, whom we will all give an account to", they said in the statement.

The evangelical leaders asked to "pray for an end to the violence and bloodshed, and for all those affected and their families. Pray that the Lord will save us from hatred, vengeance and resentment".

"Pray that the people will turn through Jesus Christ to God and love Him with all their heart, with all their souls and with all their minds, and their neighbor as themselves. Only when we love God can we love our neighbor correctly," they said

In Geneva UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Aug. 12 condemned the Belarus response to the protests .

"I remind the Belarusian authorities that the use of force during protests should always be exceptional and a measure of last resort, clearly differentiating between any violent individuals and peaceful protesters, against whom force should not be used," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

She said that reports suggest that approximately 6,000 people have been detained in the first three days of protests, including bystanders and minors.

This suggests a trend of massive arrests in clear violation of international human rights standards and "even more disturbing are the reports of ill-treatment during and after detention," said Bachelet.
(Photo: Joe Biden official campaign website)Joe Biden

Donald Trump may be the most profane U.S. president known, who often acts in offensive ways to some Christians, especially those who are more liberal-leaning.

But if he gets into power again, it will undoubtedly be attributed to the strong support he has from evangelicals and Catholics in the U.S. Christian communities.

Trump continued to be White Christians' preferred candidate for the November election.

Still, support among voters in three major traditions  White Catholics, White Protestants who are not evangelical, and even White evangelical Protestants  had slipped since August, according to a Pew Research Center poll published Oct. 13.

Why do these numbers matter?

Well, let's look at the religious demographics in the United States.

According to Pew Research, 70.6 percent of people in the United States self-define as Christians of whom 25.4 percent are Evangelical Protestants and 20.8 percent Catholic.

Among other Christian groups, what are called Mainline Protestants account for 14.7 percent of the population and Historically Black Protestants 6.5 percent.

And in other faiths, 1.9 percent are Jewish and 0.9 percent Muslims.

In other groups, the Unaffiliated make up 22.8 percent, Atheists 3.1 percent, and Agnostics 4.00 percent.

Working out what all those self-defined groups really mean by their faith is more difficult, except in the case of more fundamental believers.

More than 1,600 clergy members, religious scholars, and other faith-focused officials and activists had endorsed Joseph R. Biden Jr., the largest group of faith leaders to back a Democratic presidential candidate in modern times, organizers of the initiative said.

With the U.S. having registered nearly 8.6 million cases on Oct. 25 and 224,906 deaths from the COVID-19 panemic, along with the economy the virus could be a key issue in voting. The US virus toll is the world's highest.

Yet an Oct. 6-12 survey conducted by Pew found that only 24 percent of Trump supporters view the novel coronavirus outbreak as a "very important" voting issue.

The Biden endorsement, announced on Oct. 9, was organized by Vote Common Good, a progressive organization that opposes President Trump and is focused on engaging Christian voters, The New York Times reported.

Those endorsements represent a range of major religions in the United States but mainly come from Catholic, evangelical, and mainstream Protestant Americans, organizers said.

The Pew Research Center had earlier reported that majorities of white voters from those religious traditions supported Trump in 2016, to the Pew Research Center, and while evangelicals remain among the president's most loyal supporters, the Biden campaign is hoping to cut into Trump's 2016 base.

SISTER BEDE

In late August, Catholic nun Sister Dede Byrne spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

"As a physician, I can say without hesitation: Life begins at conception. While what I have to say may be difficult for some to hear, I am saying it because I am not just pro-life; I am pro-eternal life.

"I want all of us to end up in heaven together someday, which brings me to why I am here today. Donald Trump is the most pro-life president this nation has ever had, defending life at all stages."

Although attracting widespread praise for its pro-life policies from many Catholics, the Trump administration has drawn criticism from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for resuming federal executions after decades without federal use of the death penalty, Catholic News Agency reported.

The bishops have also criticized Trump for lowering the number of refugees resettled by the U.S. to its lowest recorded level in the 2020 fiscal year, deciding to accept a maximum of 18,000 refugees during hr year, and they said that decision was "unacceptable."

While white evangelicals remain a core voting bloc for Trump, in the 2020 race against Biden and white Catholics are expected to be a crucial demographic, Christianity Today reported Sept. 20.

The 2016 election was gifted to Trump by 77,000 votes in three states that swung the electoral college to him.

Data indicates that Biden - a lifelong Catholic - may shift some of the white Catholic votes away from the Republican leanings it held for the past four presidential elections and make it a true swing vote going forward.

Even small changes among Catholics could affect the electoral outcome, particularly in swing states. In 2016, Donald Trump won Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Florida by narrow margins of 1 percent to 1.2 percent of the votes cast.

"Based on weekly survey data collected by Data for Progress, then broken down by Christian traditions, we see white Christian support for the president slipping," wrote Christianity Today.

"Across traditions, slightly fewer Christians say they plan to vote for Trump and slightly more say they plan to vote for Biden than five months ago."

MAJOR RELIGIONS

According to organizers, the endorsements represent a range of major religions in the United States but mainly come from Catholic, evangelical, and mainline Protestant Americans.

A granddaughter of the Rev. Billy Graham, Jerushah Duford, is a committed evangelical Christian who describes herself as "pro-life."

For most of her life, she voted Republican. Yet this year, she is voting for Joe Biden and is encouraging fellow Christians to distance themselves from a president who she says is trying "to hijack our faith for votes," Nicholas Kristof wrote in The New York Times on Oct. 21

"The Jesus we serve promotes kindness, dignity, humility, and this president doesn't represent our faith," Duford said.

She made it clear to Kristof that she is not speaking for her grandfather, the famous evangelist who died in 2018.

She said to him, "I think he would be sad. I think his greatest desire had nothing to do with policies but to introduce people to a loving Jesus, and the division this administration has caused, I believe, has hurt this effort."

The problem with these anecdotes is that they always come from the more liberal media, and there are few from the more conservative media.

Kristof points out, "There's nothing inherently conservative about evangelical Christianity, for Black evangelicals mostly vote Democratic and there is a long tradition of liberal evangelicals from Martin Luther King Jr. to Jimmy Carter to the writer Jim Wallis.

"But in recent decades, white evangelicals have mostly voted Republican, and Duford and others engaged in the new outreach acknowledge that many find it somewhere between scary and unthinkable to break that tradition."

He wrote that a massive obstacle for many evangelicals considering a vote for Democrats is abortion policy.

So, an incredibly important part of the upheaval now underway within evangelical ranks is a move to redefine "pro-life" to apply to more than fetuses.

However, a group calling itself "Pro-life evangelicals for Biden" says, "As pro-life evangelicals, we disagree with vice president Biden and the Democratic platform on the issue of abortion.

"But we believe a biblically shaped commitment to the sanctity of human life compels us to a consistent ethic of life that affirms the sanctity of human life from beginning to end.

On June 2, President Donald Trump introduced the Bible into the campaign in a dramatic fashion.

On June 1, 2020, a group of peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C., was tear-gassed so that Donald Trump could be photographed brandishing a Bible in front of St. John's Episcopal Church.

Catherine A. Brekus, Charles Warren Professor of the History of Religion in America, wrote an opinion piece for Harvard Divinity Law School's action, putting Trump's action into a historical context.

In the aftermath, Trump's critics condemned his actions as an insult to Christianity.

BIBLE AS A PROP

While Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a rare voice of Republican dissent, has lamented that Trump used the Bible as a "prop," others have censored him for making a crude calculation meant to appeal to his evangelical base.

"The Rev. Marion Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, D.C., has expressed her shock and pain that Trump used the Bible 'as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus'."

Brekus noted, "What few have acknowledged, however, is that this is not the first time in American history that a powerful white man has flaunted the Bible after wreaking violence against black people and their allies.

"As William Faulkner taught us, 'The past is never dead. It's not even past.' The spectacle outside of St. John's Church is only the latest iteration of a scene that has been repeated countless times in America, including on southern plantations before the Civil War. Too often in our history, the Bible has been displayed as an object of racial terror.

"When Trump wordlessly held up the Bible, a smirk on his face, he did so to demonstrate his power, not to ask for peace or forgiveness.

"It was a strategy taken straight from the playbook of white Christian slaveholders, who, in their moral cowardice, boasted that the Bible justified their violence against black men and women."
As students return to school, its crucial to recognize the invisible struggles they may be facing, especially after the summer break. Navigating new academic and social environments can intensify mental health challenges or even trigger new ones.

Providing students with tools and emotional literacy to support one another and address feelings of loneliness is vital to building a culture of care and resilience that can genuinely make a long-lasting difference in their well-being.

The reality is stark: Youth suicide rates have risen steadily over the last 15 years and are currently the second leading cause of death for children ages 10 to 14 and the third for those ages 15 to 24. These statistics are more than just numbers  theyre deeply personal to me.

When my older brother, Brian, died by suicide at 22, it was a shock to my whole family. We didnt know how deeply his loneliness and mental health struggles ran. His story is not unique; millions silently battle similar challenges, feeling isolated by the stigma surrounding mental health. This stigma deprived him of the support he needed  support that could have saved my brothers life.

Young adults are most likely to turn to a friend first when struggling with their mental health, yet 70% of peers do not feel prepared to provide support. This school year, lets remind the young people in our lives that they dont need to be experts to provide support and create safe spaces for those they care about. Peer-based emotional support is not about solving someones problems; its about creating an environment in which emotions can be openly shared and help can be sought without fear of judgment.

The need for such safe spaces is urgent. More than one-fifth of high school students have seriously considered suicide. In college, nearly 30% of students report severe psychological distress associated with an increasing feeling of loneliness. Now more than ever, youths need safe spaces to express their feelings, establish support systems and build emotional literacy within their communities.

Emotional support has a profound impact on mental health. With the proper knowledge, young people can be powerful agents for change. Peer-led organizations such as Active Minds illustrate how student networks can break down mental health stigma and build trust and respect within their communities. Weve seen how these systems educate students about mental health awareness, decrease stigma and increase helping behaviors that establish a solid foundation for a supportive network.

Since half of all mental health issues begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24  critical years when connections among peers are strongest  these relationships can offer crucial lifelines. To prepare students for the new school year, they need resources to guide their mental health throughout the year. By consistently checking in, offering a safe space and maintaining open communication, youths can help peers who might be struggling.

As we work to create safe spaces for all students, its essential to recognize that not all challenges are experienced equally. Social stigma is a significant barrier to mental health care, but it disproportionately affects communities of color, where preconceived notions and biases create substantial obstacles to receiving appropriate support.

Black Americans are 20% more likely to experience mental health challenges and face a higher risk of suicide compared with members of other racial groups. Despite this, Black college students are statistically less likely to receive a mental health diagnosis. To address this disparity, targeted support and culturally responsive resources are essential in ensuring that all young people, regardless of their background, feel recognized, supported and encouraged to seek the help they need.

With students heading back to school, its vital to prioritize mental health discussions, especially as 67% of young adults with mental health symptoms wont receive the care they need. We can foster a culture of care and resilience by equipping students with skills such as emotional literacy, active listening and validation.

Mobilizing young people to lead these conversations addresses immediate needs and paves the way for lasting change. Lets use this new school year as an opportunity to ensure every student feels supported, valued and prepared to make a difference.

Alison Malmon is the founder and executive director of Active Minds, a nonprofit organization that supports mental health awareness and education for the next generation.
Sunday, September 15, 2024

Michael Levine Cites Poll Showing Taylor Swift's Support for Harris-Walz Ticket Turning More Voters Away Than It Attracts

According to leading U.S. media expert and best-selling author Michael Levine, Taylor Swift's recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz might not be the vote-swaying move some expected. It could be driving more voters away than pulling them in.

A new YouGov post-debate poll released on Saturday reveals that while 8% of voters said Swift's endorsement makes them "somewhat" or "much more likely" to vote for Harris and Walz, a staggering 20% said they are "somewhat" or "much less likely" to vote for the Democratic ticket now that Swift has thrown her weight behind it. A majority of 66% reported that Swift's endorsement will not influence their vote in November.

Swift, a Grammy-winning artist with a massive social media following of 283 million, clarified her position shortly after the recent debate, stating, "I've done my research, and I've made my choice," in an Instagram post.

Levine, renowned for his media and public influence expertise, suggests this polling data reflects a growing backlash against celebrity involvement in politics. "It's a fascinating example of how public figures may be miscalculating the influence they wield," Levine said. "While Swift's voice carries weight in popular culture, political endorsements may be an entirely different beastone that could alienate more voters than it engages."

As the 2024 election intensifies, this celebrity endorsement raises fresh questions about the power of star influence on American politics.
UPDATE: September 15 at 12:26 p.m.

Firefighters continue to make progress on the Sharrott Creek Fire burning three miles west of Stevensville. As of September 15, the fire has burned 3,204 acres and is 80% contained.

Currently, 241 personnel are working on the fire. Crews are utilizing hand tools and excavators to pull back berms constructed during the initial attack on the fire.

Fire managers are also using woodchippers to break down large branches and tree trunks, scattering available fuels alongside the constructed fireline.

Area closures around the fire remain in effect to ensure public safety and allow for firefighting operations. Fire managers and Bitterroot National Forest officials are evaluating the possibility of reducing the closure area, but for now, North Fork Sweeney Creek to Sweathouse Creek is closed.

UPDATE: Sept. 12 at 10:09 a.m.

Evacuation warnings for the Sharrott Creek Fire have been rescinded according to the Ravalli County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Steve Holton says this is due to the precipitation received yesterday and predicted rainfall.

The Sharrott Creek warnings were for residents north of Indian Prairie and west of Saint Mary's Road, Salish Trail, Sharrott Hill Loop, Wankantanka way and South of North Kootenia Road.

Sheriff Holton credited the hard work of firefighters working under Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Teams 3 and 5, as well as the Bitterroot National Forest and Nevada Incident Management Team 1.

UPDATE: September 9 at 11:36 a.m.

Much of the smoke and ash that made its way up to Missoula is coming from the Sharrott Creek Fire, Missoula County's air quality specialist, Benjamin Schmidt, said.

This fire has remained relatively steady in size and containment from the weekend to Monday. It's still 36 percent contained with 3,018 acres burned.

Fire crews are making progress in containing the fire near the head of the Larson Creek drainage. They are improving fire lines and using natural barriers, such as areas with fewer burnable materials, to keep the fire in check.

Engines will patrol the eastern edge of the fire to check for any lingering heat. To the south, crews are using water to cool hot spots from the southern point of the fire towards the St. Mary's Trailhead. Fire managers are still hopeful about stopping the fires spread south.

A special team is working near the St. Mary's Trail, digging to connect natural barriers like rocky areas. Crews will also protect structures and respond quickly if new fires start due to incoming thunderstorms.

Helicopters will help ground crews with water drops as needed, as long as it is safe. Because there is less fire activity at night, there will no longer be night crews.

UPDATE: September 8 at 11:38 a.m.

The Sharrott Creek Fire, burning three miles west of Stevensville in Ravalli County, has grown to 3,018 acres.

The fire, which started on August 23 due to lightning, is currently 36 percent contained. There are 499 people assigned to fight the blaze.

Firefighters are focusing on the fire's western flank, where it is slowly advancing into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Crews are cooling hot spots and securing the head of the Larson Creek Drainage on the northern perimeter. They are also backhauling hoses and pumps on the northeast side.

On the east perimeter, control lines are complete, and engines will continue to patrol the area.

To the south, crews are using water to cool hot spots from the fires most southern point towards the St. Marys Trailhead.

Evacuation warnings remain in place for neighborhoods near the fire, issued by the Ravalli County Sheriffs Office.

UPDATE: September 5 at 11:28 a.m.

The Sharrott Creek Fire is now 2,878 acres and is 25% contained according to the Northern Rockies Team 3 incident commander, Mike Behrens.

Spotting from the fire interior continues to be a concern and they have crews watching for spot fires.

The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office has dropped evacuation orders for neighborhoods in the area of the Sharrott Creek Fire to warnings. The Bitterroot National Forrest ahs issued an area closure from North Fork Sweeney Creek to Sweathouse Creek and there are temporary flight restrictions over the fire area west of Highway 93 from Bass Creek to Big Creek.

There is a community meeting happening Saturday, September 7 at 3:00 p.m. at the Stevensville High School.

UPDATE: September 4 at 11:32 a.m.

The Sharrott Creek Fire is now burning 2,873 acres and is 23% contained, the Bitterroot National Forest said.

650 people are involved in fighting the fire today.

Crews have built lines to stop the fire in the Larson Creek area. They continue to secure these lines around hotspots. On the east side, teams have made the area safe by turning over hotspots and applying water. This section is now being patrolled.

On the south edge, helicopters and firefighters are dealing with spot fires in the 739 road system in upper McCalla Creek. Night crews are also extinguishing these small fires. Crews are improving control lines further south using heavy equipment and hand labor. Four hotshot crews will work today to keep the fire north of the 739D road in McCalla Creek. A rappel team will tackle hot areas along the western edge.

Fire protection teams are in nearby neighborhoods to respond to any fire activity. At night, they patrol these areas and work on the southern edge. They also handle any new fires. Aircraft will help control the fire spread, depending on smoke conditions.

UPDATE: September 4 at 8:36 a.m.

The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation warnings to more neighborhoods near the Sharrott Creek Fire.

The areas that are under the warning and should be prepared to leave at any time are residents south of North Kootenai Road and west of Wankantanka Way; Sharrott Hill Loop; Salish Trail; and Saint Mary's Road and north of Indian Prairie Loop.

The evacuation order still applies to residents of Marmot Lane and Saint Mary's Overlook Road, west of Saint Mary's Road.

Yesterday, crews said the fire moved north to the Larson Creek area. They also noted significant growth due to winds on the west side of the fire.

The fire is now 3% contained and just under 2,400 acres burned. The fire page has not been updated yet this morning, however.

NonStop Local will update this article with the latest information as it comes in.

UPDATE: September 2 at 11:24 a.m.

The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office announced that at 8 a.m. this morning, certain areas north of the Sharrott Creek Fire will transition from evacuation orders to evacuation warnings.

The locations downgraded to WARNINGS include Sharrott Hill Loop, Redtail Hawk Lane, Blue Grouse Lane, Porcupine Lane, Timber Trail, and the west end of Kootenai Creek Road. Roadblocks will remain in place, and resident passes will be issued to residents and property owners.

Residents should remain prepared to evacuate if fire conditions change. Only residents and local traffic will be permitted in the previously evacuated zones. Passes can be obtained at the roadblocks or at the Ravalli County Incident Command trailer at Fort Owen Ranch.

The evacuation ORDER is still in effect for residents on Marmot Lane and Saint Marys Lookout Trail. Evacuation warnings for residents west of Saint Marys Road, Salish Trail, Sharrott Hill Loop, and Wankantana Way also remain.

The fire size is now mapped at 2,399 acres with 0% containment.

The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office praised the efforts of firefighters and the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3. Their work has allowed the reduction of some evacuation orders to warnings.

UPDATE: September 1 at 10:45 a.m.

The Sharrott Creek Fire, located three miles west of Stevensville in Ravalli County, now spans 1,775 acres with zero percent containment since it started on August 23. The fire was ignited by lightning and continues to actively burn.

Northern Rockies Team 3, led by Incident Commander Mike Behrens, is currently managing the firefighting efforts with 586 personnel assigned.

Firefighters have been working on the northern boundary, cooling hot spots and improving established hand and dozer lines. These efforts will continue today.

Several spots formed on the southwest edge during firing near the St. Marys Peak trailhead and in the Silverthorn drainage. Multiple hotshot crews will address these spots. Additional firing operations may occur today if necessary to secure control lines. Further south, firefighters will work to improve contingency lines along the Forest Service boundary.

Structure protection resources will patrol neighborhoods during the day. Night shift crews will also be active on the southern and eastern edges and will patrol affected neighborhoods.

Air operations were limited by lingering smoke that hindered pilot visibility over the past day. Helicopters will support the ground efforts today as conditions permit.

The Ravalli County Sheriffs Office has issued evacuation orders and warnings for neighborhoods near the Sharrott Creek Fire. The Bitterroot National Forest has issued an area closure from North Fork Sweeney Creek to Sweathouse Creek.

UPDATE: August 28 at 8:22 a.m.

The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office announced the evacuation status of the Sharrott Creek Fire remained unchanged following last nights weather and wind event.

The fire moved eastward and over a containment line but did not damage any structures. Due to safety concerns for residents and ongoing firefighting operations, the roadblock in the Sharrott Hill Loop, Redtail Hawk Lane, Blue Grouse Lane, and Porcupine Lane evacuation order zone will remain closed this morning.

"As soon as it is safe, the RCSO will resume opening the roadblock to residents from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., but it is not safe today," RCSO's release said.

Residents in the Kootenai Creek/Timber Trail and St. Marys Overlook areas can access their properties through the roadblock until 11 a.m.

MT Fire Info shows the size of the fire to be at 1,130 acres.

UPDATE: August 26 at 3:41 p.m.

The Sharrott Creek Fire has remained fairly steady in size at just over 1,000 acres Monday.

Despite its steadiness, the Bitterroot National Forest is hosting a community meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. both in person at Stevensville High School and online via Facebook Live.

The meeting will update residents on the status of the fire, how its behavior is expected to change, as well as operation and evacuation updates.

Increased smoke is expected throughout this afternoon as crews operate burnouts where they intentionally burn off fuels as control efforts.

UPDATE: August 25 at 10:12 a.m.

Infrared mapping places the fire at a size of 1,048 acres, the Bitterroot National Forest said Sunday morning. Previous size estimates from air had overestimated the fire size at 1,600 acres.

People in the area can expect to see air tankers dropping retardant as well as helicopters dropping water on the fire throughout Sunday. The Forest Service said there are about 200 firefighters working today to assess and protect property.

The national forest is expected to issue a forest closure spanning from Sweathouse Creek Trail to South Fork Sweeney Creek and Sweeney Creek.

Evacuation orders are still in place for the following areas:

Kootenai Creek, west of the intersection of Timber Trail, including residences on Timber Trail.

The west side of Sharrott Hill Loop, including residences on Blue Grouse Lane, Redtail Hawk Lane, and Porcupine Lane.

Marmot Lane, west of Saint Marys Road.

Saint Marys Lookout Road, west of the intersection of Saint Marys Road.

Those evacuating the fire may head to the Red Cross Shelter located at 100 Middle Burnt Fork Road for shelter and resources.

UPDATE @ 12:38 p.m. on August 24, 2024:

The Red Cross has set up a shelter for those displaced by the Sharrott Creek Fire, located at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 100 Middle Burnt Fork Road, in Stevensville.

Details in the article below:

UPDATE @ 9:57 p.m. on August 23, 2024:

The Sharrott Creek Fire has grown to 1,600 acres in size according to a report from Bitterroot National Forest.

Fire managers and Ravalli County Sheriff's Office (RCSO) have issued Evacuation Orders due to the rapid spread of the fire.

Residents in the following areas need to evacuate IMMEDIATELY:

Kootenai Creek, west of the intersection of Timber Trail, including residences on Timber Trail.

The west side of Sharrott Hill Loop, including residences on Blue Grouse Lane, Redtail Hawk Lane, and Porcupine Lane.

Marmot Lane, west of Saint Marys Road.

Saint Marys Lookout Road, west of the intersection of Saint Marys Road.

An Evacuation Order means residents should leave the area immediately for safety reasons. RCSO says this isn't the time to move personal property or livestock.

It is your Constitutional Right to ignore the Evacuation Order, HOWEVER if you choose to ignore the order, you must understand that emergency responders MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU as the fire progresses, and no other people will be allowed into the area.

Authorities urge residents to drive in a safe and orderly fashion on designated routes ONLY. Stay alert for fast-moving emergency vehicles.

Remaining calm and following pre-planned actions will help keep everyone safe.

Do not remove any exterior flagging or markings placed outside homes, as these help emergency responders identify who has or hasnt received notifications.

The Red Cross has set up a shelter located at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 100 Middle Burnt Fork Road, in Stevensville. Details in the article below:

Residents can stay informed by downloading the Ravalli County Sheriff's app, for more evacuation information. You can download that from the Apple Store for iOS or Google Play for Android.

UPDATE @ 5:06 p.m. on August 23, 2024:

The DNRC Interactive Fire Map estimates that the fire on St. Mary's Peak, now being called the "Sharrott Fire" is currently at 300 acres in size as of 4:35 p.m. on Friday.

Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton has issued Evacuation Warnings due to the Sharrott Fire in the Saint Mary's area. The decision to issue the warnings were made in conjunction with Forest Service Fire Management Officers.

The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office is currently going door to door to warn residents in the affected area, which includes:

North Kootenai

Creek Road and west of Wankantanka Way

Kootenai Creek Road west of Sharrott Hill Loop

West of Salish Trail

West of the intersection of Saint Marys Road and Salish Trail

West of Saint Marys Road to the intersection of Indian Prairie Loop

During an Evacuation Warning, residents are advised to begin preparing loved ones and important belongings to be able to leave if an Evacuation Order is issued.

Here's the checklist of everything to pack when evacuating your house due to wildfire

View a list of available Montana Fire Resources to help you stay safe in wildfire season

This preparation includes:

Finding care for pets and livestock

Packing important documents, medications, and irreplaceable items

Considering early evacuation for those with health or mobility issues.

Moving mobile property, livestock, or pets if possible.

Residents can stay informed by downloading the Ravalli County Sheriff's app, which provides timely information and updates on evacuation status. You can download that from the Apple Store for iOS or Google Play for Android.

Additionally, residents are encouraged to enroll in Hyper-Reach for emergency notifications from the Ravalli County Office of Emergency Management. Hyper-Reach can be accessed through the Ravalli County Web Page or through the sheriff's app.

Ravalli County Sheriff's Office reports they will continue to provide updates as the situation develops. NonStop Local will continue to follow those updates and share them as they are available.

Original Coverage @ 4:26 p.m. on August 23, 2024:

STEVENSVILLE, Mont. - Ravalli County Sheriff's Office (RCSO) report a fire that has broken out on St. Mary's Peak west of Stevensville.

Multiple calls to 911 report the fire was detected in the forest on St. Mary's Peak. Law enforcement and the forest service have been alerted to the situation and are currently responding.

RCSO asks residents to refrain from calling in to make additional reports to keep 911 lines open for emergencies.

No additional information was provided by RCSO at this time. NonStop Local has a reporter headed to the scene to find out more from local authorities. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.
Matthew Lawrence has hailed Robin Williams as being the "opposite" of a typical celebrity.

Matthew Lawrence starred alongside Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire

The 44-year-old actor appeared opposite the late Hollywood star - who took his own life August 2014 at the age of 63 - in the 1993 comedy Mrs. Doubtfire' and has recalled the lessons he learned from his on-screen parents that he has carried on into his adult life.

Speaking as part of a panel at 90s Con in Daytona Beach, Florida, he said: "Getting to work with Robin Williams and Sally Field, I almost didnt realize it at the time when I was there, but it has carried over in my entire life.

"You hear all these stories about celebrities  they dont want the crew to talk to them or look them in the eye.

"But Robin was just the opposite. He knew everybodys name, he was compassionate about everybody and he really understood the meaning of, You have to walk a mile in someone elses shoes. There was no hierarchy for him: the guy running the craft services table was just as important as the director.'

"Seeing that at such a young age, that when you are at the top of your game you treat people really well  you emulate that."

His comments come just after actress Sally Field - who played Robin's estranged wife in the film that followed a man who impersonated a nanny in an attempt to see his children - remembered her tragic co-star as a "very sensitive and intuitive" person who made arrangements when she went through a personal struggle on set.

when she received the news that her father had died and recalled how her co-star made arrangements so she could leave the set.

She told Vanity Fair: "I never shared this story before. I was in the camper outside of the courtroom where we were shooting the divorce scene. My father had a stroke a couple of years before, and was in a nursing facility. I got a phone call from the doctor saying my father had passed  a massive stroke. He asked if I wanted them to put him on the resuscitator. I said, No, he did not want that. Just let him go. And please lean down and say, Sally says goodbye.

"I was of course beside myself. I came on the set trying with all my might to act. I wasnt crying. Robin came over, pulled me out of the set, and asked, Are you OK?

"[I told him and] he said 'Oh my God, we need to get you out here right now...' And he made it happen  they shot around me the rest of the day. I could go back to my house, call my brother and make arrangements. Its a side of Robin that people rarely knew: He was very sensitive and intuitive."
King Charles has wished Prince Harry a Happy 40th Birthday, via social media.

King Charles sends birthday wishes to Prince Harry

The 75-year-old monarch and his wife, Harry's stepmother Queen Camilla, shared a message on their official Royal Family X account on Sunday (15.09.24) to mark the Duke of Sussex's milestone birthday.

The message said: "Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!" and it added a cake emoji.

The post also included a photograph of a smiling Prince Harry.

The picture was taken in 2018, during Harry's visit with his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex to the 'Digital Docklands' in Dublin.

Harry's brother William and his wife Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, reposted the message on their own X account and wrote: "Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to the Duke of Sussex!"

Harry is set to celebrate his birthday privately in Montecito, California, with Meghan, 43, and their children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.

Meanwhile, Charles is expected to call Harry to wish him a Happy Birthday.

According to the Sunday Express: "The King will reach out to Harry on his birthday. Although the family are not as close as they once were, there is still a lot of love there.

"They tend to use Skype when they communicate because they can see each other and it's all set up by staff so it runs smoothly."

Relations have been strained between Harry and his family ever since he quit the Royal Family in 2020 and went on to make a number of scathing revelations about them in tell-all interviews and his memoir 'Spare'.

However, he flew to the UK to see his father after the monarch was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
Prince Harry has had a surprise 40th birthday message from his older brother.

Prince Harry has had a surprise 40th birthday message from his older brother

The Duke of Sussex, who marked the milestone on Sunday (15.09.24), is said to have been largely estranged from William, Prince of Wales, 42, since he published his tell-all memoir Spare in January, which contained the claim he and his sibling had a physical fight over remarks the older royal allegedly made about Harrys relationship with his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, 43.

But William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, 42, posted on Instagram: Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex.

The Waleses official account also included a photo of Harry smiling while wearing a grey suit and white shirt.

But the post was not signed off with William or Kates initials, as is the tradition when royals personally write posts.

It came as King Charles, 75, also wished Harry a happy 40th on social media.

The monarch and his wife, Harrys stepmother Queen Camilla, 77, shared a message on their official Royal Family X account on Sunday to mark the Duke of Sussexs big day.

Their message said alongside a cake emoji: Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!

The post also included a photograph of a smiling Prince Harry.

It was a picture taken in 2018, during Harrys visit with his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex to the Digital Docklands in Dublin.

Harry is set to celebrate his birthday privately in Montecito, California, with Meghan, 43, and their children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.

A source told the Sunday Express about how Charles is set to call his youngest son: The King will reach out to Harry on his birthday. Although the family are not as close as they once were, there is still a lot of love there.

They tend to use Skype when they communicate because they can see each other and its all set up by staff so it runs smoothly.
To read the full story, become a PRIME member today.

PRIME Unlimited Access to

Insightful Industry Information

All Corporate Members and TexPro Subscribers are eligible to access F2F PRIME CONTENT using the same login credentials.
The UK retail industry is overtaxed compared to other sectors of the economy, according to data unveiled by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) in its Autumn budget submission that shows retail pays 7.4 per cent of all business taxes (33 billion)a share 1.5 times greater than its 5-per cent share of the overall economy.

This bill amounts to 55 per cent of the industrys pre-tax profits, the highest proportion, along with hospitality, of all main business sectors. Of this total tax bill, 11 per cent of profits is made up of business rates, the highest of all business sectors, a BRC release said.

The effect of this tax burden is stark, with shuttered shops and declining high streets in every corner of the country, BRC noted.

The UK retail industry is relatively overtaxed, data offered by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) in its budget submission showed. Retail pays 7.4 per cent of all business taxesa share 1.5 times greater than its 5-per cent share of the GDP. BRC called for introducing a 20-per cent retail sales correctoran adjustment to bills for all retail properties.

This was recognised in the Labour Partys election manifesto which stated: The current business rates system disincentivises investment, creates uncertainty and places an undue burden on our high streets.

The United Kingdom has lost 6,000 shops in the last five years: in two-thirds of these closures, business rates had a material impact in the decision-making process. Without action, up to 17,300 shops could close over the next decade, the BRC release said.

More widely, it is holding back investment in pay and upskilling for colleagues, and in the technology that will boost productivity, support decarbonisation and drive economic growth.

The BRC submission called on the government to introduce a 20-per cent retail sales correctora 20-per cent adjustment to bills for all retail properties. This would meet the governments manifesto commitment to reform the business rates system and to restore Britains declining high streets, and would immediately unlock investment and growth, another priority for the government, BRC said.

Introducing this corrector would be a decisive move that would level the playing field between different sectors of the economy and is the best way to achieve the governments commitment of a tax fairer for bricks and mortar businesses, said BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson.

It gives an immediate return allowing retailers to move further and faster with investments that play a critical part in driving growth, and in restoring our high streets right across the country, she added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Critic's rating 4.0 /5

The thriller is said to be inspired by a series of murders that took place in 2006 in Noida, near Delhi. The killer found his victims in the slums, and pleas for help from the impoverished parents of missing children were ignored by the police. When his own daughter gets targeted, inspector Ram Charan Pandey (Deepak Dobriyal), finally comes out of his corruption-ridden nonchalance to start the investigation on the disappearance of children from in and around Sector 36 area of NCR. As he delves deeper into the muck, it feels as if he's opened the gates to hell. Nothing is what it seems. A routine investigation gets stymied at every turn and then turns into a farce, making a mockery of the tragedy.



Child abuse is a serious issue. It's also something that the government machinery often turns a blind eye to. Especially when the children targeted belong to the marginalised bracket. No one cares for them. Their only epitaph is an entry into an obscure file. Sector 36 tries to make us accept that reality. By ignoring such incidents, the society at large becomes complicit in the crime. The film doesn't make for an easy watch. The various murders which occur are visceral to the extreme. The scenes are designed to shock you and they succeed. At the time of watching the film at least, you want to rid the world of such evil. Because that's what such criminals are  pure evil taking on the human guise. You shudder at the proceedings when you think of the fate of victims who have actually suffered such atrocities. Cinema is often cited as an escape from reality but sometimes it's also a mirror which reflects the blackness which exists in society. And this is as dark as it can get. Perhaps to give respite to the viewers, the ending has been tweaked to offer a tiny ray of hope. But even that feels like the promise of a false dawn.



The absorbing plot is further enhanced by the acting of the two leads. If one rooted for Vikrant Massey in 12th Fail, one begins to loathe and fear him from frame one. The casual menace that he exudes as the main accused Prem Singh takes your breath away. There's absolutely no remorse in his eyes over what he has done. The scene where he opens up about his misdeeds is a sort of catharsis for him. Like a tap gone loose, he babbles on and on as we listen transfixed. He's a generational actor who lives and breathes for his craft and surely doesn't want to be slotted to purely heroic roles. In contrast to Vikrant Massey, we have Deepak Dobriyal, who has the habit of internalising every character he essays. He's one of the few actors who can make silence speak. He did it as the accused Captain Javed Khan in Shaurya (2008) and he does it here as well. He's speechless as he listens to Prems rant but the expressions which flit across his face say it all. His frustration at being stalled by his seniors is real and so is his obsession with finding out the truth at any cost. He's the unlikeliest of heroes and you want him to root out the evil.



Like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), which was a dark satire on truth and its various versions, Sector 36 also points out that instead of criminals, it's the innocent who get punished. Watch it for the harsh reality it depicts and the superb acting displayed by Vikrant Massey and Deepak Dobriyal.

TRAILER : Sector 36
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken to congratulating himself for what he describes as an agricultural revolution at his Precabe Farm in Sherwood, Kwekwe. In a recent visit to the farm, Mnangagwa boasted of surpassing agricultural records and presenting the estate as a model of farming success, reminiscent of how his predecessor, the late Robert Mugabe, once showcased his own farms.Mnangagwa claimed that he had exceeded the previous maximum maize yield record of eight tonnes per hectare, set by the former farm owner, an in-law of former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith. According to Mnangagwa, his current yield stands at 11.3 tonnes per hectare. The farm, which spans 500 hectares, includes 300 hectares of winter wheat, 200 hectares of barley, 30 hectares of potatoes, and over 2,000 head of cattle, along with goats, pigs, and poultry.The state-controlled media highlighted Mnangagwa's farm as an exemplary model of agricultural excellence, asserting that it serves as an inspiration to others across the region. During a visit by several ministers, the farm was showcased as a shining example of what can be achieved in Zimbabwe's agricultural sector.However, the president's claims have been met with skepticism. Critics argue that Mnangagwa's farm does not represent a typical farming success story due to the extensive state support and resources he receives. Unlike ordinary farmers, Mnangagwa benefits from subsidies, donations, and equipment provided at little to no cost. This support is seen by some as creating an unfair advantage and distancing Mnangagwa from the real struggles faced by Zimbabwean farmers.The criticisms suggest that Mnangagwa's role in the farming process is minimal, with much of the work carried out by hired staff and supported by state resources. The argument is that a genuine example of successful farming would involve an individual who personally invests in their farm, understands the financial risks, and faces similar challenges as other local farmers."Mnangagwa's farm is flooded with freebies, and this undermines his claim of being a successful farmer," said a critic. "A president who receives inputs, equipment, and other resources for free is not a typical example of a genuine farmer. True farming success comes from personal investment and hard work, not from leveraging state resources and donations."Supporters of Mnangagwa's farming achievements argue that his success should be acknowledged, pointing to the substantial productivity and development of the farm as evidence of effective agricultural practices. They claim that the increased yield and variety of crops and livestock on the farm reflect the president's commitment to advancing Zimbabwe's agricultural sector.Despite these arguments, there remains a significant divide between Mnangagwa's portrayal of his farming achievements and the reality faced by the majority of Zimbabwean farmers. The president's use of state resources and the disparity between his farm's success and the struggles of average farmers continue to fuel debate on the authenticity of his agricultural claims.As the farming community and political commentators continue to scrutinize Mnangagwa's farming endeavors, the broader discussion highlights the challenges faced by Zimbabwe's agricultural sector. The focus on high-profile figures and their farming successes contrasts sharply with the everyday experiences of ordinary farmers, who often lack access to the same resources and support.In the end, the debate over Mnangagwa's farming success underscores the need for a more equitable and realistic approach to showcasing agricultural achievements. A more inclusive representation of farming success would involve recognizing the contributions and challenges of all farmers, rather than focusing solely on the accomplishments of those with access to extensive state support.As Zimbabwe continues to grapple with agricultural development and policy, the conversation around Mnangagwa's farm serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and fairness in evaluating and supporting the country's agricultural sector.
LIBSON, Portugal, Sept. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a strategic move following a recent tour of the Asia-Pacific region, the Luohu District in Shenzhen, located in South China's Guangdong Province, has dispatched a new delegation to Spain and Portugal, with a focus on exploring economic and trade opportunities in the European market.

The China (ShenzhenLuohu) - Portugal (Lisbon) Economic and Trade Cooperation and Exchange Conference, held in Lisbon on Thursday, saw a strong turnout from more than 30 prominent Portuguese companies and institutions, including the Oveiras Valley Investment Agency (OVIA) and Timing Group.

These entities showcased a keen interest in collaborating with Luohu, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, finance, media, business services, and cultural tourism. The event marked a significant leap toward fostering mutually beneficial partnerships between Luohu and key players in the Portuguese business landscape.

As Luohu's industries thrive, the district is amplifying its global presence through foreign investment promotion, bolstering trade and investment activities. Luohu, situated in the heart of Shenzhen, a rapidly growing innovation city that has achieved economic success over the past four decades, boasts the pillars of finance, commerce, and business services. The district also excels in sectors such as cultural creativity, gold, and jewelry.

With the service industry dominating Luohu's GDP at 94 percent, the district hosts over 100 licensed financial institutions, including major firms like PwC, EY, and Deloitte. Driven by strong incentive policies, the health industry is rapidly expanding in Luohu. The district excels in medical aesthetics, cutting-edge medical devices, life sciences, and health management, showcasing unwavering progress.

It has also given priority to the development of precision medicine, high-end health preservation, innovative drugs, high-end medical devices, and other specialized fields. The district's rich clinical application scenarios also provide a good foundation for the research, development, and transformation of innovative drugs and medical devices. In 2023, Luohu witnessed the establishment of 32 innovative platforms in the medical and health domain, including the Shenzhen-Europe Innovation Medicine and Health Research Center.

Jointly developed by the district government and the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the top research institutes in China, the center has recruited a pool of international talents.

Besides innovation, Luohu stipulated incentive policies to boost the medical cosmetology field. At the end of 2023, the district took the lead in the city by issuing 10 measures for the sector. Of the measures, the district decided to build a hub for medical aesthetics consumption, support the medical aesthetics product trade and service and regulate the service quality of the sector both online and offline.

During the delegation's visit to Spain and Portugal, the district government pledged to enhance services and the business environment to attract companies and investors from both domestic and international markets.

The delegation also engaged with industry leaders such as the Global Media Group, Joinko Group, and EFG International in Lisbon, showcasing Luohu's commitment to strengthening ties and fostering collaboration on a global scale.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2505892/20240915122405.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/luohu-explores-economic-opportunities-in-europe-strengthens-ties-with-portugal-302248436.html
These data represent the longest reported median overall survival from a Phase 3 advanced melanoma trial; data selected for official ESMO press conference

At ten years, more than 40% (43%) of patients treated with Opdivo plus Yervoy were alive; a decade ago, this patient population faced a survival rate of around 25% after only one year

Data to be presented today as a mini oral and simultaneously published in TheNew England Journal of Medicine

Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced 10-year follow-up data from CheckMate -067, a randomized, double-blind, Phase 3 clinical trial, which showed continued durable improvement in survival with first-line Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) therapy and Opdivo monotherapy, versus Yervoy alone, in patients with previously untreated advanced or metastatic melanoma.

With a minimum follow up of 10 years, median overall survival (OS) was 71.9 months with Opdivo plus Yervoy (95% CI: 38.2-114.4) the longest reported median OS in a Phase 3 advanced melanoma trial 36.9 months with Opdivo (95% CI: 28.2-58.7) and 19.9 months with Yervoy (95% CI: 16.8-24.6). These data are being presented today and were included in an official press conference at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024 in Barcelona, Spain (LBA43), as well as simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine

Among all randomized patients in the trial, 64% of patients who received the combination, 50% of Opdivo-treated patients and 33% of Yervoy-treated patients did not receive subsequent systemic therapy at the 10-year follow up mark.

"These data continue to demonstrate the impressive and durable clinical benefit of nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab with survival curves remaining stable for some years now," said James Larkin, Ph.D., FRCP, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Department of Medical Oncology, The Royal Marsden. "Remarkably, 43% of patients treated with nivolumab and ipilimumab are alive ten years later and many did not need subsequent therapy."

In addition, at 10 years of follow up, the Opdivo plus Yervoy combination showed melanoma-specific survival (MSS) rates of 52% (median not reached) compared to 44% (median of 49.4 months) and 23% (median of 21.9 months) among patients treated with Opdivo alone and Yervoy alone, respectively.

"Just over a decade ago, an advanced melanoma diagnosis meant that you likely only had months to live. The dual immunotherapy combination of Opdivo plus Yervoy has radically changed this outlook for many of these patients," said Dana Walker, M.D., M.S.C.E., vice president, global program lead, melanoma and gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers, Bristol Myers Squibb. "Our goal was and still is today to redefine survival expectations for patients with melanoma; these data demonstrate our commitment to that objective and continue to provide hope."

Durable, sustained clinical benefit was also observed with Opdivo plus Yervoy or Opdivo alone across relevant subgroups, including in patients with BRAF mutation and wild-type tumors. Among patients with BRAF-mutant tumors, the rate of OS at 10 years was 52% (95% CI: 42-62) in patients who received Opdivo plus Yervoy, 37% (95% CI: 27-46) for Opdivo alone, and 25% (95% CI: 17-34) for Yervoy alone. In patients with BRAF wild-type tumors, the rate of OS at 10 years was 39% (95% CI: 32-46) in patients who received Opdivo plus Yervoy, 37% (95% CI: 31-44) for Opdivo alone and 17% (95% CI: 12-23) for Yervoy alone.

At 10 years of follow up, the objective response rate (ORR) was higher for the two Opdivo groups, in combination with Yervoy and alone, at 58.3% and 44.9%, respectively than the Yervoy group at 19.0%. The median duration of response (DoR) was not reached for those who received Opdivo plus Yervoy, while the median DoR was 103.2 months for Opdivo-treated patients and 19.2 months for Yervoy-treated patients.1

The safety profile for Opdivo plus Yervoy was consistent with prior findings, with no new safety signals observed and no additional treatment-related deaths occurring since the prior three analyses. Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 62.6% of patients in the combination group, 24.6% of patients in the Opdivo group, and 29.6% of patients in the Yervoy group.

Bristol Myers Squibb thanks the patients and investigators who have participated in the CheckMate -067 clinical trial.

About CheckMate -067

CheckMate -067 is a Phase 3, double-blind, randomized trial that evaluated the combination of Opdivo plus Yervoy or Opdivo monotherapy versus Yervoy monotherapy in 945 patients with previously untreated advanced melanoma. Patients in the combination group (n=314) received Opdivo 1 mg/kg plus Yervoy 3 mg/kg every three weeks (Q3W) for four doses followed by Opdivo 3 mg/kg every two weeks (Q2W). Patients in the Opdivo monotherapy group (n=316) received Opdivo 3 mg/kg Q2W plus placebo. Patients in the Yervoy monotherapy group (n=315) received Yervoy 3 mg/kg Q3W for four doses plus placebo. Patients were treated until progression or unacceptable toxic effects. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were dual primary endpoints of the trial. Secondary endpoints included objective response rates (ORR), descriptive efficacy assessments and safety.

About Melanoma

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer characterized by the uncontrolled growth of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) located in the skin. Metastatic melanoma is the deadliest form of the disease and occurs when cancer spreads beyond the surface of the skin to other organs. The incidence of melanoma has been increasing steadily for the last 30 years. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that by 2035, melanoma incidence will reach 424,102, with 94,308 related deaths. In the United States, 100,640 new diagnoses of melanoma and about 8,290 related deaths are estimated for 2024. Melanoma can be mostly treatable when caught in its very early stages; however, survival rates can decrease as the disease progresses.

Bristol Myers Squibb: Creating a Better Future for People with Cancer

Bristol Myers Squibb is inspired by a single vision transforming patients' lives through science. The goal of the company's cancer research is to deliver medicines that offer each patient a better, healthier life and to make cure a possibility. Building on a legacy across a broad range of cancers that have changed survival expectations for many, Bristol Myers Squibb researchers are exploring new frontiers in personalized medicine and, through innovative digital platforms, are turning data into insights that sharpen their focus. Deep understanding of causal human biology, cutting-edge capabilities and differentiated research programs uniquely position the company to approach cancer from every angle.

Cancer can have a relentless grasp on many parts of a patient's life, and Bristol Myers Squibb is committed to taking actions to address all aspects of care, from diagnosis to survivorship. As a leader in cancer care, Bristol Myers Squibb is working to empower all people with cancer to have a better future.

About Opdivo

Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the body's own immune system to help restore anti-tumor immune response. By harnessing the body's own immune system to fight cancer, Opdivo has become an important treatment option across multiple cancers.

Opdivo's leading global development program is based on Bristol Myers Squibb's scientific expertise in the field of Immuno-Oncology and includes a broad range of clinical trials across all phases, including Phase 3, in a variety of tumor types. To date, the Opdivo clinical development program has treated more than 35,000 patients. The Opdivo trials have contributed to gaining a deeper understanding of the potential role of biomarkers in patient care, particularly regarding how patients may benefit from Opdivo across the continuum of PD-L1 expression.

In July 2014, Opdivo was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval anywhere in the world. Opdivo is currently approved in more than 65 countries, including the United States, the European Union, Japan and China. In October 2015, the Company's Opdivo and Yervoy combination regimen was the first Immuno-Oncology combination to receive regulatory approval for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and is currently approved in more than 50 countries, including the United States and the European Union.

About Yervoy

Yervoy is a recombinant, human monoclonal antibody that binds to the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4). CTLA-4 is a negative regulator of T-cell activity. Yervoy binds to CTLA-4 and blocks the interaction of CTLA-4 with its ligands, CD80/CD86. Blockade of CTLA-4 has been shown to augment T-cell activation and proliferation, including the activation and proliferation of tumor infiltrating T-effector cells. Inhibition of CTLA-4 signaling can also reduce T-regulatory cell function, which may contribute to a general increase in T-cell responsiveness, including the anti-tumor immune response. On March 25, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Yervoy 3 mg/kg monotherapy for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Yervoy is approved for unresectable or metastatic melanoma in more than 50 countries. There is a broad, ongoing development program in place for Yervoy spanning multiple tumor types.

INDICATIONS

OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

OPDIVO is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older with completely resected Stage IIB, Stage IIC, Stage III, or Stage IV melanoma.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy, is indicated as neoadjuvant treatment of adult patients with resectable (tumors =4 cm or node positive) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (=1%) as determined by an FDA-approved test, with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab) and 2 cycles of platinum-doublet chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with intermediate or poor risk advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with cabozantinib, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and brentuximab vedotin or after 3 or more lines of systemic therapy that includes autologous HSCT. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) who are at high risk of recurrence after undergoing radical resection of UC.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine, is indicated as first-line treatment for adult patients with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of completely resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer with residual pathologic disease in adult patients who have received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum- containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Severe and Fatal Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions

Immune-mediated adverse reactions listed herein may not include all possible severe and fatal immune- mediated adverse reactions.

Immune-mediated adverse reactions, which may be severe or fatal, can occur in any organ system or tissue. While immune-mediated adverse reactions usually manifest during treatment, they can also occur after discontinuation of OPDIVO or YERVOY. Early identification and management are essential to ensure safe use of OPDIVO and YERVOY. Monitor for signs and symptoms that may be clinical manifestations of underlying immune-mediated adverse reactions. Evaluate clinical chemistries including liver enzymes, creatinine, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, and thyroid function at baseline and periodically during treatment with OPDIVO and before each dose of YERVOY. In cases of suspected immune-mediated adverse reactions, initiate appropriate workup to exclude alternative etiologies, including infection. Institute medical management promptly, including specialty consultation as appropriate.

Withhold or permanently discontinue OPDIVO and YERVOY depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). In general, if OPDIVO or YERVOY interruption or discontinuation is required, administer systemic corticosteroid therapy (1 to 2 mg/kg/day prednisone or equivalent) until improvement to Grade 1 or less. Upon improvement to Grade 1 or less, initiate corticosteroid taper and continue to taper over at least 1 month. Consider administration of other systemic immunosuppressants in patients whose immune-mediated adverse reactions are not controlled with corticosteroid therapy. Toxicity management guidelines for adverse reactions that do not necessarily require systemic steroids (e.g., endocrinopathies and dermatologic reactions) are discussed below.

Immune-Mediated Pneumonitis

OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated pneumonitis. The incidence of pneumonitis is higher in patients who have received prior thoracic radiation. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune- mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.1% (61/1994) of patients, including Grade 4 (<0.1%), Grade 3 (0.9%), and Grade 2 (2.1%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune- mediated pneumonitis occurred in 7% (31/456) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.2%), Grade 3 (2.0%), and Grade 2 (4.4%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune- mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.9% (26/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (1.4%) and Grade 2 (2.6%). In NSCLC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks, immune- mediated pneumonitis occurred in 9% (50/576) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.5%), Grade 3 (3.5%), and Grade 2 (4.0%). Four patients (0.7%) died due to pneumonitis.

In Checkmate 205 and 039, pneumonitis, including interstitial lung disease, occurred in 6.0% (16/266) of patients receiving OPDIVO. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 4.9% (13/266) of patients receiving OPDIVO, including Grade 3 (n=1) and Grade 2 (n=12).

Immune-Mediated Colitis

OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated colitis, which may be fatal. A common symptom included in the definition of colitis was diarrhea. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection/reactivation has been reported in patients with corticosteroid-refractory immune-mediated colitis. In cases of corticosteroid-refractory colitis, consider repeating infectious workup to exclude alternative etiologies. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 2.9% (58/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (1.7%) and Grade 2 (1%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 25% (115/456) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.4%), Grade 3 (14%) and Grade 2 (8%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 9% (60/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (4.4%) and Grade 2 (3.7%).

Immune-Mediated Hepatitis and Hepatotoxicity

OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated hepatitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 1.8% (35/1994) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.2%), Grade 3 (1.3%), and Grade 2 (0.4%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 15% (70/456) of patients, including Grade 4 (2.4%), Grade 3 (11%), and Grade 2 (1.8%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 7% (48/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (1.2%), Grade 3 (4.9%), and Grade 2 (0.4%).

OPDIVO in combination with cabozantinib can cause hepatic toxicity with higher frequencies of Grade 3 and 4 ALT and AST elevations compared to OPDIVO alone. Consider more frequent monitoring of liver enzymes as compared to when the drugs are administered as single agents. In patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib, Grades 3 and 4 increased ALT or AST were seen in 11% of patients.

Immune-Mediated Endocrinopathies

OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency, immune-mediated hypophysitis, immune-mediated thyroid disorders, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus, which can present with diabetic ketoacidosis. Withhold OPDIVO and YERVOY depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). For Grade 2 or higher adrenal insufficiency, initiate symptomatic treatment, including hormone replacement as clinically indicated. Hypophysitis can present with acute symptoms associated with mass effect such as headache, photophobia, or visual field defects. Hypophysitis can cause hypopituitarism; initiate hormone replacement as clinically indicated. Thyroiditis can present with or without endocrinopathy. Hypothyroidism can follow hyperthyroidism; initiate hormone replacement or medical management as clinically indicated. Monitor patients for hyperglycemia or other signs and symptoms of diabetes; initiate treatment with insulin as clinically indicated.

In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 1% (20/1994), including Grade 3 (0.4%) and Grade 2 (0.6%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 8% (35/456), including Grade 4 (0.2%), Grade 3 (2.4%), and Grade 2 (4.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 7% (48/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.3%), Grade 3 (2.5%), and Grade 2 (4.1%). In patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 4.7% (15/320) of patients, including Grade 3 (2.2%) and Grade 2 (1.9%).

In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypophysitis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.2%) and Grade 2 (0.3%).

In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypophysitis occurred in 9% (42/456), including Grade 3 (2.4%) and Grade 2 (6%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypophysitis occurred in 4.4% (29/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.3%), Grade 3 (2.4%), and Grade 2 (0.9%).

In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, thyroiditis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients, including Grade 2 (0.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, thyroiditis occurred in 2.7% (22/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (4.5%) and Grade 2 (2.2%).

In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hyperthyroidism occurred in 2.7% (54/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (<0.1%) and Grade 2 (1.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hyperthyroidism occurred in 9% (42/456) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.9%) and Grade 2 (4.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hyperthyroidism occurred in 12% (80/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.6%) and Grade 2 (4.5%).

In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypothyroidism occurred in 8% (163/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.2%) and Grade 2 (4.8%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypothyroidism occurred in 20% (91/456) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.4%) and Grade 2 (11%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypothyroidism occurred in 18% (122/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.6%) and Grade 2 (11%).

In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, diabetes occurred in 0.9% (17/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.4%) and Grade 2 (0.3%), and 2 cases of diabetic ketoacidosis. In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, diabetes occurred in 2.7% (15/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.6%), Grade 3 (0.3%), and Grade 2 (0.9%).

Immune-Mediated Nephritis with Renal Dysfunction

OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated nephritis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 1.2% (23/1994) of patients, including Grade 4 (<0.1%), Grade 3 (0.5%), and Grade 2 (0.6%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated nephritis with renal dysfunction occurred in 4.1% (27/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.6%), Grade 3 (1.1%), and Grade 2 (2.2%).

Immune-Mediated Dermatologic Adverse Reactions

OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated rash or dermatitis. Exfoliative dermatitis, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) has occurred with PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies. Topical emollients and/or topical corticosteroids may be adequate to treat mild to moderate nonexfoliative rashes.

YERVOY can cause immune-mediated rash or dermatitis, including bullous and exfoliative dermatitis, SJS, TEN, and DRESS. Topical emollients and/or topical corticosteroids may be adequate to treat mild to moderate non-bullous/exfoliative rashes.

Withhold or permanently discontinue OPDIVO and YERVOY depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information).

In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated rash occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (1.1%) and Grade 2 (2.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated rash occurred in 28% (127/456) of patients, including Grade 3 (4.8%) and Grade 2 (10%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated rash occurred in 16% (108/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (3.5%) and Grade 2 (4.2%).

Other Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions

The following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions occurred at an incidence of <1% (unless otherwise noted) in patients who received OPDIVO monotherapy or OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY or were reported with the use of other PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies. Severe or fatal cases have been reported for some of these adverse reactions: cardiac/vascular: myocarditis, pericarditis, vasculitis; nervous system: meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis and demyelination, myasthenic syndrome/myasthenia gravis (including exacerbation), Guillain-Barre syndrome, nerve paresis, autoimmune neuropathy; ocular: uveitis, iritis, and other ocular inflammatory toxicities can occur; gastrointestinal: pancreatitis to include increases in serum amylase and lipase levels, gastritis, duodenitis; musculoskeletal and connective tissue: myositis/polymyositis, rhabdomyolysis, and associated sequelae including renal failure, arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica; endocrine: hypoparathyroidism; other (hematologic/immune): hemolytic anemia, aplastic anemia, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), systemic inflammatory response syndrome, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi lymphadenitis), sarcoidosis, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, solid organ transplant rejection, other transplant (including corneal graft) rejection.

In addition to the immune-mediated adverse reactions listed above, across clinical trials of YERVOY monotherapy or in combination with OPDIVO, the following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions, some with fatal outcome, occurred in <1% of patients unless otherwise specified: nervous system: autoimmune neuropathy (2%), myasthenic syndrome/myasthenia gravis, motor dysfunction; cardiovascular: angiopathy, temporal arteritis; ocular: blepharitis, episcleritis, orbital myositis, scleritis; gastrointestinal: pancreatitis (1.3%); other (hematologic/immune): conjunctivitis, cytopenias (2.5%), eosinophilia (2.1%), erythema multiforme, hypersensitivity vasculitis, neurosensory hypoacusis, psoriasis.

Some ocular IMAR cases can be associated with retinal detachment. Various grades of visual impairment, including blindness, can occur. If uveitis occurs in combination with other immune-mediated adverse reactions, consider a Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada-like syndrome, which has been observed in patients receiving OPDIVO and YERVOY, as this may require treatment with systemic corticosteroids to reduce the risk of permanent vision loss.

Infusion-Related Reactions

OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause severe infusion-related reactions. Discontinue OPDIVO and YERVOY in patients with severe (Grade 3) or life-threatening (Grade 4) infusion-related reactions. Interrupt or slow the rate of infusion in patients with mild (Grade 1) or moderate (Grade 2) infusion-related reactions. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy as a 60-minute infusion, infusion-related reactions occurred in 6.4% (127/1994) of patients. In a separate trial in which patients received OPDIVO monotherapy as a 60-minute infusion or a 30- minute infusion, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.2% (8/368) and 2.7% (10/369) of patients, respectively. Additionally, 0.5% (2/368) and 1.4% (5/369) of patients, respectively, experienced adverse reactions within 48 hours of infusion that led to dose delay, permanent discontinuation or withholding of OPDIVO. In melanoma patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.5% (10/407) of patients. In HCC patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 8% (4/49) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 5.1% (28/547) of patients. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 4.2% (5/119) of patients. In MPM patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 12% (37/300) of patients.

Complications of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Fatal and other serious complications can occur in patients who receive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) before or after being treated with OPDIVO or YERVOY. Transplant-related complications include hyperacute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) after reduced intensity conditioning, and steroid-requiring febrile syndrome (without an identified infectious cause). These complications may occur despite intervening therapy between OPDIVO or YERVOY and allogeneic HSCT.

Follow patients closely for evidence of transplant-related complications and intervene promptly. Consider the benefit versus risks of treatment with OPDIVO and YERVOY prior to or after an allogeneic HSCT.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity

Based on its mechanism of action and findings from animal studies, OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. The effects of YERVOY are likely to be greater during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with OPDIVO and YERVOY and for at least 5 months after the last dose.

Increased Mortality in Patients with Multiple Myeloma when OPDIVO is Added to a Thalidomide Analogue and Dexamethasone

In randomized clinical trials in patients with multiple myeloma, the addition of OPDIVO to a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone resulted in increased mortality. Treatment of patients with multiple myeloma with a PD-1 or PD-L1 blocking antibody in combination with a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone is not recommended outside of controlled clinical trials.

Lactation

There are no data on the presence of OPDIVO or YERVOY in human milk, the effects on the breastfed child, or the effects on milk production. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in breastfed children, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment and for 5 months after the last dose.

Serious Adverse Reactions

In Checkmate 037, serious adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=268). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 42% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse drug reactions reported in 2% to <5% of patients receiving OPDIVO were abdominal pain, hyponatremia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and increased lipase. In Checkmate 066, serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=206). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were gamma-glutamyltransferase increase (3.9%) and diarrhea (3.4%). In Checkmate 067, serious adverse reactions (74% and 44%), adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation (47% and 18%) or to dosing delays (58% and 36%), and Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions (72% and 51%) all occurred more frequently in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) relative to the OPDIVO arm (n=313). The most frequent (=10%) serious adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm and the OPDIVO arm, respectively, were diarrhea (13% and 2.2%), colitis (10% and 1.9%), and pyrexia (10% and 1.0%). In Checkmate 238, serious adverse reactions occurred in 18% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=452). Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions occurred in 25% of OPDIVO-treated patients (n=452). The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in =2% of OPDIVO-treated patients were diarrhea and increased lipase and amylase. In Checkmate 816, serious adverse reactions occurred in 30% of patients (n=176) who were treated with OPDIVO in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy. Serious adverse reactions in >2% included pneumonia and vomiting. No fatal adverse reactions occurred in patients who received OPDIVO in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy. In Checkmate 227, serious adverse reactions occurred in 58% of patients (n=576). The most frequent (=2%) serious adverse reactions were pneumonia, diarrhea/colitis, pneumonitis, hepatitis, pulmonary embolism, adrenal insufficiency, and hypophysitis. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 1.7% of patients; these included events of pneumonitis (4 patients), myocarditis, acute kidney injury, shock, hyperglycemia, multi-system organ failure, and renal failure. In Checkmate 9LA, serious adverse reactions occurred in 57% of patients (n=358). The most frequent (>2%) serious adverse reactions were pneumonia, diarrhea, febrile neutropenia, anemia, acute kidney injury, musculoskeletal pain, dyspnea, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 7 (2%) patients, and included hepatic toxicity, acute renal failure, sepsis, pneumonitis, diarrhea with hypokalemia, and massive hemoptysis in the setting of thrombocytopenia. In Checkmate 017 and 057, serious adverse reactions occurred in 46% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, dyspnea, pyrexia, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. In Checkmate 057, fatal adverse reactions occurred; these included events of infection (7 patients, including one case of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia), pulmonary embolism (4 patients), and limbic encephalitis (1 patient). In Checkmate 743, serious adverse reactions occurred in 54% of patients receiving OPDIVO plus YERVOY. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were pneumonia, pyrexia, diarrhea, pneumonitis, pleural effusion, dyspnea, acute kidney injury, infusion-related reaction, musculoskeletal pain, and pulmonary embolism. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 4 (1.3%) patients and included pneumonitis, acute heart failure, sepsis, and encephalitis. In Checkmate 214, serious adverse reactions occurred in 59% of patients receiving OPDIVO plus YERVOY (n=547). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were diarrhea, pyrexia, pneumonia, pneumonitis, hypophysitis, acute kidney injury, dyspnea, adrenal insufficiency, and colitis. In Checkmate 9ER, serious adverse reactions occurred in 48% of patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib (n=320). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were diarrhea, pneumonia, pneumonitis, pulmonary embolism, urinary tract infection, and hyponatremia. Fatal intestinal perforations occurred in 3 (0.9%) patients. In Checkmate 025, serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were acute kidney injury, pleural effusion, pneumonia, diarrhea, and hypercalcemia. In Checkmate 205 and 039, adverse reactions leading to discontinuation occurred in 7% and dose delays due to adverse reactions occurred in 34% of patients (n=266). Serious adverse reactions occurred in 26% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =1% of patients were pneumonia, infusion-related reaction, pyrexia, colitis or diarrhea, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and rash. Eleven patients died from causes other than disease progression: 3 from adverse reactions within 30 days of the last OPDIVO dose, 2 from infection 8 to 9 months after completing OPDIVO, and 6 from complications of allogeneic HSCT. In Checkmate 141, serious adverse reactions occurred in 49% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=236). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, dyspnea, respiratory failure, respiratory tract infection, and sepsis. In Checkmate 275, serious adverse reactions occurred in 54% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=270). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were urinary tract infection, sepsis, diarrhea, small intestine obstruction, and general physical health deterioration. In Checkmate 274, serious adverse reactions occurred in 30% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=351). The most frequent serious adverse reaction reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO was urinary tract infection. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 1% of patients; these included events of pneumonitis (0.6%). In Checkmate 901, serious adverse reactions occurred in 48% of patients receiving OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reporting in =2% of patients who received OPDIVO with chemotherapy were urinary tract infection (4.9%), acute kidney injury (4.3%), anemia (3%), pulmonary embolism (2.6%), sepsis (2.3%), and platelet count decreased (2.3%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 3.6% of patients who received OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy; these included sepsis (1%). OPDIVO and/or chemotherapy were discontinued in 30% of patients and were delayed in 67% of patients for an adverse reaction. In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=119), serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were colitis/diarrhea, hepatic events, abdominal pain, acute kidney injury, pyrexia, and dehydration. In Checkmate 040, serious adverse reactions occurred in 59% of patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=49). Serious adverse reactions reported in =4% of patients were pyrexia, diarrhea, anemia, increased AST, adrenal insufficiency, ascites, esophageal varices hemorrhage, hyponatremia, increased blood bilirubin, and pneumonitis. In Attraction-3, serious adverse reactions occurred in 38% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=209). Serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients who received OPDIVO were pneumonia, esophageal fistula, interstitial lung disease, and pyrexia. The following fatal adverse reactions occurred in patients who received OPDIVO: interstitial lung disease or pneumonitis (1.4%), pneumonia (1.0%), septic shock (0.5%), esophageal fistula (0.5%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (0.5%), pulmonary embolism (0.5%), and sudden death (0.5%). In Checkmate 577, serious adverse reactions occurred in 33% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=532). A serious adverse reaction reported in =2% of patients who received OPDIVO was pneumonitis. A fatal reaction of myocardial infarction occurred in one patient who received OPDIVO. In Checkmate 648, serious adverse reactions occurred in 62% of patients receiving OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=310). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients who received OPDIVO with chemotherapy were pneumonia (11%), dysphagia (7%), esophageal stenosis (2.9%), acute kidney injury (2.9%), and pyrexia (2.3%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 5 (1.6%) patients who received OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy; these included pneumonitis, pneumatosis intestinalis, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury. In Checkmate 648, serious adverse reactions occurred in 69% of patients receiving OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY (n=322). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% who received OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY were pneumonia (10%), pyrexia (4.3%), pneumonitis (4.0%), aspiration pneumonia (3.7%), dysphagia (3.7%), hepatic function abnormal (2.8%), decreased appetite (2.8%), adrenal insufficiency (2.5%), and dehydration (2.5%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 5 (1.6%) patients who received OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY; these included pneumonitis, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary embolism, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In Checkmate 649, serious adverse reactions occurred in 52% of patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=782). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy were vomiting (3.7%), pneumonia (3.6%), anemia (3.6%), pyrexia (2.8%), diarrhea (2.7%), febrile neutropenia (2.6%), and pneumonitis (2.4%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 16 (2.0%) patients who were treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy; these included pneumonitis (4 patients), febrile neutropenia (2 patients), stroke (2 patients), gastrointestinal toxicity, intestinal mucositis, septic shock, pneumonia, infection, gastrointestinal bleeding, mesenteric vessel thrombosis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. In Checkmate 76K, serious adverse reactions occurred in 18% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=524). Adverse reactions which resulted in permanent discontinuation of OPDIVO in >1% of patients included arthralgia (1.7%), rash (1.7%), and diarrhea (1.1%). A fatal adverse reaction occurred in 1 (0.2%) patient (heart failure and acute kidney injury). The most frequent Grade 3-4 lab abnormalities reported in =1% of OPDIVO-treated patients were increased lipase (2.9%), increased AST (2.2%), increased ALT (2.1%), lymphopenia (1.1%), and decreased potassium (1.0%).

Common Adverse Reactions

In Checkmate 037, the most common adverse reaction (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=268) was rash (21%). In Checkmate 066, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=206) vs dacarbazine (n=205) were fatigue (49% vs 39%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 25%), rash (28% vs 12%), and pruritus (23% vs 12%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) were fatigue (62%), diarrhea (54%), rash (53%), nausea (44%), pyrexia (40%), pruritus (39%), musculoskeletal pain (32%), vomiting (31%), decreased appetite (29%), cough (27%), headache (26%), dyspnea (24%), upper respiratory tract infection (23%), arthralgia (21%), and increased transaminases (25%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO arm (n=313) were fatigue (59%), rash (40%), musculoskeletal pain (42%), diarrhea (36%), nausea (30%), cough (28%), pruritus (27%), upper respiratory tract infection (22%), decreased appetite (22%), headache (22%), constipation (21%), arthralgia (21%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 238, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in OPDIVO-treated patients (n=452) vs ipilimumab-treated patients (n=453) were fatigue (57% vs 55%), diarrhea (37% vs 55%), rash (35% vs 47%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 27%), pruritus (28% vs 37%), headache (23% vs 31%), nausea (23% vs 28%), upper respiratory infection (22% vs 15%), and abdominal pain (21% vs 23%). The most common immune-mediated adverse reactions were rash (16%), diarrhea/colitis (6%), and hepatitis (3%). In Checkmate 816, the most common (>20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus chemotherapy arm (n=176) were nausea (38%), constipation (34%), fatigue (26%), decreased appetite (20%), and rash (20%). In Checkmate 227, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions were fatigue (44%), rash (34%), decreased appetite (31%), musculoskeletal pain (27%), diarrhea/colitis (26%), dyspnea (26%), cough (23%), hepatitis (21%), nausea (21%), and pruritus (21%). In Checkmate 9LA, the most common (>20%) adverse reactions were fatigue (49%), musculoskeletal pain (39%), nausea (32%), diarrhea (31%), rash (30%), decreased appetite (28%), constipation (21%), and pruritus (21%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418) were fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, cough, dyspnea, and decreased appetite. In Checkmate 743, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO plus YERVOY were fatigue (43%), musculoskeletal pain (38%), rash (34%), diarrhea (32%), dyspnea (27%), nausea (24%), decreased appetite (24%), cough (23%), and pruritus (21%). In Checkmate 214, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients treated with OPDIVO plus YERVOY (n=547) were fatigue (58%), rash (39%), diarrhea (38%), musculoskeletal pain (37%), pruritus (33%), nausea (30%), cough (28%), pyrexia (25%), arthralgia (23%), decreased appetite (21%), dyspnea (20%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 9ER, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib (n=320) were diarrhea (64%), fatigue (51%), hepatotoxicity (44%), palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (40%), stomatitis (37%), rash (36%), hypertension (36%), hypothyroidism (34%), musculoskeletal pain (33%), decreased appetite (28%), nausea (27%), dysgeusia (24%), abdominal pain (22%), cough (20%) and upper respiratory tract infection (20%). In Checkmate 025, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406) vs everolimus (n=397) were fatigue (56% vs 57%), cough (34% vs 38%), nausea (28% vs 29%), rash (28% vs 36%), dyspnea (27% vs 31%), diarrhea (25% vs 32%), constipation (23% vs 18%), decreased appetite (23% vs 30%), back pain (21% vs 16%), and arthralgia (20% vs 14%). In Checkmate 205 and 039, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=266) were upper respiratory tract infection (44%), fatigue (39%), cough (36%), diarrhea (33%), pyrexia (29%), musculoskeletal pain (26%), rash (24%), nausea (20%) and pruritus (20%). In Checkmate 141, the most common adverse reactions (=10%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=236) were cough (14%) and dyspnea (14%) at a higher incidence than investigator's choice. In Checkmate 275, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=270) were fatigue (46%), musculoskeletal pain (30%), nausea (22%), and decreased appetite (22%). In Checkmate 274, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=351) were rash (36%), fatigue (36%), diarrhea (30%), pruritus (30%), musculoskeletal pain (28%), and urinary tract infection (22%).In Checkmate 901, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) were nausea, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, constipation, decreased appetite, rash, vomiting, and peripheral neuropathy. In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO as a single agent (n=74), the most common adverse reactions (=20%) were fatigue (54%), diarrhea (43%), abdominal pain (34%), nausea (34%), vomiting (28%), musculoskeletal pain (28%), cough (26%), pyrexia (24%), rash (23%), constipation (20%), and upper respiratory tract infection (20%). In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=119), the most common adverse reactions (=20%) were fatigue (49%), diarrhea (45%), pyrexia (36%), musculoskeletal pain (36%), abdominal pain (30%), pruritus (28%), nausea (26%), rash (25%), decreased appetite (20%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 040, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=49), were rash (53%), pruritus (53%), musculoskeletal pain (41%), diarrhea (39%), cough (37%), decreased appetite (35%), fatigue (27%), pyrexia (27%), abdominal pain (22%), headache (22%), nausea (20%), dizziness (20%), hypothyroidism (20%), and weight decreased (20%). In Attraction-3, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in OPDIVO-treated patients (n=209) were rash (22%) and decreased appetite (21%). In Checkmate 577, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=532) were fatigue (34%), diarrhea (29%), nausea (23%), rash (21%), musculoskeletal pain (21%), and cough (20%). In Checkmate 648, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=310) were nausea (65%), decreased appetite (51%), fatigue (47%), constipation (44%), stomatitis (44%), diarrhea (29%), and vomiting (23%). In Checkmate 648, the most common adverse reactions reported in =20% of patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY were rash (31%), fatigue (28%), pyrexia (23%), nausea (22%), diarrhea (22%), and constipation (20%). In Checkmate 649, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=782) were peripheral neuropathy (53%), nausea (48%), fatigue (44%), diarrhea (39%), vomiting (31%), decreased appetite (29%), abdominal pain (27%), constipation (25%), and musculoskeletal pain (20%). In Checkmate 76K, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=524) were fatigue (36%), musculoskeletal pain (30%), rash (28%), diarrhea (23%) and pruritis (20%).

Please see U.S. Full Prescribing Information for OPDIVO and YERVOY.

Clinical Trials and Patient Populations

Checkmate 227-previously untreated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 9LA-previously untreated recurrent or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in combination with YERVOY and 2 cycles of platinum-doublet chemotherapy by histology; Checkmate 649-previously untreated advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction and esophageal adenocarcinoma; Checkmate 577-adjuvant treatment of esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer; Checkmate 238-adjuvant treatment of patients with completely resected Stage III or Stage IV melanoma; Checkmate 76K- adjuvant treatment of patients 12 years of age and older with completely resected Stage IIB or Stage IIC melanoma; Checkmate 274-adjuvant treatment of urothelial carcinoma; Checkmate 275-previously treated advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma; Checkmate 142-MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 142-MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Attraction-3-esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; Checkmate 648-previously untreated, unresectable advanced recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; Checkmate 648-previously untreated, unresectable advanced recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; Checkmate 040-hepatocellular carcinoma, in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 743-previously untreated unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 037-previously treated metastatic melanoma; Checkmate 066-previously untreated metastatic melanoma; Checkmate 067-previously untreated metastatic melanoma, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 017-second-line treatment of metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer; Checkmate 057-second-line treatment of metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer; Checkmate 816-neoadjuvant non-small cell lung cancer, in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy; Checkmate 901-Adult patients with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma; Checkmate 141-recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck; Checkmate 025-previously treated renal cell carcinoma; Checkmate 214-previously untreated renal cell carcinoma, in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 9ER-previously untreated renal cell carcinoma, in combination with cabozantinib; Checkmate 205/039-classical Hodgkin lymphoma

About the Bristol Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Collaboration

In 2011, through a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Bristol Myers Squibb expanded its territorial rights to develop and commercialize Opdivo globally, except in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where Ono had retained all rights to the compound at the time. On July 23, 2014, Ono and Bristol Myers Squibb further expanded the companies' strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies as single agents and combination regimens for patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

About Bristol Myers Squibb

Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them in the next several years, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control and could cause our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. These risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, that results of future post-marketing studies will be consistent with the results of this study, that Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) therapy and Opdivo monotherapy for the indications described in this release may not be commercially successful, any marketing approvals, if granted, may have significant limitations on their use, and, that continued approval of such treatments and combination treatments for such indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in additional confirmatory trials. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many risks and uncertainties that affect Bristol Myers Squibb's business and market, particularly those identified in the cautionary statement and risk factors discussion in Bristol Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and except as otherwise required by applicable law, Bristol Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

Reference

1 Wolchok, J., Chiarion-Sileni, et al. Final, 10-Year Outcomes with Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma. New England Journal of Medicine. 2024; Available online at nejm.org.

corporatefinancial-news

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240914166580/en/

Contacts:

Bristol Myers Squibb

Media Inquiries:

media@bms.com

Investors:

investor.relations@bms.com
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.
Foxborough, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2024) - Ballin Injury Law Firm, a leading personal injury law firm in Boston, has announced it has reached a significant milestone this year, serving over 10,000 clients throughout Massachusetts.





Ballin Injury Law Firm Achieves Industry Milestone; Reaches 10,000 Clients Served Throughout Boston and Massachusetts

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/221356_cc6594bce421da8b_002full.jpg

According to Zachary Ballin, who has consistently been selected to Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars and The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, the past years have been tough for many families across Massachusetts whose relatives have been involved in car accidents, motorcycle crashes, and other personal injuries in the area.

However, Ballin Law has scaled up its services to help victims secure the compensation they deserve. The law firm, composed of Boston car accident lawyers and Police Injury Lawyers, has assisted 10,000 clients in navigating complicated insurance claims.

"Serving 10,000 clients is more than just a number. It reflects the countless hours our team has dedicated to fighting for the rights of individuals and families across Massachusetts," Zachary told the press.

In reaching this milestone, Attorney Steven M. Ballin, who founded the firm in 1981 and has overseen its continued growth during the last quarter-century, said the team has heard many heartbreaking stories from clients, including those who have been denied or reduced by their insurance companies for various reasons.

"Having a car accident lawyer is vital because it's much more difficult for an insurance company to mistreat you when you have an expert legal representative. We have always believed that our clients deserve the best possible representation, and reaching this milestone is a testament to that commitment," said Steven.

Meanwhile, Richard Ballin, co-founder and senior partner, said reaching 10,000 clients served is a humbling milestone and reinforces the team's mission to provide effective legal representation. He stated: "We are honored that so many have trusted us with their legal matters. We take the time to learn about each client's unique situation and then fight tirelessly to ensure they are compensated fully and fairly for all they have endured."

For more information about Ballin Injury Law Firm and its personal injury services, please visit the company's website.

About Ballin Law:

Since its founding in 1981, Ballin Injury Law Firm has focused exclusively on personal injury law. The law firm attributes this success to its commitment to client satisfaction and refusal to engage in television advertising or refer cases to affiliates. Instead, the top-notch attorneys behind Ballin Injury Law Firm handle each case directly, providing clients with personalized legal representation.

Ballin Injury Law Firm has become particularly well-known for its work with injured police officers. Since 1988, the firm has represented thousands of officers across Massachusetts, helping them secure compensation for injuries sustained in the line of duty. The firm's expertise in this area has made it the go-to law firm for police injury cases.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/221356

SOURCE: Plentisoft
During the presidential debate with Kamala Harris, Donald Trump amplified the rumour that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating pets. In our weekly round, we talk about the bizarre claim, 9/11 conspiracies and more read more

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on September 10. Trump said that in Springfield, Haitian immigrants were eating pets, a rumour dismissed by the Ohio governor. AP

ts been a week of debate and conspiracy theories. On Tuesday (10 September), Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced off in their first presidential debate. It started with a handshake and then came the attacks. The vice president is said to have rattled Trump and popular opinion is that she came out on top.

The next day, the two leaders attended the 9/11 memorial service. It has been 23 years since the terror attacks changed the world and yet conspiracy theories continue. With eight weeks to go for the US elections, we have been closely following everything that is going on in the country.

Advertisement

On the war front, Russia has reportedly received ballistic missiles from Iran and this has angered the West. The US, the UK, France and Germany have announced new sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Southeast Asia was battered by Typhoon Yagi. Vietnam was the worst hit with the death toll in the country rising to 233. Thailand, Laos and Myanmar were also battling with flooding.

In, Pakistan political tensions continue and there is growing uncertainty about an IMF bailout package. But amid all the gloom, reserves of gas and oil have reportedly been found in its waters. Could this be a game-changer?

We answer this question and more in our weekly roundup of explainers from around the world.

1. Let us start with the Donald Trump and Kamala Harris debate. The big question everyone is asking is who won. The popular consensus is that the vice president was the winner of the night. But does it really matter? Do debates and their outcome influence voters and impact the election results? We explain.

People watch TV screens showing a debate between Kamala Harris, at a watch party in Miami. AP

2. The debate saw Donald Trump spewing some conspiracies. The most shocking among them was the claim that illegal Haitian immigrants in Ohios Springfield are eating the dogs they are eating the cats. Its a theory also peddled by Trumps running mate JD Vance, Elon Musk and other rightwingers. It has grabbed headlines worldwide. But how did it all begin? The spotlight is now on a woman who reportedly killed a cat. Heres what we know about her.

Advertisement

3. Its been 23 years since the 9/11. There have been extensive investigations; Osama bin Laden has been eliminated. However, in America, many remain skeptical about official accounts. Theories that it was an insider job or that the US government knew about the attacks thrive even today. Heres why.

A man places flowers for his former coworker during the 9/11 memorial ceremony on the 23rd anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York. AP

4. In what the West sees as a major escalation, Iran has sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. The weapons have been identified as Fath-360, known for their precision and rapid deployment. How deadly are they and do they pose a big threat to Ukraine? How does Iran benefit from aiding Moscow?

5. One of our most-read stories of the week comes from Pakistan. The cash-strapped country has reportedly found substantial oil and gas reserves in its territorial waters. Some estimates claim this could be the fourth-largest in the world. But what does this mean for a country gripped by economic instability? Could the discovery change Pakistans fortune? We explain.

Advertisement

6. Asteroids continue to fascinate and startle us. The latest that has left scientists alarmed is the God of Chaos. Well, the name says it all. Discovered in 2004, 99942 Apophis may have a close encounter with Earth in 2029. A Canadian astronomer said that there is a likelihood that it could strike our planet. Heres why experts are worried.

A handout artists impression released on 24 March, 2023 by the European Space Agency (ESA) shows a grey, irregularly-shaped asteroid, rocky objects that often pass safely past Earth. AFP

7. Our bizarre news of the week comes from the Chinese city of Chongqing. It found itself amid an underwear crisis recently. Residents of the megacity woke up to a storm  it wasnt dust flying around but bras, panties and boxers. We tell you what really happened in this story.

Advertisement

Thats all from us. Have a good Sunday. And if you like the reading list weve curated for you, bookmark our page for more.
A government-to-government agreement with the US includes a $3.9 billion contract worth about Rs 33,500 crore. The report of the contract negotiating committee has been approved, paving the way for the acquisition of drones, which will improve Indias capacity for combat and surveillance read more

According to a report by The Times of India, India is set to sign a significant defence contract for 31 weaponised MQ-9B Predator drones from the United States next month. The arrangement needs the final approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security, which is overseen by the prime minister after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has prepared a draft note for approval by the Finance Ministry.

A government-to-government agreement with the US includes a $3.9 billion contract worth about Rs 33,500 crore. The report of the contract negotiating committee has been approved, paving the way for the acquisition of drones, which will improve Indias capacity for combat and surveillance.

Advertisement

This development occurs before Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in the United States for the fourth in-person Quad Leaders conference, which President Joe Biden will host in Wilmington, Delaware on September 21.

A source told Times of India that the contract is expected to be signed by mid-October and key details such as costing, the establishment of a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in India, and performance-based logistics support have been finalized after intense negotiations.

Although there wont be a direct transfer of technology (ToT) as a result of this agreement, General Atomics, the drones producer, will invest in India and source more than 30% of its componentry from domestic businesses. The drones will be manufactured there.

General Atomics will also collaborate with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and provide expertise to support the development of high-altitude, long-endurance drones indigenously. The contract will see 15 Sea Guardian drones allocated to the Navy and eight Sky Guardians each for the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The MQ-9B drones, which can fly for over 40 hours at altitudes above 40,000 feet, will be outfitted with a variety of modern weapons, including 170 Hellfire missiles, 310 GBU-39B precision-guided bombs, advanced navigation systems, sensor suites, and mobile ground control systems. India also intends to outfit the drones with indigenous armaments in the future, such as the navy short-range anti-ship missiles (NASM-SR) being developed by the DRDO.

Advertisement

These drones will be crucial for long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, as well as over-the-horizon targeting. They will also be capable of anti-warship and anti-submarine warfare missions, which are becoming increasingly important with Chinas expanding presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The Chinese Navy has expanded its operations, including the deployment of submarines, posing strategic concerns to Indias maritime security.

India hopes to get the first deployments of fighter-sized drones over the next two to three years. These drones will be stationed in ISR command and control centres in Arakkonam and Porbandar for IOR operations, as well as in Sarsawa and Gorakhpur to protect land borders.

Advertisement

Chinas deployment of survey and research vessels in the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) is a rising source of concern for Indias security as it gathers data to improve its submarine operations. Chinese nuclear-powered submarines, which occasionally enter the IOR, are expected to be deployed more regularly shortly, a military officer told TOI. The acquisition of these drones is thought to be a significant step towards enhancing Indias military power in the area.
On Sunday, Kejriwal arrived at the party office in Delhi, where he insisted that he would not sit on the CM chair until the people gave their verdict read more

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal acknowledges supporters amid rainfall after walking out of the Tihar Jail, in New Delhi, September 13, 2024. File Image: PTI

Delhi Chief Minister and the supremo of the Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal, announced that he is going to resign from the chief ministerial post in two days. The announcement came days after he was released on bail from Tihar jail on Friday night.

On Sunday, Kejriwal arrived at the party office in Delhi, where he insisted that he would not sit on the CM chair until the people gave their verdict. I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till I get a verdict from the people, the AAP National Convenor told the gathering. With this announcement, Kejriwal will be eyeing the Delhi polls, which are scheduled next year.

Advertisement

A day after he was released from Tihar jail, Kejriwal held a meeting with senior party leaders. In the Saturday meeting, discussions were held on various issues, including assembly polls in Haryana and party organisations in the national capital. AAP is contesting in all 90 seats in Haryana.

Kejriwal saga

The development comes ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections, where AAP is contesting solo. Kejriwal is expected to hold campaign rallies in the state.

Kejriwal, earlier this week, was released from jail, six months after he was arrested in the alleged Excise Policy scam.

The Supreme Court, however, said that the AAP leader would not be able to visit the Delhi Secretariat or sign government files.

Since the top courts judgment, the BJP has been calling for Kejriwals resignation.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party said that the chief minister would continue working from home and sign files after the approval of the Lieutenant Governor.

While lauding the Chief Ministers contribution, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann told ANI that Kejriwal kept the party united even from the jail. And the workers kept it united from the outside. If any other party had faced so many problems, it would have been broken.

With inputs from agencies.
In law, and in jurisprudence, there are certain principles of natural justice. How can one mandate that investigations must be completed within 21 days? How can one mandate that trials must be completed within 30 days? read more

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is the source for all data on crime. Depending on the year, roughly, there are around 32,000 rape cases a year. Normalised for population, such as the rape rate (per 100,000), this is not a large number. Of course, there are problems with data and definitions. Not all rape is reported. There are some estimates that more than 70 per cent of rapes go unreported, not a problem that is specific only to India. Marital rape apart, if rape ends in murder, in crime data, it may show up as murder rather than as rape.

Advertisement

All rape is heinous, but some instances are so barbaric that they agitate the country. The recent Kolkata rape-murder in R.G. Kar Hospital is one such. There have been others  Ajmer in 1992, Delhi in 2012, Mumbai in 2013, Unnao in 2017, Hathras in 2020. Every time there is a high-profile and visible case, there is uproar and demand for more stringent penalties against rape. There are known problems with the criminal justice system. The conviction rate varies, depending on the type of crime. When one uses the expression conviction rate, one means from the time the charge-sheet is filed. For murder, the conviction rate is around 42 per cent. For all IPC crimes, it is almost 60 per cent. But for rape, it is only around 28 per cent. The conviction rate for rape used to be far higher a few decades ago.

Everyone wants a rapist to be punished. Why is the conviction rate so low, despite fast track courts after the Delhi rape case? Lack of evidence and witnesses, prolonged trials making both difficult. A few decades ago, delays werent that bad. I sometimes wonder whether it would have been better to continue with jury trials. (The 1973 Criminal Procedure Code ended jury trials. The Nanavati case wasnt the last one with a jury.) If a group of jurors have been brought together, the likelihood of interminable adjournments and delays is lower.

In a broader vein, criminal justice reform cannot occur without police reform and all states have been reluctant to address that. (The Prakash Singh case was from 2006, eighteen years ago and state-level action on the Supreme Courts seven directives doesnt make for happy reading.) But whether there is movement or not, when there is public uproar, there must be the impression of movement. Accordingly, in West Bengal, the Aparajita Women and Child Bill 2024, was introduced in the Assembly and passed. The first entry in the Concurrent List is on criminal law and the second on criminal procedure. Therefore, both Union and state governments have a right to legislate.

What if there is a conflict between two sets of legislation? For instance, Aparajita goes beyond Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (the old IPC), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (the old CrPC) and POCSO Act. In Aparajitas case, the West Bengal Governor has referred the Bill to the President, without taking any individual call on it. Similar other Bills (Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra) have also been referred to the President and have not yet received the Presidents assent. (I believe there is one for Arunachal too, but I am not sure.) The point is that if there is a conflict between Union laws and State laws, Union laws override State laws.

Advertisement

I cannot see the President granting assent to the Aparajita Bill. She can send it back for reconsideration, or she can sit on it, withholding assent. In either case, the West Bengal government will make mileage about the Bill not being passed. It isnt about conflict between Union and State laws alone. In law, and in jurisprudence, there are certain principles of natural justice. How can one mandate that investigations must be completed within 21 days? How can one mandate that trials must be completed within 30 days? Even if such provisions were to be passed, the Supreme Court would strike them down. If the victim is in vegetative state, can there be a mandatory death sentence? If no discretion on this is left with courts and judges, the Supreme Court is likely to strike that down too.

Advertisement

It doesnt take great foresight to figure this out. Nor is it the case that the West Bengal government lacks legal luminaries who know about the principles of law. The only explanation is that every government knows there is a difference between doing something and creating an impression about doing something. Given the angst, resistance and uproar, it was important to co-opt the cause and create an impression.

If the Bill isnt passed, that can always be ascribed to the Union government, the President and the Supreme Court. I must say that Section 21 of the Bill foxed me a bit. The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to and not in derogation to the provisions of any other law for the time being in force and, in case of any inconsistency, the provisions of this Act shall have an overriding effect on the provisions of any such law to the extent of the inconsistency. To the extent I understand the law, the second part of this is plain illegal.

Advertisement

The writer, a well-known author and economist, is the chairman of the Prime Ministers Economic Council. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The University of Zimbabwe (UZ), a cornerstone of higher education in the country, faced significant controversy during its graduation ceremony on Friday. The celebration of academic excellence was marred by two major scandals involving seven students who graduated with fraudulent results and former Zanu-PF Chegutu West MP Dexter Nduna, who graduated despite failing several modules.The graduation event, intended to honor the achievements of the institution's students, was overshadowed by allegations of academic misconduct and political interference. Nduna, who is also the chairperson for resource mobilization and revenue generation for Zanu-PF in the central committee, graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree under contentious circumstances. Reports emerged that Nduna had requested the remarking of all failed modules, claiming political bias and targeting due to his party affiliation. However, this assertion was undermined by the fact that Tafadzwa Mugwadi, a Zanu-PF legislator from Buhera West and former director for information and publicity, graduated without controversy, further fueling skepticism around Nduna's claims.Social media buzzed with discussions about Nduna's controversial graduation and allegations of political blackmail against UZ lecturers. The scrutiny intensified as it was revealed that seven students had their academic results fraudulently altered. According to sources, these students, who had originally failed their exams, had their results manipulated by lecturers under pressure from the university's academic leaders. Instead of arranging supplementary examinations as per standard procedure, the institution's leadership instructed lecturers to adjust the marks to reflect passes.Under UZ's academic regulations, students who fail some subjects are expected to either sit for supplementary exams or apply to repeat the failed modules. However, in a breach of these rules, the university's leaders opted to have the results falsified, an act deemed as academic fraud and criminality by critics.The impact of the scandal was palpable among the graduating students, who expressed outrage upon discovering that their peers, who had failed, were listed among the graduates. The integrity of the graduation ceremony was compromised, with the institution's reputation taking a substantial hit.President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who officiated over the graduation ceremony, capped 6,778 graduates across various disciplines, including 16 Doctor of Philosophy, 11 Masters in Philosophy, and 5,319 undergraduate degrees. Additionally, 1,432 graduates completed various postgraduate programs. Despite the scale of the event, the controversies significantly overshadowed the accomplishments celebrated.UZ has faced numerous scandals in recent years, including the issuance of fake PhD degrees, allegations of political interference, nepotism, and corruption. The latest controversies, involving both the fraudulent alteration of academic results and the politically charged graduation of a high-profile figure, have further tainted the university's image and raised serious questions about its leadership and academic standards.As UZ grapples with these issues, the recent scandals serve as a stark reminder of the challenges facing Zimbabwe's higher education system, calling into question the integrity of academic institutions and the impact of political influence on education.
If Moscow succeeds in retaking its territory, it could deprive Ukraine of an ace up its sleeve in any peace talks to follow read more

The West must now face realities of the Russia-Ukraine war and not add fuel to the fire. File - Reuters

Ukraine launched an audacious counter-offensive into Russias Kursk Oblast region on 6 August, opening a new front. Named Operation Krepost (Slavic), it has sparked intense debate. Ukraines decision to extend the front line into a remote region of Russia is debatable, particularly at a time when the Ukrainian front in the Donbas is under severe pressure.

It was neither a counterstroke nor a counterattack, but instead a counter-offensive opening up another front. While Operation Krepost may have created an operational surprise and tactical success, it has so far failed to achieve any decisive leverage to stymie the Donbas front adversity. It created a vulnerability.

Advertisement

The Kursk offensive marked a pivotal moment in the war, reflecting a shift in strategy. Ukraines counterattacks in 2023 failed to achieve the desired end state, proving they didnt have the numbers and resources against a well-fortified Russian deployment. This operation is possibly intended to take the pressure off the Russian Donbas offensive, improving Ukraines negotiating position, exposing Russias strategic weaknesses, and changing the narrative. Zelensky, meanwhile, stated that another goal of the operation was to show Kyivs Western allies that with the right support, its military could fight back and eventually win the war. He has failed to impress on that score too.

Russias Reaction to Kursk

Russias reaction to this unprecedented development had been unperturbed and focused on the primary Donetsk front. President Vladimir Putin made no public comments about the Kursk incursion for about a week and went on a two-day state trip to Azerbaijan, signalling that he had more important business in mind.

As the Ukrainian forces advanced deeper into Russia, Putins message was that while enemies indeed broke into Russia, they will be inevitably defeated.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to advance in Ukraines Donetsk region, closing in on the strategic town of Pokrovsk, not falling into the trap of diversion from Donbas to Kursk, which Kyiv expected. Zelenskys tall statement that it would be a real foundation for a fair end to this war this year, seems to have gone awry. It was a symbolic egoistic strategic blunder by the Ukrainian hierarchy, which is facing headwinds. A Kursk trap that shall teach many lessons.

Ironically, the Western supply of military equipment and weapons to Ukraine, from Javelin and Stinger missiles and HIMARS rocket launchers to Patriot missile systems, to Abraham tanks lie exposed and could be captured. Ukraines strategic leadership played into Russias hands and against Ukraines interests.

The Military Realities

Ironically, Ukraines Kursk offensive force was operating on foreign land, in an area they didnt know, making their mission uniquely challenging. Most of the units taking part in the Kursk operation were redeployed from areas they had familiarised over the past two and a half years. Thus an operational void of unfamiliar terrain set in.

Advertisement

With GPS and cell phone signals jammed, the Ukrainians have been relying on the Starlink internet service, which doesnt work at all in certain parts of the Kursk region. Thus adding to the command, control, and communication dilemmas.

The Kursk incursion did not result in public pressure inside Russia and exposed the Western propaganda to undermine Putins position. It is important to be shrewd when it comes to Western propaganda and warmongeringto differentiate between fantasies and reality. If Putins background in intelligence is any indication, and Russias Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) credible, the offensive was known and trapped. Now the counter-offensive launched by Russia will be the biggest embarrassment and set back to Zelensky and his band of handlers.

Advertisement

War Exhaustion Sets In

Two and a half years of Russian offensive have decimated many Ukrainian units. Ukraine forces have been outnumbered and outgunned, leaving soldiers exhausted and demoralized. Desertion and insubordination are widespread problems in the ranks and files. Ukraines strategic advantage is debatable given the limited war stamina and resources. The tactical and operational success may not thus achieve the desired strategic end.

Kursks counter-offensive was a debatable decision at a time when Ukraine was struggling to defend key towns and cities in the east of the country. It resulted in an outstretch and reached its culmination point, exposing more vulnerabilities. Russia, now with a choice of place and time, is mincing Ukraine war machinery. The question remains to be seen: Who has the last laugh?

Advertisement

Russia Closes the Trap

Russia has now launched a major counterattack in its Kursk border region, more than a month after the invasion by Kyivs forces. Russia has recaptured ten settlements as a result of its counterattack in Kursk, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy consoled that everything is going as per our Ukrainian plan.

Moscow has sent nearly 30,000 troops into the Kursk region, with possibly the Wagner fighters who are better equipped and are better trained and better equipped than even the Russian regular soldiers. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov also claimed that the Chechen special forces unit was in the area. Thus, without diluting the main effort at Donetsk, the Russians have trapped the Ukrainian forces and their Western equipment. The noose will only tighten in days to come.

Advertisement

The war of narratives continues. What remains to be seen is whether it represents the first step in a more concerted attempt to achieve a full-blown counterstroke or a probing of the ground for a bigger operation in the future. Whatever the Russian intentions, attacks in the Kursk area will increase the overall pressure on Ukrainian defences given that the intense Russian offensive is also continuing in the area of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

But if Moscow succeeds in retaking its territory, it could deprive Ukraine of an ace up its sleeve in any peace talks to follow. It could also change the narrative that the operation had been a major success for Ukraine, a much-needed morale booster as manpower and equipment shortages continue to haunt it.

Lessons of Kursk

The Russian strategy in the ongoing conflict has been methodical and calculated. They allowed newly acquired NATO equipment and freshly trained Ukrainian forces to move into the Kursk region without reducing the execution tempo of the Donetsk offensive, where Ukraines vulnerabilities lie exposed. Pokrovsk is on the verge of falling. In Kursk, Ukrainian forces are now being trapped piecemeal, along with their recently acquired Western equipment. An encirclement could finally end in an embarrassing surrender.

It seems the sound military advice has either not been given to Zelensky or the political high-headedness of not heeding it led to the disaster. A lesson that other nations must learn too. While the initiation of war is a political decision, its conduct must be left to the military professionals.

While Ukraine may link the Kursk offensive to strategically dislocate Donbas operations, the leverage, time, and tempo were not in favour of the desired end state. For Russia, the Kursk offensive was a temporary setback till restoration operations were unleashed. It proved that a military balance of forces and that decision must have strategic clarity. No loss of territory is a fallacy of a defensive mindset; territorial integrity is the essence where restoration operations can at an opportune time ensure the same.

The principle of war of operational reach and culmination point was not in Ukraines favour with its current war stamina. While the Kursk has been innovatively planned, with deep interdictions, the strain on resources and personnel constrained the operational execution tempo and also impacted the operational balance in the Donbas sector.

The loss of critical equipment and personnel in the Kursk offensive could hinder Ukraines ability to launch future large-scale operations. The outcome of the operation will heavily influence Ukraines position in any potential negotiations, with success depending on the attrition they can inflict on Russian forces.

The war in Ukraine has shown that manoeuvre and firepower are complementary combat dynamics. Precision engagement (by distance punishment) like UAVs and HIMAR brings only one of the five elements of combat power (manoeuvre, firepower, leadership, protection, and information) to the battlefield. Adaptive manoeuvre is primary and firepower complementary. Boots and tracks on the ground matter.

Finally, Ukraines ability to maintain operational secrecy before the assault reflects innovative military planning, even if Russians could sense it. However, the operations success was the hype before the fall due to a shortage of troops and equipment, forcing Kyiv to commit its reserves, leaving them vulnerable to counterattack. They lost their strategic and operational balance. Tactical battles do not necessarily lead to operational victory, as battles may be won but war can be lost.

Despite the inter-theatre dynamics, there is still hope for an end to the war, albeit the advantage remains to Russia. The West must now face realities and not add fuel to the fire.

The author is former Director General Mechanised Forces. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Irrespective of the outcome of the election, India, as it has done in the past, will continue to support Sri Lanka in its economic recovery read more

President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena gesture as they arrive at the Election Commission in Rajagiriya to submit his nomination papers for the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for September 21, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Reuters

The Sri Lankan presidential election is scheduled for September 21, 2024. The last time a direct presidential election was held was in 2019. The incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe is aiming for a re-election, making him the first president after Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015 to do so. However, the front runners for the election are the Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa from Samagi Jana Balawegaya and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, MP from the National Peoples Power (NPP). Other major candidates are Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is contesting as an independent, and Namal Rajapaksa from Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.

Advertisement

There has been much interest in the upcoming election, primarily because it is the first election after the peoples uprising Aragalaya that was brought on by the economic crisis that wrecked the country. The financial bankruptcy that impacted the lives of 22 million citizens has become the political game changer for Sri Lanka. With over 17 million eligible voters and 1 million new voters, the election is not hinging on religion or ethnicity but is entirely going to be fought on the future economic stability of Sri Lanka.

The 2019 economic crisis created chaos in the island country, with the government unable to pay for essentials. The situation led to the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his prime minister and brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had been the president for two terms before Gotabaya. Even though Wickremesinghe has previously served as Prime Minister four times, has experience, and was appointed constitutionally, many argue that he did not get the peoples mandate. He took over the reins of the country in perhaps the most difficult times in recent history. His popularity has been impacted by high taxes and a $37 billion debt to lenders.

In his defence, Wickremesinghe has often highlighted the political and economic stability achieved in his two-year tenure and having passed laws that will help exports in the country. He also credits himself with securing an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout and pulling support from the international community. India was crucial in helping him in negotiations with the IMF. But his backing from Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is slated to go against him. The Rajapaksa clan is blamed for Sri Lankas bankruptcy and rampant corruption. Nevertheless, Mahindas unpopularity has pushed his son Namal to jump into the fray, declaring his candidacy.

There are 39 other contenders, but opinion polls in the country have repeatedly put Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and Sajith Premadasa as top contenders and Wickremesinghe in the third position. AKD, also an experienced politician, has evolved from being the leader of the Peoples Liberation Front, or JVP, to now being a political force and leading the NPP alliance. The Marxist-Leninist party has promised to bring a people-based economy, curbing corruption and bringing in economic reforms.

Advertisement

Premadasa, too, like the other top contenders, is an experienced politician who has spoken of a liberal economy and capitalism with a human touch. He has rejected the neoliberal economic policies of the past as well as extreme left-wing socialist policies, hoping to pave a middle path for economic reforms for Sri Lanka.

Irrespective of the outcome of the election, India, as it has done in the past, will continue to support Sri Lanka in its recovery. Indias Neighbourhood First policy and Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) policy are not only aimed at building goodwill and stability in its neighbourhood but also to counter Chinas growing presence. India has offered considerable assistance to Sri Lanka in the form of $4 billion, $1 billion more than the IMFs 48-month bailout. It also offered loan deferrals, humanitarian aid, and a Line of Credit, which included an agreement to supply $700 million worth of petroleum. This was not the first time that India has reached out to its neighbour. Even during the pandemic, India sent out 500,000 vaccines to Sri Lanka and 150 tonnes of oxygen.

Advertisement

Last year, when President Wickremesinghe visited New Delhi to meet with Prime Minister Modi, the outcome of the Neighbourhood First policy was evident. India and Sri Lanka agreed to strengthen the maritime, air, energy, tourism, power, trade, and education sectors. Furthermore, strengthening of the security cooperation with Indias National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval attending the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) in Sri Lanka has sent a major message to Beijing, especially the Memorandum of Understanding signed to establish the CSC secretariat.

This has been seen by analysts as a significant move by India to counter Chinas expansionist agenda on the island. China has been the highest lender to Sri Lanka, with over $4.6 billion loaned to the country. The Chinese-built Hambantota port was seen as a classic Beijing debt trap when Sri Lanka announced leasing it to Hambantota International Port Group, a joint venture between China Merchant Ports, which holds an 87 per cent stake and 13 per cent with the Sri Lankan government.

Advertisement

Though many China supporters in Sri Lanka have argued that the port has become highly profitable with a turnover of 700,000 units a month and with the possibility of it becoming a cruise hub. But also, China has also been accused of docking spy surveillance ships. However, India is well aware of Chinas plans to dominate the Indian Ocean through its economic investments in the country. In response, India has also invested in a part of the Colombo port, Kankesanthurai port, Trincomalee port, Jaffna, and Hambantota airports, amongst other infrastructure projects like a two-way petroleum pipeline. Sri Lanka also preferred India over China for its power projects.

Advertisement

Like any other diplomatic relationship, goodwill comes with its own set of challenges that must be overcome. The issue of the 13th Amendment (13A) to the Constitution, which was a part of the Indo-Sri Lanka accord, is one such case. The amendment pushes for federalism and strengthening of provinces as a way to ensure peace. Though there has been consistent hesitation over the years in implementing the amendment in full, there has been assurance from Premadasa to do so. Dissanayake leans towards a new constitution, and Wickremesinghe has suggested the removal of police powers from the agreement.

Either way, Indias External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankars visit to Sri Lanka on June 20, 2024, was an important marker in the strengthening of India-Sri Lanka relations, irrespective of the party in power. It was his first bilateral visit after his reappointment. The EAM met with President Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister H E Dinesh Gunawardena.

He also held meetings with his counterpart, Ali Sabry, who in September 2023, backed India in its diplomatic feud with Canada. Sabry accused Canada of being a safe haven for terrorists and suggested that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was prone to making outrageous and substantiated allegations.

Furthermore, S Jaishankar had separate meetings with Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sajith Premadasa, and leaders across party lines. These meetings have underscored the need for a strong India-Sri Lanka relationship irrespective of the change in power centres in Colombo. Indias Neighbourhood First policy and its SAGAR vision will be the cornerstone of long-term economic cooperation and a secure Indian Ocean.

Rami Niranjan Desai is an anthropologist and a scholar of the northeast region of India. She is a columnist and author and presently Distinguished Fellow at India Foundation, New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Firstpost.
The world needs to focus on using artificial intelligence for military purposes with care and responsibility. This involves setting clear rules, making sure that the harm is proportional, and human rights are respected read more

South Korea convened the second summit of Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (REAIM) on September 9-10, 2024, co-hosted by the Netherlands and Singapore. The first summit took place in Hague, Netherlands, on February 15-16, 2023.

The summit seeks to establish the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the military domain through global discussions with all stakeholders. Of the 90 countries that participated in the summit, 60 endorsed legally nonbinding declarative documents, including the UK, the US, Japan, Australia, and China.

Advertisement

India stood apart from the summit, maintaining the strategic position of wait and watch. Giacomo Persi Paoli, head of Programme Security and Technology at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), said, By going too fast, too soon, there is a very high risk that many countries do not want to engage." The slogan of REAIM Summit 2024 is Responsible AI for Safer Tomorrow.

Wopke Hoekstra (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Netherlands) in the First Summit of REAIM 2023 had opened his remarks by stating, AI has the potential to revolutionise the ways wars are fought and won, but it also poses significant risk and challenges. To prevent abuses, we need to establish international guidelines. The reason behind the summit is global concerns with the global community.

Artificial intelligence is as groundbreaking as nuclear technology. Artificial intelligence technology holds the extraordinary potential to transform every dimension of military operations, including command, inspection, surveillance, target acquisition, training, information management, information processing, and reconnaissance.

In the military domain, there could be AI-enabled weapons, cyber operations, electronic warfare, decision support systems (AI-DSSS) for combat operations, etc. This could introduce many new challenges as well, like, the risk of international humanitarian crises and legal, security, ethical, technological, and cyber challenges.

The role of artificial intelligence integration in the military is not an idea but a reality. The two testing labs of this technology are Ukraine and Gaza. The New York Times reported that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) employed artificial intelligence programs, referred to as Lavender and The Gospel, to identify and target individuals suspected of being members of the militant group Hamas., though Israel Defence Forces denied such capability, mentioning the system was simply a database to cross-reference intelligence sources. According to Reuters, Ukraine has been working on developing AI-powered drones equipped with visual systems capable of identifying targets and guiding the drones to strike them directly.

Advertisement

Until recently, the debate on the use of artificial intelligence in war was limited to autonomous weapons and killer robots. The fear that wars would be taken up by computers and algorithms has sparked new debate. The use of artificial intelligence in advanced militaries is not new; the militaries are using artificial intelligence in maintaining inventory and logistical planning.

The closing session of the summit, followed by the Ministerial Roundtable, Blueprint for Action, endorsed the outcome of REAIM, Summit 2024. The declarative document presents a clear roadmap for setting guidelines on the use of AI in the military. It outlines key principles and a framework for future governance, stressing the importance of adhering to international laws, ensuring that humans remain accountable, and making sure AI systems are both reliable and trustworthy. The plan also highlights the need for proper human oversight and enhancing the explainability of AI so that its decisions are transparent and understandable.

Advertisement

The intended objective of the REAIM Blueprint for Action, which can be deciphered from various sessions and declarative documents, is to avoid foreseeable and unforeseeable challenges. With the integration of AI in the military domain and with the use of artificial intelligence in the military, international peace, security, and stability should not be undermined. There should not be a race for armament, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, miscalculation, and escalation of conflict due to bias, resulting in algorithm mischief.

The declarative document also expects participating and endorsing states to ensure the responsible and democratic use of artificial intelligence. The use of artificial intelligence should aid in increasing situational awareness, supporting peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities, and increasing precession, accuracy, and efficiency with the object of protecting civilians and civil objects in armed conflicts.

Advertisement

The summit expects endorsing states to establish robust control and security measures to prevent irresponsible actors from acquiring and misusing potentially harmful AI capabilities in the military domain. International law, human rights conventions, the Charter of the United Nations, and war conventions must be kept on the highest pedestals.

One of the objectives of the 2024 summit is to ensure answerability and liability for the acts done through artificial intelligence. The Blueprint for Action states that adequate human involvement needs to be maintained in the development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence in the military domain.

The responsibility and accountability of humans can never be transferred to machines. The person concerned should be able to understand, explain, trace, and trust the output produced by the capabilities of artificial intelligence.

Advertisement

The United States introduced a resolution on the responsible use of AI at the United Nations General Assembly, which was co-sponsored by 123 countries and adopted by consensus. China opted out of Blueprint on Military AI Use, but earlier it supported Call to Action 2023 at the Hague Summit. India is maintaining strategic distance, considering earlier experience with nuclear arms control, which was marked by political indecision and ideological doubts, which came at a significant cost to the nation.

The REAIM is one of the many initiatives to promote responsible AInational, bilateral, plural, and multilateral. The historical trends reflect that all new technologies make their way to the military, and artificial intelligence is no exception. To genuinely benefit humanity, the world needs to focus on using AI in the military with care and responsibility. This involves setting clear rules, being open about how AI is used, and making sure it respects human rights, reduces harm, and avoids unintended dangers in conflict situations.

Pranjal Chaturvedi is a PhD scholar at Bennett University (Times of India Group), and Aishwarya is a research scholar at Galgotias University. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
A British resistance agent in France, Noor Inayat Khan, who sacrificed her life gathering intelligence and staging sabotage operations in German-occupied France, has only a tiny tablet in her name in Nizamuddin village, the land of her ancestors read more

Noor could have continued to be part of the war effort with an easier job, but she chose to tread a more dangerous path

A 20th century tomb chamber with a tree growing through its roof; a dargah where a 14th century Sufi saint rests; a stone tablet dedicated to the memory of a Nazi concentration camp victim. War stories often begin in improbable places but the coming together of these incredibly disparate elements makes it Delhis most amazing tidbit of the Second World War.

The historic village of Nizamuddin is a natural setting for stories. With the tomb of the Sufi Nizamuddin (died 1325) as its focal point, a vast necropolis spreads itself outward, with even kings and emperors building their own mausoleums nearby. From renowned poets to forgotten Mughal princesses, all those buried in the area have their own story, but none is more poignant a tale than that of a person who has no grave here, but a mere stone tablet mentioning her name.

Advertisement

In a quiet compound near the main dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin lies another dargah, built as recently as the 20th century. The gravestone is behind an elegant curtain of stone lattice work which filters the light into the inner chamber. On one side, a tree rises up, asserting its independent spirit by winding its way up through a space made in the roof. The grave is of Inayat Khan, considered a Sufi by his adherents.

Actually, Inayat Khan was a musician, poet and philosopher in the Sufi tradition who seems to have been elevated to near-saintly status post his passing. Unlike the musicians who are seen performing every Thursday at the Nizamuddin dargah to an enthralled audience, Inayat Khans music found patrons in the West  in the United States and Europe. Our story will retrace his footsteps in that western direction.

In a corner of Inayat Khans tomb chamber is a small stone tablet with an inscription naming his daughter, Noor Inayat Khan, and indicating a short lifespan - the year of death being 1944. Noor is not interred here though! The tablet is merely a pointer to an individual whose life, work and eventual death came about in Europe.

Tomb chamber in the Dargah of Inayat Khan, inside Nizamuddin village in Delhi

To understand Noor, one needs to delve into her background, especially her parents. Inayat Khan was one of a group of musicians who travelled from Baroda (now Vadodara) to the United States, setting sail from Bombay (now Mumbai) for New York in September 1910. Calling themselves the Royal Musicians of Hindustan, they began giving concerts.

Advertisement

It was at a lecture at the Ramakrishna Mission in San Francisco that Inayat Khan met a young girl called Ora Ray Baker, who was, amongst other things, the niece of a US senator. The two fell in love but facing opposition, especially from Bakers family, decided to wait till either the family gave their consent or Baker herself came of age. The musicians moved to France looking for better opportunities. On coming of age, Baker arrived in Europe and the two were married in London in March 1913. Ora Ray Baker became Amina Sharada Begum.

Getting an opportunity, the musicians moved base to Moscow and it was here that Noor was born on January 1st 1914, the eldest of four children that would be welcomed by Inayat and Amina. However, Russia was in tumult with anger rising against the Tsar and his nobility. War clouds were on the horizon too and in this scenario, Inayat and his young family moved to London. Here, as the First World War played itself out, little Noor began her schooling.

Advertisement

With peace returning, the family moved to a suburb of Paris in 1920. As fate would have it, this place would become their home for the next two decades. Inayat Khan did not plan it this way though. He probably sought to bring his family back to India. Returning alone to India, possibly to look for a place to settle down for good, Inayat fell ill and died in 1927.

Up till that point, Noors childhood was filled with music and happiness. She learnt to play various instruments, the piano, the veena, the harp etc. From her father, she understood the oneness of all faiths, growing up a sensitive child. Inayats sudden and untimely death left Amina shattered. Noor, the eldest child, seemed to suddenly grow up and assumed responsibility for her younger siblings. She learnt child psychology and studied music, publishing a book in 1939. And then the Second World War arrived!

Advertisement

With the Germans launching the Blitzkrieg in 1940, France fell. Noor and her family fled to England, where she joined the Womens Auxilary Air Force (WAAF) and trained as a wireless operator. At this point, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) had been formed for the purposes of gathering intelligence and staging sabotage operations in German-occupied France. Noor opted for this dangerous service, received training and what followed is worth making a film with.

Her training completed, she was clandestinely flown to France in June 1943 and began work in Paris transmitting information she received, back to her handlers in England. In occupied France, she was now part of a network of spies with her code name being Madeleine. Her upbringing in France helped her blend in. The ever alert Nazi secret police, the Gestapo, was on the lookout all the time. Any spies or members of the French Resistance who were caught were brutally tortured for information about others in the network and then executed. Anyone who was caught was as good as dead!

Advertisement

Within ten days of her arrival, the claws of the Gestapo began to close in on Noors own network. Several members were caught and the network began to gradually crack. At this point, Noor declined an opportunity to return to England and safety. Perhaps it was the same sense of responsibility she had shown in 1927 on taking charge of her siblings at her fathers death. This time, the other radio operators in her network were eliminated one by one, leaving her isolated and increasingly vulnerable. At one point, she was the last remaining radio operator in her network. And then her luck ran out!

In mid October 1943, she was arrested by the Gestapo  possibly as a result of betrayal by someone else in the network. Twice she attempted to escape but failed. Refusing to sign a declaration that she would not attempt another escape, she was sent to a prison in Germany. What followed was solitary confinement and torture, both physical and psychological. Accounts of this period are predictably sketchy. Apparently, she was classified as being highly dangerous and kept shackled most of the time.

Two events of 1944 began an endgame for her. On June 6th, 1944, the allied forces opened a second front for Germany with a successful landing on the French coast, at Normandy. A month later, there was an assassination attempt on Hitler. It was clear to all that the end of the Nazi regime was nigh. All political prisoners, spies and sundry others locked away for years began to be executed. In September 1944, Noor Inayat Khan was transferred to Dachau concentration camp  a place that saw over 40,000 people killed during the course of the war.

And on September 13th, 1944  almost exactly eighty years ago from today - Noor was executed along with three other agents. No trace remained of her body which was probably disposed of by burning.

Noors contribution was as part of the larger machine of the Special Operations Executive (SOE). According to Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower, the SOE had done the work of 15 military divisions and helped shorten the war by 6 months. After the war, she was posthumously decorated by France with the Croix de Guerre and by England with the George Cross.

Noor could continued to be part of the war effort with an easier job in the WAAF, but she chose to tread a more dangerous path. The hands that played the veena and the piano ended up operating a radio transmitter. A comment she made to a friend offers a glimpse into her mind: If one or two (Indians) could do something in the Allied service which was very brave and which everybody admired it would help to make a bridge between the English people and the Indians. One wonders what Noor would have done further in life had she lived on.

It was in 2006 that the first full narrative about Noor Inayat Khan emerged, in the form of an outstanding book by Shrabani Basu  Spy Princess. The part about the princess is attributed to the belief that she descended from Tipu Sultan, a claim that is not entirely acceptable. But that is mere fine print. Noor Inayat Khans story is a saga of courage and sacrifice. A pity that the only marker to this brave woman in the land of her ancestors is a tiny tablet in Nizamuddin village, in a dargah that sees few visitors!

The author is a heritage explorer by inclination with a penchant for seeking obscure sites. A brand consultant by profession, he tweets @HiddenHeritage. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille visited the site, near the coastal city of Miragoane in the department of Nippes, and said some of the most seriously injured victims were evacuated by helicopter to receive medical care read more

A fuel truck exploded on a road in Haitis southern peninsula on Saturday, killing at least 25 people, according to local media, and leaving dozens of survivors with serious burns.

Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille visited the site, near the coastal city of Miragoane in the department of Nippes, and said some of the most seriously injured victims were evacuated by helicopter to receive medical care.

This is a horrible scene, what I have just witnessed, he said in a statement. Earlier, he said emergency teams were working to save the lives of the seriously injured, and pledged government support for the victims and their families.

Advertisement

Media outlet Radio RFM said 25 people died in the incident that took place around 7 a.m. local time. Earlier, authorities in Nippes said 16 bodies were completely charred and unrecognizable, and 40 people had been taken to the local hospital with burns.

Images released by the government show medical staff helping a man whose legs and head were swathed in white bandages, as he entered a humanitarian air service helicopter.

A witness to the incident said the trucks gas tank had been punctured by another vehicle, and people rushed to the site to collect fuel.

There were a lot of people. Those who were close to the truck got pulverized, said the man, who did not give his name, in a video interview with local outlet Echo Haiti Media.

When asked how many people might have been killed in the blast, he said it was difficult to say.

You cant know, because there were a lot of people, bystanders and those collecting oil. There were a lot of people, he said.

Fuel deliveries to the Miragoane area have slowed in recent weeks as trucks were transported via ferry to avoid gang-controlled highways surrounding the capital of Port-au-Prince.

The spread of gangs in the capital and surrounding areas has fueled a humanitarian crisis with mass displacements, sexual violence, child recruitment and widespread hunger. A state of emergency is now in place nationwide.

Advertisement

Haitis civil protection agency reported the identities of a 31-year-old man and two 23-year-old men who suffered burns over 89% of their bodies and were being treated in a hospital in Les Cayes, in southern Haiti.

Two of them sustained second-degree burns, the agency said.

A similar incident in 2021 in the city of Cap-Haitien killed at least 60 people after people were also thought to have been attempting to take fuel from a tanker truck.
Egypts health ministry noted that the collision has injured 49 others, with many fearing an increase in the death toll read more

The scene of the train collision in Zagazig. Two of the three dead were children, authorities said. AP

At least three people died after two passenger trains collided in Egypts Nile Delta on Saturday. The authorities noted that out of the three passengers who died in the tragic incident, two of them were children. The crash took place in the city of Zagazig, the capital of Sharqiya province, The Guardian reported.

Egypts health ministry also revealed that the collision has injured 49 others, with many fearing an increase in the death toll. It is pertinent to note that train derailments and crashes are quite common in Egypt. One of the main reasons for the rise in train accidents is the countrys ageing railway system which has also been plagued by mismanagement.

Advertisement

While in recent years the government has announced several initiatives to improve railways, nothing concrete has been implemented to tackle the situation. Back in 2018, Egypts President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced that 250 billion Egyptian pounds ($8.13 billion) would be required to overhaul the neglected rail network.

Rescue operation underway

Visuals from the site of the tragic accident showed one of the train cars crumpled by the impact as rescue workers tried to lift the injured victims from the rubble. In a recent update, the Egyptian health ministry noted that five of the injured victims are in critical condition and the rescue operation is still ongoing.

According to Sky News, one of the trains involved in the crash was heading from Zagazig to Ismailia, while the other was on its way from Mansoura to Zagazig.

Last month, Egypt witnessed a similar tragedy after a train crashed into a truck crossing the train tracks in the Mediterranean province of Alexandria. The incident led to the death of two people.

With inputs from agencies.
Fighting between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel in northwest Mexico has resulted in at least 15 deaths this week, including three civilians in recent clashes. The violence, linked to the recent arrest of cartel leaders, has prompted school closures and security alerts in the affected areas read more

Several people were killed Saturday in northwest Mexico, authorities said, after fighting between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel left at least 15 dead in the area this week.

Three civilians were killed during a clash between the army and armed civilians, the Sinaloa state public security department said in a statement on Saturday.

The department also reported two homicides without specifying whether they were linked to the cartel infighting that has terrorized the civilian population.

Advertisement

Five people died Friday night in the town of Concordia which has seen violent events between organized crime gangs, the states attorney general said.

Earlier Friday, the state prosecutors office had reported 15 deaths since Monday in fighting between cartel factions and said it was also investigating 20 cases of suspected forced disappearances.

My cousins have been locked up at home. My aunt doesnt want them to go out because they said the criminals are recruiting people, said Estefania, 27, from the state capital Culiacan.

Security reinforcements have been sent to Sinaloa  the bastion of jailed drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman and his sons.

The fighting follows the dramatic arrest on US soil on July 25 of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael El Mayo Zambada, who claimed he had been kidnapped in Mexico and delivered into US custody against his will.

Zambada, 76, was detained along with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of El Chapo, who is serving a life sentence in the United States.

The wave of violence in the Sinaloa state capital Culiacan is believed to pit gang members loyal to El Chapo and his sons against others aligned with Zambada, who pleaded not guilty to a raft of charges in a New York court Friday.

Advertisement

The rivalry stems from the events of July 25, Sinaloa state governor Ruben Rocha Moya said on Friday.

Schools were closed Thursday and Friday due to the violence and the governor said Sundays Independence Day festivities had been canceled.

The United States on Thursday issued a security alert because of reports of car thefts, gunfire, security forces operations, roadblocks, burning vehicles and closed roadways in the vicinity of Culiacan.
The jet is designed for use on aircraft carriers and is still in the development and prototype phase, but it is touted as the Chinese equivalent of Lockheed Martins fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-35. read more

China is testing a new stealth fighter jet, the J-35, which will be deployed on its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, equipped with an advanced electromagnetic catapult system, according to official media reports on Sunday.

Unlike the earlier carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, which feature ski-jump take-off ramps, the Fujians catapult system marks a technological upgrade. The report also confirmed that the J-35 will be operational not only on the Fujian but also on the previous carriers, significantly enhancing the overall capabilities of Chinas aircraft carrier fleet, experts noted.

Advertisement

A new type of warplane was tested earlier this year on the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navys first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, state-run Global Times quoted official broadcaster CCTV as saying.

It added that the new aircraft could be the long-expected J-35  Chinas next-generation carrier-borne stealth fighter jet.

China currently has two aircraft carriers, Liaoning, a refit of the Soviet-era ship, and Shandong, an indigenously built 2nd aircraft carrier commissioned in 2019.

Chinas third aircraft carrier, Fujian, is larger than the two carriers, with a displacement of 80,000, and is currently undergoing trials.

It is the first fully domestically developed and constructed aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) similar to that of the American aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, official media reports said.

Chinas other two aircraft carriers are equipped with ski-jump take-off ramps, while the Fujian features a flat-top flight deck.

China operates its indigenously built J-15 aircraft for its carriers.

Global Times quoted experts as saying that the CCTV report is an official confirmation that China now has a new-type carrier-borne aircraft ready for service.

Advertisement

Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper reported that the J-35 is being developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation as Chinas second fifth-generation fighter jet, following the J-20.

Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told the Post that one most straightforward assessment is that the Liaoning, which has long been designated as a test bed for PLA carrier capabilities, is conducting experiments on the J-35 as a viable carrier-borne fighter jet.

With inputs from agencies.
Floods and landslides have killed almost 350 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which hit the region last weekend, according to official figures read more

Livestock swim through floodwaters in Taungoo, Myanmar's Bago region on September 14, 2024, following heavy rains in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi. AFP

Volunteers rushed to areas inundated by floods in Myanmar on Sunday as the countrys death toll from the Typhoon Yagi deluge more than doubled and remote areas reported increasing numbers of dead and missing.

Floods and landslides have killed almost 350 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which hit the region last weekend, according to official figures.

One man told AFP how he had tried to rescue people with ropes, as floodwaters four metres (15 feet) high surged through the hill town of Kalaw in Shan state on September 10.

Advertisement

The current was very strong and even some buildings were destroyed, he said, describing pieces of furniture being washed through the streets.

I could see trapped families in the distance standing on the roofs of their houses, said the man, who works for a local non-governmental group.

I heard there were 40 bodies in the hospital, he added.

A businesswoman in Yangon who runs a company in Kalaw told AFP her staff there had reported nearly 60 people had been killed in the town.

The junta has not specified how many of the 74 people it says have died from the floods were in Kalaw.

Around 30 kilometres (18 miles) away at the tourist hotspot of Inle Lake, flood levels on Saturday had risen to the second storey of houses built on stilts above the water, according to one man there helping to evacuate his family.

In some areas near the lake whole villages have been submerged, he told AFP on Sunday, asking to remain anonymous.

The elders say this is the highest level of flooding they have seen, he said.

Locals had lost foods such as rice and salt, he added.

Now people are drinking rain water. There will be no water once that is gone.

Advertisement

AFP images showed the flood waters high against the wooden houses on the lake.

Cars and trucks carrying volunteers were streaming north from commercial hub Yangon to reach affected areas in Taungoo in the Bago region and around the capital Naypyidaw, AFP reporters said.

The vehicles were loaded with palettes of bottled water, bundles of clothes and dried food, while some had boats strapped to their roofs.

We want to help anyone who needs help at the moment. That is why we arranged to go to the flooding area, said one woman heading for Taungoo.

We brought food, water and some clothes.

More misery

The floods have added to peoples miseries in Myanmar, where millions have already been displaced by more than three years of war since the military seized power in 2021.

Advertisement

The deluge has left 74 dead and 89 people missing as of Friday evening, according to state media, and more than 235,000 displaced.

But with roads and bridges damaged as well as phone and internet lines down, information has been limited.

The Sittaung and Bago rivers, which flow through central and southern Myanmar, were both still above dangerous levels on Sunday, state media said, although water levels were expected to fall in the coming days.

In the east, the Thanlwin river was more than two metres above its danger level in the state capital Hpa-an on Saturday, state media reported.

The juntas previous death toll, released on Friday, was 33.

Advertisement

Thailands weather office warned Sunday of further heavy rain in provinces along the Mekong river.

Authorities in Vietnam on Sunday gave an updated toll of 281 dead and 67 missing.

Request for aid

Myanmars junta chief made a rare request for foreign aid to deal with the floods, state media reported on Saturday.

The military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad.

Last year, it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha.

On Saturday, the United Nationss Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Myanmar and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told AFP they could not comment on the juntas request.

Advertisement

Heavy monsoon rains lash Southeast Asia every year, but human-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

Climate change is causing typhoons to form closer to the coast, intensify faster and stay longer over land, according to a study published in July.
A US delegation led by Assistant Secretary Brent Neiman assured Bangladeshs interim government of continued support for expanding economic opportunities, building institutional capacity, and upholding human rights. The discussions also focused on contributing to Bangladeshs growth and financial stability while engaging with international financial institutions read more

The US on Sunday assured Bangladeshs interim government of its commitment to helping the country expand economic opportunities, build institutional capacity, and uphold human rights.

The US commitment came as a high-level US delegation met Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain.

We are committed to helping expand economic opportunities, build institutional capacity, uphold human rights, and mitigate climate risks with our partner, Bangladesh, the US Embassy in Dhaka posted on X after the meeting.

Advertisement

The US delegation at the meeting was headed by Assistant Secretary for International Finance of the US Department of Treasury Brent Neiman. The delegation also included US State Department Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Donald Lu, The Daily Star newspaper said.

Great to meet the foreign affairs adviser at Padma House, said the embassy.

Neiman also met Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.

After the meeting, the embassy said: We support Bangladeshs path towards renewed dynamism and growth. Our engagement with top economic policymakers centred on the authorities efforts to propel economic growth, job creation, and sustainability, including through engaging with international financial institutions. The six-member interagency delegation reached Dhaka on Saturday.

The US delegation is also scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and attend a working lunch hosted by the foreign secretary in the state guest house Padma.

Earlier, the US State Department said the discussions will focus on how the US can contribute to Bangladeshs economic growth, financial stability, and development priorities.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Thirty-seven alleged coup plotters, including three Americans, were convicted and sentenced to death Friday by a Kinshasa military court in a trial against the failed coup of May 19 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).A total of 51 people were tried by a military court in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC, with the hearings broadcast on national television. The three Americans sentenced to death were convicted for the offenses of criminal association, attack and terrorism, including Marcel Malanga, son of Christian Malanga, the alleged leader of the attempted coup.According to the DRC army, an "attempted coup" led by little-known opponent Christian Malanga was "nipped in the bud" early May 19. Six people, including Christian Malanga himself, were killed.The putschists attacked the residence of Vital Kamerhe, then deputy prime minister, before intruding the Palais de la Nation, where the offices of DRC President Felix Tshisekedi are located.The attackers, dressed in military uniforms and displaying the Zaire flag, claimed in video clips circulating on social media that they wanted to "change things in the management of the Republic." Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the DRC from 1971 to 1997.Christian Malanga formed the United Congolese Party in 2010 and advocated for the return of Zaire. In 2017, He created a government in exile in Brussels, Belgium, giving birth to the so-called "New Zaire."Marcel Malanga, who was born in Utah, United States, and two other Americans, stood trial Friday.It is immediately known whether they would appeal their case.
The bodies of the three hostages were recovered on December 14. The military said its investigation revealed that the three captives had been held in a tunnel complex from which Ghandour operated. read more

The IDF announced the conclusion of the investigation on Sunday. (IDF via Reuters, file)

The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said on Saturday there is a high probability that three hostages killed months ago died from Israeli fire.

The bodies of the three hostages, Corporal Nik Beizer, Sergeant Ron Sherman and French-Israeli Elia Toledano, were brought back to Israel in December.

The findings of the investigation suggest a high probability that the three were killed as a result of a byproduct of an IDF air strike, during the elimination of the Hamas Northern Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November 10th, 2023, the military said in a statement, referring to the three captives.

Advertisement

This assessment is based on the location of where their bodies were found in relation to the strikes impact, performance analysis of the strike, intelligence findings, the results of the pathological reports, and the conclusions of the Forensic Medicine Institute.

This is a high-probability assessment based on all of the available information, but it is not possible to definitively determine the circumstances of their deaths, the military said.

At the time of the strike, the IDF did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound, the military said.

Furthermore, there was information suggesting that they were located elsewhere, and thus the area was not designated as one with suspected presence of hostages.

The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Terrorists also seized 251 hostages, 97 of whom are still held captive in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israels retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has so far killed at least 41,206 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, which does not provide details of civilian and militant deaths.

While 105 hostages were released during a one-week truce in November in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, three captives were killed by Israeli fire.

Advertisement

Yotam Haim, Samer El-Talalqa and Alon Shamriz were mistakenly killed by Israeli troops in December in north Gaza, according to the military.
Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh resigned on Sunday, just days after parliamentary elections where the Islamist opposition made notable gains. Jaafar Hassan, currently head of King Abdullahs office, is anticipated to succeed Khasawneh and tackle economic challenges exacerbated by regional conflicts and the Gaza war read more

Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh speaks during a joint news conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 30, 2021. REUTERS

Jordans Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh submitted his resignation on Sunday, officials familiar with the matter said, less than week after a parliamentary election that saw some gains for the Islamist opposition in the U.S.-allied kingdom.

U.S.-educated Jaafar Hassan, now head of King Abdullahs office and a former planning minister, is expected to replace Khasawneh, a veteran diplomat and former palace advisor who was appointed nearly four years ago, the officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Advertisement

Hassan will face the challenges of mitigating the impact of the Gaza war on the kingdoms economy, hard hit by curbs to investment and a sharp drop in tourism.

The outgoing prime minister had sought to push reforms pushed by King Abdullah to help reverse a decade of sluggish growth hovering at around 2% that was worsened by the pandemic and conflict in neighboring Iraq and Syria.

The Muslim Brotherhood opposition and ideological allies of Palestinian militant group Hamas made significant gains in Tuesdays election, boosted by anger over Israels war in Gaza.

The new composition of the 138 member parliament retains a pro-government majority, but a more vocal Islamist-led opposition could challenge IMF-led free-market reforms and foreign policy.
Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer announced that recent tensions with India have been resolved, following the repatriation of Indian troops and diplomatic negotiations. He also dismissed concerns about seeking an IMF bailout, asserting confidence in addressing economic issues through bilateral support and internal reforms read more

Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer has acknowledged that the Maldives-India ties witnessed rough patches in the initial days of President Mohammad Muizzu-led government but insisted that the two countries have resolved the misunderstandings".

Zameer made the remarks on Friday during a visit to Sri Lanka, where he stressed the importance of the Indian Ocean archipelagos relationships with key allies, particularly China and India.

He said that relations with India had faced challenges, particularly following President Muizzus campaign to remove a small contingent of Indian troops from the Maldives.

Advertisement

Zameer said that the misunderstandings between the two countries have been resolved following the repatriation of Indian troops from the Maldives.

At the start of our government, we did have some rough patches (with India), you know, Zameer has been quoted as saying by The Edition newspaper.

(We) have good relations with both China and India, and both countries continue to support Maldives, he said.

Indias relationship with the Maldives came under strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge as the President. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms gifted by India to the Maldives. After talks between the two sides, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.

Things escalated after three Maldivian deputy ministers made controversial remarks regarding India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. Maldives Foreign Ministry distanced itself from their remarks, and the three junior ministers were suspended.

Unlike his predecessors, who made the first port of call to New Delhi after assuming office, Muizzu travelled to Turkiye first and to China for his first state visit in January. He visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Modis swearing-in ceremony.

Muizzu will travel to India on an official visit very soon, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Advertisement

Zameer also said that the Maldives has no plans to seek an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, dismissing the current economic challenges faced by his country as temporary. We have bilateral partners who are very sensitive to our needs and our situation, he said, signalling the governments confidence in addressing its fiscal issues without resorting to external assistance from the IMF.

I seriously dont think it is a time where we will be right now engaging with the IMF. The issue that we have is very temporary because currently, we are having a dip in reserves. Zameer outlined the governments strategy to address the economic situation, which includes implementing reforms in the tax regime and cost-cutting measures for government-owned enterprises.

Advertisement

He also highlighted the strengthening of bilateral relations with China and India, noting that these countries have been instrumental in supporting the Maldives.

His remarks came in the wake of warnings from credit rating agencies about the Maldives financial situation.

The Maldives owes much of its external debt to China and India. The governments debt servicing commitments amount to USD 409 million this year, placing additional stress on its already limited foreign currency reserves.

Maldives reserves currently stands at USD 444 million, with usable reserves at USD 61 million, the paper said.

The rationalisation of state-owned enterprises will certainly help us in managing our resources better, Zameer said.

Advertisement

Zameer was joined by Finance Minister Mohamed Shafeeq in Sri Lanka, where the two held meetings with Sri Lankan central bankers and other officials to discuss financial matters.
The flood has killed at least 30 people according to the countrys emergency agency and affected a million others, with hundreds of thousands of people forced into camps for displaced people. read more

The flooded yard of Sanda Kyarimi Park Zoo is pictured in Maiduguri, northern Borno state, Nigeria September 10, 2024. File Photo- Reuters

Devastating floods collapsed walls at a jail in Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria early last week, resulting in the escape of 281 inmates, according to prison officials who disclosed the incident on Sunday.

The severe flooding, described as the worst in decades, was triggered by the overflow of a dam following intense rainfall. The disaster had a profound impact on the region, including the destruction of a state-owned zoo, which released crocodiles and snakes into the flooded areas, further exacerbating the crisis.

Advertisement

Seven of the escaped inmates have been recaptured in operations by security agencies, Umar Abubakar, spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Services said in a statement.

The floods brought down the walls of the correctional facilities including the Medium Security Custodial Centre, as well as the staff quarters in the city, Abubakar said.

Operations to recapture the remainder of the inmates were underway, he said.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said the disaster would increase the risk of food insecurity, particularly in the vulnerable northeast.

At least 259 people have been killed by flooding in Nigeria since the beginning of the rainy season, according to reports. The worst flooding in recent times killed 600 people in 2022.

With inputs from agencies.
Various parts of Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam have been reeling under massive floods after Typhoon Yagi, said to be Asias most powerful storm this year, hit the three countries. read more

India on Sunday sent urgent relief materials to Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam under an operation christened Sadbhav to assist them in dealing with the impact of a major typhoon.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said 10 tonnes of aid including dry ration, clothing and medicines were dispatched to Myanmar onboard Indian naval ship INS Satpura. A military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force is carrying 35 tonnes of aid to Vietnam and 10 tonnes of relief materials to Laos.

Advertisement

India launches #OperationSadbhav. Demonstrating our solidarity with the people affected by Typhoon Yagi, India is dispatching aid to Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos, Jaishankar said on X. 10 tons of aid including dry ration, clothing and medicines left for Myanmar onboard @indiannavy INS Satpura today, he said.

India launches #OperationSadbhav.



Demonstrating our solidarity with the people affected by Typhoon Yagi, India is dispatching aid to Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos.



 10 tons of aid including dry ration, clothing and medicines left for  onboard @indiannavy INS Satpura today. pic.twitter.com/ooR0ipnxqI  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 15, 2024

Jaishankar added: @IAF_MCC is carrying 35 tons of aid comprising of water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, solar lanterns for Vietnam. 10 tons of aid comprising genset, water purification items, hygiene supplies, mosquito nets, blankets and sleeping bags for Laos, he said.

The death toll in Myanmar from flooding and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi has reached at least 74, with 89 people missing, Myanmars state television said Saturday.

Advertisement

A consignment of 35 tons of humanitarian assistance, including water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, and solar lanterns, among others, was airlifted to Vietnam today by a special aircraft, the MEA said in a statement.

It said the humanitarian support to Vietnam is testament to the enduring close ties between the two countries, marked by our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed sympathies and solidarity to the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, immediately after the typhoon struck Vietnam, the MEA said.

It said Jaishankar had also extended sympathies to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son.

Advertisement

The floods and landslides have caused widespread damage to property and agricultural land, affecting around 40,000 people in northern Laos, the MEA said.

Ten tonnes of humanitarian relief supply has been sent to the government of Lao PDR. The supply in the form of hygiene kits, blankets, mosquito nets and repellents, sleeping bags, gensets, water purifiers, water purification tablets and disinfectants and other material has been airlifted today on-board a special aircraft from India, it said.

The Indian Navy said it has commenced rapid preparations to deploy HADR operations in response to the devastating flash floods in Myanmar.

The Eastern Naval Command, in coordination with the Eastern Fleet and other supporting units, successfully completed the overnight loading of HADR pallets, including drinking water, ration and medicines, onto an Indian naval warship from Visakhapatnam for operations in Yangon, it said.

Advertisement

This rapid mobilisation comes despite a short notice, showcasing the Navys ability to swiftly respond to humanitarian crises in the region, Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

Myanmar experiences extreme weather virtually every year during the monsoon season. In 2008, Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 people. In that case, the military government then in power delayed accepting international assistance, and when it finally relented, tightly controlled its distribution, with little or no oversight by aid donors.

While in Vietnam, the death toll in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi climbed to 233 on Friday as rescue workers recovered more bodies from areas hit by landslides and flash floods, state media reported.

Advertisement

Flood waters from the swollen Red River in the capital of Hanoi were beginning to recede, but many neighborhoods remained inundated and farther north, experts were predicting it could still be days before any relief is in sight.

Typhoon Yagi made landfall Saturday, setting off heavy rains that have triggered flash floods and landslides, particularly in Vietnams mountainous north. Across the country, 103 people are still missing and more than 800 have been injured.

With inputs from agencies.
The Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Teresa Magbanua had been anchored inside the Sabina Shoal since April to assert Manilas claims to the area and prevent China from seizing it read more

This handout photo from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) taken and received on September 15, 2024 shows the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Teresa Magbanua as it arrives at a port in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. AFP

A Philippine vessel that spent months anchored at a disputed reef in the South China Sea has left the area, the National Maritime Council said Sunday.

The Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Teresa Magbanua had been anchored inside the Sabina Shoal since April to assert Manilas claims to the area and prevent China from seizing it.

Beijing has continued to press its claims to almost the entire South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Advertisement

Philippine and Chinese vessels have collided at least three times recently near Sabina Shoal, located 140 kilometres (86 miles) from the Philippines western island of Palawan and 1,200 kilometres from Chinas nearest major landmass, Hainan island.

The Teresa Magbanuas bridge wing and freeboard were damaged in one of the collisions.

During her deployment she challenged an encirclement by a larger flotilla of intruders, battled inclement weather, with her crew surviving on diminished daily provisions, National Maritime Council Chairperson Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement Sunday.

Last month Chinese vessels blocked a resupply mission to the Filipino sailors on board the ship, leaving them running critically low of food and other provisions.

Overwhelming odds

The Teresa Magbanua carried out her sentinel duties against overwhelming odds, Bersamin added.

Chinas coast guard noted the ships withdrawal on Sunday, and said Beijing has indisputable sovereignty over Xianbin Jiao and its adjacent waters, using the Chinese name for Sabina Shoal.

Manilas actions had seriously infringed on Chinas territorial sovereignty seriously undermining regional peace and stability, spokesperson Liu Dejun said in a statement.

We sternly warn the Philippines to stop inciting propaganda and risking infringements, and to meet China halfway to safeguard the seriousness and validity of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Liu said.

Advertisement

Beijing will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in waters under Chinas jurisdiction, Liu said.

Philippines National Maritime Council Spokesman Alexander Lopez said the country would continue to monitor and enforce our rights, exercise our rights, sovereign rights, sovereignty and jurisdiction over the area.

Earlier this week officials from the Philippines and China held high-level talks on their maritime issues where Beijing reiterated its demand for the withdrawal of the Philippine vessel.

The latest situation has echoes of 2012, when Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal  another strategic feature about 240 kilometres west of the Philippines main island of Luzon.

Advertisement

Then, Manila pulled its ships back after a tense two-month maritime standoff.
Venezuelas Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Saturday that the foreign nationals were being held on suspicion of planning an attack on President Nicolas Maduro and his government read more

This handout picture released by Venezuelas Interior and Justice Ministry shows seized weapons displayed buring a press conference by Venezuelas Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello in Caracas. AFP

Spain rejects allegations by Venezuela that Madrid was involved in a plot to destabilise the government of the Latin American country, a foreign ministry source said Sunday.

Spain denies and categorically rejects any insinuation that it is involved in a political destabilisation operation in Venezuela, the source told AFP after three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were detained in Venezuela and accused of involvement in a plot against the government.

The government has confirmed that the two Spanish detainees are not part of Spains CNI spy agency or any other state body, the source added.

Spain defends a democratic and peaceful solution to the situation in Venezuela, the source said.

Venezuelas Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Saturday that the foreign nationals were being held on suspicion of planning an attack on President Nicolas Maduro and his government.

Advertisement

He said two Spaniards were recently detained in Puerto Ayacucho in the southwest over the alleged plot linked to intelligence agencies in the United States and Spain as well as to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

A US State Department spokesperson said Saturday that any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false.

The arrests come amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and both the United States and Spain over Venezuelas disputed July 28 presidential election, which the countrys opposition accuses President Nicolas Maduro of stealing.
Tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict reached dire levels this week as US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met at the White House to discuss whether to ease rules on Kyivs use of Western-supplied weaponry read more

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of bluster Sunday over his warning that letting Ukraine use long-range weapons to strike inside Russia would put NATO at war with Moscow.

Tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict reached dire levels this week as US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met at the White House to discuss whether to ease rules on Kyivs use of Western-supplied weaponry.

Advertisement

I think that what Putins doing is throwing dust up into the air, Lammy told the BBC.

Theres a lot of bluster. Thats his modus operandi. He threatens about tanks, he threatens about missiles, he threatens about nuclear weapons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been asking for permission to use British Storm Shadow missiles and US-made ATACMS missiles to hit targets deeper inside Russia for months.

Biden and Starmer delayed a decision on the move during their meeting on Friday.

It came after Putin warned that green-lighting use of the weapons would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia.

If thats the case, then taking into account the change of nature of the conflict, we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face, he added.

The Russian leader has long warned western countries that they risk provoking a nuclear war over their support for Ukraine.

We cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist, effectively, that wants to move into countries willy nilly, said Lammy.

If we let him with Ukraine, believe me, he will not stop there.

Advertisement

Lammy said that talks between Starmer, Biden and Zelensky over the use of the missiles would continue at the United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York later this month.
Zelenskyy said weapons aid packages promised by the United States and European nations were arriving very slowly. We need 14 brigades to be ready. Until now  from these packages we didnt equip even four, he said. read more

Ukrainian troops are suffering high losses because Western arms are arriving too slowly to equip the armed forces properly, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNN in an interview aired on Sunday.

Russia has been gaining ground in Pokrovsk for months, getting to within 10 kilometres (six miles) of its eastern outskirts. The city lies on the intersection of rail and road routes that supply Ukrainian troops and towns across the eastern frontline and has long been a target for Moscows army.

Advertisement

Zelenskyy said the situation in the east was very tough, adding that half of Ukraines brigades there were not equipped. So you lose a lot of people. You lose people because they are not in armed vehicles  they dont have artillery, they dont have artillery rounds, said Zelenskyy, speaking in English. CNN said the interview had been conducted on Friday.

Russian shelling killed one person in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk on Sunday, according to local authorities as Moscows troops continued their advancement towards the strategic logistics hub.

Two people died in a missile attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, local officials said, as Moscow and Kyiv exchanged drone and missile attacks.

The Ukrainian air force said Sunday it shot down 10 of the 14 drones and one of the three missiles Russia launched overnight.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said it downed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday over western and southwestern regions, with no damage caused by the falling debris. It also said another Ukrainian drone was shot down Sunday morning over the western Ryazan region.

While Ukraine and Russia regularly launch overnight drone raids on each others territory, Ukrainian officials generally do not confirm or deny attacks within Russias borders.

The latest attacks came after Ukraine made a new call Saturday on the West to allow it to use the long-range missiles they have provided to strike targets deep inside Russia, as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.

Advertisement

So far, the U.S. has allowed Kyiv to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russias border with Ukraine.

Kyiv officials argue the weapons are vital to weaken Russias ability to strike Ukraine and force it to move its strike capabilities further from the border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social media on Sunday to again appeal for a shift in the Wests policy on the use of long-range weapons, noting that Russia had launched around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine this week.

With inputs from agencies.
Russia has been advancing towards Pokrovsk for months, getting to within 10 kilometres (six miles) of its eastern outskirts. The city lies on the intersection of rail and road routes that supply Ukrainian troops and towns across the eastern frontline and has long been a target for Moscows army. read more

In this image provided by the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Sgt. Ian Ketterling, gunner for Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, prepares the crane for loading the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) on to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in Queensland, Australia, on July 26, 2023. File Image- AP

Russian shelling killed one person in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk on Sunday, according to local authorities as Moscows troops continued their advancement towards the strategic logistics hub.

The latest escalation follows Ukraines renewed appeal to Western nations on Saturday, requesting permission to utilise long-range missiles provided by the West to target locations deep within Russian territory. This plea comes as Ukrainian forces face challenges in repelling Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.

Advertisement

Currently, the United States has only authorised Ukraine to employ American-supplied weapons within a restricted area along Russias border with Ukraine. Ukrainian officials emphasize the importance of these weapons in undermining Russias capability to launch strikes against Ukraine, thereby compelling Russia to relocate its strike capabilities further away from the border.

More than 20,000 people have fled the city since August, while Russian strikes over the past two weeks have cut off water and electricity to many of its remaining residents.

Pokrovsks military administration said in a post on Telegram " Around 11 am, the enemy shelled the western part of the city Unfortunately, one person died,.

The Ukrainian air force said Sunday it shot down 10 of the 14 drones and one of the three missiles Russia launched overnight.

Oleh Kiper, Odesas regional governor, said the two who died in the suburbs of Odesa on Saturday night were a married couple, and that another person was wounded in the attack.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said it downed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday over western and southwestern regions, with no damage caused by the falling debris. It also said another Ukrainian drone was shot down Sunday morning over the western Ryazan region.

While Ukraine and Russia regularly launch overnight drone raids on each others territory, Ukrainian officials generally do not confirm or deny attacks within Russias borders.

Advertisement

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social media on Sunday to again appeal for a shift in the Wests policy on the use of long-range weapons, noting that Russia had launched around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine this week.

Ukraine needs strong support from our partners to defend lives against Russian terrorair defense, long-range capabilities, support for our warriors. Everything that will help force Russia to end this war," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

With inputs from agencies.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's sense of self-importance has reached unprecedented heights with the launch of "Munhumutapa Day," a Zanu PF initiative centered around his birthday, which is being commemorated today. Mnangagwa, who turns 82, has in the past compared himself to the rulers of the ancient Munhumutapa Empire, a claim that has now evolved into a full-fledged national celebration. The event is set to be launched at Great Zimbabwe in Masvingo, coinciding with the President's birthday, and will be observed annually on September 15.Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has previously referred to Mnangagwa as the "Munhumutapa," reinforcing the President's own claims of being a reincarnation of the illustrious Mutapa kings. These rulers, who presided over the Munhumutapa Empire from around 1450 to 1623, were at the helm of a powerful and expansive African state, stretching into modern-day Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, and beyond. The Rozvi and Torwa states, which followed the collapse of Great Zimbabwe, were offshoots of this historical dynasty.The establishment of Munhumutapa Day appears to mirror the late President Robert Mugabe's "21 February Movement," a youth-led initiative that was later institutionalized as the Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day. Zanu PF youths have now appropriated this model, proclaiming that Mnangagwa embodies the spirit of the ancient Mutapa kings. In a statement, the youth wing of the ruling party hailed Mnangagwa's "leadership qualities that have seen him transforming the country's fortunes for the better," despite ongoing economic hardships and widespread discontent across Zimbabwe.Thousands of people are expected to be bused from across the country to attend the festivities in Masvingo, which include the launch of the "Munhumutapa Housing Scheme Project." The project, centered in Victoria Range Extension suburb, is being promoted as an initiative for youths to access serviced residential stands, with similar ventures planned for other parts of Zimbabwe. However, critics argue that these projects are mere political gimmicks using public funds to bolster Mnangagwa's image.After the housing project launch, the day's centerpiece will be the official launch of Munhumutapa Day at the historic Great Zimbabwe Monuments, a site deeply tied to Zimbabwe's cultural heritage. The day will culminate in an all-night gala at Nemamwa grounds, featuring performances from top local artists such as Alick Macheso, Killer T, Sulumani Chimbetu, Seh Calaz, Enzo Ishall, Iyasa, Sandra Ndebele, and Andy Muridzo.Mnangagwa's association with the ancient Munhumutapa rulers reveals what many observers are calling "delusions of grandeur." These exaggerated beliefs of personal importance and historical significance are not uncommon among leaders who seek to immortalize themselves through symbolic gestures and myth-making. In Mnangagwa's case, aligning himself with one of the most powerful dynasties in Southern African history may serve to elevate his status in the eyes of his supporters, but for critics, it merely reflects a leader detached from reality and out of touch with the struggles of ordinary Zimbabweans.As the country grapples with ongoing economic challenges, high unemployment, and a restless youth population, the pomp and ceremony of Munhumutapa Day seem to offer little solace. Instead, the event has drawn sharp criticism from those who view it as yet another attempt by the ruling party to glorify its leadership while the nation continues to suffer.
The city was first part of the mainstream political debate in July when Trumps running mate JD Vance criticised US President Joe Bidens administrations border policy by bringing up the situation in Springfield read more

Amid the race for the White House, the Haitian living in Springfield, Ohio came to the forefront after former US President Donald Trump accused the immigrant community of eating cats and dogs. The city was first part of the mainstream political debate in July when Trumps running mate JD Vance criticised US President Joe Bidens administrations border policy by bringing up the situation in Springfield.

That very month, the citys mayor and manager went on the cable news program Fox & Friends calling for assistance to handle an influx of migrants. However, the debate soon spiralled down when the Trump campaign unleashed attacks against the Haitian community and accused them of eating cats and dogs.

Advertisement

But why specifically the Haitian community in Springfield Ohio become the face of the immigration crisis? Why the small city of Springfield is witnessing a major influx of migrants from Haiti? Lets take a closer look.

How many Haitians live in Springfield?

According to city officials, the Haitian population in Springfield is estimated to be between 12,000 and 20,000. The estimates are based on the data from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Springfields public schools, health care providers in the area and social service agencies, The New York Times reported. They have also settled in other regions in Ohio as well as in Indiana, Kentucky and other states.

Why Springfield is witnessing a rise in the Haitian population?

The city of Springfield which sits between Columbus and Dayton used to be known as a manufacturing hub. However, the city witnessed an economic shrink at the start of the 2010s after factories closed and jobs migrated overseas. According to The New York Times, by 2015 the citys population dwindled to under 60,000, from about 80,000 in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

After the authorities started to take notice of the situation thousands of new jobs were created, thanks to the proactive work of the citys Chamber of Commerce. The news of job creation spread like wildfire. Haitians in Florida, Haiti and South America heard from friends and family about Springfield and the labour shortage the region is witnessing.

Advertisement

Once they began arriving for the jobs, business owners also encouraged other Haitians to join them. However, things went out of hand after the COVID-19 pandemic when the region witnessed a heavy influx of Haitian migrants. The instability in Haiti following the assassination of the countrys president in 2021 also contributed to the rise. Then just like any other region in the world, animosities started brewing between the locals and the Haitians over resources, jobs and housing.

Why Biden administration is condemned over the matter?

Amid the political turmoil on the issue, city officials made it clear that most of the Haitians in Springfield are legally living in the US. However, the Biden administration is often criticised for some of the provisions it introduced, opening the doors for migrants.

Advertisement

Many of the Haitians living in Springfield are beneficiaries of the Temporary Protected Status. TPS is a federal designation that gives citizens from a country in crisis the opportunity to stay in the United States legally, regardless they entered the country lawfully or not. The provision was renewed by the Biden administration and will remain active till February 3, 2026, for Haitians who arrived in the United States on or before June 3, 2024, and that status can be renewed.

Haiti is one of the countries whose nationals qualify for TPS. The other on the list includes Ukraine which is currently at war against Russia. Some Haitians, just like migrants from other nations have sought asylum which enables them to stay in the United States until their case has been adjudicated by immigration officials.

Advertisement

The migrants are also aided by another Biden administration initiative that enables people from Haiti who have a financial sponsor in the United States to apply to enter the country and remain here legally for two years. However, they do not receive green cards. Over the years, the various programs that made Haitians stay in the country, made the community attractive to employers, especially in Springfield which was facing a Labour shortage a few years back.

The recent threats to the community

After Trump made the bizarre claims in his first debate against US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Haitian community in Springfield has come under major scrutiny. On Saturday, two hospitals in the city underwent a lockdown after they received bomb threats. This marked the fourth such case in many days and many linked it to the false claims circulating among the far right about the Haitian immigrants.

Advertisement

Bomb threats were also received by the government buildings, forcing their closure and causing local schools to be evacuated. We recognize that the past few days have been particularly challenging for everyone in our community, Springfield police said in a statement. We remain fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of each and every person, the authorities furthered.

Amid all the chaos, a woman named Erika Lee, apologized for rumours about Haitian immigrants eating pets that resulted from a post she wrote on Facebook, NBC News reported. In the post, Lee claimed that the friend of a neighbours daughter lost her cat  and then found the animal strung up outside the home of a Haitian family.

After the rumour spread rapidly and eventually landed at the presidential debate, Lee admitted that she had no firsthand knowledge of the claim. The neighbour mentioned in the post, Kimberly Newton eventually revealed that she also had heard the story from an acquaintance and not her daughter. It just exploded into something I didnt mean to happen, Lee told NBC News on Friday. Im not a racist, Lee said, adding that her daughter is half-Black and she herself is mixed race. Everybody seems to be turning it into that  and that was not my intent," she added.

Despite the acknowledgement, the rumour continues to remain ripe, and the Haitians in Springfield Ohio continue to remain in stress.

With inputs from agencies.
Recalling the incident, Melania shared a video on Saturday, cautioning that the rights and freedoms of Americans have to be respected read more

Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump is joined on stage by wife Melania and other relatives after he finished giving his acceptance speech on Day 4 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Reuters

As the race for the White House intensifies, former First Lady Melania Trump slammed the FBIs 2022 raid of Mar-a-Lago over the classified document case against her husband, former US President Donald Trump. Recalling the incident, Melania shared a video on Saturday, cautioning that the rights and freedoms of Americans have to be respected.

The video promoted her forthcoming memoir and touched upon the Fourth Amendment of the American Constitution. It also features images of Trumps Florida estate while she was heard slamming the federal agency. I never imagined my privacy would be invaded by the government here in America, she said in the video.

Advertisement

The FBI raided my home in Florida and searched through my personal belongings. This is not just my story, it serves as a warning to all Americans, a reminder that our freedom and rights must be respected, she added. The book titled Melania is scheduled to hit the stores on October 1.

Melania felt violated during the raid

In the past, the former president has slammed the FBIs raid at his Florida residence and called it politically motivated. However, it is pertinent to note that during the 2022 raid, FBI agents recovered over 100 classified documents and folders.

The former reality star is still facing 40 charges related to the alleged mishandling of the classified records and attempts to obstruct the governments attempt to return them. However, in July this year, District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case stating that special counsel Jack Smith, who was pursuing the case against Trump, was not lawfully appointed. Smith appealed the ruling soon after.

Advertisement

During the campaign rally for the upcoming 2024 US Presidential Election, Trump recalled that Melania felt very violated after the FBI executed the search of their home.

She felt very violated. I mean, this is a terrible thing, he said. They go into her closet, they go through her dresses, and who knows what else, and it wasnt left the way it  they found it.

Trump alleged that the FBI agents carried out a deep and ugly search of his and Melanias 16-year-old son Barrons room during a 2022 rally, claiming they left everything they touched in far different conditions than it was when they started. He went on to slam the FBI agents for not taking off their shoes in his bedroom.
Promising to deport migrants back to their home countries, Trump emphasised his commitment to saving cities and towns across key swing states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. read more

Former US President Donald Trump pledged to take drastic measures to stop what he called the migrant invasion of America if re-elected in 2024. Trump outlined his plan to stop all migrant flights, block illegal entries, terminate the CBP One Appreferred to as Kamalas phone app for smuggling illegalsand revoke deportation immunity.

Trump said that he would repatriate migrants back to their home countries after being elected as president. He vowed to protect and preserve cities and towns across crucial swing states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Advertisement

As President I will immediately end the migrant invasion of America. We will stop all migrant flights, end all illegal entries, terminate the Kamala phone app for smuggling illegals (CBP One App), revoke deportation immunity, suspend refugee resettlement, and return Kamalas illegal migrants to their home countries (also known as remigration), Trump said in a post on X.

I will save our cities and towns in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and all across America, he said.

As President I will immediately end the migrant invasion of America. We will stop all migrant flights, end all illegal entries, terminate the Kamala phone app for smuggling illegals (CBP One App), revoke deportation immunity, suspend refugee resettlement, and return Kamalas  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2024

US President Joe Biden, a Democrat seeking reelection in 2024, has launched a range of programs to allow migrants and people fleeing their home countries to enter the United States lawfully.

Under US law, refugee status is reserved for people who apply from abroad while migrants already in the U.S. can apply for asylum.
The UN worker was shot in the early hours of Thursday morning in el Fara camp, he left behind a wife and five children read more

Palestinians walk on a damaged road following an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin on Friday. AP

Amid the brewing tensions in the Middle East, reports are emerging that a sniper killed a UN worker on the roof of his home in the northern West Bank. The international body confirmed the news on Saturday. The incident took place days after a Turkish-US national was shot dead by the Israeli Defence Forces during a protest in the Palestinian region.

Sufyan Jaber Abed Jawwad, a sanitation worker with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has now become the first UNRWA employee to be killed in the West Bank in more than a decade. The UN worker was shot in the early hours of Thursday morning in el Fara camp, he left behind a wife and five children, The Guardian reported.

Advertisement

While issuing a statement over the matter, UNRWA noted that the Gaza war has overshadowed the spiralling conflict in the West Bank and in recent weeks the violence in the region has reached unprecedented levels, placing communities at risk".

Civilian infrastructure, including water and electricity networks, have been destroyed, with precarious access for communities to basic supplies, the agency said in a statement about Jawwads death. Unrwa has been forced to suspend services to refugees because of the unacceptable risk to staff and beneficiaries," the statement further reads.

The refugee camps became the focus of Israels military

Amid the raging Israel-Hamas war, refugee camps in the West Bank, including Tulkaram, Jenin, Nur Shams and el Fara, where UNRWA employee Jawwad was killed, have garnered major focus of Israeli military operation.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military stated that Jawwad was killed by a sniper during an operation in the camp. The Israeli forces accused the UNRWA worker of throwing explosive devices at the troops from his home.

It was found that the terrorist was known to Israeli security forces and he had been complicit in additional terrorist activities, spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said in a statement. However, the Israeli authorities gave no evidence to support their claims. It is pertinent to note that the killing came days after Israeli airstrikes on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza killed six UNWRA staff members. With this, at least 220 UNRWA workers have been killed since the start of the war

Advertisement

With inputs from agencies.
The US embassy said it reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with Bangladesh on expanding economic opportunities, building institutional capacity, upholding human rights and addressing climate risks. read more

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday sought support from the United States to rebuild the country, carry out vital reforms, and bring back stolen assets. Image/X/@ChiefAdviserGoB

The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Bangladeshs comprehensive economic growth, institutional development and overall progress as it announces an additional $202 million in aid on Sunday.

This announcement comes as a six-member US delegation, led by Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury Department Brent Neiman, visits Bangladesh - marking the first high-level US visit since the interim government took office last month.

Read Also: National anthem imposed by India in 1971, contrary to independent Bangladesh, says Religious Advisor

Advertisement

In a televised address last week, Bangladeshs Chief Adviser Yunus appealed for $5 billion in international aid to stabilize Bangladeshs economy, which has faced significant challenges since the Ukraine conflict led to a surge in fuel and food import costs. This request follows Bangladeshs previous bid for a $4.7 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund in the preceding year.

Driving greater prosperity: @USAID signed an agreement worth over $200 million with the Bangladesh interim government to advance development, empower youth, strengthen democracy & governance, improve health and expand trade & economic opportunities to people across the country. pic.twitter.com/Gs76bY76Ch  USAID Bangladesh (@USAID_BD) September 15, 2024

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said it would provide a $202 million grant to promote good governance, social, human and economic opportunity and resilience, in a deal signed on Sunday in Dhaka.

It follows a 2021 agreement where USAID pledged a total of $954 million between 2021 and 2026, of which $425 million had already been provided.

Advertisement

In a statement released on its Facebook page following the meeting with Yunus, the U.S. embassy emphasised its readiness to support Bangladesh in its pursuit of a more equitable and inclusive future.

Yunus sought US support to help rebuild Bangladesh, carry out essential reforms to the judiciary, police and financial institutions and to recover assets stolen by the previous regime, according to a statement from his office.

The visiting U.S. delegation expressed Washingtons willingness to support these reform efforts, offering both technical and financial assistance, the statement said.

The talks also covered economic reforms, investment, labour issues, the Rohingya crisis and Yunuss upcoming visit to New York for the U.N. General Assembly.

Advertisement

The U.S. visitors also held discussions with key members of the interim government, including Foreign Affairs Adviser Mohammad Touhid Hossain, Finance and Commerce Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed and Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan Mansur.

Donald Lu, assistant secretary for South Asia, who arrived in Dhaka after wrapping up his India tour, was part of the delegation.

The interim government, headed by Nobel laureate Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, assumed power following the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amidst widespread protests. Earlier, the US State Department said the discussions will focus on how the US can contribute to Bangladeshs economic growth, financial stability, and development priorities.

Advertisement

With inputs from agencies.
The news was confirmed by Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello at a press briefing on Saturday. The minister stated that three Americans, two Spanish nationals, and one Czech citizen were arrested in the case read more

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro addresses government loyalists gathered at the presidential palace in support of his reelection one month after the presidential vote, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. File Photo- AP

Venezuela stirred major commotion after it was reported that the countrys authorities have seized over 400 US rifles and arrested six foreign nationals, including three US citizens. The Latin American nation claimed that the arrested foreigners were linked to an alleged plot to destabilise the country after the elections.

According to CNN, the news was confirmed by Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello at a press briefing on Saturday. The minister stated that three Americans, two Spanish nationals, and one Czech citizen were arrested following a raid. The announcement is likely to deepen the countrys already substantial tensions with Spain and the United States following Venezuelas disputed presidential election in July.

Advertisement

During the press briefing, Cabello said that the group was allegedly involved in terrorist acts, including a plot to assassinate the countrys draconian president, Nicolas Maduro. These groups seek to seize the countrys wealth, and we as a government will respond firmly to any destabilization attempt, Cabello said.

The US reacts to the arrests

Shortly after the news broke out, the US Department of State said that it was aware that there was one American military man out of the three who had been arrested by the Venezuelan authorities. In a statement, the department denied the allegations hurled at by the Latin American nation.

Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false, a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela. We are seeking additional information. We are closely monitoring the situation, the official added while declining to provide additional details due to privacy considerations.

Whats the situation in Spain?

A source from the Spanish Foreign Ministry told Reuters that it was asking Venezuela for more information regarding the arrest. Cabello mentioned that the Spanish nationals who were arrested in the case were detained while taking photographs in the town of Puerto Ayacucho.

The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Advertisement

During the presser, Cabello also issued a scathing warning to Spain. These citizens have links - we know they will say no, that it is a lie - they have links with the centre, Cabello said, referring to Spains intelligence arm. Spain will decide what to do if it is going to keep meddling in Venezuelas affairs, he added.

The arrest of Spanish nationals came after the Latin American nation recalled its ambassador to Spain this week for consultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to appear at the foreign ministry. The diplomatic chaos ensued after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a dictatorship, following a disputed presidential election, Reuters reported.

Advertisement

The South American nation also slammed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for holding talks with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain last week after being threatened with arrest by Maduros regime. Following the July 28 election, the Venezuelan opposition believed that Gonzalez rightfully won the elections.

With inputs from Reuters.
5R110 transmission Cold fluid exchange

I've been in search of an easy way to do a complete oil exchange on my 2010 E450 without having to heat the new oil. I have yet to see a procedure for doing this, (until now) and I did a lot of web searching. A partial oil change by dropping the pan, even doing this several times, still leaves contaminated oil inside. The only other option was having a dealer do it using a heated oil machine. Either of these methods were unacceptable to me, the local Ford dealer especially seemed like a bad idea as the tech I spoke with didn't inspire confidence.I thought about how to do this safely, using oil at room temperature, and came up with a simple procedure which I just completed with success on my truck. I was able to remove and replace just about 100% of the old fluid. I don't usually post of forums, but I thought I owed it to you guys for all of the valuable information I have taken over the years. I think its an original idea, I have not seen anything close to it.. So here it is, I posted the complete procedure on youtube,I hope it is helpful, for myself it worked flawlessly.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Kadoma business community has lodged an urgent complaint against Detective Sergeant Hardline Maisiri, accusing him of extortion and corruption. Business owners, particularly in the mining sector, allege that Maisiri has been demanding "protection fees" under the guise of official police business.In a letter dated September 9, 2024, addressed to the Officer Commanding the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, the Kadoma Business Association (KBA) expressed outrage over Maisiri's actions. The letter, penned by KBA Secretary Edwin Vandira, outlines allegations of corrupt and unprofessional behavior that have tarnished the reputation of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in the area."We wish to bring to your urgent attention serious allegations of misconduct against Detective Sergeant Hardlife Maisiri, who is currently attached to CID Property in Kadoma, having previously served in Kadoma CID Minerals," Vandira wrote. "It has come to our attention that Detective Sergeant Maisiri has been engaging in corrupt activities, particularly extorting money from members of our business community, with a notable focus on those involved in the mining sector."Maisiri, who previously worked in the CID Minerals division, allegedly pressured business owners by claiming to be a runner for the Officer Commanding ZRP Kadoma District, further intensifying fears of reprisal among the affected parties. The KBA's complaint details how many business proprietors, especially in the gold-rich city where violence involving artisanal miners is common, have been coerced into paying protection fees to avoid fabricated charges or other forms of harassment."Many affected members of the business community are prepared to come forward and provide evidence of these activities," Vandira continued. "However, there is widespread fear that if they do so while Detective Sergeant Maisiri remains in Kadoma, he may fabricate charges against them as a means of retaliation."As a result, the KBA has called for Maisiri's immediate transfer out of Kadoma to pave the way for a transparent investigation into his conduct. The business association stressed that his removal would allow affected members to file complaints without fear of retribution.The letter also emphasized the importance of maintaining public trust in the ZRP and urged action to demonstrate the force's commitment to eradicating corruption. "We are confident that the integrity of ZRP will only be strengthened by such a transfer, and the institution will not suffer any loss from his relocation. On the contrary, it will serve to reinforce the public's trust in the police force's commitment to serving the people of Zimbabwe without bias or exploitation," Vandira wrote.The request for Maisiri's transfer comes amid concerns that his actions are destabilizing Kadoma's already volatile business environment. The city, known for its gold deposits and the presence of violent machete-wielding artisanal miners, or "Makorokoza," has long been a hub of criminal activity, adding to the urgency of the business community's call for action.At the time of publishing, efforts to obtain a comment from ZRP national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi were unsuccessful.
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.
News / National

by Staff reporter

With more than 40 000 young maidens having handed over their reeds at the eNyokeni Royal Palace in KwaNongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday, the annual Zulu reed dance marked 40 years since its revival in 1984.Draped in their colourful beaded regalia, only worn by amatshitshi (maidens), Princess Zelamile Zulu led the group of maidens in song, singing sacred hymns referred to as "amahubo".Zulu is the daughter of the AmaZulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini's brother, Prince Lungelo Zulu.The reed dance was honoured by the attendance of government delegates, listing Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa, Dr Zweli Mkhize, Co-operative Governance (Cogta) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, and provincial transport MEC Siboniso Duma.According to media reports, the late king Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu and his third wife, Queen Mantfombi kaSobhuza Dlamini, revived the reed dance four decades ago, following the late king's visit to America where he was alerted there would be a disease vastly spreading in Africa, citing HIV and Aids.Thus, the event celebrates young maidens' purity, alluding to their virginity, while urging them to abstain from early sexual practices, preventing teenage pregnancy and sexually related diseases.Furthermore, with various social ills on the rise, the reed dance has expanded its course, where it raises awareness on gender-based violence and femicide, including the heightened unemployment rate that is plaguing young people, women in particular.Many cultural experts spoke to media outlets, outlining quite a number of analogies of the significance of the "umhlanga" (reed). Some said the reed symbolised a maiden's purity, citing historical background; while others explained the reed pays homage and respect to the king as the father of the Zulu nation.With scores of young maidens anticipating his keynote address, King Misuzulu beamed with pride, celebrating the 40-year resurrection of the reed dance.The king emphasised the monarchy has been able to strengthen and retain the Zulu nation's independence centuries after the Anglo-Zulu War, also known as "Impi Yasesandlwana".King Misuzulu also hailed the strong allegiance between the Zulu and Swazi monarchies, where he said 15 000 maidens accompanied him in attendance of the reed dance in Swaziland a few weeks ago."My people, it is important to remember the 40 years of our heritage. Our language, regalia, and monarchy all belong to the Zulu nation. My people, it is our wish to see Africa unite," he said.The king sounded alarm on gun violence peaking in the province, resulting in a high rate of murders.This comes after a family of seven people were gunned down, execution style, at Highflats in Umzimkhulu last Thursday."I am saddened by the gun violence in our province. This is our province, let it come to an end. Let us reprimand ourselves. If you are involved with whatever type of crime, gun violence or rape, refrain from it, because Africa is leading with rape and violence," he said.He further urged the maidens to abstain from sexual intercourse.Hlabisa commended the king for preserving his father's legacy."It is an honour to be here, my king. This shows you are following in the footsteps of the previous king, we are proud of you. As Cogta, we support Umkhosi Womhlanga because the event encourages young maidens to abstain from sexual intercourse and early pregnancy," he said.KZN Premier Thami Ntuli echoed the minister's sentiments, he said: "This celebration showcases our heritage as the Zulu nation. We came to support you, my king. As the KZN government, with our police commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, we condemn the rise of crime and extortionists in your land."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is facing rising anger from critics who accuse him of not doing enough to secure the release of captives still held by militants in Gaza
News / National

by Staff reporter

An Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) helicopter crashed during takeoff this afternoon at Masvingo Airport. The incident, which occurred under unclear circumstances, has prompted an ongoing investigation by AFZ officials.Sources within the AFZ, who spoke exclusively to NewsDay, confirmed that no casualties have been reported from the crash. However, the full extent of the damage and the cause of the accident remain unknown as details are still emerging.We are still gathering information on what exactly happened, and investigations are currently underway, a source revealed.The incident has drawn significant attention, as the AFZ looks to determine the factors that led to the crash. Further updates are expected once the investigation concludes.Masvingo Airport has temporarily halted operations while authorities assess the situation.This is a developing story, refresh to get the updates...
Russo-Ukraine War - 14 September 2024 - Day 934

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 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the current 24 hours, there have been 131 combat encounters. On the territory of Ukraine today Russia made 63 air strikes, dropping at this 83 kaBi. In addition, the Russian zagarbniki used 580 kamikaze drones for strikes and carried out more than 3,300 shelling at the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements using different types of weapons.

In the Kharkiv direction Russian terrorists three times stormed the positions of Ukrainian units in the areas of vovchansk. According to the information available at this time, Ukrainian defenders in the Kharkiv direction eliminated and wounded more than seventy Russian occupants, 21 armored vehicles, f Ukrainian artillery systems, 42 aircrafts, damaged one car and a special equipment unit.

Seventeen times Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions in the Kupyan direction. Near the settlements of Kolisnikivka, Stelmakhivka, Lozova and Sinkivka, the Defense Forces units repelled 14 offensive actions. The situation is tense, ongoing three boezitknia.

In the Lyman direction a day Russian troops 19 times attacked Ukrainian defenders in the areas of Druzhelyubivka, Makiyivka, Nevsky, Novosadovoye, Zarichny, Cherneshchyna, Serebryanka and Terniv. At this time, five clashes continue.

Active Russian aggressor and in the sivers komu direction. Russian forces tried 13 times with assault actions to push Ukrainian defenders out of positions in the areas of Bilogorivka, Verkhnyokamiansky and Vyimka. Two clashes are still ongoing.

In the Kramators komu direction, Ukrainian warriors fought off two attempts of the Russian zagarbnikiv to advance near the time yar and Andriyivka.

In the Toretsky direction, Russian forces supported by aviation 11 times attacked Ukrainian positions near Friendship, Dachnyo, Nelipivka and Toretsky. The action continues in six more locations.

The main efforts of the Russian enemy concentrates on the Intercession direction. Here, throughout the day, the aggressor attacked Ukrainian units 41 times. The greatest activity was shown in the area of Sukhoi Balka, Vozdvizhenko, Green Field, Novooleksandrivki, Novotoretska, Hrodivki, Krasnoy Yaru, Novogrodivki, Mykhailivki and Marinivki. 36 attacks Ukrainian defenders have already repelled, five more fighting continue. Today, the Russian occupiers in this region lost more than 330 soldiers killed and wounded, one artillery system destroyed and two damaged, six armored vehicles and five vehicles destroyed, two armored vehicles destroyed, three shelters and two ammunition warehouses.

In the Kurakhiv direction at this time of the day, Ukrainian defenders repelled 39 Russian attacks. Zagarbniki tried to advance near Selidovoy, Ukrainian, Krasnogorivka, Dolinivka, the Desired Second, Georgiyivka, Konstantinivka, Katerynivka and the Desired First. The battle near Katerynivka is ongoing. The situation is under control.

In the Vremivs komu direction for today, Russian forces f Ukrainian times stormed the front edge of defense in the direction of Vodanyogo, Golden Niva and Vugledar. Ukrainian soldiers stopped three Russian attacks, another attack in the Vugledar area is ongoing.

In the Orihiv direction, Russian forces struck unguided aviation missiles on the settlements of Pyatihatki and Lobkove.

In the pridniprovsk direction eight Russian assault actions did not have success. A loss of positions is not allowed.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Volchansk and Liptsy directions, the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of the AFU the 113th and 125th territorial defence brigades near Velikaya Pisarevka and Volchansk (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 110 troops, two motor vehicles, one 152-mm D-20 gun, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

The Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 14th, 44th, 54th, 115th mechanised brigades, 3rd Assault Brigade of the AFU, and 104th and 119th territorial defence brigades near Kovsharovka, Glushkovka, Novoosinovo, Kruglyakovka, Borovaya (Kharkov region), Rozovka (Lugansk People's Republic) and Terny (Donetsk People's Republic).

One counter-attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 66th Mechanised Brigade was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 520 troops, six motor vehicles, one UK-made 155-mm Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, two 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, and two electronic warfare stations. Three AFU field ammunition depots have been destroyed.

As a result of active efforts, the Yug Group of Forces liberated Zhelannoye Pervoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The 28th, 54th, 93rd mechanised brigades, 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, 46th Airmobile Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 116th Territorial Defence Brigade have been hit near Verkhnekamenskoye, Chasov Yar, Kurdyumovka, Ostroye, Seversk, Konstantinovka, and Katerinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Two counter-attacks launched by assault groups of the AFU 56th Motorised Infantry Brigade and the 120th Territorial Defence Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 715 troops, five motor vehicles, one UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzer, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 gun, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and four field ammunition depots.

The Tsentr Group of Forces goes on advancing into the depth of the enemy's defence. The Group's units inflicted fire damage on the 59th and 150th mechanised brigades, 68th and 142nd infantry brigades, 95th Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 109th Territorial Defence Brigade near Tsukurino, Selidovo, Mikhailovka, Grodovka, and Novoekonomicheskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Three counterattacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 150th Mechanised Brigade, 142nd Infantry Brigade, and 25th Airborne Brigade were repelled.

The enemy's losses amounted to up to 560 troops, two Kozak armoured fighting vehicles, three pick-up trucks, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, two 152-mm Msta-B howitzers, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

The Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions and delivered strikes on the 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 118th Territorial Defence Brigade near Dobrovolye, Makarovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Levadnoye (Zaporozhye region). One counter-attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 105 troops, one French-made 155-mm Caesar howitzer. One AFU field ammunition depot was destroyed.

The Dnepr Group of Forces hit clusters of manpower and hardware of the AFU 35th and 37th marine brigades, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade near Vesyoye, Tokarevka (Kherson region), and Stepnogorsk (Zaporozhye region).

The enemy losses were up to 80 troops, seven motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, and one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system. One AFU field ammunition depot was destroyed.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have hit airfield infrastructure, boat bases of the AFU Special Operations Forces, as well as clusters of enemy manpower and military hardware in 132 areas.

Russian air defence systems have shot down three U.S.-made ATACMS operational missiles, three French-made Hammer aerial guided bombs, and 53 unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, 642 airplanes, 283 helicopters, 31,554 unmanned aerial vehicles, 579 anti-aircraft missile systems, 18,133 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,454 MLRS combat vehicles, 14,598 field artillery guns and mortars, and 26,070 units of support motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also reported that the Sever Group of Forces carrying on offensive actions inflicted damage on the 22nd, 41st, and 115th mechanised brigades, 17th Tank Brigade, 82nd and 95th air assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the 112th and 129th territorial defence brigades near Lyubimovka, Daryino, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Pokrovsky, and Borki.

Also over the past 24 hours, the Group's units repelled five enemy counter-attacks in the direction of Maryevka, Lyubimovka, Obukhovka, and Russkaya Konopelka, as well as foiled two enemy attempts to attack in the direction of Obukhovka and Borki.

The enemy suffered losses of up to 30 people killed and wounded; one armoured fighting vehicle and one motor vehicle were destroyed.

In addition, with the support of army aviation and artillery fire, the Russian Armed Forces repelled five enemy attempts to break through the border of the Russian Federation towards the settlements of Novy Put, Medvezhye, and Vesyoloye.

The enemy's losses included up to 40 troops killed and wounded; two tanks, one armoured personnel carrier, five armoured fighting vehicles, one motor vehicle, and one counterobstacle vehicle were destroyed.

Air strikes, artillery fire, and actions of the troops inflicted fire damage on clusters of manpower and hardware of the 22nd, 61st, 115th mechanised brigades, 17th Tank Brigade, 80th and 95th air assault brigades, and 129th Territorial Defence Brigade near Borki, Guyevo, Zelyony Shlyakh, Kolmakov, Kruglenkoye, Ivashkovsky, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Mirny, Makhnovka, Russkoye Porechnoye, Novoivanovka, Plekhovo, Pokrovsky, Uspenovka, and Yuzhny.

Operational-Tactical Aviation and Missile Troops launched strikes against clusters of the 21st, 22nd, 41st, and 61st mechanised brigades, 82nd Air Assault Brigade, 92nd Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 1st Presidential Brigade, as well as the 101st, 103rd, 106th, and 119th territorial defence brigades of the AFU near Akhtyrka, Belopolye, Banichi, Vodolagi, Obody, Katerinovka, Radkovka, Sumy, Pavlovka, Svessa, Shostka, Yastrebinoye, and Yampol.

Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses have amounted to more than 300 troops and 15 units of hardware, including two tanks, one armoured personnel carrier, 12 armoured fighting vehicles as well as two artillery guns, one counterobstacle vehicle, and five motor vehicles. Five AFU servicemen were taken prisoner.

Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses have amounted to more than 13,100 troops, 110 tanks, 44 infantry fighting vehicles, 87 armoured personnel carriers, 703 armoured fighting vehicles, 423 motor vehicles, 95 artillery guns, 26 MLRS launchers, including seven of HIMARS and five of MLRS made by the USA, eight SAM launchers, two transport-loading vehicles, 26 electronic warfare stations, seven counter-battery radars, two air defence radars, 13 engineering vehicles, including seven 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






News / National

by Staff reporter

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has reported the arrest of more than 40 of its members at a local restaurant in Harare during a provincial meeting on Saturday.The incident has sparked renewed concerns over the government's alleged crackdown on student activism, coming just months after a similar arrest of ZINASU members in July.The arrests' details remain unclear, and police have yet to issue an official statement.However, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) confirmed that the detained students are in police custody, with legal representation being provided."Several @Zinasuzim leaders & members arrested by @PoliceZimbabwe & detained at Harare Central Police Station. @TinasheChinox of @ZLHRLawyers is representing them," ZLHR posted on its X account, formerly Twitter.ZINASU National Coordinator Ashley Pfunye confirmed the arrests, stating that the students were holding a routine provincial meeting at the restaurant in Eastlea, Harare. "Yes, it is true. Our members were arrested while conducting a provincial meeting," he said.When reached for comment, police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was unaware of the incident, stating, "I am not aware."The arrests mirror a similar event in July when police disrupted a ZINASU annual general meeting, resulting in injuries to several students. At the time, authorities claimed their actions were necessary due to chaos and property damage.
More heavy rain, hazardous surf and winds at least 40 miles per hour are expected for Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands by late Sunday night through at least Monday evening because of a significantly intensifying monsoon surge, according to the National Weather Service.

This comes just days after the Marianas received significant rainfall from Tropical Storm Bebinca.

NWS Guam Weather Forecast Office, as well as the Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, on Sunday afternoon said as the situation develops, these are the active watches, warnings and advisories:

High surf advisory. Large breaking waves of 7 ft. to 10 feet in the surf zone. Affecting the south and west facing reefs of the Marianas. From Sunday until 6 p.m. Tuesday. Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due to dangerous surf conditions.

Small craft advisory. Strong winds can cause hazardous seas, which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility. From 6 p.m. Sunday until 6 p.m. Monday.

Gale watch. From Monday morning to late Monday evening.

Hazardous seas watch. Strong winds can cause hazardous seas, which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility. From Monday morning to late Monday night.

Flood watch. Starting Sunday until Monday evening.

High wind watch. Very strong gusts could blow down tarps and canopies. Localized power bumps are possible. Travel could be difficult for high profile vehicles. Sustained winds of at least 40 mph, or gusts to 58 mph or stronger, may occur. Sunday afternoon until late Monday evening.

These are from a strong monsoon surge developing along the southeastern periphery of Invest 97W, which the Joint Typhoon Warning Center opened up Sunday.

NWS said while 97W is expected to continue to move away from the region to the northwest as it consolidates, a strong monsoon surge is developing thats affecting the Marianas.

This monsoon surge that impacted Yap and Palau the last week or so, is now expected to impact the Marianas by late tonight. This will bring strong winds, hazardous seas and surf, and intense heavy rain for Guam and the CNMI through at least Monday night, NWS said.

Sustained winds of at least 40 mph, or gusts to 58 mph or stronger, may occur, it said.

Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe location prior to the onset of winds, NWS said.

NWS clarified that Invest 97W is not expected to develop into a significant tropical cyclone or tropical depression until at least after it moves away from the region.

No direct impacts from Invest 97W are expected once it moves away from the Marianas. After the monsoon surge dissipates, showers, winds and seas are expected to taper down quickly in the second half of the week, NWS added.

Visit the following links for the latest advisory information:
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
Washington's addiction to China tariffs will come home to roost

Xinhua) 10:07, September 15, 2024

BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- After years of criticizing former President Donald Trump's tariffs for harming U.S. businesses and consumers, the Biden administration is now following the same misguided path.

Despite widespread opposition, the U.S. government on Friday finalized its decision to increase tariffs on Chinese imports, particularly on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), solar cells, EV batteries and other related products. Such a protectionist step not only threatens to harm the U.S. economy but also further diminishes Washington's credibility on the global stage.

As a founding member of the World Trade Organization, the United States has long claimed to champion free trade. However, its unilateral actions -- particularly the use of Section 301, a relic of the Cold War -- serve to politicize and weaponize trade issues, blatantly violating multilateral trade rules.

U.S. President Joe Biden's embrace of Trump-era protectionism is particularly notable given his past criticisms. During the 2020 campaign, Biden was clear in denouncing Trump's tariffs as economically harmful, arguing that they hurt the very people supposed to be helped.

Yet, in a troubling reversal, the White House is extending and even intensifying many of the same trade policies once condemned, despite clear evidence that they have failed to deliver the promised benefits.

It is ultimately American consumers paying for these duties. According to estimates from Moody's, a leading rating agency, 92 percent of the costs from the tariff hikes will be borne by U.S. consumers, increasing the average American household's expenses by 1,300 U.S. dollars annually.

The Biden administration's justification of these tariffs -- that they are necessary to ensure "fair competition" -- does not hold up under scrutiny.

China's fast development in some emrging industries is not accidental. It is the result of a forward-looking industrial policy that prioritizes green, low-carbon development while leveraging a robust supply chain, advanced technology, and a skilled workforce. This market-driven approach has made China a global leader, with products even U.S. businesses rely on. As one American small business owner said, "We can't source what we need anywhere but China."

Instead of grappling with the real issue at hand -- whether U.S. political elites are prioritizing internal development over political bickering -- Washington has fixated on using China as a convenient scapegoat. The current tariffs are not about leveling the playing field, but about avoiding the hard work of reinvesting in American infrastructure, education, and industry.

History has shown that using tariffs to prop up industries that have lost their competitive edge only accelerates their decline. The same will be true for Washington's attempt to stifle China's green energy industry.

As Drew Bernstein, co-chairman of Marcum Asia, noted in an article for Forbes, "Once tariffs become a permanent part of the economic landscape, they undermine the competitiveness of domestic producers and force consumers to overpay for lower-quality products. Sooner or later, the tariff walls will come tumbling down."

Ultimately, Washington must face a stark choice: double down on a losing protectionist strategy or embrace cooperation with China. The latter offers a path to shared prosperity in an interconnected global economy, while the former will only ensure that the United States falls behind.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun)
Dave Lotz is a vocal advocate for protecting Guams unique heritage, a knowledgeable and long-time hiking enthusiast and environmental advocate, and critic of inept government. He has been a resident of Guam since 1970 and retired from the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation, Andersen Air Force Base Environmental Flight, and the National Park Service.




Haiti - Security : The Bahamas will deploy troops next week...





Brigadier General William E. Temple, a senior US official from the Maintenance and Support Services Organization (MSSO) held a closed-door meeting with Godfrey Otunge, Kenya Mission Commander and Lieutenant Colonel Kevron Henry, Deputy Force Commander for Jamaica.



Otunge briefed General Temple on the deployment phase of the Mission while appreciating the deployment of the Jamaicans and Belizeans. Otunge highlighted the progress made and some of the challenges they have faced since the arrival of the first Kenyan contingent on 25 June 2024. He stressed the need to establish forward bases to maintain areas that have already been pacified and critical infrastructure that has been retaken from gangs. Otunge also highlighted the need for helicopters for evacuation and response during security operations.



During his discussion with the Mission leadership, General Temple appreciated the progress and achievements of the Mission. He promised to quickly address some of the challenges that were highlighted. He then inspected the armoured vehicles that the US has delivered to the Mission before touring LSA2 to appreciate the facilities. Temple stressed the need for a robust supply chain and replenishment framework where vehicle parts are quickly put to use to ensure that security operations are uninterrupted. He reiterated the commitment of the United States to support the Multinational Security Support Mission.



The visit of Brigadier General William E. Temple, was timely as the MMSS is approaching the start of decisive security operations. Other contributing countries are expected to deploy their troops as soon as possible. The Bahamas will deploy its troops next week according to Godfrey Otunge



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Meeting : Haitis Economic Development

Minister of Economy and Finance Ketleen Florestal, BRH Governor Ronald Gabriel, Inter-American Development Bank President Ilan Goldfajn, Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas Christopher Dodd and members of the private sector participated in a meeting at the IDB in Washington, on Haitis economic development.



Frances Cooperation with the FAdH

Antoine Michon, Ambassador of France to Haiti, had a constructive discussion with Jean Marc Berthier Antoine, Minister of Defense on Frances prospects for cooperation with the Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH).



Roundtable on Foreign Direct Investment

The Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) responded this week to the invitation of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), as part of a Roundtable aimed at encouraging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).



Strengthening the security of port facilities

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Garry Conille had an important working meeting aimed at strengthening the security of port facilities with the directorates of the APN, Customs with the highest authorities responsible for security and the private sector operating in this area. The Prime Minister gave the guarantee that the greatest attention will continue to be paid to the country's maritime transport traffic.



Argentina : Caribbean Dramaturgy Week

As part of the Caribbean Dramaturgy Week "Tintas Caribena", organized in Buenos Aires from September 10 to 14, 2024, the Embassy of Haiti in Argentina received the visit of Jean d'Amerique, Haitian writer, author of the work "La Cathedrale des cochons" accompanied by the Martinican writer Daniely Francisque, author of "Cyclones" and officials from the Embassy of France. The Mission took the opportunity to allow them to discover and savor Haitian gastronomy.



End of the workshop on the technological sector

Friday, September 13, 2024 marked the end of the consultation workshop on the Orientation Document for the technological sector of the new Haitian secondary school https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43181-haiti-new-secondary-towards-setting-in-motion-of-the-technological-sector.html . Antoine Augustin, the Minister of National Education, together with the Deputy Representative of the UNESCO Office in Port-au-Prince Khadim Sylla, closed this workshop which aims to develop the Orientation Document for the technological education sector of the new secondary school with the objective of offering many more opportunities to young people to be able to enter the job market and start their professional integration earlier and more surely.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Greene County officials are asking parents to be more wary of online rumors and show more restraint when sharing information online after a reported threat to local schools turned out to be a 2-year-old internet post.

The word of caution and the online rumor mill that prompted it came days after another reported threat at schools in neighboring Orange County was debunked by authorities there. In that case, the reported threat turned out to be a TikTok video that included the names of Georgia Title I schools with the same names as Orange County schools on a target list of schools.

I would highly encourage a certain few of the parents, blasting on social media, to check their childs cellphone, Capt. Jason Tooley with the Greene County Sheriffs Office posted to Facebook Friday after the Greene County threat was determined to be too old to be a credible threat. You may be surprised, some not, on what is being texted and said. I respect all parents and their concerns however when its your child involved, I dont expect to see you as a parent blasting on social media. These parents know who they are.

Greene County Public Schools said Thursday that after parents started reporting a threat of violence at its schools, it worked with the sheriffs office to investigate the matter.

It was determined that the post in question originated two years ago and was not and is not a credible threat, the school division said in a statement.

Even after the school division and sheriffs office told the public that the threat stemmed from a 2-year-old social media post, multiple parents still claimed their children had heard threats of gun violence being planned for the following day.

Those threats were either baseless or not real.

As always, the safety of our children and staff remains our top priority, Trenton Fisher, a Greene County Public Schools spokesman, told parents, students and staff in a message. We are committed to maintaining a secure environment where learning can thrive, and we will continue to take all necessary precautions to protect our school community.

The school division did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Progress.


Sunday September 15, 2024





Somalia's minister of foreign affairs has said Somalia will consider establishing contacts with and support rebels fighting in Ethiopia if the Ethiopian government attempts to implement the deal it signed with Somaliland.



Ahmed Moalim Fiqi was answering a question from local Universal TV on September 12.



"The option to have contacts with armed rebels in Ethiopia or rebels that are fighting against the Ethiopia regime  if it continues this, to have contact with them is an option open to Somalia, it's a door open to us," he said.





"We have not reached that stage, there is a hope there will be a solution. But it is a path open to us  it's the correct thing to go there, to take that path to meet them, to support them, to stand by them (the rebels). But that will come when they continue their hostility, and attempt to implement the so-called agreement," he said.Fiqi was asked if the Somali government has a plan to contact the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which was involved in two years of deadly war against Ethiopia's federal government until the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in November 2022."We discussed that, but at this time the collapse of Ethiopia is not in the interest of Somalia and the Horn of Africa region. But if they continue to [support] those opposing Somalia and with the secessionist groups [that] they have signed [an] agreement with, it's an option for us," he responded.Ethiopia's deputy permanent representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Nebiyu Tedla, criticized the comments from Somalia's minster of foreign affairs."It's comical to witness al-Shabab agents posing as government officials, who are unable to function effectively outside of Banaadir (the Mogadishu area) babbling hallow nationalism, driven by narrow clan centralization," Nebiyu posted on X."Such will only undermine years of progress and lead Somalia into the pit," added Nebiyu, who formerly served as spokesperson for Ethiopia's ministry of foreign affairs.Relations between the two countries have been warming up during the last three decades as Ethiopia hosted reconciliation conferences and sent troops to help successive Somali governments. But relations turned sour when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the president of the self-declared, breakaway republic of Somaliland on January 1, 2024.According to Somaliland officials, under the MOU Ethiopia will be the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent nation in return for the leasing of 20 kilometers (12 miles) of seashore to be used as a naval base by Ethiopia for 50 years. Somalia sees the deal as infringement to its sovereignty.On Friday, U.S. Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer, speaking in Addis Ababa, urged both countries to find ways to work together."Let me state unequivocally the United States supports Somalia's territorial sovereignty, integrity and unity, and we have made that very clear," he said."We want to see peaceful and good relations between all countries in the region and certainly between Ethiopia and Somalia. And we urge both to find ways to move forward and look how they can continue to work together. We are well aware of the ENDF's [Ethiopian National Defense Forces] and Ethiopia's sacrifice in Somalia in the fight against al-Shabab. That is what we should be focusing on, frankly from the U.S. perspective, how we can support Somalia in its fight against al-Shabab."Hammer said fighting al-Shabab requires good relations between Somalia and Ethiopia."There is no reason that these two countries should have difficulties that can't be resolved again through conversations. But again, both countries need to accept the basic principes outlined frankly by the AU charter, which is affirmation and recognition in understanding of each other's territorial sovereignty, integrity and unity," Hammer told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.Somalia and Ethiopia fought two wars and supported each other's rebels in the 1970s and 80s.In February 1988, the president of Somalia, Mohamed Siad Barre, and Ethiopian President Mengistu Haile Mariam, reached an agreement in Djibouti mediated by late Djibouti President Hassan Guled Aptidon. They agreed to cease hostilities and committed to cease supporting each other's rebels.This story originated in VOA's Horn of Africa Service.
Highlighting the need for better access to justice, the Supreme Court recently pushed for the establishment of gram nyayalayas across the country.

The Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 represents a landmark legislative effort aimed at bringing the judiciary closer to rural populations, making justice more accessible, affordable, and expedient. The Act seeks to establish gram nyayalayas or village courts, offering rural citizens a more streamlined judicial process in contrast to conventional courts, which often present significant challenges in terms of accessibility and affordability. Despite the promise of these village courts, their establishment across India has been fraught with challenges, raising concerns about their adequacy and effectiveness in dispensing justice.

The features of the Gram Nyayalayas Act

The Act was designed to decentralise the judicial framework and bring justice closer to the rural populace. The preamble of the Act states that the purpose is to provide for the establishment of gram nyayalayas at the grassroots level to provide access to justice to the citizens at their doorstep and to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen because of social, economic, or other disabilities. At its core, the Act prioritises access, speed, and affordability in the judicial process.

Section 3 mandates state governments, in consultation with the respective high courts, to establish gram nyayalayas at the panchayat level, functioning as mobile courts capable of conducting proceedings at any suitable location within their jurisdiction. This mobility ensures justice is delivered at the doorsteps of rural citizens.

Section 12 outlines the jurisdiction of gram nyayalayas, covering civil and criminal matters relevant to rural communities. Civil disputes include those related to land, water rights, property, tenancy, and other minor issues as specified or notified by the state government. Section 13 further grants gram nyayalayas the authority to handle criminal matters such as theft, assault, trespass, and public nuisance under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code and other laws.

One of the Acts distinguishing features is the simplified procedure for both civil and criminal matters, as outlined in Section 15. This provision allows for informal, accessible legal proceedings, departing from the formal procedural codes of regular courts. Conciliation and settlements are emphasised to resolve disputes amicably and minimise adversarial legal battles. Section 18 reinforces this, mandating gram nyayalayas to make efforts toward settlements before moving forward with adjudication.

Current status and implementation challenges

In Smt. Siya Dulari v. Awadh Naresh, the Allahabad high court remarked, The Statement of Objects and Reasons further provides that justice to the poor at their doorstep is the dream of the common man. Setting up of gram nyayalayas, which will travel from place to place, would bring the people of rural areas speedy, affordable, and substantial justice.

Despite this optimistic vision, the implementation of the Gram Nyayalayas Act has been inconsistent and inadequate. Although the Act envisioned a large-scale rollout of these courts to address rural justice needs, the ground reality reflects substantial gaps in implementation.

As per the department of justice, fewer than 500 gram nyayalayas have been established, far below the original target of around 2,500. Out of a total of 485 notified gram nyayalayas, 314 are currently operational across the country. While states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan have made some progress, major states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have seen limited or no operationalisation, despite their large rural populations. Several factors contribute to this limited implementation:

Inadequate infrastructure and resources: The Acts Schedule II specifies that gram nyayalayas should have the necessary facilities to conduct trials and hearings, but many village courts lack even basic amenities. Financial constraints: The financial assistance provided has been insufficient to cover the recurring costs, including the salaries of nyayadhikaris (judges) and staff, affecting the viability of these courts. Lack of awareness: A significant lack of awareness among rural populations about the existence and functioning of gram nyayalayas, coupled with low legal literacy, has prevented these courts from becoming the go-to avenue for dispute resolution. Low case disposal rates: Due to limited resources and irregular functioning, gram nyayalayas have often failed to fulfil their primary objective of providing speedy justice, leading to inefficiencies. As per data by the department of justice, only 161 cases were disposed of out of a total of 42,184 pending cases. Lack of integration with the mainstream judiciary: Gram nyayalayas require better integration and coordination with higher courts. The absence of sufficient oversight, guidance, and a clear appeals process diminishes the quality of justice they provide.

Inadequacy of gram nyayalayas in dispensing justice

The current state of gram nyayalayas is far from adequate in addressing the diverse needs of rural India. The gap between the Acts intent and its actual implementation underscores their limited ability to fulfil their mandate.

Section 16 emphasises the need for prompt and accessible justice, but logistical and administrative challenges have hampered the ability of gram nyayalayas to meet these expectations. The inadequacy of these courts has several implications:

Limited access to justice: In the absence of functioning gram nyayalayas, rural litigants are forced to travel long distances to access district or taluka courts, incurring significant costs and facing long delays. Judicial backlogs: By failing to effectively address minor civil and criminal matters, gram nyayalayas contribute to the backlog of cases in higher courts.

Despite these challenges, gram nyayalayas hold significant potential to transform the rural justice landscape in India. Their proximity to rural communities and simplified procedures offer several advantages:

Decentralised justice delivery: Gram nyayalayas bring courts closer to rural citizens, reducing the physical and financial barriers that often prevent them from seeking redress. Section 17, which allows for mobile court sessions, is particularly beneficial in remote and underserved areas. Community-centric justice: Emphasising conciliation and settlements fosters harmony and reconciliation, reflecting traditional dispute resolution mechanisms that prioritise community cohesion over adversarial outcomes. Increased inclusivity: The informal setting and simplified procedures of gram nyayalayas allow litigants to represent themselves, reducing dependency on expensive legal representationa significant barrier for rural communities.

The Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 offers a transformative vision for delivering justice to rural India. However, its implementation has been fraught with challenges, resulting in an uneven and inadequate presence of gram nyayalayas across the country. Addressing these challenges will require enhanced resources, greater awareness, and better integration with the broader judicial system. With sustained commitment and strategic reforms, gram nyayalayas could play a pivotal role in ensuring that justice is not a distant ideal but a tangible reality for every citizen, regardless of their location or economic status.

Sanya Singh is a practising lawyer based out in New Delhi. The views expressed are personal
Panaji, With a 40 per cent rise in cruise passengers in FY 2023-24, the Mormugao Port Authority expects to grow it further with the construction of the International and Domestic Cruise Terminal in Goa by March 2025, an official said. New cruise terminal in Goa to boost tourism, local economy: Official

The development of the International and Domestic Cruise Terminal and allied facilities is expected to boost tourism and local economy while fostering sustainable practices and infrastructure improvements, thereby enhancing the region's competitiveness in the global cruise market, the senior MPA official told PTI.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the Maritime States Development Council meeting held in Goa on September 12 and 13.

The increase in global cruise liner traffic has led to a significant rise in cruise ship arrivals at the Mormugao Port, positioning it for a substantial future growth, the official said.

In the 2023-24 financial year, there was an increase in calls by cruise vessels by 15 per cent and and rise in cruise passengers by 40 per cent compared to FY 2022-23, he said.

On the first day of Maritime States Development Council meeting, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal visited the site of the proposed state-of-the-art building which will house the International and Domestic Cruise Terminal.

The official said the focus would be on passengers in the new facility. The international cruise terminal will have 24 immigration counters, 10 check-in counters, a waiting lounge and other facilities, he said.

"The domestic cruise terminal will have 12 check-in counters, waiting lounges and other facilities. Ancillary commercial building will have an experiential shopping zone aimed at cruise tourists and will also be accessible to the general public," he said.

The terminal will have duty-free retain shops, lounges, food court and other facilities, the official added.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Andhra Pradesh government has suspended three senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, including a Director General (DG), for their alleged involvement in the wrongful arrest and harassment of a Mumbai-based actor-model Kadambari Jethwani without conducting a proper investigation, officials said Sunday. Actor-model Kadambari Jethwani.(Kadambari_Jethwani / Instagram)

The officersformer Intelligence Chief P. Sitharama Anjaneyulu (DG rank), former Vijayawada Police Commissioner Kranti Rana Tata (Inspector General rank), and former Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishal Gunni (Superintendent rank)faced suspension following an inquiry into their role in the case, which has drawn significant public attention.

In August, Jethwani lodged a formal complaint with NTR Police Commissioner S.V. Rajasekhar Babu, accusing the officers of conspiring with K.V.R. Vidyasagar, a YSR Congress Party leader and film producer, who had filed a forgery and extortion case against her in February. She alleged that top police officers colluded with Vidyasagar to harass her and her parents, having them arrested and taken from Mumbai to Vijayawada without any prior notice.

Jethwani, a native of Mumbai, said the police subjected her and her elderly parents to humiliation and unlawful detention, with her family spending over 40 days in judicial custody.

Jethwanis advocate, N. Srinivas, alleged that Vidyasagar had fabricated land documents to frame Jethwani and her family, and that police did not allow them to file a bail plea for several days.

A government order (GO) detailing Anjaneyulus suspension stated that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated due to "prima facie evidence" of "grave misconduct and dereliction of duty."

"The government, after careful consideration of the report and having due regard to the circumstances of the case, came to a conclusion that there is prima facie evidence and that the disciplinary proceedings are warranted for his grave misconduct and dereliction of duty," the GO read.

The inquiry revealed that Anjaneyulu had instructed the other two officers to arrest the woman even before a First Information Report (FIR) had been filed. The FIR was registered on February 2, while instructions for her arrest were allegedly issued on January 31.

All three officers are among 16 IPS personnel who had been issued a memo earlier, ordering them to report to the Director General of Police's office twice a day without an official posting.

With PTI inputs
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar shared his recent experiences in the United States through a social media post on Saturday, highlighting his visit to a political rally. In his post on X, Shivakumar described the rally as a "unique experience" and praised the vibrant display of democracy. DK Shivakumar also visited New York's SkyDeck and the Adi Chunchanagiri Mutt in New Jersey, and clarified that media speculation about high-profile meetings was inaccurate.(X)

He noted that the event offered valuable insights into the democratic process and expressed his admiration for the energy and enthusiasm of the participants. Had the amazing opportunity to witness an election rally in the US during my recent family trip. It was an incredibly unique experience seeing democracy in action, with lots to learn from! The energy and passion of the people were truly inspiring! Looking forward to learning more from this great process. #DemocracyInAction, he wrote on social media platform X.

Shivakumar is currently in the US on a personal family trip and has addressed media speculation about his visit. Reports suggesting he was meeting high-profile figures such as former President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris were dismissed by the Deputy Chief Minister.

"I am travelling to the US along with my family till September 15. The media reports that I am meeting former US President Barack Obama and US Vice President Kamala Harris are incorrect. It is a personal visit," he clarified in a press statement, according to news agency PTI.

In addition to the rally, Shivakumar had the chance to explore other highlights during his trip. He visited the SkyDeck in New York, calling the experience "unforgettable" and expressing a desire to create a similar landmark in Bengaluru. The Deputy Chief Minister also made a stop at the Adi Chunchanagiri Mutt in New Jersey on Thursday, which is currently being developed on a 20-acre site in Franklin Township.
Opposition leaders of the district alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was delaying the municipal corporation (MC) elections because of its fear of losing due to declining popularity among voters. Opposition leaders of the district alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was delaying the municipal corporation (MC) elections because of its fear of losing due to declining popularity among voters. (HT File)

Leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), hit out the state government and renewed their push for the delayed MC elections.

To be sure, the terms of municipal councillors ended on March 25, 2023, more than a year and a half ago.

Former councillors and Opposition leaders pointed out that the absence of elected representatives has caused inconvenience to locals.

Local Congress leader Jasvinder Singh Thukral said, Democracy is being strangled. People are facing difficulties in getting basic documents, like death and resident certificates. Residents are forced to travel long distances and meet MLAs for signatures even as it is uncertain when they will be available. Councillors could have handled these issues comparatively easily.

District BJP president Rajnish Dhiman highlighted the struggles faced by the public due to the absence of councillors.

Locals are suffering as they have to approach MLAs for signatures. Most of the time, MLAs are unavailable, which adds to peoples frustration. Yet, the state government seems uninterested in resolving these issues, he lamented.

Senior SAD leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal claimed that the state government, which was low on funds for basic expenses such as pensions, was also undermining democracy by delaying elections.

The delimitation of wards was done in a biased manner and the state government is delaying elections out of fear of the results. We demand that the elections be held immediately, he said.

However, AAP MLA from Ludhiana West Gurpreet Gogi said, The matter of ward delimitation sub judice at the high court and we will conduct elections after the courts decision.

The Opposition leaders urged the Election Commission to step in and expedite the process.
A man was booked for allegedly blackmailing a woman after borrowing 50 lakh from her father, officials said. A man was booked for allegedly blackmailing a woman after borrowing  50 lakh from her father, officials said. (HT File)

They added that the accused, Rohan Bhatia of Shingar Road near Samrala Chowk, borrowed the money from the victim for a start-up, and as they asked for it back, he threatened to upload a purported inappropriate video of the woman to social networking platforms.

The complainant alleged that the accused also took valuables, including electronic devices, for setting up an office for the business venture.

The complainant said the accused had recorded the purported video after intoxicating her.

The Division 7 police have registered a case under sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force to outrage a womans modesty), 420 (cheating), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) following a complaint by the 21-year-old woman.

According to assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Malkit Singh, who is investigating the case, the accused was known to the complainants father. Bhatia had borrowed 50 lakh from the womans father under the pretence of opening a software development company.

He also took valuables, including an air conditioner, television, laptops and a mobile phone, for the office setup, promising the family that the daughter would be part of the business operations.

However, after starting the company, Bhatia did not share profits with the family. When the woman confronted him and sought the money and items back, Bhatia allegedly threatened to leak her lewd photos, which he had secretly clicked after drugging her.

Upon discovering that Bhatia was in possession of the explicit images, the woman filed a police complaint. The accused is absconding, and the police are conducting raids to arrest him.
The construction of the new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Ward at the cost of 73.03 lakh has been completed at ESI Corporation (ESIC) Model Hospital, Ludhiana. This was part of ongoing works of upgradation and renovation of various facilities of the hospital at a cost of 10.58 crore. New Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward at ESI Corporation (ESIC) Model Hospital in Ludhiana . (HT Photo)

Ludhiana Rajya Sabha member of Parliament Sanjeev Arora stated that he has been apprised by the authorities concerned that renovation of ICU ward at the ground floor of the hospital has been completed. He pointed out that the renovation of the ICU was necessary because it plays a crucial role in hospital care by providing life-saving interventions, stabilising critically ill patients, and ensuring they receive the highest level of care during the most critical phases of their illness or recovery.

Arora said earlier, many critical patients were shifted to private hospitals because the ICU at ESIC Model Hospital, Ludhiana was lacking facilities. He hoped that now all the critical patients would be treated within the hospital and there would be no need to shift them to private hospitals. Also, the renovated ICU will be able to provide timely and better treatment to the patients, he further hoped.

Further, Arora said he has also been apprised by the authorities concerned that extension of medical gas pipeline at the cost of 49.73 lakh has already been completed. He said this is also a major achievement as it will further improve the working of the hospital, adding that 83% work on the firefighting system with wet riser and sprinkler system and automatic fire alarm system has been completed. He said the CPWD is carrying out this work at a cost of 4.68 crore, adding that the work is likely to be complete by December 31 this year.

Arora said the revised detailed estimate has been submitted for formal approval to provide four 320 TR energy efficient central AC plants (each plant of 80 TR) at the cost of 4.68 crore. Tender is under process by CPWD in this regard.

The hospital was set up way back in 1969. It is spread over 10.3 acres and presently serves over four lakh insured workers. In August this year, Arora met the Union minister of labour and employment Mansukh Mandaviya and thanked him for sanctioning and disbursing funds for upgradation of the facilities of the hospital. Arora stated that he is also making efforts to enhance the bed capacity of this hospital to 500. He has already urged Mandaviya to intervene directly with the DG ESIC to prioritise and expedite this critical initiative.
Species of the trinket snakes are being unearthed one after another in the extended hinterland of the tricity. These non-venomous snakes came to light with the rescue of a common trinket snake (CTS) in Pinjore (April 2024) and the copper-headed trinket (CHT) or radiated trinket photographed on June 2, 2024, in the Morni hills by Gagandeep Singh. Another record of the CHT surfaced more recently from a house near the Morni Fort and this specimen was rescued by Bahadur Khan. Copper-headed trinket rescued from a Morni hills house by Bahadur Khan.

Prior to the above evidence of the species presence, there were no historical records for the CTS from Haryana and Chandigarh and none for the CHT from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The closest CHT record to the two Morni hills specimens is a solitary road-kill observation from Solan in Himachal Pradesh from 2018. From Rajasthan, I found one record from Tonk Road, Jaipur, of April 12, 2020, the Mohali-based naturalist, professor Gurpartap Singh, told this writer after undertaking a review of historical literature relating to distribution records and geographical range of the trinkets.

The records of the CHT from Morni hills and Solan indicate the north-western limits of the species known geographical distribution. The CHT is also found in other Indian states and also in South China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo, etc. It is evidently a serpent enjoying quite an international representation!

The CHT is a fast-moving serpent or a racer. Adults can attain body lengths of 230 cm, ie, over seven feet. Hunting birds and rodents, it is often found in trees and was photographed by Gagandeep Singh in the branches of a Morni hills tree. The CHT kills its prey like a python by constricting it and is found close to human habitation and around agriculture due to the prevalence of rodents. As a defensive measure, the CHT when confronted or in danger, inflates its forebody and lifts it up to appear larger than life, while simultaneously emitting warning hisses in the manner of a cobra. The CHT female lays eggs in a clutch of 5-15 eggs.

A Primula species flowering on Bhimbet LOC (Drass), above 17,000 feet. (Indian Army)

How petals brave the Drass LOC

In my column last week, I dwelt on the alpine blooms of the Drass LOC and the symbolism of life and resilience these flowers hold for our infantry soldiers and officers braving the icy, barren terrain. We know soldiers are equipped with alpine clothing, special foods and shelters but how do the flowers of super-high altitudes survive tonnes of snow falling upon heights of 17,000 ft and above? What special adaptations do the stunted flowering shrubs display to glimmer briefly from June to September?

An adaptation mechanism for a special group of plants known as chamaephytes helps them to survive. These are low-growing shrubby plants with buds above ground and protected by the snow cover. When the snow melts, the buds simply grow up to produce leaves and flowers. Since the growing season is short, this adaptation helps plants to flower fast and complete their life cycle. In temperate climates, perennial plants usually have buds hidden at ground level (hemicryptophytes) or buried bulbs, corms, rhizomes, etc, (cryptophytes, geophytes), said Dr Gurcharan Singh of the renowned efloraofIndia group of botanists.

Chamaephytes are low shrubs less than 25 cm tall, with perennating buds above ground level but not higher than 25 cm, so they remain protected by snow in winter and, being very low-growing, are not damaged by winds when snows melts.

Due to security considerations, botanists are not allowed into the super-high altitudes of the LOC to undertake field research. The unique photographs of flowers from the war-torn, LOC super heights come from the army or an adventure expedition granted exceptional clearance by the ministry of defence. Botanical research by academics in the Kargil-Ladakh region is thus confined to valleys, lower mountain slopes and along road-heads. We had botanised these regions in 1970-72. We took rides in army vehicles as there was no regular transport to the remote areas. We walked long distances and took pony rides. Subsequently, we travelled in Kashmir University jeeps. As there were no digital cameras, and film cameras were a luxury, we could only collect specimens to be deposited in the university herbarium. We explored Kargil and its surroundings, and the Suru valley, extensively for botanical diversity in 1970-72, Singh told this writer.

vjswild2@gmail.com
In a dramatic move, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that he would step down from the position of the chief minister on September 17 and the legislative party of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would meet in a couple of days to elect the new chief minister. Kejriwal made the announcement at the AAP headquarters near Mandi House on Sunday while addressing party workers, two days after coming out of jail following the grant of bail by the Supreme Court in the 2021-22 excise policy case. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (File Photo)

Kejriwal, who spent six months in jail in connection with allegations of irregularities in excise policy, said he would accept the chief ministers post only if people certify his honesty in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. We will go to the court of people to prove our innocence, Kejriwal said, demanding that Delhi assembly election be held in November, months ahead of its tentative schedule in February 2025.

Kejriwal ruled out Manish Sisodia as his successor. I was talking to Manish, and he said that he would only take up the position if the public says he is honest. The decision regarding me and Sisodia is in your hands, Kejriwal said. Manish Sisodia spent 17 months in jail in connection with corruption allegations in excise case.

Kejriwal was first sworn in as the chief minister of Delhi in 2013, but he resigned in 49 days over his inability to mobilise support for the AAP government-proposed anti-corruption legislation. In 2015, Kejriwal took oath as CM for the second time when AAP won 67 out of 70 seats. He took over as the CM for the third time in February 2020 when AAP won 62 out of the 70 seats.

Kejriwal said: My heart says that I should not sit on the CMs chair unless court declares us innocent. This case (excise policy) will go on for many many years. Now I am in the court of people....After two more days, I will resign from the post of CM. I will not sit on this chair unless people deliver their verdict. Your every vote will be my certificate of honesty. Delhi will see elections in the next few months. Dont vote for me if you think I am not honest.

The Supreme Court on Friday granted Kejriwal bail in the CBI case but set certain conditions  the CM cannot leave the country, he cannot visit his office or the Delhi secretariat, and he is not at liberty to sign any official files, unless required and necessary for obtaining clearance or approval of the lieutenant governor. Additionally, Kejriwal is barred from making public statements about his alleged role in the case and is ordered to remain present at all trial hearings, unless granted exemption.

Kejriwal said the case is fake and was fabricated to crush AAP.

Immediately after Kejriwals announcement, speculations are rife on who will be the next chief minister.

Among the ministers, Atishi handles most of the departments in Delhi government as minister, and days before the Independence Day functions, Kejriwal had recommended Atishi for hoisting the national flag on August 15. AAP officials said either an MLA or a minister is likely to be the next CM of Delhi [as soon as CM resigns the Delhi Cabinet will be dissolved]. A final decision will be taken in the legislative party meeting of the AAP. AAP has 61 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi assembly.

Kejriwal said: They are accusing me of being a thief and corrupt person. I had not joined politics to seek wealth or power. I wanted to do something for my country....This will be my agnipariksha.

Kejriwal said that the legislative group of AAP MLAs will meet in next few days to elect a new chief minister.

Delhi chief minister said that the opposition is saying that Kejriwal will not be able to work because Supreme Court has imposed some bail conditions. These conditions create no problems. They have brought laws after laws to deprive me of power, but I did not let the governments work stop. My only condition is my honesty. If you think I am honest, vote for me.

Seeking early elections in November, Kejriwal said that elections should be held along with Maharashtra. Till the elections are held, someone else from AAP will be CM. In next few days, the AAP MLAs will meet and finalise next CM. Manish Sisodia has also said that he will be deputy CM and education minister after people of Delhi certify him to be honest. Now our future is in our hands.

BJP leader and south Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said Kejriwal should have resigned when he was arrested by the ED in March but finally his decision to resign is a welcome step. The people of Delhi will defeat the AAP in the assembly election. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election Arvind Kejriwal went to the people and asked them to vote for the AAP-Congress if they think Kejriwal is honest and vote for the BJP if they think otherwise. The people defeated AAP-Congress on all seven Lok Sabha seats. Now, AAP will get defeated in the assembly election because in the last 10 years, the AAP government did nothing but indulge in corruption and mislead the people, said Bidhuri.

AAP leaders are expected to gather at CM residence on Sunday evening to discuss the unfolding political situation in the national capital with Kejriwal.

Harish Khurana, secretary and spokesperson of the Delhi BJP raised questions about the two days of delay in handing over the resignation. He argued that the conditions imposed in the bail have made sure that Kejriwal has to resign. Why has he sought two more day? Why is he not resigning today? They want to create drama and may later argue that people and workers dont want him to resign...People of Delhi are angry. Kejriwal should have resigned when he was in jail.

He added: There is a Supreme Court order that he cannot go to secretariat or sign any files. I believe the Supreme Court order made sure that he has to resign. The only question is why he is not resigning immediately.

Delhi BJP vice president Kapil Mishra said that the announcement of resignation is a victory of people of Delhi. He was not willing to resign from the post even while being lodged in jail. They want to go to court of people, but people have voted on these very issues in the Lok Sabha elections. Instead of electing a new chief minister, they should dissolve the assembly.
New Delhi, To combat rising crime rates and ensure the safety of passengers travelling in the Delhi Metro, the city police has implemented a new security strategy under which they will deploy officers in plain clothes at vulnerable metro stations during peak hours. HT Image

The step was taken after the city police conducted a 'temporal and spatial analysis' to review its security plan as the national capital has witnessed a surge in ridership in recent months, leading to a corresponding increase in crime reports, official sources from police said.

The 'temporal and spatial', are terms that refer to time and space. The data was collected from 190 metro stations to determine the time at which crime incidents remained high at stations.

By analysing data from these 190 stations, the police identified 32 metro stations susceptible to theft, harassment, and other offences.

Among these 32 metro stations were Kashmiri Gate, Rajiv Chowk, Seelampur, Anand Vihar and Kalkaji.

"Our goal is to create a safer environment for commuters," Joint Commissioner of Police Vijay Singh told PTI.

"By blending in with the crowd, our officers can more effectively deter criminal activity and respond to incidents promptly," he said, adding "you can call them like our undercover officers".

The security of the Delhi Metro is looked after by the CISF and Delhi Police.

While the CISF does frisking and checking, the city police register FIRs, conduct probes and also do patrolling inside the metro premises.

This is a separate unit of Delhi Police, with sixteen metro police stations located at the metro premises in different parts of the city. A DCP-level officer heads the unit.

JCP Singh said the enhanced security measures will include increased visibility of female officers on platforms and trains to address concerns about women's safety.

Additionally, the police will leverage technology to monitor suspicious behaviour and identify potential threats, the JCP added.

By proactively addressing these issues in the metro, the police aim to maintain the Delhi Metro's reputation as a reliable and secure public transportation system, Singh said.

According to the plan, a police officer will be deployed at the entrance while two-three, including female police staff, will keep their eye on platforms and trains during the peak hours.

Singh further said that temporal and spatial data analysis helped the police identify the vulnerable locations and points at the metro stations.

The deployment of such personnel may start from this week onwards, he added.

According to police statistics, Delhi Metro has reported 3,952 cases of thefts this year so far. Till September 8, 2023, at least 3,709 cases of thefts were reported in the metro.

The official sources said that these cases of thefts include pickpockets, missing mobile phones, purses or other valuable items of the passengers and metro staff. It also includes thefts of the metro properties.

According to an official statement of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation , the metro has recorded 13 of its highest passenger journeys in the past month, with daily commuters ranging from over 72 lakh to 78 lakh.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday trained their guns against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after he announced that he would resign as CM in two days, questioning the timing of his action and asking him to recommend the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly and face the public. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi (right) and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva (left) address a press conference at the party headquarters on Sunday. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

Why now? What is the compulsion? Is there some brawl within the party? BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi asked. We are witnessing a new low in politics, he added.

You are the first CM who the Supreme Court has condemned from going to the CM Office... The public has already shown you where you belong, he said, referring to the Aam Aadmi Partys defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

In a dramatic move on Sunday, two days after coming out of jail following the grant of bail by the Supreme Court in the 2021-22 excise policy case, Kejriwal announced that he would step down from the position of the chief minister on September 17 and the legislative party of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would meet in a couple of days to elect a new chief minister.

Trivedi said, He (Kejriwal) is the first CM to come out of jail under his own partys administration and still break a rule set by his own government, Trivedi noted, referring to fireworks display by AAP supporters despite the Delhi governments stance against it.

Trivedi further condemned Kejriwals attempts to compare himself to freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh. When Bhagat Singhs photo was hung on the wall, even his family condemned it, he remarked, adding that Kejriwal is tarnishing the image of Bhagat Singh by claiming to be his ideological successor. He also criticised AAP ministers for visiting Mahatma Gandhis samadhi on a dry day, while being implicated in the alcohol scam. You are tarnishing the image of those who sacrificed for the country, like Bhagat Singh, Trivedi said.

BJP Delhi state president Virendra Sachdeva accused Kejriwal of misleading the public with false promises and corruption. Your corruption spoiled Delhi, he said, outlining a litany of alleged failures: the deaths of 40-45 children due to sewage mismanagement, the addition of a 45% surcharge to electricity bills, water shortages despite promises of free water, and the sharp increase in the number of private water tankers from 1,200 to 3,000 under Kejriwals watch.

Sachdeva alleged that instead of eliminating the tanker mafia, Kejriwal encouraged it. He also pointed out the alleged collapse of Delhis health services, where over 50% of government ICU centres are non-functional and appointments are delayed by years. Tests are conducted 18,000 times on a single phone number just to collect commissions, he said. He said that fake medicines were being distributed in Delhi government hospitals.

Sachdeva accused Kejriwals ministers of turning the education sector into a business connected to the alcohol industry. Your minister ran the education business with alcohol, he said, pointing to alleged failures in the so-called education revolution.

If you didnt do a scam in the alcohol policy, why was it canceled the moment the investigation started? Sachdeva asked and also accused Kejriwal of opening liquor shops near temples, mosques, and gurudwaras.

Sachdeva criticised Kejriwals treatment of Delhis public services, alleging that the citys infrastructure has deteriorated under his leadership. Look at the condition of Delhi roads, he said.

Sachdeva also accused Kejriwal of taking bribes to halt the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) project and said there was a scam related to the panic button for womens safety.

He also accused Kejriwal of receiving preferential treatment in jail. You were getting food from home in jail, he said, contrasting this with the harsh conditions faced by others in similar circumstances. He also condemned Kejriwal for ill-treating a female MP at his residence, an incident that Sachdeva claimed has left a permanent stain on his image.

Earlier, Kejriwal said he would accept the chief ministers post only if people certify his honesty in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. We will go to the court of people to prove our innocence, he said, demanding that Delhi assembly election be held in November, months ahead of its tentative schedule in February 2025.
The environment ministry has created health cards for 56 water bodies in Delhi, carried out ground truthing of 36 wetlands, and appointed 19 wetland mitras, the National Wetlands Authority of India has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT), adding that these steps in Delhi are part of efforts to protect water bodies across the country. Satpula Lake in Khirki Extension in south Delhi on September 1. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Health cards are a tool to assess water bodies on nine indicators across four categories  area, hydrology, biodiversity, and governance. Ground truthing means checking how a water body actually is on ground as compared to how it appears in imagery. Wetland mitras are volunteers that protect water bodies and help the government in their rejuvenation.

According to the information available, in Delhi, ground truthing of 36 wetlands has been done, health cards of 56 wetlands have been prepared and 19 wetlands mitras have been registered, the national body said in a report dated September 12, adding that it will continue these efforts.

It was responding to NGT after the latter sought details from both the authority and Delhis State Wetland Authority on the measures being taken to protect water bodies in the Capital. NGT had in April taken cognizance of a news report which said water bodies in Delhi were gradually disappearing due to encroachment.

The national bodys report said that the environment ministry had launched the Sahbhagita Mission in 2022 to raise awareness about protection of water bodies in the country. The mission calls for stakeholder participation to protect and rejuvenate water bodies in each state. In the same year, the Save Wetlands Campaign was also launched, it said, to protect wetlands by appointing wetland mitras.

Under this, more than 2 million people have been sensitised across the country, approximately, ground truthing of around 80,000 wetlands has been done, health cards for more than 6,200 wetlands have been prepared and more than 18,000 wetland mitras have been registered, said the report, adding that this includes the steps taken in Delhi. The environment ministry has also created a health card dashboard for water bodies across the country, it said.

A Delhi State Wetland Authority official said TO HT/NGT? that the Delhi government is also doing its own assessment of water bodies. Of Delhis 1,367 water bodies that exist on paper and satellite data, a physical on-ground assessment is complete for 1,291 water bodies. Of these, only 656 water bodies were found on the ground, with the remaining 635 missing and likely encroached upon.

Soon, we also plan to create health cards, similar to the ministrys cards. This will allow us to assess which water body is showing an improvement over time and which water body has deteriorated in comparison to earlier, the Delhi authority official said on condition of anonymity.
Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, the local Tala police stations officer-in-charge, are suspected to be part of a conspiracy hatched to destroy evidence in the August 9 rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor inside the institution, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a Kolkata court on Sunday, lawyers present at the hearing said. Former principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital Sandip Ghosh being taken to Alipur CBI Court in Kolkata on September 3. (Samir Jana/HT Photo)

Ghosh, who was already in judicial custody following his arrest on September 2 in a parallel CBI probe into financial corruption at the hospital, and Mondal, who was questioned several times by the agency since August 13, were arrested on Saturday in the rape and murder case.

They have been charged with tampering evidence, delay in filing the first information report (FIR) and misleading investigators during interrogation.

The Shealdah court remanded them in CBI custody for three days on Sunday afternoon after our lawyers said they need to be interrogated, a CBI official said on condition of anonymity.

Lawyers present at the hearing said CBI told the Shealdah additional chief judicial magistrates court that Mondal filed the FIR on the night of April 9 although the Tala police station was informed about the incident by the hospital staff at 10am. Police reached the crime scene an hour after getting the information, the court was told.

The CBIs lawyers also told the court that the initial general diary (GD) entry at the Tala police station said a junior doctor had been found in an unconscious condition although the hospitals senior doctors, including Sandip Ghosh, present at the crime scene at that time already knew that the victim was dead.

Three people have so far been arrested in the 31-year-old trainee doctors grisly murder which has triggered agitations across Bengal.

On August 10, the Kolkata Police arrested Sanjay Roy, one of its own civic volunteers, as the prime suspect. The Calcutta high court directed CBI on August 13 to take over the case from the city police. Roy was transferred to the custody of the CBI and subsequently he was made to take a polygraph test alongside Sandip Ghosh and five other RG Kar Hospital officials and doctors.

Although the Kolkata Police claimed that Roy made a confession, he later told the ACJM court that he was framed. Roy even refused to take a narco-analysis test.

Protests against the crime have intensified across West Bengal over the last 34 days. While the hearing at the Shealdah court was on, alumni from several schools, the agitating junior doctors from State-run hospitals, women having children and nurses took out separate rallies in Kolkata braving incessant rain. Similar rallies were held in several districts.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mounted pressure on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) saying the arrests of Ghosh and Mondal mark only the beginning.

More people will be arrested and the real conspirators will be exposed. Nobody believes that a medical college principal and a police inspector could have planned a crime of this nature, Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said.

The state government, too, wants the culprits arrested. Kolkata police made the first arrest. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was the first to demand death sentence for the criminals, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.
When asked to name their top three priorities if elected, Sen. Tim Kaine said there were so many big ones, he had to list four  the economy, reproductive freedom, lowering health care costs and immigration reform  while his opponent, retired Navy Capt. Hung Cao, narrowed his choices to one urgent matter.

Secure the border, secure the border and secure the border, Cao wrote in an email. Everything flows from there.

Kaine, a Democrat whos finishing his 12th year in Congress, recently stopped by the Free LanceStar newsroom as part of his visit to Virginia newspapers. He discussed a wide range of topics: transportation in the region, his ability to speak fluent Spanish as a former missionary to Honduras and more.

Being able to talk without an interpreter to most South American leaders opens up discussions that wouldnt happen otherwise, he said. Kaine is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and heads its subcommittee on the western hemisphere.

When youre able to [talk] in real time in Spanish, you get the real deal and thats been really fun, Kaine said. And 10% of Virginians are Latinos and have connections in the Americas, and its fun to be able to do that for them.

Cao also was invited to visit the newspaper, but his campaign requested questions by email. A Republican who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump in May, Cao is running for office for the second time.

In 2022, he was defeated by Rep. Jennifer Wexton for the 10th Congressional District seat. Much of his platform focuses on the need to stop people who come to the country illegally. He came to the United States as a refugee in 1975 when his family fled Vietnam.

As an immigrant to this country, let me be the first to say: dont ask for the American dream if you are not willing to obey the American laws, he said in his email. I did. I love this country so much that I wrote a blank check up to and including my life with my 25 years of service in the United States Navy.

Local transportation

This year, Kaine celebrated his 30th year as an elected official. His career began as a member of the Richmond City Council in 1994, included service as mayor of Richmond, then he became governor of Virginia in 2002. He was elected to the Senate in 2012 and serves on numerous committees dealing with armed services, the budget, foreign relations, health, education, labor and pensions.

Cao was among the first graduating class of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, then was commissioned as a special operations officer after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. He served with special operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, and his noncombat assignments included balancing the Navys $140 billion budget at the Pentagon, working with Homeland Security and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Cao lives in Purcellville in Loudoun County. The many small towns and communities across the state, and nation, are one of the things that make America great, and Virginia in particular. He doesnt want to see them hollowed out as big cities and suburbs absorb all the wealth and human capital we create.

Kaine lives in Richmond and drives from one capital to the other 36 weeks of the year when the Senate is in session. Hes been stuck in a few traffic jams on Interstate 95, including during the January 2022 snowstorm that crippled the region and turned the highway into an icy parking lot. He was in his car for almost 27 hours.

He said Virginias Commonwealth Transportation Board determines how federal funding will be spent, but noted the Senates 2021 infrastructure bill is putting a lot more money into Virginia for roads and bridges. One local example he cited was the August 2023 opening of additional express lanes on I-95 north of Stafford County.

When asked how the areas infrastructure can keep up with population growth, Cao said he is concerned about developers threatening our way of life as Virginians and possible impacts to the states natural beauty, history and hallowed ground. He said local leaders must ensure that growth doesnt outpace infrastructure and that state taxpayers alone dont have to pay for roads and bridges solely for the benefit of out-of-state developers who have decided to convert Virginia farmland into townhomes or data centers.

Data centers

On the topic of data centers, Virginia has become the largest data center market in the world, Julia Bolthouse, land-use director for the Piedmont Environmental Society, said last week at a town hall in Stafford County.

Cao said hes seen the explosion in his home county. He cited the noise and visual disruption to neighbors and significant burden the centers place on the electric grid.

Hes a strong advocate of nuclear power, which he said the Navy has used safely for more than 75 years. Hed like to see small modular reactors integrated into data centers because the concrete structures provide adequate shielding while producing clean and cost effective energy.

At the same town hall last week, Daren Shumate, an engineer whos worked on data centers for 20 years, said everybody dreams of the on-site nukes  but theyre way far off. He added that hed like them in your backyard, not mine.

Kaine said he believes its good for Virginia that we are strong in the data center game. The centers dont produce a lot of traffic and they do provide a lot of local tax revenue, but then they end up being a huge drain on electricity.

As much as he didnt like his power being taken away by the feds or the state when he was a local official, Kaine wonders if there should be state and federal oversight. He doesnt have a recommendation for what should be done on the federal level but knows it will be a hot-button issue for local elections.

Southern border

Cao makes it clear that his top priority as a senator would be closing the southern border and sending the criminals, gang members and thugs who should have never been here back where they came from. Doing so also would shut down the flow of fentanyl and other drugs that pour into communities and lower the quality of life, he said.

Kaine listed immigration reform as his fourth priority, saying there hasnt been comprehensive reform since 1986. Reform is often mentioned as the top need among industry groups he meets with, a list that includes contractors and farmers as well as health care and hospitality workers. They want reform that focuses on work visas, which would in turn beef up the workforce, Kaine said.

I think what we do is figure out a strategy to maybe allow more work visas, those could be work for six months and go home for six months, and if youve done that and paid your taxes and followed the law, you could come for six months the following year, he said.

Workforce shortage

Kaine said that one of his biggest concerns about the economy is solving the workforce shortage. He believes immigration reform is part of the answer along with better skills training and making sure families have access to affordable and quality child care.

In the shipyard, when I came to the Armed Forces Committee in 2013, they were like, Get us more work. We dont want to lay people off, Kaine said. Now theyre like, Youre giving us too much work. We cant keep up with the hiring.

Cao said the nation needs to incentivize blue-collar workers because the college affordability crisis is completely out of control. He favors apprenticeship programs and vocational education to prepare young people and those returning to the workforce later in life for good-paying, stable jobs.

Kaine has a bill that would allow Pell Grants, federal funds that dont have to be repaid, to be used for career and technical education programs, not just college.

Why wouldnt we want to help you afford the program when our hospitals are crying out to hire more health care workers? Kaine asked.

Cao reiterated, once more, the need to keep out undocumented immigrants and invest money thats spent on them in other areas.

The American people are hurting, he said. The money we give [to those who immigrated illegally] is spent on housing and food just like anyone else, which only drives up the prices on those things for American citizens.
A suspected cadre of Manipur based militant group United Kuki National Army (UKNA), who was hiding in Assams Guwahati, has been arrested, according to the police. Police said the suspected militant has been identified as LS Yosef Chongloi, 34, of Manipurs Churachandpur district. (Representational image)

Police said that the person, identified as LS Yosef Chongloi (34) of Manipurs Churachandpur district, had been found involved in various sabotage activities in his state and in the bordering areas of Assam.

The inspector general (IG) of Assam Polices Special Task Force (STF), Partha Sarathi Mahanta, said that they conducted an operation based on specific information and arrested the suspected militant on Friday evening.

Based on secret information, a search operation was carried out in Beltola area under Basistha Police Station of Guwahati on Friday evening and our team successfully apprehended one person from Manipur, Mahanta said.

According to Mahanta, LS Yosef Chongloi is a self-styled finance secretary of militant group UKNA who is suspected of being involved in illegal activities covering Manipur and bordering areas of Assam.

He was found to be involved in recent activities including a bomb blast that destroyed Sapermaina bridge at NH-2 and the armed attack at an IOCL convoy at Tamenglang in Manipur, he said.

Police said that they have registered a case (STF PS Case No. 15/2024) against LS Yosef Chongloi under section 147/148/149/150 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and section 16/17/18/20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the investigation is ongoing.
The Manipur Police have warned that it would take necessary anti-riot actions if protesters continue attacking security forces with lethal weapons, including firearms. Senior police officers inspecting bullet marks on a police vehicle allegedly fired by armed miscreants among protestors.

The caution was issued on Sunday in response to a protest at Kakwa, which escalated into violence on Saturday. The police noted that bulletproof vehicles belonging to the superintendents of police (SPs) of Imphal West and East were damaged by bullets, allegedly fired by protestors.

Tension escalated among protestors after a 34-year-old woman, who suffered asphyxiation from tear gas shells fired by the police during a protest in Imphal earlier in the week, suffered a miscarriage on Saturday.

Deputy inspector general of police, Range I, N. Herojit, told the media on Sunday that during efforts to control an irate mob in the Kakwa area, armed miscreants allegedly attacked police with firearms and tear gas shells around 11.30pm on Saturday. The miscreants even fired in burst mode at the bulletproof vehicle of the SP, Imphal East, he said.

It is unfortunate that, unlike earlier protests, the police are now facing protestors retaliating with lethal weapons, including petrol bombs, sharp iron pieces launched from slingshots, and automatic firearms, said Herojit.

Earlier, during the intervening night of September 6 and 7, the officer-in-charge of the Imphal East commando unit, along with another personnel, sustained bullet injuries, allegedly fired by protestors in Khabeisoi, Imphal East. This occurred while they were controlling a mob attempting to storm the 7th Manipur Rifles in an effort to loot firearms from the armoury.

Herojit emphasised that the Manipur Police used minimal force when controlling the mob, keeping public safety in mind. He urged the public to conduct protests in a democratic manner, without damaging public property.

Police are not the enemy; they are also sons of the soil. Armed miscreants blending in with protestors and targeting the police intentionally must be stopped. Dont force the police to take extreme action while controlling a mob, Herojit stated.

He also appealed to individuals not to share live videos of protests, which could instigate further violence.

Since September 10, the Manipur Government has banned mobile data and internet services as a precautionary measure to control escalating violence in the Imphal area.

SP Imphal West, Ksh Shivakanta, reported that during the Kakwa protest on Saturday night, his bulletproof vehicle was struck by more than 15 bullets, allegedly fired by protestors. He also mentioned that a video circulating on social media showed tear gas shells being fired at police, reportedly from within the crowd of protestors. There were also reports of armed miscreants threatening residents to open their gates to provide hiding places if the police began stringent action against the protestors.

Shivakanta urged the public to avoid violent protests, especially during night time, and to refrain from engaging in such activities under the influence of intoxicants.

SP Imphal East, K Meghachandra, stated that the police have repeatedly faced situations where armed miscreants, using innocent protestors as human shields, attacked the police with lethal weapons.

He warned the miscreants to stop using innocent civilians as shields, as serious repercussions could result. He also stated that the public would be solely responsible if severe consequences arise from such protests.
Gurugram, Haryana Police has launched an initiative under its Emergency Response Support System, allowing women travelling alone to be in touch with them in real time in a bid to ensure their safety, especially at night. HT Image

Women can now dial '112' and share their live location on Whatsapp with the police control room to avail the service, a senior police officer said.

They will also have the option to stay on a call with cops until they reach their destination, the officer said.

To register, women can call '112' and share their travel details, including name, mobile number, departure and arrival locations and expected travel times. The Haryana dial '112' team will then track the woman's location and stay in contact with her until she reaches her destination, he said.

The system is also connected to existing emergency response systems, including police, fire and health departments, which allows it to track the location of all services in real time and direct the nearest vehicle to the person in need, police said.

Additionally, users can activate a panic call by pressing the power button on their phone three times quickly or long-press '5' or '9' key on a feature phone.

They can also email an SOS alert to the State Emergency Response Centre or use the 112 India Mobile App, the officer said.

Haryana Director General of Police, Shatrujeet Kapur recently held a review meeting with senior police officials in Chandigarh to enhance women's safety system.

Kaur also released a video message, especially for the working women, talking about the new services in the system.

The meeting focused on the trip-monitoring service, creation of databases for auto-rickshaws and working women as well as the operational review of Haryana '112'.

Since introducing the 'Dial 112' project in July 2021, the average response time has reduced from 16 minutes and 14 seconds to 7 minutes, the officer said, adding that police teams now reach out to distress callers faster.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Komal Panda, an Odisha-based inventor, has been announced the national winner of India for the James Dyson Award 2024 for her innovation, Novocarry, designed for diabetic patients. Invented by Komal Panda, Novocarry is a portable cooling carrier that helps in keeping insulin and other liquid medication under desired temperatures.

The Novocarry is a portable cooling carrier that helps in keeping insulin and other liquid medication under desired temperatures, particularly during long-distance travel hours and even in areas with limited electricity.

Also read: Asian Development Bank advises Pakistan to adopt Indian plan to fix its dysfunctional education system

The device has been selected for the award amongst a plethora of other inventions across the nation. As per a press release, the Komal will receive a prize money of approximately 5 Lakhs (5,000) for her invention.

Nathan Lawson McLean, the senior design manager at Dyson said that he was impressed by the entries from India this year, including remarkable creations like Novocarry by Komal Panda.

McLean said the inventions were a testament to the bright future of design engineering in India and a reminder of the impact that passionate, inventive minds can have on our world.

Also read: AIAPGET Counselling 2024: AACCC PG Round 1 registration ends tomorrow at aaccc.gov.in, link here

Having received the James Dyson Award 2024, Komal expressed her happiness and shared that she was inspired to create Novocarry after witnessing her father's daily struggle to store and transport insulin due to the lack of refrigeration at his office.

My goal was to design a solution that would promote independence and peace of mind for individuals who rely on medications that require refrigeration, said Komal.

Komal added that the recognition validates her design process and provides Novocarry with a global platform.

Sagnik Dey, Institute Chair Professor at Centre for Atmospheric Sciences in IIT Delhi, said that judging the 2024 edition of James Dyson Award entries was both inspiring and challenging.

He said, Each submission showcased innovative and a deep commitment to addressing real-world issues. The level of dedication from these young minds reaffirms the critical role that fresh perspectives and bold ideas play in advancing technology and improving lives.

Also read: EXIM Bank Management Trainee Recruitment 2024: Registration for 50 posts begins on September 18 at eximbankindia.in

Meanwhile, in addition to the national winner, James Dyson Award named Krea Limb and HydroChurn as the first and second runners-up respectively for India. The top three entries will represent India in the international round, and the final winners will be selected by James Dyson himself, the release added.
New Delhi, Days after she refused to click a selfie with a fan in London, actor Raveena Tandon has made a promise to her admirer to meet him and take a picture together. Raveena Tandon apologises to fan for refusing to click a selfie in London: I panicked

On Friday, the "Patna Shukla" star had shared a lengthy post on X describing how she "panicked" fearing for her life in the UK when a few men approached her when she was walking around alone.

An apologetic Tandon then clarified that she didn't intend to offend anyone.

On Saturday, a man claiming to be the fan from the incident reached out to her via social media.

"Yes Bhavin, am glad I found you ! Bro. Im really sorry for that day. I panicked . Thank you for getting in touch with reema, will surely meet you here in london and take a picture together too.. " the actor wrote on X, with the fan asking her to not apologise as he understood her point of view.

In her note, Tandon had said when a few men came up to her in London asking her if she was Raveena Tandon the actor, she walked away as she had heard "not such great things about the crime situation here".

"... and my first instinct was to say no and walk away even faster as I was alone , they just wanted a picture I guess, and I most of the time oblige , but after the incident that happened in bandra a few months ago, has left me a bit nervous and traumatised, so when Im with people I am ok , but alone I still get a bit nervous these days " she wrote, referring to the June incident when she and her driver were allegedly attacked by a mob in Mumbai's Bandra suburb amid claims of rash driving.

The 49-year-old actor said she felt bad after the London incident and apologised to them through social media.

".... would want to apologise to them through this medium if they are reading, that it was not my intention to offend. Im really sorry. Hope I can meet you again and click a picture with you maybe . I try my best to be accessible and normal , but I fail at times . So sorry guys . I hope you are reading this and know that, I shouldnt have panicked " she said.

Tandon will next be seen in "Welcome To The Jungle", directed by Ahmed Khan.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
By Lisa Richwine and Danielle Broadway Emmys return with 'Shogun' and 'The Bear' leading the pack

LOS ANGELES, Sept 15 - Hollywood will dole out the annual Emmy Awards, the highest honors in television, on Sunday at a red-carpet ceremony where historical drama "Shogun" and restaurant tale "The Bear" are poised to dominate the night.

"Shogun," a lavish epic about a power struggle in 17th-century Japan, is the frontrunner to take the night's top trophy for best drama series, according to awards pundits. Reigning best comedy champion "The Bear" is expected to claim that prize again.

Both shows debuted on the FX cable network and stream on Hulu, setting up a big night for owner Walt Disney and its TV chief Dana Walden.

Sunday's ceremony will take place just eight months after the last Emmys, which aired in an unusual January slot because of disruptions caused by Hollywood labor strikes.

Back on a September schedule, the show will air live from downtown Los Angeles on Disney's ABC starting at 5 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday .

"Schitt's Creek" father/son duo Eugene and Dan Levy will host the festivities. Producers have promised cast reunions from shows past, such as "Happy Days," and other moments to celebrate the history of television.

Olympic gold medalist swimmer Caeleb Dressel and bronze medalist rugby player Ilona Maher also are scheduled to appear.

Ahead of the ceremony, "Shogun" has already set records. It won 14 trophies - the most ever for one season of a drama series - at last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys, where awards were given for guest actors and crafts such as cinematography.

The expensive series was no sure thing. It had been in development for years before it came together with elaborate sets, makeup and costumes and storytelling that impressed critics with its attention to detail.

"That's part of the Cinderella story of this series," said Clayton Davis, awards editor at Hollywood publication Variety.

Competitors for best drama include British royal family saga "The Crown" and spy thriller "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" from Amazon's Prime Video.

"The Bear" also performed well at the Creative Arts Emmys, earning seven awards. The show is competing with its second season, which featured a widely praised episode about a disastrous family holiday gathering.

HBO's "Hacks," about a 70-something comedienne and a millennial writer, could play the role of spoiler in the comedy category. Due to the timing of their seasons, the shows have never competed head-to-head at the Emmys.

Limited series looks like a lock for "Baby Reindeer," awards watchers said. The Netflix series tells the tale of a bartender stalked and harassed by a customer.

Scottish comedian and star Richard Gadd has said the Netflix show is based on his real-life story, although a defamation lawsuit argues the stalker's behavior is exaggerated.

Rivals for limited series include Netflix's psychological thriller "Ripley," FX's "Fargo" and HBO's "True Detective: Night Country," starring lead actress nominee Jodie Foster.

Winners are chosen by the nearly 22,000 performers, directors, producers and other members of Hollywood's Television Academy.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber are celebrating a significant milestone in their lives, marking their sixth wedding anniversary just weeks after welcoming their first child. (Also Read | Justin Bieber on 'diaper duty with wife Hailey: He is facetiming everyone bragging about his baby boy) Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber got married on September 14, 2018.(Instagram)

The couple's anniversary on September 14 was particularly special, as it was their first since becoming parents to their newborn son, Jack Blues Bieber.

In a heartfelt tribute to their relationship and recent life changes, Hailey Bieber, 27, shared a series of romantic photographs on her Instagram Stories.

The images featured gold balloons emblazoned with "Love you," pink candles nestled among a bed of flowers, and a softly blurred photo of Hailey and Justin sharing a kiss. The caption read simply, "6 years," accompanied by a white heart and engagement ring emoji. Hailey added, "Love you baby" to express her affection.

The couple's journey began with a surprise engagement during a trip to the Bahamas in July 2018, followed by a courthouse wedding in New York City on September 14, 2018.

They celebrated again in a larger ceremony in South Carolina with family and friends a year later. This year, they renewed their vows in a private ceremony in Hawaii, which also served as an announcement of Hailey's pregnancy.

Justin Bieber, 30, and Hailey announced the arrival of their son, Jack Blues Bieber, with a touching Instagram post on August 23, featuring a close-up of Hailey holding their baby's tiny foot.

Justin captioned the post, "WELCOME HOME," a sentiment echoed by his mother, Pattie Mallette, who wrote on Instagram Stories, "Oh my heart. Welcome baby Jack!! I love you so much! Thank you Lord. What a miracle!"

Pattie also celebrated the news with a tweet, "CONGRATULATIONS @justinbieber & Hailey. I LOVE YOU FOREVER BABY JACK!!" Justin's father, Jeremy Jack Bieber, expressed his joy with a simple but poignant "Papa" on X (formerly Twitter).

Hailey's father, Stephen Baldwin, also offered his congratulations, stating, "Amen. Congratulations to you, and may God continue to bless our family."

The name Jack Blues Bieber appears to be a nod to Justin's father, reflecting a personal tribute within their growing family, according to E! news.
London, British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suris female-centric thriller "Santosh" is in the running for the First Film Competition Sutherland Award at this years BFI London Film Festival , which includes several new Indian entries as well as Shyam Benegals classic "Manthan". Sandhya Suris Santosh in London Film Festivals competition strand

The Sutherland Award recognises the most original and imaginative directorial debut and "Santosh", starring Shahana Goswami, will be competing alongside other international features at LFF, which runs from October 9-20.

Sandhya Suris deft thriller is a complex character study of a female cop whose moral conflict lays bare the oppression perpetuated in the name of caste, reads the LFF programme.

In July, "Santosh" won Suri the best first feature film award at the Jerusalem Film Festival 2024.

Payal Kapadias Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winner "All We Imagine as Light" and Reema Kagtis "Superboys of Malegoan" are among the other Indian entries at the annual film festival showcasing over 250 features, shorts, series and immersive works from 79 countries.

The real joy of LFF for me is seeing the hard work of so many talented filmmakers come to life and given the prominence and noise that they deserve, said Ben Roberts, chief executive of the British Film Institute .

While in "Superboys of Malegaon" which had its world premiere on Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival Kagti chronicles the "heart-warming" true story of Nasir Shaikh as he crowdsources a wave of ingenious spoof films that become a national phenomenon, "All We Imagine as Light" depicts a "profound and deeply humanist meditation" on urban migration and dislocation.

"Sister Midnight", a genre-bending comedy by Indian director Karan Kandhari, and Indian American true to life tale "A Nice Indian Boy" by filmmaker Roshan Sethi make up the other Indian themes for the 2024 line-up across different film festival strands.

Cinematic ideas materialise in many forms, and this year artists have taken us to some giddy highs and poked at our tender underbellies. Troubled histories linger close to the surface alongside optimistic futures, all explored in unique and creative ways, said Kristy Matheson, director of BFI London Film Festival.

Restored by the Film Heritage Foundation, "Manthan" revisits the Shyam Benegal directed 1976 film famously funded by 500,000 farmers in rural Gujarat.

Based on the true story of the worlds biggest dairy development programme, this is an extraordinary portrait of social change and the power of cinema itself, reads the LFF programme about the film whose 4K restored version was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Now in its 68th year, the BFI London Film Festival will open with the premiere of British filmmaker Steve McQueens Second World War epic "Blitz" on October 9 and close with American filmmaker Morgan Nevilles Lego animation "Piece by Piece" on October 20.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards take place in India early Monday morning, celebrating the best in Television. Shogun, The Bear, Only Murders in the Building, and The Morning Show have all received a ton of nominations. Its time to predict whether your favourite show is going to take home a trophy. (Also Read  Best of the Emmy Nominees: Reservation Dogs and Ripley are just as good as Shogun, The Crown but not as widely watched) Emmy Award Predictions: Who will win? Who should win?

Its important to note that unlike most other awards, the Emmys dont follow the calendar year; they have their own nomination window that runs from June to May each year, which means that some of the shows have had a whole new season since then. For example, all the nominations for The Bear are for its outstanding second season, not the meandering third season that came out a couple of months ago.

Here are our predictions for the top awards of the night:

Best Drama Series

The Crown

Fallout

The Gilded Age

The Morning Show

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Shogun

Slow Horses

3 Body Problem

Will Win: This adaptation of James Clavells novel was nearly a decade in the making. Shogun told the story of feudal Japan and its power struggles seen through the eyes of an English captain. The show was an epic exciting adventure that kept viewers hooked from premiere to finale.



Anna Sawai as Lady Mariko in Shogun.(Instagram)

Best Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary

The Bear

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Hacks

Only Murders in the Building

Palm Royale

Reservation Dogs

What We Do in the Shadows

Will Win: The Bear had a crackling second season, with all the characters coming into their own. The one-two punch of Fishes and Forks was the show at its finest. But the question still remains is The Bear even a comedy? Should this be competing in the Drama category?

Should Win: Hacks and Only Murders in the Building have consistently been the funniest shows on TV in the last couple of years, and a win for either would not surprise. Its also the only chance for Emmy voters to recognise Reservation Dogs, but shows like these are always underappreciated and its a pleasant surprise that it even got nominated.

Jeremy Allen White in The Bear

Best Limited or Anthology Series

Baby Reindeer

Fargo

Lessons in Chemistry

Ripley

True Detective: Night Country

Will Win: Ripleys TV adaptation was slow, methodical, filled with tension, and extremely compelling - much like the man himself. The show made a lot of big decisions - black-and-white, Andrew Scott (who is way too old to play Ripley), but every choice worked perfectly. On the other hand, dont count out Richard Gadds shocking Baby Reindeer.

Ripley is based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr. Ripley

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Idris Elba (Hijack)

Donald Glover (Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Walton Goggins (Fallout)

Gary Oldman (Slow Horses)

Hiroyuki Sanada (Shogun)

Dominic West (The Crown)

Will Win: Its a weak field this year, but the award should go to Hiroyuki Sanada for his regal performance as Toranaga the man who claims he doesnt want to be Shogun. Sanadas skill at playing inscrutable for other characters in the show while also letting the audience in on every choice is a masterclass in acting.

Hiroyuki Sanada as Toranga in Shogun

Best Actress in a Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show)

Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age)

Maya Erskine (Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Anna Sawai (Shogun)

Imelda Staunton (The Crown)

Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show)

Will Win: This is the easiest category to predict this year. Anna Sawai was a revelation as Mariko-sama, the reluctant translator in Shogun. Sawai played the conflict between loyalty and feelings perfectly and this should be the start of a long career.

Anna Sawai as Mariko-sama in Shogun

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows)

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building)

Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)

Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)

DPharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dog)

Will Win: Returning winner Jeremy Allen White is the shoo-in in this category, and one of my favourite actors this year. He is literally the best actor in this list, but not a single thing he does is funny, his Carmy is a purely dramatic role.

Should Win: Any of the three old guys - Larry David, Steve Martin, and Martin Short, would be worthy winners in this category.

Jeremy Allen White as Carmen Carmy Berzatto in The Bear.

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)

Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)

Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building)

Maya Rudolph (Loot)

Jean Smart (Hacks)

Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale)

Will Win: This is a tough category with The Bears Ayo Edebiri moving into lead after competing in the supporting category last year. Its between her and Quinta Brunson, both of whom are great in their shows.

Should Win: Selena Gomez is an underappreciated part of the Only Murders trio. With each passing season, shes held her ground against legends like Steve Martin and Martin Short, and her millennial energy is the perfect foil for their geriatric antics.

Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin in Only Murders in the Building

Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Matt Bomer (Fellow Travelers)

Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer)

Jon Hamm (Fargo)

Tom Hollander (Feud: Capote vs. the Swans)

Andrew Scott (Ripley)

Will Win: Its Ripley all the way, Andrew Scott is electrifying as the slippery Tom Ripley. His casting announcement was met with negativity because of the age difference between him and the much younger character, but Scott manages to use that incongruity to his advantage.

Andrew Scott as Ripley

Best Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country)

Brie Larson (Lessons in Chemistry)

Juno Temple (Fargo)

Sofia Vergara (Griselda)

Naomi Watts (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans)

Will Win: Its a tie between Jodie Foster, who brings a sharp edge to her fierce, dogged, and unlikeable cop in the latest instalment of the True Detective saga; and Sofia Vergaras transformation into the titular drug lord Griselda. Theyre both equally good in an overall weak year for good roles in this category.

Jodie Foster in a still from True Detective

The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards will stream in India live at 5:30 am on Monday, September 16, on Lionsgate Play.
We often hear about celebrities facing uncomfortable situations with fans, from rudeness to invasion of privacy. But the recent event involving actor Raveena Tandon in London and her fan, who wanted a photo, has shifted the gears and focused on a heart warming encounter. Raveena Tandon

On Friday, Raveena took to Instagram to share her side of the story about why she didnt take a picture with the fan. She recounts being in a hotel back alley when two men approached her, repeatedly asking, Are you Raveena? Feeling alone and uneasy, she quickened her pace, alarmed by the events in June this year, including a troubling mob incident outside her Mumbai home.

Also read: EXCLUSIVE| Raveena Tandon attacked by mob: A blow by blow account of what happened

They didnt ask for a photo; they just kept questioning if I was Raveena. With the crime rate in London and stories of people getting robbed, I was on edge. The road was empty, and if it had been busier, I might not have panicked so much. Since the Mumbai incident, Ive become more cautious around crowds, the 49-year-old actor explains to us over a phone call. She later apologised in her Instagram post and expressed her desire to meet the fans again.

This situation had a positive twist. The fan, Bhavin Patel, reached out to Raveenas manager on Instagram, understanding her perspective and reassuring her, I can fully understand that it can be scary for a woman when approached by strangers. Theres no need for an apology.

Raveena responded warmly, inviting the fans to meet her at an event she attended on Saturday evening. She shares her thoughts on fan interactions, saying, Im not rude and generally try to accommodate fan requests because we owe our success to them. However, aggressive fans are challenging. Some want to touch a celebrity to confirm theyre real, or sometimes they are overwhelmed, which I understand. Im comfortable with elderly fans having their arm around me, but not anyone else.
Former cabinet minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Anil Vij demanded on Sunday that he be made the chief minister of Haryana if his party wins the upcoming assembly elections. Former Haryana Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anil Vij.(ANI)

Notably, the six-time MLA's remarks come at a time when the party has already made it clear that Nayab Singh Saini will be the chief minister if the BJP returns to power.

Addressing reporters, Vij said that he is the senior-most MLA of the BJP in Haryana and has never asked for anything from the party.

I am the senior-most MLA of BJP in Haryana. I have contested elections for 6 times. On the demand of people, I will claim for the designation of CM on the basis of my seniority this time," Anil Vij said.

"However, it is in the hands of high command whether they will make me CM or not. If they make me the CM I will change the picture of Haryana."

Also Read | Discontent grows in Haryana BJP as party drops ministers, sitting MLAs in 2nd list for assembly poll

The BJP leader is seeking re-election from the Ambala Cantt seat and has filed nominations for the record ninth time this week.

In May this year, Vij had said that he was being sidelined and treated like a stranger within his party.

Vij, who held the home, health, AYUSH and medical education and research portfolios in former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattars cabinet, has been upset ever since the party named Nayab Singh Saini as the new CM.

Elections in Haryana



Voting for the 90 assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5. Votes will be counted on October 8.

In June, home minister Amit Shah announced in June that the BJP is capable of fighting the upcoming Haryana elections under the leadership of CM Nayab Singh Saini.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, had sought votes for Saini during his rally in Kurukshetra. The PM was all praise for Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini and the achievements of his government since he took over as CM in March.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that he will resign as the chief minister of the national capital in the next two days. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses supporters amid rainfall after walking out of the Tihar Jail in New Delhi on September 13.(PTI)

The 56-year-old politician's decision has come two days after Supreme Court granted him bail in the excise policy case. The apex court said his prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty.

The Delhi chief minister said that he would only accept the chief ministerial position if the people confirm his honesty in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections.

We will go to the court of people to prove our innocence, he said.

Here's a look at the AAP leader's political journey:

Kejriwal's political career began with his role in the India Against Corruption movement led by actvisit Anna Hazare in 2011, which aimed to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Inspired by the movement and the call for clean governance, Kejriwal founded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2012. The party contested the Delhi assembly elections in 2013 and won 28 of 70 seats, leading to Kejriwal becoming Delhi's chief minister.

However, he resigned after 49 days due to difficulties in passing the Jan Lokpal Bill. Later, AAP won a landslide victory in the 2015 elections, securing 67 of 70 seats and Kejriwal was re-elected.

He won again in 2020 and represents the New Delhi constituency.

In 2014, Kejriwal ran unsuccessfully against Narendra Modi in Varanasi. He has frequently clashed with the Modi government and Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on various issues including public appointments and jurisdictional responsibilities.

As chief minister, the AAP leader is credited with focusing on key areas such as education, healthcare, water, electricity and infrastructure. His government introduced the Mohalla Clinics initiative, providing accessible healthcare across Delhi.

Kejriwal's administration is also credited with offering free water up to 20,000 liters per month per household and subsidising electricity rates to make utilities more affordable.

Before entering politics, Kejriwal, a former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer was actively involved in advocacy for the Right to Information (RTI) movement and governance reforms. He gained prominence after receiving the Ramon Magsaysay Award for emergent leadership in 2006.
The Cyberabad police in Hyderabad registered a case against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) lawmaker Arekapudi Gandhi for allegedly trying to murder another BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy on Thursday, people aware of the matter said on Saturday. Arekapudi Gandhi, who recently joined ruling Congress in Telangana but continues to be a member of the assembly from BRS, along with others, trespassed into house of Kaushik Reddy on Thursday. (HT Photo)

A first information report (FIR) was registered at Gachibowli police station under Cyberabad police commissionerate limits against Gandhi, his son Arekapudi Pruthvi and others under Sections 109 (1) (attempt to murder), 189 (unlawful assembly), 191 (2) (rioting), 191 (3) (attacking with deadly weapon), 132 (using criminal force to prevent government servant from discharging duty), 329 (criminal trespass), 333 (house trespass after assault), 324 (4) (damage of property), 324 (5) (causing loss of more than 1 lakh) and 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita.

Gandhi, who recently joined ruling Congress in Telangana but continues to be a member of the assembly from BRS, along with others, trespassed into house of Kaushik Reddy on Thursday. This comes after a recent war of words between the two leaders over the appointment of Gandhi as the Public Accounts Committee chairman.

According to police, Gandhi stormed into the residence of Kaushik Reddy and attacked the latter with eggs, tomatoes and stones, besides vandalising the premises. The case was registered following a complaint lodged by Reddy.

The BRS took strong exception to Gandhis appointment as he had defected from the party to the Congress and as per the assembly traditions, the post should have been awarded to the opposition party.

Meanwhile, Gandhi has claimed that he is technically still a BRS member and that he has no hesitation to meet party president and former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

Earlier, on Friday, Reddy, along with other BRS leaders, including former minister T Harish Rao, announced to lay siege to Gandhis residence, but they were kept under house arrest, police said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday termed Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's announcement to step down from his post as a PR stunt. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.(AFP)

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed that Kejriwal has understood that his image among the people of Delhi is not of an honest leader.

This is a PR stunt of Arvind Kejriwal. He has understood that his image among the people of Delhi is not of an honest leader but of a corrupt leader, today Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is known across the country as a corrupt party, Bhandari told ANI.

"Under his PR stunt, he wants to restore his image...It is clear that he wants to apply the Sonia Gandhi model, where she made Manmohan Singh a dummy Prime Minister and ran the government from behind the scenes. They have understood today that the Aam Aadmi Party is losing the Delhi elections and the people of Delhi cannot vote in their name, so they want to make someone else a scapegoat..."

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that Kejriwal has no option but to resign because of the bail conditions on him by the Supreme Court.

Arvind Kejriwal has announced that he will resign after two days and become the CM again when he gets a verdict from the people... This is not a sacrifice, the Supreme Court has said in the order that he cannot go near the CM's chair and cannot sign any files. Hence, you dont have an option, you are forced to resign because of the SC order. The people gave their verdict 3 months ago when you asked 'jail or bail', you lost all 7 (Lok Sabha seats in Delhi) and were sent to jail Sirsa told ANI.

He also claimed that Kejriwal has asked for two days time to convince his party MLAs to appoint his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, as chief minister.

"Now he has asked for a two-day time because he is convincing all MLAs to make his wife the CM... He is forced to leave his chair because he is involved in the liquor scam..." Sirsa was quoted as saying by ANI.

Arvind Kejriwal to resign



Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday offered to resign as chief minister of Delhi in the next two days.

Addressing a gathering days after his release from Tihar Jail, Kejriwal demanded early elections in Delhi and vowed not to sit in the CM's chair until people gave him a "certificate of honesty."

"... I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict... I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till I get a verdict from the people..." Kejriwal said.

The chief minister said that he did not resign from his post as he wanted to protect the Constitution.

They sent me to jail because their goal was to break the AAP and the courage of Arvind Kejriwal... They thought they would break our party and form a government in Delhi after jailing me... But our party did not break... I did not resign from the jail because I wanted to protect the Constitution of India. I wanted to fail their formula... The SC asked the central government why a government cannot run from the jail... The SC proved that a government can run from jail... Kejriwal said.

After an incarceration that lasted nearly six months  barring a 21-day release for the Lok Sabha elections  Kejriwal walked out of Tihar Jail on Friday, hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

The grant of bail to Kejriwal came with the same conditions imposed by another bench of the Supreme Court in July  he cannot go to the CMs office; sign on official files or make public statements about his role in the excise case.
Chandigarh, The Punjab Police on Sunday said it has arrested the second suspect in the Chandigarh grenade blast incident. C'garh blast: Second suspect held from Delhi; US-based gangster reneges on promised rewards to duo

Vishal Masih, a resident of village Raimal in Gurdaspur's Batala, was nabbed from Delhi, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.

Investigation into the incident revealed that US-based gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia reneged on promised rewards to two suspects who allegedly carried out the blast.

Two suspects, who came in an auto-rickshaw, had carried out the grenade blast at a house in upscale Sector 10 here on September 11.

Police arrested main perpetrator Rohan Masih, involved in the blast incident, on September 13.

"Within 72 hours of the Chandigarh Grenade blast, the @PunjabPoliceInd in coordination with Central Agencies has arrested the second perpetrator of the blast," Yadav said in a post on X.

"Following leads generated through various sources, second perpetrator Vishal Masih s/o Sabi Masih resident of village Raimal near Dhyanpur PS Kotli Surat Mallian, #Batala, District #Gurdaspur has been arrested from #Delhi," he said.

Further investigations are being conducted to uncover the entire conspiracy, he further said.

DGP Yadav said the investigation revealed that Happy Passia provided the accused with explosives, weapons and logistical support through his local associates in Punjab and also arranged some financial backings for them.

After committing the crime, the duo came to Amritsar and subsequently parted their ways, he said, while adding that Vishal first went to Jammu and Kashmir and then moved to Delhi, where police teams apprehended him.

"The probe also revealed that Happy Passia initially provided funds to entice the individuals involved, with the promise of a substantial payment upon the successful execution of the criminal plan.

"After completing the task, both the accused persons contacted Happy Passia for promised rewards, only to be met with initial evasion and eventual radio silence," he said.

The DGP, while highlighting the exploitative nature of these anti-national elements, urged the youth to beware of these deceitful terrorist handlers who use and discard vulnerable individuals with false promises.

Do not fall prey to such elements who will first exploit you by promising big rewards and then abandon you, he added.

Notably, this same pattern of betrayal by foreign-handlers has been observed in the previous investigations as well, wherein such handlers initially lure the innocent local youth with false promises and later abandon them once the act is done.

Sharing more details, Assistant Inspector General, Amritsar, Sukhminder Singh Mann said in-depth investigations in this case are being conducted in coordination with the Chandigarh Police to uncover the entire conspiracy and local network of Happy Passia.

Police got the remand of Vishal Masih till September 20, after producing him in a court, he added.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Reacting to Arvind Kejriwals resignation announcement, National Conference (NC) supremo Farooq Abdullah on Sunday described the outgoing chief minister of Delhi as a person not greedy for power. Arvind Kejriwal announced his resignation while addressing AAP workers in Delhi (Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times)

He wants that elections should be held in Delhi and he wants to go among the people so that they can decide (whether Kejriwal is corrupt or not) and it is a good thing. He is not hungry for power, ANI quoted the ex-CM of Jammu and Kashmir, as saying.

On the other hand, the Congress party, the NCs ally, has taken a contrasting stand on the matter, and called Kejriwals resignation a political drama.

Meanwhile, NC vice president Omar Abdullah refused to comment.

Why is he resigning? Will there be elections after his resignation or will he make someone else the chief minister? Let the news come out and then we will talk about it, he said.

Addressing workers of his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Kejriwal, its national convenor, declared on Sunday he will step down as CM of Delhi in two days, and someone from the party will take charge as chief minister.

I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict. I will go to every house and streetelections are after a few months (February 2025). If you think Kejriwal is honest, then vote for me, I will take over as CM after the elections. Your vote will be a certificate for my honesty," the AAP supremo appealed to the public.

He also demanded early polls in the Capital.

In March, Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi excise policy case, and by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in June. The Supreme Court gave him bail in the ED case in July and in the CBI case, on Friday.
Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav on Sunday termed chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's decision to resign as a political drama, adding that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor had lost his moral right to continue in office.



This looks like a political drama as the Supreme Court has already imposed restrictions on him. Delhi's people are aware and they will give an answer to the Aam Aadmi Partys misgovernance in the assembly elections, PTI quoted Yadav as saying.



The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Kejriwal, who was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and later by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in cases related to alleged irregularities in the now scrapped Delhi excise policy.



ALSO READ: Arvind Kejriwal's resignation: Who will be next Delhi CM? Possible candidates



The top court set conditions for the bail, stating that Kejriwal cannot visit his office at the secretariat or sign any official file.



Kejriwal should have resigned as soon as he came out of jail, as there was no point in clinging to the post of CM with the apex court putting a lot of restrictions on him. Why is he waiting for two days?" Yadav asked.



ALSO READ: Whats the secret of 48 hours?': BJP on Arvind Kejriwal's decision to resign Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, during the programme on Sunday.(Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times)

Kejriwal to resign after two days

Addressing his party workers, Kejriwal said he will resign as chief minister after two days. I am going to resign after 2 days; ask people whether I am honest; till they respond, won't sit on CM's chair. I will only sit on CM's chair after people give me certificate of honesty; want to give 'agnipariksha' after coming out of jail, he said.



ALSO READ: 'Even Britishers wouldn't have thought': Kejriwal accuses BJP of cruelty



If you think Kejriwal is honest, then vote for me, I will take over as CM after the elections. If you think I am not, don't vote. Your vote will be a certificate for my honesty, then only I will sit on the post of CM, the two-time Delhi CM said.



(With PTI inputs)
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that the state assembly elections are expected to be held in the second week of November. A file photo of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde with state deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.(ANI file)

"Elections are likely in the second week of November. A two-phase election would be preferable. Merit and good strike rate will the criteria for seat-sharing among the Mahayuti allies," PTI quoted Shinde as saying during an informal conversation with reporters at his official residence Varsha in Mumbai.



ALSO READ: EC likely to delay Maharashtra polls to November, could benefit Mahayuti



Shinde said that the seat sharing between Mahayuti allies BJP and NCP will be finalised in the next 8-10 days.

The seat-sharing will be finalised in 8 to 10 days, he added.



According to an HT report, the BJP is insisting on contesting between 150-160 seats. If it happens, the NCP and Shiv sena will only get 128-138 seats between them.

Shinde expressed confidence that there is support for his government among women.



We have struck a balance between development and welfare schemes. The appointment letters have been given to 1.5 lakh youth for jobs under the skilled training programme for which they will get a stipend from 6,000 to 10,000. The target is to cover 10 lakh youth, the CM said.

Maharashtra Lok Sabha election results

The Maharashtra assembly elections will be held months after the ruling Mahayuti alliance suffered a setback in the general elections. In Maharashtra, the BJP's seat count reduced to just nine. Shinde's Shiv Sena won seven while Ajit Pawar's NCP could bag just one seat.



On the other hand, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi won 30 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. The Congress bagged 13 seats while NCP (SP) bagged eight and Shiv Sena (UBT) clinched nine seats.



After the 2019 Maharashtra election results, the BJP and undivided Shiv Sena parted ways over the chief minister's post issue. The Sena joined hands with Congress and undivided NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state.



In 2022, Shinde rebelled against then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, also the Sena chief. The then urban development minister along with 39 other Sena MLAs camped at a hotel in Guwahati and later in Goa, reducing the Aghadi government to a minority.



Thackeray resigned ahead of the floor test and the MVA government collapsed. Shinde took oath as chief minister with Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy. Last year, NCP also split with Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit joined the ruling coalition and took oath as a deputy CM.
Hyderabad, The Telangana government is making elaborate arrangements, including security, for the immersion of thousands of Lord Ganesh idols in water bodies, following the conclusion of nine-day Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, in Hyderabad and other places in the state on September 17. Elaborate arrangements for Lord Ganesh idols immersion in Telangana

With the immersion of the idols having already begun, the state capital and other towns and villages were gripped by the festive atmosphere on Sunday.

The Ganesh pandal at Khairatabad here, known for the giant size of the idol, attracted thousands of devotees on Sunday. A 70 ft tall statue was installed at Khairatabad this year.

The organisers of Ganesh pandals have begun immersion of the idols of Lord Vinayaka in various sizes and forms, taking out processions while dancing to religious songs and drum beats since the last few days.

TV channels showed some Muslims joining the festivities at a pandal in the city.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Vijayalakshmi R Gadwal travelled in Hyderabad metro rail and enquired about the frequency of trains, extending the train timings on September 17 and other issues.

The Hyderabad city police intensified the final phase of preparatory activities on Sunday as events related to the anniversary of the merger of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad under Nizam's rule would also be organised on September 17, besides Ganesh immersion. Also, Milad Un Nabi festivities begin Sunday night, a city police release said.

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner C V Anand held a video conference with all zonal DCPs, SHOs, and the patrol and Blue Colts staff. During the briefing, Anand outlined the challenges ahead and emphasised several key factors that need to be considered while preparing bandobust plans, it said.

The leaders of the Ganesh Utsav Samiti performed Ganesh immersion at Tank Bund here despite authorities refusing permission.

State DGP Jitender, along with Hyderabad Commissioner of Police C V Anand and his Rachakonda counterpart Sudheer Babu and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Amrapali Kata visited the revered Balapur Ganesha pandal and other idols on Saturday.

They inspected the immersion routes and reviewed the safety and security measures for the grand event to ensure a smooth and secure procession for all devotees.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), led by Lok Sabha MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, has entered into a strategic alliance with former members of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) ahead of the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Anantnag: Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid during a public meeting ahead of J&K Assembly elections, in Anantnag, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024.(PTI)

"A joint meeting was held today in which the AIP delegation was led by AIP Supremo and chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, while the JEI delegation was led by Ghulam Qadir Wani. Prominent JEI members participated in the discussions," the AIP said in a statement.

The Jamaat-e-Islami, banned by the Indian government under anti-terror laws in 2019, saw its ban extended for another five years earlier this year. Despite this, several former JEI leaders are contesting the assembly elections as independent candidates, supported in part by this new alliance with AIP.

Also Read | I was in TiharThey are puppets: Er Rashid on PDP, NC calling him BJP proxy

An AIP spokesperson said the alliance was formed in the larger interest of the regions population, aiming for a "resounding victory" for AIP and JEI-backed candidates.

The alliance will see AIP backing JEI candidates in key districts like Kulgam and Pulwama, while JEI will reciprocate by supporting AIP candidates in other constituencies. In areas where both parties have fielded candidates, including Langate, Devsar, and Zainapora, a friendly contest has been agreed upon.

"Both parties underscored the importance of unity in resolving the Kashmir issue and promoting a lasting and dignified peace in the region.

"They highlighted the rapidly evolving political landscape, both regionally and internationally, and stressed that neither JEI nor AIP can afford to remain passive observers," the spokesperson said.

Also Read | Will support INDIA bloc if: Engineer Rashid on Article 370, being called BJP proxy

Engineer Rashid on BJP's proxy label

Earlier in the day, Sheikh Rashid, who was granted interim bail to campaign for his party, refuted allegations of being a proxy for the BJP, asserting that his electoral success in the general elections was a reflection of the public's sentiments against the Modi government's 'Naya Kashmir' initiative.

Rashid said those labelling him as a BJP proxy should be "ashamed of themselves," as he considers himself the only mainstream leader to have faced persecution from the ruling party.

"The people who accuse me of being a BJP proxy should feel ashamed. I am the only one who was victimised by the BJP. While Omar and Mehbooba were kept in SKICC for several months during the abrogation, I was the only MLA jailed in Tihar," he said.

"He (Abdullah) could neither become (Mahatma) Gandhi nor Subash Chandra Bose and same way Mehbooba neither became (queen) Razia Sultan nor Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar. They are puppets, rubber stamps..." Rashid, who defeated Abdullah in the Baramulla Lok Sabha seats by over two lakh votes, said.

With PTI inputs
Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday asked the police chiefs of all the states and Union Territories (UTs) to protect the constitutional rights of citizens and ensure speedy and timely justice for victims. Amit Shah also appealed to all director generals of police to strengthen the internal security architecture by embracing a multi-dimensional approach, data analytics and new techniques. (ANI)

The home ministers direction came amid protests by doctors across the country over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata August 9. Both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) are currently carrying out parallel probes into the affairs of the RG Kar Hospital.

Speaking at the concluding day of two-day national security strategies (NSS) conference, Shah also appealed to all DGPs (director generals of police) to strengthen the internal security architecture by embracing a multi-dimensional approach, data analytics and new techniques.

He urged DGPs to ensure utilisation by the cutting-edge level of databases being maintained by central agencies, according to a statement issued by the Union home ministry.

The seventh NSS conference, organised by the Intelligence Bureau, was held to chalk out the road map to solutions to emerging national security challenges with the top police leadership of states, UTs, Central Armed Police Forces and Central Police Organisations.

At the conference, the home minister also launched the dashboard developed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on the recommendations of the DGPs and Inspectors Generals of Police (IGPs) at the conference.

The last DGPs and IGPs conference, held in January 2024, was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The idea of National Security Strategies Conference was conceived by the PM during the conference of the DGPs and IGPs with the objective of finding solutions to major national security challenges through discussions among a unique mix of senior police leadership managing national security challenges, young police officers working at the cutting-edge level and domain experts of specialised fields.

Over 750 officers are participating in the conference from across the country, which is being held in a hybrid format combining physical and virtual modes.

In the context of the implementation of the three new criminal laws, home minister urged DGPs to protect the constitutional rights of citizens and ensure speedy and timely justice for victims, the MHA statement said.

He also proposed a detailed strategy to augment counter-terrorism efforts, including cooperation with international agencies and enhance capacities to prevent terror financing.

He also emphasised the need for increased cooperation and coordination between NIA and state anti-terror squads to strengthen the counter-terrorism architecture. Expressing satisfaction in the success of anti-Maoist efforts, home minister cautioned states that have recently achieved success in freeing areas of armed formations to maintain vigilance, said the MHA.

Shah directed DGPs to constitute teams of young police officers to ensure the implementation of the new laws in letter and spirit.

The home minister appealed to young police officers to apply their mind for strategic solutions to combat the entire gamut of fraudulent financial transactions ranging from crypto to hawala, said the home ministry.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday attacked the BJP for allegedly sending him to jail, saying even Britishers would not have thought that after 75 years of Independence, there would come a ruler more cruel than them. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal during AAP workers' meeting.(PTI )

"75 years after the independence achieved after Bhagat Singh's martyrdom, a revolutionary CM went to jail. I had written only one letter from jail and that was to LG that I am in jail and Atishi should be allowed to hoist the flag in my place. My letter did not reach him and instead, I was warned that if I wrote again, I would not be allowed to meet my family. Even the British had not thought that in independent India, there would be a bigger dictator than the British in this country. Even Britishers wouldn't have thought that there would come a more cruelruler than them," said Arvind Kejriwal, per ANI.

He claimed his party colleague, Sandeep Pathak, was blacklisted because he came to talk about political things.

"One day Sandeep Pathak came to meet me, he did not come to do romantic talk, he came to talk about political things and then after that, he was blacklisted from meeting me," he claimed.

Arvind Kejriwal said he would resign as the CM of Delhi after two days.

"They (BJP) accused me of theft, corruption, deceiving Bharat Mata etc. I came to do something for my nation. When Lord Ram came after 14 years, Maa Sita had to give an 'agnipariksha', I am also ready to give my 'agnipariksha'. The central government snatched my power by making several laws. The only thing that I have earned in my life is honesty. Some people say that we will not be able to work because of restrictions imposed by the SC. Even they did not leave any stone unturned in imposing restrictions on us... If you think I am honest, vote for me in large numbers. I will sit on the CM's chair only after being elected. The elections are supposed to be held in February. I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections... Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the chief minister. In the next 2-3 days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next CM will be decided," he said.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 11 by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi excise policy case. He was released last week from the Tihar Jail.

While granting him bail, the Supreme Court directed him to refrain from going to the chief minister's office and signing official files.

With inputs from ANI
Imphal/Kangpokpi The development comes in the backdrop of a significant rise in clashes in the conflict-ridden state this month, with militants turning to modern weaponry like drones and rockets (HT PHOTO)

Recovery of several rockets and the increasing number of attacks have forced security personnel deployed in Manipur to spread across various sectors of the northeastern state  from the borders between to dense forests located on the hills, officials aware of the matter said.

The development comes in the backdrop of a significant rise in clashes in the conflict-ridden state this month, with militants turning to modern weaponry like drones and rockets, adding a fresh layer of violence to the ongoing use of rifles and grenades. On Thursday, security forces recovered a 7.5 feet rocket  the second such long range rocket after a similar 9 feet rocket was found at the site of an attack last week  from the hills of Churachandpur.

Officials aware of the matter said that the recovery of such powerful rockets and incidents of attacks with such weapons have prompted the security forces in the ethnic strife-torn state to change their deployment on the ground. While the paramilitary forces were earlier posted on the border (also called buffer zones in Manipur) between the hills and the valley, the forces have now spread in the jungles across different locations within a 5 km stretch on the hills.

Earlier the central forces were posted only on the border between the valley and the hills so that the two communities do not cross each others territory and clash. They went to the jungles only when incidents of gunfight were reported and militants from both sides crossed the boundaries. But with this new threat of powerful rockets, the security forces are spread within 5 km of the hills and conducting patrols on foot to ensure that militants do not fire such long-range rockets, a senior security officer aware of the matter said.

The officer added that the recovery of the 7.5 feet rocket launcher on Thursday night was the result of one such area domination and combing exercise in the hills. Separately, a probe is on to find out how militants have now got access to these powerful rocket launchers. The priority is to identify the source first, the officer said.

Over the last two weeks, security forces in the state have encountered new challenges in the form of attacks that are being launched using drone bombs and long-range powerful rockets. In fact, the rocket, which travelled almost 6-7 km from hills of Churachandpur and hit a house in Moirang town in the valley, was almost 9 feet.

Ten people have died since September 1, of whom one was killed in a drone attack and another died after a high range rocket was launched at his village. A former army soldier was stabbed and beaten to death. The others were stabbed or killed in gunfights.

Meanwhile, to fight the threat of drones, the army and Assam Rifles have installed three drone jammers in the buffer zones, which will collectively cover a distance of nearly 24 sq km-8 km each. CRPF has placed a similar jammer, and placed orders for four such jammers. Senior security officials in Manipur said that each jammer, which costs almost 13 lakh, has the capability to trap drones within 8km range. The Manipur Police, too, will be placing orders for models of jammers.

KUKI VILLAGE VOLUNTEERS DENY FOREIGN HAND BEHIND ROCKETS

On Friday afternoon, HT travelled to the jungles of the Sadar Hills in Kangpokpi district that overlooks the valley where the states Meitei people reside. Fearing attack from Meitei militant groups, Kuki villagers have erected bunkers and posted village defence volunteers, who are trained by militants. Meitei villages too have similar armed VDVs to guard their villages from Kuki militants.

At the Sadar Hills, Kuki VDVs admitted they were trained by militants, but clarified that the militants are from groups who have not signed any suspension of operations(SoO) agreement with the Centre. HT spoke to the armed volunteers who denied using drone bombs but admitted that they have a large stock of modified country made rocket launchers(they said it was a modified Pumpi gun) that can travel upto 7-10 km.

Standing next to a modified Pumpi gun, which can fire rockets for upto 5km, a 18-year-old armed Kangpokpi resident, said, First of all we deny drone explosives. This is a fake narrative planted by the state government. We use drones for surveillance. Drones are being used by both communities to keep an eye on each other. We heard media reports saying that the rocket launchers are manufactured from outside the country. This is totally wrong. We want to clarify that over the last 16 months, we were forced to improvise the Pumpi guns and have come up with modified ones.

The 18-year-old, who is guarding her bunker along with five others, similarly armed, said Pump guns have been used by Kuki people for many decades now. In the olden days, instead of using an iron pipe as the Pumpi(rocket launcher), bamboo was used. But the bamboo would not hold the blast of the explosive, so a buffalo skin was wrapped around it. Explosives were inserted in the bamboo and set on fire from one end. After keeping it at a 45 degree angle, the explosive would go in the air and burst, he said.

The teenager said that in the last 18 months, the volunteers have been making Pumpi by welding iron metals from GI Pipes or bulldozers from construction sites. Meitei people in the valley have automatic guns that were looted from armouries. To counter that threat, Kukis have modified the Pumpis. We have three different versions. The best one can travel a distance of 7-10 km. We have been using this only.

Manipur has been roiled by ethnic violence since last May. What started as a tribal protest (led by the Kukis) against a court decision (that has since been stayed) on tribal status for the Meiteis, soon became a full-blown ethnic conflict between the two groups. The Biren Singh-led state governments pro-Meitei stance did not help. With a vertical split in the police force and the bureaucracy, it is believed that only the presence of AR, and the fact that the security forces are under the command of a special advisor and not the chief minister, has saved the day. To be sure, at least 225 people have been continuing violence which has seen a spurt over the past week with the use of sophisticated weaponry. This has also coincided with Singh raising the pitch on his demand that the combined command (the security forces) report to him.
Junior doctors protesting the rape and murder of a colleague at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal remained resolute in their agitation on Sunday, as thousands braved heavy rain to join demonstrations sweeping through Kolkata. Doctors take out a protest march to Swasthya Bhavan over the sexual assault and murder of a junior doctor, in Kolkata, on Sunday. (PTI)

The demonstrations coincided with developments in the investigation, as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) produced Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, officer-in-charge of the local Tala police station, before the Sealdah court.

The CBI told the court it suspected the two were part of a bigger conspiracy to cover up the crime. According to lawyers present at the hearing, the agency accused Ghosh and Mondal of attempting to downplay the incident and shield the accused.

The doctors protests entered their sixth consecutive day outside Swasthya Bhavan, the state health department headquarters in Salt Lake, where junior doctors continued their sit-in, a day after a second attempt at talks collapsed.

We are steadfast in our resolve to seek justice for our sister, no matter the adversity. We have spent nights on the streets in harsh conditions and inclement weather despite some of us not feeling well, an agitating junior medic said, according to news agency PTI.

Throughout Sunday, various groups, including retired Army officers, former students of Calcutta Girls High School, and hundreds of nurses, held rallies across the city demanding justice and workplace safety.

Holding placards with slogans such as Arji noi dabi kor (dont request but demand), the doctors reiterated their demands for the resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, the West Bengal health secretary and other officials.

We have been waiting for the last 36 days and still there is no assurance. When will we get justice for our sister? one of the junior doctors said while addressing participants of the march.

On Saturday, hopes of a breakthrough briefly emerged when chief minister Mamata Banerjee made a surprise visit in the afternoon to the site where the doctors were protesting and assured them that their demands would be addressed. But the proposed meeting fell through late evening, with the protesters claiming that they were asked to leave unceremoniously after waiting for three hours at the gates of the CMs residence.

While the government has held that the impasse is on part of the protesters insistence that the parleys be live streamed, a third protesting doctor said they had agreed to attend the meeting without these conditions but were told to leave because it was too late.

We must stay strong. This fight isnt just ours, it is for the 10 crore people of Bengal. The arrests of Sandip Ghosh and the officer-in-charge of Tala Police Station validate our view that attempts were made to cover up this heinous crime, he said.

The court granted the CBI three days custody of Ghosh and Mondal until 17 September.

Ghosh, who was already in judicial custody following his arrest on September 2 in a parallel CBI probe into financial corruption at the hospital, and Mondal, who was questioned several times by the agency since August 13, were arrested on Saturday in the rape and murder case  specifically over allegations that they tampered with the evidence, delayed filing the first information report (FIR) and misleading investigators during interrogation.

The Shealdah court remanded them in CBI custody for three days on Sunday afternoon after our lawyers said they need to be interrogated, a CBI official said on condition of anonymity.

Lawyers present at the hearing said CBI told the Shealdah additional chief judicial magistrates court that Mondal filed the FIR on the night of April 9 although the Tala police station was informed about the incident by the hospital staff at 10 am. Police reached the crime scene an hour after getting the information, the court was told.

The CBIs lawyers also told the court that the initial general diary (GD) entry at the Tala police station said a junior doctor had been found in an unconscious condition although the hospitals senior doctors, including Sandip Ghosh, present at the crime scene at that time already knew that the victim was dead.

Three people have so far been arrested in the 31-year-old trainee doctors grisly murder which has triggered agitations across Bengal.

On August 10, Kolkata Police arrested Sanjay Roy, one of its own civic volunteers, as the prime suspect. The Calcutta high court directed CBI on August 13 to take over the case from the city police. Roy was transferred to the custody of the CBI and subsequently he was made to take a polygraph test alongside Sandip Ghosh and five other RG Kar Hospital officials and doctors.

Political tensions too escalated, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) increasing pressure on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Bengal BJP unit president Sukanta Majumdar said, More people will be arrested and the real conspirators will be exposed. Nobody believes that a medical college principal and a police inspector could have planned a crime of this nature.

In response, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh stated, The state government, too, wants the culprits arrested. Kolkata police made the first arrest. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was the first to demand death sentence for the criminals.
An argument over an instruction to remove footwear led to a doctor being allegedly beaten up at a private hospital in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district, a police officer said. The accused were with a lady who had suffered a head injury, as per the FIR (Representational Image)

The three accused were arrested on Saturday, two days after the incident at Shreya Hospital in Sihore town, the officer stated, adding that the men came with a woman who had suffered a head injury.

When they (accused) entered the emergency room, the doctor asked them to remove footwear. However, they began abusing him and the nursing staff, reads the First Information Report (FIR) in the case.

The attack left Dr Jaideepsinh Gohil, 33, with injuries. Medicines and other equipment in the room were damaged. The accused also threatened to kill the doctor, according to the FIR.

The men  Hiren Dangar, Bhavdeep Dangar, Kaushik Kuvadiya  have been arrested and booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the new nationwide penal code. Some of the sections are: 115 (2) (act with the intention of causing hurt to any person), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 351 (3) (criminal intimidation).

The incident comes amid protests by doctors in West Bengal's Kolkata over the suspected rape and murder of a junior doctor at the city's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The alleged crime, which is believed to have been committed by a civic volunteer of the Kolkata Police, triggered pan-India protests by the medical fraternity, who demanded justice for the victim and a central law to ensure the safety of on-duty doctors.

The RG Kar case is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Supreme Court, too, is holding suo motu hearings on this.

(With PTI inputs)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slated roadshow in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur has been cancelled due to continuous heavy rainfall. The prime minister started his three-day tour to Jharkhand, Gujarat and Odisha on Sunday. **EDS: SCREENSHOT VIA @narendramodi YOUTUBE** Jamshedpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags-off Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat train, in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (PTI Photo) (PTI09_15_2024_000024B)(PTI)

"Due to continuous and heavy rains in Jamshedpur, the roadshow of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the city today has been cancelled for the time being," Jharkhand BJP President Babulal Marandi posted on X.

PM Modi flagged off six Vande Bharat trains on Sunday in Jharkhand. He will also lay the foundation stone of several railway projects worth 660 crores. Modi will also distribute sanction letters to 20,000 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G) beneficiaries in the city. He will also participate in the Griha Pravesh celebrations of 46,000 beneficiaries, the government press release said.

The prime minister said the government is committed to the development of the state. "We are determined for the rapid development of Jharkhand. Today at around 10 am, I will have the privilege of flagging off six 'Vande Bharat' trains at Tata Nagar, as well as laying the foundation stone and inaugurating many more projects. Apart from this, I will also be a part of the program related to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin," PM said in a post on X.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a rain alert for Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.

"Deep depression over Gangetic West Bengal moved slowly westward with a speed of 8 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 0530 hours IST of today, the 15th September 2024, over the same region near latitude 22.6 N and longitude 88.0 E, about 40 km west-northwest of Kolkata (West Bengal), 130 km east-southeast of Bankura (West Bengal), 190 km east of Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) and 290 km east-southeast of Ranchi (Jharkhand)," the IMD posted on X.

The agency predicted the weather system to move towards West Bengal but the maintain its rain intensity till evening on Sunday. "Thereafter, it will continue to move nearly westwards across Jharkhand and North Chhattisgarh and weaken gradually into a depression during subsequent 24 hours," IMD said.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that he will resign from the post in two days  five months before his tenure is set to end and return only if he has the peoples mandate, as he threw down the gauntlet for the Capitals high-stakes assembly polls likely to be held early next year. Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal address party workers where he announced that he will resign from his post in the next two days. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Addressing party workers two days after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the excise policy case, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener said he was willing to face an agnipariksha (trial by fire) to prove his innocence.

This [excise policy] case will go on for many years. Now I am in the court of people. After two days, I will resign from the post of CM. I will not sit on the CMs chair unless people deliver their verdict. Your every vote will be my certificate of honesty, he said at the party headquarters.

Kejriwals decision is likely to cause an upheaval in Delhis political landscape and add a new strand to the Capitals electoral contest as the AAP goes into a huddle to elect a new chief minister. Kejriwal said that he will hold a meeting of the AAPs legislative party to reach a consensus on the next CM. He ruled out the possibility of former deputy CM Sisodia taking over the post. Sisodia is also an accused in the excise policy case and was granted bail by the SC on August 9, after 17 months of incarceration.

Till the elections are held, someone else from the party will be the CM. In the next 2-3 days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next CM will be decided I was talking to Manish, and he said that he would take the deputy CMs post if the public says he is honest. Now our future is in your hands, Kejriwal said, with Sisodia, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, MP Sanjay Singh and state ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai and party leader Pankaj Gupta in attendance.

People aware of the matter said that Atishi, Bharadwaj, Kailash Gahlot, Gopal Rai, and Imran Hussain were the likely contenders for the post, with speculation also rife that Sunita Kejriwal might helm the government.

According to party insiders, the decision for Kejriwal to step down was taken at a meeting of senior AAP leaders at his residence on Saturday. This is not the first time Kejriwal resigned as the CM before the completion of his tenure. In 2013, he took over as the CM for the first time with outside support from the Congress but resigned within 49 days. In the 2015 assembly elections, the AAP registered a landslide win, and Kejriwal was sworn in as Delhis CM, a post he has held since then. The party currently has 60 MLAs in the 70-member house.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 and then by the CBI on June 25 over corruption allegations in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. He was granted a 21-day interim bail in May by the top court for Lok Sabha elections campaigning. The BJP sought Kejriwals resignation after his arrest, but he remained on the post, with AAP leaders saying that people wanted him to continue running the government.

I did not resign [earlier] because I wanted to save democracy. Apart from buying MLAs and breaking parties, they [the BJP] have made another formula. Wherever they lose elections, they file fake cases against the chief ministers, arrest them, and topple the government. They have filed cases against [Karnataka CM] Siddaramaiah, [Kerala CM] Pinarayi Vijayan, [Jharkhand CM] Hemant Soren, and [West Bengal] CM Mamata Banerjee, Kejriwal said.

He added: I want to request all the non-BJP chief ministers that if the Prime Minister files a fake case against you and puts you in jail, then do not resign. Run the government from jail.

During his 26-minute speech, Kejriwal called for early elections in the Capital. The elections are supposed to be held in February. I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections, he said.

Under Section 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission can notify state polls six months before the date of end of the assemblys term. The current assemblys term is completing on February 11, 2025. To be sure, the process to hold polls involves several steps ranging from the revision of the electoral roll to checking of EVMs. Experts highlighted this and said it was unlikely that Delhi polls will be held before schedule.

Kejriwals resignation will lead to the dissolution of the cabinet but not the assembly... Without the dissolution of the assembly, the possibility of holding early election is low. The EC has to take a final call on this, a former chief electoral officer of Delhi said requesting anonymity.

AAP leaders hailed Kejriwals decision, saying it showed that he was not hungry for power. He is the only CM who is himself telling people to vote for him only if they see him to be honest. This is a big thing in Indian politics, and such morality is rarely seen, Bhardwaj said.

Atishi maintained that the step taken by Kejriwal proved that he was committed to doing corruption-free politics. Today will be remembered as a historic day in the countrys politics. No leader has ever said vote for me only if I am honest, otherwise, dont vote for me. He cannot tolerate corruption and dishonesty, she said.

The partys rivals, however, called Kejriwals move an eyewash and said that it was necessitated due to the bail conditions. The grant of bail to Kejriwal came with the same conditions imposed by another bench of the SC in Julyhe cannot go to the CMs office; sign off on official files, or make public statements about his role in the excise case.

There is an SC order that he cannot go to the secretariat or sign any files. I believe the SC order ensured that he had to resign. The only question is why he is not resigning immediately, Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said.

A senior BJP leader said that Kejriwal resigned because he could not face the public. There are different reasons for a resignation. You might take the decision because you have lost the mandate or on moral grounds. The third kind is when you cannot face the public. He should have resigned before. He may have done atma-chintan (self-reflection) while in prison, the leader said, requesting anonymity.

Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav accused Kejriwal of doing political drama and added: The SC has already imposed restrictions on him. This seems to be a part of the plan to consolidate the power within the AAP. There was very little time left in the tenure of the government anyway. The AAP and Congress are part of the INDIA bloc but are likely to contest the assembly polls separately.

However, in his address, Kejriwal said that his decision was not influenced by the bail conditions. In the last 10 years, these [BJP] people have left no stone unturned in imposing conditions. The LG imposed various conditions. The central government snatched my power by imposing one law after the other, but I did not let your work suffer. These conditions do not create any obstacle for us, he said.

Experts said that Kejriwals move to step down and the demand for early polls were aimed at winning over the public/

The reasons behind Kejriwals decision to call for early election appears to be an attempt to create public sympathy over the arrests of different leaders. He understands that he might be able to win over the voters now. As the time passes, the possibility of him gaining sympathy is likely to fade, Sanjay Kumar, professor and co-Director of Lokniti at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) said.
An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Sunday morning. Security forces personnel in a joint search operation during an encounter with terrorists at Pathanateer area of Poonch, J&K on September 15.(PTI)

A top terror group commander is said to be trapped among the three terrorists trapped in the village.

The gunfight began after security forces launched a cordon and search operation following information about the presence of terrorists in the village, PTI reported, citing an unidentified official.

Based on the tip off, a joint search operation was launched by the police and Army in the Pathanateer area near Gursai top in Mendhar sub-division on Saturday evening.

According to the official, the search party came under fire from the hiding terrorists, triggering a gunfight.

An intermittent exchange of fire is on between both sides, the official said, adding that reinforcements were rushed to the area.

The encounter comes a day after three terrorists were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in Baramulla district.

The operation against terrorists was launched on Friday night after the army and police received input about terrorist presence in Tapper village, just a couple of km away from the National Highway.

The killing comes four days ahead of the first phase of assembly elections in J&K.

Inspector general of police Kashmir Range Vidhi Kumar Birdi, who visited the spot, said the operation was launched after they got specific inputs about militant presence in the area.

The bodies have been spotted near the encounter site and operation is still underway. He said the terrorists wont be allowed to disrupt polls in J&K. The forces are on high alert and terrorists wont be allowed to hamper the poll process, he said, adding that only after investigation motto of the terrorists presence would be known in this area.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the state, accusing of supporting Rohingyas and Bangladeshis.



In Santhal Pargana, the Adivasi population is decreasing rapidly. The lands are being grabbed. Infiltrators are taking over positions in Panchayats. The incidents of crime against daughters are increasing... Every Jharkhandi is feeling unsafe because of the infiltrators, the prime minister said at a rally in Jamshedpur.



The JMM is standing with Bangladeshis and Rohingyas... These infiltrators and extremists are taking over the JMM... This has happened because the ghost of Congress has entered the JMM... When the ghost of Congress enters any party, then appeasement becomes the only agenda of that party... These parties want to form their vote bank based on religion, he added.



The prime minister termed infiltration as the biggest problem of Jharkhand.



ALSO READ: Amit Shah accuses Hemant Soren of land and love jihad, promises 'white paper' on demography



The parents of young daughters are worried. 2-3 days ago, Jharkhand High Court ordered an independent panel to investigate the infiltration. But the JMM government is not ready to admit that there is infiltration in Jharkhand. Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltration is a huge problem in Santhal Pargana and Kolhan. The demography of the whole region is changing rapidly, ANI quoted Modi as saying. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting, in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand,(PTI)

JMM, Cong and RJD biggest enemies of Jharkhand: PM Modi

Prime Minister Modi termed the JMM, Congress and RJD as the enemies of Jharkhand.



The RJD still seeks revenge from Jharkhand for its formation. And the Congress hates Jharkhand. Congress ruled the country from Delhi for so many decades but did not let backwards, Adivasi and Dalits come forward. The JMM came ahead in politics using Adivasi votes. But today they are standing with those who took over the jungles of the Adivasis, Modi said.



It is time to bid farewell to JMM that looted mines, minerals, Army land. Congress' school of corruption has trained the JMM government, PTI quoted Modi as saying.



(With PTI, ANI inputs)
Supreme Court judge justice BV Nagarathna on Saturday spoke on the significant challenges facing the legal profession, delivering a clarion call for reforms to ensure diversity, uphold individual responsibilities and address misconduct within the Bar. Supreme Court judge justice BV Nagarathna

Addressing graduates at the convocation of the National Law University in Delhi, justice Nagarathna described the current state of affairs as disturbing, lamenting the gender imbalance in the legal profession and the pervasive culture of irresponsibility, all of which threaten the very foundations of liberty and justice.

She lamented the lack of diversity in the legal profession, particularly in terms of gender.

Out of 788 judges in high courts in India, only 107 are women  thats just 13%, noted justice Nagarathna, pointing out the systemic barriers preventing women from advancing in their careers.

This lack of representation is not limited to judges but pervades the entire legal profession, said the judge adding that women constitute only 15% of enrolled lawyers in India and a significant number of women drop out of the profession during the prime of their careers.

The reasons for this, according to justice Nagarathna, are predominantly related to a lack of work-life balance, which women in the profession are forced to navigate. She cited a report revealing that 60% of women lawyers between the ages of 35 and 55, the peak years of their career, leave practice. Most disturbingly, only 2.04% of State Bar Council representatives are women, and the Bar Council of India has no women representatives at all, she said.

These figures, justice Nagarathna emphasised, are not mere statistics, but reflection a deeper, systemic issue. They represent missed opportunities, unheard voices, and important perspectives of which our legal system has been deprived.

The judge called upon the graduates to take responsibility in changing this narrative. As constructive citizens, it is your responsibility to provide and create spaces for more women, in fact all genders, to actively participate in the profession without fear or hesitation, she said.

Justice Nagarathna further took a broader look at the concept of liberty, pointing out that liberty cannot exist without a corresponding ethos of individual responsibility. Liberty cannot persist without a corresponding ethos of individual responsibility. Being a free member of the community carries with it not just a privilege but a responsibility as well, she reminded the graduates.

This, she explained, is deeply embedded in the ethos of the Indian Constitution, specifically in Part IV-A, which outlines the Fundamental Duties of Indian citizens. Though these duties are not enforceable by law, they are meant to guide conduct in civic and social life. Citizenship, she elaborated, is not merely a set of legal entitlements but is also predicated upon certain virtues  patience, tolerance, respect for the law, and promise-keeping. These virtues are the lifeblood of a well-functioning democracy, she asserted, warning that without such virtues, society risks becoming hollow, with citizenship reduced to entitlements devoid of deeper commitment.

Justice Nagarathna also highlighted a lesser-explored but significant declaration of duties in the Preamble of the Constitution. While the Preamble is widely known for guaranteeing liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, she noted that it also subtly promotes duties when it proclaims that citizens shall promote fraternity, assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.

Calling for a recalibration of focus toward civic duties, justice Nagarathna said: If we all worked for the common good, the concept of citizenship would take on a new look, and selfishness would be removed from all forms of organisations.

She urged graduates to contribute to the welfare of society not only through their legal practice but by embracing their roles as responsible citizens.

Justice Nagarathna also addressed some pressing concerns within the profession itself  particularly the issue of prolonged pendency and misconduct among some members of the Bar. Prolonged pendency and misconduct by some members of the Bar has marred the reputation of the legal profession in public eye, she lamented, expressing hope that the next generation of lawyers would actively work to remedy these issues.

Bar misconduct, including unethical behavior by lawyers, was another point of concern for her. Justice Nagarathna strongly criticised certain disheartening practices, especially on social media, where some lawyers have been found to solicit clients by invoking fear and marketing tactics that scuttle the legal process. She urged the young lawyers to resist such temptations and instead strike a balance between their duty to their clients and their responsibility to the court. Ensure that your advisories to clients are not laced with a side-step of the law, implored the judge, emphasising that a lawyers practice must be principled and bound by morality.

Concluding her speech, justice Nagarathna stressed the importance of carrying forward the torch of constitutional values and methods. She urged the graduates to take to every corner of the nation the vitality and belief in constitutional methods and values.

The judge noted: The Constitution is neither the product nor the exclusive domain of Lutyens Delhi but breathes in an unheard perspective on every crossroad of this country.
Rajarajeshwari Nagar Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA M Munirathna was arrested at Nangali in Mulabagilu taluk, Kolar district, on Saturday for allegedly harassing a contractor, issuing threats to him and hurling casteist slur at him. The MLA was arrested when was heading towards Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, officers aware of the matter said. Karnataka BJP MLA held for harassing contractor, using casteist slur

The arrest was made followed the registration of two separate cases against him on Friday.

The Vyalikaval police registered a case against Munirathna based on a complaint of the contractor, Cheluvaraju, who is associated with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The complaint with the city police commissioner accused the MLA of threatening him over bribes related to garbage management and disposal. The contractor claimed to have received death threats and caste-based abuse.

Cheluvaraju told reporters that he has been managing solid waste collection and disposal at the D Devaraju Arasu truck terminal in Lakshmidevinagar ward since 2019, after securing the tender for the work.

According to his statement, Munirathna in 2021 had promised to arrange for 10 garbage autos through BBMP in exchange for a bribe of 20 lakh. Despite making the payment, the autos were never provided, it added.

When I questioned him about this, I was treated rudely, Cheluvaraju told reporters. He further alleged that he was repeatedly pressured to pay bribes over the following months. When he refused to comply with, he claimed that the MLAs associates issued death threats, warning him, You will be killed just like Renukaswamy.

Renukaswamy, 33, had sent obscene messages to actor Pavithra Gowda, which enraged her friend Darshan Thoogudeepa, also an actor, allegedly leading to the murder of Renukaswamy.

Based on a complaint, we have registered an FIR against MLA Munirathna, his secretary, Vijaya Kumar, associates Abhishek and Vasanth Kumar under IPC sections 37 (coercion), 506 (criminal intimidation), 505 (public mischief), 385 (extortion), 420 (cheating), and 323 (causing hurt), facing a range of charges for their alleged wrongdoing, a police officer said requesting anonymity.

Based on a complaint of BBMP corporator Velu Naikar, police have registered another case under the SC/ST Act, 1989, and also applied IPC sections 153, 153A, 509, and 504, alleging offences such as willful disrespect, provocative statements, promoting inter-group animosity, and outraging a womans modesty.

If it is proved that the voice recordings are mine, then I will tender my resignation, Muniratna told reporters. It is a political conspiracy against me by the opposition, he added.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah took a sharp jab at BJP leaders following the circulation of an audio clip, allegedly of Munirathna, in which he is purportedly heard making offensive remarks towards a contractor and threatening him. Referring to the audio, the CM took to X to express his outrage.

BJP leaders who constantly preach about culture should first clean the mouth of their MLA Muniratna, who is spewing filth, and then speak to the town, Siddaramaiah wrote.

He further condemned BJPs treatment of the Dalits and marginalised communities, saying, The BJPs slogan of We are all Hindus only lasts during elections. Once the elections are over, they see Dalits and the oppressed differently. The disgusting language used by Muniratna in the viral audio is a testimony to the hatred and impatience BJP leaders hold towards these communities.

In his post, Siddaramaiah also referenced Muniratnas derogatory remarks towards Dalit and Okkaliga communities, his demands for money, and threats of violence. These are serious crimes, he added.

Siddaramaiah challenged BJP state president BY Vijayendra and opposition leader R Ashoka, saying, Do they have the courage to stand up and address the actions of their goon-like MLA Muniratna?

He added, Support Muniratnas statement and reveal their anti-Dalit stance, or apologize to the Dalit community and expel Muniratna from the party.

The BJP issued a notice in connection with allegations of bribery and caste abuse. The notice was issued by BJP State Disciplinary Committee President Lingaraja Patil, requiring Munirathna to clarify the accusations against him.
A local court in Kolkata on Sunday sent former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's ex-principal Sandip Ghosh and a police officer to CBI custody till September 17 in connection with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor on August 9. Former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's principal Sandip Ghosh was arrested by the CBI on Saturday.

Ghosh and Tala police station officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal were arrested by the central agency on Saturday for alleged delay in FIR registration and missing evidence in the case. The ex-principal was earlier arrested by the CBI over allegations of financial irregularities.



ALSO READ: 3 Kolkata flats, farmhouse: ED on Sandip Ghosh's properties found in raids



We have got their custody for three days till September 17. Now, both will be questioned together. The duo has played vital roles in the RG Kar case, a CBI officer told PTI.



ALSO READ: When RG Kar hospital ex-principal Sandip Ghosh faced corruption charges in 2020

CBI's charges against Ghosh, Tala SHO

The CBI added charges of evidence tampering against Ghosh, who was sent on leave by the Calcutta high court after resigning from the post of principal of the medical college.

On the other hand, Abhijit Mondal faces charges of evidence tampering, delaying registration of FIR and other related evidence.

According to a PTI report, the CBI told court that there could be a  bigger conpsiracy and that both the accused played some vital roles in the crime. The agency alleged that both Ghosh and Mondal were in touch with each other, and the former directed the cop on how to proceed with the murder case.

Mondal was informed about the death of the doctor around 10 am on August 9, but the FIR was lodged around 11 pm, the CBI said in the court.



Mondal was arrested after he "failed to provide satisfying answers" during questioning by the CBI officers on Saturday.



The body of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College Hospital on August 9. To date, three persons have been arrested in connection with the rape-murder case.
Kolkata: Junior doctors during their sit-in-dharna over the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder incident, near Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata, Wednesday, (PTI)

Kolkata rape-murder case highlights: Attempts to hold talks between the state government and junior doctors delegation failed once again on Saturday after the state denied permission for live recording of the meeting inside chief minister's residence citing security reasons. Despite the protesting doctors relenting on their demand later, the administration informed them it was too late....Read More

A disappointed delegation promised to continue their cease-work protest till their demands are met. Hundreds of junior doctors from the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front continued to stage their demonstration in front of Swasthya Bhavan near Kolkata's Salt Lake overnight on Saturday.

Earlier, the protesting doctors had written to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking their intervention on the issue. In an attempt to break the deadlock, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the protesters near Salt Lake on Saturday and described it as her last attempt to hold talks with the junior doctors.

Meanwhile, the CBI arrested former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Dr. Sandip Ghosh over the alleged rape and murder of a female doctor inside the hospital's seminar hall on August 9. Ghosh is already under judicial custody of the agency over financial irregularities at the hospital under his tenure.
The peace negotiations between West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and doctors protesting against Kolkata doctor's rape and murder stalled on Saturday over the protestors' demand for videography of the planned meeting. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during a meeting with junior doctors' delegation, at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata.(PTI)

The doctors have been holding an agitation against the rape and murder of the doctor inside the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

Dr Aqeeb, a member of the delegation that went to meet Mamata Banerjee at her house, claimed the chief minister asked them to have tea.He said the doctors wanted the recording of the meeting but the demand was rejected by government officials.

"We were asked to come for an official dialogue at Kalighat, we went there. - when we went there, we even compromised with our demand... We said to just record the meeting and once it is over, kindly provide us with that recording. The officials didn't agree to that. The CM came outside and requested us to meet over tea - but the junior doctors said we would have tea only if justice was delivered," he added.

On Saturday, the CBI arrested a police officer and the ex-principal of the RG Kar hospital, Dr Sandip Ghosh, for allegedly tampering with evidence.

"Today, Sandip Ghosh has been arrested and it shows that our demand was right. What Sandip Ghosh has done is an institutional crime. Many of such principals and officials might be involved in such activities. We want all such people involved in it to resign, we will continue our protests until justice is delivered. We are here for Abhaya, and we will continue seeking justice for her," he said while addressing the protestors, reported ANI.

He claimed the doctors even relented on their demand for a copy of the recording.

"We just asked for the minutes of the meeting, but we were told that there had been a delay and nothing could be done now. We kept waiting in the rain, but we had to return without any solution and all the junior doctors were disheartened," he claimed.

What Mamata Banerjee had said

Earlier on Saturday, Mamata Banerjee said that the demand for the' live streaming' of her meeting with the protesting doctors could not be met due to the ongoing legal proceedings of the rape-murder in the Supreme Court.

"I assure you that whatever recording will be done, it will be given to you. Accept my request and join the meeting. If you people do not want to come to the meeting, then please come inside the residence, have tea and then proceed to leave," said Banerjee.

With inputs from ANI
Kolkata rape-murder case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested ex-RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal, Dr. Sandip Ghosh, and police officer Abhijit Mondal in connection with the rape and murder of a postgraduate doctor inside the seminar hall of the hospital on August 9. Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, being escorted by security officials in Kolkata. (Samir Jana/ HT Photo)(HT_PRINT)

Ghosh is already under judicial custody of the agency over corruption allegations during his tenure at the hospital. In addition to the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also investigating allegations of money laundering against him and shared details of raids conducted so far in the case.

What are the charges against them?

The CBI slapped multiple charges against Ghosh on Saturday. He was arrested for misleading the investigation and for his alleged role in the destruction of evidence by not declaring the death of the victim immediately and the considerable delay in registration of the FIR, sources in the agency told PTI.

The agency has applied before a local court seeking remand of Ghosh to investigate the charges of rape and murder. He was arrested on September 2 in a case related to financial irregularities at the hospital during his tenure as principal.

Hearing a suo motu case over the issue, the Supreme Court on September 9 pointed out the discrepancy between the timings of the general diary (GD) entry and the registration of the FIR. Its very clear that there is a delay of at least 14 hours in registering the FIR, the CJI DY Chandrachud said.

Mondal, officer in charge of Tala police station, was arrested after he failed to answer the agency's questions in a satisfactory manner. He was arrested on allegations of evidence tampering and delay over registering the First Information Report (FIR) after the crime was reported. The hospital is under the jurisdiction of Tala police station.

"The policeman has been questioned eight times earlier and every time he gave different versions. He has been arrested and will be produced in the court tomorrow," said a CBI officer. Mondal was questioned for several hours on Saturday before his arrest.

The protesting doctors at Swasthya Bhavan celebrated the arrests. "We have been demanding the arrest of the former principal of the college, Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal, officer-in-charge of Tala police station, for their involvement in tampering with the evidence. We are very happy as the CBI has arrested them. The CBI should arrest others who have tampered with the evidence, a junior doctor said.

(With inputs from agencies)
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday asserted that Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini is the BJP's CM face in the poll-bound state, and exuded confidence that under the latter's leadership, the party will win the assembly elections for the third consecutive time in Haryana. Dharmendra Pradhan (File Photo)

The statement from Pradhan, the BJP's in-charge for Haryana polls, came after party's senior member and ex-minister, Anil Vij, expressed his desire to be the next CM.

Being a party worker, he (Vij) may have said so. But Nayab Singh Saini is the BJP's CM face, Pradhan told reporters in Karnal when asked about Vij's comment.

In March, Saini succeeded Manohar Lal Khattar, the saffron party's first chief minister in Haryana, after the BJP called off its alliance with Dushyant Chautala's JJP. Khattar was then fielded from the Karnal parliamentary seat in the Lok Sabha elections; he won and was inducted as a minister in prime minister Narendra Modi's government.

Meanwhile, Vij, the MLA from Ambala Cantt, was dropped from the Saini-led state Cabinet. Speaking to the media on Sunday, he cited his seniority to stake claim to the chief minister's position.

I never sought anything from the party till today. People ask me that despite being the senior-most, why did I not become the CM? On the demand of the people and on the basis of seniority, I will stake claim to become chief minister, the veteran leader stated.

It is up to the party to make me the CM. But if they do, I will change the takdeer and tasveer (destiny and face) of Haryana, he added.

The assembly polls will be held on October 5 in Haryana. The counting of votes is on October 8.

(With PTI inputs)
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said no compromise should be made on women's security and answerability must be fixed from the level of beat constable to deputy police superintendent on cases of "love jihad, eve teasing and chain snatching". No compromise on women's security, says UP CM Adityanath

Adityanath on Sunday held a meeting with senior officials during which he discussed several issues.

"The safety of women is our top priority. There can be no compromise. Immediate action should be taken on even the smallest information of love jihad, chain snatching, eve teasing. Keep women beat officers active and ensure patrolling. Accountability should be fixed for such incidents from the level of beat constable to deputy superintendent of police," a statement quoted him as saying.

Directing the officials to ensure redress of people's problems, the chief minister said disciplinary action would be taken against those submitting fake or misleading reports on complaints.

"The officials should try to understand the mental state of the people who come with their problems and try to satisfy them. The satisfaction and feedback of complainants will be the standard of an officials' performance," he said.

It is the result of improved law and order, continuous dialogue and cooperation from all sections that festivals in the state in recent years were celebrated in an atmosphere of peace and harmony, Adityanath noted.

Noting that the festival season is around the corner, the chief minister said, "This time is sensitive from the point of view of law and order. The police administration will have to remain vigilant and cautious 247."

Directing the officials to deal strictly with those who issue "mischievous statements", Adityanath said, "Festivals are occasions of happiness. At this time, mischievous elements may try to unnecessarily provoke people of other communities. A watch should be kept on such incidents."

He also asked senior officials to monitor activities in their areas and advised district magistrates and police superintendents to keep in touch with the ministers in charge of their respective districts.

On the flood situation in several districts, Adityanath said relief work should be done on a priority and called for maintaining the quality of relief material being distributed.

He also called for installing solar fencing to prevent man-animal conflicts in the affected areas and said the victims' families should be given timely relief.

In the last few days, there have been indications of a conspiracy to damage railway tracks or cause railway accidents, Adityanath said and added that some people were arrested in this connection.

"This is a very serious matter. Zone- and range-level police officers should maintain constant contact with the Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force of their area. Increase intelligence and take strict action against every anarchist element involved in this big conspiracy," he said.

A statewide cleanliness campaign is to be run from September 17, the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, till Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2, the chief minister said.

"This campaign can be successful only with public participation. Comprehensive cleanliness and fogging work should be done in mission mode in rural and urban areas," he added.

Adityanath also noted the recent incidents dilapidated buildings collapsing in many places.

Municipal bodies and development authorities should launch campaigns to mark vulnerable buildings and motivate people to live in safer places, he said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
In a major goof-up, the Odisha state government mistakenly assigned a deceased Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer to manage crowds for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on September 17. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting ahead of the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections in Doda district on September 14. (PTI)

However, after drawing flak on social media, the government quickly rectified the mistake the following day.

The general administration and public grievance department on Friday, September 13 issued an order, assigning 50 senior OAS officers to the women and child development department for crowd management during the Prime Minister's visit to launch Subhadra Yojana, a cash incentive scheme for women at Janata Maidan, Times of India reported.

The order included Prabodha Kumar Rout as one of the officers, specifying his position as an administrative officer at the Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC). The officer has passed away in July of the previous year and his last posting was indeed at OCAC.

After facing criticism on social media, the government issued a corrigendum. The officer's name was replaced with Subrat Kumar Jena, a land officer at the industrial infrastructure development corporation (IDCO). Chief secretary Manoj Ahuja confirmed, It has been changed, the report mentioned.

Reacting to government's order, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) social media cell head Swayam Prakash Mohapatra took a jab at the state government for the error.



A very strange situation, a strange regime is going on. An officer, who has been dead a year ago has been given the charge of crowd control during the Prime Ministers visit, Mohapatra wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

PM Modi during his visit to the state will launch the states new 'Subhadra' Yojana' scheme and initiate railway projects worth 2,800 crore.

'Subhadra' Yojana is aimed at benefiting over one crore women in Odisha. The program provides eligible women aged 21 to 60 with 50,000 over five years, delivered in annual payments of 10,000 in two installments.

Funds will be transferred directly to their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. To mark the occasion, Modi will start the fund transfers for more than 10 lakh women with payments planned for Rakhi Purnima and International Womens Day over the next five years.
Kawardha, A man was killed and his family members were injured when some villagers attacked them and set their house on fire in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district on Sunday, police said. One dead as mob sets villager's house afire over his suspected role in murder

Some policemen were also injured when stones were hurled at them, following which 40 residents of Loharidih village were taken into custody, an official said.

Preliminary investigation suggested that the attack on Raghunath Sahu was triggered by suspicion that he had killed another villager Kachru Sahu, who was found hanging from a tree in nearby Bijatola village in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, the official said.

Inspector General of Police Deepak Jha told PTI that Kachru Sahu had gone to Bijatola on Saturday for an unknown reason after informing his family members that he would return at night.

"After being alerted about his death this morning, we communicated to Balaghat police to conduct an appropriate investigation. Prima facie it seems to be a case of suicide," Jha said.

Subsequently, police personnel went to Loharidih and informed Kachru Sahu's family about the incident and returned, he said.

"At around 11:30 am, police received information that a large number of villagers from the same village have launched an attack on a villager, identified as Raghunath Sahu, and his family members and set their house on fire," the IG said, adding a police team was rushed to the spot.

Amid resistance and stone pelting, police personnel managed to rescue three members of the Sahu family, while Raghunath Sahu was reported missing, Jha said.

Among the rescued persons, Raghunath Sahu's wife and another family member were admitted to a hospital for injuries, he said.

Later, a charred body was recovered from the burnt house which prima facie seems to be of Raghunath Sahu's. However, DNA samples will be sent for examination to confirm his identity, Jha said.

The exact reason for the attack on the Sahu family was yet to be ascertained. However some villagers told police that they were angry with Raghunath over some land encroachment-related issues, he said.

A case has been registered and further investigation is underway, the IG said.

"40 villagers have been taken into custody in connection with the violence and are being interrogated," Jha said, adding that the situation is under control in the village.

Another police officer said around 400 policemen have been deployed in the village.

Preliminary investigation suggests that villagers targeted Raghunath Sahu suspecting that he murdered Kachru Sahu and hanged him from a tree over an alleged land dispute, the officer added.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre will roll out One Nation, One Election, or simultaneous polls to state assemblies and the Lok Sabha, during its current term, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionary said on Sunday, dismissing speculations that the ruling party was under pressure from its allies to revisit policy matters. In his Independence Day speech last month, PM Modi had made a strong pitch for one nation, one election, stating that frequent polls were creating hurdles in the countrys progress. (PTI)

Speaking on the eve of the completion of 100 days of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA governments third term, the functionary said the Centres focus on stable policies and evidence-based reforms across sectors has fuelled the economy and drove the countrys growth story.

One nation, one election will be rolled out during the current term of the NDA government, the senior BJP leader said, requesting anonymity.

In his Independence Day speech last month, PM Modi had made a strong pitch for one nation, one election, stating that frequent polls were creating hurdles in the countrys progress. The BJP has been contending that simultaneous polls will cut down on expenses and bring down the frequency of the implementation of the model code of conduct, imposed before elections, that bars the governments from taking policy decision or initiating new projects, expect in cases of exigencies.

While the Janata Dal (United) supports the move, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), another key ally in the NDA, has not responded to a high-level committee formed to explore the feasibility of simultaneous polls in the country.

The senior functionarys remarks were also intended to put to rest speculations that the BJP was under strain from its allies and that its diminished strength in the Lok Sabha (from 303 seats in 2019 to 240 at present) has given partners more room to assert in policy matters and decision making.

Recent decisions by the Centre such as scrapping lateral entry in bureaucracy, implementing the unified pension scheme (UPS) and the rolling back of the Budget proposal to remove indexation benefits on long-term capital gains tax from the sale of unlisted assets were perceived to have been taken due to pressure from the allies.

This confusion should now be over... This government will work as it should. In the last 10 years, there was no area where policy decisions and follow-up have not led to a change, the functionary said.

The high-level committee on One Nation, One Election headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind in March this year recommended simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step, followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days. The panel, however, has not specified any period for rolling out simultaneous polls.

The BJP, which fell short of the half-way mark of 272 seats in the general elections this summer, depends on its allies  notably the JD(U) led by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and the TDP led by Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, which together have 28 members  to form the government.

Speaking on the NDA governments performance in the first 100 days in its third term, the BJP leader said: We made policies stable as well as flexible to ensure there is no friction.

The PM led the way to ensure there were no pauses in the development agenda, the functionary said, pointing to the Pragati meetings chaired by him to take stock of issues in various sectors.

In the last 100 days, strides have been made in infrastructure, agriculture, ease of doing business, empowerment of the deprived classes, improved medical care, law and order, energy security among other areas, the functionary said.

According to details provided by the Centre, in the last 100 days, projects worth 3 lakh crore have been approved, with primary focus on roads, railways, ports, and airways.

For the benefit of the farmers, 20,000 crore has been distributed to 93 million farmers, MSP (minimum support price) for Kharif crops for 2024-25 has been increased which benefitted 120 million farmers by approximately 2 lakh crore, the government said.

For the middle class, there is no tax on income up to 7 lakh. A comprehensive review of income tax rules will be conducted within six months to make them concise, clear, and easy to understand and the implementation of the Unified Pension Scheme as per which employees with 25 years of service will receive 50% of their average basic salary as a pension, it added.

To empower the youth, the government claims to have announced a 2 lakh crore PM package for their employment and skill development;1 crore youth will receive internships at top companies, along with allowances and one-time assistance and the Centre has announced over 15,000 new appointments.

Mudra loans for women have been increased from 10 lakh to 20 lakh; and for the socially and economically marginalised development of 63,000 tribal villages will be carried out to improve the socio-economic status of 50 million tribals, it said.
In a major push towards reducing the pendency of cases in the formal judicial system, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) on Saturday concluded the third national lok adalat of 2024, settling a staggering 1.14 crore cases across the country. The lok adalat, organised under the leadership of Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who also serves as the executive chairman of NALSA, recorded a total settlement amount of 8,482.08 crore. As per the latest data available at 6.30pm on Saturday, a total of 11,456,529 cases were resolved. Out of these, 9,460,864 were pre-litigation cases, while 1,995,665 cases were pending in various courts. (Getty Images)

The lok adalat took place in the taluks, districts, and high courts of 27 states and Union territories (UTs). The remaining states and UTs, owing to the festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi and Onam, will hold their lok adalats after the celebrations.

As per the latest data available at 6.30pm on Saturday, a total of 11,456,529 cases were resolved. Out of these, 9,460,864 were pre-litigation cases, while 1,995,665 cases were pending in various courts. The diverse categories of cases resolved included criminal compoundable offences, traffic challans, revenue disputes, bank recovery issues, motor accident claims, cheque dishonor cases, labour disputes, matrimonial cases (excluding divorces), land acquisition matters, intellectual property rights disputes, consumer complaints and other civil matters.

In a statement issued by Santosh Snehi Mann, member secretary of NALSA, lauded the overwhelming response from people. The present success reflects the trust of the people in lok adalats, significantly enhancing access to justice, especially for the underprivileged and marginalised sections of society. NALSA remains committed to organising more lok adalats and promoting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms across the country, read the statement.

With the number of settled cases expected to rise as reports from other states are awaited, NALSA is committed to organising more lok adalats in the future to further promote access to justice across the nation, it added.

NALSA, which was established under the Legal Services Authorities Act of 1987, aims at reducing the burden on the formal judicial system by encouraging out-of-court settlements through lok adalats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off six new Vande Bharat trains for different locations on Sunday. Vande Bharat train at Patna Junction for a trial un on September 10.(Santosh Kumar/ Hindustan Times)

"The Vande Bharat Portfolio is ever-expanding with new train services being added for enhanced connectivity," a statement from PMO read.

"Indigenously designed under the 'Make in India' initiative, it offers cutting-edge features delivering luxury and efficiency to millions of passengers, it added.

Vande Bharat is India's first indigenously designed and manufactured semi-high-speed train. The first Vande Bharat train was inaugurated on February 15, 2019.

Here's all you need to know about the new Vande Bharat trains

Prime Minister Modi travelled to Jharkhand and flagged off six Vande Bharat trains at Tatanagar Junction Railway Station.

The six new Vande Bharat trains that Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off on Sunday for different locations offer faster connectivity, safe journeys and a range of passenger amenities, the Railway has said.



Also Read | UP likely to welcome first Sleeper Vande Bharat train this Diwali
The deadlock between junior doctors and the West Bengal government continued on Saturday, hours after signs of a thaw had emerged in the afternoon when chief minister Mamata Banerjee made an impromptu outreach visit that protesting medics welcomed  only for the impasse to return late evening when both sides did not budge on a key condition for talks: whether or not their parleys would be live-streamed. Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee interacts with junior doctors delegation, at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata, Saturday,(PTI)

Banerjee made a surprise visit to the protest site outside Swasthya Bhavan in Salt Lake where junior doctors are holding a sit-in, urging them to resume work and to trust her efforts to bring justice.

This is my last effort. If you leave the rest to me, I can assure you that you will get justice. I may be the chief minister and belong to a party, but I have come to you as your elder sister. I have solved your problems in the past too. I will try to do it again. Give me some time, Banerjee said.

In a letter they sent shortly after, the junior doctors welcomed the chief ministers move and said that they were ready to hold talks anywhere and anytime. We are more than willing to have a discussion in your esteemed presence with adequate representations and proper transparency as agreed by both the parties, said an email sent by the doctors to the chief minister around 4:10 pm.

At around 5:08 pm, Manoj Pant, the states chief secretary, invited a team of 15 doctors at the chief ministers residence in Kalighat at 6 pm for a discussion with open mind. The striking medics, however, sent a team of 30 representatives along with two videographers that reached Banerjees residence around 6:40 pm. The meeting, however, failed to take off.

The junior doctors requested for a live streaming of the meeting or be allowed to video-graph the proceedings. The state government rejected the proposal, saying the videography would be done by the government only.

As the stalemate showed no signs of coming to an end, Banerjee met the protesters waiting outside in the incessant rain around 8:30 pm.

We will videograph the entire meeting and share with you the recording after taking the Supreme Courts permission as the court is hearing the matter. You may trust me. I wont mislead you. We will share the signed minutes of the meeting, Banerjee told the junior doctors.

If you dont want to hold the meeting, why did you send the letter? Why are you insulting me? You are insulting me. I have been waiting for two hours. I went to the protest site. At least show some respect. Dont do politics, a visibly peeved Banerjee told the doctors.

I cannot accept all your demands. I have already told you why I cant hand over the video recording today, she added.

At around 9:00 pm, senior bureaucrats including Pant and state home secretary Nandini Chakravorty were seen leaving the chief ministers residence.

We demanded a live streaming. It was rejected. We wanted the proceedings to be videographed by both government and our photographers. Even that was rejected. We were told that we would be given the signed minutes only. As the chief minister was requesting us, we decided to trust her and respect her. But when we went to say that were ready to hold the meeting, we were told that it was too late and meeting cant be held, Dr Debashish Halder, a protester, told the media.

We will decide on the future course of action after a general body meeting, said one protester, asking not to be named.

Some of the protesters broke down in tears as the talks failed. The medics are on strike over the past 35 days demanding justice for a colleague who was posted at the RG Kar Hospital in the state capital, where she was allegedly raped and murdered last month.

The doctors have defied a deadline set by the Supreme Court for the medics to resume duty.

This is the second time negotiations failed. On Thursday, a scheduled meeting at the state secretariat did not take place over the junior doctors insisting the proceedings be live-streamed.

The doctors have placed five demands before the government - justice for the RG Kar victim; suspension and removal of some top health officials including the state health secretary; the resignation of Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal; proper security in hospitals; and an end to the threat culture in health care facilities.
Slightly warmer temperatures are in store for most parts of the country including northwest India beginning September 19, the governments official extended weather outlook said, as climatic indications suggest the monsoon could begin withdrawing from northwest India by September 22. (File) Child labourer works at a brick kiln on a hot summer day in Noida. (Burhaan Kinu / Hindustan Times)

If the prediction come to bear, the rainy season will have begun its earliest withdrawal in eight years, and experts said that this will be followed by a brief uptick in temperatures before days and nights start to become colder for the autumn from early October.

Temperatures will remain below normal until September 19 but will be slightly above normal after that, said M Mohapatra, director general, India Meteorological Department, which expected rains to gradually decline over northwest India after September 19.

The extended range forecast shows lower possibility of rain over most parts of the country except east India during the week of September 26 to October 3.

The first half of the month has been unusually rainy for several parts of north India. Since June 1, the country has seen an 8% excess in overall rainfall, but with regional variations: there is a 7% excess in the northwest, 18% in central, 20% in south peninsula, and a 15% deficiency in east and northeast zones.

Officials are now watching for how the autumn unfolds in the coming month, especially in a year when the El Nino to La Nina switch is expected to influence the countrys weather. Arrival of cooler conditions or winter depends upon how mid-latitude western disturbances move in. In a La Nina year we should expect cooler autumn and winters, said M Rajeevan, former secretary, ministry of earth sciences.

El Nino and La Nina refer to temperature cycles that unfold in the Pacific Ocean, which has a ripple effect on global weather. El Nino is when the equatorial pacific is warmer than usual, a phenomenon that leads to drier conditions in India. The La Nina does the opposite.

A second expert said monsoon is expected to withdraw by the end of this month. It seems like temperatures will start dropping soon after once winds change to northerly direction. But whether it will be cold or only a marginal drop we cannot say because that depends on when western disturbances start impacting the northern region, said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, climate and meteorology at Skymet Weather.

Western disturbance refers to storms that sweep in from the Mediterranean, bringing rain to the plains and snow to the Himalayas, which in turn lead to colder winds in northern India.

Last year, the monsoon started withdrawing only around September 25, and in 2022, around September 30. There is presently a deep depression over Gangetic West Bengal, which is likely to move in a north-west direction. Once it moves inlands, it is predicted to cause isolated very heavy to extremely heavy (over 20 cm) rainfall over Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar till Monday.
An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army said. The area has been cordoned off and efforts to neutralize the threat are ongoing. (PTI File Photo)

Security forces launched a search operation in the Bani area of Kathua district following intelligence reports of terrorist presence.

The joint operation by the police and security forces resulted in an exchange of gunfire after contact was established with the terrorists.

The area has been cordoned off and efforts to neutralize the threat are ongoing.

A few rounds have been fired from both sides, the Indian Army said in a brief statement.

Further details are awaited.

The security forces are engaged in the gunfight a day after they killed three terrorists in the Baramulla district of north Kashmir. The operation, which took place in the Chak Tapper Kreeri area, was termed a "significant success" ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the region.

Brigadier Sanjay Kannoth, Commander of the Army's 10 Sector Rashtriya Rifles, said that security forces had received intelligence about the movement of terrorists in the area and promptly launched an operation.

"Our columns were fired upon by terrorists hiding in a disused building," Brig Kannoth said.

Security forces returned fire and neutralised the terrorists after an intense firefight that lasted through the night.

Brig Kannoth noted that the operation was crucial in light of the forthcoming assembly elections, calling it a disruption of "nefarious Pakistani designs" in the Kashmir Valley.
Hindi shares an unbreakable bond with local languages and there can never be a competition between Indian languages, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Saturday as he extended greetings for Hindi Diwas. Emphasising the connection between Hindi and all Indian languages, Shah said the countrys progress is intertwined with the enrichment of these languages. (HT PHOTO)

Emphasising the connection between Hindi and all Indian languages, Shah said the countrys progress is intertwined with the enrichment of these languages.

Heartiest greetings on Hindi Diwas to all fellow citizens. The official language Hindi has an unbreakable bond with every Indian language, Shah said.

All Indian languages are our pride and heritage, without enriching them we cannot move forward. Official language Hindi has an unbreakable relationship with every Indian language I am confident that by taking all Indian languages together, official language Hindi will continue to contribute towards realising the resolution of a developed India, Shah said in a post on X in Hindi.

Noting that the Constituent Assembly of India accepted Hindi as the official language of the Union on September 14, 1949, Shah said the 75-year journey of the language is in the final stage of achieving its objectives and now is the time to make Hindi a language of communication, people, technology and an international language as well.

Whether it is Gujarati, Marathi or Telugu, every language gives strength to Hindi and Hindi gives strength to every language... In the last 10 years, a lot of work has been done under the leadership of PM Modi to strengthen Hindi and local languages. PM Modi has put forth the importance of Hindi in front of the world by giving speeches in Hindi on many international forums and has also increased the interest towards our languages in our country, Shah said.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday lashed out at the Maharashtra government for awarding a power contract to the Adani Group, calling it yet another Modani enterprise  an apparent jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's perceived proximity to the billionaire industrialist. Adani Power, India's largest private-sector thermal power generator, has a generation capacity in excess of 17 GW, which is rising to 31 GW by 2030.(Bloomberg)

Ramesh accused the states ruling alliance, Mahayuti, of pushing through the deal just before a landslide defeat in the Maharashtra assembly elections due later this year. He also claimed that shocking details of this rigged deal will soon start tumbling out.

"Even as the Mahayuti Government in Maharashtra totters towards a landslide defeat, this is what they choose to do with their last few days in power. Yet another Modani enterprise undoubtedly! Shocking details of this rigged deal will soon start tumbling out," the Congress leader posted on X.

Also Read | Adani Group unequivocally reject and deny Hindenburg's new allegations: Preposterous, irrational, absurd

All about Adani's power bid

Adani Power won the bid to supply a mix of renewable and thermal power to Maharashtras state electricity distributor at a rate of 4.08 per unit. This bid, which is nearly 1 lower than the current procurement cost of electricity in Maharashtra, beat rival offers from companies like JSW Energy and Torrent Power, reported PTI quoting sources familiar with the process.

The contract will involve supplying 5,000 MW of solar energy from Adani Green Energy's Khavda Renewable Energy Park in Gujarat and 1,496 MW of thermal power from a new ultra-supercritical plant being developed by Adani Power. The power supply is set to begin within four years, after the final award of the letter of intent.

Also Read | Strike at Kenya's airport causing flight delays as Adani deal suspended

The Adani Group has faced intense scrutiny since the release of a critical report by U.S.-based short-seller Hindenburg Research in January 2023. The report accused the conglomerate of stock manipulation, accounting fraud, and governance issues, leading to a sharp decline in Adani's share prices and wiping out billions in market value. While the share prices have largely recovered, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has yet to publish the final report on its findings.
At least ten people have died and five others were injured after a three-storey building collapsed in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut on Saturday. Rescue operations underway at Zakir Colony of Meerut, wherein a building collapsed on Saturday.(ANI/X)

Amid continuous rain, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are conducting rescue efforts at the spot.

The district administration in a statement said that among those who have died are five minors incluidng Simra, who was one and a half years old, Aliya (6), Reeza (7), Saqib (11), and Saniya (15). The other victims include Sajid (40), Naffo (63), Farhana (20) and Alisa (18).

Meanwhile, Sofiyan, aged 6, is in stable condition. The injured, including Naeem (22), Nadeem (26), Saqib (20), and Saina (38) are receiving treatment at Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College.

The incident took place around 5:15 pm and emergency services were immediately alerted, it said. The building's owner has been identified as Nafo Alauddin, who operated a dairy from the premises. Following the collapse, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed officials to promptly reach the site and accelerate relief efforts.

Senior officials including Meerut zone additional director general of Police D.K. Thakur, Divisional Commissioner Selva Kumari J, Inspector General of Police Nachiketa Jha, and Senior Superintendent of Police Vipin Tada, have arrived at the site to oversee the rescue operation.

Teams from the NDRF, fire brigade, and police are actively engaged in the rescue efforts.

As told by the family and relatives, 15 people were trapped in the debris of the house. All 15 have been rescued, 10 out of which have died and 5 are undergoing treatment. The area has been sealed and debris is being cleared. The rescue operation will go on till we find no possibility of any human life in the debris, said district magistrate Deepak Meena.

Floods have impacted 11 districts in Uttar Pradesh leading to 17 deaths, according to the office of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

In a post on X, the chief minister's office said, Relief payments of 4 lakh each have been given to the families of the deceased. Additionally, compensation has been provided to 30 individuals for the loss of 30 animals. A total of 3,056 houses have been damaged, and relief efforts are ongoing.

Last week, eight people were killed and 28 were injured after a three-storey building collapsed in Lucknow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and 50,000 for those injured in the building collapse incident.

With inputs from PTI, ANI
In a horrific incident, two women riding a scooter were killed after their two-wheeeler was allegedly hit by a speeding BMW car in Indore on Saturday night.



According to a PTI report, Diksha Jadon and Lakshmi Tomar were returning on a scooter after attending the Khajrana Ganesh temple fair. The scooter was badly damaged after being hit by a BMW in Indore.

"According to eyewitnesses, a BMW car rammed into the scooter. Due to the impact, both women were thrown onto the road, sustaining critical injuries. They were rushed to a nearby hospital where they succumbed to their injuries," Khajrana police station in-charge Manoj Singh Sendhav told PTI.

As per the report, Tomar, hailing from Shivpuri, was the sole earning member of her family since her father passed away last year. She was working in Indore and supporting her family.



Diksha Jadon, who was originally from Gwalior, was working in a public sector bank in Indore, police officials added.

The car driver fled the scene after the accident. Police said they have registered a case against the car owner and the driver, and launched a search.

Pune Porsche crash

On May 19, two software engineers Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta were killed after their motorcycle was hit by a Porsche allegedly driven by a 17-year-old teenager in Pune's Kalyani Nagar area.



The Juvenile Justice Board's decision to grant bail to the teenager on lenient conditions including an essay on road safety and pledging to spend 15 days with traffic police had triggered nationwide outrage.



After the outcry, the JJB had remanded the teenager to remand home on May 22. But on June 25, the Bombay high court ruled the detention illegal. The minor was released on bail and did submit the essay on road safety as mandated by the juvenile board.

Mumbai BMW crash



In July, a 45-year-old woman named Kaveri Nakhwa was riding with her husband Pradeep on Mumbai's Annie Besant road when a BMW car driven by Shiv Sena leader Rajesh Shah's son Mihir hit their vehicle. She was allegedly dragged for 100 metres by the speeding luxury car resulting in severe injuries. Nakhwa succumbed to her injuries upon arrival at the hospital. Mihir Shah was arrested by the police after evading arrest for three days.
A 34-year-old woman, who suffered asphyxiation from tear gas shells fired by the police during a protest in Imphal earlier in the week, suffered a miscarriage on Saturday, officials said, with the incident triggering fresh protests in the city. The relatives of the woman and other protestors demanded that if she is still alive, the police should hand her over along with the foetus; otherwise, they would refuse to accept the remains. (HT PHOTO)

The woman, Laishram Ningol Sanjita Devi, was in the eighth month of her pregnancy, and continues to be in a critical condition at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), a statement from the hospital said.

The hospital further appealed to the public to not spread misinformation about the womans health. She is on ventilator support, but the medication to maintain her BP has been adjusted, the hospital said.

The body of the stillborn child has been handed over to the womans husband, the hospital said.

However, an irate mob deposited the body of the foetus at Singjamei Police Station, holding the police responsible for the incident. Tensions escalated outside the police station as a crowd gathered. The relatives of the woman and other protestors demanded that if she is still alive, the police should hand her over along with the foetus; otherwise, they would refuse to accept the remains.

The officer-in-charge of the police station, inspector M Conqueror Singh, received the remains from the relatives and protestors for safe custody, in the presence of an executive magistrate.

In the evening on Saturday, a mob blocked the Indo-Myanmar highway in front of Singjamei Police Station and set tires and wooden logs on fire.

Combined state and central security forces were attempting to control the crowd using tear gas and mock bombs.

The government also extended the curfew in the valley districts of Manipur by two hours. The Imphal West district magistrate issued a new order stating that the indefinite curfew would be relaxed on Sunday from 5am to 12noon.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night when security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells, mock bombs, and live rounds to curb protests against continuous attacks on Meitei villages.

During the confrontation, the woman suffered suffocation due to smoke inhalation and was rushed to RIMS hospital for emergency treatment.

On September 1, a fresh wave of violence erupted in the state that has been roiled by ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis that has claimed at least 230 lives.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan has marked the anniversary of Bakus liberation from Armenian-Bolshevik occupation with a social media post on X, Trend reports.

Today marks 106 years since the liberation of Baku from Armenian-Bolshevik occupation. We remember the brave souls who sacrificed their lives for Bakus freedom on September 15 with gratitude, a date inscribed in golden letters on the pages of Azerbaijan-Turkiye brotherhood, the post reads.
The branch manager and a cashier of a private bank drowned late on Friday after they drove into a submerged underpass in Faridabad, the latest casualties of what has been a particularly deadly monsoon season in the national capital region (NCR) where civic infrastructure routinely crumbles following spells of heavy rain. Two persons trapped inside an SUV in a flooded underpass in Faridabad died on Friday. (Representative photo.)

Police identified the victims as 48-year-old Punyasrrya Sharma, a vice president at HDFC Bank and the head of Sector 31, Gurugram branch, and 26-year-old Viraj Dwivedi, a cashier. Sharmas body was found inside the car once rescuers managed to pull it out of the submerged underpass around midnight, while Dwivedis was fished out of the water four hours later.

Both were returning in an XUV 700 car from the Sector 31, Gurugram branch where they worked when they drove into the underpass near the Old Railway Station at approximately 11PM.

According to NIT police station house officer, inspector Samer, the duo was hailed by two policemen on a patrol motorcycle to stop before they drove in. However, Sharma either could not see or did not pay attention to the policemen trying to stop them and went deep inside the underpass, he said, adding that the patrolling policemen then alerted senior officials and soon a crowd gathered to help.

Kuldeep Singh, deputy commissioner of police, (NIT), said soon after the alert was received, police personnel and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were pressed into action.

The SDRF divers managed to reach the SUV and locate Sharma inside it in the muddy water. He was rushed to Fortis hospital but doctors declared him brought-dead, the DCP said.

Singh said Dwivedi probably managed to get out of the SUV when it was sinking by shattering window panes, but may not have been able to swim to safety.

The water was several feet deep, Singh said, and that the second body was fished out at around 4am by drivers who set off on a search once the car was winched out of water and it became clear Dwivedi was missing.

Police said Sharma was returning home in a township in Sector 86 in Faridabad, and Dwivedi, who lived in Sector 28, Gurugram, was travelling with his senior for a night halt at his residence after finishing work.

Their deaths came on a day the region received heavy rains. During several such episodes of rain this year, the civic and administrative lapses in NCR cities have led people to die by drowning and electrocution or crushed under collapsing structures, including, infamously, at the Delhi airport.

Friday nights deaths in Faridabad took the toll in that city to five. Across the four main cities of NCR  Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad --- the number has now crossed well over 60, with 49 of these fatalities occurring in the national Capital alone. There were four such fatalities in Gurugram and two in Ghaziabad.

NIT stations head Samer, who goes by one name, said barricades had been placed ahead of the underpass so that motorists do not cross it. However, with continuous rainfall, they had become invisible after being submerged. The SUV driver probably could not see them, he said.

Faridabads underpasses have increasingly emerged as a problematic solution for a unique problem the city faces: it is almost bifurcated by an arrow-straight stretch of the arterial railway lines that connects Delhi with the countrys western regions.

In the nearly 20-km stretch between Faridabads border with Delhi and till the point the town ends on the Ballabgarh end, there are only four main flyovers for road traffic to cross the railway tracks. The rest are underpasses, which invariably get submerged during spells of heavy rain. The waterlogging at these stretches also forces pedestrians to make track crossings on foot, often with fatal results.

A senior official of Faridabad metropolitan development authority, who asked not to be named, said the water that flooded the underpass was at least 12-15 feet deep. The underpass is still unusable as it is submerged. Police have kept the area blocked. There had been intense rainfall in Faridabad on Friday and a large number of areas were completely waterlogged due to it, he added.

An IMD official posted in Chandigarh said the Faridabad district received 56.4mm rainfall  heavy by the citys standards -- in the 24 hours preceding 8.30am on Saturday. This is more than 20 times higher than the normal rainfall which should have been around 2.6mm, he said

The bodies of Sharma and Dwivedi were handed over to their families after autopsy on Saturday and a formal inquiry was launched on the basis of the complaints of the families of both the deceased. Police said Sharma was originally from Sitapur and Dwivedi from Ambedkar Nagar, both in Uttar Pradesh.
In a first of its kind experiment in the country, the Telangana government has decided to rope in transgenders as volunteers to regulate traffic in Hyderabad, officials familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Telangana government to recruit transgenders as volunteers for traffic regulation

The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by chief minister A Revanth Reddy at the state secretariat on Friday. He instructed the authorities to engage the services of transgenders as volunteers in traffic management along with home guards, who are currently assisting the traffic police department in Hyderabad.

An official statement from the chief ministers office (CMO) said Reddy asked the police authorities to gather the details of transgenders who are interested in this proposal. They would be paid a monthly stipend for their work, the statement said.

The CMO statement said it would be Indias first ever transgender-specific government recruitment-cum-social welfare programme. It is the best example of creative and lateral thinking in governance and it attempts to solve two crucial problems simultaneously  providing employment to transgenders and at the same time, helping the traffic department regulate the traffic, the statement said.

After identifying the transgenders willing to engage in the service, the government will recruit them as traffic volunteers and impart them training for a week or 10 days in traffic regulation. Subsequently, their services will be utilised to support Hyderabad traffic police. The modalities of recruitment and terms of employment are being worked out, the statement said.

The CMO statement further said that the government is also contemplating providing a unique uniform for the transgender traffic volunteers, which will be different from the uniform of the traffic cops.

They will have a unique design, models for which are being worked out, the statement said, adding that the idea of engaging transgenders in the traffic management is to provide them a life of dignity and respect.
Supreme Court judge, justice Surya Kant, on Sunday emphasised the growing importance of arbitration as a key mechanism for dispute resolution in an increasingly interconnected world. Justice Surya Kant (HT PHOTO)

In his valedictory address at the Conference on International Arbitration and the Rule of Law, the judge highlighted that India is positioning itself as a hub of international commercial arbitration as he stressed the importance of collaboration between international and domestic arbitration bodies to uphold the rule of law and ensure that arbitration remains a fair, cost-effective and accessible means of dispute resolution.

Organised by the Supreme Court of India, this conference marked the 75th anniversary of the apex court and coincided with the 125th anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Justice Kant hailed this collaboration as a momentous occasion and pointed to Indias expanding role in global arbitration.

Justice Kant opened his address by underlining the global prominence of the PCA, founded in 1899, calling it the oldest surviving institution for international dispute resolution. He highlighted that over a century of the PCAs work in fostering trust, dialogue, and fairness has made it a cornerstone of peaceful dispute resolution worldwide. The judge acknowledged the PCAs contribution in resolving a wide spectrum of international disputes, noting that its legacy of facilitating peaceful resolutions among nations, businesses and individuals remains unparalleled.

It has become more than just an institution; it is a symbol of hope, where conflicts that may otherwise spiral into crisis are brought to the table for reasoned discussion and resolution, remarked the judge, stressing the PCAs pivotal role in maintaining peace through arbitration.

Reflecting on Indias growing stature in the international legal landscape, justice Kant referred to the increasing number of arbitration cases worldwide and acknowledged the presence of four Indian retired judges on the PCAs panel, which highlights Indias growing involvement in this domain.

Indias commitment to international arbitration has always been beyond doubt, reflected by the fact that we were among the six Asian countries to sign the Geneva Convention and one of the ten original signatories to the New York Convention, he noted. This historical context, the judge said, signifies Indias long-standing engagement with global arbitration practices.

Justice Kant discussed Indias domestic commitment to arbitration, which is evidenced by recent institutional developments, including the establishment of the Arbitration Bar of India. He lauded these steps as transformative, marking Indias journey towards becoming a global hub for arbitration. The judge was particularly optimistic about the opening of a PCA office in India, which he believes will attract international parties and also make arbitration more accessible to domestic businesses and individuals.

This move, he said, will not only boost Indias credibility in the global arbitration community but will also empower local stakeholders by reducing logistical hurdles and costs associated with international arbitration. No longer will they have to navigate complex logistical hurdles and incur significant costs to access PCAs services. With a local office, we can tap into PCAs expertise and resources right here in India, he pointed out.

Justice Kant also mentioned how the PCAs presence in India would help build capacity in the countrys arbitration ecosystem by fostering training programs and development initiatives for arbitrators, counsels, and other stakeholders. This, he said, would ultimately strengthen Indias infrastructure for dispute resolution, making it more robust and efficient.

Justice Kant concluded his address with a hopeful outlook for the future of arbitration in India. He envisioned India emerging as a leading global arbitration centre, driven by consistent efforts from stakeholders to build a world-class dispute resolution mechanism.
Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday lashed out at Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi over the latter's remarks in the United States. Bittu, who quit Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections this year, called the Congress leader as the number one terrorist.



Rahul Gandhi is not an Indian, he has spent most of his time outside. He does not love his country much because he goes abroad and says everything in a wrong way. The people who are most wanted, seperatists, experts in making bombs, guns and shells, have appreciated what Rahul Gandhi has said, ANI quoted Bittu as saying.



Gandhi had sparked a row over his remark on Sikhs in the United States, alleging that the members of the community might not be allowed to practice their religious faith freely.



ALSO READ: Khalistani terrorist Pannun backs Rahul Gandhi's Sikh remark in US: Existential threat



The fight is about whether he, as a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear a turban in India; or whether, he, as a Sikh, will be allowed to wear a kada in India; or whether he, as a Sikh, is allowed to go to a Gurudwara. Thats what the fight is about, and not just for him, but for all religion," Gandhi had said.



ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi attacks RSS again, BJP hits back over his comments on Sikhs



Gandhi's remark triggered a political storm with the BJP accusing him of defaming the country.



Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri alleged that Gandhi's remarks were "sinister" in nature as he tried to spread falsehood among the members of the Sikh community living abroad to "eke out a living".



ALSO READ: '3,000 Sikhs were killed under Congress rule...dangerous narrative': Minister slams Rahul Gandhi's remarks in US



Continuing his attack, Bittu said,"The enemies of the country who try to blow up planes, trains, roads, they are in support of Rahul Gandhi...If there should be an award to catch the number one terrorist and the biggest enemy of the country, it should be on Rahul Gandhi."

Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu and Rahul Gandhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led coalition government in Jharkhand of supporting Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators for vote bank politics, and alleged that the tribal population is rapidly decreasing in Santhal Parganas region as these illegal migrants are establishing control over the panchayat system. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the crowd during the public meeting ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, in Jamshedpur on Sunday. (ANI)

Sounding the poll bugle in the eastern state, where elections to the 81-member assembly are due to be held later this year, Modi said the JMM and its allies  the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress  are the biggest enemies of the region and that the time has come to strengthen the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Prime Minister was addressing a Parivartan Maharally of the BJP at Gopal Maidan in Jamshedpur when he made the remarks.

Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators have become a major threat to Santhal Parganas and Kolhan regions. The demography of these regions is changing fast. The tribal population is on the decline. The infiltrators are establishing control of the panchayat system, grabbing land, indulging in atrocities on daughters of the state Each Jharkhand resident is feeling unsafe, he told the crowd.

JMM is standing with the Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators, who have infiltrated into the party as well and are gradually taking control, he added.

Modi criticised the Hemant Soren-led government for refusing to acknowledge the ongoing infiltration, despite a high court order on September 12 to establish an independent panel to probe the infiltration of Bangladeshi immigrants in the state.

The JMM, Congress and RJD are the biggest enemies of Jharkhand, Modi said. The RJD still seeks revenge from Jharkhand for its formation. And the Congress hates Jharkhand. The Congress ruled the country from Delhi for so many decades but they did not let backwards, Adivasi and Dalits come forward... The JMM came ahead in politics using Adivasi votes. But today, they are standing with those who took over the jungles of the Adivasis, he added.

In his speech, Modi also spoke about how former chief minister Champai Soren was insulted and ousted from the JMM for power. This has dealt a severe blow to the tribals of Jharkhand, and a fitting reply will be given to the party. Even Sita Soren, the sister-in-law of chief minister Hemant Soren, was subjected to disrespect, he said.

In March, Sita Soren quit the JMM, saying that ever since the death of her husband Durga Soren  eldest son of JMM chief Shibu Soren  she had been isolated by the party and family members. She joined the BJP thereafter.

Champai was Jharkhand chief minister from February 2, days after his predecessor and JMM acting president Hemant was imprisoned, till July 3. He made way after Hemant was released from jail.

The JMM-led government has been trained by Congress school of corruption. It is time to bid farewell to the JMM that looted mines, minerals and Army land, Modi said.

He added that the JMM-led coalition was so deeply entrenched in corruption that substantial amounts of cash were recovered not only from their leaders but also from their aides. This was the money of your hard work. This election is about taking account of looting this peoples money and trust, he said.

In 2023, about 300 crore was seized from the premises of Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu during a raid by the Income Tax department. In May this year, Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam (Congress MLA from Pakur) was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) after  32.2 crore cash was seized from the house of the domestic help of his secretary Sanjeev Lal in Ranchi.

ED also seized an SUV and cash worth 36 lakh from Hemants Delhi residence in January this year.

Modi said it is the BJP which is committed for the development of Jharkhand. If the BJP comes to power, it will launch a probe into the deaths of 15 aspirants during an excise constable recruitment drive, he said.

More than 10 candidates died during the physical assessment test for Jharkhand Excise Constable recruitment in East Singhbhum district, prompting the chief minister to halt the exercise. Soren has also ordered an immediate review of the recruitment rules made by the previous BJP government.

The JMM sharply reacted to Modis remarks on infiltration. It is the BJP government who has allowed the intrusion of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said.

Hasina stepped down and fled to India on August 5, following widespread student-led protests against her government in which more than 600 people were killed. She is currently in a safe location, though Indian authorities have not given details of her whereabouts.

On Modis remarks on involvement of JMM, Congress and RJD leaders in corrupt activities, Bhattacharya said: Modis Gujarati friend leaves the country after siphoning 16 lakh crore.
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's alleged remark on ending the system of reservations in education and employment, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar said on Sunday that such comments by a person holding a constitutional post shows his anti-constitutional mindset. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar was speaking on the subject of Enhancement of Democratic Values and Ethics in a joint address organised as part of the year-long celebration of the Maharashtra legislative councils centenary year. (File)(PTI)

"A person from a constitutional post saying on a foreign land that reservation should be ended underscores the same anti-constitutional mindset. The baton of prejudices against reservation has been handed over. It is the same old anti-constitutional mindset," he said while addressing a public event in Mumbai, reported PTI.

Hitting back at Dhankar, Congress party spokesperson Pawan Khera asked whether he agrees on Gandhi's demand to increase the ceiling limit on reservations. Mr Rahul Gandhi has demanded removal of the 50% limit on reservations for SC/STs & OBCs. Do you support this demand of the Congress, Mr @VPIndia?," asked the Congress leader on X.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman also said that creating awareness about India's constitution is the need of the hour as some people have forgotten its soul. "Reservation is not against meritocracy, but it is the soul of the country and the Constitution. It is an affirmative action and not negative. It is not depriving someone of opportunity but handholding those who are pillars of strength of the society," Dhankar added.

Rahul Gandhi's remark and clarification

At a conversation during his recent visit to the United States, the Leader of Opposition said India can think of scrapping the reservation system only if it becomes a fair place providing equal opportunities to Indians from every section of the society.

The ruling BJP alleged that Rahul Gandhi wanted to scrap the system immediately and his remark showed the Congress party's anti-reservation mindset. Home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh alleged that Rahul Gandhi was standing with forces conspiring to divide India.

Issuing a clarification for his remarks, Rahul Gandhi said he was not against reservation, and his party will take the reservation beyond 50 per cent if they come into power. Yesterday someone misrepresented my statement that I am against reservation. But let me make it clear  I am not against reservation. We will take reservation beyond the limit of 50 per cent, Gandhi said at the National Press Club in the US.

(With inputs from agencies)
Reacting to Nitin Gadkari's claim that an opposition leader offered him the coveted prime ministerial post, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said that the INDIA bloc has very capable leaders who can lead the country. She said that Gadkari was using the opposition as an excuse to express his desire to be the prime minister. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at Parliament House complex at Parliament House complex during the Monsoon session, in New Delhi. (File)(PTI)

"Nitin Gadkari ji is expressing his heartfelt desire to be on the top chair, using the excuse of opposition parties he is sending a message to Modiji. INDIA alliance has very capable leaders who can lead the country, wouldnt want to borrow one from BJP. Well played Nitin ji," Chaturvedi posted on social media platform X.

What Nitin Gadkari said?

The union minister claimed that he was offered the top post ahead of the 2024 general elections, but he simply rejected it. Though Gadkari did not reveal the identity of the person, he hinted that he was approached by a senior leader.

I told the leader that I am a man who follows one ideology and conviction. I am in a party which has given me everything which I never even dreamt of. No offer can entice me, Gadkari said during a journalism award function in Nagpur on Saturday.

His name featured in discussions on potential prime minister candidates ahead of 2014 and 2019 general elections. Having won as an MP from Nagpur constituency for three times, Gadkari remains a prominent figure in the BJP.

Gadkari won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Nagpur by defeating his nearest Congress rival by a margin of 1,37,603 votes. However, Gadkari's winning margin went down by 78,397 in this general election. In 2019, he had defeated Congress' Nana Patole by 2,16,000 votes.

The BJP leader first contested from the constituency in 2014, when he won by a margin of 2,84,828 votes.

(With inputs from agencies)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday questioned Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over his decision to resign from his post after two days. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal during AAP workers' meeting, in New Delhi, Sunday.(PTI)

This 48-hour time which he (Arvind Kejriwal) has sought is enshrined in mystery that for which he is trying to find a replacement or trying to do some placements, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said at a press conference.



Adding further, he said,"It is ridiculous for a CM who is having overwhelming majority in the Assembly. If he is having an iota of truth in his intentions and in what he is saying, then he should call the meeting of the Cabinet, resign as CM and recommend the dissolution of the Assembly."

Trivedi also hit out at Kejriwal over Aam Aadmi Party supporters bursting crackers to celebrate his release from Tihar jail.



ALSO READ: BJP's first reaction to Arvind Kejriwal's resignation: 'PR stunt'



After coming out of the jail, fireworks were done. He became the first chief minister of this country to come out of jail and break the rules made by his own government. Delhi government decided to ban fireworks and the CM of Delhi came out of jail and broke the rules of the Delhi government, Trivedi added.



"Why are you (Arvind Kejriwal) talking about resigning after coming out and what is the matter after 48 hours? The people of the country and Delhi want to know what is the secret of 48 hours, what all is to be settled in 48 hours?" he added.



Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva questioned Kejriwal as to why was the excise policy introduced by his government in 2021 withdrawn a year later.



I have a question for Arvind Kejriwal - if you are not involved in the liquor policy scam, then why was the policy withdrawn? The entire party (AAP) is involved in the liquor policy scam, and that's why they (AAP leaders) were sent to jail. People of Delhi know that you have looted them, he added.

What Kejriwal said on resignation?

In his address to AAP workers, Kejriwal announced his decision to step down as chief minister.



I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict. I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till I get a verdict from the people, he said.



ALSO READ: 'Even Britishers wouldn't have thought': Arvind Kejriwal accuses BJP of cruelty



I will not sit on the CM post until the public announces its decision. Elections are after a few months. If you think Kejriwal is honest, then vote for me, I will take over as CM after the elections. If you think I am not, don't vote. Your vote will be a certificate for my honesty, then only I will sit on the post of CM, Kejriwal added.



(With agency inputs)
Eid Milad-un-Nabi or Eid-e-Milad which is also called Nabid and Mawlid in colloquial Arabic, is a festival celebrated by the Sufi and Barelvi sect during the month of Rabi al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic lunar calendar, the 12th day of which is celebrated by the Muslims from the Sufi or the Barelvi school of thought as the birth anniversary of the last Prophet of Islam - Prophet Muhammad. The moon sighting for the beginning of the month of Rabi al-awwal 1446 AH took place in Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, UAE, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other parts of the world earlier this month i.e. September 2024. Eid-e-Milad-un Nabi 2024: Date, history, significance and celebration of 12 Rabi ul Awwal 1446 (File Photo)

Date:

Muslims in India sighted the crescent moon for Rabi al-awwal 1446 AH on September 04 this year and as per the Gregorian calendar, September 05, 2024 was the first date of Rabi ul Awwal 1446. Since the Prophet's birth anniversary is marked by the believers on the 12th day of Rabi ul Awwal, Eid-e-Milad will be celebrated this year on September 16.

Rabi ul Awwal 1446 moon sighting announcement in Lucknow, India (Photo by Maulana Khalid Rasheed)

The Islamic calendar or lunar calendar differs from the Gregorian calendar on the basis of the crescent moon sighting so those from the Sunni community of Muslms, who celebrate Eid-e-Milad, mark it on the 12th day of Rabi al-awwal whereas the Shia community celebrates it on the 17th of Rabi al-awwal.

History and significance:

The origin of celebrating Prophet Muhammads birthday can be traced back to the early four Rashidun Caliphs of Islam and the idea of marking this day was first initiated by the Fatimids. Some Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca on the twelfth day of Rabi al-awwal in 570 CE.

Though the word Mawlid means to give birth or bear a child in colloquial Arabic but Eid-e-Milad is also mourned by some because it is also believed to be the death anniversary of the Prophet. First celebrated as an official festival in Egypt, the celebrations of Eid-e-Milad became more popular during the 11th century.

At that time, only the then ruling tribe of the Shia Muslims in the region could celebrate the festival instead of the general public. Eid-e-Milad began to be celebrated by Syria, Morocco, Turkey and Spain only in the 12th century and soon some Sunni Muslim sects too started celebrating the day.

Celebrations:

Since it began in Egypt, the earlier celebrations were marked by Muslims offering prayers after which the ruling clan gave speeches and narrated verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a large public feast. People of the ruling clan were honoured as they were believed to be Caliphs, which were considered to be representatives of Muhammad.

Later, as the practices got modified under heavy Sufi influence, the celebrations were marked with animal sacrifices, public discourses, night time torchlight processions and a public banquet. In current times, Eid-e-Milad is celebrated by Muslims wearing new clothes, offering prayers and exchanging greetings.

They get together at a mosque or at a dargah and start their day with a morning prayer followed by a procession carried out from the mosques to the town and back. Stories of Prophet Muhammads life and preachings as mentioned in the Holy Quran are narrated to the children, community meals are organised, donations are made towards the needy and poor people, friends and family are invited to be a part of the naat festivities and social gatherings wherein night-long prayers are held.

Bidaah:

Even though Eid-e-Milad and its traditions are widely followed in India and other countries, many different sections of the Muslim community believe that the birthday celebrations of Prophet Muhammad has no place in Islamic culture. Since evidences found in the Holy Quran and Sunnah prove that celebrating any event other than Eid al-Fitr and Eid-e-Adha is a kind of biddah or innovation in religion, Muslims from Salafi and Wahhabi schools of thought do not mark the tradition of festivities.

They believe that the observance of Eid-e-Milad or Mawlid is an innovation or act of biddat since it was not even celebrated during the era of Prophet Muhammad himself and his appointed successors.
Balis provincial government is proposing a temporary ban on the construction of new hotels, villas, discos and beach clubs to slow down the pace of land development and overcrowding in the island, according to a report by Indonesias state news agency Antara. Morning view on the Tegelalang rice terraces north of Ubud, Bali. (Unsplash)

Bali puts a temporary ban on building new hotels and clubs

The moratorium would run for as long as two years and cover Balis most heavily populated tourist areas, including Canggu, Seminyak, Uluwatu and Ubud, Antara said, quoting Acting Governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya. The plan has been submitted to the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs, which has responded positively to the idea, he added.

According to Jaya, swathes of Balis rice fields have been turned into commercial land, often without the necessary approvals from the provincial government. Unregulated alcohol sales have also worsened unruly behaviour and crime on the island, he said.

Recently, the country announced an audit to reform tourism and preserve local culture and jobs. "Foreign tourists who bring problems here, such as narcotics, gangs, and other issues, we can deport them from Indonesia, from Bali, and we don't want them to enter Bali anymore," Luhut Pandjaitan, the senior minister overseeing tourism, said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. Azerbaijan's hosting such events like Formula 1 allows the youth to gain a rich experience, Fuad Mansurlu, a volunteer with the Baku City Circuit Operations Company, told Trend.

"I've been volunteering at the Formula 1 races for the second year now. In our volunteer activities, we are organized into different groups. We handle organizational tasks and also assist tourists in our city.

There is a significant influx of tourists, which is a great opportunity for them to get to know our country better. Interest in Formula 1 and the number of guests coming here are growing each year," he said.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2024 moved into its second day of action today, with a full slate of Formula 1 (F1) and Formula 2 (F2) activities set to captivate fans.

The opening day of the event, which runs from September 13 through 15, featured the initial free practice sessions and qualifying rounds for both F1 and F2 teams.

Todays schedule includes the third free practice session for F1 teams, providing a crucial opportunity for drivers to fine-tune their setups before the weekends competitive sessions. Additionally, F2 teams will compete in their qualifying sessions and short sprint races, adding another layer of excitement to the days events.

The weekend will culminate on September 15 with the main races, where the champions of both F1 and F2 will be determined.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Chinese cities prepared for Typhoon Bebincas imminent landing, amid cancelling of flights and evacuation of residents, as millions of holidaymakers began travelling across the country for a national festival. People walk with umbrellas on a bridge amid rains and winds brought by Typhoon Muifa, in Shanghai, China. China: Flights cancelled, cities evacuated, Mid-Autumn Festival travel disrupted as Typhoon Bebinca wreaks havoc (REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo)

Bebinca, which China refers to as Beibijia, is set to hit the Yangtze River Delta region around dawn on Monday, Sept. 16, according to the Shanghai Meteorological Service. The typhoon is expected to bring significant rainfall and high tides when it lands, according to the weather agency.

Shanghai initiated a top-level emergency response at 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, suspending railways, closing ports, bridges and highways. More than 600 flights in and out of Shanghai were canceled on Sunday, according to the local government.

Personnel at Yangshan Deepwater Port, a major port cluster, will be evacuated by 6 p.m. on Sunday, while Shanghais Chongming District was relocating 9,318 people to safe places, according to local media reports. Zhoushan warned people to stay indoors as rain and strong winds began lashing the city on Sunday afternoon.

Chinas three-day, mid-autumn festival holiday started on Sunday. Disruptions to travel could further dampen consumption in the worlds second-largest economy.

The national railway operator estimates passenger traffic may reach 74 million during the mid-autumn festival, Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday. The cross-regional flow of people across the country reached 195 million on Sept. 14, 42% higher than a year earlier, Cailian reported on Sunday, citing the Ministry of Transport.
Chhattisgarh, with its lush forests, abundant wildlife and pristine landscapes, is positioning itself as one of India's premier eco-tourism destinations. Through a conscious blend of nature preservation and responsible tourism, the state offers visitors a holistic, sustainable and soulful vacation that immerses them in its untouched beauty while ensuring the protection and sustainability of the environment. Your next dream vacation at Chhattisgarh: Eco-tourism hotspot that will change the way you travel (Photo by GoChhattisgarh)

A Vacation with Purpose

Eco-tourism in Chhattisgarh goes beyond traditional travel. It offers a holistic experience where tourists can engage with the environment in a meaningful way. From trekking through dense forests to witnessing the serene beauty of waterfalls, visitors will enjoy not only an adventurous holiday but also a soulful connection with nature.

By promoting eco-tourism, the state is committed to minimizing the carbon footprint of visitors. This form of travel emphasizes staying in eco-friendly accommodations, participating in activities that support conservation efforts, and fostering an appreciation for the rich biodiversity of the region.

Benefiting the Environment and Communities

Eco-tourism initiatives in Chhattisgarh are designed to benefit the environment and local communities. Preserving ecosystems while creating sustainable livelihoods for indigenous populations is at the heart of the state's tourism strategy. Revenue from eco-tourism directly supports conservation projects, reforestation programs, and wildlife protection efforts, ensuring that the state's natural heritage is preserved for generations to come.

Furthermore, eco-tourism encourages tourists to travel responsibly--reducing waste, conserving resources, and supporting local economies through community-based tourism initiatives. This creates a positive cycle, where the environment thrives and local communities gain financial independence.

An Exciting and Sustainable Getaway

For travelers seeking an exciting yet responsible vacation, Chhattisgarh's eco-tourism offerings are second to none. Whether it's exploring the renowned Kanger Valley National Park, marveling at the Chitrakote Waterfall (the Niagara of India), or trekking through unexplored forests, eco-tourism allows tourists to enjoy these incredible experiences without compromising the planet's future

In Chhattisgarh, sustainable tourism isn't just a choice; it's a way of life. It invites every tourist to become a steward of nature, ensuring that their holiday leaves a lasting, positive impact on both the environment and themselves.

As the world shifts towards more responsible travel, Chhattisgarh's eco-tourism model stands as a beacon of sustainability and environmental preservation. By choosing eco-tourism in Chhattisgarh, tourists embark on a journey that offers them peace, adventure, and a unique connection with nature--all while contributing to the state's ongoing efforts to protect its natural treasures.
Padma Bhushan, Maharaj Krishna Rasgotra (MKR), former foreign secretary of India, celebrated his 100th birthday last week on September 11. A reception was organised by the Indo-American Friendship Association chairperson, Ambassador Surendra Kumar, to celebrate this milestone. It was attended by a full hall of Rasgotra saheb s friends and admirers, including journalists, and, of course, a huge number of the serving and retired members of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) fraternity.

MKR arrived dressed immaculately as always in a suit. He looked fragile, but walked in with the perfunctory aid of a walking stick, carrying his hundred years of age lightly. To congratulate him, and recall his great record of service, five persons were approved by him to make short speeches. These were Padma Vibhushan Sonal Mansingh, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Lalit Mansingh (former foreign secretary), Shiv Shankar Menon (also former foreign secretary and national security adviser), and myself.

In one of my earlier columns here, I had written about five men above the age of 90, who were fit and well and leading active and meaningful lives. At the top of that list was MKR, by far the oldest at 98. The other four were Karan Singh, K. Natwar Singh, K.P. Singh (founder and chairperson emeritus of DLF), and Prem Prakash, founder of news agency Asian News International (ANI). MKR had then hosted a lunch for all these five luminaries, along with me and my wife. Of the five grand old men, only one, K. Natwar Singh, passed away recently at the age of 95. It was a great loss, but by the grace of the Almighty, the other four are well.

Among those who spoke yesterday, I was the youngest, and, therefore, knew the least about MKRs professional life. He joined the IFS in 1949  four years before I was born and was foreign secretary from May 1982 to January 1985, when I was just six years old in service. However, I did serve under him at the ministry of external affairs from 1982 to 1985. I was undersecretary on the Soviet Union desk, and he, as foreign secretary, was in charge of this country.

It was at this time that I first met with MKR. That meeting will forever remain etched in my mind. In those days, rather unconventionally for the stiff predictability of South Block, I used to wear a starched white khadi kurta and pyjama in summer to the office. In that attire, I had to attend a meeting in the foreign secretarys office. When I entered those hallowed portals, along with K.Raghunath, then joint secretary and who later also became foreign secretary, MKR was seated in the grand room in a three-piece suit, tie and fashionable lapel handkerchief. By contrast, I was hugely underdressed in my simple khadi outfit.

For a full two minutesor so it seemedMKR stared silently at me. Then he spoke: "Thats a nice dress." I thanked him. After a pause, he said that I have one suggestion to make: wear a Jawahar jacket with this, to add a touch of formality. With the temerity which only a young under-secretary can have, I said: "Sir, your suggestion is well taken, but I sit with two other officers in a room which has only a desert cooler and is not as freezing cold as your room. A Jawahar jacket will be difficult to wear in the heat." MKR could have taken this amiss, but he did not. With a laugh, he said: "I know, I know. But you do not have to wear it all the time. Put it on a hanger, and wear it only when you have to go for a meeting." I concurred, but MKR was not quite finished. "In fact, I will buy you a Jawahar jacket myself." Again, the rebellious spirit in me wrongly interpreted this as an act of condescension, and I replied: "Thank you very much sir, but I can buy one myself." MKRand that was, indeed, his quintessential personalityimmediately responded: "Of course, you can. I didnt mean it like that. What I meant was that I would like to gift you one." That left me stumped, and I left the room with a new respect for a boss I had not known before and had just met for the first time.

After retirement in 1985, MKR moved to his home in Delhis Vasant Vihar, where I too live. It was during this time that I really got to know him, interacting with him as often as I could every time I was posted in Delhi. He is an elegant and meticulous host, and my wife and I have been invited several times for lunch and dinner by him. Till very recently, he would also graciously accept an invitation by us to dinner, arriving punctually and nattily dressed, sipping a glass of wine, and enjoying his meal. A great raconteur with a ready sense of humour, he can still regale friends with scintillating stories from his multi-faceted diplomatic career, and anecdotes about the high and mighty he has had occasion to interact with. At the age of 92, he wrote his autobiography, A Life in Diplomacy, which Natwar Singh hailed as one of the best autobiographies written by any foreign service officer.

Of course, in a span of 100 years, he has dealt with tragedy too. He lost his ten-year-old son in a tragic accident. His wife died in 2018, and now he has one surviving son. But he still retains his zest for life. As he said in his speech, which he delivered standing at the podium for half an hour, at this age, one can only enjoy the time left, and live free of any expectations or regrets.

Pavan K Varma is author, diplomat, and former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). Just Like That is a weekly column where Varma shares nuggets from the world of history, culture, literature, and personal reminiscences. The views expressed are personal
Hotels.com, one of the global leader in online hotel bookings, has released its much-anticipated annual Hotel Room Insights Report, offering a unique glimpse into the forgotten and the extraordinary left behind in hotel rooms around the world. A report reveals forgotten items in hotel rooms, from chargers to $6M watches, alongside bizarre room service requests and hidden luxury hotel perks worldwide. (Representative image)(Pixabay)

The most commonly forgotten items

According to the comprehensive report, which collates data from over 400 hotels worldwide, guests frequently leave behind a range of everyday items. The top five most commonly forgotten items are phone chargers, dirty laundry, power adapters, makeup, and toiletries. In a somewhat surprising find, 10% of hotels also reported discovering dentures left behind by their guests.

(Also read: Couple's video of extremely expensive underwater hotel room unlocks new fear among netizens)

The curious and the bizarre

While phone chargers and dirty laundry are expected, the report also reveals some truly unusual items that have been left in hotel rooms. These include a Rolex watch, a $6 million ( 50 crore) watch, a Hermes Birkin bag, luxury car keys and documents, a car tire, an engagement ring, a tooth, two full-leg casts, stacks of cash, a pet lizard, and a chick. Thankfully, the lizard and chick were safely returned to their owners.

Outlandish room service requests

The report does not stop at forgotten items; it also delves into the realm of peculiar room service requests. Some of the more unusual demands included an Evian-filled tub for a child's bath, a customised allergen menu for a pet, burnt toast, a caviar hot dog, fresh goat milk, 4 pounds of bananas, and even a high five from a team member to confirm receipt of the request.

(Also read: Robot delivers food to man in his hotel room in China, netizens have mixed reactions)

Interestingly, Hotels.com is not the only one shedding light on the bizarre things people leave behind. Uber also earlier released the seventh edition of its 2023 Lost and Found Index, revealing an equally intriguing list of items forgotten in cabs. From a fog machine to a weight loss guide, a pregnancy test, and even a friend's fake tooth, Uber's list did not disappoint. Topping the 'most unique' list was a Danny DeVito Christmas ornament. Meanwhile, the most commonly forgotten item in cabs? Clothing, with shawls taking the lead.

(Also read: Fake blood, pregnancy test and more: Strange items passengers forget in Uber cabs)

What is the weirdest item you have forgotten in a hotel room?
A US man claimed he had finally gotten rid of a Lego piece stuck in his nose for nearly 30 years. Yes, you read that right. 32-year-old Andi Norton, a resident of Arizona, in an Instagram reel, shared that he had "multiple breathing issues" growing up, including sleep apnea and asthma and recently he discovered why he was facing these issues. The US man explained how he discovered the Lego piece in his nose. (Instagram)

How did the Lego got stuck in his nose?

In the video, Norton stated that in the 1990s, at the age of "six or so," he pushed a Lego man piece up his nose. Later, when he panicked as he was not able to take out the piece, his mother used tweezers to take them out. While the two thought that his nose was clear, little did they know that a small piece would remain in his nostril for the following 26 years. (Also Read: Man's hoarse voice leads to discovery of massive heart condition, 15-hour surgery saves him)

How did he take it out?

Norton, in the now-viral video, shared that his doctor had suggested he blow his nose while showering. "I was in the shower. And my doctor has told me, with the dry, hot summer months, it's really helpful to blow your nose while you're in the shower because of the humidity of the steam and everything and today I blew my nose and low and behold a Lego shot out."

He added, "I feel like this Lego piece has been the culprit for the last 26 years. I am shooketh. I can breathe out of this side of my nose now, and it's fantastic. I haven't been able to do that since I was a child."

Watch the video shared by Norton here:

This post was shared at the beginning of September. Since the video was uploaded, it has gained more than 6,000 views and the share also has over 200 likes. Many people took to the comments section of the post and added their reactions. (Also Read: Cockroach enters sleeping man's nose, what happened next will leave you shocked)

Here's how people reacted to it:

An individual wrote, "Glad you got the Lego out, it was hurting my nose just thinking about it!"

Another Instagram user said, "OMG, my kid got a Lego stuck in his nose last year, and we had to go the ER. We wore our masks, and thankfully, he sneezed it out."

"Thats actually pretty clever thinking for a small kid to engineer a Lego man to try and get it to connect to the piece in your nose. Obviously, didnt work, but still some advanced thinking in my opinion," shared someone else.
The US supermarket giant Sam's Club is being investigated after a customer discovered a human tooth in a mooncake purchased from them. As per reports, a woman posted a Douyin video of the tooth in a 30-yuan (US$4) meat-filled mooncake purchased in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, China. China: After the woman found the tooth in the mooncake, she went to the police with the matter. (Unsplash)

The woman said the tooth belonged to none of her family members and that she had reported the incident to the police. A Sam's Club employee in Changzhou stated that the firm was investigating the incident. The manufacturing company behind the mooncake told Hongxing News that it is "impossible to have a tooth mixed in the meat filling". (Also Read: 49-year-old Kerala man dies after choking on idlis during Onam eating contest)

According to the South China Morning Post, a spokesman, identified by the surname Liu, stated that meat is minced and inspected by an X-ray system capable of identifying bone pieces. Liu added that similar instances had not occurred in over a decade. The firm has since shared security footage with Sam's Club and the Changzhou market regulation department for assessment. The relevant government department stated that it was also investigating the situation.

When an Indian woman found dentures in chocolate

Earlier, an Indian woman from Madhya Pradesh, Mayadevi Gupta, found four dentures concealed inside a chocolate she received at a child's birthday party. According to an India Today report, Gupta discovered four false dentures in chocolate from a well-known brand. She ate the chocolate several days after getting it from one of the kids at the party. (Also Read: Man finds Lego piece stuck in his nose for 26 yearswait till you hear how it came out)

She told the news outlet, "I got a coffee-flavoured chocolate of a popular brand. After eating the chocolate, I felt something like a crunchy piece of chocolate. But, when I tried to chew it once again, I felt it to be very hard. When I took it out, I was shocked to see it was a set of four false teeth."

Post the incident, Gupta filed a complaint with the district food and drug department in Khargone.
The Venezuelan government has reportedly detained three American citizens on suspicion of plotting to assassinate president Nicolas Maduro. They have also been accused of planning to sabotage the country. 3 American citizens detained by Venezuelan government over alleged plot to assassinate president Nicolas Maduro (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(AP)

On Saturday, September 14, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced that three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were arrested over an alleged plot to destabilize Maduro and his government through violent actions. Cabello added that hundreds of weapons have been seized by the government, according to Agence France Presse.

Detainees had a very clear objective of assassinating Nicolas Maduro, Diosdado Cabello says

Cabello did not specify when these people were arrested. He claimed that the CIA is in charge of this operation and the CNI of Spain, too, according to Spanish outlets.

Cabello said that the two Spaniards were detained recently in Puerto Ayacucho in the Southwest. He added that the people who have been detained were looking for mercenaries with a very clear objective of assassinating the president. We know that the United States government has links to this operation, Cabello said.

They contacted French mercenaries, they contacted mercenaries from Eastern Europe and they are in an operation to try to attack our country, Cabello further said, adding that more than 400 rifles were seized originating in the US. He alleged that the detainees were plotting terrorist acts.

Cabello added that the three Americans and Czech national who have been arrested were linked to the alleged plot to intelligence agencies in the United States and Spain, and to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The United States, Spain and the Czech Republic have not reacted to the claims yet.

The arrests came at a time when there is increasing tensions between the United States and Spain over Venezuelas disputed July presidential election. The countrys opposition accused Maduro of stealing the election after failing to release detailed vote tallies backing his claim of victory over Edmundo Gonzalez.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio  For many Haitian immigrants, Sunday mornings in Springfield, Ohio, are spent joyfully worshipping God as they sing and pray in their native Creole. This Sunday, they needed that uplifting balm more than ever. Haitians in Ohio find solidarity at church after chaotic week of false pet-eating claims

Their community is reeling  confused, frustrated, hurt  from false accusations that they are eating their neighbors cats and dogs. The now viral and highly politicized rumors are being fueled by former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance and others, and violent threats against the community are upending daily life in their city.

Jesus is with us in truth, and the truth is that Haitians are not eating pets and geese in Springfield, said the Rev. Carl Ruby, preaching at Central Christian Church. He invited community members to join his congregation in prayer and peaceful protest of the false rumors leveled against their Haitian neighbors.

They also demanded an apology.

It is truth that a retraction of these rumors will help to restore peace in Springfield," Ruby said. We respectfully call on all politicians and media figures who are promoting this rumor to help make Springfield great and safe again by speaking the truth about our community.

Viles Dorsainvil, the leader of Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield, accepted Ruby's invitation to worship together at Central Christian, and was grateful to be relying on his faith.

Its important to be here because were Christian  despite everything, we worship in good times and bad times, he said. Im relieved that Im in the presence of God. Its therapeutic.

And he had a message for Trump and Vance: If they have the heart of God, they will think differently and speak differently.

The rumors, spread on social media and by Trump during Tuesdays televised presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, have exacerbated fears about division and anti-immigrant sentiment ahead of the election in the mostly white, blue-collar city of about 59,000 where more than 15,000 Haitians now live and work.

Thousands of temporary Haitian migrants have legally landed in Springfield in recent years under the U.S.'s Temporary Protected Status program, as longstanding unrest in their home country has given way to violent gangs ruling the streets.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has said the federal government needs to do more to help cities like Springfield serve the influx of migrants. On ABCs This Week," DeWine called the Haitians good, hardworking people who are in the U.S. legally, and said the false rumors are a piece of internet garbage.

Theres no evidence of this at all, he said during the program.

Despite the governor and local officials debunking the rumors, Vance reiterated the conspiracy theory on Sunday's Face the Nation on CBS while blasting Harris on her U.S.-Mexico border policy.

At Central Christian Church, Ruby encouraged his congregation to help hand out thousands of cards around Springfield that had been printed in Creole and English with a message of support for Haitians. It reads" Im glad you are here. Christ loves you and so do I."

As the service ended, Ruby praised parishioners for a beautiful moment amid what he called a storm of chaos. Looking at the Haitian members n the first pew and at the rest of his congregation, he asked them to come together in prayer: Pray and think what it is to be a Haitian parent sending their child this week to school."

One of those parents is Mia Perez, 35 an immigration lawyer whose 9-year-old daughter had to evacuate her school twice because of bomb threats to a nearby DMV this week.

Kids in school are being asked by other kids: How does the dog taste? How does the cat taste? Perez said, describing her daughters distress.

"Shes asking, 'Are we the kind of Haitians who eat this kind of stuff? Is it true? Whats happening?'

This is a conversation that I was not ready to have with my daughter," Perez said. "I felt disrespected of our culture.

Among those attending Sunday's service in Central Christian was Rose-Thamar Joseph, 40, who works at the Haitian Community Center.

I was praying for peace and protection  for the Haitian community and all of Springfield," she said. I just want Springfield to go back to what it was a couple of months ago."

__

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The is solely responsible for this content.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hundreds of people marched through Paris on Sunday in support of women's rights and the opposition in Iran, two years after the death of Mahsa Amini sparked protests against the country's religious authorities. Hundreds rally in Paris for Iranian women's rights

A 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, Amini died in custody after being arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women.

The march, organised by around 20 human rights associations, took place as 34 women began a hunger strike in a Tehran prison to mark the two-year anniversary of her death.

Chirinne Ardakani, a Franco-Iranian lawyer and member of the "Iran Justice" collective, said that the "sacrifices" made by Iranians opposed to the regime were "not in vain".

"Everything has changed in Iran," Ardakani told AFP.

"We've gone from an absolutely patriarchal culture, where there was no question of women being able to reveal themselves in the street, to massive support for these women," the lawyer and activist added.

The march in solidarity with the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement was attended by Benjamin Briere and Louis Arnaud, two Frenchmen who were arrested and arbitrarily detained in Iran.

Iran is accused of arresting Westerners without cause and using them as bargaining chips in state-to-state negotiations, with French diplomats describing these prisoners as "state hostages".

Briere was eventually released in May 2023, while Arnaud was let go the month after.

"Yes, I was in prison, but it is an immense honour to have been able to live among you, freedom fighters, who shared my suffering," Arnaud told the crowd, in his first public address since his release.

Three other French nationals are still being held in Iran.

After Amini died in custody on September 16, 2022, the women-led protests which erupted rattled Iran's leadership that autumn and winter.

But the demonstrations were then crushed by the authorities, with rights group Amnesty International saying security forces used assault rifles and shotguns in the crackdown.

Human rights groups say at least 551 people were killed. Thousands more were arrested, according to the United Nations.

dt/sbk/yad

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Toronto: As anti-immigrant rhetoric escalates in Canada, the leader of its principal opposition party has said that immigrants who break the law should be deported while those who make a positive contribution to society should be welcomed. Pierre Poilievre, leader of Canada's Conservative Party, speaks at the Assembly of First Nations Annual General Assembly in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on July 11. (Bloomberg)

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre was addressing ethnic media during an interaction in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) on Friday. The principle should be that if you followed the rules, youre contributing, paying taxes, following the law, learning one of our official languages, then you can stay, and if you are breaking laws, breaking rules, defrauding the system, then you have to go, he said, in response to a query about growing noise over deporting immigrants involving in criminality.

He said that neither option, of expelling temporary residents or allowing all of them to remain, made sense. He outlined the middle ground principle in that context.

His statement is significant since the Conservative Party is in prime position to form the next government, as it leads the incumbent Liberal Party by nearly 20 percentage points in recent polls. That means that Poilievre is likely to become the next Prime Minister of Canada and will be directing policy, including that for immigration.

Poilievre has already expressed the opinion that immigration intake should be linked to the ability of the housing market, healthcare infrastructure and employment availability, to absorb the newcomers. He said prior to the Government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau coming into power in 2015, Canada had the best immigration system in the world. That was when the Stephen Harper-led Conservative government was in power when Poilievre was a Cabinet Minister.

We were bringing people in at a very high rate but at a rate we could absorb into our housing market, our job market and our healthcare system. But over the last three years, it has been absolute chaos and mayhem, he said.

He placed the onus of that situation developing on the incumbent government rather than newcomers like international students. He said, We shouldnt blame the individual students because they are very good, hardworking people.

However, he said, the current system was out of control and there was a need to end all this insanity and fraud and get back to the commonsense system.

Immigration has turned into a major electoral issue in Canada. According to a recent poll from the agency Leger, 65 per cent of Canadians believe that the Government admits too many immigrants. A majority of Canadians believe that the current immigration rates are contributing to the housing crisis (78%), to stresses on health care services (76%), and that Canadas immigration policy is too generous (72%), it had stated.

Poilievre said a Conservative government would invite workers for genuine vacancies that Canadians could not fill and brought in students to learn skills that if they succeeded in learning in English or French, could stay here and build a life.

Immigration analyst Darshan Maharaja said, Immigration has been a touchy issue in Canada for decades, and any suggestion to lower was sure to invite a lot of criticism of racism. However, the intensity and pace of negative developments resulting from excessive immigration has created space where sensible discussion about the issue is very much possible, and Mr Poilievre is using this space to good effect.

He also said that Poilievre had been unfolding his approach in a well-calculated manner.

Poilievre said that students were suffering under the system in place, as they were being swindled by consultants who sign them up for fake universities and colleges. Meanwhile, they arrived to find they could not afford shelter, or find a job as unemployment had risen since last year, with Canada adding about a million newcomers each year and only adding approximately 150,000 jobs in that period.
CPC delegation visits Laos on ties

Xinhua) 10:14, September 15, 2024

VIENTIANE, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Shitong, assistant minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a delegation on a visit to Laos from Friday to Saturday at the invitation of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP).

During the visit, Zhao met with Bounthong Chitmany, a politburo member of the LPRP Central Committee, a permanent member of the Secretariat of the LPRP Central Committee, and vice president of Laos.

The Chinese delegation also met with Thongsavanh Phomvihane, head of the LPRP Central Committee's Commission for External Relations.

The two sides exchanged views on the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as international and regional issues.

They agreed to follow the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, implement the new five-year action plan for building a China-Laos community with a shared future, intensify high-level exchanges, deepen experience sharing, expand practical cooperation, strengthen coordination and cooperation, and work together to maintain peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Guests from North America attending Azerbaijans Formula 1 Grand Prix were in awe of the events seamless organization and the vibrant allure of Baku, sharing their excitement with Trend Life.

Shatoya Hinz, visiting from the US, was particularly struck by Bakus unique charm.

Baku, as a city, is incredible. The architecture and the people are amazing! The Formula 1 race is intense and unpredictable, Hinz remarked.

Despite the long journey to Azerbaijan, she emphasized that the trip was well worth it.

Im especially impressed by the architecture! Id love to explore your museums, learn about your traditions, and Ill definitely be coming back, she added.

Antonio Sejudo from Mexico echoed similar sentiments, praising the flawless execution of the event.

This is our first time as guests at Formula 1, and everything is organized at the highest level. My friend and I are here for the first time, and were blown away by what weve seen. We loved Baku. The people are very kind, and the women here are especially beautiful! Sejudo said.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which kicked off on September 13, will culminate on September 15 with the main races determining the champions of both Formula 1 and Formula 2.

The Grand Prix has been hosted in Baku since 2017.
By Ahmed Eljechtimi Morocco blocks mass migration attempt into Spain's Ceuta enclave

RABAT, Sept 15 - Moroccan authorities on Sunday prevented dozens of migrants from storming a border fence to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, after calls on social media for a mass migration attempt.

Spain's two enclaves on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, Ceuta and Melilla, share the only land borders of the European Union with Africa. The enclaves sporadically experience waves of attempted crossings by migrants trying to reach Europe.

In the most recent attempt, dozens of migrants gathered on top of a hill in Fnideq on the border on Sunday and began throwing stones at Moroccan security forces, a video shared by local news websites showed. Police prevented them from approaching the Ceuta fence.

Moroccan authorities said they arrested at least 60 people last week for using social media to incite migrants to attempt a mass crossing.

Since Friday, Moroccan security forces have been deployed heavily in Fnideq.

"This is the heaviest security deployment ever in Fnideq with authorities acting pre-emptively by setting up multiple checkpoints on roads to northern Morocco," Mohammed Ben Aissa, a local human rights activist said.

Hundreds of would-be migrants had been bussed away from Fnideq, he said.

Most of the migrants are Moroccan youths, joined by a smaller number of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Many of them arrive in Fnideq on foot and hide in nearby forests to evade authorities, said Zakaria Razzouki, a rights activist in Fnideq.

Moroccan security forces try to prevent crossings at the land border and patrol the beach to prevent migrants from swimming to Ceuta, he said.

Morocco's interior ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Morocco and Spain have strengthened their cooperation in addressing illegal migration since they patched up a separate diplomatic feud in 2022.

In the first eight months this year, Morocco stopped 45,015 people from illegally migrating to Europe, according to interior ministry figures.

Last month, hundreds of migrants took advantage of a thick mist to swim to Ceuta, Spanish police said.

Tighter surveillance of Morocco's northern borders has prompted an increasing number of migrants to try the riskier and longer Atlantic route to the Canary Islands.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
MANILA, Sept 15 - The Philippines is returning to port a coast guard vessel anchored in the contested Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea after a five-month deployment as its mission is accomplished, the maritime council said on Sunday. Philippines vessel from contested South China Sea shoal returns to port

Since April, coast guard vessel Teresa Magbanua was deployed to monitor what Manila suspects to be China's small-scale reclamation activities in the area. Its presence has angered Beijing, turning the shoal into the latest flashpoint in the contested waters.

"After more than five months at sea, where she carried out her sentinel duties against overwhelming odds, BRP Teresa Magbanua is now sailing back to her homeport with her mission accomplished," Lucas Bersamin, executive secretary and chairman of the National Maritime Council said in a statement.

Bersamin said Teresa Magbauna's return was necessary to the medical needs of its crew and to undergo repairs.

There was no immediate comment from the Chinese embassy in Manila.

The move followed high-level talks between Manila and Beijing in China last week where the Philippines reaffirmed its position on Sabina and China reiterated its demand that the vessel be withdrawn.

The area, which China refers to as Xianbin Reef and the Philippines as the Escoda Shoal, lies 150 km west of the Philippine province of Palawan, well within the country's exclusive economic zone.

Manila and Beijing have traded accusations of intentional ramming of each others' vessels in a series of clashes near Sabina last month, just after reaching a pact on resupply missions to a beached Filipino naval ship in the Second Thomas Shoal.

China claims sovereignty over most of the China Sea, overlapping into maritime zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

In 2016 the Hague arbitration tribunal voided China's expansive and historical claims, a decision Beijing rejects.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
MADRID, Sept 15 - Two Spanish nationals arrested in Venezuela had no links to the Spanish secret service and Spain was not involved in any plan to politically destabilize the South American country, a Spanish foreign ministry source said on Sunday. Two Spanish nationals arrested in Venezuela not linked to any plot to destabilise country, says Madrid

Two Spaniards, three U.S. citizens and a Czech citizen were arrested in Venezuela on suspicion of links to alleged plans to destabilize the South American country, Venezuela's interior minister said on Saturday.

"Spain denies and absolutely rejects any insinuation of being implicated in an operation of political destabilization in Venezuela," the Spanish foreign ministry source said.

"The government has confirmed that the detained do not form part of the Centre for National Intelligence or any state organisation. Spain defends a democratic and peaceful solution to the situation in Venezuela."

The arrests are likely to deepen Venezuela's already tense relations with Spain and the United States after a disputed presidential election in July.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello told a press conference on Saturday that two Spaniards were allegedly linked to Spain's secret service and were planning the assassination of a mayor.

He named the Spaniards as Jose Maria Basoa and Andres Martinez Adasne. Photographs of the men were shown on state television.

Cabello also accused three U.S. citizens and a Czech of involvement in terrorist acts, including alleged plans to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other officials.

The U.S. State Department said on Saturday that "any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false."

The State Department spokesperson also confirmed that a "member of the U.S. military" was being held and noted "unconfirmed reports of two additional U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela."

On Saturday, a Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information.

"The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Spanish nationals were detained while taking photographs in the town of Puerto Ayacucho, Cabello said.

Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Spain last week for consultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to appear at the foreign ministry after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a "dictatorship," escalating diplomatic tensions following Venezuela's disputed presidential election.

Caracas was also angered by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez' decision to meet last Thursday with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain last week after being threatened with arrest by Maduro's regime.

Tensions between Venezuela and the United States have also intensified after Washington recognised Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner of the July 28 election.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
- Ukrainian troops are suffering high losses because Western arms are arriving too slowly to equip the armed forces properly, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told CNN in an interview aired on Sunday. Ukraine suffering high losses due to slow arms supplies, says Zelenskiy

Russia has been gaining ground in parts of eastern Ukraine including around Pokrovsk. Capture of the transport hub could enable Moscow to open new lines of attack.

Zelenskiy said the situation in the east was "very tough", adding that half of Ukraine's brigades there were not equipped.

"So you lose a lot of people. You lose people because they are not in armed vehicles ... they don't have artillery, they don't have artillery rounds," said Zelenskiy, speaking in English. CNN said the interview had been conducted on Friday.

Zelenskiy said weapons aid packages promised by the United States and European nations were arriving very slowly.

"We need 14 brigades to be ready. Until now ... from these packages we didn't equip even four," he said.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Saturday said Washington was working on a "substantial" new aid package for Ukraine.

Zelenskiy is due to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden this month and will present a plan for ending the war. The main elements are security and diplomatic support, as well as military and economic aid, he said.

The only thing Russian President Vladimir Putin fears is the reaction of his people if the cost of the war makes them suffer, Zelenskiy said. "Make Ukraine strong, and you will see that he will sit and negotiate".

Zelenskiy will also reiterate to Biden demands for Ukraine to be allowed to use U.S. long-range weapons to strike military targets deep into Russia.

Kyiv needs this permission because Russian jets blasting infrastructure had begun operating up to 500 km from the front lines compared with 150 km earlier, he told CNN.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
On Sunday, US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took to her X, formerly Twitter, profile to inform her social media followers that the self-proclaimed whistleblower, who previously alleged that the Harris vs Trump ABC debate was rigged, had supposedly died in a car crash. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 20, 2024 and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., August 15, 2024 are seen in a combination of file photographs.(REUTERS)

The ABC whistleblower who claimed Kamala Harris was given debate questions ahead of the debate has died in a car crash according to news reports, she tweeted on September 15.

Is the news of the alleged ABC whistleblower's death true?

Greene did not tag any credible confirmations or reliable reports along with her SNS post. However, the brief tweet did the trick and incited an online tug-of-war, with some netizens putting on their sleuth caps and others going off on tangents and fuelling conspiracy theories.

UPDATE: Nearly a day later, the Republican Party member circled back to her tweet, acknowledging that the claims were false. This story appears to be false and I'm glad to hear it. However, she did not take the previous post down.

Simultaneously, she doubled down on digging deeper into the allegations set forth by the whistleblower.

We need a serious investigation into the whistleblowers report that Kamala Harris was given debate questions ahead of time from ABC!

Also read | Kamala Harris warns that Donald Trump and his extremist allies could take our nation backward

Multiple back-and-forth trips on the platform in search of trustworthy sources of the purported news would lead users to some tweets dated September 13, pushing the same claims. User @RetroCoast wrote on Friday: "Breaking: The ABC News whistleblower who revealed Kamala Harris was given the debate questions in advance has DIED in an auto accident.

The crash happened early on the morning of September 13 outside Bethesda #Maryland."

However, like the far-right politician, neither of these internet users linked any believably convincing links to the alleged news reports. It is also to be noted that the supposed whistleblower's identity has not been revealed to the public. Therefore, confirming the foundation of bold claims about this person's status as alive or dead isn't feasible.

In the meantime, user @DocNetyoutube, who supposedly offered the ABC whistleblower a platform to say: I will be releasing an affidavit from an ABC whistleblower regarding the debate. I have just signed a non-disclosure agreement with the attorney of the whistleblower, has since been active on their page. They even addressed the case at hand, saying, I am aware of the news reports regarding that the ABC whistleblower has died in a car accident. I am also aware that legal papers are being attempted to serve on me at this very minute.

Nevertheless, the X user pushed on: The affidavit will be released, come hell or high water. To my knowledge the whistleblower has not been killed, but I have not spoken with the since early yesterday. However, If needed, I will redact the part of the affidavit myself and release it to the public. I am aware of legal process servers attempted to serve me papers at my home and at my camp. But this is going out today.

In a subsequent post, when asked by an X user: Are the car crash rumours true?" @DocNetyou curtly replied, NO.

Check out the disclosed affidavit:

Any credible sources reporting on the issue?

An in-depth race against the micro-blogging platform would ultimately lead readers to a CountyLocalNews.com report titled ABC News Whistleblower in Kamala Harris Debate Question Scandal Dies in Maryland Crash, visible as a Bgrnd Search article on a WordPress blog. (link: countylocalnews.com/article1/2024/09/13/abc-news-whistleblower-in-kamala-harris-debate-question-scandal-dies-in-maryland-crash/)

While the page itself emerges as an unreliable source, what further questions the report's credibility is that it is not signed off with a byline, except for the mere mention of it being written By admin on September 13.

The preliminary portions of the article insinuate, An ABC News whistleblower who exposed that Kamala Harris was given debate questions in advance has tragically passed away in a car accident. The incident occurred in the early hours of September 13 outside Bethesda, Maryland.

Also read | Tim Walz uses Taylor Swift's lyrics to slam Trump, calls him The smallest man

Since the fateful Tuesday, Trump and his allies have accused ABC News and the event's moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, of approaching the debate with a biased outlook. The ABC News debate pitted Trump against Harris for the first time since Joe Biden exited the presidential race in July.

The former president dragged the event as rigged, claiming that his Democratic rival got the upper hand while he was unfairly targetted. It was a rigged deal, as I assumed it would be, because when you looked at the fact that they were correcting everything and not correcting with her, he told Fox News' Fox & Friends. So many things I said were debunked like totally debunked.

But she could say anything she wanted. My stuff was right, but they would correct you, he added.
Donald Trump has taken to social media to post about support from a Hindu community in Georgia. Trump has shared about the American Hindu Coalition Georgia Chapters support for him in his presidential bid. Donald Trump shares post about support from Hindu community in Georgia (AP/PTI) (AP09_15_2024_000018B)(AP)

The American Hindu Coalitions website says its roots can be traced all the way back to the 18th century, where the Hindu Enlightenment Principles started getting acknowledgment and manifested in the policy-making that followed the Declaration of Independence.

Trump posted on Truth Social, American Hindu Coalition Georgia Chapter: The Make America Great Again movement has always been characterized by the principles of strength through unity and by welcoming Americans from all walks of life, regardless of their ethnic, cultural, or religious backgroundsThere is no place for hate or division in our pursuit of Making America Great Again. We will continue to move forward together, standing united in our goal to build a strong, secure, and prosperous America for all of our citizens  and we will never be deterred by those who seek to sow discord among us or divide from within.

Hindus for America First also endorsed Donald Trump

Recently, another Hindu group endorsed Trump over Kamala Harris. A newly created grassroots organisation named Hindus for America First announced that it will endorse Trump and launch a campaign against Harris in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina.

Hindus for America First chairman and founder Utsav Sanduja announced the decision last week, claiming the vice president would be "very destabilising for Indo-US relations.

"The concern is that if Kamala becomes the president of the United States, then she might put in some liberal wolves on the bench who may actually reverse the Supreme Court on this (and) that impacting the Asian-American voters," he said, as reported by Business Standard.

"I give President Trump a lot of credit. Under his leadership, the State Department acknowledged the persecution of Hindus in various parts of the subcontinent, like in Afghanistan...Pakistan, it was President Trump that took the leadership in acknowledging Hindu genocide," Sanduja further said.
The biggest French television hit of the past 20 years arrives on American screens Tuesday with "High Potential," a family-friendly detective comedy with an ultra-smart twist. French hit detective show comes to US with 'High Potential'

Adapted into English from the French series "HPI" and transplanted from Lille to Los Angeles, the ABC series stars Kaitlin Olson as a cleaning woman who is recruited by police due to her brilliant intellect.

Showrunner Todd Harthan said Olson's character a single mother of three, with an IQ of 160, originally played by French actress Audrey Fleurot is one of the show's "secret ingredients" that drew him on board.

"I haven't seen this kind of character take us through an investigative case on TV," he told AFP.

"Wildly unorthodox" and "more sophisticated" than a typical police procedural, the show's English-language adaptation has "the potential to reach a huge audience," predicted Harthan, speaking on the sidelines of a press conference this summer.

Certainly in France, "HPI" quickly became a phenomenon after its launch in 2021. Some episodes have drawn as many as 10 million viewers.

Ratings on that level have not been seen since 2005, in a different era before television was overtaken and fragmented by streaming platforms.

The show's name comes from the term "high intellectual potential," a term widely known in France for children with extraordinary cognitive intelligence.

Olson's Morgan has an encyclopedic knowledge, derived mainly from binge-watching documentaries, as well as lightning-fast calculation skills and a photographic memory.

But she is also a loudmouth, with a penchant for flashy outfits, and a deep-rooted disdain for cops who she only reluctantly agrees to work for.

With three children to support, she struggles financially, counting every penny she earns.

"I did want her to feel very working class very much like she has to rely upon herself, doesn't necessarily trust anyone else, has been let down by other people in the past," said Olson.

Morgan is also "quirky" and "doesn't necessarily follow the rules" added Olson, who was attracted to the role after watching the French series.

All of this makes her invaluable and infuriating to police investigators. Among them is Detective Karadec, played by Daniel Sunjata, who has Morgan foisted upon him by his boss.

Sunjata told AFP he only watched the first episode of the French original, as he did not want to be overly influenced by it.

"We're trying to make this our own," he said.

Still, the show borrows several elements from its source material, such as a family-friendly policy of leaving the violent crimes off-screen.

The pilot episode of "High Potential" follows the original "HPI" almost beat for beat.

The US version even borrows the same playful music from the original series, as its heroine deciphers clues and cracks complex cases.

But Harthan said that "as we get deeper in the series," it will gradually diverge more from the French format, "just because we want to create our own identity."

If it succeeds, "High Potential" will follow in a tradition of hit US shows about high-functioning misanthropes.

"Monk," about a brilliant homicide investigator with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder , ran for eight acclaimed seasons on the USA Network.

And the lead character in "HPI" reminded showrunner Harthan of "what I loved so much about 'House,'" the wildly popular and long-running Fox medical drama, which starred Hugh Laurie.

"I'd never seen a doctor like that before, it was such a tour-de-force character that you had to watch."

"High Potential" will air in a prime slot at 10:00 pm Tuesday on the Disney-owned ABC network.

rfo/amz/sst

21ST CENTURY FOX

The Walt Disney Company

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance has stirred controversy once again after sharing a now-viral video claiming immigrants in Dayton are allegedly cooking cats. The video shows skinned animals on a grill and cats in a yard, fueling unfounded rumours that migrants are abducting and eating pets, similar to the claims he made for Springfield earlier. JD Vance faces backlash after sharing a video alleging immigrants in Dayton are cooking cats.

The Ohio senator then went on to criticise 'Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks.' However, this time it seems things have backfired, as Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims and local residents have strongly refuted the claims, denouncing them as 'baseless' and criticising the sensational nature of the video.

JD Vance shares video of immigrants cooking cats

Since the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump began in Pennsylvania, the internet has been abuzz with Republican claims about pets being eaten, sparking numerous memes and song parodies. Springfield in particular is getting scrutinised due to unproven allegations that Haitian immigrants are killing pets. Now, JD Vance has shifted his focus about 30 miles from Springfield.

Also read: Kamala Harris or Donald Trump: Poll of Polls post debate indicate a dramatic shift in opinion

On Saturday morning, Christopher F. Rufo shared a video on X that was all over the place, allegedly showing cats being cooked on a charcoal grill in someone's backyard. "We have discovered that migrants are, in fact, eating cats in Ohio," the caption reads. "We have verified, with multiple witnesses and visual cross-references, that African migrants in Dayton, the next city over from Springfield, barbecued these cats last summer."

The video got so popular, it had over 33,000 likes and 15,000 retweets by the time Saturday afternoon rolled around. Some of the retweets came from Vance, who's known for spreading similar stories in past and Donald Trump Jr.

Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves, Vance posted Saturday on X. Another debunked story that turned out to have merit.

JD Vance gets slammed for baseless claims

Responding to the video, Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims issued a statement denouncing the claims as baseless. This claim is totally false and dangerously irresponsible of politicians aiming to sow division and fear, he said. There have been absolutely zero reports of this type of activity, and spreading such misinformation undermines our status as a welcoming city, Mims added.

Also read: Biden snaps at reporter when asked about Putins war threat to the US: You be quiet and'

Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal also released a statement strongly refuting, the irresponsible information being put out on social media or other avenues about our immigrant community."

In Springfield, they are eating the dogs; the people that came in, theyre eating the cats. Theyre eating the pets of the people who live there, Trump claimed during the debate, fueling Vances spread of rumours about Haitian immigrants."

Dayton residents slam JD Vances claims of eating pets

I find it strange that a self-professed hillbilly doesnt know what whole chickens look like, a user commented on the video. What a weirdo, its clearly chicken and he cant see it, weird seriously, wrote another. how do you not know what chickens look like with their legs attached, a third commented. Dudes never seen chicken that wasnt dino-nugget shaped, a fourth chimed in.

Although officials declined to comment, a source close to Vance told The Independent that they do not believe the carcasses on the grill are chickens. The video, shot last year in Dayton, was covered in a follow-up piece by Rufo on his site. He mentioned that the person who made the video said the cat-eaters were "some Africans who live right next to my kid's mom." Rufo's piece says that these claims were verified by multiple witnesses and visual cross-references.
Sunita Williams, the celebrated NASA astronaut, may find herself stranded in space for another six months due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner which made a trip back alone. While the situation is undoubtedly concerning, her husband, Michael, seems surprisingly calm. Michael has expressed confidence in Sunita's ability to deal with the situation, noting that "it is her happy space. Meet Sunita Williams' husband, Michael(Pic- Twitter (X))

The couple has been married for over two decades, and while Michael's public profile is relatively low, his role in Sunita's life has been instrumental. Heres everything to know.

Who is Sunita Williams husband Michael J Williams?

Michael J. Williams, Sunita Williams' husband, is a federal Marshal. He serves in the U.S. Marshals Service. Michael's role is to uphold the law and protect the judiciary. While his profession may seem worlds away from his wife's space adventure, Michael's time flying helicopters has definitely taught him a lot about taking risks, sticking to rules, and the excitement of discovering new places.

Also read: NASAs Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore voting from Space via orbiter ballots: Heres how

The love story of Sunita and Michael J Williams

While Sunita Williams' name is famous for space exploration and Indian-American achievements, there's another side of her life story which is as interesting as her career. Sunita's love story began in a rather unconventional setting: the military.

Before joining NASA, Sunita served in the military, where she flew helicopters. It was during this time that she met Michael. In 1987, the couple met at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Their initial connection was based on camaraderie and shared experiences, but their friendship soon blossomed into romance.

What are Sunita and her husbands religious beliefs?

Michael J. Williams reportedly practices Hinduism and supports his wifes beliefs. Sunita Williams took a copy of the Bhagavad Gita to the International Space Station in 2006. Again, in 2012, she brought along a symbol of Om, a small painting of Lord Shiva and a copy of the Upanishads. She also became the first non-Indian citizen of Indian descent to be honoured with the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award by the World Gujarati Society.

Also read: JD Vances wild post on Dayton immigrants cooking cats slammed by officials: Just chicken, you weirdo, say residents

The wedding and personal life

Sunita and Michael's wedding was a private affair, attended by their closest loved ones. The couple keeps their family life relatively low-key, but some details have emerged over the years. While they don't have biological children together, back in 2012 Williams reportedly expressed a desire to adopt a girl from Ahmedabad, India.

They also had their beloved pet Jack Russell terrier, Gorby. Gorby even made appearances alongside Sunita on the television show "Dog Whisperer" on the National Geographic Channel. Apart from Gorby, Williams has three more pets including Gunner, Bailey and Rotor.
VP Kamala Harris was slammed for her one of statements during the presidential debate with Donald Trump on Tuesday. In the debate, she claimed that US military soldiers are currently not deployed in any of the active combat zones. Her false claim contradicted the official reports of US troops being engaged in several active combat zones. In addition, a video of who seemed to be US military soldiers mocking Harris' statement surfaced on the internet. US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris faced backlash for claiming no U.S. troops are in active combat zones. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP)(AFP)

Also Read: Kamala Harris warns that Donald Trump and his extremist allies could take our nation backward

US soldiers laugh at Harris military deployment remark: Watch

During the presidential debate, Harris backed the Biden administrations choice to pull troops out of Afghanistan noting the conflict was costly and long-lasting. However, it was her later comment that sparked controversy. She said there is not one member of the U.S. military in active duty in a combat zone  in any war zone around the world."

In the video shared by Lori Mills on X, this statement is played on television to which one of the currently deployed US military soldiers responds with Then, where the f**k are we right now? Other soldiers laugh at the remark in the video surfacing the internet. The X user wrote alongside the video, Deployed Military members react to Kamala Harris lying about deployments during the debate. The location of those in the video in US military uniforms who seemed to be stationed in a warzone cantonment could not be confirmed.

This mockery of the VPs statement was a result of its stark contradiction to the classifications of active war zones by the Department of Defence. The US military is currently engaged at war fronts in countries like Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq, this year, as reported by Times Now.

Also Read: Tim Walz uses Taylor Swift's lyrics to slam Trump, calls him The smallest man

Victim soldiers families angry with Harris statement

Families of US soldiers killed in combat were outraged by Kamala Harriss claim that no Americans are serving in war zones, which directly contradicts the official list of current combat zones kept by her administration. Furious father,Brad Illerbrunner, whose son Garett, a US military soldier got injured in Iraq said to the NY Post that Harris false claims in debate really [hit] below the belt. . . . She doesnt even recognize that our own troops are getting hurt. Were still in war zones, he added bluntly, adding Harris was trying to snow the public.

Michael DiMino, a fellow at the think tank Defense Priorities revealed to the media outlet, The vice presidents claims on the debate stage offended wide swaths of the military community because they fail a basic kind of smell test. If youre in Jordan in the middle of nowhere to fight ISIS, and youre getting attacked by Iranian drones and rockets on a daily basis, youre in a war zone.

He continued that Harris tried to to finagle a wording . . . to make a point were not engaged in all these conflicts  which we are. Those quibbling qualifiers ignore the fact American men and women in uniform are getting shot at on a daily basis, and many just in the last eight months have died or been injured.

Military analysts say Harriss claim was not only false but also disrespectful to the sacrifices of American soldiers in active combat zones. While Harris aimed to highlight the administration's commitment to ending costly wars, her misrepresentation of military engagement has upset many, particularly the families of deployed soldiers who feel their sacrifices are undervalued.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The opening ceremony of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix began with the performance of the national anthem of Azerbaijan in classical style, Trend reports.

The delightful performance of the Azerbaijani anthem caused genuine delight among the spectators gathered in the stands.

And the stage design resembled an unrolled carpet. The stage, designed based on the simple patterns of the Khan Karabakh carpets, reflected the rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan.
In a first, the royal family broke the snub cycle treatment towards Prince Harry on his 40th birthday. Following a two-year public silence on the celebratory occasion, the royal family has seemingly buried the hatchetpresumably temporarilyto send heartfelt wishes to the Duke of Sussex on September 15. They last shared a public message on Harrys birthday in 2021. This counters the broken royal tradition that treated Meghan Markle to complete silence on her 43rd birthday last month. The royal family's official X/Twitter profile shared a public message for Prince Harry's 40th birthday on Sunday, September 15.

The post on X, former Twitter, had the brief, simple, and crisp caption, Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!" and was accompanied by a smiling snap of the Duke. Surprisingly, Prince William and Kate Middleton also wished Harry in a joint statement via The Prince and Princess of Wales X account: Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!

This particular birthday marks a special milestone for Harry as hes expected to receive a grand royal present thanks to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who reserved a whopping $8.5 million inheritance in a $90 million trust fund arranged for the royal family.

Also read | Boeing remains a no-show after Starliner's return without Sunita Williams; commercial crew program's future hazy

Despite these positive developments, transitioning the tone of the long-stretched-out estrangement from his father, King Charles, and brother, William, theres no sign of the familial rift settling down anytime soon. Earlier this year, emerging reports alleged that the Dukes ongoing legal battle over security had frustrated the King, so he purportedly stopped taking his sons calls. On the other hand, Harry and William distantly reunited at the funeral of their uncle, Lord Fellowes, in the UK. Nevertheless, per PEOPLE, they didn't interact at church service.

Prince Harry's future entanglements

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, seem to be all on their own, so theyve undertaken quasi-royal tours to Colombia and Nigeria this year. UK media have especially put these trips under the microscope, as has Harrys Pat Tillman Award for Service honour at the 2024 ESPYs. As part of the Duke of Sussexs Netflix deal, the new documentary series, POLO, will hit the streaming giant this December. Hes also slated to fly to New York this month for official visits linked to the Archewell Foundation, African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award and Travalyst.

Also read | Swiftie's mom getting rid of Taylor Swift tickets post Harris endorsement; some Gen Z fans also still pro-Trump

Before all that, hes ready to blow off steam on his 40th birthday bash. After spending some quality time with Meghan and their kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, hes reportedly embarking on a lads holiday.
SpaceX's history-making Polaris Dawn crew completed its homecoming journey to Earth on Sunday at 3:37 am ET. The five-day mission completed the world's first commercial spacewalk and also changed the course of history by becoming a ground-breaking flight, mapping out the farthest journey undertaken by any human since NASA's Apollo Programs culmination in 1972. This still image taken from a SpaceX and Polaris broadcast on September 15, 2024, shows the manned Polaris Dawn mission's "Dragon" capsule splashing down off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida, completing the first human spaceflight mission by non-government astronauts of the Polaris Program.(AFP)

The Crew Dragon carrying four astronauts  tech billionaire and mission commander Jared Isaacman, former US Air Force pilot Scott Kidd Poteet and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis  returned to the home planet, splashing down the coast of Dry Tortugas in Florida on September 15. The feat achieved also celebrated the specific Crew Dragon capsules third trip to space.

SpaceX explained why they specifically picked Dry Tortugas as the landing spot in an X, formerly Twitter, post: "SpaceX teams recently selected this new splashdown location after nearly two weeks of launch delays due to unfavourable weather forecasts for each of Dragons seven return sites off the coast of Florida.

Also read | Boeing remains a no-show after Starliner's return without Sunita Williams; commercial crew program's future hazy

Dry Tortugas adds greater geographic diversity for Dragons return and helps increase the odds of having acceptable return weather forecasts for missions such as Polaris Dawn.

SpaceX Crew Dragon's re-entry to Earth

To finally pierce through the planets atmosphere, the capsule carried out the de-orbit burn manoeuvre, following which the Resilience spacecraft was exposed to severely scorching temperatures - up to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,900 degrees Celsius), per CNNs report. Despite travelling around 17,000 miles per hour and facing immense pressure and friction, the crew members remained comfortably settled in thanks to the Crew Dragons heat shield.

Finally, the capsule deployed parachutes, and its descent slowed down before splashing into the ocean. Half an hour later, the rescue crew ultimately relied on the special vessel called the Dragons Nest for its recovery from the water.

TOPSHOT - This still image taken from a SpaceX and Polaris broadcast on September 15, 2024, shows staff members approching the manned Polaris Dawn mission's "Dragon" capsule after it splashed down off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida, completing the first human spaceflight mission by non-government astronauts of the Polaris Program. The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, which made history when its crew conducted the first spacewalk by non-government astronauts, splashed down off the coast of Florida early on September 15, 2024. The Dragon spacecraft landed in the ocean at 3:37 am (0737 GMT), a webcast of the splashdown showed, with a recovery team deploying in the pre-dawn darkness to retrieve the capsule and crew. The capsule was lifted from the water and onto the recovery vessel half a hour later. (Photo by Polaris Program / AFP) / XGTY / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / SpaceX / Polaris" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS(AFP)

The intended spacewalk was conducted early Thursday, making waves for the private space sector. Isaacman and Gillis stepped out of the vehicle to complete the high-stakes challenge for about ten minutes each. After testing the extravehicular activity (EVA) suits depth of functionality, they returned to the spacecraft. Away from Earths hustle and bustle, Isaacman exclaimed, ...from here  looks like a perfect world.

SpaceX engineers' heartwarming cosmic adventures

In addition to conducting numerous experiments while grappling with space adaptation syndrome  a type of microgravity-specific motion sickness, the astronauts also appeared to blow off some steam in their characteristic ways in the otherworldly setting.

Also read | Meet Sunita Williams' husband, Michael, who practices Hinduism, is a federal marshal, former helicopter captain, more

As a trained violinist, Sarah Gillis, inspired by real-life Star Wars circumstances, played a rendition of Reys Theme from The Force Awakens chapter. In an attempt to test SpaceXs Starlink and chart into in-space connectivity, her performance was also shared with experts back on Earth through the satellite network.

Meanwhile, Anna Menon sent her kids Kisses From Space by cosmic reading the book she co-authored to them and some youngsters at St Jude Childrens Research Hospital from the Dragon. This book, 'Kisses from Space,' is a story that I wrote for you, James and Grace, to remind you that I love you and am always thinking of you even when we're apart, the SpaceX engineer said from the capsule.

Menon's husband, Anil  a NASA astronaut, shared via X that called her via FaceTime on SpaceX Starlink for the book-reading session. The whole family was poised to surprise her. She was shocked to see everyone dressed up in space costumes (minus princess Elsa who was just going to be a princess no matter what). We were determined to match her glamorous hair, so we found our own. Here are some of our questions to space: who cut your hair? How do you get it to stay so perfect what can we do to keep it going on earth. It was a heartwarming moment to provide support for our loved one who will be returning Sunday 3:36am at Tortuga and flown back to KSC. We cant wait to see her  

The post later invited SpaceX boss Elon Musk's comment: Cute 
A Texas woman was brutally gunned down in front of her children during her sons 6th birthday party. Investigators have said Jalen Easterling, 26, was killed by her ex, who was the father of the children. She was murdered in the evening of September 12 at a house in northeast Houston, police said, according to The Mirror. Texas woman Jalen Easterling brutally gunned down by ex in front of her kids during son's 6th birthday party (Jalen W Easterling/Facebook)

At around 8:30 pm local time, gunfire erupted at the birthday party in the 8200 block of Locksley Road. At the time of the shooting, the 4 and 6-year-old children were inside the house. The shooting took place when the suspect arrived at the home and started having an argument with Easterling at the doorway. He fired multiple shots inside the home, and at least one of them hit the woman.

After opening fire, the suspect fled the scene. By the time police arrived at the scene, he was gone. He remains at large and police are asking him to come forward to tell his side of the story.

"He left in a vehicle, supposedly white, possible Tahoe, possible Suburban, so we're looking for him," Lt R. Wilkens of the Houston Police Department said.

Investigators are trying to determine if the crime had anything to do with another male friend of the woman being inside the home. A neighbour told KHOU 11 that they heard the suspect yelling at Easterling in the doorway.

"Let's end this. Let's end this now," Felicia Adams, a neighbour, said she heard.

Adams said moments later, she spotted two cars pull into the driveway. She heard the shooting begin.

"My heart dropped. I was terrified. It was loud. It sounded like it was going into my home," Adams said.

Adams said she saw a man firing as many as five shots into the townhouse next door. I immediately told the kids to get down. I got down and called 911 right away," said Adams, who said she saw everything from the upstairs window of her home.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Houston Police said that they had responded to the house for child custody calls in the past. "We've had calls here in the post with disturbances over child custody," Wilkens said. "Again, we don't know exactly what the disturbance is today. We just know one of the kids had a birthday."

Tributes pour in

Friends and family remembered Easterling on social media, including Manana Marie, who remembered her only girl in a Facebook post. Family and friends, it is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I wanted to announce the passing of my only girl. Jalen W Easterling. Please pray for Jason and myself as our family as we are heartbroken about our girl. And pray for Justice for Jalen!!!!!! MY BABY IS GONE YALL, Marie wrote.

Summer Rosziia also remembered Easterling, who was her niece. Its been a quiet day for me and my thoughts and the pain I feel is immeasurable. My niece Jalen W Easterling life was taken last night Sept. 12th 2024 in Houston Texas. My heart is broken shattered and with the loss of my father Sept 11th 2022 and the fact that it still hurts . I never imagine for this to happen to my dear sweet niece. My God please be with my brother, her mom, my Snl, my sister and everyone who loved Jalen. This is so hard  my God  my God Justice will be served, she wrote.

Another acquaintance of Easterling wrote, I LOVE YOU ALWAYS AND FOREVER. TETE SO HEARTBROKEN I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
Subscription to paid content

Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card.
Governor Names Massachusetts State Police Colonel

BOSTON &Mdash; Governor Maura T. Healey announced that she has selected retired Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble of the New Jersey State Police as the next Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police.

His selection comes as a result of a national search led by a Search Committee and executive search firm.

"Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Noble has dedicated his career to public service, rising to the highest levels of the New Jersey State Police and delivering results on some of the most pressing issues facing law enforcement. He is a principled, respected leader who is widely praised for his integrity, compassion and ability to bring people together. I'm confident that he is the leader that our hardworking State Police team and the people of Massachusetts deserve," said Governor Maura Healey. "I also want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to Colonel Jack Mawn for his stellar service and his steady leadership during this interim period. He has earned the respect of his colleagues, and all who work with him, as well as the public, for his professionalism, his work ethic and his integrity. He is a model for all of the men and women of the Massachusetts State Police and for the generations of troopers to follow."

Noble is expected to assume leadership of the Massachusetts State Police in October.

Colonel John E. Mawn, Jr. has been serving as Interim Colonel since February 2023.

An agency within the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the Massachusetts State Police is responsible for statewide law enforcement and maintains investigative, tactical, and support units across Massachusetts. With more than 3,000 sworn and civilian employees and an operating budget of approximately $500 million, MSP is the largest law enforcement agency in New England and has an instrumental role in promoting public safety throughout the 351 Massachusetts cities and towns.

About Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble:

Geoffrey D. Noble's career in law enforcement spans 30 years, with 13 years of command-level experience, including serving as Deputy Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police from 2018-2022. In this role, he was the second-in-command of New Jersey's largest police agency, with a staff of nearly 4,000 personnel. He served as the agency's Chief of Staff and assisted the Superintendent with the oversight of all Division operations, including Administration, Operations, Homeland Security, Emergency Management, Training, Professional Standards and Investigations. During his tenure as Deputy Superintendent, he implemented a new Office of Employee Relations and Community Outreach, which focused on strengthening relationships with employees and communities. He also regularly provided briefings to all levels of executive government, including the Governor and Attorney General.

During his tenure with the New Jersey State Police from 1995-2022, Noble held numerous assignments including uniformed patrol, field training officer and detective. His investigative assignments included narcotics, official corruption, organized crime and homicide. He was the Commander of the New Jersey Attorney General's Shooting Response Team, which was responsible for investigating the use of deadly force by police. He also provided instruction at numerous local police academies and special courses, including coordinating the New Jersey Advanced Homicide Investigators Conference, a premier advanced training course for homicide detectives from across the country.

Noble also spent two years holding the rank of Major as the Commander of the Forensic and Technical Services Section. He was entrusted to manage the operations of five regional state crime laboratories in the wake of a systemic failure that had resulted in the dismissal of thousands of cases. Noble implemented a comprehensive mitigation plan that increased quality control standards, improved accountability and maintained the integrity and confidence of the statewide forensic laboratory system. He also designed and implemented new systems to improve efficiency, resulting in the elimination of a 17,000-case backlog. Noble also designed and implemented the New Jersey Crime Gun Protocol, a nationally recognized best-practice which helped provide the foundation for the state's violent crime reduction strategy that saw a 30 percent reduction in shootings.

Prior to joining the New Jersey State Police, Noble served for two years as a Summer Police Officer in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Since retiring from law enforcement in 2022, Noble has worked as Regional President for Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc., one of the top 10 private security firms in the world. In this role, he manages operations in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic area of over 1,500 security professionals servicing multiple agencies and corporations. His portfolio includes the management of private security programs at multiple high-risk critical infrastructure sites, including JFK International Airport, LaGuardia International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and the World Trade Center.
Proprietor's request for a customer dock has been continued a for a third time by the Conservation Commission.

Proprietor's Lodge Dock Proposal Continued for Third Time

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A seasonal dock proposal at the Proprietor's Lodge has seen some changes but the neighborhood is still not on board.



Thursday's Conservation Commission meeting included concerns about the viability of the project and a resident accusing the project engineer of putting the public in danger by deeming a concrete wall structurally sound.



"Because of the amount of revisions and changes on what is a schematic drawing, I'm actually concerned. My concern just continues to grow at how viable of a proposal this actually is," abutter Cassidy Carlotto said.



"There are a number of order of conditions that are going behind this and there are a number of pieces in the proposal that continue to change."



A notice of intent application was continued for the third time pending certificates of compliance and the need for updated plans. The restaurant, located at 22 Waubeek Road on Ponstoosuc Lake, would like to install a 12-slip seasonal dock for customers.



An NOI for the same project was denied by the commission in 2019 and the applicant appealed it with the state Department of Environmental Protection, which then issued a superseding order of conditions.



That order has now expired.

Abutters have voiced opposition to the project at all three meetings, citing safety concerns with the right of way used by swimmers.



James Scalise of SK Design explained that there were some "loose ends" to correct after the last meeting. He returned with a couple of changes to the plan after meeting with the state Department of Environmental Protection on-site.



This included an updated project blueprint, invasive plant management, and a request to maintain vegetation along the shoreline.



Scalise also voiced a couple of items the team didn't want to be "sticking points" and clarified that there would be no chain link fence and the dock would be public based on the size. It had been proposed as a private dock.



He was "very comfortable" with the condition of a decades-old concrete wall that would support the project but came back with a plan that uses a concrete block for support.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as key regional players, are central to Germanys strategy, Stefan Meister, Head of the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations, told Trend.

"They are the primary focus of German politics and investment," Meister noted. "Their role as regional leaders is recognized by Berlin and Brussels, and we expect to see increased investment and high-level political exchanges with these countries."

"Since Russia's war began in 2022, there has been a notable increase in Europe's engagement with Central Asia," Meister explained. "Europe is actively seeking alternative sources for resources and transit routes, such as the Middle Corridor. This heightened engagement from Germany and the EU reflects a need to diversify away from Russian and Chinese influence in the region."

Meister noted that while Germany and the EU are ramping up their involvement with Central Asian leaders, they do not aim to compete with Russia and China directly. "Germany and the EU are focusing on more high-level engagement, increased investment, and heightened attention to Central Asia, but they are not looking to challenge Russia and China, who are deeply integrated into the region's institutions like the SCO and EEU."

Regarding energy resources, Meister highlighted Kazakhstan's significant potential. "Germany's primary goal is to access Kazakhstan's oil, gas, and other raw materials. We anticipate more German investment in these sectors, as well as increased interest in renewable energy and green hydrogen."

Meister also addressed the vast mineral deposits in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. "Germany's investment in these critical minerals is essential for supporting its energy transition and technological advancements. However, Germany's investment pace is relatively slow and bureaucratic compared to other Asian countries competing for these resources. A single top-level meeting annually may not be sufficient to advance relations and compete effectively."

On the broader foreign policy front, Meister emphasized that Germany's objectives in Central Asia extend beyond economic interests. "The goals include agreements on migration, improving political relations, and addressing sanctions gaps where Central Asian countries still supply Russia. This visit is part of a larger EU strategy, involving high-level engagement, including a '5+1' summit and coordination with French and EU representatives."

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will pay a visit to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on September 15-17, making it his inaugural journey to Central Asia.

On September 17, Scholz will also attend the second Central Asia-Germany (5+1) summit in Kazakhstan. The first summit, held in Berlin last year, was a game-changer that paved the way for the signing of a strategic regional partnership program, and this trip aims to take things to the next level and build on the solid foundation that was laid.
Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Isnt taste a wonderful thing? Its the fascinating idea that two people can watch the same film, and emerge with completely different  perhaps even polarised  verdicts on what they just saw.

There is never going to be a masterpiece that pleases everybody who sees it, just as there has never been a piece of schlock that could not somewhere locate an apologist.

Over time, however, opinions tend to group, and solidify: a canon is formed. These are the best films  according to critics, or awards bodies, or members of the public.

But what happens when this verdict is simply off base? Throughout the decades, there have been countless examples of films that have received vast amounts of eager praise disproportionate to the actual merits of the film itself.

Here are 25 such films, works that have been rewarded with commendations that they do not deserve. Some have been hyped up by critics, some by awards bodies, and others simply by popular consensus.

From The Notebook to Everything Everywhere All at Once, here are 25 of the most overrated movies ever released...

25. American Hustle (2013)

David ORussells Seventies-set caper about con artists ticked plenty of boxes: true story, great cast, visually superb. But the two other boxes it ticked? Smoke and mirrors. Carried by stellar performances from its female leads, the film was, beneath the surface, a convoluted and incoherent pastiche of too many genres and ambitions. Beyond Jennifer Lawrences stupendous gravity-defying up-do, there was nothing particularly special about American Hustle  no matter what its 10 Oscar nominations suggest. More telling is that this hotly-tipped flash-in-the-pan sensation won zero. Annabel Nugent

24. Gravity (2013)

Sandra Bullock floats around space for two hours in this very serious film that received a cosmic ten Oscar nominations (winning seven). Its supposed to make a deeper point, about existentialism, about depression, about death and rebirth. But theres only so much you can see of the insides of space equipment before the point is stretched to infinity and beyond. Maira Butt

Sandra Bullock in Gravity' ( Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture )

23. Private Benjamin (1980)

This is a movie that is rightly celebrated for its influence, but feels over-celebrated for its actual quality. As a Jewish-American ditz who enrols in the army, Goldie Hawn is characteristically effervescent, but the movie that surrounds her rarely lives up to her charisma  its instead stodgy and largely unfunny, repetitive instead of involving. A key inspiration for films such as Legally Blonde and The House Bunny, it warrants kudos as a blueprint, but not for much else. Adam White

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

22. Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

You are probably not remembering Desperately Seeking Susan correctly. You will remember Madonnas Into the Groove, its sensational theme song. You will remember Madonna herself, in her rubber bracelets, fingerless gloves and sheer fabric as the Susan of the title. And youll remember that cool, grimy Eighties New York that serves as the backdrop to director Susan Seidelmans comedy film. All are present and accounted for. But you wont remember that Seidelmans movie is otherwise overlong and almost hypnotically low-energy, that Madonna is merely a cameo player, and that the movie runs out of plot by its halfway mark. If you loved it as a kid, dont watch it again as an adult. If you havent watched it at all but intend to, keep your expectations low. AW

Desperately Seeking Susan trailer

21. Prisoners (2013)

Ill admit that Denis Villeneuves thriller, about the abduction of two young girls, is a handsomely made film, thanks in large part to the cinematography of the great Roger Deakins. But, despite being championed by many as an early masterpiece from the Dune director Villeneuve, Prisoners simply isnt all that  an overblown, mannered attempt to varnish a pulpy story into something worthy of prestige. Louis Chilton

20. Elf (2003)

Perhaps the most over-hyped genre of all, Christmas movies are often hastily canonised simply because there are so few festive alternatives. Such is the case with Elf, the bland and too-broad story of a human (Will Ferrell) raised as an adoptive Christmas elf. Stacked next to real bona fide Yuletide classics, Elf is a boorish and unwelcome imposter, a film whose dubious qualities are all too often brushed aside as good old seasonal mawk. LC

Official 'Elf' trailer

19. Top Gun (1986)

Top Gun makes more sense when you consider its source material. Not a book or someones life story. Not a comic book, or a historical source. Instead, Tony Scotts 1987 fighter pilot flick was inspired by a picture in a glossy magazine happened upon by the films writer. It was two guys in leather jackets and sunglasses standing in front of the biggest, fastest f***ing airplane you ever saw in your life! recalled screenwriter Chip Proser. The film doesnt venture much deeper than that. Albeit entertaining, Top Gun was, in effect, little more than a two-hour advertisement for aviator sunglasses and sheepskin jackets  yet for years was hailed as a pillar of Eighties action cinema. Last years long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick was a step up in practically every regard. AN

18. Fight Club (1999)

David Finchers provocative anti-establishment psychodrama became a cult classic almost immediately after it was released. But Fight Club, for all its grubby excess, was always punching slightly above its weight: the messaging was a little smug and obvious, and the story too dark and jaded for its own good. Fincher would go on to make better, more mature films later in his career  compared to Zodiac, for instance, Fight Club is the work of a filmmaker still working out which impulses to follow, and which ought to be reined in. LC

17. Good Will Hunting (1997)

Theres an old Hollywood rumour that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon deliberately made their breakout film Good Will Hunting as commercial and Oscar-friendly as possible purely to get it financed and make them famous in the process. Treacly plotting? Check. Inspirational themes? Check. A scene-stealing, catnip-for-best-supporting-actor character written for a veteran star (Robin Williams)? Check. And it worked! Good Will Hunting turned Affleck and Damon into household names and won them an Oscar. Its also among the least interesting things they  and director Gus Van Sant  have ever done, an incredibly OK drama that never quite warranted the hubbub that surrounded it. AW

Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting ( Miramax )

16. The Birds (1963)

There are several parts of The Birds that have endured as pure, uncut cinema; Alfred Hitchcocks eye for unease remains more or less unsurpassed. But, especially when juxtaposed with his best works (Rear Window, Psycho), this story of avian bedlam is a bit of an uneven and dated affair, a disaster movie that remains more fascinating in its concept than its execution. LC

15. Gladiator (2000)

To this day, one of the greatest tricks in cinema remains Ridley Scott convincing everyone that Gladiator was an Oscar-worthy historical epic, and not just a bullish action flick with a big budget and a heavy-handed script. As to Russell Crowes iconic question, audiences were without a doubt entertained  but five Academy Awards? Come on. The late, legendary film critic Roger Ebert called it as he saw it: Gladiator lacks joy. It employs depression as a substitute for personality, and believes that if the characters are bitter and morose enough, we wont notice how dull they are. AN

Russell Crowe in Gladiator ( Dreamworks LLC & Universal Pictures )

14. The Notebook (2004)

Ask anyone to recommend a good romance, and theres a good chance they will inevitably lead with The Notebook. But this Ryan Gosling-Rachel Macadams matchup isnt romantic  its deeply sinister. The Notebook follows two young lovers kept apart by their respective social classes: Noah is destitute, Allie is classy and rich. He falls in love at first sight after he spots his unassuming target on a carnival ride, before convincing her she needs to learn to trust. He then creepily pines after her for the rest of his life until they remarry, after which he recounts the entire tale to her while she is living with dementia. Its as warm and fuzzy as Netflixs disturbing thriller You. MB

13. Gone with the Wind (1939)

A film that has long been cited among the best movies ever made, Gone with the Wind is certainly epic, in both its lavish set pieces and mammoth three-hour runtime. But while there are parts of this film that still sing, much of it is either dry and tedious, or else terribly problematic. A favourite film of Donald Trump, Gone with the Wind is now shown with a disclaimer beforehand warning of its outdated cultural values. Maybe its time this film, too, was best left for the wind. LC

Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind ( Getty Images )

12. The Revenant (2015)

Remembered primarily as the film that finally won Leonardo DiCaprio his Oscar, the real surprise about The Revenant is just how overrated its lead performance is: DiCaprio grunts and gurns like a demon, but ultimately fails to bring any personality to this otherwise frigid tale of revenge in the American wilderness. LC

11. The English Patient (1996)

The term Oscar bait dates back to the days of Old Hollywood, but Id argue it found its apotheosis in 1996 with The English Patient. On paper, a sweeping historical romance starring Ralph Fiennes and Kristen Scott Thomas sounds downright charming  in reality, it is long-winded, pretentious, and did I mention long-winded? Flashbacks arrive at such a glacial pace that it is impossible to be swept off your feet. In the words of Elaine Benes in Seinfeld: Quit telling your stupid story about the stupid desert and just die already. Die! AN

Ralph Fiennes as Count Laszlo Almasy and Kristin Scott Thomas as Katharine Clifton ( Lionsgate/Miramax )

10. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

You feel every minute of Sergio Leones four-hour crime epic, which has its fans but never quite hits the heights to match its impressive ambition. It probably doesnt help that several of its cast members  among them Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci  swam in similar waters to much more powerful effect in work such as The Godfather Part II and Goodfellas. This tale of Prohibition-era gangsters also riffs on the same queasy sexual politics that dominate Leones earlier Westerns  every woman here is raped, some enjoy it, some are only ever mocked for it. This is sumptuous but grubby work. AW

9. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Miracle on 34th Street has long been revered as one of the eternal classics of the festive season. But this tale  of a shopping mall Santa who turns out to be the real deal  really doesnt deserve to be uttered in the same breath as a film such as Its a Wonderful Life. The sentiment here is laid on so thick as to be cloying; this clunky and distinctly American parable is best viewed as a time-capsule curio rather than a movie that still resonates nearly 80 years on. LC

Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle and Natalie Wood as Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street' ( 20th Century Fox )

8. Amelie (2001)

Twee romance Amelie is a good and inventive film, but no movie would be able to withstand the kind of hype that Jean-Pierre Jeunets movie endured. For a generation, Amelie was not just a French film but the French film, a movie that came to represent in shorthand an entire filmmaking culture. How could any film live up to that? It cant, of course  this is a film far better appreciated as a quirky acquired taste. LC

7. The Breakfast Club (1985)

Detention drama The Breakfast Club is celebrated as a high point of both John Hughess career and 1980s teen films as a genre. But while the movie undoubtedly has its charms, much about this has aged horribly, from the insidious social messaging to the cringe-inducing dance sequence. Hughes, meanwhile, has done far superior work elsewhere. LC

Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club' ( Universal )

6. Friday the 13th (1980)

Friday the 13th is widely cited as a landmark work in the slasher genre, a film that helped establish and popularise the stalker template thats still iterated on to this day. As an actual film, however, its a long way from its vaunted reputation. Theres room for scuzzy exploitation in horror, of course, but compared to films such as Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Black Christmas, this is a shockingly crass and unedifying spree to behold. LC

5. Grease (1978)

When was the last time you actually sat down to watch Grease? And by Grease I mean all 110 minutes of the thing, and not just the songs. Yes, those songs are great  big, euphoric bangers guaranteed to get even the most dire of parties going  but the rest of Grease is a hot mess, a by-the-numbers slog even when its not being egregiously offensive. Theres a reason the best way to watch this is on a Sunday afternoon while doing the housework. AW

4. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Whatever you think of the relative merits of Everything Everywhere All At Once, a kind of low-budget action pastiche that sent Michelle Yeoh into a multiverse of parallel realities, theres no accounting for the magnitudes of its massive success. A strange hodge-podge of blunt earnestness and daffy internet humour, EEAAO swept the Oscars in 2023, winning best picture, best director and three acting categories (among others). A remarkable achievement for a film that lacked the depth or sophistication of most of its rivals. LC

Everything Everywhere All At Once trailer

3. Up (2009)

Everyone loves Up, the heart-wrenching Pixar animation about a man who grows old, tragically loses his wife, and decides to explore the world in a balloon-powered flying house. Well, everyone loves the first 20 minutes. The fact is, the rest of this much-hyped animated film fails to live up to its pitch-perfect opening, and pales in comparison to the Disney studios better fare. Its up for a bit  then down, down, down. LC

2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Prison-set Stephen King adaptation The Shawshank Redemption is a perfectly good film. It has good performances (from Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman), and a strong, moving story. But is it really the best film ever made? Of course not. And yet, Shawshank has long sat atop the ranking of IMDBs greatest movies list  an honour that radically outstrips its qualities as a film. LC

Tim Robbins in Shawshank' ( Warner Bros )

1. Joker (2019)

Has there ever been a film so bafflingly acclaimed as Joker? Seeing critics hurl stars at this self-serious supervillain adaptation made me feel as if I were the victim of some elaborate prank: I dont understand how this can be construed as a good or enjoyable film. Phoenixs Oscar-winning performance, as delusional misfit Arthur Fleck, is an exercise in gaudy over-acting, and his character is situated in a story thats neither interesting nor remotely fun. And yet, people loved it, and paid to see it in their droves  I guess the jokes on me. LC
Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Speak No Evil director James Watkins has complained that movie trailers frequently show more than filmmakers want.

His new film is an adaptation of the acclaimed Danish horror by the same name, which was directed by Christian Tafdrup. The 2022 movie quickly became a cult favourite among fans of the psychological thriller genre.

Scottish actor James McAvoy plays Paddy, a father of a British family with a dark secret. McAvoy said he based the character on toxic influencer Andrew Tate.

The remake switches the nationalities of the families to British and American respectively, with Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy as Louise and Ben Dalton, a couple with a young child who visit the seemingly idyllic estate of Paddy, Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their son, Ant, after meeting them while on holiday in Italy.

*Spoilers ahead*

Watkins opted to change the original ending of the film in his new project, but has since complained that a major part of this is exposed within the movies trailer.

Well, as a filmmaker, you dont make the trailer, you watch the trailer and you respond to it, he said in an interview with Variety.

Generally, we live in a world where trailers probably show more than filmmakers want.

James McAvoy stars in the film ( Blumhouse Productions/Speak No Evil )

However, he added that the business of trailers should be taken seriously.

It is trying to entice people into seeing the film, he said. They do that brilliantly. Its very easy as a filmmaker to get a bit precious and go, I really want that really cool, classy poster.

And then they go, Well, yeah, but no ones going to see your movie. These people are very skilled at their jobs and have a lot of experience. Its just so empirical, how they try and figure out these things. Its just a different creative part of our industry.

The Danish original was released to critical acclaim in 2022 ( Speak No Evil/Profile Pictures )

Watkins explained his decision to change the ending of the original movie: The person who actually steps up is [Louise], and the notion of this kind of these kind of tropes of masculinity are shown to be complete nonsense. Its not sort of gendered, who is strong, he said.

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

And then also with Ant, the young boy, I wanted to track that whole theme there, in terms of the Philip Larkin poem of how violence is sort of cyclical, he continued. Man hands on misery to man.

He concluded: People might want the catharsis of that release, but I dont think you can say its a Hollywood ending. Its a pretty European version of a Hollywood ending. Its not triumphant. Its not an easy solution, saying, Okay, our problems are behind us.

Speak No Evil is in cinemas now
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Drew Barrymore is certainly no Jeremy Paxman  but her interview technique is becoming just as infamous. The actor and TV personality has developed her own distinctive interrogation style as the host of CBSs The Drew Barrymore Show  and it involves a lot of breathy hand-holding. A particularly touchy-feely interview with Oprah Winfrey and a recent love-in with Kamala Harris are among the most eyebrow-raising examples  not inappropriate, necessarily, just really, uncomfortably intense. Its a tack that some fans had even deemed creepy. This week, Barrymore suggested she would try and pare back her intimate, tactile approach to interviews, explaining: I guess a lot of people say, Youre too touchy about me. Talk about shame and embarrassment. Im horrified when I hear that, and yet I cant stop. But Barrymore neednt worry. On the mirthless content carousel that is the US talk show circuit, being a little intense is only a minor offence.

The fact is, the entire American talk show scene is in the throes of what we might call a silent crisis. Once the go-to forum for A-list interviews, its now become a trough of banal showbiz miscellanea. Perhaps the most egregious presence is ex-Saturday Night Live performer (and corpser extraordinaire) Jimmy Fallon. The nadirs of Fallons 10-year stint as host of The Tonight Show are infamous: the time he interviewed a pre-presidency Donald Trump, for instance, affectionately tousling the real estate moguls hair. Or in January 2022, when Fallon spoke to Paris Hilton about their respective Bad Ape NFTs (no, me neither), a segment that was as nauseatingly venal as it was eye-scouringly awkward. But while Fallon might be particularly dismal, the other big talk show players  Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers  are all rotting on the same vine of sycophancy and blandness.

Its not even really the fault of the individual presenters, but rather a systemic dumbing-down brought on by the Era of Internet Content. Talk shows are now designed in such a way that they can be broken down into digestible three-to-eight-minute segments, which are then shared on YouTube in the hopes of going viral. (This pathology is of course everywhere now  from podcasts to presidential debates  but talk shows are one of the most cynical adopters.) Its a format that is preclusive to good, in-depth interviewing, a format that encourages only the most surface-level, clickable interactions with celebrity guests. Its a waning of ambition that has also taken root in the UK, in series such as The Graham Norton Show and the dusty Jonathan Ross Show. The Graham Norton Show is, to be fair, particularly adept at contriving these viral moments, thanks largely to the clever decision to squash dissonant celebrities onto the same sofa and just let them bounce off each other. How else would Lady Gaga come face-to-face with EastEnders June Brown, if not through the antic alchemy of The Graham Norton Show?

Part of the problem with the modern talk show archetype is just how phoney it all seems. The talk show circuit is essentially a form of advertising: 99 times out of 100, a celebrity will only appear in order to promote their new film, or album, or skincare line. This is unavoidable, and hardly new, but it has resulted in a generation of interviewers who are utterly unwilling to bare their teeth  or even a bit of gum  lest they ruffle corporate feathers. The promotional aspect has always been a necessary evil, but with Hollywoods ever-expanding infrastructure of publicists, managers and agents exercising more control than ever, we are increasingly left with tame, pointless interviewers, conducted with a rictal pleasantry. Everything is all nice, all the time  even as incendiary media reports tell us otherwise. (Fallon and a now-retired Ellen DeGeneres are among the TV hosts to have weathered toxic work environment allegations.)

As a Brit, I find it infuriating to absorb so much bland, pointless and shamelessly advertorial content piped directly over from the States. There was a time, not so very many years ago, when the American talk show circuit was virtually alien to the UK. Johnny Carsons Tonight Show (1962-1992) was a towering, seminal force in American pop culture, but a complete obscurity here  the same goes for Dick Cavett. After this, David Letterman was the man who then reinvented late-night TV, injected it with a pointedly un-Carson-like levity. But he too was simply not a thing here. (Among the public, at least: there was a run of attempts by British TV execs to Letterman-ify the British talk show scene, via ill-fated series fronted by presenters such as Danny Baker and Johnny Vaughan.) We had our own talk show heritage of course, one revolving around the pillar of Michael Parkinson, whose meaty and substantial interviews (everyone from Muhammed Ali to Orson Welles to Tom Cruise) bear little resemblance to the sort of fare seen now on British or American broadcast television. One of the dispiriting things about the current British chat show framework is just how much it seeks to ape the American one. It was once a true art form, a format where celebrities were actually exposed and interrogated, rather than simply advertised.

Drew Barrymore caresses Oprahs arm while discussing spending time with audience

Obviously, not all interviews can be Paxman-style grillings  it would become as testing for the audience as it would be for the participants. But we watch interviews in the hope of seeing something revealing. What is it like to spend 20 minutes in the company of someone exceptional? As it is, modern talk shows are unable to answer this. Somewhere along the line, the power balance between interviewer and interviewee shifted, and the model of an entire programme was broken.

So what is the future of the chat show? Earlier this year, John Mulaneys anarchic six-episode live show Everybodys in LA presented a different vision of the format  but one thats surely too scatty and niche to be sustained for a season. Its telling, perhaps, that Letterman has continued to conduct interviews after hanging up his Late Show mantle in 2015  only now, he conducts them for Netflix, and theyre an hour long apiece. (Interviewees on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction include Will Smith, Robert Downey Jr and Kanye West.) Broadcast television is crying out for more interviews like these: long, in-depth and sincere. Interviews that are filmed to be watched in their entirety, not as a two-minute TikTok highlight. Until talk shows start looking for something deeper, the question of whether or not a presenter like Barrymore is being too tactile is completely beside the point.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Do not scratch your eyes or start tearing up your calendar: it really is time for the Emmys again already.

The illustrious awards show, sometimes billed as televisions equivalent of the Academy Awards, is back for the second time within the space of nine months, after the writers and actors strikes delayed last years ceremony until January 2024.

This years crop of frontrunners includes Chicago-set restaurant dramedy The Bear, which took home major prizes back in January, historical Japan-set drama Shogun, and Baby Reindeer, the controversial Netflix miniseries created by comedian Richard Gadd.

In order to qualify for the awards, shows must have aired in the US between 1 June 2023 and 31 May 2024. In the case of The Bear, this means that it is being judged on its second season, not its most recent third, which debuted back in June.

In the comedy categories, The Bear is up against school faculty sitcom Abbott Elementary, generation-gap comedy Hacks and Hulus starry mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building, among others.

The drama brackets, meanwhile, see Shogun vie against shows such as royal drama The Crown, fizzy spy reboot Mr & Mrs Smith, and Prime Videos hit video-game adaptation Fallout.

Anthology heavyweights Fargo and True Detective are among the series placed in the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, alongside the much-discussed Baby Reindeer.

open image in gallery Richard Gadd in Baby Reindeer ( Netflix )

Based on Gadds own experiences as the victim of a stalker, Baby Reindeer drew fervent praise for its nuanced exploration of trauma, though was criticised by some for its merging of truth and fiction. A woman claiming to have inspired the character of Martha, the stalker in the series, is currently suing Netflix for defamation.

See below for our breakdown of the contenders in this years biggest Emmys categories, including who will win  and who deserves to.

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

Outstanding Drama Series

Shogun (FX)

The Crown (Netflix)

Fallout (Prime Video)

The Gilded Age (HBO)

The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

Mr & Mrs Smith (Prime Video)

Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

3 Body Problem (Netflix)

Will win: Shogun

Should win: Shogun

Shoguns sweep of the Creative Arts Emmys earlier this month has cemented its chances of being crowned best drama. The epic, handsomely made period saga, which at this point feels like a worthier successor to Game of Thrones than GoT spin-off House of the Dragon, wouldnt just be a deserving winner, itd also be a historic one, becoming the categorys first ever non-English language winner (its only the second such show to be nominated here, following in the footsteps of Squid Game). In previous years, The Crown would have been the one to beat, but the finale felt like a drawn-out damp squib.

open image in gallery Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga and Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado in Shogun ( Katie Yu/FX )

Outstanding Comedy

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

The Bear (FX)

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

Hacks (Max)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Palm Royale (Apple TV+)

Reservation Dogs (FX)

What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Will win: The Bear

Should win: The Bear

An unusually strong comedy line-up this year features an embarrassment of riches, from the scalpel-sharp showbiz comedy Hacks, to the final season of Larry Davids groundbreaking, taboo-busting Curb Your Enthusiasm. Despite some fierce competition, punchy culinary dramedy The Bear looks set to take home the award for its second season  and, even though some will surely grouse about the series being less a comedy than a fraught drama (which it is), it will still be richly deserved.

open image in gallery Jeremy Allen White in The Bear ( HULU )

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Fargo (FX)

Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)

Ripley (Netflix)

True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

Will win: Baby Reindeer

Should win: Ripley

This time last year, no one wouldve predicted that an adaptation of a Scottish comedians stage show would have ended up as one of 2024s most talked-about TV series and made headlines around the world (for better and worse). But thats exactly the trajectory that Richard Gadds Baby Reindeer has enjoyed, and right now it feels like a dead cert for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series; the controversies around its real life story have only boosted its profile and kept it in viewers and voters minds. Still, Id like to see some awards love for Ripley, a real slow burn of a show that didnt fall into the trap of aping the beloved Anthony Minghella film adaptation and instead carved out its own thrilling path.

open image in gallery Andrew Scott in the Netflix series Ripley ( Netflix )

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Idris Elba  Hijack as Sam Nelson (Apple TV+)

Donald Glover  Mr & Mrs Smith as John Smith / Michael (Prime Video)

Walton Goggins  Fallout as The Ghoul / Cooper Howard (Prime Video)

Gary Oldman  Slow Horses as Jackson Lamb (Apple TV+)

Hiroyuki Sanada  Shogun as Lord Yoshii Toranaga (FX)

Dominic West  The Crown as Charles, Prince of Wales (Netflix)

Will win: Hiroyuki Sanada

Should win: Walton Goggins

This years Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category is a bit of an odd stylish hodge-podge. Oldman and West are in the running for the most traditional fare  spy drama Slow Horses and royal-focused The Crown, respectively  while the rest of the nods go towards less conventional performances in genre series. Its Sanadas compelling turn as Japanese ruler Yoshii Toranaga in Shogun that looks certain to win, but credit should go to Goggins for his peppery turn in the apocalyptic drama Fallout. Goggins  one of TVs very best character actors  is big and magnetic, and the series wouldnt work without him.

open image in gallery Seeing red: Walton Goggins as the Ghoul in Fallout ( Prime Video )

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston  The Morning Show as Alex Levy (Apple TV+)

Carrie Coon  The Gilded Age as Bertha Russell (HBO)

Maya Erskine Mr & Mrs Smith as Jane Smith / Alana (Prime Video)

Anna Sawai  Shogun as Toda Mariko (FX)

Imelda Staunton  The Crown as Queen Elizabeth II (Netflix)

Reese Witherspoon  The Morning Show as Bradley Jackson (Apple TV+)

Will win: Anna Sawai

Should win: Maya Erskine

Shogun star Sawai will probably win here, as part of the multi-category sweep that the Japan-set drama is poised to make. And her performance here is undoubtedly worthy. But Erskine, playing Glovers counterpart in the spies-in-matrimony remake Mr & Mrs Smith, accomplishes something much trickier. Shes funny, shes credible  and its a shame she wont win.

open image in gallery Donald Glover as Mr Smith and Maya Erskine as Mrs Smith in Mr and Mrs Smith ( David Lee/Prime Video )

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Matt Berry  What We Do in the Shadows as Laszlo Cravensworth (FX)

Larry David  Curb Your Enthusiasm as Larry David (HBO)

Steve Martin  Only Murders in the Building as Charles Haden Savage (Hulu)

Martin Short  Only Murders in the Building as Oliver Putnam (Hulu)

Jeremy Allen White  The Bear as Carmy Berzatto (FX)

DPharaoh Woon-A-Tai  Reservation Dogs as Bear Smallhill (FX)

Will win: Jeremy Allen White

Should win: Steve Martin

Yes, chef! This trophy has Whites name on it. The Bear has seemingly unstoppable awards momentum, and its a brilliant showcase for Whites versatility. Bear (sorry) in mind too that, because of the eligibility rules around release dates, voters are actually recognising his performance in the shows stellar second season from 2023, rather than the patchier third instalment that arrived a few months back. Still, though, theres still a big question mark hanging over whether it is technically a comedy. For a more cut-and-dry comic performance, Martins all-singing, all-dancing turn in season three of Only Murders in the Building is an absolute delight.

open image in gallery Steve Martin, right, with his Only Murders in the Building co-stars ( 2023 Hulu )

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Quinta Brunson  Abbott Elementary as Janine Teagues (ABC)

Ayo Edebiri  The Bear as Sydney Adamu (FX)

Selena Gomez  Only Murders in the Building as Mabel Mora (Hulu)

Maya Rudolph  Loot as Molly Wells (Apple TV+)

Jean Smart  Hacks as Deborah Vance (HBO)

Kristen Wiig Palm Royaleas Maxine Simmons (Apple TV+)

Will win: Jean Smart

Should win: Jean Smart

She has already picked up two consecutive Emmys for her turn as old-school comedy diva Deborah Vance, and Smart now looks set to make that a hat trick: the third season of Hacks was widely celebrated as its best yet, and Smart remained on top form. If anyone has a shot at stealing the trophy, its probably 2023s winner Brunson, who is still a joy to watch in Abbott Elementary, or Edebiri, who has been rightly bumped up to lead actress status for The Bear after winning in the supporting category back in January.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Richard Gadd  Baby Reindeer as Donny Dunn (Netflix)

Matt Bomer  Fellow Travelers as Hawkins Fuller (Showtime)

Jon Hamm  Fargo as Roy Tillman (FX)

Tom Hollander  Feud: Capote vs The Swans as Truman Capote (FX)

Andrew Scott  Ripley as Tom Ripley (Netflix)

Will win: Richard Gadd

Should win: Andrew Scott

This ones a particularly stacked category, filled with worthy winners, but Baby Reindeers creator-star Gadd feels like the one to beat (his is by far the most talked-about performance on the list, despite the fact that he had a very limited profile in the US just a few months ago). Scott, however, was snubbed by the Emmys for his role as Fleabags hot priest so it feels like he is well overdue some recognition from voters. His performance as Ripleys titular conman was by turns charming and chilling, and once again proved that hes one of the most compelling actors working today.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Jodie Foster  True Detective: Night Country as Detective Elizabeth Danvers (HBO)

Brie Larson  Lessons in Chemistry as Elizabeth Zott (Apple TV+)

Juno Temple  Fargo as Dorothy "Dot" Lyon (FX)

Sofia Vergara  Griselda as Griselda Blanco (Netflix)

Naomi Watts  Feud: Capote vs. The Swans as Babe Paley (FX)

Will win: Jodie Foster

Should win: Juno Temple

Icy crime drama True Detective: Night Country may have polarised critics, but Fosters lead performance, as flinty police chief Liz Danvers, drew raves across the board. Temples fascinatingly eccentric turn in Fargos return-to-form fifth season would be an equally apt victor, however. As Dot Lyon, a Minnesota homemaker with a dark and mysterious backstory, Temple was the most compelling piece of a large and colourful puzzle, holding her own against seasoned heavyweights such as Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hamm and Dave Foley.

open image in gallery Jodie Foster in True Detective: Night Country ( HBO )

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Tadanobu Asano  Shogun as Kashigi Yabushige (FX)

Billy Crudup The Morning Showas Cory Ellison (Apple TV+)

Mark Duplass  The Morning Showas Chip Black (Apple TV+)

Jon Hamm  The Morning Showas Paul Marks (Apple TV+)

Takehiro Hira  Shogun as Ishido Kazunari (FX)

Jack Lowden  Slow Horses as River Cartwright (Apple TV+)

Jonathan Pryce  The Crown as Prince Philip (Netflix)

Will win: Billy Crudup

Should win: Tadanobu Asano

Emmy voters really, really like Crudup. He previously won this same award for his portrayal of The Morning Show exec Cory Ellison back in 2020, beating the surely-one-of-them-will-win Succession trio of Matthew Macfadyen, Kieran Culkin and Nicholas Braun. Hes only had more time to impress since then, meaning the smart money is on him. Still, theres a strong possibility that Shoguns Asano might just sweep to victory, thanks to his standout portrayal of unscrupulous warlord Kashigi Yabushige; its a layered, fascinating performance that steals every scene hes in.

open image in gallery Billy Crudup in The Morning Show ( Apple TV+ )

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Christine Baranski  The Gilded Age (HBO)

Nicole Beharie  The Morning Showas Christina Hunter (Apple TV+)

Elizabeth Debicki  The Crown as Princess Diana (Netflix)

Greta Lee The Morning Show as Stella Bak (Apple TV+)

Lesley Manville  The Crown as Princess Margaret (Netflix)

Karen Pittman The Morning Showas Mia Jordan (Apple TV+)

Holland Taylor The Morning Showas Cybil Richards (Apple TV+)

Will win: Elizabeth Debicki

Should win: Elizabeth Debicki

Debickis uncanny portrayal of Princess Diana during the final few weeks of her life was the best thing about The Crowns disappointing final hurrah by miles (that she just about managed to sell that ill-advised ghost Diana scene is proof of her power as a performer). She was nominated in this category for the 2023 awards, but inevitably lost out to Jennifer Coolidges bravura turn in The White Lotus; this time, the path to victory is much clearer. The Morning Shows supporting cast just dont have the visibility that comes with playing one of the most famous women in recent history, and Debickis co-star Lesley Manville didnt have enough screen time as Princess Margaret to really make an impact.

open image in gallery Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in The Crown ( Netflix )

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Lionel Boyce  The Bear as Marcus Brooks (FX)

Paul W Downs  Hacks as Jimmy LuSaque, Jr. (Max)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach  The Bear as Richard Richie Jerimovich (FX)

Paul Rudd  Only Murders in the Building as Ben Glenroy (Hulu)

Tyler James Williams  Abbott Elementary as Gregory Eddie (ABC)

Bowen Yang  Saturday Night Live as various characters (NBC)

Will win: Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Should win: Ebon Moss-Bachrach

You can probably bet your house on this one: Moss-Bachrach, who won this category last time around, is the firm favourite this year, for his role as the explosive Ritchie in The Bear. Profiling the actor earlier this year, The Independents Ellie Harrison described him as the series agent of chaos. Its a fascinating portrayal, full of edges and contradictions; the show wouldnt be the same without him. Lionel Boyce, excellent but less prominent in the same series, doesnt stand too much of a chance.

open image in gallery A frenetic front-of-house boss Richie in The Bear ( FX/Disney )

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Carol Burnett  Palm Royaleas Norma Dellacorte (Apple TV+)

Liza Colon-Zayas  The Bear as Tina Marrero (FX)

Hannah Einbinder  Hacks as Ava Daniels (Max)

Janelle James  Abbott Elementary as Ava Coleman (ABC)

Sheryl Lee Ralph  Abbott Elementary as Barbara Howard (ABC)

Meryl Streep  Only Murders in the Building as Loretta Durkin (Hulu)

Will win: Hannah Einbinder

Should win: Liza Colon-Zayas

Its a clear-cut case of category fraud, Im afraid. Dont get me wrong, Einbinder is brilliant in Hacks, playing the long-suffering twentysomething comedian paired up with Smarts diva-ish old star. But it is no supporting performance: Hacks is a two-hander through and through, and she should rightly be running against Smart, instead of the supporting ensemble here. Colon-Zayas, meanwhile, gives a consummate supporting performance in The Bear, as Tina, the world-weary line cook, and would make a fine, and more fitting, alternative. Or, you know, theres always Streep.
 Close Romeo Beckham pranks father David after Emmy's win

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

The 2024 Emmys took place on Sunday (September 15) night, with controversial Netflix show Baby Reindeer, kitchen drama The Bear and historical Japan-set series Shogun all winning big.

The three-hour ceremony took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The broadcast is now available to watch on Hulu.

This years event was hosted for the first time by father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy, who co-created and starred in the hit series Schitts Creek.

Were going to keep it light and bright, Dan Levy told the Los Angeles Times, while his father added: Youre setting a tone, and its our tone. It is what it is.

Its kind of tricky when youre in the weeds, but ultimately we have to be ourselves and go with what we think is funny.

Awards presenters will included Hollywood legend and Mary Poppins star Dick Van Dyke, 97, along with Allison Janney, Martin Sheen, Matt Bomer, Lily Gladstone and Kristen Wiig.

See the winners list in full here.

Follow live updates below.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, September 15. Turkmenistan and South Korea will expand cooperation in the shipbuilding industry, Trend reports via official Turkmen media.

South Korean Ambassador Ji Kyu Taek visited the Balkan Shipbuilding and Repair Plant and emphasized the prospects for joint projects.

During the visit, which also included a joint Turkmen-Korean seminar in the Awaza National Tourist Zone, the ambassador praised the plant's modern equipment and expressed readiness to deepen cooperation.

The event featured representatives of Turkmenistan's State Service of Maritime and River Transport (Turkmendenizderyayollary), embassy staff from Korea, leaders of the Korean Marine Equipment Association (KOMEA), and officials from Koryo Shipbuilding Industry Technology Co., Ltd (KSIT).

The ambassador noted that both sides are focused on constructing two planned dry cargo ships, marking an important step in developing bilateral relations.

Currently, several significant joint projects in shipbuilding are already being implemented between the Balkan Plant and KSIT.

Following the meeting, both parties expressed confidence that continued collaboration will elevate Turkmen-Korean relations to a new level and benefit both countries.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Actor Aisha Tyler has reflected on her role as the first Black recurring cast member in the hit Nineties sitcom Friends, as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Tyler joined in the ninth season in 2003, playing Rosss (David Schwimmer) palaeontology professor girlfriend Charlie, who first dates his best friend Joey (Matt LeBlanc).

In an interview with The Independent, Tyler, 53, recalled how she used to hear passersby shouting out: Black girl from Friends!

It was such a common refrain at the time, she said. It wasnt like it was just something that people looked back at later and said, Wait a minute. No, at the time, people talked quite a bit about the fact that, for a show that was set in the heart of Manhattan, it really lacked diversity. But we didnt have social media back then, so it wasnt the large-scale conversation that it became later.

Tyler agreed with the suggestion that her characters introduction was somewhat less clunky than the ones in HBOs Sex and the City sequel And Just Like That, which were viewed by many critics as an over-apology for the original shows lack of representation.

She continued: There was nothing in the writing of my character or in the stage directions that indicated that Charlie was supposed to be a woman of colour. I know that David has said that he really pushed for that [more diversity] and I think thats wonderful.

But what I liked was that they just wrote this smart, sexy character and she happened to be Black and they werent trying to seismically change what the show was, but they were aware of the fact that it didnt feel totally representative of the world as it existed then or had existed for many, many, many decades. So I knew that me coming on the show was an aspect of that self-reflection.

open image in gallery Charlie (Aisha Tyler) in a scene in Central Perk ( NBC )

Tyler said she believed that Friends was reflective of the wider TV and film industry that thought only white stories sold.

I mean, thats just been the attitude in Hollywood for a long time, she said. Theyd say people wont watch a show with these characters, and now we all know thats not true. But that perspective still persists and there are still people who will say, well, that movie wont sell overseas if it has a Black lead, and that movie wont sell in these markets if it has a gay lead.

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

Or they say, We have our one Black show. We dont need another one.

She recalled one project where she was rejected due to filmmakers having already cast a Black character: Im like, Have you never seen two Black people in the same room in the real world? Is there just one of us? Are we like Superman and Clark Kent? When I leave the room, does Kerry Washington come in? And then you find out later weve been exchanging masks? Its just ridiculous!

open image in gallery Aisha Tyler says the ridiculous set of beliefs around race and gender in TV and film is slowly shifting ( NBCUniversal/Getty )

She said she believes this ridiculous set of beliefs was gradually shifting as more women and more people of colour and other excluded groups, and the LGBTQAI community, get behind the camera and tell their stories.

We know that great stories are human stories, and theyre varied and diverse and compelling and people want to learn about people and have experiences that they havent had before, she added.

Read the full interview with Aisha Tyler here.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

North Korea appears to have inadvertently given away the location of its secret site for building nuclear bombs, after releasing pictures of Kim Jong-un taking a tour of a uranium enrichment facility.

The images, posted online by a state-run news agency, offer an extremely rare glimpse into the isolated nations nuclear weapon development programme that has kept neighbouring South Korea and Japan, as well as their allies, on edge.

The photos show Mr Kim visiting a bright, sterile facility, walking between long rows of cylindrical machinery which is used to produce weapons-grade nuclear material for what the North describes as its growing arsenal.

A report accompanying the photos on the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) website did not reveal the facilitys location.

But analysis by North Korea observers and experts has revealed that the pictures were taken at the Kangson uranium enrichment plant just outside of Pyongyang.

The site in Chollima-guyok, southeast of the capital, has long garnered international attention and is thought to have been operational since the early 2000s.

open image in gallery Kim Jong-un reportedly expressed great satisfaction over the technical capabilities of North Koreas nuclear sector ( Reuters )

Jeffrey Lewis, a non-proliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said five images showing the inside of facility, including of the big hall and an annex, match features of satellite imagery of the nuclear site.

Thats likely Kangson. It is an enrichment plant, Mr Lewis said, adding that the annexs odd shape and its unusual set of columns and beams are a strong match to the new buildings at the site that North Korea constructed this year.

North Korea is believed to have several such sites for enriching uranium.

Commercial satellite imagery from recent years has revealed construction activity at both the main Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Centre and the Kangson site, indicating potential expansion at both locations, according to experts who analysed the satellite images.

In June, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, reported that a new annex was being constructed at the main building of the Kangson complex. He also noted that the complex shared infrastructure characteristics with the reported centrifuge enrichment facility at Yongbyon.

open image in gallery Pictures show around 1,000 centrifuges which can produce enough enriched uranium in a year to make one nuclear bomb, a security expert says ( EPA )

It comes as the North Korean dictator said the country would exponentially increase its stockpile of nuclear weapons in a surprise speech on the 76th anniversary of the founding of North Korea. Mr Kim said there would be no limit on the expansion of the countrys military prowess.

South Koreas new National Security Adviser (NSA) Shin Won-sik warned in July that Pyongyang could be considering conducting a nuclear test close to the US presidential election in November.

KCNA reported that during his tour of the facility, Mr Kim expressed great satisfaction over the technical capabilities of North Koreas nuclear sector and stressed the need to further augment the number of centrifuges in order to exponentially increase the nuclear weapons.

Colin Zwirko, a senior analytical correspondent with NK Pro, a Seoul-based website that monitors North Korea, said the photos and satellite imagery indicate the complex being visited was Kangson.

The photos show an advanced design of around 1,000 centrifuges and the hall with cascades connecting the centrifuges, suggesting that North Korea has made progress in its uranium enrichment programme, according to the experts.

The size of the cascades and hall shown also signify substantial capacity, perhaps not to the level of exponential growth as Kim has mandated, but significant growth, nonetheless, said 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring programme.

It said that it was possible that these centrifuges are North Korean designed and manufactured; however, they likely use at least some imported materials despite decades of increasingly harsh sanctions.

Some experts have drawn a link between the timing of KCNAs release of the images and the upcoming US election, suggesting that North Korea wants to influence American voters and send a message to the next administration that denuclearisation is no longer possible.

Additional reporting by agencies
Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

The 2024 Emmy Awards red carpet was full of classic black gowns and futuristic ensembles for televisions biggest night.

The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards took place on Sunday, September 15, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. The award ceremony was hosted for the first time by father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy. This year, FXs historical drama Shogun and dark comedy The Bear received several nods, as did Richard Gadds controversial Netflix hit, Baby Reindeer.

However, it was the fashion that also turned heads. In fact, a few style trends emerged from this years Emmys  proving that black is always in vogue.

Selena Gomez, who was nominated for her acting role in Only Murders in the Building, arrived at the 2024 Emmys wearing a custom black silk-and-velvet Ralph Lauren Collection gown. The dress featured a hand-embellished halter neckline made with 600 diamond-cut crystals, as she paired the look with matching diamond drop earrings, bracelets, and rings.

Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph, who was once again nominated for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, also donned a black number at this years award show. The actor wore a custom Versace gown, which included a halter neckline. As for Reese Witherspoon, the Morning Show star looked elegant in a black strapless tulle Dior gown with a ballgown-style skirt embroidered with ivory flowers.

While black seemed to be a major fashion trend on the Emmys red carpet, silver and metallics were the runners-up. Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan appeared futuristic in a disco ball-style gown designed by Prabal Gurung. The shimmery number featured an off-the-shoulder neckline and hourglass silhouette, which formed a bell shape at the waist.

Saturday Night Live alum Kristen Wiig also channeled the metallic trend in an Oscar de la Renta strapless dress, made from a gold metallic basketweave fabric, while Fallout star Ella Purnell donned a silver chainmail Paco Rabanne gown.

Sofia Vergara

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The Griselda star stunned in a bright red Dolce and Gabbana gown at the 2024 Emmys. Vergaras strapless dress, which was gathered at the bodice, also included a deep cut neckline.

Brie Larson

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Brie Larson, who is nominated in the Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie category for Lessons in Chemistry, channeled her characters 1950s fashion in a custom Chanel dress. The Oscar winners black midi ensemble featured a tiered tulle skirt, with a bedazzled bodice and a black bow wrapped at the waist.

Sheryl Lee Ralph

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Sheryl Lee Ralph looked elegant on the Emmys red carpet in a black, custom Versace gown. The Abbott Elementary stars sleek dress included a halter neckline, while she accessorized the look with Cartier jewelry.

Meryl Streep

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The Oscar-winning actor channeled Barbiecore in an all-pink suit at the 2024 Emmys. Streeps red carpet ensemble featured an oversized suit jacket and matching trousers, along with a blouse tied with a bow.

Tyler James Williams

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Abbott Elementary star Tyler James Williams took menswear to the next level when he walked the red carpet in a sleeveless suit. His black, collared shirt was buttoned to the top and fastened with a gold brooch, while he completed the look with silver bracelets and rings.

Nicola Coughlan

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The Bridgerton star arrived at the 2024 Emmys in a silver, structured number. Coughlans off-the-shoulder gown included a peplum waist for a futuristic look.

Reese Witherspoon

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Reese Witherspoon stunned in a black, strapless floor-length dress, which featured off-white floral embroidery and a tulle-lined skirt.

Jennifer Aniston

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The iconic actor walked the 2024 Emmys red carpet wearing a dazzling strapless gown. Anistons bedazzled look was completed with matching silver jewelry.

Hannah Einbinder

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Hannah Einbinder  who is nominated in the Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category for her role in Hacks  was dressed in a rose-colored gown on the red carpet. The structured look was designed with a draped bodice adornment, and included a long, draped skirt.

Kristen Wiig

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The Saturday Night Live alum joined in on the metallic trend when she wore a green, metallic dress to the Emmys red carpet. Wiigs outfit featured a strapless, triangle neckline with a ballgown skirt, which was also adorned with a triangle hem.

Ayo Edebiri

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Ayo Edebiri, who is once again nominated for her role in The Bear, wore custom Bottega Veneta to the 2024 Emmys. The red, black, and yellow ensemble also included a high leg slit, as she completed the look with a pair of black strappy heels.

Mindy Kaling

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Mindy Kaling looked elegant as she posed for photos on the red carpet. The Office alum joined in the many celebrities wearing black to this years Emmys, wearing a glittering gown with a deep neckline adorned with feathers.

Saoirse Ronan

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

While the Irish actor isnt nominated at this years Emmys, she looked elegant as she supported her husband, Jack Lowden  who received his first Emmy nomination for Slow Horses. Ronan donned a cropped, navy blue ensemble, which featured a draped sleeve attached to the bodice.

Greta Lee

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Lee once again showed her love for Loewe in a sophisticated number fresh off the runway. The Oscar-nominated actor, who received a nod for her role in The Morning Show, arrived at the 2024 Emmys in a gauzy white lace dress, which featured fabric draped into a rolled collar around her neck. Lee paired the look with sapphire and diamond jewelry by Tiffany and Co, as well as strappy silver heels.

Jonathan Bailey

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Jonathan Bailey looked dapper in black suit jacket with matching black silk lapels, along with a black cummerbund. The Bridgerton star left his champagne-colored silk blouse unbuttoned, as he posed for photos with a pair of black and red shades.

Alan Cumming

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The Traitors host channeled his Scottish roots on the Emmys red carpet. Cumming arrived wearing a white suit jacket wrapped with a tartan-printed train, as well as a black kilt over a pair of black trousers.

Selena Gomez

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The Only Murders in the Building star turned heads when she arrived at the Emmys red carpet. Gomez wore a black velvet dress with a bedazzled criss-cross halter neckline, as well as a mermaid skirt and long train. She accessorized the look with matching silver jewelry, including dangly earrings, bracelets, and rings.

Quinta Brunson

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Quinta Brunson is nominated at the 2024 Emmys in the categories Actress in a Comedy Series and Writing for a Comedy Series for her critically acclaimed show, Abbott Elementary. For the occasion, she donned a dramatic black latex dress with black bows attached to the bodice and skirt.

Gillian Anderson

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Much like Ella Purnell, the Crown alum also turned out a metallic number in an A-line floor-length dress designed by Emilia Wickstead.

Dakota Fanning

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Dakota Fanning graced the Emmys red carpet in a chic, nude-colored gown adorned with pearls. The actors strapless dress, from Armani Prives Fall/Winter 2024 couture collection, also included ruched detailing at the bust.

Dan Levy

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The Schitts Creek star  whos also co-hosting this years Emmy Awards with his father, Eugene Levy  walked the red carpet in a daring menswear look. Levys ensemble featured a white silk blouse with a dramatic collar, underneath a black suit jacket with matching trousers.

Ella Purnell

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Ella Purnell arrived at the 2024 Emmys in a glamorous, metallic dress with a plunging neckline from Rabanne. The Fallout star accessorized the look with matching dangly earrings, silver bracelets and rings, and metallic strappy heels.

Padma Lakshmi

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The former Top Chef host looked elegant on the Emmys red carpet in a glittering, off-white strapless gown, which she paired with a matching white clutch.

Molly Gordon

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

Molly Gordon, known for her roles in The Bear and Booksmart, stunned on the red carpet in a black floor-length gown with a high leg slit and wrapped bodice.

Andrew Scott

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The Irish actor, whos nominated in the Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie category for his role in Ripley, posed for photos on the Emmys red carpet. For the occasion, Scott donned a black, ruffled shirt with a deep V-neckline underneath a brown double-breasted suit jacket with black, oversized lapels.

Ilona Maher

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The Team USA rugby star and TikTok celebrity walked her first ever Emmys red carpet in a dark blue, velvet strapless gown. The floor-length dress featured a peplum waist, along with a mermaid skirt.

Laverne Cox

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

The Orange Is the New Black alum arrived at the 2024 Emmys in a dramatic, archival Alexander McQueen gown. The black dress featured a deep V-neckline and an oversized, off-the-shoulder cape. She paired the ensemble with a gold, layered chain necklace and moody purple lipstick.
Prince Harry will spend his fortieth birthday in the mountains, trekking and hanging with (new) Californian friends near his Montecito home. When it comes to the Sussexes the script has a knack of writing itself. Something along the lines of a prince on the road less well travelled, but no matter how far he walks, it appears there aint no mountain high enough to wriggle free of his royal burden.

Cliches aside, theres a universal truth at play here. Families are hard to shed, harder still when, beyond the bind of DNA, they are baked into the essence of your professional being. On the eve of his landmark birthday, the duke has insisted he will stick with a life of service: my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world. And he means it. His childhood training was a royal one, he knows no other way.

Scroll back ten years and youll find a young prince on the cusp of something special: hosting the launch of his very first Invictus Games in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. In front of a live audience, an anxious Harry garbled reassurances about recovery and new beginnings. He need not have worried. Full of good intent and adult ambition, Harry had the crowd on his side, ditto the future King. Well done, darling boy reassured proud father Charles. His son was onto something, and everyone saw it, even the Prince, who relished the wave of appreciation and gratitude. And joy.

open image in gallery The Invictus Games often showcased just how close Charles and his son can be ( PA )

In front of a 2 million-strong television audience, alchemist Harry had successfully melded the disarming qualities of his late mother with royaltys powerful service platform. The effect was electric. The closing ceremony of those first Games coincided with his thirtieth birthday, when he danced, sang and celebrated being alive. Proof, if any were needed, that Harry was born to serve.

Its the dukes aptitude for service thats the main stumbling block for those who remain on the other side of the Atlantic. Royal stalwarts huff and puff about Harrys hypocrisy; how dare the duke steer his ship into the rocky waters of Nigeria and Columbia, when he complains Britain, minus security, is unsafe for his young family. (Alongside the service gene comes a heft of entitlement, another hallmark of royalty.)

But Harrys princely expectations should not detract from his achievements: whether people like it or not, together with his savvy duchess, the Sussexes cut a dash in countries long resistant to Britains privileged royal brand. The then Cambridges 2022 Caribbean tour doesnt bear comparison. The bitter note in Britains coverage of the Sussexes DIY royal tours speaks for itself. Long may we wonder if Harry misses Britain, anything rather than invert the question and admit Britain misses Harry.

In Diana's arms to laughing with William and Kate: Prince Harry at 40, in 40 photos

For those who long for a royal reconciliation, Harrys relative success story in America explains its gaping absence. Today speculation is rife as to whether good wishes will be forthcoming for the Princes landmark birthday, but it will take more than an Instagram post to signal the recovery of an aggrieved rump royal family. Not only has Harry spoken his ill-advised truth on life within the firm, but hes had no qualms about flaunting his capacity to serve outside the royal box. In his fifth decade that is unlikely to change. If the Windsors are hoping a mature Harry will find his quiet side, theyll be sorely disappointed.

Always the more charismatic of the two, a new-age Harry, comfortable in his own skin, joshing with the kids in Colombia, is jarring for William. Even now, when a Cold War keeps the two siblings apart, the Prince of Wales finds himself inadvertently playing catch-up with little brother Harry. It was the duke who first defied royal rules to sport a stubbly beard, and long before Kates sumptuous, scripted recovery film, it was Harry and Meghan who produced heavily curated versions of their healing journeys.

open image in gallery Harry was his usual sociable self on him and Meghans recent trip to Colombia ( Reuters )

The couples infuriating knack of identifying the zeitgeist and running with it, has kept Sussexes in the headlines, thats why we tune into their effortless overseas spectacles and pour over the minutiae of their lives. When it comes to being royal - a toxic cocktail of privilege, service and celebrity  the Sussexes have nailed it. Back in Britain that hurts.

Royals, by definition, are not known for their humility, and William, Harry and Charles come from the same truculent male stable. It is impossible to imagine a meaningful olive branch anytime soon between the brothers. William has been supporting his sick wife whose recovery is slow. Why should he put his neck on the line for indiscreet Harry? Had the duke bombed out Stateside, the scenario might be very different. But as long as Harry makes a fist of his new life, upstaging the future King in corners of the world where the white mans legacy remains contested, rapprochement will remain elusive.

That places the onus on Charles. Well may Harry ponder on what hes left behind, as he wanders through arid Californian vistas this weekend. Soggy Balmoral has never been so far away. Ditto his ageing, ill father. Charles knows his reign is not for the long term and must now take the lead when it comes to mending father-son fences. It is one thing to feel threatened by a sibling, quite another by a child. That Charles does not like to be upstaged is yet another reason for him to make the first move. Wearing the mantle of kingship, as Englands Defender of the Faith, Charles cant busk his reputation on man-hugs with rugby players and simultaneously leave a gaping wound at home. Time is of the essence.

open image in gallery Prince Harry described being a dad as one of lifes greatest joys ( Getty )

Just before his birthday celebrations began, a seasoned 40-year-old Harry professed to love fatherhood: Being a dad is one of lifes greatest joys. Apparently it has motivated him to be more driven and committed to making this world a better place (on his own terms).

But in Harrys relationship with Charles, hell always be the child, and in his forties will continue to behave like one. In this royal equation, the King, as a parent, bears the brunt of responsibility. Ten years ago, Charles was proud of his darling boy. Today, he may wish him well, but he must dig deeper and find a vestige of that pride once more.

Redemption and forgiveness are powerful forces in our fractious world, likewise the embrace of difference. The King sits on the British throne, there is no greater stage in the United Kingdom. To reach out and reconnect with Harry, who has forged a different path with his birthright, would inadvertently win back some of the Dukes fairy dust for Britain. But the King must make the first move. Harry has another forty years in front of him, and even William may be glad of the day when his brother is not constantly cast in opposition to the royal family.

Tessa Dunlop is the author of Elizabeth and Philip, the story of young love, marriage and monarchy Headline Press, 2022
Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Black and Asian blood cancer patients are four times more likely to face delays in diagnosis, an alarming new report has revealed.

Research from Blood Cancer UK, shared exclusively with The Independent, found 45 per cent of people from ethnic minority communities said they have had to visit their GP three or more times before referral for testing.

Bansri Dhokia, 32, was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in July 2020, on the eve of her wedding and during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. But she only received the diagnosis after a number of false starts.

Speaking to The Independent, the former business analyst, whose illness has left her disabled, said she feels she wasnt listened to enough and initially felt that her symptoms were dismissed.

The delay in my diagnosis may have been because it was at the start of the Covid pandemic, so maybe my symptoms were harder to explain over the phone and it was difficult to get an in-person appointment, Ms Dhokia said. My heavy bleeding - which is a symptom of blood cancer - was explained by a heavy period, while the fatigue was explained by possible anaemia.

Bansri and her husband Amrit, who signed up to the stem cell register and has since made a life-saving donation ( Bansri )

Awareness of blood cancer and awareness of symptoms among these groups is also low which means that later diagnoses are an issue.

For example, a previous study shows that 77 per cent of people from Black ethnic groups had not heard of myeloma, a form of leukaemia, even though this group is three times more likely to develop the condition.

Researchers are therefore calling for the NHS to launch a targeted monitoring programme for people at higher risk of developing blood cancer.

Earlier this year, The Independent reported that Black and Asian people who spot symptoms of various forms of cancers are taking twice as long to be diagnosed as white people due to a lethal combination of ineffective medical care, lack of trust in healthcare systems and lack of awareness.

Ms Dhokia, aged 29 at the time of her diagnosis, required an immediate stem cell transplant. Patients from ethnic minority communities with leukaemia only have a 37 per cent chance of finding a matching stem cell donor who is not a relation, compared to 72 per cent for white patients, the new Blood Cancer UK study has also found.

This procedure, also known as a bone marrow transplant, replaces damaged blood-forming cells with healthy ones, offering patients with certain forms of blood cancers a second chance at life.

Ms Dhokia, who is of Indian heritage, couldnt find a donor on the register because no one was a match due to her ethnicity. Its only because her brother and sister were willing to help that she managed to find one, resulting in two stem cell transplants in February 2021 and again in January 2023, following a relapse.

Ms Dhokia said the NHS should do more to raise awareness about blood cancer and encourage stem cell register sign-ups.

The disparity is huge and a stem cell transplant is often our only option at having a second chance at life, Ms Dhokia, from Ealing, told The Independent. So, it scares me to think of what I would do in that scenario if I didnt have my siblings, the west Londoner said, adding that she was shocked and upset to learn of the racial disparity.

Theres a stigma about stem cell donations within minoritised communities and a lack of understanding that fuels fears that to donate a cell means to then possibly risk your health, Ms Dhokia explained, describing the new report as alarming.

Its not an invasive process, she said. Theres a misconception that becoming a stem cell donor involves giving up a part of your body that you wont get back but thats not true: you donate your stem cells, but your body regenerates those stem cells so you dont lose anything.

Blood Cancer UK has highlighted the disparity in diagnoses

Theres a lack of education and I also think people don't often realise that for blood cancer patients a stem cell transplant is often their only cure.

Almost every other blood cancer patient Ive spoken to has felt failed by the NHS, from the lack of awareness to the amount of time it takes for us to get diagnosed with blood cancer despite going to the GP multiple times, Ms Dhokia continued.

Funding research and clinical trials are essential, the Blood Cancer UK report highlights, however less than a third (32 per cent) of people from ethnic minority communities reported being offered the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial, according to a separate study by the Blood Cancer Alliance.

Discrimination may be a factor behind this, Blood Cancer UK argues.

Dr Rubina Ahmed, Director of Research, Policy and Services at Blood Cancer UK, told The Independent: Blood cancers including, leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma, do not discriminate, they can affect anybody  whatever their age, skin colour or race, social background, disability, gender or sexual orientation. Yet evidence shows that the experience of diagnosis, treatment and outcomes can differ dramatically based on factors like ethnicity.

Our knowledge of the true extent of inequalities is patchy at best, for example, clinical trials do not routinely publish results by race and ethnicity, so we do not know the full extent of the lack of representation in clinical research. Without robust data, we cannot begin to address the root cause of existing inequalities or monitor the effectiveness of initiatives aimed at reducing them.

These are not easy problems to overcome, nor will they be fixed overnight but it is our duty to play our part to ensure that we reach and improve outcomes for everyone affected by blood cancer.

The NHS has been approached for comment.
Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Simon Camponuri was conducting fieldwork in Central Californias Carrizo Plain National Monument around 2016, studying Giant Kangaroo rats and other endangered species with researchers from UC Berkeley.

The team had hoped to examine the impacts of climate change on wildlife in the desert landscape after Californias 2012 to 2016 drought  one of the most severe in state history.

But as the group trod around rodent burrows, they kicked up dust, unknowingly exposing themselves to Valley Fever. Three researchers ended up contracting the dangerous lung infection.

That really made it clear that there was a part of the ecosystem that we werent really paying attention to, Camponuri told The Independent last week.

Camponuri, now a PhD candidate at Berkeley, UC San Diego associate professor Alexandra Heaney, and scientists at institutions across the country have since found that the spread of Valley Fever in California has links to climate change, and more people are appearing to be infected each year. Their findings were recently published in the October issue of The Lancet Regional Health Americas.

Valley Fever, officially called coccidioidomycosis, was first discovered in Southern Californias San Joaquin Valley. The lung infection is caused by a fungus that grows in soil in western parts of the US, with the majority of cases reported in California and Arizona.

Attendees walk the grounds of this years Lighting in a Bottle music festival in Kern County, California. Multiple people who went to the festival were infected with Valley Fever, eight of whom were hospitalized. Valley Fever is a lung infection from a fungus that grows in the soil ( Jake West )

While Camponuris colleagues recovered, as many as 10 percent of those infected will develop serious or long-term problems in their lungs. Another 1 percent will see it spread to their skin, bones, joints, or brain. Valley Fever that progresses to infect the brain is fatal if not treated.

Valley Fever is caused by breathing in infectious spores, although some who are exposed are never infected. The spores can be kicked up during wind events, or through agricultural work and construction. The symptoms include fatigue, cough, fever, headache, shortness of breath, night sweats, muscle aches, joint pain, and a blotchy red rash on the upper body or legs.

Those over 60 are more likely to be infected, as well as those who have weakened immune systems, are pregnant, have diabetes, and people who are Black or Filipino.

There are between 10,000 and 20,000 cases every year in the US but its possible that thousands more are misdiagnosed or never reported.

In the past decade, cases have surged in California. Between 2014 and 2018, the number roughly tripled from around 2,300 to more than 7,600. Last year, more than 9,000 cases were reported in the state, and by July of this year there were already 5,000 cases.

The reason for such a massive increase has been elusive.

But now, after years of research, Camponuri and his colleagues found that cases of the disease spike in California during a shift from drought to heavy rain and flooding.

A mudslide from a historic California atmospheric river storm hits a home inLos Angeles, California, last February. Climate change is projected to make these kinds of storms longer and more intense ( AFP via Getty Images )

The West has seen increasingly extreme and erratic weather patterns, linked to the climate crisis. The region is the grips of a megadrought, the driest period in at least 1,200 years. On the flip side, there are periods of extreme wetness, and the last two winters have seen atmospheric river storms deluge the state with record rainfall.

These swings from extreme dry to wet conditions have led to an explosion in Valley Fever cases. The San Joaquin Valleys Kern County recorded 1,100 cases in 2015. The annual caseload has jumped to more than 3,000 since 2018.

This year, Valley Fever infected 19 people at the countys outdoor Lightning in a Bottle music festival including eight hospitalizations. By the end of July, California has seen more than 6,200 suspected, probable, and confirmed cases, with 2,196 in Kern County alone.

Professor Heaney said that a wet winter provides ideal conditions for the growth of Valley Fever, then summer dries out the land, breaking the fungus down into infectious spores.

As the soil gets disrupted  by wind or feet or labor  the spores shoot into the air. While people can get Valley Fever at any time of the year, they are more likely to be infected during late summer and fall. Cases typically peak between September and November, due to a delay from infection to reporting.

For the two years after a 2012 to 2016 drought in the state, the scientists observed larger-than-average peaks.

A chart shows the number of Valley Fever cases over the years in California. A dramatic increase in cases is shown in 2014. Valley Fever was first discovered in Southern Californias San Joaquin Valley ( California Department of Public Health )

Fungal spores are possibly good at just persisting in drought conditions as other microbial competitors die in harsh conditions, leaving them more room to grow. The wetter the winter, the bigger the fall peak could be, Heaney suggested.

At the end of August, California health authorities warned of another possible increase in cases.

We saw almost a record number of cases last year, said Heaney. And, we are concerned that this year, in the fall, is going to continue to be a really big year for cases.

The main way that people can protect themselves from infection is by understanding risk factors and how to stay safe.

Mostly avoiding dust. We think that dust is the thing that is most associated with being at risk, Camponuri said. I think people who are most at risk are people who work outdoors.

The Independent will be revealing its Climate100 List in September and hosting an event in New York, which can be attended online.
The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Independent Voices email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

A billionaire spacewalker has touched back down to Earth after five days in orbit higher than any human since NASA went to the moon.

SpaceXs capsule parachuted down before making a splashdown off the coast of Florida shortly after 3.37am carrying tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, two SpaceX engineers and a former air force pilot.

We are mission complete, Isaacman was heard saying over the radio as he floated in the Gulf of Mexico.

The event was livestreamed by SpaceX, which said on X: Splashdown of Dragon confirmed! Welcome back to Earth.

The crew pulled off the first private spacewalk on Thursday while orbiting nearly 460 miles above Earth, higher than the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope.

Their spacecraft hit a peak altitude of 875 miles following Tuesdays lift-off.

Mr Isaacman became the 264th person to perform a spacewalk since the first by the former Soviet Union in 1965, with SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis undertaking the 265th during the most recent trip. Until now, all spacewalks have been done by professional astronauts.

Tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman gets out of the capsule ( AP )

In a live feed relayed back to Earth on Thursday, Mr Isaacman could be heard saying: Back at home we all have a lot of work to do. But from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.

Staff at the SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, cheered and applauded as Mr Isaacman left the capsule for his spacewalk.

The commercial spacewalk was the main focus of the five-day flight financed by Mr Isaacman and Space X, which is owned by fellow billionaire Elon Musk.

After completing a series of manoeuvres, Mr Isaacman returned to the Dragon spacecraft, to make way for mission specialist Sarah Gillis to perform the same series of actions and close the hatch after returning to the cabin herself.

The four members of the Polaris Dawn crew wore SpaceXs new spacewalking suits to protect themselves, and a main aim of the mission was to test these suits.

The spacewalkers  who had around 15 minutes outside  climbed up through the hatch and, while still tethered to the spacecraft with their feet remaining inside, carried out a series of stretches to test the spacesuit.

Mission pilot Scott Kidd Poteet and mission specialist and medical officer Anna Menon stayed in their seats and monitored vital support systems throughout the operation.

Part of the mission was to test the new spacesuit ( AP )

SpaceX considers the brief exercise a starting point to test spacesuit technology for future, longer missions to Mars.

This was Mr Isaacmans second chartered flight with SpaceX, with another two planned under his personally financed space exploration programme, named Polaris after the North Star.

He paid an undisclosed sum for his first spaceflight in 2021, taking along contest winners and a paediatric cancer survivor while raising millions for St Jude Childrens Research Hospital.

Mr Isaacman, the founder and chief executive of the Shift4 credit card-processing company, has not divulged how much he spent on the most recent mission.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

A man has been charged with the murders of a woman and two teenagers after they were found dead inside a flat in Luton.

Bedfordshire Police confirmed Nicholas Prosper, 18, has been charged in connection with the deaths at a property in Leabank, off Wauluds Bank Drive, at around 5.30am on Friday.

Although formal identification has yet to take place, the force believes the three found dead are Juliana Prosper, 48, Kyle Prosper, 16, and Giselle Prosper, 13, all of Leabank.

Prosper, also of Leabank, has also been charged with a number of firearms offences.

Three people were found dead at a flat in Luton on Friday ( Bedfordshire Police/PA Wire )

Detective Superintendent Rob Hall, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: First and foremost our thoughts are with the three people who sadly lost their lives yesterday and their loved ones.

Although formal identification has yet to take place, next of kin of those who we believe to have died have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. We would ask that their privacy is respected at this unimaginably difficult time.

Following the discovery of the three bodies yesterday, we immediately dispatched a number of officers to the scene. Shortly afterwards they arrested an 18-year-old man, who has now been charged with three counts of murder, as well as a number of firearms offences.

Prosper is due to appear at Luton Magistrates Court on Monday.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

A woman was stabbed to death at a home in east London in the early hours of Sunday morning, triggering a police murder investigation.

Officers were called at around 1.17am to the address in Duckett Street, Tower Hamlets, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The London Ambulance Service also attended and the woman, who is believed to be in her thirties, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Met said the victims next of kin had been informed.

A 32-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of murder. A 37-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and remains in custody. Both remain in custody.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Ben Dalloway of the Mets Specialist Crime Command, leading the investigation, said: This is a tragic incident which has resulted in a young woman losing her life.

Those involved appear to be known to each other and were present at the address during the course of the evening.

While this investigation is in its early stages, we have made significant progress and arrested two people.

At this time, we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.

Officers will continue to carry out vital work at the location and I would ask residents to remain patient while we do this.

I would also ask if anyone saw anything or has information that could assist us then please make contact.

Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney said: My thoughts are with the family of this young woman at this very difficult time.

Following this awful incident, my officers are working closely with our specialist colleagues to understand exactly what has occurred.

Over the coming days, local officers will be in and around Duckett Street to provide any reassurance that the community needs but also as an opportunity for anyone with concerns, or any information about this incident, to speak with us.

A crime scene remains in place at the address and enquiries into the circumstances remain ongoing.

Anyone with information that could assist police is asked to call 101 or contact @MetCC on social media site X and quote CAD480/15Sep.

People can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Shadow home secretary James Cleverly has led concerns over the governments early release scheme after a prisoner was accused of sexually assaulting a woman on the same day he was freed.

Around 1,750 inmates were released early from jails in England and Wales on Tuesday to alleviate the overcrowding crisis which is overwhelming prisons.

But following the move, it emerged a prisoner was accused of assaulting a woman on the same day he was freed. He has since been charged and recalled to prison ahead of a court date.

Appearing on Sky Newss Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Mr Cleverly said the Tory party would not have taken the same action to tackle the rising number of inmates in prisons.

He said: Weve seen this for the winter fuel allowance and the prisoner release scheme. These are rookie errors by an arrogant and inexperienced government.

He added: Civil service have presented the neat and tidy answer that they wanted, which we could see was wrong. And again, this naive and inexperienced government went for it.

And were now seeing the consequences with sexual offenders where, domestic abusers, career criminals are being released in huge numbers and its backfired, which is why we had said no to it.

The alleged incident involving the freed prisoner has also alerted a leading academic figure.

Dr Hannah Bows, a professor in criminal law, told The Independent: [There are] wider issues with rehabilitation and risk assessment of offenders. Whether released slightly early or on time we have big questions to ask about what we are acutely doing to prevent violence against women.

Dr Bows, deputy director of the Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse at Durham University, argued just locking men up doesnt solve the wider problem of violence against women and girls.

Offenders should serve the appropriate sentence for the appropriate duration but what we do with that time is critical to prevent reoffending and at the moment were letting down both victims and offenders, she added.

Downing Street said hundreds of prisoners must be released early to prevent unchecked criminality whereby the criminal justice system cannot imprison those who break the law.

The new policy sees the proportion of sentences which some inmates must serve behind bars temporarily curbed from 50 per cent to 40 per cent. Terrorists and sex offenders are excluded and will not be released early.

Inmates serving prison sentences of less than four years for violent offences, including manslaughter, are among those eligible to be freed under the scheme.

Mr Cleverly said the scheme showed rookie errors among ministers ( Sky News )

Alan Collins, a lawyer who represents victims of sexual abuse, said: "There is a strong likelihood that we will see reoffending by those who probably should not have been released. Surely it was not beyond the wit of man to have adopted an alternative strategy."

Earlier in the week, The Independent reported on fears that have been raised that domestic abusers are slipping through the net of the governments early release scheme for prisoners and victims could be placed at grave risk.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: The government inherited prisons in crisis and on the brink of collapse. Had that happened, the courts would have been unable to hold trials and the police to make arrests.

We had no choice but to introduce emergency measures, releasing some prisoners a few weeks or months early, while excluding a number of offences and imposing strict licence conditions.

While we cannot comment on the details of any single case, those who break their licence conditions or commit further crimes will be punished.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov will take part in the 4th meeting of the energy ministers of the member and observer states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), which will be held on September 16 in Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic, Trend reports.

The meeting is expected to discuss issues of interaction in the energy sector between the member and observer states of the OTS, the document "Energy Cooperation Program of the OTS (2023-2027)".

Bilateral meetings of the minister are envisaged as part of the visit.
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Pictures have emerged of the flimsy rubber boat that sunk off the coast of France, leading to the death of eight migrants.

The eight people died overnight while attempting to cross the Channel. An additional six migrants are in hospital, including a 10-month-old baby, authorities have said.

Rescue services were called to waters in the commune of Ambleteuse around 1am local time. The rubber vessel had around 50 people on board and started to sink not long after leaving the coast.

On Sunday morning, the wreckage of a vessel thought to be the boat was pictured on the coastline.

Jacques Billant, the prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, said that rescue crews were alerted that a boat with 59 people on board was in difficulty in waters off the coast of Ambleteuse.

A new drama took place around one in the morning and we deplore the death of eight people, he told a news conference, adding that the other 51 on board were now in the care of rescue and medical crews.

A damaged migrants boat, thought to be the vessel that hit trouble while crossing the English Channel, leading to the death of eight people ( AFP/Getty )

Six people were taken to hospital in relative emergency, including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia, he said.

The dead were men from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, Iran and Afghanistan, Mr Billant added.

French maritime authorities said that 200 people were rescued in a 24-hour period over Friday and Saturday.

French gendarmes use a tractor to pull the damaged migrants boat near the beach of Ambleteuse, northern France ( AFP/Getty )

Responding to the deaths, foreign secretary David Lammy said: Its awful. Its a further loss of life.

He told the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme he had been to the National Crime Agency and seen the awful sort of rubber dinghies that people are coming across the Channel with, many of them, of course, not able to make it in these contraptions.

The government has been discussing how we go after those gangs, in cooperation upstream with other European partners.

Sir Keir Starmer will be in Italy on Monday for talks with counterpart Giorgia Meloni about her efforts to tackle the problem and the work they have done, particularly, with Albania.

The prime minister has said he is interested in the rollout of the policy, under which Tirana will accept asylum seekers on Italys behalf while their claims are processed.

Cumulative arrivals of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats ( PA Graphics )

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UKs refugee and migrant rights director, said: This is yet another appalling and avoidable tragedy and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those whove died.

These perilous crossings are seemingly becoming more and more dangerous, suggesting smugglers are taking greater chances with peoples lives as they try to evade detection efforts by the UK and French authorities.

The governments smash the gangs slogan and its security-heavy approach is contributing to the death toll because the refusal to establish safe asylum routes means these flimsy vessels controlled by people smugglers are the only real option for desperate people fleeing persecution.

Until UK ministers and their counterparts in France start sharing responsibility over the need for safe routes, we should expect this weekends tragedy to keep repeating itself time and time again.

The incident comes more than a week after the deadliest attempted Channel crossing this year, when six children and a pregnant woman were among at least 12 migrants who died when their boat was ripped open.

More than 53 survivors were plucked from waters off Gris-Nez point, between Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer, during a major air and sea rescue operation on 3 September.

Migrants on an inflatable dinghy attempt to cross the Channel from the Slack dunes in Wimereux, earlier this month ( Reuters )

More than 30 people have died in Channel crossings this year.

The Labour government has vowed to smash the people-smuggling gangs behind the crossings, in part through increased cooperation with other European nations.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper moved to establish a new Border Security Command in her first days in office, while in August, Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron pledged to work together more closely to dismantle migrant smuggling routes.

Some 22,440 people have crossed the Channel so far this year, with nearly 9,000 having made the crossing since the general election.
 Close Prince Harry laughs as young boy pulls his beard at WellChild awards in London

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

King Charles is set to temporarily pause his cancer treatment while taking part in a high-profile overseas visit after getting the go-ahead from doctors, according to reports.

The monarch, 75, who will make the nine-day visit with Queen Camilla, was first diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year after a routine procedure to treat an enlarged prostate.

It is understood that the monarch will continue his treatment upon his return from Australia and Samoa, following 11 days of travelling, The Mirror reports.

Planned engagements for the trip include a visit to the Australian War Memorial and a fleet review of the Royal Australian Navy at Sydney Harbour.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, has debuted a new look during a surprise appearance at a childrens hospital in Los Angeles over the weekend.

Meghan, 43, stepped out at the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles 2024 Gala on Saturday (3 October) in a red dress she previously wore to the New York Salute to Freedom Gala in 2021.

She paired the dress with a never-before-seen beach waves hairstyle  typically achieved by letting hair dry into its natural curls.

The Independent has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

With the Bayesian lying on her side 50 metres underneath the now gentle waters of the Mediterranean, mystery still surrounds how the 56-metre superyacht, sank in the typhoon off the port of Porticello.

Remotely controlled underwater vehicles and cave divers are looking to raise the yacht, which experts will examine in the coming days.

Italian publication Giornale di Sicilia reported post-mortem examinations were completed at a Palermo hospital and the bodies have now been returned.

The Bayesian was hit by a suspected downburst of strong wind early on 19 August. The 56m-long, 30 million yacht drifted for about 400 metres from its anchorage near the fishing port of Porticello before sinking.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew survived the incident by clambering onto an inflatable liferaft.

The bodies of tech billionaire Mike Lynch, dubbed Britains Bill Gates, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah and four other people were found by divers on board. Post-mortem examinations suggest they had been trapped in a room below deck.

Jonathan Bloomer, the international chairman of Morgan Stanley Bank; his wife Judith, a psychotherapist; Christopher Morvillo, a US lawyer; and his wife Neda, a jewellery designer, also died in the sinking.

Mike Lynch is among those confirmed as dead ( PA Archive )

It will take weeks for Ambrogio Cartosio, the chief prosecutor of Termini Imerese, and his team to establish whether the sinking of the Bayesian was down to human error, an unpredictable weather event or whether anyone is liable.

Italian Navy divers have recovered video surveillance equipment from the wreckage parts of the deck, computer material, video surveillance systems, hard drives and various other equipment, that could explain how the Bayesian sank.

Prosecutors have said they will interview the survivors  some of whom were pictured leaving the Domina Zagarella hotel in Santa Flavia, which has become the headquarters for survivors, police and rescuers.

Many questions face the investigators:

Were access hatches left open?

One expert at the scene in Sicily said an early focus of the investigation would be on whether the yachts crew had failed to close access hatches before the tornado struck.

Yachting experts have suggested that the hatches being open could have allowed the Bayesian to fill with water quickly and sink.

But Andrea Ratti, a nautical design professor at Polytechnic University of Milan, said a boat the size of the Bayesian could only sink so rapidly by taking in a huge amount of water.

One can make plausible assumptions that leave room for doubt, he said, before suggesting that one or more portholes, windows or other openings may have been broken or smashed open by the waterspout.

The recovered video could show whether the crews left doors open, which might have allowed the yacht to flood.

Was the boat prepared for a storm?

Prosecutors will look at whether appropriate measures were taken in preparation for the storm.

The luxury superyacht called The Bayesian off Porticello, Palermo ( BAIA Santa Nicolicchia/AFP via G )

The yachts captain, James Catfield, from New Zealand, told Italian media of the suddenness of the waterspout that turned a luxury super yacht into a death trap.

We just didnt see it coming, he said.

Luca Mercalli, the president of the Italian Meteorological Society, said on Tuesday that the crew should have made sure that all the guests were awake and given them lifejackets in light of the forecasted heavy rains.

The coast guard said bad weather had been forecast, but added that it was more virulent than expected. Some locals spoke of a waterspout, or sea whirlwind, of exceptional force.

It was a strange thing, fisherman Andrea Carini said. The Bayesian was at anchor, its sails down, when the tempest hit, with another yacht moored nearby.

A nearby yacht, the 42-metre Sir Robert Baden Powell, remained anchored and weathered the storm after its captain turned on the engine to keep control of the vessel and avoid a collision with the Bayesian.

Moment Bayesian yacht is engulfed by storm ( Giornale di Sicilia / Reuters )

The captain, Karsten Borner, said he did not know whether the crew of the Bayesian had managed to switch on its engines.

I dont think they did things wrong, I think they were surprised by the power of the storm, he said.

I only know that they went flat with the mast on the water and that they sank in two minutes, he said, adding that the storm was very violent, very intense, bringing in a lot of water and I think a turning system like a tornado.

Did the worlds largest aluminium mast have anything to do with the sinking?

The Bayesian has one of the largest masts in the world ( EPA )

The Bayesian was built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008 with a 75m (246ft) mast which it claims is the tallest aluminium mast in the world.

Scott Painter, who took over Lynchs multi-billion dollar software company called Autonomy, founded in 1996, said Lynchs yacht may have been more vulnerable due to the mast.

The mast was the ultimate sailors bragging right, Painter told the outlet. That mast mustve been over 240 feet tall, which is either the tallest or second tallest in the world.

He added: That could certainly contribute to a capsize as it would destabilize the yacht. And if it were to lean over too far, it could absolutely capsize the yacht.

Captain Borner said: If the mast had been broken they wouldnt have capsized.

Would a lightning shock wave damage the mast?

Colonel Attilio Di Diodato, director of the Italian Air Forces Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, said the agency had registered intense lightning activity and strong gusts of wind in the area.

The Bayesian had one of the tallest aluminium masts in the world, according to its builder, Perini Navi.

Having a tall aluminium mast would not make it the safest port to be in case of a storm, said Andrea Ratti, associate professor of nautical design and architecture technology told the Politecnico di Milano.

The type of intensity unleashed by a violent lightning storm could have created a significant shock wave, he added.

Was the Bayesian keel retractable and was it down?

The Bayesian had a retractable keel, a fin-like apparatus under the hull that helps stabilise boats and acts as a counterweight to the mast. It is not known whether it was down at the time of the vicious storm.

Both Ratti and Mattioni questioned whether the yacht had been anchored with the keel up, reducing the vessels depth under water and making it less stable. Ratti said strong winds might have caused the boat to start oscillating wildly, like a pendulum, putting exceptional strain on the mast.

Divers have only ten minutes to investigate boat ( Vigili del Fuoco/AFP via Getty I )

Was the the Bayesian properly anchored?

Tom Sharpe, a retired Royal Navy commander and defence commentator, told CBC News that a mast the size of the Bayesians is designed for a massive sail, and without that sail raised and catching the wind, the gusts likely wouldve had a negligible impact on the aluminum pole.

He instead suggested the anchor may have played a pivotal role.

My kind of working assumption is that she was probably a bit further in at anchor, and its very likely, in these sort of conditions, that her anchor dragged, he said.

He added the 10-strong crew was better off steering toward the anchor to stabilise the yacht or even raising the anchor and steering into the open Meditteranean to ride out the storm.

They might have got caught in that middle ground where theyre not on a particularly good anchorage but the anchor is now controlling the bow of the ship, he posted.

Prosecutors have said their investigation will take time, and will require the wreck to be pulled up from the sea bed.
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Two British schoolboys whose new climate technology had Nasa knocking on their door have described the overwhelming feeling of seeing their invention used around the world.

Thenuk Rodrigo and Simba Shi, both 17-year-old Eton College pupils, co-founded environmental start-up ReefSound last summer, aiming to use AI analysis of sound recordings to transform coral reef protection methods.

Little over a year later, the start-up attracted the interest of Nasa officials and is being drafted in by conservation organisations for use in seven countries.

Speaking to The Independent, Thenuk and Simba recalled the really incredible moment an employee at Space Center Houston approached the team  which also includes 17-year-old Chinese student Bonnie Liu  to ask to license the remote-controlled underwater vehicle (ROV), which navigates and diagnoses coral reefs.

Although Space Center Houston did not follow through with the deal, Thenuk said it was really incredible to see some sort of interest from the first place.

Bonnie Liu, Thenuk Rodrigo and Simba Shi at the Conrad Challenge at Space Center Houston ( David Duncan Photography, LLC )

Working late into the night after school, the team produced an AI model to assess sound recordings from the coral reef, claiming to be 60 per cent cheaper and five times more efficient than current manual diver surveys and satellite image analysis methods.

Their technology has taken recordings this year for coral preservation organisations in Malaysia and the Mexican island of Cozumel, and discussions are underway with organisations from the US, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Maldives to use the products.

Its really motivating to see, Thenuk said. I cant even explain how exciting and motivating it is to see the technology you spend a year developing helping people, countries around the world, and benefiting people.

Its just such an incredible feeling. We want to see ReefSound being used in every coral reef around the world, he added.

Thenuk and Simba first began discussing coral reefs when they were neighbours in their college dormitory.

Simba recalled: I remember when we kind of started doing projects, I literally just went into Thenuks room and we talked about it, and we were like, this is pretty cool.

I love how close-knit our community is, how much we can do working together.

We want to have a product thats good enough to be used by governments on a large scale, said Thenuk ( Thenuk Rodrigo )

Their passion for addressing coral reef protection began when they read books and watched documentaries on the topic, and began to understand how big the scale of the problem is, Simba said.

After learning that healthy coral reefs sound different from degraded ones, Thenuk and Simba decided that using an AI model would save huge amounts of time and money for coral reef protection organisations.

The ReefSound team developed an AI model which analyses the health of a coral reef with 99.4 per cent accuracy.

With a potentially groundbreaking invention under their belt, Thenuk, Simba and Bonnie took their project to a high school stem competition run by Space Center Houston  the Conrad Challenge  and became the first British team to win.

On the back of their success, the British year-13 students have won $298,000 (227,000) worth of scholarships from US universities, but are yet to decide on their futures.

Thenuk said it was an incredible opportunity and really overwhelming to see how far the start-up took them in just over a year. And their ambition is only growing.

We want to have a product thats good enough to be used by governments on a large scale. So, in the next few months, we do hope to start working with governments. I think that would be incredible, Thenuk said.

With both Thenuk and Simba both studying for A-levels in maths, further maths, physics and computer science, a lot of hard work was needed to balance innovation with education.

Thenuk added that it is easy to do when they see their project helping people around the world.

It doesnt actually make it that difficult for us to work every single night on this, when youre seeing it have the impact right now, when youre seeing it being used around the world.

Simba added: We have a lot of passion for environmental projects, especially using technology. We do this every day, and were really excited about the future.

Thenuk and Simba, who will continue developing ReefSound and trying to implement the technology globally, say their dream is to continue careers in technological and climate innovation.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

The Liberal Democrats are calling for free school meals to be offered to an additional 900,000 children living in poverty.

Britains third largest party will use its annual conference in Brighton this week to say free school meals should be offered to all children in poverty, as for many it could be their only meal of the day.

Education spokesperson Munira Wilson will use her keynote speech on Sunday to call for the policy to be expanded, as well as for a national body for special educational needs and disabilities (Send).

The body would be responsible for supporting children with the most complex needs, ending what the Lib Dems called a postcode lottery leaving parents in some areas unable to access the support they need for their children.

Munira Wilson will call for free school meals to be extended to all children in poverty ( PA )

Ms Wilson, who has been the MP for Twickenham since 2019, is expected to say: Theres a constituent of mine who told me that she stopped buying her medication so that her daughter at college could afford some lunch. Ive heard stories of pupils pretending to eat out of empty lunchboxes to hide from their friends that there was no food at home. That cannot be right in modern Britain.

A free school meal for every child in poverty would give 900,000 more pupils a full stomach each lunchtime. That means better academic progress, better behaviour and concentration, better health outcomes. But Labour have stayed silent.

It comes as the Lib Dems hold their first gathering of MPs and activists since the general election saw them win a record number of seats.

The party, which now has 72 MPs, is seeking to pile pressure on Labour over issues from health and social care to Brexit and education.

On Send, Ms Wilson will say: Where do I start with special educational needs? A system where tens of thousands of parents must fight the council in the courts to get the support that is their childs legal right.

When parents win almost 98 times out of 100, you know the system is broken. A system where the only reason why dozens of councils arent bankrupt is because they can keep Send support off the balance sheet.

Liberal Democrats have plenty of positive proposals to bring to the table. Ideas such as a new national funding body so that the most severely disabled children can have their support paid for centrally, freeing up councils to help others in need.

In the early years, Send and more, we will be a constructive opposition to Labour.

Ms Wilsons speech comes after Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said voters across the UK want to see MPs working together.

Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said people in the UK want MPs to work together across parties ( PA Archive )

She said: I think what people want to see is MPs working together to try and secure a fair deal for the whole of the UK  not trying to divide us.

Being the third party is a big responsibility. We have a far greater ability to affect change now than we did in the previous parliament.

We want to be a constructive opposition. We want to be local champions. We want to do things differently.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, who arrived at the conference in Brighton on a jet ski on Friday, is to address MPs and activists on Tuesday.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

The Liberal Democrat chief whip has questioned the commitment of Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson to their roles as MPs.

At the partys autumn conference in Brighton, Wendy Chamberlain suggested constituency work appeared not to be the priority for the Reform UK MPs, both of whom host shows on GB News.

Months after it was revealed Mr Farage was the highest-paid MP outside of parliament, with a 98,000-a-month GB News gig, Ms Chamberlain backed potential plans to stop MPs hosting shows outside parliament.

And speaking to The Independent at her party conference, Ms Chamberlain said: The saddest thing of all is communities like Clacton and Ashfield are the ones that actually need the most assiduous constituency MPs to get underneath the casework.

It suggests [where] your priorities are, if you are earning more from doing that kind of stuff (TV) than you are as a constituency MP Id be interested to know what the constituency experiences are to date.

You just need to look at Nigel Farages record in the European Parliament, he was doing more outside it than inside.

In response, Mr Farage, who was in Chicago on Friday in this third visit to the US in just over two months, told The Independent: I dont know whether she goes on holiday.

I have not this year but I am fulfilling diary commitments. We are making good progress in Clacton.

Asked what Sir Keir Starmers government needed to do to halt the rise of Reform before the next election, Ms Chamberlain said he had to deliver on a fundamental and basic level.

Reform won five seats at the general election, but had a 14.3 per cent share of the vote - higher than the Lib Dems, which received a 12.2 per cent share.

Ms Chamberlains comments came on the second day of the Liberal Democrats autumn conference, with Sir Ed Davey promising the Lib Dems will hold [the Government] to account when they disagree, adding that the party believes there needs to be reform and investment in the health service.

Speaking to the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Sir Ed said his party absolutely will challenge the Government where we disagree with them, and pledged to be a better opposition than the Conservatives.

He later added: Were worried that in the NHS debate, theyre talking about reform before investment, when we think there needs to be reform and investment.

So we will hold them to account, but we will be different from the Conservatives because being constructive means you have a different tone.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Sir Ed Davey has said Ukraine should be allowed to use Western weapons to strike inside Russia, becoming the latest senior figure to urge a change of course from Sir Keir Starmer.

After Boris Johnson and five former defence secretaries called for Kyiv to be allowed to use British-made Storm Shadows to strike Russian targets, the Liberal Democrat leader joined a growing chorus calling for a shift in stance.

Foreign secretary David Lammy said on Sunday morning that talks are continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russian airbases and military sites which are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.

The Liberal Democrat leader said Ukraine should be allowed to fire British-made missiles into Russia ( PA )

And he downplayed the importance of the Storm Shadow missiles, saying: No war is won with any one weapon, that is the case.

But speaking at the partys autumn conference, Sir Ed said there are difficult judgements to be made.

He told a Q&A session: Fundamentally I have come to the view that we should allow President Zelensky and Ukraine to use those long-range weapons to attack Russian military bases in Russia.

He said he was not privy to all of the intelligence and the briefings, and later added: If we have to do it unilaterally I think we should.

He was backed up by Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper, who told journalists: Fundamentally, Putin is an aggressor, and I dont think hes going to stop at Ukraine.

And I think he poses a fundamental threat to liberal democracy, to the values that we have in Europe. And I think we should be providing a lot of support to Ukraine so that they can push Putin out of their country.

Foreign secretary David Lammy said the allies would not be cowed by Vladimir Putins threat of all-out war with Nato ( PA )

President Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia.

There have been intensive UK-US diplomatic talks in Kyiv and Washington in the past week which have so far failed to produce a decision.

On Sunday, former PM Boris Johnson, as well as Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox, said Kyiv should be allowed to use the long-range missiles against Vladimir Putin, even without the backing of Joe Biden and the US.

The group warned Sir Keir that any future delay risks strengthening Mr Putins hand in the war.

The increase in pressure on Ukraines request follows talks between Sir Keir Starmer and Joe Biden in Washington that did not produce an agreement on whether the UK and US would give permission to Kyiv.

Further discussions are due to take place at the United Nations later this month.

US president Joe Biden meets with Keir Starmer at the White House in Washington ( Reuters )

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Mr Shapps said: Rather than waiting for formal approval from the US, Sir Keir needs to provide President Zelensky with whats desperately needed today. Thats how we assumed our global leadership position in supporting Ukraine."

And Mr Wallace warned: Britain is in danger of falling behind into the pack of ditherers, appeasers and delayers, when the only real way to stand up to a bully such as Putin is to be strong, united and determined to see it through."

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson told The Mail on Sunday: There is no conceivable case for delay. The only person who fears escalation is Vladimir Putin, and every day that goes by is a lost opportunity to save lives and bring about a just conclusion to this war.

It comes after Mr Lammy told Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: Putin said dont send tanks. We sent them.

Putin said dont send any missiles. We sent them. Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons. What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.

The intervention by members of the previous Tory government comes amid heightened concern that Russia provided nuclear secrets to Iran in exchange for ballistic missiles for its Ukraine war.

If confirmed, such a deal would be especially alarming as Tehran is advancing its programme of uranium enrichment  a step towards developing a nuclear weapon.

Ukraines Western allies have claimed Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia and the weapons would likely be used in the war against Ukraine in the coming weeks. The US, Britain, France and Germany hit Tehran with more sanctions, condemning its escalatory move.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Keir Starmer is open to sending asylum seekers to Albania as he prepares to hold a mini summit with Italys prime minister Giorgia Meloni.

The prime minister told journalists travelling with him to Washington DC before he flew to Rome that he would see how Italys deal with Albania worked in terms of offshoring processing of asylum claims.

Within days of taking power in July, Sir Keir cancelled the UKs controversial deal with Rwanda which had been set up by the previous Tory government at a cost of 700m to the taxpayer.

But he now appears open to similar schemes in a European country.

This follows German chancellor Olaf Scholzs decision to take up the facilities in Rwanda that the UK paid for to deal with asylum seekers to his country.

Asked specifically about Italys Albania scheme, Sir Keir replied: Lets see. Its early days. Im interested in how that works, I think everybody else is. Its very very early days.

The Italian plan has been criticised by many and involves opening camps for asylum seekers which will hold up to 3,000 people. Ms Melonis government has dramatically reduced the number of people coming across the Mediterranean to Italy from north Africa.

The deal has been condemned by Human Rights Watch, whose associate director for Europe Judith Sunderland wrote: Italys latest gambit to offshore its responsibilities is all but guaranteed to violate peoples rights. Following its abusive deal with Libya, Italy now wants to take people who have effectively reached the country outside of the EU, breaching fundamental tenets of rescue at sea and undermining asylum rights and freedom from arbitrary detention. It is also unlikely to deter people from making dangerous boat crossings.

Amnesty has raised concerns about human rights in Albania, citing the killing of journalists in the country, concerns over the right to a fair trial, killings in prisons, a hostile environment for the LGBT+ community, and violence against women and girls.

On the Italy deal it noted: Human rights organisations and others expressed concern about the impact this could have on the human rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, including automatic and therefore arbitrary detention.

Sir Keir confirmed to journalists that he will be discussing the issue as record numbers of asylum seekers continue to cross the Channel on small boats.

The prime minister said: Well be able to talk about irregular migration, and other things as well.

It will be a feature as it was a feature when I spoke to Chancellor Scholz; as it was a feature when I spoke to [French president] Emmanuel Macron.

He noted that there are different challenges in different countries.

In Germany, I was particularly concerned that a very large percentage of the boats engines that are ending up being used for the Channel crossings are going through Germany. And I think that they should take further opportunities to seize them on their journey, he said.

Obviously with Macron, it was very much about what to do on the northern coast of France.

Ive already had a preliminary discussion with Georgia Meloni about this, about how we can work together on irregular migration. She has of course got some strong ideas and I hope to discuss those with her.

She and I have already discussed how we can improve joint operations, so that is something we will discuss.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Boris Johnson and five ex-defence secretaries have called for Sir Keir Starmer to go it alone and allow Ukraine to use British-made missiles to strike Russia - as foreign secretary David Lammy appeared to play down the importance of Shadow Storm missiles.

The former prime minister, as well as Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox, said Kyiv should be allowed to use the long-range missiles against Vladimir Putin - even without the backing of Joe Biden and the US.

The group has warned Sir Keir that any future delay risks strengthening Putins hand in the war.

However, Mr Lammy, when asked on Ukraines request to use the missiles on BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, shared other ways the UK was supporting Ukraine, such as providing training to troops.

He added: No war is won with any one weapon, that is the case.

The increase in pressure on Ukraines request follows talks between Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Biden in Washington that did not produce an agreement on whether the UK and US would give permission to Kyiv.

Further discussions are due to take place at the United Nations later this month.

Foreign secretary David Lammy, appearing next to Sir Keir Starmer outside the White House this month, appeared to play down the importance of the long-range missiles on Sunday morning ( PA Wire )

Mr Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Mr Shapps said: Rather than waiting for formal approval from the US, Sir Keir needs to provide President Zelensky with whats desperately needed today. Thats how we assumed our global leadership position in supporting Ukraine."

And Mr Wallace warned: Britain is in danger of falling behind into the pack of ditherers, appeasers and delayers, when the only real way to stand up to a bully such as Putin is to be strong, united and determined to see it through."

Meanwhile Mr Johnson told the Mail on Sunday: There is no conceivable case for delay. The only person who fears escalation is Vladimir Putin, and every day that goes by is a lost opportunity to save lives and bring about a just conclusion to this war.

But Mr Lammy, responding to Putins latest warnings, told Skys Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: Putin said dont send tanks. We sent them. Putin said dont send any missiles. We sent them.

Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons.

Mr Lammy added: We wont be bullied by Putins shameless grandstanding. What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.

The use of Storm Shadow missiles, as well as US-made ATACMS, was a key topic discussed during a summit in Washington between Sir Keir and President Biden, but no decision was announced.

The use of Storm Shadows depends on US cooperation to be fully effective.

The former defence secretaries intervention comes amid heightened concern that Russia provided nuclear secrets to Iran in exchange for ballistic missiles for its Ukraine war.

If confirmed, such a deal would be especially alarming as Tehran is advancing its programme of uranium enrichment  a step towards developing a nuclear weapon.

Ukraines Western allies have claimed that Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia and the weapons would likely be used in the war against Ukraine in the coming weeks. The United States, Britain, France and Germany hit Tehran with more sanctions, condemning its escalatory move.

Iran has denied supplying weapons to Russia, rejecting the claims as completely baseless and false. Russia has not denied the reports directly, instead responding by calling Iran an important partner and saying their cooperation was only deepening.

Piling on the pressure over UK and US weapons, Mr Williamson said: "From the start of this war Britain has not hesitated to take a lead to step forward when others have hesitated. Starmer needs to show that same leadership and determination. Failing to do so would be a dereliction of his duty."
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

When the Idaho home of convicted killer Chad Daybell hit the market this summer, it was quickly snapped up despite it being the site where the doomsday cult leader killed his wife and buried the dead children of his new lover Lori Vallow.

Eerie photos of childrens toys neatly tucked away in empty bedrooms were posted in the listing, revealing an inside look into the home at the center of the deeply disturbing saga.

Just weeks before the sale, Chad Daybell, 55, was sentenced to death in June for the murders of his wife Tammy Daybell and Lori Vallows children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua JJ Vallow, 7.

The twisted tale of murder and apocalyptic cult beliefs has captured the nations attention for years  including the propertys new owners, who followed the case closely.

A local Idaho couple, who wish to remain anonymous and did not identify themselves to The Independent, created the nonprofit organization SJ Healing Crossroads to buy Daybells simple, ranch-style house in Fremont County.

Eerie photos of childrens toys neatly tucked away in empty bedrooms were posted in the housing listing when it was put up for sale this summer ( Realtor.com )

Its not about who we are, its about making this property a better place than it is now, they told The Independent via email.

Such a horrible tragedy happened there. This is all about respecting the victims.

But JJs grandmother, Kay Woodcock, who was a constant at both Daybell and Vallows trials, has other thoughts.

We never hoped for anything at THAT location where they perpetrated their evil. ANYWHERE except for there, she wrote after news broke of the sale and plans to convert the property.

Theories of what the buyers would do with the property ranged from a playground to murder-themed accommodation but the new owners said they are committed to providing community support for individuals affected by trauma and loss.

We did worry about true crime fans trying to turn it into a shrine or something, its one of the reasons we bought it right away, they said, adding that they were aware of the murder Airbnb rumors but say they bought it to prevent exactly that.

We just didnt want someone with bad intentions to end up with the property, they wrote.

With the plans we have there is hope that the tourists will eventually move on, they added.

Tammy was killed inside the house on October 19, 2019, and the children were found buried behind it in June 2020, nine months after they went missing.

Chad Daybell was convicted of killing his wife Tammy (pictured together) in 2019 ( Facebook )

In 2021, after Daybell was arrested at the home on murder charges, his attorney, John Prior, became owner of the four-bedroom, 3.75 acre property.

Daybells daughter and her family lived on the property, but have since moved and No Trespassing signs have been erected.

On June 24, the house was put up for sale with an asking price of $350,000. With a brick facade, large windows and sprawling 3.75 acre grassy lot, the agent boasted that it had lots of potential.

But many knew that the unassuming home harbored a dark secret, which was vaguely mentioned in the listing.

There is a very tragic situation with this home, the Realtor.com listing for the property continued in block capitals. Please have your realtor investigate for you.

JJ and Tyle were found buried in shallow graves (pictured) in the backyard on Chad Daybells Idaho property ( Post Register no sales no mags )

When asked whether theyve spoken to the victims families, the new owners told The Independent: Right now we are in the planning stages. The house and outbuildings will be removed around the first of October with everything hauled off the property.

After that is finished, the owners said that they plan to talk things over with the victims families before moving forward, and said they have already been in touch with some of them.

We want to take time to make sure that this is the perfect idea for everyone from the victims, to the families, to the members of the community who have to drive by there each day.

This photo of Tylee Ryan and her brother Joshua JJ Vallow with their uncle Alex Cox was taken days before they were killed ( Handout )

There are definitely a lot of obsessed fans with opinions but we are hoping they will see the good we are trying to do, said the new owners.

Kay Woodcock said that the new owners had not asked for thoughts or endorsements from her family or the families of Tylee and Tammy before first going public with their plans.

Buried like animals. its gross! Perhaps if it happened to their loved ones they would feel differently! I dont wish this nightmare on anyone! she posted on X.

One woman suggested burning it to the ground and abandoning the property.

Agree 1000%, JJs grandmother wrote in response.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Kazakhstan's KazTransOil (the national operator of the main oil pipeline) transported over 950,000 tons of oil in the direction of Baku from January through August 2024, a source at KazTransOil told Trend.

"From January through August 2024, 954,000 tons of Kazakh oil were transported through the port of Aktau in the direction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline," the source said.

As the company added, in August 2024 alone, KazTransOil shipped 117,000 tons of Kazakh oil at the port of Aktau in the direction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline.

In addition, the company noted that projections for transportation volumes would not change by the end of 2024.

"Over the entire year 2024, it is planned to transport up to 1.5 million tons of oil through the port of Aktau in the direction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. KazTransOil supplies oil in accordance with the oil transportation schedule. This schedule is approved by the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan based on applications from shippers," the source added.

To note, 3.376 million tons of oil were loaded into tankers at the port of Aktau utilizing KazTransOil facilities by the end of 2023. Of this total, 1.057 million tons were bound for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route.

Meanwhile, in 2022, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issued an order to increase the amount of oil transported through the Trans-Caspian corridor. The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and KazMunayGas, the country's oil and gas company, signed an agreement allowing for the transportation of up to 1.5 million tons of oil annually from the Tengiz field in the direction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline in compliance with this directive.

In addition, during the visit of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Azerbaijan on March 1112, KazMunayGas and SOCAR signed an agreement to increase the volume of oil transported via the BTC to 2.2 million tons per year.
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

For two hours on April 5, authorities tried coaxing Shane Curry and his partner from the bedroom of their Stow, Massachusetts, home.

Get the f*** out, you creeps, the 20-year-old shouted back as officers banged on his locked door, trying to enter to carry out a wellbeing check, police said.

Stow Police Chief Michael Sallese had previously met Curry during a mental health crisis and, as he knocked on the door once more, this time, it creaked open.

Authorities found Curry curled up on a mattress next to his 17-year-old partner Nevaeh River Goddard  who he referred to as his twin flame, according to the indictment obtained byPeople.

But Goddard was lying motionless.

Officers pulled back a blanket that was covering their body and noticed obvious signs of injury, according to a statement released by the Middlesex County District Attorneys Office last Friday.

The teen was covered in bruises and stab wounds, and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the DA offices statement.

I spoke to the boyfriend, grandfather Michael Simmons, who raised Goddard as a child, told 10WJAR five days later. He promised to take care of her.

On April 7, the fiance of Goddards mother, Heather Coyne, called for Curry to face the death penalty, writing in a Facebook post that he should rot in hell.

Shane Curry, a 20-year-old accused of murdering his teenager partner ( 10WJAR/YouTube )

One month later, on September 4, Curry faced Judge Patrick Haggaan at Middlesex Superior Court and was charged with first degree murder.

He was accused of stabbing his partner to death with a sword, with the weapon found alongside a kitchen knife in the bedroom, according to the indictment.

After being handcuffed and taken out of the bedroom, Curry told officers that the couple had gotten into a fight over Goddards alleged infidelity. Curry then allegedly began beating his partner for their cheating addiction, court documents said.

The bruises arent working, Curry allegedly told police. Hitting her, thats not working, so okay, I have to knife her, so I do.

Then, Curry plunged the sword into Goddards abdomen, authorities said.

He allegedly noted it was horrifying as he stabbed his partner again, with an autopsy revealing puncture wounds to the neck, torso, arms and liver.

Upon learning Goddard wasnt breathing, Curry told authorities that he sliced his own arms in a bid to take his own life, according to the indictment.

Curry was taken into custody and transported to hospital for evaluation.

Nevaeh Goddard was first reported missing at just 15 ( Nardolillo Funeral Home/ Kristin Goddard & Heather Coyne )

He was initially arraigned in Concord District Court on April 6 on charges of assault and battery on a household or family member and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, according to the statement from the DAs office.

Goddard, who used she/they pronouns and identified as non-binary, was laid to rest at Nardolillo Funeral Home in Cranston, Rhode Island, on April 20, according to an obituary page set up by their family. Goddard would have turned 18 in July.

The teen had a tough start to life, according to Simmons, with their mother Kristin Goddard giving birth while serving a sentence in a Pennsylvania prison. Goddard then spent part of their childhood in foster care.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had listed Goddard as missing since April 2022.

Kristin said her child ran away after Rhode Islands Department for Children, Youth & Families requested that Goddard receive behavioral treatment at a state facility, she told Boston 25 News.

Despite Goddards tumultuous upbringing, their amazing, outgoing personality shone through, according to an obituary.

She was very creative and artistic, she loved to write her own music. Her cuddly nature was only matched by her quick wit, and goofiness, it continued.

Devastated family and friends shared their condolences on the obituary page, with aunt Nancy writing: I will light a million candles for you just so you can see how much you are loved by everyone.
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Cryptocurrency scams are on the rise, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation reporting that Americans were defrauded out of $5.6bn last year  and that the victims are often educated, well-off people.

Last October, 68-year-old Debbie Fox had just finished dreamy trips to Italy, Spain and Greece. So when a man named Russell told her he was considering retiring to Europe, Fox was excited about exploring a relationship and possibly settling there with him.

The two met on Luxy  which advertises itself as an elite dating platform for millionaires  and would spend hours discussing books, movies, television, and their families. Russell advertised himself as a scientist and businessman with dual passports, a man of affluence who was looking for a deeper connection.

By day three, we were video chatting at length, Fox said. There was no way he could be reading from a script, because there is no way that a script would know what I would be asking him. I have a tendency to go really deep on conversations, and he just kept pace. It felt really real.

Then he called her with an emergency: he needed $48,000 to save a solar project in Saudi Arabia that had purportedly been interrupted by the Israel-Hamas war.

Fox vetted his alleged businesses and had received seemingly legitimate legal documents from Russell. So she took the risk and wired funds from her retirement account to another bank account that an investigation later found was flowing into crypto investments. A few weeks later, he asked for another $10,000, which Fox obliged.

I was going by the fact that I was talking to a real human, that man whose picture you see, Fox said.

An ongoing investigation has not been able to identify the man who swindled Fox out of tens of thousands of dollars. His profile is seen here ( Debbie Fox )

She didnt realize she had been swindled until December, when Russells alleged lawyer claimed he had been imprisoned and needed additional funds. Fox became a victim of something known as a romance scam, in which the victim is lured by a romantic impersonator and manipulated to send their money. Victims are duped for weeks or even months, and the aftermath can be brutal: entire life savings can be swindled, leaving people in financial ruin and struggling to handle the aftermath emotionally.

There were days I was immobile, Fox said. I couldnt get off the floor from the depths of despair.

More and more Americans are becoming victims of cryptocurrency scams, according to the FBI.

The federal government received over 70,000 complaints of cryptocurrency scams in 2023. Thats a staggering increase of 45 percent since 2022.

Cryptocurrency experts spoke to The Independent about the most common scams involving virtual currency  and how best to avoid them.

By far the most common cryptocurrency scam was investment fraud, which happens when bad actors persuade people to purchase cryptocurrency, promising they will reap profits at low risks. According to the FBI, investment scams accounted for 71 percent of all crypto scams and represented over $3.96bn in lost money in 2023. The next four most popular cryptocurrency scams were in tech support, personal data breaches, extortion, and cases of false confidence or romance.

Once youre a victim, it is horrible, Fox said. Not just the reality of a broken heart from someone that you thought you were developing a relationship [with] that used your vulnerability against you [and] robbed you of money, but now youre just left with guilt and shame, and have been clueless about what to do next.

To avoid these scams, we need to nurture the sense of digital hygiene, according to Chengqi John Guo, a professor of computer information systems and business analytics at James Madison University.

The FBI is investigating the rise in crypto fraud ( Associated Press )

Some of the habits he recommends may seem obvious. Dont hand out your password to internet strangers. Double check with your company or bank about how they communicate sensitive information. Never trust suspicious actors urging you to download a foreign application. And you might want to double check if you get a pop-up asking to update your antivirus software  which is one of the most common scams since the birth of the internet.

But some of them are less obvious: its better to use your keyboard, instead of your mouse, to avoid data breaches that take advantage of how often you might click.

Of the 3,000 victims informed by the FBI this year, 75 percent were unaware they had been scammed.

When it comes to daily consumption  like we go to grocery store, gas station  we rarely use these cryptocurrencies, so it doesnt really get on the radar of the daily consumption activities for these people, Guo said. So maybe thats another factor working in the favor of the scammers, because people dont have that level of awareness.

According to this years FBI report, people over 60 issued the most complaints about cryptocurrency scams, representing $1.6bn in losses. But the victims arent just older Americans, according to Erin West, a deputy district attorney in Santa Clara County, California.

We are seeing plenty of victims in their 40s and 50s: plenty of really bright, well employed people that are getting hit, West said. Theyre so embarrassed, and theyre like, I cant believe I fell for this. Ive worked in financial services, or Im a lawyer. These scams  theyre that good that people that you would not expect to fall victim to them are falling victim to them.

Avenues for accountability are scant, and chances for justice slim. Recovering funds is an arduous task, particularly as cryptocurrency transactions cannot be canceled or reversed, unlike standard bank transactions. And social stigmas, particularly for romantic dupes, add to the difficulty of prosecuting perpetrators.

Individuals, at times, are embarrassed to actually report their victimization, said FBI Supervisory Special Agent Nick Berta. And then theres challenges, although it is a public blockchain, for law enforcement to trace those transactions without the standard measures in place by US financial systems.

Scams networks are often based out of Southeast Asia and Africa, making prosecution from the United States all but impossible. The highly elaborate schemes also victimize those who initiate the scams, deploying human trafficking victims who are coerced into scamming users on the web.

I would say it is a rare chance these days where a victim will be able to recover any funds, West said.

Guo says the widespread nature of cryptocurrency scams may pose a threat to societal well-being and demands serious attention: Its like the old saying: if you see one cockroach, that means you have a bunch of them hiding someone else. So if you see one manifestation of the cryptocurrency scam, believe me, there are a whole bunch of others that you dont see.

Since the trauma of her case, Fox says she remains in the process of recovery.

Im still not right, she says. But her experiences have moved her to advocate for fellow victims. This fall, she is set to publish a romance suspense novel that portrays her personal experience of being psychologically manipulated.

She says: Instead of putting the onus on victims, lets shift the conversation and the resources to making life hell for criminals who want to do cyber crime.

Editors Note: This article was amended on Sept. 16. It originally stated that Fox wired funds from her retirement account to Coinbase. However, that was inaccurate, as she actually wired the money to another bank account, and those funds eventually flowed into crypto investments.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator JD Vance continues to stoke outrage against foreign-born members of his own constituency, sharing video footage with his 1.9 million social media followers that he claimed showed African migrants in Dayton, Ohio eating cats  but instead appears to show nothing more than poultry cooking on an outdoor grill.

Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves, Vance posted Saturday on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. Another debunked story that turned out to have merit.

Vance has claimed, falsely, in recent days that Haitians  who are not Africans  living in Springfield  a town of 58,000 which is not Dayton  were stealing, killing, and consuming their neighbors pets.

The video was originally posted by the right-wing Manhattan Institutes Christopher Rufo, who offered a $5,000 bounty to anyone that could provide proof of cat-eating immigrants in Ohio. The footage was filmed last year in Dayton, Rufo wrote in a companion article published Saturday on his personal website. He said he spoke with the person who shot the video, and that this person said the cat-eaters were some Africans that stay right next door to my kids mother, according to Rufos piece, which insists the claims were verified by multiple witnesses and visual cross-references.

One can make the case for migration, but one cannot, at the same time, deny that it comes with costs  which, in this case, seem to include a pair of flayed cats on a blue barbeque in Dayton, Ohio, the article concludes.

Backlash was swift, with replies ranging from, I find it strange that a self-professed hillbilly doesnt know what whole chickens look like, to, HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT CHICKENS LOOK LIKE WITH THEIR LEGS ATTACHED YOU F****ING DIPSHIT. Oliver Alexander, an open-source intelligence analyst, weighed in, sharing images of plucked chickens looking remarkably similar to whatever was being grilled in the video. Clearly chicken you weirdo. Dudes never seen chicken that wasnt dino-nugget shaped, he wrote.

Clearly chicken you weirdo.



Dudes never seen chicken that wasnt dino-nugget shaped. https://t.co/6TwLNZy1Gu pic.twitter.com/kXHfAXKEVu  Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) September 14, 2024

Rufo did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday. The Vance campaign declined to comment on the record. An expert at the National Chicken Council did not reply to inquiries. However, a source close to Vance told The Independent that they do not believe the carcasses seen on the grill are chickens. A visual comparison of skinned cats prepared for laboratory use and whole-plucked chickens suggested the animals in the video are almost certainly not feline.

Saturdays repost by Vance, a Yale-educated lawyer who represents the State of Ohio, marks yet another escalation in the anti-immigrant narrative he publicly launched less than a week ago. On Monday, Vance claimed, falsely, that newly-arrived Haitians in Springfield were feasting on their neighbors domestic animals, prompting national outrage by the right. GOP Sen. Ted Cruz gleefully stirred the pot, posting a photo that same day of a cat with a single line of text reading, Please vote for Trump so Haitian immigrants dont eat us.

As the concocted tale picked up steam, it was swiftly debunked by Springfield officials, who said they had no information to support Vances allegations. However, that didnt stop the Trump-Vance campaign from sending out a press release accusing unvetted Haitians of consuming not only domestic animals, but local wildlife such as ducks and geese, too. On Tuesday night, during the first (and likely only) presidential debate between Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Kamala Harris, the former president seized the opportunity to ratchet tensions up even further.

In Springfield, theyre eating the dogs, Trump insisted at the Tuesday evening event. The people that came in. Theyre eating the cats. Theyre eating, theyre eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is whats happening in our country, and its a shame.

Since then, members of the Haitian community have become targets, many of them scared to leave their homes for fear of being attacked by angry residents.

Haitian refugees in Springfield, Ohio say Donald Trump and JD Vances wild claims have turned their day-to-day lives upside down ( REUTERS )

Its creating so much panic in the community, Springfield resident and local leader Viles Dorsainvil told The Independent. ... The words that come out of their mouths matter. They are looking for the highest office in America. They have the obligation to do better, because words are powerful.

He said Haitians in Springfield have been calling the nonprofit Haitian Community Help and Support Center, which Dorsainvil founded last year, to ask if it is safe for them to go outside.

And we let them know, when they are going out, to be careful, Dorsainvil said.

On Thursday morning, multiple schools and government offices in Springfield were evacuated following bomb threats, followed by a repeat of the situation on Friday, which forced evacuations at two elementary schools and a middle school. No explosives were found at any of the locations listed in the threat, Springfield authorities said in a news release.

Still, a day later, Vance was back at it.

As one dismayed X user wrote, It does feel like these guys wont be satisfied until someone is hurt or killed.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

An ugly week of racist fearmongering kicked off by Donald Trumps viral debate claim that Haitain immigrants were eating the dogs of pet owners in an Ohio town came to a head on Sunday as JD Vance, the ex-presidents top surrogate, faced journalists questions about the spiraling chaos.

Tuesdays debate between Trump and his opponent Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, had several eyebrow-raising moments but none moreso than when Trump, echoing his latest online-born conspiracy, baselessly accused thousands of legal migrants in Springfield, Ohio, of stealing, killing, and eating pet dogs off the street.

The conspiracy was fact-checked in real time by ABCs David Muir, who noted that city officials had looked into the claim and found it to be baseless. But the damage was already done.

Nearly a week later, Vance found himself once again answering for his running mates actions after days of shocking fallout in Springfield, where residents have reported fliers dropped by the Ku Klux Klan as well as several threats of bombings or mass shootings  the latest of which, at Wittenberg University, occurred Saturday night just hours before Vance would go on the air.

On Sunday, Ohios junior senator was pressed by journalists as to why the Trump campaign was spreading a claim it could provide no evidence for beyond the anecdotal I heard it on television excuse Trump himself gave during the debate.

On CNN, he seemingly admitted that his claims were lies, then continued by saying that he would keep spreading such tales, even knowing them to be untrue, if they resulted in the media talking about issues he claimed were still just as real despite the deception.

JD Vance appears on CNNs State of the Union on September 15, 2024, to face questions about a wave of anti-migrant hate and threats of violence sparked by his and Donald Trumps claims that Haitians are stealing and eating family pets ( The Independent )

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do, said the senator.

Because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast.

The apparent confession prompted host Dana Bash to point out: You just said that this is a story that you created.

The exchange grew fiery with Vance hitting out at Bash for what he claimed to be a frankly disgusting question when she pointed out there was zero evidence for his claims  and that the tales had triggered bomb threats in Springfield.

Instead of saying things that are wrong and actually causing the hospitals, the schools, the government buildings to be evacuated because of bomb threats, because of the cats and dogs thing, why not actually be constructive in helping to better integrate them into the community? she asked.

JD Vance in responding to question on CNN this AM about dog & cat eating in Springfield, Ohio If I have to I create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do..."pic.twitter.com/aO6oG7fYqq   (@politicalplayer) September 15, 2024

Vance hit back at Bash saying her question was more appropriate for a democratic propagandist than it is for an American journalist and slamming her for accusing him of inciting violence against the community when all that Ive done is surface the complaints of my constituents, people who are suffering because of Kamala Harriss policies.

As the sparring continued, he fumed: Dana, would you like to ask me questions and then let me answer them, or would you like to debate me on these topics? Im happy to be here to talk about policy, but if youre going to interrupt me every single time that I open my mouth, then why am I even doing this?

Despite his apparent confession on CNN that such tales are made-up, on NBCs Meet the Press Vance was still insisting they had veracity  even if all he could offer for evidence was anecdotal claims from Ohioans who had contacted his Senate office, and a video he shared on social media which appears to show several people cooking chickens.

Kristen, I hear ya saying that theyre baseless, but Im not repeating them because I invented them out of thin air. Im repeating them because my constituents are saying these things are happening, he said.

WATCH: Local officials in Springfield, Ohio, say theres no evidence of the claims @JDVance has made about Haitian immigrants.



On #MTP, Vance doubles down. pic.twitter.com/hCunQFzHES  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 15, 2024

It was an undoubtedly uncomfortable position for the senator, who now stands accused of standing with Trump and ginning up the modern-day digital equivalent of a lynch mob against a community of migrants with legal status from the US government  even as Trump says he will order deportations in the town if elected.

His words and actions have now been denounced by the chief of police in Dayton, Ohio, the states sixth-largest city, and are certain to be a campaign issue should the senator fail to win the vice presidency in November and instead seek re-election to his Senate seat in 2028.

We stand by our immigrant community and there is no evidence to even remotely suggest that any group, including our immigrant community, is engaged in eating pets, chief Kambran Afzal said in a statement. Seeing politicians or other individuals use outlandish information to appeal to their constituents is disheartening.

On Sunday, Vance was also swiftly denounced by Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania and a Harris campaign surrogate.

"That was bonkers ... the US senator from Ohio just came on your show and blamed his own constituents for his own lies. This guy is so pathetic, said Shapiro. JD Vance should be ashamed of himself."
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

The State Department has said any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro were categorically false after the arrests of three Americans, two Spanish citizens, and a Czech citizen on Saturday.

According to the Venezuelan government, the group was detained on suspicion of plotting to destabilize the country through violent actions, adding that hundreds of weapons had been seized.

CBS News reports that the Venezuelan government identified the men detained on Saturday in an online video.

One of them was identified as an American Navy sailor detained in the country earlier this month while visiting for personal reasons.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed the detention of a member of the US military.

The enlisted sailor is a petty officer first class and formerly a Navy SEAL who was assigned to a West Coast team, officials including a senior member of the Defense Department told CBS.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in a press conference that the two Spaniards were allegedly linked to Spains secret service and were planning the assassination of a mayor.

Further, Cabello also accused the detained Americans and the Czech citizen of involvement in terrorist acts, including alleged plans to assassinate Maduro and other officialslinked to intelligence agencies as well as Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

They contacted French mercenaries, they contacted mercenaries from Eastern Europe and they are in an operation to try to attack our country, he said.

In addition to the US State Department, Spanish media reported that Spains government denied the allegations made against its citizens.

There are already substantial tensions with Spain and the US after Venezuelas disputed presidential election in July.

Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia leads a demonstration against the official election results that declared that President Nicolas Maduro won reelection in Caracas, Venezuela, July 30, 2024 ( Associated Press )

These groups seek to seize the countrys wealth, and we as a government will respond firmly to any destabilization attempt, Cabello said.

He claimed that about 400 rifles originating in the US had also been seized.

A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information.

The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Spanish nationals were detained while taking photographs in the town of Puerto Ayacucho, Cabello said.

These citizens have links  we know they will say no, that it is a lie  they have links with the center, Cabello said, referring to Spains intelligence unit.

He added: Spain will decide what to do, if it is going to keep meddling in Venezuelas affairs.

Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Spain this week for consultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to appear at the foreign ministry after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a dictatorship, escalating diplomatic tensions following a disputed presidential election.

In this photo provided by the Spanish government in Madrid, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, left greets exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Thursday Sept. 12, 2024. ( Fernando Calvo, Spanish Government via AP )

The Maduro regime was also angered by the decision of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to meet with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain last week after being threatened with arrest.

Already tense relations with the US worsened after the Biden administration recognized Gonzalez as the winner of the July 28 election.

In addition, at the beginning of September, a plane belonging to Maduro was seized by the US and brought to Florida. The Justice Department said the jet was exported from Florida in violation of US sanctions.

Maduro, a former bus driver, succeeded iconic left-wing leader Hugo Chavez on his death in 2013. He insists he won a third term but failed to release detailed voting tallies to back his claim.

With reporting from Reuters
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

At least five people have died across Poland and Romania, thousands have been evacuated and many remained stranded on Sunday after Storm Boris brought record rains and flash flooding to parts of central and eastern Europe.

Heavy rainfall began lashing central Europe on Friday as the slow-moving low-pressure system arrived, and it is expected to linger for days.

Storm Boris has brought a months worth of rain in just 24 hours to swathes of Poland, Romania, Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary, along with fierce winds.

Four bodies, three women and one man, were recovered from Romania. It was the hardest-hit country, with flooding affecting 19 localities across eight counties.

Strong winds downed dozens of trees, damaging cars and blocking roads and traffic.

The southeastern region of Galati, a county in Romania, was especially badly hit, with at least 700 homes flooded and hundreds of people left stranded, according to Emil Dragomir, the mayor of Slobozia Conachi village in the county.

This is a catastrophe of epic proportions, Mr Dragomir said.

A torrent of water flows along the river Bela during heavy rain ( Getty )

Locals and rescuers pull a man through flood water after heavy rain triggered flooding in Slobozia Conachi, Galati country, Romania ( Reuters )

Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Saturday acknowledged that they were reeling under the effects of the increasing impact of the climate crisis.

We are again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present on the European continent, with dramatic consequences, he said.

Authorities said on Saturday that the rainfall figures for the past 24 hours were the heaviest in 100 years.

A Black Hawk helicopter was deployed to Galati to help with the search-and-rescue missions.

In Poland and the Czech Republic, rivers burst their banks and several areas were deluged by water.

One person died by drowning in Klodzko county in southwest Poland and 1,600 people were evacuated. Several municipalities were flooded as rivers broke record high levels after days of heavy rainfall.

Rescuers evacuate a dog after heavy rain triggered flooding in Cudalbi, Galati country, Romania ( Reuters )

A drone view shows a tractor driving down a flooded road after heavy rain triggered flooding in Slobozia Conachi, Galati country, Romania ( Reuters )

The situation is very dramatic, its most dramatic in Klodzko county, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk told reporters on Sunday after meeting with the crisis management team in Klodzko town.

In southern Poland, authorities issued evacuation orders for homes in Glucholazy, a historic town near the Czech border, after the Biala Glicholaska River surged by two meters (6.5 feet) overnight into Saturday.

Polands interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak told TVN24 they would be focusing on what the threats will be in the next few hours after authorities received hundreds of incident reports.

In Krakow, Polands second-largest city, residents were given sandbags to protect their houses from flood waters.

More than 100,000 firefighters have been deployed in the Czech Republic as the authorities received nearly 2,900 incident reports on Friday, mostly related to fallen trees and flooding.

About 260,000 households were without power on Sunday morning in the entire country while traffic was halted on many roads, including the major D1 highway.

In the Czech city of Opava, up to 10,000 people out of a population of some 56,000 have been asked to leave their homes for higher ground. Rescuers used boats to transport people to safety in a neighbourhood flooded by the raging Opava River.

Theres no reason to wait, mayor Tomas Navratil told Czech public radio. He said the situation is worse than during the last devastating floods in 1997, known as the flood of the century.

Prime minister Petr Fiala said the focus is on saving lives, and his government will meet on Monday to assess the damage.

Footage released by the Czech Republics Fire and Rescue Service captured scenes of flooded streets in the southern municipality of Benesove nad Cernou, where two women, who had ignored evacuation orders, were rescued by boat.

Neighbouring Slovakia ordered a state of emergency in the capital, Bratislava, and Austria was pummelled by heavy rains, causing the rivers to swell.

Parts of the southern and eastern states in Germany are also flooded, with warnings in place for rivers in the state of Saxony.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

The UK and the US have reportedly discussed their shared concern that Russia provided nuclear secrets to Iran in exchange for ballistic missiles for its Ukraine war.

Prime minister Keir Starmer and US president Joe Biden discussed the fact that Iran and Russia are strengthening their military cooperation during a summit in Washington on Friday, which also covered other key issues around Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, including Kyivs use of Western long-range missiles to hit targets deep inside Russia.

Mr Starmer and Mr Biden discussed intelligence pointing to a deal that would see the Kremlin providing Iran nuclear technology, sources on the British side told The Times.

Antony Blinken said US has sanctioned Iran over export of weapons to Russia ( PA Wire )

If confirmed, such a deal would be especially alarming as Tehran is advancing its programme of uranium enrichment  a step towards developing a nuclear weapon.

Ukraines Western allies have claimed that Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia and the weapons would likely be used in the war against Ukraine in the coming weeks. The United States, Britain, France and Germany hit Tehran with more sanctions, condemning its escalatory move.

Iran has denied supplying weapons to Russia, rejecting the claims as completely baseless and false. Russia has not denied the reports directly, instead responding by calling Iran an important partner and saying their cooperation was only deepening.

Early last week the US secretary of state Antony Blinken told reporters in the UK at a press conference alongside foreign minister David Lammy that Russia had recently acquired new ballistic missiles from Iran.

He warned about Russia sharing secret nuclear data with Iran  a factor that could have implications for both Israel and the US.

Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks  this is a two-way street  including on nuclear issues, as well as some space information.

Dozens of Russian military personnel have been trained in Iran to use the FATH-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles. Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, said the USs top diplomat.

Russian president Vladimir Putin and Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi hold a meeting in Tehran on 19 July 2022 ( SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images )

Iran agreed to stop pursuing nuclear weapon development as part of a 2015 deal in exchange for sanctions relief from the US and other countries. But the agreement broke down after then-US president Donald Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018.

Its unclear how much technical expertise Tehran currently has to build a nuclear weapon or how quickly it could do so. However, collaborating with experienced Russian specialists would likely accelerate the process.

The potential deal is expected to increase pressure on the US and UK to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles  Britains Storm Shadows and US ATACMS  to strike military targets inside Russia. It was a key topic discussed during the Washington summit but no decision was announced.

At least five former Conservative defence secretaries  Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox  as well as ex-prime minister Boris Johnson, have called on Mr Starmer to ease restrictions on Ukraines use of Storm Shadows, though they also depend on US cooperation to be fully effective.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

The West needs to invest in Russias future generation now and support those fighting against Vladimir Putin from inside the country after Alexei Navalnys death left a huge hole in the opposition, the dissidents former chief of staff says.

Navalny  Putins most significant critic  was announced dead in February, at the remote prison colony in the Arctic where he was serving a sentence on charges decried as trumped up. Western leaders lined up to say Putin was responsible for his death, while Navalnys widow, Yulia, has also repeatedly said that the Russian president killed her husband.

Leonid Volkov, a close friend of Navalny, also calls it a murder, one that dealt a severe blow to the fight against Putin.

He always managed to catch Putin by surprise and do something really unexpected, Volkov tells The Independent. Thats something we miss a lot now. Theres really no replacement for that.

It has also brought into sharp relief, he believes, that no one in the West really knows what they want Russia to look like after Putin. The presidents latest act was to threaten war on Nato if the US and UK allow Ukrainian forces to fire Western-supplied long-range missiles deep into Russia in their fight against the invaders.

Europe needs a peaceful, democratic, predictable neighbour and trade partner, Navalnys former chief of staff continues. Europe definitely doesnt need 20 small states fighting against each other for control over nuclear weapons, nor does it need a giant North Korea behind a huge wall, which would be an imminent source of threat.

Volkov with the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in Germany in 2021 ( Leonid Volkov )

Without a strategy, he suggests, that is where Russia could be heading, though the opposition will always be waiting poised in the wings should Putins regime come to an abrupt end.

Central to such a rethought, Western strategy should be the abandonment of vehement discrimination against Russian citizens.

Responding to an op-ed in Foreign Affairs by the former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice in which she called for the West to keep some connection to the Russian people, Volkov says it is vital to invest now in [Russias] next generations.

If we want Russia to be a peaceful, democratic society, then of course we should invest now in students and the next generations, to promote cultural and scientific exchange, he says. We have to endorse young people who want to go and study abroad because they will be building this new democratic Russia.

Closing the borders and trying to discriminate against Russians in Europe only helps Putins propaganda.

In March, less than a month after Navalny died, Volkov was attacked outside his then home in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius by pro-Russian men wielding a hammer. He described the attack as an obvious, typical, gangster greeting from Putin.

Volkovs car is taken away after the attack outside his home earlier this year ( AFP/Getty )

However, when asked if more open Russian borders would present a security threat, the opposition figure shrugs off the question.

Thats what the security services are paid for, to analyse, to prevent, to tackle the threats, he says. It is vehement discrimination to label Russian citizens who are travelling from Russia as a security threat.

This view will be seen by many, not least the Ukrainians who see all Russians as complicit in Putins rise to power and eventual invasion of Ukraine, as controversial, if not impossible.

But Volkovs view is rooted in the idea that there is still a huge majority of people inside Russia waiting for the winds of change.

He claims that only seven or eight per cent of Russian society strongly support Putin. A further 60 per cent form the silent majority that stay out of politics and simply want peace. The rest, roughly 30 to 40 per cent, are opposed to Putin.

What Putin has done through all these years is amplify the voice of the 7 or 8 per cent of this very aggressive minority while silencing the 30 per cent opposed, he says.

So those 60 per cent in the middle live in a world where the only socially acceptable view they hear is from the pro-war minority. They believe that this minority is actually the majority and that everyone is supporting Putin and the war. This is a stable construction for Putin but it can flip literally overnight.

When the minority realises its actually a minority and the majority realises its actually a majority, then what will happen will be what happened in Eastern bloc countries in the late 1980s or what happened during the Arab spring.

The West needs to support Russians fighting against Vladimir Putin, Volkov says ( via Reuters )

Five months after Navalny died in prison, the few remaining notorious opposition activists inside of Russia, the likes of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin, for whom Volkov worked as chief of staff before helping Navalny, were exchanged after being jailed for speaking out against the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

They both claimed they were illegally expelled, having been told they could never return to Russia.

Despite this gutting of the various faces of the opposition, however, Volkov claims that the vast majority of anti-Putin, anti-war, opposition-minded Russians are still inside the country, and theyre not changing their minds.

Drawing comparisons to the fall of the Soviet Union, he says it is they who must be courted and helped to eventually overthrow Putins regime.

In 1989, you saw tens of millions of people on the streets from East Berlin to Vilnius, from Warsaw to Bucharest, from Moscow to Prague. These were the very same people who had been silenced by repression years earlier.

But by 1989, they started to realise that something had changed. The wind of change had come, and there was no more appetite for repression. The same will happen in Russia.

It is, he adds, the role of both the exiled opposition and, crucially, the Western countries that have enacted such a clear Ukraine strategy, to support that majority of Russians and come up with a strategy for them, too.

The only way for us to ensure that Alexeis ultimate, enormous sacrifice is not in vain is to build this beautiful Russia of the future that he dreamt of, to prove that he was right, that Russia could be a functioning, efficient, eastern European democracy rather than this ugly, fascist dictatorship, he says.

We deeply believe  I deeply believe  through all the last years of having the luck and privilege to work with Alexei, that he was on the right side of history.

Breaking into a rare smile, he adds: Now we have to prove it.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump boasted of a very good relationship with both Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin on Friday as he hosted the Ukrainian leader for a meeting at his New York City skyscraper.

The former president also repeated a bizarre boast that he could, if re-elected in November, negotiate an end to the nearly three-year Russian war against Ukraine.

Trump, who was impeached in 2019 for using American defense assistance to pressure Zelensky to launch sham investigations into President Joe Biden and his son, was being briefed on Kyivs latest plan for victory against Putin.

We have a very good relationship, he told reporters as he stood with Zelensky. And I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin. And if we win, I think were going to get it resolved very quickly, he said.

Zelensky quickly interjected: I hope we have more good relations between us.

Zelensky said he and Trump share a common view that the war ... has to be stopped, and Putin cant win and Ukrainians have to prevail.

And I want to discuss with you the details of our plan, he added.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump meets with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky at Trump Tower, Friday 27 September in New York ( AP )

For his part, Trump said he and Zelensky have had a great relationship, citing Zelenskys decision to deny that Trump had exerted any pressure on him during the July 2019 phone call in which hed linked sending Javelin anti-tank missiles to Zelenskys announcement of investigations into the Bidens.

So we're going to sit down just discuss it, and if we have a win, I think long before January 20, before I would take the presidency ... I think that we can work out something that's good for both sides. It's time, he said.

Trump had previously cancelled plans to meet with the Ukrainian leader after Zelensky sparked GOP outrage by visiting the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in the battleground state of Pennsylvania over the weekend.

He reversed course late Thursday after Zelenskys meeting with Harris, during which the Democratic presidential nominee told Zelensky that her support for Kyivs defense is unwavering.

In what appeared to be a veiled swipe at Trump and his Republican allies, Harris admitted to Zelensky that there are some in the US who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory, who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality, and would require Ukraine to forgo security relationships with other nations.

These proposals are the same as those of Putin, and let us be clear: They are not proposals for peace. Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable, she said.

Zelensky has been in the United States for the UN General Assembly, where on Wednesday he warned world leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin is attempting to break the Ukrainian spirit by targeting his countrys energy infrastructure. He also cautioned against accepting purported peace deals that would be negotiated without Ukraine having a say.

Any parallel or alternative attempts to seek peace are, in fact, efforts to achieve an out instead of an end to the war, he said, adding later that he was skeptical of the true interest behind a recent push by China and Brazil to foster an end to the conflict.

When some propose alternatives, half-hearted settlement plans, so-called sets of principles, it not only ignores the interests and suffering of Ukrainians ... it not only ignores reality, but also gives Putin the political space to continue the war, he said.

Earlier in the week, Zelensky also toured a Pennsylvania plant where munitions destined for his armed forces are being made. That visit drew anger from Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who called for Zelensky to fire the Ukrainian ambassador to the US in response. Johnsons outrage was supposedly due to no Republicans being invited along to the tour of the plant, though White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed it as a political stunt by the GOP at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
It wasnt clear how serious he was being. But it sounded like a nice time, the way one might describe a holiday in a postcard home, or the living conditions of a new family guinea pig.

Its great to be there, enjoying the environment, eating that great space food and being able to look out the window, said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of Nasas space operations mission directorate, in a press conference last month.

He was talking about two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the test pilots of the troubled Boeing Starliner. They left Earth on 5 June on what was supposed to be an eight-day mission to test that spacecraft  but after suffering problems before and during its launch, the Starliner ran into more on its way to the space station, and the problems have continued ever since.

Last weekend  after intense scrutiny and considerations by Nasa  the Starliner detached from the International Space Station and returned to Earth. But Wilmore and Williams were not on board, after engineers at the space agency decided they could not be sure that it could carry them safely, and so opted for them to come home on a later SpaceX flight instead.

open image in gallery Nasa astronauts Wilmore and Williams depart the Neil A Armstrong Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to board the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft ( AFP via Getty Images )

That decision ended almost three months of speculation about how the pair would get home. However, it also delayed their journey back dramatically because the SpaceX craft that will give them a lift has not yet even arrived at the space station and will not come back until March 2025.

The pair had set off for an eight-day mission, but by the time they get back they will have been stuck in space for eight months. The space station that was supposed to be a brief stop-off has now become a semi-permanent home.

In their early days on the space station, much of the pairs time was spent monitoring Starliner, as engineers struggled to work out how it had gone wrong and whether it might be fixed. Even in its final days, they were still learning more about it  such as when Wilmore got in touch with mission control to report strange noises coming from the craft.

But as time has gone on, the pair have become integrated into the normal crew, which Williams has described as great. Weve been thoroughly busy up here, integrated right into the crew, she said on a call in July.

It feels like coming back home. It feels good to float around. It feels good to be in space and work up here with the International Space Station team.

As with any unexpected stay, the pair arrived without the necessary clothes and other supplies for such a long mission, and early on they were forced to ration their clean clothes. However, a resupply mission arrived last month, bringing extra clothes and other supplies to ensure theyre comfortable during their unexpected stay.

open image in gallery Astronaut Ed White performs the US's first spacewalk on 3 June 1965, during the Gemini 4 mission ( Nasa )

Beyond the obvious facts of being separated from your family and tumbling around in microgravity, the International Space Station does not sound like the worst place to live. On the bare facts, it likely beats many London flats for facilities and space, though they dont have to deal with flying around the Earth at a speed of five miles per second.

The ISS has six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms and a 360-degree window for peering out into space and back down at Earth. The station also has a gym, which is key to the astronauts wellbeing  they spend at least two hours of each day exercising, to try and stave off the muscle wastage and other health problems that can come with living in low gravity.

The space is usually occupied by seven people, though there are 12 on board the ISS at the moment. (There are currently 19 people in space in total, but three of them are on Chinas Tiangong space station, and four more are part of SpaceXs private Polaris Dawn mission that this week conducted the first ever commercial spacewalk.)

The space food that Bowersox spoke so highly of has been one of the most focused parts of Nasas work over the past 60 or so years. The offering has become both more advanced and more various as space agencies have worked out new ways of preserving and serving food in orbit.

The first meal in space was eaten by the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, who squeezed a tube full of beef and liver paste into his mouth and then followed it with a tube of chocolate sauce. The first American meal followed soon after, when John Glenn ate a tube of apple sauce.

Over time, Nasa found ways to choose and package food so that it was nutritious and flavoursome but also didnt pose any risk to the astronaut or their equipment. Sandwiches, for instance, were quickly abandoned because they went stale and their crumbs could float around and find their way into the spacecrafts parts.

Nasa now has an entire organisation  Space Food Systems Laboratory, based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston that makes and packs food to be taken to the ISS. There are now more than 200 offerings, and astronauts can choose extras to take along if they need to.

There are no fridges for food on the space station, so instead the meals are often freeze dried and then rehydrated onboard. That doesnt work for all foods, however, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. In recent years, space agencies have experimented with growing them on board, in part to provide fresh food for astronauts.

Even with their rearranged schedule, Williams and Wilmore will be far from breaking records for their journey. The longest amount of time spent on the International Space Station in one go came to an end in March 2022, when American Mark Vande Hei and Russian Pyotr Dubrov arrived back home after a 355-day stint.

Others stayed even longer on the previous Soviet space station Mir. Four in total stayed for longer than the pair, including Valeriy Polyakov who was on board for 437 days that came to an end in March 1995.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 15. Trade between Kyrgyzstan and China totaled $3.178 billion from January through June 2024, which is a 42.5 percent increase compared to $2.230 billion in the same period of 2023, Trend reports.

According to the State Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan, exports from Kyrgyzstan to China amounted to $48.991 million, up 45.9 percent from $33.589 million in the first half of 2023.

Imports from China reached $3.129 billion, a 42.5 percent increase from $2.196 billion the previous year.

In the overall structure of Kyrgyzstan's trade, China holds the top position with a 41.9 percent share. Chinese imports constitute 49.6 percent of Kyrgyzstan's total imports, while exports to China make up 3.8 percent.

Kyrgyzstan's foreign trade turnover reached $7.6 billion from January through June 2024. The figure increased by 9.4 percent compared to the same period in 2023. Within this turnover, exports accounted for 16.9 percent, while imports made up 83.1 percent.

Exports from Kyrgyzstan in JanuaryJune 2024 decreased by 3.2 percent year-on-year, totaling $1.3 billion. The value of imported goods into Kyrgyzstan was $6.3 billion, which is a 12.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
The Ukraine will eventually use UK long missiles in its war against Russia, despite threats of an all-out war by Vladimir Putin, an ex-Army boss has said.

Talks are continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russian airbases and military sites which are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.

Appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg today (15 September), General Sir John McColl said: They should not signal this kind of dither and dilemma, they need to be firm in the signals we send.

Gen McColl added: We are dithering, my guess is that eventually they will be provided.
The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

When Kemi Badenoch said at the launch of her Conservative leadership campaign that the party had talked right but governed left, many people were puzzled. What did she mean?

Well, here is Graham Brady to explain. The chair of the 1922 Committee throughout the 14 years of Tory government, the conveyor of backbench Tory opinion to the five prime ministers of that period and the returning officer for the four leadership elections between them, has published his memoir, Kingmaker.

He was the keeper of the parliamentary Tory partys inner secret  namely the number of MPs who wanted the prime minister out. Only he knew how close the number of no-confidence letters was to the trigger point that would require him to call a vote of Tory MPs. I was the model of discretion, he writes. Until now

He reveals that he had only 10 such letters in his safe on 22 May, when Rishi Sunak called the early election, as against the 52 needed to trigger a confidence vote. This puts an end to the idea that Sunak called the election in order to pre-empt a leadership challenge.

But many of the most striking passages in the memoir are about Boris Johnson. He describes the Johnson government as the most left-wing that this country has had in peacetime, with spending and taxation put on a steep upward trajectory and a Covid response that was authoritarian.

He elaborates in an interview with The Daily Telegraph to accompany the books publication: The thing which always surprised me most was that Boriss strongest supporters in the parliamentary party tended to be people who would identify themselves as being on the right, and I can only think that they were attracted to his cavalier elan rather than to the policies, because theres no doubt that the Johnson government was governing to the left.

This is a brilliant illumination of how the combination of Brexit and Boris confused people. Leaving the EU was a right-wing cause, therefore Johnson was seen as right wing. Yet his manifesto emphasised the public services, and he even occasionally argued for Brexit on grounds that ending free movement of labour would push up the wages of the lower paid.

The pandemic confused things further by forcing a big, if temporary, increase in public spending. Brady implies, although he does not say so, that the furlough and business support schemes were too generous, because the pressure for some state intervention could hardly have been resisted in a democracy.

Coronavirus measures further divided Tories between liberals and authoritarians, with many right-wingers such as Brady finding themselves arguing against lockdowns and restrictions imposed by law. Indeed, the measures seem to have divided Johnson against himself, with Brady telling how he would one moment be ranting at the effing scientists and their stupid two-metre rule and the next demanding to know, when Brady complained about lockdowns, How many people would you let die?

The part of Bradys book that has been serialised so far does not cover, however, the most important respect in which the Johnson government was left-wing  namely on immigration.

It seems astonishing, looking back, that Johnson used the Brexit freedom to set the UKs own border policy to relax controls over who could come to the country from outside the EU. When people voted to Take Back Control in the EU referendum, most of them did so in the expectation that immigration would be reduced. Yet Johnsons Australian-style points-based system achieved the opposite, even allowing for the special cases of Ukraine, Hong Kong and Afghanistan.

Equally surprising is that it took so long for anyone to notice. It wasnt until revised figures for 2022 were published, near the end of the following year, that James Cleverly, by then home secretary, reacted in a panic and threw all the switches on the dashboard into reverse.

This saying one thing while doing another has further traumatised and confused the Tory party. It meant that it had no answer to Nigel Farage in the election, and has no prospect of winning back his voters in the foreseeable future.

For all that Keir Starmer seems to have made a faltering start, governing with a large majority that is widely assumed to be fragile. But Boris Johnsons failure on immigration is likely to haunt the Conservative Party for many years to come.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Parts of the UK are set to be hit by dense autumn fog as the Met Office issues a yellow weather warning.

The forecaster said thick fog will descend on parts of the country from Monday, with the weather warning starting at 5am and ending at 10am.

A Met Office spokesperson said: "It is looking like one of the first occasions in autumn 2024 when we will see more widespread fog developing overnight and lasting well into the morning.

A map issued by the forecaster reveals the areas set to be impacted, including parts of Manchester, Liverpool, and Stoke-on-Trent.

open image in gallery The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for Manchester, Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent ( Met Office )

"Some of this [fog] could be quite dense, making journey times longer," the Met Office cautioned.

The forecaster urged drivers: "Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions, leaving extra journey time, or amending plans if necessary. Make sure you know how to switch on your fog lights, and check they are working before setting off on your journey.

Transport services are also expected to face disruption. "Bus and train services, as well as flights and ferry travel may also be affected; check for updates from your travel company and follow their advice," the Met Office advised.

It recommended staying updated with local forecasts as conditions could change.

Photographs from this morning show the fog already enveloping Corfe Castle in Dorset, with the historic structure shrouded in mist at sunrise. Temperatures have been notably low for this time of year, dropping to zero and below across parts of the UK.

Other areas of the UK, particularly in the south, are expected to get a late burst of summer weather next week before autumn takes hold.

Earlier this week, areas of Yorkshire experienced sub-zero temperatures. After -2.7C was recorded in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, on Friday and the earliest sighting of frost since 2019 was reported in south Wales, many were led to believe that summer was officially over.

But David Oliver, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office said: In the wake of the front on Sunday, high pressure then builds, bringing fine and dry conditions to most parts of the UK for much of next week.
Irish News

Irish soldiers tell families they may not be able to come home at end of tour as Israel digs in around UN base in Lebanon
Legal services

International law firm DLA Piper hopes to create 135 high-value jobs in Ireland over the coming years as it reveals revenue in the country has hit over 30m.

David Carthy, country managing partner for Ireland, said the worlds fourth largest law firm by turnover, with global revenues of $3.69bn (3.34bn) last year, has always seen plenty of opportunity in the Irish market since it launched here in May 2019.

DLA Piper currently employs 115 people, with ambitions to grow the business to 250 people over the next few years.

Carthy said DLA Piper would continue to grow sustainably alongside its clients needs, including multinationals, emerging technology companies and governments looking to navigate legal landscapes across continents.

Carthy said traditional sectors DLA Piper has offered services for in Ireland include technology, financial services and life sciences. Increasingly, he said, the firm had seen areas growing in this market such as energy, renewables and insurance.

DLA Piper is holding its transatlantic summit on Wednesday as it marks five years in Ireland.

The summit will be attended by more than 300 business leaders from Ireland and the US, and a packed agenda will examine issues influencing organisations on a global scale, both sides of the Atlantic.

The event will include a keynote from Paschal Donohoe, Public Expenditure Minister.
Banking

The high number of people moving to Ireland could boost Bank of Irelands potential customer base, the bank's CEO has said.

Myles OGrady, the BoI chief executive, made the comment during investment bank Barclays Global Financials Conference in New York last week.

The inflow of immigrants to Ireland stood at 149,200 in the year to April 2024

Investment analysts at Barclays said OGrady noted the Irish economy was resilient and growing  outperforming many eurozone countries, with supportive demographic trends.

Among the positive demographic trends was the inflow of immigrants to Ireland, which stood at 149,200 in the year to April 2024 according to the CSO. OGrady noted the inflow each year was providing a growing potential customer base for the bank, said the analyst note.

OGrady also said that growth in housing stock would support lending. Corporate sentiment had also improved after a period of significant deleveraging.

Backed by lending growth, structural hedging and deposit growth, OGrady also said he expected net interest income, a key driver of bank profitability, to be broadly stable next year.

On competition, OGrady believed it was natural to expect ongoing entrants to the market, given the attractiveness of the Irish banking backdrop.

He said BoI would compete with these digital entrants, but would behave commercially, highlighting a strong track record of pricing discipline.

OGrady also mentioned high digital adoption rates at the bank and a new mobile banking app for next year. However, the new app is expected to be more of an improvement on the current iteration rather than an entirely new service.
Boss of Oneview Healthcare highlighted how delays to the National Childrens Hospital have hit his business

An aerial view of the National Childrens Hospital under construction. Photo: BAM

A healthcare technology supplier to the National Childrens Hospital has expressed frustration at delays in the project as he reveals set backs to its completion have impacted on his firms revenue.

The development of the National Childrens Hospital has been mired in controversy for years.

Costs at the project have soared from the original estimate of 650m to over 2.2bn, with relations between the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) and contractor BAM having been strained throughout.

In 2016, Leo Varadkar said the hospital would be built by 2020, short of an asteroid hitting the planet

The long delays will also be having an effect on suppliers awaiting completion of the hospital. One recently spoke of the effect of the delays on his business.

James Fitter, chief executive of technology company Oneview Healthcare, expressed his frustrations during a call with investment analysts covering its latest financial results.

He highlighted revenue delays for the business over the first half of its financial year. These included a customer in the US pausing spend on all capital projects and the ongoing build at the National Childrens Hospital.

Its obviously had a meaningful impact on our first-half revenues, as have the ongoing construction delays at the childrens hospital of Ireland, which we had expected to deliver in the first half of this year, Fitter said.

So both of these are timing related, theyre incredibly frustrating. Its the nature of the industry we work in, but it does have a material impact on the numbers in the short-term.

In August 2023, Oneview and Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) signed a seven-year partnership whereby the company would deliver its care experience platform to the new childrens hospital. The platform connects patients, families and care teams with services, education, and information during hospital stays.

The initiative between Oneview and CHI would cover over 600 various hospital locations, including 363 inpatient and daycare units and a further 197 outpatient locations throughout the new campus.

According to the most recent estimates, the new hospital is due to be completed by contractors BAM early next year. It could then be officially opened after a six-month commissioning process.

Its obviously had a meaningful impact on our first-half revenues

The National Childrens Hospital project got planning permission in 2016. Construction industry giant BAM won the contract to build it.

In 2016, then health minister Leo Varadkar said that short of an asteroid hitting the planet, the hospital would be built by 2020.

In 2020, Covid-19 lockdowns stalled progress on the project.

In August 2022, the hospital was due for completion, but this was again pushed back.

Further delays and cost increases were announced over the years.

At the moment, February 2025 has been noted as the substantial completion date.
The Urban Harvest Festival at Airfield Estate, see airfield.ie or buy on the day

From left: Entrepreneur Ellen Kavanagh Jones, TV presenter Martin King and Dee Murphy with children Edith Cahill and Azra Hameed at the launch of Alzheimers Memory Walk 2024, see memorywalk.ie. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Memory march The Alzheimers Memory Walk takes place next Sunday, September 22  registration cut-off is on Wednesday. Thirty locations are confirmed across the country. You will receive a participant pack including T-shirt and a pack of Forget Me Not flower seeds to sow at home to help create an annual memory each time the flowers bloom. Adult registration costs 20 and a childs pack is 5. The event raises funds for services for people with dementia. LH To register, see memorywalk.ie

Nobodaddy created by director and choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan, see dublintheatrefestival.ie. Photo: Fiona Morgan

NOTION

Theatrical ode Dublin Theatre Festival will open on September 26 with the new production from Teac Damsa. Nobodaddy is a mixture of dance, music and theatre created by director and choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan in collaboration with a team of Irish and international artists. Performing at OReilly Theatre, Belvedere College, Nobodaddy will preview on September 25, 7.30pm and runs until October 5. LH For tickets, see dublintheatrefestival.ie

Housewife of the Year documentary by Ciaran Cassidy, see ifi.ie/docfest

NECESSITY

Doc fest The IFI Documentary Festival runs from September 25-29, with a mixture of screenings, panel discussions and interviews, including Housewife of the Year, above. Ciaran Cassidys film is about the competition which ran in Ireland from 1969-1995. The screening, which takes place on September 28, will be followed by a Q&A with the director and some of the housewives. LH For tickets, see ifi.ie/docfest

The Urban Harvest Festival at Airfield Estate, see airfield.ie or buy on the day

NECESSITY

Harvest for the world The Urban Harvest Festival at Airfield Estate ends today and brings all sorts of rural activities to Dublin 15, including sheep-shearing, cattle displays, butter-making as well as interactive activities and fun for all ages. This wraps up the estates summer series, while autumn events include the intriguing Bat Walks, the first of which is on September 20. SC Urban Harvest Festival tickets from 8-15. See airfield.ie or buy on the day

Stanley Aerolight IceFlow Flip Straw Tumbler, 55, Kilkenny Design shops, or see kilkennydesign.com

NOTION

In the drink Recently popping up on season four of Emily In Paris, the Stanley Aerolight IceFlow Flip Straw Tumbler makes a slightly more subtle statement than the straw-up Quencher model. Both the straw and the carry-handle fold away for nicer portability, but it still keeps 600ml of liquid oh-so cold and comes in a range of social-friendly shades. SC 55, Kilkenny Design shops, or see kilkennydesign.com

Charlotte: A Novel by Martina Devlin, 16.95, published by The Lilliput Press

NECESSITY

Pilgrim piece A visit to the Haworth Parsonage Museum in West Yorkshire, a place of pilgrimage for many Bronte enthusiasts, stirred a determination in novelist and Irish Independent journalist Martina Devlin to write a book about Charlotte Bronte, author of Jane Eyre. Devlins Charlotte: A Novel comes at Bronte from the point of view of her many Irish connections, including her Co Down father, her Co Offaly husband of only nine months, and her honeymoon on the Atlantic coast. A treasure trove of detail and delicately drawn characters and a must for any Bronte fan. SC 16.95, published by The Lilliput Press

Voya essential-oil roller ball, 32 each, selected spas and retailers, or see voyaskincare.com

NOTION

Roll on re-entry With everyone well and truly back to the various desks of school and work, all talk of return to normal might find you a bit flat. Roll on a little pick-me-up or even a note of calm with a Voya essential-oil roller ball. It comes in three variations, Zest, Rest and Essence, the last of which combines clove, basil and cedarwood to promote clarity and calmness without sleepiness. SC 32 each, selected spas and retailers, or see voyaskincare.com

Eden dress 277, see fee-g.com

NOTION

Dress for success Irish brand feeG has again been shortlisted for Drapers Independents UK & Ireland Womenswear Brand of the Year 2024, the only Irish brand to be shortlisted. The final takes place in London on September 19. We love this dress from their A/W 24 collection. LH Eden dress 277, see fee-g.com
Drug could have exposed horse or rider to serious injury

It is thought the sedative may been administered to the wrong animal. Photo: Getty

The horse sedative can be used in a range of situations. Photo: Getty

The Irish Defence Forces have said they were mystified by one of their horses failing a drug test, with the Army Equitation School commanding officer saying it would have made no sense to give the animal a sedative  as it was already lazy by nature.

The horse, LMK Derry, tested positive for the presence of a medication called Sedaline after a Dublin Horse Show qualifier competition in Lurgan, Co Armagh, last May.

A letter from the Army Equitation School said that, following an exhaustive investigation, they had been unable to find out how the medication was administered to the horse.

Knowingly administering such a medication would be reckless and dangerous

Lt Col Tom Freyne, the commanding officer at the Army Equitation School, also said that giving the medication to LMK Derry before a competition could have resulted in injury to either the horse or rider.

In a letter to the Defence Forces HQ, he wrote: This medication would have no beneficial effect on LMK Derry. That particular horse is lazy by nature and a sedative would only exacerbate the situation.

I would contend that knowingly administering such a medication would be reckless and dangerous, possibly exposing both horse and rider to serious injury.

Lt Co Freyne also said it was unfair that Lt Michaeli Byrne, who rode the horse in the competition, had been made to pay a 1,000 fine out of her own pocket for the failed test.

As she does not have exclusive control of the area where her horses are stabled, or control over access to this yard, or the transport, or at the show, I contend that she has insufficient control of the operating environs to be held responsible for this violation, he wrote.

The letter said that the Sedaline medication which was indicated positive was commonly used under veterinary supervision for horses.

It is prescribed as a sedative to be used in a variety of situations, such as the exercise of horses returning from restricted activity due to injury.

It is also administered to horses to mildly sedate them for clipping, or when using the aqua spa or treadmill.

It is thought the sedative may been administered to the wrong animal. Photo: Getty

He explained how the Army Equitation School had accepted the positive test and how it would be dealt with, by way of a fine.

Without knowing how the medication was administered and by whom Lt Byrne would have no credible evidence with which to defend the violation in a disciplinary hearing.

Lt Col Freyne said they had carried out an investigation, and the only conclusion they could draw was that the sedative had been administered to the incorrect animal.

Concerned that other horses may have also been contaminated, we arranged to have all the horses scheduled to compete at the next show blood tested and analysed before the next competition. All those samples came back negative, he wrote.

The Army Equitation School also said a thorough search for all controlled medication had taken place, and any unused or leftover items were returned to the vets or destroyed.

We continue to work in close coordination with the team of vets to ensure the health and welfare of all the horses in the Army Equitation School. Each horses medical history is diligently maintained, and a record of all medications recorded.

The schools commanding officer said that in addition to existing security measures, further security cameras would be installed.

Lt Col Freyne said he was satisfied no attempt had been made to enhance the performance of the horse, and that the positive test had been accepted as it was not possible to prove how contamination occurred.

A spokesman for the Defence Forces said the positive test was for a controlled medication substance, which results in far less severe sanctions than a positive test for banned substances.

He said: As part of the investigation into this matter, the Equitation School has been unable to identify or ascertain how the horse came to be in contact with that medication.

As per the administrative procedure the riding officer has paid the fine of 1,000 and the costs of 500.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 15. Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Akram Aliyev held a meeting with a delegation of Turkish entrepreneurs led by the Chairman of the BALKANSIAD Association Fatih Sharif. Representatives of 18 leading Turkish companies also took part in it, Trend reports, citing the ministry.

According to the information, the prospects for cooperation in the areas of healthcare, infrastructure development, metallurgy, mechanical engineering were discussed with an emphasis on involving Turkish companies in the joint implementation of projects. Particular attention was paid to the development of a project for the construction of water treatment facilities and the production of automatic glass doors, dental implants and equipment for the furniture industry.

Following the negotiations, a format for further interaction was developed and stages for the practical implementation of the discussed projects and initiatives were determined. Mutual confidence was expressed that the outlined plans will become the next step in the process of deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthening economic ties between Uzbekistan and Turkiye.
Barbados coroner rules cocaine played role in Emma McManus death, despite battle to halt verdict

Ruling on the death of the daughter-in-law of JP McManus was delayed by lengthy legal battle

The late Emma McManus with her husband John and father-in-law JP in 2011. Photo: Don MacMonagle

Mark Tighe Sun 15 Sep 2024 at 03:30

A Barbados coroners inquest has concluded that cocaine use played a role in the unnatural death in 2020 of Emma McManus, the 40-year-old daughter-in-law of Irish horse-racing tycoon JP McManus.
Queues are beginning to abate at Dublin Airport after a power outage in Terminal 2 caused disruption this morning.

Power has been fully restored but there were very long queues into the afternoon amid knock-on delays.

Thousands of home and business premises in North County Dublin are still without power following an ESB power outage this morning, which engineers are working to fix.

The outage resulted in a loss of power in Terminal 2 of Dublin Airport, affecting its operations on Sunday morning which led to flight delays.

A power failure, which happened around 7.50am, impacted the airports backup generators, which caused delays for passengers checking in at Terminal 2, creating long queues inside and outside the terminal.

Check-in, security screening and boarding processes are now working but slower than usual due to a large number of passengers needing to be processed.

The outage was caused by an under voltage in the ESB Network, which may have caused a control system failure preventing the backup generator at the airport from kicking in as during previous power outages, the DAA said.

DAA has confirmed that most flights continued as normal throughout the incident.

"Our asset management team are working through the cause of this outage to ensure the same failure is not repeated in future, the Dublin Airport spokesperson has said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

DAA apologises to all passengers who were inconvenienced by this morning's issues.

Dublin Airport's teams worked to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and to ensure the return of power to T2, they added.

They confirmed that the queues continue to ease but some delays are still likely for the remainder of Sunday morning.

As always, passengers seeking updates regarding specific flights should contact their airline directly, DAA added.

The delays are expected in Terminal 2 this afternoon but the flights from Terminal 1 are not impacted.

Passengers can check the status of flights on the dublinairport.com website.

While the power issue has now been resolved at the airport, approximately 34,000 customers are currently without power in the North Dublin area.

ESB Networks said a power outage is impacting parts of North Dublin following a significant fault this morning.

They also confirmed this included sections of Dublin Airport briefly losing power earlier today.

ESB Networks crews mobilised immediately following reports of the fault and are currently investigating the cause while also carrying out the necessary repair works, an ESB spokesperson said.

We apologise to all of those impacted for the disruption caused, they added.

Customers can get updates at the powercheck.ie website.

Dublin City Council has been contacted for comment.
The crew who died on board Rescue 116 in 2017: Dara Fitzpatrick, Paul Ormsby, Mark Duffy and Ciaran Smith.

Irish Coast Guard search and rescue air crew are upset over their employers failure to fully implement a key recommendation arising from the Rescue 116 helicopter crash in north Mayo.

Air crew say they were not fully consulted on the details of a fatigue risk management system introduced this month by their employer, CHC Ireland, and which search and rescue pilots believe to be flawed.

It is understood that union representatives have been told by members that the system is worse in some respects for pilots than before the March 2017 helicopter crash in which four people  captain Dara Fitzpatrick, pilot Mark Duffy and winch team Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby  died.

A fatigue risk management system is a data-driven means of continuously monitoring and managing fatigue-related safety risk

One of 12 contributory factors identified in the Air Accident Investigation Units (AAIU) investigation into the Rescue 116 crash was the absence of a fatigue risk management system which should have been operated by the crews employer, CHC Ireland, as required by the EU Aviation Safety Agency.

A fatigue risk management system is a data-driven means of continuously monitoring and managing fatigue-related safety risks.

The AAIU report noted that the likely hours of wakefulness of the crew members at the time of the accident were correlated with increased error rates and judgment lapses.

The AAIU recommended that CHC Ireland should ensure that it has in place a fatigue risk management system based on scientific principles, which take advantage of modern techniques such as biomathematical analysis of roster patterns, is known to all its crew members, and that it encourages the reporting of fatigue related issues.

CHC Ireland announced last month that it had received Irish Aviation Authority approval for a fatigue risk system, which it was initiating on a trial basis.

The company said that since 2019 it has gathered data through surveys, workshops and scientific-grade watches of crews to assess the impact of fatigue on safe operations.

Rob Tatten, CHC Ireland director of operations and accountable manager, described the system as best in class monitoring for our teams and one which enables us to deliver the highest quality of services 24 hours a day for the Irish Coast Guard and Irish public.

However, it is understood the air crew are angry that the company has not incorporated biomathematical modelling into the system, having been told it is not compatible with their rosters due to the on demand nature of their work.

Biomathematical models are statistical models which combine information on working hours with how biology influences alertness and sleepiness to predict past, present or future fatigue or alertness levels.

The air crew argue that there is a greater need for biomathematical modelling due to the nature of their 24-hour shifts

The air crew argue that there is a greater need for biomathematical modelling due to the nature of their 24-hour shifts, and says the company has access to 20 years of mission and roster data for this.

Two unions, the Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) and Forsa have been in discussions with CHC Ireland on the issue.

The Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) vice-president Daniel Langan has confirmed the search and rescue pilots are operating the new system under protest, until such time as the union meets with the company to discuss its members concerns.

CHC Ireland was unable to provide a comment. It is understood that CHC Ireland has agreed to meet Ialpa next month for further talks.

In the meantime, Ialpa members may work with the fatigue risk management system under protest and the company has agreed that it will not pursue disciplinary action against any Ialpa member who chooses this option.

Bristow Ireland will be taking over from CHC Ireland next year, having been awarded the new 10-year Irish Coast Guard search and rescue contract.

It has agreed to consider all relevant safety recommendations of the AAIU report into the Rescue 116 crash.
Two months after returning to Ireland, Tori Towey (28), who was banned from leaving Dubai after to being charged with attempted suicide after allegedly suffering domestic abuse, has said she started to "slowly get back to the person she used to be".

Ms Towey, a former Emirates flight attendant, has spoken about her life and recovery since returning home.

The Roscommon native had been living in Dubai for a year and returned to Ireland in July following help from the Irish Government.

While speaking to Georgie Crawford's The Good Glow podcast, she said she's "in a good place" now.

"I'm really good, I feel positive. I think my friends and my family have definitely been instrumental in making me feel like the old me again," she said.

However, she said it was "very difficult" for her in the beginning and she was "very anxious" when she first came back home.

"I'm in a good place right now. In the first few days of coming home, I was surrounded by a lot of people, she said.

Tori Towey relieved to return to Dublin after Dubai travel ban

"But then, as the days went on, I started to feel anxious, overthinking everything. But now that time has passed, I feel like I'm slowly getting back to the person I used to be," she added.

She spoke of the alleged domestic abuse she suffered while living with her husband in Dubai. He denies all the allegations.

Ms Towey said the relationship between her and her ex-husband went "downhill" after they moved in together.

"He was very controlling, aggressive and just physically abusive, she said.

"I just kind of isolated myself from everyone. I felt a lot of shame around it. I felt like I had brought this person into my life. I just felt like I'll handle this on my own, I'll fix this or things will get better.

"I kept telling myself: 'Just give it time. Things will work out'. But in hindsight, I wasn't able to handle the situation at all. It was more than me."

They got married in March and just one month later Ms Towey noticed the "big shift" in her ex-husband's behaviour as he allegedly started becoming controlling and abusive.

Ms Towey was the subject of a travel ban in Dubai after she tried to take her own life, which is a crime in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

She added she "doesn't think she would be here today" if her mother didn't come over to Dubai.

Her case was raised in the Dail by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, who said the Roscommon woman had been the victim of the most gross domestic violence.

The Irish government and diplomatic intervention saw the Emirates flight attendant return to Ireland two days later.

"I was talking on the phone to Simon Harris and he said to me: 'We'll get you home no matter what it takes'. It gave me just a sense of relief, she said.

"To have someone so high up give you that reassurance was just the best feeling ever, it meant the world to me.

"It just gives you a new appreciation and you see your own country in a very different way, you come home and even seeing how green everything is, how beautiful the nature is here, things that I wouldn't have noticed before. Those little things like the friendliness of people here."

Ms Towey said she feels like shes back to herself now.

"I remember thinking at the time I'll never be happy again. I'll never laugh again. I was afraid of meeting up with people because it was always in the back of my mind and now I'm meeting up with friends, I just feel like I'm back to myself, she said.

"When I came back, I was kind of frustrated at myself, why can't I get up and go for a run like I used to?

"I was just putting so much pressure on myself, and then I just said: 'Okay, let's get one thing done every single day, one thing at a time'.

"I just took it literally day by day. And I think that's the only way. You have to be kind to yourself and just think: 'It won't last forever. I won't feel this way every day'. So every day is a small win."

Ms Towey appeals to those who might have had similar experience to "reach out to people" and remember that there's "always a way".

"Never, ever put someone's happiness above your own because you only get one life and don't waste it. And if somebody loved you, they would never put you through that."
Gardai are liaising with the Portuguese authorities and the families involved

An Irish man who was found dead in in a police station cell in Portugals Algarve region after allegedly attacking his partner has been named locally.

Ryan Chan, from Letterkenny in Co Donegal, was found dead in the cell in Albufeira in the early hours of Wednesday.

The couple had travelled to Albufeira to attend a social function earlier this week.

The 29-year-old was arrested shortly after he allegedly used a knife to stab his partner, also aged in her 20s, who was injured in the attack and was taken to hospital but has since been discharged.

According to local reports, emergency services attended the scene as soon as the body was discovered, but Mr Chan was declared dead at the site.

His death is now being investigated by Judiciary Police, the Prosecutor's Office and Inspection-General of Internal Administration (IGAI).

Gardai are liaising with the Portuguese authorities and the families involved.

An official statement from Portuguese officials indicated that there was no third-party involvement in the mans death, but investigations are under way.

In a statement the police force said: The National Guard also confirms that the individual had been detained since the previous night, following attacks on his 29-year-old partner, using a knife (bladed weapon).

The circumstances of the death inside the cell are being investigated, and the Guard is ensuring the necessary coordination with other agencies, namely the Judiciary Police, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI).
Not one shirt would fit me. I said, f**k that, this has to change  chef Kevin Dundon on his dramatic life detox

The celebrity chef reflects on his battle to lose three stone and the burnout he felt after the pandemic

Kevin Dundon Interview

Niamh Horan Sun 15 Sep 2024 at 03:30

Kevin Dundon is in flying form. He has just returned from Kerala in southern India, where he was on an extreme detox plan. He has, he says, come back a new man.
Councillors say it is unacceptable that home not available in midst of housing crisis

The house has boarded-up windows and graffiti on its walls. Photo: Frank McGrath

The front of the house at 149 Harold's Cross Road in Dublin. Photo: Frank McGrath

Councillors in Harolds Cross in Dublin say it is outrageous and unacceptable that a three-storey house bought by the Department of Education in 2018 has been left abandoned over the last six years.

Number 149 Harolds Cross Road, which has boarded-up windows and graffiti on its walls, was bought by the department as part of a 23m purchase of the adjacent racetrack from Greyhound Racing Ireland.

The house, located on the left of the main entrance to the old greyhound track, which now hosts two Educate Together schools in temporary buildings, has been left derelict since the deal was completed in 2018.

Eoin Hayes, a Social Democrats councillor, said Harolds Cross has seen an under-investment in new and refurbished housing. He said the non-use of Number 149 by the department for any kind of housing over the last six years was wrong.

In my view its outrageous for any property to be vacant or derelict for longer than a period of six months in the middle of a housing crisis, said Mr Hayes. Its just outrageous and its particularly galling when thats being done by a public body.

There are solutions and they have to start with state bodies

Fiona Connelly, a Labour councillor, said there were some 12,000 vacant properties between the two canals in Dublin and if everyone took the same attitude as the Department of Education the problem would never be addressed.

Its unacceptable, she said. There are solutions and they have to start with state bodies. It could have been made available under a meanwhile use or a short-term lease. We cant have state bodies and departments deciding its not on me.

The house has boarded-up windows and graffiti on its walls. Photo: Frank McGrath

Mr Hayes said the Department of Educations decision not to make the house available for short-term accommodation demonstrated a lack of accountability in public bodies.

I asked the Dublin city chief executive through the statutory process: How many square metres does Dublin City Council have in vacant sites? he said.

And he couldnt tell me. So, theres just a kind of mismanagement, just generally, within our public bodies on vacant and derelict sites and bringing them back into use. The Government clearly have not held any of the public bodies accountable for making sure that these things are being brought back into use. This is kind of endemic of the Dublin City Council area.

Although two Educate Together schools have been established on the old greyhound track in temporary buildings, construction on the permanent schools only got under way in recent weeks. Mr Hayes said it should not have taken six years for the Department of Education to begin construction on the site.

The New York subway system was built in four years, said Mr Hayes. And yet we cant turn around a school in Harolds Cross in 2024 in six.

The department is examining the additional education opportunities that could be facilitated

A Department of Education spokesperson said 149 Harolds Cross Road was included in the total site purchased in 2018 for the development of a new 16-classroom primary school and a 1,000 student secondary school.

No decisions were made about the use of the property pending what role, if any, it needed to play in relation to the development and delivery of the overall school campus project, it said.

Now that the school campus development is under way, the department is examining the additional education opportunities that could be facilitated with this element of the property and ultimately its long-term use.

Integration Minister Roderic OGorman has asked departments to make buildings available

The departments property portfolio is focused on the delivery of education facilities and would not typically involve any properties that could be used for residential purposes.

Integration Minister Roderic OGorman has made several pleas to state bodies and government departments to make buildings that could be suitable for emergency accommodation available as Ireland has been unable to provide housing to all asylum-seekers in the last two years. The Department of Education did not explain why Number 149 was not made available for such use.

It is understood the Irish Greyhound Board used the property to house its officials when race meetings were on in Harolds Cross. Greyhound Racing Ireland, its current name, did not respond to questions about its former use of the house.
Eaten bread, even of the mouldy and unpalatable variety, is soon forgotten in politics. Winston Churchill discovered that in 1945  voters make their decisions not on what you have done for them, but on what you are going to do.
The strongest response to the Trump-Harris debate was probably that of the journalist John Sweeney in one of his great War Diary videos which he has been tweeting since Russia invaded Ukraine. He was offering a prayer of thanks for Kamala defeating Donald Trump last night. We need Ukraine to win.

Prayers of thanks are not the usual journalistic reaction to anything, but Sweeney is one of those unusual commentators who not only understands the enormity of what is at stake in this US election, he is prepared to state it clearly  without the spurious balance and the bothsidesing.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, who arrived in the country on an official visit, at Registan Square in Samarkand, Trend reports with reference to the press service of the President of Uzbekistan.

The world-famous Registan Square, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, is the main calling card of Uzbekistan.

Olaf Scholz was thoroughly acquainted with the historical facts of the construction of this pearl of oriental architecture, the features of architectural solutions and decor, significant events and personalities associated with this place, as well as the cultural heritage of the Uzbek people.

During the conversation it was noted that the city of Samarkand, rightly known as one of the ancient cradles of world civilization, is becoming an important international business and tourist center.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Olaf Scholz took a joint photo against the backdrop of the Registan ensemble.
The windfall could pay to build the M20 Cork to Limerick motorway for 2bn.

The Government has been left shocked after losing its case against the European Commission in seeking to protect Apple from handing a 14bn windfall in tax to the Exchequer.

How much of Irish taxpayers money did it cost to take this case to try to get Apple off the hook?

The windfall could pay for 33,000 much-needed homes, build the M20 Cork to Limerick motorway for 2bn and upgrade the Monaghan to Derry/Letterkenny carriageway for 1.9bn.

Or it could fund the 350m redevelopment of Casement Park. The Government could give 3.2m back to the taxpayers and increase pensions and social welfare  or even abolish inheritance tax.

Noel Harrington, Kinsale, Co Cork

National debt has to be tackled and not handed off to our future generations

We currently have a national debt of 223bn, and it costs 3.4bn to service that debt. We have a windfall due of 14bn.

This windfall must not be used to buy votes in the forthcoming general election, it must be used to reduce our national debt, otherwise we are just passing on the debt to future generations.

The Government currently holds 50pc of shares in AIB and Permanent TSB. If these banks are making money, these shares must not be sold  the money they generate should be used to reduce our debt.

We should have held on to the Bank of Ireland shares, now that the company is profitable.

Irish taxpayers are not getting any benefit from rescuing the banks with a 64bn bailout  this is dishonest and wrong. If we had a government that knew what it was doing, we would not be in this terrible situation.

John Fair, Castlebar, Co Mayo

Elderly and the disabled deserve better treatment, now that funds are there

We are being further informed at the moment about the litany of abuses against many young people by holders of power.

Most of these victims somehow managed to muddle through, managed to extend the hand of friendship to others and even fell in love, if they were lucky  a testament to their own compassion and kindness in the face of a lack of such qualities in others.

At the moment, much discussion is being given to the recent Apple award made to the Irish State. This money should be earmarked for the elderly and disabled to provide a comfortable, supported environment in their final years.

At present, other than ICU settings, an elderly patient must suffer the equivalent of placing a gurney on the Luas in rush hour accompanied by a multiplicity of pips and beeps and lighting that is entirely alien to the concept of sleep.

Do those who suffered and built the country deserve such an end?

Eugene Tannam, Firhouse, Dublin 24

Cruelty of abuse suffered by so many schoolchildren should never be forgotten

Listening to the stories of physical abuse of children on Joe Duffys Liveline on RTE brought back to me, and Im sure to many other children of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the abject terror we felt at the hands of certain teachers in primary and post-primary schools.

The physical, psychological and mental abuse some of us suffered at the hands of these sadistic and depraved people had long-lasting effects.

We felt abject fear and wondered every day which one of us would be a target.

The continuous beatings if we didnt get a spelling correct, straying outside school grounds or failing to get sums added correctly did nothing to enhance our educational skills; they simply filled us with fear.

Terrible cruelty was inflicted on generations of Irish citizens by those who were meant to look after us and educate us so that we could become productive citizens of the State.

Instead, some of us who lived in fear of the next beating ended up with suicidal thoughts or tried to run away from home or became addicted to alcohol or drugs, such was our fear.

In a society in which everyone is accountable and where there is zero tolerance for abuses like those mentioned in our education system, the damage inflicted on past generations by sadists must never be forgotten.

Christy Galligan, Letterkenny, Co Donegal

Battlegroup participation proves the Government is gaslighting on neutrality

When is a military alliance not a military alliance? When its a battlegroup, they tell us.

The Government insists that Irish Defence Forces membership of the EUs Nordic Battlegroup does not contravene neutrality  at least, not under its pared-down definition of neutrality, which means nothing more than not engaging in an EU common defence policy and not joining Nato.

While the Government continues to gaslight us, Irelands membership of the battlegroup just got real. At an exercise in Gormanston army camp on Wednesday, Lieutenant Colonel Donal Burke, who heads the Defence Forces contingent in the battlegroup, told reporters that the operation of European foreign policy is the battlegroup.

And next year, he says, theres a higher likelihood that we will deploy (Defence Forces to participate in EU battle training deployment exercises, Irish Independent, September 12).

For what purpose? According to Lt Col Burke, the battlegroup is preparing for all spectrum of crisis- management events.

Battlegroups are now part of the EUs rapid deployment capacity, he says  a key component of the EUs Strategic Compass. If we consult the Strategic Compass (2022)  part threat assessment, part strategy  we learn that the EU intends to further develop full-spectrum forces complementary to Nato, which remains the foundation of collective defence for its members.

This sounds very much like an EU army in the making. A commentator in the authoritative Foreign Affairs magazine suggested that under the bland label of the Framework Nations Concept [devised by Nato], Germany has been at work on something far more ambitious  the creation of what is essentially a Bundeswehr-led network of European mini-armies.

Not an EU army as such, but not unlike one, and subordinate to Nato.

Given the above, how can the Government continue to insist that Ireland is not a member of a military alliance? Or perhaps the question should be: How does the Government keep a straight face when it repeats time and time again that Irish neutrality is not in doubt, despite all the evidence to the contrary?

Dominic Carroll, Ardfield, Co Cork
Fr Tommy Scott of the St Patricks Missionary Society class of 1975 has died, with his funeral service taking place at St Patricks Chapel.

Tommys health had begun to deteriorate in 2019 when he retired from his missionary work to Kiltegan, where he received wonderful support in the care unit. In August Tommys health deteriorated further and he died peacefully on Sunday, September 1, at 7.20 pm in the presence of his sisters and Fr Liam V Scanlan.

Tommy was a very dedicated and joyful missionary priest who always enjoyed the banter with his colleagues and was a great storyteller. He was also noted for his wit and his turn of phrase.

Thomas Joseph Scott, popularly known as Tommy, was born on the February 2, 1943 to Thomas Scott and his wife Mary (nee Scully).

For his first eleven years Tommy lived in St Bridgets Avenue, but later moved to Annadale Drive in Marino. He was the second child in a family of three boys and two girls.

He attended St Marys in Fairview and St Josephs CBS, Fairview from 1947 to 1956 for his primary education and had his secondary education in St Josephs CBS, from 1956 to 1961.

After his Leaving Certificate, Tommy began work in the Department of Post and Telegraphs as a Post Office clerk and later became a clerical officer attached to the engineering branch. For most of his seven years in the Post Office he worked in the GPO in Dublin. During these years he earned a diploma in industrial pelations.

It was during his final years in the Post Office that Tommy felt the desire to become a priest and entered into a dialogue with the vocations director in Kiltegan.

In September 1968 Tommy joined the Spiritual Year in Kiltegan. From 1969 to 1971 he studied Philosophy in St Patricks Douglas, Cork. From 1971 to 1975 he did his theology programme in Kiltegan. He was ordained to the priesthood for St Patricks Missionary Society on June 7, 1975. The ordaining prelate was Bishop James Moynagh SPS, Bishop Emeritus of Calabar, Nigeria.

After ordination, along with his classmate Dermot Daly, Tommy was appointed to Brazil. After studying the language course in Anapolis, Tommy was appointed to the parish of Jardim DAbril in the Osasco Pastoral Region of the Archdiocese of Sao Paulo.

He settled into parish life inspired by the spirit of Liberation Theology, establishing and nourishing small Christian communities and supporting lay leaders to take their rightful place in all Church affairs.

In the 1980s the scourge of Aids began to take hold in Sao Paulo and Tommy took a keen interest in the plight of its victims and began visiting them in Emilio Ribas Hospital. During his time visiting this hospital he became friendly with the Camillian Fathers, whose main apostolate is care of the sick.

They invited Tommy to become more involved in the ministry to the sick and to work with them. In 1988 Tommy took up their invitation and began working with the Camillian Fathers in Sao Paulos largest hospital, Hospital das Clinicas and living in their community in Pompeia. In 1989, at the suggestion of the Superior General, and in order to upskill himself in chaplaincy work, Tommy took part in the Clinical Pastoral Education programme for six months in Cork Regional Hospital.

On his return to Brazil, Tommy moved to the parish of Presidente Altino and began to get involved in helping to build and establish the LAR Centre, a halfway house for AIDS patients. With the help of his sisters, he obtained 4,000 from RTE, which helped to build a kitchen, canteen and meeting rooms.

In 1999 the Society opened a new mission in the Diocese of Juina (State of Mato Grosso). Tommy was part of the first team to work there. He ministered in Paroquia Sao Pedro Apostolo, Juruena and in the Catedral Sagrado Coracao de Jesus in Juina. After two years in Mato Grosso Tommy returned to Sao Paulo and was appointed to St Anthonys Cathedral, Osasco, where he ministered until June 2019.

Tommy had a life-long admiration for fellow Dubliner, Blessed Matt Talbot, and wrote a beautiful tribute to Blessed Matt in the Africa magazine entitled Poor Aul Matt, One of Our Own (Jan/Feb 2006).

He also had great devotion to the Patroness of Brazil, Nossa Senhora Aparecida. There is a statue of Nossa Senhora Aparecida outside the chapel door in Kiltegan and Tommy never passed it without touching it and offering a silent prayer for all his family and his many friends.

He was a very hard working, conscientious, prayerful and faithful priest who gave great service to the people of God in all his appointments.

Tommy was very proud of his Dublin roots and his family meant everything to him. He was particularly close to his sisters Mary and Katherine and looked forward to their regular visits to Kiltegan with their dog Mylo. These visits brought great comfort to Tommy in his final years.

Tommy is predeceased by his parents Tom and May and his brother Jackie. He is survived by his sisters Mary and Katherine, his brother Gabriel, his nephews and nieces and their families and his Society family.
Deputy Frank Feighan has been informed by Education Minister Norma Foley Minister that funding has been granted to the college for a three additional classroom extension under the additional School Accommodation scheme 2024.

The extension comprises of one new mainstream classroom alongside two special education teaching rooms for one-to-one teaching or group work.

I am delighted to see this much needed extra classroom provision for the Corran College which provides for both the extra additional educational needs for children and caters for the growing young student population in and around Ballymote town.

I want to compliment the principal and board of management for an excellent application. I hope that work can begin in getting the tender documents prepared and out to ensure work can commence early next year, concluded Deputy Feighan.
Over 4,500 homes, businesses and farms near Enniscorthy are ready to connect to fibre broadband.

A further 4,538 homes in the Enniscorthy area can now avail of the new future-proofed, high-speed Fibre-to-the-Home network under the National Broadband Plan (NBI) on behalf of the government.

24,000 premises in Wexford are included in the States Intervention Area, which will see NBI deliver minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to homes, businesses, farms, and schools. As the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification, the county will receive 88 million of government investment under the National Broadband Plan.

The 4,538 homes, that are now given access in the latest rollout, are located in the Ballycarney deployment area, including the rural areas and townlands surrounding Enniscorthy, Bunclody, and Ferns.

There are 16,780 homes, businesses, and farms in County Wexford that can currently order or pre-order high-speed, reliable broadband with 5,857 connections made to the NBI network so far.

Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said: We are delighted to announce that over 4,500 Wexford premises near Enniscorthy can now order high-speed broadband services through the NBI network. This will enable those who connect to experience the life-changing benefits of high-speed broadband with minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second.

We are working hard on the ground to progress other areas of the county through engineering survey, design and construction phases. We encourage local residents to visit the NBI website to check their Eircode and sign up for updates, he added.

As a wholesale network operator, NBI does not sell fibre broadband directly to end users, rather it enables services from a range of broadband providers or Retail Service Providers (RSPs). As a wholesale provider, NBI will make the new Fibre-to-the-Home network available to all RSPs operating in the Intervention Area.

Build works continue across Wexford as almost 3,400 premises near Ballynabola are due to be connected to NBIs fibre broadband between July and December 2025.
The Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Paul OBrien, attended a moving remembrance ceremony held at Deerfield Residence, the official residence of the United States Ambassador to Ireland, to commemorate those who lost their lives 23 years ago during 9/11.

US ambassador to Ireland, Claire D. Cronin, hosted guests at her residence in the Phoenix Park on Sunday, September 8, in partnership with Ground Zero 360. Present at this event were Irish Minister Darragh OBrien, over 40 members of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) and retired New York Police Department (NYPD) Chief Joe Fox. Also present were Jimmy and Patricia Smith.

The Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe and Drums Band also performed a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace in a tribute to the victims and their families.

Cllr OBrien said: It was a very emotional and moving occasion that will live long in my memory. It was a very poignant service and to be honest I have never witnessed anything as emotional. 9/11 may have happened 23 years ago but emotions were so raw, especially as many of those in attendance were present for 9/11 and lost friends and colleagues, while there were also families in present who had lost loved ones and family members.

Cllr Paul OBrien and Cllr Aoife Flynn Kennedy with members of the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe and Drums Band.

Retired NYPD Chief Joe Fox gave a very emotional speech where he described being told he had to remain in the Bronx where he was based at the time, rather than heading to Manhattan, just in case there was another terrorist attack. It was all very moving.

Cllr OBrien also got to meet the 40 firefighters from FDNY and 50 Irish firefighters, members of the National Retained Firefighters Association of Ireland, who set off the next day on a fundraising cycle from Dublin to Cork, stopping off along the way at Bray, Greystones, Wicklow town and Arklow, to remember the more than 300 firefighters who died on that tragic day in 2021.

So far they have raised $144,957 out of a target of $150,000. Donations will still ne accepted at by clicking here
Life coach and celebrant Liz Sherry is starting a monthly womens circle in Kilcoole, which will celebrate the Celtic Wheel and the turning of the seasons.

Liz ran a similar womens circle while residing in Rathdrum and now wants to start one in Kilcoole having only recently moved there.

The Celtic Wheel comprises of eight festivals spaced six to seven weeks apart throughout the year, and have been celebrated in Ireland since ancient pagan times.

Liz was heavily involved in the womens movement in the 1970s and 1980s and was Vice-Chair of the National Womens Council, and served as an elected member of the European Network of Women.

I worked in the corporate world in my younger years and have worked with women for my entire adult life. In my thirties I became interested in Shamanic work and Irelands ancient traditions and joined a Shamanic Lodge to study the Celtic tradition, particularly the Celtic Wheel of Life.

The new womens circle will meet for the first time in Kilcoole Community Centre on Friday, September 27, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm and will include a 20 contribution. The womens circle will then continue to meet on the last Friday of each month.

We are hoping for a gathering of wise women of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate the festivals of the Celtic year through ritual and reflection. These circles reclaim an ancient tradition of wise women gathering to listen, tell their stories and support each other in a confidential setting, connecting to the power of the feminine in ourselves, the land and the elements, added Liz.

The theme each month will be connected to the energies of the Celtic Wheel. Im very open to any proposals and the circle is all about the women involved and not about me. If there is something someone may have a keen interest in and that they might like to pursue it, then I would be very open to it.

"We will be taking up the old traditions associated with the Celtic festivals, so we will be carrying out the likes of creating our own hand-made wreaths to decorate your front door rather than going out and buying one, while in February we will be making St Brigid Crosses. Each evening will also include a reflection, sharing and mediation.

You can call Liz on 086 2428186 in order to reserve your spot.
It could be any man in the village  France hunts rapists of grandmother Gisele Pelicot

Trial of French man for drugging his wife and recruiting men to rape her may be suspended due to his health problems

Gisele Pelicot, who was allegedly drugged and raped by men solicited by her husband Dominique Pelicot. Photo: Reuters

Henry Samuel Telegraph.co.uk Sun 15 Sep 2024 at 03:30







It is a modest house with blue shutters in Mazan, a pretty Provencal village surrounded by the vineyards beneath Mont Ventoux.
Photo courtesy: x.com/ChinarcorpsIA

Srinagar: The Indian Army killed three unidentified militants in a gunfight on Saturday in Kreeri, Baramulla, North Kashmir.

The Army called the encounter a "significant success" and a "major disruption of Pakistans nefarious designs" ahead of the upcoming Jammu Kashmir Assembly elections.

The operation took place just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an election rally in Doda, Jammu, as part of his campaign ahead of the elections.

The operation was launched on Friday by a joint team consisting of J&K Police, the Armys 29 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), and paramilitary forces in Kreeris Chak-e-Tapper village.

Update OP CHAK TAPAR, #Baramulla



Three terrorists have been neutralised by the security forces in the ongoing Operation. Weapons and war-like stores have been recovered. The #Chinarcorps has dealt some crippling blows to the terror network in North Kashmir over the past few days pic.twitter.com/MdYG0gun6v  Chinar Corps - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) September 14, 2024

The action was based on specific intelligence about the presence of militants in the area.

Brigadier Sanjay Kannoth, commander of the Armys 10 Sector Rashtriya Rifles (RR), stated during an evening press briefing that as the joint security forces were cordoning off the area, the militants in hiding opened fire, prompting the security team to retaliate, reported Indian Express.

For some time, we have been receiving inputs about the movement of unidentified terrorists in the general area of Kreeri. Yesterday on 13th September, we received a specific intelligence input about the movement of some unidentified terrorist in Chak-e-Tapper, the officer was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

He stated that a joint team comprising the Army, the J&K Police, its Special Operations Group, and the Sashastra Seema Bal was dispatched.

When our parties and columns were in the process of establishing a cordon, (the) terrorists hiding in a disused building opened a heavy volume of fire, he said. The militants continued to open a heavy volume of fire throughout the night.

The operation extended into the morning, during which the troops "professionally engaged the terrorists and neutralised them," he said, adding that "war-like stores" were recovered from the militants.

Brigadier Kanooth emphasized that the operation "assumes significance" as Jammu and Kashmir prepares for the assembly elections starting on September 18.

Army foils infiltration bid in Rajouri

An Indian Army soldier sustained injuries during an operation to foil an infiltration bid by Pakistani terrorists across the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, reported India Today.

The infiltration was attempted by terrorists in the Kalal area of the Nowshera sector, which was aborted by the Army personnel.

According to the security officials, the Indian soldiers noticed some terrorists and challenged them, leading to a gunbattle that continued for some time.

Amid the fight, the terrorists managed to escape into the nearby forest and a massive search operation has been launched to track and neutralise them at the earliest.
Image credit: File image/UNI

At least six pilgrims died and three others received injuries when the car they were travelling in collided with an "unknown" vehicle in Rajasthan's Bundi district on Sunday morning, media reports said.

The accident occurred around 4:30 am near Hindoli on the Jaipur National Highway when the pilgrims were on their way to offer prayers at the Khatu Shyam temple in the Sikar district.

"Six people were killed when an unknown vehicle hit their car, a Maruti Suzuki Eeco," Bundi's Additional Superintendent of Police Uma Sharma was quoted as saying by NDTV.

All these pilgrims were residents of Uttar Pradesh's Dewas.

"We have formed teams to trace the unknown vehicle," she said.

The senior police officer said they were trying to identify the victims.
Photo courtesy: Video grab

Jamshedpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), accusing the party of aligning with the Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators and compromising the interests of the tribals.

Speaking at a rally in Jamshedpur, the prime minister expressed concern over the rapid decline of the Adivasi population in Santhal Pargana".

Land is being seized, infiltrators are taking control of Panchayat positions, and crimes against women are on the rise, he said.

He added that every resident of Jharkhand feels unsafe due to the presence of these infiltrators.

PM Modi accused the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) of betraying tribal communities, asserting that those who came to power with "the votes of the tribals" are now siding with those who have "taken over the forest lands" belonging to these very communities.

The JMM is standing with Bangladeshis and Rohingyas... These infiltrators and extremists are taking over the JMM... This has happened because the ghost of Congress has entered the JMM... When the ghost of Congress enters any party, then appeasement becomes the only agenda of that party... These parties want to form their vote bank based on religion, he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

The parents of young daughters are worried. 2-3 days ago, Jharkhand High Court ordered an independent panel to investigate the infiltration. But the JMM government is not ready to admit that there is infiltration in Jharkhand. Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltration is a huge problem in Santhal Pargana and Kolhan. The demography of the whole region is changing rapidly, ANI quoted Modi as saying.

PM Modi labelled the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) as the state's "three biggest enemies."

He accused the RJD of still seeking "revenge" for Jharkhand's creation and claimed that Congress has always "hated" the state.

The RJD still seeks revenge from Jharkhand for its formation. And the Congress hates Jharkhand. Congress ruled the country from Delhi for so many decades but did not let backwards, Adivasi and Dalits come forward. The JMM came ahead in politics using Adivasi votes. But today they are standing with those who took over the jungles of the Adivasis, Modi said.

It is time to bid farewell to JMM that looted mines, minerals, Army land. Congress' school of corruption has trained the JMM government, PTI quoted Modi as saying.
Interview: China-proposed partnership actions chart path for China-Africa cooperation -- Zambian president

Xinhua) 11:20, September 15, 2024

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 10 partnership actions proposed by China have illustrated how Africa and China work together on the path of development, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has said.

The actions focus on cooperation in areas of economic development, investment and trade, education, culture and social issues, people's well-being, food security as well as energy security, Hichilema said in an interview with Chinese media when he was in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held earlier this month.

Africa can help with the world's green revolution, Hichilema said, adding that turning to greener economy and greener energy will make the world much safer and more sustainable.

In this process, more jobs will be created in the African continent and also in China, and its meaning goes beyond the development of Africa and China, he noted.

Regarding bilateral ties, Hichilema said: "Over the years, we've done a lot of things together for mutual benefits, for the people of China (and the) people of Zambia."

On modernization of the Global South, Hichilema said the Global South was generally viewed for years as lagging behind in development, and the traditional approach to driving the development of the Global South was to depend on the Global North.

"The situation has changed," Hichilema said. "It (the Global South) can do more within itself."

A number of countries have advanced technologies and are willing to share, and the resource endorsements are huge in the Global South, he said. "Now, our job is to utilize all the resources more efficiently."

Hichilema has visited China for several times. He shared his observation when visiting Pudong New Area in east China's Shanghai years ago, and said "China is evolving very fast."

Speaking of the TAZARA (Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority) railway, Hichilema called it "a heritage asset."

TAZARA, also known as the "Uhuru Railway" or "Independent Railway," is a 1,860 km single-track railway constructed between 1970 and 1975 as a turnkey project through an interest-free loan from China. Commercial operations of the railway began in July 1976.

On the sidelines of the FOCAC summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Hichilema and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan jointly witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the revitalization project of the TAZARA railway.

"It's a very, very important mission and milestone we have achieved by signing the revitalization of it as our corridor," Hichilema said.

While looking to the future blueprint, he said: "It opens up Africa in terms of logistics, trade, market access. And so our producers of goods and services can access markets. Producers can access inputs."

"And this is good, not just for Tanzania, China, Zambia, but for the region ... for the world," he added.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun)
Photo: Press service of the President of Uzbekistan

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 15. Following the fruitful talks held in Samarkand, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz adopted a Joint Declaration, Trend reports with reference to the press service of the President of Uzbekistan.

In total, 8 bilateral documents were signed during Olaf Scholzs official visit to Uzbekistan, in particular:

 Intergovernmental Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership in Migration and Mobility;

 Intergovernmental Declaration on Cooperation in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry;

 Intergovernmental Declaration on Cooperation in the Field of Sustainable Use of Water Resources within the Framework of the Green Central Asia Initiative;

 Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Field of Critical Minerals;

 Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Transport;

 Memorandum on Cooperation in the Field of Climate Change within the Framework of the Paris Agreement.

In addition, the Program for Technological Partnership and Industrial Cooperation for 2024-2026 was adopted, and a package of agreements and contracts was concluded at the level of leading enterprises of Uzbekistan and Germany.
Photo courtesy: Video grab

Ambala (Haryana): Senior BJP leader and former Minister Anil Vij said on Sunday that he intends to stake a claim for the chief minister's position, citing his seniority, if the party wins the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.

His remarks come despite the BJP having already declared the incumbent Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini, as their candidate for the role.

"I never sought anything from the party till today... But, this time, based on my seniority, I claim for the chief minister's post... people from Haryana are coming to meet me," the former Haryana Minister was quoted as saying by India Today.

Even in Ambala, people tell me that I am senior-most why I did not become Chief Minister. On-demand of the people, and on the basis of seniority, this time I will stake claim to become chief minister."

"If the party appoints me as the Chief Minister of Haryana, I will change the destiny and picture of Haryana," Vij added.

#WATCH | BJP candidate from Ambala Cantt Assembly constituency Anil Vij says, "I am the senior most MLA of BJP in Haryana. I have contested elections for 6 times. On the demand of people, I will claim for the designation of CM on the basis of my seniority this time. However, it pic.twitter.com/jdwQt9nKSS  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

In March this year, Anil Vij was left out of the new Haryana cabinet when Manohar Lal Khattar was replaced by Nayab Singh Saini as chief minister.

The BJP has nominated Vij for the Ambala Cantt Assembly seat, and he filed his nomination on September 11, accompanied by senior party leaders.

Polling in Haryana is scheduled for October 5, with vote counting set for October 8.

The BJP, under Nayab Singh Saini's leadership, is aiming for a third consecutive term in the state, while the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress is looking to reclaim power in the agriculture-driven state after a decade.
Photo Courtesy: Nisha Gowri X page

An Ola scooter owner has expressed her frustration over her EV in an unconventional style by placing a placard in the front of her vehicle where she urged people not to buy it.

She said she was facing trouble with the eclectic vehicle.

The owner was identified as Nisha Gowri.

She shared an image of her vehicle with the placard on it on micro-blogging site X and warned people from buying it.

The Bengaluru resident wrote on X: "I will Be Spreading Awareness Against Ola Electric Thanks For The Idea @UppinaKai Sir."

Sharing here after sales service experience of the scooter, the customer wrote on the platform: "Ola Service Fraud Alert Visited @OlaElectric Service Centre Yesterday evening for This Dabba scooter repair.Their Technicians are untrained and Clueless about the Ola Issues!After waiting for 1.5 hours they Repaired our vehicle But when we were returning home it broke down."

In another post, she wrote: "The Day When My Problems Started!!! If You Really Want To Buy a Vehicle My Humble Request is Please Dont Buy @OlaElectric Unless you want to Ruin your Peace of Mind!!"

Several netizens shared their experience of buying the EV scooter in the comment section, triggering a debate over the vehicle.

One user wrote: "This lady deserves a standing ovation. Ola has degraded so badly as a company in the last few years. Worst EV (except China, IYKYK)."

Another said: "Same here. Below 50km it drops all of a sudden to no charge left. And also while riding on harsh road, it makes dabba noice.."

"Thanks for update otherwise I planned to book this vehicle in next month. Now I have review other vehicles," a netizen said.

Unhappy Ola scooter user sets showroom on fire

In Bengaluru, another user, who was unhappy with the service and performance of the Ola scooter, set a showroom on fire in Kalaburagi.

Police had arrested and taken the man in custody.

The arrested person was identified as Mohammad Nadeem.

He was reportedly disappointed with the repeated alleged poor repair of the vehicle.

In a fit of rage, he set the showroom on fire.

The fire caused extensive damage, destroying multiple vehicles, spare parts, and various pieces of equipment. The estimated cost of the damage is approximately Rs 8.5 lakh, Indian news agency UNI reported.

He was later arrested by the police.
Photo courtesy: x.com/ArvindKejriwal

New Delhi: The BJP and Congress ridiculed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals resignation announcement, dismissing it as a gimmick aimed at improving his public image.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari dubbed Kejriwal's move a "PR stunt," claiming the AAP leader is aware that his reputation among Delhi residents has shifted from an honest to a corrupt leader.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa argued that Kejriwal's resignation wasnt a voluntary sacrifice but was forced by a Supreme Court ruling that prevents him from returning to the Chief Ministers Office or signing official documents.

Sirsa also said that Kejriwal might use the two-day window to persuade MLAs to choose his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, as the next chief minister.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit echoed the sentiment, calling the resignation announcement a "mere gimmick" and stating Kejriwal should have stepped down earlier.

He pointed out that its unprecedented for a leader, released on bail, to be barred by the Supreme Court from re-entering the Chief Ministers Office or signing official papers, implying the court's concerns about Kejriwal tampering with evidence.

Dikshit said the court is treating him like a criminal.

Kejriwal was granted bail by the Supreme Court on September 13 in the liquor policy case.

While granting bail, the court-imposed conditions, including barring him from commenting on the liquor policy case and entering the Chief Minister's office or Delhi secretariat.
Photo Courtesy: Punjab Police DGP X page

The Punjab Polices Counter Intelligence have arrested an army-deserter and recovered 12.5 kg heroin with Pakistan markings on it, officials said on Sunday.

The arrested person was identified as Amritpal Singh Bath alias Fauji.

He is a resident of Kasel village in Tarn Taran district.

Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav told X: "Big Blow to Trans Border narcotic network: Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar busts a smuggling cartel with the arrest of Amritpal Singh @ Fauji, an army-deserter resident of village Kasel,Tarn Taran and recovered 12.5 kg Heroin with #Pak markings."

Big Blow to Trans Border narcotic network: Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar busts a smuggling cartel with the arrest of Amritpal Singh @ Fauji, an army-deserter resident of village Kasel,Tarn Taran and recovered 12.5 kg Heroin with #Pak markings



Fauji was wanted by J&K Police in pic.twitter.com/rZaRIVY2Wk  DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) September 15, 2024

"Fauji was wanted by J&K Police in a 38 Kg Heroin case. Cartel's international links exposed, being led by Amritpal Sing Bath, a notorious smuggler operating from #Dubai," he said.

He said the Punjab Police is committed to dismantle the drug networks and make the north Indian state drug-free.
Photo Courtesy: screengrab from X

The US supermarket giant Sam's Club is currently facing an investigation after a Chinese woman found a human tooth in a mooncake purchased from a branch.

A woman shared a Douyin video showing the tooth in a 30-yuan (US$4) meat-filled mooncake bought in Changzhou in eastern Chinas Jiangsu province, reported South China Morning Post.

She said the tooth did not belong to any member of her family.

95  



 pic.twitter.com/cNi8kZoVuu  Otto Huang  (@OttoHuang120) September 7, 2024

The woman said she informed about the incident to the police.

A staff member at Sams Club in Changzhou told the newspaper that the company was investigating the case.

The mooncake manufacturers told Hongxing News as quoted by South China Morning Post that it is impossible to have a tooth mixed in the meat filling.

A spokesperson, identified by the surname Liu, explained to the newspaper that all meat undergoes mincing and is checked by an X-ray machine capable of detecting bone fragments.

The spokesperson said such an incident did not occur in a decade.

The government has also initiated an investigation into the matter.

This is not the first time when Sam's Club faced such a charge since in 2022 a woman claimed her uncle had found three artificial human teeth in Swiss rolls purchased from the chain.

The person reportedly broke his tooth after biting the food.

the chain promised a probe into the incident but no results were declared later.
Photo Courtesy: IBNS File

Miscreants have vandalised eight Durga idols at a temple in Bangladesh's Faridpur region, media reports said on Sunday.

Bhanga police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Moksedur Rahman told Dhaka Tribune that the incident took place on Saturday, adding that the police were giving the matter top priority and conducting a thorough investigation.

The culprits would definitely be brought to justice, the OC said.

Arun Chandra Saha, general secretary of the temple, told the news channel that artisans had just completed making the idols a few days ago.

We were preparing to paint them in a day or two. There were a total of 14 idols in the temple, of which eight were vandalized in different parts," Saha said.

The incident happened just weeks before the Hindu community members are gearing up to celebrate Durga Puja.

There has been a reported uptick in attacks against Hindus in the country ever since the former Awami League government collapsed and led to the escaping of ex-PM Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh.

Bhanga Puja Celebration Committee President Swapan Chandra Saha told reporters as quoted by Dhaka Tribune that various parts of eight idols, including those of Arjuna and Ganesh, had been vandalized at Hari Mandir.

Saha demanded justice from the administration.
An upcoming Turkish drama called A True Gentleman has set its OTT release date. In a world of luxury and glitter, Saygn, a gigolo for hire, seems to have made a comfortable and lucrative niche for himself. A True Gentleman follows him and his life. The trailer, which was released recently, has left everyone excited because of its cast and plot. A True Gentleman will release on Netflix on 26th September 2024.





Plot

Saygn is well-known in the city; most people consider him to be the ideal man for affluent women, a charming but distant charmer. But beneath his well-mannered charm lurks a very different story. As per the official logline, Indeed, Saygn is a man who gives women the emotional fulfillment they long forespecially when they are reluctant to admit it. His job is to give them a sense of special importance and cherished ness.

Upon seeing the youthful and naive Nehir, the question 'where's his happiness?' starts to ring true for him. His carefully planned life's equilibrium begins to fall apart as a result.

Cast and crew

The film, which was directed by Onur Bilgetay and written by Deniz Madanoglu, stars Haki Bicici, Nazl Bulum and Senay Gurler.

Trailer gets a positive response

Netflix shared the Turkish dramas trailer recently and it sat very well with the audience. People started to express happiness over the cast as soon as the clip dropped.

One wrote. This actor is amazing! whatever he makes is super interesting.

Another went on to add, finally this comes out!.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Ali Wong, who is known for her unhinged humour, is back with another comedy special. Alis standup called Single Lady has set its release date and it will make you laugh and how! Wong, who is well-known for her candid opinions on a wide range of topics, including the difficulties of monogamy and the bad aspects of feminism, returns to the stage at this new point in her life. Ali Wong: Single Lady will release on Netflix on 8th October 2024.





Plot

The comedian talks candidly about life after divorce and the pursuit of love in Single Lady. She will also be seen talking about what it's like to become a single mother after divorcing her spouse. Overall, she will share details about the new chapter in her life while incorporating humor.

Cast and crew

This past spring, Wong recorded her most recent hour at The Wiltern in Los Angeles for the Netflix Is a Joke Fest. In addition, she co-directed it and acts as executive producer with seasoned filmmaker John Irwin.

For the unversed, after eight years of marriage, Wong and her now-ex, Justin Hakuta, first announced their divorce in the spring of 2022. When the comic made her standup special debut in 2016 with Baby Cobra, she was expecting her first kid. She had previously acted in Always Be My Maybe and Beef. Since then, she and Hakuta have had two children.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Ali Wong is currently in a romantic relationship with comedian Bill Hader.

Ali' Wong's Beef

Ali recently appeard in Netflix show Beef and show got a lot of praise for it. Her outstanding performance in the series earned her her first Emmy at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. Her historic victory made her the first Asian woman to be honored with an Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category. For those who don't know, Netflix series Beef had won a total of eight Emmys!



For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Onam is here, and the buzz is all around! Last year, several big names from the Indian film industry took to social media to spread festive cheer and share their celebrations with fans. From heartwarming family photos to cheerful videos, these celebrities made sure their Onam wishes reached everyone.

1) Mammootty

Mammootty, a legend in the Malayalam film industry, shared a simple yet warm post with a picture of himself, captioning it with, Happy Onam.

2) Mohanlal

Mohanlal, another stalwart of Malayalam cinema, also joined in the celebrations. He shared a vibrant video with his followers and wrote, I wish all Malayalis a Happy Onam, spreading joy and festive vibes with his heartfelt message.

3) Prithviraj Sukumaran

Prithviraj Sukumaran took a reflective approach with his Onam post. He shared a family photo and commented, Onam. I guess a forced rest has its own advantages.

4) Malavika Mohanan

Malavika Mohanan shared a series of beautiful pictures, captioning them with, "Wishing everyone a very Happy & love filled Onam! Pic 1 & pic 10 are the yin & yang of my personality. Lots of love for this lovely evening of dress up & pookalam." Her post celebrated the vibrant colors and traditional elements of the festival.

Other celebrities also made their mark. We saw posts from Tovino Thomas, who shared a cheerful update, and other stars who embraced the festive spirit with style and grandeur. Take a look:

These celebrity posts reflect the joyous essence of Onam, displaying how the festival brings everyone together, whether in person or through social media.
A recent post made on X by the CEO of a startup throws light on the challenges faced by eager employers who think they've found the ideal candidate only to realise it was a futile exercise. One main reason adding to the employers' woes is when the candidate, once chosen after hours of gruelling interviews and meet-ups, backs out at the last minute for higher pay. While looking for better options for yourself seems understandable, keeping an employer hanging on for days and making them think you're joining their company can sound a tad bit unfair. What do you think?

What did the startup CEO have to say about candidates backing out from offer at the last minute?

A senior candidate who was supposed to start next week just backed out 



We spent significant time, energy, resources hiring him. Even incurred sizeable expenses on his travel stay etc.



Waited for him for 2 months, team was in constant touch and was giving him downloads.  Kunal Gupta (@kunal_gupta01) September 12, 2024

The Co-founder and CEO of EMotorad, Kunal Gupta recently took to X to share the harrowing time he had first hiring a candidate and then waiting for him to join only to be let down in the end when they joined somewhere else for higher pay. This instance brings into focus the challenges employers also face when hiring the ideal candidate and losing time, effort, money and resources in the process.

Gupta took to X to write: "A senior candidate who was supposed to start next week just backed out. We spent significant time, energy, resources hiring him. Even incurred sizeable expenses on his travel stay etc.,"

He explained how they waited a long time for him to join them, only to realise it was all pointless. "Waited for him for 2 months, team was in constant touch and was giving him downloads."

Things took a turn for the worse when they realised he was looking for higher pay. "Never gave a hint that hes exploring further. Backed out today for a higher pay. What should you do as a company? Not the 1st time but this one really hurts. Efforts gone but should we atleast recover the expenses company incurred? What would you do?"

How did the internet react?

The post was shared on X on September 12, and has so far raked in 589.3k views, 1,845 likes and comments to match. Take a look:

Hiring for a senior position is one of the most expensive decisions youll make as a company. The initial spend on each candidate is nothing, compared to the money you might have spent if he had joined. Its very likely you dodged a costly bullet and escaped getting stuck with a  Megha Mookim (@mookimmegha) September 12, 2024





Be thankful that this happened before joining instead of within 6 months of it  Paras Chopra (@paraschopra) September 12, 2024





As an industry, notice periods should be brought down to 2 weeks. Helps all parties.



Less time to shop for offers. Less impact when someone doesnt join.  Gautam Pradhan (@gautamnpradhan) September 12, 2024





Move on, it's already a closed chapter.



Build a large business. Hopefully one day he or she will see this as a regret, maybe or maybe not.



In long run this wouldn't matter.  pj (@BeingPractical) September 12, 2024





Sir, I kind of understand employers point of view arm twisting with an offer letter in other hand is not nice, but I also wonder if and when the company does layoffs, which happen quite a lot, its usually like in a snap  so what should the employee do? Not all layoffs are  Kul Bhushan (@1987Kulbhushan) September 12, 2024



What are your thoughts on this? Hit us up in the comments section below and let us know.

Lead image: Unsplash/representational use only.

To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending.
The ice has broken in the relationship between the royal family and exiled Prince Harry. For the first time in 3 years, King Charles III officially congratulated his son on his birthday on the royal family's social media. And although the message was laconic, it can already mean a lot about Prince Harry's relationship with his father.

ADVERTISIMENT

King Charles III attached a happy photo of his son to the greeting. It is not known whether the relationship between the monarch and the prince has really improved or whether the festive message was published only because Harry is celebrating his 40th birthday.

"Congratulations to the Duke of Sussex on his 40th birthday!" the royal family wrote briefly and added a candlelit cake emoji to the message.

It is worth noting that this style of greeting is common for the British royal family and is not considered to be uncomplicated. Identical holiday signatures are also on the page of Prince and Princess William and Kate of Wales.

ADVERTISIMENT

According to the Daily Express, citing its own sources, Charles III also intends to personally contact Prince Harry and congratulate him on his anniversary. Such a gesture may indicate that the relationship between the king and his youngest son is no longer as tense as it was after the duke disowned the royal family, moved to the United States, and revealed the secrets of Buckingham Palace in his memoir, The Spare.

The last time the royal family greeted the Duke of Sussex was back when Queen Elizabeth II was alive. Her last message to her grandson was published on Prince Harry's 37th birthday, in 2021.

By the way, the official page of Prince Harry's brother, Prince William, still does not have a congratulatory message and may not appear. The Prince of Wales has been holding a grudge against his younger brother for several years and often refused to meet with him even during the Duke of Sussex's rare trips to the UK.

ADVERTISIMENT

Update. The Prince and Princess of Wales reposted Charles III's post on their InstaStories and wrote congratulations on their own: "Happy 40th birthday to the Duke of Sussex."

Prince Harry plans to celebrate his birthday with his family at home in Montecito, California, USA. Later, he is to meet with close friends from around the world, People writes.

ADVERTISIMENT

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that at the end of August, the warring princes-brothers William and Harry met for the first time in a long time under tragic circumstances. Their behavior shows that they are not yet ready to establish a relationship.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Imagine gulping down a drink that costs 10 times more than your annual rent. Unbelievable right? Well, one bar in the U.S. saw it as no big deal when it poured a whopping $13,000 cocktail for one very lucky customer. A restaurant in Chicago, U.S., called Adalina recently dished out the Marrow Martini, which cost a whopping $13,000. The drink comes with a diamond necklace with 150 diamonds set in 14-karat gold. Does it get more luxe than this?

Why is the cocktail so expensive?

The Marrow Martini as the drink has been named is the brainchild of Colin Hofer who was honoured with the title of sommelier of the year in 2022 by Michelin Guide. The cocktail worth an eye-watering $13,000 (Rs 10 lakh roughly) is currently available at Adalina restaurant on State Street in Chicago.



But what probably makes the drink uber luxe is the diamond necklace it comes with. The ladies are going to love this. The drink, itself a sight to see, comes with a necklace packed with 150 diamonds set in 14-karat gold. A jewellery house called Marrow Fine is the one that provided this shiny companion for the cocktail.



Marrow Fine founder Jillian Sassone told CBS News, "The client that purchased the martini wanted to do something special and surprise his wife."

"They both love Marrow Fine, and the martini was the perfect gift. They were the first to order the martini," also adding this drink and the diamond necklace will "make for a few very memorable evenings."



How is the drink made?

The ingredients of this drink give it its Mexican roots. Now, Mezcal is a type of drink made using an agave plant, found mostly in Mexico. This particular cocktail is made of Clase Azul Mezcal, a type of handmade mezcal, also found in Mexico, according to CBS News. Other ingredients include clarified heirloom tomato water and lemon-basil olive oil.

Literally adding smoke to the drink, and giving it that mysterious edge is the smoke-filled cloche it is presented in. "This step not only emphasises the uniqueness of the drink but also amplifies the Mezcal's natural smokiness, turning it into something truly unforgettable," Hofer told the news outlet.

What are your thoughts on this? Hit us up in the comments section below and let us know.



Lead image credit: cbsnews.com

To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending.
Earlier this morning, the Greek rescue vessel arrived on the site , accompanied by strong military forces, including three frigates, helicopters, and a special forces unit
No fewer than 41 people have been reportedly killed in a boat accident that occurred in Gummi town, the headquarters of Gummi Local Government Area in Zamfara State.

It was gathered that the the ferry, conveying 53 farmers, heading to their fields on Saturday morning, capsized near the town.

A resident of Gummi, identified as Abubakar Muhammad, told newsmen that only 12 of the passengers, including the boats captain, were rescued alive, while the remaining 41 drowned.

Advertisement

He said: When the boat capsized today, I was one of those who were present near the river close to Gummi town. Immediately, the boat capsized. It sank into the river with all the passengers.

We did our best to rescue them, but unfortunately, we were only able to bring out 12 persons alive, including the captain of the boat. The bodies of the other 41 passengers were evacuated out of the water.

Confirming the accident to PUNCH in an interview on Saturday, the Sole Administrator, Gummi Local Government Area, Alhaji NaAllah Musa, disclosed that the boat was overloaded.

READ MORE: Bandits Attack Construction Workers, Kill 5 Policemen, 3 Soldiers In Zamfara

Musa added that the captain, told all the passengers that some of them must come down, but all of them refused to listen.

He said: There were many people on the boat, and the captain did all he could to reduce the number, but nobody wanted to be left behind.

When he did all he could to reduce the number but failed, he was left with no option but to start going.

As he moved forward, the boat capsized and sank into the river due to overloading.

Only four of the passengers were able to swim out of the river, while the rescue operators were able to save others.

There were many casualties, but actually I cant say exactly how many of them have died because we are still looking for other missing passengers.
Troops from the Nigerian Armys 32 Artillery Brigade have arrested 26 individuals suspected of illegal mining in Ondo State.

This was contained in a statement issued by Captain Irabor Njoka, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, on Saturday.

Advertisement

Irabor said the arrest was made on 3rd September, 2024, during a raid, following credible intelligence on their activities at suspected illegal mining sites at Gate, Modebiayo, Kokuma, Obado, Okesa, Amasiko, Adoba, Abanasiru and Obadonu communities in Ondo West Local Government Area of the state.

READ ALSO: Illegal Mining: NSCDC Intercepts Two Trucks Loaded With Solid Minerals In Oyo

Items recovered from the suspects included seven mobile phones, 21 head pans, four cutlasses, 12 shovels, and a sack containing clothing.

He added that the operation demonstrated the armys commitment to safeguarding the countrys critical infrastructure and curbing criminal activities.

The suspects have been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for further investigation.
Ahead of the September 21st governorship election in Edo state, the National Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Illiya Damagum, has vowed that the party will protect its votes with blood.

Damagum also issued warning to the Independent National Electoral Commission, against midnight announcement of results.

The PDPs National Acting Chairman led this out during the grand finale of the partys campaign in Edo.

Advertisement

He said: To INEC, we dont want that midnight results announcement. We will be vigilant and make sure that it doesnt happen.

And, we know they will rig the election, this is not a threat, but we are very serious and we will defend our votes with our blood and everything.

READ MORE: Edo Governorship Poll Is Do Or Die  Gov Obaseki, Says No Room For Illiterate To Govern His People

To the citizens of this country, please watch the election of Edo, it will be a test for our democracy.

If they miss it here, it means they are looking for anarchy. We know they will attempt to do so, but we will resist them.

We cannot be intimidated. We will tell them we know how to win election. No body will rig us out.

Edo is the cradle of civilization and intellectual in Nigeria, you must not settle for anything less. So, vote for Ighodalo.

So come out to vote, protect and defend your votes, escort your votes and make sure they are announced and if you do that, no body can change your votes and PDP will win come September 21.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, on Saturday, condemned the increment in school fees by the Federal and Lagos state governments.

According to the human rights lawyer, the development is illegal.

Advertisement

In July 2023, the Federal Government increased fees for Unity Schools from N45,000 to N100,000 per term, an increase by over 120%.

Similarly, the Lagos State government, on Friday, announced N100,000 as the new fees for state-owned boarding schools which was formerly N35,000.

Describing it as a violation of the Childs Rights Act and Lagos State Childs Rights Law, Falana stated that with the increase being above the minimum wage of N70,000, a worker can no longer sponsor even one child either in the Unity School or any secondary school in Lagos State.

Vowing to challenge the decision in the appropriate High Courts, he stated, The federal government has increased fees payable in all unity schools from N45,000 to N100,000 per term. Thus, the fee payable per annum is N300,000 per student.

READ ALSO: Lagos Govt Increases Boarding Fees from N35,000 To N100,000 Per Term Amid Hardship

Similarly, the Lagos State Government has fixed fees payable in all secondary schools at N100,000 per term or N300,000 per annum by every student.

At N70,000 minimum wage, the salary of a worker per term of 4 months is N280,000. The implication is that a worker can no longer sponsor even one child either in the Unity School or any secondary school in Lagos State.

However, under the Childs Rights Act and Lagos State Childs Rights Law, every child is entitled to free & compulsory education from primary school to junior secondary school. To that extent, the imposition of N100,000 Fee on students in junior secondary schools in Unity Schools and secondary schools Lagos State is illegal.

In view of the clear provisions of the Childs Rights Laws applicable in all states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, the illegal imposition of prohibitive fees on junior secondary school students will be challenged in the appropriate High Courts.

Meanwhile, on July 10, 2024, the Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi revealed that over N45.7 billion matching grant to state governments for the implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) between 2020 and 2023 has not been accessed by many states governments.
Nollywood actress Eniola Badmus has expressed her optimism about Nigerias economic growth, citing a significant shift from consumption to production.

Taking to her Instagram story section on Saturday, she highlighted the contrast between the previous administration and the current Tinubu administration, noting a remarkable reduction in imports and a surge in exports.

Advertisement

Badmus, who serves as Special Assistant to House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, shared impressive trade figures for 2024.

She revealed that imports decreased to N24.44 trillion, while exports skyrocketed to N38.59 trillion, resulting in an unprecedented trade surplus of over N14 trillion in just eight months.

READ MORE: Davidos Brother Adewale Welcomes Second Child With Wife Kani

The actress emphasized that this remarkable achievement marks a turning point in Nigerias economic history, signaling a move towards production and expansion.

She wrote: Our imports are reducing, and our exports are increasing. That is a sign that our economy is expanding. For the year-to-date 2024, our imports were N24.44 trillion, while our exports stood at N38.59 trillion. This gives us an unprecedented trade surplus of over N14 trillion in just eight months. It has never happened in Nigeria. Never. This is a refreshing shift from consumption to production.

SEE POST:
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Akwa Ibom Command has rescued a 12-year-old girl, Bright Sunday, from a dilapidated building in Ikot Ukporo Idoro village, Ibiono Ibom local government area.

She had been locked up and tortured by her father for two years.

On Saturday, the State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Eluyemi Eluwade, told reporters in Uyo, Akwa Ibom States capital, that the victims father, Ndifreke Sunday  38 years old, and stepmother, Victory Sunday  28 years old, accused her of witchcraft.

Advertisement

He stated that the suspects rescue and subsequent arrest were in response to a complaint from the Ministry of Justice.

In accordance with Section 10 of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law 2020, he continued, the victims father and stepmother were taken into custody for allegations of child abuse and deprivation.

The statement in parts, The arrest was made on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at Ikot Ukporo Idoro Village in Ibiono Ibom LGA of Akwa Ibom State, following a complaint received from the Ministry of Justice about the suspect subjecting his daughter to inhumane treatment.

The suspects admitted to locking up the child because she confessed to being a witch and responsible for his afflictions.

The victim described her ordeal, saying she was locked up in a shabby room, refused food and bathing, and subjected to constant beatings from her stepmother.

The victim went on to say that she was fed once every two days, bathed no more than twice a month, and was refused schooling.

READ MORE: NSCDC Nabs Man With Stolen School Items In Osun

The state commandant decried the young girls treatment, calling it as brutal, insensitive, and terrible.

He cautioned parents not to commit such activities under any pretence since the authorities would not stop apprehending perpetrators.

The commandant said the girl has been handed over to Gender-Based Violence Shelter Home for care and rehabilitation, while the suspects will be handed over to the appropriate prosecuting agency for necessary action.
A lone crash on the Sapade bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway has claimed the life of one person and injured ten others.

The accident occurred at approximately 2:58 p.m. on Saturday and involved a white Mazda bus with the registration number GGE 858 XY.

Florence Okpe, FRSC Public Relations Officer, Ogun Sector Command, stated that the suspected causes of the collision were speeding, a tyre burst and loss of control.

Advertisement

She said, A total of 17 people were involved, comprising 8 male adults, 7 female adults, 1 male child, and 1 female child. Unfortunately, 1 female adult was killed, while 10 people were seriously injured2 male adults, 6 female adults, 1 male child, and 1 female child.

READ MORE: Suspected Vandal Electrocuted While Stealing Electrical Assets In Yobe

Okpe stated that the injured people were transported to Patmag Hospital in Ogere for medical care, while the corpse was interred at FOS Mortuary in Ipara.

Akinwumi Fasakin, the Sector Commander, recommended motorists to constantly pay great attention to their tyres, including checking the expiration date, tread, and avoiding substandard tyres.
The Chairman of the Osun State Internal Revenue Service, Adesola Adewumi, has announced the arrest of two suspected fraudsters, allegedly faking government tax receipts and clearance.

Adewunmi noted that the two suspects were apprehended during the agencys recent statewide audit/enforcement exercise on Sunday.

In a statement released to the public by the states IRS, urged taxpayers to be vigilant and ensure they visit authorized channels to pay their taxes.

Advertisement

The statement reads: Osun Internal Revenue Service, in its efforts to block revenue leakages in the state, has arrested two persons for cloning and issuance of fake government tax receipts and tax clearance certificates to unsuspecting populace.

READ MORE: Five Killed As Commercial Bus, Gas Tanker Collide In Osun-Ibadan Highway

The exercise is a continuous one as the commitment of this exercise is to ensure an adequate compliance to the rules governing the payment of taxes and levies, as well as blocking of all avenues of revenue leakages in the state.

Do not panic but ensure you go to authorized channels such as all banks, tax stations MDAs, OIRS online platform, OIRS POS marshals, and obtain government receipts for every payment they make.

The objective of the ongoing exercise is to bring all enemies of the state sabotaging the efforts of the government regarding revenue to book.
During his visit to Kyiv for the Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen organized by the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, Hollywood star Michael Douglas had time to be interviewed by journalist Marichka Padalko. She admits that she did not expect to see the actor of her childhood in the TV studio, but she was happy to talk to him and noted certain things in the celebrity's behavior that Ukrainian stars and politicians should take into account.

ADVERTISIMENT

According to her, Michael Douglas did not set any conditions for his willingness to come to the interview. In particular, he behaved respectfully with the crew members despite his status as a world-class star. This was reported by Marichka Padalko on Instagram.

"We didn't hear any preconditions from him: no one demanded separate dressing rooms or special makeup, no one set conditions for the light in the studio or the angles for filming. And I didn't hear Douglas or the summit organizers ask me what I was going to talk about with the guest! Those colleagues who have constant problems with guests, "send us a question", "we won't talk about that", "let's not have a last question" will understand me. Douglas has a lot to teach some of our showbiz stars and politicians, whose arrival on the channel can sometimes be compared to an earthquake," the journalist said.

ADVERTISIMENT

The actor was kind enough to talk to everyone, despite the fact that he may never meet these people again. As Padalko says, real stardom is in the little things.

"The Hollywood actor came only with his translator, Olga, who accompanied him these days in Kyiv. Real stardom is in the little things - saying hello to everyone, repeating a foreign name you hear for the first time out of respect, reacting to some personal remarks of a person you will most likely never meet again. And we want the people who support us so much to come back to Ukraine again and again," added Marichka Padalko.

ADVERTISIMENT

In particular, the journalist said that the recording of the interview was on the verge of failure due to the tight time frame. However, everything went well, and the actor did come, albeit for a limited time. The conversation took 16 minutes of airtime.

"The interview was on the verge of being disrupted because Douglas was staying with the president and had a train back in a few hours. "He's coming!" was finally heard on the floors of the canal, and then I realized how many of us just wanted to see him. And then Michael Douglas charmed everyone. Even me, even before he arrived," Padalko said.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!

ADVERTISIMENT
"Kind of Blue," 2020, Claudette Elaine Johnson, Gouache, pastel ground and pastel, 48 x 60 inches. Copyright Claudette Johnson. Courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London. Photo: Andy Keate Read more

The Time Is Always Now, a rich collection of figurative artworks exploring Black contemporary life, will make its American debut at the Philadelphia Museum of Art this fall.

Borrowing its title from an essay by American writer and activist James Baldwin, the exhibition comes to the U.S. following its successful debut at Londons National Portrait Gallery.

Advertisement

The PMA exhibition, which will run from Nov. 9 through Feb. 9, 2025, features more than 60 contemporary works by 28 Black and African diasporic artists. The PMA show will also include additional artists working in Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, and London.

The Time Is Always Now, as a collection of works about the Black figure by Black artists, is notable for its scope and artistic content alone. But this exhibition has a special immediacy.

Its creator, Ekow Eshun, a noted Ghana-born and U.K.-based writer and curator, said these works, though very different, were selected because they all represent various aspects of what he sees as a particular shift in contemporary Black figurative art by Black artists.

I was interested in what artists are doing and thinking about right now, Eshun said. I would say the signal shift that the exhibition explores and represents is a shift in gaze away from art that looks at the Black figure with an othering or sometimes objectifying gaze, to an art that invites viewers to look with and through and from the perspective of those artists and their subjects.

And when Eshun says right now, he means it. The curator chose all 21st century works for this exhibition.

The exhibition is organized around three themes.

Double Consciousness explores Blackness as a psychological, rather than simply physical, state.

The Persistence of History explores the absence, presence, or even misrepresentation of Black figures in mainstream narratives and artists responses.

Our Aliveness, he said, is an assertion of Blackness as a way of being, as a way of possibility, a way of kinship, a way of sharing resistance.

The American debut of The Time Is Always Now is well-suited to Philadelphia, a city with strong artistic Black heritage and a Black population of about 39%. Its also a major event for the citys biggest museum, according to the shows Philadelphia curator, Erica F. Battle, the PMAs John Alchin and Hal Marryatt Curator of Contemporary Art.

The exhibition was the first to be commissioned by PMA director Sasha Suda after she came to the museum in 2022.

Visitors from Philadelphia and all over will encounter a new energy at PMA in this expanded version of the exhibition, according to a statement from the local curator. We are excited to see what kinds of conversations their work will inspire.

The museum has planned a number of public and family programs connected to the exhibition. They include a panel discussion with Eshun, a series of films on Black identity, a live performance by the London-based poet, artist, and filmmaker Julianknxx, as well as a number of childrens activities.

Eshun has his own hopes for The Time Is Always Now when it comes to Philadelphia.

I would like the exhibition to extend an invitation to visitors to come to PMA to see the imaginative range, the range of depth, the ambition, the visual poetry that these artists apply to the experience of Black life and Black being, he said.

But Eshun added, when we talk about that, this is not to the exclusion of anyone thats not Black.

Such is the far-reaching humanity of this collection of artists and their work.

The goal of the exhibition is to open up ways of seeing, to encourage loops of exploration, to encounter the richness and depth of this work, the curator said. You know, I worked on the show for five years. There wasnt a single day I wasnt thrilled to be looking at this work. I want to share that experience with as many people as possible.
"Pull up and Pitch" offers small-business owners the chance to win monetary prices to support their business. Read more

Sixty seconds. Thats how long 200 small-business owners from around the country had to Pull Up and Pitch for a chance at winning part of $30,000 in prizes at a Shark Tank-like event Saturday in Philadelphia.

Clothes for people over 6 feet tall, baby bottle cleaning brushes with silicone barriers to prevent backsplash, and even a lipstick that claims to help women have better orgasms were all part of the contenders.

Advertisement

Mount Airy resident LaVaughn Jones woke up early Saturday to line up outside World Cafe Live shortly after the sun rose. Getting a head start was important, she said, because candidates were to present on a first-come, first-serve basis until seven people had been selected for a second round.

Three years ago, Jones felt backed against the wall after her husbands incarceration left her a single mother of two. She was overworked, yet living on food stamps, and cooking halal food for her Muslim family became an impossible task. That led her to create Arubas Halal Kitchen, a frozen halal meal alternative.

She was one of 77 founders, as event organizer Black Girl Ventures calls participants, that made it in front of the judges.

One thumbs-up would mean $200 for the entrepreneur; two meant $250; and three guaranteed $500 and a spot in the second round.

Jones won a ticket to the second round, but not everyone had the same fortune.

Ingrid Prescott drove two hours from Brooklyn, N.Y., to make this enticing pitch: If you have never had an orgasm, your vajayjay is not broken. Her Oralicious lipstick promises to enhance, arouse, and excite libido.

Alas, the 60-year-old only got two thumbs-up from the judges. Despite not making it into the finale, Prescott said the enthusiastic reaction from the audience of 150 made her feel like a winner.

The way they cheered made me feel like I did exceptionally well, Prescott said. But, in order for me to get to round two, I got to get good at doing my pitches. This is my very first time.

Seven businesses earned a spot in the next round, where they each got three minutes to pitch to two judges for a place in the top three and the chance to win $10,000, $3,000, and $2,000, respectively.

Was the money to stay in Philly? Would some visiting small businesses nab the winnings?

Philadelphia has more than 44,000 businesses, 90% of which have fewer than 100 employees and thus fall under the category of small business, according to data from the Pew Charitable Trusts. And three of them landed in the finale.

Arubas Halal Kitchen, Baby Bottle Brush Bib, and street wear brand Veils Street bested businesses from Detroit and Colorado. In other words, all the prize money stayed in Philly.

Baby Bottle Brush Bib and Veils Street won second and third place, respectively. And, as surreal as it felt to her, Jones frozen halal food business became the Pull Up and Pitch winner.

Hard work pays off, especially when we are rewarded with capital funds to continue the hard work that we do. Its just amazing, said the 35-year-old with a tight grip on a giant ceremonial check.

She plans on using the money to expand to other retail stores, beyond the 17 stores already offering her halal meals, including ShopRite and Weavers Way.

The next Pull Up and Pitch in Philly will take place on Oct. 26 at the Liberty View at Independence Visitor Center.

For any small business planning on going, the key is understanding their business, said Omi Bell, CEO of Virginia-based Black Girl Ventures. If I give you access to capital today, how could you take that capital and grow your business exponentially?
Michaela Mabinty DePrince, 29, an acclaimed ballerina with roots in the Philadelphia area, died on Tuesday, Sept. 10, in New York City of unknown causes, according to her family.

Ms. DePrince, who was born in West Africa and grew up in Cherry Hill after being adopted, trained at the Rock School for Dance Education in South Philly for years.

Advertisement

Her path to becoming an inspiring ballet dancer began in Sierra Leone, where she was born during the countrys civil war and became an orphan. Vitiligo, a pigmentation condition, exposed her to ridicule and harassment in the orphanage, she has said. One day she discovered a magazine that had blown against the gate of the orphanage, which had the picture of a ballerina in it. It inspired her ballet dreams.

She was adopted at the age of 4 with her friend Mia from the orphanage. They moved to the United States, where Ms. DePrince would embark on her dance journey.

South Jersey was our first home, coming from Africa, said her sister Mia Mabinty DePrince in an interview Saturday.

Throughout her career, Michaela DePrince danced with prestigious institutions, including as a student at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. She was also with the Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York City, where she was the youngest principal dancer, and spent time at the Dutch National Ballet, according to her sister. She had most recently been dancing with the Boston Ballet and living in New York City and Boston, her sister said.

Ms. DePrinces success and influence went beyond the stage. She was featured in an award-winning documentary about young ballet dancers, First Position, at age 14, and wrote a book about her life experience with her adoptive mother, titled Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina.

From her early life in war-torn Africa, to stages and screens across the world, she achieved her dreams and so much more, reads a message shared by her family on Facebook. Her passion and impact on the dance world, especially in inspiring young Black dancers to pursue their dreams, has been tremendous. We will miss her and her gorgeous smile forever and we know you will, too.

Saddened by her death, fans of Ms. DePrince along with ballet institutions took to social media with an outpouring of messages, sharing images and videos of her.

We were so fortunate to know Mabinty; she was a beautiful person, a wonderful dancer, and she will be greatly missed by us all, reads a note that the Boston Ballet posted on its Instagram account.

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a brilliant artist and beloved member of the ABT family, a post on X by American Ballet Theatre reads. We express our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who were touched by her light.

Off the stage and behind the scenes, Ms. DePrince was goofy, funny, and a klutzy person, said her sister Mia.

The way she just gracefully blew across the stage, you would have no idea that right after that, that night, she had ice on her toe, not because of a pointe shoe injury, but because she just stubbed it, her sister said.

Ms. DePrince loved to sing, and the sisters grew up singing together and making up songs.

We would fight over who was going to take the lead when it came to Destinys Child songs. We were always having to do like rock, paper, scissors to see who was going to perform that night in whatever fantasy it was we were living, her sister recalled.

Ms. DePrince and her sister had always talked about going back to Sierra Leone one day and setting up a dance and music studio, Mia DePrince said. She loved to help other people, she said.

While many know Ms. DePrince as the dancer, her family describes a different side of her they also want the world to know.

Ballet is such an activity of the swan that you dont see kicking furiously under the surface, and that is the public persona of Michaela. Its this beautifully poised swan. Its very serious, but she was so funny and so playful and so silly and adorable, sensitive, so sensitive, said Jess Volinski, Ms. DePrinces sister-in-law.

In addition to her sister Mia and her sister-in-law, Ms. DePrince is survived by siblings Bee Green, Jaye DePrince, Mariel DePrince, Amie Curran, Adam DePrince, and Erik DePrince, and other relatives.

Her adoptive father, Charles DePrince, preceded her in death. Her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince, died a day after Ms. DePrince in Vermont during a routine presurgical procedure. She did not know of her daughters death, according to Volinski.

Services will be private. The family requests that instead of sending flowers, people donate to War Child, an organization that DePrince had supported as an ambassador. The organization helps support children affected by war and conflict and donations can be made at warchild.net.

Michaela had a beautiful, beautiful, loving family that supported her, said her sister Mia. We all truly, truly love her, and truly will miss her, miss her deeply.
When former President Donald Trump repeated a false rumor during the Sept. 10 presidential debate that Haitian immigrants are eating people's pets in Springfield, Ohio, he spread a type of slander that is both bigoted and dangerous, writes Numa St. Louis. Read more

By now, most people have come across the false online rumors being spread by former President Donald Trump about Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, allegedly stealing and eating cats and dogs.

This vicious and baseless lie has gone viral, feeding into the worst kinds of stereotypes and misinformation. Despite both the chief of police and the mayor of Springfield debunking this rumor  publicly stating there is absolutely no evidence to support such claims  these pernicious accusations persist. Trump and far-right figures have continued to spread this baseless slander, seizing on the moment to stoke fear and division.

Advertisement

At the heart of this smear campaign is the Haitian community, which has recently grown in Springfield. The city, a manufacturing hub of 60,000 people, has seen an influx of Haitian migrants in recent years, driven largely by labor demands. Springfield needed workers, and in search of better opportunities, as many as 20,000 Haitians have settled in the area since the start of the pandemic.

By all accounts, these newcomers have been model citizens  contributing to the local economy, working hard, and being praised for their resilience. Their presence has revitalized a city that was previously struggling to meet its labor needs.

But instead of celebrating this success story, certain factions have chosen to vilify the Haitian community. The spread of these lies is a clear attempt to play on racist and xenophobic fears, targeting Black and immigrant communities for political gain.

Beyond being bigoted, this kind of slander is also dangerous. In recent days, Springfield officials have been forced to close schools because of bomb threats. The accusations have also underscored the fraught racial divisions in the community, even as it continues to heal from the sentencing last year of a Black man who was convicted of committing hate crimes against eight Haitians.

As the nation gears up for another presidential election, these hateful narratives are being weaponized to shift the focus away from policy and toward fear-based, divisive rhetoric. The claims against the Haitian community are not just false  they are part of a broader pattern of scapegoating and discrimination that has plagued immigrants and communities of color throughout U.S. history.

This is not the first time Haitians have been unfairly targeted and maligned in the United States. In the 1980s, during the height of the AIDS crisis, Haitians were wrongfully blamed for the spread of the disease.

This baseless accusation fueled anti-Haitian sentiment and led to widespread discrimination, further marginalizing a community already struggling with the challenges of immigration and integration.

As a Haitian American, I remember my family, along with others who came from the island, protesting vigorously against these unfounded speculations. We had to fight back against narratives designed to cast Black and immigrant communities as threats to public health and safety.

Hate-mongering against Haitians is nothing new. It is deeply rooted in an intersection of anti-Black racism and anti-immigrant bigotry, with certain groups seeking to scapegoat a perceived vulnerable community to distract from the real issues at hand.

What we are witnessing today in Springfield is an echo of the same hatred and fear that has long been used to marginalize Haitians in the United States. But we refuse to stand idly by as these attacks escalate. The Haitian community has shown time and again that we will not be silenced or diminished.

Here in Philadelphia, there are north of 30,000 Haitians in the region  representing a vibrant and thriving community. Theyve contributed to the citys culture, economy, and religious life for decades. Haitian Catholics in the city have been a distinct, notable faith community in the city since at least the 1970s.

More recent immigrants have helped to breathe new life into the city through their entrepreneurial spirit, especially in North Philly, Olney, and East Mount Airy, making us part of the broader social fabric that makes Philadelphia a dynamic and diverse city.

The lie that Haitians, or any immigrant group, are eating pets is not only absurd  it is deeply dehumanizing. This same slander has been used against Asian immigrants for decades, in an attempt to paint new arrivals to our shores as foreign, uncivilized, and incompatible with American values.

The lie that Haitians, or any immigrant group, are eating pets is not only absurd  it is deeply dehumanizing.

To the contrary, Haitians have long been an integral part of the American story. Our contributions to this country date back to its very beginnings. Haitian soldiers fought alongside forces from the 13 colonies in the Revolutionary War, and a Haitian, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, founded the great city of Chicago. Since then, Haitians have continued to contribute to the economic, cultural, and political life of the United States. We have excelled in every field  science, education, the arts, business  and helped build the very fabric of this nation.

Yet, despite these contributions, Haitians have often been subjected to humiliating and dehumanizing treatment. We have been labeled, discriminated against, and wrongfully blamed for societal ills. But we refuse to be defined by these lies.

We demand respect and recognition for the role weve played in shaping this country. The resilience of the Haitian community is unmatched. Whether its in Springfield, Philadelphia, or anywhere else in this country, we will continue to stand up and fight back against racism, xenophobia, and fear-mongering.

 READ MORE: Racism, bias, and xenophobia: How Trumps bigoted views foster division and abase the presidency | Editorial

It is time to put an end to the politics of division and embrace the reality that immigrants, including Haitians, are an essential part of the American story.

We refuse to let fear and hatred dictate our future. We will continue to speak out, to stand together, and to reject the lies that seek to divide us. Haitians have always played a crucial role in making America what it is today, and we will continue to do so, no matter the obstacles we face.

Numa St. Louis is a Democratic committeeperson, policy adviser, and legislative spokesperson based in Mount Airy.
A SEPTA Market-Frankford Line train pulls away from the Frankford Transportation Center. SEPTAs impending budget crisis would not only impact the systems more than 700,000 daily riders, but its cascading failure would negatively affect the entire region, writes the Editorial Board. Read more

For the first time in a long time, advocates for walking, biking, and public transit are seeing some momentum.

Philadelphians flooded Rittenhouse Square for the Center City Districts Open Streets initiative, which closed part of Walnut Street to automotive traffic in order to give more space to pedestrians and businesses on Sundays in September. And long-stalled efforts to make a Roosevelt Boulevard subway line a reality have seen some positive signals from the city and PennDot.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who had previously blocked a plan to calm traffic on Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia, introduced a bill to ban stopping in bike lanes across the city, with wide support from his colleagues. In his comments to reporters, Johnson eschewed the divisive rhetoric that has often obscured conversations about bike lanes, rightly pointing out that Black and brown Philadelphians bear the brunt of road deaths.

Yet, amid this positive pushback against car culture and congestion, a lingering storm threatens to rain on this multimodal parade, one that menaces Philadelphias economic vitality  a looming fiscal cliff for SEPTA as it exhausts the last of its federal COVID-19 relief money.

The transit agencys impending budget crisis would not only impact the systems more than 700,000 daily riders, but the falling dominoes from a failure to address the problem would spill across the entire region.

 READ MORE: Gov. Shapiro gets it right with his public transit funding push. But more is needed. | Editorial

Ever since the pandemic and resulting shift to remote and hybrid work took a bite out of the agencys ridership and revenue, SEPTAs efforts to find a path forward have been murky and difficult. While a lack of state and local support has for years impeded the systems long-term planning and hindered its growth, SEPTA may now be forced to cut service significantly to survive.

Cuts and fare increases would lead to fewer people on SEPTA buses, trolleys, and trains  further eroding fare revenue and trapping the system in a doom spiral. This would be a disaster for Greater Philadelphia.

Public transit is the backbone of the regions economy, and local business leaders say that without reliable and affordable transit, Pennsylvanias ability to attract and retain talent, entrepreneurs, and investment is severely compromised.

Even those who never or rarely use the system rely on others who do for a smoother experience on the citys roads. In densely populated rowhouse neighborhoods, a surge in car traffic prompted by fewer SEPTA services could lead to more competition for limited parking spots, while the regions roads would likely see gridlock spike as those who previously relied on public transportation are forced behind the wheel.

The General Assembly had a chance to help SEPTA stay afloat in the recent round of state budget negotiations. Gov. Josh Shapiro had proposed an increase to the allocation of sales tax revenue dedicated to supporting transit systems throughout Pennsylvania. This would have helped SEPTA shore up its $240 million shortfall. Lawmakers, however, opted to provide SEPTA with a one-time infusion of $47 million.

The funds offer a brief respite from the inevitable unless Shapiro, Democratic House Speaker Joanna McClinton, and Republican Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman can craft a more permanent solution.

In some ways, Pittman is an unlikely transit hero. His Western Pennsylvania district sprawls across rural and suburban communities where transit use is minimal. His caucus also includes only two lawmakers who represent areas within SEPTAs geographic footprint  Bucks Countys Frank Farry and Tracy Pennycuick, who represents parts of Montgomery and Berks Counties.

Still, while some Republicans have proposed using a tax on so-called skill games to reduce property taxes, Pittman has suggested using that revenue for transit funding. Additionally, his choice for SEPTAs board, Elkins Park Republican activist Tom Ellis, has surprised some advocates by asking pointed questions at otherwise placid board meetings and racking up more trips on the system than all but one of his colleagues.

 READ MORE: SEPTA needs more money. It also needs to be smarter with what it has | Editorial

Pittman, like Shapiro, has been firm in demanding that SEPTA increase efforts to ensure public safety. SEPTA responded by hiring more police officers, and crime is now down 37% system-wide. Pittmans conservative allies also wanted to see SEPTAs riders contribute to bridging the budget deficit. The agency has responded by cracking down on evasion and raising fares for Key card holders and Regional Rail. Pittman called these moves a positive development.

As SEPTA has stepped up, Pittman should fulfill his end of the deal and bring bipartisan support to public transit funding.

While The Inquirer Editorial Board does not support the legalization of skill games, which mostly operate like slot machines, they have been deemed legal by the Commonwealth Court. A heavy tax burden may be the only way to ensure at least some public benefit is produced by these extractive devices.

Just as important as Pittman, however, are Harrisburg Democrats. Per Inquirer reporting, funding for transit ended up on the cutting floor during the spring budget talks for the second year in a row. Without a last-minute intervention from State Rep. Morgan Cephas, the chair of the Philadelphia delegation, SEPTA might already be imposing brutal service cuts across the system.

Much as he did when he rallied Pennsylvania around rebuilding a section of I-95 (which, as it so happens, is used by around 540,000 fewer people each day than SEPTA), Shapiro must bring the legislature along and make funding the transit system a priority.
Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm firing to first base against the Astros on Aug. 26. Read more

Alec Bohm was scheduled to play two games in Lehigh Valley this weekend, but the Phillies saw all they needed to see after one. Bohm went 2-for-4 on Saturday. His first hit, a line single in the first inning, came off his bat at 102.1 mph. His second, a line double in the third, came off his bat at 102.9 mph.

The Phillies All-Star third baseman had been on the injured list with a left hand strain since Sept. 6 (retroactive to Sept. 3) but came out of Saturdays game feeling good. So, the Phillies activated him off the injured list on Sunday morning. He was back in the lineup for Sundays game against the Mets and went 1-for-4 in the 2-1 win.

Bohm also is scheduled to play Monday in Milwaukee, and then manager Rob Thomson will check in on him. He wants to be careful in managing Bohms workload after the third baseman missed the last 14 games. He is batting .290 with 13 home runs and 89 RBIs.

Advertisement

As a corresponding move, catcher Aramis Garcia was designated for assignment. Garcia, 31, was out of options. He was called up on Sept. 7 to provide some catching depth while J.T. Realmuto was recovering from a sore knee. Garcia played three games with the Phillies, recording no hits or walks with three strikeouts.

Garcia hit .163/.219/.287 with a .506 OPS through 74 games for Lehigh Valley this season. Despite his offensive struggles, Thomson said Garcia provided real value on the other side of the ball.

 READ MORE: Does batting .300 matter anymore? Trea Turner sure thinks it does.

Hes great, Thomson said. And I told him when he left, I said, hes a guy that you trust, because he really plans well. And he works well with pitchers. He can catch and throw. He didnt have the type of offensive year that he was expecting, that we were expecting, we thought he would have a better year. But you trust him behind the plate, because hes smart and he works at it.

Sosa to remain in Lehigh Valley

Edmundo Sosa (back spasms) played in Lehigh Valley on Saturday night and was set to play with the IronPigs again on Sunday. The reserve infielder is not eligible to be activated off the injured list until Tuesday. Assuming all goes well, he will join the team in Milwaukee.

Hays to stay back

Austin Hays (kidney infection) will not travel to Milwaukee with the team. The left fielder will do his work at Citizens Bank Park and join the team in New York for the Mets series.

Hays is feeling better, but he still gets fatigued when he runs.

Next fifth starter still in question

Thomson said its unclear whether the Phillies will use Kolby Allard in New York as their fifth starter. Allard allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits over three innings against the Mets on Saturday.

We havent decided yet, Thomson said. [Well] probably decide by tomorrow. Talk about it on the plane.
Bea Mazziotta of Broomall uses a telescope during a stargazing event with the Chester County Astronomical Society at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve in 2018. Read more

Any night now, the astrophysicists tell us, a new star will appear in the night sky over Philly and the rest of the world  about as bright as the North Star  the result of a cosmic explosion in a distant constellation millennia ago.

NASA scientist Rebekah Hounsell has called it a once-in-a-lifetime event that will create a lot of new astronomers out there.

Advertisement

Once you see it, however, dont get too attached to it. The so-called recurring nova star, T Coronae Borealis, which periodically mutates into an earth-size hydrogen bomb, will flame out in less than a week. But if youre around, youll get another shot at seeing it at the beginning of the 22nd century.

Precisely when the nova, affectionately known as T CrB in the astronomical community, will be visible is unclear, astronomers say, and nailing the timing is a bit more complicated than predicting what time the sun will rise.

It could be sometime this month, maybe even this week, or maybe not until winter. But the evidence is unmistakable that it will appear soon.

 READ MORE: Here is a beginner's guide to the night sky over Philly

When will the star explosion happen?

It already has, about 3,000 years ago, around the time of King David (he who felled Goliath in one of the great upsets in human history); Zoroaster; the Iron Age; and the golden age of the Villanovan people, who overran northern Italy.

While that may seem a long time ago, in terms of cosmic time, this qualifies as breaking news, said Edward Sion, astrophysicist at Villanova University, which has no connection with the Villanovans, nor the nova in question. He believes its appearance may be imminent.

Astronomers know the explosion has occurred because it happens about once every 80 years, and looking into their backward crystal balls, they have observed that T CrB has undergone a signature loss in star power that has preceded previous cataclysms.

The nova  not to be confused with a self-destructing supernova  was last observed in February 1946, and before that, in May 1866. A German priest, Abbott Burchard of Upsberg, sighted it all the way back in 1217, according to astrophysicist Bradley Schaefer, an emeritus professor at Louisiana State University. The priest described it as a faint star that for a time shone with great light.

Sion said that mentions of the nova appear in the Middle Ages writings of Chinese and Korean observers. Of course, they didnt have to contend with light pollution, but they also didnt have the unprecedented observing power that astronomers have these days.

 READ MORE: Some towns in central Pennsylvania are waging war on light pollution

The new star poses no threat to us. It is 3,000 light years from Earth, which explains the lag: Light travels about 5.9 trillion miles annually. Do feel free to multiply 3,000 by 5.9 trillion. By comparison, the light from our star, the sun, beamed from a mere 93 million miles away, gets here in eight minutes and 35 seconds.

Why does the nova keep exploding?

The stars nearest neighbor is a gigantic, gaseous nuisance. The nova is a white dwarf, the lesser half of a binary system in which two stars are bound together by gravity. Its partner is a red giant that leaks hydrogen because its gravity cant hold it all, and eventually is lured by the gravitational system of its partner, the white dwarf nova, from the Latin for new, as in new star.

Its almost like a perfect storm, said Villanovas Sion. The white dwarf is an Earth-sized core of a dead star that is unimaginably hot, perhaps exceeding 180,000 degrees Fahrenheit, by NASAs estimate.

When enough hydrogen accumulates on the white dwarf, the result is a nuclear explosion that NASA says is 10 times stronger than the annual output of the sun.

Said Sion, Every 80 years, the white dwarf says enough accreted mass already! Im going to blow up!

The result is that T CrB becomes visible to earthlings.

Where in the sky can you find the new star?

To find the nova, follow the tail that trails the scooper of the Big Dipper. That will lead you to Arcturus, one of the brightest stars in the sky. Just to the east of Arcturus is the Corona Borealis constellation, of which T CrB is an occasional member. The nova will be just below the apex of the constellations curved crown of stars, visible to the naked eye, said Sion.

When will the nova call it a career?

It isnt clear when T CrB will stop being a recurring nova, but its possible that its career will come to a spectacular end, said Sion.

Someday it may undergo an ultimate detonation as a Type 1a supernova, which would be about 100,000 times as bright as our sun.

Even 3,000 light-years away, he said, that would be something to see.
British Prince William has temporarily stopped shaving his beard and provoked a massive discussion of his stubble online. Internet users are delighted with His Highness's new look and call it extraordinary.

ADVERTISIMENT

Prince William made the decision not to shave his face 1.5 weeks ago. Back on September 5, videos were posted on the official Instagram page of the Prince and Princess of Wales showing His Highness with stubble. And in the latest pictures, he appeared with a short beard.

The member of the royal family stepped out to represent his father King Charles III during the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, England, in a new role. As a military man, he donned the uniform of an air commander and pinned many medals on it, as well as the star and ribbon of the Knight's Order of the Garter.

"It is my great honor to be with you today representing my father, His Majesty the King. Whilst I didnt graduate on this exact parade ground, I did graduate from flying training here, so I know something about the celebrations that will come later," Prince William said during his speech, FoxNews reported.

ADVERTISIMENT

After the publication of the photo from the event, the followers of the Welsh family exploded with compliments in the comments, calling to keep the beard:

"The Prince of Wales is more handsome with the beard!"

"Our handsome Prince of Wales."

"The beard is bearding."

"Right now it's a bit unkempt. He needs to grow it to the point where it is properly groomed like George V's beard. William's father and grandfather grew beautiful beards, but later both shaved them off."

"We love the facial hair."

"You MUST keep the beard."

ADVERTISIMENT

However, some people remembered his younger brother Prince Harry, who, by the way, is celebrating his 40th birthday today. Followers criticized Prince William's "pettiness" and reminded him of the criticism he received in 2018.

"So many 'love the beard' comments, 100% the same people that were telling Harry to shave."

"I think it's true what Harry said in his book about William throwing a tantrum because he couldn't wear a beard at his wedding and was angry that Harry was able to do it. I never realized that William was so petty and jealous of Harry. I guess now that the grandmother is dead, the beard is here to stay."

ADVERTISIMENT

Prince William appeared with a beard a month ago in a video message with Kate Middleton. Together they recorded a video for the British athletes on the occasion of the end of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Some of the most dramatic scenery of all on the Wild Atlantic Way is to be found from Glenbeigh heading west.

On winding roads that hug the edges of mountainsides, peering down to the vast expanse of ocean, the feeling of starring in a high performance car ad is only marred by an engine problem in my old bus that restricts me to 40kph.

Driftwood itself is extraordinary. A striking assemblage of rectangular boxes of glass and local stone nestles in a little dimple in the undulating lawns, protecting it from the worst south westerly storms of the Atlantic while still affording a fine view of St Finians Bay and the globally iconic  thank you, Mr Spielberg  Skellig Michael, all in all, a sublime marriage of modernity and the surrounding natural elements.

The interior is equally impressive, spare yet cosy and comfortable, with primary focus drawn to the remarkable vista.

The care, effort, and sheer volume put into starters is impressive and with some forewarning of the generosity, Id very happily have ordered the lot as a series of small plates. (Hummus, with tapenade and flatbread, along with lamb arancini completes the section.)

Scallops are served the way I like them, seared in the pan till golden with coral still attached. Corals flavour-bomb impact is mellowed by airier partners on the plate: anise of celeriac puree, tart apple gel, seafood foam, and ribbons of fresh asparagus.

Monkfish scampi plays fast and loose with what is commonly understood by the word, breaded prawns served up as addictive little gobbets of deep fried marine umami.

These large chunks of locally caught fish are rather more substantial in size but, whatever, you choose to call them, they are compelling indeed and, though the breaded shell is a tad robust, fish is fresh, and flavours sound, complemented by a zippy lime aioli.

Best of all is beetroot carpaccio, a refreshing lightness of being to sweet earthy wafers of the tremendous tuber, while Dingle Goats Cheese mousse adds salty, lactic tang, caramelised walnuts bring sweet textural crunch, and fresh salad leaves complete a delicious and vivifying dish.

In a restaurant so wedded to the sea, it is hardly surprising main courses are all about the ocean, including a daily special.

Mrs Potters pan-fried fillet of hake is good fish, well cooked with simplicity, as it should be, all fireworks taking place elsewhere on the plate; fillip of lemongrass infusing a creamy sauce, baby potatoes, bright with dill, and carrot puree, pickled fennel, and grilled asparagus.

Mr Potter keeps it old school, Fishermans seafood au gratin, which might have been my choice too if I wasnt reviewing and summer hadnt briefly remembered its lines.

It is a fine comforter, the white fish including more of that local monkfish in a very tasty cream whispering sweet maritime nothings.

Id heard good things about Driftwood fish and chips and had a hankering for same, the right thing to do in such a location, but professionalism sees me opt for South Kerry rack of lamb  and it is absolutely smashing.

Meat is immaculately cooked, glistening, burnished oak brown exterior revealing a delicate pale pink heart, yet still exquisitely tender. It is served with mashed potato, red wine jus, tenderstem broccoli, onion marmalade, and sweet potato crisps.

Though Id prefer an infinitely more unctuous mash, with much more butter and cream, the supporting cast hits its marks nicely though it would be far better suited to winter, even as we endure a summer that fancies it is auditioning for that role.

Id have loved more summery, possibly Middle Eastern accents, and while the lamb is devoured by all three of us, there is less appetite for the remainder of the dish; to be fair, that is also down to the generosity of the starters that preceded it.

Our two wines, Atlantik, Albarino (Atlantik, Spain) and a Fleurie (Aime Piroux, Beaujolais), from a concise list are pleasant if unremarkable and the Fleurie requires an ice bucket intervention  adding a chill factor to certain lighter red wines is often recommended but this is more of a rescue mission to bring down a high fever.

Our dabbling in the dessert menu  again, old school, sundaes, brownie, and crumble  is tokenism after such a feed and a spoon or two of decent lime and mint creme brulee with lemon sorbet and forest berry compote is as much as I can manage.

When local man Carl OConnell and his Scottish wife, Jenny, first opened Driftwood, the plan was to bring innovation and intrigue to the cooking of local seafood, especially in The Bothan, their little sibling seafood shack which sits just below our view, down by the beach.

However, if Failte Ireland usually do a good job  and a superb job with the Wild Atlantic Way  the politically reactive actions of various other state departments over the last decade has tugged on so many random loose threads that tourism, one of our two most successful indigenous business sectors, will soon be in danger of unravelling completely.

Ballinskelligs and its hinterland, like many other tourist destinations around the country, is short of hospitality beds, a pinch felt even as anecdotal evidence suggests tourist numbers are well down this year, so the local market becomes ever more important.

Accordingly, the Driftwood menus have had to be nudged back towards more mainstream waters.

That is no crime and, it must be said, they still deliver in spades but I am now very firmly in the same camp as the OConnells, fantasising about a day when they can deliver an offering as unique as their magnificent location.

The Verdict

Food: 8

Wines: 6.5

Service: 8

Value: 8

Atmosphere: 9 (1,000 for the view!)
Born in 1966, David McWilliams grew up in Monkstown, Dublin. His knack for demystifying economics ensures regularly gets mentioned among the lists of the most influential economists in the world.

In 2010, he co-founded both Kilkenomics, a comedy and economics festival, and the Dalkey Book Festival. The David McWilliams Podcast on Tour, in which he will delve into his latest book Money: A Story of Humanity, is at Cork Opera House on Monday, October 23.

See: www.corkoperahouse.ie

Nineteen Eighty-Four

The first book that grabbed my attention as a teenager, that I could digest and begin to analyse, was George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four. It changed the way I think. I was so taken aback and excited by it.

It seemed to explain the world to me in an amazing way. The way Orwell wrote  that idea of using allegories to tell a tale  can open up the mind and explain things. Writing is a form of teaching in a way. You have to find your method and Orwell found an amazing method.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I went through a Gabriel Garcia Marquez phase. Interestingly, about a year ago, I went on holiday with mates and one of the wives looked at me and she goes, You're actually reading Love in the Time of Cholera again.

I like the idea of a book or a work of art or a piece of music taking you somewhere different and reading magic realism takes you into a magic, post-colonial Latin American world. I love that.

I Feel Love

When I was a kid, I was a person who was obliged to like punk and did, but really liked disco if the truth be known. It was uncool to like disco. 'I Feel Love' by Donna Summer was the song I loved.

I felt obliged to walk around with the Killing Joke album under my arm, because you couldnt look cool liking disco. Through the 80s, I loved The Jam and The Smiths and then in the late 80s disco came back into fashion in the guise of house music, so I was back in from the wilderness.

Malcolm Gladwell

I've always found almost anything by Malcolm Gladwell  who writes principally about pop psychology  fascinating. I find the way he writes, the way he thinks so accessible, but also he makes you think in a certain way.

Ulysses

In Joyces Ulysses, Leopold Bloom, a cuckolded fella, needs to get out of the house because his wife, Molly Bloom, is sleeping with a fellow called Blazes Boylan. He doesn't know what to do so he goes for a walk, a very Irish thing to do  you dont want to face the truth so you go for a walk. On that walk around Dublin he meets all these characters. Bloom is Everyman  this middle-of-the-road guy. Joyce is playing a game with Homer whose heroes were these huge, macho guys. Whereas Joyces hero is this little, ineffectual Dubliner, an advertising copywriter, who is an outsider because he's Jewish. He's not heroic, but he's brilliant and kind and gentle and polite and interested in everything. I love a brain that's interested in everything, the idea you can be an economist, but also be interested in literature or music and other carry-on.

Italian American movies

I love Martin Scorsese movies, his gangster films, his collaborations with Robert De Niro like Raging Bull. I find Italian American culture very attractive, all the way up to The Sopranos. It's a culture I came across going to New York to work in bars in the 1980s. What intrigues me is the contrast with Irish America. Italian Americans managed, despite being a smaller ethnic group than the Irish, to occupy Hollywood in a way in which we never did. There is no Irish Godfather film trilogy. There is no great suburban Irish American movie apart from maybe The Brothers McMullen.

Lenny Abrahamson

Anything by Lenny Abrahamson interests me: from Adam and Paul, which is a classic; to Garage, which is so dark and poignant; even the way he took Sally Rooney's Normal People and brought it to life on the screen.

Adam and Paul

There is an opening scene, for example, in What Richard Did  with a young Jack Reynor starring  where he has three young fellas in the front of the car. If you want to tune in to the dialogue of a certain type of South Dubliner, it's unbelievably well executed. Lenny Abrahamson is a rare talent at the top of his game.

Conor McPherson

I really enjoy the works of the playwright Conor McPherson. The Weir, The Seafarer  these are extraordinary plays. For some reason he gets inside my head. I don't know why. There's a lot of superstition and darkness and high drama in it. He also wrote the screenplay for one of my favourite movies of all time, I Went Down. Hes a great example of a world-class Irish playwright, probably the greatest living playwright we have.

Dylan Moran and Ardal OHanlon

My favourite comedian is Dylan Moran. Ardal OHanlon is an old friend of mine. Ardal and I were in school together. We sat beside each other in the first week of French class in Blackrock College. Ardals bizarre sense of humour made me laugh all the way through school. Hes one of the greats.

Dylan Moran

Dylan is in the same vein. What I like about Irish comedians in general is their ability to tell stories, and their whimsical nature. Ive been around comedians a lot and I find them to be amongst the most intelligent people Ive met. They're not always great fun, which is interesting, too.

Stephen Fry

The best public speaker I've ever seen is Stephen Fry. I saw him do a one-hour monologue on the tragedy of Oscar Wilde. It blew my mind. Stephen Fry is just an unbelievable public speaker  humorous, poignant, great timber and cadence, knowledge, of course, and he has the personality to carry the whole thing off. He's written books about the great Ancient Greek myths which are brilliant. If you want to do a crash course in spoofing about classics, read Stephen Fry.

Blindboy

I've met many talented and exceptional people, running festivals, doing this and that, but Blindboy is up there with the greats, an original. I was listening to one of his podcasts recently.

Blindboy.

He brought me to a little island in the middle of Limerick, somewhere on the Shannon. He was talking about a giant hogweed, a nasty weed that can kill all plants around it. Then he explained where it was originally from  the Caucasus Mountains around Georgia. Then he started talking about the 1850s when botany became popular, particularly in Britain. It was fascinating.

If I want a podcast  like with magic realism  to take me to a different place, I listen to Blindboy. Hes a very calming influence. He has this Munster sense of humour, and a laconic, slow but very incisive sensibility, with his slightly off-note piano in the background.
Irish designers were at the forefront of the 40th anniversary edition of London Fashion Week which concludes today.

From JW Anderson and Simone Rocha to newcomers and old-timers, the spring-summer 2025 collections attested to the endurance of Irish talent in the British capital.

JW Anderson

Sunday mornings JW Anderson show at Old Billingsgate was a rollicking start to the day with a bracing thesis on femininity. Fascinated by the Irish tradition of a girls night out, Anderson was drawn to a tougher attitude.

There was no room for confusion with this sharp, direct outing. The runway was replete with attenuated silhouettes and abbreviated hemlines. There were also playful shapes, like a dress with giant woven loops, spaceship-shaped skirts, hoop skirts, and structured A-line skirts that jutted outwards, that had a thrilling verve.

The sharpness extended to fabrication too: silk satin, leather, and cashmere were the only fabrics; lace and sequins, the only decoration.

In its simplicity, Anderson liberated party dressing.

Simone Rocha

Models on the catwalk during the Simone Rocha show at The Old Bailey, central London, during London Fashion Week. Picture: Ian West/PA

There was a pervasive lightness at Simone Rochas outing at the Old Bailey on Sunday where balletic influences loomed large.

Rocha, whose debut monograph documenting the first decade of her career will be published by Rizzoli next month, recalled her signatures and expanded her offering.

She juxtaposed rarefied aspects of her work like tulle tutus, sensual organza slips, and satin gowns, with tailoring, technical jackets, knitwear, and prints of Irish artist Genieve Figgis spectral paintings.

Models on the catwalk during the Simone Rocha show at The Old Bailey. Picture: Ian West/PA Wire

Introducing denim, the most casual fabric in her repertoire thus far, she rendered it with an ornate finish, embellishing jackets and jeans with crystal embellishments.

Standing Ground

The level of craftsmanship at Michael Stewarts Standing Ground show on Saturday afternoon made it abundantly clear why he was the winner of the inaugural Savoir-Faire Award at LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers in Paris last week.

The Clare-born designer will receive 200,000 and one-year mentorship by a team of LVMH experts, in addition to support from an embroidery specialist which will provide him with 50,000 of embellishments for his next collection.

With his technical sleight of hand, Stewarts hand-draped, hand-beaded jersey column gowns inspired by standing stones in the West of Ireland evoke a monumental serenity. His singular approach to eveningwear witnessed the arrival of leather and velvet for spring/summer 2025.

With the maturity of a legacy name, Stewart could be the future of London fashion.

Throughout London Fashion Week, there are 72 on-schedule designers, 48 catwalk shows, 17 presentations, and 63 events.

Daniel Kearns

On Saturday, Dublin native Daniel Kearns returned to British heritage brand Kent & Curwen, known for designing uniforms for prestige schools and sporting clubs, after a two-year hiatus.

Last year, the company was bought by Guangzhou-based Biem L Fdlkk Garment Co with intentions of repositioning it as a leading heritage brand.

Kearns, whose gilded resume reads like a list of the most important luxury brands in the world, is a capable designer and breathed new life into a brand in need of resuscitation.

He upended the hallmarks of collegiate style by imparting a sense of British eccentricity and punk. There were graffitied and buttoned-down school shirts, deconstructed rugby shirts, trousers in outsize proportions, and short pleated skirts revealing boxer shorts underneath.

Paul Costelloe

Models on the catwalk during the Paul Costelloe show in the Palm Court at the Waldorf hotel, central London, during London Fashion Week. Picture: James Manning/PA

Paul Costelloe, who opened proceedings on Friday morning, has been a fixture of the schedule since its inception 40 years ago. In a rare interview published by Vogue Business ahead of his show, he discussed his career from his humble beginnings to his stint as the personal designer to Diana, Princess of Wales, and his ambitions to become the Irish Ralph Lauren".

His collection was everything one has come to expect from Costelloe over the last four decades: saccharine, twee, and flirtatious.

Models backstage at the Paul Costelloe show in the Palm Court at the Waldorf hotel. Picture: PA

Ultra-feminine to their core, flouncy dresses with ruffle trims and slim tailoring in Irish linen and silk linen tweed, in pastel shades and painterly floral prints evoke springtime in Paris.

Sinead ODwyer

Alongside an industry stalwart like Costelloe, there are newcomers like Sinead ODwyer whose vision of femininity is diametrically opposite. On Monday, she will showcase a project with photographer Sharna Osborne that she worked on when she presented her spring/summer 2025 collection shown at Copenhagen Fashion Week in August.

Having won the 50,000 Zalando Visionary Award for challenging the fashion system with her commitments to body positivity (her clothes range from a UK 6-20) and sustainability (she works with responsibly-sourced or deadstock fabrics), ODwyer fosters a sense of urgency around representation on the runway and beyond.

To round out proceedings, British prime minister Keir Starmer will host a reception at 10 Downing Street for members of the fashion elite and government ministers to mark the occasion of the 40th anniversary and to lay the groundwork for a productive relationship between the sector and the change in government.
In 2001, Glenveagh National Park in County Donegal was the scene for, what was then, arguably the most ambitious nature restoration projects ever to have taken place in Ireland. The release of golden eagles marked not only the return of a species that had been driven to extinction from Irish skies over a century before, but the return of apex predators to the Irish ecosystem.

Things have not gone terribly well for the golden eagles. It quickly became apparent that the landscape, not only in Glenveagh but in the wider Donegal uplands, had become so degraded that it could not support sufficient prey for the birds, hares and red grouse mostly. To this day, they have not managed to extend their range into neighbouring counties, which would have been expected by now had the birds breeding success been higher. Still, theyre holding on. According to the Golden Eagle Trust, in 2024 there were eight territories but only half of these nests produced chicks.

Another endangered bird is the ring ouzel, near identical to a common blackbird except for its distinctive white bib. It was once widespread in the hills but numbers are down to a single breeding pair in one corner of Glenveagh.

However, the news from Donegal is not all bad.

Large areas of Glenveagh are denuded of trees but there are plans to assist more self-seeded trees to become established

Earlier this year, following a visit to the park, Minister of State for Nature, Malcom Noonan, launched what he described as one of the most ambitious nature restoration projects in the history of the State.

More detail has emerged with the publication of a woodland management strategy, a detailed and ambitious project that aims to regenerate and restore up to 1,000 hectares of native Atlantic rainforest over the next 100 years. In August, I went to Glenveagh to find out more and management staff from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) were on hand to show me around.

What NPWS refers to in its plan as the focus area is the valley of Lough Veagh (the name derives from the Irish word for birch tree, beithe). It is the place most visitors will be familiar with in the park, as it is a long and dramatic, steep-sided valley with a road or footpath nearly all the way through it. One side of the valley has a broad band of old oak forest but, apart from this, it is obvious that most of it is denuded of trees. However, on close inspection, that is changing and the eagle-eyed will notice the proliferation of germinating saplings.

Tree growth in a enclosure built to deter deer from eating young growth, Glenveagh National Park. Picture: Padraic Fogarty

Under normal circumstances the establishment of new forest is accompanied by planting rows of saplings in grid formation, with pre-determined proportions and densities of particular species. These would be protected from grazing animals either with plastic tubes or behind animal-proof fencing. The NPWS is taking a different approach. Instead, the focus will be on reducing the number of wild deer (sheep and other domestic animals are not a major issue in Glenveagh, unlike other national parks). Experimental plots have been mapped; the success of deer culling will be measured by the ability of self-seeded trees to become established and grow to a height where grazing will not affect them. In this way, not only will nature decide where and how many trees get to grow, but deer will remain as part of the ecosystem. This is radically different to how the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture goes about forest creation.

Glenveagh National Park. Aspen will hopefully flourish in this plan, it is now a rare tree but was once characteristic of the uplands. Picture: Padraic Fogarty

Tree planting will remain part of the plan and a dedicated nursery has been established on site to grow oaks and birches as well some of the rarer species, such as yew, juniper and aspen, as well as introducing Scots pine from seedlings in the Burren in Clare, which is the only truly native stand of this tree known in Ireland. However, planting, if deemed necessary, will be at a low density.

The plan acknowledges that many of Irelands top predators, which would under natural conditions control the deer population  wolves, lynx and bears  are absent. It does not propose reintroducing them (an argument that needs to take place at an island-wide level) but it does envisage leaving the carcasses of deer on the hills to rot or be scavenged. This will benefit the golden eagles, as will reducing the grazing pressure, as bushier heather and bilberry will provide cover for hares and red grouse. Carcasses also provide food for invertebrates and so are good for animals that need invertebrate food, such as smaller birds.

Area of Glenveagh National Park where rhododendron has been removed. Picture: Padraic Fogarty

Invasive species have been a problem in Glenveagh with rhododendron being a particular issue. However, on the day of my visit I could see where extensive swathes of the plant have been effectively knocked back, even on high and difficult-to-access slopes. Work is being carried out by private contractors and, while total eradication will be a long road, the plan includes continuous monitoring to control re-emergence. Other invasive plants are also being tacked. The success in Glenveagh in recent years begs the question as to why it cant be done elsewhere, most notably in Killarney.

Before leaving, I spoke to local ornithologist, Robert Vaughan, who has been trying valiantly to highlight the critical situation with the ring ouzel. He told me that the publication of a plan for the woodland was news to him and that he feels communication with local people has been poor. He thinks its too late to save the ring ouzel but that reducing the grazing will benefit the ecology more widely, including rare birds such as golden plover, which still nest on the bogs. He also feels the plan needs to be more ambitious as it only covers a fraction of the 16,000-hectare extent of the park.

The National Parks & Wildlife Service will re-establish 1,000 hectares of oak, holly, and birch native woodland over the next century, bringing wooded hillsides lush with native trees and ground flora back to Glenveagh's iconic valley and providing valuable habitat for birds, mammals, insects, and fungi. Picture: Padraic Fogarty.

Theres no doubt that greater ambition is needed, not just in Glenveagh but across Ireland. Indeed, the plan has not yet been fully resourced, so success is not guaranteed. Nevertheless, the NPWS has broken a barrier with this strategy and it shows an ambition that has been rarely glimpsed by the agency in the past. The lessons for rewilding on this scale will have far reaching implications for reafforestation across the country and once again puts this corner of Donegal in the vanguard for the coming decade of nature restoration.
Dear Daithi,

I know this is going to sound like another in-laws problem, but hear me out. My husbands parents dont get on  and thats putting it mildly.

Up until a couple of years ago, it was all very much like they put on a front whenever we visited (like that couple in Father Ted who run the shop), but in the past two years, their dislike of each other has come to the fore.

So much so, they sit in separate rooms in the house  each with their own TV  and if they do cross paths, its the silent treatment.

Whenever we go to visit with our kids we have to shuffle between the two rooms to spend time with them. The tension is awful too, and now that our kids are a little older, theyre definitely feeling it. Its so uncomfortable.

It feels like no one is enjoying the visits, least of all our kids. And so we visit less and less, which is sad too. My husband has said it to them, but theres no sign of them listening, they each blame the other.

My husbands brother and his family have stopped visiting altogether, and much as I dont want to, Im wondering if we should take that route too?

Having read this letter around four times I think you are the only person who can do something about this whole situation.

One of two things will happen here, in my opinion  either the in-laws will straighten up and take the tension out of this, or you will stop going over there all the time and only drop a card off for Christmas, and that, as you say, would be very sad.

Like John and Mary from Father Ted, Id imagine putting up a front for everyone every day took its toll and at the end they said: To hell with this, this is how it is.

The issue or problem that was there was never addressed and so it was never sorted. It might have been something very small that escalated  only the in-laws know this.

In one sense, it doesnt matter what the original problem is because here we are faced with a bigger intergenerational problem that is really starting to affect their children and their grandchildren.

They might not even realise what their actions are doing to others, they are quite happy to be pissing each other off and forgetting they have an audience, and a very personal and loving one at that. So we need to try and fix this  and thats where you come in.

CLEARING THE FOG

You say your husband said it to them, but I wonder what he actually said? Heres what you need to say to both your in-laws. Ask them both what they like about having the family over on a Sunday and what it means to them to have their grandchildren around.

Id dig deeper into this and wait for some real answers. Ask them what emotions they feel when the house is full and not empty like it is most of the time.

What we are doing here is starting off on a positive note and a note that they both might not be expecting. What youre really doing is clearing the fog and creating a clear picture.

Your in-laws might dislike each other like you say, and we cant change that fact, only they can do something about that, but we can remind them that outside that issue there is a bigger world of happiness with the whole family.

What Im trying to avoid is going in with two big wellington boots and saying: Look, we all know you dont get on and that is fine, but the way you both are acting when we are here is very upsetting for everyone, and now your grandchildren have begun to notice the tension in the house and if it continues they dont want to come over anymore, is this what you want?.

It might well come to this at the very end out of frustration on your side, but try and hold your nerve. Its important to know you only need to get one of them on side first. The way theyre acting, the other will soon follow because they are acting like children.

If this situation were to continue, can you imagine the effect it would have on everyone, especially the grandchildren? They would be asking if this was the norm when you get older, and youd have a tough time convincing them that it wasnt.

We must remember that your in-laws are from a different generation and might have seen this behaviour before. They might not have realised that it was sinking in with them, which is sad too, but this is all cyclical and its time to break this cycle and make sure its not passed on anymore.

Both in-laws staying in two different rooms when you are over needs to be addressed. Everybody needs to be in the kitchen together at the start, people can do what they want after a while.

You need to say this to them and that they need to go back to putting on a front for an hour every week. If one of them cant, then youll be meeting only one of them, and they might have to take turns meeting in the house.

If this is not a runner, then youll be meeting in your house on different days. The main thing is that youve spoken to them about this and explained how everyone is feeling, and this is happening for the good of everyone.

I would remind your in-laws that the reason you are going to the bother of all of this is because you care. In the environment theyre in, the word care wouldnt even feature in their dreams.

If their relationship is gone, and it sounds like it is, then they need to focus on the other people in the family and their relationship with them. You have a tough task ahead of you, but one that is so worth doing.

Once you get the in-laws away from pointing the finger at each other and directing their attention at other happy parts of the family, like someone doing well in an exam etc, well have a great start.

Sign up for our Irish Examiner Lifestyle newsletter.
Detectives investigating the death of 43-year-old Rachel Simpson in Belfast have charged a man to court.

Police launched an investigation after Ms Simpsons body was discovered in the garage of a house in Castlereagh Road on Friday evening.
Paramedics rushed to the assistance of a young woman who was highly intoxicated in Cork city centre and she reacted by smearing her blood on the ambulance.

Inspector Brendan McKenna said that because of the womans actions, a second ambulance had to be dispatched to the scene to take her to hospital.

Rachel Forde, age 33, of 28A Cushing Road, Farranree, Cork, faced sentencing at Cork District Court on Friday following her plea of guilty to charges of being so intoxicated that she was a danger to herself or others and engaging in threatening behaviour.

Her solicitor Eddie Burke said: Things had fallen down for her around this time. She is now 16 months clear following full residential treatment in Coolmine.

Mr Burke said the accused was now actively participating in her local Alcoholics Anonymous and getting on with her life.

She is ashamed to be before the court for something like this. She knows how serious it is for the emergency services, Mr Burke said.

Judge John King said: The difficulty is that this was the emergency services going to her assistance. And she is disabling an ambulance for someone who might need it.

These are paramedics who are entitled to perform their duties without this kind of treatment. It is an aggravating factor.

The judge did not require a probation report and said he was taking Mr Burkes word that his client had changed her life around. He directed Forde to do 80 hours of community service to avoid four weeks in prison.

Inspector McKenna said the incident occurred at Paul Street, Cork, at 11.30pm on February 22, 2023.

An ambulance crew arrived at the scene where Rachel Forde was bleeding from a head wound.

Initially, she had been refusing treatment and smearing her blood around the ambulance, Insp McKenna said.

The Probation Service required a four-week adjournment so that the defendants suitability for community service could be assessed and Judge King granted that adjournment at Cork District Court.
Lapland is a land of amazing landscapes, aurora borealis, endless forests and snow-covered expanses. This region is associated with Christmas fairy tales, reindeer, Santa Claus, and winter adventures.

ADVERTISIMENT

Unfortunately, this corner of Northern Europe is facing a serious problem: demographic decline. Euronews spoke to the local authorities about what measures they plan to take to improve the situation .

Glommerstrosk, a small town in Lapland known for its picturesque scenery, is facing a serious demographic crisis. In the 1950s, its population was about 1,000, but now it has only 200 residents.

The situation with school-age children has become particularly critical - there are so few of them, 23 in fact, that the local primary school is under threat of closure. In this case, students will be forced to travel about 40 kilometers every day to the nearest school in Arvidsyaur.

ADVERTISIMENT

The secondary school had already closed in 2009 after the number of students dropped to 18. This situation forced the local authorities and the community to look for innovative solutions to restore life in the village.

Moving conditions: what is on offer?

The local organization Glommersbygdens Framtid, which means "The Future of Glommersbygdens," has launched a financial incentive program to attract new residents. They offer families with children a financial assistance of SEK 10,000 (about 875 euros) for moving to the community.

ADVERTISIMENT

The first five families who decide to settle in Glommerstorsk will receive this reward. However, there are conditions: children must attend a local Parkskolan school for at least one school year.

In addition to financial assistance, Glommersbygdens Framtid will help families find housing and even provide a list of possible vacancies in the region. Interestingly, the program is open not only to citizens of the European Union but also to those who have a residence permit in Sweden. Thus, the opportunity to move to Lapland is open to many people.

Subscribe to the OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.
A 50 million pledge from the Government to rebuild Casement Park remains in place, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

The Taoiseach said while he shares the disappointment that the stadium will not be built in time for Euro 2028, the opportunity to have a top-class sporting facility in Belfast must not be lost.

Mr Harris said he will meet with the GAA as well as engaging with Northern Irelands First and deputy First Ministers, Michelle ONeill and Emma Little-Pengelly.

On Friday, the British Government announced it will not fund the redevelopment of the west Belfast GAA stadium in time for the Euros.

It cited concerns over cost as well as doubts that the stadium could be constructed in time for test events to be carried out in advance of the tournament.

Casement Park had been earmarked to stage five matches at Euro 2028, which is being co-hosted by Ireland and Britain.

Mr Harris said: This weekends announcement that the British Government is not in a position to complete the development of Casement Park in time for Euro 2028 has been met with understandable disappointment.

The overriding factor is the doubt around Casement being ready in time for the tournament and its test events.

Casement Park stadium in west Belfast is currently derelict (Niall Carson/PA)

I share the disappointment that Euro 2028 games will not be played at a redeveloped Casement, but we must not lose sight of the opportunity to have another top-class sporting facility in a city that thrives on sport.

I will meet with the GAA in the coming week, and I have already confirmed to (British) Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the 50 million euro the Irish Government pledged to the project will remain in place, regardless of the decision around Euro 2028.

Mr Harris said how to proceed with the Casement project is now a matter for the Stormont Executive and the UK Government.

He added: I will engage with the First and deputy First Ministers on how we can help.

It is essential the positive effects of Ireland and the UK co-hosting Euro 2028 is felt in all parts of these islands.

We will work closely with the UK and all stakeholders to achieve this.
A young nurse is destined to spend the rest of her life in prison but she may be a victim of a miscarriage of justice.

So goes the current narrative around Lucy Letby, who is serving a whole of life prison sentence in the UK for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven other infants.

A campaign to free Ms Letby taps into different currents of modern culture that affect us all.

Last year Letby was convicted of the crimes, alleged to have occurred in the Countess Of Chester Hospital in 2015/16, following one of the longest trials in British legal history.

The jury failed to reach a verdict on one of the attempted murder charges. That was retried earlier this year and the 33-year-old neonatal nurse was convicted on that charge as well.

As things stand, she is destined to die in prison.

Following the second trial a reporter for The New Yorker magazine wrote a 13,000 word article throwing doubt on some of the evidence.

The case built against Ms Letby was entirely circumstantial; issues have also been raised about evidence on statistics used in the trial.

Another element of the campaign to free Ms Letby concerns the quality of legal representation she had.

For instance, six medical experts gave evidence for the prosecution, but none were presented by the defence.

A further concern expressed is the lack of motive adduced by the prosecution.

The article kicked off a campaign that has attracted interest from far and wide.

David Davies, a veteran Conservative MP  known in this country for his hard Brexit views  has stated that it is highly probable that she is innocent.

At the other end of the political spectrum, socialist Guardian columnist Owen Jones has opined that her conviction is unsafe.

There are medical experts, legal heads and journalists who have also expressed extreme unease about Ms Letbys fate.

Letby was convicted of the crimes alleged to have occurred in the Countess Of Chester Hospital in 2015/16.

What is unusual is that any suggestion of a miscarriage has followed hot on the heels of Mr Letbys conviction.

No new evidence has been uncovered; all of the issues raised have been about the conduct of the legal process.

None of those involved or supporting the campaign were present for the 10 months of the first trial in particular. The jury was and they decided the case on the facts.

The jury in the second trial did likewise. A three judge panel of judges determined that Ms Letby did not have a case for appeal.

Apart from that, there is nothing unusual in a case being decided entirely on circumstantial evidence.

Many trials, including those for murder, are based entirely on circumstantial evidence and if that is strong enough there is little dispute about the outcome.

There may be questions about the statistical evidence heard, which concerned the chances of some of the childrens deaths occurring where Ms Letby was not on duty at the time, but others have suggested that this was a minor strand of the prosecution case.

Lack of expert medical evidence in defence

As for the lack of expert medical evidence presented by the defence, it is known that lawyers did brief two experts but they were not called.

One possible explanation for this is that the lawyers determined that the medical evidence they had to give would not help the case.

All of this is occurring against the background of the opening of a public inquiry last week into the infants deaths.

At the outset of proceedings last week the chair of the inquiry, Lady Justice Thrillwall, said that the outpouring of comment on the validity of Letbys convictions had created a noise that has caused an enormous amount of stress for the parents of her victims.

That is an entirely valid position but equally if the outpouring of comment has a solid basis then it deserves to be heard and finely analysed.

Yet the whole campaign, as it has progressed so far, is somewhat unsettling.

Much of it feeds into a sense of disbelief that a young nurse could callously kill infants in her care.

Chair of the inquiry Lady Justice Thirlwall at Liverpool Town Hall last week, ahead of hearings into the murders and attempted murders of babies by nurse Lucy Letby. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA

Into that milieu an article challenging facts can go viral across social media.

In an era of the proliferation of conspiracy theories, and the capacity of social media clips to distort reality, a narrative does not have to be based on verifiable facts to take flight and harden.

Another element of current trends feeding into the campaign is the depleting trust in institutions.

Scepticism is always necessary, but the prevailing culture today has, in some quarters, accelerated this into cynicism.

Miscarriages of justice do occur. We know from experience in this country that it can take decades before such an injustice is rectified.

If there is real substance to the Letby campaign she should not have to endure years of a grindingly slow process.

One course of action would be to re-visit the application for appeal in the hope that the three judge panel may, in light of what is emerging, at least review the decision not to grant an appeal.

The court system in operation in the UK is similar to this country and in general terms is robust.

A full appeal should be equipped to deal with any concerns that have a legitimate basis or to determine that the mushrooming campaign does not have a sound basis.

In the round, the case gives rise to unsettling questions around the processing of criminal justice in a culture where old attitudes, some bad, others worthwhile, are fast disappearing.
A long-range missile fired from Yemen has landed in an open area in central Israel, the military has said.

The attack early on Sunday triggered air raid sirens, including at Ben Gurion International Airport, where local media aired footage of people racing to shelters. There were no reports of casualties or damage, and the airport authority said operations resumed as normal shortly afterwards.

A fire could be seen in a rural area of central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be a fragment from a missile or interceptor that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin. The military said the sound of explosions in the area came from interceptors.

Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel since the start of the nearly year-long war between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

In July, an Iranian-made drone launched by the Houthis struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and injuring 10 others. Israel responded with a wave of air strikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen.

A firefighter works in the area around a fire after the Israeli military fired interceptors at a missile launched from Yemen (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)

The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, in what the rebels portray as a blockade on Israel in support of the Palestinians. Most of the targeted ships have no connection to Israel.

The war in Gaza, which began with Hamass October 7 attack into southern Israel, has rippled across the region, with Iran and allied militant groups attacking Israeli and US targets and drawing retaliatory strikes from Israel and its Western allies. On several occasions, the strikes and counter-strikes have threatened to trigger a wider conflict.

Iran supports militant groups across the region, including Hamas, the Houthis and Lebanons Hezbollah, its most powerful ally, which has traded fire with Israel on a near-daily basis since the war in Gaza began. Iran and its allies say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

The Israeli military said around 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon early on Sunday, with most intercepted or falling in open areas.

The strikes along the Israel-Lebanon border have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides. Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a wider military operation against Hezbollah to ensure its citizens can return to their homes.
Eight people have died while trying to cross the English Channel overnight.

The French maritime prefecture for the English Channel and the North Sea said 53 people were on board a boat which got into difficulty off the coast of Ambleteuse in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France.

A rescue operation was launched but eight people were confirmed dead, the prefecture said in a statement.

(PA Graphics)

Jacques Billant, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, told French media on Sunday that six people were taken to hospital in relative emergency, including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia.

He said the boat quickly got into trouble after it set off, and appears to have crashed into rocks.

He added that the eight who died were all adult men.

Survivors of the accident come from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran, he added.

Nobody risks their life travelling across the Channel in a small boat unless they feel they have no other choice

A UK Government spokesperson said French authorities are leading the investigation.

We can confirm there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters, the spokesperson said.

French authorities are leading the response and investigation. We will not be commenting further at this stage.

British Red Cross said the deaths were tragic, as the charity organisation called for more safe crossing routes for migrants.

Nobody risks their life travelling across the Channel in a small boat unless they feel they have no other choice, the director for refugee support, Alex Fraser, said.

More safe routes are urgently needed to help prevent people from taking dangerous journeys to reach the UK.

(PA Graphics)

It comes less than two weeks after 12 migrants died when their boat sank trying to cross the Channel.

A pregnant woman and six children were among those killed in the incident on September 3, with up to 65 people rescued off the coast of Cap Gris-Nez.

More than 30 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year.

Before this month, the French coastguard had recorded at least 19 Channel crossing deaths in 2024, including nine since the start of July. Last year, 12 migrants are thought to have died or were recorded as missing.

Responding to reports of the deaths, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: Its awful. Its a further loss of life.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the Government is continuing work on how we go after the people-smuggling gangs (Lucy North/PA)

He told the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme he had been to the National Crime Agency and seen the awful sort of rubber dinghies that people are coming across the Channel with, many of them, of course, not able to make it in these contraptions.

The Government has been discussing how we go after those gangs, in co-operation upstream with other European partners, he added.

Sir Keir Starmer will be in Italy on Monday for talks with counterpart Giorgia Meloni about her efforts to tackle the problem and the work they have done, particularly, with Albania.

The Prime Minister has said he is interested in the rollout of the policy, under which Tirana will accept asylum seekers on Italys behalf while their claims are processed.

On Saturday, French maritime authorities said more than 200 people were rescued in the Channel in a 24-hour period from Friday to Saturday.

Some 22,440 people have crossed the Channel so far this year, with nearly 9,000 having made the crossing since the general election.
A hearing about the deaths of five people who were killed when a submersible imploded while diving to the wreck of the Titanic will open on Monday.

British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood were killed on board the deep-sea vessel in June last year, alongside French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Stockton Rush, who was the chief executive of OceanGate Expeditions  which ran the expedition  was also killed.

The deep-sea vessel was on an expedition to the Titanic wreckage around 435 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland, when it lost contact with the tour operator an hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent, with the vessel reported missing eight hours after communication was lost.

The deep-sea vessel was on an expedition to the Titanic wreckage around 435 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland (OceanGate Expeditions/PA)

After days of searching, wreckage from the submersible was recovered from the ocean floor near the Titanic.

On Monday, a marine board of investigation hearing into the tragedy will open in Charleston, South Carolina.

The investigation will hear from 24 witnesses over two weeks, including former executives of OceanGate.

Jason Neubauer, chairman of the Titan Marine Board of Investigation, held a press conference on Sunday ahead of the hearing.

Over the past 15 months, our team has worked continuously, in close co-ordination with multiple federal agencies, international partners and industry experts to uncover the facts surrounding this incident, he said.

These proceedings are not just a formality. They are a critical step in our mission to understand the contributing factors that led to the incident and, more importantly, the actions needed to prevent a similar occurrence

He said the upcoming hearing would allow them to hear key evidence from expert witnesses.

These proceedings are not just a formality, he said.

They are a critical step in our mission to understand the contributing factors that led to the incident and, more importantly, the actions needed to prevent a similar occurrence.

He said the purpose of the hearing was to uncover the facts, but if they find evidence of a criminal act then they will present those findings to the US Department of Justice.

We are charged to also detect misconduct or negligence by credentialed mariners, and if theres any detection of a criminal act, we can make a recommendation to the Department of Justice, he said.
Online work is becoming increasingly popular in Ukraine, and one of the most accessible professions is copywriting. The fact is that although writing texts is not as easy as it seems, it is still easier to learn how to do it at a basic level than, for example, to build websites or do programming. Moreover, some companies are willing to pay more than USD 1,200 (UAH 50,000) for such work.

ADVERTISIMENT

For example, on a popular job search site, you can find a copywriter job with a salary of USD 1,000 to 1,300 (UAH 41,400 to 53,500). A high level of English is a prerequisite.

An international product company, EdTech Company, is looking for an SEO copywriter with a salary of USD 628 to 725 (UAH 26,000 to 30,000). "Writing unique and optimized content (articles) for the company's website, taking into account SEO principles. Work experience as an SEO copywriter or similar positions for at least 2 years," the ad says.

The IT company is ready to pay SEO copywriter from USD 567 to 1040 (UAH 23,500 to 43,120). "Part-time job with hourly pay or based on performance," the job description reads. The requirements include experience in copywriting, basic knowledge of SEO copywriting, and an advanced level of written English.

ADVERTISIMENT

English teachers are offered about 40 thousand

English teachers can also count on good earnings in Ukraine. The number of such vacancies on HR portals is several hundred, and some employers are willing to pay such specialists up to USD 966 (UAH 40,000).

For example, one of the schools is looking for a teacher with a salary of USD 600 845 (UAH 25,000 to 35,000). They will need to teach English to groups and individuals using the Callan method (full immersion in the language environment).

And an online language school is looking for a teacher with B2-C2 fluency. They are ready to pay from USD 240 to 966 (UAH 10,000 to 40,000).

As reported, in general, in the near future the Ukrainian labor market will be in a rather static state: neither a sharp increase in vacancies nor a surge in dismissals is expected in the main sectors of the economy. However, there are still companies that intend to change the number of employees. And these expectations are negative: they will dismiss employees much more often than they will hire new ones in almost all key areas.

ADVERTISIMENT

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  Refugees International has issued a new report about hunger in Gaza.

The authors say, Contrary to the official Israeli pushback, research and analysis by Refugees International has corroborated evidence of a severe hunger crisis in Gaza and found consistent indications that famine-like conditions occurred in northern areas during the first half of 2024.

Translation: The Israelis are lying about it, but there was famine in northern Gaza in February-March.

In this regard, they quote a Palestinian aid worker: There were many cases of extreme starvation throughout Gaza, especially in the north. After the [November] ceasefire failed and the IDF controlled all access into Gaza, blocking entry points, there were very few supplies for two months People would go out to get flour, stay out for three or four days [waiting for scheduled convoys], fail, and return home empty-handed, risking their lives for food.

An UNRWA worker said, Even when UNRWA sent aid convoys with flour and supplies [to the north], some were looted along the way. When they finally reached distribution points, the Israeli military fired on people trying to receive food aidblood mixed with flour, it was horrible. We know of several such flour massacres by Israeli troops.

The RI report continues, Refugees International also found that the ebbs and flows in hunger conditions are closely linked to Israeli government restrictions and concessions on aid access, and to the conduct of the Israeli military.

Translation: The Israeli military caused the famine by throttling aid and by military actions that made what aid did come into Gaza impossible to distribute.

Then they say, International pressure on the Israeli government in March and April, following warnings of imminent famine in parts of Gaza, prompted a series of Israeli concessions around aid and commercial access.

Translation: The International Court of Justice announced that famine is setting in in Gaza on March 29, 2024. The Biden administration freaked out at the reports reaching them from aid agencies on the ground in March-April and read Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the riot act, forcing him to let more food aid in and to stop obstructing its distribution with arbitrary bombings of the sort that killed 6 World Food Kitchen workers.

New paragraph: These shifts enabled a brief period of stabilizing conditions in April that altered the rapidly worsening hunger trajectory seen in February and early March, and that likely deferred an otherwise imminent descent into widespread famine.

Had it not been for this severe international pressure on Netanyahu, and his acquiescence to it, widespread famine would have broken out in Gaza this summer. The April food pipeline changed the situation dramatically.

They add, However, this improvement was short-lived, and conditions have again been deteriorating badly since the Rafah offensive in May.

Translation: When Netanyahu violated President Joe Bidens red line and invaded and destroyed Rafah, he displaced over a million people yet again, engaged in widespread military maneuvers that destroyed Rafah city, and again made food hard to get. Likewise, he took control of the Rafah crossing, through which the Egyptians had allowed aid to enter, and shut it down. That loss of a key provisioning checkpoint again raised the specter of famine.

After Rafah, the food deliveries through Israeli checkpoints fell off a cliff, as the World Food Programme chart shows:



Hat tip Refugees International .

They conclude: Without a more widespread and enduring course-correction on aid access, civilian protection, and humanitarian security, there remains a grave risk of famine conditions spiraling once again.

Translation: The March projections of massive famine were temporarily averted but deadly hunger is now again stalking 2 million people.

They remind us that famine is defined by the IPC this way:

Famine (IPC Phase 5) Definition: Famine is classified as an extreme deprivation of food affecting a population, leading to starvation, death, and destitution. It is officially declared when:

 20% or more households cannot access enough food.

 30% or more children suffer from acute malnutrition.

 Two or more deaths per 10,000 people happen daily due to starvation or related causes

They plead with the Israeli government to 1) Open more border checkpoints for ongoing humanitarian access, and reinstate critical services to avert any further danger of famine; 2) Halt compulsory evacuations, which undermine the effectiveness of humanitarian efforts and significantly increase the vulnerability of Palestinian civilians; 3) Guarantee that the Israeli army strictly follows deconfliction protocols to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian aid and staff throughout Gaza; and 4) Remove all limitations on crucial aid supplies and allow UN agencies or agreed-upon neutral parties to conduct inspections, following models from Syria and Yemen.

I think we can reverse engineer these recommendations to conclude that the Israelis are not operating enough border checkpoints for entry of aid, and have cut off severely needed services that might forestall a famine.

Further, constant Israeli expulsions of Palestinians here and there are vastly increasing the problem of hunger and the likelihood of famine and they should cut it out.

Then, the Israeli military should stop firing on aid workers, killing and injuring them after careful agreements were crafted that the aid workers could safely operate.

Finally, the Israelis are limiting necessary aid supplies with their own arbitrary inspections. They often send back entire truckloads because they found one item they considered prohibited, like surgical scissors.

The report goes on to take apart the mealy-mouthed Israeli excuses and denials when presented with this reality.

Malnutrition is now 7 to 8% in some governorates of Gaza. Things all along have been worse than the projections.

RI warns, As a result of these cumulative challenges, one UN official told Refugees International that Gaza was always two weeks away from a famine due to the IDFs refusal to normalize free-flowing aid. UN health officials have reported a significant surge in documented malnutrition cases, with a 170 percent increase across Gaza and a staggering 300 percent rise in the northern region. The surge reflects a more comprehensive screening effort for Palestinian children, previously infeasible due to access constraints and security challenges. The new data reveals that many cases of acute malnutrition had gone unreported, as earlier figures had underestimated the crisiss scale.

If the apocalyptic figures coming out of Gaza were an underestimate, then the situation is dire indeed.
By David DeWitt | 

(Ohio Capital Journal )  Sometimes the disgusting sewer of presidential year politics hits a little too close to home, and you end up watching a national conversation play out largely divorced from reality or the actual experiences of communities intimately connected to your own life.

Thats what happened to me Monday as I watched Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance lie about legal Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, and  displaying no sense of conscience whatsoever  make an abhorrent insinuation about them. His purpose, it appears, was a trollish attempt to mislead the public and prey on peoples hatreds and fears. I suppose he thinks thats good politics.

Meanwhile, after last week using Haitians in Springfield baselessly to attempt to justify his claim that migrants are terrorizing our communities, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost followed up Monday by announcing court action to try to get a federal judge to limit migrants coming to Ohio.

Why is this all so disturbing to me?

Three generations of my family called Springfield home, and its played a huge role in my life. My parents both grew up in Springfield and Ive been visiting my whole life. Two sets of my great-grandparents raised their families there. I had one grandfather who retired from International Harvester and another who was an insurance agent in Springfield for decades. I had one grandmother who was a librarian at North High School and another who worked for the local bank. Both of my parents (and two of my grandparents) graduated from Wittenberg. Mike and Rosys Deli, Cassanos Pizza, fishing at the C.J. Brown Dam, family parties at the Polo Club, trips down to Youngs Jersey Dairy or Clifton Gorge, these are all staples of my childhood. I have nothing but love for Springfield and the whole area.

Meanwhile, my partners parents are Haitian immigrants who moved to America in their teens and have led such impressively successful lives it blows me away. Theyve shown me nothing but love and kindness and have also played a huge role in my life. Haitian food has become something I cant go without. I have jars of epis and pikliz in my fridge at all times. I am obsessed with diri kole ak pwa and griot and boulette. I have been working on learning both Spanish and Haitian Creole for several years now; I read every book I can find on Haitian history; and have danced the night away with the most kind and loving people I can imagine more times than I can remember. I have nothing but love for them and their whole family.

Even though theyve never lived in Ohio, this is what makes this conversation about Haitians in Springfield so difficult for me to stomach. Both the Haitian community and Springfield community live in my heart, and Im disgusted by the politics being played on both of them.

Using peoples lives and communities as a political cudgel to stoke fear and hatred and outrage with lies and innuendo is a low, base, nasty, reckless, destructive thing to do, and I do not understand what is in the hearts of politicians who indulge in it.

So lets just clear away the muck before we can proceed to a more adult conversation: Vance keeps incorrectly claiming the Haitian community in Springfield are illegal immigrants. They are not illegal immigrants. They are legal immigrants. They are lawfully in the country. Some are newly arrived legal migrants with work permits, some are fully naturalized U.S. citizens.

What Vance insinuates about pets is indefensible. Its sad that the Springfield News-Sun even had to fact-check it. Its a disgusting racist lie from the extremist right-wing internet, and Vance perpetuated it to millions of followers. Shame on him.

As for Vances claim that Haitians are causing chaos all over Springfield, and Yost pointing to Haitians in Springfield as an example of migrants terrorizing our communities, I have no idea what theyre talking about. Go to Springfield and tell me where to find the chaos and terror, because every time Ive been the last four years, I havent seen it.

Something extraordinary has happened in Springfield since the pandemic though, with the influx of thousands of Haitian immigrants. The actual number is hard to pin down. City officials have estimated up to 20,000, but estimates of 10,000 and 15,000 have also been made.

By most accounts, the Haitians have helped revitalize Springfield, the New York Times reported last week. They are assembling car engines at Honda, running vegetable-packing machines at Dole and loading boxes at distribution centers. They are paying taxes on their wages and spending money at Walmart. On Sundays they gather at churches for boisterous, joyful services in Haitian Creole.

But the speed and volume of arrivals have put pressure on housing, schools and hospitals. The community health clinic saw a 13-fold increase in Haitian patients between 2021 and 2023, from 115 to 1,500, overwhelming its staff and budget.

The Times details how, after decades of shrinking and uncertainty, Springfield was able to attract new manufacturing and business with a strategic plan, and by 2020 had drawn in food-service firms, logistics companies, and a microchip maker, among others:

But soon there were not enough workers. Many young, working-age people had descended into addiction. Others shunned entry-level, rote work altogether, employers said. Haitians who heard that the Springfield area boasted well-paying, blue-collar jobs and a low cost of living poured in, and employers were eager to hire and train the new work force. The Haitians had Social Security numbers and work permits, thanks to a federal program that offered them temporary protection in the United States. Some had been living for years in places like Florida, where there is a thriving Haitian community.

So what, in fact, do we have going on here?

We have a large population increase over a short period of time; we have a language barrier that can cause various strains; we have housing, schooling, and health services that need adequate resources to deal with a massive and rapid adjustment.

We also have an eager, dutiful, law-abiding, and peaceful workforce helping revitalize a city and helping local businesses thrive; we have a citys population swelling instead of declining; we have an influx of new taxpayers and consumers filling blue-collar jobs, paying property taxes, shopping at local stores, and contributing to their community.

Are there struggles? Absolutely.

Is it chaos and terror? Absolutely not.

Is there opportunity for both the city of Springfield and the Haitian community to thrive together? Without a doubt.



Wolf in Sheeps Clothing, Digital, Midjourney, 2024.

Will it all be easy? No. Will it be worth it in the long-run? Yes.

Serious people should discuss serious solutions to serious issues. Politicians using dangerous rhetoric to whip people up into a frenzy of misinformed anger and viciousness is not needed and not helpful.

With Nazis already marching through downtown Springfield, Im sickened that statewide elected leaders would instigate and inflame the situation even further.

We must be better than that, and we must demand better than that from our elected officials.

To any Haitians new to Springfield, Sak pase, zanmi m. Mwen akeyi ou!

And to my friends and family in Springfield, I hope you will welcome the stranger, too. In them youll find some of the kindest, warmest, most remarkable people you will ever meet.
Russia is actively expanding its economic presence in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine by opening new branches of state-owned banks such as Sberbank and VTB. However, most of the Kremlin's companies are still wary of entering these markets due to the low solvency of the population.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was reported by the Financial Times. The Kremlin is encouraging Russian companies to do business in the regions seized since the beginning of the large-scale invasion.

However, despite the imposed sanctions and the risks associated with operating in war zones, two of Russia's largest state-owned banks, Sberbank and VTB, have begun to expand their operations in these regions. Sberbank, in particular, has opened 48 new branches and 130 ATMs in southern and eastern Ukraine. In Mariupol, a city that was severely damaged during the fighting, six mobile branches have been set up. However, despite the opening of the branches, Sberbank had previously suspended its operations in Crimea in 2014, but has now reopened an office on the peninsula.

During a meeting with representatives of the financial sector, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for more active entry into the occupied regions. "Everything you feared - sanctions - has already happened. So what do you have to fear anymore?" Putin said, encouraging business expansion in these territories.

ADVERTISIMENT

VTB also announced plans to serve customers in the temporarily occupied territories by the end of 2024, opening a new branch in Luhansk in July this year. However, many Russian entrepreneurs are in no hurry to follow suit, in part because of concerns about possible Western sanctions and the high risks of doing business in conflict zones.

Most Russian companies are avoiding entering the markets of the temporarily occupied territories, in particular Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, because of the low solvency of the population and high risks. "Smart companies will not go there - it is simply unprofitable. Solvency is low there, with mostly pensioners and civil servants. The risks are high," said a representative of the Russian retail sector.

For many years, large Russian retailers, banks and other businesses have been wary of opening offices and stores in regions such as Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk. However, Sberbank returned to Crimea, opening a new office in 2023, after ceasing operations in 2014.

ADVERTISIMENT

Companies operating in the occupied territories face difficulties, including supply and transportation. For example, after announcing the launch of Russian online marketplaces in these areas, companies such as Ozon and Wildberries quickly abandoned their plans due to the lack of proper logistics and transportation. Residents of these areas are forced to rely on unofficial courier services to receive goods, which further complicates the situation.

As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, Chinese banks have almost completely stopped accepting direct payments from Russia due to fears of being subject to international sanctions . Only 2% of financial institutions accept money from the aggressor country.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!

ADVERTISIMENT




Sunday, September 15, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has suffered an immense blow in his bid to control the larger Mt Kenya region after 500 elders from Mt Kenya East endorsed Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kithure Kindiki, as the regions kingpin.

The 500 elders from Meru, Embu, and Tharaka Nithi counties met at the Izaak Walton Hotel in Embu and endorsed Kithure Kindiki as the region's political kingpin.

"To ensure we remain focused on development, we endorse the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, to be the link between our region, the President and his Government.

"We believe his national stature will help foster good relations with other regions," the elders said in a statement read by Cyrus Ngeranwa Elder from Embu.

The Mt Kenya East elders cited rising political tensions in the region, which they said have distracted them from important development issues.

They said this is despite efforts by President Ruto to develop the region.

"While we recognize the Presidents efforts to bring growth and prosperity, we are concerned about the rising political tensions.

"These tensions distract us from the more important issues, such as completing development projects, improving the economic well-being of our farmers, and creating opportunities for our youth.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Saturday, September 14, 2024 - At least 15 people have been killed this week in escalating violence between rival factions of Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, authorities confirmed on Friday, September 13.

The northwestern state of Sinaloa, long a stronghold of the cartel, has been rocked by gunfire, abductions, and arson, prompting the government to send security reinforcements to the region.

The surge in violence follows the July arrest of cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada in the United States. Zambada, 76, who claimed he was kidnapped in Mexico and handed over to U.S. authorities against his will, is facing charges alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of the notorious drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. El Chapo is currently serving a life sentence in the U.S.

The violence in Sinaloas capital, Culiacan, is believed to be part of an internal power struggle within the cartel. Factions loyal to El Chapo and his sons are reportedly clashing with those aligned with Zambada, who pleaded not guilty to numerous charges in a New York court on Friday.

The rivalry stems from the events of July 25, said Sinaloa state governor Ruben Rocha Moya, referring to Zambadas arrest.

Amid the turmoil, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador urged the warring factions to act with a minimum of responsibility and avoid harming innocent civilians. He called on residents to act with caution, but without alarmism, expressing hope that normality would soon return to Culiacan.

The state prosecutors office reported that, in addition to the 15 confirmed deaths, it is investigating 20 suspected cases of forced disappearances. The violence has led to the closure of schools in some districts, and Independence Day festivities have been cancelled across the state.

There will be no celebration, neither public nor private, Governor Rocha Moya announced. Businesses across Culiacan have closed, and supermarkets are facing shortages due to panic buying. The National Chamber of Commerce warned that workers no longer feel safe to go to their jobs, and business owners are struggling to operate amid the chaos.

The United States issued a security alert on Thursday, warning citizens of reports of car thefts, gunfire, and burning vehicles in and around Culiacan. It urged U.S. citizens to remain alert for potential violence throughout the state.

Culiacan has seen cartel-related unrest in recent years. Violent riots erupted in October 2019 following a botched security operation to capture El Chapos son, Ovidio Guzman, and again in January 2023 when he was finally arrested.

Mexico has faced relentless violence tied to drug trafficking and organized crime, with over 450,000 people murdered since 2006.




Sunday, September 15, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has labeled the 48 Mt. Kenya leaders who endorsed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as the region's political kingpin as enemies of the community, accusing them of being used like tissue paper to divide the vote-rich region.

Speaking on Saturday, Gachagua stated that all 48 MPs who endorsed Kindiki also supported the 2023 and 2024 Finance Bills, which imposed high taxes on Kenyans

Gachagua claimed that the 48 MPs have no development record and urged the Mt. Kenya electorate to send them home in 2027, labeling them as "sellouts."

Get yourself a pen and a book, and write down all the development projects each of these leaders will bring to you.

"If a leader brings development projects, you can decide to vote for them in the next general election.

"But if in your book you have not registered any development, you shall decide accordingly," Gachagua said.

Political pundits have suggested that the ongoing conflicts in the Mt. Kenya region are being sponsored by President William Ruto, who aims to divide the region ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
The human desire to decorate their space with meaningful symbols naturally extends to cars. This is how the culture of sticking stickers and various decorative elements on the body appeared. Often among them you can find a simple minimalist sign in the shape of a fish.

ADVERTISIMENT

OBOZREVATEL figured out what exactly this sign is. As well as what it means and why it is so popular.

The Ichthys fish

This symbol has its own name - it is Ichthys. And it is an ancient symbol of Christianity.

During the persecution of the early followers of the religion in the Roman Empire, Ichthys was used instead of the cross or crucifix we are used to now. It was used by Christians to recognize each other and mark their places of service.

The sign originated as an acronym for the name of Jesus Christ, encoded in the Greek phrase   o  . In Ukrainian, this is translated as "Jesus Christ the Son of God the Savior." The first letters of this phrase form the word , which means "fish".

What do fish and Christianity have in common?

From a symbolic point of view, fish is called a symbol of Christ because some of his disciples were involved in fishing. The apostles Peter and Andrew were fishermen. Jesus called them to himself, offering them to become "fishers of men."

ADVERTISIMENT

In addition, the Gospel mentions a miracle performed by Christ, when he fed a large number of people with five loaves of bread and two fish. And there were 12 more baskets left over from the multiplied food.

To protect themselves from persecution, early Christians painted fish on their homes. When asked, the guards would explain that this sign was related to the fishing industry that the residents of the house were engaged in. This saved many lives and helped Christianity take root and spread.

The Ichthys symbol on modern cars

Representatives of all branches of Christianity - Orthodox, Catholics, and Protestants - decorate their cars with the symbolic image. This fish does not have a strict confessional connection.

In this case, ichthys is used as a road talisman. The driver of such a vehicle feels under God's protection.

ADVERTISIMENT

But why don't believing drivers use a more familiar cross? It's simple - this symbol is also associated with the funeral ritual, and the crucifixion is also associated with the suffering of Christ. In this sense, the fish looks more neutral, but it has a similar sacred meaning.

They stick Ichthys on the back of the trunk. It can also be seen on the rear window of cars and other places on the car. It can be an ordinary sticker, or it can be a metal element. The material it is made of is not important. What matters is the meaning of the symbol.

However, you can hope for higher powers, but it is even more reliable to enlist the support of an experienced mechanic.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL's Telegram and Viberchannels to keep up with the latest developments.




Sunday, September 15, 2024  Nairobi, Machakos and Turkana counties have been rated as the worst in terms of wastage.

In a report unveiled by the Controller of Budget (CoB) Margret Nyakang'o, National and County governments continue to waste public funds on excessive and unnecessary travel despite public outcry.

Nyakang'o exposed county governments for spending Ksh17 billion shillings on travel in the 2023/2024 financial year.

According to the CoB, the county leaders used Ksh15.28 billion on domestic travel and Ksh2.32B on foreign travel.

During the financial year, the Controller of Budget noted excessive expenditures by county governments on travel, which may be wasteful, amounted to Ksh17.60 billion, the report stated.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti, and Turkana Governor Jeremiah Ekamais Lomorukai Napotikan led the list of the most traveled governors spending close to Ksh1 billion each on travel.

According to the report, governors and MCAs from Nairobi, Machakos and Turkana travel mostly to China, Canada, Turkey, South Africa, and Dubai.

The controller of the budget described these travels as wasteful and extravagant.

Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) were also faulted for spending so much on domestic travel.

The revelations by the CoB come even as counties face a cash crunch, with most devolved units yet to pay their workers for three months.

Nairobi, Machakos and Turkana cunties were also rated poorly in terms of development.

Nyakang'o advised County governments to minimize travel expenditure by holding activities within their headquarters and allocating the funds to key development programs

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Sunday, September 15, 2024  Allies of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have issued a direct warning to President William Ruto, stating that things will never be the same if he continues to frustrate the DP through allies like Kimani Ichungwah and pushes him out of the government.

Speaking at a roadside rally in Nyeri Town after accompanying the Deputy President to the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show, the allies led by Nyandarua Senator John Methu and Embakasi Central MP Mejja Donk, warned Ruto of serious consequences if Gachagua is pushed out of the government.

"There is someone with an agenda to divide Mt. Kenya. If you see a dog, someone must be holding the leash.

"This message is for the leash holder, Tie your puppets or forget about Mt. Kenya," Mejja Donk stated during the roadside rally.

Donk further questioned why Gachagua continues to be pushed to a corner despite his agreement to accommodate the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) in the government.

"They brought in Raila into government and we accepted. What does that have to do with Rigathi's position?" Donk fired as Gachagua observed.

Similar sentiments were echoed by John Methu who warned that any attempt to force out Gachagua from the government will be met with a similar level of resistance.

"Whatever they decide to do we will respond. We woke up early to vote for you, we are not going to be kicked out," Methu stated.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Sunday, September 15, 2024 - A man believed to be a CIA agent based in Kenya has advised the public to keep off Village Market, a popular shopping mall in Nairobi.

Taking to his account, he cautioned Kenyans who frequent the mall and told them to keep off for the next 60 days.

This comes after the American embassy issued a security alert advising their citizens to be on the lookout for potential kidnappings and attacks on areas frequented by tourists.

Citing past attacks such as the West Gate attack and the Israel attack by Hamas, the U.S. government noted that terrorists may seek to mark the anniversary and thus the need to exercise caution

Terrorist groups could attack with little or no warning, targeting hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls and markets, schools, police stations, places of worship, and other places frequented by foreigners and tourists, stated the U.S. embassy.

The US detailed that acts of terror occur with no warning hence the need to be vigilant at all times.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.






Saturday, September 14, 2024 - Simi Drey and her husband, Julian Flosbach, are expecting her first child.

Simi announced the happy news on Instagram.

The actress and media personality shared photos from her maternity shoot with her husband and wrote in the caption, "Because two people fell in love."

Sumi and Julian got engaged in June 2022. The couple held their traditional marriage and white wedding ceremony in May 2023.

See photos from her maternity shoot below.




Sunday, September 15, 2024 - A section of leaders from Kisumu County has urged Members of the Luo community to pray for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as he contests for the African Union Chairperson seat.

Raila Odinga, 79, is the front-runner in the race and some of his close associates are overconfident that he will clinch the top continental post.

But speaking on Saturday, Kisumu Deputy Governor, Mathew Owili, Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron, Kisumu Women Representative, Ruth Odinga, and Nyakach parliamentary hopeful Okoth Opande, said what Raila needs now is prayers from his people.

The leaders criticised individuals spreading the notion that Raila's victory was already secured.

They noted that the mentality of "gini wasekao," loosely translated as 'we have already won this thing,' should be discarded.

Ruth noted that its essential for Railas supporters to remain calm and spiritually supportive as he prepares for the crucial vote.

"What Raila needs now is prayers for his victory because we are not part of the voters, not celebrations," she said

Owili also noted that there is a lot of excitement and they would want to urge caution and sobriety.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Sunday, September 15, 2024 - President William Ruto has once again garnered international acclaim, receiving the Golden Plate Award from the Academy of Achievement on Thursday.

According to State House, this honour recognises Ruto's exceptional leadership in promoting transparency, accountability, and public participation, qualities that have positioned Kenya as a leader in governance innovation across Africa.

This comes amid the Adani scandal among others where Ruto has been accused of running an opaque government.

The award was presented during the launch of Kenyas 5th National Action Plan (NAP 5) under the Open Government Partnership (OGP), highlighting Kenyas commitment to open governance.

State House, in a statement, hailed the award as a testament to Rutos vision and impact on governance. Kenyas leadership in the OGP framework has set the tone for other African nations, with the country often cited as an example of best practices in open government.

This marks the second time Ruto has received the Golden Plate Award. His first induction into the American Academy of Achievement came in 2022, during a ceremony held in Washington, DC.

At that time, he was recognized by General Charles Q. Brown for his inspiring life story and his rise from humble beginnings in rural Kenya to the highest office in the land.

Wayne Reynolds, Chairman of the Academy, praised Ruto for his perseverance and determination, a journey that resonates with many across the world.

Ruto now joins a distinguished group of global leaders who have been similarly honoured, including former US President Barack Obama, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, and the late South African president Nelson Mandela.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Sunday, September 15, 2024 - The controversy surrounding the partnership between the Kenyan government and Adani Airports Group Holdings for the takeover of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has sparked serious debate.

The majority of Kenyans have opposed the potential deal from the start, citing numerous grey areas in the contract's terms.

But weighing in on the issue, economist David Ndii noted that it is not easy to take over JKIA.

He implied that it is not cast in stone that the Indian company would take over JKIA.

According to him, what is on at the moment is the government engaging the company to determine its suitability for investing in the country's largest airport.

Ndii said Adani had just submitted a proposal, and it is for the Kenyan agencies to review and decide whether or not they will entrust it with JKIA.

Should the government seers be convinced that Adani is the best fit, then the proposal will be deliberated on in the Cabinet for approval or otherwise.

"Adani proposal is not a contract. Proposals go through evaluation, followed by negotiations, due diligence, stakeholder engagement, legal opinions, and cabinet approval before there is a contract," said Ndii.

Adani would inject upward of Sh 250 billion to revitalise the airport should its proposal be approved.

However, Kenyans are paranoid over some of their terms, which include the controversial Indian firm retaining a considerable stake in JKIA's operations for an indefinite period.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Sunday, September 15, 2024 - The German government has denied reports that it has signed a deal with President William Ruto that will see 250,000 Kenyans immigrate to Germany to provide both skilled and semi-skilled labour.

In a statement, the German Government said the agreement between the two countries does not include the number of workers who will be allowed to work in Germany.

The government noted that all applicants will be required to fulfill the strict requirements of the German Skilled Immigration Act.

This information is clearly false. The agreement between Germany and Kenya does not include any numbers or quotas of skilled workers who will have the opportunity to work in Germany.

"All applicants must fulfill the strict requirements of the German Skilled Immigration Act, the statement read.

Ruto, opposition leader, Raila Odinga, and Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi told Kenyans on Friday that they have inked a deal with Europe's biggest economy that will see over 250,000 Kenyans work in Germany.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Sunday, September 15, 2024 - Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has dismissed allegations by Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba that Ksh1.5 billion meant for coffee farmers was misused by the exchequer.

In a statement, Mbadi termed Wamuchomas sentiments as misleading and further clarified that no funds were misused under his watch.

According to the former ODM party chairperson, the Treasury declined a request by the Ministry of Cooperatives to transfer the funds to one of its departments.

Mbadi while insisting on the matter noted that the transfer of the Coffee Cherry Advancing Funds was rejected as it did not meet the requisite conditions for approval.

The treasury received such a request from the State Department for Cooperatives, advising them that the Ksh1.5 billion should remain dedicated to the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund's original purpose, Mbadi stated.

Upon careful review of the request, and in strict adherence to the PFM Act and the National Treasury's Circular No. 10/2024 on Guidelines for Budget Implementation, the treasury declined the proposed reallocation, he added.

The Treasury CS further revealed after rejecting the proposed reallocation, he advised the Ministry of Cooperatives that the funds would only be disbursed to support the coffee farmers.

While clarifying the matter, CS Mbadi also advised Kenyans including the media to report accurately and responsibly on issues involving public funds.

The CS noted that disseminating false information undermined the integrity of the country's financial systems and could cause unnecessary public concern.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
There is no day in the world that does not have an interesting historical significance. Some of them become holidays tied to a specific event in the past, while others celebrate the memory of saints, etc.

ADVERTISIMENT

September 15 is a date that is full of various events, holidays, and significant moments in history. Read more about it in the OBOZ.UA article.

Feast of the Holy Great Martyr Nikita (according to the new calendar)

One of the main religious holidays on September 15 is the glorification of the Holy Great Martyr Nikita, who is revered in the Orthodox tradition. St. Nikita was a warrior of Gothic origin who became a zealous Christian and actively preached Christianity among his people.

However, his activities did not please the pagan rulers, so he was captured and executed for his faith. His martyrdom became an example of loyalty to Christian ideals. Since then, St. Nikita has been revered as one of the greatest martyrs.

ADVERTISIMENT

Day of gratitude to the wife

September 15 also marks an unusual, but very warm and symbolic holiday - Wife Appreciation Day. It gives men the opportunity to express their gratitude and love to their wives for their support, care and life together.

Google's birthday

In 1997, 24-year-old Stanford University students Larry Page and Sergey Brin registered the domain name "google.com".

However, Google Inc. was founded on September 4, 1998. It quickly conquered the world with its search engine and later with numerous innovative products such as Google Maps, Gmail, Android, and others.

National Father's Day

National Father's Day reminds us of the importance of fatherly care, responsibility and support in raising children. This holiday is not an official holiday, but it is a great opportunity to honor men who play a crucial role in the lives of every daughter and son.

ADVERTISIMENT

Other holidays on September 15, 2024

Make a Hat Day;

Greenpeace's birthday;

International Dot Day.

Significant events on September 15

2008 - Lehman Brothers Bank filed for bankruptcy, which triggered the global economic crisis.

1995 - The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine canceled the resolution of the Sevastopol City Council on the city's Russian status.

1968 - The USSR launched the Zond 5 spacecraft, which flew around the Moon for the first time in the world and returned to Earth.

1941 - mass arrests by the Nazis of OUN-Bandera members throughout Ukraine and in exile began.

1893 - The newspaper Svoboda, the first Ukrainian-language publication in the United States, was launched in Jersey City (USA).

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA's Telegram and Viber channels to keep up with the latest events.
Dear Editor,

On a recent visit to Ireland from my home in Florida, I had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful city of Kilkenny.

I stayed for four days with a group of fellow Americans so I had plenty of time to visit your beautiful historic treasures. As an amateur photographer, I was excited on my first evening in Kilkenny as I left the lovely Langtons Hotel to take some photographs. I was disappointed however as I set up my camera to take my first photo  a view of Kilkenny Castle from Johns Bridge.

The reason for my disappointment was that the second-storey windows on the riverside of the castle have been blocked up, absolutely spoiling the view of the castle in its full glory.

On visiting the castle later that day, I asked a staff member the reason for the blocked windows, and he explained to me that it was necessary when the Long Gallery in the castle was being renovated many years ago in order to give more wall space for hanging paintings.

I can accept the reasoning behind this measure, but why oh why could faux/false windows with blackened glass not be installed to camouflage from the outside? This could be done into the existing blocked up frames with very little inconvenience. I have seen this done many times both in America and on my travels when I visited historical buildings, with great effect.

The reason I decided to write to you was in the hope that if you should decide to print my letter in your newspaper, some local person or interested group might agree with me and approach the necessary people, such as a heritage society or some other such group for grant support or a local business might even agree to sponsor such an undertaking.

I do intend on revisiting Ireland in the future and when I do, Kilkenny will definitely be on my list again. Hopefully when I do, fingers crossed Ill get the perfect photo of Kilkenny Castle from Johns Bridge in all its glory.

Yours sincerely,

Patrick Delger,

Clearwater,

Florida,

USA

READ NEXT: HERITAGE GEMS TO EXPLORE IN KILKENNY
Three students and apprentices from County Kilkenny will put their talents and knowledge to the test, when they compete against their peers on the national stage at a WorldSkills Ireland event in the RDS, Simmonscourt from Wednesday, September 25 to Friday, September 27.

Set to welcome over 27,000 people including students, parents and teachers, the event will be a celebration of apprenticeships, skills and careers with interactive demonstrations, career zones and employers who are ready to recruit all on site.

Over 170 finalists will go head-to-head in a range of skills-based trades including automation, constructions skills, ICT and culinary arts. Those competing from Kilkenny include; Jason Murphy, Eoghan Doherty, and Robert Finn.

Jason Murphy is competing in the Digital Construction BIM competition, Eoghan Doherty will take part in the Industrial Mechanics event and Robert Finn is competing in the Toolmaking contest.

FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE

Running concurrently with Higher Options, both events aim to raise the profile and recognition of skills and apprenticeships, preparing the talent of today for the careers of the future.

Supported by industry partners, SISK, Autodesk, ESB Networks, Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus, and the Construction Industry Federation, the event is a partnership between enterprise, industry, education, training, and government.

Alongside the competitions, there will be demonstrations, try out areas, inspiring real-live talks from industry experts, an opportunity to meet employers who are ready to recruit and the chance to view innovative digital tech skills that are the backbone of jobs of the future.

Designed to promote skills, apprenticeship careers and opportunities for young people, the event allows students, parents, teachers, and guidance counsellors to navigate the options available following secondary education. The Finals Day is set to take place at the RDS, Dublin on Friday 27th September and is a day not to be missed! Free to attend, registration for the event is now open.
Now is the time to raise the question of the European Union developing programs for the return of Ukrainians who have left the country because of Russia's full-scale invasion. However, appropriate conditions must be created for this.

ADVERTISIMENT

We are talking about security conditions, medical services, housing reconstruction, etc. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha at the Yalta European Strategy (YES) forum. This issue should be on the agenda, he emphasized.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is currently working with European partners to create appropriate conditions and implement initiatives that will facilitate the return of Ukrainians who left the country because of the war.

In particular, the Ministry continues to work actively with the European Commission to develop initiatives that will encourage Ukrainians who intend to return home. Such strategies were recently discussed at the talks between the Ukrainian Foreign Minister and EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.

ADVERTISIMENT

"According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha, the relevant initiatives should primarily create a positive motivation for our people abroad to make an informed choice in favor of returning," the statement said.

Earlier, at a meeting of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, Ukraine discussed the creation of a new institution in the government with the working title of Ministry of Return of Ukrainians. Candidates who could head it are being assessed.

As reported, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the possibility of the forced return of Ukrainian citizens from abroad. According to him, it is important for our country not to lose 7.5 million people who have gone abroad. At the same time, the guarantor noted that adult Ukrainians and children should be returned to the country without coercion.

ADVERTISIMENT

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Stuff reports:

Australian break dancer Rachael Raygun Gunn has been ranked No.1 according to the official World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF) world rankings for professional breakers for September.

Raygun returned to Australia on Monday to the unexpected ranking, despite her last place finish in Paris.
Simon OConnor writes:

In a month or so, we will see over one thousand New Zealanders having ended their lives by euthanasia. This is based on the Ministry of Healths latest reports on euthanasia/assisted suicide state that since the law came into effect (November 2021) till June this year, 867 people have died already. My opposition to euthanasia is well known but I think many people will still find this number very high for a service that has been running for just under three years.

During the same time period around 100,000 NZers have died, so euthanasia is contributing to around 1% of that. Rates in other countries where it is legal range from 0.4% to 4% so 1% seems pretty ordinary.

When we take the latest quarterly report (end of June) and look back over the previous twelve months, there is a reported total of 347 deaths by euthanasia/assisted suicide. However, when you read the annual report from the Register that covers the same time period, she says there were 344 deaths. The same discrepancies exist when you compare the number of applications for assisted suicide/euthanasia. The quarterly reports say 847, while the annual report say 834.

While there is probably a benign explanation for this, I agree it is bad for the numbers to vary on something as important as this.

The reports also note that only one in every one hundred people are being referred for a psychological assessment when requesting euthanasia or assisted dying. This is extraordinarily low, indicating that doctors are either missing the signs or ignoring them. Every day we see headlines about significant and widespread mental health issues in New Zealand and yet we are somehow to believe that only 1% of all those seeking euthanasia have psychological issues worthy of further consideration.

This doesnt surprise me as the criteria for euthanasia is so tight  you must be in unbearable pain and expected to die within six months. If the criteria was less strict, I would expect far more psychological assessments.

Up until very recently, the three person body known as the End of Life Review Committee, has never been fully constituted. This committee is meant to comprise of a medical professional (doctor), a health professional (e.g. a nurse), and an ethicist. Since euthanasia became legal the review committee has struggled to have either an ethicist or a doctor on the panel.

I was unaware of this. It is good the panel is now complete.

The sad irony is that the government fully funds euthanasia but refuses to fully  or even better  fund palliative care. Euthanasia ends life prematurely. Palliative care gives life to the very end. I know which one I would preference funding for.

It would be nice to fund both but I dont think it is quite a trade off. The cost of an assisted death to the taxpayer is $1,087.20 so a total cost of say $500,000 a year compared to the cost of palliative care of $186 million a year. You could even argue that euthanasia reduces the cost of palliative care.

Share this: Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Reddit

WhatsApp

More

Pinterest

Print

Tumblr


Ukrainian forces continue their offensive in the Kursk region. It has been confirmed that the Defense Forces have advanced and taken control of several settlements.

ADVERTISIMENT

Advances are being made in the areas of Sudzha and Korenevo, as well as in the Glushkovsky district, which Ukrainian soldiers have recently entered. The situation was described by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

On September 14, analysts say, Ukrainian troops continued their offensive in the Glushkovsky district of Kursk region. Geolocation footage analyzed by experts confirms the presence of Ukrainians in the southern part of the village of Veseloye (southwest of Glushkovo), while one Russian military blogger said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces already control the entire village.

Russian sources also reported Ukrainian troops advancing west of Medvezhye and in the fields south of Tetkino (located 25 km southwest of Glushkovo) along the border with Sumy region. They also noted that on September 13 and 14, Ukrainians conducted assaults in the areas of Medvezhye, Veseloye and Obukhovka, as well as near Novy Put.

ADVERTISIMENT

In this area, in the Glushkovsky district, units of the Russian 56th Air Assault Regiment and the 106th Airborne Division are trying to counter the Ukrainian Defense Forces, at least according to Russian propagandists.

Ukrainian soldiers are also making progress in the Sudzha area. On September 14, they advanced north of this district center, continuing offensive operations along the entire ledge.

One of the Russian "military commanders" reported that Cherkasskoye Porechnoye (north of Sudzha) had come under Ukrainian control.

The Russians also claimed that the Defense Forces continued attacks near Apanasivka (southwest of Korenevo), near Lyubimovka and Obukhovka (southeast of Korenevo), as well as near Maryevka and near Russkaya Konopelka (southeast of Sudzha) on September 13 and 14.

ADVERTISIMENT

On September 14, Russian forces continued their counterattack. Based on geolocation footage from September 13, ISW analysts recorded Russians entering the western part of Lyuimovka as a result of a mechanized assault, while a Russian military blogger claimed that they managed to reach the southwestern outskirts of the settlement and advanced in the fields northwest of Daryino (south of Lyubimovka).

Footage from September 14 showed the presence of the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the center of Borki (southeast of Sudzha), so it can be assumed that the Russians have advanced within the village.

Russian propagandists cannot agree on how significant this advance is. While one of them assured that the entire village was already under Russian control, the other clarified that there were still Ukrainian forces in the western part of the village.

ADVERTISIMENT

Units of the 155th Brigade of the Russian Navy, as well as the 11th and 83rd Airborne Brigades, among others, were spotted in this area.

The day before, ISW confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had entered another district in the Kursk region. Meanwhile, the Western media had to admit that they had made a mistake with their initial estimates of the scale of the new Ukrainian border breakthrough in the Kursk region as it turned out to be more serious than previously thought.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
Research analysts at StockNews.com began coverage on shares of CPI Aerostructures (NYSEAMERICAN:CVU  Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Friday. The brokerage set a buy rating on the aerospace companys stock.

CPI Aerostructures Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of CPI Aerostructures stock opened at $2.94 on Friday. CPI Aerostructures has a 52-week low of $2.15 and a 52-week high of $3.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.34 million, a PE ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.54.

Get CPI Aerostructures alerts:

CPI Aerostructures (NYSEAMERICAN:CVU  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The aerospace company reported $0.11 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $20.81 million during the quarter. CPI Aerostructures had a net margin of 19.86% and a return on equity of 14.87%.

About CPI Aerostructures

CPI Aerostructures, Inc engages in the contract production of structural aircraft parts for fixed wing aircraft and helicopters in the commercial and defense markets. The company offers aerostructure and aerosystem assemblies, including new production and repair/overhaul of fielded wing structures and other control surfaces, rudder island, engine inlets/nacelles, engine exhaust manifolds, aircraft doors and windows, aircraft steps and racks, other aircraft secondary structures, airborne pod structures and integration of internal systems, radar housing structures, panel assemblies, and mechanical door locking and canopy lifting systems.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for CPI Aerostructures Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CPI Aerostructures and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Hanson & Doremus Investment Management trimmed its stake in shares of M&T Bank Co. (NYSE:MTB  Free Report) by 9.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,238 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 577 shares during the period. Hanson & Doremus Investment Managements holdings in M&T Bank were worth $793,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MTB. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of M&T Bank in the 4th quarter valued at about $232,322,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of M&T Bank by 77.0% during the second quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 733,304 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $110,993,000 after buying an additional 319,051 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its position in M&T Bank by 1,155.9% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 205,392 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $28,154,000 after buying an additional 189,038 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Asset Management Holding S.A. lifted its stake in M&T Bank by 643.3% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Asset Management Holding S.A. now owns 165,883 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $22,739,000 after acquiring an additional 143,565 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vest Financial LLC acquired a new position in M&T Bank during the 1st quarter worth approximately $18,147,000. 84.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Get M&T Bank alerts:

M&T Bank Trading Up 1.9 %

Shares of M&T Bank stock opened at $168.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $165.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $152.23. M&T Bank Co. has a 1 year low of $108.53 and a 1 year high of $176.44. The company has a market capitalization of $28.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.42, a P/E/G ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.76.

M&T Bank Dividend Announcement

M&T Bank ( NYSE:MTB Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The financial services provider reported $3.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.50 by $0.23. M&T Bank had a net margin of 17.84% and a return on equity of 9.62%. The company had revenue of $3.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $5.12 EPS. Research analysts forecast that M&T Bank Co. will post 14.24 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be given a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.20%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. M&T Banks payout ratio is 36.51%.

Insider Transactions at M&T Bank

In related news, Director Kirk W. Walters sold 2,471 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.60, for a total value of $60,786.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 20,414 shares in the company, valued at approximately $502,184.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director Denis J. Salamone sold 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.03, for a total transaction of $1,720,300.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 44,902 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,724,491.06. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kirk W. Walters sold 2,471 shares of M&T Bank stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.60, for a total transaction of $60,786.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 20,414 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $502,184.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 32,699 shares of company stock worth $5,115,349. Company insiders own 0.82% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of M&T Bank from $160.00 to $161.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of M&T Bank from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on M&T Bank from $157.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered M&T Bank from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $170.00 to $165.00 in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on M&T Bank from $160.00 to $174.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $175.85.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on M&T Bank

M&T Bank Profile

(Free Report)

M&T Bank Corporation operates as a bank holding company for Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association that engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Commercial Bank, Retail Bank, and Institutional Services and Wealth Management.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for M&T Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for M&T Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust (TSE:INO.UN  Get Free Report) shares passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$1.12 and traded as low as C$1.06. Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust shares last traded at C$1.09, with a volume of 47,171 shares traded.

Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of C$35.52 million, a P/E ratio of -0.52 and a beta of 1.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 100.22, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The companys 50-day simple moving average is C$1.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$1.11.

Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust established pursuant to a declaration of trust under the laws of the Province of Ontario. The REIT has been created for the purpose of acquiring and owning office properties primarily located in France and Germany but also opportunistically in other European countries where assets meet the REIT's investment criteria.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
iShares MSCI Finland ETF (BATS:EFNL  Get Free Report) rose 0.6% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $35.95 and last traded at $35.94. Approximately 1,039 shares traded hands during trading, The stock had previously closed at $35.73.

iShares MSCI Finland ETF Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $35.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $35.84. The company has a market capitalization of $17.97 million, a P/E ratio of 10.62 and a beta of 0.83.

Get iShares MSCI Finland ETF alerts:

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

An institutional investor recently raised its position in iShares MSCI Finland ETF stock. Marotta Asset Management boosted its position in iShares MSCI Finland ETF (BATS:EFNL  Free Report) by 6.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 251,377 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 14,468 shares during the period. iShares MSCI Finland ETF comprises approximately 1.8% of Marotta Asset Managements portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Marotta Asset Management owned 41.90% of iShares MSCI Finland ETF worth $8,807,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

iShares MSCI Finland ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI Finland ETF (EFNL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI Finland IMI 25\u002F50 index, a market-cap-weighted index of Finnish all-cap stocks. EFNL was launched on Jan 25, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Finland ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Finland ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Kobe Steel, Ltd. (OTCMKTS:KBSTF  Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,732,400 shares, a growth of 41.1% from the August 15th total of 1,228,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently  days.

Kobe Steel Price Performance

Shares of KBSTF stock remained flat at $12.50 during trading on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $12.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $12.80. Kobe Steel has a 12 month low of $9.42 and a 12 month high of $14.45.

Get Kobe Steel alerts:

About Kobe Steel

(Get Free Report)

Recommended Stories

Kobe Steel, Ltd. engages in the materials, machinery, and electric power businesses worldwide. The company offers steel sheet products, including high-tensile strength, hot and cold rolled, electro-galvanized, and hot-dipped galvanized steel sheets; steel wire rods and bars; and aluminum and steel plates.

Receive News & Ratings for Kobe Steel Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kobe Steel and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC  Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued an equal weight rating and a $70.00 price objective on the asset managers stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Moelis & Company from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Moelis & Company from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Moelis & Company from $51.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a market perform rating and issued a $60.00 price target (up previously from $54.00) on shares of Moelis & Company in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and six have given a hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $58.33.

Get Moelis & Company alerts:

Read Our Latest Report on MC

Moelis & Company Stock Performance

Shares of MC opened at $67.35 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $5.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -354.47 and a beta of 1.33. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $64.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $57.71. Moelis & Company has a 52-week low of $38.58 and a 52-week high of $70.00.

Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The asset manager reported $0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.07. Moelis & Company had a return on equity of 4.38% and a net margin of 1.38%. The business had revenue of $264.59 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $227.90 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.04) earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 47.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Moelis & Company will post 1.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Moelis & Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 5th will be paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.56%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 5th. Moelis & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -1,263.16%.

Insider Transactions at Moelis & Company

In related news, Director Kenneth Shropshire sold 495 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.29, for a total value of $34,298.55. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 9,372 shares in the company, valued at $649,385.88. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Moelis & Company news, CFO Joseph Simon sold 6,723 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.00, for a total value of $430,272.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Kenneth Shropshire sold 495 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.29, for a total transaction of $34,298.55. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 9,372 shares in the company, valued at $649,385.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 12,526 shares of company stock worth $830,133 in the last three months. Insiders own 6.40% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moelis & Company

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Moelis & Company by 1.4% in the second quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,866 shares of the asset managers stock worth $788,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in Moelis & Company by 2.7% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 7,181 shares of the asset managers stock worth $409,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Moelis & Company by 63.5% in the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 497 shares of the asset managers stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its holdings in Moelis & Company by 3.1% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 6,390 shares of the asset managers stock worth $363,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Finally, Peak Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Moelis & Company by 2.9% in the first quarter. Peak Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8,715 shares of the asset managers stock worth $495,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares during the period. 91.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Moelis & Company Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Moelis & Company operates as an investment banking advisory firm. It offers advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations and restructurings, capital markets transactions, and other corporate finance matters, as well as strategic, capital structure, and private funds advisory.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Moelis & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Moelis & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Wrapmanager Inc. trimmed its position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS  Free Report) by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,325 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 288 shares during the period. Wrapmanager Inc.s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $226,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the second quarter worth $25,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC grew its stake in Morgan Stanley by 1,147.6% during the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 262 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Bank & Trust Co acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Managment Co. acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Morgan Stanley alerts:

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MS shares. JMP Securities restated a market perform rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Oppenheimer downgraded Morgan Stanley from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $105.00 price target on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $101.73.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Robert H. Herz sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.62, for a total transaction of $106,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 95,908 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,225,710.96. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Robert H. Herz sold 1,000 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.62, for a total transaction of $106,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 95,908 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,225,710.96. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 40,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.54, for a total transaction of $4,261,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 442,522 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $47,146,293.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 252,000 shares of company stock worth $26,546,370. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the companys stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

NYSE MS opened at $98.25 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The company has a market cap of $159.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.37. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $100.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $96.33. Morgan Stanley has a 1-year low of $69.42 and a 1-year high of $109.11.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $15.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $14.32 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 10.17% and a return on equity of 11.85%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.24 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 7.03 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 31st were paid a $0.925 dividend. This is a boost from Morgan Stanleys previous quarterly dividend of $0.85. This represents a $3.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.77%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 31st. Morgan Stanleys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.40%.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

(Free Report)

Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It operates through Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Morgan Stanley Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Morgan Stanley and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany will not supply Ukraine with long-range precision weapons in the future. Berlin's stance will not be affected by the decisions of NATO partners regarding such military assistance to our country.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was reported by Radio Berg. In this way, Scholz confirmed his refusal to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles, which have a range of about 500 km.

"I said no. And, of course, this also applies to other weapons that, if we were to supply them, could shoot at such a long distance. And it remains so. Even if other countries decide otherwise," he said during a meeting with citizens in Prenzlau, Brandenburg.

According to Scholz, Germany's transfer of long-range weapons to Ukraine will lead to a "significant risk of escalation."

Currently, the weapon with the longest range supplied by Germany is the Mars II missile system, which can hit targets at a distance of 84 kilometers.

At the same time, the German government has authorized the use of this weapon or the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer (with a range of 56 kilometers) only in a limited area around Kharkiv against targets in the Russian Federation.

ADVERTISIMENT

As reported, a day earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that his country would not send long-range Taurus missiles to the Ukraine. Despite persistent appeals and requests from the Ukrainian authorities, Berlin's decision on the transfer of these weapons to Kyiv remains unchanged.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM  Free Report) had its target price lifted by Bank of America from $62.00 to $72.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the utilities providers stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. HSBC upgraded shares of Pampa Energia from a reduce rating to a hold rating and set a $46.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Pampa Energia from $46.50 to $47.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 28th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Pampa Energia from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from $51.00 to $58.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Pampa Energia from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $55.88.

Get Pampa Energia alerts:

Read Our Latest Research Report on Pampa Energia

Pampa Energia Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE PAM opened at $59.14 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.57 and a beta of 0.89. Pampa Energia has a 52-week low of $32.91 and a 52-week high of $59.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a current ratio of 2.33. The companys 50 day moving average price is $49.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.42.

Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.36 by $0.44. The firm had revenue of $500.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $479.17 million. Pampa Energia had a net margin of 20.96% and a return on equity of 12.59%. Equities analysts forecast that Pampa Energia will post 8.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Pampa Energia

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Truist Financial Corp bought a new stake in Pampa Energia during the 2nd quarter valued at $854,000. Driehaus Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Pampa Energia by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC now owns 23,308 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,032,000 after purchasing an additional 398 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in Pampa Energia by 428.0% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 628,522 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $27,818,000 after purchasing an additional 509,487 shares in the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in Pampa Energia during the 2nd quarter valued at $950,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Pampa Energia by 89.7% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,239 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $102,000 after purchasing an additional 1,059 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 12.77% of the companys stock.

About Pampa Energia

(Get Free Report)

Pampa Energia SA operates as an integrated power company in Argentina. The company operates through Electricity Generation, Oil and Gas, Petrochemicals, and Holding and Other Business segments. It generates electricity through thermal plants, hydroelectric plants, and wind farms with a 5,332 megawatt (MW) installed capacity.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Pampa Energia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pampa Energia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Poehling Capital Management INC. reduced its holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA  Free Report) by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,830 shares of the credit services providers stock after selling 60 shares during the quarter. Mastercard comprises 1.8% of Poehling Capital Management INC.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Poehling Capital Management INC.s holdings in Mastercard were worth $6,542,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Hoxton Planning & Management LLC grew its position in shares of Mastercard by 1.4% in the first quarter. Hoxton Planning & Management LLC now owns 1,637 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $788,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC boosted its stake in Mastercard by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC now owns 484 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $206,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Benin Management CORP increased its stake in shares of Mastercard by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Benin Management CORP now owns 794 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $382,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Atticus Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Mastercard by 1.3% in the first quarter. Atticus Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,734 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $835,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Advisors LLC increased its position in Mastercard by 0.3% during the first quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 6,881 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $3,314,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Mastercard alerts:

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 107,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $445.98, for a total transaction of $47,719,860.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 92,891,308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,427,665,541.84. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Mastercard news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 107,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $445.98, for a total transaction of $47,719,860.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 92,891,308 shares of the companys stock, valued at $41,427,665,541.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Craig Vosburg sold 9,028 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $451.06, for a total transaction of $4,072,169.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 58,940 shares in the company, valued at $26,585,476.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 827,467 shares of company stock worth $379,595,815. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the companys stock.

Mastercard Stock Up 0.3 %

MA opened at $493.36 on Friday. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12 month low of $359.77 and a 12 month high of $496.85. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $460.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $460.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market cap of $458.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.10.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.59 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.51 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $6.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.85 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 179.78% and a net margin of 46.45%. As a group, research analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 9th were issued a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, July 9th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.54%. Mastercards payout ratio is currently 20.99%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MA. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $528.00 to $538.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. BNP Paribas lowered Mastercard from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $470.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. Barclays boosted their target price on Mastercard from $530.00 to $536.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Mastercard from $500.00 to $570.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $490.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have issued a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Mastercard currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $510.88.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Mastercard

Mastercard Company Profile

(Free Report)

Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. The company offers integrated products and value-added services for account holders, merchants, financial institutions, digital partners, businesses, governments, and other organizations, such as programs that enable issuers to provide consumers with credits to defer payments; payment products and solutions that allow its customers to access funds in deposit and other accounts; prepaid programs services; and commercial credit, debit, and prepaid payment products and solutions.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Mastercard Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mastercard and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. increased its holdings in The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK  Free Report) by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,700 shares of the banks stock after buying an additional 1,200 shares during the quarter. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.s holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $1,120,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BK. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 4.5% in the second quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 3,847 shares of the banks stock worth $231,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the period. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC boosted its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 3.8% in the second quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 4,698 shares of the banks stock valued at $281,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust boosted its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 0.7% in the first quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 28,349 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,633,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. 1858 Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Bank of New York Mellon by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. 1858 Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,866 shares of the banks stock worth $291,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares during the period. Finally, Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 10,214 shares of the banks stock valued at $591,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.31% of the companys stock.

Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on BK. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $75.00 target price (up from $70.00) on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a report on Monday, July 15th. Citigroup cut shares of Bank of New York Mellon from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $65.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $61.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $66.14.

Insider Activity at Bank of New York Mellon

In other Bank of New York Mellon news, VP Hanneke Smits sold 15,000 shares of Bank of New York Mellon stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.11, for a total transaction of $961,650.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 173,930 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,150,652.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Bank of New York Mellon Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE BK opened at $68.70 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $50.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.08. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $64.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $60.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a 52-week low of $39.66 and a 52-week high of $69.74.

Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 12th. The bank reported $1.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.08. Bank of New York Mellon had a return on equity of 11.87% and a net margin of 9.40%. The company had revenue of $4.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.38 EPS. Bank of New York Mellons revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 5.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank of New York Mellon Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, July 22nd were paid a $0.47 dividend. This is an increase from Bank of New York Mellons previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.74%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 22nd. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio is currently 43.52%.

Bank of New York Mellon Profile

(Free Report)

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, and data analytics.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Bank of New York Mellon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of New York Mellon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Valeo Pharma (TSE:VPH  Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported C($0.08) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, reports. The firm had revenue of C$12.60 million for the quarter.

Valeo Pharma Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of C$0.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$0.12. Valeo Pharma has a twelve month low of C$0.05 and a twelve month high of C$0.39. The firm has a market cap of C$6.41 million, a PE ratio of -0.19 and a beta of 2.38.

Get Valeo Pharma alerts:

Valeo Pharma Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Read More

Valeo Pharma Inc, a specialty pharmaceutical company, engages in the acquisition, in-licensing brands, and sale of pharmaceuticals and hospital specialty products for unmet medical needs in Canada. Its product portfolio includes Enerzair Breezhaler, a LABA/LAMA/ICS fixed triple dose asthma drug; Atectura Breezhaler, a LABA/ICS dual combination asthma drug; Redesca, to treat and prevent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism; Onstryv, for the treatment of Idiopathic Parkinson's disease; M-Eslon, extended-release morphine sulphate used for pain management; and Yondelis, a soft tissue sarcoma.

Receive News & Ratings for Valeo Pharma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Valeo Pharma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Visionary (NYSE:GV  Free Report) in a research note released on Thursday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the stock.

Visionary Price Performance

GV opened at $4.00 on Thursday. Visionary has a fifty-two week low of $1.52 and a fifty-two week high of $8.85.

Get Visionary alerts:

Visionary Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Featured Articles

Visionary Holdings Inc provides education resources to students worldwide. The company offers educational programs for secondary school, college, university, and advanced degree students that include degree-oriented educational programs, such as OSSD program, career-oriented two-year college, four-year university programs, and masters programs; and high school education programs, real estate development, animation education, vocational education, online education, and other education-related consulting services.

Receive News & Ratings for Visionary Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Visionary and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Zhengye Biotechnology Holding Limited (ZYBT) plans to raise $7 million in an initial public offering on the week of September 23rd, IPO Scoop reports. The company will issue 1,500,000 shares at a price of $4.00-$5.00 per share.

In the last year, Zhengye Biotechnology Holding Limited generated $29.8 million in revenue and $4.4 million in net income. The company has a market cap of $211 million.

Kingswood Capital Markets acted as the underwriter for the IPO.

Zhengye Biotechnology Holding Limited provided the following description of their company for its IPO: We are a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Our underlying business is a Chinese company that makes and distributes vaccines for livestock. (Incorporated in the Cayman Islands)A We, through the operating entity, focus on the research, development, manufacturing and sales of veterinary vaccines, with an emphasis on vaccines for livestock. For nearly 20A years, the operating entity has been committed to enhancing the health of livestock. The operating entity markets a diverse range of vaccines, including vaccines for swine, cattle, goats, sheep, poultry and dogs. The operating entityas products are available in 29 provincial regions across China and are exported overseas to Vietnam, Pakistan and Egypt. *Note: Net income and revenue are in U.S. dollars (converted from Chinas currency) for the 12 months that ended Dec. 31, 2023. (Note: Zhengye Biotechnology Holding says Kingswood Capital Markets has been named the new sole book-runner, replacing US Tiger Securities.) (Note: Zhengye Biotechnology Holding Limited increased its IPOs size to 1.5 million shares  up from 1.25 million shares initially  at a price range of $4.00 to $5.00  to raise $6.75 million, according to an F-1/A filing dated Aug. 22, 2024. Background: Zhengye Biotechnology HoldingA filed its F-1 on Jan. 9, 2024, without disclosing terms for its IPO. The company submitted its confidential IPO documents to the SEC in August 2023.) .

Zhengye Biotechnology Holding Limited was founded in 2004 and has 299 employees. The company is located at No.1 Lianmeng Road, Jilin Economic & Technical Development Zone Jilin City, Jilin Province, China and can be reached via phone at +86-0432-63047008 or on the web at http://www.jlzybio.com/.

Receive News & Ratings for Zhengye Biotechnology Holding Limited Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Zhengye Biotechnology Holding Limited and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
By KTimes

The event was glamorous, and the audience's enthusiasm was palpable. Surrounded by renowned figures from the film industry, actor Jung Hae-in had the privilege of sharing this moment of glory with his mother. She was overjoyed to see her son, who had grown up so well, make his debut at the Cannes Film Festival. Her words, "Thank you for giving me such a gift," touched his heart deeply.

Jung sat down for an interview Wednesday at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, to discuss his role in the film I, the Executioner, a sequel to the 2015 hit cop movie Veteran.

The film is a crime action drama about rookie detective Park Sun-woo (played by Jung), who joins detective Seo Do-cheol's (Hwang Jung-min) violent crime investigation unit to track down a serial killer.

Jung plays Park Sun-woo, the antagonist in the sequel to "Veteran." When asked about his character, he described Park as "a person with narcissistic and sociopathic tendencies who uses any means necessary to achieve his desired outcomes."

Director Ryoo Seung-wan, who had closely followed Jung's previous works, such as "D.P." and "Snowdrop," boldly cast him for the role. Reflecting on his journey, Jung shared that he couldn't believe he would be a part of the sequel, especially since he enjoyed watching the first "Veteran" in theaters back in 2015.

Jung thoroughly prepared for the role. He said, "Since Park Sun-woo has strong sociopathic traits, I watched videos of criminals with mental disorders being interviewed by profilers. A common characteristic I noticed was that they didn't move much; their gaze was fixed on the other person's eyes, and they seemed very focused."

His analysis translated into the nuanced portrayal of Park, with particular attention to his gaze. "As the film progresses, Park wears a mask and a hat, limiting what is visible. So, I had to focus more on where his eyes were looking and how often he blinked," Jung said.

Support from Hwang Jung-min

Hwang Jung-min, who starred in both the first and second Veteran films, described his experience working with Jung as lucky.

Jung, a fan of Hwang's work, initially felt nervous, fearing that Hwang might be strict. However, these fears quickly dissipated once filming began.

"Hwang is meticulous, warm, and very considerate," Jung said with a smile. Hwang would even perform the opposite role behind the camera when Jung was shooting his scenes.

"Many actors might conserve their energy or use a stand-in, but Hwang still acted even when he wasn't on camera," Jung said. Watching Hwang, Jung was inspired to treat his junior actors with the same respect and dedication in the future.

Jung's deep immersion in his roles has even influenced his personality, as evidenced by changes in his MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). "I take the MBTI test every time I work on a project, and it changes each time," he said. This time, the change was noticeable enough that even his mother said, "You seem different."

Jung said, "I spent several months intensely focused on the role, which seemed to affect me. I deliberately stayed alone, fearing I might tire or hurt those around me."

A son who has grown well

"I, the Executioner" holds special significance for Jung as it marked his first appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was invited to the Midnight Screening of the 77th Cannes International Film Festival.

"I tried to enjoy it, but I couldn't. I tried to act composed and have fun, but it was my first time, and I was so nervous that I looked awkward," he said with a laugh.

However, he successfully completed his schedule amid cheers from many. His mother also accompanied him on his journey to Cannes.

Jung said, "I don't know when I'll be able to go to Cannes again, and whether my mother will be healthy then. She wanted to come along this time," he said. She praised him, saying, "Thank you for giving me such a gift. I'm proud of you."

Jung expressed his deep affection for his parents, saying, "They have had the most influence on me." He continued, "Even now, I get scolded for little things like 'Don't chew with your mouth open' or 'Don't shake your legs.' Their advice has been very helpful. That's why, when I'm in a position where I'm loved by many people, I feel more inclined to take care of my parents."

"I, the Executioner," which released Friday and is considered the most anticipated film for the Chuseok holiday season, has exceeded 520,000 tickets sold as of Thursday, with a high reservation rate of 77.1 percent, according to the Korean Film Council.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
Only about 12 percent of food imports determined to be unsafe have actually been taken off the market, a lawmaker said Sunday, citing related government data.

According to the data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, an average of 12.5 percent of 141 import food items that had been ordered to be recalled since 2022 have actually been removed from the local market.

Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the main opposition Democratic Party said some of the recalled food items had a collection rate of over 80 percent, but that the rates for more than 90 recalled items were below 10 percent.

For instance, a type of dried mushrooms from China had been banned after it was found they contained prohibited substances, but none of the 3,550 kilograms that had already been imported and sold have made it back to the seller to be disposed of, the data showed.

Also, 144,000 kg of Vietnamese chili pepper had been ordered to be recalled for excessive pesticide residues, but only about 115 kg have so far been collected from the market.

A ministry official said the government works to "quickly retrieve affected products off the market when there is a recall order while informing consumers to return such products to the place of their purchase."

"But there are difficulties in retrieving products that have already been sold as they are often consumed before a recall order is put in place or disposed of by the consumers themselves," the official added.

Seo stressed the need for the food safety agency to conduct their food safety tests "more swiftly" so that "necessary steps can be taken before large quantities of unfit foodstuffs are distributed." (Yonhap)
By Jon Dunbar

Years ago, Seoul would become a ghost town over the major holidays (Chuseok in the fall and Lunar New Year in winter). The streets were empty of cars, businesses shut down and it was hard to find a restaurant that would be open.

I reasoned that foreign restaurants stood a high chance of staying open, and rather than ending up in Itaewon, I decided to try out another foreign enclave  Central Asia Street in Gwanghui-dong. Located just south of Dongdaemun Market, this area is packed full of restaurants catering to various former Soviet countries, mainly Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

When I showed up on one of these major holidays, I wasn't prepared for the throngs of foreigners who filled Gwanghui-dong's narrow alleys and the tiny restaurants throughout. Chuseok is traditionally when Koreans commute to their hometowns, but it's also when factories close, and foreign migrant workers gravitate to their communities, including in locales such as this. At times when the restaurants are too crowded, they sometimes offer seating in other spaces of the neighborhood, or sometimes directly in the alleyway itself. I've learned to trust wherever they offer seating.

I've visited many restaurants in the area, and most of them are named Samarkand, after the third-largest city in Uzbekistan some are just Samarkand, while there are also Star Samarkand and Samarkand City. (There are also similar restaurants in other neighborhoods, but this is the biggest cluster, and the most lively on the major holidays.) Many of these have the same owners, hard to tell which exactly, and I've heard they may even share a kitchen, at least for some goods  such as breads and possibly some foods prepared in advance. Each one is a little different in subtle ways, so people who frequent them tend to pick out a favorite.

Each of these restaurants  half a dozen of which are all within a couple of alleys  is decorated with the cultural items of Uzbekistan, adding a unique atmosphere. In some of them, the service is better than in others.

Uzbek food is sort of a crossroads between Middle Eastern cuisine and Russian. You can find shashlik, grilled beef, lamb or chicken (or tomatoes) impaled on long skewers, and manti, a dumpling that resembles but surpasses Korea's mandu. A staple of these restaurants is pilov (or pilaf, plov), a plate of rice, meat and vegetables.

You can also find morkovcha, a food of the Koryo-in people of Central Asia, who attempted to apply kimchi-making skills to local ingredients. Without napa cabbage and other important ingredients, they ended up with this side dish, sometimes known as "Korean carrot."

There are also recognizably more Russian/Ukrainian dishes such as golubsky (meat-stuffed cabbage rolls) and borscht (beet soup). And the alcohol is usually mostly Russian  vodka and Baltika beer.

Lamb is an acquired taste that has grown on Koreans in the years since I started coming to this area. I've watched many Korean friends try lamb for the first time in this area, and while a little cautious at first, it wins almost every one of them over quickly. Over time, these restaurants have seen more and more domestic Koreans coming here, after previously seeing only foreign clientele.

Don't miss out on the breads, including the samsa, a pastry filled with beef and onion. The desserts (or "deserts" on some of the menus) are also great; my favorite is a slice of honey cake, enjoyed with a Baltika porter beer (#6)  a shockingly perfect combination.

Some of the restaurants in this neighborhood may have menus that are only in Cyrillic, or in some cases Korean. If you can't read the menu, a helpful trick is to look around at what other diners are eating and choose your food that way.

Expect to eat way too much whenever you come to this area. It is best accessed from exits 5, 9 or 12 of Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on Seoul Metro lines 2, 4 and 5.
By Jon Dunbar

Dutch influencer Bart van Genugten, who runs the YouTube channel iGoBart, decided to end his ongoing exhibition early, Sunday, after discovering that visitors had defaced his giant map of Seoul.

The map, which is on an aluminum plate measuring two meters by two meters and weighing about 55 kilograms, was the centerpiece of his exhibition at Domansa, an exhibition space in eastern Seoul's Seongsu-dong.

Surveillance footage shows two Koreans estimated to be in their 20s entered the exhibition space at around 1:30 a.m. early Saturday morning. The front door appears to have been left unlocked and the lights were on. Using Bart's own paints which had been displayed next to the map, they wrote messages in Korean.

The graffiti appears positive, with messages like "I love you oppa (older brother)" and "Oh Sung-min album fighting! Our country's best producer."

The map is known to have originally cost 2 million won to produce, but this number increases by millions more when including the paint and transport costs. When factoring in the added value of the labor and artistic merit, it is hard to estimate its total worth.

When Bart became aware of the damage on Sunday morning, he decided to end the exhibition early.

"I cant leave the map unattended anymore," he said in an online post. "This map represents months of hard work, passion, and personal investment, and to see it damaged like this is devastating. To whoever is responsible, if youre reading this, please come forward."

Bart was present at the exhibition on the final day, and managed to keep an upbeat mood amid visits by many friends, supporters and police investigators throughout the day.

The exhibition documented Bart's journey to visit Seoul's 467 neighborhoods, for his project called "Welcome to My Dong."

Read More YouTuber iGoBart exhibits his map of 467 neighborhoods in Seoul

It opened on Sept. 9 and was originally set to run until Sept. 23. Visit @iGoBart on YouTube to see Bart's videos, or follow @igobart_ on Instagram.




The Russian occupation army continues to maintain a high tempo of offensive operations in several areas of the front. Moreover, Putin's army has launched a counteroffensive in the Kursk region.

ADVERTISIMENT

However, the Russians are not making significant progress on the front. This was reported by the UK military intelligence on social network X.

In the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, where Ukrainian troops have been in control of about 800-900 square kilometers of territory since mid-August 2024, the Russian occupiers have launched a counteroffensive. According to British intelligence, led by airborne and marine infantry units, the invaders attacked the positions of the Armed Forces and probably regained control of several villages.

In eastern Ukraine, Putin's terrorists are gradually advancing toward Vuhledar and southeast of the Pokrovsk logistics center. At the same time, British intelligence emphasized that Russia has not made any significant progress toward Pokrovsk. Over the past week, the enemy has been actively attacking, but has not been able to capture new territory.

ADVERTISIMENT

As a reminder, Ukrainian forces are continuing their offensive in the Kursk region. The advance of the defense forces and their taking control of several settlements has been confirmed.

Earlier it was reported that on the night of September 15, the Russian terrorist army attacked Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs. The enemy struck at a hospital and an educational institution. The shelling caused a fire.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The number of deceased individuals whose families and relatives refused to claim their bodies increased 83 percent in 2023 from three years earlier, data showed Sunday.

According to data compiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, released by Rep. Chang Jong-tae of the Democratic Party, the number of such unclaimed bodies with known next of kin reached 4,052 in 2023, rising sharply from 2,217 recorded in 2020.

Unclaimed bodies refer to deceased individuals whose relatives are either unknown or, though identified, decline to claim the body due to various reasons, such as financial difficulties or personal circumstances.

The total number of unclaimed bodies, meanwhile, reached 5,415 in 2023, up 72.7 percent from 3,136 recorded in 2020.

Males accounted for 4,108 of such bodies in 2023, up 74.2 percent from three years earlier, while females accounted for 1,216, an increase of 84.5 percent over the same period.

By region, the southern port city of Busan recorded the highest number of unclaimed deaths per 100,000 people at 18.8, followed by the southern resort island of Jeju with 14.3 and Gangwon Province with 13.4.

The capital city of Seoul reported 13 unclaimed deaths per 100,000 people, the data showed.

"The rise in the number of unclaimed bodies highlights the inadequacy of the social safety net," the lawmaker said, stressing that the government should take proactive measures to address such lonely deaths. (Yonhap)
President Yoon Suk Yeol said Sunday that addressing the issue of family members separated by the 1950-53 Korean War is "the most pressing task."

Yoon made the remark in a speech read on his behalf by Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho at a ceremony marking the second Separated Families Day.

"The issue of separated families is the most pressing task we must resolve," Yoon said, noting that around 3,000 of the 130,000 applicants for government-arranged reunions die every year without having reunited with their loved ones in North Korea.

"The North Korean authorities are rejecting even humanitarian exchanges, but we are finding things we can do and going ahead with them first," he said.

Yoon recalled that a survey of separated family members was conducted across North America last year, with similar surveys being carried out in other parts of the world this year.

"We will strengthen the basis for cooperation by continually calling for international attention to the issue of separated families on the international stage, including at the United Nations," he said.

Last year, South Korea designated the 13th day of the eighth month on the lunar calendar, or two days before the Chuseok fall harvest holiday, as a commemorative day for separated families.

This year's Chuseok falls on Tuesday. (Yonhap)
President Yoon Suk Yeol visited police and fire stations Sunday, to encourage police officers and firefighters who are working for public safety during the Chuseok fall harvest holiday, his office said.

Yoon visited Gwanak Police Station and Gangseo Fire Station in Seoul, where he was briefed on the situation on officers on duty during the holiday and expressed his thanks for their hard work, according to presidential spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon.

Yoon said since he took office, he has stressed that public officials in uniform, such as those in the military, police officers and firefighters, are the backbone of the nation, given their devotion to country.

"We will not just demand unconditional loyalty from heroes in uniform, but support them with reasonable rewards and do our best to help bolster their capabilities of investigation with scientific methods," Yoon said at the police station.

In a meeting with firefighters, Yoon also asked them to care for their own safety during operations to put out fires. (Yonhap)
By Robert Neff

In 1900, Anna Northend Benjamin, a popular American photojournalist, declared: We may say without hesitation that the lot of the Korean woman is the most pitiable, just as the position of her people is the most deplorable, in the Far East. She went on to add, In the lower classes she must work, work, work. In the upper classes she must be entombed.

It isnt clear exactly when Benjamin arrived in Korea, but it was most likely in May 1900. Horace N. Allen, the American minister to Korea, complained in a letter to his sons about having to entertain two groups of visitors from the United States. One group  representatives of Standard Oil  he readily, if grudgingly, entertained (as a favor to his friend) but could not put them up at the American Legation, so he arranged for them to stay at the Station Hotel.

The second group, headed by a dowdy female newspaper correspondent made their way to the legation and deposited their bags and baggage and were determined to stay right with me [Allen] day and night in the most brotherly manner. Allen refused to be imposed upon and promptly sent them on their way.

According to him, his wife, Fannie, considered their departure as a narrow escape for herself, as she did not feel like entertaining anyone. Unfortunately, we only have Allens account, and he seems to imply Fannie (who was rather submissive) would have been uncomfortable with the aggressive female newspaper correspondents personality. Although Fannie did have a submissive personality, she was no stranger to confident and domineering women  Isabella Bird Bishop was a very confident and opinionated traveler, but she was also dignified and somewhat posh. I suspect Allens account is tinged with more than a little exaggeration.

Benjamin and her companions  Dr. Francis E. Clark, his wife, Harriet, and their 12-year-old son, Harold  most likely returned to Jemulpo (modern Incheon) by train later that evening. They likely spent their time sightseeing in the port while their steamship, Ise Maru, transferred cargo. The vessel departed the next day, bound for Vladivostok via Japan, Fusan (modern Busan) and Wonsan.

Benjamin was 25 years old when she arrived in Korea and had [already] made a name in journalism as an impressive war correspondent, who reached Cuba before the surrender of Santiago and she entered the city the day after it capitulated. In 1899 she again acted as war correspondent in the Philippine Isles, and was the only woman journalist who served in both campaigns. As she was definitely well-known, even in the Hermit Kingdom, it is somewhat surprising her name is conspicuously missing from the letters and diaries kept by Western residents in Seoul. Even Allen failed to mention her in his book, Korea the Fact and Fancy, a primary source on Westerners living in or visiting the Korean Peninsula up to 1904.

Despite Benjamins short stay, she had a lot to say about Korean women. Considering her fierce independence and perceived feminism, many of the expats  especially conservatives like Allen  were probably uncomfortable with her presence. Perhaps this explains why Benjamins anecdotes focus upon Fusan where she spent four days with a couple of young missionary women while she waited for her steamer to take her to Vladivostok.

Although Benjamin claimed to have stayed with the women missionaries, another source suggests that she stayed with Dr. Charles H. Irvin and his family. Irvin was somewhat of an outlier of the missionary community: he manufactured and sold his own snake-oil, Man Pyung-Su, (Cure for Ten Thousand Diseases), which was mainly a painkiller that had no curative value. In addition, he was allegedly fond of alcohol and women  but that is a story for another time.

Benjamin described the restrictive lives endured by Korean women, even those of the upper class. The young missionary women managed to convince an upper-class man to give permission to his wife to make a short visit to the Japanese settlement which was about a kilometer distance from their home. Benjamin denounced the upper-class mans house as a prison and claimed that the short excursion was an eye-opening experience for the Korean woman who claimed that for many years she had seen nothing more than the roof of her husbands house. Now she had something to think of until she died.

Christianity and Western ideas were viewed by many Koreans as a threat to their customs and way of life  especially in regard to social and familial norms. A Western male missionary and his Korean protege, while itinerating in the nearby countryside, were made all too aware of this distrust when they sent for their wives to join them for a couple of days.

According to Benjamin, the Korean man had fallen in love with his little wife  a very unusual thing  and, in his treatment of her, wished to emulate the example of his foreign friend.

However, once the Korean womans father-in-law learned about their plans, he immediately put a stop to it claiming her presence would be considered scandalous. He was concerned that it would humiliate his son, leaving him open to derision from his peers.

Later, the husband sent his wife a letter  through his father  but the poor woman never received it. The old man considered his sons obvious devotion and love for his wife to be a violation of all Korean customs.

Benjamin denounced the general relationship between Korean men and women. Women are nothing more than a chattel to men a Korean girl has no name. She is known as So-and-Sos sister, or So-and-Sos mother, when she becomes married and has a son. Her husband calls her by her sons name. Husbands were entitled to a divorce on the ground of his wifes incompatibility with her mother-in-law.

This inequality began at birth. So poor is the estimate of womankind in Korea that the idea of giving a girl any sort of education beyond sewing and household duties is never thought of, though an experiment made by some missionaries in the teaching of girls has been entirely successful, and has proved that they are as capable of learning as the boys.

According to the American correspondent, the only way for a Korean woman to escape her bondage was to become a sorceress, Buddhist nun or dancing girl. But even this did not guarantee freedom from men:

There are play-houses in every city and villages. These consist of a series of buildings which look like a temple, and often they are partly so, for a section of the play-house is sometimes reserved for an ancestral tablet, though this is always placed in a part entirely separate. At the entrance of the place there is a high wall, and a gate which is kept locked, and the key entrusted to a caretaker who lives in a tiny hut just within. The men gather in these places to smoke, drink, play games and talk. Sometimes dancing girls are hired to perform there. Except for them, the women have no part in the play-house, for which it would never occur to the men to make any provision for the pleasure of the female portion of the community.

However, Benjamin conceded that although Korean women were often unhappy, they were intelligent enough to realize the misery of their position. Unlike their sisters in Japan and China, Korean women when deeply incensed had fits of uncontrolled anger in which they forgot the teachings of Confucius, and [their] centuries of subjection, and violently lashed out. At such a time the [Korean] husband may use much haste and tact in getting out of the way, or he may retaliate by some effective blows, or later by a divorce.

Like many of her articles about Japan and the Philippines, Benjamin urged the women to assert themselves and change their society.

We have it in us to wish that all Korean womankind would rise up in simultaneous frenzy and trample the old order of things to death under foot. I can imagine the whole army of Korean men scrambling hastily to cover!

Needless to say, Horace Allen and Anna Benjamin did not share the same opinion.

I would like to express my appreciation to Diane Nars for her invaluable assistance.

Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
While President Joe Biden was hosting a celebration of Black excellence at the White House with lawmakers, advocates and celebrities this past week, Kamala Harris was instead headed off to campaign in Pennsylvania.

The nation's first Black vice president spoke with voters there about supporting small businesses, building more housing and expanding the child tax credit. She said the country needs a president of the United States who works for all the American people.

What she did not do was spend time talking about her race or gender or the prospect that she would be the nation's first Black and South Asian woman to be president if she defeats Republican Donald Trump .

As Harris courts voters , she embodies her identity as a woman of color rather than making it an overt part of her pitch, choosing instead to emphasize her policies and resume.

She's making her case to minority voters in a number of key settings in the coming days. On Saturday at a Washington awards dinner sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, she told the crowd that as president she would work to build a strong middle class economy and protect freedoms including the right to vote and the right for a woman to make decisions about her own body.

We have some hard work ahead of us. But hard work is good work. Hard work is joyful work," she said. Generations of people before us led the fight for freedom; now the baton is in our hands.

Biden, meanwhile, speaking to the crowd right before her, talked about Harris as the first Black and South Asian woman vice president, and said God willing, she will become the first woman president of the United States of America.

On Tuesday, she'll sit with members of the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia. On Thursday, she'll attend a livestream rally headlined by Oprah Winfrey and involving groups such as Win with Black Women, White Women: Answer the Call, and South Asians for Harris." On Friday, she campaigns in Wisconsin.

Throughout her career, Harris has been "many different firsts, and has never really led with that as a descriptor, said Brian Brokaw, who managed Harris' winning campaign for California attorney general in 2010.

Her life story and her identity and her background and her job experience have all been critical parts of her campaigns," he said. But he added that "becoming the first  that has never actually been part of her core rationale for why she should be elected a office. It just happens to be a important result of her elections.

Harris' identity, too, is evident in how she chooses to engage with voters. A member of a historically Black sorority while attending Howard University, Harris spoke this summer in Houston at the annual assembly of another sorority, where she told the women it is so good to be with you this evening, and I say that as a proud member of the Divine Nine. And when I look out at everyone here, I see family.

It's a different approach from Hillary Clinton's in her 2016 Democratic campaign for president, when she put front and center her potential to break the glass ceiling. Harris' aides and allies say with no time to lose in a compressed campaign this year, it is perhaps more valuable to focus on voters rather than herself.

North Carolina's Crystal McLaughlin, who attended a Harris rally in Greensboro this past week , acknowledged Harris candidacy as an important historical moment but added that what is more important is to look at who wants to do whats right.

Still, she said Harris' identity matters even if it is not the focus on her campaign.

It's important, not only for Black young girls, but for girls period, said McLaughlin, 53, who is Black. If you can see it, you can actually be it.

So far, its been Trump who has brought up race in the campaign , falsely claiming that Harris belatedly turned Black. During the presidential debate this past week, he again said he had read she was not Black and then she was.

Harris did not mention herself once in her response, saying instead: I think its a tragedy that we have someone who wants to be president who has consistently over the course of his career attempted to use race to divide the American people."

After Biden dropped out of the race in July, polling indicated that Black Americans were more excited about Harris as the Democratic nominee. In late July, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed that about 7 in 10 Black adults said would be satisfied with Harris as the Democratic nominee. That was a marked increase from earlier in July, when about half of Black adults and 15% of Hispanic adults felt that way about Biden.

Another AP-NORC poll conducted in August found that about half of Black adults said that excited would describe their feelings extremely or very well if Harris was elected president. Only about 3 in 10 had said the same about Biden in March.

Although Black Americans overwhelmingly identify as Democrats and about 9 in 10 Black voters supported Biden in the 2020 election, according to AP VoteCast, there are some signs that older Black voters may be more supportive of Harris than younger Black voters are. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that about 9 in 10 Black voters over age 50 were supporting Harris, compared with three-quarters of Black voters 18 to 49.

Civil rights organizations focused on mobilizing Black voters say they have seen an uptick in enthusiasm and engagement since Harris ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket.

The NAACP has been circulating messaging with allied groups that its researchers believe will especially resonate with Black voters, including protecting the rights of Black Americans and appealing to their responsibility to vote.

On economic questions, the civil rights group is urging organizers and campaigns to listen to Black voters concerns.

Black voters want policy solutions, said Phaedra Jackson, vice president of unit advocacy and effectiveness at the NAACP. But she added: Representation matters. Folks are excited to see a Black women vying for the highest office in the land and they care more about institutions when they are represented within those institutions.

The NAACP has focused much of its voter turnout efforts in battleground states where they believe issues like voter suppression will be a potential issue come November.

At a packed fundraiser with a predominantly Black audience ahead of Saturday nights black-tie gala, Harris gave a version of her standard campaign speech, placing added emphasis on the importance of fighting back against what she called a full-on attack on the freedom to vote.

She also called out efforts to divide Americans, create fear and pit the people of our country against each another.

This is what were up against, she said.

At the Greensboro rally, John Spencer, a 58-year-old geographer from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, said he wants Harris to stay focused on her plans for the future rather than her race and gender. Identity, unlike policies, is something you can tell just by looking at her, he said.

Ideally in this country, a politician should be judged about their positions and not about anything other than who they are and their character and their positions, said Spencer, who is white.

He said Harris' positions matter more to him because he said they will ultimately impact his 11-year-old daughter Leah, who attended the Greensboro rally with him.

When Harris takes a stage, said 66-year-old Sheila Carter, the Democratic presidential candidate's identity is self-explanatory. Discussion about her race and gender are secondary to what she offers as a candidate, said Carter, a Black retiree from Durham, North Carolina, who attended the rally.

You see who she is, Carter said. And as she says, Why bother to even address whether or not Im Black or Indian or whatever? I am who I am. You see it, I see it, the world sees it. (AP)
A billionaire spacewalker returned to Earth with his crew Sunday, ending a five-day trip that lifted them higher than anyone has traveled since NASAs moonwalkers.

SpaceXs capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas in the predawn darkness, carrying tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, two SpaceX engineers and a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot.

They pulled off the first private spacewalk while orbiting nearly 460 miles (740 kilometers) above Earth, higher than the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope. Their spacecraft hit a peak altitude of 875 miles (1,408 kilometers) following Tuesdays liftoff.

Isaacman became only the 264th person to perform a spacewalk since the former Soviet Union scored the first in 1965, and SpaceXs Sarah Gillis the 265th. Until now, all spacewalks were done by professional astronauts.

We are mission complete, Isaacman radioed as the capsule bobbed in the water, awaiting the recovery team. Within an hour, all four were out of their spacecraft, pumping their fists with joy as they emerged onto the ship's deck.

It was the first time SpaceX aimed for a splashdown near the Dry Tortugas, a cluster of islands 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Key West. To celebrate the new location, SpaceX employees brought a big, green turtle balloon to Mission Control at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The company usually targets closer to the Florida coast, but two weeks of poor weather forecasts prompted SpaceX to look elsewhere.

During Thursday's commercial spacewalk, the Dragon capsules hatch was open barely a half-hour. Isaacman emerged only up to his waist to briefly test SpaceXs brand new spacesuit followed by Gillis, who was knee high as she flexed her arms and legs for several minutes. Gillis, a classically trained violinist, also held a performance in orbit earlier in the week.

The spacewalk lasted less than two hours, considerably shorter than those at the International Space Station. Most of that time was needed to depressurize the entire capsule and then restore the cabin air. Even SpaceX's Anna Menon and Scott Kidd Poteet, who remained strapped in, wore spacesuits.

SpaceX considers the brief exercise a starting point to test spacesuit technology for future, longer missions to Mars.

This was Isaacmans second chartered flight with SpaceX, with two more still ahead under his personally financed space exploration program named Polaris after the North Star. He paid an undisclosed sum for his first spaceflight in 2021, taking along contest winners and a pediatric cancer survivor while raising more than $250 million for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.

For the just completed so-called Polaris Dawn mission, the founder and CEO of the Shift4 credit card-processing company shared the cost with SpaceX. Isaacman wont divulge how much he spent. (AP)
A missile fired by Yemen's Iran-backed rebels landed in an open area in central Israel early Sunday and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, in the latest reverberation from the nearly yearlong war in Gaza . Israel hinted that it would respond militarily.

There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters in Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport authority said it resumed normal operations shortly thereafter.

A fire could be seen in a rural area of central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be a fragment from an interceptor that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin.

The Israeli military said it made several attempts to intercept the missile using its multitiered air defenses but had not yet determined whether any had been successful. It said the missile appeared to have fragmented midair, and that the incident is still under review. The military said the sound of explosions in the area came from interceptors.

The Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, have repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

In July, an Iranian-made drone launched by the Houthis struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding 10 others. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen, including the port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a similar response in remarks at a Cabinet meeting after Sunday's attack.

The Houthis should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us," he said. Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the rebels, said they fired a ballistic missile targeting a military target in Jaffa, which is part of Tel Aviv.

Hashim Sharaf al-Din, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run government, said Yemenis will celebrate the birthday of Islams Prophet Muhammad while the Israelis will have to be in shelters. Another senior Houthi official, Hezam al-Asad, posted a taunting message in Hebrew on the social media platform X.

The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, in what the rebels portray as a blockade on Israel in support of the Palestinians. Most of the targeted ships have no connection to Israel.

The war in Gaza, which began with Hamas' Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, has rippled across the region, with Iran and allied militant groups attacking Israeli and U.S. targets and drawing retaliatory strikes from Israel and its Western allies. On several occasions, the strikes and counterstrikes have threatened to trigger a wider conflict.

International carriers have canceled flights into and out of Israel on a number of occasions since the start of the war, adding to the war's economic toll on the country.

Iran supports militant groups across the region, including Hamas, the Houthis and Lebanon's Hezbollah, its most powerful ally, which has traded fire with Israel on a near-daily basis since the war in Gaza began. Iran and its allies say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

The military said around 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon early Sunday, with most intercepted or falling in open areas.

The strikes along the Israel-Lebanon border have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides. Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a wider military operation against Hezbollah to ensure its citizens can return to their homes.

The status quo will not continue, Netanyahu said at the Cabinet meeting. This requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border. We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes.

Hezbollah has said it would halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire in Gaza. The United States and Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar have spent much of this year trying to broker a truce and the release of scores of hostages held by Hamas , but the talks have repeatedly bogged down.

In recent weeks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted on lasting Israeli control over the Gaza side of the border with Egypt , which Israeli forces captured in May. He has said Hamas used a network of tunnels beneath the border to import arms, allegations denied by Egypt, which along with Hamas is opposed to any lasting Israeli presence there.

An Israeli military official said late Saturday that of the dozens of tunnels discovered along the border, only nine entered Egypt, and all were found to have been sealed off. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence, said it was not clear when the tunnels were sealed.

The discovery appeared to weaken Netanyahus argument that Israel needs to keep open-ended control of the corridor to prevent cross-border smuggling.

Egypt has said it sealed off the tunnels on its side of the border years ago, in part by creating its own military buffer zone along the frontier. (AP)
If the war continues, the aggressor country will experience a significant deterioration in the economic situation in the summer of 2025. At least, this is what Russia believes, and therefore wants to end the war with "at least some conditional victory" by the end of 2025.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was stated by Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, at the 20th Annual Meeting of YES. The intelligence officer emphasized that the problems that Russia will face next summer are "far from peak," so the end of 2025 and "the beginning of 2026 are key for them."

"They know this and want to end it all because according to their own calculations, if they do not emerge from this war as conditional winners, they will no longer be perceived as superpower for the foreseeable future (at least 30 years)," he said.

Budanov did not specify who exactly is making such forecasts and conclusions in Russia or who exactly will lead the country "to a conditional victory by the end of 2025." However, he noted that "all the problems that they will have in the summer of 2025" will be felt not only by the elite but also by the whole of Russia.

ADVERTISIMENT

"They predict that starting in the summer of 2025, the negative impact on the economy will begin to be very noticeable for their country. This is connected with a lot of processes that they are trying to speed up in their country to maximize the outcome of this period as they would like. Unfortunately, they would like to end with a victory," Budanov said.

However, during this period, Russia will face an increasingly acute shortage of cannon fodder.

"They will face a dilemma: either to declare mobilization or to somehow reduce the intensity of hostilities," Budanov emphasized.

The DIU head added that the socio-psychological state of Russians has already been undermined. And it started back in 2023, when the first Ukrainian drones reached the city of Moscow. And now the morale of the Russians is being affected by the Kursk operation more than by the stories of their propagandists.

ADVERTISIMENT

"It has changed their worldview. Before that, the entire Russian population lived in the paradigm that, no matter what, we are a very powerful country, the strongest in the world. But with the first explosions in Moscow and other territories of the Russian Federation, this myth was destroyed," the intelligence officer explained.

As reported, Ukraine is still waiting for permission from its allies to strike military targets deep in Russia. Kyiv has already submitted a list of targets to Washington.

The White House, meanwhile, said that dictator Vladimir Putin's threats that allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia would mean NATO countries' direct involvement in the war were not addressed to Americans or Europeans. It emphasized that they were made only for the Russian audience.

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!

ADVERTISIMENT
Ukraine is not interested in any kind of war freeze. The details of our victory strategy, published by the German newspaper Bild, are not true.

ADVERTISIMENT

In a comment to OBOZ.UA, a source from the Office of the President of Ukraine emphasized that Bild had spread a fake. The journalists did not see the victory plan, and none of the several people who are currently involved in the preparation of the strategy by President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken to Bild representatives.

"No one will give Minsk-3 or any other to the Russians," our source emphasized.

"The country's authorities at all levels are constantly voicing that they are against freezing the war. And it is important for us that the United States supports the plan of Ukraine's victory, not capitulation or freezing, the OP representative noted.

This strategy will be presented to the United States first, because Washington is able to ensure the implementation of its content, the source added.

ADVERTISIMENT

As a reminder, Bild previously stated that Ukraine's plan allegedly does not exclude a localized ceasefire in some parts of the frontline and a "temporary freeze" of the situation there. Also, according to the plan, Kyiv will ask the West for permission to hit military targets in Russia with long-range foreign weapons. The President's Office denies the veracity of the Bild article.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to the United States to present Ukraine's plan to US representatives.

- The head of state has previously said that our strategic plan for victory is "frank" and "clear" and will not contain many points.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
A program that includes more frequent and fare-free bus transportation may hit Easton next summer.

Easton Environmental Advisory Council member Nick Gorski presented the idea, still in its infancy stages, at the councils September meeting. The idea is for a pilot program, he said, that would allow buses to run at least every 12 minutes.

The cost would be free to riders, and it would run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The program would last 19-25 weeks, and help determine a need for this type of public transit in Easton.

To allow for free bus fare, he hopes to find grant money to fund the program.

Residents have expressed concerns over parking and traffic to Easton officials. Mayor Sal Panto Jr. recently held a parking summit to hear potential solutions from the community, and Gorski attended to speak about mass transit.

He believes this is a solution to the parking problems in Easton. Panto agreed at the meeting, but pointed to our societys general reliance on cars. Easton City Councilman Frank Pintabone said it is important to create a culture surrounding bus travel.

Gorski said a crucial component of improving mass transportation in Easton is the frequency of the buses.

If you dont have the frequency, youre never going to get riders to take the bus instead of cars biking or driving, he said.

Gorski said it would be important to market the program effectively. Some ways to do this, he said, would be posters at bus stops, social media posts or business partnerships to promote the buses.

He believes LANTA  the Lehigh And Northampton Transportation Authority  does a great job targeting individuals traveling to and from work. He said the reason why this new proposal would be primarily focused on weekends is because the program would target residents who want to travel around Easton on those days, especially Downtown.

Gorski was previously a bus driver in Charlottesville, Virginia, and saw college students frequently traveling downtown on the weekends by bus.

LANTA Executive Director Owen ONeil said the Lehigh Valley public transit provider would be interested in exploring a potential partnership in this program. This year, he said LANTA did something similar in downtown Bethlehem during Musikfest under an agreement with the Bethlehem Parking Authority.

He said route, hours, and other details should be finalized to estimate a cost in Easton, he said.

The EAC agreed workshopping should continue to try to finalize a proposal. Ian Kindle, the councils chairman, suggested input from city council members, and said EAC should work towards a document to vote on in October.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Chelsea Kun may be reached at ckun@lehighvalleylive.com.
An experiment by the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office and Prevention is Key, a Rockaway-based nonprofit, to reduce recidivism in Warren County is about to turn one years old.

The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program, nicknamed LEAD, is an innovative policing strategy designed to get everyone on the same page about criminal justice reform.

Fewer than 100 LEAD sites exist around the world. They operate at varying scales of development and fidelity to the core model, according to the companys website. Six facilities are located in New Jersey, including two fully funded programs, as of 2023, in Irvington and Phillipsburg.

The programs mission is to minimize the impact that arrests and convictions can have on the stability needed to sustain recovery and rehabilitation, New Jersey Attorney General Michael Platkin said in a statement last year. Platkins office agreed to fully fund the program in 2023-2024.

Phillipsburg Police Department has conducted roughly 552 arrests in 2023 compared to 478 in 2021, as of June 2024. The graphic below which shows a negligible uptick in arrests since 2022.

Coordinators for the center in Phillipsburg couldnt give a total examined cost for the first year, as of July. Costs to operate the program typically range based on care and population, said Pamela Clark, project manager for LEAD in Philipsburg.

The LEAD program in Phillipsburg was approved for an 18-month period in January 2023 by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. The program exhausted its funds in June 2024 and has continued to operate via a no-cost extension from the state meaning it may keep operating as usual without any additional funding. A request by lehighvalleylive.com for the total cost to operate the program in its first year was not immediately available, Clark said.

Prevention is Key is floating us (currently) until the grant renewal process comes to bare, she said.

Local agencies recognize need for innovation

The costs associated with running the program in its first year can include case manager salaries, client travel/transportation costs, housing subsidies, flexible client funds, food pantry costs and general operation, administration and more, according to official program documents.

In the past, costs in some locations around the country were reported as $1,000 per client per year, in addition to operational costs which can easily total more than $300,000, documents state.

Sustainability is dependent on widespread interest by invested stakeholders in the community, those documents also say.

Even a site funded by a substantial three-year state grant may find itself, late in Year Two, floundering to develop a post-grant sustainability plan if it has failed to elicit widespread interest and involvement among an array of essential stakeholders, influencers, and budgetary decision-makers.

The Phillipsburg site is racing against the buzzer to sustain and build new investment in its second year.

The program currently assists roughly 40 clients, most of whom have a pattern of arrest and/or are unhoused. Many of the clients were referred by police or through outreach, case managers told lehighvalleylive.com.

Seventy-five percent of Phillipsburg Police Department officers have referred an arrest case to LEAD since the programs inception, Clark confirmed.

After receiving training by case managers, at no cost, officers are permitted to refer low-level drug cases and non-violent crimes to the LEAD program where clients real needs can be addressed, she explained. By identifying people with substance use disorders, (behavioral health) trauma-related diseases and suffering from extreme poverty, with the help of police officers, the program is able to connect the most disparate in-need population with existing resources.

LEADs intervention can set the suffering on the path of civism and stability, and as a whole, reduce the number of residents who cycle in and out of jail through the punitive cycle, coordinators said.

The punitive cycle refers to the regular pattern commonly experienced by people who are repeatedly incarcerated or in the pipeline to becoming incarcerated. Each stage of the pipeline carries its own impact, trauma and shame.

Its stages include performance of some unlawful or illicit act, typically exacerbated by homelessness, mental illness, poverty, substance use, trauma or racial inequity. The act leads to an arrest, jail, prosecution, incarceration, worsened trauma and disruption. This is followed by release, then worsened poverty that leads back to the performance of an unlawful or illicit action.

To make the program work, case managers need to be flexible. Their responsibilites change from day to day to include escorting clients through the legal process or to a job interview; getting a client in touch with permanent housing, medical assistance, food or recovery options or simply driving them from point A to point B, said Mimi Blue, one of two case managers working at the site in Phillipsburg.

We must meet people where they are and thats our focus here, she said.

Both Blue and her counterpart, a combat veteran for the U.S. Army and former Peer Recovery Specialist at Hunterdon Healthcare, Anthony Doran left their previous jobs just to work for the LEAD program because they were attracted to the opportunity to perform trauma-informed care and harm reduction directly.

If someone wants to get help, they shouldnt have to jump through hoops to get it, said Blue.

Resources are already stretched thin to help the ever-growing population of residents facing extreme poverty throughout the state.

But for residents who are up against other forms of disruption -- a word used to describe when a persons ability to maintain equilibrium in their life and a constant environment is disrupted -- living in a rural county where there is no permanent homeless shelter exacerbates the need for accessible and useful resources.

There is a serious need in the Town of Phillipsburg, as well as the surrounding Phillipsburg area for non-traditional services for individuals with substance abuse and mental health issues, said Kenneth Decker, an agent for the Warren County Prosecutors Office.

Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on X (formerly known as Twitter.com), Facebook and Threads.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe to lehighvalleylive.com today.
Gardai are seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of a 25-year-old man who has been reported missing from his home in Dublin.

In an appeal, issued this Sunday afternoon, they say Julian Garcia Perez was last seen in the Dublin 1 area at around 9pm on Friday, September 13.

Julian is described as being approximately 5 foot 9 inches in height, with a medium build, brown hair and brown eyes.

READ ALSO: Investigation underway following discovery of cyclist's body in Roscommon

When last seen, he was wearing a black t-shirt, black trousers and black shoes and gardai believe he may have access to an 07D-reg Silver Opel Corsa car and could have travelled to the Newbridge area in County Kildare.

Gardai and Julians family say they are concerned for his wellbeing and are urgently seeking help in locating him.

Anyone with any information on Julians whereabouts is asked to contact Store Street garda station in Dublin on 01 666 8000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
The small Laois school in Ireland's Ancient East village Timahoe has got a tidy 7,000 gift to buy computer equipment.

Recently formed Timahoe Vintage and Heritage Club got off to a flying start this year following the success of their first Truck and Tractor Run that was held in May.

There was great satisfaction among the members of the club last week as they handed over a very generous donation of 7,000 to the local primary school, Scoil Mhuire Fatima.

The donation will be used to purchase IT equipment in the school and principal, Michael Mc Evoy was delighted with the contribution.

We are absolutely thrilled to receive such a significant donation and are very thankful to the committee for fundraising on our behalf. We have all seen first-hand, the huge amount of work that the committee have put in and it is another example of the wonderful community spirit that exists in Timahoe. We are very thankful to everyone that helped out and supported the event in any way.

Many of the club officers and members are parents of ours including Darragh & Helen Headen, Pat Buggy & Ciara Ramsbottom, Sharon Boyd, Damien Bowe, Aisling, Roghan and Liam Headen and we are very grateful for their time and commitment to the school, he said.

Chairperson of the club, Darragh Headen, was also delighted with the outcome of the event.

We are very happy to have made a contribution to our local primary school. We are a newly formed club and it is great to have completed a successful Truck and Tractor Run. We hope there will be many more to come," he said.

He is also keen to acknowledge the fantastic support they received from the community.

Everyone in the community rowed in behind us and we are very thankful to the school staff, parents and others community members. To all sponsors who kindly supported the event including main sponsors Pat Buggy, Kerwin Limestone and JL Bradshaws, to Fr Vard for the use of the church car park and to the GAA Club for the use of their grounds.

"We would also like to thank Garda Brian Kelly for the Garda presence on the day, Billy Carter, Joe Casey and Charlie Kerwin for bringing the Stradbally steam engines free of charge, and of course to Jecca the clown who kept the children entertained. We are also very thankful to the local vintage clubs and everyone else that came to take part in the run, Darragh said.
A 50 million euro (42 million) pledge from the Irish Government to rebuild Casement Park remains in place, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

The Irish premier said while he shares the disappointment that the stadium will not be built in time for Euro 2028, the opportunity to have a top-class sporting facility in Belfast must not be lost.

Mr Harris said he will meet with the GAA as well as engaging with Northern Irelands First and deputy First Ministers, Michelle ONeill and Emma Little-Pengelly.

On Friday, the UK Government announced it will not fund the redevelopment of the west Belfast GAA stadium in time for the Euros.

It cited concerns over cost as well as doubts that the stadium could be constructed in time for test events to be carried out in advance of the tournament.

Casement Park had been earmarked to stage five matches at Euro 2028, which is being co-hosted by Ireland and the UK.

Mr Harris said: This weekends announcement that the British Government is not in a position to complete the development of Casement Park in time for Euro 2028 has been met with understandable disappointment.

The overriding factor is the doubt around Casement being ready in time for the tournament and its test events.

I share the disappointment that Euro 2028 games will not be played at a redeveloped Casement, but we must not lose sight of the opportunity to have another top-class sporting facility in a city that thrives on sport.

I will meet with the GAA in the coming week, and I have already confirmed to Prime Minister (Sir Keir) Starmer that the 50 million euro the Irish Government pledged to the project will remain in place, regardless of the decision around Euro 2028.

Mr Harris said how to proceed with the Casement project is now a matter for the Stormont Executive and the UK Government.

He added: I will engage with the First and deputy First Ministers on how we can help.

It is essential the positive effects of Ireland and the UK co-hosting Euro 2028 is felt in all parts of these islands.

We will work closely with the UK and all stakeholders to achieve this.
Laois people are about to get a chance to learn how to help save a life, at a nationwide event hosted by the recently formed Portlaoise Community First Responders.

The Irish Heart Foundation has a campaign called #RestartAHeart, and a presentation all about it will take place in Portlaoise Parish Centre in mid October.

Portlaoise Community First Responders' founder Amanda Wilkinson told the Leinster Express / Laois Live more.

"We invite the public to come along, there will be demonstrations of CPR and information on where defibrillators are around Portlaoise and awareness on how to use them," she said.

The Portlaoise group only formed last Spring on the back of a RTE radio interview heard by Amanda, and are now 12 strong, based in the parish centre, and well on their way to being fully trained up by the Order of Malta. They recently received gifts of two free mobile AED defibrillator units from Laois Volunteer Centre.

"Our training is going very well, we hope to go live in November when we will be on call from the National Ambulance Centre. It is absolutely great how many people volunteered to join. It takes a lot for people to give up their time. We have members from all different backgrounds and several nationalities," Amanda said.

Among the recruits is Samantha White, a busy wife and mother of two daughters who combines her work as a bookkeeper with volunteer work.

I heard the same Radio programme that Amanda heard about CFR groups, and then saw her plea in the Leinster Express for those interested in CFR.

Ive been keeping up first aid certification in the last several years, to volunteer at certain events as a qualified first aider. Unfortunately though a two year course is not keeping me as practised as I would like, to be able to help someone in Cardiac Arrest so I thought being part of the CFR group with its focus on regular training would up my level of preparedness.

The group so far is a fantastic bunch of very busy people from various walks of life and nationalities and backgrounds. A good snapshot of Laois these days. You know what they say about giving a busy person a job, theyll get it done. Thats the spirit of the newly formed PCFR, Samantha said.

Community First Responders (CFR) are volunteers who are trained to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work. Volunteers for Portlaoise Community First Responders will cover a 5km radius of Lyster Square.

Their aim is to reach a potential life-threatening emergency in the first vital minutes before the ambulance crew arrives. The volunteers help to stabilise the patient and to provide the appropriate care including CPR & defibrillation, until the more highly skilled ambulance crew arrives on scene to take over the treatment.

There are about 18 public defibrillators in Portlaoise. They are at: the Catholic Church, Stradbally Rd, outside Dunamaise Arts Centre, Jones Oil, Laois County Council, Laois Pharmacy, side of Laois Shopping Centre - near Security, Midlands Park Hotel, Midoc Portlaoise, Peoples First Credit Union, Portlaoise Fire Station, Portlaoise Garda Station, Portlaoise Lesure Centre, Portlaoise Library, Portlaoise Prison, outside St Marys Hall, Top Square in phone box and at TUSLA.

#RestartAHeart encourages people to Check-Call-Compress-Shock in the event of a cardiac arrest to save a life:  Check: is the person responding or breathing normally?  Call: emergency services on 112 or 999 and listen carefully to the instructions the ambulance call taker provides  Compress: start pressing on the centre of the patients chest at a speed of 100-120 compressions per minute and at a depth of two inches or 5cms  Shock: If someone is with you send them to get the nearest AED and get it on to the chest as quickly as possible.

The public event takes place on Thursday, October 17 at 6.30pm in the green roofed Portlaoise Parish Centre, next to St Peter & Paul's Church.
COMHAIRLE na nOg, the national network of child and youth councils, has launched its newly redesigned website, along with a fresh, new brand identity.

Developed on behalf of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), by RedDog Creative Agency, the rebrand reflects a vibrant, fun, and collaborative spirit that resonates with young people across Ireland.

The new look also celebrates Comhairle na nOgs position as the permanent structure representing young voices in decision-making at local and national levels.

Young people involved in Comhairle na nOg were facilitated to play a central role in the creation of the new brand identity and the development of the website, which launched on Tuesday, September 10.

The new Comhairle na nOg website features a modern design with an emphasis on accessibility, easy navigation, and visual appeal, making it a valuable resource for young people, parents, educators, decision-makers and stakeholders.

It serves as a central hub for information on how young people can engage with their local Comhairle and exercise their right in influencing decision-makers on the topics most important to them.

The website also provides information on how adults and decision-makers can consult with young people on topics that affect them.

READ MORE: Careers event 'with an insightful edge' set to benefit Limerick students

Kevin McCarthy, secretary general, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said: Comhairle na nOg is the well established recognised structure for youth participation in decision making, and the new branding and website brings its public image up to date in a dynamic, exciting way

He added that it is also an accessible starting point for decision makers who want to involve children and young people in their decision making process and young people who want to get involved.

Comhairle na nOg enables young people aged 12-18 to influence policy and practice on key issues that matter to them through consultations, focus groups, and direct engagement with decision-makers.

This is especially crucial for those under 18, who do not have a voting platform.

"The new website and brand really reflects our enthusiasm and creativity, and showcases Comhairle na nOg in all its diversity. Its great to have a platform that communicates clearly what Comhairle na nOg does, makes it easy for other young people to get involved and helps us engage more effectively with decision-makers to make a real difference on the issues we care about," Matthew McQuaid, Monaghan Comhairle na nOg commented.

Rebecca Murray, Mayo Comhairle na nOg said: "This enhanced visibility enables us to connect more effectively with decision-makers, empowering us to create a meaningful and lasting impact. I am truly proud to be a part of this and am so excited for everyone to see the incredible work that has been done over the years.
GARDAI have this afternoon confirmed that they are investigating the reported discharge of a firearm at a house in Kilmallock in County Limerick.

The incident is alleged to have happened in Kilmallock on Friday last (September 13, 2024).

A garda spokesperson told Limerick Live: "No persons were in the building at the reported time of the incident, and no injuries have been reported at this time."

They added: "The scene was preserved and a technical examination has been carried out."

Locals in Charleville and Kilmallock have told Limerick Live there is a heightened garda presence in both towns, with foot patrols, members of the armed support unit and vehicle patrols.

Videos of a group of people wearing balaclavas and holding what look like guns, as well as a video of people starting a fire at a house in an estate in Charleville, have been widely circulated across social media and on messenger chat apps.

READ MORE: BREAKING: Gardai issue statement after 'Wild West' incidents in Charleville leave locals 'terrified'

One eye witness told Limerick Live that the windows of the house seen in the video where the firearm discharge is being investigated, are now boarded up.

The house is understood to be between Kilmallock and Charleville, while the house involved in the fire is in Charleville.

Gardai told Limerick Live that "investigations are ongoing and no further information is available."
New Delhi: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has issued a new code for drug inspectors posted across the country to make their inspections, sample collections and permits uniform, predictable and accountable.

In a guidance issued on 12 September to all zonal, sub-zonal and port offices, the drug regulator directed drug inspectors to follow a uniform drug sampling method and focus on identifying risks during selection of sample drugs, cosmetics and medical devices moving in the supply chain.

Old guidelines replaced The new code replaces a more-than-decade-old set of guidelines in view of changes in the procedure and advancements in the regulatory system.

As per the new set of rules, each drug inspector in consultation with their authority shall prepare a sampling plan on a monthly and annual basis for finalizing the sampling locations to cover the entire jurisdiction. The sampling plan shall include rural areas and drugs used in areas endemic for certain diseases, drugs for seasonal diseases etc.

Also read | Ayurvedic medicines mustnt get a free pass on advertising This will be useful for effective surveillance for quality and efficacy of drugs and cosmetic available in the market by adopting uniform drug sampling methodology. Inspector will have to collect samples of drugs, cosmetics, medical devices and vaccines.

Drugs are regulated under the Drugs & Cosmetic Act, 1940 to ensure safety, efficacy and quality of the drugs available in the country.

Centralized list According to the guidance note, the drug inspectors will have to maintain a centralized monthly list of sub-standard or spurious drug and put it in public domain to avoid their further use and ensure the availability of true product in the market and initiate quick actions for NSQ product declared by the Government Analyst.

For conducting uniform enforcement, the drug inspectors have to do onsite inspections to evaluate compliance of the quality system and infrastructure with nationally & internationally accepted Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Standards. However, the inspection will have to be conducted in the knowledge of manufacturer with proper evidence and documents.

Also read | Indias top drug regulator cracks the whip on similar sounding brand names Notably, DCGI is the head of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) which has 8 Zonal offices, 7 Sub-Zonal offices, 8 Central Drugs Testing Laboratories and 9 Airport & 19 Sea port Offices.

Last year, Parliament was informed that the number of sanctioned posts and filling of the vacant post of Drug Inspectors in the states come under the respective State Government. Such information is not maintained centrally. However, CDSCO, till December last year, has 504 sanctioned posts, 201 is working strength and 303 are still vacant post.

Shortage of drug inspectors This indicates that there is a major shortage of drug inspectors in CDSCO and at the level of state government.

Theres an acute shortage of competent medical devices officers at CDSCO and State Licensing Authorities from the Engineering and science background to adequately regulate medical devices that have recently came under regulations. Due to these shortages pharmacists drug inspectors have been redesignated as Medical Devices Officers and in many cases these are not experts at the diverse range of engineered medical devices they are supposed to regulate. This becomes a huge challenge to manufacturers as they struggle to communicate with these regulators who see products like Defibrilator and ventilators from eye of a medicine . Its like an airforce officer trying to insist on a naval officer whats expected by the Airforce," explained Rajiv Nath, forum Coordinator, AiMeD ( Association of Indian Medical Devices Industry adding that the government needs to address this issue urgently.
In the afternoon of September 14, a giant tornado was spotted near Warsaw, causing destruction in a number of settlements. Houses and vehicles were damaged in the villages of Wierzchowina, Urbanowe, Kruszyne and Bozena Wola.

ADVERTISIMENT

According to preliminary reports, no one was injured. This was reported by the Moj Radom media.

Local residents and rescuers are cleaning up after the storm. The authorities of the Radom district are counting the damage. Emergency rescue operations are underway in the cities where the tornado caused the most damage.

As a result of the tornado, many houses in many settlements were left without roofs. Radom's mayor, Waldemar Trelka, said that the roofs of a residential building, outbuildings and a garage were damaged in Verzhkhovyna.

In addition, the power line was damaged and the water pump in the town is not working. The Mayor of the Jedlinka Commune, Kamil Dziewiez, set up a crisis management team and participated in the coordination of the rescue operation. The Crisis Management Department of the District Office in Radom is in constant contact with the services and is ready to provide support and assistance.

ADVERTISIMENT

Local residents say that the wind was so strong that it was lifting objects into the air, creating chaos and panic.

ADVERTISIMENT

On September 13, a tornado was spotted over the sea in Odesa. A huge atmospheric vortex appeared in the cloud but did not descend to the water surface. An environmental expert explained that Odesa residents had the opportunity to observe an underdeveloped tornado.

Earlier it was reported that the northern part of Vietnam was hit by Super Typhoon Yagi, recognized as the most powerful storm in Asia this year. The tropical cyclone has already killed at least 16 people.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
She made it cool to drive Korean budget cars. Now shes figuring out how to position X as a place that advertisers and users want to be.

As Xs new global head of marketing, Zepeda is stepping in to help rehabilitate the social-media platforms reputation two years after Elon Musk bought the company then known as Twitter. Since then, many major advertisers have departed or slashed spending, sometimes citing concerns about controversial and offensive content on the platform.

Zepedas prior employer, Hyundai, paused advertising on X this spring after an ad from the automaker appeared adjacent to antisemitic and pro-Nazi posts on the site. Hyundai said this week that it hasnt resumed advertising on the platform.

Musk last year told advertisers pulling their ads from X they could go fyourself." Musk said in March that Xs advertising and subscription revenues had started rising rapidly, without providing numbers.

X declined to make Zepeda available for an interview.

Zepeda has a tight relationship with X Chief Executive Linda Yaccarino, her new boss. They became close when Yaccarino oversaw ad sales at NBCUniversal and Zepeda controlled Hyundais hefty ad budget, according to people familiar with the matter. Hyundai spends hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising in the U.S. every year.

Zepeda was a frequent guest at Yaccarinos annual all-expense paid retreat to the tony Cal-a-Vie Health Spa in Southern California, an event that Yaccarino threw for top female ad buyers and marketers, according to people familiar with the matter. Attendees were treated to massages and facials and would hear from NBCUniversal TV talent during the conference.

She loves a big challenge and I dont think theres a bigger challenge in the industry right now than trying to establish the X brand outside of Elon Musk," said Lou Paskalis, a longtime ad-industry veteran and chief executive and founder of AJL Advisory, a marketing consultancy. The key question is whether or not Linda can give Angela enough air cover with Elon so that Angela can work her magic and reposition X."

Zepeda is a frequent fixture at advertising and marketing industry events and conferences. Forbes listed her as one of the worlds most influential CMOs last year.

Fashion forward

Zepeda, 58 years old, was born and raised in Orange County, Calif., with her five siblings. She dreamed of moving to New York City and studying fashion, but her family encouraged her to stay local, she said in a video interview with advertising-trade website MediaPost in 2022.

She received a degree from California State University in Fullerton in communications and advertising. She had already worked at several ad agencies before deciding to join the masters program at the University of Southern Californias Marshall School of Business.

I think that discipline of getting that M.B.A. was really important because all of my clients all had graduate degrees, and I had realized that what was happening was we were just coming up with creative ideas, but they werent really solving business problems," she said this year on a podcast from ad-tech company Trade Desk.

Hyundai overhaul

After working at Hyundais onetime dedicated ad agency, Innocean U.S.A., Zepeda became the first woman in Hyundai Motor Americas top executive ranks when she was named chief marketing officer.

Zepeda enlisted famed photographer Annie Leibovitz in 2021 to help humanize the Korean company with a marketing campaign that included portraits and videos of Hyundai car owners and employees.

She also relied heavily on celebrity-laden ads to tie the brand to pop culture. A 2020 Super Bowl commercial called Smaht Pahk" featured celebrities, such as actor Chris Evans and comedian Rachel Dratch using Boston accents to talk about Sonatas smart parking feature that lets drivers automatically park the car using a key fob.

Her brand overhaul was helped by Hyundais investments in building better-designed vehicles that looked and felt more like luxury automobiles.

Shes also worked to build up Hyundais cultural status. She often looked for ad deals that included the ability to work with actors and or showrunners to create ads that tied into specific programs or have the companys vehicles appear or be mentioned during shows.

Hyundai had the Ioniq 5, an electric sport-utility vehicle, integrated into Black-ish," a sitcom that ran on Disneys ABC broadcast network, in 2022. During one episode, Anthony Anderson, who plays an advertising executive on the show, worked on a faux Super Bowl commercial about the SUV.

Angela is smart, she gets things done and she works her butt off," said Disney ad chief, Rita Ferro.

In 2022, Zepeda was deciding which performer to hire to perform during a Hyundai dealer meeting in Las Vegas. She asked colleagues to help her decide between artists such as Bon Jovi, Gwen Stefani and The Weeknd in an effort to make them a part of the decision-making process, according to a person close to the company. Zepeda also made sure that junior members of her team were able to spend time in the VIP area to take pictures with Stefanithe teams choice in the end.

Shes had access to the very, very top people within companies, and yet you would never even know it by the way that she connects with even the most junior people on her team," said Jason Sperling, chief creative officer at Innocean U.S.A. She made time to socialize and to find out about whats going on in your life." He added that she was a big reason for my coming" to work for Innocean.

But earlier this summer, Zepeda left the company after being demoted when Hyundai Motor America split its marketing department in two.

Though Zepedas presence on X is hardly prolific, her Instagram account is a whos who of ad-industry royalty and celebrities. CMOs with big ad budgets often get tickets to premieres and invites to awards ceremonies. Photos show her chatting with Jude Law on a red carpet, posing with LL Cool J and attending the Oscars.

Alexa Corse contributed to this article.
Mumbai/New Delhi: Bharti Real Estate will not join the bandwagon of companies launching projects beyond their home markets despite its peers doing so, as it continues to focus on building a $2 billion business district near Delhi airport, S.K. Sayal, CEO and MD of the real estate arm of the Bharti Group, told Mint .

We as a group are focused on the North of India and we will continue to be invested in the region, especially Delhi NCR in the near- to medium-term," Sayal said.

The company is also closely watching the governments divestment plans of marquee properties at prime locations, which may include the sale of The Ashok Hotel in New Delhi.

The approach

The company has chosen to prioritize its local market when most real estate companies are pivoting to a pan-India approach. Competitors such as the Prestige Group, Delhi Land & Finance (DLF Ltd), and Godrej Properties, among others, have been on an expansion spree in new regions.

Prestige Estates, the groups real estate arm, has new projects spread across Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, Goa, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi, according to news reports. Listed-real estate developer Godrej Properties is also planning to tap Tier II cities in southern India. The company has a strong presence in Bengaluru, Chennai and had entered Hyderabad earlier this year.

DLF is also foraying into new markets such as Mumbai and Goa, its chairman Rajiv Singh said in their FY23-24 annual report. We continue to invest in the capex of our new build outs in Gurugram, Chennai, Delhi and Goa," Singh said.

While many are expanding beyond home markets, there are companies like Raymond, who also continue to focus on their home market of Mumbai.

Expansion plans

Bharti Real Estates current expansion plans in Delhi-NCR include building 17 million square feet (msf) of Global Business District at Worldmark Aerocity on land leased from Delhi Airport. Once completed, it will have a total outlay of nearly $2 billion, which will be funded through a mix of debt and equity, Sayal said.

The project will entail multiple phases. The delivery of phase two will begin from June next year and go on till the first quarter of 2027 calendar year. Work on the third phase will begin by the next financial year, with deliveries starting after 2027.

So far, the first phase has seen the development of 1.5 million square feet. The company has plans to build another 7 million square feet in phase two. Finally, the third phase will see construction of ~10 million square feet by 2030.

Sticking to the North

The Bharti groups plan to stick to the North comes at a time when most markets are witnessing multi-year high property sales, except Delhi-NCR, which showed a 4% drop in sales, according to Knight Franks 2024 half-yearly report. It must be noted, however, that the first half of 2023 saw the highest sales in 11 years.

The Nation Capital Regions primary residential market saw muted growth in the first half of 2024, with nearly 29,000 units sold during the period, which is sequentially lower than H1 2023 and H2 2023, the Knight Frank report said.

The successive growth in average residential prices in the past 2.5 years has started reflecting in the sales momentum," said the report. Locations that were earlier within the homebuyers reach have become expensive due to lack of ready-to-move-in inventory and infrastructure upgrades."

For Bharti Real Estate, however, staying in their hometown might prove to be a great strategy.

Developing within your home region offers a distinct advantage due to a deeper understanding of land-related issues, government policies, and other localized factors," said Pradeep Mishra, CMD at Oram Developments.

While expanding beyond familiar territory can be a great strategy for developers to unlock new growth, it is best approached after achieving significant milestones in your core market," he said.

Developers can also explore Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities for expansion, or cautiously start with one or two projects.

Mishra added that there are examples of developers who struggled when venturing too far too soon.

Other real estate majors are capitalizing on the booming market elsewhere. Housing sales in Hyderabad touched a fresh high in H1 2024, with nearly 18,600 units sold during that time. Home sales in Mumbai also climbed to a 13-year high with approximately 47,000 units sold, 16% higher than the same period in the previous year.

This was fuelled by a premiumisation trend in the housing market. The number of residential units launched in the first half of 2024 reached a record high of nearly 160,000, with a 170% hike in the premium category (properties worth 3-5 crore) and 116% rise in luxury properties (costing above 5 crore), according to reports by JLL.

In terms of office space, Bengaluru remained the largest, acing with the highest sales volumes, while cities like Mumbai and the National Capital Region also recorded their best half-yearly performances.

Commercial vs residential space

The pan-India demand for office spaces is likely to cross 70 msf in 2024 fuelled by strong economic fundamentals and significant push in investments into the countrys physical and digital infrastructure, according to Credai reports.

The countrys real estate sector is capitalizing on the growing demand for residential units and office spaces across the country. The rising confidence in the improving economic prospects has also spurred office occupiers to expand their operations in India, according to Knight Franks report.

We can confidently anticipate that the Indian office market will conclude 2024 on a record high," the report said. "In the residential market, while the headline demand figures convey a narrative of resilient growth, the underlying components are undergoing significant changes."

Also Read: Big banks are taking hits from commercial real estate

India's commercial real estate sector is also experiencing a boom, driven largely by global capability centers (GCCs).

The commercial market is valued at $40.71 billion and is expected to grow to $106.05 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.1%, according to a July 2024 report by Assocham.

Major developers with a pan-India presence will continue to dominate, setting new industry standards and leading to a more structured and competitive environment," said the report.
New Delhi: The political crisis in Bangladesh has not impacted fuel supplies from Oil India Ltds Numaligarh refinery in assam to the neighbouring country, said OIL chairman and managing director Ranjit Rath.

Expansion plans for Oil Indias subsidiary Numaligarh Refinery Ltd also have not been affected by the unrest in Bangladesh, he said, adding that the neighbouring country is expected to be a major buyer of the products from the refinery.

I am very happy to report that there is no disruption at all. There is no disruption of movement, Rath said on Saturday following the state-run oil and gas majors annual general meeting. The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, laid from Siliguri to Parbatipur in Bangladesh, is functioning smoothly. Absolutely no disruption. We are pushing diesel utilising that particular pipeline.

Also read | ONGC Videsh, Oil India may join forces again to bid for new offshore blocks in Bangladesh

Numaligarh Refinery has been supplying diesel to Bangladesh through rail since 2015 and the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline since last year.

The refinery, which has a capacity of 3 million tonnes per annum, is undergoing a major capacity augmentation by installing a 6 mtpa capacity refinery and associated crude oil terminals and pipelines.

Rath also said there had been no payment issues related to Bangladesh. Letter of credit is in place for supplies to Bangladesh, he said.

Oil Indias drilling programme Oil India, a Maharatna status company, targets drilling over 75 wells this financial year as part of its new drilling programme. The company drilled 38 wells in 2021-22, 45 in the following year, and 61 in 2023-24.

Maharatna is the highest status accorded to government-owned entities, allowing them greater autonomy in decision-making and investments.

From 45 to 61 wells, it represents a 35% annual growth, Rath said, adding that Oil India would be targetting deeper and more complex wells.

In the last two years, we have been growing at 5-6% in terms of crude oil and natural gas production. This is on top of a natural decline (in existing production) of 12%. So, the net growth is 6%, gross growth is 18%, he added.

Also read | ONGC, Oil India surge amid shifting oil dynamics

During the companys annual general meeting, Ruth highlighted Oil Indias ongoing efforts to expedite its exploration initiatives with total domestic exploration acreage of 58,564.2 sq.km across category I, II and III sedimentary basins.

He added that the company was pursuing a stagewise exploration strategy, in which drilling activities will be interspersed with supplementary seismic acquisition, processing, and interpretation.

Ruth reiterated Oil Indias commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2040 and the companys plans to expand its non-fossil fuel energy portfolio, focusing on solar, wind, geothermal, green hydrogen, and compressed biogas, among others.
Starbucks new chairman and CEO said Tuesday that he plans to focus on improving service  particularly during the morning rush  and reestablishing stores as gathering places as he takes over at the struggling coffee giant.

In an open letter on the Seattle coffee giant's website, Brian Niccol said Starbucks is a beloved brand but that he found during conversations with employees and customers over the past few weeks a shared sense that we have drifted from our core.

Improving Experience Starbucks' sales have fallen this year due to weaker U.S. store traffic and other issues, including rising competition in China and boycotts in the Middle East. Niccol said improving the store experience for both baristas and customers will help turn that around.

Many of our customers still experience this magic every day, but in some places  especially in the U.S.  we arent always delivering, said Niccol, who was named Starbucks' CEO in August but officially started the job on Monday. It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, product is inconsistent, the wait too long or the handoff too hectic. These moments are opportunities for us to do better."

Niccol, who was the CEO of Chipotle before coming to Starbucks, said the company founded on a love for high quality coffee needs to make sure baristas have the proper tools and time to make drinks and personally deliver them to customers.

Also Read | Oil India aims to operate Numaligarh refinery at 180,000 bpd capacity by 2027

Need Clear Distinction A rise in different channels  like mobile, drive thru and delivery, which now make up 75% of orders  has made store operations more complex and added to wait times. Store design should acknowledge that change and make a clear distinction between to-go orders and in-store service, and stores should be an inviting place to linger with comfortable seating, he said.

Niccol also said Starbucks needs to ensure its meeting the needs of morning customers.

This means delivering outstanding drinks and food, on time, every time, Niccol said.

Coffee is the Heart Coffee is the heart of the company, Niccol said, and Starbucks' marketing should remind customers of its coffee expertise. That may have been a subtle dig at recent product introductions at Starbucks, including bubble tea and energy drinks.

Niccol said he plans to spend his first 100 days in Starbucks' stores and support centers and meeting with suppliers.
He is such a Big Time Bro that this past week he tweeted an apparent offer to impregnate Americas Sweetheart, Taylor Swift, and publicly detailed a raunchy joke about male and female anatomy that he wanted to tell on national television.

Before that, there was an X users post he amplified suggesting high-testosterone, alpha men were better equipped for parsing information than women and weak men. That is why a Republic of high status males is best for decision making," the post read, to which Musk added: Interesting observation."

It is all part of his public embrace of an idea of tough-guy masculinity made popular through social-media memeswhite, heterosexual males with money, power, success and female conquests. A public version of Musk has emerged that is warm to strong-man leaders and pushes back against what he describes as runaway political correctness hemming in men and their natural predilections.

At the very least, some would consider his most recent antics as ungentlemanlyeven if some of it was obviously in jest, and he does have his history of crude jokes. The risk for the 53-year-old comes in offending not just Karens but all women, which is especially troublesome if you are trying to sell them on your cool electric cars or your free-speech platform or trips to Mars.

Musks tough bravado is giving voice to a political undercurrent already present in a nation that sees a younger generation of men and women on opposite political sides. Young Bros are favoring Republican Donald Trump for a second term in the White House amid their worries that they are being treated unfairly for the benefit of others.

With almost 200 million X followers, Musk has publicly embraced the former president in a way that paints Trump as a fellow Big Time Bro.

Musk has said he was inspired by how Trump wasnt deterred by a would-be assassins bullets, standing, bloodied, after being shot at, raising his fist to the sky in defiance.

That scene, according to Musks recent telling, was the test that showed Trumps mettle, sending a clear message to bad actors not to mess with him.

You have to really think of that in the context of global security," Musk said during an online event with Trump in August. If the American president is someone that, like, evil dictators are scared of, that makes a huge difference to the security of the world."

His suggestion that good leadership is shown through toughness and action is, in many ways, a natural evolution of the image Musk has cultivated for himself as a business leader running SpaceX and Tesla. He gained fame as a defiant CEO who touted sleeping on the factory floor, who preached punching back when threatened and bet it all on big, unlikely dreamsfighting against entrenched industries trying to hinder his efforts to reach Mars and introduce sexy electric cars.

In 2024, instead of asking which candidate you would rather have a beer with, it is as if Musk is asking which candidate you would want at your side in a bar fight: A Bro who dodges bullets like in the Matrix" movie or adocile puppet"?

This past weeks debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris included that strong-man theme as wellwith Trump arguing he has the bona fides to be tough.

As a proof point, Trump claimed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whom he noted people call a strongman, says other world leaders were kept in check by him as president. He said the most respected, most feared person is Donald Trump," the Republican said of himself in the third person.

It is like they have a club for Big Time Bros.

Roughly a year ago, Musk was putting his attention on Orban, too, and that foreign leaders efforts to address his countrys birthrates.

Making lots of babies is another hot topic for todays Bros. Musk, who has 12 children by his count, has been increasingly vocal on the issue as he warns against population collapse and advocates for having more children.

The tech entrepreneurs fondness for strong men has its limits, though. He recently traded barbs with Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, who challenged him to a fight during a televised speech. I accept," Musk tweeted. If I win, he resigns as dictator of Venezuela."

Rather, it seems, Musk prefers a certain kind of government official, those who embrace Musk and his ideas. Earlier this month, Trump announced plans for a government efficiency commission to be headed by Musk, essentially giving him license to go after the regulations and government spending that he dislikes. Hes a smart guy," Trump said. He knows what he is doing."

That announcement was followed by Musks rocket company SpaceX posting a lengthy blog lamenting government regulations hindering its operations.

Asked during an appearance at the All-In Podcast conference this past week about how he would shrink the government for Trump, Musk demurred on the specifics with an answer that suggested how the task requires a Big Time Bros touch.

Are you trying to get me assassinated before this even happens?" Musk asked. Real leaders, after all, dodge bullets.

Also at the conference, Musk was goaded into telling the story of a rejected skit he proposed to NBCs Saturday Night Live" when he hosted in 2021.

The convoluted idea involved him suggesting to the TV audience that he was going to show his manhood on air, putting a small rooster in his pants and a female comedian holding a wet-looking cat along with the use of some double-entendre for each others animals.

Im going to reach downinto my pantsand then I pull out a baby rooster," Musk said as he cackled with laughter. This is my tiny cock."

Following Tuesdays presidential debate, pop star Swift posted her endorsement of Harris on Instagram, signing it Childless Cat Lady"a retort to Trump running mate JD Vances earlier jab about women without children.

Musk quickly tweeted on his own social-media platform: Fine Tayloryou winI will give you a child and guard your cats with my life."

Some thought the joke was in bad taste and offensive to women. Your little circle jerk of sycophant yes dudes have convinced you that youre funny," Brooke Hammerling, a communications consultant, posted in response. When in fact youre not funny. Youre just a creepy old man. Gross."

But, for Musk these days, he appears undeterred, focused on making being a man great again.
Tata Electronics intends to set up two more semiconductor fabs in Dholera, Gujarat as part of its long-term plan to build chips locally and cater to global demand, according to two people directly aware of the companys strategy.

While Taiwans Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) is the partner for the 91,000-crore first phase at Dholera, the group will take a call on the timing of the second and third fabs, and whether to go with PSMC or look at alternatives, one of the people said on the condition of anonymity.

The next phase will likely begin in five to seven years, while the first fab is expected to start producing chips by 2026.

The two more fabs being planned will be of the same scale as the first one", said the person. The nodes and technology will be decided once the first fab is at full capacity and will depend on the global demand and technology development within the semiconductor industry," the person said.

At present, foundation work is on for the first fab, said a senior government official, who also requested anonymity. The company broke ground at the site in the Dholera Special Investment Region in March.

Tata Electronics is deciding on the installation capacity needed to test the equipment and construct the pilot line before producing from this line for commercial purposes.

The fab will produce chips used for making power management circuits, display drivers, microcontrollers (MCU) and high-performance computing logic used in a variety of sectors, including automotive, computing, data storage, wireless communication and artificial intelligence (AI). At peak capacity, the first fab will have a manufacturing capacity of up to 50,000 wafers a month.

Since the fab will be making chips of different nodes, some of the infrastructure could be common to all three fabs and may be constructed in the first phase itself, the first executive said. Therefore, additional investment for the next phases may not be equivalent to the multi-billion dollars for the first fab but would still be substantial, the executive said.

Tata Electronics is closing in on buyers for the chips from the first fab, and these are likely to include companies from within the group such as Tata Motors, Tata Play and Tata Teleservices, that are large consumers of integrated chips.

Residential facility

It is also building a residential facility for about 4,000-5,000 people who will work at the first fab in Dholera. Tata Electronics is also in talks with suppliers and partners to build local ancillaries to create a supply-chain ecosystem for semiconductor fabrication or chip manufacturing.

Queries emailed to Tata Electronics remained unanswered as of press time Sunday evening.

Also Read: Tatas 6,000 crore Hosur facility to begin manufacturing iPhones in November 2024, says report

According to a senior industry executive, suppliers in the semiconductor ecosystem would be enticed by not only the massive plans Tata group has, including its own 27,000 crore assembly and testing unit coming up in Jagiroad, Assam, but also by other companies such as CG Power-Renesas and Kaynes Technology that are building such units in different parts of the country. Many of these suppliers were part of the Semicon India last week," he said.

Tatas Assam unit, where ground-breaking took place last month, is currently assessing environment impact, having finished the preliminary topographical survey, water analysis, flood risk assessment and environment monitoring. According to a presentation by the company at Semicon India, the unit housed in the 600-acre campus will be ready for high-volume manufacturing in the second half of 2025 with a per day capacity of 48 million chips. The facility includes a planned factory space of 100 acres with a clean-room facility of 1 million square feet.

This facility will focus on three key technologieswire bond, flip chip, and a differentiated offering called Integrated Systems Packaging (ISP)with plans of expanding the road map to advanced packaging technologies.
Most people take access to fresh food for granted. Not so for Haytham Dalous children, who have been eating canned food for nearly a year.

When they found out recently that fresh food had finally arrived, the childrenages 4, 6 and 10were elated.

My children were so happy to see apples for the first time in nine months," said Dalou, a father of two girls and a boy. They jumped out of their beds when they knew they would eat fruit."

The reaction of the children, who live in Gaza City with their father and mother, reflects the level of food insecurity that many people in Gaza experience. While the U.S. and other countries have sought to increase food deliveries to Gaza, aid groups say it hasnt been enough.

A majority of the roughly 2.2 million people who live in the enclave are facing severe hunger. Dozens have died from malnutrition, according to the United Nations. Months of relying on canned food, with little to no access to fresh fruit, vegetables or protein, is having a severe impact on peoples health.

In recent weeks, however, some in northern Gaza suddenly got a reprieve.

Aid groups say they have recently been able to deliver fresh fruit and frozen meat to the north, where many Palestinians havent seen such items for months.

Intense bombardment and fighting made it difficult, and frequently impossible, to deliver aid there earlier in the war. After the Israeli military moved into Rafah with the stated goal of uprooting Hamas in May, many aid organizations had to shift their operations away from the southern Gaza city, which had served as a nerve center for them. They have relied more heavily on land crossings in northern Gaza since then.

Cogat, an Israeli military body responsible for aid coordination, said it hasnt recently changed its policies on aid deliveries. We emphasize that coordination requests from organizations are received equally and individually, without distinction between the northern and southern parts of the Strip," the agency said.

Arwa Suliman, a 29-year-old mother of two in northern Gaza, received a chicken this past week for the first time since the war started. Suliman and nine relatives, including her children, parents and siblings, will split the chicken after months of living on limited canned food, which has caused health problems in the family.

We decided to keep the chicken for Friday," she said. Thats the day of the week we traditionally cooked special meals before the war."

The deliveries, however, arent an indication that Gazas hunger woes are coming to an end. Far from it.

Food shortages overall in Gaza have only worsened in the months since Israel pushed into Rafah, shutting down the main border crossing there. The U.N. said last month that the volume of aid that has entered Gaza has decreased by more than half since early May.

August had the lowest number of trucks entering the enclave since May, according to U.N. data, which the body said may include some gaps due to dangers in monitoring all of the crossings. About 1,600 trucks entered Gaza in August, compared with about 3,000 in July and 2,500 in June.

The International Court of Justice, the top U.N. tribunal, ordered Israel earlier this year to allow better aid flow into the enclave and to reopen the Rafah border crossing.

The flow of aid in the south has worsened in recent months. The U.N. says the number of humanitarian missions Israel has permitted in southern Gaza decreased by 28% in August, compared with July, while it has increased by 10% in the north during the same period. Cogat, the Israeli military body, said coordination requests are refused due to operational constraints.

Efforts to bring in supplies through routes other than Rafah have frequently failed or have been insufficient, according to aid groups. Costly humanitarian airdrop missions from the U.S. and its Arab and European allies have barely made a dent in Gazas starvation crisis. A $230 million U.S. project that built a pier meant to facilitate aid flow into Gaza was permanently dismantled in July following a series of problems. Aid deliveries have also been complicated by a number of deadly incidents, including an Israeli airstrike on a World Central Kitchen convoy that killed seven aid workers in April.

It is unclear whether the recent deliveries of fresh fruit, vegetables and frozen meat in northern Gaza will expand, or even continue.

In addition to the limited border crossings into Gaza, distributing perishable items such as meat presents significant challenges, with frequent power blackouts in Gaza.

The need to keep perishables like meat frozen or refrigerated is also a logistical obstacle now, given the very limited availability of refrigerators or power sources to run them," said Steve Fake, a spokesman at American Near East Refugee Aid, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization that recently distributed in northern Gaza a rare 22-ton shipment of frozen meata monthslong endeavor. The need for ensuring a continuous cold-chain was a major source of delay."

When Dalou, the father in Gaza City, in the strips north, received his 15-pound box of fruits and vegetables earlier this month, neighbors who were yet to receive one offered more than $150 for it.

I had to refuse," he said. My kids badly need it."
Among the raft of Cabinet decisions announced last week, the one to extend the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme to all citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of income, was the biggest headline-grabber.

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana currently provides a 5 lakh health cover to the bottom 40% of Indias population. The Centre reckons that the expansion will benefit around 60 million senior citizens, with an outlay pegged at 3,437 crore.

The move comes at a time when Indias population is set to grey faster than ever before. An estimated 4.3% of Indias population is over 70, with the share projected to rise to 9.7% by 2050, according to the United Nations.

Health events occur at a more rapid rate among the elderly. As they are more likely to have pre-existing conditions, insurance companies charge them a hefty premium and cover them with more exclusions. All of this makes the governments move timely.

Also read: Why GST Council cannot ignore the health insurance row

Since its inception in 2018, the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme has catered to 68.6 million hospital admissions worth 90,204 crore, according to the health ministry, with nearly an equal split between men and women, and 30,510 empanelled hospitals, as per official data.

Yet, for all its claimed successes, cracks are visible. The scheme has suffered consistent gross underutilization of funds, and the claims settlement ratio has fallen from 97.5% after launch to 81.7% in 2023-24, government data show. This raises questions on whether the scheme can effectively handle an additional volume of beneficiaries.

Disconcerting issues

The Ayushman Bharat scheme faced teething implementation issues, such as the exclusion of eligible beneficiaries and delayed claim processing, as highlighted by the Comptroller and Auditor General and a parliamentary panel on health. Beneficiaries, in some cases, were forced to pay for treatment despite the scheme providing cashless services, the CAG observed.

Experts point out that the success of the scheme hinges on timely payments to hospitals and competitive rates to lure private providers. Delayed payments have disincentivised empanelled private providers, prompting them to curtail services to beneficiaries, Mint had earlier reported.

A drawback of the Ayushman Bharat scheme is that it offers only free inpatient care; outpatient hospitalisation services are not covered although this has a far greater demand and need.

Medicines accounted for about 29% of the out-of-pocket expenditure for inpatients and 60% for outpatients in India, according to a 2022 study led by Mayanka Ambade of the International Institute for Population Sciences.

Experience from ageing countries globally also shows that the need for outpatient careand consequently expensesis higher for vulnerable populations such as the elderly and chronically ill. As non-communicable diseases shoot up in India, outpatient visits could take up a big pie of health expenditures for the elderly rather than hospitalisation.

Two to tango

Insurance cover is only one of two components of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the other being a revamp of existing primary healthcare centres to encourage disease prevention. The scheme can succeed only when both components complement each other well. Public health experts point out that insurance payouts will increase without a concurrent reduction in morbidity unless the primary health aspect is strengthened.

Studies have shown a mixed impact of the Ayushman Bharat insurance cover on out-of-pocket expenditure.

A study in Chhattisgarh by the State Health Resource Centre, a technical agency providing support to the state government, showed little difference in OOPE for patients enrolled in the scheme and the non-insured", with private hospitals being more expensive.

Another study based on National Family Health Survey data found minimal impact of health insurance on health outcomes for hypertensive Indians. This is because having health cover alone cannot guarantee improved carea reality any extension of the scheme must acknowledge.
Arkade Developers, real-estate development company, is all set to launch its initial public offering (IPO) on Monday, September 16. The upcoming IPO will remain open for subscription on Wednesday, September 19.

Arkade Developers Ltd. is an emerging real estate development company with a strong foothold in Mumbai. As of July 31, 2023, the firm has successfully developed 1.80 million square feet of residential space. From 2017 through the first quarter of FY 2023, Arkade launched 1,040 residential units and sold 792 of them in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

The capital raised through the issue will be allocated towards the development of existing and upcoming real estate ventures, the acquisition of future projects, and general corporate objectives.

Here are 10 factors to consider before subscribing to Arkade Developers IPO - Arkade Developers IPO date: The IPO is scheduled to open on September 16 and close on September 19.

Arkade Developers IPO price band: The price band of the upcoming IPO has been fixed at 121 to 128 per share.

Arkade Developers IPO size: It is a book-built issue aiming to raise 410.00 crores. This offering consists entirely of a fresh issue of 3.2 crore shares.

Arkade Developers IPO lot size: The minimum lot size for an application is 110 shares, and retail investors are required to make a minimum investment of 14,080.

Arkade Developers IPO promoters: According to DRHP, Amit Mangilal Jain is the promoter of the company.

Also Read | Arkade Developers raises nearly 122.4 crore in anchor book round ahead of IPO

Arkade Developers IPO allotment date: The allotment of the Arkade Developers IPO is anticipated to be completed on Friday, September 20.

Arkade Developers IPO listing date: The IPO is set to be listed on the BSE and NSE, with a tentative listing date scheduled for Tuesday, September 24.

Arkade Developers IPO book-running manager: The book-running lead managers is Unistone Capital Pvt Ltd.

Arkade Developers IPO registrar: The registrar for the issue is Bigshare Services.

Arkade Developers IPO GMP: According to investorgain, the shares of Arkade Developers IPO is trading at 70, which means estimated listing price is likely to be 198.
Kross initial public offering (IPO), which received a strong response from investors, is all set to make its debut on Indian bourses tomorrow, September 16. The allotment for the Kross IPO was finalised on Thursday, September 12.

The shares of Kross Limited is trading at a premium of 24.50 in the grey market premium ahead of listing on BSE, NSE. This means that the estimated listing price of Kross IPO is likely to be 264.5, which is 10.21 per cent higher than the IPO price of 240.

According to investorgain, the lowest GMP of Kross IPO is 0, while the highest GMP is 50.

Also Read | Kross IPO: What GMP signals as focus shifts on share listing date

It is important to note that 'Grey market premium' indicates investors' readiness to pay more than the issue price.

On the final day, the Kross IPO was subscribed 16.81 times. The allocation for Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) was the most in demand, with a subscription rate of 23.32 times, followed by Non-Institutional Investors (NIIs) at 22.24 times, and retail investors at 10.76 times. The IPO received applications for 25,80,21,866 shares against the 1,53,50,877 shares available on Wednesday.

Kross IPO details The Kross IPO bidding process commenced on Monday, September 9, and concluded on Wednesday, September 11. The allotment of shares was finalized on September 12, and the company is set to make its debut on the stock exchanges on September 16.

Kross Ltd., formerly known as Kross Manufacturers (India), offered its shares in a price range of 228 to 240 per equity share. The IPO, which was a combination of a fresh issue of 1.04 crore shares worth 250 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) component of a similar amount, raised 500 crore at the upper end of the price band.

The company had allocated not more than 50 per cent of the shares to qualified institutional buyers (QIBs), at least 15 per cent for non-institutional investors (NIIs), and a minimum of 35 per cent reserved for retail investors.
Artificial intelligences impact on our lives is already well-known, but now, its most feared consequences related to the job market are setting off alarms. An innovative index created by the Inter-American Development Bank shows that in the United States, 43 million jobs will be affected by the introduction of AI in the space of just one year. In Mexico, that figure stands at 16 million jobs. Over the next five years, those numbers will rise to 60 and 22 million, respectively. In the space of a decade, 70 million jobs in the U.S. will suffer, along with 26 million in its neighboring country.

These estimates do not directly correspond to job losses, but they do indicate that a large proportion of occupations are vulnerable, and that there is an opportunity to leverage the jobs that will be most affected. We must have a plan for the impact that AI could have, says Eric Parrado, chief economist at the IDB and co-author of the index.

The AI-Generated Index of Occupational Exposure calculates the potential impact of artificial intelligence on occupations and their associated tasks among more than 750 professions on one, five and 10-year timelines. It is based on large data sets, which it processes and synthesizes quickly, offering an alternative to traditional surveys, which are usually expensive.

According to the index, 980 million jobs around the world will be affected in some way by this new technology within the year. That amounts to 28% of the global workforce. Within five years, that figure will rise to between 38%, and in 10 years, 44%.

Those are compelling numbers, and while they dont equate to jobs that will be necessarily lost, the fact that AI will impact nearly half of the worlds employment in some way implies that we are looking at a change of a magnitude similar to that which followed the 19th-century industrial revolution. This is an industrial revolution that is growing exponentially. Its going to take less time to implement. We must make adjustments quickly and thats why we are carrying out this research, to send a message of caution, says Parrado. The goal of the index is to serve as a warning, so that, instead of having negative consequences, AI will bring benefits.

We are optimistic, we think that technological change will raise productivity. The fact that there will be job replacement doesnt mean that employment will fall, because there will be opportunities that come up to create new occupations. Weve seen it happen in the past. We have had very pronounced technological shocks, and they havent led to a decrease in employment, but rather a readjustment in the job markets, says Parrado.

To turn what seems at first glance a crisis in the job market into a benefit, the studys authors make recommendations that should be followed by companies and governments. Education and training are the factors that will have the highest impact on the success of adapting to this new reality. We recommend a significant investment in education and re-training programs that should focus on developing skills that are complementary to AI, such as in areas of critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence, says Parrado.

Women, the most vulnerable population

It also recommends supporting groups who are most vulnerable to the change, like women, who will be more deeply impacted due to the kinds of positions they occupy. Women, in the United States as well as Mexico, are more vulnerable on the three timelines that we studied because they hold more office, administrative, service and support jobs that are vulnerable to AI. 40% of women will be affected by task automation, which is greater than the 38% of men who will be impacted. Its important that this gender disparity be considered when it comes to setting policy, says Parrado.

Vulnerability also varies throughout the socioeconomic hierarchy. Workers with less education and those whose jobs require less training will be more affected. When it comes to income, in the United States, people who earn less will be more vulnerable, while in Mexico, the change will impact both working-class and middle-class jobs. AI could exacerbate global inequality, thats why we have to act fast, says Parrado.

The risk also varies by field. Workers whose jobs require more subjective criteria will be more difficult to replace. The index includes a list of the most and least vulnerable positions. In the former category are occupations like telephone operator, telemarketing, credit evaluators, machine operators and travel agencies, among others. In some cases, such as that of telephone operators, 92% of all positions will be affected.

Firefighters and athletes, irreplaceable

On the other hand, there are some positions that will beat the AI changes, like those tied to sports, teaching and firefighting. One of the innovative aspects of the index is that it differentiates between tasks that each profession performs. It found that there are specialties within each profession that are more easily replaced than others. For example, in the field of medicine, its more likely that a radiologist will lose their job as compared to a psychologist, a maxillofacial surgeon or even a nurse.

No analysis has been done on the differences of AI vulnerability by race or origin, but knowing that African Americans and Latinos occupy more low-income jobs, its easy to extrapolate that they will be more affected by the development of new technology.

The goal of the IDB study is drive public and private policy towards counteracting the negative effects that AI will bring. In addition to education and training programs for workers to adapt to the transformation, it recommends that governments improve social safety nets, especially in the short term, including instituting more robust employment insurance and subsidies for individual workers to help in their transition to the new labor model. It also advises the promotion of ethical development, support for small businesses, and periodic evaluations of the labor market.

To take on a transformation of this scale, Parrado says that it will also be necessary to adapt educational programs, urging governments to include AI in school curriculums because, this technological change is here to stay, he says.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
It was in 2019 that filmmaker Ashwika Kapur got to know about the ritualistic hunting festivals, which take place in the seven south-western districts of West Bengalalso called jangal mahal, comprising areas such as Purulia, Jhargram and Bankurabetween January and June every year. The region, which is home to a number of threatened and endangered species such as the pangolin, fishing cat and elephants, wolves, Indian porcupines, Bengal foxes, civets, painted spurfowl, and more, sees a bloody massacre of wildlife when armed hunting groups, comprising thousands of villagers, set out to kill whatever animal they can find.

Kapur, who grew up in Kolkata, had been a long-term volunteer with the notfor-profit group, Human and Environment Alliance League, or HEAL, at that time. The latter, comprising passionate young individuals from Kolkata, including farmers, filmmakers, lawyers and homemakers, has been working on interventions, community engagement, wildlife and environmental crime investigations and filing of public interest litigations in pursuit of environmental justice in Bengal since 2017. The team has been filing PILs to get a ban on hunting festivals such as the Pakhibandh in places like Jhargram.

When I spoke to Suvrajyoti Chatterjee (secretary and founder-trustee, HEAL), he stated that I wouldnt be able to understand the scale and magnitude of the hunts until I witnessed them myself. So, we headed to a village in Jhargram, and the mindless massacrethe bloodbaththat I saw there was really numbing," says Kapur. Though the hunters mostly used to hail from tribal communities such as the Santhals and Lodhas, they are now being joined by people from outside from non-tribal communitiesas well, who seek the thrill of this blood sport.

Also read: Where the forest meets the sea: Walking the mangroves of Queensland

Kapur and the HEAL team decided to approach the root of the problem. They realised that children were being armed with catapults from a very young age, and encouraged to target any animal in sight. What if children could be inspired to become protectors and not hunters? That was the premise with which Kapur and Chatterjee headed to a village in Jhargram, with a car loaded with cameras for still photography in tow. They decided to conduct a workshop between 2022-23 with five young boys from hunting families and see if they could be encouraged to look at the wild from a new lens.

View Full Image Children were being armed with catapults from a very young age. Workshops are being held to inspire them to become protectors and not hunters.

The transformation and change of heart in these five children during the workshop then became a subject for the film, Catapults to Cameras, directed by Kapur and produced by Roundglass Sustain, a not-for-profit organisation telling stories about Indias natural world to create awareness and support conservation. The 40-minute-long film, shot on a small budget of $4,000 (around 3.3 lakh), was recently selected as a finalist in the Impact Campaign" category of the 2024 Jackson Wild Media Awardsdescribed as the nature equivalent of the Oscars" by many. The award ceremony was held in Washington DC on 5 September.

What stands out about the film is its honest storytelling. Kapur shows the workshop exactly as it took place. There are some beautiful moments in the film. The viewers are introduced to the five boysRaja Khisku, Ajay Mandi, Surajit Tudu and Tarash Mandihanging out on a bridge with their catapults. Soon after, as the skies turn grey, a gentle beam of sunlight manages to still shine through, and the five cycle across the bridge. The scene becomes metaphorical for the internal journey that they are about to embark onfrom the hunting to the conservation mindset. As Kapur and Chatterjee introduce them to the cameras, the excitement is palpable. They have never seen one before. They start by taking images of livestock and move on to other species such as the migratory stork, which is hunted regularly. Slowly, one starts seeing a change take place. Raja, for instance, sees an eggshell on the ground, and worries that it has fallen off a nest. Mama bird is wondering where did my egg go," he says. This moment takes place just three days into the workshop, and a sense of empathy comes to the fore.

Also read: Can mindful tourism save India's forest mangroves?

According to Chatterjee, there was a mixed reaction from parents to the workshop. Some wanted the kids to get involved with bigger hunts and had reservations, but a group of enthusiastic locals supported the team. It was a coincidence that we found these five kids, and got the permission from parents," he says. Kapur feels that it was their approach that appealed to the people. It was important that we set out not to preach but to inspire. We never said that we have come in to change your mindset. The idea was to bring in cameras and have fun with them. Every parent wants to see something positive happen for their child, and thats what happened in Jhargram," she adds. A conscious effort was made to have a team that was local, with two people from the community itself. It was important to get the right perspective," says Kapur.

The workshop and the resulting film were part of an experimentto gauge the impact that such an endeavour would have on the community. We realised that for Roundglass and Ashwika to be present in Jhargram for a few weeks would be an extractive process. We shoot the film, talk about the hunt and leave. That went against the ethos of Roundglass Sustain," says Samreen Farooqui, creative head, videos, Roundglass Sustain, and executive producer of the film. So, the organisation decided to make the Jhargram workshops its first impact project, and take it forward with HEAL.

We are seeing changes day in and day out. Today, the participants will put up a fight with their own friends, if they see them using a catapult. Parents too are looking to their children as inspiration," says Chatterjee. He shares an interesting instance involving Raja, who argued with his father, Ei baap tui jaabi na hunt pe (Father, dont go on hunts)". And indeed his father has stopped participating in hunts now. These kids have started to redefine cool. Earlier there was a certain masculinity attached with these hunts, cool for them was catapults. That has gotten replaced by cameras, and cool has become the empathetic emotion association with animals," says Farooqui.

Today, three such workshops have been conducted by HEAL in two villages in this region. The number of participants continues to be five, but the number of workshops has increased. Interestingly, the five original participants have now become mentors to the new ones. They have fit organically into leadership roles. When we met them, it took us two days to break the ice. For these kids, it takes barely one-and-a-half minute," says Kapur. What started as a film and an experiment has now gone on to become a rolling conservation project.

Also read: We are living in a different climate reality, and its showing
At the Shridharani Gallery, located within the Triveni Kala Sangam, Delhi, one can see a black-and-white print of a rather vulnerable-looking Dimple Kapadia. Incidentally, this was the actors first-ever photo from Bobby , clicked accidentally at Prithviraj Kapoors studio in Mumbai. Another striking photographalmost akin to a painted portraitis of art historian Geeta Kapur, looking down in a sombre mood. Its interesting how the portraits on display paint rather different personas softer, more intimateof well-known personalities. These are part of 150 vintage prints from O.P. Sharmas archive, which is on view for the first time ever till 3 October.

Also read: A new book offers an easy reading of Indian art

These images were produced in the dark rooms of Modern School Barakhamba Road, where he taught photography from 1958-2000, and the Triveni Kala Sangam, where he directed, 1980 onwards, the Camera Art Institute with his late wife, Chitrangada.

Within these darkened spaces, Sharma would work like a scientist, experimenting with various methods of photography that led to remarkable resultsfrom salt prints to complex montages created by combining different techniques. A print of Kashmirs Dal Lake, for instance, shows his experiment with tone separation, creating grey, black and white tones. The result is a haunting image of the place. The exhibition, presented by the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts and Art Heritage, also brings to the fore the rather unique life and times of the photographer himself.

Born in Agrathe family ran a sweets shop in the city Sharma went on to study painting at Lucknows Christian College. His fascination with photography started after seeing American-Canadian photographer Yousuf Karshs portraits at the 1954 International Exhibition of the UP Amateur Photographic Association.

Soon after, he brought together his interests in Hindustani classical music, photography and Urdu poetry in his practice. Its no wonder then that his portraits of legendary personalities such as Gangubai Hangal, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Siddheshwari Devi, Begum Akhtar, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Sumitranandan Pant, S.H. Vatsyayan, among others, stand out in the show.

Sukanya Baskar, who has curated O.P. Sharma & the Fine Art of Photography, 1950s1990s in collaboration with Rahaab Allana of the Alkazi Foundation, feels that the artist was one of the pioneers of the second movement of pictorialism. This point of view, to see photographs as a visually artistic form and not just as documentation of reality or photojournalism, makes Sharma a significant modernist artist-photographer of our times," she adds.

Also by teaching at educational institutions and founding salons and clubs such as the Amateur Photographic Society of Agra (1959) and Foto Arte Group (1968), Sharma contributed towards democratising the medium. Today, when a photo can be shot, edited and filtered within seconds with the use of digital technology, an exhibition such as this harks to the good old days of analogue photography. It offers a sepia-tinted throwback to the times of photo clubs, neighbourhood studios, and Kodak negatives.

The show, which was nearly two years in the making, presents a snapshot of nearly five decades of Sharmas practice. For the curators, it was a fascinating experience to sift through nearly 600 of pictorial experiments", besides catalogues, letters, brochures and magazine articles. The material was then grouped into several categories to reveal commissioned projects, experiments, and various genres, including landscapes such as cloud studies, and abstracts. His wife, herself an acclaimed artist-photographer, can be seen as his muse in many works in the show.

Sharma, now in his 80s, remembers all of the intricacies of the pictorial processes that he has developed by reading many magazines and journals on the subject. In his view, photography, while being about aesthetics, is eventually led by scientific precision and the right amount of chemicals and solutions that are perfectly timed to bring out the prints," says Pronita Tripathi, writer and researcher at Alkazi Foundation for the Arts and Art Heritage.

View Full Image Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1965), silver gelatin print, composite print. (O.P. Sharma Collection)

A personal favourite from the show includes Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khans portrait. The music maestro had his eyes shut tight while listening to his own song from years ago in Sharmas Delhi studio in Delhi. Maen aisa gaata tha pehle, ab kyun nahi? (I used to sing like this, why not now?)," is what he mentioned to Sharma, who captured that moment. The photographer then juxtaposed the image with the swarmandal as an experiment. Someone might think that the doyen of Hindustani classical music is confined within a space, while to another viewer it may seem as if the swarmandal is his palace, wherein he is sitting in deep meditation. Whatever the perception might be, Sharmas genius lies in revealing the vulnerability and inner chaos that might have swirled in Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khans mind at the time.

Abhilasha Ojha is a Delhi-based art and culture writer.
Imagine youre sitting at your desk, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of daily tasks. Your mind is clouded with deadlines and worries. Suddenly, your phone buzzesa notification. Its a meme from an old school friend you haven't spoken to in months. You laugh, feeling a wave of warmth as you recall shared memories. This small actseemingly trivialsparks a lightness in your day and makes you feel connected. This is pebbling: a simple gesture-turned-social phenomenon that is quietly redefining how we connect and communicate today.

Pebbling, a term borrowed from the mating rituals of male Gentoo penguins who offer pebbles to potential female mates as tokens of affection, has come to symbolise small, everyday acts of connection among humans. It could be a quick text, a shared meme, a forwarded song, or even a short message that says, Hey, I thought of you." But beyond these gestures, what is pebbling doing to our relationships? Is it a sign of evolving social norms, or does it risk diluting the depth of our connections?

Building confidence and connection

For Meera Acharekar, a French teacher at JBCN International School in Mumbai, pebbling is not just an abstract concept but a daily reality in her classroom. Acharekar recalls an experience that illustrates how small, consistent interactions can have a profound impact. A couple of years back, I mentored two grade 10 students who were scoring B and C in French," she recounts. Throughout the year, we had sessions twice a month, which allowed us to plan their academics, and they eventually scored an A and A+ in their boards. I believe these small, consistent interactions helped build the students confidence, which ultimately reflected in their academic performance".

Acharekar emphasises that these small, more frequent moments of engagement can be more impactful than grand gestures, especially for introverts like her who may find large social settings daunting. Large crowds may dampen the impact of pebbling as they are meant to be deep and meaningful and can be built on a smaller scale," she adds.

Pebbling as emotional rescue

For Pooja Menon, a college student in Ahmedabad, pebbling has been a lifeline in moments of emotional distress. During a period when I felt overwhelmed and isolated, a friend sent me a meme," she shares. It made me laugh, reminded me of good times, and led to a meaningful conversation between us." This single pebblea memetriggered a chain reaction, turning a moment of loneliness into one of connection and joy.

Menon finds that pebbling allows her to maintain a connection without the pressure of constant communication. I send at least 3 or 4 pebbles to my inner circle on the days I actively use social media. Some of those pebbles result in discussions, some are just liked, and some get emojis," she explains. However, she admits that she doesnt always subscribe to more pebbling" as a rule and prefers less frequent but more meaningful social engagements. For her, pebbling serves as a bridgesometimes eliciting just a smile, and other times, opening a doorway to deeper conversations.

Understanding the psychological foundations

Dr. Hansika Kapoor, a psychologist and researcher at Monk Prayogshala, Mumbai suggests that the act of pebbling signifies effort and thoughtfulness, two increasingly rare commodities in today's fast-paced digital world. Pebbling indicates that you have spent time and effort thinking about someone else," she explains. She sees these micro-interactions as adding an additional layer to communication in close relationships, enhancing emotional expressiveness while also acknowledging the limitations.

Kapoor highlights that while pebbling can enhance social bonds, it is not a substitute for more meaningful, traditional communication methods like phone calls or face-to-face conversations. She describes pebbling as a complement, not a replacement." For instance, after an argument, sending a funny meme could help break the ice, but it wont resolve the underlying conflict. Thus, while pebbling serves as an effective tool for maintaining connections, it is crucial to remember its limitations in fostering deep emotional engagement.

Balancing the scales

Anay Pantojee, a Mumbai-based multidisciplinary designer, views pebbling with a more critical lens. Pantojee feels that while pebbling can be a helpful way to stay connected in todays dystopia of instant communication and shortening attention spans," it often lacks depth and authenticity. I only message really close friends as Im an introvert, and I tend to give in to the vices of social media a few times daily to kill time while waiting for things," he admits. Pantojee appreciates the ease of sharing interests but misses the depth of more substantial interactions. If you let these small gestures take over as the main course of your relationship, things can quickly feel superficial and one-dimensional," he cautions.

Dr. Shruti Puri, a clinical psychologist from Karma Care in New Delhi, agrees that while pebbling helps maintain connections, it may lack the emotional depth of more meaningful interactions. Pebbling cannot be a primary form of communication," she argues. It can lead to an avoidance of deeper issues as they can often remain unaddressed, which might result in a relationship that lacks genuine intimacy."



Dr. Aman Bhonsle, a relationship counsellor and psychotherapist based in Mumbai, adds a metaphor to capture the essence of pebblings role in relationships: Imagine pebbling as a steady drip filling up a bucket with every small act of connectioneach drop adding up to a solid reservoir of trust and affection," he explains. However, he cautions against mistaking the volume of these small acts for genuine connection, emphasising that while pebbles have their place, they are not a replacement for deeper, more meaningful conversations.

A universal but diverse phenomenon

Pebbling is not a one-size-fits-all phenomenon. Its interpretation and effectiveness can vary significantly across different cultural contexts. Dr. Sanjay Kumavat, a consultant psychiatrist at Fortis Hospital in Mulund, Mumbai, explains that while pebbling might be a natural way to maintain connections in close-knit cultures, it could be perceived as intrusive or superficial in more individualistic societies.

Bhonsle elaborates on this point by discussing how different cultures might perceive pebbling. In collectivist societies, where relationships are often maintained through constant, low-key interactions, pebbling might be seen as a necessary and meaningful tool for social bonding. Conversely, in individualistic societies, where personal space and boundaries are emphasised, pebbling might be less appreciated or even considered annoying.

Sanjana Prasad, a trauma-informed counselling psychologist and psychotherapist based in Bengaluru points out how pebbling can also lead to misunderstandings if not navigated carefully. She warns against breadcrumbing" where pebbling is used to keep someone engaged without any real intention of deeper commitment. For example, when a potential love interest sends memes constantly but refuses to have difficult conversations, it can create a lopsided relationship with an imbalanced power dynamic," she explains. Her cautionary tale illustrates how cultural and individual expectations can significantly influence the success or failure of pebbling as a form of communication.

While pebbling can enhance social bonds by filling the gaps between more significant interactions, experts unanimously agree that it should not replace traditional forms of communication. Every pebblewhether its a meme, a shared song, or a quick messagehas the potential to create a ripple. But to build lasting, meaningful relationships, we must remember that more than pebbles, we need genuine, heartfelt connections that stand the test of time.

Divya Naik is a Mumbai-based journalist and writer.
If you want your investment to grow multi-fold in the long run, one of the key things you need to do is to keep your money invested for a long period of time.

The investment tends to grow at a faster pace in the later years vis-a-vis in the initial years. This happens because the returns posted in the initial years get added to the corpus, thus helping the corpus grow further bigger with each passing year. And after a few years, the size of the investment becomes bigger and the pace of growth accelerates. This is also known as the power of compounding, and some even call it a magic.

To demonstrate the power of compounding, we handpick a mutual fund scheme  DSP mid cap fund  and examine its returns over a period of time. For those who are not aware, mid cap funds refer to the mutual fund schemes which invest a minimum of 65 percent of their assets in mid cap stocks.

Returns delivered by DSP mid cap fund

Tenure  1 lakh becomes Return (%) 1 year 1.44 lakh 44.2% 3 years 1.67 lakh 18.79% 5 years 2.96 lakh 24.2% 10 years 5.16 lakh 17.83% Inception 15.1 lakh 16.48%

(Source: dspim.com, AMFI; returns till Aug 30, 2024)

As one can see in the table above, if someone had invested one lakh in DSP mid cap fund, it would have grown to 1.44 lakh in one year by growing at 44.2 percent.

In three years, this investment would have grown to 1.67 lakh by growing at 18.79 percent. In a five-year period, one-lakh investment would have swelled to 2.96 lakh by growing at a rate of 24.2 percent.

Likewise, if someone had made an investment of 1 lakh a decade ago in this scheme, it would have grown to 5.16 lakh i.e., it would grown have five times.

And if someone were smart enough to put one lakh in this mutual fund scheme at the time of launch, it would have grown 15 times to become 15.1 lakh by August 30, 2024, reveals the performance data shared on the fund houses official portal.

More about the scheme DSP mid cap fund was launched on Nov 14, 2006. This scheme has assets under management to the tune of  20,068.84 crore as on Aug 31, 2024.

The key stock holdings include Coforge. IPCA Laboratories, Bharat Forge, PFC, Coromandel International, AU Small Finance Bank and Atul Ltd. Top sectors in which this fund has invested are auto components, industrial products, IT- software, pharmaceuticals and banks.

It is an equity diversified fund with Nifty Midcap 150 TRI as its benchmark. The scheme is managed by fund managers Vinit Sambre and Abhishek Ghosh.
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Bali is broken. These days, the jewel in Indonesias crown of sun-kissed islands is less paradise, more parking lot. Tourists are bringing in much-desired revenue, but theres just too many of them. The governments proposal to temporarily curb new building construction of hotels and villas cant come quickly enough.

The Island of the Gods needs urgent attention. Its the archipelagos golden goose, accounting for a significant chunk of international arrivals, bringing in visitors from all over the world. Authorities need to come up with a solution to mange the rampant overdevelopment thats become Balis hallmark, keep the number of visitors under control and protect the local environment and culture.

Indonesia is home to 18,000 islands, but only 6,000 are inhabited. Of these, Bali has historically enjoyed pole position in the rankings of most-popular holiday spot. It sits to the east of the countrys most populous island of Java, separated by the narrow Bali Strait. The majority-Hindu population is also a draw, offering starkly different culture and customs (Indonesia is the worlds largest Muslim nation.)

It was also among the hardest-hit regions when Covid-19 struck, leaving hotels and beaches empty. Tourists contribute more than 60% to the islands economy, providing much-needed employment for its more than 4 million inhabitants.

So when they disappeared, gross domestic product shrank by 9.3% in 2020, the worst among all of Indonesias provinces. I traveled to Bali soon after borders opened and saw the extent of the damage first-hand. So many friends and contacts in the local tourism industry had lost jobs, forced to return to their familys farmlands to make ends meet.

Since then though, visitors have come back  and with a vengeance. Around 5 million visitors arrived in 2023  close to 2019 levels, a number thats expected to grow even further this year. Much of this is down to the success of various government initiatives  incentives like the second home and golden visas for wealthy global citizens and foreign investors, and the digital nomad programs popular with the crypto-currency trading crowd.

Turns out you can have too much of a good thing. An enclave for hippies in the 1970s, and a rite of passage for surfers looking for the perfect wave, so many of those picture-perfect Balinese destinations  Uluwatu, Padang-Padang and especially Canggu  have morphed from heavenly beach spots into nightmarish neighborhoods. Snaking, hours-long traffic jams and noisy construction are the norm and not the exception. Hardly the peaceful getaway to escape city life.

Thats why the provincial government is considering curbing the construction of new hotels, villas, discos and beach clubs. Its aimed at slowing down the pace of land development and overcrowding in tourist hot spots. You just need to take a drive to one of the busy districts like Seminyak to see the number of villas and hotels being built. Concrete and cement structures now stand in the place of lush green paddy fields. To help fund ecological protection projects, authorities launched a $10 tourist tax, but it has had little to no success because of poor implementation. Most tourists dont even know they have to pay it.

Not all visitors are welcome. Officials have talked about how badly behaved some are, and the risk to local culture. Holiday-makers posing naked on sacred mountains, allegations of drug abuse, and attacks on local people have exhausted patience. The government deported more than 100 tourists last year, and imposed a motorbike ban after a spate of dangerous road accidents.

Previous administrations have tried to solve these problems before, but nothing has worked, mainly because of a lack of policy implementation. Even with this plan to temporarily halt development, which sounds great on paper, there is no clear timeline.

There are concrete things Indonesian authorities can do. A railway transport plan, connecting the airport with popular tourist hubs, would go a long way to solve the gridlock issue. But many Balinese say they dont see it benefiting them, and the construction will no doubt add to the current traffic. A completion date of 2027 is being discussed, but even before the project has kicked off properly there are concerns about an over-reliance on Chinese contractors, and the possibility that it could be held up by local regulations.

Its time to look beyond Bali, and diversify Indonesias holiday destination offerings. Other islands, like Sumba and Labuan Bajo, are starting to become popular with discerning tourists, though none has Balis the mass appeal. Improving air connectivity and infrastructure, and marketing them better, would go a long way toward attracting more visitors. This would help to reduce the dependence on Bali as a cash-cow, and also add to Indonesias appeal as a vacation spot.

Spanning the distance between London and Baghdad from west to east, with three different time zones and hundreds of different ethnic groups and languages, Indonesia is a big and beautiful country. The next Bali is just waiting to be found. The gods of the island will thank you for it.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Karishma Vaswani is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asia politics with a special focus on China. Previously, she was the BBC's lead Asia presenter and worked for the BBC across Asia and South Asia for two decades.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was released on bail from Tihar Jail on Friday in the excise policy corruption, addressed party workers on Sunday and vowed not to sit in the chief minister's chair till people give him a "certificate of honesty". The Chief Minister announced that he would resign as Chief Minister in two days. He added that a meeting with AAP legislators will be organised in the coming days and an AAP leader will take over as CM.

Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal walks out of Tihar after SC bail order in excise policy case

"I will only sit in the chief minister's chair after the people give me a certificate of honesty. I want to give 'agnipariksha' (trial by fire) after coming out of jail.... When Lord Ram returned from his exile after 14 years, Sita Maiyya had to undergo 'agnipariksha'. I have come out of jail and I am ready to undergo agnipariksha," he said.

Kejriwal said that he will only sit on CM's chair after people give him a certificate of honesty. "Want to give 'agnipariksha' after coming out of jail.

Catch all LIVE updates on Kejriwal's address to party workers here 9:45 pm: What right does he have to hold the CMs post There are serious allegations against Arvind Kejriwal and he has not been proven innocent yet. He is behaving as if he has been acquitted of all charges. He has looted money belonging to the people of Delhi in the name of liquor. He is the same Arvind Kejriwal whose bail application was rejected several times in court. Despite all this, he is playing emotional card in front of Delhis public. What right does he have to hold the CMs post? says BJP MLA Ram Kadam.

6:45 pm: "Kejriwal should should've resigned six months ago" "Delhi CM (Arvind Kejriwal), who is the main accused in the liquor policy scam and was sent to jail in this case, should've resigned six months ago. How can a person, who is the main accused in the case, can hold such a position? When he was granted bail by the Supreme Court two days ago, the apex court said that he can't sign a file and can't go to his office. How will a government operate under such a circumstance?" says Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam

5:30 pm: People of Delhi aware about this drama "People of Delhi are aware about this drama, and whenever Assembly elections are held in the national capital, the BJP will form the government there," said UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak.

4:10 pm: Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says 'Kejriwal's decision to' It is his will, if he can be the CM in the jail, he can remain the CM outside as well. Maybe, there are other matters that are more serious that need to be addressed, he said.

3:50 pm: BJP says Kejriwal wants wife as Delhi CM BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that the announcement was a PR exercise and a drama. He also alleged that the AAP national convenor had a plan to make his wife Sunita Kejriwal the chief minister.

Arvind Kejriwal has done a PhD on how to make a virtue out of necessity, he alleged.

3:25 pm: Saurabh Bharadwaj says ED, CBI dont dare to' From the past two years, BJP has been levelling allegations against all the leaders of AAP that they are dishonest, corrupt...Even after two years, ED and CBI don't dare to start a trial against Arvind Kejriwal...Supreme Court has given bail to Arvind Kejriwal but he wants to go among the public to give agni-pariksha and will sit on the Chief Minister's chair only after giving the agni-pariksha...He(Arvind Kejriwal) is the only Chief Minister who after resigning from his post is saying only vote for me if I am honest otherwise don't vote for me, the Delhi Minister said.

3:00 pm: Delhi BJP seeks dissolution of AAP govt, polls in November The AAP government should be dissolved and elections should be conducted in November. The public of Delhi will give its answer...The entire party is accused in the Delhi Excise policy...The public of Delhi knows that you (Arvind Kejriwal) looted the public of Delhi, said Delhi BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva.

2:45 pm: Manish Sisodia to remain Deputy CM? AAP leader says only if public Manish Sisodia, said on Sunday that he will sit on the chair of Deputy Chief Minister-Education Minister only if the public approves his honesty. The senior AAP leader insisted that he would go to the public court along with Arvind Kejriwal and ask whether the public considers him honest or not.

2:30 pm: Manoj Tiwari says resignation is a new drama from CM Kejriwal

2:20 pm: Atishi says BJP is afraid of elections For the last two years, BJP has left no stone unturned to harass AAP. Thousands of raids were conducted but they could not present any proof of corruption...BJP is afraid of elections. BJP knows that the people of Delhi are angry about the way false allegations were made against Arvind Kejriwal. That is why the BJP does not want elections because they know that the people of Delhi will express this anger in their votes. If elections are held today, the people of Delhi will not give a single seat to the BJP. 70 out of 70 seats will go to the Aam Aadmi Party, assured Delhi Minister Atishi.

2.01 pm: Chair of the Chief Minister will wait for Arvind Kejriwal says Saurabh Bharadwaj Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj says "You will not find such an example in the world that a Chief Minister, after getting bail from the court, himself decides that the court has granted me bail but the day my people will put me through the 'agni-pariksha', only then I will sit on this chair...For the past 3 times, the people of Delhi have been voting for BJP in Lok Sabha and giving it 8 seats in the Vidhan Sabha, so BJP knows the truth. The chair of the Chief Minister will wait for Arvind Kejriwal..."

2.00 pm: Arvind Kejrwial has no greed for power or money: Punjab Minister Punjab Minister Aman Arora said, "... Arvind Kejriwal has set a new precedent of accountability. The whole country feels proud of his decision. He has no greed for power or money. All he wants is a corruption-free and transparent politics in the country... "

1.56 pm: Should have resigned a long time ago: BJP leader Shazia Ilmi BJP leader Shazia Ilmi said, "Arvind Kejriwal is a master of political maneuvering. He knows that he should have resigned in those 5 months when he was in jail...He is deliberately talking about resignation as this is the only way to get sympathy...He should have resigned a long time ago. I think the people of Delhi have completely understood his reality..."

1.22 pm: He is forced to leave his chair because he is involved in the liquor scam, says BJP leader BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "Arvind Kejriwal has announced that he will resign after two days and become the CM again when he gets a verdict from the people... This is not a sacrifice, the Supreme Court has said in the order that he cannot go near the CM's chair and cannot sign any files. Hence, you dont have an option, you are forced to resign because of the SC order. The people gave their verdict 3 months ago when you asked 'jail or bail', you lost all 7 (Lok Sabha seats in Delhi) and were sent to jail... Now he has asked for a two-day time because he is convincing all MLAs to make his wife the CM... He is forced to leave his chair because he is involved in the liquor scam..."

1.19 pm: Such decision can only be taken by an honest person, says AAP MP On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's 'I am going to resign from the CM position after 2 days' statement, AAP MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer says, "Just to keep him jailed, he was arrested by the CBI when he got a bail from the ED. The SC also said that the CBI has become a caged parrot... A decision to quit the CM chair until the people give their verdict, such a decision can only be taken by an honest person... Only Arvind Kejriwal can leave the CM chair after coming out of jail..."

12.58 pm: People of Delhi will declare their CM honest through election: Raghav Chadha AAP MP Raghav Chadha says "...'Mukhyamantri ji agni-pariksha se guzarne ke liye taiyyar hai'. Now it's in the hands of the people of Delhi to decide if he is honest or not. Arvind Kejriwal had asked for votes in the name of work in 2020 and said that if I have worked then vote for me, if I have not worked then do not vote for me. The people of Delhi will declare the Chief Minister honest by voting for AAP and in the upcoming 2025 Delhi elections, the people of Delhi will declare their Chief Minister honest through that election..."

12.50 pm: PR stunt of Arvind Kejriwal: BJP on 'going to resign from the CM position' remark BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, "This is a PR stunt of Arvind Kejriwal. He has understood that his image among the people of Delhi is not of an honest leader but of a corrupt leader, today Aam Aadmi Party is known across the country as a corrupt party. Under his PR stunt, he wants to restore his image...It is clear that he wants to apply the Sonia Gandhi model, where she made Manmohan Singh a dummy Prime Minister and ran the government from behind the scenes. They have understood today that the Aam Aadmi Party is losing the Delhi elections and the people of Delhi cannot vote in their name, so they want to make someone else a scapegoat..."

12.46 pm: 'Will become CM, Sisodia as deputy CM only when' I will become chief minister, Sisodia deputy CM only when people say we are honest, he said.

12.42 pm: 'Will only sit on CM's chair after': Delhi CM He added that I will only sit on CM's chair after people give me certificate of honesty; want to give 'agnipariksha' after coming out of jail.

Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal is convincing all MLAs to make his wife the CM...: BJP

12.32 pm: Arvind Kejriwal demands elections in November He added, Delhi elections due in February but I demand elections in national capital be held in November with Maharashtra.

12.31 pm: AAP leader will take over as CM, says Arvind Kejriwal He added that, Will hold meeting of AAP MLAs in next couple of days, an AAP leader will take over as CM

12.30 pm: Arvind Kejrwal to resign as Delhi CM I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict... I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till I get a verdict from the people...

12.27 pm: We are fighting against huge enemies, says Arvind Kejriwal CM Arvind Kejriwal says, "I thank God for always blessing us... We are overcoming all the problems. We are fighting against huge enemies and succeeding. We are just a small party that transformed the politics of this country. I thank God for this..."

The Chief Minister also said that he would resign after two days, I am going to resign after 2 days; ask people whether I am honest; till they respond, won't sit on CM's chair."

12.20 pm: Conspiracies could not break our rock-like courage, Kejriwal While addressing the party workers, Kejriwal said, Their conspiracies could not break our rock-like courage, we are among you again. We will keep fighting for the country like this, we just need the support of all of you.

12.15 pm: AAP just a small party that transformed the politics of this country says Arvind Kejriwal CM Arvind Kejriwal said, "I thank God for always blessing us... We are overcoming all the problems. We are fighting against huge enemies and succeeding. We are just a small party that transformed the politics of this country. I thank God for this..."
The Central Bureau of Investigation believes former RG Kar Medical College principal Sandip Ghosh may be part of a larger conspiracy. The assertion was made before a Kolkata court on Sunday amid its ongoing investigation into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor. The probe agency had arrested Ghosh and Tala Police Station OC Abhijit Mondol a day earlier.

He is not an accused in rape and murder but he might have role in larger conspiracyHe came to the spot at 11am and an FIR was registered after 11pm,News18 quoted the CBI as saying.

The central agency also claimed in court that both Ghosh and Mondal had played some "vital roles" in the crime. The two were in touch with each other, and the former issued instructions to the policeman on how to proceed with the rape-murder case. Both of them tried to "downplay the incident" as well as "shield" the heinous crime, it said in court.

According to the CBI, call detail records from the night of the incident have suggested a possible nexus between Mondol and Ghosh. The probe agency told Sealdah Court that they intended to confront the duo about their role in the incident.

It was a case of sexual assault, and they should have approached it cautiously. Mondol conspired with othersThere is no conflict between the CBI and the police. We just want to uncover the truth. For us, he is not a police officer; he is a suspect. He was obligated to register the FIR. They tried to pass it off as a suicide. There was a clear dereliction of duty. Custodial interrogation of both individuals is necessary, the lawyer said.

Also Read | Why was Sandip Ghosh arrested by CBI for second time

We have got their custody for three days till September 17. Now, both will be questioned together. The duo has played vital roles in the RG Kar case, an officer told PTI after the court hearing.
Punjab: The state police, on Sunday, arrested the second accused in connection with the Chandigarh blast case, said officials. They arrested Visal Masih, from Delhi.

Visal Masih is a resident of the Raimal village in Gurdaspurs Batala, in Punjab.

The DGP Punjab Police, on social media platform X announced that within 72 hours of the blast, they had arrested the main perpetrator of the incident.

Also Read | NIA raids in Punjab over Khalistani attacks on Indian High Commission in Ottawa

"Punjab Police has arrested the main perpetrator of the Chandigarh Grenade Blast case, in a joint operation with Central Agency. The case is solved with the nabbing of Rohan Masih, resident of village Passia, PS Ramdass, Amritsar Rural and identification of the other accused as well."

According to local police reports, a small pressure-type blast occurred in Sector 10, Chandigarh on September 10. The blast caused significant damage to windows and flower pots in the area, reported PTI.

On September 13, the Punjab police had arrested one of the suspects, Rohan Masih. The second suspect, Vishal Masih, was later arrested in Delhi.

Blast linked to ISI, US-based gangster According to a report by IndiaTV, police had earlier said that the Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda, was behind the Chandigarh blast. Rinda is backed by Pakistans spy agency ISI, and US-based gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, further stated the report.

Also Read | Blast at Central Kolkata amid protests over RG Kar horror, BJP seeks NIA probe

The police had also mentioned that Rohan Masih had confessed his involvement in the grenade blast, revealing that he acted at the behest of Passia, who provided the hand grenade and weapons through his associates, stated the report.

Authorities are continuing their investigation to fully uncover the details of the conspiracy. The police have also recovered a 9mm Glock pistol and ammunition from the accused.

Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur reported that a witness observed two individuals in an auto who allegedly threw the grenade. The police are actively searching for additional details and investigating the cause of the blast, reported PTI.
India has so far witnessed four deep depressionsor cyclonesagainst the usual one or two in the ongoing monsoon season due to an increase in sea surface temperatures. La Nina, a phenomenon that leads to more monsoon showers in India and causes floods which is expected to emerge by the end of September or October is also contributing to it, according to meteorologists.

A deep depression can cause torrential rains and flooding. The frequency and intensity of low-pressure areas turning into depressions have increased over the past five-six years and meteorologists attribute it to climate change.

Also read | Climate change: Its imperative to wage an evidence-based battle The frequency and intensity of low-pressure areas and depression has increased over north Bay of Bengal due to warm up of SST (sea surface temperature). This is not a usual phenomenon. Theres typically a gap of a fortnight or 20 days between the formation of two depressions, but now we are noticing one after another low-pressure areas intensifying into depressions quickly, said Mahesh Palawat, Vice president meteorology and climate change at Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency.

Warming seas He attributed warming SST to climate change.

Climate change is one of the factors because air temperature is rising and the capacity of air to hold moisture is also increasing. So, whenever such a weather system develops, it intensifies rapidly. This was not the case until the last decade. Since the past 5-6 years we have been noticing there is an increase in frequency and intensity of these weather systems, Palawat informed.

The deep depression over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining areas is the fourth and probably the last one in this monsoon season. Usually, one or two depressions form during July and August, the rainiest months, he added.

Also read | We are living in a different climate reality, and it's showing Notably, in the 2024 monsoon season (June-September) Cyclone Asna, an unusual event given its timing and location, was the first cyclone to form in August in the North Indian Ocean region since 1981 and the first in the Arabian Sea since 1976.

It originated from a deep depression over Gujarat, which intensified over the Arabian Sea. This rare occurrence is attributed to an unusual monsoon wind system, characterised by strong easterly winds and a significant monsoonal event known as the Boreal Summer Intra-Seasonal Oscillation.

Cyclone Yagi, the most powerful to hit southeast Asia this year, caused severe floods in Myanmar, resulting in at least 230 deaths and causing heavy showers in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, carried by westerly winds.

Latest depression The latest depression has formed over northeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining southeast Bangladesh coast. Due to this, eastern India has been receiving incessant rain since Friday.

West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar have recorded 658%, 449% and 114% surplus rain in the 24 hours ended 8 am Sunday. The country has recorded 857.5 mm or 8% above normal rain since the beginning of the Southwest monsoon.

The low-pressure area will likely retravel towards in a westerly direction across north Odisha, Jharkhand and north Chhattisgarh and turn into a depression.

There may be marginal weakening of the system as it travels to land area because moisture will be depleted. It is expected to maintain its intensity as a depression to north-east Madhya Pradesh and thereafter get regenerated into a well-marked low-pressure by Wednesday or Thursday and bring heavy to extremely heavy precipitation.

Also read | Water must be at the centre of any efforts to uplift rural India Moreover, we are entering La Nina phase. When El Nino is there, monsoon rain in southeast Asia is less than normal, which we had seen last year. Now, we have already entered neutral phase, and La Nina is expected to emerge by October or November, Skymets Palawat said.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: With the ten-day Ganesh festival nearing its end, several cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi and Pune, have prohibited the sale of alcohol on certain dates. This move is aimed at ensuring peace and public safety during Ganesh Visarjan and related processions.

Bengaluru liquor ban Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda has temporarily banned alcohol sales in various areas of the city from September 14 to 16.

The ban applies to bars, restaurants, wine shops, pubs, and Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL) outlets. Other establishments with CL-4 (clubs) and CL-6A (star hotels) licenses are exempt from this restriction, stated a report by Deccan Herald.

For East and North East Bengaluru, liquor sales are prohibited for 24 hours straight from 6 a.m. today, to 6 a.m. Monday (September 16). Eight police station jurisdictions including Commercial Street, Bharati Nagar, Shivajinagar, and Pulakeshinagar come under the imposition.

Meanwhile, in North and East Bengaluru, liquor sales had been prohibited from 6 a.m. on Saturday till 6 a.m. Sunday(September 15). Liquor sales in seven areas, including JC Nagar, RT Nagar, Hebbal, Sanjay Nagar, DJ Halli, Bharati Nagar, were not allowed during this period.

Liquor ban in Hyderabad In other news, Hyderabad City Police have also announced the closure of all wine, toddy shops, and bars in Hyderabad and Secunderabad on September 17 and 18.

The decision by Police Commissioner C.V. Anand, aims to ensure public safety during the final Ganesha idol immersions in the city. The ban will be enforced from 6 a.m. on September 17 to 6 p.m. on September 18, under Section 20 of the Telangana Excise Act, 1968. Bars in hotels, and registered clubs, would, however remain open.

Station House Officers (SHOs) and Additional Inspectors from local law enforcement have been authorized to take legal action against those who violate the order.

Liquor ban in Pune According to a report by the Hindustan Times, Pune district collector had imposed a complete ban on alcohol in certain areas of the district, from September 7 to September 18. Alcohol sale has been prohibited in Faraskhana, Vishrambaug and Khadak police station areas.

Also Read | Ganpati 2024: Mukesh Ambani visits Lalbaugcha Raja in Mumbai with son Anant
Eva Clemente was born in Cuba Libre, a town of just over 700 inhabitants where women are not free. Those arent my words, theyre hers. Clementes father sold her for food when she was 12 years old to another family from the municipality of Xalpatlahuac, in the Mexican state of Guerrero. She was only allowed to return home on the day her father died, after getting permission to attend his funeral. Now, in a room in her new apartment in the Bronx, the only photo that hangs on the wall is that of her dad, an older man in a sombrero and plaid shirt who Clemente says she understands, despite everything.

My father wanted to find me a place for when he was no longer around, she says. He wanted to leave me in good hands. But thats not what happened, he left me in the hands of worthless people. People who made my life miserable from the ages of 12 to 26.

Thats why the day her mother-in-law called New York from Mexico and told her that she was going to sell her 14-year-old daughter, Clemente planned the girls escape, along with that of her five-year-old son, who Clemente had left in the care of their grandmother the day she departed for the United States. In Nuu Savi, the town of rain, paternal families had the power to decide the fate of their women. I was a servant in their home. I was not the daughter-in-law, she says.

Sixteen years later, Clemente remembers the sharp sensation of the chile de arbol on the day her father sold her. They gave her a handful to grind as a test, an examination, a confirmation of the fact that she would be a good woman for their children. It is very difficult to grind chile de arbol, because it is so spicy, she says. I had to hide so that I didnt cry in front of the lady.

No one saw Clemente cry from the heat, and so she moved to her new familys house. After a time, she got together with one of their sons, who was two years older than her. Then she got pregnant. We thought that things were going to go so well, but that wasnt the case, she says. The father of my daughter came to the United States, he left me pregnant. I waited for him. I respected my relationship.

Her partner returned nine years later, after living in New York while Clemente had stayed under the command of her mother-in-law, who flung the pots on the floor if the food burned and did not allow her to visit her parents home. One day, when Clemente was in the kitchen, she heard her little girl cry out.

Her father was striking her with a cable, she recalls. I didnt like that. I went to defend my daughter. She was 10 years old. I took my daughter out of his hands, I told him not to hit her. Hit me if you want, but dont mess with her. Then her grandmother arrived and she told me not to get involved, that she was his daughter. I realized that nothing was going to work with him.

One morning, her mother-in-law asked her to prepare tortillas for a journey. Clemente asked her who was going on a trip. Her mother-in-law told her that her son was heading back to New York. Clemente was pregnant for the second time. He never told me or warned me that he would leave, that he was going. He said he was leaving because he didnt have any money. I told him that money comes and goes, that even if we have to eat tortillas with salt, family is the most important thing. But that, if he wanted to go, he must not be used to being at home anymore. I told him: its fine, go for it.

When Clementes youngest child was two years old, her partner ordered her to come to New York. And so, Clemente embarked on the journey, like so many before her, after spending nights crying. Her daughter told her, Mama, dont go, whats going to happen to us? Dont go.

Clemente got to New York in 2021. It was the first big city shed ever visited. She lived in an apartment in the Bronx, where she shared the rent with another woman who was also in a relationship with her partner. Three times, in the apartment, Clemente saw them together. At first, it made me feel bad. I was sad, disappointed. I cried. It was incredibly hard, she says. One day I said, thats it for us. He didnt like that.

One night, her partner arrived home drunk and beat her until she lost consciousness. She missed a week of work as a cleaner for a Jewish family in Brooklyn. He left too many marks, my face was swollen, he left me with my eyes full of blood. He threatened me and told me that if I went to the police, I would never see my children again. Who wouldnt be scared?

On another occasion, her partner threw her against a table and when Clemente told him to stop, he told her to get out of the house, that he didnt want her, warning her that shed never see her kids. From Mexico, her mother-in-law escalated their feud: she called Clemente a prostitute and only let her speak to her children on the phone if she sent money every week. She told her that if someone came for her daughter, shed give her to anyone who asked. Clemente worked as much as she could to be able to bring her children over: cleaning floors from 7 a.m. to midnight, working in a salon where they paid her poorly, delivering food. Her daughter asked Clemente to help her leave, seriously this time.

At one point in our conversation, Clemente picks up her mobile phone to check on her son, who is making his way home on the school bus that drops him off very close to their Bronx apartment. The children arrived one year ago, when Clemente met Fabiola Mancilla, the director and founder of the organization Pueblos y Comunidades Indigenas Transfronterizos (Indigenous Cross-Border People and Communities, PUCOMIT), a project that since 2023 has helped reunite children who have been victims of violence. Last year, with the help of the project Al Otro Lado (The Other Side), they were able to accompany 20 minors between the ages of two and 17 to the United States, with the authorization of their parents. By September 2024, they had reunited 25 children who had stayed behind in vulnerable situations.

This is not a game

Mancilla says that all the children who have benefited from her project have a special condition. There are children of activists who were assassinated in Guerrero. Another thing that happens a lot in migrant communities is that the mother and father emigrate. Its important to note that in Indigenous communities, as romantic a view as academics tend to take of them, when youre a woman and you marry, you become the property of your husbands family. In those cases, the minors stay with the spouses family and that violence is exercised against them. The children become a way of getting money, because youre the winner since youre in the United States, and youre going to have to give me money for me to set your children free, she says.

The advocate also helped to bring the children of Raul Rivera from Guerrero to New York. Rivera is an activist and florist in Bushwick who emigrated 13 years ago to the United States, after falling victim to an armed robbery while working as a taxi driver in Tlapa. After the incident, Rivera said he tried to live a normal life in his town, but that proved impossible. He received constant threats. Later, he and his wife decided to make the journey north. Their children, at the time four and seven years old, stayed with their grandmother, their parents promising that theyd come back for them.

The goal was to get them out of there and give them a better life, says Rivera. But my family didnt want us to bring the kids. My mother said, how could we think about putting them at risk like that, that the border was dangerous. It was an empathic no. As long as she was alive, it was impossible to get her to let go of them. In a certain way, I understood.

When his mother died, his children no longer had anyone to take care of them. I was so desperate that I thought about going back, he says. The kids eventually arrived with the help of PUCOMIT and Al Otro Lado in February of 2023, when their parents authorized Mancilla to bring them over. Migration called me, they asked me for basic information. A social worker was making sure that the kids would be OK, that they would have a bed, food in the refrigerator, he says. Seeing them arrive was the best thing thats ever happened to me, I didnt think it was possible. I realized they were no longer the little kids Id left behind, but fortunately I was able to receive them while they still had their innocence. Even though I didnt have enough time to play with them as I would have liked, it soothes me to know that when I get there in the afternoon, knowing theyre there, that theyre alright.

Twenty-four-year-old Luz Felipe Narcizo arrived in a similar manner with her nine-year-old brother, who lives with HIV. Despite the fact that the authorities forced his sister to sign documents saying he was receiving his prescriptions, the little boy went three months without his medication. The doctor told me that it hadnt arrived, that it was impossible to supply so many people. That happens a lot, she says. The boy began to get sick, he was getting a lot of nose bleeds, he was running a high fever.

After getting into contact with Mancilla, Felipe Narcizo and her brother were turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. Now they live with their mother in New York. The boy hasnt had a nosebleed since we arrived, he hasnt had a fever, she says.

Recently, the U.S. government admitted that it had lost track of more than 32,000 underage migrants, but that number could be even higher, given that there are 290,000 children who have yet to receive a date for their court hearing. The situation has been blamed on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)s shoddy case monitoring.

I explain to the mothers, fathers and children how difficult our job is and how careful we have to be, says Mancilla. Some people think this is a game, that its a tourist visa and its not like that. What the parents have to decide is where is best for the child and if its worth them making such a traumatic journey. Kids on the border cry, they have to be turned over to a stranger who speaks another language. You have to decide whether its best for them to stay in their community. This is not a game.

Us women are nothing in Mexico

Fabiola helped me so much, says Clemente. One morning, when her kids were on the way to school in Cuba Libre, their mother ordered the oldest to take a taxi to the city of Tlapa. With the help of some people contacted by Clemente, they arrived at the Mexico City international airport, boarded a plane and traveled up to Tijuana, where they stayed in a shelter until being turned over a few days later to CBP agents. By then, their grandmother had figured out that something had happened to them and activated an amber alert. A lawyer called Clemente and asked about the children.

I told them that I didnt know what they were talking about, says Clemente. Then in the afternoon, they called me and I told the lawyer that I had every right to be with my children. They told me that if I didnt turn them in within 24 hours, they were coming for me. Thats when I said yes, come for me.

Clementes children got to the United States at the end of May 2023, after spending a week in custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which has had a program for unaccompanied minors (UC) since 2003 and has provided services or found sponsors for more than 700,000 children. In the 2023 fiscal year, the program received 118,938 kids, of which 76% were over 14 years old and 61% were boys. They primarily came from Guatemala (42%), Honduras (28%), El Salvador (9%), Mexico (8%) and other countries (13%). As of September 2024, 6,448 children are under the agencys care, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Once they get out of ORR facilities, the children, who are initially released on parole, can apply after six months for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, a step towards lawful permanent residency.

When Clemente finally had her children with her in New York, she saw how skinny her little boy was, that he had fleas and a broken rib. My kids lived through so much with their grandmother. When they arrived, they had that on their minds. My boy got here and said lets go, if we dont go to grandmas house shes going to beat us. I grabbed him and said, youre with me, no one is going to do anything to you because youre with me. Thats why I brought them here.

Her oldest daughter is in therapy. Her grandmother kept close tabs on her and wouldnt even let her visit her other grandmother. Us women are nothing in Mexico, theres so much suffering, says Clemente, who had a baby three months ago with her new partner. Im OK, Im at peace, theres no one to yell at me, threaten me, beat me or tell me to do this or that. Its hard when they give you away when youre young, you have your baby when youre 12 or 13. We are children at that age. And its the women themselves who trample on you. That was what I suffered there at the hands of that woman. Now I want tranquility, peace, and to live happily with my children.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Happy Engineers' Day: Several leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Tripura CM Manik Saha paid a tribute to the legendary civil engineer M. Visvesvaraya on his birth anniversary.

Taking to the social media platform X, Amit Shah extended his greetings to all the technocrats. He emphasized the contributions of engineers in fueling India's growth and innovation.

"Engineers are the backbone of our nations growth and innovation, advancing progress and shaping our future through their vital contributions.

My homage to visionary engineer Bharat Ratna, Sir M Visvesvaraya Ji, whose enduring legacy will inspire engineers as they forge Bharat's future," Shah posted on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his greetings on the occasion of Engineer's Day.

Every year, September 15 is celebrated as Engineer's day in India to honour the birth anniversary of M. Visvesvaraya, the renowned civil engineer, statesman and administrator.

Other CMs post about Engineers' Day Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was recently released from jail, also paid his tribute to India's engineering legend. Remembering shri M Visvesvaraya ji on his birth anniversary today. Engineers are the architects of our nation's growth. Let's recognize their achievements and commitment on Engineer's Day, Kejriwal posted on X.

The Chief Minister of Tripura, Manik Saha, noted that engineers bring ideas to reality. Calling all to honour engineers, he said on X,My greetings to all Engineers on the occasion of #EngineersDay.Let's honour the Engineers who transform ideas into reality through creativity & contribute a lot to the development process.

Saha had also reposted PM Modi's post of wishing all the techies a Happy Engineers' Day.

Ministry of Road and Transport celebrates Engineers' Day The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India, led by Nitin Gadkari, also paid a tribute to M. Visvesvaraya. The department further noted that his legacy of innovation has been a source of continuous inspiration.

On this Engineers Day, we pay tribute to Sir M. Visvesvaraya, a visionary whose contributions revolutionised engineering and infrastructure in India. His legacy of innovation and scientific acumen continues to inspire engineers everywhere. Lets follow his example and strive for excellence in all our endeavours. Happy Engineer's Day!, the department posted on X.
Happy Milad-un-Nabi 2024 wishes: The Islamic festival of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, also known as Eid-e-Milad or Nabid and Mawlid in colloquial Arabic, commemorates the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad in the Sufi or the Barelvi school of thought. It is important to note that Prophet, the founder of Islam and the proclaimer of the Quran, died on the same day.
Eulogising Kerala's rich culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, extended wishes for the Onam festival. In a social media post, PM Modi wished everyone a joyous Onam and aspired for peace, prosperity, and wellness.

"Wishing everyone a joyous Onam. May there be peace, prosperity and wellness all over," Modi said on X. PM Modi also said that the ten-day-long festival celebrates the glorious culture of Kerala and the Malayali community all over the world.

"This festival celebrates the glorious culture of Kerala and is marked enthusiastically by the Malayali community all over the world," the prime minister said.

On the eve of Onam, President Droupadi Murmu greeted citizens and encouraged everyone to promote social harmony. This festival of joy and enthusiasm is celebrated to mark the harvesting of crops, she said.

Also Read | Bank Holidays in September 2024: Check the full list here

"It is also an occasion to celebrate the rich cultural heritage and traditions of Kerala. On this occasion, we also express our deep gratitude to the farmers who work tirelessly to feed our nation. This festival of prosperity also encourages us to promote social harmony," Murmu said in her message on the eve of Onam.

"May the peace and unity of the country continue to be strengthened and we work together for making India a developed nation," she said.

Onam celebrations in India Onam is a 10-day-long festival celebrated with huge fervour in India, especially in Kerala. The festival concludes with Thiruvonam, which is on September 15 this year.

The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of lord Vishnu and also the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. The festival also signifies the beginning of the harvest season and the end of monsoon.
As devotees thronged in large numbers for darshan and offering prayers to Lord Ganesh at Lalbagucha Raja temple in Mumbai, a viral video showing common worshippers being manhandled by volunteers has created a stir among public.

Sharing the video on social media platform X (formerly twitter), RPG Enterprises chairman Harsh Goenka has highlighted the unequal treatment between common worshippers and VIPs.

Also Read | Lord Ganesha murti in Bengaluru police van sparks row: PM Modi says THIS

In a post on X, Harsh Goenka wrote: Ever wondered why people opt for VIP darshan at Lalbaugcha Raja? Its because the common devotee often faces long waits and crowds, highlighting the unequal treatment. Isnt faith supposed to be equal for all?

Watch video from Lalbaugcha Raja here

Every Year during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, thousands of devotees, including VIPs and celebrities, visit Lalbagucha Raja temple to offer prayers.

The iconic Ganesh idol, housed at the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, is a central attraction during this vibrant festival, drawing thousands of worshippers seeking blessings from the revered deity.

On September 14, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar along with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar visited the Lalbaugcha Raja.

Also Read | Ganpati 2024: Mukesh Ambani visits Lalbaugcha Raja in Mumbai with son Anant

Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda also offered prayers at Lalbaugcha Raja.

On September 5, the first look of this year's Lalbaugcha Raja was unveiled.

The Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, located at Putlabai Chawl, was founded in 1934.

The Lord Ganesh idol and its celebrations are managed by the Kambli family, custodians of this revered image for over 80 years.

The 10-day long Ganesh Chaturthi festival began on September 6 and will continue until Anantha Chaturdashi. This festival is also known as Vinayak Chaturthi or Vinayak Chavithi.

Also Read | Bath in river turns tragic! Eight drown in Gujarat during Ganesh Visarjan

Devotees across India and abroad celebrate Lord Ganesha's wisdom and intelligence. They welcome Ganesh idols into their homes, offer prayers, and visit the colourful pandals.
New Delhi: India held a series of bilateral meetings with key global partners, including the US, Brazil, Japan, Germany, the UK, Spain and the UAE, on the sidelines of the G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting in Cuiaba, Brazil.

The discussions focused on multiple critical areas, such as climate-smart agriculture, food processing, trade barriers, and technological collaboration.

Also read | Water must be at the centre of any efforts to uplift rural India The Indian delegation, led by the msinister of state for Agriculture Ram Nath Thakur, pursued partnerships to strengthen its agricultural sector and address global challenges like food security and climate change, the agriculture ministry said on Sunday.

The G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting was held from 12-13 September.

ICAR-EMBRAPA MoU A major highlight was the meeting between Thakur and his Brazilian counterpart Carlos Favaro. During the bilateral meeting, both nations reaffirmed their commitment to finalizing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Brazils EMBRAPA, which is expected to be completed before the G20 leaders' summit in November, the ministry release said.

Brazil is hosting the G20 Leaders' Summit on 18-19 November 2024 in Rio de Janeiro and leaders from all member countries are expected to attend.

Also read | Raising farmer income is a key priority for India Besides, Brazil expressed interest in collaborating on ethanol production technology, a crucial area for Indias climate goals, it said.

Thakur raised market access issues, seeking entry for Indian agricultural products such as sorghum, rapeseed and cotton, while Brazil requested market access for citrus, it said, adding that both sides were hopeful about resolving trade obstacles.

In a bilateral dialogue with Xochitl Torres Small, USs deputy secretary of agriculture, both sides agreed to advance cooperation in climate-smart agriculture, agricultural innovation, and crop insurance.

Market access issues India highlighted market access issues for fruits and vegetables, while the US requested expedited access for alfalfa hay fodder and both sides agreed to address these concerns through joint efforts, the ministry release said.

On 12 September, Thakur held discussions with Japans agriculture minister Sakamoto, focusing on technology, food processing, and market access. India sought the fast-tracking of pomegranates and grapes into the Japanese market, while Japan raised issues related to cedar wood exports.

Also read | Weather forecast: Stormy skies and lower food prices on the horizon In his meeting with Germanys parliamentary state secretary Ophelia Nick, Thakur emphasised the importance of regular India-German engagements. Both sides agreed to enhance collaboration in artificial intelligence in farming, agroecology, and organic agriculture.

Bilateral talks with the UKs minister for food security, Daniel Zeichner, centered around transforming agriculture into a sustainable, tech-driven system. The UK expressed interest in Indias agricultural extension services, while both sides agreed on precision breeding and gene-editing collaborations.

Genomic tech cooperation In discussions with Spains agriculture minister, Luis Planas, the focus was on resolving veterinary certificate issues and exploring cooperation in genomic techniques, water use efficiency, and climate-resilient farming. The UAE also expressed interest in collaborating on vertical farming and sustainable agriculture.
Actor Parambrata Chatterjee, one of the celeb faces in the ongoing anti-rape protests in Kolkata, has hailed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her positive attitude. At the same time, he has asked a couple of questions.

In an Instagram post, Chatterjee shared a photo of protesting junior doctors outside CM Banerjees house. Some of them are standing with folded hands.

You can firmly present your demands without crossing the boundaries of civility or decency. This was clearly demonstrated yesterday by the junior doctors waiting in front of the honourable chief minister's residence. Their fight for their own respect and safety while showing respect to the person on the other side reflects their belief in their cause and a great sense of maturity. Salute to them! Chatterjee said.

On the other hand, the actor also appreciated Banerjees arrival at the protest site while calling it a commendable and highly positive step.

I cannot recall any similar gesture from a ruler in any other state in recent times. Very few administrations tolerate a movement to continue so freely for such an extended period. Generally, protests that raise their voice against authority are crushed much earlier through state power," Chatterjee said.

"The long-standing farmers' protests in North India are a prime example of this. Such examples are far more common. In this case, it is undeniable that the state administration did not take that route, he added.

Questions for Mamata Banerjee At the same time, the actor-director wondered why such a step could not be taken earlier. CM Banerjee should have engaged with the demonstrators much earlier without accusing them of being politically motivated, he added.

The attempt to solve the problems would have started earlier, people could have seen the humane face of the ruler earlier! he added.
Business tycoon Anand Mahindrawho is known for his activeness on social media, inspirational videos, and complimenting talentsrecently visited Venice in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. Venice, also known also as the City of Canals, and The Floating City, is arguably one of the most picturesque cities in the world. The Mahindra Group chairman was surprised to find himself in a situation very familiar to him  the aamchi Mumbai-style traffic jam in one of the most popular tourist destinations across the globe.

Also Read | Anand Mahindra shares video of 9-year-old playing electric guitar

However, the business tycoon finds the Venice congestion not as stressful as it used to be in Mumbai's chaos

Taking to microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Mahindra compared the traffic jams of both cities.

Traveled all the way to Venice only to run into a Mumbai-style traffic jam! (Ok, I admit this traffic pile-up is less stressful), the caption of Mahindras post read.

Also Read | Anand Mahindra announces Mahindra Rise Challenge for MBA students

Mahindra also shared a video of gondolas and boats jostling for space on a narrow canal. The post has amassed 54.7K views, 1K likes and 70 comments since posted.

It is important to note that Venice, a city of canals, is famous for its waterways, Renaissance architecture, and stunning scenery. The city is built on 126 islands separated by expanses of open water and canals; portions of the city are linked by 472 bridges.

Netizen reaction Like the other social media posts of the Mahindra Group chairman, this one too soon became viral. Social media users flooded the comments section to share their thoughts.

In monsoons, you can visit Delhi instead of Venice. You will get a similar experience at a fraction of the cost, a user named Manoj Arora (@manoj_216) commented.

Thats a humorous way to put it! Its funny how certain experiences, like traffic jams, can be so universally familiar, even in a city as picturesque as Venice. And its good to know that this one is a bit more relaxing!, added another user named Nijam Afridi (@Nijamafridi).

The Venetian version of signal pe rukna  just with a better view and at least no ones honking there.
Several members of the INDIA bloc, including Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, Sachin Pilot, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha had a host of reactions to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's statement of resigning in two days.

Congress in charge of Chhattisgarh Sachin Pilot said it was the AAP's decision on who will become the next Chief Minister of Delhi.

"It is their decision whom they will announce as the Chief Minister. Congress party is ready for every challenge...We will form the government in Haryana and J&K..."Pilot was quoted as saying by ANI.

Also Read | Agni Pariksha ke liye: Raghav Chadha after Arvind Kejriwal decides to resign

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit lashed out at Kejriwal, stating that there was no question of (Kejriwal) becoming the CM again. He further noted that several party members have been urging for Arvind Kejriwal's resignation for a long time.

There is no question of becoming the CM again. We have been saying this for a long time that he should resign as the CM... This is a mere gimmick. This happened for the first time when an elected leader came out of jail on bail, and was asked by the SC to not go to the CMO or sign any papers" Dikshit was quoted as saying by ANI.

The leader also noted that it was the first time that such different conditions, where the Supreme Court did not ask a Chief Minister, upon being released from jail, to go to their office, or sign any papers, were imposed. He added that maybe even the SC fears that this person might try to tamper with the evidence, reported ANI.

End to BJP games Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (MP), Manoj Jha stated that Kejriwal's statement will put an 'end to BJP's games.'

This will put a full stop on BJPs political game. I think he has given a signal that AAP MLAs will elect a new CM, said Jha, reported PTI.

Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal is convincing all MLAs to make his wife the CM...: BJP

Incumbent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is out on bail, said on Sunday that he will resign in the next two days. He said an Aam Aadmi Party (AA) leader would take over as the chief minister and also demanded early assembly elections in Delhi.

Delhi Assembly Election is scheduled to take place in February 2025.
In Today's Top News, we have Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Jharkhand and Gujarat; farmers to take part in mahapanchayat in Jind, Haryana; Air India To Begin Flights From Delhi To Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and more.

1. PM Modi to flag off new Vande Bharat express trains in Jharkhand Prime Minister Modi will launch three new Vande Bharat Express trains on September 15 in Jharkhand, connecting Tatanagar to Patna, Deoghar to Varanasi, and Tatanagar to Berhampur. PM Modi will also deposit the first instalment of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in the accounts of 1,13,195 poor people.

This expansion follows the recent inauguration of three other Vande Bharat routes linking Meerut to Lucknow, Madurai to Bengaluru, and Chennai to Nagercoil. Patna, which already benefits from Vande Bharat connections to Ranchi, Howrah, New Jalpaiguri, and Lucknow, will see enhanced connectivity with these new additions. Read more here

2. Transfer  5 lakh in a single UPI transaction NPCI  which runs Unified Payments Interface (UPI)  raised the limit of 5 lakh per transaction for a particular category of transactions. The limit has been raised with regards to tax payments only. The enhanced limit will be applicable to verified merchants. This, effectively, means one can use UPI for making tax payment of upto 5 lakh in a single transaction.

Now, consumers will be able to make UPI payments of 5 lakh per transaction for these categories: a) Tax payments, b) hospitals and educational services, c) IPO and G Sec. Read more here

3. PM Modi's two-day visit to Gujarat Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat from September 15, during which he will inaugurate a metro train service as well as the 4th edition of Global Renewable Energy Investors Meet and Expo (RE-INVEST 2024), state minister Rushikesh Patel said on Thursday. This will be his first visit to Gujarat after being sworn in as PM for a third straight term, said Patel, who is health minister as well as the spokesperson of the Gujarat government.

4. Farmers to hold mahapanchayat Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the farmer's agitation has been going on since February 13 in Delhi and they are going to have a mahapanchayat in Jind on September 15 and in Pipli on September 22.

Farmers are protesting at the Shambhu border near Ambala and have been camping there since February 13. Pandher accused the Centre of misusing central agencies and as the election is scheduled in Haryana, the BJP is scared of the farmer's protest. Further making demands, Pandher asked the centre to open the border as they will advance towards Delhi on the completion of 200 days of farmers' protest.

5. Air India to begin flights from Delhi To Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Air India has started direct flight services from Delhi to Malaysias Kuala Lumpur. Interested passengers will be able to enjoy the seamless non-stop flight from 15 September 2024.
From Swiggy eyeing IPO filing this week to Market capitalisation of 9 of top 10 most valued firms rising by 2 lakh crore, here are today's top stories.

Softbank-backed Swiggy eyes IPO filing this week, may seek to raise more than $1 billion Indian food-delivery platform Swiggy Ltd. is considering filing publicly for its domestic initial public offering as soon as this week, people familiar with the matter said, adding to a strong pipeline of share sales in the country. READ MORE

Arvind Kejriwal to resign as Delhi CM after exit from Tihar jail  Whats next for AAP? Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced plans to resign on Sunday following his exit from Tihar jail. The AAP supremo has also sought early polls in the national capital and vowed to avoid the CM chair until he was given a certificate of honesty by the people of Delhi. The move has evoked a mixed response from political parties with the Opposition BJP insisting that it was a PR exercise. READ MORE

Upcoming IPOs: Seven public issues, 13 listings scheduled for next week; check full list here The initial public offering (IPO) buzz in the primary market is all set to continue also with seven new issues and thirteen listings scheduled for next week. These include two on the mainboard and five in the SME segment. In addition to the new public offerings, the market will witness 13 listings next week, including the highly anticipated debut of Bajaj Housing Finance. READ MORE

Market capitalisation of 9 of top 10 most valued firms rises by  2 lakh crore; Bharti Airtel shines Nine of the top ten most valuable firms collectively added 2,01,552.69 crore to their market valuation last week, with Bharti Airtel leading the charge amid a positive investor sentiment in equities. During the same period, the BSE benchmark surged by 1,707.01 points, or 2.10 percent, reaching a record high of 83,116.19 on Thursday. READ MORE

Kolkata doctor rape case: Court remands RG Kar ex-principal Sandip Ghosh, SHO Mondal to CBI custody till Sept 17 Kolkata Sealdah court on Sunday, September 15, remanded RG Kar former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh and Tala Police Station incharge Abhijit Mondal to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody till September 17 in connection with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at state-run institute in August. READ MORE

Maharashtra Elections: Eknath Shinde says polls likely in Novembers 2nd week; Mahayuti seat-sharing in next 8 to 10 day Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Sunday said that state assembly elections would be preferable in two phases, and polls are likely to be held in the second week of November. Shinde made the remark while speaking to mediapersons at Varsha', the official residence of the chief minister, while having an an informal chat. READ MORE
I am very tired and have no energy for anything. Nahids soft, self-conscious voice comes from Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. Nahid is 25, and her name is not Nahid. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Afghan women to trust someone they dont know to describe their daily life under the Taliban regime. In August 2021, this young woman was working as a hairdresser, but she had to quit after a few weeks to avoid being beaten or arrested by the fundamentalists. The days go by and nothing changes. I have less and less contact with my friends and now, with these new rules, we are going to be even more isolated. I am even afraid to meet them at a house to talk. I have lost hope of regaining a normal life, she tells EL PAIS by phone.

Nahid is referring to the latest edict issued by the fundamentalists, at the end of August, which further oppresses women by banning them from speaking in public, from their faces being seen outside the home, from looking into the eyes of a man who is not a family member, or from leaving the house without a male chaperone.

Women walking down a street in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August. SAMIULLAH POPAL (EFE)

NGOs, activists, and Afghan women, inside and outside the country, describe these measures as the final nail in the coffin of women. Since their return to power on 15 August, 2021, the Taliban have issued more than 100 edicts that have gradually erased the presence of women from the public space. They have closed the doors to education for women aged over 12, an unprecedented restriction in the world, and excluded them from most jobs and places of leisure. They have also severely restricted their movements and their right to receive healthcare and legal assistance.

Being a woman in Afghanistan today means that you cannot take a cab without a male escort, or that you cannot speak normally to the shopkeeper who sells you food. And if you are a widow, for example, and you have no children or brothers, what do you do? Women are living like criminals, they are deprived of the minimum dignity that human beings deserve, Fawzia Koofi, a former Afghan parliamentarian who participated in peace talks with the Taliban before 2021, says by phone from the United States.

Recognizing gender apartheid as a crime against humanity would pave the way for accountability both from Afghanistan as a state, and from specific individuals in the country Dorothy Estrada Tanck, UN

Mariam Safi, director of the Development Research and Policy Studies Organisation (DROPS), which conducts surveys and research on human rights in Afghanistan through a network of local collaborators, recalls that this is the first time that these rules  applied in practice by the Taliban since their first period in government (1996-2001)  have been written down in law. It seems that these new rules have surprised the international community. Not us. We knew that the Taliban would not back down and that we had to be very firm with them. But the United Nations chose to bring them to the negotiating table to speak directly with them about the situation of women. It is clear that it did not work, she explains to this newspaper in a telephone conversation from Toronto.

Gender apartheid

When they returned to Kabul in 2021, following the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country, the Taliban guaranteed that fundamental freedoms would be respected and said they needed time to create safe environments for women to study and work. The international community wanted to believe them. But they have been in power for three years, it doesnt seem likely they are going to leave, and they have not kept their word. Countries that do not officially recognize the Taliban as a government, but do have dealings with them, could demand a timetable. For example: You said you would open secondary schools, so give us a date. You promised to cancel that measure in the medium term, so tell us when that will happen, suggests Dorothy Estrada Tanck, who is part of the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls.

The Working Group and Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, co-authored the report presented to the Human Rights Council in 2023, in which they concluded that the Taliban regime has established gender apartheid and the persecution of women. In June, Bennett again recommended that this be recognized as a crime against humanity. Last week, the Taliban banned the UN representative from entering Afghanistan. Recognizing gender apartheid as a crime against humanity would pave the way for accountability both from Afghanistan as a state, and from specific individuals in the country, stresses Estrada Tanck.

We need to think about who is silencing these womens voices. We are all doing it, because we are not paying attention to them, even though there is no comparable situation in the world Maria Lopez de la Usada, vice president of Netwomening

Following the publication of the new Taliban edict, a group of Spanish women is collecting signatures to urge the government to go to the International Criminal Court to declare the treatment of Afghan women a crime against humanity. In addition, on September 5, Spanish Socialist MEPs called on the European Union to denounce the latest decisions of the Taliban before international justice, and to clarify the blocs role in providing international protection for Afghan women who flee and reach Europe.

We need to think about who is silencing these womens voices. We are all doing it, because we are not paying attention to them, even though there is no comparable situation in the world, says Maria Lopez de la Usada, vice president of Netwomening, one of the organizations that supports the social integration of Afghan women in Spain.

Nobody does anything, nobody says anything

Hussnia Bakhtiyari, an Afghan prosecutor who has been living in Spain for almost two years, panicked when she called her family in Kabul and, on the other side of the screen, her 18-year-old sister appeared with a black eye. She didnt want to tell me what had happened to her, but she ended up telling me that a Taliban hit her in the street because he thought her dress was too short. It reached her ankles, but apparently it wasnt enough. Bakhtiyari doesnt sleep thinking about her two sisters, who remain in Afghanistan.

What rights do Afghan women have under this new law? Virtually none. Wasnt it enough that we werent allowed to go to university, to our offices, to the hairdresser? But nobody does anything, nobody says anything, says the 35-year-old, who was part of a group of prosecutors, judges, and lawyers evacuated and welcomed by Spain in January 2023.

DROPS and other NGOs have warned that one of the side effects of women not being able to work or study is forced and child marriages, of girls aged 12 and 13. In addition, fear, lack of future prospects, and poverty dangerously undermine their mental health. Many women live locked up in themselves, barely saying a word. Others suffer from deep depression in total solitude and some resort, in desperation, to taking their own lives. In 2023, DROPS interviewed 2,000 women in 17 Afghan provinces about the psychological damage caused by fundamentalist rules: 68% of those surveyed said they knew a woman in their environment with mental health issues. But mental health remains a taboo subject in a country where going to a psychologist was never well-regarded, and is now impossible for a young woman. Families hush up problems, cover up suicides, says Bakhtiyari.

What rights do Afghan women have under this new law? Virtually none. Wasnt it enough that we werent allowed to go to university, to our offices, to the hairdresser? Hussnia Bakhtiyari, Afghan prosecutor

Because homes are not a safe place for Afghan women either, NGOs working in the country have detected an increase in violence against women within families, and a general lack of understanding regarding the restriction of their rights. We have spoken to women in several provinces in recent days, and we feel that they are increasingly afraid. This edict will undoubtedly deepen their psychological problems. They will think twice before leaving home or going to work in the only two sectors where their presence was still tolerated: health and child education. Will their male escort have to speak for them at school, or in the hospital? asks Safi.

Hiding in Islamabad

Razea is one of many Afghan women in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, waiting for a country to grant them international protection. These women live in hiding, with hardly any resources, and in fear of being deported. What did I flee from? In Kandahar, my city, a Taliban can knock on your door at night, rape you, take you by force and marry you. The anguish is hard to imagine. My friends who are still there call me every day, crying explains the 31-year-old over the phone. She escaped from her country clandestinely by road with her brother more than a year ago and also does not want her real name to be published.

According to the UN, there are around 7.7 million Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan, of whom at least 1.6 million arrived after August 2021. The ordeal for women does not end when they leave the country. Organizations supporting Afghan women, such as Netwomening and Afghan Women on the Run, explain that there are women who requested an appointment at the Spanish embassy in Islamabad in 2021 to request asylum, received a number indicating their place in the queue, and are still waiting to be called for a first interview. Between August 2021 and August 2022, that is, in the first year after the return of the Taliban, Spain evacuated 3,900 people from Afghanistan, according to official figures. Since then, they have been arriving in dribs and drabs.

These NGOs help women prepare their request for protection from diplomatic authorities and there are cases that particularly shock them, such as that of a journalist who was refused transfer to Spain because it was decided that she was not in danger. We have presented an appeal to the embassy itself and we have taken the case to the High Court. We believe that they should re-examine it. The woman is desperate and has threatened to go to the embassy door and commit suicide, explains Lopez de la Usada.

At the moment, Afghanistan is neither an emergency nor a priority. It doesnt matter what laws the Taliban make Queralt Puigoriol, Afghan Women on the Run

The fact that they are women and Afghans at this time should be enough to grant them protection, says Queralt Puigoriol, a volunteer with Afghan Women on the Run, an organization that has managed to bring 700 Afghan families to Spain, in an interview with this newspaper. But at the moment Afghanistan is neither an emergency nor a priority. It doesnt matter what laws the Taliban make, she adds.

When was the last time there was a major demonstration in Spain to denounce the oppression and harassment suffered by Afghan women? Even long-time activists cant remember. We must continue supporting women and their organizations inside and outside Afghanistan, gather strong support for the campaigns and put more pressure on governments, and these on the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. It was achieved in South Africa. It took more than 20 years, though. Hopefully here we wont have to wait so long, says Estrada Tanck.

Meanwhile in Kabul, Soraya, a 53-year-old mother who has worked as a teacher for almost 30 years, watches from her home as society crumbles. I believe that teaching has transformed the lives of many of my students. We cannot become a country where half of the population does not receive education. I hope that the international community will do something to save our society from ignorance, she tells this newspaper.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Two 15-year-old boys, who went to take a dip in the Ganga River in Uttarakhand on Sunday morning, were swept away by its flow, the police said. According to news agency PTI, one of the minor boys died, while the other one is still missing.

The incident was reported in the Laxman Jhula area in Pauri Garhwal district.

The Ganga River is in spate due to incessant rains in the area.

Also Read | IMD issues red alert for torrential rainfall in Uttarakhand

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team reached the spot and started a search and rescue operation in the river, PTI reported quoting police.

The SDRF recovered Ishaan Biljwans body, while efforts are on to search for the other boy Deepesh Rawat, officials told PTI.

Both the boys had gone to take a bath in the Ganga River along with four other friends, said the police. These minor boys are residents of the Beas Bigha area located near the incident site.

Ganga River crosses warning mark in Rishikesh The water level of Ganga River on Saturday crossed the warning line in Rishikesh as the state is witnessing heavy rainfalls. The warning level for the river is 293 centimeters, and it is currently at 293.15 centimeters. The danger level is set at 294 centimeters.

In view of the increasing level of the river, the district administration issued an alert and instructed residents to observe precaution.

Also Read | Uttarakhand rains: Landslides at several places on Badrinath Highway

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for several southern districts of Uttarakhand and an orange alert for the remaining areas.

Earlier on Saturday, vehicular movement was affected at several locations along the Badrinath National Highway in Uttarakhand amid rains.

The landslide blocked roads at Barrage Kunj, Sonala, Nandprayag and Lambagad, news agency ANI had reported.
IndiGo airline's Doha bound flight witnessed delays due to a technical reason on Sunday. The flight 6E 1303, operating from Mumbai was ultimately called off due to the extended time lag on account of various procedural delays, reported ANI. After making several attempts to depart for its destination, IndiGo cancelled the flight following a nearly five hours delay.

IndiGo flight 6E 1303 operating from Mumbai to Doha was delayed due to a technical reason. Our airport team immediately provided assistance to the affected customers and provided refreshments and necessary arrangements, ANI quoted IndiGo spokesperson as saying. The apology issued by the airline's spokesperson over the delay noted that the affected passengers were offered refreshments, necessary arrangements and assistance.

He further noted that they commuters were being provided with hotels and rebooking arrangements were being made in accordance with final destination. The spokesperson added, The customers are being provided hotels and are being rebooked as per their final destination. IndiGo sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused to its customers.

The passengers, who were onboard the Qatar bound flight, said that the flight that was scheduled to take off at 3:55 AM on September 15, from Mumbai airport. However, the aircraft did not take to the air even after 5 hours into the flight, reported Deccan Herald.

As per reports, passengers were made to sit and wait inside the aircraft for five hours until 9:00 AM. Moreover, the commuters were not permitted to deboard the plane as immigration was over. The termination of this flight left around 250 to 300 passengers stranded at the airport. Later, the airline directed passengers to leave the aircraft and wait inside the holding area at the Mumbai airport.

Meanwhile, passengers complained that they were not given food or water and no IndiGo official was ready to talk with them. Tagging IndiGo airlines and Airports Authority of India, a user flagged the issue on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and stated, 6E1303 Mumbai -Doha flight is stuck at Mumbai Airport since 4 hours due to technical problem. The immigration authority is not giving permission to offload the passengers.

In response, the airline said, We sincerely regret the inconvenience. We request you to kindly share your contact number via DM so we may connect with you over a call.
Milad-un-Nabi 2024: The Islamic festival of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi commonly known as Mawlid or Eid-e-Milad commemorates the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad.

Date According to Islamic calendar, Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi is observed on the 12th day of the third month of Rabi al-Awwal. This year, the day will be observed from the evening of Sunday, September 15, till Monday, September 16.

Holiday On this day, banks will remain shut in 14 states across India, marking a long weekend. The list of states includes Gujarat, Mizoram, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

RBI press release dated September 14 stated, The Government of Maharashtra has declared September 18, 2024 as a public holiday under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. The public holiday on September 16, 2024 declared earlier has been cancelled.

History The day is referred to as Muhammad's Birthday and is believed that The Messenger was born on this day in 570 CE in the city of Mecca. Followers of the religion across the globe commemorate the day reflecting on the Prophets teachings and life. It is important to note that Prophet, the founder of Islam and the proclaimer of the Quran, died on the same day.

Significance For Muslims worldwide, the day holds immense spiritual importance, as it marks the birth of the Prophet and reflect on his teachings and renew their commitment to live in accordance with his principles of kindness, compassion, and faith. This day is important in the Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam and even Shia Muslims celebrate the Mawlid.

Celebrations Prominent religious sites across India, including Haji Ali Dargah, Jama Masjid, Nizamuddin Aulia, and Ajmer Sharif witness a rush of devotees on this auspicious day.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  Elections officials are making changes to Minnesotas automatic voter registration system after finding some potentially problematic entries, but they say they are not aware of anyone ineligible who has been registered to vote via the system.

The Secretary of States Office said this week that more than 90,000 people have been registered or pre-registered since April, when Minnesota's new system went live. Residents who apply for and receive state-issued IDs such as driver's licenses are now automatically registered to vote without having to opt in if they meet legal criteria. And 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote once they turn 18.

Around 1 percent of those automatic registrations have been flagged for potential problems, said Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson, whose department issues driver's licenses and other official identification cards, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

Secretary of State Steve Simon said those roughly 1,000 voter registrations will be kept inactive until the names, addresses and citizenship status are confirmed. He also said additional checks will be made to ensure that voters registered through the system meet the eligibility criteria. Flagged individuals will be notified that, if they are eligible, they will need to register to online, at their local election office, or in-person at their polling place on Election Day.

Republican legislators raised questions about the automatic voter registration system earlier this month. Jacobson told them in a letter on Thursday that he is not aware of any instances of Minnesotans being registered to vote who are ineligible to cast a ballot, but that the process improvements they are making will strengthen the verification system.

Republicans House and Senate leaders responded Friday saying they still have questions. They said 1 percent of registrants could work out to around 1,000 people. They asked for the actual number, and pressed for confirmation on whether any were allowed to vote in the August primary election.

The election is 52 days away, and early voting begins on September 20. Minnesotans want to trust our elections are secure and fair, they said in a statement.

While Minnesota grants driver's licenses to residents regardless of immigration status, officials say the identification document requirements provide sufficient safeguards against illegal voting.

In Oregon, which has a similar automatic registration system, officials acknowledged Friday that the state has mistakenly registered more than 300 non-citizens as voters since 2021 in what they described as a data entry issue that happened when people applied for drivers licenses.
Raghav Chadha, the AAP MP, on Sunday said that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is ready to face the final trial, reported ANI. He further noted that it depends upon Delhi citizens' decision to determine his honesty.

The AAP leader in Hindi said Mukhyamantri ji Agni Pariksha se guzarne ke liye taiyyar hai'. He added, Now it's in the hands of the people of Delhi to decide if he is honest or not. Arvind Kejriwal had asked for votes in the name of work in 2020 and said that if I have worked then vote for me, if I have not worked then do not vote for me, reported ANI.

Raghav Chadha asserted that the people of Delhi will declare the Chief Minister is honest by voting for AAP and in the upcoming 2025 Delhi elections scheduled in February.

These remarks come after Arvind Kejriwal said, I am going to resign from CM post after 2 days after being released from Tihar jail on bail. Delhi CM vowed to return only after people give him a certificate of honesty.

During his first address following his release, the Chief Minister demanded elections in November along with Maharashtra. He said that a meeting of the AAP legislature party will be held in a a couple of days and a new AAP leader will take over as Delhi CM. The AAP chief said, "I will ask people whether I am honest and till they respond, I won't sit on Chief Minister's chair. I will become chief minister, Sisodia deputy CM only when people say we are honest.

Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot, agreeing with Delhi CM's comments, pointed out that Arvind Kejriwal has earned people's love, respect and blessings. He further informed that No talks of dissolving the Assembly have been done so far."

Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal is convincing all MLAs to make his wife the CM...: BJP

AAP MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer called Delhi CM an honest person while underscoring Chief Minister's decision to quit the CM chair until the people give their verdict. He said, "Only Arvind Kejriwal can leave the CM chair after coming out of jail."
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy appreciated All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi for raising the voices of the poor and the marginalised people in the country. The CM added that a good opposition helps the government to work efficiently.

His speech was delivered at the book launch of "Prophet for the World" by Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani on Saturday. MP Asaduddin Owaisi was also present at the event.

The Telangana CM said, "The Bhagavad Gita, Quran, and Bible preach only peace in the world. The sacred scriptures of all religions spread the message of the welfare of all... It is a matter of pride that the President of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board hails from this region... Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the Congress government sometimes. A good opposition will help the government to work efficiently... The count of leaders has gone down to speak on behalf of poorer sections in the Parliament. Asaduddin Owaisi is one among a few who raise the voice for the poor," as quoted by ANI.

In Lok Sabha also, the number of those who speak for the people has come down and speeches that spread hatred are more in number, Reddy claimed.

Also Read | Telangana govt seeks 50% share in central taxes from 16th Finance Commission

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Telangana CM called on the Union Government to provide immediate financial aid to Telangana, which has been heavily impacted by recent floods, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.

In his appeal, the CM also sought unconditional support from the central government to aid the flood-affected residents of the state. He also highlighted the need for relaxing the stringent regulations imposed by the central government on the use of disaster relief funds. The total damage due to the recent floods and rains in the state was estimated to be over 10,000 crore.
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP)  The official start of the presidential campaign season in Tunisia began on Saturday, a day after Tunisians took their anger to the streets of the capital to decry what protesters say is the deteriorating state of the country.

In what appeared to be the largest protest since authorities began a monthslong wave of arrests earlier this year, hundreds of Tunisians marched peacefully on Friday and called for an end to what they called a police state.

Were here to say no and show that we dont all agree with whats really happening in the country, Khaled Ben Abdeslam, a father and urban development consultant, told The Associated Press.

In 2011, longtime Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled by nationwide protests that unleashed revolt across the Arab world.

More than a decade later, Ben Abdelslam said he was worried about the growing number of political figures whove been thrown in jail under President Kais Saied and said he wants to ensure Tunisia turns the page for the good of his kids.

Nobody dares to say or do anything anymore today, he said as protesters neared Tunisias powerful Interior Ministry.

He and other demonstrators slammed both Tunisias economic and political woes, carrying signs that grouped together the growing costs of staple items and growing concerns about civil liberties.

Where is sugar? Where is oil? Where is freedom? Where is democracy? signs read.

Some carried posters telling the government that human rights are not optional while others revived the popular slogans that mobilized Tunisias masses against Ben Ali.

This time though, they directed scorn toward Saied.

The protests capped off a week in which the North African countrys largest opposition party, Ennahda, said its senior members had been arrested en masse, at a scale not previously seen.

They come as Saied prepares to campaign for reelection on Oct. 6, when he will ask voters to grant him a second term.

When first elected in 2019, Saied used anti-corruption promises to win over people disillusioned with the political controversies that plagued Tunisias young democracy in the years that followed the Arab Spring.

Since taking office, the 66-year-old former law professor has gone to lengths to consolidate his own power, freezing the countrys parliament and rewriting the constitution. Throughout his tenure, authorities have arrested journalists, activists, civil society figures and political opponents across the ideological spectrum.

And though he promised to chart a new course for the country, its unemployment rate has steadily increased to one of the regions highest at 16%, with young Tunisians hit particularly hard.

The economy continues to face significant challenges, yet Saied has managed to energize supporters with populist rhetoric, often accusing migrants from sub-Saharan Africa of violence and crime and aiming at changing the countrys demography.

In the months leading up to his reelection bid, the political crackdown has expanded.

His opponents have been arrested, placed under gag order or faced criminal investigations that observers have called politically motivated. Figures who said they planned to challenge him have been sentenced for breaking campaign finance laws. Others have been ruled ineligible to challenge him by Tunisias election authority.

Even those the authority approved have later faced arrest.

Ayachi Zammel, a businessman planning to challenge Saied, was promptly arrested after being announced as one of the two candidates approved to appear on the ballot alongside Saied. His attorney, Abdessattar Messaoudi, told The Associated Press that she feared a court may bar him from politics for life as it had done to other Saied challengers.

The Tunisian Network for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms  a newly formed coalition of civil society groups and political parties  organized Fridays protest to draw attention to what it called a surge of authoritarianism.

Outrage swelled among many members of the network after the countrys election authority  made up of Saied appointees  dismissed a court ruling ordering it to reinstate three challengers to Saied.

The authority has defied judges who have ruled in favor of candidates who have appealed its decisions and pledged not to allow Mondher Zenaidi, Abdellatif El Mekki and Imed Daimi to appear on the ballot alongside Saied next month.

In less than a month, Tunisian voters are expected to cast their choice in the Oct. 6 poll, amid spreading worrying and doubts about the countrys political future.

Hajer Mohamed, a 33-year-old law firm assistant said that she and her friends were terrified about the direction Tunisia was heading in ways they couldnt have imagined when people rejoiced the freedoms won 13 years ago.

We never thought that after the 2011 revolution wed live to see the countrys suffocating situation, she said. even under former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the situation wasnt as scandalous as it is today.

___
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexicos Catholic Church is getting a new addition to its ranks of blessed, with the beatification of the Rev. Moises Lira.

The beatification ceremony was taking Saturday at Our Lady of Guadalupes Basilica, led by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, who was appointed by Pope Francis for the occasion.

Before Lira, the latest Mexican to be beatified was Maria Concepcion Cabrera in 2019.

Heres a look at Liras life in a country thats home to nearly 100 million Catholics. Who was Moises Lira?

He was born in September 1893 in Puebla, one of Mexicos most conservative states.

His mother died when he was 5 and he suffered the absence of his father, who had to relocate for work.

Lira dreamt of becoming a priest from a young age. In 1914, he became the first novice of a congregation founded by French priest Felix de Jesus Rougier. And in 1922, after being ordained a priest, he wrote the motto that would define his life: It is necessary to be very small to be a great saint.

Lira devoted his life to teach catechists, care for the ill and offer spiritual guidance to vulnerable communities. In 1934, he founded a congregation  the Missionaries of Charity of Mary Immaculate  as well as schools and psychiatric institutions.

He died in Mexico City in 1950. What is the miracle attributed to him?

According to Mother Maria de la Luz Nava, from the congregation founded by Lira, the miracle took place between May and June 2004.

Back then, a pregnant woman from Guanajuato  another of Mexicos conservative states  got the worst news imaginable: at 18 weeks of gestation, her unborn daughter suffered from a condition characterized by accumulation of fluid.

The diagnosis, the doctor said, could be fatal for the fetus or affect the mother. And though he offered to terminate the pregnancy, the woman and her husband refused.

There wasnt much hope, Mother Maria de la Luz said. But they were very clear about one thing: they were not going to opt for abortion. They were going to continue looking for options so that their daughter would be born well.

Back home, the woman found a brochure on the Rev. Liras work. I dont know you, she told him. But please, help me.

For nine days, she prayed. And when a new doctors appointment came, a surprise awaited.

What did you do? the doctor asked the couple. Because your daughter is healthy.

This is where the intercession of Father Moises is very evident, said Mother Maria de la Luz. And it shows how a miracle is produced by faith.

De la Luz's congregation learned about the case in 2014. The beatification request was made through the local diocese the following year and eight years passed until Pope Francis issued a decree for the miracle in 2023. What causes can be entrusted to Lira?

According to the Rev. David Padron, who has worked on causes for canonization, the miracle attributed to Lira makes him a protector of life from conception.

This is a very strong message from God, Padron said. Maybe those mothers who have a problem during their pregnancies can confide in him.

Aside from that, he said, parishioners could also entrust him with health and education causes, because Lira worked extensively with sick people and students.

Much of his pastoral work dignified those who, due to illness, poverty or some other situation, did not enjoy a dignified life in society, Padron said. Whats next?

Catholic leaders trust that a second miracle would be produced after Saturdays beatification, which would allow them to pursue Lira's canonization.

In the meantime, local parishes will honor him each June 15. We have included him as part of the saints of the Archdiocese of Mexico, hoping that, when he is canonized, he can be celebrated throughout the world, Padron said.

Liras most treasured relic is a metacarpal bone from his right hand. Its symbolic, Padron said, because Lira shared the Gospel through his writings and its part of the pointing finger.

The blessed and the saints are men and women who point us to Christ, he said.

A few first-class relics  body parts of Lira  will be soon distributed through parishes that were significant in his life or for Mexicos Catholic community, such as Our Lady of Guadalupes Basilica and Pueblas cathedral.

____
A 49-year-old man named Suresh died in Keralas Walayar after choking on idlis during an eating contest organised by a local club for Onam 2024 celebrations.

Bystanders tried to help by removing the idli and took him to a nearby hospital. But, he passed away shortly afterwards. The Walayar Police have registered a case of unnatural death.

"The deceased, Suresh, choked on the idlis while taking part in the competition and the onlookers tried to save him and somehow took out the idli," PTI quoted the police as saying.

Four people participated in the contest which had about 60 spectators. The contest was to eat plain idli without any dishes. While other participants started the contest by eating one idli, Suresh took three idlis at one go. Within a minute, he felt uneasiness and choking, and collapsed. We rushed him to a nearby clinic first and then to a private hospital in the vicinity. However, the doctors there declared him brought dead, one of the eyewitnesses told The New Indian Express.

Also Read | Bank Holidays in September 2024: Check the full list here

During Onam festivities in Alamaram, where locals were enjoying games and contests, Suresh  who worked as a lorry driver and lived with his mother  suddenly collapsed around midday. The incident shocked the community. Pudur ward's panchayat member, P. B. Gireesh, mentioned that Suresh was known for being very active.

The residents of Alamaram were holding various games and mini contests for the local people as part of the Onam celebrations when this tragic incident occurred. He collapsed around noon. He was working as a truck driver and living with his mother Kollapura Panchali, Gireesh told the publication.

An earlier incident A man earlier choked after eating dry chia seeds and then drinking water, which caused the seeds to expand in his throat. To prevent such incidents, Dr Sermed Mezher advises soaking chia seeds in water or another liquid for about 20 to 30 minutes before consuming them, reported the Hindustan Times.

Also Read | Malappuram man died of Nipah virus infection, confirms Kerala health minister
Prince Harry turns forty today, and his life has been a rollercoaster ride over the past few years after marrying Meghan Markle. The Duke of Sussex has been isolated by the family, including King Charles and Prince William, after their relationship worsened post-release of his memoir Spare. Prince Harry was warned before marrying Meghan Markle and was advised not to rush into a new relationship by his uncle Charles, Earl Spencer, according to a Royal expert.

Before marrying Meghan Markle, Diana's brother Earl Spencer was asked to speak to Harry about his relationship. He even advised Harry to reconsider his decision as he thought Meghan would struggle to fit in with the Royal Family, Tom Bower claimed in his book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War between the Windsors, according to The Mirror.

Harry assumed Diana's family would see a similarity between Diana and Meghan, but After being let down by the Royal family, Prince Harry introduced Meghan to his mother's family, assuming that her friends and loved ones would see a similarity between Diana and his fiancee, reported Mirror.

However, Harry was disappointed as no one agreed that his mother had anything in common with his girlfriend, moreover, they thought that Meghan wouldn't fit into the family, claimed Bower in his book.

Charles Spencer, Diana's brother, was responsible for introducing Harry to reality. At Prince William's request, he gave his advice to Prince Harry. He even cautioned his nephew to reconsider his haste towards marriage. But Harry didn't take his uncle's advice very well and reacted with bitterness. This was going to be really hard, Charles cautioned Harry on establishing Meghan's place in the family
On Sunday, September 15, Prince Harry will have his cake and blow out the candles to celebrate his 40th birthday. Those will be about the only similarities between the date and the party he had 10 years ago. Its even unlikely that the cake itself, which in 2014 was a UK-standard Eton mess  sponge cake, strawberries and meringue  will be quite the same. Neither will the setting, which will forgo the gray British sky for sunny Californias blue expanse. The royal family wont be there, and that includes his brother William, his sister-in-law Kate and her sister Pippa, who organized Harrys fete 10 years ago. This time, hell be joined by friends, his two sons and wife Meghan Markle, a name that, 10 years ago, was unknown to the British royal family from which Harry hails. A decade later, that family has split apart.

Nowadays, everything is different in Harrys life, and has been for the past five years. When his grandmother Queen Elizabeth declined to accept his proposal to live part-time as a civilian while remaining a royal, he decided to strike out on his own, leaving life as he knew it behind. Harry not only left his family, as a mere mortal might have done, but also an institution, its rules, a country and a career. A lifestyle, one might say. Now, entering his fifth decade, hes still a prince (and always will be), but one without a kingdom. Spotify has dispensed with his services, after being disappointed with the work of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (fucking grifters, one of the platforms executives called them on a podcast.) No new books have been announced. His workload as chief impact officer of the BetterUp start-up is zero. The lifestyle brand that Markle announced five months ago has yet to release a single product or trademark its name with the U.S. Patent Office. Even their Archewell Foundation was found delinquent due to administrative error this spring (it is now considered in good standing.)

Besides Invictus Games, Harrys beloved philanthropic initiative held every two years that he founded a decade ago, his most important and lucrative project is his Netflix contract. His first, much-awaited autobiographic series has been their biggest hit; theyve released two additional projects (one about world leaders and the other, about Invictus) to a lukewarm reception. This week, the platform decreed the December release of Polo, a documentary created by Harry about its titular sport, one of his favorites. A Markle-led cooking program is also in the works, though it has yet to receive a release date. Their contract ends next year. None of the involved parties have made a public statement as to what will happen at that point. According to unconfirmed sources, the couples contract totaled some $100 million, suggesting that its loss would be a considerable financial setback. But there is economic hope on the horizon: though Henry already received his parts of his mothers inheritance in 2009 and 2014, hes now due part of his grandmothers estate. According to the British press, the Queen left money to be given to her grandson when he turned 21 years old (at which point he received $7.9 million) and then again when he turns 40. She left him more than William (who came into his inheritance two years ago), knowing that the elder brother would become the Duke of Cornwall, a title that brings with it a comfortable annual salary. Harrys birthday check, according to The Mirror and The Daily Mail, will be for more than $10.5 million, enough to allow some time to think about his future.

Prince Harry with his mother Diana, Princess of Wales and his great-grandmother Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, at the Trooping the Colour ceremonial event on June 13, 1992 in London. Julian Parker (Getty Images)

That future, as one of the princes former aides put it in an article in The Times featuring several of his acquaintances, is a bit woolly. I always thought he wanted more from life, the aide told the British publication. I cant help but think he must be wondering, Where do I go from here? The fifth in line to the British throne recently took a trip  a pseudo-official journey lacking any concrete goal  to Colombia. At the end of September, hell participate in parallel activities during the UN General Assembly, giving a talk organized by the Bill Clinton Foundation alongside Matt Damon and chef Jose Andres. Random gigs. It seems as though the prince lacks a primary objective, a task. His projects have been ephemeral and havent followed a clear line for any considerable amount of time. He is devoted to his children, six-year-old Archie and three-year-old Lilibet, but Harry himself admitted in his documentary that he misses the UK and his lifelong friends. He has no relationship with his father, whom he visited for a brief 45-minute meeting on a whirlwind 24-hour trip to London when Charles announced his cancer diagnosis. He does not speak to Prince William, the thrones heir apparent. According to the British press, his messages asking to the health of Princess Kate went unanswered. In his interview with ITVs Tom Bradby a year and a half ago, Harry confessed, I want my father and brother back. Theyve shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile.

William, perhaps, feels the most wounded by Harry; and this year, he has bigger worries than his relationship with his brother. As lamented in Harrys memoir, the life of the youngest son of King Charles III and the deceased Diana of Wales was always that of the spare (as his polemic autobiography was titled.) This was his blessing and his curse. He was allowed to do as he liked, and so he did for many years. Early on, he spent his time with girlfriends, parties, marijuana and doubts. As the years went by, the duties of his title became more concrete: trips to his beloved Africa, the creation of projects like Invictus and the promotion of his interests to his family and country, which at the end of the day were one and the same. Like so many other secondary members of royal families in the 21st century, his was not an easy line to walk, but it was manageable once he seemed to get used to it. Only, it turned out that he was never truly at ease with the position and wound up biting the hand that fed him in a way that caused pain for many in closest circles. His interview with Oprah Winfrey, his series and above all, his memoir, proved to be too much for the king and particularly, the kings heir, with whom Harry has had no communication for two years, since the death of their grandmother.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex pose for a photo at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata during a visit to Colombia on August 15, 2024. Diego Cuevas (Getty Images)

Harry has also lost many of his friends, who had formed the backbone of his support system. Hes acknowledged as much, and so have they. In the article published by The Times, they say they dont understand him, they see him as lost and far-away, beset by a constant nostalgia that has left him fixated on the past. Nor do they understand the interviews, books and reports they see as a betrayal. The problem for the king and other members of the family is the worry that if they have a chat with Harry, it will appear in Spare volume two. How do you regain the trust? I dont think Harry ever can, said one of the kings close friends, who thinks that Charles could forgive him, but not the other members of the family. In addition, theres the fact that Harry is waging a judicial war to get the UK to pay for his security, a battle against his fathers government, which may not incline the king towards seeing his side of things.

California is the couples last refuge, a place where they are closer to being average citizens than Hollywood stars. They are not the subject of conversation in Santa Barbara (the county in which their town, Montesito, is located) and even less so in Los Angeles, where no one seems to remember them. They dont attend L.A. parties, meetings or events. Their names are only heard when theyre looking for new publicists, something that occurs frequently because people dont tend to last long in the position. Their last chief of staff, Josh Kettler, held the job for just three months. In fact, some former employees call themselves the Sussex Survivors Club, as documented by The Hollywood Reporter. All Harry has is Montesito, a refuge far from his wars against the British government, the tabloids, his family and the world itself. Hes seen at bookstore events, riding bikes with the kids and going out with new friends for mountain hikes. I was anxious about 30, Im excited about 40, he said in a statement that he sent to the BBC last Friday. Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world, he added. He may be a prince without a kingdom, perhaps without even a concrete objective, but at least he has candles to blow out.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
A 30-year-old woman allegedly found a human tooth in a 355 (30 yuan) meat-filled mooncake she purchased from a supermarket in China. The woman posted a video detailing the discovery of a tooth in a mooncake purchased at Sam's Club in Jiangsu province's Changzhou in a video on Douyin, according to media reports.

The US supermarket giant -- Sam's Club said it is investigating the matter.

A mooncake is a traditional Chinese pastry that is closely associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a celebration of the moon and the harvest. These pastries are typically round to symbolize the full moon and are made with a thick, tender pastry skin that envelops a sweet or savory filling

Also Read | Cockroach found in cold coffee at Malad cafe in Mumbai, video goes viral

According to the reports, citing the video, the woman claimed that the tooth belonged to no one in her family. She also said that she had reported the incident to the police.

An employee at Sam's Club in Changzhou has confirmed that the company is conducting an investigation into the incident. Chinese news outlet Hongxing News quoted the manufacturing company of the mooncake saying it is "impossible to have a tooth mixed in the meat filling".

According to the South China Morning Post, a spokesman of the manufacturing firm, identified by their surname 'Liu', stated that meat is minced and inspected by an X-ray system capable of identifying bone pieces.

Liu mentioned that such incidents had not happened in more than ten years. The company has shared security footage with Sam's Club and the Changzhou market regulation department for evaluation. The pertinent government department has also confirmed that it is investigating the matter.

A similar incident was reported in India's Madhya Pradesh earlier this year. A woman named Mayadevi Gupta had reportedly found four dentures concealed inside a chocolate she received at a child's birthday party.

An India Today report revealed that Gupta found four false dentures in a chocolate from a renowned brand, which she consumed several days after receiving it from a child at a party.
Donald Trump appears to have garnered the support of several Hindu groups as the US Presidential elections draw near. The former POTUS shared a supportive message from the American Hindu Coalition in Georgia amid growing concerns about the swing state. Another far-right grassroots organisation named Hindus for America First also endorsed Trump last week and announced plans to launch a campaign against Kamala Harris in several key battleground states.

There is no place for hate or division in our pursuit of Making America Great Again. We will continue to move forward together, standing united in our goal to build a strong, secure, and prosperous America for all of our citizens  and we will never be deterred by those who seek to sow discord among us or divide from within, read an excerpt from the American Hindu Coalition post shared by Trump.

Georgia and North Carolina have emerged as crucial swing states that could make or break the US presidential election results in recent weeks. Both states have a large Indian American and Hindu population and had appeared firmly Republican until Kamala Harris entered the fray.

The Georgia chapter of the nonpartisan advocacy group has however voiced concern about the views of far-right political activist Laura Loomer.

The conspiracy theorist  who once described herself as a self as a proud Islamophobe  has repeatedly made headlines as she travels with Trump in recent days. Loomer had sparked fierce blowback last week after she claimed on X that the White House will smell like curry and White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center if Kamala Harris won the elections.

President Trump and his dedicated allies  such as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene  have worked tirelessly to build a future where every American can thrive  recent statements that attempt to divide our community along racial or ethnic lines, specifically those made by Laura Loomer, are completely unacceptable and do not reflect the values of this movement or the America we seek to build, the Georgia Chapter of the American Hindu Coalition said in a recent statement provided to NBC News.

Hindus for America First has also backed Trump  highlighting his support for India and his 'strong relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi'. Utsav Sanduja  the chairman and founder of the group  also lauded the former POTUS for his commitment to defense projects have been beneficial for Indias strategic position against China.

If Kamala becomes the president, she might appoint liberal judges who could overturn critical Supreme Court decisions affecting Asian-American voters, he cautioned.
ISTANBUL, Turkey  A Turkish-American activist who was killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank was laid to rest on Saturday in her hometown in Turkey with thousands lining the streets and anti-Israeli feelings in the country rising from a conflict that threatens to spread across the region.

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old woman from Seattle, was shot dead Sept. 6 by an Israeli soldier during a demonstration against Israeli West Bank settlements, according to an Israeli protester who witnessed the shooting.

Thousands of people lined the streets in the Turkish coastal town of Didim on the Aegean Sea, as Eygi was buried in a coffin draped in a Turkish flag, which was taken from her family home. A portrait of her wearing her graduation gown was propped against the coffin as people paid their respects.

Her body was earlier brought from a hospital to her family home and Didims Central Mosque.

Turkey condemned the killing and announced it will conduct its own investigation into her death. We are not going to leave our daughters blood on the ground and we demand responsibility and accountability for this murder, Numan Kurtulmus, the speaker of Turkeys parliament told mourners at the funeral.

On Friday, an autopsy had been carried out at Izmir Forensic Medicine Institute. Kurtulmus said the examination showed Eygi was hit by a round that struck her in the back of the head below her left ear.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that Eygi was likely shot indirectly and unintentionally by Israeli forces.

Her death was condemned by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the United States, Egypt and Qatar push for a cease-fire in the 11-month-long Israel-Hamas war and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Talks have repeatedly bogged down as Israel and Hamas accuse each other of making new and unacceptable demands.

The war began when Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. They abducted another 250 people and are still holding around 100 hostages after releasing most of the rest in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead.

Israelis are growing increasingly frustrated with the government for not reaching a cease-fire with Hamas to bring the remaining captives home. On Saturday night, thousands of Israelis streamed into the streets in Tel Aviv demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bring the hostages back.

At one of the rallies, Anat Angrest, mother of kidnapped soldier Matan Angrest, shared a voice recording from her son while in captivity asking Netanyahu to make a deal. I want to see my family and friends," said Matan in the message. Angrest then addressed the head of Israels Mossad spy agency.

"Where are you, negotiation team? There is no deal for over eight months, so what are you doing?

Anger has spiked since the bodies of six hostages were found in a tunnel beneath the southern Gaza city of Rafah earlier this month. The military said the six were killed shortly before Israeli forces were to rescue them.

Many blame Netanyahu for failing to reach a deal, which opinion polls show a majority of Israelis favor. However, the country is also extremely divided and Netanyahu has significant support for his strategy of total victory against Hamas, even if a deal for the hostages has to wait. Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza

Israeli airstrikes pounded central and southern Gaza overnight into Saturday, killing at least 14 people.

The strikes in Gaza City hit one home housing 11 people, including three women and four children, and another strike hit a tent in Khan Younis with Palestinians displaced by the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Civil Defense said. They followed airstrikes earlier this week that hit a tent camp on Tuesday and a United Nations school sheltering displaced on Wednesday.

The Israeli army on Saturday ordered Palestinians sheltering in the northern neighborhoods of Manshiyeh, Beit Lahia and Sheikh Zayed to evacuate south toward Gaza City. The order came after projectiles were fired from the area, the Israeli army said in a post on X. It remains unclear how many people are sheltering in those areas. First phase of anti-polio campaign ends

Meanwhile, a campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio drew down and the World Health Organization said about 559,000 under the age of 10 have recovered from their first dose, seven out of every eight children the campaign aimed to vaccinate. The second doses are expected to begin later this month as part of an effort in which the WHO said parties had already agreed to.

"As we prepare for the next round in four weeks, were hopeful these pauses will hold, because this campaign has clearly shown the world whats possible when peace is given a chance, Richard Peeperkorn, WHOs representative in Gaza and the West Bank, said in a statement on Saturday.

The war has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gazas population of 2.3 million, often multiple times, and plunged the territory into a severe humanitarian crisis. Gazas Health Ministry says over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its count, but says women and children make up just over half of the dead. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants in the war.

__

Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo; Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco; and Eleanor H. Reich in New York, contributed to this report.

Follow s war coverage at /hub/israel-hamas-war
The US and UK are increasingly concerned that Russia is sharing with Iran secret information and technology that could bring it closer to being able to build nuclear weapons, in exchange for Tehran providing Moscow with ballistic missiles for its war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has increased its cooperation with Iran over its ambitions to obtain atomic weapons in recent months, according to Western officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss assessments that havent been made public.

The development was discussed by US and UK officials in Washington this week, the people added, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met President Joe Biden at the White House for a strategic meeting on foreign policy. They described it as worrying, and an escalation of Russia and Irans military ties.

Russias foreign ministry, Irans embassy at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, and the US National Security Council didnt respond to requests for comment.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that Russia was exchanging nuclear technology with Tehran during a press conference in London last week, during which he said Moscow had received a shipment of Irans Fath-360 ballistic missiles.

For its part, Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks  this is a two-way street  including on nuclear issues, as well as some space information, Blinken said.

Iran insists it isnt looking to produce nuclear weapons, although thereve been growing concerns the Persian Gulf nation could build them in response to escalating tensions with Israel.

In April, a senior Iranian general said the Islamic Republic could revise its nuclear doctrine if Israel targeted its atomic facilities, remarks that were seen as a warning that it could seek to produce a warhead, having long said its atomic capabilities were only for civil purposes.

IAEA, the United Nations watchdog, said Irans nuclear-fuel levels rose between June and August, enough to fuel a handful of warheads should Iran make a political decision to pursue weapons.

At a conference in London last weekend, US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns said Russia and Iran were deepening their military relations.

With assistance from Jenny Leonard.
Automobile giant Ford Motor Co., which stopped manufacturing vehicles in India in August 2022, plans to resurrect its manufacturing facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu to use India as an export hub.

Observers may wonder why the American carmaker has decided to return to India. It had accumulated losses of $2 billion in operations before it shuttered its Chennai plant and sold its other facility in Sanand, Gujarat to Tata Motors Ltd.

In truth, Ford continued to have a large presence in India even after it stopped selling cars in the country. The company employs 12,000 personnel in India to service and provide spare parts for the million-odd Ford vehicles on Indian roads, and it also reportedly does some design in India. Reopening the Chennai plant could lead to 2,500-3,000 new hires, although details about Fords deal with the Tamil Nadu government are sparse.

Its also not clear if Ford will focus on electric vehicles or regular petrol-diesel cars. Ford has been working on designing an affordable EV platform. Reports suggest that Ford is looking at manufacturing EVs in India but this is not confirmed. Given that Tata Motors and its British subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover and Vietnams Vinfast Auto Ltd manufacture electric vehicles in Tamil Nadu, a strong EV ecosystem already exists in the state.

Fords Chennai facility had enough capacity to produce 200,000 petrol vehicles annually, out of a total 350,000 internal combustion engines. Its assembly lines would need to be reorganised completely to manufacture electric vehicles.

Heres what we know for sure: Chennai is a big export hub for passenger vehicles. India exported 672,000 passenger vehicles in 2023-24, with a large contribution from Tamil Nadu. In total, passenger vehicle exports amounted to 13-14% of Indias total passenger vehicle production.

In terms of units, passenger vehicle exports have stayed roughly in that range for years, if we ignore a dip during the covid years. Including commercial vehicles and two- and three-wheelers, Indias vehicle exports amounted to about $20 billion in 2023-24, positioning the country 22nd in the global exports list.

As a percentage, Indias passenger vehicle exports are low. Japan exports about 50% of the passenger cars made in the country, and South Korea about 65%. Nevertheless, India is a substantial player. The big Indian vehicle exporters include Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, Kia India Pvt. Ltd, and Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd.

The subsidiaries of the Japanese and South Korean carmakers contribute almost 90% of Indias passenger vehicle exports. Other global companies including Germanys Volkswagen, Frances Groupe Renault, the USs Jeep and Japans Honda Motor Co. Ltd also export out of India, with small contributions from Indias Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors. General Motors and Ford also used to export from India till the US companies shuttered their operations here.

Also read | Ford in talks with JSW for India re-entry

The volumes and the fact that multiple companies use India (and specifically Chennai-Ennore ports) as an export hub and have done so for decades may indicate why Ford has opted to return.

First and foremost, the economics are viable: Auto companies can export and profit from India. The logistics work. Global markets can be reached cost-effectively and efficiently. The regulationsthe tax, duties, and paperwork involvedin exporting cars (while importing necessary parts for re-exports) are clear, and the processes are smooth enough.

The supply chain is stable. Tamil Nadu itself has a strong vehicle ecosystem, with local engineering micro, small and medium enterprises that produce many of the thousands of parts necessary for an internal combustion-engine petrol or diesel vehicle. Also, there are plenty of bigger vehicle manufacturers across India, the worlds third-largest vehicle market. The Indian government also offers several incentives, including its flagship productivity-linked incentive schemes, to encourage the manufacturing of electric vehicles.

When Ford quit India, the global vehicle industry was going through a major supply chain glitch. Chips (semi-conductors) were in short supply due to covid-19 (which put fab units into lockdown), and the Russia-Ukraine war led to a shortage of critical raw materials such as neon gas and palladium metal. Semiconductor shortages are no longer a problem, and global supply chains are now more resilient.

The global economy is still slowly climbing out of post-covid recession. Global passenger vehicle sales peaked in 2017 at 85 million units, but dropped to 58 million in 2020. By 2024, sales had recovered to 74 million units.

Ride-hailing services have changed the dynamics of passenger vehicle demand. Electric vehicles and hybrids are also growing more popular due to consciousness about climate change and government policies driving EV adoption.

In 2014, petrol and diesel contributed 98% of passenger vehicle sales, according to Statista. In 2024, petrol and diesel vehicles contribute 65.5% of sales, with electric vehicles accounting for 26%, and hybrid vehicles for 8%.

If Ford is looking to ramp up electric vehicle exports from India with an affordable platform, the data indicates why.
Indias journey towards becoming a global economic powerhouse hinges on several factors. One is the ease of doing business. While India had improved its ranking in the chart published by the World Banks Doing Business report, it also slipped on some key parameters before the multilateral institution discontinued this annual assessment in 2021 on allegations of discrepancies and rank manipulation.

Conceptually, however, to foster economic growth, making it easier to do business in India is important. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) also plays a crucial role in this by acting as a catalyst for growth, innovation and job creation. However, restrictive FDI policies in key sectors are hampering the pace of Indias economic advancement. Addressing these challenges is imperative for the country to unlock the full potential of its economy.

FDI is a key driver of growth and socially beneficial outcomes: FDI is more than just an influx of capital; it brings with it technology, expertise and global best practices that are vital for the growth of various industries. Moreover, it creates jobs, boosts exports and enhances the overall competitiveness of the economy. Countries that have embraced FDI have witnessed significant economic transformations, and India should be no different.

In the insurance sector, the Indian government maintains restrictions on foreign investment that limit the ability of foreign companies to fully participate in the market. While the intention behind an equity limit of 74% (raised from 49% in 2021) on foreign participation in this sector may be to protect domestic insurers, it also leads to a lower level of competition and innovation.

The cap implies foreign players cannot fully control Indian units, so it also holds back the capital and expertise they infuse. This ultimately translates into fewer choices for consumers and can result in higher premiums, as local insurers may not feel any pressure to offer competitive risk coverage or diversify their product offerings. A lighter GST rate could lower premiums, but we would need more competition for this sector to evolve in a direction that better serves Indian needs.

On another note, the media and digital media sectors in India continue to face significant FDI restrictions. This limits the entry of international media companies and reduces content diversity. While Press Note 4 allowed up to 26% FDI in digital platforms for news and current affairs, ambiguities remain around the definition of digital media" and the scope of entities affected; does it apply to social media platforms and search engines, for example?

Moreover, the lack of any distinction between content uploaded from India and abroad adds to the regulatory challenges faced by global players operating in the country. Easing FDI restrictions in this sector could drive innovation, improve production quality and foster global partnerships.

This would help diversify content and perspectives, as also enhance the technological capabilities of local media houses. By addressing these gaps, India can attract more investment, boost job creation and strengthen its position in the global digital media ecosystem.

The e-commerce and retailing ecosystem has FDI norms that are among Indias most complex. These need simplification.

This broad sector contends with four different FDI regimes: for inventory-based online operations, in which FDI is not permitted; for online marketplaces, in which 100% automatic-route FDI is allowed; for single-brand retail trading, in which FDI up to 100% is permitted without the need of government approval on the condition, among others, that 30% of the value of goods sold has to be sourced locally from small units if FDI exceeds 51%; and for multi-brand retail trading, in which 51% FDI is permitted (upon approval), subject to similar local-sourcing and other conditions but engaging in e-commerce activity in this model is prohibited.

India must rationalize these norms to enhance the ease of doing business in this sector, especially for retail operations where complex sourcing rules tend to deter foreign investment.

While it is crucial to boost Indian industry and support local businesses, this should not be at the cost of limiting consumer choice and innovation. The aim should be to strike a balance that fosters a competitive environment without compromising the interests of citizens. While FDI curbs are often intended to protect domestic industries, their detrimental effects on our market outcomes should also be taken into account.

India needs bold FDI reforms: To make it easier to do business in India and achieve sustainable economic growth, we must adopt a bold set of reforms that include relaxing FDI restrictions in key sectors. The benefits of it would be manifold, ranging from greater job creation and technological advancement to enhanced productivity and improved global competitiveness.

As a country aspiring to become a $5 trillion economy in a few years, India cannot afford to let restrictive FDI policies hold it back. Embracing foreign investment is not just about opening up markets; its about positioning India as a leader in the global economy, capable of attracting the best talent, technology and capital from around the world.

A more welcoming environment for FDI will also help secure Indias place in global supply chains, ensuring that the fruits of growth are better shared across all segments of society.

The time for half-measures has passed; what India needs now is decisive action to unlock its full economic potential.

The author is member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Truth is stranger than fiction. The Supreme Court of India seems to have left no stone unturned to make this saying ring true. Even in their wildest imagination, nobody would have thought that when a seven-judge bench of the top court held in India cement vs State of Tamil Nadu that mining royalty is a tax, it had actually meant the exact opposite, that royalty is not a tax. This happened in 1990. What the highest court holds must prevail, so this bad verdict remained the law for several years.

This inadvertent error," as the Supreme Court (SC) later termed it, was called out only in 2004, in State of West Bengal vs Kesoram Industries Ltd. Unfortunately, this case was judged by a five-judge bench that could not overrule the India Cement judgement. The latter held firm, despite the courts 2004 observation, even though a curative order could have been issued to rectify the flaw.

In 2011, the SC finally took note of the discrepancy between India Cement and Kesoram, and referred the issue to a nine-judge bench to provide a decisive ruling.

In 2024, 20 years after Kesoram (and 13 years after the reference), India Cement was overruled by a nine-judge bench decision of the SC in Mineral Area Development Authority (MADA) vs Steel Authority of India, which held that royalty is not a tax. Interestingly, the minority opinion in the MADA judgement pointed out that actually there was no clerical error in the India Cement ruling. The judges meant to hold that royalty is a tax, and they were right.

This chain of events raises several important questions with respect to the functioning of Indias highest court. These concern the accountability standards it has set for itself, its expectations of others while discharging public functions, and the unintended consequences of its decisions.

First, how did it happen that the court in India Cement meant that royalty was not a tax, but a typographical error in the text led to a completely different reading? Should the court not have an institutionalized a mechanism to review, proof-read and correct such clerical errors?

After all, ensuring what is written in the judgement is correct, as intended by judges, is one of the most basic functions of the court and its registry. One would assume that the court would invest substantial resources in this purpose.

While the court is investing in artificial intelligence to ensure real-time translations of its decisions and has been identifying errors (such as leave granted being translated to chhutti de di in Hindi), should basic diligence not be undertaken to ensure what is typed is correct?

Often, when laws are enacted or rules and regulations are made and inadvertent typographical errors are identified subsequently, a corrigendum is immediately issued and a correction made.

We cant recall another situation when a law or rule was drafted whose text was different from what was intended by policymakers or the executive. While there are instances galore of bad laws, where the language is ambiguous or violates the Constitution, these are different problems, and the faults lie with poor comprehension, drafting and imagination skills.

Such blunders are not expected of constitutional courts, the SC least of all. A bad judgement is like a bad law or an extra-constitutional executive order still in operation.

The continuation of the India Cement ruling as the law of the land even after the error was identified and referred to a larger bench has a parallel in the police still apprehending citizens under Section 66A of the Information Technology Act after it was invalidated by the SC.

Or the bulldozer actions ordered by state governments against citizens accused under criminal laws, without the necessary legislative mandate. The court has taken strong note of such actions, which are not backed by the rule of law. When will it hold itself to account by similar standards?

Irrespective of whether there was a clerical error in India Cement or not, since judges in Kesoram differed, why did it take the SC two decades to settle this confusion? Why did it wait 13 years after the reference was made? All of us, including members of the judiciary, lament how archaic laws remain in the rule books years after losing relevance.

What about judge-made laws which continue to operate and direct policies and practices, even when evident errors in them have been identified by the court itself?

It was a matter pending for more than 9,000 days when the nine-judge bench heard arguments over eight days in February-March 2024 and delivered a verdict soon after. In its 8:1 judgement, the court ruled that royalty is not the same as tax. There was a single dissent, but it could influence reforms in taxation and regulatory policies for the mining sector.

Since 1992, the Central government has steeply increased the rate of royalty to compensate states. Increases were passed on to consumers. States like Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had enacted laws to collect tax, but similar enactments in Bihar and Odisha were struck down by their respective high courts, resulting in ambiguities.

To set the record straight, in August 2024, the SC held that the MADA judgement will apply from April 2005. States were authorized to levy or renew tax demands (as distinct from royalties) since 2005, leading to concerns of these demands debilitating the net worth of several companies, with adverse consequences for the economy. However, fortuitously, states can choose not to raise such demands.

Also read: Green light for retro tax sends a shockwave across mining and metals companies

The entire story has been one of unfortunate events. The confusion began with an SC decision and continued for 35 years because the court could not rectify a simple error. The question, perhaps, was not just whether royalty is a tax, but if judgements could become taxing. Unfortunately, we have seen this is possible.

The authors are, respectively, vice president of Pune International Centre and secretary general of CUTS International.

Amol Kulkarni of CUTS contributed to the article.
Despite all the white elephants that dot todays world as a reminder of industrial policys past failures, governments are again pursuing subsidies, regulation and protectionism to ensure that their economies commanding heights are occupied by domestic firms creating domestic jobs.

Invoking the success of the US moon mission in the 1960s, the new evangelists of industrial policy, with even grander ambitions in mind, have rebranded it as industrial strategy. To its credit, as a way to manage government in the areas where government works best, industrial strategy brings sensible ideas to bear.

Starting with a pressing challenge such as halving a countrys emissions by 2035, the task is broken down into specific missions with broad but measurable goals, and the countrys relevant players are brought on board.

Also read: Industrial policy is back with a vengeance everywhere

Less compelling is the vision of a large new bureaucracy, with a central board advised by experts (academics always find a place for themselves) coordinating all missions (each with its own board).

By putting so much trust in top-down coordination across ministries, the private sector, unions and civil society, the evangelists sometimes seem naively optimistic about bureaucratic capacity or the absence of turf battles. And in articulating their neo-statist dream, they are giving a licence to all governments innate instinct to intervene and expand.

Nevertheless, as long as this new industrial strategy is offering ideas for better public governance, it is useful on balance. But it becomes positively dangerous when it advocates intervening in the private sector. With support provided by subsidies, loans, tax breaks, tariffs, government procurement and so forth, select market participants will be enlisted to pursue not just economic but also social and environmental outcomes.

Like the industrial policy of old, this approach undermines competition, disrupts price signals and insists that corporate performance be judged according to criteria other than profitability, including parochial national interests.

For these reasons, industrial strategyeven if launched with the best intentionsalways saps the vitality of private economic efforts. Add all the lobbying, cronyism and corruption that surrounds any government initiative where billions of dollars are on offer, and it is hard to believe that this approach could ever be the ideal solution to the worlds biggest challenges.

Since industrial policy (sorry, industrial strategy) is implemented by a government, it reflects perceived national interests, not global or individual needs. To see why this is a problem, just look at chip manufacturing. Every country of reasonable economic size now wants a domestic fabrication plant to protect against global shortages, and to sustain military production in case of war.

But the self-insurance benefits are invariably overstated. Since no country can make all the chips its industry needs, a domestic manufacturer does not assure protection from all shortages. Moreover, if a shortage is global, there must be some global reason for it, such as a pandemic. Why would the domestic chip manufacturer be immune?

When there is free trade in chipsdriven by market prices and the profit motivesupply will be allocated where there is the greatest need. But if governments control output because they have subsidized domestic chip manufacturers, everyone can end up worse off. I write can because the profit motive is hard to suppress entirely.

Each country can direct the use of the chips it makes only if there is no smuggling. But if there are multiple user countries with severe shortages (and therefore high prices), what is to prevent chips from being smuggled out of countries that have plenty to those that dont? We get near-market outcomes but with higher costs.

The national-security rationale suffers the same problem. Even though Russia is heavily sanctioned by much of the chip-producing world, it has been able to conduct a full-scale war with modern armaments containing many chipsand without a significant chip-maker of its own.

Also read: The return of industrial policy is welcome but it needs far more

In any case, having a chip fab in ones country does not assure resilience, since the chip supply chain runs through other countries. For example, the machines that make the most advanced chips are produced by ASML in the Netherlands, which can shut them down remotely with kill switches.

If designs, wafers, machines and key chemicals all need to be produced within the same country to achieve true security, only a vast continental economy like the USand maybe China and the EUcan obtain significant manufacturing independence, and only at tremendous cost.

Part of the cost is the subsidy needed to move uncompetitive domestic manufacturers closer to the technological frontier. Through its CHIPS and Science Act, the US is pouring enormous subsidies into Intel, which gave up global leadership in chip fabrication a while back.

As part of an industrial strategy, this money has strings attached, including restrictions on the use of foreign talent and procurement, and requirements to promote various social and ethical goalssuch as creating skilled technical jobs that do not require a graduate degree.

With so many additional burdens imposed on an already-flailing manufacturer, and a fundamental shortage in the US of the kind of personnel that sophisticated chip plants need, it is no wonder that Intel and even industry leader TSMCs new plants in the US have fallen far behind schedule.

Nor are these one-time costs. When every large country is willing to subsidize an industry, it will become dependent on state support. Investments will be driven not by profits and competition, but by subsidies, national-security policies and bureaucrats, leading to periodic gluts and losses.

Innovation also may suffer, despite research subsidies, because subsidized laggards will drive down profits industry-wide, leaving leaders with smaller surpluses to invest in R&D.

It would make sense for mid-size economies to sit this frenzy out. But industrial strategy, especially when it has the imprimatur of leading economies, is all too tempting for political leaders who want to get credit for creating shiny new industries.

Thus, after promising $10 billion in chip subsidies and securing only the promise of a few jobs and facilities producing older-generation chips, India is doubling down with another $15 billion in subsidies it can ill afford. Would this money not be better spent opening tens of thousands of high-quality primary schools, thousands of high-quality high schools and hundreds of top-notch universities?

With Chinas industrial strategy prompting reciprocal moves by developed democracies, the same trends have swept up electric vehicles, solar cells and batteries.

Instead of allowing competitive markets to drive green-tech innovation and cheap production for the global good, we are balkanizing and weakening these critical sectors with tariffs, subsidies and government-supported zombies. We will have won the battle for domestic production while losing ground in the war against climate change.

Also read: Adopt clear evaluation criteria for industrial policies

We need a global dialogue on the proper place for industrial strategy in a countrys policy, or else we can expect many more ruinously expensive pale pachyderms. 2024/Project Syndicate

The author is professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a former governor of the Reserve Bank of India and co-author (with Rohit Lamba) of Breaking the Mold: Indias Untraveled Path to Prosperity.
Arvind Kejriwal, the anti-graft crusader who went on to become Chief Minister of Delhi three times, has decided to step down from the top post in two days.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief said on Sunday that a meeting of party lawmakers will be held soon to decide who will replace him as Chief Minister of Delhi. Atishi, a senior AAP leader and a minister in Kejriwal's cabinet is likely to succeed him.

Kejriwal was released from Tihar jail on bail in excise policy case, two days ago.

Assembly polls are due in Delhi in February 2025. Kejriwal has asked the Election Commission to, instead, hold early elections in November 2024, along with Maharashtra polls. But holding elections in November  less than two months away  seems unlikely, considering the logistics involved.

2013: The 49-day office as CM This is not the first time when Kejriwal has decided to step down as Chief Minister.

Kejriwal shot to limelight in 2011 during India Against Corruption (IAC) the pan India movement against graft led by activist Anna Hazare. The movement aimed at passing a anti-corruption law  the Jan Lokpal Bill.

About a year later, Kejriwal founded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The party contested the Delhi assembly elections in 2013 and won 28 of 70 seats. With 32 seats in the 70-member house, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) refused to form a government in the hung assembly.

AAP formed the government with external support from the Congress which had won 8 seats. Arvind Kejriwal took oath as chief minister of Delhi for the first time on December 28, 2013.

This is not the first time when Kejriwal has decided to step down as Chief Minister.

However, Kejriwal resigned after 49 tumultuous days in office on February 14, 2014. Kejriwal alleged that his proposed anti-corruption law  the Jan Lokpal Bill  was being stonewalled by both the BJP and the Congress.

Years later, AAP won a landslide victory in the 2015 assembly elections, securing 67 of 70 seats. Kejriwal was re-elected as chief minister. AAP won the Delhi assembly polls again in 2020 and Kejriwal became chief minister for the third time.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced plans to resign on Sunday following his exit from Tihar jail. The AAP supremo has also sought early polls in the national capital and vowed to avoid the CM chair until he was given a certificate of honesty by the people of Delhi. The move has evoked a mixed response from political parties with the Opposition BJP insisting that it was a PR exercise.

Both the BJP and the AAP have now called for a snap election in Delhi alongside the Maharashtra Assembly polls in November. The move  reminiscent of the 49 days Kejriwal spent at Chief Minister in 2014 could prove to be a masterstroke just as easily as it can backfire on the AAP.

AAP MLAs will now convene in Delhi to select a new Chief Minister within the next 48 hours. The names of his wife Sunita and Delhi Ministers Atishi and Gopal Rai have begun doing the rounds as a probable replacement.

What did Kejriwal say?

Today I have come to ask the public whether you consider Kejriwal honest or a criminalI will resign from the post of chief minister two days from today and ask people whether I am honest. Till they respond, I won't sit on CM's chairI will only sit on CM's chair after people give me a certificate of honesty. Want to give 'agnipariksha' (trial by fire) after coming out of jail, he said during a public address on Sunday.

Kejriwal said he had been sent to jail because their goal was to break the AAP and form a government in Delhi.

But our party did not break. I did not resign from the jail because I wanted to protect the Constitution of India. I wanted to fail their formula... The SC asked the central government why a government cannot run from the jail... The SC proved that a government can run from jail...

Will the move help AAP? The exit  likely to be formalised on Tuesday  will not be the first time that Kejriwal has stepped down as Delhi CM.

President's Rule was imposed in Delhi for almost a year after after Kejriwal quit in 2014 after merely 49 days in office. The party had faced severe backlash following the exit  with the ex-CM facing ink attacks, being slapped during a roadshow and even having his vehicle pelted with eggs in Varanasi. The AAP had also apologised repeatedly for leaving the government while campaigning for the 2015 polls.

The decision however appeared to have served the party well in the past.

AAP stormed back to power on February 2015 with 67 seats (out of 70) in the Delhi Assembly. The party followed this up with another resounding win in the 2020 elections by securing 62 seats.

What can go wrong?

Kejriwal and his former Deputy Manish Sisodia have insisted that they will only reprise their roles "when people say we are honest". The AAP will therefore be forced to choose a relative outsider as its Delhi CM for the next few months during its upcoming MLA meeting.

The selection of a new and temporary leader can however prompt dissent within the party ranks. A recent example is the elevation of Champai Soren as Jharkhand Chief Minister following the arrest of party chief Hemant Soren. The seven-time MLA recently left the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to join the BJP citing humiliation at the hands of the party leadership.
Delhi will soon have a new chief minister. Incumbent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is out on bail, said on Sunday that he will resign in the next two days. He said an Aam Aadmi Party (AA) leader would take over as the chief minister and also demanded early assembly elections in Delhi. Delhi Assembly Election is scheduled to take place in February 2025.

Here are top quotes from Arvind Kejriwal's speech on Sunday: 1. Kejriwal said he didn't resign after his arrest in connection with the Delhi excise policy case because "I respect democracy; Constitution supreme for me".

2. Kejriwal said, "I am going to resign after two days." He said he won't sit on the CM's chair until the people of Delhi approve him as honest and upright. "I will only sit on CM's chair after people give me certificate of honesty; want to give 'agnipariksha' after coming out of jail," he said.

3. Kejriwal said AAP MLAs will hold a meeting in the next couple of days. "An AAP leader will take over as CM," he said.

4. Kejriwal demanded earlier assembly elections in Delhi. "Delhi election is due in February 2025 but I demand elections in the national capital be held in November [this year] with Maharashtra," CM Kejriwal said.

5. Kejriwal took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying, "They [BJP] slap false cases against non-BJP CMs. Only AAP can stand up to their conspiracies. If held, urge such CMs not to resign."

6. Arvind Kejriwal alleged that he wrote only one letter to Delhi L-G VK Saxena from Tihar jail. He said the letter was not delivered and he was issued a warning instead. When Shaheed Bhagat Singh was in jail, he wrote letters to many people and the British sent these letters to the people outside, Kejriwal said.

Also Read | Suspense over who will hoist tricolour on Aug 15 in Delhi govt event continues

"But when I went to jail, I wrote only one letter to the L-G, requesting him that on August 15, Atishi should be allowed to hoist the flag in my place. But that letter was not delivered to the L-G and a warning was issued that if you write a letter to the L-G, your meeting with the family will be stopped," Kejriwal alleged.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on September 15 that he would resign as Chief Minister in two days.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, who was released from Tihar jail on bail in excise policy case two days ago, said that a a meeting with party legislators will be held soon to decide who will replace him as Chief Minister of Delhi.

Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal is convincing all MLAs to make his wife the CM...: BJP

"I will sit on the CM's chair only after being elected. The elections are supposed to be held in February, 2025. I demand elections be held in November along with Maharashtra elections... Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the chief minister. In the next 2-3 days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next CM will be elected, Kejriwal said in his address to the party workers on Sunday.

AAP had returned to power in the national capital by sweeping assembly elections held in February 2020. AAP won 62 of the 70 assembly seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 8 seats and Congress won none.

Assembly polls are due in Delhi in February next year.

Early elections? Will Election Commission of India announce Delhi polls along with Maharashtra later this year, as demanded by the outgoing chief minister? Well, it looks unlikely that Delhi polls will be held in November 2024 as it is less than two months away for the poll body to prepare.

Also Read | Agni Pariksha ke liye: Raghav Chadha after Arvind Kejriwal decides to resign

Sources within AAP said that the assembly would not be dissolved. Instead, a new CM along with new Ministers would be sworn in again. After quitting as chief minister, Kejriwal will focus on Delhi assembly poll campaign, they said.

Atishi to be CM? Who will be the next CM? Kejriwal has already said that his former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will wait for honest tag to assume the role. "I will become chief minister and Manish Sisodia deputy CM only when people say we are honest, he said on Sunday.

In that case Delhi minister Atishi becomes the key contender for the top post. Atishi will be given the charge until the polls are held next year, sources said. She has been a minister since March 2023.

The Kalkaji lawmaker, Atishi hold key in Arvind Kejriwal-led government such as Finance, Education, Public Works Department, Power, Revenue, Law, Planning, Services, Information and Publicity, and Vigilance.

Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the chief minister.

Not the first time AAP contested first Delhi assembly elections in 2013 and won 28 of the 70 seats. Arvind Kejriwal became Delhi's chief minister with Congress support. Kejriwal, however, resigned after 49 days since he faced difficulties in passing the Jan Lokpal Bill.
BJP MLA Nitesh Rane has stirred yet another controversy with his "oath" for real estate brokers in Ulwe. During his visit to Ganesh Pandal, Rane asked the realty brokers to take an oath "not to deal with non-Hindus" and to check Aadhaar cards before making any deal.

In a video, the Kankvali MLA can be heard telling the gathering to overlook the 'sarva dharma samabhava' (equal respect for all religions) and 'bhaichaaracha dongar'(hill of brotherhood).

"We should only care for Hindus," Rane said.

Also Read | Disha Salian Death Case: Mumbai Police issues notice to BJP MLA Nitesh Rane

The son of former Union minister Narayan Rane referred to a particular religion and said its scriptures advocated either conversion or the killing of Hindus. He also challenged the religious scholars of the faith to come forward and deny it.

Two FIRs have been registered against Rane for delivering provocative speeches.

Rane's remarks have led to protests by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). The party has alleged that the BJP MP's statement goes against the secular fabric of the country and his words were against the Constitution.

Hindu seer Ramgiri Maharaj and Nitesh Rane have been accused of making controversial statements concerning Muslims.

Alleging inaction despite FIRs, AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel said that he would visit Mumbai on September 23 and gift copies of the Constitution to the Mahayuti leaders seeking action against Ramgiri Maharaj and MLA Nitesh Rane.

"If such elements are left unchecked, it could lead to anarchy. No action has been taken against them despite multiple FIRs. We have decided to go to Mumbai on September 23 and gift copies of the Constitution to Mahayuti leaders seeking action, the former AIMIM MP said.

Ajit Pawar opposes objectionable remarks Referring to Nitesh Rane, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar asserted that the NCP strongly opposes objectionable remarks targeting a specific community, that certain individuals from a party were making.

Today, certain individuals from a political party use denigrating language targeting a particular community and religion. We do not support such language and we strongly oppose it. This kind of objectionable language creates rift in society.
Ahead of US Presidential Polls in November, Pope Francis heavily criticised former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris saying that they are both against life and it is like choosing between the lesser evil.

The 87-year-old Pope's remarks on the U.S. presidential candidates came as he overcame health concerns to engage with followers from the jungles of Papua New Guinea to the skyscrapers of Singapore. This journey was the longest in both duration and distance since he became the leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics over 11 years ago.

On upcoming US elections in November, he spoke about Trump's anti-immigrant policies and Harris's support for abortion rights.

"Both are against life. To send migrants away, to leave them wherever you want, to leave them ... it's something terrible, there is evil there. To send away a child from the womb of the mother is an assassination, because there is life. We must speak about these things clearly," he said.

"One has to choose the lesser of two evils. Who is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman? I don't know. Everyone have to think and make this decision according to their conscience," Francis said.

Meawhile, in Washington, Karine Jean-Pierre, spokeswoman for President Joe Biden -- himself a Roman Catholic -- said that "obviously the pope speaks for himself, and I don't have any more comments."

"I have not spoken to the president about the pope's specific comments on this coming election," she said.

Pope Francis has been outspoken on political matters Notably, Francis has been more outspoken on political matters compared to his predecessors, seeking to make the Catholic Church more inclusive. He has consistently upheld the Church's position against abortion, viewing it as the intentional ending of human life. Previously, Francis presented progressive stances on various political issues, such as permitting priests to forgive abortions, supporting blessings for same-sex couples, and highlighting climate change concern
The BJP-led NDA government will implement 'one nation, one election' within its current tenure, sources said, exuding confidence that the reform measure would receive support across party lines.

As the third term of the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes 100 days in office, the sources said that the cohesion within the ruling alliance will continue for the rest of the tenure.

"Definitely, it will be implemented in this tenure itself. It will be a reality," one source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In his Independence Day address last month, the prime minister made a strong pitch for 'one nation, one election', contending that frequent polls were creating hurdles in the country's progress.

Also Read | Maharashtra: Here are 8 things to know before assembly elections

"The nation has to come forward for 'one nation, one election'," Modi had said in his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

The prime minister urged the political parties "from the Red Fort and with the national tricolour as a witness to ensure the nation's progress".

He also asked the parties to ensure that national resources are used for the common person and said, "We have to come forward to realise the dream of 'one nation, one election'."

'One nation, one election' is one of the key promises made by the BJP in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections.

A high-level panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind in March this year recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days.

Separately, the Law Commission is likely to recommend holding simultaneous polls for all three tiers of government -- Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies like municipalities and panchayats -- starting with 2029 and a provision for unity government in cases like hung house or no-confidence motion.

The Kovind panel has not specified any period for rolling out simultaneous polls.

It has proposed creation of an 'Implementation Group' to look into the execution of the panel's recommendations.

The panel recommended as many as 18 constitutional amendments, most of which will not need ratification by the state assemblies.

However, these would require certain Constitution amendment bills that would need to be passed by Parliament.

Also Read | Haryana Assembly polls: Anil Vij stakes claim to CM seat if voted to power
Kourtney Kardashians supplement brand, Lemme, is introducing an all-natural product called Lemme GLP-1 Daily. This new capsule is designed to increase the GLP-1 hormone in the body, which may help reduce hunger and cravings and support healthy weight loss.

The formula combines patented ingredients that have been clinically studied. As per a press release, these ingredients have demonstrated significant benefits for weight management in clinical research.

Also Read | 6 healthy salad recipes for weight loss

Kardashians brand has also secured exclusive rights in North America for Eriomin, a patented bioflavonoid known to boost GLP-1 levels naturally.

"We spent years working with our medical advisory board to formulate Lemme GLP-1 Daily into the most effective and researched GLP-1 supplement on the market. I'm excited and proud of our cutting-edge formulation that uses both clinically-studied and patented ingredients to increase GLP-1 levels in the body, naturally." Kardashian said in the release.

Also Read | 5 low-carb rice alternatives for weight loss

According to the release, Lemme GLP-1 Daily is a plant-based supplement that naturally boosts the body's GLP-1 levels without using synthetic hormones or acting as a GLP-1 agonist drug.

These daily capsules aim to reduce hunger, improve insulin sensitivity and support healthy weight management. Priced at 6,000 ($72) with a subscription, Lemme GLP-1 Daily will be exclusively available on lemmelive.com starting September 16.

Is it effective? Vogue magazine consulted Dr. Kumar and Dr. Caroline Messer from Fifth Avenue Endocrinology about Kardashians new weight-loss supplement. The doctors, who regularly prescribe standard weight-loss medications, were not given any information about the makers of the supplement.

Also Read | From digestion to weight loss: 5 health benefits of cayenne pepper
First lady Jill Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have gone to Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama to highlight programs that the administration is rolling out to improve service members quality of life as well as early childhood education in the military
KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2024 - 20:59 | All, World

The Philippines withdrew a coast guard ship previously anchored in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, officials said on Sunday, following a diplomatic standoff over the area also claimed by China.

The 97-meter Teresa Magbanua, which is one of the Philippines' two largest coast guard ships acquired from Japan, had sailed back to port after five months of patrolling around Sabina, a shoal within the Philippine exclusive economic zone where China is accused of carrying out illegal reclamation activities.

Lucas Bersamin, executive secretary to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said the "repositioning" of the ship would allow for repairs and medical attention needed by its crew, who endured "diminished daily provisions."

In late August, the Teresa Magbanua collided with a China Coast Guard vessel, which created a hole in the Philippine ship. China has also prevented Philippine vessels from delivering supplies to it.

The China Coast Guard, in a statement issued Sunday, accused the Philippines of violating China's territorial sovereignty when it "illegally stranded" the Teresa Magbanua in April, until the ship left the shoal on Saturday afternoon.

In July, China and the Philippines reached a temporary agreement to ease tensions at Second Thomas Shoal, another marine feature in the South China Sea where skirmishes between Chinese and Philippine vessels had increased since last year.

But the tension shifted to Sabina Shoal in August following incidents including the collision involving the Teresa Magbanua.

Related coverage:

China says ship passage through Japan territorial waters "legitimate"

Philippines says China rammed coast guard ship in South China Sea shoal

China blocks Philippine Coast Guard supply mission in South China Sea
The fifth annual Alzheimers Memory Walk takes place nationwide on Sunday, September 22.

Set to be the largest Memory Walk to date, Breda Dunne from The Alzheimer Society of Irelands Longford Centre is urging the people of Longford to register now at www.memorywalk.ie and walk with her on September 22 at The Mall Complex (Albert Reynolds Peace Park), Templemichael, Longford at 2.30pm.

Speaking ahead of Alzheimers Memory Walk, Breda commented,

I am really looking forward to this year's Memory Walk in The Mall. It is going to be a great day to get together and walk with and for loved ones who are living with dementia and to remember loved ones who are sadly no longer with us.

PICTURES | A superb evening of entertainment as curtain comes down on Longford's First Fridays initiative

It is a chance to share memories and create new ones together and is such a lovely event for everyone who attends. I would encourage everyone who can to register now at www.memorywalk.ie to join me on September 22 at 2.30pm "

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is encouraging everyone to get behind this years Alzheimers Memory Walk, supported by Payzone, on Sunday, September 22 to help raise awareness and funds to help those living with dementia.

Register online now at www.memorywalk.ie to make and share memories on Sunday, September 22 at a location near you.

You will receive an Alzheimers Memory Walk Participant Pack including your t-shirt and a special pack of Forget Me Not flower seeds to sow at home to help create an annual memory each time the flowers bloom. Adult registration costs 20 and a childs pack is 5.

PICTURES | Having a Ball: Style and glamour galore in Longford

Memory Walk honours, remembers, and celebrates the 64,000 people in Ireland living with dementia, along with their families and carers. It also cherishes the memory of those who are no longer with us.

In 2023, 3,500 walkers participated in Memory Walk and raised over 120,000 which helped fund vital services for people with dementia, including Daycare, Daycare at Home, Family Carer Training, Social Clubs, Cafes, and a National Helpline.

Share your Memory Walk experience on social media using #ASIMakingMemories #ASIMemoryWalk2024 #LetsWalkTogether.

For more information or to register for a Memory Walk near you, please visit www.memorywalk.ie.

Also read: Longford Gardai disrupt planned cannabis grow farm
Pizza Hut's iconic dine-in buffet is back for one week only, in celebration of 50 years slinging 'za to Kiwis.

If you were ever lucky enough to stuff yourself to the brim at one of the Pizza Hut restaurants, you've probably been missing it ever since.

If you've never been - you're about to LEARN.

The pop-up Hut will feature an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet, including garlic bread, chips, salads and soft drinks, and the full glory of the dessert bar will return with soft-serve ice cream, raspberry jelly, chocolate mousse and hot fudge sauce.

The whole thing is going to be short and sweet (literally) - running from September 26th - 29th at Norma Taps in Auckland's City Works Depot. Tickets are $30 per person, and you can head along for a lunch or dinner session.

All the proceeds will be donated to Hato Hone St John Ambulance too, how good?

The last dine-in Pizza Hut spot in New Zealand closed in 2016 - gone, but never forgotten. So much so that one fan, David Whiting, created a change.org petition to bring it back.

Now Pizza Hut is flying David up to Auckland to attend the opening night of the pop up - never give up on your dreams, kids!

"It's going to bring all the memories of childhood birthday parties rushing back," he said in a statement.

Pizza Hut's CEO Arif Khan, who started in the store system 25 years ago, says they get asked by a member of the public "at least once a week" to bring back the buffet.

We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate our 50th birthday.

If you can't make it to Auckland later this month, you don't have to miss out entirely. Pizza Hut is offering a bunch of limited edition retro menu items like apple crumble pizza and Detroit pizza.

Get me in and around this ASAP.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2024 - 18:30 | All, World, Japan

Japan, the United States, Australia and India plan to launch joint patrols to monitor vessels in the Indo-Pacific, diplomatic sources said Sunday, in the latest effort by the Quad group to counter illegal fishing in waters where China's influence is growing.

The plan involving the four countries' coast guards is expected to be included in a joint statement to be issued at a Quad summit next Saturday in the United States, along with projects to improve regional telecommunications and collaborate on steps to tackle cancer, according to the sources.

The gathering in Delaware, U.S. President Joe Biden's home state, will likely be the last Quad summit for Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, both outgoing leaders. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are also set to join.

The Biden administration has been pushing to elevate and institutionalize the Quad, widely seen as a counter to Beijing's increasing military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting's agreements are intended to help solidify the group's expanding cooperation across successive governments.

The envisaged first ship observer mission could take place next year, with members of the Japan Coast Guard and its Australian and Indian peers boarding a U.S. Coast Guard vessel, according to the sources.

The mission would be aimed at improving interoperability to maintain maritime order based on the rule of law and will continue on a rotational basis, they said.

In recent years, some Southeast Asian nations such as the Philippines and Indonesia have protested to Beijing over Chinese fishing activities in disputed waters of the South China Sea. Japan has similarly expressed concern over what it considers illegal activities by Chinese vessels in its surrounding waters.

Among other areas of cooperation expected to be announced at the upcoming Quad summit is in the deployment in the Pacific of new communications infrastructure, known as Open Radio Access Network, designed to avoid reliance on specific companies' technology to help mitigate supply chain risks.

The focus on the Open RAN issue reflects the Quad members' wariness over China's massive investments in Pacific island nations.

On the medical front, the four-way group plans to launch efforts to address cervical cancer, building on their experience of working together during the coronavirus pandemic. They are also likely to pledge cooperation to support farmers in the region through artificial intelligence and other technology.

At the planned gathering, the leaders are also expected to discuss an idea to hold the first-ever Quad meeting of commerce and industry ministers, the sources said.

The Quad originated in 2004 in response to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Efforts to revitalize the grouping have been seen in recent years, with increasing focus on advancing a vision of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific.

After holding the first gathering of Quad foreign ministers in September 2019 in the United States, the White House hosted the first-ever in-person Quad leaders' summit in September 2021.

A joint statement released after the previous Quad summit in Japan in May 2023 said the four nations support their Indo-Pacific partners in "combatting a wide range of illicit maritime activities, including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing."

Related coverage:

U.S. to host Quad grouping summit on Sept. 21: White House

Outgoing Japanese PM mulls skipping speech at U.N. General Assembly

Japan, India agree to boost cooperation on space, cybersecurity
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.
A 33-year-old man was killed in a shooting in Lawrence Saturday morning, according to the Essex County District Attorneys Office.

Lawrence police responded to a report of shots fired on Water Street around 7 a.m., the district attorneys office said. They found the man at the scene with gunshot wounds.

Paramedics treated him at the scene before rushing him to Lawrence General Hospital, the district attorneys office said. He was later declared dead at the hospital.

The mans name has not yet been released as authorities are still notifying his next of kin of his death, the district attorneys office said. Lawrence police and the district attorneys office are still investigating the shooting.
A man has been found guilty of manslaughter in connection with his half-brothers fatal shooting in Boston in 2021, the Suffolk County District Attorneys Office said.

Oscar Bolding, 45, killed his half-brother, 40-year-old Levar Foster, on May 24, 2021, during Fosters nephews college graduation party, the district attorneys office said in a press release. The two men were attending the party at a home on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester when they got into an argument and had to be separated by family members.

Foster left the apartment to calm down, but when he returned, the two men began fighting again, the district attorneys office said. Bolding then pulled out a gun and shot Foster once in the chest, killing him.
MassLive recently asked readers to identify people they consider Hispanic and Latino leaders in Massachusetts, working to make a difference across the state.

Profiles of these leaders will be published over the course of Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. These are people readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change.

Maria Rivera-CottoSebastian Restrepo

Maria Rivera-Cotto

Age: 54

Community: Worcester

Her story: Born in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, Maria Rivera-Cotto grew up, works and still lives in Worcester.

She attended Sullivan Middle School and South High Community School, then received her Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and her Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School. By day, she worked as a social worker for the state, she told MassLive.

I worked for DCF by day and attended law school at night, Rivera-Cotto continued. After she graduated, she moved on to work as an assistant district attorney in the Worcester County District Attorneys office.

In this role, she conducted jury trials of domestic violence and other criminal cases before she founded her own family law office in Worcester, according to the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalitions profile on Rivera-Cotto.

She also serves as MAWOCCs general counsel and vice president of the central region. MAWOCCs mission and goals include work and advocacy regarding the eradication of racial inequities for women of color created by structural, institutional, interpersonal and internalized racism in our communities, Rivera-Cotto told MassLive.

We do this work in areas such as political and civic leadership, economic justice reform and in the health and wellness space, she said.

Along with her legal work, Rivera-Cotto also helps Latinos in Worcester by working with Centro, Inc. Known as Centro Las Americas when it was founded in 1977, Centro, Inc. offers a food pantry, community support services and family support services, among other programs, Rivera-Cotto said.

One program she used as an example is Centro, Inc.s Adult Foster Care program, which provides assistance to adults 16 years and older who, because of illness, weakness, disability, or advanced age, cannot live safely at home alone, according to Centro, Inc.s website.

By working with MAWOCC and Centro, Inc., Rivera-Cotto sees them both contributing to the betterment of our communities, especially to our communities of color, she said.

I feel passionate about helping our communities of color and women of color have access to the resources that will improve and enhance their lives while overcoming barriers and where we can all strive to achieve our purposeful lives, she said.

In her words: I would remind others that we need each other, that a healthy and thriving society is one in which we seek to uplift each other, support our families, and extend kindness, compassion and love for our fellow citizens. There is more that unites us than divides us. Doing community service work can be very challenging but will be the most rewarding experience of your lives.

Were always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If youd like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form.
A man from Carlisle was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury after being accused of submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of multiple companies he owns and controls, according to a press release from Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levys office.

Durgaprasad Rao, 65, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. In May 2024, Rao was arrested and charged by criminal complaint, the release said.

Charging documents state that Rao is both the owner and operator of Accelerated Engineering LLC, which is a product engineering service provider and Upstream Global Services, Inc., which is a software company that provides software consulting services and temporary staffing needs.

Between April 2020 and May 2021, Rao is accused of submitting numerous fraudulent applications seeking over $18 million in PPP funds for various companies in multiple states including Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Georgia, the acting attorneys office said in the release.

Nine of the fraudulent PPP loan applications Rao supposedly submitted were for companies he owned and controlled. Specifically for his Massachusetts-based companies, Rao received nearly $7 million in PPP loans, the statement reads. One of these loans, which provided him with over $1.5 million, was approved for forgiveness.

Rao is accused of having PPP loan applications that contain false statements regarding payroll and the number of employees that worked for his companies. These loans also included fraudulent supporting documents such as false tax return documents and false payroll records, the acting attorneys office said.

In addition, Rao is also accused of misusing the funds he received by, among other things, transferring the funds to foreign businesses he owned and purchasing a luxury condominium in New York City.

Charges for wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, the release said. The charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the criminal-derived property involved in the transaction.
WESTFIELD  Westfield on Weekends newest exhibit, Journey Stories: The Puerto Rican Experience, will open at the downtown Creative Arts Center on Monday, Sept. 16. Artists will host a reception 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22.

It is to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by focusing on a population that is extensive in Westfield, said Kathi Bradford, Creative Arts Center director.

The exhibit is the third installation in a series that began in fall 2023 with the Smithsonian collaboration Journey Stories: The Promise of Liberty, an Unfinished Puzzle, which focused on why people immigrated to the United States. It continued in May 2024 with Journey Stories: Faces of Westfield, a photographic exhibit showcasing the diversity of Westfield through its immigrant communities.
The Coca-Cola Company in Africa and its bottling partners Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC) and Coca-Cola HBC announced a nearly USD 25 million investment to help address critical water-related challenges in local communities in 20 African countries, starting this year through 2030.

The work will be led by Global Water Challenge (GWC) and implemented by a consortium of partners, including The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The effort, called The Coca-Cola Systems Africa Water Stewardship Initiative, was introduced in Cape Town, South Africa, in presence of executives from the Coca-Cola system in Africa and NGO partners. During the event, Karyn Harrington, Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at The Coca-Cola Companys Africa Operating Unit indicated Water is a priority for The Coca-Cola Company and its local bottling partners because it is essential to life, the communities we serve and our beverages. As we face increasing water insecurity worldwide, with demand outstripping supply in many regions such as Africa, Coca-Cola is taking steps to help accelerate efforts to address water stress, protect local water resources, and build community climate resilience. Our 2030 Water Security Strategy focuses on helping enhance water security where we operate, source ingredients, and touch lives.

One in three Africans face water insecurity. The Global Water Challenge and The Coca-Cola Systems Africa Water Stewardship Initiative partner coalition will seek to improve water security for millions across the African continent, helping advance community health and resilience through abundant, clean water. We applaud Coca-Colas continued leadership on African water security said Monica Ellis, CEO of GWC.

The Coca-Cola Systems Africa Water Stewardship Initiative aims to help protect and enhance the health of important watersheds and to help improve access to water and sanitation services in local communities. We will have projects in Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mayotte, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

CCBA has a responsibility to help those who face water scarcity and to help protect local water resources where we operate, especially in places with the biggest challenges. We are proud to partner with The Coca-Cola Company on this project, says Layla Jeevanantham, Chief Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Officer at CCBA.

We are proud to partner with The Coca-Cola Company and fellow bottlers on this critical initiative to help tackle water challenges across Africa. By working together, we can leverage the expertise of our partners and the knowledge of local communities to help create sustainable solutions that enhance water access and safeguard vital water resources, said Sonia Ventosa, Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability Manager at ECCBC.

Coca-Cola HBC has been part of African communities for more than 70 years, and sustainability is an important part of how we operate. Were very happy to see this new water initiative come to life and to support the systems water stewardship efforts, said Marcel Martin, Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer, Coca-Cola HBC.

Recognizing that partnerships are critical to support this work, the company and its bottlers are collaborating with governments, businesses, and civil society organizations to design and implement strategic interventions. In addition to supporting the companys water strategy, this effort also aims to contribute to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation.

This water initiative will build upon The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF)s Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), a groundbreaking collaboration with key partners and co-funders which helped improve access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene for 6 million people across African countries between 2009 and 2019. Through 120 projects, the initiative positively impacted homes, schools and healthcare clinics in more than 4,000 communities.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2024 - 09:57 | All, Japan

One in four married adults under 40 in Japan found their partners through dating apps, making it the most common way couples meet, a recent government survey showed.

The study was conducted in July as part of the Japanese government's efforts to devise ways to help younger generations marry and have children, as the rise of the unmarried has become a key reason behind the country's declining birthrate.

The Children and Families Agency said it plans to step up cooperation with the private sector in promoting dating apps that adhere to safety guidelines and in publicizing their proper usage.

In an online questionnaire of 20,000 men and women aged 15 to 39 nationwide, 25.1 percent of respondents who married in the last five years said dating apps gave them the opportunity to meet the person they ended up marrying.

Individuals who met their spouses through work or work-related activities accounted for 20.5 percent, while 9.9 percent met at school, 9.1 percent through friends or siblings, and 5.2 percent at parties or other social events.

The survey also showed that 56.8 percent of married people said they have experience using dating apps, compared to 26.8 percent of unmarried individuals.

An interim report compiled by a panel under the Children and Families Agency to discuss life planning for the younger generation noted that dating apps are especially popular among individuals in their 20s. The report highlighted that "Generation Z," born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, values dating apps as a tool for prioritizing cost and time efficiency.

While dating apps offer the convenience of connecting at any time and bridging distances for those in remote areas, many people continue to express concerns about safety, the report said.

According to government data, the number of couples who married in 2023 fell below 500,000 for the first time in 90 years to 474,717, its lowest level since World War II.

Related coverage:

Japan's births fall to record low of 350,000 in Jan.-June

Japan court OKs gender change without confirmation surgery
Members of Mayo County Council have called on the Office of the Planning Regulator to be scrapped in order to allow towns in the county to grow and develop.

The Office of the Planning Regulator has come under intense criticism in recent months by local councillors for making submissions and objections to the zoning of extra land for housing in both the Castlebar and Westport local area plans.

A number of councillors called for the office to be scrapped at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council where councillors were asked to note the submissions made by the local authority to the Draft Revised National Planning Framework.

Fine Gael councillor Jarlath Munnelly commended the councillors and the planners who worked on the submissions and it was important they make very robust submissions that covers all the basis to ensure the region develops into the future.

He said that there are currently too many obstacles to growth in the region and he felt that the Office of the Planning Regulator had too much influence over planning matters and called for it to be scrapped.

I will go as far as saying that our submission here be asking for the role of the planning regulator to be abolished, he said.

Everyone here has a mandate which should be respected by everybody and we are well fit to make decisions on planning policy in this county. We don't need an unelected official in Dublin telling us what to do and I would be all for our submission to say the role of the planning regulator should be abolished, he said.

Cllr Munnelly also added that a ceiling on population growth of towns should not be allowed in the western region and that 'the principle of allowing people to build in the countryside has to be enshrined in this document'.

The Killala-based councillor was supported by his Fine Gael party colleague, Cllr Donna Sheridan in calling for the Office of the Planning Regulator to be scrapped. She said that she and her council colleagues worked hard on the Castlebar Local Area Plan but they faced objections to their proposals from the Planning Regulator.

I see the time and energy which went into the local area plan and it has to be scrapped by the planning regulator. People on the ground are not being listened to and the office needs to be abolished, she said.

Fianna Fail councillor Al McDonnell who was one of six councillors to work with council planners on the submissions said they made alterations to the document which they felt was necessary for the region. He added that they too wanted the authority of the Planning Regulator to be controlled.

We have reservations about the assumed authority of the planning regulator and we have attempted to dilute that influence as best we could and that might be met with some resistance.

The document itself in its original form was in my opinion surprisingly favourable to rural Ireland. Perhaps they are listening to us now and not before time about the exodus of our people from rural Ireland. They have acknowledged in their regional draft the facts that need to be addressed and I welcome that. The changes we made were significant also and I had a brief look through the amendment and I am happy with them, he said.

Ballina-based councillor Mark Duffy also commented that it was important that local representatives have more of a say in relation to planning in towns in order to get houses built. He also asked for the development of the N26 to Ballina as well as an orbital route around the town and cycle routes to be included in the document.
FINE Gael TD and Minister of State Alan Dillon and Westport-based Keira Keogh have been selected as the two party candidates to contest the general election with a third candidate expected to be added to the ticket.

Minister Dillon and Keira Keogh were the only candidates to contest the Fine Gael general election convention which took place this evening in the TF Royal Hotel in Castlebar and as a result delegates were not required to vote.

Galway West TD, Hildegard Naughton who chaired the selection convention told the delegates that the national executive had directed they select two candidates but they have the authority to add extra candidates if need be.

Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Ballina-based Cllr John O'Hara withdrew his name on Saturday morning but it is understood that he is now seeking to be added to the ticket.

The Bonniconlon native could not be considered for selection at the convention as he had formally withdrawn his candidacy but it is understood he will have talks with the party's national executive this week who can decide whether to add him to the ticket. There will be pressure on the party to add a third candidate from north Mayo and challenge sitting Fianna Fail TD Dara Calleary for a seat.

The selection convention was chaired by Galway West TD, Hildegard Naughton and attended by sitting TD Michael Ring who is retiring from politics. MEP Maria Walsh and former Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Glowing tributes were paid to Deputy Ring who has been a TD for the constituency since 1994 and he received a standing ovation from the delegates.

Deputy Ring told the delegates that he was going to miss the selection conventions but will remain active in party politics on the ground.

The Westport-based TD said he was proud to nominate Keira Keogh as a candidate to defend the seat he won in 1994 and ensured the delegates that he was 100 percent behind her. He praised Keogh who works as a child behaviour consultant in Westport for having the guts to put her name forward and predicted that when she is elected she will become a minister.

Keogh was seconded by Cllr Gerry Coyle and in accepting her nomination she pledged to do everything she could to retain the seat won by Deputy Ring and asked the delegates to have faith in her.

Minister Dillon was nominated by Mayo Fine Gael party secretary, Finian Bourke and Martina Calvey, Chairperson of Castlebar Fine Gael branch and member of Fine Gael National Executive.

He said that he was honoured to be a TD for the county and that he was confident that with the support of party members, Fine Gael will hold onto their two seats.

Hildegard Naughton echoed the comments of former Taoiseach Enda Kenny who told the party's last convention that this would be the mother and father of all election battles. She said she too was confident that the party can hold onto its two seats in Mayo and urged party members to remind the public that a strong and stable government is what the country needs.
In addition to the big win in Galway, a Dublin player is also celebrating after winning the EuroMillions Plus top prize of 500,000. The Dublin player purchased their winning ticket on the day of the draw in Spar, Poppintree Parade, Balbutcher Road, Ballymun, and matched the following numbers in the EuroMillions Plus draw: 13, 14, 20, 31, 44.

The National Lottery is urging EuroMillions players in Galway and Dublin to check their tickets very carefully and if they are a winner, they are advised to sign the back of their ticket and to keep it safe. They should contact the prize claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims@lottery.ie and arrangements will be made for them to collect their prize in Lotto HQ.

Sarah Ruane, spokesperson for the National Lottery, says there is great excitement following Friday's wins.

Were thrilled to see two players take home such incredible prizesone in Galway now 1 million richer, and another in Dublin with a fantastic 500,000 EuroMillions Plus win. Its always exciting when we get to celebrate multiple big wins like this. For both winners, we recommend signing the back of your tickets, keeping them in a safe place, and contacting our Prize Claims Team as soon as possible. We cant wait to welcome you to National Lottery HQ to collect your prizes and hear your stories.

Ms Ruane added that over 52,000 players in Ireland won prizes in the EuroMillions and EuroMillions Plus draws on Friday night. As there was no winner of the main jackpot, Tuesdays jackpot is set to roll to an estimated 40 million.
Gardai in north Cork are investigating two incidents of criminal damage in the Charleville area on Friday night which have left local residents "terrified".

The first incident concerns criminal damage by fire that occurred at a domestic residence in the Fortlands area of the town, close to the Limerick border, that occurred at approximately 8.50pm.

According to gardai, no persons were in the building at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported at the time. The scene was preserved and a technical examination was carried out.

Gardai say they are also investigating an incident of criminal damage to a car that occurred in the Rathgoggin area of Charleville later in the same evening, at approximately 9.55pm. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have information in relation to these incidents to contact them.

Video footage - which is understood to be of the alleged incidents - is being widely shared on social media.

Local residents have said that local people are terrified by the level of violence involved.

These are residential estates. This type of violence has been ongoing since last December. It is like the Wild West in Charleville. Nobody feels like they can speak up for fear of intimidation, said one resident.

Any person, including road users and pedestrians, who were in the Charleville area, between 5pm and 11pm on Friday, September 13, 2024, and who observed any unusual activity, is asked to contact investigating gardai.

READ ALSO: ALERT: Urgent appeal as concern grows for wellbeing of man missing from Dublin home

Gardai are also appealing for information in relation to an Audi A6, a white Skoda Rapid, a BMW and a silver Ford Focus car, travelling in the Charleville area at this time.

Any road users or pedestrians who were travelling in the area during this time and who may have camera footage (including dash cam) are asked to make this available to gardai.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Mallow garda station on 022 31450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.

Investigations are ongoing.
The 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum opens at the Beijing International Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo by Han Qiyang/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Global South, including China, is playing an increasingly pivotal role in world peace and security, according to officials, strategists and scholars from around the world who participated in the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum this week.

At a time when the world faces increasingly interconnected challenges, the theme of this year's forum, "Promoting Peace for a Shared Future," is a "powerful reminder of our collective responsibility" in the world security system, which includes the responsibility of the Global South, said Kamal Gunaratne, defense secretary of Sri Lanka, at the forum.

In recent years, the collective rise of the Global South countries has gained remarkable momentum, playing a pivotal and constructive role in advancing human progress and serving as a key force for global peace and development. This year's Beijing Xiangshan Forum was attended by more than 1,800 guests from over 100 countries and international organizations, including many from the Global South countries.

"Asia, Africa and Latin America have all put forward important initiatives to strengthen political and economic cooperation, promote stability, and foster prosperity. The Global South is now more important than ever," said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha.

The Global South also faces many common challenges. The United States emphasizes absolute security and employs strategies that pressure other countries to take sides, placing many Global South countries under strain, said Jia Qingguo, a professor with the School of International Studies at Peking University.

"The Global South nations are increasingly safeguarding their common interests through strengthened cooperation, becoming more prominent in the global security system and playing an increasingly important role," said Jia.

In 2023, the Group of 20 (G20) members agreed to accept the African Union (AU) as a new member in an effort to give a greater voice and more representation to developing countries. Six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were invited to become new BRICS members, an expansion marking a historical milestone in strengthening both the momentum of BRICS cooperation and the solidarity of the Global South.

"There are too many armed conflicts in the world today. When it comes to humanitarian issues, the Global South is strongly engaged with the Red Cross and playing a more and more important role," said Andrew Carswell, a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In the face of the expectations of people around the world for security and stability, China, a member of the Global South, has been practicing the Global Security Initiative (GSI), continuously consolidating consensus among all parties, promoting the elimination of the root causes of international conflicts and improving global security governance.

"The GSI proposed by China helps the Global South build a balanced, effective and sustainable security framework, thereby achieving universal security and common security," said Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten, chairman of the Institute for East-West Strategic Studies in Britain. He has lived in China for a long time and believes that China is a crucial force in promoting world peace and security.

"China has been continuously playing a significant role in various fields, including security within the Global South," said Joseph Kahama, secretary general of the Tanzania-China Friendship Promotion Association. Over the years, Kahama has frequently traveled between China and Africa annually, witnessing how China and Africa achieved win-win cooperation and tackled challenges together.

At the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last week, 10 partnership actions for modernization to deepen China-Africa cooperation, including one on promoting common security, were announced. Kahama noted that the actions demonstrate China's commitment to contributing to the common security of the Global South.

"Connectivity and communication are crucial for enhancing stability and security. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China exemplifies this, especially through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which has brought significant benefits to Pakistan and underscores China's important role in the Global South," said Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, a professor of politics and international relations at Pakistan's Quaid-i-Azam University.

"If the three key initiatives proposed by China, namely the Global Development Initiative, the GSI and the Global Civilization Initiative, can be well implemented, I believe the world will become more harmonious and orderly, with fewer conflicts and more win-win cooperation," Jaspal added.

"Hosting the Beijing Xiangshan Forum demonstrates China's open and inclusive attitude. Although some international conflicts may not directly be resolved at the forum, China provides a platform for dialogue and communication, allowing different countries to understand each other's positions. This, in itself, is a significant contribution to global peace and security," said David Chen, an affiliated researcher of the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis. 
by Ray Schultz , September 15, 2024

Plus, a magazine focused on HIV-related health information, has been rebranded as Health Plus Wellness and will now feature broader coverage of health and wellness within the LGBTQ+ community.

The first edition of the rebranded magazine is its annual Latinx issue.

As a proud Latina of indigenous ancestry, I am honored to present our annual Latinx issue, which focuses on the health and wellness of our vibrant community, writes Desiree Guerrero, editor in chief of the Advocate and Plus.

Guerrero adds, This issue marks an exciting moment in our publications history. As Plus magazine, weve been dedicated to bringing our readers the latest news and inspiring stories around HIV and sexual health for nearly 30 years. Now, we are reintroducing our print version as Health Plus Wellness, expanding our content to include all aspects of health and wellness to help people in every community live their best lives possible."

Medical advances have turned HIV into a more manageable disease, so it is now time to offer broader health coverage, the magazine states.

Health Plus Wellness is published by equalpride.
Weekend screen use of parents and children associates with child language skills

Around 60% of American adults play video games, with many starting from a young age, contributing to screen time habits. #screentime #children #videogames
JERUSALEM (AP)  A missile fired by Yemen's Iran-backed rebels landed in an open area in central Israel early Sunday and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, in the latest reverberation from the nearly yearlong war in Gaza. Israel hinted that it would respond militarily.

There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters in Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport authority said that it resumed normal operations shortly thereafter.

A fire could be seen in a rural area of central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be a fragment from an interceptor that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin.

Israel's army said the surface-to-surface missile was intercepted by Israel's defense system, which hit and fragmented the target but did not destroy it. It said the missile appeared to have fragmented midair. The military said the sound of explosions in the area came from interceptors.

The Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, have repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

In July, an Iranian-made drone launched by the Houthis struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding 10 others. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen, including the port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold.

Israel indicates it will respond to attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a similar response in remarks at a Cabinet meeting after Sunday's attack.

The Houthis should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us," he said. Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the rebels, said they fired a ballistic missile targeting a military target in the area of Tel Aviv.

The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, in what the rebels portray as a blockade on Israel in support of the Palestinians. Most of the targeted ships have no connection to Israel.

On Sunday, a European Union naval mission operating in the Red Sea said salvagers had begun towing a tanker that had been on fire for weeks after a Houthi attack. Operations Aspides said the Greek-flagged Sounion was being taken to a safe location.

The war in Gaza, which began with Hamas' Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, has rippled across the region, with Iran and allied militant groups attacking Israeli and U.S. targets and drawing retaliatory strikes from Israel and its Western allies. On several occasions, the strikes and counterstrikes have threatened to trigger a wider conflict.

International carriers have canceled flights into and out of Israel on a number of occasions since the start of the war, adding to the conflict's economic toll on the country.

Iran supports militant groups across the region, including Hamas, the Houthis and Lebanon's Hezbollah, its most powerful ally, which has traded fire with Israel on a near-daily basis since the war in Gaza began. Iran and its allies say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Israel says high probability its strike killed three hostages in Gaza

On Sunday, the Israeli military said there was a high probability that three hostages found dead months ago were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

The army announced the conclusions of its investigation into the deaths of Cpl. Nik Beizer, Sgt. Ron Sherman and Elia Toledano. It said investigations had determined that the three were likely killed in a November airstrike that also killed a senior Hamas militant, Ahmed Ghandour.

All three of the hostages were kidnapped in Hamas Oct. 7 attack. Their bodies were recovered in December, but the cause of death was only recently determined.

In its report, the army said there was a high probability they were killed in the strike, based on where the bodies were recovered, pathological reports and other intelligence. But it said, it is not possible to definitely determine the circumstances of their deaths.

The conclusions could add pressure on the government to strike a deal to bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Critics say it's too difficult and dangerous to try to rescue them. Late last month, Israel recovered the bodies of six hostages that it says were killed by Hamas captors shortly before Israeli forces arrived.

The army's announcement is the first time it has linked the deaths of hostages to airstrikes. In other cases of bodies being recovered, the army has said people were either killed on Oct. 7, died in Hamas captivity or were killed by the militant group.

In December, the army acknowledged mistakenly killing three hostages who had escaped Hamas captivity in a battle-torn neighborhood of Gaza City. It was believed that the three had either fled their captors or been abandoned.

Around 250 hostages were taken on Oct. 7. Israel now believes 101 remain in captivity, including 35 who are thought to be dead. More than 100 were freed during a cease-fire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Eight have been rescued by Israeli forces.

Rockets fired from Lebanon

The military said that around 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon early Sunday, with most intercepted or falling in open areas.

In a separate incident, Israeli forces dropped leaflets over the Lebanese border town of al-Wazzani, calling on residents to evacuate. The military later said there were no such evacuation orders, and that a local commander had acted without the approval of his superiors. It said the incident was under investigation.

It wasn't immediately clear if anyone had evacuated the town, or if any message had been conveyed to residents that the leaflets were dropped in error.

The strikes along the Israel-Lebanon border have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides. Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a wider military operation against Hezbollah to ensure its citizens can return to their homes.

The status quo will not continue, Netanyahu said at the Cabinet meeting. This requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border. We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes.

Gaza smuggling tunnels blocked

Hezbollah has said it would halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire in Gaza. The United States and Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar have spent much of this year trying to broker a truce and the release of scores of hostages held by Hamas, but the talks have repeatedly bogged down.

In recent weeks, Netanyahu has insisted on lasting Israeli control over the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, which Israeli forces captured in May. He has said Hamas used a network of tunnels beneath the border to import arms, allegations denied by Egypt, which along with Hamas is opposed to any lasting Israeli presence there.

An Israeli military official said late Saturday that of the dozens of tunnels discovered along the border, only nine entered Egypt, and all were found to have been sealed off. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence, said that it wasn't clear when the tunnels were sealed.

The discovery appeared to weaken Netanyahus argument that Israel needs to keep open-ended control of the corridor to prevent cross-border smuggling.

Egypt has said it sealed off the tunnels on its side of the border years ago, in part by creating its own military buffer zone along the frontier.

___

Natalie Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Josef Federman and Isaac Scharf in Jerusalem, contributed to this report.

___

Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Whether the U.S. Naval Academys interests in a more diverse student body are distinct enough to allow it to continue considering race and ethnicity in admissions is at issue in a trial that begins Monday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

A footnote in last years U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down the use of racial and ethnic preferences in college admissions noted that the ruling didnt address military academies because of their potentially distinct interests.

The Annapolis-based academy was sued by the same group of activists, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), who had sued Harvard and the University of North Carolina, leading to the Supreme Court decision rejecting affirmative action in the college selection process.

The founder of the Virginia-based group, Edward Blum, declined to comment Friday, citing the upcoming trial. Students for Fair Admissions looks forward to presenting our case to the district court, said the longtime activist against affirmative action.

Shortly after its July 2023 victory at the Supreme Court, SFFA turned its attention to the military academies, first suing West Point in September and then the Naval Academy in October.

The Supreme Court said military academies might be different, University of Baltimore law professor Michael Meyerson said. Thats really the bottom line.

The footnote in the high courts Harvard and North Carolina ruling noted a brief filed by federal officials contending that using race as a factor in admissions to the service academies furthered compelling interests. U.S. officials argued that the nations military strength and readiness required a pipeline of highly qualified and racially diverse officers to lead forces that themselves are diverse.

Indeed, history teaches that racial diversity is a national security imperative, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissent. She went on to note how during the Vietnam War, there were perceptions that racial and ethnic minorities were serving as cannon fodder for a white military leadership.

Meyerson, who specializes in constitutional law and American legal history, said the fact that the Supreme Court addressed the issue of the service academies in its rulings could signal that it may consider the militarys needs compelling enough to warrant an exemption from the ban on using race as a factor.

Traditionally, the courts have given tremendous deference to the military when it says what it needs, he said. It is very possible the Supreme Court will uphold the use of race as one of the criteria for admissions.

The fact that they left the door open may have meant that they intended for the door to stay open, Meyerson said.

The case will be heard by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett, whose official biography notes he served over 20 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and Maryland National Guard. That could figure into the case, Meyerson said, given that those with a military background understand the importance of discipline and unity within the leadership and ranks. He was appointed to the federal bench in 2003 by President George W. Bush.

In its lawsuit, SFFA argued that instead of admitting midshipmen solely on leadership potential and objective metrics  the Academy stopped requiring applicants to submit standardized scores three years ago  the Academy focuses on race.

The lawsuit seeks to have the academys admissions process declared a violation of the equal protection clause of the constitution and for a ban on using race as a factor in deciding who to admit.

In December, Bennett ruled against SFFAs request for a preliminary injunction and allowed the Naval Academy to continue using race as part of its admissions process.

Simply stated, it is unclear whether SFFA is likely to succeed on the merits at this stage, he said in his ruling.

Bennett said he was clearly guided by the decision in the Harvard case, and noted that great focus must be placed on the footnote that suggests that compelling government interests may justify affirmative action at military academies.

He wrote that he was not convinced that SFFA had met its burden in demonstrating that it is likely to succeed in showing that the Naval Academys consideration of race and ethnicity in admissions does not serve a compelling national security interest.

2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Staff members load giant pandas Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan to a plane at Vienna Airport in Vienna, Austria, Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Zupanc/Xinhua)

VIENNA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Giant pandas Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan left Austria on Friday and arrived in Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan province on Saturday, according to Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo.

A cargo plane carrying the two pandas, who were among the most popular animal stars at the Schoenbrunn Zoo, departed the Vienna Airport on Friday night. The pandas' favorite snacks, including bamboo, sweet potatoes and carrots, were also on board.

When visiting the pandas at the Schoenbrunn Zoo on Wednesday, Chinese Ambassador to Austria Qi Mei thanked the zoo and the Austrian side for taking care of the pandas. She said that the Austrian people will have more opportunities to see the beloved pandas with a new panda conservation agreement between the two countries.

In June, Schoenbrunn Zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) signed an agreement to strengthen their cooperation on giant panda protection and related research. Under the agreement, a new pair of pandas will be sent to the zoo under a 10-year project after Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan's return to China.

Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck, director of Schoenbrunn Zoo, said in a statement that visitors to the zoo will not wait too long for the giant pandas as "a young pair of pandas will be moving in the near future."

He added that the zoo will renovate its facilities to welcome the new panda pair. 

Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck, director of Schoenbrunn Zoo, Qi Mei, Chinese ambassador to Austria, Wolfgang Schuessel, former Austrian chancellor, Eva Landrichtinger, Austrian secretary-general of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (from L to R), attend an event to send away giant pandas Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan at Schoenbrunn Zoo, Vienna, Austria, Sept. 11, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Zupanc/Xinhua)
Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes for Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024

Todays Birthday (09/15/24). Grab exciting career opportunities this year. Deepen partnerships with steady mutual care and support, sparking romance into autumn flame. Find new winter income in unlikely directions. Springtime brings glorious personal victories. Simplify to navigate summer financial hurdles together. Scale your professional ladder with great strides.

To get the advantage, check the days rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19)  Today is an 8  Have fun! Collaborate for shared benefit. Friends teach you valuable tricks. Share what youre learning. Socialize and enjoy common interests. Reinforce a positive connection.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)  Today is a 9  Develop a professional project with profit potential. Polish and beautify the presentation. Imagine winning a contest or challenge. Get expert support to advance faster.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)  Today is an 8  Things fall into place for an educational exploration. You can find funding for tickets or tuition. Research options and make reservations. Learn from experienced friends.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)  Today is a 9  A profitable opportunity is worth investigating. Financial discussions produce valuable results. Tackle detailed chores. Collaborate. Propel a shared venture to lucrative new heights.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)  Today is an 8  Collaboration and partnership comes easily today. Coordinate to adapt around an unexpected situation. Focus on practical priorities and pull together for common gain.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)  Today is a 9  Prioritize your mental, physical and spiritual health. Notice whats needed. Exercise and meditation recharge your energy. Nurture yourself with rest and good food.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)  Today is an 8  Love, romance, passion and fun take priority. Indulge your favorite hobbies and pastimes. Enjoy your favorite people and activities together. Let your heart lead.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)  Today is a 9  Savor domestic pleasures and comforts. Romantic conditions blossom. Beautify your surroundings and enjoy the harmony. Share fun and delicious flavors with family and friends.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)  Today is a 7  Finesse the details with a creative project. Carefully edit and improve. Share encouragement and motivation. Use your persuasive arts. Share a compelling story.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)  Today is a 9  Discover ways to improve your financial outlook. Visualize immense success. Consider all possibilities. Follow through with action. Your creativity can generate positive cash flow.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)  Today is a 9  Youre growing stronger and more confident. Show respect and gain love. Your charm is captivating. Learning skills leads to new friends. Indulge your own passions.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)  Today is a 6  Let your imagination run free. Find a peaceful spot to envision and make plans. Consider whats next and organize your preparations. Relax and enjoy.

Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Blacks legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @LindaCBlack. For more astrological interpretations like todays Gemini horoscope, visit Linda Black Astrology by clicking daily horoscopes, or go to www.nancyblack.com.

2024 Nancy Black. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
SPARTA, MI - The tubular robotic arm extends through the leaves with its target in sight. With the sound akin to a vacuum hoovering up stray pant leg, a deep-red Gala apple finds itself in the machines clutches.

Theres a twist, a quick snap. The arm retracts, dropping the fruit into a padded bin, where its carefully conveyed through the bowels of the machine. Within several seconds, the harvester is already on to its next succulent quarry.

At the West Michigan orchard near Sparta, Schwalliers Country Basket, researchers and growers alike hope theyre on the verge of a mechanized revolution in the apple industry, under pressure from rising production costs.

Theyre really suffering from the labor shortage and labor cost, said Zhaojian Li, a Michigan State University engineering professor helping lead the development of the automated harvester sucking apples off Schwalliers trees at a demonstration held in early September.

Theres a huge demand, not only in Michigan but also in Washington, Li added, referencing some of the top apple producing states in the nation.

Read more: Michigan apple season comes early this year. See when to find your favorite variety

Unlike with wheat and corn, harvesting automation for specialty crops, like tree fruits, strawberries and asparagus, is less well-developed, leaving few commercially available products for farmers, he said.

Apples are picked predominately by hand, as they bruise easily, especially if theyre going to be sold in fresh markets.

Thats true for much of Phil Schwalliers crop. The fourth-generation fruit growers products end up in grocery stores like Walmart and Meijer through intermediaries that pack and market the apples, he said.

Schwallier, who worked as a MSU horticultural agent for 42 years, welcomes the universitys research team, led by Li and U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service researcher Renfu Lu, an agricultural engineer, to his orchard.

The orchard relies on seasonal laborers, many from Mexico, he said. But apple growers have increasingly raised the alarm as wages for foreign workers on temporary government visas rise to levels they say threaten their livelihoods.

Read more: Michigan orchards rely on migrants to pick apples. But wages keep going up.

This year, Schwallier and other apple growers signed on to a letter to drawing federal leaders attention to the issue. Our industry is in crisis, it read.

Farm owner Phil Schwallier, talks with the USDA's Jonn Foulk and Renfu Lu after Michigan State students demonstrated their Apple Picking Robot at Schwallier's Country Basket and orchard in Sparta, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. The project is a collaborative innovation developed by Red Cedar Distinguished Professor of the MSU Department of Mechanical Engineering, Zhaojian Li, and Renfu Lu of the USDA with the aim of revolutionizing orchard harvesting practices in the next few years.Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Per acre, labor costs make up 56% of Michigan apple growers expenses, versus 12% for all farms, according to figures from the Michigan Apple Committee, an industry group. Average labor rates can total $37 or $38 per hour when required transportation and lodging costs for migrant workers are factored in, Li said.

I dont want to replace my workers, but its getting more difficult and more expensive, Schwallier said, adding he envisions a future where robots could pick the tops of trees, saving easier-to-reach lower branches for human laborers and avoiding the use of ladders.

The robot doesnt get tired, and it works 24/7, he said.

For Schwallier, the technology cant come soon enough, as labor costs may mean his operation will have to start abandoning orchards if they arent profitable. It angers visitors to see apples left on the tree, but he cant afford to pick them if the cost is greater than what they sell for, he said.

Still, Schwallier doesnt expect automated orchards in the immediate future.

Research into robotic apple harvesting actually goes back decades, starting with concepts that involved shaking trees and catching fruit, a risky proposition due to the damage that technique can cause to the apples, Li said.

Li has been working on the MSU and USDA robotic harvester since 2019 and says his team has funding for four more years of research.

Red Cedar Distinguished Professor of the MSU Department of Mechanical Engineering, Zhaojian Li, shows area farmers the Apple Picking Robot with multiple sucking arms and a computer vision system at Schwallier's Country Basket and orchard in Sparta, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. The project is a collaborative innovation developed by Li and Renfu Lu of the USDA with the aim of revolutionizing orchard harvesting practices in the next few years.Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Their goal is for the harvester to work in above-average orchards that are structured and pruned in a way that is more friendly to robots, and they may not function in older orchards. The machines arent meant to strip a tree bare, but aim to harvest some 70% to 80% of fruit.

A key challenge is the perception system, the robots eyes, that identify fruits and their location in space, according to Li. In orchard environments, there are leaves and branches in the way, as well as challenges due to bright outdoor conditions.

The machines dual suction arms offer benefits, however, allowing the harvester to tolerate some inaccuracies in locating the target fruits in 3D space. The team is making good progress, Li said, but the robot still struggles with clusters of fruit close to each other and with heavy blockages from foliage and branches.

Michigan State PhD student Keyi Zhu, monitors a demonstration of the Apple Picking Robot at Schwallier's Country Basket and orchard in Sparta, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. The robotic apple picker with multiple arms and a computer vision system, harvests apples from trees more efficiently than manual labor. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

The Michigan research team isnt alone in trying to solve the puzzle.

A California-based start-up, advanced.farm, is working to automate apple harvest with a machine also employing suction grippers. The Israeli robotics company Tevel Aerobotics has developed a fruit harvester that employs flying autonomous drones to pluck apples off trees.

Part of the MSU and USDA teams goal is to create a platform that can implement in-field sorting, where fruits are separated based on size, color and damage, Li said. As it stands, farmers pay packing and storage fees to third parties who do that work, so accomplishing the task at the orchard could be another cost saver.

The least expensive way to sort apples is on the tree, Schwallier said.

Other farmers  at least those that could spare the time during the busy six to eight-week harvest window  were on hand at Schwalliers Country Basket as MSU graduate students helped demonstrate the homegrown robot, towed on a trailed behind a Kubota tractor.

Some growers say it still must become faster and more efficient, but Schwallier said theres a lot of interest in the technology among his peers.

Im very happy that theyre working on it, and Im really happy that theyre working on it here in Michigan where we can see it, he said.
DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions are starting the new campaign with a bang, welcoming their second straight playoff rematch to the electric confines of Ford Field. Detroit hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 action in another hotly-anticipated rematch from the divisional round.

 FuboTV is offering $30 off the first month for all U.S. plans. Sign up to get your favorite TV shows, live sports events, and much more

 Watch the Detroit Lions on FuboTV (free trial)

 Watch the Detroit Lions on Sling (half off the first month)

 Watch the Detroit Lions on DirecTV Stream (free trial)

 Visit MLives Betting Home for latest odds & sportsbook promos

Related: Lions and Jameson Williams focused on making those big games the norm

Related: Lions stud defensive back finding groove at safety, versatile every-snap role

What to know

The Lions swept the Buccaneers last season, including a tight-rope win to send them home in the divisional round from Ford Field. And these two teams that know each other well meet again, with the memories of that playoff matchup fresh in the minds for both sides. Baker Mayfield and the Bucs were firing on all cylinders in their season-opening win against the Washington Commanders. Detroit also has reason to feel good, beating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime despite not playing its best.

Matchup to watch: Lions C Frank Ragnow vs. Bucs DT Vita Vea

Dan Campbell when asked about Vita Vea, says they've got a big guy, too. Jokes that Frank is going to have to eat more, before saying



"We feel good. We've got a Frank Ragnow."  Ben Raven (@BenjaminSRaven) September 13, 2024

Fantasy picks: Start: WR Jameson Williams Sit: Bucs WR Chris Godwin Sleeper: Bucs TE Cade Otton

Game information

Who: Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

When: 1 p.m. Sunday, September 15

Where: Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

Twitter: Follow Ben Raven Kory Woods and Kyle Meinke

Live updates: Join the MLive conversation at 11 a.m.

Latest line: Lions -7

How to watch

TV Network: Fox, FuboTV

Streaming options:

 Watch the Detroit Lions on FuboTV (free trial)

 Watch the Detroit Lions on Sling (half off the first month)

 Watch the Detroit Lions on DirecTV Stream (free trial)

BETTING: Check out our guide to the best Michigan sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks. Coming off their Sunday night victory, the Lions open as a near-touchdown favorite over the Buccaneers.
ANN ARBOR, MI  Teens at Skyline High School are getting an early look at learning without their cellphones potentially dividing their attention in class.

Under a new pilot policy this school year, the schools 1,300 students are now expected to place their phones in a pocket chart  similar to hung shoe racks  where they remain until class ends or are unless asked to use them for an educational reason by a teacher.

Students are still allowed to have their phones during pass time and at lunch, Skyline Principal Casey Elmore said.

The cellphone ban was something a few teachers had wanted, Elmore said, before surveys among parents, staff, and students, as well as student focus groups helped draft an initiative to put the idea in place schoolwide.

Initially, the kids werent too happy about it. But what I would say is its going extremely well, Elmore said.

I think that weve had multiple students come and actually thank us and say that theyve never been so engaged in their learning, theyve never been doing this well in their classes, theyre actually paying attention. People are actually talking to each other, and theyre not distracted by other peoples phone use even if theyre not distracted by their own.

Read more: 3 new lead principals join Ann Arbor Public Schools

The classroom ban of cellphones is hitting Skyline amid a bigger trend in K-12 schools across the country, as educators seek to minimize distractions and promote better mental health and learning among learners.

A survey among U.S. teachers in fall 2023 from the Pew Research Center found 72% of high school teachers found cellphones distracting their students to be a major issue in the classroom.

The concern was also referenced by Ann Arbor School Board members during its Aug. 28 meeting and again at a committee meeting Sept. 5 when Superintendent Jazz Parks said administrators were waiting a few weeks into the school year to update them on how students and staff are acclimating at Skyline.

I think everybody cares about this, Board Treasurer Susan Schmidt said Sept. 5. We all have figured out that staring into a screen probably isnt the way to learn with your phone as a distraction.

AAPS spokesman Andrew Cluley said some teachers in all of the districts high schools have practiced their own cellphone bans during the last several years, acknowledging it isnt a brand new thing.

But he said the schoolwide idea also falls in line with other resources associated with helping students have a healthy relationship with their screens from the middle school level and up.

One example program last year, Cluley said, paired middle-schoolers with University of Michigan students to engage on a variety of topics including cellphones  picking up advice and habits from young adults closer to their age similar to peers rather than teachers or people in positions of authority.

Were really interested in seeing how this goes at Skyline this year, he said. It can serve as a really good pilot for the whole district, and we can find out at this one school whats working well and where are there may be some pain points. And then, look at what we want to do districtwide in the future.

Skyline administrators have also noticed other benefits, Elmore said, such as fewer students taking hall passes to use their phone.

Instead, theyre more often in the classroom learning, she said.

The cellphone addiction we see in students is definitely affecting their mental health and wellbeing, Elmore said. And I think that being able to detach from that for a little bit and actually focus on school, I expect, is going to really show some improvements in our academic outcomes, as well as our social, emotional, and mental health outcomes.

If you would like more reporting like this delivered free to your inbox, click here and signup for our weekly newsletter: Michigan Schools.
FLINT TWP., MI -- A drive-through vaccine event will take place at Genesee Health Plan this month.

The 10th annual vaccine event is scheduled from 3-6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at Genesee Health Plan, located at 2171 S. Linden Road in Flint Township.

Genesee Health Plan is holding the event in partnership with the Genesee County Health Department, Genesee County Health Center, Walgreens, Communication Access Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and R.L. Jones Community Outreach Center.

To make it easy for residents to get their vaccines in a timely manner, vaccines will be administered in the two loading bays on site.

Flu, Tdap, Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines will be available for those in attendance.

Participants drive in. They roll down their window. They roll up their sleeve, and they can safely and conveniently receive their flu vaccine, Shannon Ciszek, the communication coordinator for Genesee Health Plan, said.

Genesee Health Plan began organizing the event with the Genesee County Health Department and Walgreens in 2014 to encourage residents to be proactive with their health, Ciszek said, and protect those who are most vulnerable to diseases like the flu.

It can make you sick, she said. Everybody knows that, but it can also cause life threatening illness or be an emergency for individuals that have certain preexisting health conditions.

Genesee Health Plan is still unsure if it will be administering COVID-19 vaccines during the upcoming event.

Were hoping to have the COVID vaccine, and those vaccines would be provided by the health department inside of the office, Ciszek said.

The drive-through vaccine event is meant to cater to residents who are often unable to take the time off from work or other obligations needed to schedule and attend a doctor appointment.

Ciszek noted that this is also why organizers chose to keep the event open after 5 p.m.

She said the turnout at these annual vaccine events is usually between 150 and 200 people.

In the past couple of years, Genesee Health Plan has partnered with the Communication Access Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing because, as Ciszek explains, theyve been left out of a lot.

An American Sign Language interpreter will be on site during the event to assist the approximately 20 deaf and hard of hearing residents that will be in attendance.

They receive information differently, so we really got into the community. And we invited them to come out and be a part of this because its open to everyone, Ciszek said.

Another major component of this years event will be the opioid crisis response training that will be provided by the Genesee Community Health Center at no cost.

Ciszek said residents need training like this now more than ever.

It trains them on how to know the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and how to safely administer Narcan or Naloxone, and they get a kit that includes Naloxone which is an opioid reversal spray, she said.

For the first time this year, in partnership with the Genesee County Health Department, the vaccine event will feature a new initiative called Pee for Pizza, which is meant to remove the social stigma attached to sexually transmitted infections.

Residents who complete a urine test for sexually transmitted infections during the event will receive free pizza.

Were excited and looking forward to this, Ciszek said.

Additionally, R.L. Jones Community Outreach Center will be giving away clothing to attendees.

Ciszek described the setup for the clothing giveaway as a pop-up shop.

Its clothing for adults and kids, she said. We have a lot of people displaced in our community that are going through crisis and just need help.

Those who attend the event will also have the chance to win some giveaway prizes for both adults and children, but Ciszek said Genesee Health Plan is going to wait to announce what those giveaways will be as it doesnt want to spoil the surprise.

There will also be free ice cream at the event provided by Hav-A-Bar.

People absolutely love that, Ciszek said.

There are no requirements for residents to sign up or register to take part in the drive-through vaccine event.

Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter.
Its time to celebrate the top shows on television with the 76th Emmy Awards. The award show festivities begin at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 15, with the red carpet special hosted by Robin Roberts on ABC. Then, the award show begins at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Watch the highly anticipated event for free with a trial from Fubo or DIRECTV Stream. You can also watch it on Sept. 15 with a free Hulu trial or on Hulu with the Disney Bundle.

About the awards:

The 2024 Emmy Awards will be held at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, hosted by father-son duo Dan and Eugene Levy. Shows that originally aired between June 2023 and May 2024 are eligible to win.

See Hollywoods best on the red carpet starting at 7/6c on ABC. Robin Roberts and ABC News Correspondent Will Reeve will interview some of your favorite stars as they arrive at the event.

Below are some of the top nominees for tonight:

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Hacks

Only Murders in the Building

Palm Royale

Reservation Dogs

The Bear

What We Do in the Shadows

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Matt Berry - What We Do in the Shadows

Larry David - Curb Your Enthusiasm

Steve Martin - Only Murders in the Building

Martin Short - Only Murders in the Building

Jeremy Allen - The Bear

DPharaoh Woon-A-Tai - Reservation Dogs

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Quinta Brunson - Abbott Elementary

Ayo Edebiri - The Bear

Selena Gomez - Only Murders in the Building

Maya Rudolph - Loot

Jean Smart - Hacks

Kristen Wiig - Palm Royale

Outstanding Drama series

Shogun

The Crown

The Morning Show

The Gilded Age

Slow Horses

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Fallout

3 Body Problem

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Anna Sawai - Shogun

Jennifer Aniston - The Morning Show

Reese Witherspoon - The Morning Show

Imelda Staunton - The Crown

Maya Erskine - Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Carrie Coon - The Gilded Age

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Donald Glover - Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Idris Elba - Hijack

Walton Goggins - Fallout

Gary Oldman - Slow Horses

Hiroyuki Sanada -Shogun

Dominic West - The Crown

Reality or Competition Program

The Amazing Race

RuPauls Drag Race

The Traitors

Top Chef

The Voice

Find the rest of the nominees and winners who have already been announced on the official Emmy Awards website.

Tune in to see who else takes home these coveted awards tonight, Sept. 15, at 8/7c on ABC.

Where to watch ABC:
ANN ARBOR  Kalel Mullings shirt he wore to Saturdays postgame news conference was apropos of Michigans run game Saturday against Arkansas State.

The fifth-year senior rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns on 15 attempts as the Wolverines thrashed the Red Wolves on the ground with 301 yards in a 28-18 victory
ANN ARBOR, Mich.  Michigan tight end Colston Loveland left Saturdays win over Arkansas State with an undisclosed injury, leaving his status unclear for next weekends showdown with USC.

Loveland departed the 28-18 victory over the Red Wolves in the third quarter, hobbled with what looked to be an injury to his left leg suffered earlier in the game. He entered the teams sideline medical tent before retreating up the Michigan Stadium tunnel and locker room.

Well see, Michigan coach Sherrone Moore told reporters after. Well see what the doctors say after a further (evaluation).

Not having Loveland is a blow to the Wolverines offense, which has leaned on the junior tight end for a bulk of its production this season. He had three catches for 30 yards on Saturday, and has a team-high 19 catches for 187 receiving yards through three games.

Loveland has not missed a game since arriving at Michigan in 2022, when he played in all 14 games as a true freshman and followed up by starting in all 15 games in 2023.

When they say someones down, I listen, Moore said, declining to answer whether Lovelands absence was precautionary. Im not going to make a decision medically; thats their decision. We just went from there with the next guy.

Backup tight end Marlin Klein saw additional snaps as a result, catching three passes for a team-high 43 yards. Klein generated chatter in the offseason for his athleticism and improved play.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Michigan lost starting offensive lineman Myles Hinton and defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny due to in-game cramping, Moore said. The temperature in Ann Arbor reached the mid-80s on Saturday, creating a hot and humid environment inside the stadium.

Moore will address the media again Monday in Ann Arbor ahead of next Saturdays showdown with USC (3:30 p.m., CBS).
GAZA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Hanan al-Doqi, a displaced Palestinian child from Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, struggles to breathe while lying in a bed at al-Aqsa Hospital to receive treatment.

On Sept. 3, the Israeli army attacked the al-Doqi family's home in Deir al-Balah, killing Hanan's mother Shimaa and seriously wounding Hanan, her younger sister, and her father. The attack occurred just hours after the two sisters received polio vaccine doses provided by the UN, following the first reported poliovirus case in Deir al-Balah in mid-August.

Hanan's right cheek was burned, showing signs of second-degree burns that may leave permanent scars. Additionally, she had both legs amputated and lost part of her intestines due to her injuries.

Her sister, Misk, lost her left foot in the Israeli attack, and their father is in the intensive care unit with a serious injury that doctors say he may not survive.

"It is too hard for the two poor children to lose their parents," Shifa al-Doqi, the sisters' aunt, told Xinhua. "They will live as orphans without their mother and may lose their father as well. They will live with their disabilities for the rest of their lives."

"My heart breaks every time these sisters call their mother. Misk constantly cries for her, and she also calls for her father. She doesn't realize she's lost her foot and keeps trying to remove the bandage to see what's happened," Shifa said.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.

As of Sunday, the Israeli military has killed 41,206 Palestinians and injured 95,337, according to Gaza-based health authorities. Despite repeated international calls to end the attacks, Palestinians in Gaza continue to face ongoing Israeli assaults.

The attacks resulted in the widespread destruction of Palestinian residential buildings and infrastructure. In early July, UN statistics estimated that 1.9 million people, or about nine out of 10 residents in Gaza, were displaced within the Gaza Strip.

On Sept. 8, an Israeli attack on the Abu Otaiwi family's home in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp killed seven-year-old Asmaa Abu Otaiwi, just two days after she received her polio vaccine.

"Despite the war and the dire situation we've endured for over 11 months, we rushed to get our children vaccinated against polio to protect them from death. Yet, it seems the Israeli army is determined to kill more of our children," complained Mohammed Abu Otaiwi, Asmaa's father.

The grieving man said he moved his eight-member family repeatedly in the Gaza Strip to protect his children from ongoing Israeli attacks. "But I failed to keep my children alive," he lamented. "Asmaa was a very active child who dreamed of returning to her life and seeing her friends at school."

"Why do our children have to pay the price for this war? Where are the human rights and children's rights organizations? Why do they remain silent? Our children and we are being killed in cold blood," the man shouted. 
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addresses the guests at the opening of the 88th Thessaloniki International Fair, in Thessaloniki, Greece, Sept. 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis requested on Friday an immediate response from the EU to distortions in European energy market.

ATHENS, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis requested on Friday an immediate response from the European Union (EU) to distortions in European energy market.

The distortions have resulted in extremely high electricity prices in central, eastern European and Balkan countries compared to western European states, according to Mitsotakis.

In a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which was released by the Greek premier's office, he said that in Greece's case, wholesale electricity prices in the country have more than doubled from 60 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) (66 U.S. dollars/MWh) in April to 130 euros/MWh in August.

This aerial photo taken on Nov. 29, 2022 shows photovoltaic installations at the rooftop of Stergiou Family S.A. factory in Acharnes, a suburb of Athens, Greece. (Photo by Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua)

Although Greece has made remarkable progress in accelerating energy transition, prices have risen to levels last seen in early 2023, amid the energy crisis, he said.

A similar situation was also reported in other countries this summer, Mitsotakis said, adding that disparities in prices as well as other extra cost undermine the spirit of the internal market.

In his letter, the Greek leader called upon EU to act. (1 euro= 1.11 U. S dollar)
President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua meets with TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

MOSCOW, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua met with TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov here on Sunday.

Fu congratulated TASS on its 120th founding anniversary and its successful hosting of the BRICS Media Summit. He noted the broad potential for cooperation between Xinhua and TASS and said he hoped both sides would expand their collaboration in the exchange of news, visits and technology.

Xinhua is ready to work together with TASS to promote more voices with positive energy in the global media landscape, Fu said.

Kondrashov thanked Xinhua for its strong support to TASS in hosting the BRICS Media Summit. He noted the longstanding friendly ties between TASS and Xinhua and expressed willingness to maintain close contact between the two agencies and expand their cooperation mechanisms to achieve greater results.

On Saturday evening, Fu attended TASS's 120th-anniversary celebration at the agency's invitation. 
JW Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (NYSE:HIMS  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 65,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,312,000. Hims & Hers Health accounts for about 0.5% of JW Asset Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest position.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Hims & Hers Health by 679.2% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,839 shares of the companys stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 1,603 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC lifted its stake in Hims & Hers Health by 5,944.1% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 3,566 shares of the companys stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 3,507 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp bought a new position in shares of Hims & Hers Health during the 2nd quarter valued at about $111,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hims & Hers Health during the second quarter valued at about $142,000. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new position in shares of Hims & Hers Health during the second quarter valued at about $143,000. 63.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Hims & Hers Health alerts:

Insider Transactions at Hims & Hers Health

In other Hims & Hers Health news, CEO Andrew Dudum sold 188,888 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.56, for a total transaction of $2,750,209.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 33,502 shares in the company, valued at approximately $487,789.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, COO Melissa Baird sold 11,749 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.65, for a total value of $172,122.85. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 585,800 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,581,970. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Andrew Dudum sold 188,888 shares of Hims & Hers Health stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.56, for a total transaction of $2,750,209.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 33,502 shares in the company, valued at $487,789.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 753,292 shares of company stock valued at $13,557,329. 17.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on HIMS. Citigroup lowered Hims & Hers Health from a buy rating to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the company from $16.00 to $20.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Imperial Capital downgraded Hims & Hers Health from an outperform rating to an in-line rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Hims & Hers Health from $15.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price objective on shares of Hims & Hers Health from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC started coverage on shares of Hims & Hers Health in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. They issued a buy rating and a $24.00 target price on the stock. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $19.86.

View Our Latest Research Report on HIMS

Hims & Hers Health Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HIMS opened at $16.57 on Friday. Hims & Hers Health, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $5.65 and a fifty-two week high of $25.74. The company has a market cap of $3.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,657.00 and a beta of 1.05. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $17.80 and its 200-day moving average price is $16.98.

Hims & Hers Health (NYSE:HIMS  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.04 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $315.65 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $302.43 million. Hims & Hers Health had a return on equity of 5.25% and a net margin of 1.70%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 51.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.03) earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Hims & Hers Health, Inc. will post 0.22 earnings per share for the current year.

About Hims & Hers Health

(Free Report)

Hims & Hers Health, Inc operates a telehealth platform that connects consumers to licensed healthcare professionals in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company offers a range of curated prescription and non-prescription health and wellness products and services available to purchase on its websites and mobile application directly by customers.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Hims & Hers Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hims & Hers Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Alamos Gold Inc. (NYSE:AGI  Get Free Report) (TSE:AGI) has been assigned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the six research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $23.81.

AGI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Scotiabank upped their target price on Alamos Gold from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a sector outperform rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Alamos Gold from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday. National Bank Financial lowered Alamos Gold from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Sunday, September 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Alamos Gold from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th.

Get Alamos Gold alerts:

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Alamos Gold

Institutional Trading of Alamos Gold

Alamos Gold Trading Up 3.1 %

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Baldwin Brothers LLC MA acquired a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold in the second quarter valued at $47,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold in the second quarter valued at $48,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold in the second quarter valued at $88,000. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold in the first quarter valued at $115,000. Finally, Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. acquired a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold in the first quarter valued at $203,000. 64.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Shares of NYSE AGI opened at $20.69 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $18.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.79, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.18. Alamos Gold has a one year low of $10.78 and a one year high of $20.90.

Alamos Gold (NYSE:AGI  Get Free Report) (TSE:AGI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $332.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $282.78 million. Alamos Gold had a return on equity of 8.52% and a net margin of 17.73%. Alamos Golds revenue was up 27.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.15 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Alamos Gold will post 0.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alamos Gold Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.025 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 12th. This represents a $0.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.48%. Alamos Golds dividend payout ratio is currently 19.23%.

Alamos Gold Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Alamos Gold Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and extraction of precious metals in Canada and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold deposits. It holds 100% interest in the Young-Davidson mine and Island Gold mine located in the Ontario, Canada; Mulatos mine located in the Sonora, Mexico; and Lynn Lake project situated in the Manitoba, Canada.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Alamos Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alamos Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
American Tower (NYSE:AMT  Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by equities researchers at BMO Capital Markets from $246.00 to $260.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an outperform rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. BMO Capital Markets price objective indicates a potential upside of 9.01% from the companys previous close.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on AMT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on American Tower from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of American Tower from $223.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of American Tower from $212.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of American Tower from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on American Tower in a research note on Monday, July 1st. They set a buy rating and a $230.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Tower presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $233.29.

Get American Tower alerts:

Get Our Latest Report on American Tower

American Tower Price Performance

Shares of AMT opened at $238.50 on Friday. American Tower has a fifty-two week low of $154.58 and a fifty-two week high of $243.56. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $221.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $201.18. The stock has a market cap of $111.40 billion, a PE ratio of 53.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81.

American Tower (NYSE:AMT  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.92 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.44 by ($0.52). The company had revenue of $2.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.82 billion. American Tower had a return on equity of 23.06% and a net margin of 21.95%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.46 EPS. Analysts anticipate that American Tower will post 10.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Olivier Puech sold 10,005 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.27, for a total transaction of $2,333,866.35. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 51,746 shares in the company, valued at $12,070,789.42. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, EVP Olivier Puech sold 10,005 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.27, for a total transaction of $2,333,866.35. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 51,746 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,070,789.42. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Steven O. Vondran sold 21,537 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $4,953,510.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 61,843 shares in the company, valued at $14,223,890. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 33,723 shares of company stock valued at $7,795,397. 0.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in American Tower during the second quarter valued at approximately $549,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Tower during the 2nd quarter valued at $9,248,000. Brown Financial Advisors bought a new position in American Tower in the 2nd quarter worth $729,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its stake in American Tower by 8.9% in the 2nd quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,705,145 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $720,206,000 after buying an additional 302,676 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in American Tower by 3.1% during the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 114,913 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $22,337,000 after acquiring an additional 3,464 shares during the period. 92.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Tower Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

American Tower, one of the largest global REITs, is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate with a portfolio of over 224,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of U.S. data center facilities.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for American Tower Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Tower and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE:EGP  Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $191.20.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on EGP shares. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of EastGroup Properties from $178.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of EastGroup Properties from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and increased their price target for the company from $179.00 to $214.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 28th. Wedbush increased their price target on shares of EastGroup Properties from $208.00 to $209.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of EastGroup Properties from $172.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on EastGroup Properties from $188.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th.

Get EastGroup Properties alerts:

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on EGP

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EastGroup Properties

EastGroup Properties Price Performance

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of EastGroup Properties by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,863,129 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,233,785,000 after purchasing an additional 210,207 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in EastGroup Properties by 7.9% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 975,450 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $175,359,000 after buying an additional 71,614 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its holdings in EastGroup Properties by 26.1% in the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 953,736 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $171,399,000 after buying an additional 197,427 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in EastGroup Properties by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 728,092 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $123,848,000 after buying an additional 53,083 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in EastGroup Properties by 29.3% in the 4th quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 646,613 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $118,679,000 after buying an additional 146,381 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.14% of the companys stock.

NYSE EGP opened at $187.50 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $9.03 billion, a PE ratio of 40.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.99. EastGroup Properties has a 52 week low of $154.75 and a 52 week high of $192.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $184.32 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $174.36.

EastGroup Properties (NYSE:EGP  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The real estate investment trust reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.91). EastGroup Properties had a net margin of 37.16% and a return on equity of 8.69%. The business had revenue of $159.09 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $156.70 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.89 earnings per share. EastGroup Propertiess revenue for the quarter was up 13.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that EastGroup Properties will post 8.32 earnings per share for the current year.

EastGroup Properties Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a $1.40 dividend. This represents a $5.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. This is a positive change from EastGroup Propertiess previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. EastGroup Propertiess payout ratio is currently 121.48%.

About EastGroup Properties

(Get Free Report

EastGroup Properties, Inc (NYSE: EGP), a member of the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and Russell 1000 Indexes, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for EastGroup Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EastGroup Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM  Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of Reduce from the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a hold rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $65.62.

A number of research analysts have commented on ADM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. UBS Group boosted their price target on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $60.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $64.00 to $63.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 15th.

Get Archer-Daniels-Midland alerts:

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Archer-Daniels-Midland

Archer-Daniels-Midland Price Performance

Shares of ADM opened at $60.39 on Tuesday. The businesss 50-day moving average is $61.03 and its 200-day moving average is $60.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The company has a market capitalization of $29.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.59 and a beta of 0.72. Archer-Daniels-Midland has a fifty-two week low of $50.72 and a fifty-two week high of $80.96.

Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM  Get Free Report) last released its 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 return on equity of 12.06% and a net margin of 2.93%. The company had revenue of $22.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $23.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.89 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Archer-Daniels-Midland will post 5.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 21st. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.31%. Archer-Daniels-Midlands payout ratio is presently 35.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Archer-Daniels-Midland

In other Archer-Daniels-Midland news, CEO Juan R. Luciano sold 170,194 shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was 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 directly owns 265,210 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $16,047,857.10. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, CEO Juan R. Luciano sold 170,194 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.51, for a total transaction of $10,298,438.94. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 265,210 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,047,857.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Juan R. Luciano sold 45,471 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.00, for a total transaction of $2,773,731.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 265,210 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,177,810. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 219,348 shares of company stock valued at $13,296,833 in the last 90 days. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Archer-Daniels-Midland

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ADM. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 12.1% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,826,217 shares of the companys stock worth $4,260,165,000 after purchasing an additional 7,320,289 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 11.1% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,325,806 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,106,830,000 after buying an additional 1,532,284 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 15,790.1% in the 2nd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 7,596,892 shares of the companys stock valued at $459,232,000 after buying an additional 7,549,083 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 6,488,389 shares of the companys stock valued at $468,591,000 after buying an additional 217,459 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland during the 4th quarter worth about $420,457,000. 78.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Profile

(Get 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.

Further Reading

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.
Breakwater Investment Management raised its holdings in shares of JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF (BATS:BBEU  Free Report) by 2.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,570 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 326 shares during the quarter. Breakwater Investment Managements holdings in JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF were worth $681,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BBEU. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF by 18.6% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 107,252,184 shares of the companys stock worth $6,370,780,000 after purchasing an additional 16,858,030 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF in the first quarter worth about $48,344,000. OLD Mission Capital LLC increased its holdings in JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF by 503.1% in the first quarter. OLD Mission Capital LLC now owns 618,331 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,729,000 after buying an additional 515,808 shares during the last quarter. Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan raised its stake in JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF by 19.0% during the first quarter. Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan now owns 2,697,749 shares of the companys stock valued at $160,246,000 after buying an additional 430,030 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF by 1,362.8% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 136,747 shares of the companys stock worth $8,052,000 after buying an additional 127,399 shares during the last quarter.

Get JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF alerts:

JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of BBEU opened at $61.41 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $8.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.33 and a beta of 0.84. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $60.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $59.80.

JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF Company Profile

The JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF (BBEU) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted index of large- and mid-cap stocks in developed European countries. BBEU was launched on Jun 15, 2018 and is managed by JPMorgan Chase.

Read More

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BBEU? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF (BATS:BBEU  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) held a grand meeting at the Great Hall of the People on the morning of Sept. 14 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the NPC. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the meeting and delivered an important speech. He stressed the need to further firm up confidence in the path, theory, system and culture, develop whole-process people's democracy, and continuously uphold, improve and run the system of people's congresses to good effect to provide a solid institutional guarantee for the Party and the people to achieve their goals on the new journey in the new era.

Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice President Han Zheng, attended the event. The meeting was presided over by Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

The meeting commenced amidst the resounding national anthem. Xi delivered an important speech. He pointed out that the system of people's congresses is the result of the arduous exploration and long-term struggles of the Chinese people under the CPC leadership. It is an entirely new political system that has grown from the Chinese soil and a great invention in the evolution of political institutions. The establishment of this system marked a great transformation in China's political system, signifying a great shift from a power structure where the power was concentrated in the hands of a few while the majority faced oppression and exploitation, to one that is led by the Party and empowers the people to govern the country as its masters.

Xi emphasized that over the past 70 years, the system of people's congresses has, under the Party's leadership, effectively ensured that our country continues to advance along the socialist path. It has demonstrated significant political advantages in guaranteeing that the Party leads the people in governing the country according to law, ensuring that the people are the masters of the country, maintaining political life that is both vibrant and orderly, promoting the rule of law in all aspects of national governance, and safeguarding long-term stability and peace. This system has provided an important institutional guarantee for creating miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Practice has proven that the people's congress system is a sound system that accords with China's national conditions and realities, embodies the nature of socialist countries, and effectively rallies the strength of all Chinese people to advance Chinese modernization.

Xi pointed out that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, our Party has stood at a new historical juncture, gained a deep understanding of the new changes to the principal contradictions in Chinese society, actively responded to the people's new demands and aspirations for democracy and rule of law, and improved the organizational and working systems of people's congresses, making historic achievements in its work. We adhere to adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China's specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture, deeply grasp the laws governing the development of socialist democracy, and continuously promote theoretical and practical innovations in the system of people's congresses. Noting that the system of people's congresses is an important institutional vehicle for realizing whole-process people's democracy in China, Xi said it is imperative to uphold the CPC's leadership, adhere to the use of a system of institutions to ensure that the people run the country, exercise law-based governance on all fronts, uphold democratic centralism, and stick to the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics. Efforts must be made to modernize China's system and capacity for governance, give full play to the role of deputies to people's congresses, strengthen the self-improvement efforts of people's congresses at various levels to uphold their four-fold role as political, working, representative institutions, and institutions of state power. This series of new concepts, ideas and requirements form the Party's important thoughts on upholding and improving the system of people's congresses, providing fundamental guidance for the high-quality development of people's congresses in the new era, Xi said.

Xi emphasized the need to give full play to the role of people's congresses in ensuring full and effective implementation of the Constitution and laws. People's congresses at all levels and their standing committees must fully perform their functions, firmly safeguard the unity, dignity, and authority of the country's legal system, ensure effective implementation of the Constitution and laws, and make sure that all state organs fulfill their duties and carry out their work within the scope permitted by the Constitution and laws.

It is important that people's congresses play a leading role in legislative work, Xi said. He urges efforts to improve the legislative framework featuring guidance from Party committees, the leading role played by people's congresses, support from the government, and participation by all parties. Efforts should be made to step up legislation in key, emerging, and foreign-related fields, improve the quality of legislation, and continuously improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics. He also urged efforts to accelerate the improvement of a legal system featuring equal rights, equal opportunities and fair rules for all to ensure that citizens fully enjoy their rights.

Xi emphasized the need to give full play to the key role of the oversight by people's congresses in the Party and state supervision systems. It is imperative to improve the system through which people's congresses oversee the government, the supervisory commissions, the people's courts and the people's procuratorates. Xi urged people's congresses to strengthen oversight of the implementation of the Constitution and laws, and intensify the review and oversight of government budgets and final accounts and the oversight over the management of state-owned assets and government debts. People's congresses should work to promote the implementation of the CPC Central Committee's decisions and plans, and ensure that all state organs exercise their powers by law and that the legitimate rights and interests of the people are safeguarded and realized. Administrative, supervisory, adjudicatory and procuratorial organs at various levels should readily accept oversight from people's congresses and effectively fulfill their respective supervisory duties, he said.

Xi pointed out that people's congresses should play an exemplary role in maintaining close ties with the people. All state organs and their employees must foster a strong sense of service to the people, put the people above all else, and maintain close ties with them. Deputies to people's congresses shoulder the honorable duties entrusted to them by the people, Xi noted, urging them to faithfully represent the interests and will of the people, and serve as the bridge that links the Party and the state with the people. He stressed the need for all state organs to provide support for the deputies to the people's congresses to perform their duties in accordance with the law, improve the systems and mechanisms for contact with deputies, and ensure that deputies reach out to the public on a greater variety of issues and in more diversified ways.

Xi emphasized that party committees at all levels should strengthen their overall leadership over the work of the people's congresses, and support the people's congresses and their standing committees in exercising their powers and carrying out their work in accordance with the law. The leading Party members groups of the standing committees of the people's congresses at all levels should always adhere to the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, fulfill their main responsibilities for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, and strengthen the political, ideological, organizational, work style, and disciplinary construction of the people's congresses in line with the requirement to uphold the four-fold role. They should train personnel that maintain political resolve, serve the people, respect the rule of law, promote democracy, and are diligent and responsible, and continuously improve the quality and level of the people's congress work in the new era and on the new journey.

While presiding over the meeting, Zhao Leji said that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech reviewed the glorious course of the CPC leading the Chinese people in establishing and improving the system of people's congresses, and profoundly expounded on the remarkable political advantages of the system. The speech has systematically summarized the major achievements in theoretical and practical innovations of the system in the new era, and made comprehensive arrangements and clear requirements for upholding, improving, and running the system at a new historical starting point. The speech is forward-looking and inspires people to forge ahead. It enriches and develops Xi's important thoughts on upholding and improving the system, and is a guiding document shining with the brilliance of the truth of Marxism. We must study and comprehend it earnestly and firmly implement it. We must gain a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and consciously uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We must unwaveringly keep to the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics, and uphold, improve and run the system of people's congresses to good effect.

The meeting was attended by members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, State Councilors, president of the Supreme People's Court, procurator general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, some vice chairpersons of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, senior comrades who had assumed leading positions at the NPC Standing Committee, as well as members of the Central Military Commission in Beijing.

Approximately 3,000 people attended the meeting, including leaders from various departments of the CPC Central Committee, government, military and people's organizations as well as leading officials from Beijing, leaders of the central committees of democratic parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, representatives of non-party personages, members of the NPC Standing Committee and various special committees, senior officials from the standing committees of people's congresses at the provincial, regional and municipal levels, some NPC deputies, representatives from all walks of life in the capital, and foreign envoys in China. 
Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR  Free Report) (NYSE:CNI) had its price target cut by Scotiabank from C$187.00 to C$180.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. National Bank Financial upgraded shares of Canadian National Railway from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 26th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$175.00 to C$165.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Canadian National Railway to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. TD Securities cut their price target on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$185.00 to C$180.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, CIBC cut their price target on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$183.00 to C$170.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$174.93.

Get Canadian National Railway alerts:

View Our Latest Analysis on Canadian National Railway

Canadian National Railway Price Performance

Shares of TSE CNR opened at C$161.44 on Wednesday. Canadian National Railway has a 1 year low of C$143.13 and a 1 year high of C$181.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.62, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The companys 50-day moving average is C$158.80 and its 200 day moving average is C$167.41. The stock has a market capitalization of C$101.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.65.

Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR  Get Free Report) (NYSE:CNI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported C$1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$1.93 by C($0.09). The business had revenue of C$4.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$4.40 billion. Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 27.41% and a net margin of 32.02%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Canadian National Railway will post 8.8716518 earnings per share for the current year.

Canadian National Railway Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be given a $0.845 dividend. This represents a $3.38 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.09%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. Canadian National Railways dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.14%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Canadian National Railway news, Director Josephine Ann Marie Depass Olsovsky purchased 2,610 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$115.29 per share, for a total transaction of C$300,906.90. In other Canadian National Railway news, Director Shauneen Elizabeth Bruder purchased 544 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 25th. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$160.21 per share, for a total transaction of C$87,156.42. Also, Director Josephine Ann Marie Depass Olsovsky purchased 2,610 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$115.29 per share, for a total transaction of C$300,906.90. 1.69% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Canadian National Railway Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and marine transportation and logistics business in Canada and the United States. The company provides rail services, which include equipment, custom brokerage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services, such as temperature controlled cargo, port partnerships, and logistics parks.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Canadian National Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CRHKY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 240,400 shares, a drop of 32.2% from the August 15th total of 354,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 155,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.5 days.

China Resources Beer Price Performance

CRHKY stock traded down $0.01 during trading on Friday, hitting $5.72. 79,465 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 87,159. China Resources Beer has a 1 year low of $5.45 and a 1 year high of $11.72. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $6.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $7.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12.

Get China Resources Beer alerts:

China Resources Beer Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 5th will be issued a $0.0919 dividend. This is a positive change from China Resources Beers previous dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 4th. This represents a yield of 4.17%.

About China Resources Beer

China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures, distributes, and sells beer products in Mainland China. The company offers its products under the Nong Li, Snow, and Jinsha brands. The company was formerly known as China Resources Enterprise, Limited and changed its name to China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited in October 2015.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for China Resources Beer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Resources Beer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Chorus Limited (OTCMKTS:CHRYY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 900 shares, an increase of 125.0% from the August 15th total of 400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.5 days.

Chorus Stock Performance

OTCMKTS CHRYY traded down $0.37 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $27.59. 482 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 838. Chorus has a 52 week low of $19.95 and a 52 week high of $27.96. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $24.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $23.11.

Get Chorus alerts:

Chorus Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 17th will be given a dividend of $0.7539 per share. This is a boost from Choruss previous dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 17th.

Chorus Company Profile

Chorus Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides fixed line communications infrastructure services in New Zealand. It offers phone and broadband services for residential and business customers; data and voice services; and asymmetric digital subscriber line and high-speed digital subscriber line broadband services, as well as solutions for transport and infrastructure.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Chorus Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chorus and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Command Security Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:MOC  Get Free Report) shares traded up 1.1% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $2.85 and last traded at $2.85. 51,100 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 474% from the average session volume of 8,909 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.82.

Command Security Trading Up 1.1 %

Command Security Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Command Security Corporation provides uniformed security officers and aviation security services in the United States. It operates through Security and Aviation Safeguards divisions. The Security division offers armed and unarmed uniformed security personnel for access control, loss prevention, mobile patrols, traffic control, security console/system operators, and fire safety directors, as well as personnel for reception, concierge, and front desk/doorman operations.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Command Security Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Command Security and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. (OTCMKTS:CODYY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 270,600 shares, a growth of 98.1% from the August 15th total of 136,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 222,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days.

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain Stock Performance

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain stock traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $17.43. 61,732 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 204,731. Compagnie de Saint-Gobain has a one year low of $10.30 and a one year high of $18.04. The firms 50-day moving average price is $16.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.37.

Get Compagnie de Saint-Gobain alerts:

About Compagnie de Saint-Gobain

(Get Free Report)

Featured Stories

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA designs, manufactures, and distributes materials and solutions for the construction and industrial markets worldwide. It operates through five segments: High Performance Solutions; Northern Europe; Southern Europe Middle East (ME) & Africa; Americas; and Asia-Pacific.

Receive News & Ratings for Compagnie de Saint-Gobain Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Compagnie de Saint-Gobain and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Wrapmanager Inc. cut its holdings in Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA  Free Report) by 8.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,978 shares of the companys stock after selling 784 shares during the quarter. Wrapmanager Inc.s holdings in Coterra Energy were worth $213,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Coterra Energy in the 4th quarter worth $54,625,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of Coterra Energy by 2,609.6% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,541,342 shares of the companys stock valued at $42,973,000 after purchasing an additional 1,484,458 shares during the period. Bridgewater Associates LP purchased a new position in Coterra Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $31,112,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Coterra Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $28,967,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Coterra Energy by 29.1% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,498,227 shares of the companys stock valued at $119,968,000 after buying an additional 1,013,107 shares in the last quarter. 87.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Coterra Energy alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on CTRA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Coterra Energy from $31.00 to $26.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Coterra Energy in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They set an outperform rating and a $35.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America reiterated a buy rating and set a $34.00 price target on shares of Coterra Energy in a report on Friday, June 14th. BMO Capital Markets raised Coterra Energy to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Coterra Energy from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Coterra Energy presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $32.88.

Coterra Energy Price Performance

Coterra Energy stock opened at $22.78 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $16.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.22. Coterra Energy Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.30 and a 1-year high of $29.89. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $24.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $26.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

Coterra Energy (NYSE:CTRA  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.32 billion. Coterra Energy had a return on equity of 10.48% and a net margin of 23.18%. Coterra Energys quarterly revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.38 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Coterra Energy Inc. will post 1.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Coterra Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.69%. Coterra Energys payout ratio is currently 48.55%.

Coterra Energy Company Profile

(Free Report)

Coterra Energy Inc, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the development, exploration, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company's properties include the Marcellus Shale with approximately 186,000 net acres in the dry gas window of the play located in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania; Permian Basin properties with approximately 296,000 net acres located in west Texas and southeast New Mexico; and Anadarko Basin properties with approximately 182,000 net acres located in Oklahoma.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Coterra Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coterra Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX  Get Free Report) CEO Barry C. Mccarthy acquired 2,820 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $19.08 per share, with a total value of $53,805.60. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 178,670 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,409,023.60. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Deluxe Trading Up 3.6 %

Shares of DLX stock opened at $19.84 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.44, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.97. The company has a market capitalization of $877.13 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.77, a PEG ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 1.47. Deluxe Co. has a 52-week low of $16.00 and a 52-week high of $24.87. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $21.01.

Get Deluxe alerts:

Deluxe (NYSE:DLX  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The business services provider reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $537.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $537.90 million. Deluxe had a return on equity of 20.90% and a net margin of 1.78%. Deluxes quarterly revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.83 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Deluxe Co. will post 2.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Deluxe Dividend Announcement

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. Deluxes payout ratio is 155.85%.

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Deluxe from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Deluxe

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Deluxe

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DLX. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in Deluxe in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in Deluxe in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ariadne Wealth Management LP bought a new position in Deluxe during the second quarter valued at $35,000. CWM LLC raised its stake in shares of Deluxe by 555.6% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,757 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 1,489 shares during the period. Finally, Security National Bank purchased a new position in shares of Deluxe during the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the companys stock.

About Deluxe

(Get Free Report)

Deluxe Corporation provides technology-enabled solutions to enterprises, small businesses, and financial institutions in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It operates through Merchant Services, B2B Payments, Data Solutions, and Print segments. The Merchant Services offers credit and debit card authorization and payment systems, as well as processing services primarily to small and medium-sized retail and service businesses.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Deluxe Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deluxe and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Diversify Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 26,451 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $1,949,000.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 33.4% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 69,360,233 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,771,985,000 after buying an additional 17,369,091 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab in the 4th quarter worth $950,192,000. Morningstar Investment Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 98.0% in the 4th quarter. Morningstar Investment Services LLC now owns 4,691,362 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $326,284,000 after buying an additional 2,322,156 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 19.7% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 9,472,698 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $651,722,000 after purchasing an additional 1,558,975 shares during the period. Finally, Mondrian Investment Partners LTD lifted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 28,736.1% in the 1st quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 1,485,637 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $107,471,000 after purchasing an additional 1,480,485 shares during the period. 84.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Charles Schwab alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SCHW has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $85.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 8th. StockNews.com cut Charles Schwab from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, May 24th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a hold rating and set a $71.00 price objective (down previously from $88.00) on shares of Charles Schwab in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Charles Schwab in a report on Thursday. They issued an equal weight rating and a $70.00 target price for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $79.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Charles Schwab currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $73.75.

Insider Activity at Charles Schwab

In other Charles Schwab news, Director Carolyn Schwab-Pomerantz sold 9,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.49, for a total value of $652,410.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 570,657 shares of the companys stock, valued at $41,366,925.93. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, insider Jonathan S. Beatty sold 780 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total transaction of $58,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 18,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,355,175. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Carolyn Schwab-Pomerantz sold 9,000 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.49, for a total value of $652,410.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 570,657 shares in the company, valued at $41,366,925.93. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 99,636 shares of company stock worth $6,533,064 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

Charles Schwab Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:SCHW opened at $62.12 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $110.48 billion, a PE ratio of 25.99, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.97. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 12-month low of $48.66 and a 12-month high of $79.49. The business has a 50 day moving average of $65.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $70.04. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.68 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 26.30% and a return on equity of 18.14%. The businesss revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.75 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.05 EPS for the current year.

Charles Schwab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 9th. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.84%.

About Charles Schwab

(Free Report)

The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SCHW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Element Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST  Free Report) by 89.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,461 shares of the companys stock after selling 20,433 shares during the quarter. Element Capital Management LLCs holdings in Vistra were worth $212,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of VST. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $375,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $203,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its holdings in Vistra by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 43,312 shares of the companys stock worth $1,668,000 after acquiring an additional 1,485 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in Vistra by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 145,812 shares of the companys stock worth $5,617,000 after acquiring an additional 5,619 shares during the period. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in Vistra by 73.0% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 2,637 shares of the companys stock worth $102,000 after acquiring an additional 1,113 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the companys stock.

Get Vistra alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Vistra from $109.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Vistra in a research note on Friday. They set a buy rating and a $99.00 target price for the company. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $89.43.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST opened at $85.55 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $79.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $79.35. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $31.16 and a 12-month high of $107.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.39 billion, a PE ratio of 52.48 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.88.

Vistra (NYSE:VST  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.69). Vistra had a return on equity of 21.05% and a net margin of 4.61%. The firm had revenue of $3.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.03 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 4.86 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.2195 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 20th. This is a boost from Vistras previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. Vistras dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.37%.

Vistra Company Profile

(Free Report)

Vistra Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated retail electricity and power generation company. The company operates through six segments: Retail, Texas, East, West, Sunset, and Asset Closure. It retails electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across states in the United States and the District of Columbia.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Vistra Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vistra and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Garrison Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,577 shares of the companys stock after selling 120 shares during the quarter. Garrison Asset Management LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $2,333,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in LLY. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,992,890,000. Swedbank AB acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the first quarter valued at $932,797,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.6% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,745,011 shares of the companys stock valued at $56,592,709,000 after purchasing an additional 1,133,810 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 20.2% during the 1st quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 3,848,886 shares of the companys stock worth $2,994,280,000 after purchasing an additional 648,094 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 6,636,833 shares of the companys stock worth $3,868,559,000 after purchasing an additional 497,079 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the companys stock.

Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts:

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Eli Lilly and Company news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 9,671 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $902.67, for a total value of $8,729,721.57. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 97,574,139 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $88,077,248,051.13. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders sold a total of 646,878 shares of company stock valued at $591,465,138 over the last three months. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LLY has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $725.00 to $1,025.00 in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective (up from $892.00) on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an overweight rating and issued a $885.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Monday, September 9th. Finally, Berenberg Bank upped 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. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $977.35.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 1.2 %

Shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $923.71 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company has a market capitalization of $877.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 136.04, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.42. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $516.57 and a 1 year high of $972.53. The companys fifty day moving average is $897.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $833.36.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.64 by $1.28. The firm had revenue of $11.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.83 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 67.52% and a net margin of 18.86%. Analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 16.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 15th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.58%.

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

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.
MACAO, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The 32nd Macao International Fireworks Display Contest, organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office, commenced on Saturday night and will last till Oct. 6.

Canadian and Thai companies presented the first two feasts for the audience, and Russian and French fireworks shows were scheduled for Sunday.

According to the organizer, 10 teams will showcase their skills on Saturday, Sunday, Sept. 21 as well as Oct. 1 and 6. Each day will feature two performances at night, with each display lasting for around 18 minutes.

The tourism office has been organizing the event since 1989. 
Fiduciary Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 1,375 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $209,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth $2,141,890,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Digital Realty Trust by 2.0% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 48,503,593 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $6,986,458,000 after buying an additional 951,567 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $107,372,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 16.8% in the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 4,725,971 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $718,584,000 after acquiring an additional 678,165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kodai Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $59,087,000. 99.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Digital Realty Trust alerts:

Digital Realty Trust Stock Performance

Shares of Digital Realty Trust stock opened at $158.93 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has a 52 week low of $113.94 and a 52 week high of $162.58. The firms 50 day moving average is $151.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $146.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.15, a P/E/G ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.60.

Digital Realty Trust Announces Dividend

Digital Realty Trust ( NYSE:DLR Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($1.43). Digital Realty Trust had a net margin of 20.58% and a return on equity of 5.93%. The company had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.38 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.68 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Digital Realty Trust, Inc. will post 6.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $1.22 dividend. This represents a $4.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.07%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Digital Realty Trusts payout ratio is currently 135.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DLR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Truist Financial upped their price target on Digital Realty Trust from $160.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Barclays lifted their target price on Digital Realty Trust from $123.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Digital Realty Trust from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their price target for the stock from $150.00 to $175.00 in a research report on Friday, June 28th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $144.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, June 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Digital Realty Trust has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $154.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Digital Realty Trust

Insider Activity at Digital Realty Trust

In other Digital Realty Trust news, Director Jean F. H. P. Mandeville sold 600 shares of Digital Realty Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total transaction of $90,156.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 9,055 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,360,604.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock.

About Digital Realty Trust

(Free Report)

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DLR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Digital Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Digital Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Flexible Solutions International (NYSE:FSI  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Flexible Solutions International Stock Performance

FSI stock opened at $3.39 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $2.49 and a 200-day moving average of $2.18. Flexible Solutions International has a 12-month low of $1.36 and a 12-month high of $3.48. The firm has a market cap of $42.21 million, a PE ratio of 17.84 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.70, a current ratio of 2.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

Get Flexible Solutions International alerts:

Flexible Solutions International (NYSE:FSI  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.03. Flexible Solutions International had a return on equity of 7.40% and a net margin of 7.46%. The business had revenue of $10.53 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.34 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Flexible Solutions International will post 0.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Flexible Solutions International

About Flexible Solutions International

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Flexible Solutions International stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in shares of Flexible Solutions International, Inc. ( NYSE:FSI Free Report ) by 4.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 379,245 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 17,400 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned 3.05% of Flexible Solutions International worth $664,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.31% of the companys stock.

(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.

Featured Stories

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.
Funding Circle Holdings plc (OTCMKTS:FDCHF  Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,300 shares, a growth of 225.0% from the August 15th total of 400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently  days.

Funding Circle Price Performance

FDCHF remained flat at $1.61 during trading hours on Friday. Funding Circle has a 52 week low of $1.53 and a 52 week high of $1.61. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $0.82.

Get Funding Circle alerts:

Funding Circle Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

See Also

Funding Circle Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides online lending platforms in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. The company offers small business loans, recovery loan schemes, and business finance solutions to small enterprises. It also provides flexipay and flexipay card solutions.

Receive News & Ratings for Funding Circle Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Funding Circle and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE:GWRE  Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $171.95 and last traded at $171.81, with a volume of 732137 shares. The stock had previously closed at $169.80.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on GWRE. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a hold rating on shares of Guidewire Software in a report on Friday, September 6th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Guidewire Software from $123.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, September 9th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Guidewire Software from $152.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Guidewire Software from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, September 6th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their target price on Guidewire Software from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, September 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Guidewire Software has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $161.69.

Get Guidewire Software alerts:

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Guidewire Software

Guidewire Software Trading Up 1.2 %

The company has a market cap of $14.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,321.51 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $147.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $129.85.

Guidewire Software (NYSE:GWRE  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 5th. The technology company reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $291.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $283.84 million. Guidewire Software had a negative net margin of 0.62% and a negative return on equity of 1.32%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.30 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Guidewire Software, Inc. will post 0.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider John P. Mullen sold 1,350 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.12, for a total transaction of $187,812.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 139,171 shares of the companys stock, valued at $19,361,469.52. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider John P. Mullen sold 1,350 shares of Guidewire Software stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.12, for a total transaction of $187,812.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 139,171 shares of the companys stock, valued at $19,361,469.52. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jeffrey Elliott Cooper sold 3,017 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.54, for a total transaction of $405,907.18. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 63,479 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,540,464.66. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,064 shares of company stock worth $1,782,775 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its stake in shares of Guidewire Software by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,050 shares of the technology companys stock worth $283,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Partners Capital Investment Group LLP increased its stake in Guidewire Software by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Partners Capital Investment Group LLP now owns 3,468 shares of the technology companys stock worth $378,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its holdings in Guidewire Software by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 9,078 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,252,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the period. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA lifted its stake in Guidewire Software by 4.8% during the second quarter. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA now owns 2,845 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $392,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Guidewire Software by 1.6% in the second quarter. Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 8,329 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,148,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period.

About Guidewire Software

(Get Free Report)

Guidewire Software, Inc provides a platform for property and casualty (P&C) insurers worldwide. The company offers Guidewire InsuranceSuite Cloud, such as PolicyCenter Cloud, BillingCenter Cloud, and ClaimCenter Cloud applications. It also provides Guidewire InsuranceNow, a cloud-based platform that offers policy, billing, and claims management functionality to insurers; and Guidewire InsuranceSuite for Self-Managed.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Guidewire Software Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Guidewire Software and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Pacific Valley Bancorp (OTCMKTS:PVBK  Get Free Report) and BANCO DO BRASIL/S (OTCMKTS:BDORY  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Pacific Valley Bancorp and BANCO DO BRASIL/Ss net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Get Pacific Valley Bancorp alerts:

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Pacific Valley Bancorp 15.89% N/A N/A BANCO DO BRASIL/S 11.37% 18.48% 1.44%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Pacific Valley Bancorp and BANCO DO BRASIL/Ss revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Pacific Valley Bancorp $27.51 million 1.66 $4.85 million $0.97 9.61 BANCO DO BRASIL/S $53.93 billion 0.55 $6.77 billion $1.13 4.62

Analyst Ratings

BANCO DO BRASIL/S has higher revenue and earnings than Pacific Valley Bancorp. BANCO DO BRASIL/S is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pacific Valley Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

This is a summary of current recommendations for Pacific Valley Bancorp and BANCO DO BRASIL/S, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Pacific Valley Bancorp 0 0 0 0 N/A BANCO DO BRASIL/S 0 0 0 0 N/A

Volatility & Risk

Pacific Valley Bancorp has a beta of 0.35, suggesting that its stock price is 65% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, BANCO DO BRASIL/S has a beta of 1.05, suggesting that its stock price is 5% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

2.8% of Pacific Valley Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of BANCO DO BRASIL/S shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

BANCO DO BRASIL/S beats Pacific Valley Bancorp on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Pacific Valley Bancorp

(Get Free Report)

Pacific Valley Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for Pacific Valley Bank that provides various banking products and services in the United States. The company offers personal and business banking, including checking accounts, savings and money market accounts, and certificates of deposit; and online solutions, such as online and mobile banking, bill pay, remote deposit capture, positive pay, e-statements, and order checks. It also provides commercial or agriculture lines of credit, commercial or agriculture terms loans, commercial constructions loans, agriculture production lending, and government guaranteed loan programs; and debit card, incoming wire instructions, ATM locator, fraud prevention, identity theft, and FDIC insurance estimator services. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Salinas, California.

About BANCO DO BRASIL/S

(Get Free Report)

Banco do Brasil S.A. provides banking products and services for individuals, companies, and public sectors in Brazil and internationally. The company's Banking segment offers various products and services, including deposits, loans, and services to retail, wholesale, and public sector markets, as well as to micro-entrepreneurs and the low income population. Its Investments segment engages in the intermediation and distribution of debts in the primary and secondary markets; equity investment activities; and rendering of financial services. The company's Fund Management segment is involved in the purchase, sale, and custody of securities, as well as the management of portfolios, and investment funds and clubs. Its Insurance, Pension and Capitalization segment provides life, property, and automobile insurance products, as well as private pension and capitalization plans. The company's Payment Methods segment is involved in the funding, transmission, processing, and settlement of transactions through electronic means. Its Other segment engages in the provision of credit recovery and consortium administration services; development, manufacturing, leasing, and integration of digital electronic systems and equipment, peripherals, programs, inputs, and computing supplies; intermediation of air tickets; and lodging and organization of events. Banco do Brasil S.A. was founded in 1808 and is headquartered in Brasalia, Brazil.

Receive News & Ratings for Pacific Valley Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pacific Valley Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Infosys (NYSE:INFY  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports.

INFY has been the topic of several other reports. Macquarie raised shares of Infosys from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Infosys from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $19.27.

Get Infosys alerts:

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Infosys

Infosys Stock Down 0.2 %

INFY stock opened at $23.20 on Wednesday. Infosys has a 12 month low of $16.04 and a 12 month high of $23.48. The firm has a market cap of $96.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.53, a P/E/G ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.99. The companys 50-day moving average price is $21.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $19.30.

Infosys (NYSE:INFY  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The technology company reported $0.18 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.18. The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.67 billion. Infosys had a net margin of 17.18% and a return on equity of 32.01%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.17 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Infosys will post 0.75 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of INFY. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its position in shares of Infosys by 37.3% in the 2nd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 21,580,344 shares of the technology companys stock worth $401,826,000 after purchasing an additional 5,862,144 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Infosys by 67.9% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 7,601,073 shares of the technology companys stock worth $141,532,000 after purchasing an additional 3,074,432 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Infosys by 106.1% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 4,839,764 shares of the technology companys stock worth $86,764,000 after purchasing an additional 2,491,403 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Infosys by 539.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,010,636 shares of the technology companys stock worth $36,955,000 after purchasing an additional 1,696,378 shares during the period. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Infosys by 46.0% in the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 5,234,500 shares of the technology companys stock worth $97,467,000 after purchasing an additional 1,648,650 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 10.89% of the companys stock.

Infosys Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Infosys Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides consulting, technology, outsourcing, and next-generation digital services in North America, Europe, India, and internationally. It provides digital marketing and digital workplace, digital commerce, digital experience and interactions, metaverse, data analytics and AI, applied AI, generative AI, sustainability, blockchain, engineering, Internet of Things, enterprise agile DevOps, application modernization, cloud, digital process automation, digital supply chain, Microsoft business application and cloud business, service experience transformation, energy transition, cyber security, and quality engineering solutions; Oracle, SAP, and Saleforce solutions; API economy and microservices; and Topaz, an AI-first set of services, solutions, and platforms using generative AI technologies.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Infosys Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Infosys and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Pilbara Minerals Limited (ASX:PLS  Get Free Report) insider Nicholas (Nick) Cernotta acquired 40,938 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, September 6th. The shares were bought at an average price of A$2.44 ($1.63) per share, with a total value of A$99,888.72 ($66,592.48).

Pilbara Minerals Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 2.63, a current ratio of 4.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.13.

Get Pilbara Minerals alerts:

About Pilbara Minerals

(Get Free Report)

Featured Articles

Pilbara Minerals Limited engages in the exploration, development, and operation of mineral resources in Australia. The company primarily explores for lithium. It primarily holds a 100% interest in the Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is based in West Perth, Australia.

Receive News & Ratings for Pilbara Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pilbara Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Kennon Green & Company LLC grew its holdings in Kenvue Inc. (NYSE:KVUE  Free Report) by 140.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 159,106 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 93,008 shares during the period. Kenvue makes up 2.7% of Kennon Green & Company LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Kennon Green & Company LLCs holdings in Kenvue were worth $2,893,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Kenvue in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $112,000. NorthRock Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kenvue by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 19,754 shares of the companys stock valued at $425,000 after buying an additional 1,009 shares during the period. Financial Advocates Investment Management acquired a new position in Kenvue during the 4th quarter worth about $207,000. Independent Advisor Alliance purchased a new position in Kenvue during the 4th quarter valued at about $644,000. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. grew its position in Kenvue by 11.8% in the 4th quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 1,451,794 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,257,000 after acquiring an additional 153,590 shares in the last quarter. 97.64% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Kenvue alerts:

Kenvue Price Performance

KVUE stock opened at $23.39 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $44.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.99, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.40. Kenvue Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $17.67 and a fifty-two week high of $23.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $20.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $19.82.

Kenvue Increases Dividend

Kenvue ( NYSE:KVUE Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $4 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.93 billion. Kenvue had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 21.80%. The companys revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.32 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Kenvue Inc. will post 1.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 14th were paid a $0.205 dividend. This represents a $0.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.51%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 14th. This is an increase from Kenvues previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. Kenvues dividend payout ratio is currently 105.13%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Kenvue from $21.00 to $20.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Kenvue from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Kenvue from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Kenvue from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $24.00 price target on shares of Kenvue in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kenvue has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $21.44.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Kenvue

Kenvue Company Profile

(Free Report)

Kenvue Inc operates as a consumer health company worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Self Care, Skin Health and Beauty, and Essential Health. The Self Care segment offers cough, cold and allergy, pain care, digestive health, smoking cessation, eye care, and other products under the Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, Nicorette, Zarbee's, ORSLTM, Rhinocort, Calpol, and Zyrtec brands.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Kenvue Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kenvue and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Lyell Wealth Management LP decreased its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV  Free Report) by 2.6% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 6,367 shares of the companys stock after selling 171 shares during the period. Lyell Wealth Management LPs holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $3,484,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 21.2% in the second quarter. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. now owns 103 shares of the companys stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Global Trust Asset Management LLC grew its position in 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 worth $207,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. Independence Bank of Kentucky raised its stake in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 2,134 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,122,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Unionview LLC lifted its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Unionview LLC now owns 3,293 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,731,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, MTM Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. MTM Investment Management LLC now owns 308 shares of the companys stock worth $169,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter.

Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts:

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Price Performance

Shares of IVV opened at $565.05 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $487.58 billion, a P/E 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. The business has a fifty day moving average of $552.88 and a 200 day moving average of $535.21.

About iShares Core S&P 500 ETF

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.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV  Free Report).

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.
Shares of Mitsubishi Co. (OTCMKTS:MSBHY  Get Free Report) passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $40.23 and traded as low as $39.30. Mitsubishi shares last traded at $40.23, with a volume of 8,200 shares changing hands.

Mitsubishi Trading Up 0.2 %

The firms 50 day simple moving average is $40.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.23. The company has a market capitalization of $29.89 billion and a PE ratio of 6.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

About Mitsubishi

(Get Free Report)

Mitsubishi Corporation operates in industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals, and daily living essentials worldwide. The company's Global Environmental & Infrastructure Business segment conducts environmental and infrastructure projects, related trading operations, and other activities in power generation, water, transportation, and other infrastructure fields.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
MANILA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Four children have been killed and three others injured after a tree fell on a moving tricycle in Lanao del Sur province in southern Philippines, police said Sunday.

The accident happened at around 2 p.m. local time on Friday along a highway while the victims, all students aged seven, 12, 13 and 15, aboard the tricycle were heading to a school in Malabang town.

The tricycle driver was also critically injured along with two other passengers.

Police said strong winds uprooted the roadside tree, crushing the tricycle. All four were pronounced dead at a local hospital. 
GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV  Get Free Report) had its target price upped by equities researchers at Morgan Stanley from $220.00 to $256.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an overweight rating on the stock. Morgan Stanleys target price suggests a potential upside of 13.48% from the companys current price.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on GEV. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on GE Vernova in a research note on Friday. They set an outperform rating and a $245.00 price target for the company. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of GE Vernova in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. They set a neutral rating and a $183.00 price objective on the stock. HSBC assumed coverage on shares of GE Vernova in a research report on Monday, August 12th. They issued a buy rating and a $215.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of GE Vernova in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. They set a buy rating and a $261.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets began coverage on shares of GE Vernova in a report on Friday, June 21st. They issued an outperform rating and a $201.50 price objective for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, GE Vernova has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $203.03.

Get GE Vernova alerts:

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on GE Vernova

GE Vernova Trading Up 4.8 %

Shares of GEV opened at $225.59 on Friday. The companys 50 day moving average is $181.89. GE Vernova has a 52 week low of $115.00 and a 52 week high of $228.68.

GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $8.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.42 billion. On average, equities research analysts predict that GE Vernova will post 3.02 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On GE Vernova

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators acquired a new position in shares of GE Vernova in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in GE Vernova during the second quarter worth $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of GE Vernova during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of GE Vernova in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Timber Creek Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of GE Vernova in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000.

GE Vernova Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

GE Vernova LLC, an energy business company, generates electricity. It operates under three segments: Power, Wind, and Electrification. The Power segments generates and sells electricity through hydro, gas, nuclear, and steam power. Wind segment engages in the manufacturing and sale of wind turbine blades; and Electrification segment provides grid solutions, power conversion, solar, and storage solutions.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for GE Vernova Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GE Vernova and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Nia Impact Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (NYSE:ELF  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 8,514 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,794,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in e.l.f. Beauty in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Matrix Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of e.l.f. Beauty during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in e.l.f. Beauty during the second quarter worth $30,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in e.l.f. Beauty in the first quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its holdings in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 405.9% during the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 172 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.44% of the companys stock.

Get e.l.f. Beauty alerts:

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on ELF. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on e.l.f. Beauty from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Piper Sandler restated an overweight rating and set a $260.00 price objective on shares of e.l.f. Beauty in a report on Monday, August 26th. UBS Group cut their target price on e.l.f. Beauty from $250.00 to $230.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Baird R W upgraded shares of e.l.f. Beauty from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $224.00 to $207.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $205.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Tarang Amin sold 15,386 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.85, for a total transaction of $3,090,278.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 171,329 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $34,411,429.65. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Tarang Amin sold 15,386 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.85, for a total value of $3,090,278.10. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 171,329 shares in the company, valued at $34,411,429.65. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Joshua Allen Franks sold 3,370 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.28, for a total value of $678,313.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 71,986 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,489,342.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 19,304 shares of company stock worth $3,864,492. Insiders own 5.20% of the companys stock.

e.l.f. Beauty Stock Performance

ELF stock opened at $116.63 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market cap of $6.58 billion, a PE ratio of 52.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.44. The business has a 50 day moving average of $162.94 and a 200-day moving average of $177.71. e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. has a 12-month low of $88.47 and a 12-month high of $221.83.

e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $324.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $303.60 million. e.l.f. Beauty had a return on equity of 23.30% and a net margin of 10.80%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current year.

e.l.f. Beauty Company Profile

(Free Report)

e.l.f. Beauty, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides cosmetic and skin care products under the e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. Skin, Well People, and Keys Soulcare brand names worldwide. The company offers eye, lip, face, face, paw, and skin care products. It sells its products through national and international retailers and direct-to-consumer channels, which include e-commerce platforms in the United States, and internationally primarily through distributors.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for e.l.f. Beauty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for e.l.f. Beauty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:NBY  Free Report) in a report published on Saturday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of NBY opened at $0.47 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $0.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $2.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.32 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 0.00 and a beta of 0.73. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals has a 52 week low of $0.36 and a 52 week high of $19.57.

Get NovaBay Pharmaceuticals alerts:

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:NBY  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported ($1.37) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $2.40 million during the quarter. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 91.86% and a negative return on equity of 744.33%. As a group, research analysts forecast that NovaBay Pharmaceuticals will post -0.17 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NovaBay Pharmaceuticals

About NovaBay Pharmaceuticals

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in NovaBay Pharmaceuticals stock. Armistice Capital LLC purchased a new position in NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ( NYSE:NBY Free Report ) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 718,768 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $147,000. Armistice Capital LLC owned about 11.01% of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals as of its most recent SEC filing. 23.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

(Get Free Report)

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, develops and sells eyecare, skincare, and wound care products in the United States and internationally. It offers Avenova Spray, a solution for removing foreign materials, including microorganisms and debris from skin around the eye, such as the eyelid; and wound care products, which are used for cleansing and irrigation as part of surgical procedures, as well as treating certain wounds, burns, ulcers, and other injuries under the NeutroPhase and PhaseOne brands.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NovaBay Pharmaceuticals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in MSCI Inc. (NYSE:MSCI  Free Report) by 526.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 27,245 shares of the technology companys stock after purchasing an additional 22,897 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.s holdings in MSCI were worth $13,125,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSCI in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Rothschild Investment LLC bought a new position in MSCI in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSCI during the first quarter valued at about $34,000. American National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of MSCI by 1,300.0% in the 4th quarter. American National Bank now owns 70 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of MSCI during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $40,000. 89.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get MSCI alerts:

MSCI Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of MSCI stock opened at $561.93 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $44.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.36, a P/E/G ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 1.11. MSCI Inc. has a 12-month low of $439.95 and a 12-month high of $617.39. The businesss 50 day moving average is $542.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $521.84.

MSCI Announces Dividend

MSCI ( NYSE:MSCI Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The technology company reported $3.64 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.55 by $0.09. MSCI had a net margin of 43.86% and a negative return on equity of 143.09%. The company had revenue of $707.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $696.41 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.26 EPS. The firms revenue was up 14.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that MSCI Inc. will post 14.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th were given a dividend of $1.60 per share. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.14%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 16th. MSCIs payout ratio is 43.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on MSCI shares. Barclays raised their price target on MSCI from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of MSCI to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. UBS Group raised their target price on MSCI from $575.00 to $585.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on MSCI from $526.00 to $590.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $638.00 price target on shares of MSCI in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $591.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSCI

About MSCI

(Free Report)

MSCI Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides critical decision support tools and solutions for the investment community to manage investment processes worldwide. The Index segment provides indexes for use in various areas of the investment process, including indexed financial product, such as ETFs, mutual funds, annuities, futures, options, structured products, and over-the-counter derivatives; performance benchmarking; portfolio construction and rebalancing; and asset allocation, as well as licenses GICS and GICS Direct.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for MSCI Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MSCI and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Plato Investment Management Ltd grew its position in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP  Free Report) by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,396 shares of the payment services companys stock after buying an additional 590 shares during the quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltds holdings in American Express were worth $5,186,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sawgrass Asset Management LLC grew its position in American Express by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sawgrass Asset Management LLC now owns 10,384 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $2,404,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of American Express by 1.0% in the first quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 4,315 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $983,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Ignite Planners LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 0.9% in the second quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 4,682 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $1,103,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Willner & Heller LLC lifted its position in American Express by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Willner & Heller LLC now owns 1,087 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $252,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Beacon Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in American Express by 18.9% during the 2nd quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 271 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $63,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the companys stock.

Get American Express alerts:

American Express Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of AXP stock opened at $259.00 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $186.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.21. American Express has a 12-month low of $140.91 and a 12-month high of $261.75. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $246.33 and a 200-day moving average of $235.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

American Express ( NYSE:AXP Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 19th. The payment services company reported $3.49 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $16.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.60 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 32.94% and a net margin of 15.53%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.89 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that American Express will post 13.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of American Express from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on American Express from $240.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Citigroup began coverage on American Express in a report on Monday, June 10th. They issued a neutral rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America lowered American Express from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $263.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Monness Crespi & Hardt raised their target price on shares of American Express from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $230.70.

View Our Latest Analysis on AXP

American Express Company Profile

(Free Report)

American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as integrated payments company in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and Internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, Commercial Services, International Card Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for American Express Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Express and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Poehling Capital Management INC. reduced its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Free Report) by 61.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,428 shares of the companys stock after selling 11,904 shares during the quarter. Poehling Capital Management INC.s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $753,000 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 the business. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.7% in the second quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 12,888 shares of the companys stock worth $1,306,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Dearborn Partners LLC boosted its stake in Philip Morris International by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 2,867 shares of the companys stock worth $291,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC grew its position in Philip Morris International by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 6,287 shares of the companys stock valued at $637,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Cahill Financial Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Philip Morris International by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Cahill Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 2,294 shares of the companys stock valued at $232,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bar Harbor Wealth Management raised its holdings in Philip Morris International by 2.6% in the second quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management now owns 3,919 shares of the companys stock worth $397,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 78.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Get Philip Morris International alerts:

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

NYSE:PM opened at $125.62 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $103.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $195.28 billion, a PE ratio of 24.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.55. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52-week low of $87.23 and a 52-week high of $128.22.

Philip Morris International Increases Dividend

Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 113.32% and a net margin of 9.41%. The company had revenue of $9.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.60 EPS. The firms revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 26th will be given a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.30%. This is an increase from Philip Morris Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 26th. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 101.56%.

Insider Activity at Philip Morris International

In other Philip Morris International news, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the 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 sale, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.01, for a total transaction of $2,260,200.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 158,447 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,906,095.47. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total transaction of $1,038,150.00. Following 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 corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PM has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Philip Morris International from $120.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $125.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $117.05.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Philip Morris International

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

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.
Rathbones Group PLC reduced its holdings in shares of SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD  Free Report) by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 218,242 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 7,455 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLCs holdings in SPDR Gold Shares were worth $46,924,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its stake in SPDR Gold Shares by 23.6% during the first quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 5,649,510 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,162,217,000 after acquiring an additional 1,079,452 shares in the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 10,133.3% during the 4th quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC now owns 2,662,393 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $508,970,000 after purchasing an additional 2,636,376 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in SPDR Gold Shares by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,128,933 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $242,732,000 after purchasing an additional 28,683 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its position in SPDR Gold Shares by 7.5% in the second quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 1,007,710 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $216,668,000 after buying an additional 70,290 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its stake in SPDR Gold Shares by 6.8% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 857,981 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $184,474,000 after buying an additional 54,974 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 42.19% of the companys stock.

Get SPDR Gold Shares alerts:

SPDR Gold Shares Trading Up 1.0 %

NYSEARCA:GLD opened at $238.68 on Friday. SPDR Gold Shares has a 1 year low of $168.30 and a 1 year high of $238.98. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $227.10 and a 200-day moving average of $217.41.

About SPDR Gold Shares

SPDR Gold Trust (the Trust) is an investment trust. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the Trusts expenses. The Trusts business activity is the investment of gold. The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but in one or more Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 100,000 Shares).

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GLD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for SPDR Gold Shares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR Gold Shares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Par Pacific (NYSE:PARR  Get Free Report) and Himalaya Technologies (OTCMKTS:HMLA  Get Free Report) are both small-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Par Pacific and Himalaya Technologiess top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Get Par Pacific alerts:

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Par Pacific $8.76 billion 0.12 $728.64 million $7.99 2.34 Himalaya Technologies N/A N/A -$580,000.00 N/A N/A

Par Pacific has higher revenue and earnings than Himalaya Technologies.

Volatility and Risk

Analyst Ratings

Par Pacific has a beta of 1.99, suggesting that its share price is 99% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Himalaya Technologies has a beta of 0.78, suggesting that its share price is 22% less volatile than the S&P 500.

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Par Pacific and Himalaya Technologies, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Par Pacific 0 5 3 0 2.38 Himalaya Technologies 0 0 0 0 N/A

Par Pacific presently has a consensus target price of $33.17, suggesting a potential upside of 77.36%. Given Par Pacifics higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Par Pacific is more favorable than Himalaya Technologies.

Profitability

This table compares Par Pacific and Himalaya Technologies net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Par Pacific 5.43% 26.40% 8.51% Himalaya Technologies N/A N/A -1,764.88%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

92.2% of Par Pacific shares are held by institutional investors. 4.4% of Par Pacific shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Par Pacific beats Himalaya Technologies on 10 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Par Pacific

(Get Free Report)

Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. owns and operates energy and infrastructure businesses. The company operates through Refining, Retail, and Logistics segments. The Refining segment owns and operates refineries that produce gasoline, distillate, asphalt, and other products primarily for consumption in Kapolei, Hawaii, Newcastle, Wyoming, Tacoma, Washington, and Billings, Montana. The Retail segment operates fuel retail outlets, which sell merchandise, such as soft drinks, prepared foods, and other sundries in Hawaii under the Hele, 76, and nomnom brands; and gasoline, diesel, and retail merchandise in Washington and Idaho. The Logistics segment owns and operates terminals, pipelines, single point mooring, marine vessels, storage facilities, loading and truck racks, and rail facilities to distribute ethanol, petroleum, and refined products throughout Hawaii, the United States West Coast, Washington, the Dakotas, and Wyoming; and a jet fuel storage facility and pipeline that serves Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. It also holds interest in refined products pipeline. In addition, the company owns and operates a marine terminal, a unit train-capable rail loading terminal; a truck rack, and a proprietary pipeline that serves Joint Base Lewis McChord. The company was formerly known as Par Petroleum Corporation and changed its name to Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. in October 2015. Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

About Himalaya Technologies

(Get Free Report)

Himalaya Technologies, Inc., a development stage company, provides information services for the cannabis industry in the United States. It operates Kanab.Club, a social site for health and wellness products and services in the cannabis media market. The company was formerly known as Homeland Resources Ltd. The company was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Receive News & Ratings for Par Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Par Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Boston Properties (NYSE:BXP  Free Report) had its price objective boosted by Scotiabank from $76.00 to $82.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. Scotiabank currently has a sector outperform rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Boston Properties from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Barclays decreased their target price on Boston Properties from $66.00 to $65.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 24th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Boston Properties from $67.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, August 27th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on Boston Properties from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on Boston Properties from $76.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Boston Properties currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $73.54.

Get Boston Properties alerts:

Read Our Latest Research Report on BXP

Boston Properties Trading Up 1.8 %

BXP opened at $80.06 on Wednesday. Boston Properties has a 52 week low of $50.64 and a 52 week high of $80.58. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $70.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $64.80. The firm has a market cap of $12.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 65.62, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 4.83, a current ratio of 4.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90.

Boston Properties (NYSE:BXP  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.72 by ($1.21). The firm had revenue of $850.48 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $819.49 million. Boston Properties had a return on equity of 2.05% and a net margin of 5.01%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.86 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Boston Properties will post 7.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Boston Properties Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.90%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. Boston Propertiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 321.31%.

Insider Transactions at Boston Properties

In other news, EVP Raymond A. Ritchey sold 21,835 shares of Boston Properties stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.25, for a total transaction of $1,621,248.75. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Peter V. Otteni sold 4,785 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.44, for a total value of $351,410.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Raymond A. Ritchey sold 21,835 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.25, for a total value of $1,621,248.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.35% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Boston Properties

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BXP. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Boston Properties by 593.7% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 35,109 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,464,000 after acquiring an additional 30,048 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Boston Properties in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $93,000. Versor Investments LP purchased a new stake in Boston Properties in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $260,000. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Boston Properties in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $337,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Boston Properties by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,228,879 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $156,407,000 after purchasing an additional 22,074 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.72% of the companys stock.

About Boston Properties

(Get Free Report)

Boston Properties, Inc (NYSE: BXP) (BXP or the Company) is the largest publicly traded developer, owner, and manager of premier workplaces in the United States, concentrated in six dynamic gateway markets  Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. BXP has delivered places that power progress for our clients and communities for more than 50 years.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Boston Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boston Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Central Japan Railway (OTCMKTS:CJPRY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 34,000 shares, a decline of 36.8% from the August 15th total of 53,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 111,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Central Japan Railway Trading Down 0.8 %

Central Japan Railway stock traded down $0.09 during trading on Friday, hitting $11.70. The companys stock had a trading volume of 40,387 shares, compared to its average volume of 123,499. The stocks fifty day moving average is $11.28 and its 200 day moving average is $11.49. Central Japan Railway has a 1-year low of $9.98 and a 1-year high of $13.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.94 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 4.09 and a current ratio of 4.16.

Get Central Japan Railway alerts:

Central Japan Railway (OTCMKTS:CJPRY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Central Japan Railway will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

About Central Japan Railway

Central Japan Railway Company engages in the railway and related businesses in Japan. The company operates through Transportation, Merchandise and Other, Real Estate, and Other segments. It primarily operates Tokaido Shinkansen, a transportation artery that links metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, as well as a network of 12 conventional lines centered on the Nagoya and Shizuoka areas.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Central Japan Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Central Japan Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Visitors watch a Hubei's travel route exhibition before the celebration, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand South Island, Sept. 15, 2024. This event aims to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and sister-city ties between Hubei's capital Wuhan and Christchurch. Featuring dance, songs, instrumental ensemble, as well as acrobatics, magic show and tai-chi demonstrations, the performances attracted more than 700 people. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- An art delegation from central China's Hubei Province staged performances in New Zealand South Island city of Christchurch on Sunday to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and sister-city ties between Hubei's capital Wuhan and Christchurch.

The performances featured dance, songs, instrumental ensemble including erhu, a bowed, two-stringed Chinese vertical fiddle, as well as acrobatics, magic show and tai-chi demonstrations, and attracted more than 700 people.

Chinese Consul General in Christchurch He Ying said at the opening ceremony that the Hubei delegation brought New Zealanders a different cultural experience and artistic feast with their unique performances, fostering cultural exchanges and traditional friendship between the two cities, which forged sister-city ties in 2006.

Christchurch City Councilor Victoria Henstock said she was very excited to experience the vibrancy of Hubei's culture deeply rooted in artistic achievement and creativity.

The gala was full of powerful rhythms of traditional music and graceful dance and expressive storytelling, captivating audiences for generations, Henstock said.

Xu Yong, deputy director of the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and head of the art delegation, said Wuhan and Christchurch have established a sound and stable communication and coordination mechanism since the establishment of sister-city ties between the two cities.

The two cities have carried out cooperation in culture, tourism, the economy, trade, education and sports, Xu said.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, or the Moon Festival, is one of the most important traditional Chinese festivals, for family reunion and happiness with the full moon. 

Visitors watch a Hubei's travel route exhibition before the celebration, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand South Island, Sept. 15, 2024. This event aims to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and sister-city ties between Hubei's capital Wuhan and Christchurch. Featuring dance, songs, instrumental ensemble, as well as acrobatics, magic show and tai-chi demonstrations, the performances attracted more than 700 people. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

An actor of an art delegation from central China's Hubei Province performs at a celebration event, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand South Island, Sept. 15, 2024. This event aims to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and sister-city ties between Hubei's capital Wuhan and Christchurch. Featuring dance, songs, instrumental ensemble, as well as acrobatics, magic show and tai-chi demonstrations, the performances attracted more than 700 people. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

Actors of an art delegation from central China's Hubei Province performs at a celebration event, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand South Island, Sept. 15, 2024. This event aims to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and sister-city ties between Hubei's capital Wuhan and Christchurch. Featuring dance, songs, instrumental ensemble, as well as acrobatics, magic show and tai-chi demonstrations, the performances attracted more than 700 people. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

Actors of an art delegation from central China's Hubei Province performs at a celebration event, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand South Island, Sept. 15, 2024. This event aims to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and sister-city ties between Hubei's capital Wuhan and Christchurch. Featuring dance, songs, instrumental ensemble, as well as acrobatics, magic show and tai-chi demonstrations, the performances attracted more than 700 people. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)
China Construction Bank Co. (OTCMKTS:CICHF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 17,564,300 shares, a decline of 33.4% from the August 15th total of 26,356,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 6,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2,702.2 days.

China Construction Bank Trading Down 0.4 %

OTCMKTS:CICHF traded down $0.00 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $0.70. 547,796 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 136,799. The company has a fifty day moving average of $0.69 and a 200 day moving average of $0.68. China Construction Bank has a 12 month low of $0.53 and a 12 month high of $0.78.

Get China Construction Bank alerts:

About China Construction Bank

(Get Free Report)

Featured Stories

China Construction Bank Corporation provides various banking and related financial services to individuals and corporate customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. It operates through Corporate Finance Business, Personal Finance Business, Treasury and Asset Management Business, and Others segments.

Receive News & Ratings for China Construction Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Construction Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited (OTCMKTS:TSGTF  Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 282,600 shares, a decline of 64.0% from the August 15th total of 785,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 108.7 days.

Tsingtao Brewery Price Performance

OTCMKTS:TSGTF traded down $0.64 on Friday, reaching $4.89. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,201 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,049. Tsingtao Brewery has a 12-month low of $4.89 and a 12-month high of $8.43. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $5.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.58.

Get Tsingtao Brewery alerts:

About Tsingtao Brewery

(Get Free Report)

Featured Stories

Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, wholesale, and retail sale of beer products worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Shandong Region; South China Region; North China Region; East China Region; Southeast China Region; Hong Kong, Macau and Other Overseas Region; and Finance Company.

Receive News & Ratings for Tsingtao Brewery Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tsingtao Brewery and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com lowered shares of Synovus Financial (NYSE:SNV  Free Report) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report issued on Thursday.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on SNV. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Synovus Financial from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Synovus Financial from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of Synovus Financial from $38.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Synovus Financial from $41.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Synovus Financial from $42.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Synovus Financial currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $46.44.

Get Synovus Financial alerts:

View Our Latest Report on Synovus Financial

Synovus Financial Stock Performance

SNV opened at $44.62 on Thursday. Synovus Financial has a 12-month low of $24.40 and a 12-month high of $47.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.42 billion, a PE ratio of 15.28, a P/E/G ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 1.39. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $43.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $40.24.

Synovus Financial (NYSE:SNV  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The bank reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.96 by $0.20. Synovus Financial had a net margin of 8.40% and a return on equity of 12.76%. The company had revenue of $563.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $543.52 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.16 EPS. Synovus Financials revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Synovus Financial will post 4.05 EPS for the current year.

Synovus Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 19th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.41%. Synovus Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Synovus Financial news, EVP Thomas T. Dierdorff sold 614 shares of Synovus Financial stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.20, for a total transaction of $28,366.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 14,833 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $685,284.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Synovus Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SNV. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Synovus Financial by 56.9% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,838,693 shares of the banks stock worth $295,127,000 after acquiring an additional 2,843,488 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Synovus Financial by 9.3% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,762,983 shares of the banks stock worth $231,597,000 after acquiring an additional 491,036 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Synovus Financial during the 4th quarter worth $59,941,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Synovus Financial by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,410,088 shares of the banks stock worth $53,090,000 after acquiring an additional 53,974 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Synovus Financial by 181.0% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,302,379 shares of the banks stock worth $52,343,000 after acquiring an additional 838,932 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.85% of the companys stock.

About Synovus Financial

(Get Free Report)

Synovus Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Synovus Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking products and services. It operates through four segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Consumer Banking, and Financial Management Services. The company's commercial banking services include treasury and asset management, capital market, and institutional trust services, as well as commercial, financial, and real estate lending services.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Synovus Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Synovus Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StorageVault Canada Inc. (TSE:SVI  Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, September 13th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be paid a dividend of 0.292 per share on Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a $1.17 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 23.08%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. This is an increase from StorageVault Canadas previous quarterly dividend of $0.29.

StorageVault Canada Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of SVI stock opened at C$5.06 on Friday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is C$4.75 and its 200 day moving average price is C$4.83. The stock has a market capitalization of C$1.89 billion, a PE ratio of -63.25 and a beta of 0.88. StorageVault Canada has a 52-week low of C$3.83 and a 52-week high of C$5.50.

Get StorageVault Canada alerts:

StorageVault Canada (TSE:SVI  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported C($0.02) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$0.06 by C($0.08). StorageVault Canada had a negative return on equity of 14.77% and a negative net margin of 9.49%. The company had revenue of C$74.11 million for the quarter.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, National Bank Financial upgraded shares of StorageVault Canada from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on StorageVault Canada

About StorageVault Canada

(Get Free Report)

StorageVault Canada Inc owns, manages, and rents self-storage and portable storage space to individual and commercial customers in Canada. It operates through three segments: Self Storage, Portable Storage, and Management Division. The company manages various stores owned by third parties; and stores, shreds, and manages documents and records for customers.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for StorageVault Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for StorageVault Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA (publ) (OTCMKTS:SVCBF  Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,245,600 shares, an increase of 19.3% from the August 15th total of 6,073,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 72,456.0 days.

Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA (publ) Price Performance

Shares of Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA (publ) stock remained flat at $13.45 during trading on Friday. 22 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,123. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $13.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.12. Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA has a fifty-two week low of $12.51 and a fifty-two week high of $15.40.

Get Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA (publ) alerts:

About Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA (publ)

(Get Free Report)

Further Reading

Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA (publ), a forest products company, develops, manufactures, and sells forest, wood, pulp, and containerboard products in Sweden, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Forest, Wood, Pulp, Containerboard, and Renewable Energy.

Receive News & Ratings for Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA (publ) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA (publ) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Third Point Investors Limited (LON:TPOU  Get Free Report) shares rose 0.7% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 22.10 ($0.29) and last traded at GBX 22 ($0.29). Approximately 24,334 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 8% from the average daily volume of 26,538 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 21.85 ($0.29).

Third Point Investors Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of GBX 21.74 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 22.02. The company has a quick ratio of 20.13, a current ratio of 13.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 22.39. The firm has a market cap of 5.32 million, a P/E ratio of 41.51 and a beta of 0.55.

About Third Point Investors

(Get Free Report)

Third Point Offshore Investors Limited is a close ended feeder fund launched and managed by Third Point LLC. The fund invests its entire corpus in Third Point Offshore Fund Ltd. It seeks to benchmark the performance of its portfolio against the S&P 500 TR USD. The fund was formed on July 20, 2007 and is domiciled in Guernsey, Channel Islands.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Third Point Investors Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Third Point Investors and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Limited (OTCMKTS:VCVOF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,300 shares, a decrease of 63.9% from the August 15th total of 3,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.4 days.

VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:VCVOF remained flat at $5.94 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $6.04. VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund has a fifty-two week low of $5.20 and a fifty-two week high of $6.40.

Get VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund alerts:

About VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund

(Get Free Report)

Featured Articles

Vinacapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Ltd. operates as open-end investment fund. It operates through the following segments: Capital Markets, Operating Assets, Private Equity, and Other Assets. The company was founded on March 22, 2016 and is headquartered in St. Peter Port, the United Kingdom.

Receive News & Ratings for VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Vista Capital Partners Inc. lifted its position in shares of Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC) by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,195 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the period. Vista Capital Partners Inc.s holdings in Bank of America were worth $326,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Bank of America by 402.2% during the 1st quarter. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 683 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 547 shares during the last quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Bank of America by 839.0% during the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 723 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 646 shares during the period. Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bank of America during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new stake in shares of Bank of America during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bank of America during the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. 70.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Bank of America alerts:

Bank of America Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BAC opened at $38.65 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $40.14 and a 200-day moving average of $38.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $299.91 billion, a PE ratio of 13.37, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. Bank of America Co. has a 12 month low of $24.96 and a 12 month high of $44.44.

Bank of America ( NYSE:BAC Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $25.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $25.22 billion. Bank of America had a net margin of 13.28% and a return on equity of 10.56%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.88 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Bank of America Co. will post 3.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank of America declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, July 24th that allows the company to repurchase $25.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to purchase up to 7.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the companys board believes its stock is undervalued.

Bank of America Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th will be given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.69%. This is a boost from Bank of Americas previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio is currently 35.99%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 12,291,807 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.13, for a total transaction of $530,145,635.91. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 998,961,079 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,085,191,337.27. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 12,291,807 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.13, for a total transaction of $530,145,635.91. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 998,961,079 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,085,191,337.27. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Bernard A. Mensah sold 92,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.80, for a total transaction of $3,661,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 96,082 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,824,063.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 114,391,986 shares of company stock worth $4,719,796,383 in the last three months. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BAC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $43.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Bank of America from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $45.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler Companies raised shares of Bank of America from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $37.00 to $42.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $42.22.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on BAC

About Bank of America

(Free Report)

Bank of America Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services for individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, institutional investors, large corporations, and governments worldwide. It operates in four segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM), Global Banking, and Global Markets.

Recommended Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BAC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Bank of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Wealthspire Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW  Free Report) by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 12,079 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 230 shares during the period. Wealthspire Advisors LLCs holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $2,862,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in ITW. PEAK6 Investments LLC increased its position in Illinois Tool Works by 17.5% in the 1st quarter. PEAK6 Investments LLC now owns 942 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $253,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter worth $1,147,000. Norden Group LLC grew its position in Illinois Tool Works by 1,889.1% in the 1st quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 26,475 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $7,103,000 after purchasing an additional 25,144 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 6.0% during the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 213,106 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $55,821,000 after purchasing an additional 12,065 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in Illinois Tool Works by 78.3% during the first quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 36,921 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $9,907,000 after buying an additional 16,216 shares during the last quarter. 79.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get Illinois Tool Works alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on ITW shares. Argus upgraded shares of Illinois Tool Works to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. StockNews.com raised Illinois Tool Works from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $283.00 to $281.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $230.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $268.00 to $260.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $250.22.

Illinois Tool Works Stock Performance

NYSE ITW opened at $251.75 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $74.74 billion, a PE ratio of 24.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.93 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 1.30. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 52-week low of $217.50 and a 52-week high of $271.15. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $244.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $248.41.

Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.45 by $0.09. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 19.15% and a return on equity of 99.74%. The company had revenue of $4.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.08 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.41 EPS. Illinois Tool Workss quarterly revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 10.18 EPS for the current year.

Illinois Tool Works Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. This is an increase from Illinois Tool Workss previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.38%. Illinois Tool Workss dividend payout ratio is presently 55.23%.

Illinois Tool Works Profile

(Free Report)

Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment in the United States and internationally. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products.

Recommended Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ITW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Illinois Tool Works Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Illinois Tool Works and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Wedbush reiterated their outperform rating on shares of Nuvation Bio (NYSE:NUVB  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $5.00 price target on the stock.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the company. HC Wainwright reissued a buy rating and issued a $8.00 price target on shares of Nuvation Bio in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $5.00 target price on shares of Nuvation Bio in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Nuvation Bio has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $6.60.

Get Nuvation Bio alerts:

View Our Latest Report on Nuvation Bio

Nuvation Bio Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NUVB opened at $3.05 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $760.18 million, a PE ratio of -9.84 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $3.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.98. Nuvation Bio has a 12 month low of $0.95 and a 12 month high of $4.16.

Nuvation Bio (NYSE:NUVB  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.15) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $1.44 million during the quarter. On average, analysts anticipate that Nuvation Bio will post -0.33 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Nuvation Bio

In other Nuvation Bio news, Director Xiangmin Cui bought 336,874 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 24th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $2.98 per share, with a total value of $1,003,884.52. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,175,236 shares in the company, valued at $6,482,203.28. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 36.09% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Nuvation Bio

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Nuvation Bio during the second quarter worth about $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Nuvation Bio by 913.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,095 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Nuvation Bio during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Xponance Inc. purchased a new position in Nuvation Bio in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Caxton Associates LP acquired a new stake in Nuvation Bio in the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 61.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Nuvation Bio

(Get Free Report)

Nuvation Bio Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development of therapeutic candidates for oncology. The company's lead product candidate is NUV-868, a BD2 selective oral small molecule BET inhibitor that epigenetically regulates proteins that control tumor growth and differentiation, including oncogenes comprising c-myc; NUV-1156, an AR binder Xtandi that address advanced stage prostate cancers with the potential to move into earlier lines typically treated with surgical prostatectomy; and drug-drug conjugate (DDC) platform which leverages a novel therapeutic approach within the drug-conjugate class of anti-cancer therapies to deliver anti-cancer therapeutics to cancer cells, as well as NUV-1176, a PARP inhibitor to address ER+ breast and ovarian cancer.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Nuvation Bio Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuvation Bio and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
"My wild dream is to see a bullet train moving from China to Africa."

"I hope we will be one big family, one community!"

Join Sandra, an Egyptian reporter for Xinhua, for more interesting answers, as she talks with people in Beijing about China-Africa friendship.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Paramount Group (NYSE:PGRE  Free Report) had its target price hoisted by Wells Fargo & Company from $3.50 to $4.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an underweight rating on the financial services providers stock.

Paramount Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PGRE opened at $5.05 on Wednesday. Paramount Group has a 1 year low of $4.06 and a 1 year high of $5.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.24 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 4.39 and a quick ratio of 4.39. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $4.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.74.

Get Paramount Group alerts:

Institutional Trading of Paramount Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PGRE. Algert Global LLC increased its position in Paramount Group by 7.6% during the 2nd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 320,253 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,483,000 after purchasing an additional 22,738 shares in the last quarter. Long Pond Capital LP grew its stake in shares of Paramount Group by 131.4% during the second quarter. Long Pond Capital LP now owns 7,501,361 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $34,731,000 after buying an additional 4,259,635 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in shares of Paramount Group by 4.4% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 99,156 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $459,000 after buying an additional 4,197 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Paramount Group by 4,007.2% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 953,947 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,417,000 after acquiring an additional 930,721 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Paramount Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $200,000. 65.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Paramount Group Company Profile

Paramount Group, Inc ("Paramount" or the "Company") is a fully-integrated real estate investment trust that owns, operates, manages, acquires and redevelops high-quality, Class A office properties located in select central business district submarkets of New York and San Francisco.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Paramount Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Paramount Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new position in shares of Envista Holdings Co. (NYSE:NVST  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 422,072 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,019,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd owned about 0.25% of Envista as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in Envista by 1,420.3% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,147 shares of the companys stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 2,940 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in Envista by 538.0% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 3,209 shares of the companys stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 2,706 shares during the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Envista during the 2nd quarter worth $78,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Envista during the 2nd quarter worth $85,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Envista by 85.9% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 5,345 shares of the companys stock worth $89,000 after acquiring an additional 2,470 shares during the period.

Get Envista alerts:

Insider Buying and Selling at Envista

In related news, CFO Eric D. Hammes acquired 24,532 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $16.33 per share, with a total value of $400,607.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 24,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $400,607.56. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Envista from $20.00 to $18.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Bank of America reduced their price target on Envista from $22.00 to $19.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a hold rating on shares of Envista in a report on Thursday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Envista from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $23.00 to $16.00 in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price target on Envista from $19.00 to $18.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $19.14.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Envista

Envista Stock Performance

NYSE NVST opened at $19.41 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $3.34 billion, a P/E ratio of -26.96 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 2.22 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $17.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.55. Envista Holdings Co. has a 1-year low of $15.15 and a 1-year high of $29.80.

Envista (NYSE:NVST  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.11 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.27 by ($0.16). The firm had revenue of $633.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $646.88 million. Envista had a negative net margin of 52.25% and a positive return on equity of 4.86%. The businesss revenue was down 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.43 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Envista Holdings Co. will post 0.69 EPS for the current year.

Envista Company Profile

(Free Report)

Envista Holdings Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells dental products in the United States, China, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Specialty Products & Technologies, and Equipment & Consumables. The Specialty Products & Technologies segment offers dental implant systems, guided surgery systems, biomaterials, and prefabricated and custom-built prosthetics to oral surgeons, prosthodontists and periodontists, and general dentist; and brackets and wires, tubes and bands, archwires, clear aligners, digital orthodontic treatments, retainers, and other orthodontic laboratory products.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Envista Holdings Co. (NYSE:NVST  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Envista Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Envista and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Zhihu Inc. (NYSE:ZH  Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,570,000 shares, a drop of 20.7% from the August 15th total of 1,980,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 316,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.0 days. Approximately 1.7% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Zhihu

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ZH. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Zhihu during the 1st quarter worth about $7,158,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund acquired a new position in shares of Zhihu during the 1st quarter worth about $1,435,000. Matthews International Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Zhihu by 5.7% during the 1st quarter. Matthews International Capital Management LLC now owns 32,571,129 shares of the companys stock worth $22,275,000 after buying an additional 1,753,312 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Zhihu during the 2nd quarter worth about $740,000. Finally, Nomura Holdings Inc. grew its position in shares of Zhihu by 17.6% during the 4th quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 450,000 shares of the companys stock worth $421,000 after buying an additional 67,200 shares during the period. 28.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Zhihu alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Citigroup lowered their price objective on Zhihu from $8.40 to $5.40 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 13th.

Zhihu Stock Performance

ZH stock remained flat at $3.30 during midday trading on Friday. The company had a trading volume of 81,081 shares, compared to its average volume of 191,551. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $3.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3.61. The company has a market capitalization of $338.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.89 and a beta of 0.16. Zhihu has a 1 year low of $2.55 and a 1 year high of $6.84.

Zhihu (NYSE:ZH  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 22nd. The company reported ($0.12) EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $128.50 million during the quarter. Zhihu had a negative return on equity of 13.51% and a negative net margin of 15.49%.

Zhihu Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Zhihu Inc operates an online content community in the Peoples Republic of China. Its community allows people to seek inspiration, find solutions, make decisions, and have fun. The company offers technology, business support, and consulting services; information transmission, software, and information technology services.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Zhihu Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Zhihu and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Assembly polls likely in the second week of Nov, seat sharing to finalised in next 10 days: Eknath Shinde
Sajitha Madathil: I thought only young women got inappropriate requests in the film industry until it happened to me
You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user.

OK
Follow us on:

Arvind Kejriwal to resign as Delhi chief minister in two days
A total of 114 Mongolian patients have regained their sight recently thanks to free cataract surgery in China.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
'Why not today': BJP's first reaction on Kejriwal's decision to step down as CM in two days
September 15, 2024 / 18:05 IST

Kerala Health Minister Veena George says "One death due to Nipah infection has been confirmed in Malappuram. A 24-year-old man who died in a private hospital has been confirmed Nipah virus infection. This was suspected in the death investigation conducted by a local medical officer after the youth died. Samples were collected from the private hospital and sent for testing at Kozhikode Medical College. The results were positive. That time itself, a meeting was held and 16 committees were formed as per state protocol. Contact tracing has been started. The deceased was a student in Bengaluru. We are trying to identify the friends, family members and the places he visited. As of now, 151 persons are on the primary contact list and 5 persons have symptoms of fever."
Follow us on:

Declined oppositions offer for PM candidacy ahead of LS polls; my ideology, party come first: Nitin Gadkari
Follow us on:

Doctor beaten up, threatened at private hospital in Gujarat; three held
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

Hindi has unbreakable relationship with every Indian language: Amit Shah
Follow us on:

India likely to finalise $3.9 billion deal for 31 MQ-9B predator drones with US: Report
This photo shows the ornament with hand-written calligraphy of Chinese poems about the moon for the Mid-Autumn Festival. (Photo provided by Jin Jin/Handout via Xinhuanet)

By Liu He

BEIJING, September 15 (Xinhuanet) -- "Though miles apart, we'll share the beauty the moon displays," Chinese calligraphy tutor Jin Jin taught her students to write this ancient poetic line on an ornament as the Mid-autumn Festival approaches.

The charm of ancient Chinese festivals has inspired cultural product design and drawn more people to appreciate the essence of traditional culture through these products.

"On traditional festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival, I often guide my students in creating cultural products and learning the relevant stories behind them," said Jin, who organized several Mid-Autumn Festival-themed activities and redecorated her class to suit the theme recently.

The Mid-Autumn Festival in China is a festival in honor of the moon and harvest, as well as an occasion for family and friend reunions to eat mooncakes and appreciate the moon.

As the festival draws near, major museums have launched promotion schemes for moon cake-themed products and achieved impressive sales figures.

The cultural and creative product studio of the Palace Museum, for instance, has sold more than 10,000 copies of the moon cake-shaped ornaments so far in its Taobao flagship store.

The design of these ornaments combines innovation and cultural meaning. As the cover of one "moon cake" is lifted, there lies a cute rabbit inside, representing the jade rabbit, the pet of the Moon Goddess in ancient Chinese myths.

Cultural elements related to autumn have also inspired product design and boosted sales.

With the summer heat cooling down, osmanthus is about to blossom. As one of the most beloved autumn flowers in China, it has become a common decorative element in cultural products.

A clothing and craft production company in east China's Suzhou integrates the knot button technique, an intangible cultural heritage of China, with osmanthus, to create unique handicrafts.

This photo shows the osmanthus handicraft made with the knot button technique. (Photo provided by Zhu Dongyuan/Handout via Xinhuanet)

"Market response to this product is quite good, and many people showed their affection on social media. Cultural meaning surely adds up its value when it's given as a gift," said Zhu Dongyua, a promotion specialist of the company.

The increasing sales highlight the lasting appeal of traditional Chinese festivals, providing culture enthusiasts with fresh opportunities to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival traditions and seek their cultural roots.

After finishing the cultural products with calligraphy, Jin would tell her students the meaning of the ancient poems and the best wishes for reunion behind them.

Traditional culture resonates across time and space, Jin said.

This photo shows a person writing calligraphy on a pendant to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival. (Photo provided by Jin Jin/Handout via Xinhuanet)
Follow us on:

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Why CBI has arrested Sandip Ghosh and is seeking his custody
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

Meet two Indian Navy women officers set to embark on Sagar Parikrama
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

Mumbai Airport Chaos: IndiGo fliers to Doha stranded for hours, passengers complain of poor communication
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

Old Parliament building set for drainage revamp after monsoon waterlogging incident: Report
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

PM Modi flags off six Vande Bharat trains at Jharkhand's Tatanagar
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

Indian army traps three suspected LeT terrorists in J&K's Poonch; encounter underway
SANAA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a missile attack on central Israel, according to a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

"To support the Palestinian people and Hamas, we carried out a qualitative military operation through which we targeted a military target of the Israeli enemy in the Jaffa area," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement.

"The operation was carried out with a new hypersonic ballistic missile that succeeded in reaching its target, and the enemy's defenses failed to intercept it," he said, adding that this type of missile could evade aerial shield systems on land and sea.

The group vowed to launch more such strikes on Israel, as the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, is marking its first anniversary, said the spokesman, noting that coming attacks are also in retaliation for an earlier Israeli attack on the Yemeni city of Hodeidah.

Earlier in the day, Israeli media outlets reported that a missile hit the center of Israel and that the Israeli authorities are investigating the performance of the Israeli advanced aerial shield.

On July, 20, Israel launched airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, destroying its fuel storage tanks. The strikes occurred a day after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a building in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding several others, according to Israeli media.

Since November last year, the Houthis have been launching missiles and drone attacks targeting what the Houthis said were "Israeli-linked" ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as targets in Israel, to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 
Follow us on:

Will AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita be the next Chief Minister of Delhi?
Best cities to find a job in the US
Follow us on:

British PM urged to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles: Report
Follow us on:

US to discuss war strategy with Zelenskiy, prepare support package this month
This photo taken on Sept. 10, 2024 shows the construction site of the Vucevica road project undertaken by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in Split, Croatia. (Xinhua/Li Xuejun)

SPLIT, Croatia, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- For Croatian civil engineer Selma Knudsen, returning to work with her Chinese colleagues at the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in Split, the second-largest city in Croatia, felt less like a career move and more like coming home.

"They're really like family to me," she said in a recent interview, reflecting on her deep connection with the team. After working on the iconic Peljesac Bridge project, Knudsen took a new job in Zagreb. But when the CRBC began another major project near her hometown, she didn't hesitate to return.

"I never questioned if I would come back," Knudsen said. "It was just a matter of when. Working with the CRBC team feels like home, and I knew I had to be part of it again."

Knudsen first joined CRBC as a commercial coordinator in 2018, leaving her job in Norway to work on the Peljesac Bridge, a project that held special meaning for her. It fulfilled her late father's wish for her to contribute to a major infrastructure project in her home country. For four years, she thrived in that role, forging close bonds with her Chinese colleagues, who, she says, were always kind, helpful, and ready to collaborate.

When the Peljesac Bridge was completed in July 2022, Knudsen moved on to a new job in Zagreb. But when CRBC secured the contract to build a 6.85-kilometer road section in Split, including a 2.5-kilometer tunnel and multiple viaducts and overpasses, she quickly made up her mind to rejoin the team. "If the CRBC had another project right after Peljesac, I would have never left," she said.

The decision wasn't without sacrifices. Moving from Zagreb meant leaving behind her apartment and taking a pay cut. In Split, she's staying at a friend's house, but for Knudsen, the personal rewards far outweigh the financial ones. "I'm driven by emotions," she admitted. "I need to have fun at work and feel valued for what I do. That's what I get here."

Knudsen speaks fondly of the work culture at CRBC, emphasizing the sense of unity and teamwork. "We solve problems together. You never feel like you're struggling on your own," she said. This collaborative approach, combined with CRBC's efficient work ethic, gives her confidence that the Vucevica road project will be completed on time in 2026, just as the Peljesac Bridge was.

The significance of the project extends beyond the job itself. Once completed, the new road will shorten travel time, improve traffic safety, and boost economic development in Split-Dalmatia County. Knudsen is proud to be part of something that will have such a lasting impact on her community.

Looking back, Knudsen feels certain she made the right choice to return. "Every day I go to work, it's like meeting up with friends," she said, her voice warm with affection. "I know this is where I'm meant to be."

For her, the CRBC is more than just a company - it's a second family. And working with them isn't just about building roads and bridges, but also lasting connections. 
Reporter

Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post.
U.S. Congresswoman Uifaatali Amata chairs an oversight hearing of the House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs.
BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Leading companies shared their experiences of investing in intellectual property (IP) to foster innovative development during the 13th Annual China Intellectual Property (IP) Conference that concluded Saturday in Beijing.

Fan Zhiyong, vice president of China's telecommunications giant Huawei, said the company has over 140,000 granted patents worldwide due to its dedication to research and development.

In 2023, Huawei invested approximately 23.4 percent of its revenue into R&D, which amounts to 164.7 billion yuan (22.9 billion U.S. dollars); and over the past decade, it has accumulated over 1 trillion yuan in R&D spending, Fan said.

Apart from making investments, Fan said Huawei also placed great emphasis on patent quality. One of the company's approaches is to establish panels consisting of retired judges, R&D personnel and IP experts to evaluate the quality of patents before submitting applications.

Similar to Huawei, Beijing NAURA Microelectronics Equipment Co., Ltd., a leading semiconductor equipment maker, has also maintained an R&D intensity of over 20 percent annually. It has accumulated approximately 8,500 patent applications since its establishment in 2004. According to the company's vice president of compliance Song Qiaoli, while this quantity may not be considered substantial for a technology enterprise with a 20-year history, the company's focus has always been on prioritizing quality over quantity.

The battery manufacturer CATL is a leading enterprise that has made substantial investments in power battery innovation. According to the company's chief IP officer Sun Mingyan, CATL recognized the crucial role of IP in ensuring fair compensation for innovators and preventing market degradation caused by low-price competition.

CATL's success is indeed riding the wave of this thriving industry. China has achieved an average annual growth rate of 20.8 percent in solid-state battery patent applications over the past five years, ranking first globally.

IP is also key to the globalization of China's automobile industry, said Zheng Changjiang, general manager of Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. Focusing on intelligent vehicles, the major Chinese carmaker said it will invest 10 billion U.S. dollars in overseas markets by 2030.

Zheng called for enhanced national guidance on overseas IP disputes, especially in emerging industries like intelligent vehicles. The entrepreneur suggested establishing support mechanisms and increasing patent review resources for companies to strengthen IP protection.

China has taken measures to assist domestic enterprises in resolving IP disputes overseas. The China National Intellectual Property Administration, the country's top IP regulator, has intensified efforts on training and expert guidance for Chinese enterprises in safeguarding their IP rights abroad.

Other moves included the release of monitoring reports to help enterprises stay aware of relevant risks, and the establishment of information service platforms to offer enterprises comprehensive guidelines on IP protection in major countries. 
A legal bombshell has been dropped on Zimbabwes largest opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), with the partys secretary-general, Sengezo Tshabangu, poised to seize complete control.

This comes after a legal opinion by Ncube Attorneys declared that the terms of office of all CCC office bearers elected at the 2019 Gweru congress expired in May this year,

The legal advice, dated August 12, 2024, states that any office bearer elected in May 2019 who is still in office is doing so unlawfully. This means that only Tshabangu, who was not part of the 2019 processes, will legally retain his position as interim secretary-general, The Standard has reported.

The legal opinion throws the CCC into further turmoil, following the resignation of party leader Nelson Chamisa earlier this year. Chamisa stepped down after Tshabangu declared himself secretary-general, leading to a power struggle and the recall of elected parliamentarians, senators, and councillors.

In the wake of Chamisas resignation, Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti, and Lynnette Karenyi Kore were appointed acting presidents in February, with the party reverting to its 2019 structures. However, Biti has since taken a sabbatical from politics.

Tshabangus lawyers argue that the appointment of Ncube as acting president was also illegal, as it was made by the national standing committee, not the national council, which is the body mandated by the partys constitution to make such appointments.

It is a matter of the public record that meetings said to have been of the national standing committee were held on January 24, 2024, January 28 and on January 29, 2024 in the wake of the sudden resignation of Mr Nelson Chamisa on January 24, 2024, and that subsequently, another meeting was held on February 17, 2024, in which Professor Welshman Ncube was said to have been appointed as the acting president, the legal advice states.

In our opinion, it is the partys national council, not the national standing committee which should have made the decisions announced by the national standing committee on February 17, 2024. This is because, in terms of the constitution of the party, the national standing committee does not have the power to appoint an acting president.

The legal advice also highlights the failure of Ncube and others to organise a congress as a serious violation of the partys constitution.

You are the interim secretary general not on the basis of the Gweru congress resolutions, or the results of the elections held on May 25, 2019 at the Gweru congress, but on the basis of the decisions recommended by the national executive council on January 21, 2022, and approved by the national council on January 22, 2022, the lawyers stated.

These decisions were abandoned not only by Chamisa but also by virtually all members of the current national standing committee leadership that was absent between 22 January and 24 January 2024. In our considered opinion, only your office and position as CCC interim secretary general remain with a valid legal basis

Tshabangus lawyers have advised him to establish a five-member technical team to review the situation and recommend a way forward, including the possibility of a congress.

The legal opinion has further wrecked havoc in CCC, with the partys deputy spokesperson, Descent Bajila, stating he was unaware of the development and required time to verify the information. Tshabangus lawyer, Nqobani Sithole, declined to comment, citing client-lawyer confidentiality.

The CCCs internal strife comes at a time when the party has received US$1.6 million from the government under the Political Parties Finances Act. The Act provides funding to parties that secure at least 5% of the vote in elections.

The government disbursed ZiG47,883,500 to Zanu PF and ZiG22,116,500 to CCC, equivalent to US$1.6 million at the current official exchange rate.

The legal opinion has raised questions about the future of the CCC, with some observers suggesting that the party may be headed for further fragmentation. The partys leadership under Welshman Ncube will need to act swiftly to address the legal challenges and restore stability within the party.  The Standard.

Breaking News via Email

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
SYDNEY, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Two people died and one was seriously injured after an SUV crashed into a creek near the border of Australia's states of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland on early Sunday, local police said.

NSW police said in a report that emergency services were called to Carwal Creek Bridge, south of Mungindi, after 1:15 a.m. local time on Sunday after an SUV crashed down an embankment and landed in the creek becoming submerged and trapping three people.

A 23-year-old woman was helped out of the vehicle and was airlifted to hospital in serious but stable condition.

The bodies of two others, a man and a woman, were recovered from the submerged vehicle at noon. They were both in their 20s but yet to be formally identified. 
Beitbridge  A 35-year-old man from Dilubadzimu high-density suburb in beitbridge has been sentenced to seven years in prison for the attempted murder of his ex-wife.

The incident left the victim with a life-threatening stomach wound occurred on the 27th of August 2024.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) detailed the horrific events in a statement on X. It was revealed that the accused was driven by a fit of rage when he stormed into his ex-wifes residence, barged into her room, and locked the door.

The accused person told the complainant that he had come to kill her. He removed his jacket and pulled an okapi knife from his waist and tried to stab the complainant who grabbed the knife with both hands, the NPAZ statement read.

A desperate struggle ensued, with the victim desperately trying to defend herself against the relentless attack. The accused, however, overpowered her, inflicting several deep cuts on both her hands.

The complainant screamed for help before the accused person stabbed her once in the stomach, leaving her intestines protruding, the NPAZ statement continued.

The victims cries for help were heard by a fellow tenant, who rushed to the room. The victim, weakened and in excruciating pain, managed to unlock the door, allowing the tenant to enter. The accused, seeing his chance, fled the scene.

The tenant who witnessed the horrific scene immediately took the victim to Beitbridge District Hospital. The severity of her injuries, however, necessitated her transfer to Gwanda Provincial Hospital for further treatment.

The accused was apprehended following a police report and was subsequently brought to justice. After considering the evidence and the gravity of the crime, the court handed down the seven-year prison sentence.

The NPAZ, in its statement, emphasized the commitment of the justice system to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

The NPAZ is committed to ensuring that all perpetrators of gender-based violence are brought to justice. We urge all victims of abuse to report such incidents to the police or any other relevant authorities, the statement read.

Breaking News via Email

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 936 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, PayPal, Clover, or Wise. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year, and our current goal, expanding our reach.

Homing pigeon missiles, dead trout swimming, butt breathing honored with Ig Nobel Prize The Register

Online Dating Caused a Rise in US Income Inequality, Research Paper Shows Bloomberg

Empty Downtowns Are Still Depleting Local Coffers Governing

World Bank, Puppet Hanging by a Thread Pluralia

Feeling Gravitys Pull Nautilus

Climate/Environment

Pandemics

Centre sets up surveillance as undiagnosed fever claims 15 lives in Kutch Business Standard

After 15-year old son, 42-year-old fathers is the 17th death due to Kutch mystery fever Indian Express https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/kutch-mystery-fever-17th-death-9563332/

China?

European Disunion

Politically Dead Man Talking Tarik Cyril Amar, The Ninth Wave. Olaf Scholz.

Syraqistan

Old Blighty

RAF SPY FLIGHTS OVER GAZA RISK COMPLICITY IN ISRAELI TORTURE Declassified UK

O Canada

Ottawa-based company is key to keeping Israeli warplanes bombing Gaza The Breach

New Not-So-Cold War

South of the Border

Spook Country

Biden Administration

Antitrust

Trump

Sen. Josh Hawley: Whistleblower Says Lead Secret Service Agent On Day Trump Was Shot Was Promoted After Failing Key Exam Real Clear Politics

Kamala

2024

Democrats en deshabille

Guys, its not that big of a deal. A lot of lawyers quit their jobs late on a Saturday night after the FBI seizes the phones of their coworkers. https://t.co/Y7GMZ5v23P  Sandy Nurse (@SandyforCouncil) September 15, 2024

Imperial Collapse Watch

Boeing

As Boeing Cracks, Is It Capitalism or Kafka? Dollars and Sense

Immigration

How AI images of cats and ducks powered the pet-eating rumor mill in Springfield, Ohio NBC News Nebraska Evolving Flatwater Free Press. The perception is that Nebraskas smaller communities are dying. The reality is that many rural Nebraska counties are now growing for one reason. Immigration.

Police State Watch

The Public Defender Who Just Won Power Over Confirming Massachusetts Judges Bolts

Our Famously Free Press

New York Times Previous Reporting Undermines Its War Escalation Journalism Lee Fang

Digital Watch

Intel cleared to get $3.5 billion to make advanced chips for Pentagon  Secure Enclave program ushers leading-edge CPUs to the military Toms Hardware

EU OKs $1.9B aid for Intel Polish plant, assuming x86 giant doesnt end up cutting it The Register

Supply Chain

AI

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour (via):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 934 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, PayPal, Clover, or Wise. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year, and our current goal, expanding our reach.

The situation in Europe is getting so bad on so many different levels, the Brussels crowd had to bring in Super Mario Draghi to save the day  or at least write a report telling them what to do.

Draghi has spent time at Goldman Sachs, the European Central Bank (ECB) during the sovereign debt crisis, and as unelected prime minister of Italy during the early days of the Covid pandemic and runup to Project Ukraine. Depending on where you sit, he could be an odd choice to chart a path forward; while Draghi knows his way around a crisis control center, hes also plenty experienced at creating them.

He was one of the chief architects of the EUs disastrous economic war against Russia and hes always been a grim reaper for working class citizens of his native country of Italy. No wonder that for months the neoliberal, war-loving spreadsheet crowd in Brussels has eagerly awaited the report as if it is manna from heaven that will help deliver them from the corner they have backed themselves into.

Curiously, his report was delayed by months, which only increased the anticipation, and it finally dropped last week, conveniently timed at another crisis point. Project Ukraine is quickly unraveling and pressure is coming from all directions for Berlin to give the go ahead for joint EU debt in order to make the EU competitive again and buy a bunch of weapons to do something (nobody is too sure of what exactly) about Russia. Indeed, Draghis report doesnt say, nor does it ever consider making nice with Moscow.

Thats because the report, EU Competitiveness: Looking Ahead is a political document more than economic one intended to not only give cover to the blocs disastrous Russia policies, but continue to double down. And it is already being used as more ammunition for those in the Baltics, Poland, the media, US-funded think tanks in Europe, and more who are calling on Germany to support debt for an extended Cold War. Specifically, they wanted Super Mario to tell them how to get out of the predicament of their own making without changing course on Russia and a host of other issues, and Draghi delivered  as long as you dont let reality get in the way. His answer? More money. Lots of it.

He calls for massive infusions of cash into multiple sectors: green, tech, energy, and of course defense. According to Draghi, the price tag is a minimum of 800 billion euros annually until 2030.

Asked if his message was implement your report, or die? he replied that Its Do this, or its a slow agony.

The EU certainly needs an economic plan, but Draghis report never questions whether ongoing belligerence toward Moscow (and loss of pipeline Russian gas) is in the blocs best interest and it never mentions Brussels obsession with austerity, which is once again being forced on member countries. From a purely economic standpoint, the report is trash economics that reads like something out of the late-stage USSR, according to economist Philip Pilkington.

But it does plug nicely into the political economy of todays EU, which is being subsumed under Washington and NATO. It is engaged in open economic war and an proxy war in Ukraine against Russia, both of which have hurt working class citizens across the bloc. The austerity-obsessed EU is once again forcing its member states to enact austerity budgets. Draghis report was requested by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is working to amass more power to her mostly unaccountable throne, and is one of many voices calling for a defense union and militarization and the ability to borrow and potentially levy taxes to pay for those debts.

So while Draghis report is ostensibly about across-the-board bloc competitiveness (theres plenty on weakening antitrust, for example), Russia still dominates the conversation in the halls of power. Von der Leyen wants to create an air shield against Russia. The EUs new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is proposing a 100 billion (to start) eurobond issue to pay for more weapons to be used against Russia.

And Poland, one of the biggest backers of the war against Russia, might also be getting additional input over a whole lot of EU money. Piotr Serafin, a Tusk confidant and Polands European commissioner in Brussels, looks likely to be in charge of the EU Commission budget portfolio, one of the most powerful positions as the bloc is set to sort out its seven-year spending plans.

What these people do with a blank check in the name of competitiveness?

The very same week Draghis report came down, so did another from Nicole Koenig, head of policy for the Munich Security Conference, commonly referred to as Davos with guns. It is set to welcome in current NATO figurehead Jens Stoltenberg as its new chairman next year, and Koenig endorses the idea of a debt-based fund to fuel weapons purchases as part of a European defense union.

Despite all the buildup to Draghis report and it being accompanied by similar calls from the Munich Security Conference and every American plutocrat-funded think tank, the immediate response out of Germany was mostly nein.

Germanys Finance Minister Christian Lindner said plainly that Germany will not agree to this.

Lindner is part of the three party ruling coalition that would be unable to garner 33 percent of the vote if elections were held tomorrow. His fiscally conservative Free Democratic Party currently polls around 3-4 percent  not even enough to get them seats in the next Bundestag.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and current odd-on favorite to be the next chancellor of Germany, said the following: I want to say this very clearly, now and in the future, I will do everything I can to prevent this European Union from spiraling into debt.

The CDU currently polls around 31-33 percent nationally. The insurgent party on the left and right, the Alternative for Germany (17-19 percent) is anti-EU and would never support joint borrowing. I havent seen a position from the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (7-10 percent), but would imagine its hyperfocus on German working class issues means it is also not in favor.

Robert Habeck, leader of the war mongering Greens (10-12 percent), is in support.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz is remaining silent on the issue, omitting any mention of it from his Wednesday speech to the Bundestag. While he has in the past made his opposition known, its worth knowing if his thinking has changed as it did repeatedly for nearly every step of escalation in Ukraine. Scholzs government enjoys record unpopularity, and his Social Democratic Party is being decimated  in the European elections they were embarrassed, in recent state elections they were thrashed, and in national polling they have fallen from 26 percent of the vote in the 2021 election to 14 percent currently.

So yeah, the timing for Berlin to deal with such major European funding requests is not ideal. From another point of view, though, maybe theres no better time to take advantage of the chaos and get the green light from the lame duck government in Berlin. There are once again rumblings that Scholz should step aside and clear the way for his pugnacious defense minister Boris Pistorius who has been pounding the table for endless military spending ever since he was plucked from the obscure position as the Saxony State Minister of the Interior and Sports.

Any attempt to enact a joint borrowing scheme would require unanimity from the European Council, which is composed of all the blocs heads of state, but there is a belief that if Germany goes along others like the Netherlands can be persuaded.

Germany is dealing with its biggest political upheaval since World War II, its deindustrializing, and its in a recession largely caused by structural problems and its own missteps. Standards of living are declining following years of record immigration, and its all combining to produce the most unpopular government in modern German history.

Despite all Germanys problems, it is still the most powerful economy in Europe that drives the bloc, and any major EU changes must run through Berlin.

And everyone is pressing now.

Poland and the Baltics are haranguing for more. Southern Europe is on board. Countries like Italy and France have supported joint borrowing for years.

US-funded think tanks stateside and in Europe, which really act as plutocrat-funded shadow governments, are pumping out piece after piece about how Europe (Germany) must use joint debt to fund defense.

Heres yet another recently-released report from the Council on Foreign Relations, From the Ukraine Conflict to a Secure Europe. It argues like so many others that the EU, as an auxiliary to NATO, must take the lead role in ensuring that Russia is bordered by unfriendly states:

A European pillar based on the EU would go a long way toward easing if not eliminating the continuing tension between NATO and the EU in the field of security. For all practical purposes, the EU would become a member of the alliance, and cooperation between the two entities should be seamless. Non-NATO EU members would thus enjoy an implicit Article 5 security guarantee, which would be extended to new members as the EU expanded to include non-NATO allies in the Balkans and the former Soviet space.

Unfortunately for Germany and the EU, that will also include propping up whatever is left of Ukraine and probably making sure its bondholders are made whole while still finding spare change to bring Armenia, Moldova, Georgia, and who knows, Kazakhstan(?) on board as well. How to pay for all the color revolution efforts, bribes, military hardware, state aid, and everything else required by the EUs now-openly subservient role to US imperial ambitions? The CFR piece cites Macrons big April speech at the Sorbonne as a blueprint, which of course requires common EU debt.

Yet Germany remains opposed.

The country is dealing with its own budget woes and is cutting almost everywhere except on the military. It has a constitutionally-enshrined cap on spending, known as the debt brake, which it tried to sneak around last year, but a court struck it down. And Berlin is even cutting contributions to the EU rather than looking to back bloc-wide debt.

At issue is how EU debt would be repaid. It would either be done through the creation of new EU budget resources, such as taxes levied by the bloc, or through an increase in member states contributions to the budget.

Following the release of Draghis report, German bond yields rose as investors placed bets on more spending and, therefore, more rate hikes. As I understand it, it would also make the currency stronger since the debt would be safer, and that would be about the final nail in the coffin of the German model as a stronger euro would be another strike against Germanys export-oriented industry  or whatever is left of it.

At the same time that German yields rose, however, Italys borrowing costs fell. Thats because if the EU and its AAA rating covered the debt of poorer member states or borrowed directly to cover member states energy crisis needs and more military spending, countries like Italy would have an easier go of it.

Italy currently pays a little under five percent on its 10-year debt, while the EU pays just over three percent. Thats why countries across the EU south, which face higher borrowing costs, are in favor of EU-wide bonds. Countries like Italy in southern Europe have faced decades of privatizations, budget cuts, and wage suppression in efforts to appease the market gods all to no avail.

How fitting that it would be that joint debt might finally get the go-ahead, not to improve the lives of citizens, but to spend hundreds of billions on a bunch of weapons that will leave them bankrupt and still outclassed by Russian firepower and manpower. Maybe theres some hope for some military Keynesianism militarism effect, but at least to start with, it will likely be funding overpriced and ineffective American weapons.

One can read in Draghis plan or Macrons Sorbonne speech about their concerns for the working man, European families, as well as the climate, and should a plan for joint debt go through there will no doubt be efforts to spin it that way (there already are) but its not hard to see where the priorities lie.

The release of his report comes at the same time that the EU is pushing more austerity on its members states. Brussels is then turning around and using those artificial budget shortages as a reason to borrow at the EU level to cover military expenses.

Bloomberg reported back in March that EU officials and investors are using the fiscal rules to push for an EU-wide bond program that would bring investors bigtime profits while allowing the bloc to ramp up military spending without individual nations incurring more debt. See? Win-win, except for the vast majority of Europeans who work for a living and will continue to see social services crumble while life gets more expensive.

This is not a plan to save Europe. It is part of the ongoing effort to recreate Europe as a neoliberal paradise for the financial sector and an anti-Russian servant to Washington.

No hundreds of billions in weapons purchases and streamlining will make a difference in Ukraine or in some hypothetical war agaisnt Russia, but it does take advantage of the self-inflicted crisis to shift more power to Brussels, reward investors, and punish workers holding back productivity. The report laments how the US is so much more successful in the realms of private equity and venture capital, and has such higher productivity in sectors like healthcare. Yes, who wouldnt want to emulate the US healthcare system? Maybe all the military hardware will be useful in disciplining the local population in the name of competetiveness, however:

We should be moving to a four day work week, not a six day one. Forty percent or more of of jobs are either pointless or actively harmless. Get rid of them to start. https://t.co/Ubdr4Q5VCi  Ian Welsh (@iwelsh) July 2, 2024

Think a lot more EU spending will benefit the blocs climate goals. Theres a good chance it could take money away from energy investment as Draghis report calls for Brussels to free up funding by modifying the European Investment Bank Groups lending policies and the EUs sustainable finance frameworks and environmental, social and governance rules to allow for defense investments instead. And lets not forget that militaries and warfare are the biggest emitters around.

And as the EU cements its role as an underling to Washington and NATO, it will almost certainly need to proceed with further de-risking from China the same way it did with Russia. Yet, China dominates multiple stages of the green tech industry. From Draghis report:

Some believe that there is little chance that Draghis and all the others plans come to fruition. Personally, judging by how Project Ukraine has gone and the Wests overall vitriol directed at Russia, I think its safer to assume Europe is a long ways from spent and that the EU will continue to dig.

I guess well see. It will certainly be clarifying to see if Germany has an ounce of sovereignty left or if it will give in on its sacred cow. As Ukraine continues to flounder and reaches the inevitable conclusion, its likely the calls on Germany to relent will only grow louder and more recriminating.

As the hysteria over Europes agonizing death reaches a fever pitch its worth remembering that theres one option that always goes unmentioned by the likes of Draghi, Macron, and company.

The Failed Logic Behind the Draghi Report (and All the Others Like It)

Lets take a step back and really look at what Super Mario is saying in his 400-page screed.

Its all about EU competitiveness. Well, there are plenty of issues, but one of the biggest reasons the EUs slow decline became a full-blown crisis is energy. What happened? Heres Draghis story:

Europe has abruptly lost its most important supplier of energy, Russia. All the while, geopolitical stability is waning, and our dependencies have turned out to be vulnerabilitiesEU companies still face electricity prices that are 2-3 times those in the US. Natural gas prices paid are 4-5 times higher. Europe was able to satisfy its demand for imported energy by procuring ample pipeline gas, which accounted for around 45% of the EUs natural gas imports in 2021. But this source of relatively cheap energy has now disappeared at huge cost to Europe. The EU has lost more than a year of GDP growth while having to re-direct massive fiscal resources to energy subsidies and building new infrastructure for importing liquefied natural gas.

Theres more:

High energy costs in Europe are an obstacle to growth, while lack of generation and grid capacity could impede the spread of digital tech and transport electrification. Commission estimates suggest that high energy prices in recent years have taken a toll on potential growth in Europe. Energy prices also continue to affect corporate investment sentiment much more than in other major economies. Around half of European companies see energy costs as a major impediment to investment  30 percentage points higher than US companiesii. Energy-intensive industries (EIIs) have been hit hardest: production has fallen 10-15% since 2021 and the composition of European industry is changing, with increasing imports from countries with lower energy costs. Energy prices have also become more volatile, increasing the price of hedging and adding uncertainty to investment decisions.

Notice the lack of agency in Draghis telling? Its as if a natural disaster swept down from the heavens, destroyed all the pipelines transporting Russian gas to the EU, and now prevents them from ever being repaired. In reality, the decision is wholly that of the Scholzs, Macrons, and von der Leyens of Europe (and their benefactors). Notice in the following graphs that prices were a little higher than the US, but where does the divergence really start to take off?

Draghi doesnt investigate further. But as Russian President Vladimir Putin recently put it for the hundredth time at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok:

It is very strange, and I cannot get my head around it. They up and blew up the gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea. They blew up both Nord Stream 1 pipelines and one Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The second one is fully functional, though. What stops the German government from pressing the button, coming to terms with us and turning it on? How much is it? 25 billion cubic metres through one pipeline?It was the Poles who shut down the Yamal-Western Europe pipeline. Now Ukraine is closing [transit through Ukraine], and the Nord Stream 2 route along the Baltic Sea bed is not turned on. Well, if they dont want to, they dont have to. It will be a loss for them. For us, there will be a certain reduction in revenues, but its no big deal.

The EUs self-imposed lack of competitiveness now requires hundreds of billions to rectify. Since reports are the theme of the week, heres one more: the German business association BDI released a study claiming that 20 percent of industrial value creation in the country is under threat. At the top of the list of causes is high energy prices and it says Germany needs about $1.55 trillion of investment by 2030.

Thats not all, of course. Not only did the EU harm itself by refusing pipelined gas from its neighbor, it now must spend billions arming itself to supposedly protect against that very same neighbor it launched a proxy war against.

Maybe instead of harming oneself economically, antagonizing your neighbor, continuing to run around like headless chickens warning that the Russians are about to overrun Europe if you dont spend billions attempting to militarize, you could just not do any of that.

The EU could just stop all this now. The goal was clearly to cause a collapse of the Putin government, install a puppet friendly to the West, and exploit Russia. It failed.

Time to go hat in hand and start begging and maybe in time regain some of what has been lost. Russia has no designs to conquer Europe. So theres no need to drop hundreds of billions on weapons that, at best, would help escalate to a nuclear war.

Instead get 400 pages of smart-sounding economic nonsense in line with all the think tank fantasies about the EU taking the Russia baton from the Americans who will turn their attention toward China.

Or in Draghi-speak:

With the return of war in the EUs immediate neighborhood, the emergence of new types of hybrid threats, and a possible shift of geographic focus and the defense needs of the US, the EU will have to take growing responsibility for its own defense and security. The EUs defense industrial base is facing structural challenges in terms of capacity, know-how and technological edge. As a result, the EU is not keeping pace with its global competitors.

He adds that Brussels must encourage mergers in the defense industry, and companies should have no restrictions on accessing EU funding. Currently, bureacrats are forced to concoct schemes to get around the ban on the EU budget funding defense purchases as EU law stipulates that such funds go to boring old items like agriculture and regional development. But who needs stuff like that when you can point long-range missiles at Moscow and be targeted in return?

Will open-ended spending on defense do what all the weapons to the Ukraine proxy war and unprecedented sanctions couldnt do?

I guess well see. Draghis smart-sounding report is a good companion peace to the recent argument that they just need to keep up the pressure untilPutin dies of old age. Thats the thinking from former senior CIA analyst and Principal Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council Peter Schroeder, writing at Foreign Affairs that, what is certain is that, at some point, he will die. More:

The evidence suggests that on Ukraine, Putin simply is not persuadable; he is all in. For him, preventing Ukraine from becoming a bastion that the West can use to threaten Russia is a strategic necessity. He has taken personal responsibility for achieving that outcome and likely judges it as worth nearly any cost. Trying to coerce him into giving up is a fruitless exercise that just wastes lives and resources.

Did it really takes hundreds of thousands of lives lost and hundreds of billions spent for brain geniuses like Schroeder to understand what Russia had been telling them along? Well, if we read on we get to this:

If Putin is unwilling to halt his assault on Ukraine, then the war can end in only one of two ways: either because Russia has lost the ability to continue its campaign or because Putin is no longer in power.

Well see how that works out. If it doesnt, well, hopefully Draghi is still kicking so he can get to work on another report.
Aussies ABC TV forms National Climate Team of reporters to hype global warming  Critics slam as battalion of bedwetters

The ABCs global warming hype isnt lurid enough, so the national broadcasters bosses have turned up the dial to 11. Step forward the ABCs new National Climate Team. Creating this battalion of bedwetters was the brain snap of retiring managing director David Anderson. Based on the precedent of Alan Joyce s departure from Qantas, its my view that he should be docked at least $1 million of his $1.16 million parting salary.

(Article by Marc Morano republished from ClimateDepot.com)

The National Climate Teams parameters remain under wraps, but random details trickle out. For example, the Team includes weather specialist Tyne Logan. On ABCTVs 7pm flagship news of August 31 she did a piece about Sydney University medicos broiling volunteers in a heat chamber, cheered on by climate scientists, to estimate what level of global warming would kill them. Its been set to 54 degrees Celsius, with 26 per cent humidity  a combination believed to be lethal after six hours, Ms Logan remarks in the script, which mercifully omits the broadcasts spooky music. Baking those poor test participants reminded me of the roast chook gondola at Woollies in Moonee Ponds. Owing to pesky ethics guidance, the boffins bring their humans out before rather than after theyre killed. Ill elaborate on Ms Logans account later.

The ABCs one-eyed climate coverage has prompted controversies and inquiries dating back 15 years. The real excitements were from 2004-17, involving Prime Minister Howards pick of stockbroker Maurice Newman to chair the ABC from 2007-12. Newmans successor was ex-judge Jim Spigelman (2012-17), who also took some interest in the charters impartiality requirement. Current chair Kim Williams has also addressed the matter of bias but has yet to show any hint he is prepared to do something about it. Heres a timeline of the ABCs green-eyed misreporting and its refusal to change its ways.

2007: The ABCs top science staffer, Robyn Williams, suggests we are in for a 100-metre sea level rise this century.[1] Insights like this have earned him seven universities honorary doctorates and an Australian Academy of Science fellowship.

March 10, 2010: Chair Maurice Newman fronts staffers in a Sydney briefing and blasts their climate group think and collective censorious approach. They suppress contrary views and abuse the sceptic community as deniers, he says, in jaccuse mode. The 250 staffers rise to their feet to express shock and anger, according to Renfrey Clarke at the Green Left blog. The green lefties call on journalists and the public to be rid of him.

December 2012: Newman, speaking as an ex-chair, pesters ABC Complaints over the Science Shows Robyn Williams likening sceptics to pedophiles and crack smokers. The Complaints people re-assure him the ABC per se does not equate sceptics to child molesters. The spokesperson says:  Unlike the BBC, the ABC acknowledges there are climate scientists who question the core thinking about climate science. The ABC gives them and their views air time. Lordy! The addled ABC attacks Britains even more addled Beeb.

Mid-2013: Chair Jim Spigelman, an ex-NSW Chief Justice, arranges an ABC science reference panel to investigate how well the ABC is covering climate and medical science. He remarks, in advance of any findings being released that the ABCs science crew are head, shoulders, thorax and abdomen[2] above commercial rivals. Hes not a climate sceptic, he adds, but ABC journalists in line with the impartiality charter should  hold scientists and technologists to account for their claims and conduct. Balance apparently involves following the weight of evidence:

We must go beyond PR handouts, or what has been called churnalism  What I believe needs most work is to develop our capacity to appropriately challenge scientists, not least those whose work is distributed by press release from organizations with a vested interest in favourable publicity. That includes, these days, universities

2013-14: Quadrant Online gets the scoop that the science panel leader is ABC director and bumbling climate warrior Professor Fiona Stanley AC (so much for independent investigation) along with Media Watchs former sultan of smug Jonathan Holmes and others. Professor Stanley is lead signatory on a greenies Monster Climate Petition which begins,

My great great grandchildren ask me in dreams, what did you do while the planet was plundered? What did you do when the earth was unravelling?

Read more at: ClimateDepot.com
VIDEO: Ecuadors exiled ex-president Correa discusses the US lawfare agenda with The Grayzone

Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa sat down with The Grayzones Oscar Leon to discuss our recent report exposing the political manipulation of the countrys judicial system by attorney general Diana Salazar in favor of US state and corporate interests.

(Article republished from TheGrayzone.com)

A transcript of their conversation can be viewed after the video below:

Oscar Leon

Good morning, Mr. President. How are you?

Rafael Correa

Hey. A pleasure to see you. Thank you.

Oscar Leon

We released this report. I dont know if you had a chance to look at it. Where we reveal some chats. That the prosecutor had, with Ronny Aliaga. In which many, uh, very interesting things are revealed. So maybe we can go in parts. What is your comment regarding possible lawfare in your case?

Rafael Correa

First, I want to thank The Grayzone, Max Blumenthal, and you for the extraordinary research, which couldnt have been done by the national media. There is an obscene, politicized media shield protecting the prosecutor and working against us. This reality is often not understood in developed countries. This isnt freedom of the press; its pure manipulation driven by political and economic interests.

Secondly, you have verified the authenticity of about 1,500 chats with Ronny and others, which exposes this womans complete lack of ethics and professionalism. She has leaked chats with at least four different people that can be verified. Wilman Teran, former president of the Judiciary, threatening him, manipulating verdicts and appointments. Also Maribel Barreno, a former friend and member of the Judiciary Council, as well as Anderson Boscan, a journalist.

This can be verified. She acts like thatpassing on privileged information, exerting pressure, threatening, blackmailing, etc.

Thirdly, about lawfare in my case. For many years, there has been no rule of law in Ecuador. For much less than this, a major scandal would erupt in a developed country. And yet, this case is barely mentioned in the Ecuadorian press. Salazar remains in her position, doing as she pleases. Its obviously fraudulent.

At her job interview, she scored the worst on the written exam. She is a very limited individual who can barely express herself, yet she received a perfect score on the oral test, and thus was appointed prosecutor, primarily to persecute us.

It was later discovered that her thesis was plagiarized. They brushed it off as inexperience. The university claimed that a 40% plagiarism rate was incompetence, and the Constitutional Court prohibited any investigation into the matter. They even dismissed the president of a Citizen Participation Council for fulfilling his duty to oversee a probe into her fraud.

For the past eight years, there has been no rule of law, and the justice system is rotten. This is persecution. The main victims, almost exclusively, have been members of my Citizen Revolution party, myself included, but especially Jorge Glas, imprisoned in a high-security facility as if he were a dangerous criminal.

We witnessed the invasion of an embassya crime that not even the worst Latin American dictatorships committed. A political refugee was kidnapped, an act that blatantly violates articles 111 and 125 of our Comprehensive Penal Code. The prosecutor did nothing because, there is no rule of law.

Oscar Leon

At some point, those chats reveal that the Americans or the agencies or whoever was with her in that moment, they say they want your head, they say RC is rising in the pools.

The Citizen Revolution is rising at that moment, this is before they killed Villavicencio and the Americans do not want that because they know that if the Citizen Revolution wins, the bilateral treaties end there. So lets talk for a second about those bilateral treaties. We also did a report on this and if you allow me, Im going to ask you about it.

And in that report, a couple of things caught my attention in these bilateral treaties. The first was that it represented a very big contrast with the previous ten years, when we went from not having American influence, argumentatively, from when you were in power, to this moment, now you have the American military in Ecuador, you have total, eh, [carte blanche], they have total immunity if you want, and that is the one thing.

The other thing is that In the law of the Treaty with Ecuador, [its called SB S3591], it specifically talks about Ecuador, it says that the United States is going to help Ecuador deal with negative influences, internal and external, with internal or external dangers.

Influences: Yes, it is the word they use, it is quite clear. It seems to me that those external influences would be Russia and China, and the internal influences would be the Citizen Revolution. And it seems to me that the anti-mining movement. What do you think about this?

Rafael Correa

None of this could have happened without not only the consent but the active involvement of the U.S. Embassy. Their participation was obvious and shameless.

The previous ambassador, who stayed longer than allowedMichael Fitzpatrickwas like a new viceroy. He met weekly with Prosecutor Salazar, told political groups what to do or avoid, as seen in the chats. This couldnt happen without at least U.S. consent.

This also happened with Lula da Silva, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Evo Morales. Like the Condor Plan of the 1970s, dictatorship coordination in Uruguay, Chile, Argentina wasnt coincidence. It was coordinated from the North.

The lawfare, the judicialization of politics, is a U.S.-led plan. As shown at the start of your documentary, its cheaper to buy judges and prosecutors, co-opt and persecute political adversariesthose negative internal influencesthan invade countries.

This is the new regional strategy to block progressivism and maintain the status quo. So, to answer your question: the brutal political persecution weve suffered in Ecuador, the blatant interference in justice, a corrupt and manipulative prosecutor like Diana Salazarthis could not have happened without at least the consent, if not the decisive intervention, of the United States.

Oscar Leon

Another point of concern is the interference in the elections. First, there was the complaint against Arauz, which eventually went nowhere.

Then, according to the chats, there was silence when she learned who had killed Villavicencio. Despite this, she allowed the Citizen Revolution movement, and specifically you, to be blamed. What are your thoughts on this? Where do you think this election is heading? Do you believe it will be fair?

Rafael Correa

We havent had fair elections for eight years. Talking about fair elections in Ecuador, where the press doesnt inform but manipulates, is impossible. The press is the foundation of democracy. Jean-Francois Revel, a neoliberal patron saint, said it well: democracy without truth doesnt exist, and without information, there is no democracy in Latin America.

In Ecuador, theres no real informationjust manipulation, especially now, where all limits and scruples have been lost.

[In contrast,] look at the spectacular report youve made. Its very professional, taking four or five months to complete, and its been replicated by many international media outlets, as well as some important national ones.

The manipulation, the shielding, the concealment of information, and the promotion of completely false news to cause harm are shameless. We cannot call this democracy. Theres a completely [corrupt] press, a media mafia. It really is a media mafia that doesnt inform but manipulates.

In addition to this, theyve taken over all State institutions over the last eight years, destroyed the Rule of Law, and committed barbarities.

For example, in 2021, they suspended our political party just days before registering for an election. We had to register ourselves first on the ballot, instead of our usual fifth place. Later, they returned our spot to us after we won the trial, but by then we were already registered in first place for the election. We had to endure all of that, right?

Laws have also been changed to harm us, such as the method of assigning seats to prevent us from having a majority in the Assembly.

So, what we have in Ecuador is neither the Rule of Lawa fundamental aspect of democracynor democracy itself, because the press manipulates rather than informs, and democracy without information simply does not exist.

What we have, from time to time, are elections, but they are far from fair. Without truth, there can be no free elections. Only the truth will set us free.

Oscar Leon

This press narrative is notorious. We started the Lawfare series because we observed an attempt at lawfare against Donald Trump. Just before the elections, numerous cases were filed37 charges from a single accusation.

In my opinion, these lawfare cases primarily target individuals with nationalist policies, even if their ideologies differ. When theres a nationalist component, such situations often arise.

These corruption narratives are prevalent in general culture, which is why such a narrative has won the cultural battle and the elections, in my view. The right seems to be winning the cultural war.

The process of defaming you has been bolstered by corruption cases that did occur and were widely reported in the media. Those cases are then used to cast all members of your political movement in a negative light.

So, has there been any effort or learning within the ranks of the Citizen Revolution to prevent these issues? To address and change the negative image that has been established?

Rafael Correa

Are you Ecuadorian, Oscar?

Oscar Leon

Yes, sir. Ecuadorian  American.

Rafael Correa

With all due respect, none of that is true. How could there not be cases of corruption in ten years of government? Even in the Vatican, Pope Francis found instances of corruptionin Spain, in Germany. Yes, of course, there are cases of corruption. However, its different when a government tolerates corruption. They have based their accusations on isolated incidents that we ourselves reported.

All of those corrupt individuals are now our enemies, right? Carlos Pareja Yanuzzelli, Pedro Delgado, they are all enemies. At this moment, they support those who are persecuting us. Why is that? But they used them. For instance, [they say] Carlos Polit is Correas comptroller, but the Comptrollers Office is an independent function. Carlos Polit was proposed by those political parties at the beginning of my government. It was a shortlist presented by Congress, but thats how they manipulate everything.

Lets look at the facts, not stories. I could also create a narrative about each case of corruption found in the United States and claim they are all corrupt. Check the Transparency International ranking. I found the country ranked 150th and left it at 120th. We were the country that improved the most in the ranking in all of Latin America.

Look at the data, we were the country that improved by 30 places. But even those surveys are subjective; they ask businessmen and such. Transparency International is influenced by the media. And during the Odebrecht case, we were in the spotlight because we had dropped to around 100th or 102nd place, then rose to 120th. We were the country with the greatest improvement in Latin America.

Lets look at hard data. Look at the World Bank database. There, they conduct surveys with state contractors about bribery. Before our government, it was at 16%. Under our government, it went down to 1.6%, across the entire public sector: municipalities, prefectures, parish councils, and during the period with the largest investment in history. But that 1.6% means some corruption remained, and they latch onto that to create an entire narrative.

I wont fall into that trap. Im not arrogant, Im objective. I wont betray my conscience or the truth to make some act of contrition when we did very well. When we are honest people, when weve hired companies to audit our accounts and they found absolutely nothing, and every time they try to trace money, they find its theirs, not ours. Yet we are the ones expected to make an act of contrition. Its like validating those who dont have a case. Thats my first point of reflection.

The second point you mentioned is about the lawfare used against Trump. I dont agree. I respect your opinion, but I dont share that view. Lawfare is specifically used against the left, requiring media outlets in the hands of the right and a judicial system co-opted by elites or the U.S.

There are exceptions, of course, like Alan Garcia in Peru, when there are internal conflicts among them, but thats the exception, not the norm. In the U.S., lawfare didnt succeed because there is still institutional integrity. Look at the Supreme Court; it seems Trump won unanimously, even with Democrat judges, because they dont fall for these tricks.

In Latin America, particularly in Ecuador, judges are willing to go along with anything. Just a few weeks ago, for example, in the case of the embassy invasion and Jorge Glas arrest, the appeals court upheld it. The first-instance judge said it was illegal, illegitimate, and arbitrary. But the appeals court said it was legal, legitimate, and lawful. Do you know why?

Because they argued based on domestic law. There was an order for Jorge Glas imprisonment. There was a supposed state of emergency, which put an end to the guarantee of the inviolability of the domicile.

Yet under international law, they violated a fundamental legal principle. International treaties are above national laws, and they argued that invading an embassy was just like entering a regular home. They claimed that during a state of emergency, there is no inviolability of a home.

According to them, an embassy is just another house, which is absurd. And on that court sat the president of the National Court of Justice. You see the level weve sunk to. The matter is already settled, so there are other layers to this issue.

With all due respect, what happened to Trump is childs play compared to what happens in Ecuador and Latin Americaespecially in Ecuador, which experts say has experienced the most lawfare. I can give you names, like Hector Martinez who you could interview Spanish experts, for instancewho confirm that Ecuador has faced the worst of it.

Oscar Leon

It is remarkable, and several experts told me, that it is a country where the decline of a country with institutions, of a country with several institutions of control and social development, has been most marked. After Lenin Moreno came and persecuted, he persecuted the Alianza Pais movement at that time.

Several experts told me that it was at that time that the State weakened, in such a way that the cartels managed to enter. What do you think of that, of that persecution that there was, of the government and the policies, not only of the people?

Rafael Correa

Hate led them to destroy everything. I mean, finally, okay, let them persecute us and build something new and better. But no, they destroyed everything. It feels like a Kafka novelMetamorphosis, where Gregor Samsa suddenly woke up as a beetle, and everyone noticed him. Everything was different. Its a nightmare. I havent seen anything like it.

I am an expert in development. I spent eight years in exile studying development and writing a book. I have not seen a case of such rapid and profound destruction of a country, in times of peace, without a blockade, and even more so in a democracy. Countries can be destroyed by blockades or war, but without those, this level of destruction is unprecedented.

I left the country as the second safest in Latin America, only surpassed by Chile, which has twice our per capita income. We were surely the safest in the world for our income level.

I left as an energy exporter with one of the most stable electrical grids in Latin America, one of the five most stable in the world. We had the second-best infrastructure in the region, only surpassed by Panama and the Panama Canal. Today, the roads are destroyed. We are now one of the most violent countries in the world, among the five most violent.

We are now energy importers and face power cuts. The destruction is so drastic that it will be a case study for the future. It highlights the difference between development and underdevelopment over ten years of good governance versus eight years of bad governance.

Multiply that by 200 years of history, and you will understand the difference between todays developed countries, like the United States, which started at a similar level, and those of us who remain underdeveloped.

Oscar Leon

This brings me to something that would be our last question. I had the opportunity to meet you before you became president and in that sense I also had the opportunity to film, I remember, when you took over the presidency. We filmed the other presidents who attended that summit. And I remember, there was President Chavez and Dilma, I think, or Lula No, sorry, Lula was there, eh, there was Mujica and Evo Morales.

Rafael Correa

Evo Morales.

Oscar Leon

Exactly. And that, in that group of presidents they had an idea of ??making the south develop in order to catch up with the north. So, as I understand it, there was the idea of ??creating a bank of the south. They had several south-south institutions, south-south development. It seems to me that there was even a south-south security institution and there was an agreement between South America and Africa to do development, again south-south, eh. If one thinks about what happened to all the people who were involved in those plans, this is very terrible.

I mean, for example, two of them got cancer, Kirchner and Hugo Chavez, a couple more were persecuted, you and Lula and we have in Africa, we have Gaddafi. It is basically, as if they made an example of all those who were involved in that South-South development plan. What is your comment on that?

Rafael Correa

I say that the United States is not interested in Latin American integration. Integration was one of the factors in which they succeeded; they emerged from underdevelopment, whereas we did not. There were 13 colonies that stayed united and eventually grew into 50 states in the Union.

Of course, there was a civil war in between. Had the South won, we might have had two United States, but the North won, and now they are the most perfect union in the history of humanity50 states, 50 united countries. We were four viceroyalties and four captaincies general, and today we are 18 sovereign Latin American countries, 50 Hispanic American countries. With Brazil and Haiti, it would be 20. I dont recall exactlyhow embarrassing, I need to check. In any case, from 18 to 20 Latin American countries. We were four provinces, four viceroyalties. So, instead of uniting, we fragmented and separated.

While small countries like Singapore have developed, and large countries like Mexico and Brazil have not, it was highly desirable to act as a bloc on the international stage.

That does not suit the United States. Does it suit us to have an OAS based in Washington, financed by the United States and regional countries like Japan, so that if Ecuador has a problem with the United States, it goes to Washington to discuss it? What chance do we have?

The U.S. would not want us to unite as a bloc, whether through CELAC, UNASUR, or any other community of Latin American and Caribbean nations. It would create a different kind of force.

Unfortunately, for integration, there are external enemies. To paraphrase what you mentioned earlier, this power is not interested in our unification. There is an oligarchy that speaks Spanish, by English design, which would be content as just another province of the United States and is not interested in Latin American integration either. They have been the main opponents of it.

Moreno came to power and dismantled UNASUR, which for the first time made Quito the seat of an international organization, potentially the capital of South America. However, this individual, out of hatred and surrender, dismantled UNASUR. So, we face both external and internal enemies of the much-desired Latin American integration.

Oscar Leon

We have a few minutes left and with your permission, if you allow me another question

Rafael Correa

Dont worry, I have time. Dont worry.

Oscar Leon

Thank you. In my opinion, the mining conflict is the biggest issue in Ecuador, both historically and currently. It has persisted even during your presidency and before, and it is projected to continue. The conflict arises from the clash between the countrys mining development and the peasant communities dependent on the rivers. This has generated both a political movement and ongoing political conflict.

I believe this conflict might be linked to the lefts inability to unite. Currently, the left has failed to form a coalition similar to Uruguays, where the entire left is united. At the same time, Ecuador is experiencing the influence of Noboa, one of the richest men in the world, and undoubtedly the richest in Ecuador.

What are your thoughts on the necessity of having the left in your coalition? What do you think about this unsuccessful attempt to form a left-wing coalition?

Rafael Correa

Yes, to clarify, I like to be precise. There are 20 Latin American countries, but 18 Hispanic American ones. Among the 20 are Haiti and Brazil. Not counting Puerto Rico, which is not a sovereign country. So, we are either 19 Hispanic American countries and 21 Latin American countries, or 18 and 20, depending on how you count.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions. Anyone can claim to be leftist, but I have nothing to do with groups like the Patriotic Union, the Popular Union, or the MPD. They treat politics like a marketplace of whatever I give you. I have issues with these groups because I rescued education, health, and universities from their clutches. Each year, there was a teachers strike because they controlled the teachers and used fear to manipulate the National Union of Educators or the Teachers Union. They were responsible for evaluating and promoting teachers but did it poorly.

I have nothing in common with these individuals who have plundered the state. They view politics not as a mission but as a business. They may call themselves leftist, but if the left is wrong, I will stick to the truth, even if I identify as leftist.

For example, Pachacutecs environmentalist stance against mining is flawed. What country denies its natural resources? How can modern life be understood without mining? They travel in cars and airplaneswhere do these things come from? They say, The mining is in other countries, so others should be contaminated? They come up with nonsensical arguments, saying we should just ban metallic mining. There is nothing worse than non-metallic mining, like cement and lime, which involves open-air extraction.

It is absurd to reject mining outright. Responsible mining can be done. All human activity has an impact, but that impact can be minimized, and exploited areas can be recovered. The Constitution has clear prohibitions: mining cannot occur in water sources, virgin forests, etc. If someone says otherwise, it is a lie. I have seen this firsthand; my project in Mirador is in the jungle. They lie, claiming it is ancestral land to extract resources from the mining company. That is the truth. The opposition to metallic mining but acceptance of non-metallic and open-pit mining is contradictory.

Opposing large-scale mining while accepting small-scale mining, which lacks high technology and is more polluting, is another contradiction. As a politician, academic, and honest person, I cannot support this. It is a mistake. Politically correct positions that do not withstand analysis are problematic. The mining issue is complex. A significant part of Ecuadors future and Latin Americas opportunity for development lies in natural resources. We should not deny ourselves this opportunity, but it must be managed responsibly.

Another problem is illegal mining, which involves organized crime and money laundering, with no effective measures to combat it. Illegal mining is destroying rivers and jungles, and the states absence is glaring. However, legal mining with high technology should be supported. The lefts stance, especially among indigenous groups, should be sensible: support mining with environmental and social responsibility. For example, if a project impacts my territory, I will support it only if poverty in my territory is addressed first. I will back the no to mining stance only when we no longer have children dying from preventable diseases like diarrhea.

I find it irresponsible and confirm again that I do not support this union of leftists. Just because they call themselves leftists does not mean I agree with them. This so-called left is the most functional to the status quo and the destruction of the country. It has been historically and presently the biggest obstacle, especially with the persecution against us. It is an unscrupulous left that sacrifices everything for immediate, electoral objectives and power. The obsession of every politician, particularly the Latin American left, should be overcoming 200 years of underdevelopment.

Oscar Leon

Finally, as a last question, it is something perhaps related to what you tell me. Are these leaks, eh, if true, the chats of the attorney general with Ronny Aleaga, in a certain way could confirm something that we had reported in 2018, I think, or 2021, I dont remember the date very well, but it was that the NED, National Endowment for Democracy had financed several opposition figures in Ecuador. A famous one, Yaku Perez, comes to mind and another, it was suspected, was Villavicencio.

On Yaku Perez, it seemed that there was more consistent, more evident evidence. But Villavicencio was another who was suspected at that time, because there were certain indications, perhaps not evidence, but there were indications that he was receiving, eh, funds from the National Endowment for Democracy for his press agency. Now, when the prosecutor confirms that he worked for the Americans. It is, or could be, a confirmation of that. What do you think about this case?

Rafael Correa

Look, to complete the previous idea and make it very clear: I dont like mining, but I like poverty even less. Im not going to reject an opportunity to overcome poverty because of childish fundamentalism. But now, even formal mining is a challenge because they have eliminated the Ministry of Mining and defunded the Mining Regulation and Control Agency. They removed all these institutions, and now its a disaster.

Oscar Leon

They take whatever they want and no one controls anything.

Rafael Correa

Nobody controls anything; nothing is left for the State, and they dont distribute royalties. We forced them to pay royalties in advance because you start a mining project, and it takes five years before the first gram of mineral is extracted.

Meanwhile, people say they dont receive anything. We forced them to pay royalties in advance, but all that was eliminated. You need to differentiate between bad policies and bad practitioners. Mining with legal, social, and environmental responsibility is one of the great opportunities to overcome underdevelopment.

Regarding what you said, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is the financial arm of the CIA. The NED financed Yaku Perez, who was a creation of the US embassy. They also financed people like Lourdes Tiban through her NGOs and supported a range of other NGOs. This is part of their strategy: to use civil society, funded by these entities, to destabilize progressive governments.

Theres no doubt about the financing; its not just suspicion but backed by [other] indications and evidence. The NED financed Mil Hojas, one of the platforms where Fernando Villavicencio worked, and it has been corroborated that he was an informant for the US Embassy.

Interview, production: Oscar Leon

Executive Producer: Max Blumenthal

Editor, additional narration: Wyatt Reed

Read more at: TheGrayzone.com
Ukraine incursion into Kursk marks the first time a nuclear power like Russia faces an invasion by another country

Ukraine's raid on Kursk marks the first time that a known nuclear power has faced invasion and occupation by another country.

For many years, nuclear-escalation theory has believed that countries with atomic weapons were mostly exempt from attack because an aggressor could trigger another world war. Even relatively small states like Iran, Israel, Libya and North Korea have pursued nuclear arms to help discourage attacks by their larger and better-armed adversaries.

The threat of annihilation has usually protected nuclear-armed countries from large-scale attacks. Even though Ukraine isn't a nuclear power and is outgunned by Russia, it now controls at least 500 square miles of Russian territory.

Western leaders, military thinkers and nuclear theorists are currently worried about what these tense current events mean for prospects of Russian escalation, along with the future of war gaming. Theoretical risk now calls for a real-world test, at the same time forcing a review of the role nuclear weapons can play in deterrence. (Related: Lukashenko: Government in Kyiv is OUT OF TOUCH with the Ukrainian people.)

According to Russias published nuclear doctrine, Moscow would only use atomic weapons if the country's sovereignty or territorial integrity were threatened. And while Ukraine occupies a chunk of Russian soil, neither side seems to consider the Kursk region strategically vital. This suggests that Ukraine's unexpected attack, no matter how much it has humiliated the Kremlin, shows no sign of crossing a Russian red line.

However, both ambiguity and uncertainty are crucial to nuclear gamesmanship.

Nikolai Sokov, a former Soviet and Russian arms-control negotiator, explained that no one truly knows the Russian red line because the country has "never given any precision." He also warned that because of this uncertainty, the world may suddenly find out that the red line has already been crossed, and face sudden retaliation from Russia.

Sokov, who currently briefs Western military leaders on Russian strategic thinking, also discussed one wild card: that the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin seem to think of threats to his regime as sovereign threats to Russia.

As proof of events are affecting deterrence calculations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has announced that the Kremlin would adjust its nuclear doctrine based on an analysis of the war and the West's role, confirming a pledge Putin has made several times.

Ukraine's takeover of Kursk suggests that another taboo can be broken without repercussions. The invasion also shows that Ukraine is still trying to convince the White House that it should be allowed to use more lethal and precise U.S. weapons to attack Russia.

However, many Western officials are still wary because Putin is unpredictable.

Janice Gross Stein, a professor of conflict management at the University of Toronto, said that this uncertainty over where Russia's red lines are is the "fundamental challenge of strategic ambiguity." She added that testing limits and signaling through threats or pledges of restraint form what is considered a battle between "a strategy to manipulate uncertainty and a strategy to reduce uncertainty."

Nuclear weapons have experts torn about being too cautious and not being cautious enough

In 1960, the theorist and economist Thomas Schelling codified the analysis in an influential collection of scholarly articles called "The Strategy of Conflict." The articles presented an intellectual path for studying deterrence and escalation.

Nuclear theorizing produced impressive work from respected academics. For example, Schelling won a Nobel Prize in economics. Escalation theory was advanced by Nobel-winning economist John Nash's research.

However, nuclear strategizing and determining an adversary's red lines is still a risky game of predicting the actions of two warring parties.

Putin has often directly threatened to use nuclear weapons since launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But a decade ago, Russias attack on Ukraines Crimean Peninsula reached a new level of post-Cold War aggression that resulted in escalation theorists going back to their research.

Several years ago, James Davis, a political science professor and chair of international relations at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, anticipated that nuclear decision-making was now an obscure academic field but was returning due to escalating international conflicts.

To address this, he started teaching courses on it, including one called "Fundamentals of Arms Control." Davis is also now reviewing some long-held assumptions.

He warned that while experts have always considered nuclear weapons as only being used for deterrence, they didn't really consider how "a nonnuclear power would invade a nuclear power."

Experts are also concerned because it can be difficult to discuss the uncertainties of escalation theory outside the classroom and to the general public. Specialists have also shared that 75 years of successful deterrence doesn't mean the approach can always deter nuclear war.

Go to UkraineWitness.com for more stories about Ukraine.

Watch this video about Ukraine being on high alert as it celebrates its 33rd independence day.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Paladin founder Georgy Zakrevsky demands coup against Putin over military failures in Ukraine.

Ukrainian parliament approves law BANNING the countrys biggest Orthodox church.

EU nations reject Zelenskys plea to repatriate fighting-age Ukrainian refugees.

Former leaders of Pakistan, Bangladesh say U.S. Deep State led COUPS to oust them for not supporting Ukraine war efforts.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

VCDNP.org

Brighteon.com
Kamala spewed 21 false claims, hoaxes that ABC debate moderators ignored

The recent debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris was a doozy after fact checkers determined that Kamala lied no less than 21 times during the contentious political match.

In bringing up the Charlottesville false flag, Kamala resurrected the claim that Trump called the neo-Nazis who marched there "very fine people," when in fact Trump was referring to the other people who were not neo-Nazis at the demonstration.

Kamala also brought up Project 2025, a blueprint for the future of America that Trump says he has nothing to do with, despite his named somehow being associated with it.

"I have nothing to do  as you know, and as she knows, better than anyone  I have nothing to do with Project 2025," Trump declared from the debate stage. "I haven't read it. I don't want to read it, purposely. I'm not going to read it."

During Trump's first term, he allegedly created "a trade deficit," according to Kamala, who described said trade deficit as "one of the highest we've ever seen in the history of America."

"The trade deficit climbed to around $653 billion in Trump's final year as president, in part because of depressed global demand for U.S. goods and services and a U.S. economy that recovered sooner than most other developed economies," a pro-Trump media outlet reported.

"But the trade deficit never rose to the levels seen under former President George W. Bush or the Biden-Harris administration."

(Related: Did you know that James O'Keefe captured video evidence showing that Google is manipulating search results to favor Kamala Harris for president?)

Cackling Kamala spreads disinformation

As usual, Kamala brought up Russia in relation to Trump, accusing him of stating to Vladimir Putin that he should be allowed to "do whatever the hell he wants," which apparently never happened.

Kamala also lied about Trump by claiming that he "wants to be a dictator on day one" of his second term in office. Trump has never actually said this, at least as far as anyone knows.

The botched withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan was apparently Trump's fault, according to Kamala, who was asked point-blank whether or not she feels she bears any responsibility for the debacle.

If Trump gets elected again, according to Kamala, then eventually Putin will "be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe. At no point in time did Putin do much of anything during Trump's first term, so why would change under a second one?

At no point in time has Trump ever called for a "bloodbath" in the event that he loses the election, but Kamala falsely accused him of saying this, too. The truth is that Trump was referring to the automobile industry when he used the term "bloodbath."

Kamala also tried to make Trump appear as a racist when she claimed on the debate stage that he "refused to rent property to black families." This was never proven, despite a lawsuit that Trump and his father eventually settled, which came with no admission of fault.

Trump also never called members of the military, including the fallen, "suckers and losers." The Atlantic claimed Trump said this without corroboration, and many eyewitnesses are said to have refuted that he ever uttered those words about military servicemembers.

When pressed about her past statements in favor of banning natural gas fracking, Kamala lied and said she never called for a fracking ban. It turns out that Kamala did call for a fracking ban while running for president in 2019.

Kamala further lied about being "raised middle-class." The truth is that Kamala had a rich Canadian upbringing in a majority-English neighborhood of Quebec.

The latest news about the 2024 presidential election can be found at Rigged.news.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
CONFIRMED: Kamala Harris supports taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries for federal prisoners and detained migrants

A resurfaced 2019 American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) questionnaire with answers from Vice President Kamala Harris has revealed her support for taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries for detained immigrants and federal prisoners

Harris completed the ACLU questionnaire while she was running to win the Democratic Party's nomination for the 2020 presidential election. The questionnaire started making the rounds in August as Harris' campaign for the 2024 election took off.

In the questionnaire, Harris was asked if, as president, she would use executive authority to ensure transgender and nonbinary people under state care, including those in prisons and immigration detention centers, have access to comprehensive medical treatments associated with gender transition. (Related: Kamala Harris to reduce illegal immigration by LEGALIZING it, not stopping it.)

Harris affirmed her support, stating, "Yes."

"It is important that transgender individuals who rely on the state for care receive the treatment they need, which includes access to treatment associated with gender transition. Thats why, as Attorney General, I pushed the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide gender transition surgery to state inmates," she explained in a detailed follow-up. "Transition treatment is a medical necessity, and I will direct all federal agencies responsible for providing essential medical care to deliver transition treatment."

2019 ACLU questionnaire reveals Harris' stance on other left-wing issues

The 2019 ACLU questionnaire also revealed Harris' stance on several left-wing issues.

Besides endorsing surgeries for transgender detainees, Harris also voiced support for decriminalizing federal drug possession for personal use and substantial cuts to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding, including a pledge to "end" immigration detention.

In that same questionnaire, Harris advocated for ending immigration detention facilities and private prisons, reducing funding for ICE and halting ICE detainers. Harris described the U.S. immigrant detention system as "out of control" and called for an end to the "unfair incarceration" of thousands of individuals, families and children.

Harris also cited her early opposition to increased ICE funding following the election of former President Donald Trump in 2017. In 2018, Harris introduced the Detention Oversight, Not Expansion (DONE) Act, which seeks to increase oversight of ICE detention facilities, reduce detention by at least 50 percent and prevent the construction or expansion of new facilities. She also pledged to end the use of ICE detainers at the time.

"As president, I will focus enforcement on increasing public safety, not tearing apart immigrant families. This includes requiring ICE to obtain a warrant where probable cause exists as to end the use of detainers," she wrote.

The questionnaire also revealed Harris' progressive stance on drug policy reform. She called for the decriminalization of all drug possession for personal use and co-sponsored the Marijuana Justice Act to legalize marijuana federally. In her response to the ACLU, Harris stressed treating drug addiction as a public health issue rather than a criminal one.

"Throughout my career, I have supported treating drug addiction as a public health issue, focusing on rehabilitation over incarceration for drug-related offenses," she wrote.

Head over to KamalaWatch.com for updates on Kamala Harris' presidential bid.

Watch this video about the mainstream media's failed attempt to memory-hole any mention of Vice President Kamala Harris being the border czar.

This video is from the Justin Barclay channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Kamala Harris promises to CLOSE all migrant detention centers and release criminal illegal aliens on Day 1 if she becomes president.

Mainstream media memory holes border czar moniker of Kamala Harris amid worsening migrant crisis.

Former Treasure Island residents accuse Kamala Harris of covering up radiation poisoning of Black communities.

TRUTH about Kamala Harris: She was, in fact, appointed by Biden to be Americas open borders czar.

Congress already trying to IMPEACH Kamala Harris for mismanaging southern border, hiding Biden's cognitive decline.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

CNN.com

Brighteon.com
RFK Jr. wins appeals to have his name REMOVED from state ballots in North Carolina

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has won an appeal for the removal of his name from the ballot in North Carolina ahead of the November elections.

The environmental lawyer and scion of the Kennedy family requested that his name be struck off from the ballots in North Carolina after suspending his own presidential campaign and endorsing former President Donald Trump.

Election officials in the Tar Heel state were ordered by the North Carolina Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision to remove RFK Jr. and his running mate Nicole Shanahan from the ballot. The Sept. 9 ruling prompted the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) to put absentee voting on hold in compliance with the order. Both Kennedy and Shanahan were named as nominees of the We The People party in North Carolina.

The state law deadline to begin absentee voting was set last week but with the court decision, revised ballots will be printed and delivered to the 146,603 voters, including more than 12,900 military and overseas voters who have requested an absentee ballot as soon as they are available, which is expected to occur in the next couple weeks.

"We will continue to consult with counties and ballot vendors to determine the feasible start date for distributing absentee ballots statewide, mindful of the goal to meet the 45-day federal deadline," said Karen Brinson Bell, NCSBE executive director. "This decision imposes a tremendous hardship on our county boards, at an extremely busy time. But our election officials are professionals, and I have no doubt we will rise to the challenge."

Following the Sept. 9 decision, the NCSBE later issued a memo ordering officials not to destroy the current ballots. According to the Pulse, this suggests the board's intent to appeal the court ruling.

Wisconsin judge, Michigan Supreme Court reject RFK Jr.'s appeal to be excluded from state ballots

While Kennedy secured victories in North Carolina, it wasn't the case in Wisconsin and Michigan.

A judge in the Badger State rejected his appeal to be excluded from the ballots, noting that a full court hearing must be held before his name might be removed. Wisconsin law states that "any person who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot may not decline nomination."

Meanwhile, at the Wolverine State, the Supreme Court also ruled that Kennedy's name would remain on the state's ballot. The court vacated the state Appeals Court ruling, concluding that he did not show "an entitlement to this extraordinary relief."

Since he suspended his White House campaign in August as an independent candidate, Kennedy has been fighting to take his name off the ballot in key swing states. It has already been determined that his name will not appear on ballots in Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania, three other potentially pivotal swing states. (Related: RFK Jr. campaign ad calls on Americans to VOTE FOR TRUMP and "finish the story.")

Head over to Kennedy.news for similar stories.

Watch the video below where RFK Jr. calls out the first and potentially only presidential debate's moderators for being biased.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

RFK Jr.: Democrats have no platform; they are only united by HATRED of Donald Trump.

RFK Jr. reveals he left the Democratic Party because it had "departed so dramatically from its core values."

Media personalities ATTACK RFK Jr. for endorsing Donald Trump.

ELECTION INTERFERENCE: RFK Jr. forced to remain on the ballot in key battleground state of Michigan despite requesting withdrawal from the race.

North Carolina REJECTS RFK Jr.'s request to be taken off the state's ballot.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

NCSBE.gov

Brighteon.com
Putin warns of NATOs formal entry into war if it allows Ukraine to carry out long-range missile strikes

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) appears to be moving toward deeper involvement in Ukraine's conflict with Russia as President Vladimir Putin warns that the military alliance will be directly at war with Moscow if Kyiv is allowed to use long-range missiles in Russian territory

Reports indicate that the United States and the United Kingdom are close to allowing the Armed Forces of Ukraine to use U.S. and U.K.-supplied long-range missiles to conduct strikes deep into Russian territory.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Kyiv on Wednesday, Sept. 11, to discuss this potential escalation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration.

Putin warned that such a move would mark NATO's formal entry into the war against Russia. He explained that Ukraine has already been conducting strikes with drones and other means, but using Western-made, long-range, high-precision missiles would be a different situation. (Related: NATO reaffirms stance of not directly engaging Russia despite Ukraines pleas.)

Putin emphasized that Ukraine cannot launch these advanced weapons without intelligence from the U.S. and U.K., utilizing NATO satellites.

The key thing to understand is that only NATO personnel can program these missile systems. Ukrainian forces cannot do this, said Putin. He further explained that the real question isn't whether Ukraine is allowed to strike Russia with these weapons, but whether NATO countries are directly involved in the conflict.

"If this decision is made, it will signal direct participation by NATO countries, including the U.S. and Europe, in the war in Ukraine. This will fundamentally alter the nature of the conflict," Putin said. "If that's the case, then taking into account the change of nature of the conflict, we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face."

His remarks reflect growing concerns that the escalation could significantly heighten the global stakes of the war, potentially triggering broader geopolitical consequences.

U.K., U.S. continuing to supply Ukraine with powerful long-range missiles

The U.K. has supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow long-range air-launched cruise missiles, which have a range of about 155 miles, or three times the range of the missiles Ukrainian forces have in their arsenals. However, in supplying the missiles, London emphasized that Kyiv is not allowed to use them to fire at targets inside Russia.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with the longest-range version of its ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles. These versions can travel nearly 200 miles. However, like the U.K., Washington has remained hesitant over allowing the firing of long-range missiles into internationally recognized Russian territory, over fears that the Kremlin could respond by deploying similar or worse weapons, such as nuclear warheads.

During his visit to Kyiv, Blinken indicated that the U.S. had "from day one" been willing to adapt its policy on how Ukraine can use U.S.-supplied arms as the situation on the battlefield changed.

Both Blinken and Lammy are reportedly conferring with their "bosses"  U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer  on whether to support amending the rules on how Ukraine uses Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles. Biden is also likely to discuss Ukraine's use of missiles with Starmer when they meet in Washington at the end of the week.

Watch this clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin confirming that he believes Ukraine's use of long-range weapons supplied by the West indicates that NATO is entering the conflict with Russia.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Biden administration rejects Pentagon's proposal to send civilian contractors to help Ukraine maintain F16s, other Western military equipment.

Polish foreign minister wants Warsaw to neutralize Russian missiles flying over Ukraine, claiming they could threaten Poland.

Ukraine closing in on deal with U.S. for new advanced long-range missiles that could strike deep into Russia.

Hungary cautions against long-range missile strikes targeting Russia.

Germany to STOP sending military aid to Ukraine over claim of Zelensky's Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

Independent.co.uk

Brighteon.com
Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency and executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum, delivers a keynote speech at the BRICS Media Summit in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

MOSCOW, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Over 60 BRICS media leaders from more than 40 countries joined the BRICS Media Summit opened here on Saturday, discussing the role of BRICS media in promoting a multipolar world.

Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency and executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum, said in his keynote speech that today's world is in the midst of great changes unseen in a century and the global multilateral governance system is confronted with severe challenges.

He said that the BRICS countries have been actively promoting common development and prosperity, bringing certainty to an uncertain world economy, and they have been effectively maintaining regional and global peace and security, injecting stability into a world intertwined with changes. BRICS countries have also been vigorously promoting the common values of all mankind, adding positive energy to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.

Looking into the future, BRICS cooperation and development enjoy a bright prospect for the future, he added.

Fu stressed that media outlets of BRICS countries are witnesses and recorders of BRICS cooperation, as well as participants and promoters. Xinhua is willing to work with all media colleagues to better tell stories of BRICS, further improving the influence and appeal of BRICS cooperation.

He noted that BRICS media should also serve as a think tank for BRICS development, providing intellectual support for BRICS cooperation and development. BRICS media should jointly stimulate new vitality of advanced technology, equipping news reporting and media development with advanced and applicable technology. BRICS media should join hands in building bridges for media cooperation, promoting people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning, and speaking in a common voice on the international stage, he said.

As a member of the BRICS Media Forum Presidium and the host organization of the liaison office, Xinhua will also play an active role in overall planning, coordination, and service, providing strong support for BRICS media exchanges and interactions, he added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a video message to the summit that BRICS is a unique multilateral cooperation mechanism, and all parties have carried out fruitful cooperation for many years.

He said that BRICS has become one of the important pillars in a multipolar world, and the interest of most countries in the world in this cooperation mechanism is growing day by day.

At present, BRICS media cooperation has been continuously enhanced, and it plays an important role in promoting the development of relations between countries, deepening people's friendship, and promoting mutual trust and understanding, he said, adding that he hopes the summit will deepen media exchanges and cooperation among countries, and play a role in comprehensively presenting BRICS countries and today's world to the audience in various countries.

TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov, in his speech, thanked Xinhua for its strong support for the summit.

He noted that the influence of BRICS countries is continuously increasing, and they have become an important force in various fields such as international politics, economy, and culture.

Meanwhile, he stressed that BRICS media should cover more than just political interactions and economic cooperation of various countries due to the rich content of BRICS cooperation. They should also actively participate in building bridges of friendship between the peoples of the countries.

Mohammed bin Abd Rabbo Al Yami, director general of the Union of News Agencies of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said that his union regards strengthening cooperation with BRICS media as a priority for its development, and is willing to widely exchange and cooperate with all parties based on respecting and promoting the diversity of civilizations.

Nomsa Chabeli, executive director of the South African Broadcasting Corporation Group, said in her speech that BRICS countries are committed to establishing a more inclusive, diverse, and just international order, adding that BRICS media should continuously expand exchanges and cooperation, make their voices better heard, jointly speak out for BRICS countries, and promote a more fair and just international public opinion.

The BRICS Media Forum was proposed by China's Xinhua News Agency in 2015 and jointly initiated with mainstream media outlets from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. The mechanism has become a pragmatic and efficient platform for exchanges and cooperation between BRICS media.

Russia serves as the rotating chair of BRICS countries this year. Xinhua and TASS have agreed to jointly hold the BRICS Media Summit under the framework of the BRICS Media Forum mechanism. 

The BRICS Media Summit is held in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 14, 2024. Over 60 BRICS media leaders from more than 40 countries joined the BRICS Media Summit opened here on Saturday, discussing the role of BRICS media in promoting a multipolar world. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

The BRICS Media Summit is held in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 14, 2024. Over 60 BRICS media leaders from more than 40 countries joined the BRICS Media Summit opened here on Saturday, discussing the role of BRICS media in promoting a multipolar world. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

The BRICS Media Summit is held in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 14, 2024. Over 60 BRICS media leaders from more than 40 countries joined the BRICS Media Summit opened here on Saturday, discussing the role of BRICS media in promoting a multipolar world. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

The BRICS Media Summit is held in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 14, 2024. Over 60 BRICS media leaders from more than 40 countries joined the BRICS Media Summit opened here on Saturday, discussing the role of BRICS media in promoting a multipolar world. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)
An ultra-violent migrant gang is shooting police officers, trafficking young women and raping kids

The chaos that we are witnessing in the streets is the direct result of the decisions that our politicians have made. As I discussed yesterday , allowing millions upon millions of migrants that are not being properly screened to come pouring over our wide open borders is not a good idea. There are certainly many migrants that are coming here because they want to work hard and create a better life for themselves. But of course there are others that are coming here for other reasons. Throwing the back door wide open for vast numbers of criminals that intend to cause all sorts of mayhem once they arrive in our major cities is extremely foolish. We are literally committing national suicide, and many of our leaders dont seem to care.

(Article republished from EndOfTheAmericanDream.com)

According to NBC News, authorities are currently investigating more than 100 serious crimes that have been committed by an ultra-violent gang of migrants from Venezuela known as Tren de Aragua

U.S. law enforcement and immigration officials have launched more than 100 investigations of crimes tied to suspected members of a violent Venezuelan gang, including sex trafficking in Louisiana and the point-blank shooting of two New York City police officers, according to two Department of Homeland Security officials. The cases involving the Tren de Aragua gang show how hard it is for U.S. border agents to vet the criminal backgrounds of migrants from countries like Venezuela that wont give the U.S. any help. More than 330,000 Venezuelans crossed the U.S. border last year, according to Customs and Border Protection data, and Venezuela, like Cuba, China and a handful of other countries, doesnt provide any criminal history information to U.S. officials.

Gang members are coming over the southern border in extremely large numbers, and once they are allowed in they can literally go anywhere in the country that they want.

Sadly, violence seems to erupt wherever members of this particular gang show up.

For example, two members of Tren de Aragua are facing the death penalty for murdering a former police officer in south Florida

Two alleged members of the dangerous Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang face the death penalty for the 2023 kidnapping and murder of a man in the city of Doral, in Miami-Dade County, whose apartment was ransacked by armed men. Julio Cesar Hernandez Montero, 27 years old; and Yurwin Salazar Maita, 23, appeared by court order in county court Tuesday, where prosecutors charged them with first-degree murder charges for allegedly killing 43-year-old Jose Luis Sanchez Valera. In addition to these charges, Assistant State Attorney Gabriela Alfaro told Judge Laura Cruz that the state will prosecute the co-defendants for robbery, home invasion, vehicle theft, kidnapping and burglary.

In the Big Apple, a member of the gang that entered this country illegally recently shot two police officers

In New York, police say Bernardo Raul Castro-Mata, a 19-year-old from Venezuela, shot two police officers last week. Castro-Mata entered the country illegally last July, a member of Immigration and Customs Enforcement told CNN. The Venezuelan has tattoos associated with Tren de Aragua  which court documents for a suspected gang member in Georgia describe as five-pointed crowns, five-pointed stars and teardrops  the New York Police Department told CNN.

Venezuela is more than happy to send their criminals to us, and the Biden administration is more than happy to take them in.

Now crime in Venezuela is going down, and crime in our country is going up.

In Denver, members of Tren de Aragua have reportedly been given a green light to attack law enforcement officials

At the same time, the gang has reportedly established a significant presence in parts of Colorado, Fox News reported. They were reportedly given a green light to fire on or attack law enforcement in Denver.

There have also been reports of the gang taking over at least two apartment buildings in Aurora.

Gang members were not just living in the apartment buildings that they took over in Aurora.

It is being reported that the gang was actually using some of the apartments for child prostitution

A bombshell report details the complete control the criminal organization had on the Whispering Pine Apartments in the Denver suburb, Vacant units had reportedly been used to host parties where the gang provided drug and child prostitution, according to the apartments manager, who added that the gangster said minors are a good source of money.

Sex trafficking is one of the major ways that Tren de Aragua brings in money.

In Louisiana, women that were trafficked by the gang claim that they were forced to have sex with four men a day

In a federal affidavit, two of the women described how they were trafficked by three alleged gang members who had entered the U.S. within the past year. All three suspects had been intercepted by Border Patrol after they entered Texas illegally but had then been released into the U.S. The women say the alleged gang members arranged for them to fly from El Paso, Texas, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Once they were in Baton Rouge, the women were taken to a Ross retail clothing store to buy clothes. They were then taken to an apartment building, where they were allegedly forced to have sex with four men a day.

And apparently the gang has also been operating stash houses in several other states as well

Officials arrested two suspects  both Venezuelan nationals  at the location, Allbert Herrera Machado, 23, and Osleidy Vanesa Chourio-Diaz, 26. Agents later arrested another Venezuelan, Josmar Jesus Zambrano-Chirinos, 23, identified in the complaint as a leader of the sex trafficking operation being conducted by the Tren de Aragua in the US. Zambrano was operating stash houses used for human trafficking in Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, and Florida, according to the criminal complaint reviewed by CNN.

This is absolutely horrifying.

Our leaders know that this is happening, and nothing is being done to stop it.

Thankfully, there are a few politicians that are speaking out. U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales has been consistently warning about the threat that Tren de Aragua poses, and he claims that this gang has been known to rape children

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district runs along nearly half of the southern border, said he has warned about the gang and is seriously concerned about the hold it already has in the U.S. given its record as an agent of chaos and terror through Central and South America. For months, I have sounded the alarm about Tren de Aragua and the threat this gang poses to Americans, Gonzales said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. Its graphic, but this gang has been known to rape children, murder, and commit nearly every other crime under the sun. We know that Tren de Aragua has expanded operations in Mexico, and some gang members have made their way into the United States.

If Joe Biden and Kamala Harris really cared about our women and our children, they would seal the border immediately.

But they will never do that.

Instead, they just made an agreement with the government of Mexico to use buses to transport migrants directly to the U.S. border from two cities in southern Mexico

The latest development between the Biden/Harris administration and the government of Mexico on the immigration front will see migrants provided bussing from two southern Mexico cities to the United States border. The plan will provide the migrants headed to the United States with meals and security during travel from the two cities to the U.S. destination where the migrants asylum appointments are scheduled under the CBP-One application. The government of Mexicos National Institute of Migration (INM) announced the new program in a Spanish-language notice issued on Saturday, referring to the initiative as the Secure Emerging Mobility Corridor. The two departure cities in southern Mexico will be Villahermosa, Tabasco, and Tapachula, Chiapas.

Are you kidding me?

So now gang members that want to come to the United States will get free bus rides to the border.

What the politicians in Washington are doing to us is literally insane, and it is an enormous threat to our national security.

As social order breaks down in this country, migrant gangs are going to have an absolute field day.

We must shut the border, and we must shut it now.

Read more at: EndOfTheAmericanDream.com
UN investigator accuses Israel of deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza; Netanyahu denies allegation

A United Nations independent investigator recently accused Israel of carrying out a "starvation campaign" against the Palestinians as the war in Gaza continues to escalate.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Michael Fakhri accused the nation that the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian enclave, which caused the spread of disease as well as mass starvation when it started to block all food, water, fuel and other supplies into Gaza, is "killing more people than bombs and bullets."

The damage inflicted by famine "is going to be carried by Palestinians for several generations in the future," he further pointed out.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said accusations of Israel limiting humanitarian aid were "outrageously false."

"A deliberate starvation policy? You can say anything  it doesn't make it true," he said in a press conference last week.

After receiving pressure from the United States and other ally countries, Netanyahu eventually opened several border crossings for tightly controlled deliveries. According to Fakhri, limited aid initially went mostly to southern and central Gaza, not to the north where Israel had ordered Palestinians to evacuate.

Netanyahu said during a recent press conference that the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Israel's military body overseeing aid entry into Gaza, has allowed 700,000 tons of food items into Gaza since the war began 11 months ago.

Associated Press reported that nearly half of that food aid in recent months has been brought in by the private sector for sale in Gaza's markets, according to COGAT figures. However, many Palestinians in Gaza say they struggle to afford enough food for their families.

"By December, Palestinians in Gaza made up 80 percent of the people in the world experiencing famine or catastrophic hunger. Never in post-war history had a population been made to go hungry so quickly and so completely as was the case for the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza," Fakhri said.

Fakhri's report, where he emphasized that famine is a "political" rather than a purely "humanitarian" issue, indicated that 34 Palestinians, the majority of them children, are known to have starved to death since Israel's war on Gaza began in October.

In the new report of the investigator to the UN General Assembly last week, he detailed how Israel has used starvation in Gaza "with the intent to destroy in whole or in part the Palestinian people."

The report also explained Israel's destruction of Gaza's food system, including the poisoning and destruction of agricultural land and the destruction of ports and fishing vessels served to make the entire population dependent on humanitarian aid.

"In turn, Israel then used humanitarian aid as a political and military weapon to harm and kill the Palestinian people in Gaza," the paper added.

"Starvation is always deliberate, international, structural and long-lasting," the independent investigator also said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

How was Isr. able to starve 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza at unprecedented speed and intensity? I answer this question in my new report. I'll be discussing my report with the @UN General Assembly on Friday, October 18. https://t.co/FSmQm77SCs Here's a ?...  Michael Fakhri (@MichaelFakhri) September 8, 2024

Back in July, the International Criminal Court (ICC) charged Israel's highest officials with the crime of starvation, Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were the first individuals to be formally accused by an international court of deliberate starvation, one of seven charges for which ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan announced in May.

Israel continues to rejected such accusations, claiming its war is against only Hamas militants and not Palestinian civilians. (Related: UN experts: Children in Gaza are dying because of Israel's "targeted starvation campaign.")

Muslim civil rights group calls on U.S. to address "starvation" in Gaza

In response to the latest United Nations report, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden to address a just-released report asserting that Israel is conducting a "starvation campaign" in Gaza.

America's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization wants the current regime to step in and stop the inhumane treatment of Palestinians.

"President Biden and Vice President Harris, your legacy is genocide and starvation of the Palestinian civilians. The Israeli government is using all the means at its disposal, including mass murder, expulsion, and forced starvation to exterminate the Palestinian people in Gaza," CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement.

He added that the Biden administration has been essential in enabling these atrocities.

"This policy has cost our nation its moral standing in the world. The Biden administration must change course immediately and demand an end to the Israeli government's genocide and stop all military aid to Israeli forces," he continued.

He further noted that Israel's assault on Gaza has led to the severe deterioration of sanitation and health care in the strip. Now Gaza's children are deprived of an education because of Israel's constant bombing and shelling.

Visit Starvation.news for more stories related to Israel's "hunger campaign" in Gaza.

Sources for this article include:

MiddleEastEye.net

APNews.com

Documents.UN.org

CAIR.com
US State Department and Biden-Harris regime desperately trying to ignite WWIII before election

The final and most serious of Moscow's "red lines" was crossed this week after the United States decided to "allow" Ukraine to use the weapons it and other Western nations donated to strike targets deep within Russian territory.

Washington's plan, according to Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Tex.) as cited by Axios journalist Juliegrace Brufke, is to lift all restrictions on Kiev's use of U.S.-provided ATACMs (Army Tactical Missile System). President Biden has confirmed that Washington is "working that out now."

Pretty much all the other major Western nations are in agreement that crossing Vladimir Putin's infamous red lines is both "permissible" and reasonable in light of all the deep state assets and criminal schemes, i.e., human trafficking, that are protected by Ukraine's very existence under Volodymyr Zelensky.

Up until now, the West has merely been sending Ukraine the weapons and letting Zelensky do with them as he wishes, just so long as he does not use them to strike deep within Russian territory. This changed after Zelensky threw a hissy fit and demanded that he be allowed to use all of his new toys where Putin told him not to.

"So far, the United States has given Kiev about $200 billion or more in both funding and military equipment and weapons," reports SHTFplan.com about these latest developments.

"Kiev has been clamoring for the restrictions against using long-range missiles as long-range missiles to be lifted since May. That also begs the question; was the U.S. always going to 'allow' Ukraine to cross Russia's red lines? Because Washington did give kiev [sic] the long-range weaponry, so why would they ban them from using it indefinitely?"

(Related: Be sure to check out our earlier report to learn more about how NATO and the West are plotting to trigger WWIII.)

Has the final red line been crossed?

Truth be told, the West likely planned this whole thing out ages ago. Western powers pretended to just be arming Ukraine for its own "self-defense," knowing all the while that eventually Zelensky would use them against Russia in a major provocation towards World War III.

"This should serve as a warning for the U.S.," SHTFplan.com warns. "If Kiev does strike Russian territory using these donated weapons, it may be the final straw as Russia's last red line is crossed."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the policy changes this week during a visit to Kiev with David Lammy, his United Kingdom counterpart.

"I talked to Blinken two days ago, and he is traveling with his counterpart from the UK to Kiev to basically tell them that they will allow them [to hit Russia with ATACMS]," McCaul confirmed.

According to State Department spokesman Matt Miller, Blinken flew to Kiev "to show continued support for Ukraine's defense." Miller made no mention of any policy changes being made.

What Blinken did was merely "signal," according to Bloomberg, that Washington intends to change the rules now that reports have surfaced claiming that Iran has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles. Iran, in response, claims it did no such thing, claiming it supports neither side of the conflict.

Whenever the U.S. needs an excuse to send more cash or weapons to foreign criminals, it most often trots out the "Iran is producing nuclear weapons" line. In this case, they upped the ante by claiming that Iran is sending those nuclear weapons to Russia, the other bogeyman Washington routinely uses to try to push unpopular foreign policy.

"Forget that we are supporting a fake president, forget that we are supporting an aggressor on RF (Russian Federation) territory and forget that we are supporting a cabal that is killing Christians only. What is this mindset? You can't understand their mental setup anymore," one commenter wrote about the insanity of the West.

Will the deep state succeed at unleashing a global nuclear holocaust before the election? Find out more at WWIII.news.

Sources for this article include:

SHTFplan.com

NaturalNews.com
Engineer's Day 2024: Celebrating Sir M. Visvesvaraya and confronting the crisis in engineering education

A

s we mark Engineer's Day 2024, celebrated on September 15 to honour the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, one of India's greatest engineers, it's important to reflect on the current state of engineering education, particularly in Gujarat.

Sir Visvesvaraya, known for his pioneering work in irrigation, flood control, and water resource management, symbolises the profound impact engineers have on society.

However, the future of this critical profession faces serious challenges.

In Gujarat, more than 44 per cent of engineering seats, including those in self-financed institutes, were left vacant in 2023.

According to data presented in the Gujarat Assembly, this accounted for more than 62,000 unfilled seats across the state.

Of the total 1,40,852 seats available in government, grant-in-aid, and self-financed colleges, 62,311 seats remained vacant.

In March 2024, State Higher and Technical Education Minister Rushikesh Patel in the Gujarat Assembly said, "Gujarat has a total of 1,40,852 seats in engineering degree and diploma courses across government-run, grant-in-aid, and self-financed colleges. Of these, 71,629 seats are for degree engineering courses, and 69,223 are for diploma courses. Last year, 78,540 seats, or 55.76 per cent, were filled, leaving 62,311 seats, or 44.23 per cent, vacant. Specifically, 38,811 degree engineering seats and 23,501 diploma engineering seats remained unfilled in 2023."

This problem is not isolated to Gujarat.

Across India, engineering courses are facing a steep decline in enrollments.

The 2023 All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) revealed a 10 per cent drop in enrollments in engineering programmes between 2016-17 and 2020-21.

In Maharashtra, for example, nearly one in three engineering seats remained vacant this year, with vacancy rates as high as 42 per cent in some regions.

These trends indicate a national issue that extends beyond state boundaries and points to deeper challenges in engineering education.

Several factors contribute to the high vacancy rates in engineering programmes. First, many students are opting for top-tier institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs), leaving state-level and self-financed colleges struggling to fill their seats.

In Gujarat, a significant number of students also prefer pursuing higher education abroad or in other states, where they perceive better opportunities for career advancement.

Second, there is a noticeable shift in student interest towards new-age technology fields.

Branches like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data science, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are in high demand, while traditional engineering fields such as mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering are seeing a sharp decline in enrollment.

In Maharashtra, out of 25,065 seats available for computer science and allied new-age technology courses, only 5,521 remained vacant, a stark contrast to the 8,078 vacant seats in mechanical engineering and 6,272 in civil engineering.

The issue is further complicated by the structure of diploma courses in Gujarat.

With the eligibility for admission set at passing Class 10, many students opt to continue with higher secondary education or choose alternative career paths, such as nursing or pursuing IIT entrance exams, rather than enrolling in diploma engineering programmes. This has led to a higher number of vacant seats in diploma courses as well, where 23,501 seats remained unfilled in 2023.

Gujarat's vacancy crisis mirrors the national trend, where a steady decline in traditional engineering enrollments has been observed over the past decade.

Despite a modest increase in overall intake capacity, student interest has continued to drop.

In Maharashtra, for instance, while the total intake capacity increased by 3.6 per cent from 2022-23 to 2023-24, the number of students enrolling in engineering courses declined by four per cent, resulting in higher vacancy rates this year.

This shift in interest from conventional engineering to emerging fields like AI and data science is reshaping the engineering education landscape.

In Maharashtra, super-specialised courses in AI-ML and AI-Data Science had only 608 vacant seats out of 13,286 available, while traditional branches like mechanical and civil engineering saw much higher vacancy rates.

One of the key reasons for the decline in engineering enrollments is the changing job market.

As industries increasingly prioritise skills in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, and automation, students are seeking courses that align with these future-ready fields.

Traditional engineering programmes, particularly in lower-tier colleges, are struggling to update their curricula to meet these evolving demands.

The result is a growing disconnect between the skills students acquire and the job market's requirements.

Moreover, employability remains a significant concern.

Many graduates from lesser-known engineering colleges face difficulty securing jobs, which further dissuades potential students from pursuing engineering.

Even in fields like civil and mechanical engineering, once considered reliable career paths, job opportunities have shrunk due to automation and shifts in industry demand.

Furthermore, career guidance at the high school level is crucial in helping students make informed decisions about their educational paths.

Encouraging students to explore emerging fields and providing more information about the wide range of opportunities in engineering can help address the growing vacancy issue.

 Engineer's Day 2024: Celebrating Sir M. Visvesvaraya and confronting the crisis in engineering education

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
As Yang Siping, the executive director of the Asia-Pacific region of the Italian Carlieuklima S.r.l, attends CIFTIS for the third time, she is brimming with excitement. Discover the opportunities China's green transformation offers and why they have sparked her enthusiasm.
Determined for Jharkhand's rapid development, says PM Modi ahead of flagging off 6 Vande Bharat trains

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, said that the Centre was determined for the rapid development of Jharkhand.

The Prime Minister will be in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur where he will flag off six Vande Bharat trains and inaugurate or lay the foundation of various development projects worth Rs 21,000 crore.

Before leaving for Jharkhand, PM Modi posted on X, "We are determined for the rapid development of Jharkhand. Today at around 10 am, I will have the privilege of flagging off six 'Vande Bharat' trains at Tatanagar, as well as laying the foundation stone and inaugurating many more projects. Apart from this, I will also be a part of the program related to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin."

The Vande Bharat trains will operate between Berhampur-Tata, Rourkela-Howrah, Deoghar-Banaras, Howrah-Gaya and Howrah-Bhagalpur.

The PM will then participate in a public meeting organised by the BJP at Gopal Maidan in Jamshedpur.

The Prime Minister will also hold a road show there.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Jharkhand on September 15. The Centre has approved homes for 1,13,400 people living in temporary shelters under the PM Awas Yojana. The Union government has already sent its share of funds to the state government. The Prime Minister will release the first instalment to construct their homes."

Tight security arrangements have been made for the Jharkhand visit of the PM. PM Modi will stay in Jharkhand for about six hours. More than 3,000 police officers and jawans have been deployed for PM Modi's security.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw arrived a day earlier on Saturday to take stock of the preparations for PM Modi's visit.

It is widely anticipated that the Prime Minster's visit will energise BJP's election campaign in Jharkhand.

 Determined for Jharkhand's rapid development, says PM Modi ahead of flagging off 6 Vande Bharat trains

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Carmen Electra: I was homeless in Los Angeles



Baywatch star Carmen Electra said that she was homeless in Los Angeles before she shot to fame and hauled herself to auditions filled with self-doubt.

The 52-year-old actress got her first film when she was cast as Lani McKenzie in the hit action series 'Baywatch' during the late 1990s but recalled that her quest for stardom was a struggle.

Speaking as part of a panel at 90s Con in Daytona Beach, Florida, Electra said: "I was homeless in L.A., I'm not from a rich family or anything like that. I knew where I needed to be in N.Y. or L.A."

"So there was a lot of struggling, and I didn't really know what I was going to do. But I just started to try things and come out of my shell really. So that's the beginning. I would not want to go into auditions, I'd leave and say everyone's so pretty, I can't do this, I can't memorise anything."

However, the actress, whose birth name was Tara Leigh Patrick, saw a change in her fortunes when she met the late pop icon Prince, and he was the one who suggested she change her name and produced her debut studio album in 1993, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

She added: "I felt like trying things and meeting some good people on the way that helped me. Prince just set me up and he was so supportive. With his support I got a tad bit more confident and just tried things and tried to keep that in mind with all my insecurities that I still have."

The actress shared that when she was cast in "Baywatch", she was often told on the set of the show to watch her weight as she was filmed in her famous red bikini.

 Carmen Electra: I was homeless in Los Angeles

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Kerala: List of direct contact of youth who died of suspected Nipah virus infection released

T

he Kerala Health Department has released a list of direct contact of the youth who died of suspected Nipah virus infection in Malappuram.

The list had the names of 26 people.

A 23-year-old student at Bengaluru, a native of Chembaram near Naduvath in Wandoor died at a private hospital at Perinthalmanna on Monday.

The primary lab test conducted in Kozhikode Medical College was positive, and the officials are awaiting confirmation of the same from the Pune virology lab to take further actions following protocols.

Officials from the Thiruvali panchayat of Malappuram district and the health department held a meeting to assess the region's current situation.

Malappuram district health officials told IANS that the deceased had come from Bengaluru recently with a leg injury.

The youth then contracted a fever and visited a clinic at Naduvath and another one at Wandoor.

A high-level meeting is taking place at the Malappuram district collectorate to discuss further proceedings.

It may be noted that the Nipah virus had claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy from Kerala's Malappuram district on July 21, 2024.

The resurgence of the disease, which often spreads from fruit bats to other animals and human beings, has prompted the government to impose containment measures in at least two panchayats in the district.

Doctors had injected the boy with a monoclonal antibody procured from Australia by the Indian Council of Medical Research, but in the teenager's case, the deadline for the infusion of antibodies had passed.

However, the medical board authorised the administration as a desperate life-saving measure but could not save him.

It may be recalled that in 2018,18 people died of an outbreak of Nipah virus which is the first time the deadly disease was detected in southern India.

 Kerala: List of direct contact of youth who died of suspected Nipah virus infection released

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
PM Modi welcomed with 'Jahva' on Jharkhand visit, signifies Karma Parv

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome in Jharkhand on Sunday morning, as he arrived in the state capital to launch six Vande Bharat trains and a slew of other developmental projects.

As the Prime Minister reached the Ranchi airport, he was welcomed with a 'Jahva', a sign of a popular Karma festival in the tribal state.

PM Modi, in a video message, explained the significance of Karma Parv and stated that sisters tie 'Jahva' on their brothers' ears praying for their safety.

"This morning, when I reached Ranchi Airport, a sister welcomed me with a 'Jahva', a sign of Karma Parv. In this festival, sisters pray for their brother's well-being in this festival," PM Modi said.

He also extended warm greetings to the people of Jharkhand on this Karma Parv.

Notably, Karma Festival is a festival, celebrated by diverse groups of tribal populations including Ho, Mundadri, Oraon, Santhali, and Nagpuri tribes, particularly in areas of Jharkhand and West Bengal.

PM Modi's participation in Karma Parv celebrations assumes importance in light of the fact that Jharkhand, primarily a tribal state is headed for Assembly elections in the next two months.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister also flagged off six Vande Bharat trains virtually, from Tata Nagar. This will increase connectivity on many routes including Tatanagar-Patna, Bhagalpur-Dumka-Howrah, Brahmapur-Tatanagar, Gaya-Howrah, Deoghar-Varanasi and Rourkela-Howrah.

Later, addressing a public rally, PM Modi hit out at Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress over rampant corruption in the state.

"There are three enemies of Jharkhand -- JMM, RJD and Congress. The RJD still remains revengeful of Jharkhand formation while Congress' dislike for the state is evident from its actions. JMM stands with the Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas. The ghost of Congress has entered JMM. These parties want to create their vote banks in the name of religion," PM Modi said at a rally.

 PM Modi welcomed with 'Jahva' on Jharkhand visit, signifies Karma Parv

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
FairPoint: A real story of persecution that Rahul could have narrated in US

W

hen Rahul Gandhi pointed out a Sikh man's religion in the US and claimed that he wouldn't be able to wear a turban, kada or go to a Gurdwara in India, the Congress leader could have instead made a case of the community to which he claims to belong.

Rahul has been saying that he is a Kashmiri Hindu, a minority community which faced persecution in Muslim-majority Kashmir. The community bore the brunt of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the valley which resulted in the exodus of its members. Around seven lakh Hindus were forced to flee the valley in the 1990s when they were given the ultimatum to either convert, die or leave. Hundreds of the minuscule community were brutally murdered, many were kidnapped and tortured, and women were abducted, gang-raped, and mercilessly killed.

With no political party or leader or any organisation taking up the case and no help from the local administration and police in that terror-ridden period, the community was left with no choice but to abandon the land where it had lived for over 5,000 years. Since their exodus in the 1990s, the community has been fighting a lonely battle for existence and justice.

In the over-three-decade struggle, there has been no leader, not even Rahul Gandhi himself, ever sought justice for them. There has been no SIT or judicial commission which could have probed the purge, identified the perpetrators and their masters and given justice to the hundreds of those Kashmiri Pandits whose near and dear were killed or to the whole community.

Rahul had the perfect case of persecution before him which he could have spoken of. He could have put before the US audience the case of how the jihadi-terror nexus impacts people. He could have told them how temples were vandalised, and Hindu properties looted and burnt. He could have told them about how young Girja Tickoo was kidnapped in 1990, gang-raped for several days and cut in half using a mechanical saw while she was still alive. He could have told the US people about how the members of 'his' community were forced to hide visible signs of their identity out of fear of being targeted on the streets.

But Rahul did nothing of the sort. He made a case for the Sikh community. During an interaction at an event in the US, he asked a Sikh in the audience his name. After he replied "Balvinder Singh", Rahul said, "The fight is about whether he, as a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India and he, as a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear a 'kada' (bracelet) in India, or he as a Sikh is going to be able to go to a Gurdwara. That's what the fight is about ... not just for him, for all religions."

While talking about the Sikhs, he forgot that the only time the community faced a terrible time in Independent India was during the reign of his father, Rajiv Gandhi. The late Prime Minister seemingly justified the killings following the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi by her Sikh security personnel.

Rahul claims that the fight in India is not about politics but about caste, religion, region, ethnicity, and community. If it is so, then why didn't Rahul pinpoint the persecution of the Kashmiri Pandits before the US audience? Is it that the Kashmiri Pandit community is no big voting entity, nor does it have huge monies or strong lobbies, so essential for today's politicians to succeed?

Perhaps, the answer lay in the question itself. Persecution of Hindus in Muslim-dominated Kashmir is no case for the Gandhi scion whose eyes are set on identified blocks of the electorate. Of these blocks, the Muslim community is at the top spot and the others include the Dalits and OBCs. In the April-June Lok Sabha elections, Muslims voted overwhelmingly for the Congress and its INDIA bloc, which won 232 seats. The number was below the halfway mark of 272. The BJP won 240 seats, falling short of a majority on its own and leaving it dependent on allies to form the government for the third time in continuation.

The performance of the Congress and the INDIA bloc has emboldened Rahul, who has been aggressively talking about caste and religion not just in India but also in foreign lands. His recent claims in the US are a pointer to his post-2024 Lok Sabha results enthusiasm.

Rahul's strategy is clear-cut -- selectively picking up the causes of groups and communities that have a considerable impact on the political field. The target is the Muslims, Dalits and OBCs - a huge chunk of the electorate - which if penetrated can lead one to the country's top chair - the Prime Minister, and that is what he is aiming at.

In this power strategy, for him and his strategists, his 'own' community's graph falls in the minus category. Hence, their plight is not a case for him and never he will refer to this before any audience.

(Deepika Bhan can be contacted at deepika.b@ians.in)

 FairPoint: A real story of persecution that Rahul could have narrated in US

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Nipah confirmed in deceased Kerala youth, 151 came into his contact

T

he Pune Virology Institute has confirmed that the samples of the 23-year-old youth from the Malappuram district of Kerala were Nipah virus positive.

The state Health Minister Veena George said that the test report has confirmed that the samples of the youth who died of suspected Nipah virus was a positive case.

The department on Sunday also released the list of 151 people who have come in direct contact with the deceased youth.

"Three of these people in the contact list have shown symptoms of the virus," the department said.

The deceased, a 23-year-old student at Bengaluru, was a native of Chembaram near Naduvath in Wandoor. He died at a private hospital at Perinthalmanna.

The primary lab test conducted in Kozhikode Medical College was positive, and after the samples were confirmed positive for Nipah from the Pune virology lab, the Health Department will take further actions following protocols.

Officials from the Thiruvali panchayat and the Health Department held a meeting to assess the region's current situation. A health alert has been issued in Thiruvali panchayath and usage of face covering masks has been made compulsory.

Malappuram District Health Department officials told IANS that the deceased youth had come from Bengaluru recently with a leg injury.

The youth then contracted a fever and visited a clinic at Naduvath and another one at Wandoor in Malappuram. He passed away on Sunday and his samples were sent to the Pune Virology Lab for testing for Nipah virus.

Doctors had injected the boy with a monoclonal antibody procured from Australia by the Indian Council of Medical Research, but in the teenager's case, the deadline for the infusion of antibodies had passed.

However, the medical board authorised the administration as a desperate life-saving measure but could not save him.

The Nipah virus claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy from Kerala's Malappuram district on July 21, 2024.

The resurgence of the disease, which often spreads from fruit bats to other animals and human beings, has prompted the government to impose containment measures in at least two panchayats in the district.

In 2018,18 people died of an outbreak of Nipah virus which is the first time the deadly disease was detected in South India.

 Nipah confirmed in deceased Kerala youth, 151 came into his contact

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Shraddha Arya announces pregnancy: We are expecting a little miracle

A

ctress Sharddha Arya and her husband Rahul Nagal on Sunday announced that they are all set to welcome their first bundle of joy.

The actress took to Instagram, where she shared a video of herself and her husband with a positive pregnancy test and a picture of the sonography.

"We Are Expecting A Little Miracle!!! #Pregnancy #FutureParents #Blessed," she wrote as the caption.

Shraddha got married to Rahul Nagal, an Indian Navy officer, in November 2021 in the presence of their close ones.

Earlier Shraddha had posted a picture with her best friend Anjum Fakih from their Swiss trip on her birthday.

"It's My Most Crazy Bestie's Birthday!! Thank You For bringing in so much joy and weirdness into my life.. Life would have been so banal without you!!! May You stay this carefree and chirpy always !!! Love You! @nzoomfakih P.s. This song 'Cuz we were trippin' on it throughout our Swiss Trip," she said.

On the work front, Shraddha started her career with Zee TV's talent hunt show "India's Best Cinestars Ki Khoj", in which she became the first runner-up.

She made her acting debut in 2006 with the Tamil movie 'Kalvanin Kadhali' opposite actor-director SJ Surya. The diva made her Bollywood debut in 2007 with 'Nishabd', directed by Ram Gopal Varma, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jiah Khan. Shraddha essayed the lead role in the show 'Main Lakshmi Tere Aangan Ki', alongside Sudeep Sahir.

She has been a part of TV operas like 'Tumhari Paakhi', 'Dream Girl' and 'Kundali Bhagya'.

 Shraddha Arya announces pregnancy: We are expecting a little miracle

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
India no more a sleeping giant, but a favoured investment destination: Jagdeep Dhankar

V

ice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Sunday said that India is no longer a sleeping giant but on the rise which is unstoppable and continual.

"The economic upsurge is exponential and as per the global institutions, India is a favourite destination of investment and opportunity. In the next few years, India will be the third-largest global economy," the Vice President said while addressing the inauguration of the digital tower at the Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management, Nagpur.

He added that disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain are challenges and opportunities.

"They are challenges as long as you don't rise to the occasion. The moment you rise to the occasion, these technologies will be opportunities. India is one of the few countries in the world that has taken the global lead in these technologies. Our quantum computing mission, a huge allocation of Rs 6,000 crore, will be a game changer in the computing world. Green hydrogen mission by 2030, with an allocation of Rs 19,000 crore, will create 8 lakh jobs with 8 lakh crore investments," the Vice President said.

"Our deep penetration in digitisation has been acknowledged by the World Bank. The World Bank has hailed India as a role model to the rest of the world. How to go digitisation? and why not? In a country like ours, where more than 100 million farmers get direct transfer three times a year and there has been no leakage, no middlemen, no human interference, full accountability, total transparency. Also, this has a great economic advantage. It converts our economy to a formal one. What do our youth need?"

Dhankar said that the youth are stakeholders in democracy more than anybody else.

"They will have to take India to a developed nation in 2047. But they were being held, held back, pulled back by three things including lack of equality before the law, corruption and there was a time when India was not a country generating hope and possibility," the Vice President added.

However, the Vice President said now equality before the law is a true reality. Further, power corridors have been neutralised, and sanitised of these corrupt elements. According to him, there is an ecosystem in place where every boy and girl can realise and exploit potential, and talent, and achieve ambitions and aspirations.

Dhankar said that the digital tower will go a long way in changing the mindset of people, putting them in a different group, and making us fully alive to the technical changes, and the technological advancement that is gripping us.

 India no more a sleeping giant, but a favoured investment destination: Jagdeep Dhankar

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 10 partnership actions proposed by China have illustrated how Africa and China work together on the path of development, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has said.

The actions focus on cooperation in areas of economic development, investment and trade, education, culture and social issues, people's well-being, food security as well as energy security, Hichilema said in an interview with Chinese media when he was in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held earlier this month.

Africa can help with the world's green revolution, Hichilema said, adding that turning to greener economy and greener energy will make the world much safer and more sustainable.

In this process, more jobs will be created in the African continent and also in China, and its meaning goes beyond the development of Africa and China, he noted.

Regarding bilateral ties, Hichilema said: "Over the years, we've done a lot of things together for mutual benefits, for the people of China (and the) people of Zambia."

On modernization of the Global South, Hichilema said the Global South was generally viewed for years as lagging behind in development, and the traditional approach to driving the development of the Global South was to depend on the Global North.

"The situation has changed," Hichilema said. "It (the Global South) can do more within itself."

A number of countries have advanced technologies and are willing to share, and the resource endorsements are huge in the Global South, he said. "Now, our job is to utilize all the resources more efficiently."

Hichilema has visited China for several times. He shared his observation when visiting Pudong New Area in east China's Shanghai years ago, and said "China is evolving very fast."

Speaking of the TAZARA (Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority) railway, Hichilema called it "a heritage asset."

TAZARA, also known as the "Uhuru Railway" or "Independent Railway," is a 1,860 km single-track railway constructed between 1970 and 1975 as a turnkey project through an interest-free loan from China. Commercial operations of the railway began in July 1976.

On the sidelines of the FOCAC summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Hichilema and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan jointly witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the revitalization project of the TAZARA railway.

"It's a very, very important mission and milestone we have achieved by signing the revitalization of it as our corridor," Hichilema said.

While looking to the future blueprint, he said: "It opens up Africa in terms of logistics, trade, market access. And so our producers of goods and services can access markets. Producers can access inputs."

"And this is good, not just for Tanzania, China, Zambia, but for the region ... for the world," he added. 
Nayara Energy, Indias largest private fuel retailer, posted a 14.3 per cent rise in fuel sales for the second quarter of the 2024 calendar year, while exports dropped as the firm met rising local demand for fuel. In the April-June quarter, Nayara sold 75 per cent of all diesel it produced at its Vadinar oil refinery in Gujarat in the local Indian market and 60 per cent of its petrol production locally, Nayara said.

Over the past few years, Nayara Energy has steadily built its domestic business while expanding its fuel retailing network strategically to underserved markets that uphold the potential to fuel Indias growth.

Retail diesel sales rose 14 per cent to 2.08 million tonnes in April-June from 1.82 million tonnes a year back, while institutional business year-on-year growth was 23 per cent, Nayara said.

Similarly, retail petrol sales grew 14.7 per cent to 0.916 million tonnes in the second quarter compared to 0.809 million tonnes a year back.

Nayara Energy owns the largest private retail network with over 6,500 petrol pumps across India. Its retail network is fully automated (99 per cent of petrol pumps) for enhanced controls and standards, enhancing mobility and connectivity within our nation.

The firm said over the last few years, it has strategically expanded its network, with almost 35 per cent of its fuel stations situated in Tier 3, 4 and 5 towns, enabling mobility and spurring commerce.

Nayara Energys positive sales momentum is the reflection of its growing presence through the strategic expansion of our fuel retail network, it said.

After fulfilling domestic demand in India, surplus products were exported by Nayara Energy  about 1.36 million tonnes (28 per cent of total sales), including jet fuel, diesel and others, during April-June 2024.

Given the robust demand in the Indian market, petrol export sales have decreased from 36 per cent of total petrol sales in April-June 2023 to 21 per cent in April-June 2024.

Nayara exported 1.36 million tonnes of fuel in April-June this year, of which 0.65 million tonnes was diesel. Its natural export markets are in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Over the past five years, diesel export sales to the EU as a percentage of total diesel exports are minuscule, Nayara said.

According to the oil ministry data, automotive fuels (petrol and diesel) during April-June 2024 recorded a volume of 34.36 million tonnes with a growth rate of 3.1 per cent compared to the volume of 33.32 million tonnes during the same period of the previous year. This growth was led by a 7.1 per cent rise in petrol and 1.6 per cent in HSD consumption.

Nayara is committed to be in India for India  and is committed to be a strong partner in Indias growing economy, the firm said.

As a major downstream player, delivering 8 per cent of Indias refining output, Nayara Energy fuels the countrys dreams and aspirations, contributing significantly towards Indias energy security, it added.

Nayara Energy CEO Alessandro des Dorides said, Nayara Energy has been steadily building its domestic business and strengthening its retail network strategically to underserved markets that uphold the potential to fuel Indias growth. With almost 35 per cent of our retail outlets being in rural areas, we believe in playing a vital role in enhancing mobility and linking new urban centres that are spurring commerce.

The steadily rising share of our products being sold in domestic markets and the year-on-year growth of our institutional business reaffirms Nayara Energys commitment towards being a strong energy partner for our nation. India is short in production of crude oil (raw material for making fuels like petrol and diesel), but it has surplus refining capacity, which leads to the export of petroleum products like diesel. Against the consumption of 233.3 million tonnes, petroleum product production was 276.1 million tonnes in 2023-24, oil ministry data showed.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a notice to a total of 27 schools that were found guilty of dummy admission and violation of other laws. This includes schools from Delhi and Rajasthan region. Apart from this, many other rules made by CBSE were also being ignored by these schools.

Officials say that many schools were violating the provisions, due to which show-cause notices have been issued to these schools. According to the information received, a team of CBSE had conducted a surprise inspection of some of these schools during which many flaws ranging from admissions to the schools were found. In many schools, the number of students admitted in classes 11th-12th was shown to be high, whereas in reality, the number of students was less. Not only this, many other guidelines from enrollment, and attendance were also not being followed in these schools.

The CBSE schools to which notice has been issued include 22 schools from the Delhi region and five schools from the Ajmer region. CBSE found rules being violated in these schools after which notice was issued to them. CBSE has issued show cause notices to all these schools regarding enrolment and attendance of students. Now these schools will have to answer it. If CBSE is not satisfied with their answer, then further action can be taken. Previously, CBSE has cancelled the recognition of more than 20 schools for showing a fake number of students.

ALSO READ | CBSE Launches Its First Regional Office Outside India, In Dubai

Meanwhile, CBSE has begun the registration window for classes 10, and 12 board exams 2025. Students currently in grades 10 and 12 must complete the exam form and register for the board examinations. The board-affiliated schools are required to turn in the List of Candidates and (LOC). The entire process must be completed online using the Pareeksha Sangam website, which is, parikshasangam.cbse.gov.in. The last date to apply is October 4, 2024.
A 9-year-old student of Montfort School here died of cardiac arrest while playing in the premises, the school principal said on Saturday.

According to a statement issued by the school principal on Thursday, after receiving information that a student of Class 3, Manvi Singh, fell unconscious in the playground, she was rushed to the nearby Fatima Hospital.

The girls family took her to Chandan Hospital, where the doctors said that she died due to cardiac arrest, the principal said.

The matter also came to the notice of the police, but the girls family has said that no action will be taken, they said.

After receiving information about the girls death, a holiday was declared in the school on Friday.
Beginning September 18, elections to Jammu and Kashmirs 90-member strong legislative assembly will commence. These will be the first assembly elections to be conducted after Jammu and Kashmirs special status was revoked with the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government in 2019. Ever since, the Union Territory has been governed by the Central Government with a Lieutenant Governor in-charge of its administration. How Jammu and Kashmir votes in this election will dictate the Union Territorys future for many years to come. This is also the first assembly election after the exercise of delimitation was completed in J&K in 2022. As a result, Jammus representation in the legislative assembly has gone up by six seats, while one seat has also been added from Kashmir valley.

For the BJP, the rise in Jammus representation comes as an advantage. Since 2014, the BJP has dominated the electoral landscape of Hindu-majority Jammu. By winning 19 out of the 24 seats, the BJP was able to garner a vote share of 46% in 2014. In 2002, its vote share here stood at just 15%, so the spike was significant. However, in the Lok Sabha polls this year, the partys vote share climbed down by half. Now, the party hopes to replicate the performance of 2019, with Prime Minister Narendra Modis campaign in the UT from September 14. The BJPs strategy is to max out in Jammu, while hoping that a fractured mandate appears from the Kashmir valley, which would pave the way for the party to explore post-poll alliances to form the government. The party has its eyes set on at least 50 seats this election.

To cobble the required numbers, the BJP has made some big promises. From promising an annual sum of Rs 18,000 to the eldest woman in every household, to committing to generate 500,000 local jobs, to even promising students an annual travel allowance of Rs 3,000  the BJP has pulled out all stops. It has also outlined plans to construct 10,000 kilometers of new rural roads, improving connectivity in remote areas, apart from lowering electricity tariffs for farmers by up to 50%. In its manifesto, it has also committed to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits.

On the other hand, the Congress-National Conference alliance is giving the BJP a tough fight. The diverse political landscape and the presence of multiple strong contenders  NC-Congress alliance, BJP, PDP, Apni Party, and others  significantly increase the likelihood of a fragmented electoral verdict. No single party may secure a clear majority, necessitating the formation of a coalition government. For its part, the NC-Congress alliance appears keen to capitalise on the perceived discontent against the BJPs policies in J&K, particularly the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent administrative changes.

The Congress has made its own set of promises to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, ranging from a monthly payout of Rs 3,000 to the eldest woman in each household, filling up vacancies in 1 lakh posts, free rice provision of 11 kilograms for each family member to even providing a health cover of Rs 25 lakhs.

If the BJP manages to secure a significant number of seats in Jammu, it could offset potential losses in the Kashmir Valley and play a decisive role in government formation, even in a hung Assembly scenario.

However, factors such as the resentment over the delimitation exercise, the perceived neglect of Jammus developmental needs, and the rise of alternative regional voices like the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party could impact the BJPs performance.

Smaller regional parties such as the Apni Party, the Peoples Conference and the Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party, as well as independent candidates, including those with separatist backgrounds, could play a pivotal role in shaping the election outcome, particularly in closely contested constituencies. These actors might attract votes based on local issues, specific community concerns, or disillusionment with mainstream parties.

The election in Jammu & Kashmir is also a prestige issue for all parties involved. While the BJP is keen to vindicate its own decision to abrogate Article 370 and make the erstwhile state a Union Territory, the National Conference-Congress alliance is positioning itself as an alliance that can supposedly bring the old times back to the valley.

KEY ISSUES

Article 370 Abrogation & Statehood: The removal of J&Ks special status and division into Union Territories remains a major point of contention, with regional parties pushing for restoration. In the event that an NC-Congress alliance does come to power, it is expected that demands for the restoration of Article 370 and immediate statehood will pick pace.

Security & Terrorism: The recent spike in terrorism and targeted killings is a significant concern, particularly in Jammu.

Socio-Economic Development: Unemployment, infrastructure development, and economic opportunities are key concerns, particularly for the youth.Political Representation & Governance: The limited powers of the Assembly under the current UT status and the perceived dominance of the central government are contentious topics that could put the BJP at a disadvantage, especially in the Valley.

Identity & Regionalism: Concerns over the protection of local culture, language, and land rights, especially in the context of demographic changes, are prevalent.Delimitation & Reserved Seats: The redrawing of constituencies and reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have impacted the electoral landscape.

Durbar Move: The National Conference and Apni Party has promised to reinstate the practise of shifting the administrative capital in summer and winter months between Kashmir and Jammu. While some view the move as an attempt to better govern the UT, many also argue that the exercise is purely cosmetic that costs the exchequer a lot of money.

The upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will be a critical test for all major political players, particularly the BJP, which seeks to capitalise on increased representation in Jammu and navigate potential setbacks in the Kashmir Valley. The Congress-NC alliance is positioning itself as a formidable challenger, leveraging discontent over the abrogation of Article 370 and other regional concerns. With key issues such as statehood, economic development, and security at the forefront, the election outcome is likely to shape the Union Territorys governance and future political landscape. In a potentially fragmented verdict, coalition-building may prove decisive for forming the next government.
Putting to rest all speculations about the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister of State for Prime Ministers Office Dr Jitendra Singh told CNN-News18 that the new CM of the current union territory (UT) will have the same powers as any other CM in India.

Dr Singhs clarification comes amid apprehensions that the Centre has increased the power of JK LG because it wants a Delhi-like arrangement for JK  UT with a legislature. Dr Singh said that PM Narendra Modi at his rally in Doda on Saturday explained the partys stance on the question of statehood and the opposition was spreading canards for political gains.

ALSO READ | Three Dynasties Vs The Youth: PM Modi Sounds Poll Bugle In Doda Rally, Targets Opposition In J&K

The Uddhampur MP said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was confident of emerging as the single largest party. He said the opposition was smelling defeat and so was spreading rumours about a pact between the BJP and Jamat-backed Independents.

Excerpts from the interview:

Your assessment of the mood of J&K voters

Earlier, the elections meant a curfew-like situationa hartal call would be given. Very few people would go out and vote. In the 1950s and 60s, returning officers would reject all nomination powers and declare the ruling party candidate as elected. This time, democracy is also getting truly ushered in. This will be the first election in 10 years. Voters and candidates both are excited.

Can you clarify your stance on the statehood issue? The Opposition is demanding full statehood because there seem to be some doubts.

What the PM said in Doda and also in Bakshi stadium, Srinagar six months agoHome Minister Amit Shah has said on the floor of Parliament that statehood will be restored. The opposition is deploying the old trick of demanding something that will happen in ordinary course, so that later they can claim that we put pressure so it happened. What they dont realise is that voters see through these tricks.

You are saying the J&K CM will have the same power as the CMs of Maharashtra, West Bengal or Rajasthan?

Of course, why not. Functionally, the new CM will be more like the other CMs. Now that Article 370 is gone, the urge and pressure to look different is also gone.

You think Article 370 is not an issue among voters?

Article 370 is no longer an issue. Conduct a survey not just in Jammu but even in Srinagar, even in the Valley no one wants 370. They might be scared to say so, but that is the feeling. Article 370 was a barrier for opportunities, central government funds. Local bodies, panch and sarpanches were not getting the funds that they were entitled to under the 73rd and 74th amendment under panchayat Raj. It was brought by the Rajiv Gandhi government, but the same party didnt implement it in J&K.

Not giving daughters the right over property of their parents if they married outside the state was great unfairness. It was because they wanted to grab their propertiesWho wants 370? It is only they the coterie which was the biggest beneficiary.

Is the BJP facing anti-incumbency? You are in the Centre, an LG has been appointed by your party

J&K is seeing a resurgence of democratic aspirations because we didnt have elections for 10 years. Before that, elections for local bodies were not happening, so I think people are happy over the return of the democratic processes.

You claim J&K was made terror-free in your rule, but the opposition points to resurgence of terrorism in Jammu division

Around 2.5 crore tourists have gone from the Kashmir valley. If terrorism was not on the decline, these people would not risk their lives and leave. Because in the valley, the militants are facing the heat. They are rushing towards Jammu Division.

But this too is a passing phase. Militancy is on its last leg in J&K. If voters and general public were fearful of the latest terror attacks in Jammu division, then the two new five-star hotels would not get started in Bhadrwah. The tourist inflow this year is recordbreaking  5-6 lakh tourists in May. The evidence is not from a government spokesperson but on ground. It is showing that people are reassured.

The Opposition alleges that in the Valley, the BJP has not fielded candidates but is backing Jamat and their candidates who are BJP proxies".

Jamat is not fighting the elections, but some independents might have their support. To call them BJP proxies" shows the fear of loss among political opponents.

ALSO READ | Nafrat Ki Dukaan: In PMs Congress Onslaught, A Mention Of Row Over Journalists Treatment, Kharges Jail Jibe

Will you take support from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?

The BJP will emerge as the single largest party. As far as alliance is concerned, we wont compromise on ideology. We never did. In fact, the BJP walked out of the alliance with PDP, it wasnt the other way around.

If the BJP emerges as the single-largest party, will you be a CM contender?

Not at allthe BJP is a party of karyakartas. Assigned work is what you look at. We are not like the Congress where closeness to neta, netas son is the ticket to success. In the BJP, everyone is working towards a common goal and that is the only focus.
The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday told a Kolkata court that Dr. Sandip Ghosh, former principal of Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College, spoke with Tala Police Stations officer-in-charge, Abhijit Mondal, shortly after a 31-year-old doctor was found dead on the hospital premises.

He is not an accused in rape and murder but he might have role in larger conspiracy, the CBI told the court, News18 has learned.

The central agency arrested Mondal last night on charges of tampering with evidence in the rape-murder case. Ghosh, previously arrested for financial irregularities, now also faces charges of tampering with evidence.

We want to confront both of them, the CBIs counsel told the court, highlighting that they have evidence that shows that the now-arrested police officer had communicated with the former principal.

He came to the spot at 11am and an FIR was registered after 11pm, the CBI counsel further added.

The two were presented in court today and remanded in CBI custody for two days. The case is scheduled for the next hearing on September 17.

The Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court have questioned the delay in the registration of the FIR. The FIR in the trainee doctors alleged rape-and-murder case was filed 14 hours after the doctors body was found.

Both questioned the RG Kar administration, which was headed by Ghosh at the time, regarding the delay and their failure to register a police complaint which would have led to the filing of the FIR.

These are the CBIs first arrests in the rape-and murder-case following their month-long investigation. The Kolkata Police had arrested civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy earlier, who was later transferred to CBI custody after the high court moved the investigation to the central agency.
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday highlighted the importance of the Indian Constitution, drafted by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, at the inauguration ceremony of Constitution Temples at the 434 Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in Maharashtra.

Speaking at the ceremony at the Elphinstone Technical School and Junior College, Dhankhar stated that this initiative will play a significant role in raising awareness about the Indian Constitution. The event was attended virtually by several dignitaries, including Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of Social Justice Ramdas Athawale. Additionally, Dhankhars wife, Dr. Sudesh, was present at the event. Minister of Skill Development Mangal Prabhat Lodha and other senior officials from the Skill Development Department were also in attendance.

Dhankhar said, The essence of Indian culture is enshrined in our Constitution. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkars significant contribution in drafting this Constitution is commendable. The Constitution is a guiding force for the nation, and it is essential for the younger generation to comprehend its core principles. Dr. Ambedkars lifelong efforts for the upliftment of the marginalised stand as a testament to his dedication. Initiatives like the Constitution Temples will help in spreading his vision and the importance of social justice among the youth.

He also remarked that India, as the worlds largest democracy, thrives on unity in diversity, and this is largely due to the strength of the Indian Constitution. Dhankhar expressed pride in Indias democratic identity, stressing the importance of respecting and understanding the Constitution, especially for the younger generation.

Radhakrishnan praised the Skill Development Department for launching such innovative initiatives and recalled the historic significance of the Elphinstone Technical School, where Dr. Ambedkar received part of his education between 1904 and 1907. He also lauded ongoing programmes such as the Chief Ministers Youth Work Training Scheme, which aims to reduce unemployment by equipping the youth with essential skills.

Athawale called the Constitution a symbol of secularism and unity, urging students to actively participate in the Constitution Temple initiative. Lodha echoed these sentiments, expressing joy at the inauguration on the occasion of International Day of Democracy. He noted that the temples would help instill the ideals of Dr. Ambedkar in future generations.
Rejecting Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees offer of tea, junior doctors in Kolkata continued their protest at Swasthya Bhawan on Sunday, demanding justice for their colleague who was raped and murdered last month. We were asked to come for an official dialogue at Kalighat, we went there. When we went there, we even compromised with our demand that the meeting be live, Dr. Aqeeb, a spokesperson for the protesters, said.

A meeting over tea

The CM (Mamata) came outside and requested us to have a meeting over tea  but the junior doctors said that we would have tea only if justice would be delivered. We later gave up on the demand of recording as well and just asked for the minutes of the meeting but it was told to us that there had been a delay and nothing could be done now, he added.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal | Dr Aqeeb, who was part of the delegation that went to meet CM Mamata Banerjee, says, We were asked to come for an official dialogue at Kalighat, we went there  when we went there, we even compromised with our demand that the meeting be live pic.twitter.com/0Iivi7vhUK ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024

What Sandip Ghosh has done

The spokesperson stressed the need for accountability in the Kolkata rape-murder case, following the arrest of Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and Abhijit Mondal, the officer-in-charge of Tala police station. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Ghosh and Mondal on Saturday amid allegations of delays in filing the FIR and tampering with evidence related to the murder of the trainee doctor.

The CBI probe revealed inconsistencies in the timeline provided by the police, raising suspicions of a cover-up. Dr. Aqeeb said that the arrest of Ghosh validates their demands, saying, What Sandip Ghosh has done is an institutional crime. We want all such people involved in it to resign. He recounted a frustrating meeting with the Bengal government, which ended without a resolution.

The junior doctors had requested that the meeting be recorded, but the government declined, leading to their decision to leave without an agreement. Meanwhile, Banerjee had offered to record the meeting but insisted that the government would manage the recording, a proposal the doctors rejected. Amid demand for live-streaming of the discussions, the Bengal CM appealed to the agitating doctors, who had arrived at her residence for talks, to join the meeting.

I would request you all to come inside and attend the meeting. As the matter is before the court, we cannot allow live streaming. I will video-record the meeting and will provide you with a copy only after permission from the Supreme Court, she said while appealing to students to come inside and not to get drenched in rain.
A proposed 14-lane road near the Atal Setu sea bridge that will connect to Pune via a ring road will bring down traffic on Mumbai-Pune Expressway by 50 per cent, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday.

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways was talking about road plans for Mumbai-Bengaluru at an alumni event organised by COEP Technological University on the occasion of Engineers Day.

There is huge traffic on Mumbai-Pune Expressway. A 14-lane road will be built near Atal Setu, which will further connect to Pune via a ring road and then onwards to Bengaluru. This road will bring down traffic on Mumbai-Pune Expressway by 50 per cent, he said.

The Atal Setu is the countrys longest sea bridge and connects Sewri in Mumbai to Navi Mumbai.

Speaking at the event, Gadkari said India was ranked third in the world in the automobile sector and in the next 25 years all vehicles will run on electricity and not fossil fuels.

Our technology should be economical. We can use garbage to make roads. Around 80 lakh tonnes of garbage has been used to build new roads. There is huge scope for researchers in this sector, Gadkari asserted.

Stressing on the Centres Atmanirbhar (self reliance) concept, he said India needs smart villages rather than smart cities.

The standard of living of farmers should improve. Only then we can call them atmanirbhar, he pointed out.
SANAA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- An international technical team on Sunday began towing a damaged oil tanker targeted by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea last month, a Yemeni naval official told Xinhua.

"Tug boats have successfully attached to the Greek oil tanker MV SOUNION and it is currently being towed to a safe location," the official in the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Mocha said on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, an European Union (EU) military operation in the Red Sea, known as EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, confirmed on social media platform X on Sunday that the towing operation "is in progress," without providing further details.

The MV SOUNION, carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil, was attacked by the Houthi group on Aug. 21 with small arms, projectiles, and a drone boat. The 29-member crew, including Filipinos, Russians, and private security personnel, had been evacuated by a French destroyer to Djibouti.

Footage released by the Houthi group on Aug. 29 showed its fighters boarding and placing explosives on the oil tanker, detonating blasts that threatened a major oil spill in the Red Sea.

The Houthi group, which controls large swathes of northern Yemen, has been attacking "Israeli-linked" shipping near the country's coastline since November 2023, allegedly to support Palestinians in their conflict with Israelis.

The U.S.-led naval coalition in the region has since January conducted regular air raids and strikes against Houthi targets to deter the group. 
In a tragic incident, two women were killed after a speeding BMW car allegedly hit their two-wheeler in Madhya Pradeshs Indore, the police said on Sunday.

The accident, captured on surveillance camera, took place on Saturday at around 11:30 pm in the Khajrana area, when two women- Diksha Jadon (25) and Lakshmi Tomar (24)- were going back to their home after attending Khajrana Ganesh temple fair. The accused, who was allegedly driving the car recklessly and in the wrong direction, hit the two-wheeler.

As per the footage, the womens scooter was rammed by a speeding BMW car from opposite direction, flinging them into the air. Both the women were rushed to the hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries during treatment.

However, the driver fled the spot after the collision.

Upon receiving information, the police personnel immediately took cognisance of the matter and initiated a man hunt for the accused. Acting promptly, the police arrested the BMW driver, Gajendra Pratap Singh (28), a native of Gwalior and registered a case under section 105 (culpable homicide) of the BNS against the accused.

A BMW car coming from the wrong direction near Titan showroom in Khajrana police station area hit two women riding a scooter, who died during treatment. The police arrested the accused and registered a case of culpable homicide under BNS section 105 and sent him to jail, the police said.

:             BMW         ,                105               DCP Indore Zone  2 (@dcpindore_zone2) September 15, 2024

According to the police, the accused revealed that he had recently purchased the car second-hand and works at Task US company. The police further said that the accused was hurrying to celebrate his friends birthday and was driving in the wrong direction as he was carrying the cake.

The victims were residents of the Tulsinagar area of Indore. One of the deceased, Tomar was the only earning member since her father died last year, her family members said. Originally from Shivpuri, she was supporting her family by working in Indore, they said.

Another deceased Jadon, originally from Gwalior, was working in an Indore-based public sector bank, the police said.

In another incident, a 17-year-old boy was killed and two others were injured after a speeding car allegedly hit their bike on the Western Express Highway in Mumbais Dahisar suburb on Friday.

Last week, a Ganesh mandal worker was killed and another was severely injured after a speeding BMW car allegedly hit them during Ganeshotsav preparations in Mumbais Mulund. Two workers Pritam Thorat and Prasad Patil, of the Mulund Cha Raja Ganesh Mandal were putting up banners near the Aakruti Tower in Gavanpada area when a speeding BMW hit and ran over them.
A 17-year-old boy was killed and two others were injured after a speeding car allegedly hit their bike on the Western Express Highway in Mumbais Dahisar suburb on Friday.

Two friends- Aditya Velankar (17), Karan Rajput (18) were returning from a nearby Shailendra High School while on a bike, accompanied by another friend, Piyush Shukla, who was on a separate bike. The incident took place when a speeding car hit Karans bike from behind, causing both Karan and Aditya to sustain severe injuries, news agency ANI reported.

In the crash, Karan had fallen on the left side of the road, and Aditya on the right. Aditya suffered serious head injuries, bleeding from his ears and nose, while Karan sustained injuries. The driver, however fled the scene.

Piyush and Karan rushed Aditya to a nearby hospital where the latter succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

The Dahisar police have registered a case under Section 106 (causing death by negligence) and Section 281 (rash or negligent act) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with sections of the Motor Vehicle Act. They have also scanned the CCTV footage of the accident site to identify the car owner and have launched a search operation to nab the driver.

Earlier in another incident, a mob beat up a motorcyclist after he allegedly pushed a woman pedestrian and attacked her with his helmet in an incident of road rage in south Mumbai, police said on Sunday. The police arrested the biker, Shahen Alam Sheikh (33), and later released him after serving him a notice following the attack on Saturday night, an official said.

According to the police, the woman was waiting for a taxi on Nizam Street under the JJ flyover when the accused, who was on his motorcycle, hit her leg.

Last week, a Ganesh mandal worker was killed and another was severely injured after a speeding BMW car allegedly hit them during Ganeshotsav preparations in Mumbais Mulund. Two workers Pritam Thorat and Prasad Patil, of the Mulund Cha Raja Ganesh Mandal were putting up banners near the Aakruti Tower in Gavanpada area when a speeding BMW hit and ran over them.

(With inputs from ANI)
Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, also known as Mawlid or Eid-e-Milad, is a profound Islamic observance that commemorates the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. This special day is a time for Muslims around the world to reflect on the Prophets teachings and to celebrate his life and legacy. It is also marked by the somber remembrance of his passing, as he died on the same date.

EID-E-MILAD-UN-NABI IN INDIA: DATE AND TIMING FOR 2024

Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi is observed on the 12th day of Rabi al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar. In 2024, this significant occasion in India will be observed from the evening of Sunday, September 15th, to Monday, September 16th.

BANK HOLIDAY FOR EID-E-MILAD-UN-NABI

In 2024, all public and private banks in India, including the State Bank of India (SBI), will be closed on September 18 in observance of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi. This holiday has been moved from September 16 to avoid a clash with the Anant Chaturdashi or Ganesh Visarjan celebrations. Despite the holiday, online banking services and ATMs will remain operational for cash withdrawals and other transactions.

EID-E-MILAD-UN-NABI WISHES AND GREETINGS

Wishing you a joyful Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi filled with peace, love, and countless blessings.

May the spirit of Eid-e-Milad bring you closer to your faith and fill your life with compassion and kindness.

Eid Mubarak! May you find joy in the remembrance of the Prophet Muhammads teachings and blessings in every aspect of your life.

May the light of Eid-e-Milad illuminate your path and bring you and your family happiness and prosperity.

On this auspicious day of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, may your prayers be answered and your heart be filled with peace.

Sending heartfelt wishes on Eid-e-Milad. May the teachings of Prophet Muhammad guide you towards a life of righteousness.

Eid Mubarak! May this blessed day inspire you to spread love, generosity, and harmony in all your relationships.

As we celebrate the birth of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, may your life be filled with countless blessings and joy.

May the occasion of Eid-e-Milad bring you closer to your faith and fill your days with happiness and grace.

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi. May you be granted peace, happiness, and prosperity.

EID-E-MILAD-UN-NABI: HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE

Rabi al-Awwal is the third month in the Islamic calendar. Prophet Muhammad was born in the year 570 CE in Mecca. The 12th of Rabi al-Awwal holds great significance as it marks both the birth and the passing of the Prophet. The day is an opportunity for Muslims to honor the Prophets teachings of compassion, kindness, and justice.

The spiritual importance of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi is profound. It allows Muslims to reflect deeply on the Prophets life and renew their commitment to embodying his principles of mercy, justice, and faith. Celebrations are marked by the adornment of homes, mosques, and streets with vibrant lights and green flags, special prayers, and acts of charity.

How Muslims Celebrate Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi
Every year on September 15, National Engineers Day is celebrated with great enthusiasm. This day commemorates and honours the invaluable contributions of engineers to society. It not only recognises their unique abilities but also highlights their role in shaping the world we live in. This day is particularly significant as it marks the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, one of Indias most renowned engineers and visionaries.

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, born on September 15, 1861, is celebrated as a pioneering engineer and statesman who made significant contributions to Indias development. He was a civil engineer, politician and philanthropist, known for planning and constructing several landmarks, including the famous Krishna Raja Sagara dam in Mysore.

Among his other significant contributions are the development of the irrigation system for the Deccan Plateau and the flood control system for Hyderabad in 1909.

The city of Hyderabad, which was severely affected by a major flood in 1908, and the then Mysore state, which frequently faced droughts and mass migrations due to water shortages, owe much of their current economic success to these visionary projects conceived by Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya.

National Engineers Day 2024: History

National Engineers Day in India is celebrated on September 15 to honour the birth anniversary of Sir Visvesvaraya, who had a huge impact on Indias infrastructure development, especially in the construction of dams, irrigation networks and other critical infrastructure. The government officially designated September 15 as Engineers Day in 1968.

This day is marked by engineers across India to pay tribute to Sir Visvesvarayas legacy and to acknowledge the contributions of engineers to society. It is an opportunity to celebrate their ingenuity and creativity and to recognise the role engineering plays in our lives.

By commemorating National Engineers Day, we express our gratitude to the engineers who improve our lives.

National Engineers Day 2024: Significance

National Engineers Day is extremely important because it appreciates engineers devotion, innovation, and contributions to society. It serves as a reminder of the critical role that they play in solving complex issues, advancing technology and improving the quality of life across the world.

The special day is also a celebration of creativity and advancement since it not only acknowledges the accomplishments of early engineers but also inspires current and future generations to continue pushing the boundaries.

National Engineers Day 2024: The Impact Of AI On Engineering Field

Artificial intelligence (AI) has r gained significant traction and is set to revolutionise various industries, including engineering.

The integration of this advanced technology into engineering practices is already yielding tangible benefits while also presenting new challenges.

AI is reshaping traditional engineering roles and responsibilities.

Engineers are now required to leverage modern tools and systems that use AI to automate design, analysis and optimise processes.

This shift highlights the importance of data-driven decision-making and underscores the need for engineers to possess a strong understanding of data analysis and interpretation.

While AI introduces new career opportunities, it also has the potential to displace certain existing roles, especially those involving repetitive or manual tasks.

To remain competitive in the job market, engineers must focus on upskilling and reskilling, embracing lifelong learning to stay abreast of the latest technological advancements.

As the field evolves, engineers need to ensure interdisciplinary collaboration, engage in continuous learning and address ethical considerations to thrive in the age of AI and contribute meaningfully to society.
HAPPY ONAM WISHES: THIRUVONAM WISHES, MESSAGES, IMAGES, AND QUOTES IN ENGLISH AND MALAYALAM: Onam, the annual harvest festival, is an important celebration, especially in Kerala. The 10-day-long festival is celebrated with immense enthusiasm and fervour in the month of Chingam. This year, Onam celebration began on September 5 and concludes today, on September 15. The festival also commemorates the return of King Mahabali, a benevolent ruler who is claimed to have restored prosperity to the region.

To celebrate this special occasion, we have compiled a collection of wishes, messages, and quotes that you can share with your loved ones.

Onam Wishes

Keep the spirit of Onam in your hearts. May your home be filled with happiness, love, and peace. Happy Onam!

May the spirit of Onam be everywhere in whatever you do, think, and hope for in your life.

May this Onam bring happiness and prosperity to your home.

I wish this Onam, Lord Mahabali blesses you with happiness, love, and kindness.

May the festival of Onam mark the beginning of a colourful, healthy, and joyful life. Wishing everyone a very Happy Onam!

On this special occasion, I express my best wishes to you and your family. May the Lord bless you with happiness and prosperity in your life.

I hope this Onam brings you good fortune and an abundance of joy. Happy Onam to you and your family.

May Lord Vamana shower you with good health, money, serenity, and happiness. Happy Onam.

On the occasion of Onam, I extend my warm greetings to you and your family.

This Onam, may you get the strength and determination to achieve all of your goals. May Lord Vamana shower you with his blessings. Happy Onam.

Onam 2024 Messages

May the colours and lights of Onam bring you happiness and joy. My sincere wishes for Onam. Happy Onam, from our family to yours.

Celebrate this Onam with joy, happiness, and togetherness.

It is a chance for people to reflect on the divines all-pervasive nature. Happy Onam to you and your family members.

The air is filled with joy and zeal. Its bright everywhere, and homes are decked with vivid decorations. I hope that the spirit of the celebration brings you happiness.

May serenity and happiness thrive in your life, just as the beautiful pookalam does in every Kerala household. Happy Onam.

From boat races to Onasadya feasts, may this Onam bring you an abundance of joy.

Heres to honouring the beauty of traditions, the joy of being together, and the spirit of Onam.

Cheers to this auspicious occasion! Wishing everyone a happy Onam!

Life becomes a festival when happiness and culture come together. Onam conveys a message about both. Happy Onam.

This Onam may you find peace, love, and happiness in every aspect of your life.

Onam 2024 Quotes

Onam isnt just a festival, its a feeling of togetherness and unity.

Onam is an occasion to celebrate life, highlight traditions and create beautiful memories.

The vibrant festival, Onam, celebrates Keralas rich culture and pays honour to its vivid heritage

Onam is a festival that brings everyone together. Its a festival of reunion and celebration!

We celebrate Onam to celebrate a glorious past. We all yearn for a time when prosperity, joy and love coexisted, as King Mahabali did. But to realise this goal, we must put up creative and sustained effort.

We have lost the true essence of Onam. Let each of our actions be a yajna for universal good. May the new clothes we wear be those of Dharma and faith. May our hearts be filled with love and joy and make life an everlasting Thiruvonam. Thus we can retrieve the lost Onam.

Onam reminds us that the simplest things in life may bring the most delight.

Onam is the celebration of Lord Mahabalis homecoming. May you appreciate natures love and abundance by sharing it with your friends and family.

Lord Mahabalis story is a reminder that we can also achieve good things in life with our efforts. Dont forget to work hard in life.

Let us celebrate the harmony and energy of Onam with chenda music and the enticing aroma of sadhya.
Onam is one of the oldest Hindu harvest festivals celebrated in the southernmost Indian state of Kerala. It is the official festival of the state and is widely celebrated among the Malayalis. The main focus of the festival is the homecoming of the mythical king Mahabali, who is said to revisit Earth during the festivities. This year, Onam will be celebrated from September 5 to September 15.

ALSO READ: Happy Onam 2024 Wishes, Messages, Images, and Quotes to Spread the Joy of Thiruvonam!

Onam is one of the biggest festivals in Kerala and it is an extravaganza of colours, tradition and culture. While there are so many colours painting the celebrations, white and gold have especially been associated with it.

Why White and Gold?

The colour white, especially in the Kasavu saree of Kerala, symbolically signifies purity, peace and oneness. The pure white background of the saree depicts the message of tolerance and respect the state offers to the varied cultures and traditions. Dressing in white represents the celebration of the culture and the unity of the region.

Gold used at the borders and patterns of Kasavu saree gives a pinch of luxury to the dress. The golden zari work translates to affluence, opulence and harvest season  the festival Onam celebrates. This reflects the golden harvest that farmers are able to get at this time, signalling the onset of plenty.

White and gold are not reserved solely for womens sarees; even men wear traditional white dhotis with borders in gold.

The History of the Kasavu Saree

The saree, which has a bright, pure white colour body and a traditional golden or zari border has been part of Kerala culture for centuries.

Historically, the threads used in the borders in gold demonstrated prosperity, wealth and luxury.

Later on, due to the increased price and rarity of gold, the artisans used gold and copper-coated silver threads to achieve the gold colour, while the sarees became relatively cheaper.

Origins of Onam

In Hindu mythology, there is a story of King Mahabali, who was quite a kind king and was adored by his people. However, he rose in power up to the extent that even the gods felt threatened by his authority.

Once, Lord Vishnu incarnated himself as a dwarf Brahmin named Vamana and went to the Palace of King Mahabali and demanded three paces of land to be donated for him.

As Mahabali agreed to this, Vamana megarized himself and in two strides he covered the earth and the sky. Mahabali stepped forward and offered his head for the third step which made Vishnu happy as he realised that Mahabali was a generous person.

Satisfied, Vishnu gifted an opportunity to Mahabali to visit Earth once a year and this is celebrated as Onam in Kerala.
Democracy Day is an annual celebration observed on September 15. The United Nations General Assembly established this day in 2007 to emphasise the global significance of democracy. It serves as a reminder that democracy is not merely a fixed condition, but an ongoing pursuit. It calls for active engagement from international organizations, nation-states, civil society and people to pursue the democratic idea.

International Day Of Democracy History

The International Day of Democracy was accredited by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on November 8, 2007, by passing a resolution entitled Support by United Nations system of efforts of governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies.

September 15 was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the Inter-Parliamentary Unions Universal Declaration on Democracy, which was adopted in Geneva on September 15, 1997.

This declaration outlines the tenets of democracy proclaiming that democracy is a system of government based on the freely expressed will of the people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation, through free and fair periodic elections, in the composition of their representative government.

After the Universal Declaration on Democracy, Qatar spearheaded the campaign to observe an International Day of Democracy at the United Nations. The first-ever International Day of Democracy was held in 2008.

International Day Of Democracy Significance

The International Day of Democracy evaluates global democracy, emphasising that it requires commitment and engagement from the international community, the national state governments, civil societies and individuals.

The day also reminds the nations of the need to uphold the principles of democracy such as the freedom of speech enshrined in Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Quotes on International Day Of Democracy

Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people.  Harry Emerson Fosdick.

The experience of democracy is like the experience of life itselfalways changing, infinite in its variety, sometimes turbulent and all the more valuable for having been tested in adversity.  Jimmy Carter

Peace cannot exist without justice, justice cannot exist without fairness, fairness cannot exist without development, development cannot exist without democracy.  Rigoberta Menchu Tum

The only way to ensure the continuance of democracy is to make every generation understand that it is a personal responsibility to be actively interested in and vigilant about its government.  Eleanor Roosevelt

In a democracy, the highest office is the office of citizen.  Felix Frankfurter.
The release of Netflixs latest Hindi series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, has sparked discussions that have strayed from its core narrative, drawing attention instead to peripheral details. However, the heart of the series remains a powerful testament to the courage and resilience displayed by the passengers and crew of flight IC 814. The hijacking, which ended after a tense week-long negotiation that saw the release of three high-profile terrorists, including Masood Azhar, is a story of survival and determination.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the series is based on Flight Into Fear, co-authored by Captain Devi Sharan and journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury. Actor Vijay Varma portrays Sharan in the Netflix adaptation, and recently, Netflix brought Varma and the real Captain Sharan together for an insightful interaction. The conversation saw the two exchange personal reflections, but one particularly moving moment occurred when Varma asked Sharan how he felt about returning to the cockpit after such a harrowing ordeal. I was back in after four days, Sharan revealed, leaving Varma visibly surprised.

Sharan shared more about the advice that led him to return so soon. One of my very good friends suggested that I fly my next flight before the incident settled in my mind as a trauma or a phobia. He advised that I start flying as soon as possible if I want to continue in this line of work, Sharan said. He also reflected on how the hijacking impacted his outlook on life: I was a totally changed person. I started appreciating even the smallest things in my life.

Before the incident, Sharan admitted, I used to ignore the small things, but I stopped taking things for granted after that. I used to not acknowledge a lot of things back then, but I realised that life was very, very unpredictable. Those 7-8 days were a learning experience, for sure. After that, I started travelling a lot with my wife and family. I mean, I try to live life to the fullest.

IC-814 The Kandahar Hijack, which features Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Vijay Varma, Dia Mirza, Arvind Swamy and Dia Mirza has been well-received by critics. However, a section of social media users had demanded for the boycott of the series for allegedly hiding the real identities of the terrorists involved in the 1999 incident.

In the series, the terrorists were named Bhola, Shankar, Doctor, Burger and Chief. The series seemingly hinted that the terrorists had codenames. However, the hijackers were Muslims from Pakistan. This had irked many, who have called it whitewashing.

Following the backlash, Netflix agreed to update the disclaimer of the series and mentioned the real names of the hijackers. The decision came after officials of the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry met Netflix representatives over the alleged misrepresentation of facts in the new series.
Ananya Panday has made her OTT debut with web series Call Me Bae. The series has been loved by fans. Well, recently Karan Johar shared a video from the series and revealed his favourite song. And we are also loving it very much.

Taking to his Instagram stories, Karan shared the song Yaara Tere Bon and wrote, Favourite song. Ananya Pandays Call Me Bae is finally out on Prime Video and the actress received a special shoutout from her rumoured bae, Walker Blanco. He took to his Instagram account and shared a poster of the show on his story. He wrote, Hey bae. This has now caught everyones attention.

Take a look here:

While Walker Blanco is yet to publicly confirm his relationship with Ananya Panday, their chemistry at Anant and Radhikas wedding was evident to many. According to a report by the Bombay Times, Ananya introduced Blanco as her partner at the event and didnt shy away from being seen together. The rumoured couple was also spotted dancing together, further fuelling speculation about their romance.

Call Me Bae takes us into the glittering world of Bella AKA Bae  a supremely privileged South Delhi heiress whose life is as packed with luxury brands as a duty-free shop. From Chanel to Louis Vuitton, Bae doesnt just wear her bags  she talks to them in a way that will make you question whether she needs a therapist or a personal shopper. The series begins with Baes enviable life unraveling faster than the threads of her designer couture when shes caught in a scandal.

The 8-part series features Ananya Panday in the lead. Alongside Ananya Panday, the series features an ensemble cast comprising of Vir Das, Gurfateh Pirzada, Varun Sood, Vihaan Samat, Muskkaan Jaferi, Niharika Lyra Dutt, Lisa Mishra, and Mini Mathur.

Written by Ishita Moitra, Samina Motlekar, and Rohit Nair, and directed by Collin DCunha, Call Me Bae is the story of Bae, who upon being downsized from heiress to hustler, discovers that her most valuable assets arent her diamonds, but her street smarts and style. Broke but refusing to be broken, she navigates the newsrooms of Mumbai, finding beaus, behens, and her better self.
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, one of the most prominent stars in the subcontinent, has captured hearts not only through her stellar career but also through her personal life. Starting her journey as a VJ before transitioning into acting, Mahiras rise to superstardom has been nothing short of phenomenal. Fans have watched her grow, both as an actress and as a person, right in front of their eyes. One of the defining moments in her life was becoming a mother at a young age. She welcomed her son, Azlan, when she was just 24 years old, and their bond has since blossomed into something truly special.

Azlan has also grown in front of her fans, transforming into a young man who continually supports his mother in all aspects of her life. From being cradled in her arms when she landed her breakout role in Bol, to standing by her through the highs and lows of her life, Azlan has been Mahiras constant companion. Their close bond has always been evident, and Mahira never shies away from expressing her love and admiration for her son.

On the occasion of Azlans birthday, Mahira took a trip down memory lane, sharing a heartwarming post on her Instagram. The post featured a tender moment between a young Mahira, aged 24, and her newborn son lying in a hospital crib. The picture, accompanied by the iconic Beatles song Hey Jude (Love Version), perfectly captured the essence of a mothers love.

In her caption, Mahira wrote, A 24-year-old me, looking at my entire world stare at me  my one and my only Azlan  15.09.09. She added a heartfelt prayer for her son and all children, May Allah keep my Azlan and all children safe, may they be blessed with happy, healthy and long lives. May they choose the good path. May they always always be protected from evil. Ameen. Ameen.

Drawing from the wisdom of her own mother, she continued, As my Ama says  saari maaoun ke dil thanday rakh ya rabb. Ameen inshAllah. In a nostalgic conclusion, she shared a personal tidbit, saying, P.S. this is the song that was sung to Azzu the most while he was in my tummy and when he was born! He still loves the Beatles  oh and MJ!

Mahiras post gave fans a glimpse into the deep bond she shares with her son and how music has played a role in their connection. It also brought back memories of her early life, when she was balancing a burgeoning career with the responsibilities of motherhood.

For those unfamiliar with her personal journey, Mahira Khan married businessman Ali Askari in 2007 after meeting him while studying in the United States. They welcomed their son, Azlan, in 2009. Although Mahira and Ali divorced in 2016, they continue to co-parent Azlan, who remains a central figure in Mahiras life. Despite the challenges, Mahiras resilience, both in her career and personal life, continues to inspire many.
ANKARA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye set up a new directorate for diplomatic security within the Foreign Ministry, according to a presidential decree published on Sunday.

The ministry has established the "General Directorate of Diplomatic Security" to enhance the physical and intelligence security of both its central offices and overseas missions, according to the presidential decree published in the Official Gazette.

The new general directorate will not only focus on physical security but also ensure cybersecurity, document, and information security at the ministry's headquarters and foreign posts.

It will monitor threats, such as terrorist activities and other risks, and take necessary precautions to safeguard ministry personnel and missions.

Additionally, the directorate will ensure the ongoing reliability of ministry personnel by coordinating security investigations with relevant institutions.

One of the key responsibilities of the directorate will be to organize protection measures for foreign delegations and individuals visiting the ministry, as well as other persons deemed necessary for protection by the foreign minister, according to the decree. 
On Sunday, Salman Khan and his sister Arpita Khan visited Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shindes residence for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Eknath Shinde posted several pictures on Instagram showing Salman and Arpita at his Mumbai pandal. Salman was seen in a blue shirt and matching jeans, folding his hands in front of the Ganesh idol. Eknath Shinde also presented him with a bouquet and a colourful scarf, which Arpita received as well.

This week, Salman Khan celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi by welcoming Lord Ganesha into his home. On Monday, he shared a video on Instagram of the Ganesh Visarjan, where his family bid farewell to the deity. In the video, Salman and his family danced during the Visarjan and performed the final aarti, with Salman offering his prayers to Lord Ganesha.

Last Sunday, the superstar and his family gathered in Bandra to bid Ganpati goodbye during the visarjan ceremony. Among the videos that went viral during their celebration, one video featuring Salman Khan removing his spectacles in his car caught everyones attention.

In the now-viral video, Salman could be seen sitting in the front seat of his car, removing his spectacles. He then conversed with his driver and seemed surprised and wide-eyed about something. His car was heavily guarded amid the recent threats made to his life, Another video featured Salman Khan proudly watching from the sidelines as the younger members of his family danced their hearts out during the visarjan. Arhaan Khan, Alizeh Agnihotri, Agni and Aayush Sharma were all seen enjoying themselves during the procession as Salman Khan watched.

The actor couldnt dance much as he is currently recovering from a rib injury. Salman Khan has confirmed that he has two broken ribs. Last week, while returning from Bigg Boss 18s promo shoot, the actor was swarmed by paparazzi. He cautioned them to be careful around him due to his rib injury. Last month, Salmans appearance at an event had raised concerns about his health and it was said that he had broken his ribs during a shoot.
Actress Sharddha Arya and her husband Rahul Nagal on Sunday announced that they are all set to welcome their first bundle of joy. The actress took to Instagram, where she shared a video of herself and her husband with a positive pregnancy test and a picture of the sonography.

We Are Expecting A Little Miracle!!! #Pregnancy #FutureParents #Blessed, she wrote as the caption. Shraddha got married to Rahul Nagal, an Indian Navy officer, in November 2021 in the presence of their close ones. Earlier Shraddha had posted a picture with her best friend Anjum Fakih from their Swiss trip on her birthday.

Its My Most Crazy Besties Birthday!! Thank You For bringing in so much joy and weirdness into my life.. Life would have been so banal without you!!! May You stay this carefree and chirpy always !!! Love You! @nzoomfakih P.s. This song Cuz we were trippin on it throughout our Swiss Trip, she said.

On the work front, Shraddha started her career with Zee TVs talent hunt show Indias Best Cinestars Ki Khoj, in which she became the first runner-up.

She made her acting debut in 2006 with the Tamil movie Kalvanin Kadhali opposite actor-director SJ Surya. The diva made her Bollywood debut in 2007 with Nishabd, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jiah Khan. Shraddha essayed the lead role in the show Main Lakshmi Tere Aangan Ki, alongside Sudeep Sahir. She has been a part of TV operas like Tumhari Paakhi, Dream Girl and Kundali Bhagya.

Actress Shraddha, who married in 2021, was seen in the city with her husband Rahul on September 12. Photos and videos quickly went viral online. In one video shared by Viral Bhayani, Shraddha wore an all-black outfit with a crop top. What caught peoples attention was her trying to cover her belly with a clutch, sparking rumours of a possible baby bump.
Telugu actor Nani was seen walking barefoot in Dubai as he attended the SIIMA Awards 2024. In videos surfacing from the event on Saturday, Nani was seen wearing an all-black outfit and walked through the hotel lobby barefoot. His attire hinted that he is following the rituals of the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. Nani was surrounded by his team as he made his way to the elevator.

Later in the evening, Nani was presented with the Best Actor Award for his performance in Dasara. The actor walked up the stage barefoot and accepted the award from Vijay Deverakonda. He then joined his team of Hi Nanna as the film also won a couple of awards. Check out the photos and videos below:

Nani was also seen catching up with Rana Daggubati at the event.

The SIIMA 2024 took place in Dubai this year. While Nani won Best Actor for Dasara, the film also won several other awards. These include Best Actress, which was presented to Keerthy Suresh, and Best Director, which was won by Srikanth Odela. Dixit Shetty also bagged Best Actor in Supporting Role for the film.

On the same night, the SIIMA 2024 awards show honoured the best Kannada cinema. Rakshit Shetty was presented Best Actor for his performance in Sapta Saagaradaache Ello  Side A. Rakshits Sapta Saagaradaache Ello  Side A co-stars Rukmini Vasanth and Ramesh Indira also took home Best Actress (Critics) and Best Actor in Negative Role, respectively. Singer Kapil Kapilan took home the Best Playback Singer (Male) for Sapta Saagaradaache Ello  Side A.
Govindas wife, Sunita Ahuja, who was previously known as Sunita Munjal before their marriage, recently reflected on the early days of their relationship. Sunita, the sister of Govindas maternal uncle Anand Singhs wife, first met the actor while she was still in school and he was in college. It was Anand Singh, a director, who introduced Govinda to the film industry with his debut in Tan-Badan (1986).

During a recent appearance on the Time Out with Ankit podcast, Sunita shared how she first encountered Govinda. My sister married his maternal uncle, and I saw him for the first time at their wedding. He was in his final year of BCom and I was in Class 9. My brother-in-law told me that Govinda was from Virar, a simple man who loved his mother a lot. He also mentioned that no girl could impress him. I remember wondering what kind of boy he was that no girl could impress him. When I told my brother-in-law I could, he said it was impossible. So, I asked him what if I did, and he challenged me to prove it first, she recalled.

Sunita further revealed that around the same time, they began working on Tan-Badan. Initially, Anand Singh offered her the role of the female lead, which she declined due to the workload, and the part was eventually given to Khushbu Sundar. Recounting a memorable moment, she said, On the day of the Muhurat, Govinda, my brother, and I were in a car together. My brother was seated in the middle, and when I rested my hand on the headrest, I noticed Govindas hand there as well. I realised he was subtly touching mine. My immediate thought was to catch him right away. Thats how our affair began. They dated for three years before eventually getting married, and the couple has now been together for 37 years. Ive known him for 40 years, she added.

Sunita also fondly remembered how Govinda gifted her a Cadbury chocolate after finishing college, marking a special moment in their relationship. Initially, she admitted that she didnt find him particularly attractive, as she was from Bandra, a more affluent area, while he was from Virar. I used to look down on him due to my more sophisticated upbringing, she confessed. However, when she met Govindas mother, who liked her immediately, things began to change. His mother was getting old and wanted to see him married, as he was her youngest child. So, we tied the knot quickly. I got married at 18 and became a mother at 19, Sunita shared. She further added that Govindas mother lived with them for 14 more years until her passing, and during that time, they never had any fights.
Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhus love story had all the elements of a rom-com. They met on the set of Yeh Maaya Chesave and stayed friends until the sparks flew during Autonagar Surya. By 2015, they were flirting on Twitter (now X), and soon, the fans were shipping Chay-Sam. Their grand Goa wedding in 2017 was like a scene straight out of a fairytale. But in a plot twist no one saw coming, they announced their separation in 2021. And just when fans were adjusting, Naga Chaitanya got engaged to actress Sobhita Dhulipala.

Long back, during an interview with TFPC on YouTube, Samantha and Naga Chaitanya opened up about their journey in the film industry and their relationship. As part of the interview, the host asked Chaitanya to propose to Samantha. Samantha said, Say like you mean it. Initially shy, Chaitanya said, From the bottom of my heart, Samantha, I love you. Samantha, not convinced by his delivery, quipped, Did you believe that? I didnt buy it. She urged him to say it again with more feeling. Chaitanya then repeated his proposal, saying that he always means what he says.

Speaking with Karan Johar on Koffee With Karan 7, Samantha had admitted that the split with Naga Chaitanya was not amicable. Speaking about the separation, Samantha said on the show, It has been hard. But its good now. Its fine. I am stronger than I have ever been. Karan asked her if there are any hard feelings. The actress replied, Are there hard feelings like if you put us both in a room, you have to hide sharp objects? Yeah, as of now, yes. So its not an amicable situation right now, KJo asked her. Not right now, but maybe sometime in the future, yeah, she replied.

Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala got engaged on August 8, in a private ceremony at Chays home in Hyderabad. Chays father, actor Nagarjuna Akkineni, posted photos from the event on his Twitter account. The engagement has caused a divide on social media between Chays fans and those of his ex-wife, Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
In Egypt, there is a saying that all you need is a cup of tea and aish baladi, and you wont go hungry. While bread maybe the great unifier across the world, here it is almost sacred.

Aish means life and signifies its importance, while baladi translates as traditional. It is omnipresent, irrespective of class. For Egyptians, it is not a mere food item but a reflection of their culture and a significant part of daily life.

As I went through various parts of Cairo, it seemed buying the bread from the bakeries is a closely-guarded male chore. The bakeries were lined with men in the morning and evening to buy freshly-baked round loaves. So much so that, a fellow woman travellers enthusiasm to visit a bakery herself and click some pictures was met with a curt disapproval from the elderly driver.

No wonder Egypt has even come on streets for its bread many times. Per reports, about two-third of the countrys population benefit from the programme that gives them five loaves of bread daily at a subsidised price, making it one of the cheapest breads in the world.

Intifadet Al-Khobz (The Bread Riots) of 1977 saw thousands of people taking to the streets in Cairo against the governments attempt to change the subsidy system. Then there was another in 2011; its slogan  bread, freedom, and social justice. For, a long time, till 1988, it was famously known as one-piastre bread as several attempts to increase the price proved futile. 2017 also saw renewed protests in Upper Egypt and the Nile Delta after the Ministry of Supply decided to reduce the daily ration of subsidised baladi bread.

And, despite the rise in global diesel prices, the newly-re-elected third-time President Abdul Fattah al-Sisis government on this July 25 decided to rather bear the increased difference in production cost than try to raise the bread prices again. It was only in June that Egypt could increase the price of its bread by 300%, after speculating over the move for well over three decades in the face of a long-continuing economic crisis. The country also signed an expanded $8 billion loan deal with IMF earlier this year.

From 5 piastres or 0.05 Egyptian pounds ($0.0011), a loaf of the bread now costs 20 piastres or 0.20 Egyptian pounds (0.34). Once the granary of the Roman Empire, the country is now the worlds second biggest wheat importer (after China, 2023 data), and a loaf of bread that costs the citizens 20 piastres costs the government 125 piastres.

The Gift of Nile

Once upon a time these loaves would be baked in clay ovens made from the red mud of the Nile  the river that made Egypt possible. Also, in ancient times, the bread enjoyed a scared status as it was made from Emmer wheat  a sacred plant to ancient Egyptian Gods, particularly Osiris, a god of fertility and lord of the dead and the underworld. The wheat was high on fibre, low in gluten content, and organic. Wild yeast was added to help the dough rise, and it is said the baking methods and many ingredients have remained the same since the time of the pharaohs.

As per a paper published in National Library of Medicine, the earliest known records of yeast-risen bread also came from Ancient Egypt in 1300-1500 BCE. It further adds that knowledge of these fermentation and baking methods passed from Egypt and Babylon to ancient Greece and ancient Jewish cultures, and Rome.

I still remember the first time I inhaled the aroma of aish baladi, and took the first bite of that bran-coated deliciousness. In a lane not too far from the famed ancient wonder  the Great Pyramid of Giza, Mawlana restaurant was introducing me to local delicacies, like mesaqaah (baked sliced eggplants in tomato sauce), basbousa (syrup-soaked baked semolina cake), kebab-kofta, tehina (sesame tahini, lemon juice, and garlic dip), torshi (assorted pickled vegetable), besarah (fava beans and greens). In the company of all of them, that basket of bread seemed too peasant. Yet, the sheer nutty taste of that soft whole wheat bread pipped the rest in my memory.

The following day, after tracing the footsteps of Ptolemy I Soter, Julius Caesar Augustus, and the Holy Family (Joseph, Mary, and infant Jesus), in Coptic Cairo, I was at Abdulaziz Al Saud Street in Old Cairo. And, there it was again  warm fresh aish baladi with hummus non pareil, a quick Egyptian salad, and labneh, claiming its own place of importance amid an indulgent fare at Happy Dolphin restaurant. Overlooking the calming Nile, Abdullah, the tour guide, told me why it was so important to their way of life. No meal, no get-together, no meeting, no occasion  happy or sad, is complete without it, he said simply.

The common thread

Like any other old walled city, Cairo is also a study in contrast. The chic Sphinx International Airport, not even a couple of years old, gives a peek into that. Located on the picturesque desert road between Cairo and Alexandria, apart from Egypts very own, Air Cairo, Jazeera Airways, Flynas, Wizz Air, and easyJet, are some of the few carriers that are connecting it currently, with more expected to join later this year.

The drive to and from the airport, through El Sheikh Zayed City and its world-class urban scape (like high-street outdoor lifestyle destination, Walk of Cairo), is as awe-inspiring as the historic city. And, yet it seems that it is this simple aish baladi that connects the old with the new here.

In Arabian Night-esque streets of the 14th century Khan el-Khalili market, someone carrying aish baladis on big wooden trays is a common picture. After hours of shopping, the bread with the Egyptian mint tea is all you need to relax and refresh. Or, be it the ultra-chic environs of Capital Business Park, it receives admiration from the elder as well as vegan-supporting younger generation. Yes, the bread naturally happens to be vegan too!

Termed a mood gauge in various ways, perhaps socially, culturally, and politically too, it is quite evident that Egypts joy is directly tied with aish baladi. From breakfast to dinner, much may change in the country, the only constant is that flavourful, aromatic, nutritious loaf. The true bread of life!

Garima Verma is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee faced sharp criticism from BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday who accused the TMC chief of focusing excessively on herself during her speech, claiming she referred to I, me, myself, mine 76 times in just 9 minutes and 26 seconds.

Adhikaris criticism came after Mamata visited a makeshift camp of junior doctors who were protesting over the brutal rape-murder of their colleague near Swasthya Bhawan. The former TMC leader accused Banerjee of being a self-centered megalomaniac, suggesting that her self-focused demeanor complicates efforts to resolve the ongoing deadlock.

This is her personality

Thats how much CM Mamata Banerjee referred to and boasted about herself while addressing the Junior Doctors yesterday, when she visited their makeshift camp near Swasthya Bhawan. This is her personality all about, its all about herself. She is a self centric megalomaniac. Thats why its extremely difficult to find a solution to end the deadlock amicably, the BJP leader said in a post on X.

I, me, myself, mine76 times in 9 min 26 seconds. Thats how much CM Mamata Banerjee referred to and boasted about herself while addressing the Junior Doctors yesterday, when she visited their makeshift camp near Swasthya Bhawan. This is her personality all about, its pic.twitter.com/g7Qdr6zhqY  Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) September 15, 2024

The comments come amid continued tensions between the state government and junior doctors, who have been protesting for better working conditions and increased safety measures following the murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.

On Saturday, the Bengal CM made a surprise visit to the site where junior doctors were protesting and assured them that their demands would be addressed, asking them to come for talks, but the proposed meeting fell through with the protesters claiming that they were asked to leave unceremoniously after waiting for three hours at the gates of CMs residence.

After the protesters refused to enter Banerjees residence due to the governments rejection of their demand for a live telecast, she came out to appeal to the doctors to join the talks and urged them not to insult her, and promised them that a signed copy of the minutes of the meeting would be given.

The protesters claimed that they agreed to have the meeting without the live-streaming, a key demand of theirs. An agitating doctor, before leaving the venue, said they had agreed to attend the meeting without live-streaming or video recording as Banerjee requested, but after notifying State Health Minister of this decision, they were told to leave because it was too late and the officials had been waiting for three hours.

Meanwhile, the CBI, which is probing the rape-murder case, added charges of tampering with evidence against former RG Kar hospital principal Sandip Ghosh, who is currently in judicial custody and arrested Abhijit Mondal, the officer-in-charge of Tala police station, on charges of misleading the investigation and altering the crime scene.
Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishor has announced that he would lift the liquor ban in Bihar within an hour if his party is elected to power in the state. Ahead of his partys foundation day on October 2, Kishor said that the people of Bihar have had enough of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (United).

We have been preparing for the last two years. If the Jan Suraj government is formed, we will end the liquor ban within one hour, he told ANI. Kishors comments come amid political tensions between the RJD and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. When asked about RJD leader Tejashwi Yadavs recent public outreach yatra, Kishor responded, My best wishes to him. At least he has come out of the house and is going among the public.

#WATCH Patna, Bihar: Ahead of his partys foundation day on October 2, Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishor says, There is no need for any separate preparation for the 2nd. We have been preparing for the last 2 yearsIf Jan Suraj government is formed, we will end the liquor ban pic.twitter.com/oRFMfKPQat ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024

The political landscape has been marked by a war of words between RJDs Yadav and Kumar following the formers claim that JD(U) leader had apologised for joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. Kishor rebuked both leaders, saying, This issue is between Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav, and it doesnt matter who apologised with folded hands to whom; both have caused damage to Bihar. He urged both politicians to step aside, asserting that the people of Bihar have witnessed their governance for the last three decades.

During a gathering in Bhojpur, Kishor launched a pointed critique of Tejashwi Yadav, questioning his qualifications for leadership. He remarked, If someone could not get educated due to a lack of resources, it is understandable. But if someones parents were Chief Ministers and he couldnt pass the 10th class, it reflects their approach towards education.

Kishor further stressed the irony of a 9th-class dropout claiming to lead Bihars development, stating that Yadav lacks a fundamental understanding of economic concepts. He concluded by asserting that if Yadav wishes to be taken seriously as a leader, he must work hard and prove himself through his actions, rather than relying solely on his family connections.
Union Minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday sparked a major controversy, calling Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi terrorist number one over the Congress leaders remarks on the Sikh community.

Bittu, who joined the BJP ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections, said Gandhi is not Indian and Indias enemies are supporting him.

Rahul Gandhi is not an Indian, he has spent most of his time outside. He does not love his country much because he goes abroad and says everything in a wrong wayThe people who are most wanted, separatists, experts in making bombs, guns and shells, have appreciated what Rahul Gandhi has said, he said.

The enemies of the country who try to blow up planes, trains, roads, they are in support of Rahul GandhiIf there should be an award to catch the number one terrorist and the biggest enemy of the country, it should be on Rahul Gandhi, he added.

#WATCH | Bhagalpur, Bihar: On Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhis recent statements, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu says, Rahul Gandhi is not an Indian, he has spent most of his time outside. He does not love his country much because he goes abroad and says everything in a wrong pic.twitter.com/uZTvtSuhGj ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

Three-time Lok Sabha MP Bittu was inducted to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Cabinet as Union Minister of State Railway & Food Processing Industries after he lost Ludhina seat in 2024. Later, he was elected as a Rajya Sabha Member from Rajasthan.

The Union Minister said Gandhi is trying to break a religion and he is speaking the language of terrorists like Gurpatwant Singh Pannun who are sitting abroad.

He (Rahul Gandhi) is trying to break a religion and abroad he is saying that wearing a kada, turban is not allowed in IndiaThe Gandhi family under a conspiracy raped our mothers and sisters in the streetsBullets were fired at the Golden TempleThousands of innocent people were killedWhy are they teasing Sikhs? What do they want to do? He is speaking the language of terrorists like Pannun who are sitting abroad. I will speak the same when he is sitting in front of me in the parliament, he said.

Congress Slams Bittu

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate responded to Bittus remark and referred him snakes in the grass.

The one, who made his entire political career by following Rahul Gandhi, is sitting in the lap of his opponents and giving cheap statements in his greed for power. Ravneet Bittu you should bark more because the world should know your dirty reality. In the scriptures, people like you have been called snakes in the grass, the Congress leader posted on X.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said Bittu is showing his loyalty to the BJP after resigning from the grand-old-party.

We can only pity such people. His political career in Congress was also a messHe used to praise Rahul Gandhiand now after resigning from Congress and joining BJP, he is showing his loyalty to the BJP party, he told ANI.

What Rahul Gandhi Said?

Addressing a gathering of several hundred Indian Americans in Washington DC, Gandhi accused the RSS of considering some religions, languages and communities of being inferior to others and said the fight in India is about this, and not about politics. Gandhi asked the name of one of the Sikh attendees in the front rows during the programme. What is your name, brother with the turban, he asked.

The fight is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India or a kada in India. Or he, as a Sikh, is going to be able to go to a gurdwara. Thats what the fight is about. And not just for him, for all religions, said Gandhi.

The BJP has come down heavily on Gandhi over his remarks in the US about the Sikh community, saying the Congress leader is trying to create a dangerous narrative by speaking on sensitive issues abroad.
In his first address to party workers after he walked out of prison, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that he would resign from the post of the Chief Minister of Delhi within the next two days.

Kejriwal was released from Tihar jail on Friday after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the excise policy-linked corruption case. Given the current situation, the court has done everything it could in our favour. We are very grateful to the court. The court has given me bail, this was the most it could do at this stage. Now the case will proceed. My heart says that until I am acquitted by the court, I will not sit on the Chief Ministers chair, he said.

Addressing AAP workers, he said that conspiracies hatched by the central government could not break his rock-like resolve and that he would continue to fight for the country.

ANOTHER AAP MEMBER TO TAKE OVER, HOLD DELHI POLLS ALONG WITH MAHARASHTRA: KEJRIWAL

Kejriwal insisted that Delhi should go to polls along with Maharashtra, where assembly elections are likely in October. He also mentioned that until the elections are held, another member of the AAP will take over as the Chief Minister. There are elections in February. I demand that the elections be held along with Maharashtras. Until the elections take place, someone else from the Aam Aadmi Party will become the Chief Minister, he added.

The AAP supremo had last addressed party workers on June 2 before surrendering at Tihar jail. The Supreme Court had granted him interim bail in May to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. During his address on Sunday, Kejriwal condemned what he described as efforts of his opponents to undermine the AAP.

They sent me to jail with the intention of breaking both the AAP and my resolve, Kejriwal said. They believed that by putting me in jail, they could dismantle our party and form a government in Delhi. However, our party remained intact.

Kejriwal stressed that his decision to remain in jail rather than resign was driven by his commitment to protect the Constitution of India. He also praised the Supreme Courts recent ruling, which questioned the central governments stance on the functionality of a government operating from jail.

The Supreme Court questioned why a government could not be run from jail, ultimately proving that it could, Kejriwal said.
By Xinhua writer Shi Song

GENEVA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- "To my regret, sanctioning states deny the existence of the humanitarian and often disastrous impact of unilateral sanctions," said Alena Douhan, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures, during an interactive dialogue at the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) here on Friday.

In her report submitted to this session of the UNHRC, Douhan said that unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries on China violate international law, negatively affecting the human rights of the Chinese people and causing spillover effects.

She welcomed China's use of necessary administrative and legal measures in response and called for systematic monitoring and assessment of the adverse human rights impact of unilateral coercive measures.

In recent years, the U.S. has introduced a series of unilateral coercive measures against China, such as restricting the export of semiconductors and key technologies and sanctioning certain Chinese companies.

Globally, the U.S. has imposed widespread economic and financial sanctions on countries like Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela, restricting their trade, energy exports, and banking activities. These measures aim to influence the policy directions of these nations through isolation and pressure.

As a concerned party in the report, China expressed its appreciation for Douhan's findings. The Chinese representative pointed out at the interactive dialogue that unilateral sanctions, which China has always firmly opposed, seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, breach the basic norms of international relations, and gravely infringe on human rights.

The Chinese representative further asserted that the U.S. frequently abuses long-arm jurisdiction under domestic law, using the pretense of democracy and human rights to conceal its actual violations, despite its own poor human rights record. China called on the U.S. and other nations to heed the legitimate concerns of the international community and promptly lift all unlawful unilateral sanctions against developing countries.

Several representatives from developing nations echoed Douhan's report, aligning with China at the interactive dialogue in condemning the widespread use of unilateral sanctions by the U.S. and other Western countries.

The representatives of Russia and Venezuela pointed out that the unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S. are a blatant interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Such actions are not motivated by respect for freedom, but rather an attempt to use lies and coercion to gain an advantage in unfair competition.

The Cuban representative highlighted that the longstanding U.S. blockade has had a profoundly negative impact on the lives of the Cuban people, with frozen funds that could have been used to meet the country's food and medical needs. Additionally, Cuba's re-designation on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list is unjustifiable both morally and legally.

The Zimbabwean representative pointed out that although certain unilateral sanctions claim to target only the governments of specific countries, their effects extend to large numbers of ordinary citizens and businesses, with repercussions spreading to neighboring countries and other regions worldwide. Unilateral sanctions directly undermine the political, economic, and social stability of nations and hinder the achievement of sustainable development goals.

The Belarusian representative pointed out that certain Western countries use unilateral sanctions as tools to achieve geopolitical objectives, causing catastrophic impacts on the populations and business environments of sanctioned countries. These sanctions severely violate human rights and breach international law.

The Iranian representative called for greater attention to the broader scope and cumulative humanitarian costs of unilateral sanctions. Iran also supported the Special Rapporteur's proposal to establish a universal, inclusive, comprehensive, systematic, transparent, and evidence-based monitoring and impact assessment mechanism for these sanctions.

The representatives of Laos and Cambodia pointed out that unilateral sanctions obstruct efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development goals. They severely impact fundamental human rights, including the right to development, and undermine the norms of international diplomacy and cooperation.

The representatives of Palestine and Syria noted that growing evidence indicates that the humanitarian consequences of unilateral sanctions are becoming increasingly severe. These sanctions are causing difficulties for UN humanitarian efforts, exacerbating poverty and hunger, and making the most vulnerable groups even more fragile.

The representatives of South Africa and Togo pointed out that unilateral sanctions violate the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and international humanitarian law. They emphasized that international cooperation and constructive long-term dialogue remain the most effective means of resolving disputes.

The Non-Aligned Movement, the African Group, the Like-Minded Group, and the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, among other developing countries, also expressed similar positions. 
Two days after getting out of Delhis Tihar Jail, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced to step down from his post, a decision which came as a shock for his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and even surprised his opponents BJP and Congress.

While addressing AAP workers at party office in the national capital, Kejriwal said he does not have a lust for power while vowing not to sit in CMs chair till people give him a certificate of honesty.

Read More: Will Not Sit On That Chair: Arvind Kejriwal To Step Down As Delhi CM, Seeks Early Polls

The AAP chief was released on bail from Tihar on Friday in the excise policy graft case. Following Kejriwals unexpected announcement, the names of his wife Sunita and Delhi Ministers Atishi and Gopal Rai as his probable replacement are doing the rounds.

I am going to resign after two days and ask people whether I am honest. Till they respond, I wont sit on CMs chair I will only sit on CMs chair after people give me a certificate of honesty. I want to give agnipariksha (trial by fire) after coming out of jail, Kejriwal said in his speech.

However, the BJP hit back at Kejriwal asking why he need 48 hours to resign and should leave the post today, prompting an explanation from Delhi Minister Atishi.

Explaining secret behind 48 hours, Atishi said, Today is Sunday, tomorrow is a holiday for Eid-e-Milad, so the next working day is Tuesday. Thats why two days time.

#WATCH | Delhi: On being asked why he(Delhi CM) needs two days time to resign, Delhi Minister Atishi says, Today is Sunday, tomorrow is a holiday for Eid-e-Milad, so the next working day is Tuesday. Thats why two days time pic.twitter.com/QjFopplRsY ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

BJP Questions Secret Behind 48 Hours

The BJP alleged that Kejriwal has requested 48 hours to resign to either find a replacement or make some adjustments.

Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said, Delhis voters rendered their verdict three months ago, resulting in the loss of all seven seats. The entire council of ministers should resign and let elections be held in November. The public is fed up with them.

Read More: PR Stunt, Gimmick: BJP, Congress React To Kejriwals Bid To Resign As Delhi CM

BJP leader Harish Khurana also questioned why the AAP leader is creating a drama. Why after 48 hours? he should resign today. In the past too, he has done this. People of Delhi are asking, he cant go to the secretariat, cant sign documents? What is the point then? he said to NDTV.

Congress Reacts

Responding to Kejriwals statement, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said, There is no question of becoming the CM again. We have been saying for a long time that he should resign as Chief Minister. This is merely a gimmick. It is unprecedented for an elected leader to come out of jail on bail and be asked by the Supreme Court not to go to the Chief Ministers office or sign any papers.

Such conditions have never been imposed on any other Chief Minister. Perhaps the Supreme Court even fears that this person might try to tamper with the evidence. The Supreme Court is treating him like a criminal. There is no correlation between morality and Arvind Kejriwal, Dikshit added.

Kejriwal Calls Early Elections

In his first address to party workers after he walked out of prison, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that he would resign from the post of the Chief Minister of Delhi within the next two days.

Read More: Will AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwals Wife Sunita Be The Next Chief Minister Of Delhi?

Kejriwal insisted that Delhi should go to polls along with Maharashtra, where assembly elections are likely in October. He also mentioned that until the elections are held, another member of the AAP will take over as the Chief Minister. There are elections in February. I demand that the elections be held along with Maharashtras. Until the elections take place, someone else from the Aam Aadmi Party will become the Chief Minister, he added.

While addressing AAP workers, Kejriwal referred to him quitting the chief ministers post in 2014 over the Jan Lokpal Bill, just 49 days after assuming power, and said, I resigned then for my ideals. I do not have a lust for power.

The excise policy case would drag on for a long time, the chief minister claimed and said he wanted to ask the people of Delhi whether he was honest or guilty. He asked people to vote in his favour only if they considered him honest. For me, the BJP is not important, people are important, Kejriwal said.
An adventurous cat that went missing in July this year was miraculously found safe and sound after an eight-week ordeal. The sneaky feline went missing from the home of Clifton Nesseth and Ashley Comstock in the US state of Minnesota and was trapped in a sewer on July 18. The family had adopted the cat after finding it while on vacation in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, reported The Associated Press.

The family named the cat Drifter after its independent personality.

The paw parents presumed that the 3-year-old tabby went to check out the construction underway in their neighbourhood after which it was not to be found. Weeks later, the family, including their 12-year-old daughter, April Dressel hung up posters and searched across the city for the missing feline.

But just when they gave up and were beginning to plan a small memorial service for Drifter, the neighbouring kids came over and said they heard a cats meowing coming from a storm drain at the construction site.

The family, without wasting a minute, rushed to the spot and started digging through the dirt and cutting through the landscape fabric.

After a delicate digging, the owners heard meowing. Later, they saw the cats head pop out of the torn fabric.

According to the news agency, Clifton Nesseth said, A little paw shot out of a tear in the fabric. It was a tabby cat paw. We tore the fabric more, and then his head popped through.

Drifter was wearing a collar, which confirmed its identity. The family guessed that their cat got trapped exploring a hole that sealed up, with the animal inside. They also said that he had been living underground, eating and drinking whatever he could find, perhaps mice and sewer water.

Elaborating further, Clifton said that when their daughter April went for a morning walk and called out for Drifter, they think the cat heard her through the sewer pipes and went to a spot where he could be heard and found.

The owners explained that the feline had gone really skinny following the incident. When the cat went missing, it weighed 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) which has come down to 6.5 pounds (2.9 kilograms).

After the reunion with the owners, Drifter spent the night cuddling with April on her bed. The media agency also reported that the cat is putting weight back on now, and his vet is expecting a full recovery.
A 29-year-old motorcyclist in Denmark is facing an astonishing 86 preliminary charges for reckless driving. The preliminary charges are one step short of formal charges. The man is accused of speeding on motorcycles, performing dangerous stunts like high-speed wheelies and putting others at risk. According to a report in the Associated Press (AP), police said that the man had a helmet-mounted camera that captured hours of footage, giving authorities clear evidence of his reckless behaviour.

The man is now facing a potential prison sentence after police discovered multiple instances of reckless driving recorded on his helmet-mounted camera.

I dont think Ive ever seen anything like it. There is no doubt that it has been a big and unconventional case for us to investigate, Amrik Singh Chadha of the police in eastern Denmark said in a statement as quoted by the news agency.

The footage was uncovered following the mans detention in May of this year for riding a motorcycle without license plates or a valid permit. His reckless stunts led to 25 preliminary charges at that time. The mans identity has not been publicly disclosed.

The incriminating videos captured by his camera led to additional 38 preliminary charges of reckless driving, specifically for exceeding limits by over 100%. Along with these offences, authorities added extra charges related to actions that they believe posed serious risks to pubic safety.

Following several months of reviewing the footage, police publicly announced the charges on September 14. According to the police statement, some of the mans videos has been posted on social media, where they were shared with a larger group of people. The police were able to identify two other individuals who featured in the footage and seized their vehicles as part of their investigation.

Denmark defines reckless driving as exceeding speeding limits by more than 100%, driving at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour or above and driving a vehicle with blood alcohol level above 2.0.

A law introduced in 2021 allows police the authority to seize vehicles involved in such cases, in addition to imposing hefty fines and suspending the drivers permit. Danish regulations also classify driving under the influence of alcohol when a persons blood-alcohol level reaches or exceeds 0.5 grams per thousand.
The Nobel Prize is the pinnacle of prestigious accolades, recognising groundbreaking achievements in science, literature and peace. But did you know theres a playful counterpart to this esteemed accolade: the Ig Nobel Prize? Inspired by the Nobel Prizes, the Ig Nobel Prizes highlight unconventional scientific discoveries, showcasing the quirkiest studies that deserve recognition. These awards are intended to celebrate the wild and wacky world of science, medicine and technology that is so surprising that they make people laugh, then think." as per its website.

The Journal of Improbable Research announced this years 34th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize winners, held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. After being held online for 3 years, it was held in person this year and also live-streamed on YouTube.

Among the highlights of this years winners was the Physiology prize presented to a team of US and Japanese researchers, led by Ryo Okabe and Takanori Takebe, for their astonishing discovery that many mammals are capable of breathing through their butts.

If you found this amusing, then the other quirky awards from the ceremony will surely leave you in splits.

The Botany Prize recognised Jacob White and Felipe Yamashita who found evidence that some real plants imitate the shapes of neighbouring artificial plastic plants." The Chemistry Prize went to Tess Heeremans, Antoine Deblais, Daniel Bonn and Sander Woutersen for using chromatography, a process for separating components of a mixture to separate drunk and sober worms.

The Anatomy Prize was won by a team of scientists from France and Chile who explored whether the hair on the heads of most people in the northern hemisphere swirls in the same direction as the hair on the heads of most people in the southern hemisphere."

This years Physics Prize was bagged by James Liao for his quirky study on how a dead trout swims, while the Medicine Prize went to Lieven A. Schenk, Tahmine Fadai, and Christian Buchel. Their study revealed that fake medicines causing side effects sometimes can be more effective than those without.

The ceremony also honoured late BF Skinner posthumously with this years Peace Prize for his 1960 study into whether live pigeons could be housed inside missiles to guide their flight paths.

It seems even coins have a favourite side too. Well, University of Amsterdam researcher Frantisek Bartos and his team studied the results of 350, 757 coin flips. They discovered that coins are slightly more likely to land on the same side they started from. Obviously, this groundbreaking finding earned them the Probability Prize.

Saul Justin Newman was awarded the Demography Prize for his research revealing that many of the people famous for having the longest lives lived in places that had lousy birth-and-death record-keeping." And the final award, the Biology Prize, was given to Fordyce Ely and William E Petersen for their 1941 study where they tested how and when cows spew their milk by exploding a paper bag next to a cat standing on their back.

While the Ig Nobel Prize is not officially affiliated with the Nobel Prize, the awards are presented by actual Nobel laureates. The First Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony took place in 1991 at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Winners walked away with quirky gag prizes, including an outdated Zimbabwean 10 trillion-dollar bill and a playful transparent box" full of items related to Murphys Law."
A surprising turn of events has unfolded at tech company OpenWeb, where a leadership transition has become a battleground. The drama erupted when founder and outgoing CEO Nadav Shoval publicly challenged the boards decision to appoint Tim Harvey as his successor. The conflict came to light on September 10 during a company-wide Town Hall, where Harvey, the then-chairman of the board, announced he would be stepping into the CEO role. Shoval, however, is contesting the move, alleging that it breaches his contract and undermines the company. In an email to staff members, Shoval accused the board of falsely stating his resignation and acting against OpenWebs best interests.

Shoval has also alleged that he had notified the board about breaches of his contract before they proceeded with the leadership change. I will continue relentlessly fighting for OpenWebs mission and purpose. I notified the Board that they breached my contract, which was intended to directly call out their concerning conduct. Instead of addressing these issues, the Board decided to move forward with an attempted leadership transition, continuing to act against OpenWebs best interests, Shoval stated in an email quoted by The Times of India.

Additionally, Shovals letter came after an email to staff announcing Harveys appointment as CEO. I will be stepping in as our new CEO, succeeding Nadav Shoval, who has led the company with incredible passion and vision since its inception, Harvey reportedly wrote, before thanking Shoval for his work.

In a separate mail to staff, Harvey apologised for the uncertainty and the issue. He emphasised a planned CEO transition process and promised to do it with respect for all stakeholders.

Moreover, OpenWebs official statement recognises Shovals founding role and incredible passion while welcoming Harvey as interim CEO. They highlight Harveys significant experience and intend to keep the company on track for growth. The statement concludes by emphasising OpenWebs dedication to creating trusted spaces for meaningful dialogue and its skilled workforce.

OpenWeb, formerly Spot.IM, is an online platform that enables constructive interactions between publishers and their communities. The startup has over 100 million active users and has received considerable funding, including a $170-million Series F round in October 2022, which values OpenWeb at $1.5 billion.
A Japanese flag carrying the memory of World War II has returned to its rightful place after more than 80 years. An American man, Scott Stein, first noticed the flag hanging on the wall in his grandfather, Bernard Steins house on Long Island. At that time, Scott was growing up in New York. Bernard was part of the US Army during World War II and fought with the 38th Infantry Division in the Philippines. According to Scott, his grandfather brought the flag when he returned home from Southeast Asia. It was a war trophy for Bernard, who later used it as home decor and his family was unaware of its actual history.

Id see it every time I went over, and I knew that flag was important to him, even though he never talked about the war. We never knew where he got the flag, but we knew hed been through some really heavy combat, Scott revealed to the Washington Post. He brought the flag to his New York home following the death of his grandfather nearly 34 years ago.

Initially, Scott also hung the flag on his wall but later got to learn more details about it. The flag, known as Yosegaki Hinomaru (good-luck flag), belonged to a Japanese soldier named Yukikazu Hiyama. It featured some messages from his friends and family. Each Japanese soldier, who fought in World War II, had one such flag. They used to tuck it under their war uniform as a personal memento.

I started to realise a while back that maybe it wasnt the best home decor, Scott said. He then decided to return the flag to the family of its original owner. He did some online research and learned about the OBON Society, a non-profit organisation which was dedicated to sending these items back to the descendants of Japanese soldiers.

Scott sent a photo of the good luck flag to the OBON Society. After putting in much effort, the organisation finally managed to locate Hiyamas only surviving child, Tsukasa Hiyama. The 81-year-old was residing on the Japanese island of Honshu. He had no idea about his father, who had served in the Imperial Army during World War II and was killed on the battlefield in 1945.

For Tsukasa, it was a fulfilment of his mothers hope that her husband would one day return to them. After he received the flag, he took it to his mothers tombstone and unfurled it. Rex Ziac, the co-founder of the OBON Society told the Washington Post.

As per the organisation, these flags were like a love letter to each soldier. The society has already returned 600 items from the US War Museum to the families of Japanese soldiers.
Volunteers rushed to areas inundated by floods in Myanmar on Sunday as the countrys death toll from the Typhoon Yagi deluge surged to 113 and remote areas reported increasing numbers of dead and missing.

Floods and landslides have killed more than 400 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which hit the region last weekend, according to official figures.

However, with roads and bridges damaged in Myanmar and phone and internet lines down, information has been limited.

One man told AFP how he had tried to rescue people with ropes as floodwaters four metres (15 feet) high surged through the hill town of Kalaw in Shan state on September 10.

The current was very strong and even some buildings were destroyed, he said, describing pieces of furniture being washed through the streets.

I could see trapped families in the distance standing on the roofs of their houses, said the man, who works for a local non-governmental group.

I heard there were 40 bodies in the hospital, he said.

A businesswoman in Yangon who runs a company in Kalaw told AFP her staff there had reported nearly 60 people had been killed in the town.

The junta said on Sunday the death toll had jumped to 113 by Saturday night. The previous toll had been put at 74.

It did not specify whether any of those confirmed dead had been killed in Kalaw.

More than 320,000 people had been displaced and moved to temporary relief camps, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said.

At Inle Lake, a tourist hotspot about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Kalaw, flood levels had risen on Saturday to the second storey of houses built on stilts above the water, according to one man there helping to evacuate his family.

Whole villages have been submerged in some areas near the lake, he told AFP on Sunday, asking to remain anonymous.

The elders say this is the highest level of flooding they have seen, he said.

Cars and trucks carrying volunteers were streaming north from the commercial hub Yangon to reach affected areas in Taungoo in the Bago region and around the capital Naypyidaw, AFP reporters said.

The vehicles were loaded with pallets of bottled water, bundles of clothes and dried food. Some had boats strapped to their roofs.

We want to help anyone who needs help at the moment. That is why we arranged to go to the flooding area, said one woman heading for Taungoo.

More misery

The floods have added to peoples miseries in Myanmar, where millions have already been displaced by more than three years of war since the military seized power in 2021.

Residents of the Yado displacement camp in eastern Karen state were forced to flee their temporary homes after torrents of water ripped through the camp.

Belto, a resident of the camp, said the waters had washed his house away, along with his sister who was inside trying to retrieve their money.

She was taken by the water and she got injured, he told AFP on Saturday.

We are already displaced people from war zones and after the floods, we dont have anything left But we are not the only ones who face this fate, all families are facing difficulties.

The Sittaung and Bago rivers, which flow through central and southern Myanmar, were both still above dangerous levels, state media said, although water levels were expected to fall in the coming days.

In the east, the Thanlwin river was more than two metres above its danger level in the state capital Hpa-an on Saturday, state media reported.

Thailands weather office warned Sunday of further heavy rain in provinces along the Mekong river.

Authorities in Vietnam gave an updated toll on Sunday of 281 dead and 67 missing.

Request for aid

Myanmars junta chief made a rare request for foreign aid to deal with the floods, state media said on Saturday.

On Sunday, Indias foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on X that India has sent ten tons of aid including dry rations, clothing and medicine to Myanmar, as well as supplies to Vietnam and Laos.

Myanmars military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad.

It suspended travel authorisations last year for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha.

The UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs in Myanmar and the International Committee of the Red Cross told AFP on Saturday they could not comment on the juntas request.

Heavy monsoon rains lash Southeast Asia every year but human-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.
Walking into court each day with her head held high, the ex-wife of a Frenchman on trial for orchestrating her mass rape in her own bed for almost a decade has become a feminist icon.

With her now trademark auburn bob and dark glasses, 71-year-old Gisele Pelicot has become a figurehead in the battle against the use of drugs to commit sexual abuse. Her life was shattered in 2020 when she discovered that her partner of five decades had for years been secretly administering her large doses of tranquilisers to rape her and invite dozens of strangers to join him.

But she has decided not to hide and demanded the trial of Dominique Pelicot, 71, and 50 co-defendants since September 2 be open to the public because, as she has said through one of her lawyers, it should be up to her alleged abusers  not her  to be ashamed. Its a way of saying shame must change sides, her attorney Stephane Babonneau said as the trial opened.

Since then, feminist activists have held up her stylised portrait by Belgian artist Aline Dessine, daubed with the words Shame is changing sides, to show support at protests. The artist with 2.5 million followers on TikTok has given up all rights to the image.

 Very brave 

Thousands protested in cities across France on Saturday in support of Gisele Pelicot and demanding an end to rape. Gisele for all, all for Gisele, read one hand-drawn poster at a gathering in the southern city of Marseille. A day earlier, outside the courthouse in the southern town of Avignon, protester Nadege Peneau said she was full of admiration for the trials main plaintiff. What shes doing is very brave, she said. Shes speaking up for so many children and women, and even men who have been abused, she added.

Gisele Pelicot in August obtained a divorce from her husband, who has confessed to the abuse after meticulously documenting it with photos and videos. She has moved away from the southern town of Mazan where, in her own words, for years he treated her like a piece of meat or a rag doll. She now uses her maiden name, but during the trial has asked the media to use her former name as a married woman.

Her lawyer Antoine Camus said she had transformed from a devoted wife and retiree, who loved walks and choir singing, into a woman in the seventies ready for a battle. I will have to fight till the end, she told the press on September 5, in her only public statement outside court in the first days of the four-month trial. Obviously its not an easy exercise and I can feel attempts to trap me with certain questions, she added calmly.

 Not in vain 

The daughter of a member of the military, Gisele Pelicot was born on December 7, 1952 in Germany, returning to France with her family when she was five. When she was only nine, her mother, aged just 35, died of cancer. In my head, I was already 15, I was already a little woman, she said, describing growing up without much love.

Her older brother Michel died of a heart attack aged 43, before her 20th birthday. She has said she was never one to publicly show emotions. In the family, we hide tears and we share laughter, one of her lawyers had reported her as saying. She met Dominique Pelicot, her future husband and rapist, in 1971.

She had dreamt of becoming a hairdresser but instead studied to be a typist. After a few years temping, she joined Frances national electricity company EDF, ending her career in a logistics service for its nuclear power plants. At home, she looked after her three children, then seven grandchildren, and did a little gymnastics.

Only when the police caught her husband filming up womens skirts in a supermarket in 2020 did she find out the true reason behind her troubling memory lapses. Camus, her lawyer, said his client never wanted to be a role model. She just wants all this not to be in vain, he said.
The Maldives and China discussed avenues of strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries, the defence ministry has said.

In a post on X on Friday, the Maldives Ministry of Defence said Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum.

During the meeting, the two ministers discussed avenues of strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries, it said, without disclosing the details of the discussions.

Maldives Ambassador to China, Dr Fazeel Najeeb, was also present during the meeting, it said. The Maldives and China have previously held talks to strengthen military ties.

In March, Maldives and China signed an agreement to provide military assistance to Maldives military and security services, according to a report in adhadhu.com news portal.

Under the agreement, China will provide military equipment and training to Maldives, President Mohamed Muizzu had said. However, he did not provide details.
It started with a melting glacier that set off a huge landslide, which triggered a 650-foot high mega-tsunami in Greenland last September. Then came something inexplicable: a mysterious vibration that shook the planet for nine days.

Over the past year, dozens of scientists across the world have been trying to figure out what this signal was.

Now they have an answer, according to a new study in the journal Science, and it provides yet another warning that the Arctic is entering uncharted waters as humans push global temperatures ever upwards.

Some seismologists thought their instruments were broken when they started picking up vibrations through the ground back in September, said Stephen Hicks, a study co-author and a seismologist at University College London.

It wasnt the rich orchestra of high pitches and rumbles you might expect with an earthquake, but more of a monotonous hum, he told CNN. Earthquake signals tend to last for minutes; this one lasted for nine days.

He was baffled, it was completely unprecedented, he said.

Seismologists traced the signal to eastern Greenland, but couldnt pin down a specific location. So they contacted colleagues in Denmark, who had received reports of a landslide-triggered tsunami in a remote part of the region called Dickson Fjord.

The result was a nearly year-long collaboration between 68 scientists across 15 countries, who combed through seismic, satellite and on-the-ground data, as well as simulations of tsunami waves to solve the puzzle.

The mountain after the landslide, on September 19, 2023  Danish Army

What happened is called a cascading hazard, Svennevig said, and it all started with human-caused climate change.

For years, the glacier at the base of a huge mountain towering nearly 4,000 feet above Dickson Fjord had been melting, as many glaciers are in the rapidly warming Arctic.

As the glacier thinned, the mountain became increasingly unstable before it eventually collapsed on September 16 last year, sending enough rock and debris tumbling into the water to fill 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The subsequent mega-tsunami  one of the highest in recent history  set off a wave which became trapped in the bendy, narrow fjord for more than a week, sloshing back and forth every 90 seconds.

The phenomenon, called a seiche, refers to the rhythmic movement of a wave in an enclosed space, similar to water splashing backwards and forwards in a bathtub or cup. One of the scientists even tried (and failed) to recreate the impact in their own bathtub.

While seiches are well-known, scientists previously had no idea they could last so long.

Had I suggested a year ago that a seiche could persist for nine days, people would shake their heads and say thats impossible, said Svennevig, who likened the discovery to suddenly finding a new color in a rainbow.

It was this seiche that created the seismic energy in the Earths crust, the scientists found.

It is maybe the first time scientists have directly observed the impact of climate change on the ground beneath our feet, said Hicks. And no place was immune; the signal traveled from Greenland to Antarctica in about an hour, he added.

No one was injured in the tsunami, although it washed away centuries-old cultural heritage sites and damaged an empty military base. But this stretch of water is on a commonly used cruise ship route. If one had been there at the time, the consequences would have been devastating, the studys authors wrote.

Eastern Greenland had never experienced a landslide and tsunami like this before, Svennevig said. It shows new areas of the Arctic are coming online for these kinds of climate events, he added.

As the Arctic continues to warm  over the past few decades, the region has warmed four times faster than the rest of the world  landslide-triggered mega-tsunamis may become more common and with deadly consequences.

In June 2017, a tsunami in northwest Greenland killed four people and washed away houses. The threat goes beyond Greenland, Svennevig said; similar-shaped fjords exist in other regions, including Alaska, parts of Canada and Norway.

What happened in Greenland last September once again demonstrates the ongoing destabilization of large mountain slopes in the Arctic due to amplified climate warming, said Paula Snook, a landslide geologist at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences who was not involved in the study.

Recent rock avalanches in the Arctic as well as in Alpine regions, are an alarming signal, she told CNN. We are thawing ground which has been in a cold, frozen state for many thousands of years.

Theres still a lot of research to be done on rock avalanches, which are also affected by natural processes, cautioned Lena Rubensdotter, a researcher at the Geological Survey of Norway, who was also not involved in the study.

However, she added, its logical to assume that we will see more frequent rock collapses in permafrost slopes as the climate warms in Arctic regions.

The discovery of natural phenomena behaving in seemingly unnatural ways highlights how this part of the world is changing in unexpected ways, Svennevig said.

Its a sign that climate change is pushing these systems into uncharted waters.

 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

This article originally appeared in CNN.
TAIPEI, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Political scientists and journalists in Taiwan have warned the island not to align with Washington's confrontation mindset and to avoid becoming a tool of U.S. hegemony.

In its quest for global control and to maintain its hegemony, the United States engages in wars and amasses massive debt while ignoring domestic issues, which has resulted in severe internal strife, a growing wealth gap, and increasing political polarization, said Kuan Chung, founder of the Taiwan-based Democracy Foundation, at a seminar held in Taipei Saturday.

"The U.S. disrespects other nations, fails to recognize global changes, and misunderstands its own role," Kuan said.

At the same seminar, Chen Chi-an, an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Taiwan University, said that U.S. hegemonism is based on unrealistic goals and has exaggerated the threats it faces. As a result, it spends excessive resources pursuing these goals, only to achieve little while undermining its own national interests.

"Freedom and democracy have long since become mere slogans in U.S. foreign policy, as its hegemonic actions only serve the power-seeking calculations of political elites," he said.

Chang Chun-kai, senior editor of the Taiwan-based The Storm Media, pointed out that the Taiwan authorities have unfortunately followed the United States in adopting the fallacious zero-sum game theory, resulting in the so-called "resisting China to protect Taiwan" narrative.

If this continues, Taiwan will only risk losing the opportunity to bridge differences, resolve conflicts, and seek new development, Chang said.

Ting Shou-chung, chairman of the Taiwan-based Bridge Across the Strait Foundation, echoed these concerns, noting that proxy wars are a common tool of U.S. hegemonism and Taiwan must be extremely cautious to avoid becoming the flash point for such a conflict.

"Both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of the same nation. We do not harbor deep hatred towards each other; we must sit down and have serious discussions," Kuan said. "Peaceful reunification may be a long process, but as long as peace sustains across the Strait, Taiwan will have security and stability, and both sides will benefit." 
Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer has acknowledged that the Maldives-India ties witnessed rough patches in the initial days of President Mohammad Muizzu-led government but insisted that the two countries have resolved the misunderstandings.

Zameer made the remarks on Friday during a visit to Sri Lanka, where he stressed the importance of the Indian Ocean archipelagos relationships with key allies, particularly China and India.

He said that relations with India had faced challenges, particularly following President Muizzus campaign to remove a small contingent of Indian troops from the Maldives.

Zameer said that the misunderstandings between the two countries have been resolved following the repatriation of Indian troops from the Maldives.

At the start of our government, we did have some rough patches (with India), you know, Zameer has been quoted as saying by The Edition newspaper.

(We) have good relations with both China and India, and both countries continue to support Maldives, he said.

Indias relationship with the Maldives came under strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge as the President. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms gifted by India to the Maldives. After talks between the two sides, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.

Things escalated after three Maldivian deputy ministers made controversial remarks regarding India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. Maldives Foreign Ministry distanced itself from their remarks, and the three junior ministers were suspended.

Unlike his predecessors, who made the first port of call to New Delhi after assuming office, Muizzu travelled to Turkiye first and to China for his first state visit in January. He visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Modis swearing-in ceremony.

Muizzu will travel to India on an official visit very soon, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Zameer also said that the Maldives has no plans to seek an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, dismissing the current economic challenges faced by his country as temporary. We have bilateral partners who are very sensitive to our needs and our situation, he said, signalling the governments confidence in addressing its fiscal issues without resorting to external assistance from the IMF.

I seriously dont think it is a time where we will be (right now) engaging with the IMF. The issue that we have is very temporary because currently, we are having a dip in reserves. Zameer outlined the governments strategy to address the economic situation, which includes implementing reforms in the tax regime and cost-cutting measures for government-owned enterprises.

He also highlighted the strengthening of bilateral relations with China and India, noting that these countries have been instrumental in supporting the Maldives.

His remarks came in the wake of warnings from credit rating agencies about the Maldives financial situation.

The Maldives owes much of its external debt to China and India. The governments debt servicing commitments amount to USD 409 million this year, placing additional stress on its already limited foreign currency reserves.

Maldives reserves currently stand at USD 444 million, with usable reserves at USD 61 million, the paper said.

The rationalisation of state-owned enterprises will certainly help us in managing our resources better, Zameer said.

Zameer was joined by Finance Minister Mohamed Shafeeq in Sri Lanka, where the two held meetings with Sri Lankan central bankers and other officials to discuss financial matters.
A Russian-guided bomb struck a multi-storey apartment building on Sunday in Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, triggering a fire and injuring at least 41 people, the regions governor said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the latest attack underscored the need for Ukraines Western partners to provide weapons and air defence systems and permission to use weapons on targets deep inside Russia to save lives.

Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, said on Telegram that rescue operations were proceeding, with 12 people in hospital, three in serious condition. He said residents could be trapped under rubble.

Syniehubov posted photos of heavy damage to the top four of five storeys of the building, with smoke and fire billowing out of blown-out windows.

Zelensky, in his nightly video address, said three other guided bombs had struck villages in Kharkiv region, where population centres have been a frequent target of Russian attacks near the Russian border.

Russia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the apartment building but has denied intentionally targeting civilians despite having killed thousands of them since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Zelensky called for rapid decisions on long-range strikes in order to destroy Russian military aviation right where it is based. These are obvious, logical decisions.

Every Russian strike of this nature, every instance of Russian terror, like today in Kharkivthis proves that there must be long-range capability and it must be sufficient.

He said appropriate decisions were expected in the first instance from the United States, France, Germany and Italy, those whose decisiveness can help save lives.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that the West would be directly fighting with Russia if it allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles.
Vice President Kamala Harris inaccurate comment on US soldiers deployed in overseas conflict zones has triggered a firestorm. Harris during the presidential debate with former president Donald Trump on Tuesday said that there are no American soldiers deployed in overseas conflict zones.

Deployed Military members react to Kamala Harris lying about deployments during the debate. pic.twitter.com/sv1vEeAMem Lori Mills (@LoriMills4CA42) September 13, 2024

And as of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is on active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world, for the first time this century, Harris said.

A report by USA Today said that it was not quite true. It said that the US has nearly 1,000 troops stationed in Syria and about 2,500 in Iraq, according to the US Department of Defense.

In Syria, US forces remain deployed to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group. In Iraq, they counter Irans influence and disrupt supply lines to militias. While major civil war hostilities in both countries have decreased, these two nations remain affected by ongoing low-level conflict.

One instance of the dangers faced by US troops overseas occurred on the last day of August. During a US military-led raid in western Iraq, at least 15 Islamic State operatives were killed. The operatives fought back fiercely with various weapons, including grenades and explosive suicide belts. The operation resulted in injuries to seven US soldiers.

Earlier in January, a base in Jordan, located near the Syrian border, was attacked by an Iranian-made drone. The assault led to the deaths of three US soldiers and injured 40 others.

The comments angered deployed personnel. A video shared by Trump supporter Lori Mills showed deployed personnel reacting to Kamala Harris comment. A US army soldier is heard saying: Then where the f**k are we right now?

Fellow soldiers who were watching the debate with him are seen laughing at what Harris said.

Brad Illerbrunner, whose son Garrett was critically injured in Iraq, told the New York Post: She doesnt even recognize that our own troops are getting hurt. Were still in war zones.
At least six foreign nationals were detained in Venezuela on suspicion of plotting to destabilise the country, the government said Saturday, as the United States denied Caracass allegations it was involved.

Three Americans, two Spaniards, and a Czech citizen are among those arrested. This comes amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and both the United States and Spain over Venezuelas disputed July 28 presidential election, which the countrys opposition accuses President Nicolas Maduro of stealing.

Venezuelas Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said that the five foreign nationals were being held on suspicion of planning an attack Maduro and his government. We know that the US government has links to this operation, Cabello asserted. Cabello said two Spaniards were recently detained in Puerto Ayacucho in the southwest. He added that three Americans and a Czech national were also arrested and linked the alleged plot to intelligence agencies in the United States and Spain as well as to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

What US Said

A State Department spokesperson said Saturday that any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The State Department spokesperson additionally confirmed that a US military member was being held and noted unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained in Venezuela.

The State Department confirms that a US military member was detained in Venezuela, and theyre aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained there. US denies as false any US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro. pic.twitter.com/lISuSGJxTb Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan) September 15, 2024

Venezuelas interior minister meanwhile said that those detained had contacted French mercenaries, they contacted mercenaries from Eastern Europe and they are in an operation to try to attack our country. He added that more than 400 rifles were seized and accused the detainees of plotting terrorist acts. Spain and the Czech Republic have yet to react to the sensational claims, which come amid a deepening standoff between Maduro and Western powers.

Maduros dictatorship

Maduro, who succeeded iconic left-wing leader Hugo Chavez on his death in 2013, insists he won a third term but failed to release detailed voting tallies to back his claim. Tensions between Caracas and former colonial power Spain rose sharply after Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, 75, went into exile in Spain a week ago, after being threatened with arrest.

Earlier this week Caracas recalled its ambassador to Madrid for consultations and summoned Spains envoy to Venezuela for talks after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a dictatorship. Venezuela was also angered by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs decision to meet with Gonzalez Urrutia and warned Spain against any interference in its affairs.

Caracas has additionally been engaged in a war of words with the United States, which recognized Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner of the election. Washington on Thursday announced new sanctions against 16 Venezuelan officials, including some from the electoral authority, for impeding a transparent electoral process and not publishing accurate results.

Venezuela denounced the measures as a crime of aggression and Maduro decorated four military officers among those targeted by the sanctions. Maduros claim to have won a third term in office sparked mass opposition protests, which claimed at least 27 lives and left 192 people wounded. The opposition published polling station-level results, which it said showed Gonzalez Urrutia winning by a landslide.

(With agency inputs)
GAZA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 41,206, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Sunday.

During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 24 people and wounded 57 others, bringing the total death toll to 41,206 and injuries to 95,337 since the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in early October 2023, it added.

Also on Sunday, Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said in a press statement that its militants targeted an Israeli military bulldozer with a shell east of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

The statement said that immediately after the Israeli rescue force arrived, Al-Qassam militants attacked the Israeli soldiers with a shell, killing and wounding some of them.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the incident.

Israel has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage. 
A robber who tried to entice a barlady at Neshuro Business Center in Mwenezi with US$5 000 he had just stolen from passengers in a Blue Circle Bus will rue his action forever as he will serve 84 years in prison for armed robbery.

After the robbery, Daniel Dadirayi (23) showed a piston to a barlady before opening a bagful of money. The girl tipped Police leading to the arrest of Dadirayi, a few hours after the robbery.

Regional Magistrate, Judith Zuyu last week sentenced sent Dadirayi to 84 years in jail for the robbery.

The State said Dadirayi, together with three accomplices robbed passengers of US$5 932, ZAR66 170 and other goodies. He pleaded guilty before Magistrate Zuyu.

Dadirayi of Chief Sitauze, Zezani Beitbridges suspected accomplices, Talent Mlaudzi (20) also of Chief Sitauze, Zezani Beitbridge; Ashton Siziba (26) of Peterwen Mkwasine, Chiredzi and Phineas Shumba (25) of Dryhoek, Makadho Beitbridge who is employed by Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) at Inkomo Barracks in Harare pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody to September 11 for continuation of trial.

The fourth accomplice, Elphase Magugudze is still at large.

On July 17, 2024 the five went to Harare and left Magugudze at Vilivili Bus Stop near Rutenga. In Harare, the four boarded a Blue Circle Bus at Mbudzi back to Beitbridge and paid US$8 each.

On July 18, at around 4am when the bus reached Vilivili, Shumba approached the conductor and advised him that he wanted to disembark at the bus stop.

Magugudze who was at the terminus then boarded the bus armed with a C75 9mm pistol and handed it to Siziba was in the bus and he pointed at the driver and ordered him to pull off the road and go to a secluded place.

He then ordered the driver to switch off the lights.

Mlaudzi and Dadirayi produced okapi knives and joined Siziba to rob all passengers of their money and goods.

After robbing them they disembarked, fired some shots in the air and disappeared.

On the same day, Siziba, Dadirayi and Shumba were arrested after a bar lady at Neshuro Business Centre in Mwenezi tipped the police when Shumba tried to win the bar ladys heart by showing her a pistol and large sums of money in the bag.

The trio was intercepted by Police and a pistol with 2 rounds of live magazine was recovered together with Blue Circle Bus tickets and some money.

Mlaudzi arrested the following day while Mugugudze is still at large.

Only ZAR 7000 and US$550 was recovered.

Tanyaradzwa Tinago appeared for the state. Masvingo Mirror
"The youngest Shaker in the world is 67 years old, and his name is Arnold," writes Jordan Kisner in the New York Times Magazine. That would be Brother Arnold Hadd, to be precise, who joined the Shaker community at their Sabbathday Lake village in Maine at the age of 21 and hasn't left. The community was thriving at the time, relatively speaking, but today only two members are left: Hadd and Sister June Carpenter, who's 86. Kisner spent nearly two years visiting the community and documenting "one of the longest-running utopian experiments in America." The story explores the roots of the movement in the 18th century, with its tenets of faith, gender and race equality, pacifism, hard work (most people might be more familiar with Shaker furniture than the religion itself), and self-abnegation (members are celibate).
This photo taken on Sept. 8, 2024 shows a yak transportation team waiting to carry luggage for tourists at the foot of Mount Kangrinboqe in Burang County of Ngari Prefecture, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

LHASA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- On an autumn morning, a towering snow-capped mountain looms in and out of sight amidst the swirling clouds. On the bumpy road surrounding the mountain, Sangye Tenzin asks the tourist on horseback whether he needs to take a break.

Sangye Tenzin, 36, hails from Gangca, a small village at the foot of Mount Kangrinboqe in Ngari Prefecture, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

Over the past month, he has earned some 7,000 yuan (about 986 U.S. dollars) providing horseback-riding services, with each round trip taking about three days. "The income is much higher than herding," said the Tibetan, also a caravan leader.

A sacred site for Hindu and Buddhist believers at an elevation of 6,656 meters, Mount Kangrinboqe attracts tourists and pilgrims from home and abroad every year.

By developing the tourism industry, including guide, porter, horseback riding and accommodation services, the village which used to rely on herding has shaken off poverty and embraced prosperity.

Home to more than 360 households, the village organized a yak transportation team in the 1980s, carrying belongings for pilgrims and tourists. In 2018, under the support of the county government, the village established a tourism service company called Kangrinboqe for standard management of horse and yak transportation, and other services.

Phuntsog Yeshe, director of the village committee, said each round-trip charges 2,370 yuan per horse, 1,860 yuan of which is directly paid to the villager providing the service.

The company also organizes training in the Mandarin and English languages and cooking.

Elena Flerova, one of the 50 members of a foreign tour group, just returned from a three-day hike around the mountain, resting and waiting for the tour bus. She said the tour group would spend a night in a hotel in Gangca.

"It's an amazing view. I love the food here," said the 48-year-old, who teaches Yoga in Moscow.

In 2019, the county government built a hotel in the village and leased it to a third-party company for operation as one of the projects to help support local development.

Tenzin Chophel, a former impoverished villager and a father of four children, shook off poverty after the hotel hired him as an attendant later in the same year.

Now, his salary has risen from 6,000 yuan a month to 8,000 yuan because he has been promoted as a leading attendant. With the hotel management experience he has gained there, Tenzin Chophel encouraged Kunsang, his wife, to open a homestay in 2022, earning 30,000 yuan last year. The couple have also leased their three horses to horseback-riding service providers for additional income.

"Now that we have enough savings, we have bought a car and traveled to Lhasa for sightseeing and doing physical checks," Tenzin Chophel said with a smile.

The Kangrinboqe company also organizes a cultural tourism festival yearly, including horse racing and other folk activities, to promote Tibetan ethnic culture and attract more tourists.

In 2023, the village company generated over 10.4 million yuan in revenue, paying villagers more than 3 million yuan for their labor and over 410,000 yuan in dividends.

To protect the eco-environment, the roads inside the Kangrinboqe resort are not paved and visitors are not allowed to drive in. The resort has set up a "garbage bank," where tourists, pilgrims and residents are encouraged to collect garbage on the way in exchange for small gifts, such as key rings, hats and towels. The collected garbage is taken away for proper disposal.

The transformation of Gangca Village is a miniature showing the change in Xizang.

Being the only provincial-level contiguous poverty-stricken region in China in the past, the region had accomplished the historic feat of eradicating absolute poverty by the end of 2019, with 628,000 people lifted out of poverty.

According to the latest figures released by the regional department of agriculture and rural affairs earlier this month, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Xizang was 6,711 yuan in the first half of this year, an increase of 8.4 percent year on year. The growth rate ranked second across the country during the period.

Some 50 km away from Gangca Village, an airport is expected to be in commercial operation soon.

Jigme Dorje, Party chief of the village, said the Kangrinboqe company has also opened a cab business.

"Once the airport goes operational, we can pick up tourists directly from the airport, with more tourism revenue expected," he said. 

A villager provides horseback-riding services at the foot of Mount Kangrinboqe in Burang County of Ngari Prefecture, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Sept. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

This photo taken on Sept. 8, 2024 shows Mount Kangrinboqe in Burang County of Ngari Prefecture, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

A villager dragging a horse walks with a tourist at the foot of Mount Kangrinboqe in Burang County of Ngari Prefecture, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Sept. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)
We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: editor@newsofbahrain.com

Members of Bahrains parliamentary delegation, participating in the International Young Parliamentarians Conference in Yerevan, Armenia, held multiple bilateral and joint meetings with other delegations to enhance parliamentary relations and exchange expertise in education, training, and employment.

The delegation, led by MP Abdulla Khalifa Al Rumaihi, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence, and National Security Committee in the Council of Representatives, and MP Ali Hussain Al Shehabi, met with Philippe Pauwels, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth, to discuss Bahrains achievements in youth development and the role of the legislative authority in supporting youth.

The delegation also met with the British delegation, led by Dan Carden, Chair of the Young Parliamentarians Forum and a British MP, to explore cooperation on parliamentary and youth issues. In discussions with the Russian parliamentary delegation, led by Yulia Lazutkina, Senator of the Russian Federation, the delegations discussed enhancing parliamentary ties between Bahrain and Russia.

Al Shehabi also met with the Serbian delegation, including Deputy Speaker Edin erlek and MP Ivana Stamatovic, to explore cooperation in education and employment.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: editor@newsofbahrain.com

According to an announcement from the Pakistani Embassy, gulf nationals will no longer require visas to enter Pakistan for work or tourism.

In a statement issued from its office in Bahrain, the embassy revealed that under a new visa policy from Islamabad, citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countriesSaudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrainare now exempt from the requirement to apply for electronic travel authorisation or visas through the e-visa portal.

The embassys release clarified that travellers from these nations need only to purchase a flight ticket to Pakistan, where they can stay for up to 90 days for work or leisure.

The changes, according to the statement, are intended to ease the process of travel for business and tourism between the Gulf and Pakistan.
PRAGUE, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- From a military perspective, Ukrainians should not be restricted in using delivered weapons, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee Chair Rob Bauer said here on Saturday.

Speaking after a meeting of the NATO Military Committee in Prague, Bauer said lifting the restrictions on the use of supplied weapons to Ukraine would be logical from a military point of view.

However, he noted that countries providing these weapons to Ukraine have the right to put limits on individual weapons, adding that there is a political discussion on the matter.

According to the Czech News Agency, debates on restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine are taking place at various levels. Italy has introduced them, while countries such as the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Netherlands do not set any conditions for the use of weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that by providing Ukraine with long-range weapons, Western countries risk involving directly in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In such circumstances, Russia would be forced to make "appropriate decisions" based on the new threats, Putin was quoted by Russian media as saying.

According to Western media reports, Ukraine has been pleading with its Western allies for it to use their missiles, including long-range ones, to fire deep into Russian territory. 
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

Postal Code
"I hope to see more cooperation between Norwegian and Chinese companies," said a Norwegian official, expressing his desire for Norwegian businesses to succeed in the Chinese market with their products.

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- In a world with growing protectionism, platforms like the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) are needed more than ever to promote global trade cooperation, a Norwegian official has said.

"I think CIFTIS is an excellent opportunity and more important than ever," said Henning Kristoffersen, commercial counselor of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Beijing, at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS.

He noted that the five-day event highlights China's commitment to "inviting foreign companies to engage and access its market."

"In general, foreign companies are very curious as to how much China will continue to open its markets in the future," the official told Xinhua, adding that this year's fair indicates further openness in China's economy.

Attending the service fair for the seventh year, Norway, as a coastal country, has a focus on displaying its marine products and services.

Kristoffersen sees a lot of potential for collaboration with China in industries where Norwegian companies have long-established partnerships. "We already have strong cooperation in these sectors, and we are developing them further," the official said.

He also praised China's significant progress in driving the "green shift," saying that all forms of collaboration with China in the context of the green shift are crucial.

Once lived in Shanghai in 1999 and visited many Chinese cities, Kristoffersen said he was impressed by China's development over the last 25 years.

He described China's innovations and technologies in solar energy, wind power, batteries, and electric vehicles as "phenomenal to watch," and said China deserves more recognition for its leadership in driving the "green shift."

Emphasizing Norway's need to accelerate its green transition, he said cooperation with China is inevitable.

"I believe we will continue to see European investments in China's car industry, as well as Chinese automakers expanding into Europe," the official said.

During Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store's recent visit to China, the introduction of a 15-day visa-free policy for Norwegian citizens was announced, making it much easier for Norwegians to visit China for tourism and business, Kristoffersen said.

"I hope to see more cooperation between Norwegian and Chinese companies," he said, expressing his desire for Norwegian businesses to succeed in the Chinese market with their products.
Some of the citizens of Glassboro have been very busy this summer.

They have gathered enough signatures for two ballot questions this fall, including a measure to gauge support for a proposed bypass for the busy Route 322, east-west corridor to avoid going through the middle of the Rowan University campus and to aid traffic flow.

Opponents say the new route will bring unwanted traffic to residential areas. Proponents, including Gloucester County, contend changes are needed for safety and to avoid congestion.

The other ballot question seeks to measure the level of support for a long-stalled proposal to build a Glassboro to Camden light-rail line. Neighbors in the Chestnut Ridge section of Glassboro say both plans target their neighborhoods, including 55 property acquisitions for the rail line.

Seventy percent of the neighbors on the doors I knocked on didnt know about this, Steve Klem, a retired casino worker who has lived in Chestnut Ridge for decades, told NJ Advance Media about the bypass. Ive lived here a long time. I dont see how this helps traffic.

Klem, his wife and others, helped gather more than 1,100 signatures on a petition to put the question on the ballot in the general election this fall.

This is the colleges problem, said Jill Presti-Klem, Steves wife. They should build a tunnel or bridge over the road. This should not have to come from the county. It should come from the school.

Route 322 is a state highway that runs from the Commodore Barry Bridge from Pennsylvania to the Jersey Shore. It is one of the primary east-west roads in what regional planners say is one of the fastest growing areas in the state.

Engineers for Gloucester County want to eliminate vehicle-pedestrian conflicts, and reduce vehicle and truck traffic through the center of [Rowan] campus and downtown Glassboro, according to an internet public meeting presentation of the plan in May.

Rowan is in support of a solution that addresses the growing traffic along Rt. 322, Ali A. Houshmand, Rowans president, said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. We trust that Glassboro and county planners will consider every option and recommend the best solution.

There was no immediate response for comment from Glassboro on Friday in messages to the borough clerk. Gloucester County, which only has jurisdiction over less than a half-mile of the proposed changes on the state highway, did comment.

We understand that there is a ballot question this fall in Glassboro, said Chad Bruner, county administrator in an email Friday. There is no question that there is a serious traffic problem in the area that must be fixed and with their input it is anticipated that a new road presentation will significantly reduce the original concerns.

Bruner said after the May presentation and a display of maps of several possible routes for the proposed bypass in July at the borough high school, changes have been made.

With the input of the public, the bypass project will look completely different than the original presentation, he said. As I understand from talking to the majority of the residents in the affected neighborhood, by removing Girard Road from consideration there is much less concern or opposition to a bypass plan.

The elimination of the Girard Road plan may reduced the cost of the project from $17 million to $8 million, according to the engineers plan. But other neighbors who helped the petition drive dont share Bruners optimism.

I dont want to see neighborhoods torn up, Denise Norton, a retired biology teacher and resident in the Chestnut Ridge development said. Right now its so disjointed, the town, the college, the people. If we can find that one magic thing to bring it together, where everyone actually listens to each other and stops pointing fingers, we might actually figure this solution out. Transparency is the way to bring this together.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com.
When it comes to the whirlwind of complaints about helicopters flying over Hudson County, many have pointed toward one culprit as the major source of the problem: a Kearny heliport.

Nestled in the towns industrial district between the Passaic and Hackensack rivers, the heliport serves operators of sightseeing tours, as well as private and charter flights. One sightseeing company based there boasts that it takes the thrill of shooting images from a helicopter and makes it accessible to everyone.

But critics say that the volume, and the volume, of helicopters taking off from or heading back to Kearny have caused headaches for many people  noise disturbances, health impacts and more.

And some are now calling for the Kearny heliport to be shut down permanently.

Just this one heliport is creating a lot of pain and suffering for both New Yorkers and (New Jerseyans), said Melissa Elstein, board chairwoman of Stop The Chop NY/NJ, a group opposed to the low-altitude helicopter flights. All just for an Instagram photo op.

The 7.26-acre HHI Heliport, as its officially known, opened in December 2010. It provides 38,000 square feet of hangar space, a 24,000-gallon fuel facility and is only a two-minute flight from Manhattan, according to the heliports website. It currently houses 22 helicopters, according to AirNav, a website that provides aviation information.

Two helicopter tourist companies, FlyNYON and New York Helicopters, are based nearby and utilize the heliport.

Rep. Rob Menendez, who represents the part of Kearny that includes the heliport, has made helicopter noise complaints a priority, including introducing legislation to determine the root cause and ensure community input and advocating for Liberty State Park to be designated as a no-fly zone.

At all hours of the day and night, these low-flying helicopters are waking newborn babies, disrupting people working from home, and impacting the quality of life for everyone in their path, Menendez said.

Earlier this month Menendez met with FAA officials during a closed meeting to find a solution to the noise and he continues to push the agency to meet with the public.

We made it clear today that this isnt a substitute for engaging the community directly . Menendez said on Sept. 5 after the meeting.

The establishment of the heliport has long garnered complaints that still reverberate today, literally and figuratively: helicopters flying at low altitude over residential areas.

Its something that the Linden Municipal Airport officials, critical of the heliport since 2009, say is an I told you so moment.

Unless it was a complete and total callous regard for it, anybody would recognize that this was going to be a high-traffic installation that was going to seriously jeopardize (its intention as a private/charter facility), and they cannot play ignorant, said Paul Dudley, director of the Linden airport.

One factor as to why helicopters from Kearny generate more noise is because theyre required to fly at lower altitudes (typically being capped at 500 feet) due to the proximity to Newark Liberty International Airport and its airplane traffic, Dudley said.

In comparison, the Linden airport, which is farther away, allows helicopters to fly between 1,500 to 2,500 feet. Dudley also said that helicopters near Kearny lack any safe spaces for emergency landings due to the highly developed urban areas nearby.

Another factor is the flight paths for helicopters flying in and out of Kearny, critics say. Plenty of them fly over Jersey City, Bayonne and Hoboken while heading to sightsee.

On the New York side, the impact of the constant stream of helicopters is felt across Manhattan  from hovering over Central Park to keeping children up at night, and even movie nights at the park.

It is making me aggravated, anxious, raising my blood pressure, oftentimes waking me up, said Andy Rosenthal, board president of Stop the Chop, on the helicopters. At my apartment along the river, it sometimes rattles the dishes in the cupboards. It is making people move (away).

Kearny Mayor Carol Jean Doyle defended the heliport, saying its a positive thing and that enough executives use it and take cars off the road.

Its easier getting out of South Kearny to another airport than it is trying to almost travel through the city, Doyle said. I dont have a problem with it at all.

Stop The Chop now wants to have the Kearny heliport shut down, while Dudley wants to see an investigation into how the heliport was approved to operate. He added that the Linden airports interest in this issue is because theres a scattershot approach to legislation that will hurt the (aviation) industry.

Kearny doesnt feel the pain, but everybody between Kearny and the destination does, Dudley said. Its terribly unfair, but there is no real law in place for these kind of facilities that requires the (local) governing body to actively consider those consequences.

A representative at the HHI Heliport did not respond to a request for comment on its operations.
After Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance have been humiliated on the national debate stage in front of 60 million people, and on social media, for fueling a ridiculous and baseless rumor about Haitian immigrants eating pets, Vance got testy in a CNN interview on Sunday with host Dana Bash.

When Bash quoted the Springfield, Ohio, mayors plea for Trump, Vance and other Republican politicians to stop using his town as a political prop, Vance got touchy and told her to shut up about Springfield.

Youve heard a lot of the media focusing on every possible distraction from the story in Springfield, Vance said. Youve heard them focus on these Proud Boy marches. ... the suggestion that because some psychopath is is calling it a bomb threat, somehow we have to then ignore 40,000 Springfield having their lives worsened by Kamala Harriss policies. ...

What is the implication when you say calling out these problems has caused a bomb threat? You accused me of causing a bomb threat. Doesnt that mean you should shut up about the residents of Springfield? Dont you realize youre engaged in basic propaganda silence the concerns of American citizens?

Vance, of course, was one of the first Republicans to promote the unfounded rumor. On Twitter/X, Vance wrote, Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldnt be in this country. Where is our border czar?

He was referring to a label Republicans have pinned on Harris, who was tasked by President Biden with working to examine the root causes of migration from Central America.

Haitian immigrants in Springfield are not undocumented and are under temporary protected status.

In his debate with Harris last Tuesday, Trump screamed, Theyre eating the cats and theyre eating the dogs! as Harris laughed and mocked him by saying, Youre unbelievable.

Those rumors have sparked racist verbal attacks on Haitians, marches in the town by the white-nationalist Proud Boys, bomb and shooting threats, closed schools and Donald Trumps insistence that hell visit the town and eventually save it with mass deportations, if re-elected.

Bash reiterated that she was not accusing you of anything, but was quoting the mayor, who said, After these bomb threats, federal politicians are negatively spinning our city. They need to know they are hurting our city. It was their words that did it.

Bash also pointed out that neither Trump nor Vance, not any of the right-wing conspiracists has produced a single person with evidence that their pet has been eaten by Haitian immigrants.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
AMMAN, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- King Abdullah II of Jordan on Sunday tasked Jaafar Hassan with forming a new government, succeeding Bisher Khasawneh, whose resignation was accepted by the king.

Khasawneh's government, which resigned early Sunday, will continue handling day-to-day affairs until the new government is formed and assumes its duties, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Hassan has previously served as director of the Office of the King, deputy prime minister and minister of State for Economic Affairs, minister of Planning and International Cooperation.

Khasawneh's government resigned after the parliamentary elections, during which the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, won 31 out of 138 seats.

In a letter appointing Hassan as prime minister, the king directed the government to dedicate all efforts to supporting Palestinians and defending their rights.

"Jordan stands firmly against the war on Gaza and the assaults in the West Bank and Jerusalem. We are working with all our capacity through Arab and international efforts to protect the Palestinian people and halt the blatant violations of humanitarian principles and international law. We will always remain the steadfast ally of our brothers in Palestine," said the king in the letter.

The king also said the government must work with the House of Representatives to deepen the foundations of democracy and its concepts, and highlighted the importance of continuing the kingdom's prudent financial policies to maintain economic stability and control debt in the face of regional and international challenges. 
After a summer of record heat where New Jersey residents saw a spike in their electric bills, there has been bipartisan calls for hearings on why costs were so high and what can be done in the future.

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Christine Guhl-Sadovy previously forecasted moderate increases in consumers electric bills following this years Base Generation Services auctions, which provides utility companies with electricity produced outside of New Jersey that is then distributed to customers.

These new rates went into effect June 1, board of public utilities officials said. Consumers monthly bills were expected to increase an average of 3.6% for Rockland Electric customers, 4.6% for Atlantic City Electric customers, 6.2% for PSE&G customers and 8.6% for Jersey Central Power & Light customers.

Mays Landing resident Rich Timinski said he dreads going to the mailbox to get his Atlantic City Electric bill, saying this summer he watched it increase from $300 on average to about $500.

It cant be what they expect people to pay, Timinski, 41, said. Im afraid this is going to be the norm now.

Between June and July, two of the summers hottest months, the Atlantic City Electrics residential customers used 20% more electricity compared to 2023, Atlantic City Electric said in a statement.

We recognize our customers concerns and the economic challenges so many are facing right now, Atlantic City Electric, a subsidiary of Chicago-based energy giant Exelon, wrote in the statement. We will continue to work with local officials to ensure we are meeting the energy needs of our customers and to understand the factors contributing to rising energy costs.

Soaring energy bills appear to not be limited to New Jersey. A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed seven in 10 Americans say in the last year extreme heat has had an impact on their energy costs, ranging from minor to major, and most have seen at least a minor impact on their outdoor activities.

Concerns over the increasing cost of electricity has caught the attention of lawmakers. A joint letter from New Jersey Democrats in the states 3rd, 4th and 8th legislative districts asked for a hearing this fall with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

The reality is that the unexpected increases have caused stress and anxiety for many, it was stated in the letter. We know that 37% of Americans cannot afford an emergency expense over $400, according to Empower research.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd Dist., urged state officials to investigate if smart meter installations are to blame. He also called for moratoriums on utility shut-offs and further rate increases.

Over the past few months, my office has compiled substantial data from thousands of residents, which indicate that their energy bills have sometimes tripled compared to the same period last summer, Van Drew wrote in a letter. Such increases, especially at a time of severe economic hardship on nearly all expenses, are unacceptable and have placed an undue financial burden on many families in our community.

State Democrats in the 3rd district on Monday announced intentions to introduce a bill in the New Jersey Legislature requiring that energy providers warn customers when their electric use spikes.

This would be a proactive, user-friendly program that alerts consumers of their energy use so they arent caught by surprise with exorbitant bills at the end of the month, said Sen. John Burzichelli, D-3rd Dist. It would provide real-time information that allows customers to manage their energy consumption and control costs.

Timinski said he, his wife and their two children moved from Belleville in Essex County last year because of the high cost of living in North Jersey. Their two-story home has central air conditioning and last fall, the electric bill averaged $100 per month. That increased to $300 before the summer, spiking at $500 during the recent heat waves.

For the Timinskis, it meant reducing other expenses, cutting back on buying groceries and cancelled a planned family vacation in Wildwood.

Its not sustainable for middle-class families, Timinski said. They keep picking at everyone as much as possible.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, in a statement to NJ Advance Media, said consumers can anticipate when their electric bills will increase by comparing their usage from month-to-month and year-to-year.

State officials are also encouraging to customers to report meter discrepancies and look into programs that help cover utility costs.

Gov. Phil Murphys administration late last month announced the start to the Residential Energy Assistance Payment program for the September billing cycle. A one-time, $175 credit is planned to be issued to approximately 278,000 qualifying residential ratepayers on their electric or gas bills.

The administration said those eligible include customers who qualified for New Jerseys winter utility shutoff moratorium. Others include those experiencing financial hardships.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.
The woman who authored an early Facebook post that spread a baseless claim that Haitian immigrants were eating local pets said, she didnt mean for the post to go viral.

In the post, she promoted a neighbors unfounded belief that her cat was taken by the immigrants, and it just exploded into something I didnt mean to happen, Erika Lee, a Springfield resident, told NBC News.

Lee said that she regrets posting the rumor, which has sparked racist verbal attacks on Haitians, marches in the town by the white-nationalist Proud Boys, bomb and shooting threats, closed schools and Donald Trumps insistence that hell visit the town and eventually save it with mass deportations, if re-elected.

Haitian immigrants in Springfield are not undocumented and are under temporary protected status.

In one of the original posts  now deleted  Lee posted that a neighbors cat went missing and the neighbor had told Lee she believed the cat was the victim of an attack by her Haitian neighbors.

Turns out, even that was incorrect: The neighbor, Kimberly Newton, said she heard about the attack from a third party, NewsGuard reported.

Lee said she never thought the post would be used by the right-wing, the Republican ex-president and presidential nominee, and his running mate, J.D. Vance, who have poured gasoline on conspiracy theories and hate.

Im not a racist, Lee told NBC News, adding that her daughter is half Black and she herself is mixed race and a member of the LGBTQ community. Everybody seems to be turning it into that, and that was not my intent.

Nevertheless, wittingly or unwittingly, she promoted someones baseless and apparently racist rumor.

I didnt think it would ever get past Springfield, she said.

In his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump insisted Haitians in Springfield were eating the dogs and eating the cats, as Harris laughed at him and said, Youre unbelievable.

Ever since Trumps claim, right wing activists have tried to justify the rumor but have failed to find one instance to support the claim as city and state officials  including the Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican  refute the rumor. Some have offered cash for evidence that its happening.

Lee said she pulled her daughter out of school and is now worried about her safety. She is also concerned for the safety of the Haitian community, which she said she did not intend to target  at least not as a whole.

I feel for the Haitian community, she said. If I was in the Haitians position, Id be terrified, too, worried that somebodys going to come after me because they think Im hurting something that they love and that, again, thats not what I was trying to do.
Most people know the process and principals in a typical courtroom. Various iterations of NBCs Law and Order or the bombastic Judge Judy show the basics. But what happens when a judge steps down from the bench still donning her black robe to work directly with court-involved individuals?

Thats what has happened at the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Courthouse on Broad Street in Newark in the Renew and POP Programs. And three Hudson County natives have been key to the programs success, helping scores of people through the past dozen years.
In what should be a surprise to no one, Donald Trump has turned his Bedminster club into a Nazi safe space.

Twice this summer, the disgraced ex-president opened the doors of his divot motel/ex-wife cemetery to host fundraisers for Capitol riot defendants. Perhaps the most infamous is Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a neo-Nazi who was released from prison in December  one who wears a Hitler mustache and has expressed his opinion to coworkers that Hitler should have finished the job, and has seethed about a Hasidic Jewish invasion of New Jersey.

Trump has repeatedly defended these hostages for their actions on Jan. 6, which led to the deaths of five cops and injuries to 140 more, and he has vowed to pardon them all if reelected. This event kept that MAGA spirit alive: Trump welcomed all his friends with a video message that called them amazing patriots.

Then they all gave Hale-Cusanelli, a Navy contractor from Colts Neck, an award for promoting God, family, and country and cheered his acceptance speech.

Spot the irony, win valuable prizes: Trump often touts his support of Israel and says that the Jew who votes for Democrats this November should have their head examined and are absolutely fools. . . .who should be ashamed of themselves, and lately he has been calling Kamala Harris antisemitic even though she married a Jewish man.

But when the disgraced ex-president celebrates a sociopath who worships Der Fuhrer, it begs to be asked: Why would any Jewish person vote for Donald Trump?

This event is hardly a one-off, even though the campaign claimed Trump was not aware of this individual after NPR broke this story. Actually, the nonprofit group (Patriot Freedom Project) founded in response to Hale-Cusanellis arrest actually sends its founder out to warm up crowds at Trump rallies.

It is beyond ironic, said Clifford M. Kulwin, the Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Bnai Abraham in Livingston. First of all, the notion that Trump is unaware of the background of a person being honored at one of his signature properties is ludicrous.

And as for why a Jew would vote for Donald Trump, well, thats an excellent question.

After white nationalists chanted, Jews will not replace us in Charlottesville in 2017 and fought with anti-racism protesters, Trump concluded that there were very fine people, on both sides.

He has used Mar-a-Lago to host the likes of antisemite Kanye West and Nick Fuentes, the Holocaust denier and white supremacist, who helped lead the charge on Jan. 6.

Always Hitler-curious, he often uses language from the Nazi lexicon, arguing that immigrants entering the US are poisoning the blood of our country and calling opponents vermin.

If you like a farce, book a ticket for Bedminster. https://t.co/AbSt6F9IUv  NJ_Opinion (@NJ_Opinion) August 26, 2024

And he embraces Tucker Carlson, who last week devoted a podcast to a Holocaust revisionist that he calls the most important popular historian working today. This historian, Darryl Cooper, spent two hours sharing a steaming pile of ahistorical rubbish and Nazi apologia that had Carlson enthralled, including his claim that killing six million Jews was humane because the Nazis had run out of food for their prisoners of war; and that the US fought on the wrong side of World War II because Hitler merely sought peace.

Trump even gave Carlson a prominent speaking slot at the Republican Convention, and chose  after Carlsons intense lobbying  JD Vance for a running mate. On Saturday, Carlson will interview Vance at a live event in Hershey, Pa.

This is where Trump is having his next rally https://t.co/8JP8u6TSVk  Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) August 18, 2024

Trump, meanwhile, will undoubtedly repeat his favorite antisemitic tropes -- that Jewish people who vote for Democrats hate Israel and hate their religion, and are very disloyal to Israel. It hardly matters that his claim that the Biden Administration has abandoned Israel has zero merit.

If anything, Biden has given Israel too much discretion on the use of American-made bombs in Gaza. And when Iran and its proxies fired 300 missiles at Israel in April, Biden ordered U.S. forces to help shoot them down.

All told, the US will give Israel $3.8 billion per year through 2028 for military equipment. No country has received more foreign aid from the US since World War II.

So well ask again: Why would anyone vote for a candidate who makes the deeply offensive assumption that only he can define what Jewish interests are? In this case, one only has to judge the candidate by the company he keeps.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

In June 2024, Hale-Cusanelli spoke at a Patriot Freedom Project event at Trump Bedminster.



Trump sent a video message to the event, praising all of the attendees as amazing patriots. pic.twitter.com/e5EijR79Si  Tom Dreisbach (@TomDreisbach) September 12, 2024

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
Donald Trump has lied from the start, when he came down that golden escalator and claimed that Mexico was sending convicted rapists across the border. And hes gotten away with it, mostly. Fact-checkers ding him over and over, but the bullets seem to bounce off him.

Until now. Hes getting sloppy, telling more gargantuan lies. Democrats are killing babies after they are born. Haitian immigrants in Ohio are stealing dogs and cats from their owners and eating them. He saved Obamacare. Public schools are sending kids off for gender surgery without telling their parents.

Can you imagine youre a parent and your son leaves the house and you say, Jimmy, I love you so much, go have a good day in school, and your son comes back with a brutal operation? he asked at a recent rally. Can you even imagine this? What the hell is wrong with our country?

Some psychiatrists say hes actually losing his mind, and to anyone whos been following his ramblings lately, it certainly seems possible. This is not the 2016 Donald Trump. Hes aged. Disconnected thoughts come and go in a random torrent, which usually have little to do with the question he was asked.

If a patient presented to me with the verbal incoherence, tangential thinking, and repetitive speech that Trump now regularly demonstrates, I would almost certainly refer them for a rigorous neuropsychiatric evaluation to rule out a cognitive illness, psychiatrist Richard Friedman wrote in the Atlantic Thursday, adding that Trump is showing symptoms of a fundamental problem with an underlying cognitive process.

Dont miss the best in editorials, opinion columns and commentary from NJ.com writers. Add your email here:



Back to lying. In the past, Trumps lies were tougher to prove to the general public. Even the Big Lie about the 2020 election is based on dozens of bogus claims that are tough to knock down one-by-one. The courts heard each claim, and rejected them, but in the MAGA-verse, the courts are part of the conspiracy.

That changed. Now, hes telling whoppers that are easy to disprove. If babies were being killed after birth, that would constitute murder in every state, red and blue. If Haitians were stealing dogs and cats and eating them, doesnt it follow that at least one or two pet owners might step forward? His claim to have saved Obamacare is ridiculous, given his repeated attempts to kill it that were front page news.

And the gender surgery? Wouldnt Jimmys parents have raised their hands?

His other problem is that hes making these claims before a bigger audience, including the 67 million people who watched the debate Tuesday. Hes not just retweeting lies on social media; hes standing up before the country and proving himself to be a fool.

I dont know if Trump is losing his mind. But when President Biden rambled in his debate and said that he beat Medicare I slapped my forehead and concluded that he lacked the mental capacity to make the case against Trump. Now, the tables have turned, and then some.

It seems clear, at least, that Trump has lost his touch when it comes to lying. And thats a big deal because it so clearly exposes him as a lunatic. Even now, hes sticking to the ugly stories about Haitian immigrants, and murdered babies, and mutilated children. Does that help explain why hes chickening out of a second debate with Harris? Is he ready to double down on his crazy?

The polls show that people have noticed, and that Trump is losing ground since the debate. Predictably, Trump says thats not true.

Every Poll has us WINNING, in one case, 92-8, so why would I do a Rematch? he wrote on social media.

He was asked to name that poll, and of course he couldnt. For the record, a CNN poll found Harris won by a 2-1 margin. YouGov gave Harris a win by 54 to 31 percent. Even Rupert Murdochs New York Post found Harris the winner by 50 to 29 percent.

Ask yourself this: If Trump loses his touch on lying, what does he have left? Policy expertise?

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or (973) 986-6951. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
George Conway, former spouse of a Trump administration insider and one-time lawyer to the most powerful conservative causes in the nation, has predicted this moment would come: Donald Trumps meltdown.

And minutes after Trump tweeted, I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT, Conway appeared on MSNBC on Sunday to explain whats happening to the former presidents mind  and campaign  in the wake of the angry tweets and lies about immigrants eating pets.

Conway has launched the Anti-Psychopath PAC to point out Trumps mental problems and has taunted Trump with TV, digital and billboard ads.

Well, hes reaching his final final destination, which is complete ... decompensation, Conway told host Jen Psaki. None of his tricks are working anymore. Were on to them. They dont excite anybody anymore. Hes losing in the polls. ... His own vice presidential candidate on another network today said basically, were making up stories to win this election.

[Trump] knows hes going down, and ... remember, hes running, not just for president, hes running from prison. Youre going to see him engage in more and more desperate behavior. ... His people have lost control over him, and the only person who seems to have any control over him is the person whos whispering in his ear ... that Everythings great, youre amazing. And thats [conspiracist] Laura Loomer.

This is the ultimate implosion, and were watching it live  and its going to get worse, Conway added.

The Harris campaign responded, seeming trolling Trump with capitalization:

Donald Trumps week of whining and spouting conspiracy theories has voters on both sides of the aisle ready to Forget That He Existed. The American people want to be out of the woods of the chaos and division of the Trump era, leave behind the Blank Space of Trumps broken promises and Begin Again by electing Vice President Harris to ensure Americas future of opportunity is Long Lived.

Voters know All Too Well how dangerous Trump and his Project 2025 agenda will be if he wins. This November, we can make sure this is the last time we have to deal with his End Game of jacking up taxes on the middle class and ripping away Americans freedoms together. We can turn the page on the Trump Era and write a new chapter where all Americans Breathe easy knowing we have strong, steady leadership at the helm. We can make sure the Story Of Us is one of progress, and show Donald Trump we are not going back to December of 2020. Like ever.

Conservative attorney Heath Mayo tweeted, There is no world in which Trumpism ends with a respectable permanent place in Americas political discourse. It will self-destruct and be remembered as an embarrassmentlike McCarthyism.

In referencing made-up stories, Conway pointed out that vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, who fueled a baseless allegation that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, failed to provide a shred of evidence that this was happening when confronted by CNNs Dana Bash on Sunday.

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually has to pay attention to the suffering of American people, then thats what Im going to do, Vance said.

Vance eventually got testier and said Bash should shut up about the rumors he helped to start.

In an ABC poll released Sunday, Harris holds a six-point national lead, and a poll released by the Des Moines Register shows that Harris has melted Trumps 18-point lead in deep-red Iowa to just four points.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
This photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows a view of the 56th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

China called on the U.S. and other nations to heed the international community's legitimate concerns and promptly lift all unlawful unilateral sanctions against developing countries.

GENEVA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- "To my regret, sanctioning states deny the existence of the humanitarian and often disastrous impact of unilateral sanctions," said Alena Douhan, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures, during an interactive dialogue at the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) here on Friday.

In her report submitted to this session of the UNHRC, Douhan said that unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries on China violate international law, negatively affecting the human rights of the Chinese people and causing spillover effects.

She welcomed China's use of necessary administrative and legal measures in response and called for systematic monitoring and assessment of the adverse human rights impact of unilateral coercive measures.

Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2022 shows the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

In recent years, the U.S. has introduced a series of unilateral coercive measures against China, such as restricting the export of semiconductors and key technologies and sanctioning certain Chinese companies.

Globally, the U.S. has imposed widespread economic and financial sanctions on countries like Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela, restricting their trade, energy exports, and banking activities. These measures aim to influence the policy directions of these nations through isolation and pressure.

As a concerned party in the report, China expressed its appreciation for Douhan's findings. The Chinese representative pointed out at the interactive dialogue that unilateral sanctions, which China has always firmly opposed, seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, breach the basic norms of international relations, and gravely infringe on human rights.

The Chinese representative further asserted that the U.S. frequently abuses long-arm jurisdiction under domestic law, using the pretense of democracy and human rights to conceal its actual violations, despite its own poor human rights record. China called on the U.S. and other nations to heed the international community's legitimate concerns and promptly lift all unlawful unilateral sanctions against developing countries.

People take pictures at the booth of BYD at the Automechanika in Frankfurt, Germany, Sept. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

Several representatives from developing nations echoed Douhan's report, aligning with China at the interactive dialogue in condemning the U.S. and other Western countries' widespread use of unilateral sanctions.

The representatives of Russia and Venezuela pointed out that the unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S. are a blatant interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Such actions are not motivated by respect for freedom, but rather an attempt to use lies and coercion to gain an advantage in unfair competition.

The Cuban representative highlighted that the longstanding U.S. blockade has had a profoundly negative impact on the lives of the Cuban people, with frozen funds that could have been used to meet the country's food and medical needs. Additionally, Cuba's re-designation on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list is unjustifiable both morally and legally.

The Zimbabwean representative pointed out that although certain unilateral sanctions claim to target only the governments of specific countries, their effects extend to large numbers of ordinary citizens and businesses, with repercussions spreading to neighboring countries and other regions worldwide. Unilateral sanctions directly undermine the political, economic, and social stability of nations and hinder the achievement of sustainable development goals.

People hold placards during an anti-sanction protest in Harare, Zimbabwe, Oct. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara)

The Belarusian representative pointed out that certain Western countries use unilateral sanctions as tools to achieve geopolitical objectives, causing catastrophic impacts on the populations and business environments of sanctioned countries. These sanctions severely violate human rights and breach international law.

The Iranian representative called for greater attention to the broader scope and cumulative humanitarian costs of unilateral sanctions. Iran also supported the Special Rapporteur's proposal to establish a universal, inclusive, comprehensive, systematic, transparent, and evidence-based monitoring and impact assessment mechanism for these sanctions.

The representatives of Laos and Cambodia pointed out that unilateral sanctions obstruct efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development goals. They severely impact fundamental human rights, including the right to development, and undermine the norms of international diplomacy and cooperation.

The representatives of Palestine and Syria noted that growing evidence indicates that the humanitarian consequences of unilateral sanctions are becoming increasingly severe. These sanctions are causing difficulties for UN humanitarian efforts, exacerbating poverty and hunger, and making the most vulnerable groups even more fragile.

A Palestinian woman flees from the Hamad residential city northwest of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 16, 2024. People in the Gaza Strip remain trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction, as new evacuation orders have been issued by Israeli authorities, the UN agency for Palestine refugees said on Friday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

The representatives of South Africa and Togo pointed out that unilateral sanctions violate the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and international humanitarian law. They emphasized that international cooperation and constructive long-term dialogue remain the most effective means of resolving disputes.

The Non-Aligned Movement, the African Group, the Like-Minded Group, and the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, among other developing countries, also expressed similar positions. 
BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Zhou Hongyu, who had served as a national lawmaker for 20 years, saw many of his 200-plus proposals adopted and implemented. Among these proposals was free compulsory education in all urban and rural areas in China.

Such input in shaping national policies and laws is made possible by China's foundational political system -- the system of people's congresses.

This system, established in 1954, has evolved over 70 years into a more functional and efficient institution, underpinning China's rapid economic development and long-term stability.

Observers note that the political order existing in China stands in stark contrast with the political disorder found in the West, as it integrates the diverse interests of over 1.4 billion people into national decision-making, governance and oversight, ensuring that power remains with the people through China's unique democratic practices.

REPRESENTATION: FROM 8:1 TO 1:1

Zhou, a professor in the field of education, was elected as a deputy to China's National People's Congress (NPC) in 2002. In 2003, after conducting research in rural schools, he proposed a fully free compulsory education system for rural areas, outlining its necessity and a detailed implementation plan.

During his first decade as an NPC deputy, Zhou submitted numerous proposals, primarily focusing on education, including free vocational education, schooling for migrant children, and school bus safety, with around 70 percent of his suggestions adopted.

By 2012, China had extended free compulsory education nationwide.

Zhou attributes his success to passion, perseverance, rationality, a people-centered perspective and his professional expertise. "Unlike full-time Western lawmakers, China's part-time NPC deputies are deeply connected to their fields, offering authentic insights into key issues."

In September 1954, the first session of the first NPC convened, marking the formal establishment of China's people's congress system. The system features a multi-tiered structure, with the NPC at the top and congresses at provincial, municipal, county and township levels. Deputies are elected at each level every five years to represent the people's interests.

Of the 2.77 million deputies in service now, 94.7 percent are from the county and township levels, and they are elected on a one-person-one-vote basis. China's election of people's congress deputies, the world's largest democratic election involves over a billion voters.

The election system has evolved over the decades, moving from an 8:1 rural-to-urban population ratio in 1953 to equal representation in 2010.

Women and grassroots workers, including migrant workers, are increasingly represented in the NPC. In 2007, a minimum threshold of 22-percent women deputies was introduced and the proportion exceeded 26 percent in 2023. The number of migrant worker deputies had grown from three in 2008 to 56 in 2023.

"Chinese democracy is not a formality, nor a 'one-time' show. Deputies to various levels of people's congresses are accountable to the public," said Zhang Shuhua, head of the Institute of Political Science, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

LEGISLATION: FROM "EXIST OR NOT" TO "GOOD OR NOT"

In Weidong Village, Guangdong Province, accessible facilities like ramps, toilet handrails and blind-friendly pathways can be easily found, largely due to suggestions from Wu Tengxin, a village shopkeeper with leg disability. His proposal to enhance barrier-free facilities in rural areas was incorporated into a national law governing the development of barrier-free environments.

At the entrances to multiple special schools in Shanghai, new devices with crossing prompts have been installed to help students safely navigate the pedestrian crossings. This initiative stemmed from a teacher's contribution during a legislative consultation meeting last year, with the teacher suggesting the standardizing of crossing prompt sounds and Braille available on traffic signal facilities near special schools.

Over the past 70 years, China's legislation has shifted from addressing basic and urgent needs to creating a more holistic legal system that includes laws catering to the specific needs of disadvantaged groups.

As China's highest state organ of power, the NPC and its Standing Committee exercise legislative authority.

On July 1, 1979, the second session of the fifth NPC adopted seven laws, including the criminal law and the law on Chinese-foreign equity joint ventures, putting the country back on the track of effective legislation. Over the next 30-plus years, China developed a socialist legal system with unique characteristics.

China has since accelerated its legislative processes and enhanced the quality of its laws, most notably with the enactment of its inaugural Civil Code in 2020. In 2024, a significant milestone is expected with the development of an environmental code.

This year, the top legislature plans to advance this environmental code, integrating and revising existing laws and regulations pertaining to the environment. The aim is the creation of a high-quality draft for deliberation by year-end, reflecting the theories, systems and practices of ecological civilization.

China has more than 300 laws in effect, 35 of which specifically address environmental issues, making the compilation of the environmental code a mature endeavor.

A key reform resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee in July has set clear guidelines for legislative reforms, specifying key objectives including the formulation of laws to support private sector development, finance, ethnic solidarity and progress, and combating transnational corruption, alongside amendments to existing oversight laws.

"The focus of these reforms is on the effectiveness and quality of legislation, not merely its existence," said Shen Chunyao, director of the top legislature's Legislative Affairs Commission. He compared this pursuit to leading an Olympic race, where higher standards and greater responsibilities are paramount.

To enhance national development and support major reforms, Shen underlines better alignment between legislative decision-making and reform efforts to ensure that the rule of law facilitates development and innovation across all sectors.

POOLING WISDOM: FROM STOOLS TO GREAT HALL

Every Saturday morning, residents in Mengyuan Community in the eastern Chinese city of Jining gather around Wu Hansen, a local district people's congress deputy, for their weekly "meeting on stools."

"A streetlight is out." "Some residents walk their dogs without leashes." "Cooking fumes of a restaurant often seep into residential buildings." Seated on stools, they discuss pressing community issues such as these.

Wu records these concerns and promptly advocates for solutions, often inviting local authorities, including police, law enforcers, community workers and property managers to join in discussing more complex matters. Over the past year, more than 140 issues have been resolved through these meetings.

This grassroots initiative exemplifies how China's people's congresses engage with the public. Across the country, residents voice concerns to deputies through various platforms, ranging from in-person gatherings like those in tea-houses and under banyan trees to online forums.

As an important institutional vehicle for realizing whole-process people's democracy, people's congresses provide platforms for the people to amplify their voices and participate in decision-making processes concerning both everyday matters and state affairs.

At the national level, thousands of NPC deputies meet every year at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to review laws, shape development plans, and oversee the country's administrative, supervisory, adjudicatory and procuratorial organs.

On this platform of China's highest state power, key laws like the Civil Code and the Foreign Investment Law were introduced.

Over the past decade, the creation and expansion of legislation outreach offices have brought ordinary people closer to the top legislature.

Iranian trader Hamid Dehghani, operating a company in the bustling city of Yiwu in eastern China, has been actively engaged in the legislative process of the country, contributing suggestions for law drafts alongside other foreign residents.

During a community meeting held by a legislation outreach initiative, he suggested that restaurants should provide free packaging services to their customers, when discussing the draft law on combating food wastage.

"I find it incredible that they allow foreigners to give suggestions on a Chinese law draft," Hamid said. "Chinese democracy is highly authentic. Even the smallest voices are heard and conveyed to the top legislative body."

Since 2015, outreach offices have expanded nationwide, reaching out from major cities to remote areas, snow-covered plateaus, and ethnic communities, allowing individuals, including foreign residents like Hamid, to contribute to law drafts.

Currently, China has 45 national and over 7,300 provincial and municipal outreach offices, while more than 3,200 ideas collected via national legislation outreach have been incorporated into over 180 law drafts and revisions.

Proposals from NPC deputies and national advisors at last year's annual sessions have led to in excess of 2,000 government policies, such as recruiting more graduates in rural health centers and building electric vehicle charging stations.

The Chinese people value the effectiveness of democracy more than the form it takes, believing true democracy leads to good governance.

According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, China has the highest trust index among all surveyed countries.

Stephen Perry, president emeritus of Britain's 48 Group Club, noted that China has a sound system for hearing and responding to its people, calling it simpler than what is prevalent in the West.

"The people's congress system provides a convenient channel for the public to participate in decision-making on public affairs, ensuring that the people are the masters of their own country," said lawyer Fang Yan, an NPC deputy. 
North Devon Hospice is calling on local supporters to lend a hand and volunteer at this years Mission: Unbreakable event.

The hospice is seeking volunteers to help ensure the event runs smoothly and that participants have an unforgettable experience as they tackle mud, water, fire, and ice as part of the 10k course.

Taking place on Sunday October, 13, Mission: Unbreakable is North Devon Hospices popular commando challenge, designed to test the physical and mental endurance of participants while raising vital funds for the hospice.

While some may prefer not to take on the mud and obstacles themselves, volunteering offers an equally rewarding way to get involved and support this vital local cause.

Mission: Unbreakable simply couldnt happen without our amazing volunteers, said Georgia Bedgood, Community Fundraiser at North Devon Hospice.

From cheering participants on to ensuring everything runs smoothly on the day, volunteers play a key role in making the event the success it is. Its a fun, action-packed day, and if you dont fancy tackling the course yourself, volunteering is the perfect way to be part of the action while helping to raise crucial funds for local families in need.

As with many charity events, the hospice relies heavily on the generosity of its volunteers to make this exciting event possible. With various roles available including marshalling the course, helping at water stations, guiding participants through obstacles, and assisting with registration, theres something for everyone to help with.

Volunteering at Mission: Unbreakable is not only a way to give back to the hospice but also a fantastic day out filled with camaraderie and energy, added Georgia.

Its a chance to get involved in one of North Devons most exciting charity events while making a real difference to our patients and families  wed love you to join us!

Every hour volunteered helps to provide compassionate care and vital support to people facing cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.

To register your interest or find out more about volunteering at Mission: Unbreakable, visit www.northdevonhospice.org.uk
Roughly five weeks ago Ukraine forces crossed the border into Russias Kursk region in a surprise move escalating a two-and-a-half-year conflict by stepping over a line that had not been crossed to that point.

This week, Russia was accused of striking a civilian grain vessel carrying Ukrainian grain to Egypt through Black Sea waters near NATO member Romania, damaging the vessel with no reported casualties.

This move represents another line being crossed in what was described by Ukraines foreign minister as "A brazen attack on freedom of navigation and global food security."

Following these events, it has been reported that a White House summit took place Friday with Britain and U.S. leaders meeting to discuss plans that could include allowing Ukrainian forces to strike targets inside Russia with Western-supplied missiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday evening he would regard such an agreement as tantamount to NATO directly entering the war.

This will mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are fighting Russia, he said.

It seems there has been an extra vibration in several markets as these events have played out. Wheat futures have rallied 12% in price since the end of August, stock indices have moved 8-10% in both directions since early August, gold futures hit new all-time highs this week, while crude oil futures dropped under $66/brl for the first time since May of 2023 before bouncing off the lows mid-week and look to close positive on the week.

These price movements could be explained by a myriad of other factors outside of the conflict, and thats been the case for the last year, with the shock and worry of the initial conflict wearing off and the unfortunate normalcy of it setting in.

These new escalations, however, could press the matter forward enough to begin new speculation of how and when the conflict will end.

While the current ongoing conflict is not a surprise, the end of it, good or bad, is bound to catch a few market participants off guard.
VALPARAISO  The show is going on at the 131-year-old Memorial Opera House, which was closed all summer for a renovation project.

A $5 million restoration project started in May to secure the future of the downtown performing arts hall, which was built in 1893 as a Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall honoring the Civil War dead.

"This war memorial stands as a reminder of the clearest lesson of our Civil War: Don't go to war," Porter Superior Court Judge 1 and 38th Infantry Division Staff Judge Advocate Michael A. Fish said. "When I listen to our leaders, media pundits and often everyday people who tell me our country is deeply divided I realize there is weighty ideological polarity. I echo Lincoln when I say remember what they did at Gettysburg, Bull Run and Antietam. No matter the degree of the disagreement, I hope that reason, peace and compromise always win over the butchery over war."

The Memorial Opera House was one of 592 Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Halls constructed around the country and was originally intended to honor Porter County soldiers and sailors who died during the Civil War and eventually all Civil War veterans. It was later expanded to honor all military veterans.

"This Opera House provides a place to celebrate freedom and good will. You will come here to enjoy a play or maybe a community event like a comedy show. Its purpose here is to place arts and expression first. Personal enjoyment and tranquility are its chief concerns," Fish said. "These are the very values are soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coasties and guardians serve to protect. I submit to you that every Porter County resident shares a common interest. It is not a stretch to suggest to you that we all prefer security over unrest, safety over danger, wealth over poverty, expression over censorship, fairness over inequality and unity over division. Let this opera house be a beacon for those ideals."

The Porter County Commissioners used $5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money to fund interior work, including plush new seating, a new HVAC system and overhauls of the lobby and bar. It was extensively remodeled.

Porter County Museum Executive Director Kevin Pazour remembers visiting when he was an elementary school student down the street.

"I remember coming in here and having no idea of the history connected to this building," he said. "I was looking around in awe and thinking 'what a dump.' I say that lovingly. It was a time before the first renovation. I remember seeing plaster falling and light coming through and thinking this building isn't going to make it. To be here today and see how incredible this building looks and the lack that it will continue on as a living memorial is pretty incredible."

The Grand Army of the Republic was a veterans group that brought people together at the wall.

"They from the very start wanted to do something different," Pazour said. "They said they didn't want to see a plaque. They wanted to see something for here. They wanted to see a living memorial. They wanted to see a memorial hall. It's been a benefit for many, many years. It's wonderful to know it will continue to serve that purpose for many years to come."

Memorial Opera House Interim Executive Director Scot PJ MacDonald called it a gem of a theater.

"It's very, very exciting to see what's going to happen as we move forward with this bright new chapter," he said. "As we move forward, it is important to reflect on the past that helped us get to this point, whether it was from the Grand Army of the Republic, the Sons of the Union Veterans or the Civil War or any of the many legends of the performers who have been on our stage. Legend does hold that some truly notable performers have been on our stage, including the Marx Brothers and William Jennings Bryan. It's well-known that John Philip Sousa loved to stop here when he was in Valparaiso."

Of all the legendary performers to grace the hallowed stage, one stands out, MacDonald said.

"I think most impressive was the story of an 8-year-old who got her start on this stage in 'Little Lord Fauntleroy.' Beulah Bondi not only started her long, illustrious career here, she was one of the first women to earn double degrees from Valparaiso University," he said. "She became well-known for her roles in movies and television, most notably for her role as Jimmy Stewart's mom in 'It's a Wonderful Life.' She never forgot Valparaiso or the Memorial Opera House and in fact provided funding for the first renovation in the 1960s. Her humble beginning inspire all of us who work here. I think she would be proud of how much we've grown."

The Community Theatre Guild also lobbied the Porter County Commissioners in 1955 to save the building from the wrecking ball.

"Without them, we wouldn't be here celebrating today," MacDonald said.

In the most recent renovation, the exterior of the Memorial Opera House at 104 Indiana Ave. in downtown Valparaiso was previously fixed up in the first phase of the project, including by tuckpointing, brickworks and roof repairs. It has been shuttered since May while the construction took place.

Workers replaced all the old seats, which were badly weathered and in some cases had springs sticking out of the cushions.

"When I walked in, it was so different," Porter County Commissioner Barb Regnitz said. "When you see it in person versus seeing it on paper, it's so different. It's so beautiful how it came to life."

Designed by architect Charles Lembke and built by contractor John D. Wilson & Sons, the Memorial Opera House serves as a venue for plays, musicals and concerts, including tribute acts and classical music.

"Speaking for myself, the renovation was always a No. 1 priority," County Commissioner Jim Biggs said. "It wasn't a buildout. It was to protect this building for generations to come. I am confident we have done that."

The Memorial Opera House is coming alive again with programming, including a comedy show and upcoming production of "Young Frankenstein."

"We couldn't have done better to pay tribute to those who worked hard in the past and getting this building to what is it," Porter County Council Member Sylvia Graham said. "We've done our part to preparing it for our future. I'm just glad I was a part of it."

Porter County Council Member Greg Simms said the Memorial Opera House was a venue for the people. He recalls sitting on the balcony and watching people streaming by, seeing how excited they looked.

"There are a lot of communities out there that do some cool things but when you have a facility like this and you're toughing tons of people," he said. "You're incorporating everybody in our community to do some cool things on this stage. It is an icon and jewel and a place where anybody can go. When you walked in that main foyer, I'm sure whoa was in your mind. I know it was in mine. We've see a transformation in a short period of time. Crews worked late into the night to get it ready for the first benefit. This is a gem."

For more information, visit memorialoperahouse.com or call (219) 548-9137.
Experts check the growth of the new foxtail millet variety, Zhonggu 25, cultivated in a demonstration field in central China's Henan Province, Sept. 10, 2024. (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Handout via Xinhua)

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese agricultural scientists have developed a new variety of foxtail millet, setting a summer yield record, with the breakthrough expected to provide strong support for boosting grain production and revitalizing the country's millet industry.

The new foxtail millet variety, Zhonggu 25, was developed by researchers from the Institute of Crop Science (ICS) under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and cultivated in a demonstration field in central China's Henan Province. A recent expert measurement recorded a yield of 625.92 kilograms per mu (about 9,389 kilograms per hectare), breaking China's 2014 summer foxtail millet yield record per mu.

This new variety has achieved a record-breaking high yield, despite adverse weather conditions such as heavy rainfall and lack of sunlight this year. The success can be attributed to the superior traits of this millet variety, including lodging resistance, high productivity and excellent disease and stress tolerance, along with the use of optimized planting techniques that further enhanced its performance, according to experts.

This achievement lays the foundation for scientific breeding, the exploration of new cultivation techniques and further development of the millet industry, offering a model for increasing millet yields on a large scale, said Diao Xianmin, a researcher with the ICS, and chief scientist of China's millet and sorghum industry and technology system.

Foxtail millet is one of the oldest domesticated crops in the world and a staple crop in the formation of the Asian agricultural civilization and it held a dominant position in the Chinese agricultural system before the introduction of high-input agricultural practices like irrigation and chemical fertilizers. Moreover, because it is a crop that can grow across a wide range of environments, including arid lands, it has the potential to be important for food security under climate change, according to experts.

The new variety is suitable for spring planting in regions like Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning and Jilin, and for summer planting in areas such as Henan, Hebei, Shandong and Beijing, Diao said. 
People can visit the Indiana Room at the library downtown if they want to learn more about anything they discover on the tour.



"The Crown Point Library has served Crown Point since 1908 with its first Carnegie funded library on Main Street, just a block off the Square, and later expanded to its Court Street location. In 2012, the library relocated a block in the opposite direction of the Square at 122 N. Main Street. The library has been a major contributor to the community since its inception, and has strived to meet the changing needs of the communit," Wendorf said. "One of the enhancements at the new library was being able to create an Indiana Room that celebrates the history of Crown Point, the Hub of Lake County, in addition to the history of the region and our state. As the Director of the Crown Point Library I have dedicated staff time and library resources to our local history programming as a service to our community, and the long stability of the library helps to ensure that the history of our great city endures and is passed down to future residents of Crown Point. The library was thrilled to share just a portion of the research the library has gathered for our historical tours and hope that inspires people to dive into learning about the place they live."
Chinas Risky Power Play in the South China Sea

Chinas coast guard ships have swarmed and collided with Philippine boats. They have doused Philippine vessels with powerful water cannons. Chinese crew members have slashed inflatable crafts, blared sirens and flashed high-powered lasers at Filipino troops.

As China pushes to dominate the South China Sea, it is increasingly willing to use force to drive out the Philippines, a treaty ally of the United States. In recent months, Chinas tactics have damaged Philippine boats and injured personnel, and raised fears of a superpower showdown in the strategic waterway.

A New Flashpoint

For months, the latest target of Chinas power play was a Philippine coast guard ship, the Teresa Magbanua. The video above was taken by the crew of that ship, as a Chinese coast guard vessel collided into it late last month.

The episode was one of four confrontations between the two countries vessels, in just two weeks. The encounters were not only becoming more frequent, but they were also taking place in a new location  Sabina Shoal, a resource-rich atoll close to the Philippine mainland.

The two countries had in earlier months been facing off near another atoll in the disputed Spratly Islands, the Second Thomas Shoal, where Chinese ships regularly harass Philippine boats trying to resupply sailors stationed on a beached warship. Now, their feud has expanded.

These are the places where China has confronted the Philippines since 2023. Confrontations involving collisions and the use of water cannons and other tools Other confrontations Nine incidents near Scarborough Shoal, another disputed reef north of the Spratly Islands Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone Second Thomas Shoal Where China has harassed Philippine resupply missions Sabina Shoal New flashpoint where recent incidents took place Union Bank Occupied by China and Vietnam Mischief Reef Where China built a military base Incidents last month PHILIPPINES SPRATLY ISLANDS Palawan 25 miles Nine incidents near Scarborough Shoal, another disputed reef north of the Spratlys Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone Second Thomas Shoal Where China has harassed Philippine resupply missions Sabina Shoal New flashpoint where recent incidents took place Incidents last month Mischief Reef Where China built a military base SPRATLY ISLANDS PHILIPPINES Palawan 25 miles Nine incidents near Scarborough Shoal, another disputed reef Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone Sabina Shoal New flashpoint where recent incidents took place SPRATLY ISLANDS Incidents last month Second Thomas Shoal Where China has harassed Philippine resupply mission PHILIPPINES Palawan 25 miles Note: Incident locations are approximated from locations broadcasted by the Philippine and Chinese coast guard vessels. Other tools include lasers, knives, axes, and rocks.

The Philippines wants to control Sabina Shoal, an unoccupied atoll inside its exclusive economic zone. Sabina Shoal, which lies just 86 miles west of the Philippine province of Palawan and over 600 miles from China, is near an area rich in oil deposits, and on routes Manila considers crucial for trade and security.

A hostile China would be able to strangle our maritime trade with the rest of Asia and most of the world from Sabina Shoal, said Jay Batongbacal, a maritime security expert at the University of the Philippines. Sabina Shoal would make a good staging ground for vessels that will interfere with Philippine maritime activities, he said.

Manila anchored the Teresa Magbanua, one of its largest coast guard ships, at the Sabina Shoal in April to try to stop China from what the Philippines sees as efforts to try to build an island there.

The Philippine Coast Guard has pointed to piles of crushed and dead corals apparently dumped on the shoal as signs of Chinese land reclamation under way. China has denied the accusation. But the building and fortifying of artificial islands is a key part of how China has asserted its claims over contested waters hundreds of miles from its coast.

China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea, says its tactics are needed to defend its sovereignty. Beijing has rejected a ruling by an international tribunal in 2016 that Chinas sweeping claim to the waters had no legal basis.

China accused the Philippines of trying to permanently occupy Sabina Shoal by parking the coast guard vessel on it, just as it had grounded the warship at Second Thomas Shoal. Beijing even sent tugboats to Sabina Shoal, which some read as a threat to tow the Philippine ship away.

China has not resorted to guns. Rather, it is using what military theorists call gray zone tactics, aggressive moves that fall short of inciting all-out war. That includes imposing blockades, blasting water cannons and sailing dangerously close.

But the moves can still cause damage: The recent collision between Chinese and Philippine boats, for instance, left a three-foot hole on the Teresa Magbanua, as well as another Philippine vessel.

Damage on the Teresa Magbanua Philippine Coast Guard via Associated Press

If the Philippines insists on occupying more shoals, China will have no choice but to use all available measures, said Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, a Beijing-based research group. There is no limit.

On Sunday, after months of pressure from China, the Philippines said that the Teresa Magbanua had returned to port in Palawan. The Philippine statement sought to cast the move as following the accomplishment of the boats mission.

But it nodded to the challenges of remaining in the face of a Chinese blockade that prevented the ship from being resupplied, saying the crew had been surviving on diminished daily provisions and that some needed medical care.

The Philippines said the vessel had suffered structural damage from being rammed by the Chinese coast guard, but indicated that the boat would return after undergoing repairs.

Tensions on the Rise

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines has taken on a more muscular approach against China than his predecessor did. He has beefed up the countrys alliance with the United States and invited journalists to join resupply missions at sea to highlight Chinas actions.

China has called the United States the biggest troublemaker stirring up unrest in the South China Sea. Mr. Hu, the expert in Beijing, said that China has been compelled to use heavier-handed tactics because diplomacy with the Marcos administration has failed.

With both sides digging in, they are tangling with each other more often and more aggressively.

Confrontations between China and the Philippines Confrontations involving collisions and the use of water cannons and other tools Other confrontations 2023 April July October 2024 April July Recent escalation near Sabina Shoal Before last fall, collisions were uncommon and China used water cannons less frequently. December 910, 2023 China used water cannons against Philippine ships in two days of confrontations. A brief moment of peace in July after Beijing and Manlia made an agreement. Recent escalation near Sabina Shoal 2023 April July Oct. 2024 April July Before last fall, collisions were uncommon and China used water cannons less frequently. A brief moment of peace in July after Beijing and Manlia made an agreement. Recent escalation near Sabina Shoal A brief moment of peace in July after Beijing and Manlia made an agreement. July 2024 April Jan. Oct. 2023 December 910, 2023 China used water cannons against Philippine ships in two days of confrontations. July Before last fall, collisions were uncommon and China used water cannons less frequently. April Jan.

In one confrontation in June, Chinas coast guard used axes, tear gas and knives to harass Philippine troops on a resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal. Chinese sailors punctured Philippine military boats and seized their equipment, including guns.

Eight Filipino soldiers were hurt, including one who lost a finger. The Philippine military called it the most aggressive Chinese action in recent history.

Source: Armed Forces of the Philippines via Facebook

That episode on June 17 made clear that tensions needed to be dialed down. The two sides briefly came to a provisional agreement on the Second Thomas Shoal, and the Philippines was able to conduct a resupply mission at the end of July. But officials from both countries have disputed the details of the agreement, raising questions about how long it will last.

Chinas overarching strategy is to dominate the South China Sea. We should not expect the de-escalation to last, said Rommel Ong, a professor at the Ateneo School of Government in Manila and a retired rear admiral in the Philippine Navy. Unless they attain that objective, their coercive actions will wax and wane depending on the situation.

Since October, the Chinese coast guard has used water cannons against Philippine ships more regularly than it likely ever has in the long-running dispute. Collisions have also become more common.

In recent confrontations, China has routinely used water cannons. Sources: Armed Forces of the Philippines; Philippine Coast Guard; China Coast Guard; Reuters; Storyful

Whenever the Philippines has attempted to sail to disputed atolls, ships from the Chinese coast guard, maritime militia, and navy have rapidly confronted them.

Some of the Chinese ships shadow the Philippine boats. Others cut across their paths. The ships swarm around the Philippine vessels to form a tight blockade.

This is how Chinese ships set up a blockade. Philippine coast guard Chinese ships Noon, June 17 A group of Chinese ships moved to block the Philippine vessel. SECOND THOMAS SHOAL SABINA SHOAL A Chinese ship began tailing a Philippine ship around 8 a.m. More Chinese ships waited here. SECOND THOMAS SHOAL Chinese ships moved to block the Philippine vessel. A Chinese ship began tailing a Philippine ship around 8 a.m. More Chinese ships waited here. 6 p.m. SECOND THOMAS SHOAL SABINA SHOAL The Chinese ships followed the Philippine ship. They were here for 8 hours. SECOND THOMAS SHOAL The Chinese ship followed the Philppine ship. They were here for 8 hours. Midnight, June 18 SECOND THOMAS SHOAL SABINA SHOAL The Philippine ship finally headed home around 11 p.m. and the Chinese vessels left. 5 miles SECOND THOMAS SHOAL The Philippine ship finally headed home around 11 p.m. and the Chinese vessels left. 5 miles Note: Tracks show positions over the prior six hours. Location data not available for all vessels on scene. Times shown in Manila local time.

China, which boasts the worlds largest navy in terms of the number of vessels, has been deploying more boats to these disputed waters over the past year than it did previously. The Philippines sends on average a few ships on its resupply missions, which has mostly remained unchanged.

Mr. Hu, the Chinese expert, said that Chinas show of strength in numbers is meant to deter the Philippines without resorting to lethal force. If China sends only a small number of boats to stop the Philippines, they might have to use guns, he said.

China has sent more ships to harass Philippine resupply missions. April 30, 2021 3 0 May 8 Oct.22 Nov.16 2 3 Nov. 23 Dec.13 Dec.26 Feb.19, 2022 April 22 5 9 May 19 June 21 June 27 Aug. 2 3 7 Oct. 5 3 7 Dec. 17 Feb. 6, 2023 Number of Phillipine boats Number of Chinese boats March 30 April 19 April 23 May 10 June 9 June 16 June 30 Aug. 5 5 14 Aug.22 Sept. 8 48 Chinese ships were on scene Oct. 4 5 17 Oct. 22 5 20 Nov. 10 5 29 Dec.10 4 Feb. 2, 2024 March 5 4 20 March 23 3 17 May 18 May 19 June 17 4 17 July 7 July 27 4 13 Number of Phillipine boats Chinese boats 3 0 April 30, 2021 May 8 Oct.22 Nov.16 2 3 Nov. 23 Dec.13 Dec.26 Feb.19, 2022 April 22 5 9 May 19 June 21 June 27 Aug. 2 3 7 Oct. 5 3 7 Dec. 17 Feb. 6, 2023 March 30 April 19 April 23 May 10 June 9 June 16 June 30 3 14 Aug. 5 Aug.22 48 Chinese ships were on scene Sept. 8 Oct. 4 17 5 Oct. 22 5 20 Nov. 10 5 29 Dec.10 4 Feb. 2, 2024 March 5 4 20 March 23 3 17 May 18 May 19 June 17 4 17 July 7 July 27 4 13 Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies (C.S.I.S.) Note: Data shows vessels counted during resupply attempts to Second Thomas Shoal.

From Aug. 27 to Sept. 2, a weeklong period, the Philippine military tracked 203 Chinese ships in contested areas in the South China Sea  the highest number recorded this year.

Tensions have risen at a time when the militaries of China and the United States have had limited contact. On Tuesday, the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command held a rare video conference with Gen. Wu Yanan, the commander of the Peoples Liberation Armys Southern Theater Command, which oversees the South China Sea. The United States said such calls help reduce the risk of misperception or miscalculation.

During the call, Adm. Samuel Paparo urged China to reconsider its use of dangerous, coercive, and potentially escalatory tactics in the South China Sea. China, in its own statement about the call, said only that the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views.

On Thursday, though, Lieutenant General He Lei, a former vice president of the Peoples Liberation Armys Academy of Military Sciences, struck a more hawkish note.

If the United States insists on being a plotter that pushes others to stand on the front line to confront China, or if it has no other choice but to challenge us by itself, he told reporters at a security forum in Beijing, the Chinese people and the Peoples Liberation Army will never waver.
A shop in the Midlands that has lost tens of thousands of euro due to theft this year announced it will no longer be a creche for teenagers.

Owner of McSorleys Drive Centra on the Mountrath Road in Portlaoise, Martin McSorely, described the last 18 months as an absolute nightmare and said he would like to see parents held responsible for the actions of their children.

Theft and antisocial behaviour is threatening the viability of his Laois store and causing great difficulty for his staff, Mr McSorley explained.

He said the youngsters have smashed toilets, abused staff and broken benches outside the shop. Last month a decision was taken to close the in-store seating in the evenings and a notice was posted on the shops social media.

It read: Our teenage creche is now closed.

Im sorry but due to the constant rowdy behaviour, abuse to staff and vandalism we are now closing our seating area and toilets to the public at 7 pm every evening of course in genuine situations we will try to assist but no teenagers will be allowed to hang around the site anymore or sitting in our seating area like the local club. If these are your teenagers then you should be ashamed and please ask them to stay away from our site. We have plenty of CCTV to back up the behaviour we have had to tolerate we will no longer tolerate it. If this continues, we will happily publish photographs CCTV and your face all instant are now being reported to the guards.

Mr McSorley operates nine stores including the Laois shop. He has five in Wexford, one in Carlow, one in Longford and another in Sligo. He has seen a rise in both theft and antisocial behaviour in all of his stores since the lockdown was lifted but he said the Portlaoise store is his most troublesome.

Mr McSorley was keen to point out that it is a tiny minority of local teenagers that are causing the difficulty in his store. Since posting the online message he has been contacted by customers who are supportive of his message.

Antisocial behaviour is driving customers away but theft has emerged as another major problem. Mr McSorley was eager to point out that the thefts were being committed by people of all ages but he said there were also teenagers involved. He said stocktakes in the first two quarters of the year indicated losses in the tens of thousands of euros in both quarters.

How is that sustainable? We seriously have to decide whether we continue trading or not, he said.

The last 18 months has been an absolute nightmare, Mr McSorley said.

We are being robbed by kids from the age of 10 to god knows what age, he remarked.

He said there are gangs of 15 or 16 youngsters arriving at a time on bicycles. There is a group of four teenagers in particular who he said were causing mayhem in the shop.

Mr McSorley doesnt believe the issue was one solely for gardai. He thinks there is a need for education and he says parents should be held liable for the actions of their children.

Parents should be held responsible for what their kids do, he insisted.

He said the children will continue to break the law as they dont feel there is any come back

They take everything. They clear out the minerals, they clear out our sweets, they even order out of the deli and make off, he revealed.

I think the guards are stretched. It is not that they do not want to help us. They are really stretched in what they can do. It is hard, he said.

Mr McSorley has recently upgraded his cameras and security but he says GDPR(General Data Protection Regulations) makes it very difficult for shopkeepers who want to name and shame culprits.

The GDPR is holding my hand and stopping me from being able to police my business. We are being threatened with slander. It cant be that way. It is not fair, he said.

CEO of Laois Chamber Alliance Jackie Carroll recently joined a delegation from Chambers Ireland who called for additional resources for gardai to tackle retail crime in a pre-budget submission to Ministers Paschal Donohoe and Minister Jack Chambers.

She said retailers in Portlaoise have an excellent relationship with local gardai. She commended the Portlaoise Business Watch scheme.

The scheme, which is run by Gardai in Portlaoise Community Policing under Chief Superintendent Anthony Lonergan and Superintendent Eamon Curley in partnership with Laois Chamber Alliance, was launched last November.

Gardai were contacted by the Leinster Express/Laois Live in relation to the criminality and antisocial behaviour in Portlaoise on Friday, August 30. They have yet to respond to the query.
THE NEWS of Father Michael Campbell's death last week brought back a fair few memories for me, all associated with attending various events during the 1990s in west Offaly where he was present. I attended in my capacity as a Journalist, whether it was a book launch, a plaque unveiling or a public meeting of some sort, and it was obvious to me each time I met him that Fr Campbell, who was a Curate in the area, was an excellent and dearly-loved priest. He had a down to earth air but it was also evident that he was intelligent and perspicacious (in the best meaning of those words).

I always got the sense from him that we were all sinners but we all should try to muddle through as best we can in this vale of tears with the word forgiveness ever present in our minds. This was just a hunch based on superficial meetings at public events, and I regret that I never got to know him better, nor did an extensive, in-depth interview with him. Nevertheless, judging by the heartfelt comments from his parishioners following his death it would appear that my hunch was right. It's obvious that his parishioners have lost a good priest and a decent person.

Another person who has been of some service to the people of Ferbane is the local historian and former teacher Brendan Ryan. Brendan published a great book at the end of last year, As the years I backward span which includes several history essays he wrote over the years about West Offaly topics. I read the book with great enjoyment over a couple of dark, wintry evenings. This, combined with glasses of hot port and our dogs sleeping in front of the fire, was a very pleasant way of passing a harsh December evening.

I returned to one of the essays today. It's about the celebrated Ferbane poet John Mary Doyle. John lived from 1896 to 1969. His most famous poem is The Fields Around Ferbane, which is often heard in pub sing-songs, but he wrote many considerably better poems such as Sylvan Doon, The Rose of Ballinahown, Life is so lonely without you and Never to part again. He was a poet with a serious intellect who loved his local place, loved nature and was very interested in Ireland's heritage. His nephew Dr Cuimin Doyle wrote of him: I recall visiting him in Ferbane just before he went to hospital for the last time. He was reading an ancient book entitled The Round Towers of Ireland by George Petrie, published in 1845. He talked with great enthusiasm on the subject.

John's poem To the Snowdrop is a favourite in both Japan and Korea. It's included in a Japanese anthology of nature poems. This is the last stanza:

You bring to us a vision rich in tone,

You bring to us a glimpse of life anew,

You tell us Flora comes on hurrying feet,

You bring us hope and expectation sweet.

One of his lighter poems was published in the Guinness Journal in 1958. It's called The Good Old Guinness Stout. The second stanza goes as follows:

For there's no other drink I know

To equal this fine beer.

It tastes so good, it fires the blood

And fills the heart with cheer.

'Twill make a man forget his ills

His cares will get the rout,

If he'll imbue a glass or two

Of good old Guinness stout.

While the poem is light-hearted, there is a serious sentiment in it, namely that alcohol's beauty is it gives us relief from life's problems and travails. As we drink in good company, an emotional warmth embraces us throwing up a shield against the cold harshness of reality. It is akin to a religious / spiritual experience (although most pub goers would vehemently deny this). I'm reminded of this excellent passage from William James' Varieties of Religious Experience (1902):

The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature, usually crushed to earth by the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour. Sobriety diminishes, discriminates, and says no; drunkenness expands, unites, and says yes. It is in fact the great exciter of the Yes function in man. It brings its votary from the chill periphery of things to the radiant core. It makes him for the moment one with truth. Not through mere perversity do men run after it. To the poor and the unlettered it stands in the place of symphony concerts and of literature; and it is part of the deeper mystery and tragedy of life that whiffs and gleams of something that we immediately recognize as excellent should be vouchsafed to so many of us only in the fleeting earlier phases of what in its totality is so degrading a poisoning.
JERUSALEM, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military announced on Sunday that three hostages, found dead in a Gaza tunnel months ago, were "in a high probability" mistakenly killed by the military during a November operation targeting a senior Hamas commander.

The military's statement, announcing the completion of an investigation into the deaths of Corporal Nik Beizer, Sergeant Ron Sherman, and Elia Toledano, concluded that the three were likely killed in an Israeli airstrike aimed at assassinating Hamas Northern Brigade commander Ahmed Ghandour on Nov. 10, 2023.

The findings were based on the location of the bodies relative to the strike's impact, performance analysis of the airstrike, intelligence findings, pathological reports, and conclusions from the Israeli Forensic Medicine Institute.

The three hostages were believed to have been held in the tunnel complex used by Ghandour. "At the time of the strike, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound," the military stated. "Furthermore, there was information suggesting that they were located elsewhere, and thus the area was not designated as one with suspected presence of hostages."

The military emphasized that, since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, it has avoided striking areas suspected of containing hostages. "The IDF operates a mechanism through the Headquarters of the Hostages and Missing Persons in the Intelligence Directorate, aimed at ensuring that offensive actions do not harm hostages wherever possible, and invests significant efforts in gathering information about the hostages," the military said.

The findings are expected to further intensify nationwide protests demanding the release of approximately 101 individuals still being held by Hamas in Gaza. Families of the hostages are calling for a ceasefire agreement that would secure their release. 
NAIROBI, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police said they have beefed up security across the country amid fresh threats from terrorists.

Resila Onyango, National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson, reassured the public of their safety following credible warnings that al-Shabab militants are planning fresh attacks in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and other cities across the East African country.

Onyango said in a statement issued Saturday night in Nairobi that police officers deployed nationwide remain alert to protect the country, which has faced increased terror threats from al-Shabab.

The police spokesperson called on the public to cooperate with police by reporting any suspicious activity or persons to the nearest police station or toll-free numbers.

"The National Police Service is working closely with other security agencies at national, regional, and international levels as well as members of the public, through intelligence-led policing," Onyango said.

The statement came after the United States cautioned its citizens in Kenya to remain vigilant amid terror threats.

The U.S. embassy, in a security alert issued on Friday, advised their citizens to be on the lookout for potential kidnappings and attacks on areas frequented by tourists. The embassy advised its citizens to exercise caution in areas such as hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls, markets, schools, police stations, and places of worship, as these locations may be potential targets for terrorist attacks.

It also stressed the importance of its citizens staying vigilant and adjusting their personal security plans, warning that terrorist groups could attack with little or no warning. 
YANGON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- In the dimly lit multimedia room of the China Cultural Center in Yangon, students sat in silence with their eyes fixed on the stage as the gentle rhythm of a poem filled the air.

A tall boy in a long-sleeved white shirt stood on stage, reciting the Chinese classic poem, "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River," with a melodic voice and graceful gestures.

The poem recital, along with other cultural performances and activities, was part of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Yangon, Myanmar, held on Saturday.

After his poem recitation, the 16-year-old boy Wai Yan Lin explained, "I like this poem because it is gentle and speaks of love."

With a smile, he added, "I love this festival because I enjoy its story (The Story of Chang'e and Hou Yi) and mooncakes as well." He shared that he is of Chinese descent, has visited China many times, and celebrates both the Spring Festival and the Mooncake Festival at home.

The audience at the event was also captivated by the soft, melodic notes of a Chinese zither played by 15-year-old girl Htet Thiri Win. Dressed in a beautiful white and red Chinese dress, her graceful performance enchanted the room.

"For this festival, I really enjoy mooncakes. The tea is very great. Other cultural activities are superb and amazing," she added.

Htet, whose grandparents are Chinese, shared that she also speaks Chinese at home. "Among all the Chinese festivals, I love Chinese New Year the most. We get red packets, play outside with friends, and have time to see relatives," she said.

The Mid-Autumn Festival celebration on Saturday, co-organized by the China Cultural Center in Yangon and the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Yangon Branch, attracted about 150 participants, including about 80 students. It featured a variety of performances, including poetry recitations, Peking Opera, songs, and dances as well as interactive activities such as mooncake-making, a tea culture display, a calligraphy exhibition, and lively quiz sessions.

Among the interactive activities, the quiz sessions about the Mid-Autumn Festival were particularly lively, with participants who answered correctly receiving gifts.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Sept. 17 this year. 
Oregon volleyball swept host San Diego to wrap up its weekend at the USD Invitational.

Mimi Colyer and Noemie Glover each each 12 kills to lead the No. 12 Ducks in a 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-23) win Saturday night.

Cristin Cline had 32 assists and 15 digs, Daley McClellan had 14 digs and Michelle Ohwobete had 10 digs and nine kills for Oregon (6-1).

The Ducks built a 5-2 lead in the first, but San Diego scored 10 of the next 15 to go ahead. Oregon scored three straight to go ahead 19-17 and never trailed again, though USD got within one multiple times before a kill by Ohwobete closed the frame.

UO built a 14-7 lead in the second and never looked back en route to a 2-0 advantage.

The Ducks led 11-6 in the third, then San Diego gained a 15-14 edge. UO scored five of the next six to regain control and USD, led by Kennedy Osunsanmi (14 kills) and Nemo Beach (14 digs, 12 kills) fended off three match points before an attack error sealed the sweep.
Despite living in a different country than members of her family, Hillsboro resident Tina Escalera finds comfort knowing theres an invisible string connecting them on this special day.

I have family in Mexico and theyre celebrating right now, Escalera said. Im celebrating, so I feel connected, even though were one country away.

On Saturday afternoon, Hillsboros El Grito Celebration brought the community together for the annual event commemorating El Grito de Dolores, more commonly known as El Grito de Independencia, which translates to the cry of independence.

Children performed a ballet folklorico dance routine for the crowd at the festival.Allison Barr | The Oregonian/OregonLive

This event sparked Mexicos fight for freedom under Spanish rule on Sept. 16, 1810. It is celebrated annually on the first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which honors the independence of Mexico and eight other Latin American countries: Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

At the vibrant event in Shute Park, thousands of Oregon residents browsed the mercadito, or market, where vendors sold handmade goods, many imported from Mexico. Across the park, food vendors were offering everything from paletas (fruit-flavored popsicles) to pupusas (stuffed griddle cakes).

At the center of the celebration was a stage decorated in green, white and red balloons  a nod to the Mexican flag  featuring performances by local dance groups and mariachi bands, bringing a festive atmosphere to the park.

The celebration extended to the parking lot, where a car show showcased an array of lowriders and vintage vehicles with bold paint jobs.

The event included a car show, showcasing low-riders and other unique vehicles.Chiara Profenna

I just love that the city of Hillsboro is willing to do an event for us, Escalera said. To be able to take the risk that a lot of surrounding cities dont take its a big holiday for a different country, but were still going to celebrate it, knowing the diversity of the city.

The annual event is sponsored by the city of Hillsboro and organized by Centro Cultural, an organization that supports underserved communities in Washington County by providing multigenerational and culturally-specific services including educational programs, workforce development, civic advocacy and community events.

Ultimately, the people who come out just remind me how much of a beacon of an organization Centro is for our community in Washington County, said Alex Perez, director of marketing and communications at Central Cultural. People trust Centro, that they know that Centro is an organization that creates a space, not only for our Latino community, but other communities to kind of learn about our rich culture and heritage.

Since moving to Shute Park in 2017, the annual celebration has grown more established and popular in Hillsboro, Perez said. More developed stations and activities were added this year. They included a formal glam station hosted by Mi Familia Barbering providing free haircuts and styling for the community.

A sense of communal joy filled the park as attendees and participants came together in celebration. Among them was Carmen Flores, a vendor selling handmade jewelry and leather goods from Mexican artisans through her business, Casa de Iyari. She noted how the festivals multigenerational appeal brought together people of all ages.

Many vendors selling goods and food set up their booths on Saturday.Allison Barr | The Oregonian/OregonLive

I think that for me, selling in spaces where we celebrate our culture, our Latinidad  it means a lot because its an opportunity to connect in different ways with multiple generations, Flores said.

Growing up in Portland, Flores, who is of Mexican descent, rarely saw her heritage represented.

A lot of our young people are looking to connect with our culture, Flores said. Im always happy to be in spaces where we can see each other and create community.

Flores also said that its been wonderful to see more inclusive, culturally-specific events such as Hillsboros El Grito, becoming common.

Its nice that its not just people from our community coming but other people that get to enjoy our culture and see things almost from our perspective, Flores said. Its just a beautiful experience to go to all these different places and meet people.

Read more about Hispanic Heritage Months events in Oregon here.

 Chiara Profenna covers religion, faith and cultural connections. Reach her at 503-221-4327; cprofenna@oregonian.com or @chiara_profenna

The Oregonian/OregonLive receives support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to bring readers stories on religion, faith and cultural connections in Oregon. The Oregonian/OregonLive is solely responsible for all content.
Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off in their first, and probably only, national TV debate on Tuesday. Harris was the consensus winner for keeping Trump on the defensive and deflecting questions from the moderators. Trumps baseless assertion that migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were abducting and eating pets launched a thousand memes  and a few editorial cartoons, too.

In the editorial cartoon gallerys lead image, David Horsey quotes Harris as saying, The only way this night could get better would be if I got endorsed by Taylor Swift. Moments after the debate ended, the pop music star complied. Swift posted her endorsement on Instagram, signing it Childless Cat Lady, a reference to Trump running mate JD Vances criticism of Democratic women.

Dana Summers takes up the Trump campaigns complaint that ABC debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis aggressively fact-checked the former president while not pressing the vice president on her vague answers.

Editorial cartoonists also took note of former Vice President Dick Cheneys endorsement of Harris over Trump, his fellow Republican. Summers mocks Democrats who once called Cheney a war criminal for his role in the George W. Bush administrations war in Iraq. Yeah, but now hes our war criminal, one says to the other. Nick Anderson depicts Cheney as Darth Vader throwing Emperor Trump into the void.

Other topics in the gallery include the civilian Space X mission to high Earth orbit; remembrances of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks 23 years on; and the death of actor James Earl Jones, who lent his booming voice to Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies and Mufasa in The Lion King.

Cartoons were drawn by Jack Ohman, Nick Anderson, Bill Bramhall, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Scott Stantis, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey, Phil Hands, Joel Pett and Joey Weatherford of Tribune Content Agency; and Steve Breen and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.
Monique Claiborne

Claiborne is president and chief executive officer of Greater Portland Inc. She lives in Portland.

As Prosper Portland Executive Director Kimberly Branam steps down from the citys economic development agency to join the Port of Portland, the organization is presented with a pivotal opportunity to build on the strong foundation she has laid and power Portlands resurgence.

Portland is showing signs of recovery, yet significant challenges persist. A recent report from ECONorthwest highlighted ongoing population loss in Multnomah County and concerns whether the county and the Metro regional government can sustain funding programs through taxes primarily targeting the wealthy.

At Greater Portland Inc, where I serve as CEO, promoting the Portland region to attract high-quality businesses and competitive wages is our primary mission. By intensifying our collaborative efforts with Prosper Portland, we can help ensure that our region recaptures the momentum and magic that have long defined the city. But to do so, we need a unified commitment to bold action  not just from us and Prosper Portland, but also from the city and state. We must channel our energy and investment on transformative projects that will boost our economic outlook and rebuild our profile. And we must provide the tools that let economic development officials move quickly and decisively.

Above all, we must operate off the shared understanding that the health of the city is intrinsically tied to the prosperity of the state: As Portland goes, so goes Oregon. Its time to align our priorities with the necessary investments to secure a thriving future for all.

What does bold action look like? Prosper Portlands new director must begin by forging innovative public-private partnerships  and ensuring the states full participation  to advance key projects that are ripe for development and bring them to completion. Portlands real estate market is constrained with limited liquidity, leaving only a small pool of private, patient investors to take on the risk and wait for long-term returns. In this environment, Prosper Portland must push the state to take action and partner on solutions to close the funding gap for large-scale development projects  particularly because they attract anchor employers.

Take the Broadway Corridor project, for example  a massive effort to turn the downtown block that previously housed U.S. Postal Service operations into a mixed-use development with employment and housing. The project still faces financial hurdles, particularly in addressing the need for workforce housing. A state-led community revitalization program offering grants, loans and economic assistance for eligible projects is crucial to accelerate private investment, redevelop blighted areas and make large-scale development viable. Ultimately, Prosper Portlands success hinges on its ability to bring the state in as a partner in Portlands economic revitalization.

To unlock Portlands potential, we must also ensure that Prosper Portland can direct resources toward economic development by adjusting the affordable housing tax increment financing  TIF  set aside policy. The city is in the process of creating six new TIF districts in Central City and East Portland. These districts steer the tax revenue collected on the increase in property values to Prosper Portland and other entities to fund improvements in the district.

I had the opportunity to co-chair a subcommittee as part of the process to create these new districts, and I understand what a game-changer this dedicated funding stream can be. However, as controversial as this may sound, the current policy allocates too much of TIF proceeds  45%  to affordable housing through the Portland Housing Bureau. Loosening restrictions to allow proceeds to fund middle-income housing would help address broader housing needs. This balanced approach, supporting both low and middle- income residents, ultimately strengthens the citys economic foundation.

Prosper Portland must also have flexibility to rebalance this set-aside. The success of the new districts depends on their ability to draw new businesses and market-rate housing to the area, boosting the tax rolls and resulting in higher revenue to fund additional improvements. Limiting the amount that Prosper Portland can spend to attract that economic activity is a losing proposition. No other city imposes such a steep allocation, especially at a time when the economy needs a stronger stimulus. Flexibility will give the city greater resources to not only meet but sustain its affordable housing goals in the long term.

And finally, the city must ensure Prosper Portlands independence. In 2007, a charter amendment granted City Council increased oversight of the Portland Development Commission, now known as Prosper Portland, and its budget. As Portlands city government undergoes another significant transformation, it is more critical than ever that the Prosper Portland board and its executive director have the autonomy and clarity to drive the organization forward with purpose.

The upcoming changes, with a new mayor, 12 new City Council members and new administrative leadership, present both opportunities and risks. On one hand, the fresh leadership and perspectives offer a unique chance to bolster Prosper Portlands role in the citys economic resurgence. On the other hand, the transition also brings the risk of fragmented priorities or conflicting agendas, which could hinder the organizations ability to execute its mission effectively.

The new City Council must empower Prosper Portlands leader to set a clear course, cut through bureaucratic red tape and maintain an inclusive growth-focused approach. It can do so by granting Prosper Portland the decision-making authority and operational flexibility to prioritize long-term economic initiatives without excessive political interference. Such independence is necessary to give the agency the agility necessary to respond to the dynamic challenges and opportunities facing Portland.

The timing could not be better for Prosper Portland to lead the citys resurgence and seize opportunities ahead. But our leaders must give it the tools to do so.

Sign up for our free Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email:


The 76th Annual Emmy Awards is returning to television to recognize the best in comedies, dramas and series with a star-studded affair. The event will air live tonight, Sunday, September 15 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET on ABC. You can watch for free with a trial of Fubo.

This will be the second Emmys ceremony of 2024. Due to the writers and actors strike, the 2023 Emmys took place in January of this year, moved by the Television Academy. Tonights ceremony will honor shows that aired between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024.

 Dont have cable? You can watch the 2024 Emmy Awards for FREE with Fubo (free trial).

What time do the Emmy Awards start and where are they taking place?

The awards show starts at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET today, Sunday, September 15 and last around 3 hours. They will be broadcast from the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Who is hosting the 76th Emmy Awards?

Eugene Levy and his son, Dan Levy, will be the hosts this year. They are most recently known for playing a father and son in the hit show Schitts Creek.

When and where can I watch the 2024 Emmy Awards?

The awards show will be streaming live on ABC tonight, Sunday, September 15. You can watch for free with a trial of Fubo.

Which shows are projected to win the most awards?

The Bear, starring Jeremy Allen White and Shogun, are slated to win some major praise this year. The Crown will also have its final opportunity at the Emmys this year.

Who will be presenting at the 2024 Emmy Awards?

Presenters this year include some of the biggest names in Hollywood like Viola Davis, Colin Farrell, Selena Gomez, Joshua Jackson, Mindy Kaling, Jimmy Kimmel, Steve Martin, Jean Smart, Dick Van Dyke and Kristen Wiig, and many others.

Who is nominated for an Emmy Award? See the full list of nominees here.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary

The Bear

What We Do In The Shadows

Palm Royale

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Reservation Dogs

Hacks

Outstanding Drama Series

3 Body Problem

Fallout

The Morning Show

The Gilded Age

The Crown

Shogun

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Slow Horses

Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series

Baby Reindeer

Fargo

Lessons in Chemistry

Ripley

True Detective: Night Country

Structured Reality Program

Shark Tank

Love Is Blind

Antiques Road Show

Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives

Queer Eye

HOW CAN I WATCH THE 2024 EMMY AWARDS?

What: The 76th Annual Emmy Awards

When: Sunday, September 15 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. E

Channel: ABC

Stream: You can watch the 2024 Emmy Awards for FREE with Fubo (free trial). You can also watch with a free trial of Hulu. If youre out of free trials, you can opt to sign up for Fubo Pro for $79.99/month.
YANGON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Severe flooding in Myanmar has led to 74 deaths and 89 people missing as of the evening of Sept. 13, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar daily reported on Sunday.

The floods, caused by heavy rain, have impacted 462 villages and wards in 64 townships in Nay Pyi Taw, Bago, Mandalay, and Ayeyawady regions, as well as Mon, Kayin, and Shan states, the report said.

The disaster has destroyed 24 bridges, 375 schools, a monastery, five dams, four pagodas, 14 transformers, 456 lamp-posts, and 65,759 houses in the flood-stricken areas, it added.

In response to the disaster, temporary relief camps have been set up to provide necessary healthcare services, food, and drinking water in Nay Pyi Taw and various states and regions, it said.

Authorities and rescue workers are continuing search and rescue operations, it added. 
Aftermath of the Martyrdom: Aspirants to the Mantle of the Prophet Joseph Smith, written by R. Jean Addams

Abstract: In the weeks, months, and years following the murders of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, several aspirants stepped forward to claim the mantle of the prophet. Who were these individuals with claims to the leadership of the church? What were their motives? How were these men able to inspire large numbers of saints to follow them? What became of their efforts and how are their works manifest in the present day? The reasons that members or prospective members chose or rejected the claims of these aspirants are examined, as are the churches of the organizations that were established by them. That study is augmented by a discussion of where these religious expressions subsequently gathered and the status of those entities today.

Interpreting Interpreter: Prophetic Aspirations, written by Kyler Rasmussen

This post is a summary of the article Aftermath of the Martyrdom: Aspirants to the Mantle of the Prophet Joseph Smith by R. Jean Addams in Volume 62 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. All of the Interpreting Interpreter articles may be seen at https://interpreterfoundation.org/category/summaries/. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreterseries is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/. The Takeaway: Addams provides a useful summary of several of the prophetic movements that stemmed from the church as restored by Joseph, including those starting before or after Josephs martyrdom, briefly outlining their histories and key doctrinal differences.

Incidentally, although the article by R. Jean Addams is quite timely in view of the scheduled 10 October release by the Interpreter Foundation of its feature film Six Days in August, we did not commission it.

God loves all of his children, even those who have sinned grievously or who have rejected him. In Moses 7, which I regard as one of the greatest chapters in all of scripture, we see God weeping  to the utter astonishment of Enoch  over the suffering of those who have turned their backs on him and on his other children. He doesnt cease caring for them. His love is at least as deep as that of minimally decent mortal parents, who often still love their children even when those children are behaving hatefully or self-destructively.

For that reason and others, Ive always inclined toward something like universalism, and Ive long loved Pope John Paul IIs response to a question about whether Christians are obligated to believe in Hell. Yes, he replied. But we can hope that it will be empty.

However, God honors human agency. We are free to reject him. And, thus, its possible, even likely, that there will be some who will never accept the gift of Christs atonement, who will refuse to repent or ask for mercy, who will defiantly turn away from divine grace. Such, I presume, are the sons of perdition. I believe that their numbers are, and will be, relatively few.

For everybody who is not a son or a daughter of perdition, there will be at least some degree of salvation. And I personally have deep faith in the patient and never-ending love of God, which leads me to hope, at least, that most people will eventually receive the fullness of all eternal blessings.

I dont believe that we can be saved in a state of either indifference to divine law or defiant refusal to repent. However, I also doubt that anybody who sincerely seeks truth and goodness will be punished merely for having made a mistake. Moreover, I believe in repentance and progress beyond this life. The great plan of happiness is very, very, very good news.

I love this passage from The Great Divorce, by C. S. Lewis:

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, Thy will be done, and those to whom God says, in the end, Thy will be done. All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.

Today is Friday the Thirteenth, so it seems an appropriate day to check in on the Peterson Obsession Board: It appears that several of the inmates over at that zany ornament of the Internet are convinced that I spent the past week in Moab with someone who, in the past few years, has come (unlike me) to favor Russias invasion of Ukraine and to believe (unlike me) that 9-11 was an inside job. One of them calls him a Russian asset but, for our purposes here, well call him X. The evidence and the reasoning over on the POB appear to run as follows:

First premise: A number of years ago, Peterson spent time in Cedar City, Utah, with X, who lives there.

Second premise: Peterson spent this past week in Moab, Utah  which is nearly three hundred miles from Cedar City  with Sister Peterson and six unnamed other friends.

Conclusion: Therefore, Peterson spent this past week in Moab with X.

Which, I think, is supposed to implicate me in some mysterious way in Xs views on the war in Ukraine and on the 9-11 terror attacks. And, thus, Im guilty yet again! QED.

Incidentally, for the record, I havent seen or spoken to or communicated with X for years now.

Finally, I close with yet another glance into the infinitely capacious and thus inexhaustible Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File:

Hatching Hope Project in Honduras Lifts Women Through Poultry Production: Church and iDE help women transform their lives and the community through raising chickens and producing eggs

And these Hitchens File entries are also worthy of note:

Elder Kearon and Archbishop David Meet to Discuss Shared Concerns for Filipino Communities

BYU earns trio of No. 1 rankings to start new school year: The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Princeton Review rank BYU at top.

A Ministry of Hope: The Tabernacle Choirs Inspiring Tour Through Florida and Georgia: On the final day, they perform in the Georgia State Capitol to commemorate 9/11

Latter-day Saint volunteers help make Alberta Indigenous Games possible: 6,000 youth competed at the event, meant to give them something to train for every year
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has dismissed allegations that the sector Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, provided misleading information to Parliament regarding the status of Ghanas forest reserves.



In a statement to the public on Friday, September 13, the Ministry described these claims as false and urged Ghanaians to disregard them.



The allegations, which have been circulating in some media outlets, suggest that Abu Jinapor offered half-truths during a recent parliamentary session concerning activities in the countrys forest reserves.



The Ministry refuted these accusations, emphasizing that the Minister has consistently provided accurate and transparent information about the state of the reserves.



According to the Ministry, all updates given by the Minister are based on verified data and ongoing assessments of the nations forest cover.



The Ministry noted that it remains committed to the protection of Ghana's natural resources and is actively working to address issues such as deforestation and illegal mining within forest reserves.



The statement also reassured the public that the Ministry is focused on delivering on its mandate to preserve the countrys forests through sustainable management practices.



It called on Ghanaians to trust the processes in place and to disregard any attempts to undermine the work of the Ministry and its leadership.



"The attention of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has been drawn to a publication by the Fourth Estate with the above headline in respect of an answer given by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, to a question posed to him in Parliament. The said publication contains a lot of falsehoods and misinformation."



"Given the respect and the high regard the Hon. Minister, who is, also, a Member of Parliament, has for the august House of Parliament, the Ministry finds the allegations that the Hon. Minister was not being truthful to Parliament as very serious and rather unfortunate", the statement said.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has congratulated Efua Ghartey on her historic election as the first female President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).



According to him, For over a century, the legal profession in Ghana has been dominated by men, but this moment marks a turning point.



Efua Ghartey made history when she was elected as the first female president of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), marking a significant achievement in Ghanas legal profession.



In a message on his Facebook page on September 13, President Akufo Addo wrote: "A hearty congratulations to Mrs. Efua Ghartey and Mrs. Victoria Osei-Bonsu Barth on their remarkable victories in this years Ghana Bar Association elections! Mrs. Gharteys determination and perseverance have finally been rewarded as she becomes the first female National President of the Bar Council after three attempts.



As a member of the Bar, I am elated to live to see this day when the Bar is led by a woman. As President of the Republic, this victory is even more significant as it coincides with the recent passage of the Affirmative Action Act, making it an even more powerful statement in the journey towards gender equality.



"Mrs. Ghartey and Mrs. Barth have shattered the glass ceiling, and in doing so, they have paved the way for many more young women to believe in their dreams and rise to the highest levels of leadership. Their victory is more than a personal triumph; it is a beacon of hope for every woman and girl aspiring to take up space in traditionally male-dominated fields. The cycle has indeed been broken, and the future is bright. Bravo to these two exceptional womenyour achievements will inspire future generations! I wish you and the other National Executives of the Bar Council of the Ghana Bar Association the very best in fulfilling your mandate".

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Institute of Progressive Governance (IPG), has noted that for the country to be successful in dealing with illegal mining popularly called galamsey, the approach must be collective.



In a statement issued by IPG in the media, the think tank believes if the galamsey fight is left for only the party in power to deal with, little progress would be made.



Over the years, the fight against galamsey has been left for only the party in power. Opposition parties have not been part of the fight, and this is the main reason behind the failures witnessed in this fight the statement said.



IPG noted that when government or the party in power is determined to root out galamsey, the opposition takes advantage of it and campaigns against the ruling party, thereby affecting the measures put in place to fight the menace.



The think tank also used the opportunity to chastise the former president and flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama and his party for frustrating the fight against galamsey.



While the government might have not gotten everything right in its efforts to root out galamsey, we must also cite the flagbearer of the opposition NDC, John Mahama, for contributing to the mess we see today. His pronouncements in the run-up to the 2020 elections have promoted illegal mining activities. One can say that these miners have been emboldened by the assurance John Mahama gave to them that even if caught and jailed, he would free them. Thats an irresponsible statement to make by anyone who seeks to lead the country the statement further explained.



This is what the former president said to the jailed galamseyers when he was campaigning in 2020. WHEN WE COME, WE SHALL GRANT ALL THOSE ARRESTED AND JAILED AMNESTY. THEY WILL COME BACK TO THEIR HOMES AND WORK. How can any fight, irrespective of its scale, achieve any tangible results when the main opposition leader is preaching like this to the very people who are engaging in the massive destruction of our environment? IPG asked.



The statement also zeroed in on the roles some key members of the opposition NDC played during the 2020 electioneering campaign. IPG describes it as shocking the intense campaign the NDC embarked on to assure illegal miners of their unflinching support.



It is horrifying watching videos of key NDC functionaries assuring illegal miners of unrestrained access to mine in water bodies and forest areas should they vote for Mahama. It was more than shocking to see such influential persons in the NDC supporting the devastation of our environment



The think tank further noted that, as a human institution, the party in power would be hesitant in fighting galamsey looking at how the party suffered at the polls in areas where illegal mining activities are rampant.



The NPP waged a war against galamsey but lost almost all the seats it occupied in the constituencies where galamsey is rampant due to the NDC assuring those illegal miners of their support, and their promise to them of a return to ply their illegal mining operations should John Mahama win the 2020 elections. With the benefit of hindsight, the party in government would be hesitant in decisively dealing with galamsey at this material moment for fear of losing seats in these constituencies



While IPG believes that the calls from organized labour, the clergy and all other groups on President Akufo-Addo to ban mining activities in all its forms may not be bad, it also believes a different approach must be adopted in the fight against galamsey now.



The calls on President Akufo-Addo to ban mining activities in all their forms may not be bad, but that is not the best way to handle it. The fight must be collective. It must be nationalistic. It should involve the flagbearer of the NDC and the leadership of the party to commit to the fight by signing a pact, to be supervised by all these groups calling on the government to ban mining. That is the only way we shall have a true sense of purpose and commitment to fight galamsey



According to IPG, all hands must be on deck if the country is to be able to fight and root out galamsey.

Source: Peacefmonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Ghana's power sector has long been at the forefront of national discourse, especially with increasing demand and the rising importance of efficient energy generation. An analysis of September 1, 2024 natural gas usage across key power plants highlights a pressing issue  inefficiencies in gas-to-power conversion within certain plants, particularly those operated by the Volta River Authority (VRA). This inefficiency presents a clear opportunity for reform, potentially through privatization.



The Power Plant Efficiency Breakdown



A recent natural gas report examined eight power plants' efficiency in converting gas into electricity. The standout performer, SAPP (Tema Offtake), delivered 6.25 MW per MMscfd (Million Standard Cubic Feet per Day) of natural gas consumed. In comparison, VRA Takoradi and VRA Tema lagged behind, with efficiencies of 4.8 MW/MMscfd and 3.88 MW/MMscfd, respectively.



This comparison highlights a crucial inefficiency within the VRA-operated thermal plants. While private sector players like SAPP and Karpowership generate significantly more electricity per unit of gas, the VRA's plants are struggling to keep pace. For instance, VRA Tema, the least efficient plant in the report, requires a much larger volume of gas to produce the same amount of power as its competitors.



Justification for Privatization



Privatization could bring much-needed efficiency, accountability, and investment to Ghanas thermal power generation. Here's why:



1. Improved Efficiency :

The private sector has proven its ability to optimize gas usage, as evidenced by SAPPs superior performance. Bringing in private management for VRAs thermal plants could result in better gas-to-power conversion rates, reducing wastage and ultimately lowering operational costs.



2. Technological Innovation:

Private firms often invest in advanced technologies and practices that can maximize output. By privatizing the VRAs thermal plants, there could be a technological overhaul that boosts generation efficiency, putting Ghana in a stronger position to meet its growing energy needs.



3. Increased Competition: Privatization fosters competition, which can drive down electricity costs and improve service delivery. With private entities operating key plants, the market would be more dynamic, spurring innovation and potentially reducing the cost of power to end consumers.





4. Alleviating the Debt Burden:

VRAs inefficiencies contribute to financial losses, which are often covered by public funds. Privatization would transfer this risk to the private sector, potentially freeing up government resources for other critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure.





Expert Judgement



Ghanas thermal power plants are a vital part of the countrys energy mix, but inefficiencies, particularly within the VRA-operated plants, are holding back the sectors full potential. The remarkable efficiency of private entities like SAPP suggests that privatization could unlock significant gains in power generation efficiency. As Ghana looks to modernize its power sector and improve service delivery, privatizing VRAs thermal plants should be a key consideration in future energy reforms.



Privatization offers a path to not only optimize gas resources but also position Ghanas energy sector for a more sustainable and competitive future.



Dr. Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor

(Power Systems Economist)

Source: Dr Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The woes of teachers and students of the Brofoyedru primary school in the Atwima Kwanwoma district of the Ashanti Region will soon come to an end.



Over the years, teachers and students have to cross the main street linking the school and the community to access potable drinking water and also attend to nature's call.



This according to the headmaster of the school Asare Bediako has hampered teaching and learning.



Speaking at a short ceremony organized by the Rotary Club of Kumasi to kickstart the construction of 12 Boreholes and 75 Micro Flush Toilets for some selected schools in Kumasi and Obuasi, the headmaster of Brofoyedru D/A primary school commended the Rotary Club of Kumasi and their partners for coming to their aid to put up a washroom facility and a borehole for the school.



The Rotary Club of Kumasi and the Calgary Stampede Rotary Club of Canada have teamed up to construct 12 boreholes and 75 micro flush toilet facilities for some schools in the Ashanti Region at the cost of USD 70,000.



The initiative as explained by the club President Nana Afia Osei Asamoah aligns with Rotary Internationals focus on water and sanitation, one of its seven key areas of engagement with communities worldwide under the theme "Magic of Rotary" for the 2024/25 Rotary year.



She said they were motivated by a request from the authorities of the school to come to their aid to fix the challenges they were grappling with.



"As a club, we are always willing to support humanity. We decided to offer support to the school after they submitted their request which was consistent with the objectives of Rotary such as the provision of WASH facilities, economic empowerment, child health, etc", the President added.



She revealed that the project is scheduled to be completed in a year, within which it will be handed over to authorities of the school.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
As part of commitments towards healthcare promotion and accessibility, Obuasi Rotarians have chalked a huge feet in providing support to their counterparts in Chesapeake to equip their Regional Healthcare Centre with a Mobile Medical Van to service the health needs of communities in the Southeastern of Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina.



No appointment or insurance is required by this service.



This demonstrates effective partnerships amongst Rotary clubs in finding innovative solutions to the continuous call for healthcare support around the world.



Rotarians around the world are People of Action and their activities are consistently impacting many lives through good health support, clean water and sanitation, maternal and child-care, promoting local economies, peacebuilding and conflict resolutions, support for our environment, basic education and literacy.



The mobile medical van, estimated at $328,000 was financed jointly by the Chesapeake Regional Health Centre, The Rotary Foundation, Rotary International Districts 9104 and 7600, represented by Obuasi and Chesapeake clubs respectively.



Funding takes care of equipment purchase, training of skilled personnel to manage the fleet and installation of specialized units for optimal offsite health delivery.



Dr. Clare Mundy, director for the mobile medical unit is optimistic that the facility will gain build trust and serve the aged in its joining cities.



The clinic will provide needed healthcare services to low-income families that currently do not have access to healthcare on regular basis.



Families with limited health insurance and often do not have access to transportation will also be served under this intervention.



Immediate Past President, Godfrey Mwachande of Obuasi Rotary Club emphasized the need for joint action as defined in Rotarys 5 avenues of service which are vocational service, community service, club service, international service and youth service.



This year, Rotary International seeks to share the Magic of Rotary to the world. District Governor for Rotary District 9104(Ghana) , Florence Maame Hagan is optimistic that in unity we can strengthen our collective arms of giving and bring lasting solutions to our troubled planet.



This she affirmed during a visit to fellowship with Rotary clubs of Obuasi and Dunkwa assisted by Assistant Governors Nana Esi Adade Amankwah and Patricia Effah.



Globally Rotarians are changing the narrative with their impactful service projects living by the mantra of the Rotary Four-Way Test Of the things we think, say or do, Is it the TRUTH, is it FAIR to all concerned, will it bring GOODWILL AND BETTER FRIENDSHIP, will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned.



Florence Maame Hagan, District Governor for Rotary International District 9104, Ghana continues to inspire her members in the seven areas of focus where Rotary activities are defined.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Chief of Fise Zongo community in the Greater Accra Region, Chief Hamidu Kabore has called for support for the Vice President and flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his great works as Vice President and vision for Ghana.



Welcoming Dr. Bawumia to the Fise central mosque when he joined the Fise Zongo community for Friday prayers, Chief Kabore said Dr. Bawumia has distinguished himself as Vice President and ought to become President in order to implement his great vision.



Narrowing down on the impact of Dr. Bawumia on the Zongo community, Chief Kabore said the Vice President has established a cordial relationship with the community ensuring notable infrastructure development and also provided great support to individuals, groups and communities across the country.



"Dr. Bawumia is one of us and we should all be proud of him because the nation is proud of him, if you look at what he has done...Let us throw our weight behind him and give him the needed support so he can make history and make a positive impact on the nation for all of us," Chief Kabore said.



Dr. Bawumia, in response, said; "Many predicted that a Muslim could never be a presidential candidate of the NPP. They openly said it was not possible. But I believed in Allah's ways and I am here today because of Allah's will."



Dr. Bawumia canvassed the electorates to vote for him on December 7 asserting he has good policies to benefit all Ghanaians.



"Being President is not about me; it is about all of us, our children and our nation Ghana," he said, adding his historic election as President will inspire generations and consolidate Ghana's enviable status as a nation that respects diversity.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha has urged Ghanaian youth not to vote back the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama indicating that his tenure as President was characterized by a shambolic performance.



We witnessed his shambolic performance as president which saw your parents losing their jobs or customers because of dumsor. Yes, four years of President John Mahama was four years of dumsor. And, when his government realised that they could become rich merchants of dumsor, they went ahead recklessly to sign excess take-or-pay power purchasing agreements (PPAs) that by the time NPP took over the Ghana government was forced to pay up to $1 billion a year mainly for power we did not need and we did not use. He recalled while addressing the media in Bolgatanga on Friday.



He said it was only recently that the Akufo-Addo government managed to convince some companies to accept renegotiated packages.



Imagine the billions of dollars wasted on excess power that Mahama contracted and what it could have been used. Is this the president we should bring back for another four years after which he would not be accountable to you? It is shocking that John Mahama still harbours this silly dream of becoming president again. For what exactly, we all don't know. We want to ask John Mahama, has he left something at the Jubilee House that we are unaware. He should tell the good people of Ghana so we can retrieve it for him to go home and rest in peace. He demanded



According to him, John Mahama inherited an oil-rich economy and without any global crisis to deal with he created his own crisis that by 2014 the cedi was the worst-performing economy and by 2015 Ghana had applied for an IMF bailout and by 2016 Ghana had seen the birth of Unemployed Young Graduates Association.



At some point, he gave up and said he wasn't a magician to provide jobs. He told us that he had run down the economy and that the flesh was all gone and left with bones. Schools did not even have common chalk! The situation was hopeless. The leader himself was rudderless and inept.



He described John Mahama as a lazy president then adding that he mentioned in an interview that he usually got to the office at 10 am and left by 4 pm.



In his entire stay in office as president, his cabinet met just about 40 times. Ladies and gentlemen thats less than once a month! The civil servants at the presidency during Mahamas time in office told us stories of loitering around with nothing to do. The vice president Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur clocked more working hours than his boss. He reported to his office daily at 8 am sharp and often worked through 7 pm. No wonder why by 2018, Mr Amissah Arthur had set up a campaign office in East Legon, Accra, preparing to contest John Mahama for the leadership of the NDC. But, we all know what happened to him. He too died, suddenly and mysteriously.



The NPP National Youth Organizer disclosed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo stays in the office working after midnight and does not drink alcohol.



Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia also does not drink alcohol. He is not lazy. He comes up with solutions like DRIP to provide construction equipment to fix our roads in our districts and not to buy private cars for pretty women for all manner of benefits. This is the stark difference between a serious person and a person who leads for the perks. John Mahama just did not take his job seriously then and would not take it seriously if you made the mistake of bringing him back. Now that he doesn't have to account for his leadership and seek another term, he would be worse.



Mr. Mustapha stated that the governing NPP is represented by the ever-brilliant and dynamic Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia while the largest opposition party is represented by the perennial failed former president John Mahama.



These two candidates are in full gear of their campaigns and have put forward their manifestos which contain the policies that they intend to implement once they get the mandate of the Ghanaian people. It is obvious that the track record and character of these two men will be put to strict scrutiny and should help form the basis of our decision. Fortunately for us, these two are known within our body politic.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) Salam Mustapha has described as doom for Ghana if former President Mahama is elected again to lead the country.



According to the National Youth Wing, John Mahama as President and Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as Education Minister in the erstwhile NDC government instituted policies inimical to the growth of young people.



Addressing a press conference in the Upper East region, the NPP Youth Organizer listed the cancellation of the teacher trainee allowance, and other incidents he regards as poor performance on the part of John Mahama.



Salam Mustapha who sought to discredit the candidature of John Mahama referred the 2016 defeat as evidence of Ghanaians verdict on his presidency.



"But, ask yourselves, from Kwame Nkrumah to Akufo-Addo, how come John Dramani Mahama was the only leader in our nations history who was rejected by Ghanaian voters when he went for re-election? Indeed, ask yourself how come he has been rejected twice since Ghanaians tasted him both as a vice president and as president?" Salam Mustapha queried Ghanaian youth during the press conference.



He submitted that John Mahama despite having enormous resources plunged the country into dumsor.



"He inherited an oil rich economy, and without any global crisis to deal with he created his own crisis . . . schools did not even have common chalk! The situation was hopeless. The leader himself, was rudderless and inept."



"We witnessed his shambolic performance as President which saw your parents losing their jobs or customers because of dumsor. Yes, four years of President John Mahama was four years of dumsor," Salam Mustapha stated.



"She supervised the cancellation of the teacher training allowance, forced universities to pay their own utilities, and could not provide common chalk for basic schools," Salam Mustapha advanced at the press conference.



He, thus cautioned Ghanaian youth not to vote for John Mahama and Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as according to him, the duo portend doom for our country and gloom for the youth who we should be preparing for the fourth industrial revolution.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
ISTANBUL, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people were injured on Sunday in an explosion at a pasta factory in Turkiye's northwestern Sakarya province, local media reported.

The incident occurred at the Oba Pasta factory near the Anatolian Highway in the Hendek district's industrial zone, Halk TV said.

According to the news channel, the explosion took place at a production boiler and caused a fire.

Firefighters and ambulances were promptly dispatched to the scene, it said, noting that the exact number of workers present at the time of the explosion remains unclear.

The injured, including workers, have been transported to nearby hospitals, it added. 
Vice Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has admonished NDC flagbearer, former President John Dramani Mahama, to desist from playing politics with the issue of illegal mining, popularly known in Ghanaian parlance as "galamsey".



According to Dr. Opoku Prempeh, the former Ghanaian leaders past and present utterances on the matter smack of an individual seeking to profit from the menace politically and without putting the interest of the country on the front burner.



Dr. Opoku Prempeh, affectionately called "NAPO", made this call when he addressed the 13th Biennial Conference and 40th anniversary of the Association of Methodist Mens Fellowships as Guest of Honour on Saturday, 14th September, 2024 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.



In his view, past incidents and statements on the subject matter makes him wonder if indeed the former President is committed to fighting the canker.



In 2020, some leading NDC bigwigs were captured on video touring and encouraging illegal miners to continue the menace in exchange for their vote for the NDC to protect their illegality.



This act, according to NAPO, resulted in the NPP losing most of its parliamentary seats in the mining communities because the people saw the "NDC as a friend and the NPP the enemy. NPP sacrificed those seats because we put Ghana first".



Dr. Prempeh also cited John Mahamas promise to grant amnesty to all galamsey miners imprisoned under the Akufo-Addo government if he wins the election.



Speaking at Odum Banso in the Mpohor constituency in the Western Region on October 22, 2020, Mr. Mahama questioned the incarceration of Ghanaians for mining offences.



However, in a sudden U-turn, the NDC flagbearer is threatening to arrest and jail all miners engaged in illegal mining if he becomes President in 2025 due to the public laying the blame on the NPP.



These plain inconsistencies by John Mahama on the subject matter of galamsey for me makes it difficult to trust John Mahama on the subject. Rather, they are thwarting the NPP governments efforts at fighting the canker, NPP Running Mate said.



He further chided John Mahama to be a Statesman by putting Ghana first and desist from playing petty politics with a serious matter that has far-reaching consequences on the Ghanaian people.



NAPO emphasized his primary goal is always to responsibly manage Ghanas mineral resources, ensuring the populace reap the benefits and stimulating economic growth while preserving the environment.



He stressed; Dr. Bawumias bold solutions to the challenges will include formalizing, regularizing and regulating environmentally sustainable small-scale mining. These efforts will ultimately promote more responsible mining practices while helping small-scale mining companies expand into larger enterprises through capacity building and access to financing for equipment acquisition.



He continued; I can assure you that the next NPP government under Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will establish, in collaboration with the private sector, a Minerals Development Bank to support the mining industry. We will also set up a pension scheme for small-scale miners like we have done for cocoa farmers. We have the credibility when we say we are going to do this because we have done it before.



Dr. Opoku Prempeh asked the Clergy to condemn every utterance from politicians which seeks to compromise the Ghanaian interest for their selfish political agenda.



He then challenged the opposition National Democratic Congress to show real commitment to the fight against illegal mining by signing a national binding document with the New Patriotic Party.



This document, he stated, is expected to hold all parties accountable and obligate them to campaign against illegal mining while promoting responsible mining practices that protect water bodies and forests.









Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Vice Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, has, in the wake of growing concerns about the ravaging impact of illegal mining (galamsey) on Ghana, charged the various political parties, particularly the National Democratic Congress, to demonstrate their commitment to fighting the canker by signing a binding national anti-galamsey pact.



He urged the religious leaders to lead the process of engaging all the parties and other relevant stakeholders to commit to this pact, which he noted, will detail a comprehensive and permanent solution to the galamsey menace threatening the nation.



NAPO, as he is affectionately called, made this call while addressing, as the Guest of Honour, the 13th Biennial Delegates Conference of the Association of Methodist Mens Fellowship held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Saturday, September 14, 2024.



He stated, as the nation heads to the polls on December 7 and given the overwhelming national conversation on galamsey, it's important for the parties to collectively join forces to fight this mining challenge.



He stressed the anti-galamsey pact which, to him, will be binding on the parties will primarily hinge on building national consensus on the matter.



Dr. Opoku Prempeh assured Ghanaians of the NPP's unwavering commitment to the galamsey fight notwithstanding the recent setbacks.



The Bawumia/Napo administration, according to him, wouldn't hesitate to sign this pact to reaffirm their position on the issue.



He added that the NPP has, in its 2024 manifesto, outlined a roadmap to deal with the galamsey and usher in a golden age for Ghanaian-owned small-scale mining businesses to create wealth and jobs while promoting responsible and sustainable mining safeguarding the environment and water bodies.



Dr. Prempeh however expressed deep concerns that the main opposition party and their flagbearer, H.E John Dramani Mahama, have till date not articulated clearly their intention to deal with the menace.



He challenged them to bring out with their blueprint for the sector for Ghanaians to scrutinize and make informed decision and urged them specifically to commit to signing the proposed national anti-galamsey pact as well as be seen campaigning against illegal mining.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Janes Addiction had to make a statement with so little time between its disastrous show in Boston on Friday and its Sunday show in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Good news is, the band has, in fact, addressed Boston. Bad news is, well  the folks in Bridgeport now have their Sunday open.

What comes after that remains to be seen.

So, what happened with the legendary band which rose to prominence in the 1990s?

Well, for the folks who missed it, the original lineup of Janes Addiction is back together and touring for the first time in 15 years, but that might not be the case for much longer because during the Boston show, frontman Perry Farrell punched guitarist Dave Navarro before being restrained as the show was brought to an early end.

We want to extend a heartfelt apology to our fans for the events that unfolded last night, the band said in a statement shared to its Instagram on Saturday. As a result we will be cancelling tomorrow nights show in Bridgeport. Refunds will be issued at your point of purchase  or if you purchased via third-party reseller.

Video of Fridays, which can be seen below, shows frontman Perry Farrell approaching guitarist Dave Navarro onstage during a song and engaging him in a physical confrontation.

Farrell walks over to Navarro and roughly throws a shoulder into him as he plays. He then stares down Navarro and takes several steps forward into his face and can be seen saying something. Navarro extends his hand to hold Farrell back, and Farrell appears to become more incensed. He then appears to throw a short punch at Navarro as a crew member scrambles on stage to hold him back. Navarro appears stunned by it all.

Several more members of the crew scramble onto the stage and restrain Farrell before taken him to the back. As that was occurring, Navarro took off his guitar and appeared to say something to fans in the front row.

CANT SEE THE VIDEO ABOVE? CLICK HERE.

Variety reported that the incident took place during Ocean Size, which was the 11th song of what the site says is usually a set that goes for 14 or 15 songs. It said some fans said that tension looked to have been brewing for several songs.

Janes Addiction has yet to address the incident. The band is slated to play against on Sept. 15 in Bridgeport, Connecticut so fans will find out soon enough if they were able to work things out.
By Christine Spolar, KFF Health News (TNS)

PITTSBURGH  A false alarm that a gunman was roaming one Catholic high school and then another in March 2023 touched off frightening evacuations and a robust police response in the city. It also prompted the diocese to rethink what constitutes a model learning environment.

Months after hundreds of students were met by SWAT teams, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh began forming its own armed police force.

Wendell Hissrich, a former safety director for the city and career FBI unit chief, was hired that year to form a department to safeguard 39 Catholic schools as well as dozens of churches in the region. Hissrich has since added 15 officers and four supervisors, including many formerly retired officers and state troopers, who now oversee school campuses fitted with Stop the Bleed kits, cameras, and defibrillators.

When religious leaders first asked for advice after what are known as swatting incidents, the veteran lawman said he didnt hesitate to deliver blunt advice: You need to put armed officers in the schools.

But he added that the officers had to view schools as a special assignment: I want them to be role models. I want them to be good fits within the school. Im looking for someone to know how to deal with kids and with parents  and, most importantly, knows how to de-escalate a situation.

Gun violence is a leading cause of death for young people in America, and the possibility of shootings has influenced costly decision-making in school systems as administrators juggle fear, duty, and dizzying statistics in efforts to keep schools safe from gun harm. In the first week of September, the risks were made tragically clear again, this time in Georgia, as a teenager stands accused of shooting his way through his high school and killing two students and two teachers.

A poster with images of victims Christian Angulo, top left, Richard Aspinwall, top right, Mason Schermerhorn, bottom left, and Cristina Irimie is displayed at a memorial outside Apalachee High School, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Winder, Ga., following a shooting at the school earlier in the week. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)AP

Still, scant research supports the creation of school police forces to deter gun violence  and what data exists can raise as many questions as answers. Data shows over half of U.S. firearm deaths are, in fact, suicides  a sobering statistic from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that reflects a range of ills. Gun violence grew during the COVID-19 pandemic and studies found that Black children were 100 times as likely as white children to experience firearm assaults. Research on racial bias in policing overall in the U.S. as well as studies on biased school discipline have prompted calls for caution. And an oft-cited U.S. Secret Service review of 67 thwarted plots at schools supports reasons to examine parental responsibility as well as police intervention as effective ways to stop firearm harm.

The Secret Service threat assessment, published in 2021, analyzed plots from 2006 to 2018 and found students who planned school violence had guns readily at home. It also found that school districts that contracted sworn law officers, who work as full- or part-time school resource officers, had some advantage. The officers proved pivotal in about a third of the 67 foiled plots by current or former students.

Most schools are not going to face a mass shooting. Even though there are more of them  and thats horrible  it is still a small number, said Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers. But administrators cant really allow themselves to think that way.

They have to think, It could happen here, and how do I prevent it?

About a 20-minute drive north of Pittsburgh, a top public school system in the region decided the risk was too great. North Allegheny Superintendent Brendan Hyland last year recommended retooling what had been a two-person school resource officer team  staffed since 2018 by local police  into a 13-person internal department with officers stationed at each of the districts 12 buildings.

Several school district board members voiced unease about armed officers in the hallways. I wish we were not in the position in our country where we have to even consider an armed police department, board member Leslie Britton Dozier, a lawyer and a mother, said during a public planning meeting.

Within weeks, all voted for Hylands request, estimated to cost $1 million a year.

Hyland said the aim is to help 1,200 staff members and 8,500 students with the right people who are the right fit to go into those buildings. He oversaw the launch of a police unit in a smaller school district, just east of Pittsburgh, in 2018.

Hyland said North Allegheny had not focused on any single news report or threat in its decision, but he and others had thought through how to set a standard of vigilance. North Allegheny does not have or want metal detectors, devices that some districts have seen as necessary. But a trained police unit willing to learn every entrance, stairway, and cafeteria and who could develop trust among students and staffers seemed reasonable, he said.

Im not Edison. Im not inventing something, Hyland said. We dont want to be the district that has to be reactive. I dont want to be that guy who is asked: Why did you allow this to happen?

Since 2020, the role of police in educational settings has been hotly debated. The video-recorded death of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis who was murdered by a white police officer during an arrest, prompted national outrage and demonstrations against police brutality and racial bias.

Some school districts, notably in large cities such as Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., reacted to concerns by reducing or removing their school resource officers. Examples of unfair or biased treatment by school resource officers drove some of the decisions. This year, however, there has been apparent rethinking of the risks in and near school property and, in some instances in California, Colorado, and Virginia, parents are calling for a return of officers.

The 1999 bombing plot and shooting attack of Columbine High School and a massacre in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School are often raised by school and police officials as reasons to prepare for the worst. But the value of having police in schools also came under sharp review after a blistering federal review of the mass shooting in 2022 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The federal Department of Justice this year produced a 600-page report that laid out multiple failures by the school police chief, including his attempt to try to negotiate with the killer, who had already shot into a classroom, and waiting for his officers to search for keys to unlock the rooms. Besides the teenage shooter, 19 children and two teachers died. Seventeen other people were injured.

The DOJ report was based on hundreds of interviews and a review of 14,000 pieces of data and documentation. This summer, the former chief was indicted by a grand jury for his role in abandoning and endangering survivors and for failing to identify an active shooter attack. Another school police officer was charged for his role in placing the murdered students in imminent danger of death.

There have also been increased judicial efforts to pursue enforcement of firearm storage laws and to hold accountable adults who own firearms used by their children in shootings. For the first time this year, the parents of a teenager in Michigan who fatally shot four students in 2021 were convicted of involuntary manslaughter for not securing a newly purchased gun at home.

In recent days, Colin Gray, the father of the teenage shooting suspect at Apalachee High School in Georgia, was charged with second-degree murder  the most severe charges yet against a parent whose child had access to firearms at home. The 14-year-old, Colt Gray, who was apprehended by school resource officers on the scene, according to initial media reports, also faces murder charges.

Wendell Hissrich, a former career FBI unit chief, was hired by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh in 2023 to help thwart gun violence in schools. (Christine Spolar/KFF Health News/TNS)TNS

Hissrich, the Pittsburgh dioceses safety and security director, said he and his city have a hard-earned appreciation for the practice and preparation needed to contain, if not thwart, gun violence. In January 2018, Hissrich, then the citys safety officer, met with Jewish groups to consider a deliberate approach to safeguarding facilities. Officers cooperated and were trained on lockdown and rescue exercises, he said.

Ten months later, on Oct. 27, 2018, a lone gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue and, within minutes, killed 11 people who had been preparing for morning study and prayer. Law enforcement deployed quickly, trapping and capturing the shooter and rescuing others caught inside. The coordinated response was praised by witnesses at the trial where the killer was convicted in 2023 on federal charges and sentenced to die for the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

I knew what had been done for the Jewish community as far as safety training and what the officers knew. Officers practiced months before, Hissrich said. He believes schools need the same kind of plans and precautions. To put officers in the school without training, he said, would be a mistake.

(KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF  the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.)

2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
By Natalie Melzer and Ohad Zwigenberg, The Associated Press

JERUSALEM  A missile fired by Yemens Iran-backed rebels landed in an open area in central Israel early Sunday and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, in the latest reverberation from the nearly yearlong war in Gaza. Israel hinted that it would respond militarily.

There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters in Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport authority said it resumed normal operations shortly thereafter.

A fire could be seen in a rural area of central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be a fragment from an interceptor that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin.

The Israeli military said it made several attempts to intercept the missile using its multitiered air defenses but had not yet determined whether any had been successful. It said the missile appeared to have fragmented midair, and that the incident is still under review. The military said the sound of explosions in the area came from interceptors.

The Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, have repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

In July, an Iranian-made drone launched by the Houthis struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding 10 others. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen, including the port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold.

Israel indicates it will respond to attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a similar response in remarks at a Cabinet meeting after Sundays attack.

The Houthis should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us, he said. Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the rebels, said they fired a ballistic missile targeting a military target in the area of Tel Aviv.

The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, in what the rebels portray as a blockade on Israel in support of the Palestinians. Most of the targeted ships have no connection to Israel.

On Sunday, a European Union naval mission operating in the Red Sea said salvagers had begun towing a tanker that had been on fire for weeks after a Houthi attack. Operations Aspides said the Greek-flagged Sounion was being taken to a safe location.

Smoke rises from a fire in central Israel after the Israeli army said a missile fired from Yemen landed in an open area on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)AP

The war in Gaza, which began with Hamas Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, has rippled across the region, with Iran and allied militant groups attacking Israeli and U.S. targets and drawing retaliatory strikes from Israel and its Western allies. On several occasions, the strikes and counterstrikes have threatened to trigger a wider conflict.

International carriers have canceled flights into and out of Israel on a number of occasions since the start of the war, adding to the wars economic toll on the country.

Iran supports militant groups across the region, including Hamas, the Houthis and Lebanons Hezbollah, its most powerful ally, which has traded fire with Israel on a near-daily basis since the war in Gaza began. Iran and its allies say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Rockets fired from Lebanon

The military said around 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon early Sunday, with most intercepted or falling in open areas.

In a separate incident, Israeli forces dropped leaflets over the Lebanese border town of al-Wazzani calling on residents to evacuate. The military later said there were no such evacuation orders, and that a local commander had acted without the approval of his superiors. It said the incident was under investigation.

It was not clear if anyone had evacuated the town, or if any message had been conveyed to residents that the leaflets were dropped in error.

The strikes along the Israel-Lebanon border have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides. Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a wider military operation against Hezbollah to ensure its citizens can return to their homes.

The status quo will not continue, Netanyahu said at the Cabinet meeting. This requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border. We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes.

Gaza smuggling tunnels blocked

Hezbollah has said it would halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire in Gaza. The United States and Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar have spent much of this year trying to broker a truce and the release of scores of hostages held by Hamas, but the talks have repeatedly bogged down.

In recent weeks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted on lasting Israeli control over the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, which Israeli forces captured in May. He has said Hamas used a network of tunnels beneath the border to import arms, allegations denied by Egypt, which along with Hamas is opposed to any lasting Israeli presence there.

An Israeli military official said late Saturday that of the dozens of tunnels discovered along the border, only nine entered Egypt, and all were found to have been sealed off. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence, said it was not clear when the tunnels were sealed.

The discovery appeared to weaken Netanyahus argument that Israel needs to keep open-ended control of the corridor to prevent cross-border smuggling.

Egypt has said it sealed off the tunnels on its side of the border years ago, in part by creating its own military buffer zone along the frontier.

Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
The tolling of a bell inside the Fairview Fire Department headquarters on Saturday signaled the end of Goldsboro firefighter Brian Peeks service to his community.

Dozens of firefighters from throughout the area stood saluting their fellow firefighter whose life ended in the line of duty on Aug. 16.
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP)  Vice President Kamala Harris has upcoming events scheduled in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as her campaign focuses spending on the blue wall states with the Nov. 5 election nearing.

On Tuesday, Harris will sit for an interview with the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia. Two days later, she is joining Oprah Winfrey in Michigan at her Unite for America livestream event with 140 different grassroots organizations. Harris visit to Wisconsin on Friday will be her fourth since she launched her White House run in July.

Harris campaign has a large operation in the states with hundreds of staff and on-the-ground outreach efforts. Supporters in Wisconsin have knocked on more than 500,000 doors and that since last weeks debate with Trump, the campaign has signed up more than 3,000 new volunteers.

Overall, Harris team is on pace to outspend Republican Donald Trumps campaign 2-to-1 in television advertising over the next two months. Even before Democratic President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign and made way for Harris, the Democrats wielded superior campaign infrastructure in battleground states.

Harris team, which includes her campaign and an allied super political action committee, has more than $280 million in television and radio reservations for the period between Tuesday and Election Day, according to the media tracking firm AdImpact. Trumps team has $133 million reserved for the final stretch, although that number is expected to grow.
Lets just be honest: America needs immigrants. An aging Pennsylvania needs immigrants. And anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling themselves.

PennLives Ivey DeJesuss recent reporting has revealed just how much immigrant workers contribute to Pennsylvanias economy, and how much industries like apple farming depend on their labor.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones is not expected to start against the Denver Broncos after rookie first-round Troy Fautanu has taken all the first-team reps this week alongside incumbent left tackle starter Dan Moore Jr. While that is not a great sign for the Steelers, moving Jones to the bench could be for more than just performance.

Jones has dealt with a nagging elbow injury and has continued to wear a massive brace around his elbow. The issue is that the brace hurts their right arms power and ability to use his length. More than that, though, Jones has suffered another injury.

Alan Saunders of Steelers Now reports that Jones is dealing with another arm injury besides the elbow injury he previously suffered. Not only does he wear a the brace around his elbow, but there is protective padding going from Jones right thumb to his right wrist. That could mean an injury to any number of places, and Jones will still be active as the teams swing tackle, but it is clear that he is not even close to 100 percent.

Jones is playing with one good arm, and while he did not stick out in a bad way against the Atlanta Falcons, it still was not close to his usual self. He has been unable to get movement in the run game and Jones might just need time to rest and heal before the Steelers decide where to play.
Press Release

September 15, 2024 Chiz-led Senate passes key priority measures in a short span of time The Senate, under the leadership of Senate President Francis "Chiz" G. Escudero has passed several priority measures of the administration that will improve the investment climate of the country, strengthen the nation's territorial and maritime claims, and improve the competitiveness of Filipinos. The Senate was able to act on 12 key measures, all in just a little over 30 session days since Escudero was elected as the new Senate President on May 20, 2024. "During this period we even had to deal with work stoppages due to weather disturbances, as well as national holidays. Nevertheless, we made sure that we were able to dispose of the matters before us, with the support of all our members," Escudero said. Nine of the 12 bills are up for signing by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., three are awaiting action at the bicameral conference committee level, and one is up for approval by the House of Representatives. All-in-all, a total of 106 bills, including those that are local in scope, were approved on third reading, 26 of which have been enacted into law since May 20. "We acted with urgency on the priority measures of the President, which were also part of the common legislative agenda of both chambers of Congress. Again, this is more about the quality of laws rather than quantity. These are high impact laws that Malacanang and Congress agreed upon to prioritize," Escudero said. As he noted upon his assumption as Senate President, Escudero said the Senate will apply the three-way test in prioritizing bills: Will it make the lives of the people easier? Will it help us move faster? Will it make our people's burdens lighter? This test, according to Escudero, is the basis for deciding what to legislate and if amendments are to be entertained. The priority bills up for signing by the President are the following:  SBN 1604 or the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program (ARAL) Act addresses the learning deficiencies of learners by assigning qualified tutors;  SBN 2221 or the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers strengthens the protection and promotion of the welfare of the close to half a million seafarers on board ships globally;  SBN 2432 or Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Economic Sabotage Act imposes heavy fines against smugglers and hoarders of agricultural products;  SBN 2455 or the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act seeks to revitalize and strengthen the defense posture of the country while promoting the development of a national defense industry;  SBN 2492 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act delineates the maritime domain of the Philippines and declares the rights and entitlements of the country over its maritime zones, including the underwater features for the enjoyment and cultivation by Filipinos in compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;  SBN 2528 or VAT on Digital Transactions imposes value-added tax on digital transactions for non-resident digital service providers and is envisioned to help the development of the local creative industry;  SBN 2762 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) clarifies the tax incentives for registered business enterprises to encourage new investors to come into the country and help domestic enterprises grow;  SBN 2779 or Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law provides the National Food Authority the power to ensure that prices are stable and the supplies are regulated; and  SBN 2587 or the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act aims to strengthen the connection between education and industry by institutionalizing enterprise-based education and training programs thus improving the employability of Filipinos. Even as several committees of the Senate are in the thick of investigating issues of national interest, Escudero assured that the chamber will not be distracted from its duty "to pass laws for the benefit of our people." "In the remaining days before the Senate starts to focus exclusively on the proposed 2025 national budget, we are looking at passing about three to four more of the priority measures of the President. There is no time to waste, and we will strive to accomplish even more under my watch," Escudero said.
MOSCOW, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia's patience regarding a nuclear response to Western actions in Ukraine is wearing thin, warned Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's security council, in a message posted on his Telegram channel on Saturday.

Medvedev said while "a nuclear conflict is in no one's interest," Russia has thus far exercised restraint in utilizing its nuclear capabilities in response to Western involvement, particularly concerning high-precision strikes deep into Russian territory. However, he cautioned that "even the greatest patience has its limits."

This warning came following recent U.S. discussions regarding the provision of Army Tactical Missile Systems to Ukraine, which could enable strikes deeper into Russian territory.

The Kremlin has also signaled its awareness of the escalating threat, with the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noting that Russia is preparing countermeasures. 
JD Vance has a new strategy for migrants eating cats lie, and that was to blame Kamala Harris, but somehow Vance ended up associated with Neo-Nazis.

Video of JD Vance on Meet The Press:

Here is the full JD Vance fiasco on Meet The Press where he tries to blame Kamala Harris for he and Trumps false claims about immigrants eats pets, but Vance ends up associated with Neo-Nazis. pic.twitter.com/pkq8ZNzYGk  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 15, 2024

Meet The Presss Kristen Welker asked Vance, And yet Senator officials, the mayor, other local officials have said theres just no evidence of what youre saying that its baseless those claims. Cant you just make your argument about immigration without making those claims? Senator, why not just make an argument about immigration? Why do you have to delve into repeating these baseless claims that again, Senator have been repeated by Neo-Nazis?

Vance answered:

I hear you saying that theyre baseless but Im not repeating them because I invented them out of thin air. Im repeating them because my constituents are saying these things are happening today. A video came out of a migrant 30 miles away eating a cat. Clearly. These rumors are out there because constituents are seeing it with their own eyes and some of them are talking about it. Now, look, we also have to talk about and should primarily talk about the effects that this has had on car insurance rates on disease rates. Those are the things that Im spending 95% of my time talking about Kristen.

But again, the media didnt care about this story until we started sharing the 9-1-1 call about the geese that an indictment of the American media. But the real problem here, Kristen I, I let me just finish this point is Kamala Harris opened the border with no plan for how to assimilate 20,000 people. Its made the community worse off. Thats what we should be focused on.

Welker followed up, Senator. I have to say though that the mayor from Dayton in that video that youre talking about and police chief responded forcefully to that new video you just referenced. They say theres absolutely no evidence to even remotely suggest that immigrants are eating pets. Let me just ask you though. In October of 2016, you said this quote, Trump makes people I care about afraid immigrants, Muslims, et cetera because of this. I find him reprehensible. God wants better of us. This week in Springfield, buildings were closed because of bomb threats. Haitian immigrants say they are afraid for their lives. Are you now doing the very thing you once called reprehensible? Senator?

This could not have gone much worse for JD Vance. The new strategy for the Trump campaign is apparently to blame Kamala Harris for their lies about migrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.

The campaign cant trust Donald Trump to go on the Sunday shows, so they sent JD Vance, and the Senator from Ohio threw gasoline on the dumpster fire, then pointed to Kamala Harris and claimed she did it.

The Trump campaign is moving in the wrong direction, and JD Vance seems to be making things worse.

To comment on this story, join us on Reddit.
Senator JD Vance (R-OH) is under fire right now for inciting terror attacks on legal immigrants in Ohio by making unsubstantiated claims about them eating cats and dogs, but hes also continuing to be deceptive about where the Republican Trump/Vance presidential ticket stand on a national abortion ban.

Speaking to on Meet the Press, Vance refused to say that Donald Trump would veto a national abortion ban if it came to his desk if he were to win the 2024 election, saying the issue is a hypothetical that they havent even discussed and Ive learned my lesson on speaking for the president.

WATCH: On #MTP in August, @JDVance said Donald Trump would veto a national abortion ban. But on the debate stage, Trump said he wouldnt have to and that he and Vance had not discussed it. Vance now tells MTP, Ive learned my lesson on speaking for the president. pic.twitter.com/eV6wNuEmHI  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 15, 2024

Vance was asked about saying in August on Meet the Press that Donald Trump would veto a federal abortion ban, whereas on the debate stage, Trump said he wouldnt have to and that he and Vance had not discussed it.

WELKER: Senator Vance, just to clarify once and for all, if Donald Trump were to be elected, if a federal abortion ban were to land on his desk, would he veto it?

VANCE: Kristen, as you saw the President say, we hadnt discussed it. We still havent discussed it, by the way, because its not realistic. Kristen, I think that was the point that he made during the debate, is hes been incredibly clear that he doesnt support a national abortion ban.

He wants abortion policy to be made by the states, because he thinks, look, Alabama is going to make a different decision from California, and thats okaySo I think President Trump has been clear a national abortion ban is not on the table. He wouldnt support it. He wouldnt, he wouldnt sign it. And I think, frankly, Kristen, its kind of a ridiculous hypothetical His point is that it was a hypothetical, and not a hypothetical that has any chance of actually crossing his desk.

WELKER: I take your point, but, but just to put a fine point on this, youre saying he wouldnt support it. So would he veto it?

VANCE: I think that Ive learned my lesson on speaking for the president before he and I have actually talked about an issue.

If the Trump/Vance ticket has an actual abortion policy, why wont they tell voters what it is? If they dont support a national abortion ban, why wont they just say that and commit to vetoing any such legislation? This is a top issue in the 2024 election, and certainly they have a position, but Vance is claiming they havent even discussed it.

Trump has repeatedly taken credit for overturning Roe.

The problem for Trump is that in those state measures where voters actually get to weigh in rather than Republican politicians, voters have consistently supported abortion rights. Even some Republican voters voted against anti-abortion Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections and in November of 2023, red state Ohio, where JD Vance is a Senator, passed voters approved a constitutional amendment to protect access to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care.

One of the glaring issues with claiming individual states can decide whether women and girls have human rights is that Republicans are also suing individuals and passing laws to prohibit women and girls from traveling to a state where abortion is legal.

JD Vance has said he wants abortion to be illegal nationally and even wants to stop women from traveling for abortion. In 2022, Vance argued that the fact that people seeking abortions would travel from conservative states to liberal states necessitated federal action. I certainly would like abortion to be illegal nationally, Vance said.

Listen here where JD Vance says the opposite of what he just said on MTP about California versus Ohio:

Unearthed audio: JD Vance calls for a federal response to block women in red states from traveling to another state to get an abortion pic.twitter.com/t9YAbFuoPc  Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) July 26, 2024

In a May 2024 interview with KDKA News Trump said he was looking at restrictions on contraception but then walked it back after the interview was posted:

Trump was asked, Do you support any restrictions on a persons right to contraception?

Were looking at that and Im going to have a policy on that very shortly, Trump responded, according to a video of the interview that was briefly posted online before it was supposed to air, then taken down.

Trump said in that interview that the contraception bans might work on a state by state basis. Contraception is, like abortion, often used to treat medical issues for women and girls, including excessive menstrual bleeding. So the idea that it could be banned in some states is concerning.

This is Trump speak: He often says two contradictory things to appeal to two different constituencies, sometimes even in the same sentence. If we just look at what Trump has actually done already as president, we see that the three Supreme Court justices he chose played a large part in overturning Roe v Wade, and Trump brags about this fact a lot.

Additionally, the conservative policy playbook Project 2025 calls for resurrecting the 1873 Comstock Act to target medication abortion, according to Leah Litman, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School. Donald Trump has tried to distance himself from the Heritage Foundations playbook, but he has also been caught on camera praising Heritage and at least 140 people who worked in the Trump administration had a hand in writing it, according to a CNN analysis.

Trump has repeatedly tried to appease all voters and ended up angering the evangelicals who support him in part because he overturned Roe. So now both Republicans on the ticket are refusing to tell the voters exactly where they stand on abortion, an issue that can be life or death for pregnant people.

To comment on this story, join us on Reddit.
VALLETTA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese culture took center stage at the annual "connecting through culture" event, hosted by Malta's Ta' Xbiex local council on the city's waterfront on Saturday night.

The event highlighted the vibrant diversity of international cultural exchanges, with the China Cultural Center in Malta featuring an eye-catching booth. The booth drew visitors to explore exquisite Chinese handicrafts and modern cultural products, reflecting both China's rich cultural heritage and its innovative spirit.

Participants also gathered to enjoy traditional Chinese tea, experiencing the long history of Chinese tea culture. Many admired the intricate ink and wash paintings and Chinese calligraphy on display. In celebration of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, attendees were treated to mooncakes, a traditional delicacy associated with the holiday.

Chinese traditional music and folk dance performances captivated the audience during the event. The 19th Chinese medical team from the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine demonstrated Tai Chi, the centuries-old martial art inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

"The performance was really good, and we enjoyed it," said Margaret Sciberras, who attended the event with her husband. She noted that while they have participated in the event for several years, this was the first time they had seen performances of Chinese music and dance.

Agnese Patellaro, who attended with her three children, also praised the cultural experience. "I love learning about traditions from different countries," she said, adding that she hoped to visit China in the future.

Max Zammit, mayor of Ta' Xbiex, and councilor Louise Cachia Castelletti visited the China Cultural Center's booth, expressing their appreciation for the center's contributions. They emphasized their hopes for continued collaboration to further strengthen China-Malta relations and promote multicultural exchange. 
Pat Franquelin and her husband, Marcel, were three weeks from closing on their Johns Island home when the builder unexpectedly called and canceled their contract.

Now, more than three years after filing a lawsuit against the builder for breach of contract, the Franquelins are still fighting to move into their dream home.

The couple is one of nine who in 2020 were suddenly denied homes they designed in the Swygerts Landing community on Johns Island. A year later, each family individually filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Charlotte-based builder Eastwood Homes. While the families won the initial court battle, Eastwood has appealed the judge's decision.

Eastwood is citing a paperwork error as the reason for the sudden terminations years ago, saying the homes in the Franquelin's phase of the Johns Island development were accidentally left out of the homeowners association covenants. Rather than resolving the problem while homebuyers waited, Eastwood canceled the contracts and told buyers they'd have to negotiate new contracts for the same property at current market value rather than what they originally agreed to pay.

Home prices ranged from $534,000 to nearly $609,000 when the lawsuits were filed. Sales in the community have since reached upwards of $800,000.
SIMPSONVILLE  It was the last place his mother had seen him alive.

Bell's Crossing Elementary School was the site of a candlelight vigil on Sept. 13 that drew more than 100 friends and sympathetic strangers who grieved alongside Dalia Cervantes and other family members of 8-year-old Lionel "Leo" Cervantes. Cervantes was a second-grader and on the autism spectrum. He drowned in a nearby pond on Sept. 12 after running out of the school.

The crowd gathered around a sign at the school's entrance on Scuffletown Road. At the foot of the sign grew a temporary memorial. Leo's framed portrait was at the center, powder blue and yellow Care Bear dolls on either side. In the picture, Leo wore his favorite Spiderman costume. Silver balloons spelled out L-E-O, and six more shiny balloons featured Spidy. Votive candles, daisies, lilies, roses and Spiderman dolls further decorated the shrine.

Dalia Cervantes spoke a few quiet words to the crowd but mostly kept to herself and close family during the three-hour vigil for her son. At 7 p.m., a woman started handing out candles. The wind blew them out.

The song "Lift Me Up" by Rihanna played through a tiny speaker.

A few minutes later, Heindrich Shirley, pastor of Celebration Church, addressed the crowd, inviting all to step closer.

"We are all devastated in this moment," Shirley said, hardly audible over the wind. "Remember this family. Lift up this family."

Shirley and Cervantes then sat together in front of the memorial and he read Romans 8:28 and Psalms 34:17. Bits of what he said broke through: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. ... I don't know what it's like to walk in your shoes today..."

"It's not fair," Cervantes answered, muffled by the wind. "It's hard ... He would have been here today."

Her eyes remained set on her son's picture, perched on the memorial a few feet in front of her.

A little girl stepped forward and wrapped Cervantes' shoulders with a Spiderman blanket.
A week after Tropical Storm Helene struck the Carolinas, Duke Energy says their goal is still to have the vast majority of customers' power restored before the weekend, but about 85,000 could be in the dark until Sunday. Read moreDuke Energy says power to 85K SC customers won't be restored Oct. 4. Here's why.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-09-15 02:00:39

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 380 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO / ACCESSWIRE / September 14, 2024 / Bidwise, Inc., a leader in performance marketing, proudly announces the launch of Bidwise for Amazon Sellers, a powerful platform designed to drive high-quality traffic and dramatically increase sales using Amazon Attribution links and a cost-per-click (CPC) model."With Bidwise for Amazon Sellers, we empower Amazon sellers to harness the power of data-driven decisions," said Simon Vielma, President & CEO of Bidwise, Inc. "Our platform's targeting features and capabilities allow sellers to see which strategies drive conversions when used in conjunction with Amazon Attribution links." Supercharge Your Amazon SalesBidwise enables quick campaign setup by importing ASINs and leveraging AI-powered keyword tools. Sellers can take advantage of CPC-based advertising, set budgets and pause underperforming traffic sources, or place their Amazon Attribution links to enhance tracking and performance measurement.Reach High-Intent Shoppers and Expand Beyond AmazonWith millions of monthly shoppers, Bidwise runs some of the largest Amazon deal sites, including https://SuperOffers.com , connecting sellers with customers actively searching for their products. Sellers can also advertise beyond Amazon's ecosystem, reaching new customers and building brand recognition.Retarget Your Amazon Visitors Across the WebLeverage the power of retargeting with Bidwise for Amazon Sellers by placing pixels on all clicks from visitors who show interest in your Amazon listings. Reconnect with these potential customers across social media and the web, keeping your brand top-of-mind and driving purchases on Amazon or directly on your own website.Real-Time Tracking and Competitor TargetingBidwise offers advanced targeting features, including bidding directly on competitor ASINs, and comprehensive analytics to monitor every click and optimize campaigns for better performance.Join Bidwise TodayBidwise for Amazon Sellers is now available, offering a powerful way to drive traffic, boost sales, and grow your brand. Start today and experience the benefits of performance-based advertising combined with Amazon Attribution.For more information, visitwww.bidwise.com/amazon-sellers About Bidwise, Inc.Bidwise is a global leading intent marketing platform. The company runs and operates a collection of in-depth reviews and comparison websites that help users make informed purchasing decisions and drive high-value customer acquisition for leading brands. Headquartered in Miami, FL, the company continues to expand its reach, helping brands connect with millions of consumers worldwide.Contact:Mili Frigara press@ bidwise.com SOURCE: Bidwise Inc
PR-Inside.com: 2024-09-15 11:36:33

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 370 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

SINGAPORE / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2024 / BitFi, a leading CeDeFi platform, is thrilled to announce the upcoming public launch of its innovative assets management product, BitFi.ONE . Following a successful early access staking program, which saw a peak Total Value Locked (TVL) of US$400 million, BitFi is now poised to revolutionize how users earn yields on their BTC holdings via a real-yield-bearing approach.By utilizing delta-neutral trading strategies, and leveraging a network of trusted CeFi yield generation partners, BitFi provides a stable and reliable source of yield for BTC holders, with minimal risk. With over 2000 BTC currently generating real yields, BitFi has proven its effectiveness in delivering exceptional results.In the past pre-launch period, BitFi underwent a series of performance tests with more than 10 selected, reputable, trustworthy CeFi yield generation partners, achieved average performance is around 6-10% annualized return in BTC. After the public launch, users can also get extra DeFi yields across the Bitcoin Ecosystem. "We are excited to bring our assets management product to the public," said Han Liu, CEO at BitFi. "Our commitment to providing users with real-yield-bearing BTC and a secure, transparent CeDeFi platform sets us apart in the market." An early access VIP user shared his experience: "BitFi allowed me to use my idle BTC to generate stable, consistent yield with ultra-low risk exposure. The platform's user-friendly interface and transparent reporting made it easy to track my earnings and understand the underlying strategiesBitFi invites crypto enthusiasts to join the waiting list and be among the first to experience the benefits of this groundbreaking product. Stay tuned for more updates on the official launch date.---About BitFi:BitFi is the ONE CeDeFi destination to maximize the values of your BTC holdings via a native real-yield-bearing BTC and stablecoin solution. Our quantitative strategies, ecosystem yields, and platform-specific rewards deliver industry-leading returns with minimal risk, making it the premier destination for BTC holders. Led by a team with decades of Wall Street and crypto expertise, BitFi provides a secure and reliable environment for your assets. Grow your wealth with BitFi throughout Bull and Bear.Website | Twitter | TelegramContact InformationHan LiuCEOhan.liu@bitfi.org +1 412 360 9557SOURCE: BitFiView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-09-15 15:00:52

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 1037 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Learn about the rules, reviews and account types available in a precious metals IRA in the latest guide released by IRAEmpirePARKLAND, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2024 / IRAEmpire is proud to release its new guide on Precious Metals IRAs.Precious metals IRA Ryan Paulson, Chief Editor at IRAEmpire.com says, "Opening a precious metals IRA can unlock a plethora of investment options for consumers which wouldn't be accessible otherwise." Consumers interested in learning about gold investment companies can sign up for this free checklist. Ryan highlights that the checklist has already helped hundreds of investors choose reliable gold IRA companies.About Precious Metals IRA Accounts:In the world of retirement planning, precious metals IRAs have gained traction as a way for investors to diversify their portfolios with tangible assets. However, the storage process for these valuable metals is not as simple as stashing gold bars under a mattress. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has strict requirements in place to ensure the security and proper management of these assets.Consumers can read the full guide here.At the heart of the storage process is the mandate that precious metals in an IRA must be held by an IRS-approved trustee or custodian. This requirement is crucial for maintaining the tax-advantaged status of the retirement account. IRA owners are prohibited from personally possessing the metals, a rule that prevents potential abuse and ensures proper oversight.The physical storage of these precious metals typically occurs in specialized, highly secure facilities known as depositories. These fortresses of finance are equipped with state-of-the-art security systems, including round-the-clock surveillance, armed guards, and sophisticated alarm systems. The level of protection rivals that of government treasuries, reflecting the high value of the assets stored within.Investors often have a choice between two storage options: segregated or commingled. Segregated storage means an investor's metals are kept separate from others, while commingled storage allows for metals to be stored alongside those of other investors, though still accounted for individually. This choice can affect storage fees and, for some investors, provides peace of mind knowing their specific coins or bars are isolated.The role of the IRA custodian extends beyond simply arranging for storage. These financial institutions maintain detailed records of each account holder's precious metal holdings, facilitate purchases and sales as directed by the investor, and provide regular statements. This meticulous record-keeping ensures transparency and allows investors to track the performance of their metal investments over time.While the storage process may seem restrictive, it's designed to protect both the investor and the integrity of the retirement system. IRA owners retain control over investment decisions, able to direct their custodian to buy, sell, or transfer metals as they see fit. However, they must do so within the framework established by the IRS, which includes paying annual storage fees and adhering to specific rules about the types and purity of metals that can be held in the account.As with any investment, there are costs associated with precious metals IRAs. Storage fees can vary depending on the custodian and the specific storage option chosen. These fees are in addition to any other administrative costs related to maintaining the IRA. For many investors, the peace of mind that comes with professional storage and the potential for portfolio diversification outweigh these expenses.Available Metals in a Precious Metals IRA:In the realm of precious metals IRAs, investors have a range of options to choose from, but some metals shine brighter than others in terms of popularity. Gold, with its timeless allure and historical significance, stands at the forefront of precious metal investments. This yellow metal has long been revered as a store of value and a hedge against economic uncertainty, making it a top choice for those looking to diversify their retirement portfolios.Another popular option among inventors is silver. Silver's lower price point makes it more accessible to a broader range of investors, while still offering many of the same benefits as its more expensive counterpart. The industrial applications of silver, coupled with its monetary history, contribute to its appeal in IRA accounts.IRAEmpire recently released its rankings for the best gold IRA companies in the US.Platinum, while less common than gold and silver, has carved out its niche in the precious metals IRA market. This rare metal, prized for its use in catalytic converters and jewelry, offers investors another avenue for diversification. Its relative scarcity and industrial demand make it an intriguing option for those looking to expand beyond the more traditional precious metal choices.Rounding out the quartet of IRA-eligible precious metals is palladium. This lesser-known metal has seen increased interest in recent years, primarily due to its critical role in the automotive industry. However, it remains the least popular among the four, possibly due to its higher volatility and less established track record as an investment metal.It's crucial to note that not all forms of these metals are created equal in the eyes of the IRS. Strict purity requirements must be met for precious metals to be included in an IRA. Gold must be 99.5% pure, silver 99.9% pure, and both platinum and palladium must reach a lofty 99.95% purity. These standards ensure that investors are holding high-quality, investment-grade metals in their retirement accounts.The form of the metals also matters. IRA-eligible precious metals must be in the form of IRS-approved coins, bars, or rounds produced by accredited refiners or government mints. Popular choices include American Eagle coins, which are available in all four metals, Canadian Maple Leaf coins, and various bars and rounds from respected manufacturers.While the allure of precious metals in IRAs is strong, financial advisors often caution against overallocation. Most recommend that precious metals make up only a small portion of an overall retirement strategy, typically suggesting no more than 5-10% of a portfolio. This approach allows investors to benefit from the potential stability and growth of precious metals while maintaining a well-balanced and diversified retirement plan.As economic landscapes shift and global uncertainties persist, the appeal of tangible assets like precious metals in retirement accounts continues to grow. Whether opting for the traditional security of gold, the affordability of silver, or the industrial potential of platinum and palladium, investors in pre
Dangote Refinery has challenged the claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) that it bought petrol from its refinery at N898 per litre.

However, the Dangote Refinery in a statement by its Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, on Sunday, also failed to disclose the price at which it sold the product to NNPC Ltd.

On Sunday, Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of the NNPC Ltd, told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview that the company bought petrol from Dangote refinery at N898 per litre.

Mr Soney said market forces now determine domestic pump prices.

What you need to understand is that its market forces that determine the price. For instance, now Brent is $70. Lets say tomorrow now, Brent goes to $80, you should note that the price will also increase because those are the market forces.

But today, for this initial 16.8 million litre that was given to us, it was at the rate of N898, Mr Soneye told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday evening.

Dangote Refinery reacts

However, in its reaction on Sunday, the Dangote Refinery described the claim as misleading and mischievous, aimed at undermining the refinerys achievement in addressing Nigerias energy insufficiency.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

The refinery urged Nigerians to disregard the malicious statement and await a formal announcement on the pricing by the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-based crude sales to local refineries, appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which will commence on 1 October 2024.

It noted that its current stock of crude was procured in dollars and sold to NNPC in dollars, resulting in significant savings compared to current imports.

Our attention has been drawn to a statement attributed to NNPCL spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, that we sell our PMS at N898 per litre to the NNPCL. This statement is both misleading and mischievous, deliberately aimed at undermining the milestone achievement recorded today, September 15, 2024, towards addressing energy insufficiency and insecurity, which has bedeviled the economy in the past 50 years.

We urge Nigerians to disregard this malicious statement and await a formal announcement on the pricing, by the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-based crude sales to local refineries, appointed by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, which will commence on October 1, 2024, bearing in mind that our current stock of crude was procured in dollars.

It should also be noted that we sold the products to NNPCL in dollars with a lot of savings against what they are currently importing. With this action, there will be petrol in every local government area of the country regardless of their remote nature. We assure Nigerians of availability of quality petroleum products and putting an end to the endemic fuel scarcity in the country, the statement said.

The statement by Mr Chiejina however failed to tell Nigerians the price at which the refinery sold its petrol to NNPC Ltd.

It urged Nigerians to disregard NNPCs claim and await a formal announcement on the pricing by the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-based crude sales to local refineries, appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which will commence on 1 October.

The company did not say if the petrol currently being lifted from its facility would not be sold until 1st October.

When PREMIUM TIMES reached out to Mr Chiejina for comment Sunday night, he promised to get back. He has yet to do so as of press time Sunday night.

Background

In July, the Federal Executive Council directed NNPC Ltd to engage the Dangote refinery and other local refineries to resolve the dispute over the sale of crude oil to them.

The FEC, presided over by President Bola Tinubu, also directed that such crude oil sales to the refineries be made in naira and that the refineries located in Nigeria should also sell their refined products to the Nigerian market in naira.

Earlier in September, Devakumar Edwin, vice president at Dangote Industries Limited, said the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery has begun the processing of petrol.

Mr Edwin explained that the NNPC Limited would buy its product exclusively.

On Friday, the Nigerian government announced that loading of petrol from Dangote Refinery will begin on Sunday.

The government said petrol from the Dangote refinery would only be sold to NNPC Ltd which would then sell to various marketers in the short term.

On Saturday the state-owned oil company said it deployed over 100 trucks as of Saturday afternoon. Confirming the development, Mr Soneye said by the end of Saturday, at least 300 trucks would be stationed at the refinerys fuel loading gantry.

On Sunday, the NNPC released videos showing its trucks loading petrol from the refinery.

The refinery is expected to significantly boost Nigerias fuel supply stability.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


This article looks at the 15 best states to help you boost your retirement savings. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis on boosting savings in the Peak 65 era, jump to 5 Best States to Help You Boost Your Retirement Savings.

Boosting Retirement Savings in the Peak 65 Era

2024 marks the year of the Peak 65. This trend denotes the period where a record 4.1 million Americans will be turning 65 this year and every year till 2027. The concerning reality about this trend is that the majority of these Peak 65ers dont have access to a pension, the income that was previously used to fill the gap left by Social Security.

READ NEXT: 17 Best Places to Retire in the US in 2024 and 2025 Social Security COLA Increase: 15 Best Cities for Retirees

While several studies have been demonstrating that retirement savings amongst Americans have been up, such as those by Vanguard and Fidelity, Americans are still far behind the magic number they believe they need for a comfortable retirement. In a Vanguard report called How America Saves 2024, it was revealed that Vanguard participant account balances have increased by 19% since year-end 2022.

Delving deeper into these statistics, in 2023, the average account balance for Vanguard participants was $134,128, while the median was only $35,286. The large gap between the average and median is due to a small number of investors with very high balances, which in turn raises the average. In contrast, 40% of participants had less than $20,000 in their accounts, reflecting a more modest typical balance.

Similarly, the average 401(k) plan savings rate has also hit a record high in the first quarter of 2024. According to a Fidelity analysis of 26,000 corporate plans and nearly 24 million participants, the investment firm revealed how the combined savings rate for plans and participants reached 14.2% in Q1. The recommended benchmark, however, stands at 15% which allows one to maintain their current lifestyle in retirement.

Looking at the numbers, the financial reality for many retirees looks rather bleak. As a result, many older Americans are on the move. According to a report on migration trends by Hire a Helper, more than 338,000 US residents moved to a new home in the year 2023, a 44% jump from the prior year. According to U-Haul Holding Company (NYSE:UHAL-B), an American moving truck, trailer, and self-storage Rental Company, some of the top states retirees are moving to are Texas and Florida. Indeed, these states are some of the best states to retire on a fixed income, offering perks such as no income tax and affordable cost of living.

Story continues

While moving states to stretch your dollar income seems like a wise move, not everyone has the heart, health, or resources to do so. This is why individuals should save for retirement as early as possible. Some ways to boost your retirement savings include simple things like contributing to your 401(k) account, meeting your employer's match, and opening an IRA.

Moreover, the best way to save for retirement in your 50s is to take advantage of catch-up contributions. Individuals who reach the age of 50 are eligible to go beyond normal limits with these catch-up contributions, helping them boost retirement savings. T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:TROW) also suggests aiming for a 15% savings goal. Steady saving and increasing contributions periodically can help participants reach their retirement goals.

Many retirement plans also offer automatic savings and auto increase options. T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:TROW), a global investment management firm, offers several retirement plans that retirees can use. T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:TROW) is also a dividend aristocrat for those looking for a steady passive income. The company's revenue depends on investing client funds. This exposes it to earnings fluctuations due to client inflows, outflows, and market volatility, making its profitability as unpredictable as the market.

Despite these challenges, the company remains financially strong, with no long-term debt and a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. This solid financial foundation offers a strong buffer, supporting dividend stability even during volatile market periods. In the first quarter of 2024, the company returned $365 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.

While we acknowledge the potential of TROW as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TROW but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

15 Best States to Help You Boost Your Retirement Savings

Methodology

Our methodology ranks states based on three critical factors: cost of living, retirement tax friendliness, and overall tax burden. The cost of living metric accounts for daily expenses, including housing, groceries, utilities, and healthcare, which are essential for retirees managing fixed incomes. Retirement tax friendliness evaluates each state's treatment of Social Security benefits and pension income, both of which are vital sources of retirement funds that can significantly impact savings potential. Lastly, the overall tax burden encompasses income, sales, and property taxes, offering a comprehensive view of the total tax liability retirees face. Overall tax burden percentages are taken from Wallethub.

By combining these factors, we provide a holistic ranking of states that best support retirees in maximizing their savings. Disclaimer: Results are based on our specific methodology and may vary with different criteria or methodologies. Individual experiences may differ.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Here are the best states to help boost your retirement savings:

15. Mississippi

Insider Monkey Score: 70

Mississippi lands on our list of best states to help boost your retirement savings due to its ideal balance between affordable living costs, overall tax liability, and retirement tax friendliness. Living expenses in the state are 12% lower than the national average, allowing residents to spend less than they would in other areas. This naturally provides more opportunities for saving. The overall tax burden for Mississippians is around 8.8%, which is considerably lower than the 12.02% high in New York.

14. Delaware

Insider Monkey Score: 70

Delaware is another state where individuals can boost their savings and retirees can stretch them. With an overall tax burden of 6.43%, the state is almost at the top for tax favorability. The state is also amongst the five states in the nation with no sales tax. Property tax burden in the state is also amongst the lowest, standing at 1.77%. With less money going to taxes, individuals in Delaware can invest more effectively and reduce financial stress, leading to greater long-term savings growth. Living expenses in the state are close to the national average, while the state is also tax-friendly towards retirees.

13. Florida

Insider Monkey Score: 71

Hardly any list of best states to retire in money-wise is complete without the Sunshine State of Florida. Standing at the 13th position, Florida also makes it to our list due to its due to its tax-free living. Thats right, the state does not have a personal income tax, which means individuals get to keep their income without paying taxes. The overall tax burden for the state is 6.05%, making it tax-favorable. Living expenses are a tad bit higher than the national average, but the tax favorability and retirement friendliness make up for it.

12. Montana

Insider Monkey Score: 70

Montana is a relatively taxpayer-friendly state, with zero sales taxes and below-the-national-average property taxes. Living expenses in the state are 5.3% lower than the national average. Combining tax favorability with affordable living expenses, individuals in Montana have a better chance of boosting their retirement savings than in many other states.

11. Michigan

Insider Monkey Score: 74

The state of Michigan enjoys living expenses 9.1% lower than the national average. The states overall tax burden stands at 8.02%, compared to the highest 12.02% in New York. The state is also relatively tax-friendly towards retirees, with no taxes on Social Security income.

10. West Virginia

Insider Monkey Score: 75

Next on our list of best states to help you boost your retirement savings is West Virginia. Compared with Michigan, West Virginia has a high overall tax burden, standing at 8.45%. However, living expenses in the state are 15.7% lower than the national average, resulting in significant savings in terms of cost of living.

9. Texas

Insider Monkey Score: 76

Boasting the right balance between affordability and tax friendliness, Texas is indeed a prime state for boosting ones retirement savings. Living expenses in the state are more than 8% lower than the national average. There is no income tax in the state, while the overall tax burden is 7.56%. No wonder Texas also made it to our list of best states to retire in the US in 2024.

8. Georgia

Insider Monkey Score: 80

Georgia is a highly tax-friendly state for retirees. It doesnt tax Social Security benefits, and there is a deduction of $65,000 per person on all types of retirement income for anyone age 65 and older. The overall tax burden for the state comes out to be around 7.65% while living expenses in the state are 9.1% lower than the national average. Overall, Georgia's tax advantages and affordable living make it a top choice for retirees looking to maximize their savings.

7. Missouri

Insider Monkey Score: 82

Next on our list of best states to help you boost your retirement savings is the state of Missouri. Living expenses in the state are 11% lower than the national average. Meanwhile, the overall tax burden stands at 7.76%. This percentage signifies one of the lowest tax burdens in the state. Beginning tax year 2024, the state doesnt tax Social Security retirement benefits either, making it tax-friendly to those who have already retired.

6. North Dakota

Insider Monkey Score: 83

In North Dakota, the cost of living is 8.3% lower than the national average. The overall tax burden in the state is around 6.8%. The state is notable for its low-income tax rates, with the top marginal rate now at 2.5%. Overall, the state is a good choice for individuals who wish to save more for retirement.

5. South Dakota

Insider Monkey Score: 87

South Dakota has been ranked by Insider Monkey as the best state to retire in the US in 2024. Its ideal balance of affordability, retirement tax friendliness, and low tax burden makes it an ultimate choice for retirees and individuals looking to save more of their dollar incomes. Living expenses in the state are 8.8% lower than the national average, while the overall tax burden is 6.44%.

4. Wyoming

Insider Monkey Score: 87

Boasting an even lower overall tax burden and below-average living expenses, Wyoming is another state that will prove to be lucky for retirement savers. The overall tax burden stands at 5.7% while living expenses are 7% lower than the national average. Wyoming doesnt have an individual income tax either, making it a top choice for many.

3. Alabama

Insider Monkey Score: 89

The state of Alabama scored 89, managing to get the third spot on our list. The cost of living index for the state is 87.6, which implies that living expenses in the state are 12.4% lower than the national average. It has one of the lowest average effective property tax rates, while the state sales tax rate is also a low 4%.

2. Oklahoma

Insider Monkey Score: 91

Oklahoma stands tall on our list, securing the second position. It has an overall tax burden of 7.04%, while living expenses in the state are 14.7% lower than the national average. The state of Oklahoma is also tax-friendly toward retirees.

1. Tennessee

Insider Monkey Score: 95

Based on our methodology, the best state to help boost your retirement savings is Tennessee. The state boasts one of the lowest overall tax burdens in the nation -6.07 %. The state doesnt have an individual income tax, and retirement savings and Social Security are also not taxed. With living expenses 9.2% below the national average, Tennessee is a cost-effective choice for maximizing retirement savings.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.
Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore has raised the alarms of his arrest and brief detention by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Sunday.

Mr Sowore, who arrived in Nigeria after monthslong visit to the United States of America, where his family is based, announced his arrest and subsequent release by immigration officers in two separate posts on X within an hour.

According to him, the Nigerian Immigration Service operatives said they detained him based on orders.

DETAINED BY THE @NigerianImmigration, my International passport confiscated.

I had just arrived in Nigeria from the USA to the MMIA in Lagos; upon reaching Nigerian Immigration, my passport was seized, and they told me they had orders to detain me, he wrote.

Less than an hour later, Mr Sowore posted on X that he had been released.

I have just been released by the Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention and my passport released back to me. #RevolutionNow, Mr Sowore wrote.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

However, when contacted on Sunday by PREMIUM TIMES, NIS spokesperson, Kenneth Udo, said Mr Sowore was not arrested apart from going through the routine immigration clearance.

This newspaper learnt that his flight left Washington Dulles International Airport at 6.14 EDT and arrived in Lagos at around 9.43 a.m. Nigerian time on Sunday.

Mr Sowore, a two-time presidential candidate, arrived in Nigeria about three days after his Sahara Reporters raised the alarm in a report that the State Security Service (SSS) was plotting to arrest him.

The Sahara Reporters report, citing a leaked memo of the SSS, said the security agency was plotting to arrest him over his role in the #EndBadGoverbance protest in August.

Since the 10-day protest which started on 1 August, the Nigerian government has clamped down on the organisers of the protest and many others linked to it.

Over 1,000 persons, including minors, passersby and those who shared posts relating to the protest on social media platforms, were arrested in connection with the protest last month, with the government accusing them of serious crimes including treason and terrorism.

Ten of them arrested in Abuja, Kaduna and other places are facing charges of collaborating with a British socialist, Andrew Wynne, to topple the government of President Bola Tinubu and levy a war against Nigeria.

This is not unexpected because I have always known that It is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist @officialAbat regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessINOctober revolt, Mr Sowore earlier wrote in his first post announcing his arrest on X.

In case this becomes another prolonged and protracted detention, I urge our citizens to ensure they ALL stop tyranny by all means acceptable and necessary, by engaging in the planned series of direct actions slated for October 1st and beyond. #EndBadGovernaceInNigerianow #RevolutionNow.

Mr Sowore is not new to arrest and detention by the Nigerian police and SSS over protests and other forms of activism.

In 2019, SSS operatives arrested Mr Sowore at home in Lagos in a Gestapo manner over his call for the #RevolutionNow protest.

He was immediately flown to Abuja where he was detained for months against a series of court orders granting him bail.

He was prosecuted by the then President Muhammadu Buharis administration on charges of treasonable felony for more than four years.

The prosecution rambled in court for the period of the witness-starved trial until the new Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, terminated the trial by withdrawing the charges earlier this year.

Last month, the SSS arrested and detained a multiple-award winning investigative journalist Adejuwon Soyinka, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on his arrival from the United Kingdom.

He was released after more than six hours detention.

The SSS would later blame the arrest of the Nigerian journalist on possible mistaken identity.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested five Chinese nationals accused of illegal mining activities in Akwa Ibom State, the agency announced on Sunday.

In a statement, the EFCCs Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said the arrests were made by the commissions Special Task Force on illegal mining following credible intelligence about unlawful mining operations in the region. The suspects were arrested at Ndito-Eka-Iba village, in Ibiono Local Government Area of the state.

The arrests, Mr Oyewale said, were made in collaboration with the EFCCs Uyo Zonal Office. The task force had been monitoring the suspects activities in both Eket and Ibiono Local Government Areas before apprehending them.

The suspectsZhon Qinping, Li Yi, Xie Bin, Chen Mou Zhou, and Chen Zengwere arrested at different times, Mr Oyewale said. Zhon Qinping was taken into custody on September 10, 2024, while the others were apprehended on 29 August 2024, all within the Ibiono area.

According to the EFCC, the group was allegedly operating at an illegal mining site where they were extracting ilmenite, a mineral composed of titanium-iron oxide.

The suspects will be charged to court once investigations are completed, Mr Oyewale added.

Illegal mining nationwide crisis

Illegal mining, which is mining activity undertaken without state permission, in particular in absence of land rights, mining licenses, exploration and exploitation permits or mineral transportation permits, is a major drain on Nigerias economy.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

The top 1- minerals most vulnerable to illegal mining are gold, aquamarine, sapphire, tourmaline, tin, columbite, coal, lead/zinc, fluorite and sand, according to the National Inherent Risk Assessment Risk Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Threats & Vulnerabilities in the Nigerian Extractive Sector report (2022).

Enforcement, prosecution, and conviction have fallen short, failing to match the scale of the illegal activities.

For instance, the risk assessment report said EFCC investigated only three cases of illegal mining in 2020 and obtained convictions on two cases of illegal dealing of gold in 2019.

Nigeria has recorded many cases of illegal mining involving Chinese nationals. In July 2023, the EFCCs Ilorin Zonal Command arrested 13 Chinese nationals in Kwara State for similar offenses. The suspects, among whom was one woman, were allegedly engaged in illegal mining activities and were accused of failing to pay royalties to the federal government.

Among those arrested in Kwara were Guo Ya Wang, Lizli Hui, and several others, who were reportedly working for W. Mining Global Service Limited, a Chinese company operating in the state.

In July 2023, the then Acting Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulkarim Chukkol, highlighted the economic damage caused by illegal mining.

Speaking during a media training in Kwara State, Mr Chukkol described the illegal mining industry as a grave threat to both the local and national economy.

He explained that the EFCCs Ilorin office arrested more than 80 illegal operators and impounded 24 truckloads of assorted minerals.

In one notable case, a Chinese national, the Managing Director of Sinuo Xinyang Nigeria Ltd., Dang Deng, was convicted in October 2022 for possessing 25 tons of illegally mined minerals.

Illegal mining is not confined to Akwa Ibom and Kwara states. In May 2020, the Osun State Government arrested 27 illegal miners, including 17 Chinese nationals.

The operation, led by the states security task force, also resulted in the arrest of a local traditional ruler, along with several Nigerian nationals linked to the mining activities.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


President Bola Tinubu will return to Abuja on Sunday, following his official visit to China and his short stay in the United Kingdom.

President Tinubu left Abuja for Beijing, China, on 29 August.

He started his official visit on Tuesday, 2 September, with a meeting with President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People.

While in China, President Tinubu was warmly received by his host with 21-gun salute and a guard of honour was mounted for his inspection.

During bilateral meeting with President Jinping, five Memoranda of understanding were signed between Nigeria and China, Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, said in a statement on Saturday.

He added that Mr Tinubu also held another round of bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

He said Mr Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, hosted Mr Tinubu at the Welcoming Banquet and Cultural Gala Performance on the eve of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Among the MOUs signed are the Cooperation Plan between Nigeria and China.

He said this was to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, the peaceful application of nuclear energy, and cooperation on human resource development under the Global Development Initiative.

Others are on Media Exchange and Cooperation between China Media Group and the Nigerian Television Authority.

He said Nigeria also signed an MoU with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to build the 68 km Lagos Green rail line, designed to run from the Lekki Free Zone to the Marina and connect with the Blue Line.

A memorandum of understanding for the 1 billion dollar iron ore-to-steel project planned for Kogi State was also signed between Chart and Capstone Integrated Limited of Nigeria and Sinomach-He of China.

Before attending the opening of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, President Tinubu visited two Chinese companies: Huawei and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).

At FOCAC, President Tinubu, as chairman of ECOWAS, delivered a paper on global peace, stressing multilateralism and cooperation as essential ingredients for international peace, the Presidential aide said.

He said the President capped his visit to China with a meeting with representatives of Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation, China chapter.

During which he spoke on the necessity of the reforms being implemented by his government in Nigeria and hoped that they would lead the country to a destination of good roads, constant power, and good schools, like in China.

President Tinubu left Beijing for London, where he spent some days. On Thursday, he met with King Charles III, where he discussed issues related to climate change and action, Mr Onanuga said.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Anambra says an accident involving two vehicles at Zone-13 occurred on Saturday on Onitsha-Nteje-Awka road in which a male and female adult died.

The Sector Commander of the corps, Joyce Alexander, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Saturday, said that the accident could be attributed to brake failure and loss of control.

She said that the accident involved an unidentified driver of a car marked UWN531AS and a driver identified as Sani Bappa with a tanker registered ADM619XA.

According to (an) eyewitness, the brake of the car failed, the driver lost control of the vehicle and rammed into the tanker.

Four persons, including three male adults and a female adult were involved in the accident.

One female adult and one male adult died, one injured while another male adult was rescued unhurt.

Before the arrival of the FRSC rescue team, the remains of the dead had been taken to the mortuary and the two vehicles towed away from the road, she said.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

While sympathising with the families of the dead, the sector commander warned motorists to desist from disobeying traffic rules and urged them to ensure that vehicles are serviced regularly.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


An Upper Area Court sitting in Kado, Abuja, has restrained the police from investigating a paternity dispute against former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, pending the hearing and determination of the case.

The presiding judge, Shehu Ahmadu, in a ruling, ordered the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police and his officers not to accept any complaint from Musa Baffa, Uwani Arabi and their daughter, Hadiza Baffa, in relation to the ex-minister as the matter is already before the court.

The judge gave the order following an ex-parte motion moved by Mr Turakis counsel on Sept. 2 and a certified true copy of the order made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.

The judge said: Respondents are hereby restrained, especially 4th to 10th respondents from accepting any complaint from the 1st to 3rd respondents (parents and daughter) especially the 2nd respondent (Hadiza) or carrying any investigation relating to the applicant as the matter is already before a competent court of law, the Upper Area Court Kado FCT, in CV/35/2024 until the determination of the motion on notice before this court.

This order Is given under the hand and seal of the honourable judge.

Mr Turaki had, in the motion number: M/26/2024, sued Musa Baffa (father), Hadiza Baffa (daughter), Uwani Arabi (mother) and Nigeria Police Force as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.

Others listed in the application include the I-G, DIG Sylvester Alabi (DIG Force CID), AIG Muhammad Dan Kwara (Force CID), CP Musbahu Ajani (CP Admin, Force CID), CSP Mohammed Gashua and SP Ibrahim Shugaba as 5th to 10th respondents.

In the substantive suit marked: CV/35/2024 filed before the court, Turaki sued Musa, Hadiza and Uwani as 1st to 3rd defendants.

The ex-minister denied being responsible for Hadizas pregnancy which resulted in a baby girl.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

He alleged that Hadiza had a boyfriend who he said was responsible for the pregnancy.

The ex-minister alleged that sometimes in 2016, Uwani, who was a person known to him in Kano before her marriage to Musa, called him on phone and sought his advice on her plans to relocate her daughter, Hadiza, who was then schooling, according to her, at University of Maiduguri, because of the activities of Boko Haram.

He said he advised Uwani to secure admission for her daughter at Bayero University, Kano; Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, or University of Ilorin.

Mr Turaki said after some weeks of the previous discussion, Uwani called and told him that she was coming to Abuja together with Hadiza and begged him to arrange an accommodation for them.

He said he obliged by securing an accommodation at Ideal Guest House, Garki which Is a furnished apartment that are let out for short or long stay.

He said Uwani secured admission for Hadiza at Baze University in Abuja and he supported her with N1 million out of the N3 million for registration fees.

He alleged that Uwani pleaded with him to serve as guardian for her daughter, Hadiza.

The ex-minister, who averred that he took responsibility of Hadizas upkeep, said he was surprised to discover that Hadiza connived with her mother to change her surname to Turaki without his knowledge and consent.

He alleged that when Hadizas criminal acts became so intense, he drove her away and directed his staff not to allow her close to his office anymore.

He alleged that after walking out on the daughter and the mother for a month or thereabout, Uwani called him on phone and requested to see him.

He said during the meeting, Uwani told him that her daughter was pregnant and she said he was responsible.

Mr Turaki averred that he outrightly denied the allegation describing it as a blackmail.

He alleged that Musa, Hadizas father, who he said had abandoned the daughter for 28 years, called him around May regarding the issue.

But in a statement of defence jointly filed by the parents and daughter, they denied Mr Turakis allegations.

Hadiza and Uwani averred that it was the ex-minister who reached out to the third defendant (Uwani) and offered to help her daughter by enrolling her into Baze University in Abuja, bear the cost of her education and accommodation; and serve as her guardian.

According to them, the plaintiff (Turaki) committed to doing everything for the 2nd defendant because according to him, he considers her as his daughter.

They alleged that it was Mr Turaki who suggested the university contrary to his claim.

They said Hadizas registration fees when she gained admission in 2014 was N950, 000 and that the ex-minister gave her $2000 dollars for the fees.

Uwani said contrary to Turakis claim, the former minister offered to serve as Hadizas guardian.

Uwani, who said she never requested or prompted for such decision, said as at that time she did not suspect that Turaki had sinister motives towards her daughter.

Hadiza averred that she never suspected that Mr Turakis benevolence towards her was to take advantage of her.

Uwani said contrary to Mr Turakis claim that she begged him to give her daughter a car, the woman said she never had any of such discussion with the former minister.

According to her, it was the plaintiff who called her to pick up the Toyota Almera from his office at T.Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro and she was surprise to see that the car particulars carried her name as Hadiza Turaki.

On her part, Hadiza alleged that it was Turaki who had changed her name to Hadiza Turaki by putting same on the vehicle papers he bought for her and persuaded her to use the same name on her Guarantee Trust Bank account number through which he sent monies to her severally through his account officer.

Hadiza alleged that she had challenges with her education, faced physical and emotional trauma when the ex-minister exploited her under the guise of being her guardian.

She alleged that he frequently visited her in the apartments and several times lured her into having illicit sexual relationship with him.

She further averred that the plaintiff severally threatened her not to let her parents know that he was taking advantage of her thus, she was scared and traumatised, and the trauma affected her and her studies.

According to her, when the plaintiff realised that she was passing through psychological and physical trauma, he kept promising to marry her and began to exchange romantic phone and WhatsApp conversations with her.

Hadiza alleged that when she discovered that she was pregnant for Mr Turaki, she informed him and he took several steps, including phone calls made to her trying to compel and pushing her to abort the pregnancy.

She said she decided to keep the pregnancy against all odds when she was advised against terminating it and the risk involved.

She alleged that Mr Turaki became wild against her when she refused to listen to him.

Hadiza said she delivered the baby girl on April 3, 2023.

And when the plaintiff later saw the baby, he acknowledged that she was his daughter as a result of the striking resemblance with him, she alleged.

She further alleged that the ex-minister even paid monies for the antenatal, delivery and post natal services of the baby girl at Nizamiyye Hospital.

The matter was adjourned until Sept. 24 for continuation of hearing.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu over the failure to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to reverse the apparently unlawful increase in the pump price of petrol, and to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPCL.

Joined in the suit as Respondents are the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and the NNPCL.

In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1361/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is asking the court to compel President Tinubu to direct the NNPCL to reverse the unjust, illegal, unconstitutional and unreasonable increase in the price of petrol from N845 per litre to N600 per litre.

SERAP is also asking the court to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC, including the spending of the reported $300 million bailout funds collected from the Federal Government in August 2024, and the $6 billion debt it owes suppliers, despite allegedly failing to remit oil revenues to the treasury.

SERAP is asking the court to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anticorruption agencies to prosecute anyone suspected to be responsible for the alleged corruption and mismanagement in the NNPCL, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and to recover any proceeds of corruption.

In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: The increase in petrol price is causing immense hardship to those less well-off. As the economic situation in Nigeria deteriorates, the increase is pushing people further into poverty.

SERAP is also arguing that, Holding the NNPC to account for alleged corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector would serve legitimate public interests.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, read in part: The increase in petrol price constitutes a fundamental breach of constitutional guarantees and the countrys international human rights obligations.

Corruption in the oil sector and the lack of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds to support the operations of the NNPC have resulted in persistent and unlawful hike in petrol prices.

Increasing petrol prices at a time when millions of Nigerians continue to face worsening economic conditions is entirely inconsistent with constitutional and international obligations to ensure the minimum living conditions compatible with human dignity.

The arbitrary increase has placed a disproportionate burden on the marginalized and most vulnerable sectors of society, particularly those disadvantaged by poverty.

The increase is seriously jeopardizing their living conditions, as well as individuals physical, emotional, and individual development, and intensifying and worsening socioeconomic conditions in the country.

The increase constitutes a serious human rights problem because of the intensity with which it undermines the enjoyment and exercise by Nigerians of their human rights and renders their civic participation illusory.

The fundamental right to life includes not only the right of every Nigerian not to be deprived of his/her life arbitrarily, but also the right that he/she will not be prevented from having access to the conditions that guarantee a dignified existence.

The growing poverty and inequality in the country has continued to adversely affect the right of Nigerians to participatory democracy, and impede their ability to participate in their own government.

Nigerians have for far too long been denied justice and the opportunity to get to the bottom of why they continue to pay the price for corruption in the oil sector. The increase in petrol price has rendered already impoverished citizens incapable of satisfying their minimum needs for survival.

The increase is not inevitable, as it stems from the persistent failure of successive governments to address the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector and the impunity of suspected perpetrators.

Persistent increase in petrol prices keep people in poverty which in turn perpetuates discriminatory attitudes and practices against them.

The government has a legal obligation to mobilize the maximum of the countrys available resources to ensure peoples socio-economic rights and to protect the most vulnerable and disadvantaged Nigerians.

The government also has the legal obligations to probe and prosecute allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC, and to ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims of corruption.

Investigating and prosecuting the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector would be entirely consistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and the countrys international anti-corruption obligations.

Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on the government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on the government to abolish all corrupt practices including in the NNPC.

Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, the government has a responsibility to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.

Section 16(2) further provides that, the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.

According to our information, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited recently increased the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets.

The price of the product increased to N855 per litre, from about N600, and in some instances above N900 per litre. The apparently unlawful increase in petrol price followed a scarcity caused by the reported refusal by suppliers to import petroleum products for the NNPCL over a $6 billion debt.

The NNPC allegedly failed to remit USD$2.04 billion and N164 billion of oil revenues into the public treasury, as documented in the recently published 2020 annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Kolawole Oluwadare

SERAP Deputy Director

15/09/2024

Lagos, Nigeria

Emails: info@serap-nigeria.org; news@serap-nigeria.org

Twitter: @SERAPNigeria

Website: www.serap-nigeria.org

For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on: +2348160537202

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State on Saturday elected its new State Executive Committee.

The election, held at the Uyo Township Stadium, saw Aniekan Akpan, the chairperson of the PDP in the state, re-elected for another term.

Mr Akpan was first elected in January 2021 to replace the former state chairperson of the PDP, Udo Ekpenyong, who died of COVID-19.

Among the fresh faces in the new executive committee of the PDP in the state, is Edwin Ebiese, a popular compere, who is the new publicity secretary. He replaced Borono Bassey.

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, while congratulating the new PDP executive, urged the team to conquer new territories and expand the PDPs influence in the state.

I sincerely thank my predecessor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, for his instrumental guidance in driving our shared success.

With this new Exco in place, we are ready to push forward, ensuring victory in the upcoming 5 October local government elections and beyond, Mr Eno said.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Below is the full list of the new PDP Executive Committee in Akwa Ibom State.

MEMBERS OF THE STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE PDP, AKWA IBOM STATE

CHAIRMAN

ANIEKAN SIMO 

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN

HARRISON EKPO

SECRETARY

IBANGA AKPAN BROWNSON

VICE CHAIRMAN I

AUGUSTINE ESAU AKPAN

VICE CHAIRMAN II

INEMESIT ITINA

VICE CHAIRMAN III

BARR. EKPONG EDEMUMOH

TREASURER

 

FINANCIAL SECRETARY

EFFIONG ITA EMAH

ORGANIZING SECRETARY

EMMANUEL MBONG

PUBLICITY SECRETARY

EDWIN EDWIN EBIESE

LEGAL ADVISER

BARR. EKEMINI UBA

AUDITOR

ANDY HALIFAX EKITOK

WOMAN LEADER

INIBEHE SILAS

YOUTH LEADER

UBONG EFFIONG

ASST SECT I

DAVID UMANAH

ASST SECT II

ANIETIE SUNDAY AKPAN

ASST SECT III

UMANA BENJAMIN UMANA

ASST TREASURER I

MABEL UDOM

ASST TREASURER II

JOHNSON JUMBO

ASST TREASURER III

SAMUEL ALFRED AWAKESSIEN

ASST FINANCIAL SECT

FRIDAY EBONG

ASST PUBLICITY SECT

REGINA UDONSEK

ASST ORG SECTI

FABIAN EMMANUEL

ASST ORG SECT II

FRIDAY UKO ARCHIBONG

ASST ORG SECT III

LAWSON BASSEY UKIM

ASST LEGAL ADVISER

MICHAEL EYO

ASST WOMAN LEADER I

UDEME FRIDAY JOHNNY

ASST WOMAN LEADER II

AGNES OKON JOE

ASST WOMAN LEADER III

ALICE UDOETE OYUHO

ASST YOUTH LEADER I

BEN EDENGSSENTING

ASST YOUTH LEADER II

UCHANG ETIM AKAKA

ASST YOUTH LEADER III

ITOHOWO IBE BASSEY

ASST AUDITOR

USENMFON IBANGA

EX-OFFICIO

SARAH EKWO

EX-OFFICIO

HANNAH SUNDAY

EX-OFFICIO

INIOBONG UKWAK

EX-OFFICIO

IMAOBONG AUGUSTA ARCHIBONG

EX-OFFICIO

ESTHER ROBSON UMOH

EX-OFFICIO

OFONIME MICHAEL AKPAN

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Oko-Baba plank market in Ebute-metta, Lagos, was engulfed on Sunday by fire, destroying goods worth millions of naira, an official has said.

Nosa Okunbor, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday.

The fire consumed the main plank market, major parts of the shanties and goods worth millions of naira.

The Oko Baba market is a sprawling timber market on the Lagos lagoon close to the Third Mainland Bridge.

Mr Okunbor said the service received distress calls regarding the fire outbreak around 10 a.m. on Sunday.

However, he said that there was no loss of life, adding, No injuries sustained.

The Agency activated its Cobra Squad from the Onipanu Base and arrived at the incident scene at 11020hrs, he said.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Upon arrival at the scene, it was observed that a plank market and shanties spread on a large expanse of land was engulfed by fire.

The spokesperson said the cause of the fire outbreak could not be ascertained as of the time the statement was compiled.

He noted that the emergency responders contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to adjoining buildings before it was quickly subdued.

The timber market has experienced at least three fire incidents in 2015, 2021 and January 2022.

Relocation

The state government made plans to relocate the sawmill market to a permanent site.

In December 2021, the state government began a verification exercise towards the relocation of Oko-Baba Sawmillers to the Timberville, Owu-Ikosi purpose-built facility.

However, a recent court judgement in August has ordered the state government to stop the planned relocation of the timber dealers.

The courts ruling comes after the traders challenged the state governments plan to relocate them to Ikosi, which they did not consider as a suitable alternative.

READ ALSO: Fire razes shops in Kano market

Meanwhile, a human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, urged the state government to obey the court order and halt the relocation plan.

The state government said it embarked on the relocation of the sawmillers to protect the environment and create a more conducive and desirable location for business activity.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Cross River Epidemiologist, Inyang Ekpenyong, has confirmed two new cases of Mpox in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area.

She made the confirmation in a statement in Calabar on Saturday.

It would be recalled that the state had earlier reported a case in Okoshe, Obudu Local Government Area, which was confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja.

Mrs Ekpenyong said a case management team had been informed that the two cases should be urgently evacuated to an isolation centre.

She added that the state/LGA Rapid Response Team (RRT) have commenced contact tracing, listing and monitoring.

We also use this opportunity to appeal for financial resources to urgently carry out the needed response activities.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 67 cases of Mpox in the country as of 11 September.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

According to the disease centre, the cases were confirmed out of 1,031 suspected cases reported across 23 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

The NCDC Director General, Jide Idris, who disclosed this at a media briefing, said both Akwa Ibom and Enugu states were leading in the Mpox chart with eight cases each while Bayelsa recorded six cases. Cross River has five cases while Benue, Plateau and Delta reported four cases each.

Other states, according to Mr Idris, are Imo, Lagos and the FCT, with three cases each, while Rivers, Abia, Osun, Anambra, and Ogun reported two cases each.

About Mpox

Mpox is a rare and infectious disease that can spread from animals to humans and between people. Its commonly found in certain parts of Africa, particularly in the tropical rainforests of Central and West Africa.

The disease can also spread from person to person through close contact with an infected person or by touching contaminated things.

Symptoms of Mpox include fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, swollen lymph nodes, and a unique rash that typically starts on the face and spreads to other areas. The rash can also appear on the hands, feet, and genital areas, making it possible to spread the disease through sexual contact.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


One person died while 10 others sustained various degrees of injuries in an accident involving a Mazda bus at the Saapade bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Saturday.

Florence Okpe, the spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, confirmed the incident in a statement in Abeokuta.

According to her, the accident occurred at 2:58 p.m. and it involved a white Mazda Bus with registration number GGE 858 XY.

Mrs Okpe stated that the accident was caused by excessive speed, tyre burst and loss of control.

A total number of 17 people were involved, comprising eight men, seven women and two children.

Unfortunately, one woman died while 10 people  two men, six women and two children  sustained injuries, she said.

Mrs Okpe explained further that the injured victims were taken to Patmag Hospital at Ogere for medical attention while the deceased was deposited at the FOS Morgue at Ipara.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Meanwhile, the Ogun Sector Commander of FRSC, Akinwumi Fasakin, in the same statement, advised motorists to always pay more attention to their tyres by checking the expiration date.

He stated that the situation of a tyre bursting while at a controlled speed would have been handled better.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The South Korean market has climbed 1.4% in the last 7 days, despite a decline of 3.9% over the past 12 months, with earnings expected to grow by 29% per annum over the next few years. In this fluctuating environment, dividend stocks can offer a reliable income stream and potential for growth, making them an attractive option for investors seeking stability and returns.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In South Korea

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Kia (KOSE:A000270) 5.57%  Woori Financial Group (KOSE:A316140) 4.67%  HANYANG ENGLtd (KOSDAQ:A045100) 3.36%  Hansae (KOSE:A105630) 3.33%  KT (KOSE:A030200) 4.76%  JW Holdings (KOSE:A096760) 3.42%  Industrial Bank of Korea (KOSE:A024110) 7.08%  Kyung Nong (KOSE:A002100) 7.16%  Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance (KOSE:A000810) 4.48%  Tong Yang Life Insurance (KOSE:A082640) 7.03% 

Click here to see the full list of 75 stocks from our Top KRX Dividend Stocks screener.

Let's take a closer look at a couple of our picks from the screened companies.

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: TS Corporation operates as a food company in South Korea with a market cap of 265.05 billion.

Operations: TS Corporation's revenue primarily comes from its segments: Feed (251.01 million), Livestock Distribution (369.01 million), and Food excluding Animal Feed Stuffs (772.98 million).

Dividend Yield: 3.9%

TS Corporation's dividend payments have increased over the past five years, with a current yield of 3.89%, placing it in the top 25% of South Korean dividend payers. The company's dividends are well-covered by both earnings (payout ratio: 37.9%) and cash flows (cash payout ratio: 36.6%). Recent earnings showed a slight decline, with net income at KRW 9.65 billion for Q2-2024 compared to KRW 10.57 billion a year ago, but the company announced a share buyback program worth up to KRW 10 billion to stabilize stock price and improve corporate value.

KOSE:A001790 Dividend History as at Sep 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Snt Dynamics Co.,Ltd. manufactures and sells precision machinery, with a market cap of 468.03 billion.

Operations: Snt Dynamics Co.,Ltd. generates its revenue from two main segments: the Machinery Business, which contributes 5.21 billion, and the Transportation Equipment Business, accounting for 555.04 billion.

Dividend Yield: 4.8%

Snt Dynamics Ltd. has a mixed dividend profile, having paid dividends for only five years with some volatility. Despite a high cash payout ratio of 89.4%, the dividends are well-covered by earnings (payout ratio: 25%). The company reported strong recent earnings growth, with net income rising to KRW 47.02 billion in Q2-2024 from KRW 8.98 billion a year ago, but future earnings are forecasted to decline by an average of 19.1% annually over the next three years.

Story continues

KOSE:A003570 Dividend History as at Sep 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Youngone Holdings Co., Ltd. manufactures and sells apparel, footwear, gear, sportswear, and jackets in South Korea and internationally with a market cap of 1.04 trillion.

Operations: Youngone Holdings Co., Ltd. generates revenue primarily from the sale of apparel, footwear, gear, sportswear, and jackets both domestically and internationally.

Dividend Yield: 5.3%

Youngone Holdings has a solid dividend profile, with a low payout ratio of 12.2% and a cash payout ratio of 14%, indicating dividends are well-covered by both earnings and free cash flow. The companys dividend yield is in the top 25% of South Korea's market at 5.27%. However, it has only paid dividends for five years, which may raise concerns about its long-term reliability despite stable payments during this period.

KOSE:A009970 Dividend History as at Sep 2024

Seize The Opportunity

Unlock more gems! Our Top KRX Dividend Stocks screener has unearthed 72 more companies for you to explore.Click here to unveil our expertly curated list of 75 Top KRX Dividend Stocks.

Already own these companies? Link your portfolio to Simply Wall St and get alerts on any new warning signs to your stocks.

Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors.

Interested In Other Possibilities?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include KOSE:A001790 KOSE:A003570 and KOSE:A009970.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
The vice presidents spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha, in a statement, said Mr Shettima spoke on Saturday at the grand finale of the APC gubernatorial campaign, held in Benin.

The vice president noted that voting for the APC candidate would create a functional state.

According to him, Edo needs a strategic thinker, a builder, and a man of the people who can rally the states people.

Whether you are a civil servant or a trader, whether you are Esan or Afemai, whether you are a Christian or a Muslim, whether you are young or old, male or female, our expectations are the same.

We all seek the same thing  a functional Edo State, a state that can provide opportunities for all of you to thrive.

What unites us most is not our differences but our collective desire for a nation that works, a state that meets our needs, Mr Shettima told the mammoth crowd at the campaign ground.

The vice president highlighted the recent improvement in revenue allocation to all tiers of government.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

He called on the people of Edo to vote massively for the APC in order to benefit from the wind of positive change.

I assure you that this is the best time to be a governor in Nigeria. The economic reforms of the past year, though tough, have laid the groundwork for better opportunities ahead.

With increased allocations to the states, your incoming government has more resources to bankroll programmes and projects that benefit you.

Mr Shettima noted that the APC candidate in the 21 September Edo governorship poll, Mr Okpebholo, was most qualified to assume the leadership of the state.

What Edo State needs is a strategic thinker, a builder, a man of the people, a man who can rally the great people of Edo State.

Edo State needs a man who will open his doors to the people, hear their cries and lead with the fear of God.

Edo does not need a man who knows it all. Edo needs a man who feels the pulse of his people, knows where it hurts, and has a story to tell in terms of where he is coming from.

Edo needs a compassionate leader, one who is in tune with the yearnings and aspirations of Edo people.

Edo needs a leader with the tenacity and knack for radical change and influence.

Let me sum it up by quoting Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, who said The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things.

He is the one that gets people to do the greatest things.

Therefore, in Sen. Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Mr Dennis Idahosa, we have two gentlemen who will walk the talk.

They will complement each other. The humility that has brought them thus far will also manifest in their governing of Edo State.

With these two grassroots politicians and distinguished public servants, Edo will witness a positive redefining and reshaping of governance, he said.

Mr Shettima assured that President Bola Tinubu was working hard to bring more relief to victims of flood disasters across the country.

He noted with confidence that with unity of purpose, Nigeria can overcome its present challenges, lamenting the recent devastating floods in Borno, Niger and other states of the federation.

Let me assure you that our government is working around the clock to bring relief to the affected communities.

We are mobilising resources, coordinating relief efforts and putting in place measures to mitigate the impact of future floods.

This is not the time for politics but a time for unity and compassion. As we rebuild, we do so with the strength of our shared humanity and the firm belief that together, we can overcome any adversity.

Earlier, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, urged the people of Edo to vote for the APC in the forthcoming election in order to reap more dividends of democracy.

He disclosed that already, N212 billion had been appropriated for the reconstruction of the Auchi-Benin road, which he said when completed, would boost economic activities in Edo State.

The presence of many governors and other dignitaries here shows our unity of purpose towards helping Edo State to take a new direction.

We have governors from the North, East, South and West here present. Joining the party in the centre will be good for the development of Edo State. I have confidence in the candidate and his running mate.

They are a young team that will help secure the future of Edo State, he said.

Also, the National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, said the people of Edo have suffered in the last eight years and they needed to be liberated.

He said Mr Okpebholo was the right person to lead the state to the promised land.

In the last eight years, Edo State has suffered and the state is now downgraded in terms of infrastructure, security, and general development.

Benin should have the outlook of a modern city but today, it is looking for a person who will uplift the state. Monday is the person to do so.

Mr Gaduje later received decampees from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including a former senator, the governorship candidate of Action Alliance in Edo and the Organising Secretary of the Labour Party in the state.

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, who is the chairman of the APC National Campaign Council for Edo 2024, told the people of Edo that it was time to change direction and build on the legacies of Adams Oshiomhole.

According to him, this is with a view to improving the lives of the people of the state.

On his part, Mr Oshiomhole decried the poor performance of the outgoing governor of Edo, saying the state had not witnessed development in the last eight years.

Governance is about development; our roads and other infrastructure are dilapidated. 

For his part, the APC governorship candidate for Edo, Mr Okpebholo appealed for support to change the tide in the state.

We will give loans to our farmers through cooperatives; we will also give soft loans to market women.

We will employ over 5,000 teachers within my first 100 days in office. We will build health centres across the 192 wards in Edo and we will declare a state of emergency on education, he promised.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The police said they have launched a manhunt for the killers of the chairperson of Ogbete Market Traders Association in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria.

Ogbete is the biggest market in Enugu.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the victim, Stephen Aniagu, was shot dead at about 7 p.m. on Saturday at Moses Ogbodo Junction close to Topland Market in Amaechi Axis, Enugu South Local Government Area of the state.

The victim was said to be driving home when his assailants flagged down his vehicle and shot him.

In a statement on Sunday, the police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, said the gunmen double-crossed the victim and shot him dead.

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the assailants drove in a Toyota Corolla car, but later made away with the victims blue Toyota car.

He (the victim) was taken to the hospital by police operatives who hastened to the scene but was confirmed dead by doctors.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

His corpse was deposited in the mortuary for preservation and further investigative actions, he said.

Manhunt

Mr Ndukwe said the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Kanayo Uzuegbu, has ordered the police tactical operatives to track down the killers.

Mr Uzuegbu asked the operatives to deploy all the intelligence and resources at their disposal to ensure that the killers are brought to justice.

The police chief also ordered the deputy commissioner of police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack and killing.

He assured Nigerians that the police will leave no stone unturned in tracking down the attackers.

READ ALSO: Police return N3 million extorted by officers from Nigerian at gunpoint

Worsening insecurity

No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.

However, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been linked to some deadly attacks across the South-east.

IPOB has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

The separatist group is leading agitation for the secession of the South-east and some parts of South-south from Nigeria.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has given security agencies 48 hours to fish out killers of the chairperson of Ogbete Market Traders Association in Enugu State, south-east Nigeria.

Ogbete is the biggest market in Enugu.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the victim, Stephen Aniagu, was shot dead at about 7 p.m. on Saturday at Moses Ogbodo Junction, close to Topland Market in Amaechi Axis, Enugu South Local Government Area of the state.

The victim was said to be driving home when the gunmen flagged down his vehicle and shot him dead.

The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement on Sunday, said the gunmen double-crossed the victim and shot him dead.

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the gunmen were operating in a Toyota Corolla car but later made away with the victims blue Toyota car.

The spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Kanayo Uzuegbu, has ordered a manhunt for the killers.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Produce the killers in 48 hours

Reacting to the killing, Mr Mbah vowed that his administration will not allow the attackers to go unpunished in the state, according to a statement by the governors media team.

I have directed security agencies in the state to produce his killers within 48 hours.

As we have always maintained, and every merchant of death or criminal in the state ought to know by now, that we have demonstrated the capacity to bring them to book, he said.

We have the will, technology, and resources to pursue, track down, overtake, and defeat such workers of wickedness.

The governor expressed sadness over the attack and commiserated with the family of the slain man.

The government and people of Enugu State grieve with them. But I urge them to find solace in the service he rendered to our dear state and the fact that his killers will never go scot-free. It is a promise, he stated.

He said the security agencies and the state government will not sleep until the killers are tracked down.

READ ALSO: Enugu governor inaugurates new minimum wage committee

I urge Ndi Enugu to go about their lawful businesses, for the security of lives and property remains our priority as a government.

Those who have decided to test our resolve will meet their waterloo like others before them, Mr Mbah assured.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


To cushion the impact of the recent flooding incidents on victims in Borno State, North-east Nigeria, the United Nations has allocated $6 million to the state from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund.

This amounts to N9.8 billion with the present exchange rate of N1,639 to 1 US dollar.

According to UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, more funding is on the way to bring the total contribution to more than $8 million.

The National Information Officer of the UN Information Centre, Oluseyi Soremekun, announced the various interventions in a press statement on Sunday.

According to the statement, Mr Fall announced this allocation when he led officials of the global agency and non-governmental organisations on a visit to the conflict-ridden Borno State and met with the government officials and the victims of the flooding.

The groups, which also included the Nigeria Red Cross Society, visited the state on Saturday.

He said the funding is necessitated by the urgent need to save lives, even as the organisations pledged immediate support for the affected population.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Provision of food, sanitation

Mr Fall said the UN is responding to the crisis by providing hot meals, facilitating food airdrops in hard-to-reach areas cut off by flood waters, trucking water and providing water and sanitation hygiene services.

The statement also added that the UN has provided water purification tablets to stem outbreaks of diseases, such as acute watery diarrhoea and cholera, while also providing hygiene kits for women and girls, and shelter services.

To provide life assistance to persons affected by the flood, the United Nations has promised continuous provision of aid and the mobilisation of additional resources.

Mr Fall said the widespread impact of the floods in Maiduguri Mretropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere LGA requires immediate response by the UN and partners in support of government efforts.

He said, I witnessed firsthand the devastation and untold hardship caused by the flooding, including the destruction of homes, businesses, and infrastructure. I also saw the suffering of affected communities.

The flood-affected people are experiencing a crisis within a crisis with the floods occurring at the height of a severe food insecurity and malnutrition crisis.

WHOs interventions

Similarly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) deployed four mobile clinics to IDP camps and provided essential medicines and medical supplies, including Interagency Emergency Health Kits (IEHKs) and malaria treatments, as part of its immediate response.

The WHO Representative in Nigeria, Walter Mulombo, also said the agency is working to enhance the states capacity to rapidly detect and respond to disease outbreaks within the camps

Mr Mulombo pledged the organisations support to those affected while also expressing deep concern over the impact of the disaster on the lives of the affected population, especially the most vulnerable  women, children, and the elderly.

However, he affirmed that WHO would continue to provide critical technical and operational support to mitigate the health impacts of the floods.

We are shocked by the scale of the disaster, but we are here to assess the needs and support both the state and federal governments in addressing the challenges posed by this sudden emergency, he said.

Flooding caused by collapsed dam?

The severe flooding in Borno killed at least 30 people and affected more than one million others according to the state government.

The incident, multiple sources confirmed, was caused by the collapse of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River in the state on Tuesday. This is the worst flooding the state has ever experienced since the dam collapsed 30 years ago.

Publications by media organisations and environmentalists have linked the collapse of the dam to the negligence of the state government.

For instance, an investigation by HumAngle showed that the state government has failed to fix the damaged parts of the dam despite several allocations for the rehabilitation of the Alau Dam between 2018 and 2022 and multiple warnings from environmentalists around the region.

The report stated that the state government ignored the warnings and insisted that the state was not under any threat of flood as it had carried out its assessment.

The spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency, Ezekiel Manzo, put the death toll at 30. The UN also puts the total numbers of displaced persons at 414,000.

Also, about 300,000 people have been registered by the Emergency Operations Centre of the Borno State Government in relocation sites mainly in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Jere and Konduga local government areas.

IDP camps that initially closed have been reopened to accommodate people displaced by the floods.

The cost of food staples and other living essentials have also skyrocketed due to the loss of several farmlands and the destruction of the citys central market.

In what appears to be an unfolding humanitarian disaster, many communities at least 10 states, including Jigawa, have been impacted by flood in varying degrees.

As of last week, Governor Usman Nnadi said Jigawa State had recovered 36 deaths as a result of floods which, he said, had displaced 15,755 persons in the state.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Nigerian Army has condemned the torture of an ex-soldier, Toriola Adewale, by members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The Director of Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Nwachukwu, a major general, said the video of the torture was being circulated by the self-acclaimed Prime Minister of IPOB, Simon Ekpa.

He said the victim, who retired from the Nigerian Army six years ago, was obviously subjected to brutal torture by the so-called IPOB/Biafra Liberation Army.

According to him, Mr Adewale, a retired corporal, was also forced to deliver messages to active military personnel urging them to abdicate their constitutional responsibilities and abandon their duties.

This defenceless citizen was further compelled to falsely claim he was treated well while being held captive.

It must be unequivocally stated that the claim by IPOB and its terrorist leader that ex-Cpl. Toriola is still serving in the Nigerian Army is far from the truth.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

This outrageous propaganda by IPOB terrorist group is undoubtedly an attempt to justify their savage mistreatment of an unarmed, law-abiding citizen who served his country meritoriously.

Such dehumanising acts must be condemned in the strongest terms by the international community.

The Nigerian Army therefore urges all Nigerians to disregard this malicious video and stand united against the vile acts of terrorism perpetrated against Nigerians, and particularly, the law-abiding people of South East by IPOB terrorists.

Mr Nwachukwu said the majority of Nigerians in the south-east and across the nation had rejected the criminal propaganda of IPOB.

According to him, the Nigerian military, in close collaboration with other security agencies, has intensified operations aimed at eradicating terrorism and insurgency in the Southeast and other parts of the country.

He added that the recent annihilation of key terrorist leaders in identified terrorists strongholds was clearly indicative of this commitment.

The savage treatment of innocent citizens like ex-Cpl. Toriola and other law-abiding Nigerians must not be treated with levity.

We call on all relevant international organisations, including Amnesty International and the International Criminal Court, to take immediate action and hold Simon Ekpa and other IPOB terrorist elements accountable for these heinous crimes.

The Nigerian Army will remain steadfast in protecting all Nigerians, including its retired and active personnel from such terror.

The villainous acts of terror by Simon Ekpa and his accomplices must come to an end, as justice will soon catch up with them.

They can run, but they cannot hide forever, he added.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The federal government has commenced the distribution of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion kits nationwide to fast-track the change of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to use CNG.

The Programme Director of the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGi), Micheal Oluwagbemi, disclosed this during an inspection tour and distribution of the kits to six CNG conversion centres in Abuja

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the six conversion centres inspected by the team are, NIPCO Oil and Gas Station Airport Road, Kia Motors at Utako, Mijo Gas Auto in Jahi, ABG CNG, Kubwa, Bovas Filling station, Wuse Zone 5 and C&L Mart Energy Solutions Ltd at Lokogoma,

Mr Oluwagbemi said President Bola Tinubus CNG initiative would provide Nigerians with cheaper and cleaner vehicle fueling alternatives.

The President has assured that we are making one million conversion kits available for free for the commercial sector or at reasonable discounts for the private vehicles.

This is to enable transportation fares to be moderated across the country over the next couple of years.

Of course, it is technically and logistically tasking to get the kits across to Nigerians because the kits must be installed in these vehicles and they have to be done in a way that is safe and reliable as well, he said.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

The coordinator said the federal government had signed up with over 75 conversion partners officially in eight states including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Delta, Kogi, FCT, and Kaduna.

These eight states are the ones where the conversion incentive programme has kicked off. In the next six to eight weeks, well be having additional nine states.

The states to be included are Kwara, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Kano, and Niger.

These states will be joining the category of states where we have activated the programme, he said.

Mr Oluwagbemi said they were working with governors and the private sector to ensure the conversion kits were made available to beneficiaries.

Of course, these kits are not manufactured in Nigeria at the moment. We are also enabling local manufacturers with the capacity to ensure that we get them done locally.

We need to make sure that we move the nations economy in the right direction, Away from our addiction to petrol and diesel which truly is making the nations economy bankrupt, he said.

For her part, the Coordinator of Business Development and Strategy of the initiative, Omolara Obileye, said the programme would reduce dependence on petrol.

She reiterated that while the commercial transporters would have 100 per cent conversion-free, private cars are expected to pay a fraction of the cost of the conversion,

READ ALSO: Nigerian government launches CNG conversion programme in Ogun

However, the cost depends on the vehicle size because there are different types of vehicles, and there is a need to understand exactly what we need to configure in the system.

We have over 12 conversion centres in the FCT; we will continue to increase the number and update the public, she said

Representatives of the management of the conversion centres commended the federal government for the initiative and assured that it would go a long way in ameliorating sufferings of Nigerians.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has demanded retraction of allegation made against him by the chairperson of the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Anthony Aziegbemi, regarding the upcoming governorship election in the South-South state.

Mr Aziegbemi had accused the Federal Government of planning to rig the election, claiming Mr Ribadu released $2 million to the APC governorship candidate in the election as part of the plot.

In a September 15, 2024 letter, Mr Ribadus lawyers, Charles Musa & Co, described the allegation as totally false and demanded immediate retraction.

This malicious and libelous statement has brought our client into public disdain and odium, the letter said. Your portrayal of our client as a corruption enabler and his office as an appendage of a political party willing to cause chaos in Edo State is entirely false and damaging to his reputation.

The lawyers highlighted Mr Ribadus integrity and commitment to fighting corruption as a career police officer and pioneer chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). They deemed it inconceivable for him to be involved in such acts.

The NSA, therefore, asked Mr Aziegbemi to publicly apologise to him and retract the publication in its entirety.

He also demanded that the retraction statement should be published as a full-page advertorial in at least five nationwide newspapers, ten reputable and well-read online news sites, seven national and international television stations and ten radio channels with national and international reach.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

The NSA also demanded the payment of N10 billion as damages for reputational and other injuries.

In addition, the lawyers informed the party chairman that failure to comply with the demands within seven days might compel them to take further steps, which could include legal action to enforce Mr Ribadus rights.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


PDP seeks police coverage over alleged attacks on members

The week under review began with claims and counterclaims from the two major political parties  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC)  in Saturdays governorship election in Edo State.

The ruling PDP in the state began the week by seeking the intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over alleged attacks on its members.

The partys national spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, during a press briefing in Abuja last Monday, alleged that members of the party and innocent citizens in Edo State were being attacked, harassed and illegally arrested, describing the action as a desperate bid to scare people from coming out for the election.

A day after the PDPs allegation, Nemi Edwin-Iwo, the police commissioner in Edo State, confirmed the arrest of Collins Aigbogun, the chairperson of Esan West Local Government Area in the state, over allegations of violence. The police moved Mr Aigbogun to Abuja hours after he was arrested.

Also in Edo State, Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 presidential election, canvassed support on Tuesday for the partys governorship candidate in the state, Olumide Akpata.

Mr Obi urged voters to cast ballots for Mr Akpata and promised that if the party wins the election, it will reduce the economic hardship in the state.

The following day, the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed Mr Akpata as the Labour Partys governorship candidate, ending months of litigation. The appellate court held that besides the case being premature, the appellant failed to tender the results of the disputed primary election, which he claimed to have won.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Obaseki predicts very violent election

Nigerias police chief, Mr Egbetokun, took further steps last Wednesday to beef up security in Edo State ahead of Saturdays governorship election. He deployed 35,000 operatives and said 8,000 personnel from other security agencies had also been deployed for the election. He also announced the indefinite suspension of the state government-funded Edo State Security Network.

Meanwhile, Governor Godwin Obaseki has predicted that Saturdays governorship election in the state will be very violent.

Mr Obaseki stated this in a meeting with members of the National Peace Committee led by former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar, the committees chairperson.

Members of the committee were in the state to ensure that political parties and their candidates signed a pact committing them to a peaceful election.

Mr Obaseki told Mr Abubakar that armed gangs police officers from the inspector generals office invaded the state, arrested PDP members, and took them to Abuja. He accused the police of bias. He said the incident took place after the inspector general of police obtained a court warrant to arrest 60 PDP members, a development he said forced the partys leaders to go into hiding to evade arrest.

Mr Obaseki, the PDP leader in the state, said the PDP would not sign the peace accord unless the party members arrested and taken to Abuja were brought back to Edo State and charged to court.

The following day, the PDP made good its promise; it declined to sign the peace accord but, however, promised to go to Abuja and sign it if their conditions were met.

The APC and other parties, including the Labour Party and All Progressive Grand Alliance, signed the peace accord.

Speaking at the peace accord signing ceremony, Mr Egbetokun promised that the security operatives would be impartial and professional during the election.

Still, regarding the allegation of bias, the PDP National Chairperson, Umar Damagum, demanded the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo State, Anugbum Onuoha, and the commissioner of police in the state, Mr Edwin-Iwo, within the week.

The PDP said that Mr Edwin-Iwo was involved in the arrest and movement of its members to Abuja. The party also claimed that Mr Onuoha is Nyesom Wikes relative.

Mr Wike, the FCT minister and former governor of Rivers State, is a PDP member who has built a political alliance with the APC-led federal government.

The Edo PDP chapter chairperson, Anthony Aziegbemi also corroborated bias allegations against the police and the REC as being an associate of Mr Wike.

Wike speaks on relations with Edo INEC REC

Mr Wike, in a television interview, acknowledged that Edo State REC is his cousin but said even the INEC chairperson cannot influence the RECs decision.

Mr Wike, during the interview, vowed never to support Governor Siminalayi Fubara again in his life, accusing him of abandoning the people and destroying the political structure that brought him to office.

Governor rewards youths for shunning protest

Within the week, we reported that Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State unveiled plans to empower 100,000 youths in the state as a reward for shunning the #EndBadGovernance protest in the country held from August 1 to 10.

At an appreciation rally in Uyo, the state capital, Mr Eno directed the Ministry of Labour to create a digital portal for selection of beneficiaries, and added that the state government would keep filtering required qualifications from the portal for recruitment into the civil service.

Also within the week, a new police commissioner, Miller Dantawaye was appointed for the state. Mr Dantawaye replaced the former commissioner, Waheed Ayilara, who died late last month hours after undergoing prostate cancer surgery.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Be that sin-bearing servant who refuses to give God peace until he establishes his righteousness in the earth.

Isaiah says: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else? (Acts 8:34).

This is certainly a prophecy about Jesus. But it also refers to believers in general. I used to assume messianic scriptures were exclusively about Christ. Until one day, the Lord spoke one (Isaiah 49:1-3) directly to me. The scripture jumped off the page of the bible and hit me in the face. I thought: But this is talking about Jesus. But the Lord said: Femi, it is also talking about you.

Messianic Man

God says: My righteous servant shall make many to be counted righteous before God, for He shall bear all their sins. (Isaiah 53:11). Is it right to say this also applies to somebody other than Jesus? Can anyone but Jesus bear the sins of others?

Contrary to popular Christian thinking, the answer is yes. Moses, for example, was a burden-bearer for Israel. He even complained to the Lord that he needed helpers: Why have I not found favor in your sight, so that you lay the burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. (Numbers 11:11,14).

God required Ezekiel to bear the sins of Israel and Judah: Lie on your left side and put the sin of the house of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the house of Judah. (Ezekiel 4:3-6).

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Paul also bore the burden of Israels sins: I have great heaviness and continual pain in my heart. For I myself was wishing to be accursed from Christ for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. (Romans 9:1-3).

In the Old Testament and under the Law of Moses, sin-bearing was the sole responsibility of the priests and the prophets. Thus, Moses chided the sons of Aaron: Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, since it is most holy, and (God) has given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before Jehovah? (Leviticus 10:17).

However, in the New Testament, believers are burden-bearers because Jesus has made us all priests to our God. (Revelation 5:10). Therefore, Paul says: Bear one anothers burdens, and so you will fulfill the Law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2).

Sin-bearers

Burdens are loads that weigh us down and impede our movement. Sickness is also a burden. It is sometimes so heavy; it keeps us bedridden. We also carry burdens as a result of adverse situations and circumstances. Thus, we may be burdened by unemployment, the death of a loved one, or loneliness.

But whether we fully realise it or not, sin is our big burden. Sin represents the breakdown in the machinery of our soul that, like a car, has to be removed and replaced for us to function properly according to the will of God.

Man is not created to carry heavy burdens alone. Today, we have man-made machinery designed to carry heavy physical loads. But no such man-made machinery exists spiritually. God is the principal spiritual burden-bearer we have. The psalmist says: Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. (Psalm 68:19).

The promise of God to Israel says: Even to old age I am He; and to gray hairs I will bear you. I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. (Isaiah 46:3-4).

Jesus makes a similar promise to all who believe in Him: Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30).

However, when we sin, we end up with burdens that are not from God. Thus, God laments a nation: Full of sin, a people weighted down with crime, a generation of evil-doers, false-hearted children: they have gone away from the Lord, they have no respect for the Holy One of Israel, their hearts are turned back from Him. (Isaiah 1:4)

God suffers and is deeply grieved by our sins because in all our affliction God is afflicted. (Isaiah 63:9). He wants us to be anxious about nothing, and to cast all our cares upon Him. (1 Peter 5:7). But our sins are not the burden He wants to carry for us. On the contrary, He says of them: They are a heavy burden I am tired of carrying. (Isaiah 1:14).

Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us. (Hebrews 7:25). His burden-bearing task was not just fulfilled on the cross: but yesterday and today and forever. Before Calvary, Jesus healed all who were sick: so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, He took on Himself our weaknesses and bore our sicknesses. (Matthew 8:16-17).

Sin-bearing Christians

But it is important to know that the burden of sin is not only carried by the sinner. It is also carried by the righteous, who are required to intercede for sinners. It is carried by the sinners loved ones and even the innocent. For instance, drunk drivers kill innocent bystanders. Rapists impregnate their victims and give them sexually transmitted diseases.

True children of God are sin and burden-bearers. We labour daily in prayer for sinners. Jesus says: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4). We mourn the transgressions we decry; frustrated in the knowledge that few will believe our report.

God is looking for believers to stand in the gap for the sins of the land. (Ezekiel 22:30). Beloved, let Him find you. Be that sin-bearing servant who refuses to give God peace until He establishes His righteousness in the earth. (Isaiah 62:7).

Burden of Sickness

I was praying in the middle of the night about a message I was scheduled to deliver at a lunch-hour fellowship in the afternoon. Suddenly, I was gripped with a searing pain in my back. As I crouched on the floor, I continued praying. I knew instinctively the pain did not belong to me: it belonged to someone else who would surely be at the fellowship that day.

After delivering my message, I told my audience the Lord wants me to pray for someone suffering from severe back pain. Three people were healed on that day because the Lord caused me to bear their sickness the night before. He put their sickness on me. I entered into their pain, and He healed them.

Faribisala@yahoo.com; www.femiaribisala.com

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


In Professor Bakos fantastic world, these Igbo are an ethnic group in perpetual conspiracy. In reality, he comes across as projecting his own ethnic self-image onto the Igbo, reflecting at the same time the crisis of a country that cannot make up its mind about this ethnic group. The classic Nigerian trope about the Igbo is of an ethnic nationality almost congenitally incapable of unity. In Professor Bakos world, however, all they do is conspire on the altar of ethnic solidarity and before the god of domination.

A historian ought to be exact, sincere and impartial; free from passion, unbiased by interest, fear, resentment or affection; and faithful to the truth, which is the mother of history the preserver of great actions, the enemy of oblivion, the witness of the past, the director of the future.  Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

History is endangered in Nigeria and those who research or teach it as their vocation are at the risk of extinction. Every opportunity to celebrate or learn from history or historians in a country like this, therefore, is not one to be spurned.

When the Usman Dan Fodiyo University (UDUS) in Sokoto, north-west Nigeria, announced that the latest instalment of its Inaugural Lectures would engage with the universe of history, a coincidence of three factors guaranteed them more than the usual bandwidth reserved for such events.

First, this was advertised as the 50th Inaugural Lecture in what is effectively the 50th year of the university. UDUS began life in 1975 as one of twelve federal universities established by the military in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War, with a mission to disperse the frontiers of enlightenment across the country. Usman Dan Fodiyo, after whom it is named, was the founder of the Caliphal system and a scholar of some repute.

Second, the subject matter of the Inaugural Lecture had audacity written all over it. The framing was: The Igbo Factor in the History of Inter-Group Relations and Commerce in Kano. It departed from the usual preoccupation with academic comfort levels and promised a peek into the delicate recesses of the Nigerian narrative.

Third, this was only the second Inaugural Lecture from the History Department of UDUS and the lecturer was a man who had spent over 43 years teaching and researching Nigerian history. He had every right to be taken seriously. Moreover, this was the teacher of Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), no less. Here was an opportunity to find out whether the legend of the INEC chairman as an alchemist of fantasy was a product of nature or nurture.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

By the time he stepped up to the podium in Sokoto for his lecture on 5 September, Professor Ahmed Bako was guaranteed an audience like none that he had encountered in nearly four and a half decades as a university teacher. A full auditorium in the university was more than outstripped by the remote audience.

The esteemed lecturer began by acknowledging that his subject matter was one steeped in extreme prejudice and emotions, particularly, in recent years when a lot of stories are being told or rumours being peddled on Igbo Community in different parts of the country. Far from fidelity to his promise to put matters in proper perspectives (sic), the lecturer wasted no time in fulsomely embracing the prejudice.

Far from an Inaugural Lecture, this read very much like a 21st Century Bill of Attainder. There was hardly a constructive contribution to be gleaned from his study of or occasional interaction with the Igbo. Even the Igbo Union School built entirely form community resources of the Igbo and launched in 1959 was dismissed as exclusively meant for the Igbo, the school had only 9 non-Igbo students.

Growing up, he confessed, he heard a lot of frightening stories about Igbo as wicked people who killed Sardauna. On the evidence of his rendition, this tragedy was not the origin of their wickedness; it was proof of it.

According to Professor Bako, the Igbo in Kano are a diaspora, which calls into question any claims they may have to Nigerian citizenship. The pioneer Igbo cultural organisation in Kano, the Igbo (State) Union, was both clannish and extremely militant and the contemporary pan-Igbo socio-cultural institution, Ohanaeze NdIgbo, is a separatist organisation.

He was only warming up. The Igbo, he theorised, embarrassed (sic) education all with the hope of eventual domination of the country; not necessarily for developing it for the benefit of the nation. Deploying ethnic solidarity, he claimed, the Igbo gradually marginalized or even displace (sic) large number of Hausa traders.

Far from an Inaugural Lecture, this read very much like a 21st Century Bill of Attainder. There was hardly a constructive contribution to be gleaned from his study of or occasional interaction with the Igbo. Even the Igbo Union School built entirely form community resources of the Igbo and launched in 1959 was dismissed as exclusively meant for the Igbo, the school had only 9 non-Igbo students.

In the absence of any organising theoretical or philosophical framework, the lecture read like a long-suppressed eruption that finally found an occasion to occur. Its context, sub-text, and texture belied its ostentatious claim early in the text that it was purely historical, not political. It is base (sic) on Archival (sic) and field research.

Blinkered by prejudice, Professor Bako could not muster the curiosity to interpret his own evidence. Earlier in his lecture, he acknowledged the colonial residential segregation policy that established different enclaves for migrants, which effectively binned the Igbo in Kano into an ethnic ghetto in Sabon Gari. He could not have been so bereft of imagination as to be unable to discern it was ethnic discrimination that forced the community to build the Igbo Union School. In striving parents who sought to afford education to their children, who may otherwise have missed out on it altogether, all he had the capacity to see was ethnic malevolence.

Professor Bako trotted out hackneyed tropes with a recklessness that dispensed with evidence, authority or comparison. For instance, he claimed that searching for economic power and dominance make the Igbo to be desperate and aggressive. Desperation is what make (sic) them to not only be disliked by host communities in several of the areas of their dominance in Northern Nigeria but to pushed (sic) some young Igbo into criminal activities. In support of this claim, he provides neither archival material nor evidence from anthropology, criminology or comparative criminal justice research. It was difficult to believe this was an Inaugural Lecture.

Professor Bakos history of Igbo interaction with Kano coincides rather conveniently with the onset of colonial urbanisation in Nigeria. The text is too lazy to even speculate as to whether or not there was any interaction before this time. If he had allowed himself to think outside the frame of homogenised Igbo identity, the professor may have realised that different Igbo communities came to education (and to Kano) at different times.

In Professor Bakos fantastic world, these Igbo are an ethnic group in perpetual conspiracy. In reality, he comes across as projecting his own ethnic self-image onto the Igbo, reflecting at the same time the crisis of a country that cannot make up its mind about this ethnic group. The classic Nigerian trope about the Igbo is of an ethnic nationality almost congenitally incapable of unity. In Professor Bakos world, however, all they do is conspire on the altar of ethnic solidarity and before the god of domination.

Blinded by this, the professor could not imagine alternative explanations outside his conspiratorial theory of Igbo domination. The lecture mentions Igbo 427 times and contains 16 references to words dominate, dominance or domination but finds no citation, authority or evidence to support its connection between Igbo and domination.

The only currency it trades in is homogenisation. Magically, it deploys Igbo as singular, plural, and collective. Its a sorcerers epic.

Professor Bakos history of Igbo interaction with Kano coincides rather conveniently with the onset of colonial urbanisation in Nigeria. The text is too lazy to even speculate as to whether or not there was any interaction before this time. If he had allowed himself to think outside the frame of homogenised Igbo identity, the professor may have realised that different Igbo communities came to education (and to Kano) at different times.

The Onitsha on the banks of the Niger, for instance, were relatively early recipients of Western education. Their neighbours in Obosi came to it a little later and pursued it aggressively not to dominate Nigeria (a notion that was alien to them) but to compete more equitably with the Onitsha. The idea that the Wawa, the Aro, the Ngwa and the Onitsha (all Igbos sub-groups) conspired to head to Kano to pursue domination makes meaning only to someone who is willfully illiterate about Igbo inter-group relations.

In 2012, an evidently unwell Emir Ado Bayero traveled to Enugu to attend the funeral of Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, whose leadership in the Nigerian Civil War has Professor Bako throwing hissy fits. In January 1966, Ojukwu was the Brigade Commander in Kano who saved Bayeros life and precluded Chukwuma Nzeogwus subaltern, Captain Ude, from coup operations in Kano. Ojukwu was himself fluent in Hausa and may indeed also have fathered a child in Kano. None of this merited acknowledgement in Professor Bakos elevated piece of pitiable hatchetry. The students who endured him for over four decades deserve our thoughts and prayers.

One thing is clear, however, after surviving Professor Bako: the provenance of this current INEC Chairman is settled.

Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and can be reached through chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print






Image source: Getty Images

For some shoppers, a warehouse club membership can be a worthwhile investment. Getting discounts on groceries, household goods, clothes, and other supplies can be a win for their checking accounts. After all, life is expensive, and it seems to get more expensive every day.

But investing in a membership is only a good money move for some shoppers. There are some situations where you should avoid spending money at retailers like Costco. Here are a few signs it may be time to steer clear of your local Costco club.

1. You make too many impulse buys

Costco offers many great products. In addition to its standard lineup of goods, the retailer is known for selling various seasonal items and regularly introduces new products. With so many great finds, it can be tempting to make impulse purchases.

If you have a limited budget and realize you've been spending more than you can afford, it's a good idea to stop shopping at Costco. The last thing you want to do is rack up expensive credit card debt because you continue to spend impulsively. You may need to take a break from Costco to get your spending habits back on track.

2. The items you purchase are going to waste

Many of the items sold at Costco are packaged in bulk. Because of this, it's imperative to consider whether you'll use up what you buy. If you live alone or are part of a two-person household, you may not benefit from purchasing certain items, like food and drinks, in bulk.

When you shop at places like Costco, you should pay attention to expiration dates and consider your household's usage habits. Some food essentials, like fresh produce, can spoil in days. The last thing you want to do is waste money and food.

If this keeps happening, it may be time to stop shopping at Costco. At the very least, you may want to rethink your shopping strategy and develop new habits. The best approach is to buy essentials that won't spoil or expire quickly. You can save money purchasing items like garbage bags, food storage bags, and paper products.

3. You're making more returns

Not every item sold at your local club is a win. One thing many members love about shopping at Costco is the retailer's generous return policy. Most items can be returned anytime for a full refund if you're unsatisfied with your purchase.

This policy can give you confidence when trying new-to-you products. But if you're regularly making returns, you should take a break from shopping at Costco. Perhaps the items you're purchasing no longer meet your quality expectations.

Story continues

While you may get your money back when making returns, you're wasting time. The initial time spent shopping and making returns adds up, and your time is valuable. It's best to ensure you'll use a purchase before adding it to your cart.

Do this if you shop at Costco...

If you're still getting good value from your Costco membership, that's great news. But don't miss out on the opportunity to earn rewards. Our No. 1 strategy to save money at Costco is using a credit card that earns rewards when checking out at your local club or Costco.com.

Earning cash back when you shop is a great strategy to maximize your savings. Every dollar you save or earn from rewards is a win for your wallet. Want to earn rewards when swiping your credit card at checkout? Check out our list of the best credit cards for Costco to learn more.

Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!)

We love versatile credit cards that offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco! This card is a standout among America's favorite credit cards because it offers perhaps the easiest $200 cash bonus you could ever earn and an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, even when you shop at Costco.



Add on the competitive 0% interest period and it's no wonder we awarded this card Best No Annual Fee Credit Card.

Click here to read our full review for free and apply before the $200 welcome bonus offer ends!

We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Natasha Gabrielle has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

3 Signs You Should Avoid Costco Shopping at All Costs was originally published by The Motley Fool
The renewed brickbat over the ownership of Lagos is dangerous because if the aborigines of Lagos (the most welcoming, most expansive, most cosmopolitan people in southwest Nigeria) decide to move against the interests of any single group in Lagos, the sight wont be pretty at all  and the fount of amity existing between that group and the aborigines of Lagos would have been poisoned for all time.

It seems the contrived, ill-advised controversy over the ownership of Lagos will not go away anytime soon, as more and more agent provocateurs are deployed on the worldwide web to drive a wedge between the historically liberal aborigines of Lagos and non-Yoruba residents of the mega city. That development is an unkind payback to the aborigines who are, by nature, one of the most liberal people on the surface of the earth.

There are Lagosians and there are Lagosians. Some Lagosians are aborigines, some are Lagosian by birth and acculturation, while some are just residents of Lagos. Dont confuse one with the other. When you encounter a Lagosian of any hue, his comportment will tell you where he belongs in the classification above, even if we agree to call all of them Lagosians. There is a marked difference between an Omo Eko (the Lagosian) and an Ara Eko (the migrant resident).

Lagos is like a lagoon. It tolerates any kind of filth but also harbours some choice marine life. In line with its Yoruba linguistic and cultural heritage, its Oriki says it all:

It is the city of wisdom, ready to bend and contort but not break. Whos contending with Lagos? If you go to Lagos and dont end up wiser, throw in the towel  youre unteachable! Lagos, where the man on stilts runs faster than the prized athlete. City of aquatic splendour, solid in the knowledge that if its marshes are not denuded, neither will Lagos. Eko will prevail!

Half-Lagosian

I am as proud of my half-Lagosian maternal heritage, as I am of my fathers Oyo ancestry. Growing up in the melting pot that Lagos was, one couldnt avoid noticing that the temperament of the average Lagosian was founded on the principle of live and let live. Before the early colonial days, Yoruba people from other parts of todays South-West had been migrating to Lagos in such numbers that the local chiefs and kings gave them large parcels of land to settle. Thats how you have names like Abule Egba (village of the Egbas of Abeokuta) Ijeshatedo, (named after ethnic Ijeshas from todays Osun State).

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Lagos means lakes in Portuguese, the language of the first Europeans to arrive at the land already inhabited by the Awori, who are a sub-ethnic group of the Yoruba people. By the early nineteenth century, it was a small kingdom and tributary to the Oyo Empire. It sent embassies to the Portuguese colony of Brazil, and became one of the first countries to recognise the independence of Brazil in 1823. With the collapse of the Oyo Empire, Lagos assumed the leading economic position regionally, becoming the most important market in the Yoruba territories, as well as growing substantially.

The truth is that Lagos, over the years, has emerged as a forward-looking Yoruba city, which opens its hands wide to welcome all manners of people.

I think what has fuelled the fire of the current rancour is the renewed drive to abuse the tolerance of Lagos aborigines after the last elections and the Oro festival that accompanied it. Last week witnessed the wide distribution of a podcast claiming that Lagos was a No-Mans-Land. According to the misguided fellow, all Yoruba towns were founded by Igbos. He went on to stand history on its head, making one wonder why we havent restored history to its pride of place in our schools from primary to university level.

Contrary to what obtains in most parts of Nigeria, Lagosians dont discriminate against non-indigenes. That is why, from time immemorial, they allowed outsiders to acquire properties and settle down. They are so self-assured that they dont feel threatened by the prosperity of migrants who choose to make the place home.

Tolerance

A visit to Ajegunle will show the extent of the tolerance of aboriginal Lagos people. There, youd see Ijaws, Ilajes, Urhobos, Itsekiris, Igbos, Etsakos, Ikas and other micro-nationals who are, to all intents and purposes, now Lagosians. Musician Daddy Shokey, whose forebears hailed from Olomoro Kingdom in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, is an Ajegunle Boy and is celebrated by Lagosians as one of their own. He has earned his stripes.

In terms of jobs, I wager that there is no other state in Nigeria with the number of non-indigenes that Lagos employs. And their promotion and retirement prospects are the same with the locals. Contrast this with what obtains in some parts of the country where non-indigenes are employed only by contract, never on a permanent or pensionable basis, and are not allowed to own landed properties.

I think what has fuelled the fire of the current rancour is the renewed drive to abuse the tolerance of Lagos aborigines after the last elections and the Oro festival that accompanied it. Last week witnessed the wide distribution of a podcast claiming that Lagos was a No-Mans-Land. According to the misguided fellow, all Yoruba towns were founded by Igbos. He went on to stand history on its head, making one wonder why we havent restored history to its pride of place in our schools from primary to university level.

Lagosians have refused to tolerate the reinvented insults to their heritage and some of the most unlikely, otherwise taciturn, indigenes have publicly intervened to call the migrant cyberwarriors to order.

Conspiracy Theory

It is quite possible, as some have argued (considering the irrationality of the podcast and other such irritants), that there is an orchestrated attempt to smash the cordiality existing between the indigenes of Lagos and Igbos who, together with other micro-national groups, have contributed positively to the development of the megacity.

Those propounding the theory of a possible setup of Igbos for mass attack are countered by others who argue that the Igbos are their own worst enemies because their style is grating, chauvinistic and pompous. They also point to the anti-Yoruba, anti-Fulani, anti-Nigeria broadcasts of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu and his acolyte, Simon Ekpa. But would that be sufficient reason to target them for destruction?

Could there be an agenda to set up the Igbos for extermination when the doomsday predicted by Igbophobes finally arrives? If there is, it wont be the first time such a thing was used to demonise a people and set them up for extermination as happened in the run-up to the Rwandan massacre.

A visit to the genocide museum in Rwanda convinced me that any kind of ethnic phobia built on ultra micro-nationalism is bound to lead to mass depopulation. I had never seen so many human skeletons (and the last clothes worn by the butchered victims) under one roof!

The Other Side

Those propounding the theory of a possible setup of Igbos for mass attack are countered by others who argue that the Igbos are their own worst enemies because their style is grating, chauvinistic and pompous. They also point to the anti-Yoruba, anti-Fulani, anti-Nigeria broadcasts of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu and his acolyte, Simon Ekpa. But would that be sufficient reason to target them for destruction?

They wonder why it is only Igbos that complain of harassment when they are not the only set of non-indigenes living in Lagos. They insist that latter day arrivals among the Igbos are the ones fuelling the problem because they are not acculturated, bringing their gruff attitudes to a cosmopolitan setting. They dont want Igbos to be chased out of their land; rather they want them to imbibe the Lagos spirit. Whichever way you look at it, youve got to salute the generosity of the Lagos aborigine.

As I straddle both sides of the divide, I often wonder what the political elite are doing about these kinds of development. These are the issues that ought to engage the attention of the major socio-cultural groups. Igbos need Lagos as much as Lagos needs everybody, thanks to its magnanimous spirit.

The renewed brickbat over the ownership of Lagos is dangerous because if the aborigines of Lagos (the most welcoming, most expansive, most cosmopolitan people in southwest Nigeria) decide to move against the interests of any single group in Lagos, the sight wont be pretty at all  and the fount of amity existing between that group and the aborigines of Lagos would have been poisoned for all time.

Wole Olaoye is a Public Relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached on wole.olaoye@gmail.com, Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: woleola2021.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


we must not be silent. You must pray for your pastors. You must pray for every leader in your space. Tell God to arrest their hearts with His truth. Tell God to reign down righteousness on them. Tell God to kill greed, covetousness, and the love of money in all leaders. I am bold to say here that there are still many Daniels in the Nigerian church, men and women who still stand and speak for righteousness. But you dont need many to destroy a nation or to set a system on fire.

For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.  Isaiah 9:16

On the 1st of September, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel, who was once a victim of power play in the church, but who has now been helped by God to pioneer a very effective and thriving prayer movement in the Northern part of Nigeria, sent me an article he wrote about the state of our youths within the Nigerian space. If I had the resources, I would print and share this article very widely across Nigeria. Read with me an excerpt from the heart rending article.

Christianity in Nigeria is reeking with the foul odour of hypocrisy. Churches are filled on Sundays yet Christlike character can hardly be found in government, in educational institutions, and in our legal system. A few weeks ago, we published a prayer call in which we asked, Where are the men? The men with integrity, like Jesus Christ, who could say, the prince of this world cometh, but he has nothing in me. Where are the men with a perfect heart towards God, like David? Where are the men like Daniel, who refused to defile himself with the kings meat? Where are the men worthy to be called Christian men? Today, we agonise in Nigeria over the dismal condition of the youths. All manner of perversions is common amongst them: sexual immorality, drug addiction, cultism, ritual killings, cybercrime, armed robbery, insolence, etc. The very painful part of the malaise is that most of those youths are from Christian homes. The question has, therefore, been asked repeatedly, What is happening to Christian families?

Generally, children learn by imitation. Do as I say, not as I do does not work with them. They will do as their parents, or the elders around them, do. Therefore, if the problem of rebellion among youths is going to be solved, it is necessary to look beyond them to their foundations. How children are brought up, and by whom, become critical questions to be answered. In this generation, nearly all the structures and institutions that should guide a decent society have collapsed; a collapse not caused by the youths but by their parents. The youths are not the ones running the country, neither do they head critical institutions. Their fathers do. Most of those fathers are Christians. Every Sunday, they report in church and worship piously. On Monday, they return to work to supervise the collapse of the economy and the compromise of moral values.

There are Christian fathers in INEC when the Commission supervises election rigging. There are Christian fathers in the judiciary, when their lordships pervert judgment to favour the highest bidder. There are Christian fathers in the universities, where lecturers demand sex for grades; in the civil service, where they share budgetary allocations at the expense of public projects, and in Customs, where fathers return home every month with millions of naira received from smugglers. The same can be said of the Police, the Army, and of course, the National Assembly and the Presidency.

God will judge His church using every method at His disposal. If we dont listen through the voice of reason, may we not listen through the voice of prisons. In Acts 1:8, Gods will was for the Apostles to take the gospel beyond the shores of their comfort zones, And ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, Judea, and in the uttermost part of the world.

In every critical institution in Nigeria, in the public and private sectors, there are Christian fathers and mothers, men and women called by the holy name of the holy God, but their characters are of the devil. At the slightest opportunity, they would throw their religion in your face, but their deeds belie the faith they profess. In all of these, the children are watching and, unfortunately, learning how to be hypocrites.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

We are living in interesting times  the days that were foretold by Jesus Himself, because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (Matthew 24:12).

God will judge His church using every method at His disposal. If we dont listen through the voice of reason, may we not listen through the voice of prisons. In Acts 1:8, Gods will was for the Apostles to take the gospel beyond the shores of their comfort zones, And ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, Judea, and in the uttermost part of the world. But the Apostles did not move, even after receiving the Holy Spirit. Then God turned the table and used Acts 8:1 to send them out, And there arose a great persecution against the church and they were all scattered.

As we speak, mammon has deafened the ears of many in the church. There are things I struggle to discuss in the public to avert the loss of faith from the younger generation. But we still need to expose evil to certain levels, if it will be uprooted from our space. Silence is the natural habitat for evil to thrive. I have written this article as a member of the body of Christ who loves the church so much, and would never want the next generation to be lost. My love and honour for all the fathers still remain unshakeable. But we are talking about the kingdom of God here. We are talking about eternity here. All the fathers will still leave behind all their church branches, wealth, fame, and assets, just like you and I, and will die and stand to face Gods judgement.

Some people with rebellious hearts will read this article, hear multiple sessions of teachings from other voices of reason in the church, and still dismiss our cry, until God engages a stricter form of judgment and persecution against the Nigerian church to prune us, shape us, and purge us, even against our wishes.

For this purpose, we must not be silent. You must pray for your pastors. You must pray for every leader in your space. Tell God to arrest their hearts with His truth. Tell God to reign down righteousness on them. Tell God to kill greed, covetousness, and the love of money in all leaders. I am bold to say here that there are still many Daniels in the Nigerian church, men and women who still stand and speak for righteousness. But you dont need many to destroy a nation or to set a system on fire. Less than ten key leaders in Germany planned the second world war that killed more than sixty million people. A little leaven still leavens the whole lump (Galatians 5:9).

Some people with rebellious hearts will read this article, hear multiple sessions of teachings from other voices of reason in the church, and still dismiss our cry, until God engages a stricter form of judgment and persecution against the Nigerian church to prune us, shape us, and purge us, even against our wishes. But it is not too late for all of us, and especially the fathers at the vanguard of this collapse of values, ethics, morality, righteousness, and sound doctrines in the Nigerian church to go back to God and repent.

God will hold the Nigerian church leaders responsible for the failure of not just the church, but also of the Nigerian state.

The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of His people And His princes: For you have eaten up the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. (Isaiah 3:14)

Ayo Akerele is the senior Pastor of Rhema Assembly and the founder of the Voice of the Watchmen in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached through ayoakerele@gmail.com

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal has expressed sadness over the recent boat accident in Gummi local government area of the state which claimed lives.

In the early hours of Sunday, a boat carrying more than 40 people capsized after losing control in the Bakin Kasuwa River of Uban Dawaki Ward in Gummi local government area.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, Governor Lawal described the Gummi boat mishap as a monumental disaster.

The statement added that the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency (ZEMA) has since been directed to promptly begin rescue and recovery operations.

We woke up to the tragic report of a boat accident in Bakin Kasuwa River in Uban Dawaki ward, Gummi local government area, resulting in the loss of over 40 lives.

Governor Lawal has directed the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency (ZEMA) to take immediate action to assess the extent of the accident and provide urgent assistance following the unfortunate incident.

The governor also instructed the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Relief Matters to coordinate all efforts to provide immediate relief support to the victims and their families.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Governor Lawal prayed for the souls of the departed victims, grieved with families, and assured of the state governments commitment to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The administration of Yola-North Local Government Area in Adamawa has announced a cholera outbreak in the area.

It also says the outbreak has resulted in the death of four persons while 36 others affected by the outbreak are receiving treatment in various hospitals in the area.

The council chairman, Jibrin Ibrahim, announced this to journalists during his visit to the victims at the Infectious Disease Centre (IDC) in Yola on Sunday.

He said that the outbreak was recorded in Alkalawa, Ajiya and Limawa wards in the area.

No fewer than 20 victims were reported in the morning but now there are more than 40 cases and four have died.

A good number of them have been stabilised as they have been receiving attention by the health workers, he said.

Mr Ibrahim appreciated the immediate response by health workers, Red Cross and international partners.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

According to him, the suspected outbreak is the result of contaminated water arising from flooding in some areas.

He appealed to the public to keep their environment clean, ensure they drink potable water and wash fruits and vegetables before eating.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Benue State Government says it has prepared camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IPDs) across the 18 local government areas in the state in case of flooding.

The Technical Committee on Flood Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Response team took the decision during their meeting on Sunday in Makurdi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had predicted that eight local government areas in Benue would be heavily affected by the impending flooding.

The agency had listed Kwande, Katsina-Ala, Logo, Guma, Makurdi, Gwer-West, Agatu and Apa.

The Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Aondowase Kunde, said that the committee had earmarked camps to relocate the expected flooding victims.

Mr Kunde listed some of the camps to include: International Market, Suswam; Thank You Primary School and Demekpe Primary School in Makurdi; Akume Atongo Stadium in Katsina-Ala, and RCM Primary School in Logo.

He explained that there was a compelling need for people living in flood-prone areas, especially at river banks, to relocate.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Also, the Executive Secretary, State Executive Management Agency, James Iorpuu, said that the agency was fully prepared to respond to the needs of those who might be affected by flooding.

Mr Iorpuu said that the agency would, as usual, supply food and non-food materials in the event of displacement.

He noted that he had requested for five flying boats from the National Emergency Management Agency.

In the same vein, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Yanmar Ortese, called for a comprehensive document indicating the number of children and women in the flood-prone areas.

He said that this would enable the ministry to respond to their health challenges urgently and effectively.

The team lead, International Organisation for Migration, Mediatrix Barendayo, assured the government of the organisations support in that regard.

Also, Sally Okpaje, team lead of the UN Refugee Agency, said that they were committed to supporting the state government.

Ms Okpaje said that they were also supporting the government to ensure that everything was ready to respond to any eventualities.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Over 40 farmers died in a boat accident in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, the presidency has confirmed.

The accident occurred on Saturday morning in Gummi town when the farmers were going to their farms, Punch newspaper reported on Saturday.

The paper quoted a resident of the town, Abubakar Muhammad, as saying that there were 53 farmers in the boat, and only 12 were rescued alive.

When the boat capsized today, Saturday morning, I was one of those who were present near the river close to Gummi town, the source said.

On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu commiserated with the people and government of Zamfara over the boar accident and the recent floods in the local government.

A statement on Sunday by the Presidents Special Adviser, Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Mr Tinubu promised to support the victims of the twin tragedies.

The President directed emergency agencies to comprehensively assess the two incidents to address the root of the calamity.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

President Tinubu also directed response agencies to work with the Zamfara State Government to help those affected by the disaster, Mr Onanuga said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Acting National Chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, has said that the Edo governorship election on 21 September will be a test of the nations democracy.

Mr Damagum said this during the final campaign rally of the party in Benin.

He urged security agencies to ensure professionalism and uphold justice during and after the election.

From our campaign trains, the people of Edo have accepted our candidate.

I want to use this opportunity to tell our security agencies that you are paid with taxpayers money. You must uphold the values for which you were created, Mr Damagum said.

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, who is the chairperson of the PDP National Campaign Council for the Edo Election, warned against compromising the electoral process.

Mr Fintiri urged the people to come out in large numbers and vote.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

He stated that Edo is known as the cradle of civilisation and intellect that must not settle for anything less.

Mr Fintiri said Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has done his best for the state and is leaving a landmark in terms of human capital development.

Mr Obaseki, in his remarks, said that the governorship election is an existential threat.

With all the achievements the PDP administration has recorded in Edo, we do not want to go back, he said.

Also speaking, the Chairperson of the PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Muhammed, said that contrary to speculations of division among PDP governors, the PDP governors remained united.

The Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, in his goodwill message, said that the PDP candidate had garnered enough experience to tackle the economic challenges.

Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president of Nigeria, urged the electorate to protect and defend their votes.

Make sure you cast your votes, ensure they are counted, escort your votes to the collation centres and make sure they are announced, he said.

In his welcome address, the PDP Chairperson in Edo State, Anthony Aziegbemi, said that Edo people would never be intimidated.

The PDP governorship candidate in the state, Asue Ighodalo, shortly after receiving the partys flag from the acting national chairperson, promised to build on the foundation of development laid by Mr Obaseki.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Management of the University of Benin says the three students rescued from the collapsed building in Ekosodin, a neighbouring community, are in stable condition in hospital.

The management disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Benin.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the building where the students resided collapsed on Saturday following the downpour, which began Friday afternoon.

An eyewitness account revealed that no life was lost, but several students were injured.

The statement said a rescue team comprising staff of the security and fire service departments, the health centre, students, and the police succeeded in rescuing the students.

It said that the rescued students were first taken to the institutions health centre before two of them were later taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

The management wishes the affected students speedy recovery and commends the rescue team for their gallantry, the statement said.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Gunmen have killed the chairperson of Ogbete Market Traders Association in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria.

Ogbete is the biggest market in Enugu.

The victim, Stephen Aniagu, was shot dead at about 7 p.m. on Saturday, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

Sources told this newspaper that the market leader was attacked and killed at Moses Ogbodo Junction close to Topland Market in Amaechi Axis, Enugu South Local Government Area of the state.

The victim was said to be driving home when the hoodlums flagged down his vehicle and shot him dead.

Video clip

A video clip apparently recorded after the attack has been circulating on various WhatsApp groups.

In the clip, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the body of the victim was seen lying on the ground in a pool of his blood.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

Several residents who gathered around the area were heard lamenting the killing of the market leader.

Police speak

Daniel Ndukwe, the police spokesperson in Enugu State, did not confirm or deny the attack when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday night.

Once I get briefed on that Ill give you feedback, please, Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, simply said in response to an enquiry by our reporter.

Worsening insecurity

No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.

However, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been linked to some deadly attacks across the South-east.

But IPOB has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

The group is leading agitation for the secession of the South-east and some parts of south-south from Nigeria.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Resumption of staff and students for the 2024/2025 academic session at the Lagos State-owned model colleges may be disrupted by protesting parents over the more than 180 per cent increment in the schools boarding fees.

In videos obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, protesting parents on Sunday stormed Eva Adelaja Girls Secondary School, Bariga, one of the more than 10 model colleges with boarding systems in the state, and demanded reversal of the decision by the state government.

The protesters chanted solidarity songs and carried placards with inscriptions such as We Say No to this increment, and No reversal, No resumption.

Students are supposed to resume for another session on Sunday (today) but the protesting parents have threatened there would be no resumption until the government reverses the fee hike.

Fee increment

The Lagos State Government had announced the increment in a memo addressed to the school principles by the states education ministry.

According to the memo which was signed by the Director of Basic Education Services, Olufemi Asaolu, announced the increment from N35,000 to N100,000.

The memo noted that the directive followed the approval by the state government.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

I have the directive of the Honourable Commissioner to inform all public boarding house schools in Lagos State that the state government has approved the review of the boarding fee payable in all public boarding house schools in Lagos State, part of the letter reads.

Increment sudden, arbitrary

One of the protesting parents who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on the phone on Sunday, Segun Bashorun, described the increments as arbitrary and sudden.

He noted that the parents only received the notification for the increments around 6 p.m. on Friday, less than two days to resumption.

It is evil. It is wickedness in the highest order, he said, explaining that the officials of the school including the principals have been largely unreachable since the notice.

Mr Bashorun said the parents were not carried along in the decision process of increasing the fee.

He added that interactions have been restricted on the WhatsApp platforms for the parents as soon as the notice was posted.

They normally give us information and we also respond. But unfortunately when we got that increment, they just closed all the platforms that only admins could talk on the platforms, he said.

Even if they want to increase, nobody will go and increase a fee like that without inviting the parents to be part of the decision-making processes. They should involve us in what they want to do. But unfortunately, they didnt do that.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Reginald Mathalone / NurPhoto / Shutterstock.com

When planning a move to a new state, its important to consider everything from the local tax rates to the states laws. But the upcoming presidential election has the potential to significantly impact life in certain states.

Check Out: Mark Cuban and Many Other Venture Capitalists Are Supporting Harris for President  Heres Why

Read Next: 9 Things You Must Do To Grow Your Wealth in 2024

If Kamala Harris wins the presidency, you might want to change your moving plans. Based on the political policies that Harris is campaigning on, these states might see significant changes and could encounter difficult transitions if Harris takes office.

Shutterstock.com

Delaware

Delaware is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. According to Commodity, as of 2022, Denver derived 96.4% of its energy from fossil fuels, and just 3.6% of its energy from renewable energy sources.

Harris has stated that she will lower energy costs and create clean energy jobs. This shift away from fossil fuels and the increased focus on clean energy could spell economic trouble for states like Delaware, where energy-related revenues help fund schools, roads, and more.

In fact, a study by Resources for the Future found that wind and solar energy make up just 2% of energy-related revenues in states like Delaware. A drop in fossil fuel prices could leave people without jobs and states with less funding.

Learn More: Im an Economist  Heres My Prediction for Social Security If Kamala Harris Wins the Election

For You: Trump Wants To Eliminate Income Taxes  Heres What That Would Mean for the Economy and Your Wallet

Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week.

Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Florida

Florida has not adopted the Medicaid expansion, per KFF. Additionally, the state has implemented a six-week abortion ban, as CBS News reported.

Harris stated that she will not allow a national abortion ban to become law, and that she will sign a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide. Additionally, she stated that she will protect Social Security and Medicare by taxing billionaires. Shes also been outspoken about affordable health insurance and healthcare access, including highlighting that the Affordable Care Act helped people secure coverage during the Sept. 10 debate.

Trending Now: Trump-Era Tax Cuts Are Expiring  How Changes Will Impact Retirees

Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Texas

Like Florida, Texas has not adopted the Medicaid expansion. Abortion is also completely banned in Texas, according to Planned Parenthood. If Harris becomes president, Texas will see many of the healthcare shifts and potential abortion law shifts that Florida would experience.

Story continues

Additionally, Texas is highly dependent on fossil fuels. According to Commodity, 89.9% of Texas energy is derived from fossil fuels, while 7.1% of energy comes from renewable energy sources. If Harris fulfills her promises to lower energy costs and reduce the countrys dependence on fossil fuels, Texas could see a significant impact to its economy  and there might be a major shift in energy industry job availability.

Texas is also a low-tax, low-regulation state. Harris has stated that she will cut taxes for middle class families and that no one earning less than $400,000 per year will pay more in taxes. She also proposed rolling back Trumps tax cuts and implementing a billionaire minimum tax, which could impact wealthy Texas residents.

Shutterstock.com

Alabama

Alabama is a low-regulation state, particularly when it comes to labor law. Per the New Jersey Monitor, Alabama has implemented weaker child labor protections that make it easier for children ages 14 to 17 to work longer and later hours. Additionally, Oxfams 2024 Best and Worst States to Work in the US report ranked Alabama as the overall 49th worst state to work. While the state is friendly to businesses, worker protections fall short.

Harris stated that she will work to support workers and small businesses. She has pledged to strengthen unions to protect workers, according to The Guardian, and give them the ability to collectively bargain. Such actions could bring about significant changes to Alabamas businesses.

Harris has also stated that she will follow through on the promise she and President Joe Biden made to sign the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act into law, as Forbes detailed. If the PRO Act becomes law, it would implement a nationwide ABC test to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. The ABC test makes it much more difficult for workers to qualify as independent contractors, even if they chose self-employment.

When the ABC test was implemented in California on July 1, 2020, numerous groups of workers filed lawsuits against the state. Instead of hiring former freelancers as independent contractors, businesses ceased working with these individuals and jobs dried up.

If Harris signs the PRO Act into law, it could have a significant impact on states like Alabama, but it could also affect independent contractors living in any state.

Editors note on election coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 States You Should Think Twice About Relocating to If Kamala Harris Wins
The Lagos State Government has reacted to the protest staged on Sunday by parents of students of its model colleges over the increase in boarding school fees.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how parents converged on the Eva Adelaja Secondary School on Sunday morning, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards threatening to disrupt school resumption should the government fail to rescind the decision.

The school is one of the more than 10 model colleges with boarding facilities run by the Lagos State Government.

The parents accused the government of only informing them of the hike less than two days before resumption, adding that they were not carried along in the decision process of hiking the fee.

A parent, Segun Bashorun, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on the phone, said they were not allowed to comment on the increments when it was announced on Friday evening.

They normally give us information and we also respond. But unfortunately when we got that increment notice, they just closed all the platforms so that only the administrators could talk on the platforms, he said.

Ministry speaks

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Ministry of Education, Ganiu Lawal, told PREMIUM TIMES on the phone that the government is aware of the dissenting views by some parents.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

He said though the increment was not an easy decision, it became inevitable as the welfare of the children is a priority for the ministry and the state.

The issue of ensuring better welfare for our model college students necessitated the increase in boarding fees, he said in a reply to PREMIUM TIMES request for comments on Sunday.

Mr Lawal said the state government provides free education across its 1,021 primary schools, 369 junior secondary and 329 senior secondary schools which include 32 model colleges across the state.

He added that the N35,000 boarding fees being paid since 2021 were not realistic in 2024.

He said: Ideally none of the parents will testify to the reasonability of feeding a child of 12 to 18 years with 35,000 for three months.

Nutritious food is not just for physical growth but also for mental alertness. We certainly dont want our students in boarding schools to look gaunt and lack the skill of critical thinking.

He, therefore, asked for the cooperation of the protesting parents.

The government takes responsibility for the health and wellbeing of the students while in school. To do this will require full cooperation of all stakeholders. Our parents should show understanding for the sake of the children, he said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


As he was honored with the CBC Lifetime Achievement award at the Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner, the flagship event of the CBCF's Annual Legislative Conference, President Biden noted that his administration's achievements were bolstered by the actions of the CBC.

He said, "With the CBC, we went big and we went bold and we are better off today than we were four years ago. I'm being very sincere when I say a big reason why is because Congress boasts the highest number of Black members in American history."

Looking beyond his presidency, President Biden added, "We must show up; we must look to the future. I'm looking to you to help lead the way, to help push us forward and be the country we say we are, a country of freedom, justice and equality and proving that Black history is American history and Black excellence is American excellence."

Vice President Harris called on the CBC to leverage its history as "the conscience of the Congress" to provide a vision for the future of the country.

She said, "As a proud former CBC member I know first-hand America relies on the leaders in this room not only for a conscience but for a vision. The CBC has always had a vision for the future of our nation; a future where we can see what is possible unburdened by what has been, a future where fulfil the promise of America; a promise of freedom opportunity and justice, not just for some but for all. And today that vision is under profound threat."

She concluded, "Each of us has a job to do, and the bottom line is we know what we stand for and that's why we know what we fight for. And when the CBC fights, we win."

The winners of the 2024 Phoenix Awards are:

President Joseph R. Biden , Congressional Black Caucus Lifetime Achievement Award.

, Congressional Black Caucus Lifetime Achievement Award. Governor of Maryland Wes Moore , Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference Honorary Co-Chairs' Award

, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference Honorary Co-Chairs' Award The late Sheila Jackson-Lee , former U.S. representative for Texas's 18th congressional district, Congressional Black Caucus's Body Award

, former U.S. representative for 18th congressional district, Congressional Black Caucus's Body Award The 14 th Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden , Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chair's Award

Librarian of Congress Dr. , Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chair's Award Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison , Mission In Action Award

Speaking at the event, CBCF Board Chair Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) noted that the murder of George Floyd has sparked a renewed commitment to addressing racial inequalities across American society.

She said, "The racial reckoning, brought about by the murder of George Floyd has renewed our energy and our commitment to work for social justice and economic prosperity; and to close the racial gaps that confront all of American society  in education, in income, in home ownership, in environmental justice, in public safety, and so much more."

CBCF President and CEO Nicole Austin-Hillery added that this year's ALC theme, "From Vision to Victory: Amplifying Black Voices" acts as a challenge to engage, advocate, and drive change, adding that every voice and action strengthens our unity and determination, essential for achieving victory.

She said, "This year, doing what needs to be done means building the success we've achieved together. It's a long journey, but it's a journey of progress, and, as you've heard, we're closer than ever to moving from Vision to Victory, Amplifying Black Voices. And that theme is a challenge; it's a call to action to you  to all of us  to engage, to advocate, and to drive change. Each and every voice adds to our collective strength; every collective action emphasizes our unity and our determination. And all of those things are necessary to move us from Vision to Victory."

Awardee Quotes

Dr. Carla Hayden, "Some have noted that I am making history as the first woman and the first African American in this post, and that is true. As a descendant of people who were denied the right to read to now have the opportunity to serve and lead the institution that is our national symbol of knowledge is a historic moment, and receiving the Phoenix Award is truly one of the capstones of my career."

Governor Wes Moore said, "I am standing before you as probably the most improbable governor in America. I say that as somebody who had handcuffs on my wrists by the time I was 11, as someone who joined the army when I was 17, and as someone who went to a two-year college, but is now standing in front of you as the 63rd governor of my state and the first Black governor in the history of the state of Maryland. It is an exciting time for our state. It's an exciting time for our country and I'm so grateful to be your partner in the work."

Jaime Harrison said, "As DNC Chair, the third Black person and the first CBCF intern and CBCI bootcamper to ever serve in this role, I have been fortunate enough to use this platform to uplift our voices and fight for our communities but most importantly to give our people hope. My life is a testament that in America the son of a teen mom, the progeny of those who came to this country in chains, forced to pick cotton and clean houses, relegated to the back of the bus, can go on to chair the oldest and most powerful political party on the planet, and pick presidents."

For updates on ALC and CBCF, follow CBCF on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

About CBCF

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the global Black community by developing leaders, informing policy, and educating the public. Established in 1976, CBCF is committed to creating and maintaining an equitable society for all. To learn more, visit cbcfinc.org.

SOURCE Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
PISCATAWAY, N.J., Sept. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The year 2024 marks a milestone year for continuous advancements in Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT). The global launch of Amtagvi, a Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, has ushered in a new era for solid tumor treatment using cell therapy. PM359, the world's first lead editing therapy, has been approved for clinical trials, signaling another leap forward in gene editing technology. Meanwhile, INT2104, the first in vivo edited CAR-T therapy, is set to enter clinical trials, greatly expanding the development pathway for CAR-T therapies...

Alongside this flourishing growth, both opportunities and challenges arise. How to carve out new frontiers in the vast and promising yet risky CGT market and precisely navigate the path forward has become a key focus for the entire industry and beyond.

On November 20, 2024, the "2024 GenScript Biotech Global Forum  London," themed "Unlock the Full Potential of Cell and Gene Therapies," will bring together leading global experts to discuss the future of CGT development, driving progress and transformation within the industry.

This year's forum is packed with highlights, including the presence of Dr. James Wilson, a distinguished scientist in the field of gene therapy. Also making an appearance is Miguel Forte, a leading figure who spans academia, industry, and regulatory sectors. Ying Huang, CEO of Legend Biotech, will represent the industry as a featured guest. The gathering of so many esteemed experts promise not only a feast of ideas and insights but also the stimulation of innovative thinking and the promotion of cross-sector collaboration, driving the CGT industry towards robust growth. We look forward to witnessing the birth of more groundbreaking innovations and opening a new chapter in industry development at this forum.

As a leader in the biotech industry, GenScript is committed to fostering dialogue and collaboration by establishing a professional global platform for exchange, with the goal of advancing innovation in the Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) sector. GenScript has successfully hosted two previous global forums during JPM Week, and as part of the GenScript Biotech Global Forum series, the London forum will also focus on the latest developments in CGT. It will bring together global industry leaders to envision the future together.

Click the link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/genscript-biotech-global-forum-london-2024-tickets-1001389572167?aff=oddtdtcreator and register with the invitation code GS2024 by September 15 for free entry.

James Wilson, a prominent figure in the field of gene therapy, will attend the forum and participate actively. Renowned for his groundbreaking work in Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) vector design and application, Dr. Wilson has made significant contributions. His team developed several safe and effective AAV vectors that have successfully transitioned from the lab to clinical practice, greatly advancing gene therapy and offering new hope to patients with rare genetic diseases.

Today, this industry titan has successfully transitioned from academia to the business world, with two new companies spun out from the University of Pennsylvania: GEMMA Biotherapeutics and Franklin Biolabs. GEMMA is focused on developing innovative therapies for rare diseases, with a pipeline that includes PBGM01 for GM1 gangliosidosis, PBKR03 for Krabbe disease, and PBML04 for metachromatic leukodystrophy. Franklin, on the other hand, is a contract research organization (CRO) for gene therapy companies, offering comprehensive solutions from discovery to development and distribution. At this forum, James Wilson will focus on the field of gene therapy, sharing his wealth of experience and insights.

Meanwhile, for this forum, we are honored to invite Miguel Forte, a key figure in the field of Cell and Gene Therapy who spans academia, industry, and regulatory sectors. He will deliver a keynote speech focusing on the current state of CGT, analyzing future development opportunities and addressing the urgent challenges that lie ahead, providing attendees with comprehensive knowledge sharing and strategic guidance.

Miguel Forte is a versatile leader in the field of Cell and Gene Therapy, with over 20 years of deep experience in academia, industry, and regulatory affairs. Dr. Forte has held significant roles at international pharmaceutical companies such as BMS and UCB, where he was deeply involved in the development, launch, and business expansion of several key products, gaining extensive experience in product development and commercialization. During his tenure as Chief Medical Officer and Chief Operating Officer at TxCell, Dr. Forte demonstrated exceptional strategic development skills, leading the company through a successful IPO and multiple funding rounds, significantly advancing the development of CGT products. Subsequently, Dr. Forte served as CEO of Zelluna Immunotherapy and Bone Therapeutics, where he not only led Zelluna through critical financing and initiated an allogeneic CGT development strategy for solid tumors but also directed Bone through strategic restructuring, multiple financings, and important acquisitions. Notably, his previous roles at the Portuguese and European Medicines Agency (EMA) have provided Dr. Forte with a wealth of experience in drug approval and regulatory policy development.

Currently, Miguel Forte serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of Kiji Therapeutics, a company focused on offering new treatment options for patients with refractory diseases using advanced gene editing technologies and cell engineering. Its pipeline primarily concentrates on CGT therapies for solid tumors. His extensive experience and insights will provide a comprehensive, multidimensional perspective on the industry, offering valuable inspiration.

This forum also features several thematic discussions that delve deeply into hot topics across the entire industry chain, including technological innovations and breakthroughs in cell therapy, advances in gene therapy and mRNA vaccines, challenges in CGT manufacturing, and future pathways for CGT from an investment perspective.

In the roundtable discussion on technological innovations and breakthroughs in cell therapy, leaders from major CGT companies, such as Ying Huang, CEO of Legend Biotech, Pascal Touchon, President and CEO of Atara Biotherapeutics, Biao Zheng, CEO of Bangio Biotech, and Jason Foster, CEO of Ori Biotech, will participate.

Cilta-cel, a cell therapy product from Legend Biotech, has recently received approvals from the FDA and the European Commission for use in second-line treatment of multiple myeloma. Also, it has been approved for market release in China, promising to benefit more patients. Atara Biotherapeutics has launched Ebvallo, the world's first off-the-shelf T cell therapy, marking the dawn of the off-the-shelf cell therapy era. BRL Medicine's new-generation allogeneic CAR-T therapy, TyU19, has been successfully applied to refractory autoimmune diseases, enriching the application scenarios of CAR-T therapies. The proprietary fully automated and standardized CGT manufacturing platform from Ori Biotech is set to significantly reduce production costs, bringing the goal of increased patient accessibility closer.

During the roundtable, industry leaders from the pioneering companies will discuss how CAR-T therapies are transcending boundaries, transitioning from hematological malignancies to new frontiers in solid tumor treatments. They will analyze the latest advancements and challenges in TIL therapies, CAR-T therapies, and allogeneic cell therapies, while also forecasting the breakthroughs and urgent challenges in the CGT field. Their insights will provide strategic guidance for high-level industry development, aiming to extend the benefits of CGT therapies to a broader patient population.

In addition, there are numerous compelling highlights that you simply cannot afford to miss:

Cutting-edge Technology Sharing: Leading biotech companies will present their latest research achievements focused on the entire CGT industry chain. Attendees will gain profound insights into innovative technologies and explore how to achieve breakthroughs for successful clinical application.

Engage with International Experts: Renowned international experts will gather to discuss hot topics in the CGT field, including cutting-edge technological innovations and breakthroughs, as well as industrialization challenges and opportunities. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact and engage in in-depth discussions with global industry leaders.

Investment & Financing Collaboration Opportunities: The forum provides a global stage for exchange and collaboration, where investors, researchers, and executives from around the world will explore future trends and potential opportunities in the CGT industry, uncovering collaborative prospects and charting a grand blueprint for synergistic development.

Further exciting content will be updated continuously. The "2024 GenScript Biotech Global ForumLondon" will offer profound inspiration and reflection for professionals, scholars, and entrepreneurs in the CGT field. Let us join top global thought leaders to address the potential challenges of the next decade in CGT, and drive the industry towards new heights through innovation and collaboration.

Click the link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/genscript-biotech-global-forum-london-2024-tickets-1001389572167?aff=oddtdtcreator and register with the invitation code GS2024 by September 15 for free entry.

Contact us: [email protected]

SOURCE GenScript Biotech Corporation
LIBSON, Portugal, Sept. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a strategic move following a recent tour of the Asia-Pacific region, the Luohu District in Shenzhen, located in South China's Guangdong Province, has dispatched a new delegation to Spain and Portugal, with a focus on exploring economic and trade opportunities in the European market.

More than 30 prominent Portuguese companies and institutions attend the promotional event of Luohu in Lisbon, Portugal on Thursday

The China (ShenzhenLuohu) - Portugal (Lisbon) Economic and Trade Cooperation and Exchange Conference, held in Lisbon on Thursday, saw a strong turnout from more than 30 prominent Portuguese companies and institutions, including the Oveiras Valley Investment Agency (OVIA) and Timing Group.

These entities showcased a keen interest in collaborating with Luohu, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, finance, media, business services, and cultural tourism. The event marked a significant leap toward fostering mutually beneficial partnerships between Luohu and key players in the Portuguese business landscape.

As Luohu's industries thrive, the district is amplifying its global presence through foreign investment promotion, bolstering trade and investment activities. Luohu, situated in the heart of Shenzhen, a rapidly growing innovation city that has achieved economic success over the past four decades, boasts the pillars of finance, commerce, and business services. The district also excels in sectors such as cultural creativity, gold, and jewelry.

With the service industry dominating Luohu's GDP at 94 percent, the district hosts over 100 licensed financial institutions, including major firms like PwC, EY, and Deloitte. Driven by strong incentive policies, the health industry is rapidly expanding in Luohu. The district excels in medical aesthetics, cutting-edge medical devices, life sciences, and health management, showcasing unwavering progress.

It has also given priority to the development of precision medicine, high-end health preservation, innovative drugs, high-end medical devices, and other specialized fields. The district's rich clinical application scenarios also provide a good foundation for the research, development, and transformation of innovative drugs and medical devices. In 2023, Luohu witnessed the establishment of 32 innovative platforms in the medical and health domain, including the Shenzhen-Europe Innovation Medicine and Health Research Center.

Jointly developed by the district government and the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the top research institutes in China, the center has recruited a pool of international talents.

Besides innovation, Luohu stipulated incentive policies to boost the medical cosmetology field. At the end of 2023, the district took the lead in the city by issuing 10 measures for the sector. Of the measures, the district decided to build a hub for medical aesthetics consumption, support the medical aesthetics product trade and service and regulate the service quality of the sector both online and offline.

During the delegation's visit to Spain and Portugal, the district government pledged to enhance services and the business environment to attract companies and investors from both domestic and international markets.

The delegation also engaged with industry leaders such as the Global Media Group, Joinko Group, and EFG International in Lisbon, showcasing Luohu's commitment to strengthening ties and fostering collaboration on a global scale.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2505892/20240915122405.jpg
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Olight, a brand committed to becoming a global leader in mid-to-high-end flashlights, opened the world's first flashlight experience store at Fashion Show Las Vegas. On the same day, it hosted a major new product launch event and a fan festival for its loyal customers.

A Retail Revolution

Olight Fall Event 2024 Olight Experience Store at Fashion Show Las Vegas

The store adopts an advanced digital retail model that seamlessly integrates online and offline channels. Leveraging cloud computing, big data, IoT, and other cutting-edge technologies, Olight has created a unified system for warehousing, logistics, supply chain management, and retail. This enhances operational efficiency and allows consumers to order online and pick up in-store, offering a more convenient and efficient shopping experience.

"Olight has consistently focused on the U.S. market and achieved outstanding results online. We want our first experience store to not only showcase our products but also serve as a bridge between the online and offline, connecting our brand with our customers," said Mavis Xiao, CMO of Olight.

New Product Launches

Olight unveiled five new products at the event: Arkfeld Ultra, Baton Turbo, Perun 3, Sphere, and the Arkfeld Pro (Paw Edition). The Arkfeld Ultra uses a new aluminum material, making it one of the toughest and most scratch-resistant flashlights in the world. Olight also used this material to create a special gift for each audience member.

With the release of the Arkfeld Pro (Paw Edition), Olight announced an animal charity project in 13 countries, dedicated to supporting animal welfare for at least two years. For every Arkfeld Pro (Paw Edition) sold, Olight will donate $5 to local animal charities. This initiative aims to raise funds for animal protection and increase social awareness and action.

O-Fan Day: Celebrating the Community

O-Fan Day was a fan festival where Olight expressed its appreciation to the O-Fans, whom Olight believes are the driving force behind the brand's growth. Olight held a fan award ceremony to recognize fans who have made outstanding contributions to supporting and promoting the brand. Over 200 O-Fans attended the festival, celebrating with Olight's management, R&D teams, and more.

The Olight Fall Event 2024 was the brand's most important event of the year. As a brand dedicated to establishing itself as a global leader in flashlights, Olight is bold in breaking the mold. This Fall Event demonstrated Olight's determination to redefine the flashlight industry through innovation and to promote the development of the entire industry.

About Olight:

Olight is committed to becoming a global leader in mid-to-high-end flashlights and driving the industry forward. Its diverse product range caters to various scenarios, from everyday carry to outdoor adventures, and is available across Europe, the Americas, and beyond.

SOURCE Olight Group Co.,Ltd
New York, Sep 14 : The judge hearing the case against Nikhil Gupta, who has been accused by the US in a "murder-for-hire" against a Khalistani leader, has postponed the next action to October 18.

The status conference in the case was scheduled for Friday, but Judge Victor Marrero ordered the postponement at the request of both the prosecution and the defence.

A status conference is a meeting by both sides at which the lawyers exchange evidence and could also discuss other matters.

Damian Williams, the Federal Prosecutor, wrote to the judge on Thursday to request the adjournment, saying that it would "be interest of justice as it would allow adequate time for the production and review of discovery" and the lawyer for Gupta had agreed to it.

"Discovery" is the sharing of the evidence and the witnesses so the two sides can prepare their case.

In his order, Marrero said that the delay would not be counted against the condition of the Speedy Trial Act which requires the trial to begin within 70 days of the defendant's first appearance.

"This exclusion is designed to guarantee effectiveness of counsel and prevent any possible miscarriage of justice. The value of this exclusion outweighs the best interests of the defendants and the public to a speedy trial," he wrote in his order.

In July the Justice Department wrote to the judge that because of the sensitive materials in the case, it was recommending a Classified Information Security Officer and alternatives with clearance for the levels of the classification to deal with them.

Gupta appeared in court on June 28 for a hearing at which he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

He is being held without in the Metropolitan Detention Centre, a notorious federal jail in the city borough of Brooklyn.

Gupta has been charged with hiring a hitman to kill a US citizen.

The alleged victim is reported to be Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer with US and Canadian citizenships, who lives in New York and leads the 'Sikhs for Justice' group which is the hub for the campaigns for Khalistan.

Pannun has been designated a terrorist by the Indian government.

At his appearance in court on June 28, the prosecution said that Gupta negotiated with a person he thought was a "hitman" offering to pay $100,000 as the price for the alleged assassination plot and arranged to give him an advance of $15,000 and the details to identify the alleged intended victim.

But the person he thought was a "hitman" was, in fact, a secret undercover agent, according to the prosecution.

Prosecutors also alleged that a phone seized from Gupta had his interactions with an Indian government employee.

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic last June at the request of the US and was extradited and brought to New York on June 14.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
Ramit Sethi

When it comes to running a business, theres a lot of advice floating around. Walking into a bookstore or doing a quick online search will net you thousands of opinions and ideas. Good advice from successful individuals with years of experience can sometimes get lost in the flood of information.

Luckily, Ramit Sethi, a New York Times bestseller and entrepreneur, compiled various tips about running a business in a recent YouTube video. In it, he broke down his 20 years of experience running his own business without depending on any investors or raising any venture capital.

Read Next: 7 Most Profitable Small Business Ideas for 2024

Find Out: 7 Reasons a Financial Advisor Can Grow Your Wealth in 2024

Here are five of his top tips for running a successful business.

Also see why Sethi says its the big wins that matter when youre building wealth.

Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week.

Discover Your Success

Its easy to look at a business like Walmart and say its a success, but not every version of success is the same. When running a business, its crucial to determine what success means to you. You wont be able to map out a path to achieve it until you know exactly what it is.

Sethi said many people start businesses because they want some sort of freedom. This may be the freedom to work your own hours or buy a bigger house. Taking the time to determine your unique version of success and how you will get there will help when there are bumps in the road.

Sethi explained that being able to run a business the way he wanted to was his idea of success. When his business saw a 50% revenue decline, he had to lay off employees, and he had trouble sleeping most nights. However, because he knew what success meant to him, he used it to motivate him to continue his business.

Check Out: Im a Self-Made Millionaire: I Followed These 7 Grant Cardone Tips To Get Rich

Change How You Think About Money

When you start running a new business, money will be tight. Youll need to plan and consider where your money will give your business every advantage to grow. This careful approach to running a business makes sense in the beginning. However, if you dont shift your mindset as the company scales, youll lose out on a lot of opportunities.

Sethi explained that the more success you have as a business owner, the more money you will waste. As your company expands, there will be more costs that youll need to pay that wont directly track to a return on investment.

An example that Sethi provided is paying for public relations (PR). Businesses often measure money put into PR through media placements and social media metrics. Determining how much profit comes from investing in PR may be challenging. Still, it can lead to brand loyalty, better market positioning and cost savings from fewer customer complaints, for example. Changing your perspective on money as your business expands is vital.

Story continues

Say No

When Sethi started his business in his 20s, he said yes to almost everything. In the beginning, its hard to say no without feeling like youre passing up an opportunity. Outside of business, people often feel uncomfortable saying the word. Many say yes to avoid confrontation, be included or please others.

Leaders who learn to say no earlier in their careers will save themselves a lot of time. Getting invited to go to a special conference or participate in a high-profile interview or podcast may seem like an automatic yes. However, it may cause you to overburden yourself or take your focus away from more important business matters.

Be Honest With Yourself

Sometimes, when running a business, its easy to let your ego get in the way and assume youre doing everything right. However, Sethi said many times, its easy to gloss over flaws instead of honing in on them to make improvements. In terms of sending out weekly newsletters to customers, appearing in interviews or providing a service, its good to step back and actually determine what the unappealing aspects are.

Sethi asked himself a counterintuitive question: What do I want to do less? The usual mindset is to do more and work harder. Learning how to stop doing something can make you more effective. Figuring out what skills you lack and working to improve them or delegating the tasks to others who are more skilled will help you succeed.

Dont Be Afraid To Make Mistakes

While it may sound obvious, every business owner makes mistakes. Sethi has made his share of mistakes and used them as learning opportunities. One specific example was a time when he decided to discontinue a program. Customers had purchased this program because it offered lifetime access, so they were very upset with Sethi when he notified them that he was pulling the plug. After some reflection, Sethi realized his mistake, apologized and continued the program to keep his promise.

When running a business, its essential to realize when youve made a mistake, own up to it and make it right. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Tips on Running a Business From Money Expert Ramit Sethi
In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday slapped charges of tampering with evidence against former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh, currently in judicial custody in a corruption case, in the medic's rape-murder case, an official of the probe agency said.

IMAGE: RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's ex-principal Sandip Ghosh being taken to Alipore judges district and session court, in Kolkata, September 3, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The agency also arrested Abhijit Mondal, the officer in charge of Tala police station, for his alleged involvement in the rape and murder of an on-duty woman medic in the RG Kar Hospital, he said.

The hospital is under the jurisdiction of Tala police station.

The central agency had applied before a court seeking the remand of Ghosh.

The court has asked the jail authorities to produce him for CBI custody, the official added.

Three persons have so far been arrested in connection with the rape and murder case.

On August 9, the semi-nude body of the woman postgraduate trainee was recovered from the seminar hall of the hospital.

Mondal, who was on Saturday questioned by the CBI officers at their CGO Complex office here for several hours, was arrested in the evening after he failed to give them satisfying answers.

The police officer was arrested on charges of destruction of evidence and others, the officer said adding Mondal was also accused of delaying in lodging the FIR.

"The policeman has been questioned eight times earlier and every time he gave different versions. He has been arrested and will be produced in the court tomorrow (Monday)," the CBI officer told PTI.

He was taken to a hospital for the customary post-arrest medical test.

Earlier, one civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata police in connection with the rape and murder case which is now being investigated by the CBI on an order of the Calcutta High Court.

The central agency arrested Ghosh on September 2 in a case of financial irregularities at the hospital.

CBI had applied in court seeking the remand of Ghosh. The court has asked the jail authorities to produce him for CBI custody, the official added.
Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal on Sunday said they remain steadfast in their resolve to pursue justice for the medic raped and murdered at the RG Kar hospital, a day after another attempt to resolve the impasse with the state government fell through.

IMAGE: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee speaks to the delegation of junior doctors, who are protesting over the RG Kar rape and murder case, regarding their meeting, outside her residence, in Kolkata, September 14, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Amid persistent rain, the protesting doctors continued their sit-in outside 'Swasthya Bhavan', the state health department headquarters in Salt Lake, for the sixth consecutive day.

"We are steadfast in our resolve to seek justice for our sister, no matter the adversity. We have spent nights on the streets in harsh conditions and inclement weather despite some of us not feeling well," an agitating junior medic said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Saturday made a surprise visit to the site where the doctors were protesting and assured them that their demands would be addressed, but the proposed meeting fell through, with the protesters claiming that they were asked to leave "unceremoniously" after waiting for three hours at the gates of the CM's residence.

Another protesting doctor claimed they had agreed to attend the meeting without live-streaming or video recording as Banerjee requested, but after notifying Minister of State for Health, Chandrima Bhattacharya, of this decision, they were told to leave because it was too late.

"We must stay strong. This fight isn't just ours, it is for the 10 crore people of Bengal. The arrests of Sandip Ghosh and the Officer-in-Charge of Tala Police Station validate our view that attempts were made to cover up this heinous crime," he said.

The CBI, which is probing the rape-murder case, on Saturday evening added charges of tampering with evidence against former RG Kar hospital principal Sandip Ghosh, who is currently in judicial custody and arrested Abhijit Mondal, the officer-in-charge of Tala police station, on charges of misleading the investigation and altering the crime scene.

The junior doctors, who have been on 'cease work' since August 9, are also demanding the suspension of Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal, health secretary NS Nigam, director of health services, and director of medical education for "failing" in their duties in the context of the RG Kar incident.

Besides, they have sought adequate safety and security measures for all women health professionals in the state.

A few previous attempts at talks between the junior doctors and Banerjee had also failed due to disagreements over live streaming of the meetings and the number of attending representatives.

The agitating medics said they have also been operating temporary clinics at the demonstration site, where 'nearly 400-500 patients' come on a daily basis.

The body of the postgraduate woman doctor was recovered in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has been conducting the probe into the rape and murder of the woman medic, following a Calcutta high court order.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government will implement 'one nation, one election' within its current tenure, sources said, exuding confidence that the reform measure would receive support across party lines.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Union ministers S Jaishankar, Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajnath Singh and others, during a meeting at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, in New Delhi. Image used only for representation. Photograph: ANI Photo

As the third term of the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes 100 days in office, the sources said that the cohesion within the ruling alliance will continue for the rest of the tenure.

"Definitely, it will be implemented in this tenure itself. It will be a reality," one source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In his Independence Day address last month, the prime minister made a strong pitch for 'one nation, one election', contending that frequent polls were creating hurdles in the country's progress.

"The nation has to come forward for 'one nation, one election'," Modi had said in his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

The prime minister urged the political parties 'from the Red Fort and with the national tricolour as a witness to ensure the nation's progress'.

He also asked the parties to ensure that national resources are used for the common person and said, "We have to come forward to realise the dream of 'one nation, one election'."

'One nation, one election' is one of the key promises made by the BJP in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections.

A high-level panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind in March this year recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days.

Separately, the Law Commission is likely to recommend holding simultaneous polls for all three tiers of government -- Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies like municipalities and panchayats -- starting with 2029 and a provision for unity government in cases like hung house or no-confidence motion.

The Kovind panel has not specified any period for rolling out simultaneous polls.

It has proposed creation of an 'Implementation Group' to look into the execution of the panel's recommendations.

The panel recommended as many as 18 constitutional amendments, most of which will not need ratification by the state assemblies.

However, these would require certain Constitution amendment bills that would need to be passed by Parliament.
Former Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist Umar Khalid has completed four years in jail after being arrested in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi communal riots.

IMAGE: Former JNU student activist Umar Khalid. Photograph: ANI Photo

Communal clashes broke out in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, after violence between supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and those against the legislation spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.

Khalid was in December 2022 acquitted in a case related to alleged rioting, vandalism and arson at a parking lot in February 2020 but remains incarcerated in the second case under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being a mastermind of the riots.

The 36-year-old researcher and scholar was arrested on September 13, 2020. While charge-sheets were filed in 2020 and 2022, the framing of charges has been delayed in this case and his attempts to seek bail have been turned down by courts.

He has also filed a separate plea in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and it is also pending.

The Act was amended in 2019 to give powers to the central government to designate an individual as a 'terrorist'.

The first information report (FIR) in the second case against Khaled was registered on March 6, 2020, and the UAPA provision was invoked on April 19, 2020.

The main charge sheet was filed on September 16 of the same year, following which the first supplementary chargesheet was filed the next month on October 22.

The second supplementary chargesheet was filed on February 23, 2022, while the third and fourth supplementary charge sheets were filed on March 2 and June 7, 2022.

On September 4, a special court, while disposing of the applications of some accused seeking directions to Delhi Police for disclosing whether the investigation in the case was complete, allowed the prosecution to commence its arguments on framing of charges against the accused.

The Delhi high court, however, on September 12 asked the trial court not to pass a final order on framing of charges till September 23.

The high court's order came while hearing a plea by riots accused Devangana Kalita seeking direction to the police to provide her with certain videos and WhatsApp chats in two cases, including one under the anti-terror law UAPA.

Earlier on December 5, 2022, a court had discharged Khalid and United Against Hate founder Khalid Saifi in the first case related to riots, saying the allegations against them pertained to an 'umbrella conspiracy' or the larger conspiracy of riots, instead of the conspiracy in the present case.

Explaining the concept of umbrella conspiracy, the court said it was the larger conspiracy subsuming several small conspiracies hatched under it.

The FIR in the case was registered on the basis of the statement of Constable Sangram Singh who said a riotous mob had pelted stones on Main Karawal Nagar Road, besides setting ablaze several vehicles in a nearby parking lot on February 24, 2020.

Meanwhile, a special court dismissed Khaled's first bail on March 24, 2022, and the Delhi high court rejected the appeal against it on October 18 of the same year, saying he was in constant touch with other co-accused and the allegations against him were prima facie true.

The high court had also said the actions of the accused prima facie qualified as a 'terrorist act' under the UAPA.

It said that admittedly, the anti-CAA protests 'metamorphosed into violent riots', which 'prima facie seemed to be orchestrated at the conspiratorial meetings' and the statements of the witnesses indicated Khalid's 'active involvement' in the protests.

Khalid then appealed in the Supreme Court against the Delhi high court's order, which had rejected his bail application.

Khaild's bail application had been pending in the top court since April 6, 2023, and the proceedings were adjourned 13 times because of a variety of reasons.

On February 14, this year, the top court was told by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, that he wished to withdraw the application due to a 'change in circumstances'.

Sibal said, "I wish to argue the legal question (challenging UAPA provisions) but want to withdraw the bail plea due to a change in circumstances. We will try our luck in the trial court."

On May 28, however, the special court dismissed Khalid's second regular bail plea, saying its previous order of March 2022 rejecting his first bail plea had attained finality.

It rejected the argument of Khalid's counsel that the Supreme Court's view about 'prima facie evidence' against an accused had changed because of the grant of bail to activist Vernon Gonsalves in July 2023 and academic-activist Shoma Kanti Sen on April 5 this year in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

"As according to Vernon's case as relied upon by counsel for the applicant, while considering bail, no deep analysis of the facts of a case can be done and only surface analysis of the probative value of evidence has to be done...

"As such the high court has in fact did complete surface analysis of probative value of the evidence while considering the prayer of the applicant for grant of bail and after doing so it was concluded that prima-facie case is made out against the applicant," the court said.

On July 22 this year, a Delhi high court judge recused himself from hearing Khaled's bail plea, without assigning any reason and it is pending.

The charge sheet against Khalid cites the testimonies of several protected witnesses.

According to protected witness Bond, the chakka jam began in the national capital after a meeting between Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Asif Iqbal Tanha and others on December 13, 2019, at Jamia Campus. The said chakka jam was then to spread to the other parts of Delhi.

"Umar told Sharjeel to start chakka jam at Shaheen Bagh and Asif and Saiful Islam to start chakka jam at Gate no. 7 of Jamia University.

"Umar Khalid said that at the right time, they will also start chakka jam in other Muslim areas of Delhi. Umar further said that the government is a Hindu government and against Muslims and they have to overthrow the government and will do so at the right time," the protected witness said.

According to the protected witness Saturn, Khalid and others met former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain at the PFI Office in the Shaheen Bagh area.

"On February 10, 2020, Umar Khalid met with Jahangir Puri folk at a protest called by the Welfare Party of India.

"Umar Khalid asked that since Bangladeshi live there, they must be made aware of the CAA and asked to fight against the said law," said the statements of witnesses Helium and Crypton.

According to the chargesheet, on February 17, 2020, Khalid delivered a speech at Amravati, Maharashtra referring to the visit of Donald Trump, the then President of the United States of America.

"Protected witness BEETA had given a statement on this count. He also stated that riots during Trump's visit to Delhi was done by the Jamia Coordination Committee with Pinjra Tod, AISA, Umar Khalid, United Against Hate (UAH), PFI and others. They used to give provocative speeches," it said.

Khalid along with other students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was also arrested by the Delhi Police in February 2016 over the alleged raising of anti-national slogans at an event on the campus against the hanging of Parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru. They were later granted bail.
Radoslaw Lecyk / Shutterstock.com

Theres no denying it: The Northwest is a gem. With its breathtaking landscapes, booming tech industry and high quality of life, its no surprise that a lot of people want to move there. Its also no surprise that people want to invest there!

But before you buy property without knowing the region, you should get an idea of the best places to put your money. GOBankingRates spoke with real estate professionals to uncover the most promising Northwest cities for property buyers in the next five years.

Check Out: Housing Market 2024: Home Prices Are Plummeting in 10 Formerly Overpriced Housing Markets

Read Next: How To Get Rich in Real Estate Starting With Just $1,000

Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week.

Kirkland, Washington

Jesse Sheldon, a real estate broker at RE/MAX Northwest, listed Kirkland as one of his top picks. Picture this, he said, a vibrant waterfront, fancy restaurants and tech giants like Microsoft and Google just a stones throw away. Kirklands home prices have gone up by nearly 20% in just two years, according to Zillow.

Sheldon added, Sure, it might make your wallet wince a bit, but Kirklands a smart bet. Youve got top-notch schools, a perfect mix of upscale living and outdoor adventures  and did I mention those tech jobs?

Watch Out: 10 Worst Cities To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years, According to Real Estate Agents

Lake Stevens, Washington

If youre after a quieter life but still want to be able to pop into Seattle for a weekend, Sheldon said Lake Stevens is a great investment opportunity. Its like the best of both worlds, he shared. You get that lakeside-living vibe, but youre not cut off from the city action.

The numbers back him up, too. Lake Stevens home values are growing fast  about 15% year-over-year according to Redfin  but its still a bargain compared to nearby cities. Plus, with new schools and roads in the works, Sheldon thinks its just the beginning for this beautiful town.

Anacortes, Washington

Ever dreamed of island-hopping without straying too far from the mainland? Sheldon said Anacortes is your answer. Its like the VIP entrance to the San Juan Islands, he joked. People are snapping up waterfront properties here like hotcakes.

Sheldons got a hunch about Anacortes: As more folks look for second homes or cozy retirement spots with killer views, Anacortes is going to be on everyones radar.

Boise, Idaho

Both Marina Vaamonde, founder of HouseCashin.com, and Shannon Feick of ASAP Properties, are betting on Boise.

Vaamondes strategy isnt complicated: Follow the jobs, and youll find the renters. She likes cities with booming economies, and Boise is on her list.

Story continues

Feick agreed. Boises got it all  a growing tech scene, outdoor adventures for days and you can still find affordable homes, he said. Its a win-win for long-term investors.

Spokane, Washington

Feick said Spokane is also on the rise. Think of it as Seattles more affordable cousin, he shared. Youve got city perks without the sky-high prices, and the job markets on the up and up. Its primed for growth.

Bend, Oregon

Bend is another of Feicks top picks. Its a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts and remote workers, he said. The job markets growing, and people are falling over themselves to buy homes here, especially those who can work from anywhere.

Moses Lake, Washington

Jerry OReilly from Cash Home Buyers Crew threw a curveball in with Moses Lake. It might not be on everyones radar yet, but trust me, its going places, he said.

OReilly paints a picture of potential. Youve got affordable housing, perfect weather without the scorching heat and more water than you know what to do with thanks to the Grand Coulee Dam. Oh, and did I mention the booming agricultural scene?

Bonus Picks

Here are a few more Northwest cities the experts we spoke to were excited about:

Gig Harbor, Washington (Sheldons pick for waterfront charm)

Buckley, Washington (Sheldon said its ripe for development)

Mount Vernon/Burlington, Washington (Sheldons bet for affordability)

Idaho Falls, Idaho (Vaamondes seeing economic promise here)

Olympia and Tacoma, Washington (Both on Vaamondes watch list)

Missoula, Montana (Feicks Montana favorite)

Coeur dAlene, Idaho (Feick said its catching big-city escapees eyes)

Othello, Ritzville and Ephrata, Washington (OReillys picks for small-town potential)

Ontario, Oregon (OReillys betting on its proximity to Boise)

At the end of the day, Vaamonde had some wise words for potential investors in the area. The Northwests always going to draw people in with its killer outdoors and awesome weather. And hey, lower insurance and property taxes? Thats just icing on the cake for investors, she said.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Northwest Cities To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years, According to Real Estate Agents
A screen capture of a Canada lynx from a video taken by Gary Shattuck of Shrewsbury, Vermont, on August 17, 2024. Lynx can be distinguished from the much more common bobcat by their shape and coloration.
VSP announced the deaths just before noon on Sunday, Sept. 15 after discovering the deceased victims at a residence on Vermont Route 133 just hours prior.
BURLINGTON  Flaws in a Vermont program are preventing the state from controlling phosphorus discharges from certain farms, contributing to severe water quality problems in Lake Champlain and other bodies of water, according to a letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to state officials.

The Monday letter to the secretary of the Vermont Natural Resources Agency says the program is failing to comply with the Clean Water Act. It directs the state to make significant changes in how it regulates water pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, which raise animals in confinement.

There are 37 large and 104 medium CAFOs in Vermont, along with 1,000 small farms that might be considered such operations, according to the EPA.

Two state agencies  Natural Resources and Agriculture Food and Markets  regulate agricultural water pollution in Vermont, which is where the problem lies, the letter states. The division of responsibilities "is interfering with the regulation of Vermonts CAFOs and preventing Vermont from adequately addressing agricultural water quality, wrote David Cash, EPA administrator for Region 1 in Boston.

Excess phosphorus runoff from farms, roads and urban areas has fueled toxic algae blooms Lake Champlain, sometimes forcing the closure of beaches. Sources of excess phosphorus into lakes and waterways include fertilizers, leaking septic systems or discharges from wastewater treatment plants, according to the EPA.

The EPA mandated that the state clean up Lake Champlain and in 2016 released new phosphorus pollution limits for the water body.

In Monday's letter, the EPA concluded that the Agency of Natural Resources must be responsible for CAFO permitting, monitoring, and enforcement, which includes doing routine farm inspections, enforcing management plans for the placement of manure and other nutrients on fields, and administering discharge permits.

Vermont Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore said Tuesday that the agency takes its obligations under the Clean Water Act very seriously.

At the same time I think its really important to reflect that this is sort of about the operation and administration of government and should not be taken as a reflection on the work being done by farmers, she said.

The state has regulated farms through no-discharge permits issued by the Agriculture Agency, so nothing is allowed to leave the farm," Moore said. The EPA is showing that there is evidence of occasional discharges from farms, often in response to severe weather, she said.

The Conservation Law Foundation, the Vermont Natural Resources Council and the Lake Champlain Committee, an advocacy organization, petitioned the EPA in 2022 to take corrective action or withdraw its authorization of the program related to the regulation of CAFO farms. The foundation released EPA's letter on Monday, and Elena Mihaly, vice president of Conservation Law Foundation Vermont, said it's a step in the right direction.

Similar concerns were raised in a 2008 petition filed by the Vermont Law School Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic that resulted in a corrective action plan in 2013 in which the state agreed to take steps to improve parts of its program, including its dealings with CAFOs, the letter states.

It's clear that Vermont has not adequately addressed deficiencies in its CAFO program or complied with the requirements of the 2013 plan, Cash wrote in the letter to the state.

EPA has closely observed program operations in Vermont for well over a decade and despite having had ample time and opportunity to cure longstanding program deficiencies, many of which were outlined in the 2008 withdrawal petition, ANR has failed to do so, Cash wrote.

Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts said the issue really only deals with a handful of farmers and is more like a regulatory box that hasnt been checked.

Farmers and the agency are and have been doing tremendous work in keeping pollution out of the lake and waterways, he said.

The evidence proves through some of the science, the people that are helping to solve the problem over the last decade or so are coming from the farm community, Tebbetts said. So the program with education, technical assistance, enforcement, inspections is working.
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.

PAWLET  Vermont State Police are investigating the possible homicide of three family members at their home on Vermont 133 in Pawlet on Sunday.

Police said the names of the victims were being withheld pending notification of next of kin in the suspected domestic incident.

Investigators are dealing with a person of interest, believed to be a family member.

An emergency 911 call was received about 3:45 a.m. for the shooting along the Vermont-New York border  about 25 miles southwest of Rutland City.

New York State Police  which has 24-hour on-duty patrol coverage  was first to arrive on the scene in the rural community that borders Granville, N.Y., officials said.

The initial call reported a possibly suspicious person, but as Vermont State Police investigators were called out, they found a bloody scene with three bodies in the rural community of about 1,400 residents, a spokesman said.

Emergency First Responders from the area also were summoned to offer help, police said.

The office of Rutland County State's Attorney Ian Sullivan is working closely with state police.

Officials said the investigation is in its preliminary stages and involves members of the Vermont State Police uniform division, the Major Crime Unit, the detective bureau, the Crime Scene Search Team and victim services.

After the crime scene is processed by the CSST, the victims bodies will be brought to the Chief Medical Examiners Office in Burlington for autopsies to determine the cause and manner of death, state police spokesman Adam Silverman said.

He said the initial theory by detectives indicates the crime is an isolated event with no identified threat to the community.

Authorities have set up a command post at the Pawlet Volunteer Fire Station.

Anyone with information that could assist investigators in this case should call the Vermont State Police in Rutland at (802) 773-9101.
Israel stepped up its massive air strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership, even as the world awaits with trepidation the October 7 anniversary of the bloody attack on Israel by Hamas -- which, like Hezbollah, is a U.S.-designated terror group with ties to Iran.

Meanwhile, Tehran said it had lifted all flight restrictions after earlier announcing it was closing Iranian airports as of 9 p.m. on October 6 until 6 a.m. on October 7, citing "operational restrictions," at a time when Israel is weighing options for its response to Iran's recent massive missile strike on its territory.

State media said the restrictions were lifted after ensuring favorable and safe conditions.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 6 threatened Iran that it might eventually find itself looking like Beirut or Gaza -- which has also been battered over the past year -- if Tehran attempts to further harm Israel.

"The Iranians did not touch the air force's capabilities. No aircraft were damaged, no squadron was taken out of order," Gallant said in reference to the Iranian missile strike, which caused few injuries and slight damage to two air force bases.

"Whoever thinks that a mere attempt to harm us will deter us from taking action should take a look at [Israels operations] in Gaza and Beirut, where Israel is battling fighters of Hamas, which has been deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and EU.

Israel earlier said conducted a series of targeted strikes on weapons storage facilities and infrastructure sites that belong to Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has been designated by the United States as a terror group, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political unit, which holds seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Lebanon's official National News Agency said Hezbollah's stronghold in the area was hit by more than 30 strikes. A petrol station and a medical supplies warehouse were hit by the air raids.

Video footage showed huge flames and plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky, as residents fled their homes in panic with explosions echoing in the background.

Many observers said the attacks were the strongest yet of Israel's recent air strikes.

"Last night was the most violence of all the previous nights," Hanan Abdullah, a resident of the Burj al-Barajneh area in Beirut's southern suburbs, told Reuters.

"Buildings were shaking around us and at first I thought it was an earthquake. There were dozens of strikes -- we couldn't count them all -- and the sounds were deafening,"

Israel has bombed Beirut suburbs for days, killing Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and possibly his potential successor, Hashem Safieddine.

Security sources have said Safieddine had been out of contact since October 4, after an Israeli air strike near Beiruts international airport that was reported to have targeted him. Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine.

Israel says Nasrallah was killed in a strike on the group's central command headquarters in Beirut on September 27.

Two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters on October 6 that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- also had not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon.

Senior Hezbollah member Mahmoud Qmati, when asked about Qaani's whereabouts, told Reuters: "I have no information. We are also searching for the truth of this matter.

Statements on October 6 out of the United States -- Tel Aviv's most important ally -- indicated some frustrations with the scope of Israel's military action.

"Military pressure can at times enable diplomacy. Of course, military pressure can also lead to miscalculation. It can lead to unintended consequences," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in statement.

The spokesperson said Washington supported Israeli actions in going after extremist elements but added that U.S. leaders but did not approve of the targeting of civilian infrastructure.

"Every civilian casualty is one too many," the spokesperson said.

Israel said on October 5 that its forces had killed 440 Hezbollah fighters in ground operations in southern Lebanon and destroyed 2,000 Hezbollah targets. Nine Israeli soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon so far, the authorities said.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, nearly 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the latest conflict, most of them since September 23.

Israel says the attacks on Hezbollah are aimed at enabling the safe return of tens of thousands of citizens to homes in northern Israel, bombarded by the group since last October.

The Israeli forces were on high alert ahead of the first anniversary of an attack on October 7 last year, which sparked the war and was carried out by Hamas.

According to Israel tallies, some 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage in the unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel.

Israeli police on October 6 said several people had been injured in a suspected shooting attack in Beersheba, a city in southern Israel. One attacker was killed, the ambulance service said.

Separately, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza reported on October 6 that at least 41,870 Palestinians have been killed in the territory in the yearlong war between Israel and Palestinian militants.

Palestinian officials said that an Israeli strike on a mosque in Gaza early on October 6 killed at least 19 people who were sheltering after being displaced from their homes near the town of Deir al-Bala.

The Israeli military said the strike was targeting militants. The reports could not immediately be confirmed, but the Associated Press said one of its journalists counted the bodies at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue.

AP also reported that hospital records showed that the fatalities from the mosque strike were all men.

Israel said its forces on October 6 surrounded the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza in response to indications that Hamas was rebuilding its operational capabilities in the area.

Israel is also considering a retaliatory strike on Iran, which fired at least 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1.

Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad visited Kharg island on October 6, amid concerns that Israel could target Iran's largest oil terminal there.

"The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] Navy plays an important role in the security of oil and gas facilities," Paknejad was quoted as saying at the facility, from which around 90 percent of Iranian oil exports are shipped.

In Syria, state media and local rights monitors said an Israeli air strike targeted three cars in the city of Homs, although details remained sketchy.

Israeli forces have for years been striking Iran-linked targets in Syria and have intensified such actions since the October 7 attacks.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
One year ago, Hamas -- the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip -- carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, the deadliest in the countrys history.

In response, Israel launched an aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas and rescue the 251 hostages taken by the group.

Israel has expanded its war in recent weeks by invading Lebanon and launching air strikes targeting Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

RFE/RL spoke to Lior Yohanani, manager of quantitative research at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based independent research center, which on October 7 released a wide-ranging survey of Israeli public opinion after one year of war.

RFE/RL: Can you explain what your study found as to how Israelis view the past year since Hamas's October 7 attack?



Lior Yohanani: Well, I think Israelis still don't see October 7 as an event that's over. Sure, the actual horrific events of that day ended, but Israelis are still living with the consequences.

There are two main aspects to this. First, since October 7, Israel has been in this multifront war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. And then, of course, there is the issue of the hostages still being held in Gaza. So, we're seeing a sharp drop in people's sense of personal security. Almost three quarters of the public feel less safe compared to before October 7, and that's despite a year of war and some significant military achievements. On the flip side, we're also seeing that most people say their lives have returned to normal when it comes to things like work, media consumption, and family and social gatherings.

Another thing we're noticing is that the Israeli public is giving pretty low marks to all the political and military leaders for the performance since October 7. For example, almost two-thirds of Israelis are rating Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's performance since then as poor or not good.

RFE/RL: How has Israel's involvement in a two-front conflict, in both Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a confrontation with Iran affected public opinion among Israelis?



Yohanani: It's tough to answer that question, because we're at the point where things could go in a few different directions. In the last few weeks, we've seen a major escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and just last week, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which Israel is expected to respond to. In a survey we just did recently, we asked whether Israeli society and the military could handle fighting on two or more fronts for an extended period of time, and the results were pretty striking. Over 70 percent believe that yes, both Israeli society and the military can handle that kind of prolonged fighting. So, while the situation is complex and evolving, there seems to be a strong sense of resilience and capability among Israelis, even in the face of these multiple threats. But of course, public opinion could shift depending on how events unfold in the coming weeks or months.



RFE/RL: Is there support for Netanyahus response to October 7? Is there debate in Israeli society, as well as political circles, over Netanyahus strategic choices?



Yohanani: First of all, it's important to say that the Israeli public has largely supported significant military operation against Hamas in Gaza. That said, the Israeli discourse around the October 7 events, the ongoing war, and especially toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, is very polarized between right-wing supporters on the one hand and left and center supporters on the other.

People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term."

So, on the left and the center, there is a high level of distrust and suspicion toward Netanyahu and his government. For instance, Netanyahu's apparent reluctance to pursue a deal for returning the hostages in exchange for ending the fighting in Gaza is seen by large parts of the public, even on the right, as resulting from Netanyahu's dependence on far-right, ultranationalist members of his government who refuse any compromise or ceasefire.

Now for a long time, Netanyahu and his ministers argued that only significant military force would lead Hamas to compromise and release the hostages. Now, with military attention and resources shifting to the north, people are asking, where is this massive military force that was supposed to bring the hostages home?

One question we have asked several times since October 7 in our polls is what should be the main goal in Gaza: Dismantling Hamas or bringing back the hostages? And as time goes on, public opinion is increasingly supporting the return of hostages. In our current survey, 62 percent saw bringing the bringing back the hostages as Israel's main goal, while only 29 percent pointed to dismantling Hamas as the primary objective.

RFE/RL: How do ordinary Israelis see the question of the remaining hostages amid the continued protests by the hostages' families?



Yohanani: As I mentioned before, most of the public supports a deal to release the hostages, even if it means ending the war and withdrawing the military forces from Gaza. There's this widespread feeling that we've left the hostages behind, and that's really hitting at our sense of solidarity, which is a deep and fundamental value, I think, in Jewish history in general and in Israel society in particular.

At the same time, the campaign run by the Hostages And Missing Families Forum has become very politicized. Many right-wing supporters see it as weakening Israel. As time goes on, we're seeing more and more harassment of protesters who support bringing the hostages back. There are cases of passersby cursing, even hitting and throwing eggs, at hostages' families. In our latest survey, we asked about the effectiveness of the protests and actions taken by the hostages' families.

Despite most of the public feeling empathetic toward the hostage issue, only less than a third think these actions are actually helping to advance a deal for the hostages' release, while almost 40 percent think they're actually hurting the cause. So, you've got this complex situation where people want the hostages back, but there is disagreement and some backlash about how to make that happen.

RFE/RL: Can you explain the reasons behind the apparent contradiction in views regarding prioritizing a negotiated return of the hostages, or destroying Hamas?

Yohanani: You're right to point out that apparent contradiction. Let me break it down a bit. As I mentioned earlier, a clear majority of the public sees a deal to release the hostages as the main goal. But there is a big gap between political camps on this issue. In the center and left, about 80 percent support the deal for the hostages' release, while the opinions on the right are evenly split. So, for most of the left and center, the fighting in Gaza has run its course. They feel most military objectives have been achieved, and Hamas's military power has been significantly weakened. From their perspective, continuing the fight now only puts the hostages at greater risk.

It's important to know that about half of the right-wing also shares this view of prioritizing the hostages' release, but the other half of those on the far-right thinks dismantling Hamas is more important.

Why? For a couple of reasons.

First, there's a security stance that Hamas must be wiped out and not allowed to recover. There is also a very strong sentiment of revenge, with minimal consideration for the cost, whether it's the lives of the hostages, soldiers, let alone innocent civilians in Gaza. Another significant component openly discussed in religious nationalist circles is the return of Jewish settlement to the Gaza Strip after Israel evacuated Jewish settlements from there in 2005.

RFE/RL: Is there public confidence that Israel will ultimately be able to remove the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah and come out of this conflict with greater prospects for a peaceful and stable near-term future?



Yohanani: Right now, the Israeli public isn't showing a lot of optimism. In our current survey, when we asked people if they're optimistic or pessimistic about Israel's future, we found more pessimists, 48 percent, than optimists, 45 percent.

I also think it's important to note that a peaceful future, as you put it, or peace in general, isn't really a common concept in the current Israeli discourse. I would say the hope of Israelis is that the military actions against Hezbollah and Iran will lead to a situation where Israel's existence isn't in question, and that Israeli military superiority will prevent events like October 7 from happening again. So, it's less about peace in the traditional sense, and more about security and deterrence. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term.
Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse.

Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Ardea Resources (ASX:ARL) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves.

See our latest analysis for Ardea Resources

How Long Is Ardea Resources' Cash Runway?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. When Ardea Resources last reported its June 2024 balance sheet in September 2024, it had zero debt and cash worth AU$15m. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through AU$13m. That means it had a cash runway of around 14 months as of June 2024. While that cash runway isn't too concerning, sensible holders would be peering into the distance, and considering what happens if the company runs out of cash. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.

How Is Ardea Resources' Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Although Ardea Resources reported revenue of AU$934k last year, it didn't actually have any revenue from operations. That means we consider it a pre-revenue business, and we will focus our growth analysis on cash burn, for now. With cash burn dropping by 4.5% it seems management feel the company is spending enough to advance its business plans at an appropriate pace. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Ardea Resources due to its lack of significant operating revenues. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow.

How Hard Would It Be For Ardea Resources To Raise More Cash For Growth?

While Ardea Resources is showing a solid reduction in its cash burn, it's still worth considering how easily it could raise more cash, even just to fuel faster growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Ardea Resources' cash burn of AU$13m is about 15% of its AU$86m market capitalisation. As a result, we'd venture that the company could raise more cash for growth without much trouble, albeit at the cost of some dilution.

So, Should We Worry About Ardea Resources' Cash Burn?

The good news is that in our view Ardea Resources' cash burn situation gives shareholders real reason for optimism. Not only was its cash runway quite good, but its cash burn relative to its market cap was a real positive. We don't think its cash burn is particularly problematic, but after considering the range of factors in this article, we do think shareholders should be monitoring how it changes over time. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 5 warning signs for Ardea Resources (3 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies with significant insider holdings, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
NATO, whose military aid and support has been vital for Ukraine in its war with Russia, is facing growing calls to do more to fend off Russian missiles and drone strikes -- a few of which have violated NATO members' airspace.

Romania and Latvia, both NATO members, have recently reported that Russian military drones had violated their airspace. Neither country interceded militarily, although Romania did have military jets shadow the drone and later said it lacked the legislation to act.

Romania also said that "pieces of a Russian drone" had been found at an "impact site" on the outskirts of the village of Periprava in Tulcea, along the Romanian-Ukrainian border. Latvia said that the drone had flown into the country's airspace from Belarus and crashed in the municipality of Rezekne.

While rare, incidents of drones and missiles, nearly all believed to be Russian, have crossed or crashed into states neighboring Ukraine -- including Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, and now Latvia -- since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Romania has particularly suffered. It shares a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine, and has territory that lies a few hundred meters from Ukrainian Danube River ports, which have been frequent Russian targets.

This pales in comparison to what Ukraine has endured. Ukraine has been hit by some 15,000 Russian air or drone strikes since the beginning of the 2022 invasion, with the volume of strikes increasing sharply since mid-2023.

Russia lobs daily missiles and drones at targets in Ukraine, causing already at least $155 billion in damage to civilian infrastructure, according to the last estimate by the Kyiv School of Economics.

Russia's invasion has killed thousands of Ukrainian civilians, destroyed cities, and forced millions of people from their homes.

Perhaps the most senior Western official to call for a more robust Western response to Russian missiles and drones was Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski. In a recent interview with the U.K.'s Financial Times, Sikorski said Poland had a "duty" to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine.

NATO has rejected such calls.

"Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian drone fragments and missiles have been found on Allied territory on several occasions. These acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous," a NATO official who didn't want to be named told RFE/RL in a written statement.

"While we recognize the right of every ally to protect its own airspace, what individual Allies do in support of Ukraine can also matter for NATO as a whole. Allies will continue to consult on further steps to protect and defend Allied territory. What is clear is that NATO will not become a party to the conflict," the official added.

But some military analysts argue that helping Kyiv down drones and missiles over Ukraine, along with intercepting and eliminating aerial threats that stray into the territory of neighboring countries, would not be an escalation. They argue that failure to do so is only emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Russia has been pressing us in so many places, increasingly confident that we won't actually do anything," argued Ben Hodges, a retired U.S. lieutenant general and former commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe. "It's well past time to take more active steps to help Ukraine win as well as to protect innocent people," Hodges told RFE/RL.

"All countries have the absolute right for self-defense and control of their air, land, and sea space. China and Russia routinely violate those spaces. States have the right under international law to shoot down unidentified craft in their airspace," argued Alexander Crowther, a retired U.S. Army infantry colonel and senior research fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), a Washington-based think tank, in comments to RFE/RL.

This comes as the West, namely the United States, weighs whether to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied missiles to strike military targets deeper inside Russia, especially now that Russia has reportedly received more deadly missiles from Iran.

Ukrainian officials pressed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his British counterpart, David Lammy, on this during a visit to Kyiv on September 11.

The NATO official speaking to RFE/RL on background said the military alliance had "made unprecedented contributions to Ukraine's defenses, spending roughly 40 billion euros a year to support Ukraine militarily."

NATO 'Air-Defense Shield'

Fredrik Wesslau, a former Swedish diplomat and fellow at the Stockholm Center for Eastern European Studies, recently laid out in the U.S.-based Foreign Affairs journal a proposal for NATO to protect its eastern flank and provide western Ukraine with much-needed air cover.

"The idea is to deploy ground and air assets from NATO allies, so, for instance, Patriot systems, or F-16 [fighter jets] to Poland, Slovakia, and Romania on their side of the border with Ukraine, at strategic locations, and use these assets to intercept Russian drones and missiles that first of all, enter the airspace of these allies, but also to intercept them over Ukrainian territory when they're heading toward NATO and NATO allies," Wesslau explained to RFE/RL in an interview.

Some analysts have argued such plans present logistical challenges.

"If you're going to engage targets over Ukrainian airspace, there needs to be some kind of coordination mechanism so that Ukrainian weapons don't conflict with NATO weapons and the identification of Russian missiles is clear to all sides," William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, recently told Australia's ABC News.

Involving at least two command-and-control arrangements and multiple countries identifying friendly versus enemy targets, "would make it difficult," Taylor said. "The best case is when there is one system."

"Well, I think for this to work, there would have to be a degree of integration with Ukrainian air defense," Wesslau countered. "I mean, to some extent, this already exists today, but I think the idea is that this would be, you know, this air-defense shield would be operated by a coalition of the willing."

"I understand that NATO does not want to confront Russia, however, individual states can defend their own airspace. Note that Turkey, a NATO member, shot down a Russian aircraft that violated their airspace in 2015," Crowther added, referring to an incident that Putin referred to as "a stab in the back."

The United States has already proved it is willing to take such action elsewhere, Hodges pointed out.

"We do this in the Red Sea, defending international shipping against Huthi missiles and Israeli citizens from Iranian missiles. Why can't we protect innocent Ukrainian civilians from Russian missiles?" Hodges asked.

More than 300 missiles and drones were fired from Iran toward Israel late on April 13, but virtually all were intercepted before entering Israeli territory. U.S., British, and Israeli forces destroyed nearly all the projectiles.

"Shaheds (Iranian military drones) in the skies above Ukraine sound identical to those over the Middle East. The impact of ballistic missiles, if they are not intercepted, is the same everywhere," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy tweeted on April 15.

Later that same day, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked by reporters why the United States and allies had shot down Iranian drones over Israel but not Ukraine.

"Two different conflicts, different airspace, different threat picture. And the president has been clear since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine that the United States is not going to be involved in...that conflict in a combat role," Kirby said.

However, the ground could be shifting, albeit gradually, with Ukraine's Western allies less likely to take a cautious approach.

"Well, look, I think the more we don't react, the greater the risk becomes, in a sense, because it's quite clear that Russia is prodding and pushing and testing, and if there's no response, it pushes further. And this, in a sense, increases the stakes and also increases the danger of escalation," explained Wesslau.

"Some allies are opposed, some are for, but I think this is one of these things, which will become more topical as time goes on, and as we see more and more of these incursions by Russian drones and missiles."
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Announces Resignation After Supreme Court Bail, Calls for Early Elections

Following his resignation, a member of AAP will be appointed to temporarily fill the role of Chief Minister.

New Delhi: In a dramatic turn of events, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced his resignation, just days after being granted bail by the Supreme Court. Addressing a rally, Kejriwal stated, "Two days later, I will resign as Chief Minister. I will not sit on that chair till the people announce their verdict."

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader emphasized his faith in democracy and the will of the people, signaling that his next political move will be based on public support. "I got justice from the legal court, now I will get justice from the people's court. I will sit on the Chief Minister's chair only after the order of the people," he added.

Advertisement

Kejriwals resignation comes at a crucial time, with Delhi's assembly elections scheduled for February. However, the AAP leader is calling for an early election, demanding that the polls in the national capital be held in November alongside the Maharashtra state elections.

Following his resignation, a member of AAP will be appointed to temporarily fill the role of Chief Minister. Kejriwal indicated that he would spend the coming weeks actively engaging with the public, seeking their support for his leadership once more.

Kejriwal's move has sent ripples through the political landscape, raising speculation about the future of AAP and the impact of this decision on the upcoming Delhi elections. Political observers are watching closely as the capital braces for what could be a pivotal moment in its electoral history.

Advertisement

(For more news apart from Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's Resignation, Stay Tuned To Rozana Spokesman)
Sedan Sales in India Decline by 26.36% in August 2024  Maruti Dzire Retains Lead

The sedan segment in India faced significant challenges in August 2024, with total sales dropping to 24,738 units, a 26.36% decline compared to the 33,593 units sold in August 2023. The majority of sedans experienced year-on-year (YoY) declines, reflecting changing market dynamics as consumers continue to favour SUVs over traditional sedans.

Top 10 Sedans Aug 2024  Dzire sales decline, but remains No 1

Maruti Dzire remained the best-selling sedan in India, with 10,627 units sold in August 2024. However, this represented a 20.06% YoY decline, as Dzires sales fell by 2,666 units compared to 13,293 units in August 2023. Despite the drop, Dzire still held a commanding 42.96% share of the total sedan sales, showcasing its continued popularity in the segment.

Hyundai Aura / Xcent, the second best-selling sedan, recorded a 12.02% YoY decline in August 2024, with 4,304 units sold. This marked a decrease of 588 units compared to the 4,892 units sold in August 2023. Aura captured a 17.40% share of the sedan market. Honda Amaze also faced a significant decline, with sales dropping by 27.47% YoY. Amaze sold 2,585 units in August 2024, down by 979 units from 3,564 units sold in the previous year. Amaze now holds a 10.45% market share.

Volkswagen Virtus and Hyundai Verna Struggle

Volkswagen Virtus saw a 12.34% decline in sales, with 1,876 units sold in August 2024, down by 264 units from 2,140 units in August 2023. Virtus captured a 7.58% share of the market, reflecting its steady demand despite the overall market contraction.

Hyundai Verna faced the steepest decline among the top-selling sedans, with sales plunging by 53.65% YoY. Verna sold 1,194 units in August 2024, a decrease of 1,382 units from 2,576 units sold in August 2023, resulting in a 4.83% market share.

Tata Tigor/EV and Skoda Slavia Experience Sharp Drops

Tata Tigor, including its EV variant, saw a sharp decline in sales, with a 61.05% YoY drop. Tigor sold 1,148 units in August 2024, down by 1,799 units compared to the 2,947 units sold in August 2023, contributing to a 4.64% market share. Skoda Slavia also struggled, with a 32.29% YoY decline in sales. Slavia sold 1,122 units in August 2024, down by 535 units from August 2023, capturing a 4.54% market share.

Honda City experienced a 31.86% YoY decline, with 1,018 units sold in August 2024, down by 476 units compared to 1,494 units in August 2023. City held a 4.12% share of the market. Maruti Ciaz also saw a 16.73% drop in sales, with 707 units sold in August 2024, a decrease of 142 units from August 2023. Ciazs market share stood at 2.86%.

Toyota Camry, a premium sedan, saw a 14.92% YoY decline, with 154 units sold in August 2024, down by 27 units compared to 181 units sold in August 2023. Camry held a 0.62% share of the sedan market. Skoda Superb, with just 3 units sold in August 2024, held a minor 0.01% share, reflecting its niche position in the market.
The Australian market has seen a mixed performance recently, with the ASX200 closing up 0.3% at 8,099.9 points, driven by strength in the Materials sector but held back by a decline in Financials. As investors navigate these fluctuating conditions, dividend stocks like GrainCorp and others offer potential stability and income through regular payouts.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Australia

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Perenti (ASX:PRN) 7.69%  Nick Scali (ASX:NCK) 4.32%  Collins Foods (ASX:CKF) 3.43%  MFF Capital Investments (ASX:MFF) 3.65%  Super Retail Group (ASX:SUL) 6.83%  Fiducian Group (ASX:FID) 4.71%  National Storage REIT (ASX:NSR) 4.51%  Premier Investments (ASX:PMV) 3.98%  Ricegrowers (ASX:SGLLV) 6.40%  Australian United Investment (ASX:AUI) 3.52% 

Click here to see the full list of 35 stocks from our Top ASX Dividend Stocks screener.

Let's take a closer look at a couple of our picks from the screened companies.

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: GrainCorp Limited is an agribusiness and processing company with operations spanning Australasia, Asia, North America, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and other international markets; it has a market cap of approximately A$2.01 billion.

Operations: GrainCorp Limited's revenue from its agribusiness segment is A$6.82 billion.

Dividend Yield: 6%

GrainCorp's dividend yield (5.95%) is slightly below the top 25% of Australian dividend payers, but its dividends are well-covered by both earnings (63.4% payout ratio) and free cash flows (37.4% cash payout ratio). However, the company's profit margins have declined from 3.9% to 1.4%, and its interest payments are not well covered by earnings. Recent strategic alliances with IFM Investors and Ampol aim to establish an integrated renewable fuels industry in Australia, potentially impacting future profitability positively.

ASX:GNC Dividend History as at Sep 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Lycopodium Limited (ASX:LYL) offers engineering and project delivery services in the resources, rail infrastructure, and industrial processes sectors in Australia, with a market cap of A$484.64 million.

Operations: Lycopodium Limited generates revenue from three primary segments: Resources (A$366.49 million), Process Industries (A$11.45 million), and Rail Infrastructure (A$10.21 million).

Dividend Yield: 6.2%

Lycopodium Limited reported an increase in annual revenue to A$348.88 million and net income to A$50.71 million for the year ending June 30, 2024. Despite a reasonable payout ratio of 60.3%, its dividend payments are not well covered by free cash flows, with a high cash payout ratio of 122.9%. While the company declared a fully franked final dividend of 40 cents per share, bringing the full-year dividend to 77 cents per share, its dividends have been volatile and unreliable over the past decade.

Story continues

ASX:LYL Dividend History as at Sep 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: New Hope Corporation Limited explores, develops, produces, and processes coal as well as oil and gas properties, with a market cap of A$3.64 billion.

Operations: New Hope Corporation Limited generates revenue primarily from its Coal Mining NSW segment, which accounts for A$1.88 billion, and its Coal Mining QLD (including Treasury and Investments) segment, contributing A$48.15 million.

Dividend Yield: 10%

New Hope Corporation's dividend yield of 9.98% ranks in the top 25% of Australian dividend payers, supported by a low payout ratio of 48.4%. However, its dividends have been volatile and are not well covered by free cash flows, with a high cash payout ratio of 90.2%. Recent production guidance indicates robust coal output for fiscal year 2024, and the company completed an A$300 million fixed-income offering to bolster financial stability.

ASX:NHC Dividend History as at Sep 2024

Make It Happen

Dive into all 35 of the Top ASX Dividend Stocks we have identified here.

Invested in any of these stocks? Simplify your portfolio management with Simply Wall St and stay ahead with our alerts for any critical updates on your stocks.

Take control of your financial future using Simply Wall St, offering free, in-depth knowledge of international markets to every investor.

Contemplating Other Strategies?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include ASX:GNC ASX:LYL and ASX:NHC.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Expanding the brands portfolio, upcoming Revolt AW1 or RV1 will rival electric motorcycles from Tork Motors, Oben, Pure EV and Ola

Now that electric scooters have seen greater acceptance, many companies are shifting focus to electric motorcycles to gain some head start. Revolt electric motorcycle brand is poised to introduce a new affordable motorcycle on 17th September. Called AW1, specs and features are not leaked ahead of launch. Lets see whats what.

Upcoming Revolt AW1

Ola Electric recently unveiled Roadster range of motorcycles. Shedding light on the rising electric motorcycle segment. However, Revolt has been one of, if not, the oldest player in electric motorcycle genre in India. Currently, Revolt offers RV400 and RV400 BRZ electric motorcycles and AW1 will be the third.

AW1 stands for Are We One. The leaked internal presentation from Revolt shows that this upcoming motorcycle will be called AW1. But going by Rovolts current lineup and naming strategy, we reckon it will be called, RV1. As in, Are We One, denoted by the companys teasers on the website.

What does it get?

Leaked companys internal presentation shows a street-style motorcycle silhouette with a neo-retro twist. We get round headlights with circular LED DRLs, futuristic side-body panels similar to RV400 and a commuter-ish subframe and rear section. There is a long seat as well, which should appeal to target audience.

When compared to RV400, upcoming Revolt AW1 or RV1 offers RSU telescopic front forks, twin shock absorbers and the main highlight is that AW1 or RV1 loses the fancy belt drive for a cheaper chain-drive setup. Because chain drive needs frequent maintenance, there is a centre stand offered as part of accessories.

other accessories include a sturdier grab rail with mount, a leg guard and a headlight visor. There will be two variants of AW1  V1 and V2. Battery size is 2.2 kWh with V1 promising 100+ km range on a single charge and 3.24 kWh with V2, promising 150 km of range. There might be a sole 2 kW (2.682 bhp) mid-mounted electric motor with reverse mode.

What to expect?

Currently, Revolts most affordable model is RV400 BRZ and it costs Rs 1,02,250 (Effective ex-sh). As per the leaked presentation, we can see the expected features and specifications of Revolt AW1 or RV1 and it is a lower-spec vehicle when compared to the RV400 currently on sale. Revolt AW1 is getting a combination lock, integrating ignition and handle-lock in one along with an integrated storage for charger.

Revolt might strike a price point of well below Rs 1 lakh. Maybe around Rs 80,000 or even undercut Ola Roadster X priced at Rs 75,000 (prices effective ex-sh). For the price, Revolt has curated an experience that is a notch below what the company has been offering with RV400.
(Bloomberg) -- About two thirds of Australian baby boomers leaving the workforce dont have enough pension savings to retire comfortably, according to research from the industrys peak body.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Slightly more than 30% of Australians are able to afford a comfortable lifestyle in retirement, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia said. The median pension account balance for men aged 60-64 sat at A$205,385 ($137,690) as of June 2022 and A$153,685 for women the same age, a ways off the industrys accepted comfortable retirement standard of A$690,000 for couples and A$595,000 for singles.

As the nations pension pool nears A$4 trillion, an estimated 2.5 million Australians are expected to retire in the next decade. The pension industry  known locally as superannuation  was made compulsory for all workers in 1992, with contributions equal to 3% of wages. The amount employers contribute has grown to 11.5% and will rise to 12% next year.

Still, as the pension system matures and balances increase, the portion of people retiring with enough money to fund a comfortable lifestyle will rise to 50% or more by 2050, ASFA Chief Executive Officer Mary Delahunty said in an interview.

The people retiring now have not had a full benefit for their working life, Delahunty said. So they will still require a good level of government help, or help from the rest of us, to be able to retire with dignity.

Anxiety around retirement savings persists even as Australia regularly ranks among the worlds top pension systems. Some 40% of Australians say theyll never have enough money to retire despite the country boasting one of the worlds most envied pensions systems, according to a Natixis Investment Managers survey released last week.

Lots of people are concerned about the comfort and ability of retirees at the moment because of the cost of living rises, Delahunty said.

Balances were down slightly in the 12 months to June 2022 compared to the previous year due to poor investment returns, but have since averaged an annual return of more than 9%, Delahunty said.

Australias pension system is doing its part to relieve stress on the public purse. A 2023 government report found that despite the aging population, spending on pensions is projected to fall from 2.3% to 2% of gross domestic product within 40 years, as superannuation increasingly funds retirements.

Story continues

Still, a gender pay gap has fueled disparity in every age cohorts pension pot, Delahunty said. The average balance for men is A$182,667, compared to A$146,146 for women, according to ASFA.

A shortage of financial advisers also presents a challenge. The government has announced a range of proposed reforms for the sector.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Red Bay Coffee Roasters has officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Black-owned coffee chain in Oakland will begin this process as multiple lawsuits against the company wage on.

San Francisco Business Times reported that Red Bay filed in late August. The notable franchise, which boasts five stores across the Bay Area, stated that COVID-19s impact and the ongoing lawsuits played the biggest roles. Specifically, the paperwork noted spiraling costs and related uncertainties surrounding the lawsuits as a push toward Chapter 11 protections.

The owner and current debtor-in-possession, Keba Konte, founded Red Bay in his garage in 2014. In his declaration for first-day motions filed on Sept. 5, Konte released his asset valuation at $251,000. He also listed his liabilities at $3.3 million, with two loans valued at $550,000 each. On the other hand, the company had a net loss of more than $850,000 in a six-month period starting January 2024.

Through its expansion, Konte appointed the space as unapologetically welcoming to Black and Brown people, hosting panels and workshops to uplift its local community. Red Bay has also featured exclusive coffee blends that shed light on social causes, one most recently dedicated to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo conflict as well as sickle cell disease awareness. However, lawsuits accusing employees of sexual harassment and wage theft have stunted the company.

In 2018, a former employee sued Red Bay, alleging that several coworkers engaged in sexual harassment against them. The employee further claims that they were demoted and then fired for retaliation. Moreover, they accused the business of not paying the full wages owed.

A former landlord also filed another lawsuit against Red Bay. The filing stated the franchise breached a contract surrounding one of its now-defunct locations in Southern California. To add to its legal woes, the filing also claimed the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) launched an investigation into its business practices based on claims made by a former employee. The EEOC has yet to confirm the investigation, given federal policies.

As the Oakland-based chain enters bankruptcy, the future of its five operating storefronts remains in limbo.

RELATED CONTENT: Coffee Choice May Predict Election
Michelle Russell, 70, (not pictured) lives on her $1,768 monthly Social Security income in Huntsville, Alabama. Pyrosky / Getty Images

Michelle Russell, 70, lives on her monthly $1,768 Social Security income and $23 in SNAP benefits.

With such a tight budget, Russell is forgoing social activities and feels isolated.

One in five Americans over 50 doesn't have retirement savings, leaving many living near poverty.

Michelle Russell, 70, regularly met her closest friends for "music and margaritas." It was their tradition: They would order salt-rimmed cocktails, share a meal, and listen to whichever local musician was playing at their favorite restaurant.

But Russell has been receiving fewer and fewer dinner invitations.

"Over this past year, because my money has gotten so tight, those friends don't call me anymore," she said. "They know I don't have the money to go out, and it's embarrassing for me when they pay for my bill."

The Huntsville, Alabama, resident lives on her $1,768 monthly Social Security checks, according to documents reviewed by Business Insider. Russell doesn't have any savings and sometimes has to buy groceries and gas with her credit cards. Rent for her small apartment takes up more than half of her monthly income.

After working most of her adult life, Russell didn't think her retirement would look like this. She isn't alone.

We want to hear from you. Are you an older American with any life regrets that you would be comfortable sharing with a reporter? Please fill out this quick form.

A fifth of Americans over 50 lack adequate retirement savings, and many of those who do have savings worry they'll outlive what's in the bank. Monthly Social Security checks aren't enough for most baby boomers to live on  many have told BI they struggle to afford housing, food, and healthcare.

These financial challenges are also fueling a loneliness crisis for older adults. On such a tight budget, boomers like Russell don't have anything left to spend at restaurants with friends or on travel to see family.

"If you make friends, then it's, 'Well, hey, why don't we go to lunch?'" she said. "Without me working, there is no money for that. It goes away, so you become very, very isolated."

Russell's tight finances contribute to loneliness

Russell retired from her job as a food-service broker six years ago and began collecting Social Security at about that time. Her late husband was a police officer, but they married later in life, so Russell said she didn't qualify for his spousal pension benefit.

Over the past few years, Russell used any retirement savings she had to pay unexpected expenses, like medical bills or car repairs.

Story continues

She has been in and out of part-time jobs  working at a convenience store, Walmart, and local liquor store. The paychecks helped boost her finances and pay for social outings like her "music and margaritas" nights, but Russell said she more recently had struggled to find work. It's increasingly difficult to be hired at her age, she said.

"Because of my age, I do have limitations," she said. "No, I can't go in and pick up 50 pounds. I can't stand on my feet for eight hours at a time."

Russell lives alone in a 700-square-foot apartment with her dog, Pete. She pays nearly $900 a month, more than half of her Social Security income, making her severely rent-burdened. On top of housing costs, she also has to pay her electricity, cellphone, and insurance bills. She previously lived with her adult son to save money but moved out last year when he got married. She tries to avoid asking her children for financial help, she said.

In terms of healthcare, Russell said Medicare covered most of the basic doctor's visits and prescription needs. But Medicare doesn't cover emergency or long-term care. She doesn't know how she would afford a hospital stay if she needed one.

Russell also receives $23 a month in SNAP benefits, but she says it doesn't go very far at the grocery store. Mostly, she eats toast with butter and whatever is on sale  and she's often able to afford only one meal a day.

Of course, not all baby boomers live near poverty in retirement. Some have robust savings paired with corporate 401(k) matches; others built wealth through well-placed investments. What's more, many older adults have strong communities and social circles.

But, right now, Russell feels as if she's a few hundred dollars away from losing access to necessities.

"I can survive as long as nothing unexpected comes along," she said.

Are you experiencing loneliness because of your finances? Are you open to sharing your story? If so, reach out to allisonkelly@businessinsider.com .

Read the original article on Business Insider
Recent opinion pieces by Rep. Davey Hiott and Jennifer Safavian effectively made the point that international automakers have been key to our states economic growth. Across South Carolina, and certainly here in the Upstate, weve seen the impact of not just direct jobs at automakers but their suppliers and the job multipliers across our economy. We attract these companies for many reasons; among our advantages is our history of a non-unionized workforce.

More: International automakers are driving economic growth, job growth in S.C. and beyond

We cant afford to see our regions prosperity threatened by the whims of union leadership. Just look at what happened in Detroit last year where a UAW (United Auto Workers) strike cost the Big Three automakers and suppliers billions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

In its unionization efforts, the UAW often employs high-pressure tactics to sway workers. These include public card- check voting and limiting information to just one side of the debate. If South Carolina workers are given their protected right to a secret ballot and can hear from employers the impact of unionization, then we will likely follow workers in Alabama who rejected the UAW.

More: Why autoworkers in thriving S.C. should resist unionization efforts

Hopefully, South Carolinians are paying attention to what the UAW is doing and we will keep our economy free from union influence.

Susan Kines

Greenville

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Here's why prosperous S.C. doesn't need 'whims' of labor unions
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Canadian Stocks To Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) stands against the other Canadian stocks.

In the ever-evolving landscape of investment opportunities, keeping an eye on the broader economic environment can be as crucial as analyzing individual stocks. As we delve into the best Canadian stocks to buy, its important to consider the country's current economic outlook. Canada's economic environment reveals a complex mix of challenges and potential opportunities. The global economy is still reeling from historically high inflation, which has triggered the most aggressive monetary tightening in decades. While the U.S. economy has demonstrated an unexpected resilience, balancing robust growth with moderating inflation, Canada's situation requires closer scrutiny. The Canadian economy, though strong in many respects, is particularly sensitive to interest rates. High levels of household debt and relatively short mortgage terms amplify the effects of rising interest rates, making Canadian consumers and businesses more vulnerable compared to their U.S. counterparts. Nevertheless, the latter part of 2023 showed unexpected economic strength, buoyed by record immigration and positive spillover from a resilient U.S. economy, leading to a significant easing of recession fears in Canada.

Yet, the Canadian economy is not entirely out of the woods. Growth is anticipated to remain below trend in 2024, with the Bank of Canada forecasting a modest GDP increase of 1.25% to 1.5%. This slowdown is partially attributed to Canadas distinct economic vulnerabilities. For instance, productivity growth has been alarmingly weak, with Canadas senior deputy governor labeling it as an emergency. This decline is largely due to insufficient business investment in key areas such as equipment and intellectual property, compounded by limited competition in essential sectors like telecommunications and banking. On a positive note, this slower growth is expected to ease inflationary pressures. Headline inflation has been gradually decreasing, and core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is moving closer to the Bank of Canadas target range. This scenario provides the Bank with some flexibility, with expectations for a 50-75 basis point reduction in interest rates later this year.

Despite strong job creation, particularly a notable surge in April 2024, employment growth of 2.0% over the past year has not kept pace with the 3.4% rise in population. This disparity has pushed the unemployment rate up by nearly a full percentage point to 6.2%, and it is projected to remain high through the rest of this year before beginning to decline in 2025. Wage growth, which averaged 5.3% in 2023, has decelerated to 3.9% (annualized) in the first quarter of 2024. With inflation pressures easing, this slower wage growth is expected to continue through 2024 and into the following year. Although the Bank of Canadas decision to cut its policy rate is a step in the right direction, Canadian households remain the most indebted in the G7. The interest rate hikes since 2022 have strained household finances, resulting in a decline in real consumer spending per capita over five of the last seven quarters as more income is diverted towards servicing mortgage and loan interest payments.

Story continues

The housing market has felt these effects more acutely. Real residential investment per capita dropped by 22.8% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to two years earlier. Looking forward, consumer spending and residential investment are expected to recover as lower interest rates stimulate demand. However, with low consumer confidence, hesitation to make significant purchases, ongoing housing affordability issues, and elevated savings rates, the pace of recovery in the latter half of 2024 is likely to be slow. Deloitte forecasts that more substantial improvements in consumption and residential investment will occur next year as confidence improves. Overall, Canada's economy performed better in the first half of 2024 than expected, but this strength is projected to be counterbalanced by slower real GDP growth in the latter part of the year due to reduced household spending. The updated forecast anticipates real GDP growth of 1.2% for 2024, accelerating to 2.6% in 2025. On a per-capita basis, real GDP is expected to decline by 1.6% this year before rebounding to 1.1% growth in 2025.

For investors looking to capitalize on these evolving conditions, understanding the underlying economic indicators and trends is essential. With this context, we now turn to a detailed examination of the best Canadian stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts.

Our Methodology

For this article we first used a stock screener to identify Canadian stocks that analysts see material upside to, as of September 9. From this list we chose 10 stocks that have the highest upside potential from their current price based on average analyst price targets.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A close up of the reactor core, highlighting the complexity of the uranium power process.

Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ)

Upside Potential: 52%

Average Analyst Share Price Target: $57.02

Our list of ten best Canadian stocks to buy according to wall street analysts starts with Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ). Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) offers an upside potential of 52%, with analysts setting an average share price target of $57.02. Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) remains a dominant force in the global nuclear energy sector, benefiting from increasing demand for clean, carbon-free power. In Q2 2024, the company highlighted its strong market position, driven by geopolitical tensions, the pressing need to replace fossil fuels, and growing energy demand due to rising global temperatures. Nuclear energy continues to gain traction as a reliable, long-term energy source, and Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) is well-positioned to take advantage of these tailwinds. Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) production at key operations such as MacArthur River, Key Lake, and Cigar Lake is fully committed, demonstrating its ability to secure long-term contracts in a tightening uranium market. Despite challenges, including operational disruptions and regulatory changes like Kazakhstans tax increase, Camecos premier tier-one assets provide a competitive edge. The company is also exploring expansion opportunities at its facilities to increase production in response to growing demand.

Financially, Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) remains strong with a focus on debt reduction and prudent liquidity management. The company repaid $100 million of its outstanding term loan and refinanced $500 million in senior unsecured debentures. With improving long-term contract prices and higher production capacity, Cameco is set to generate strong cash flow moving forward. The companys recent acquisition of Westinghouse is expected to contribute significantly to its earnings, with projected adjusted EBITDA growth of 6% to 10% annually over the next five years. Despite short-term uncertainties affecting the broader market, Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) benefits from strong political support for nuclear energy globally, including bipartisan support in the U.S. As a result, Cameco is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for nuclear energy, making it a compelling investment for those seeking exposure to the clean energy sector and the uranium market.

Aristotle Capital International Equity Strategy stated the following regarding Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ), one of the worlds largest publicly traded uranium producers, was the top contributor during the period. Support from governments and policymakers for nuclear energy has continued to increase in 2024 as countries realize it can play a crucial role in both promoting energy security and lowering dependence on fossil fuels to meet environmental goals. With higher demand for uranium across the world, Camecos production was up more than 25% year-over-year, and its long-term supply contracts have increased (annual commitments now standing at 28 million pounds per year through 2028). We view these fundamental improvements as further proof Cameco is making progress on our catalyst of increasing its uranium volume sold at higher prices, all while lowering production costs through scale and its access to some of the highest-grade ore on the planet. In addition, we believe the companys continued integration of Westinghouse Electric Companys market-leading downstream capabilities will allow it to offer a highly competitive nuclear fuel solution. In our opinion, this puts Cameco on track to enjoy higher levels of FREE cash flow and the ability to de-risk its balance sheet as it meets global energy needs.

Overall CCJ ranks 10th on our list of the best Canadian stocks to buy according to Wall Street Analysts. While we acknowledge the potential of CCJ to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CCJ but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Chevron (NYSE: CVX) ranks among the world's largest oil and natural gas companies. It has a long history of operating in a fiscally conservative manner. And it also has a long history of rewarding investors with regular dividend hikes even when energy prices are weak. If you are looking for an energy stock, it is probably worth a closer look. While it has been cheaper in the past, now wouldn't be a bad time to buy it.

Here's what you need to know.

Is it always a good time to buy Chevron?

Based on valuation, Chevron will be far more attractive at some points and less so at others. That's just how Wall Street works. However, from a broader energy sector perspective, Chevron is always an attractive company. Some facts will help here.

Image source: Getty Images.

For starters, Chevron's business is spread across the entire sector since it is what's known as an integrated energy company. So it has exposure to oil and natural gas production (upstream), energy transportation (midstream), and chemicals and refining (downstream). Each of these industry segments tend to perform differently at given times.

Notably, the downstream often benefits from the low oil and gas prices that hurt the upstream. The pipelines that populate the midstream tend to generate reliable cash flows through the entire energy cycle. So Chevron's diversified business helps to soften the inherent peaks and valleys of the highly volatile energy sector.

On top of that, Chevron has one of the strongest balance sheets of its closest peer group. Its debt-to-equity ratio of roughly 0.15 would be low for any company. But the really important fact is that it provides Chevron with the financial leeway to add leverage during industry downturns so it can continue to support its business and dividend. The dividend notably has been increased annually for 37 consecutive years despite the many swings in energy prices over that span.

CVX Debt to Equity Ratio Chart

Basically, if you are looking for an energy company, Chevron should probably be on your short list. That's not a time-dependent statement -- always keep Chevron on your energy short list.

Chevron seems reasonably priced right now

That said, Chevron isn't a screaming buy today. But it does look reasonably priced. Because of the inherent volatility of earnings in the energy patch, typical valuation metrics aren't all that useful when looking at Chevron. But given the consistency of the dividend over time, dividend yield can be a pretty useful tool. When the yield is high, Chevron is probably attractively priced. When the yield is low, Chevron is likely to be on the expensive side.

Story continues

CVX Chart

Right now, Chevron's roughly 4.6% dividend yield is above its 10-year average yield of about 4.2%. This suggests that Chevron is a little cheap today. So if you are considering it, now might be a good time to add it to your portfolio.

Understand that Chevron swings with oil

That said, despite a diversified portfolio of energy businesses, Chevron's top and bottom lines are still heavily impacted by the price of oil and natural gas. When energy prices are high, earnings will be high. When energy prices are low, earnings will be low. Investors react accordingly. The best time to buy Chevron is often during energy downturns. It takes a bit of a contrarian streak to jump in at that point, but the dividend yield can get up toward 10% when Wall Street is really worried about energy prices.

Given the current yield, that obviously isn't the issue today. But energy prices have been pulling back a little bit on supply/demand issues. And, if you are looking for a long-term energy stock to add to your portfolio, Chevron could be a good addition. Just go in knowing that there's going to be a time when the stock plunges along with oil prices. That will probably be the time to add to your position, however, not the time to sell in a panic.

Chevron is a buy, if you buy for the right reasons

If you are trying to play the ups and downs of energy prices, Chevron will be a terrible choice for your portfolio. That's probably not the best way to invest for most people, anyway. What Chevron does -- and does well -- is provide broad exposure to the energy sector with a dividend that is reliable through the entire cycle. And given the above average yield today, it is probably worth adding at least a starter position in the stock if you have been looking at it.

Should you invest $1,000 in Chevron right now?

Before you buy stock in Chevron, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Chevron wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $729,857!*

Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*.

See the 10 stocks 

*Stock Advisor returns as of September 9, 2024

Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chevron. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Is Chevron Stock a Buy? was originally published by The Motley Fool
China is revising its belt and road playbook in Africa, as it moves its investment focus to agriculture, manufacturing, industrialisation and green energy, including critical metals.

The shift is part of Beijing's pivot towards "small but beautiful" projects in its African investment strategy. But while this could see fewer mega projects financed directly through Chinese bilateral lending, it does not mean Beijing will stop bankrolling major projects that it considers critical to growing China-Africa trade.

Nearly US$51 billion was allocated by China for lending and investment in Africa at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit held in Beijing last week. More than half that amount - 210 billion yuan (US$29.5 billion) - is a credit line.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Beijing is also encouraging more Chinese companies to partner with African businesses and governments through public-private partnership (PPP) financing models, such as build-operate-transfer agreements.

It is a model that built the 27km Nairobi Expressway in 2022, which was funded and constructed by state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation. The Chinese company will operate the expressway for three decades to recover its investment before transferring ownership to the Kenyan government. Similar financing models have been used in Uganda, Nigeria and Zambia.

At the FOCAC summit, Beijing also pledged to encourage Chinese financial institutions and companies to get involved in African infrastructure projects through different types of public-private partnerships "to create better conditions for industrialisation in Africa".

Kai Xue, a Beijing-based corporate lawyer who advises on foreign direct investment, outbound mergers and acquisitions, and cross-border financing at DeHeng Law Offices, said shifting towards the financial model made sense.

"PPPs with Chinese investors will be the best approach for any mega project," he said, such as the extension of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway to the border with Uganda.

Xue also noted that two positive trading trends were African exports of agricultural products and higher-value minerals to China.

A Chinese expert shares his knowledge at the China-Aid Agriculture Technology Demonstration Centre in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. China has promised to send 500 agricultural experts to Africa. Photo: Xinhua alt=A Chinese expert shares his knowledge at the China-Aid Agriculture Technology Demonstration Centre in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. China has promised to send 500 agricultural experts to Africa. Photo: Xinhua>

Story continues

There was huge growth last year in the export of avocados from Kenya and processed lithium carbonate from Zimbabwe to China, he added.

"We are seeing Chinese investors making multibillion-dollar investments across Africa," Xue said.

China is also now channelling more money through the continent's multilateral financial institutions such as the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and Africa Finance Corporation for trade finance promotion and on-lending to African SMEs.

It is a "risk mitigation strategy" where Beijing can outsource "the 'picking of winners' to African institutions with more in-depth knowledge of African markets," according to researchers at the Boston University Global Development Policy Centre.

The centre's data showed that of the US$4.61 billion loaned by China to African countries last year, more than half - or US$2.59 billion - was given to African multilateral banks as well as nationally owned banks in Egypt.

At the FOCAC summit, China agreed to encourage private sectors to work with the African Development Bank, Afreximbank, African subregional banks, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank to expand African infrastructure investment under the support of Chinese financial institutions, especially those involved in the belt and road plan.

China's Belt and Road Initiative is about more than just major infrastructure projects, according to international project finance lawyer Kanyi Lui, partner and China head at multinational law firm Pinsent Masons. It is also about improving global connectivity.

Lui said helping Global South governments build long overdue, essential infrastructure was why these mega projects dominated the first decade of the belt and road.

"Having these infrastructures in place then enables the government to attract foreign investments - and businesses to invest in the local economy," he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to encourage two-way investment between Chinese and African companies. Photo: AP alt=Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to encourage two-way investment between Chinese and African companies. Photo: AP>

As part of the natural progression of the initiative, Lui said he expected to see fewer large infrastructure projects, instead predicting an increase in investments in "energy transition and local agriculture, manufacturing and productive assets".

While addressing leaders at the FOCAC Summit, President Xi Jinping said China would build 100,000 mu (6,666 hectares) of standardised agriculture demonstration areas in Africa and send 500 agricultural experts to the continent.

"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," Xi said.

Critical minerals are also in the spotlight, with Chinese companies recently making multibillion-dollar investments to secure reliable supplies.

Chinese companies have vast investments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which produces around 70 per cent of the world's cobalt. Other Chinese businesses have recently ramped up their acquisitions of African lithium projects, particularly in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Mali.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang told the FOCAC summit that in the next three years, China will work with Africa to maintain the stability of the mineral supply chain and promote value addition to the industry by developing smelting technology.

The aim is to "transform Africa's resource endowments into advantages of economic development".

To that end, China agreed to support the expansion of smelting, processing and other upstream and downstream mining sectors, as well as building infrastructure and exploring deep mining projects.

But of all China's activities in Africa, it is the investment in critical minerals that has attracted the attention of the United States and other Western nations.

According to Jason Tuvey, deputy chief emerging markets economist at Capital Economics, China's efforts to strengthen ties in Africa are facing resistance from the US and its allies as they fight for their slice of the continent's rich mineral deposits.

"Indeed, we've recently seen the US agree to finance a train line connecting Angola and the DRC as part of an effort to improve logistics networks for copper and cobalt mines," he said.

Likewise, Europe has been investing in African energy projects as it seeks to improve its own energy security, according to Tuvey. Energy projects in Mozambique and Tanzania are notable examples.

Meanwhile, it has been the US and EU which have been partly responsible for driving China to the African market, according to Lina Benabdallah, an associate professor in the politics and international affairs department at Wake Forest University in the US.

She said geopolitical tensions around green energy had seen the US and EU impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, which had in turn seen a growing number of Chinese EV makers turn to alternative markets, including Africa.

"I expect that Beijing will be looking to increase its sales of electric vehicles and other products that are basically not selling in the US or Europe," Benabdallah said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
The departure of CEO Brian Niccol has brought uncertainty to the investment case for Chipotle (NYSE: CMG) stock. Niccol was the company's most successful CEO since founder Steve Ellis stepped down, and his process improvements and innovations helped Chipotle stock rise by around 775% during his six-year tenure at the company.

Now, with Niccol's sudden departure for the Starbucks job, investors are right to wonder what is next for the company, and the significant decline in Chipotle stock reflects this concern. Should investors take advantage of the discounted stock price or take the drop as a sign to get out?

Chipotle under new leadership

Admittedly, one can understand why Chipotle stock sold off following the announcement. It had already declined significantly since June, when its P/E ratio briefly topped 70.

Also, Niccol's announcement that he was leaving to go to Starbucks was unexpected, so Chipotle investors did not know what would happen to the company following such a move.

Fortunately for bulls in the restaurant stock, Chipotle has moved to reassure investors. One decision was to promote Scott Boatwright to the interim CEO position. Boatwright has served as Chipotle's chief operating officer since 2017.

Under Boatwright's tenure, the company addressed the periodic outbreaks of norovirus and other pathogens, and imposed stricter food handling procedures to preserve the cleanliness of its food. It also encouraged sick workers to stay home to minimize the chances of foodborne illnesses.

Additionally, Boatwright helped integrate technology into the company. During his tenure, Chipotle launched its digital ordering site, which now accounts for around 35% of its food and beverage revenue.

Admittedly, Boatwright's interim CEO title does not answer the question of who Chipotle's permanent CEO will be. Nonetheless, it buys the company time to find the person while minimizing the disruption caused by Niccol's departure.

The financial state of Chipotle

Chipotle has also moved to minimize disruption on the finance side of the business. Jack Hartung, the chief financial and administrative officer and president of strategy, finance, and supply chain, agreed to delay his retirement "indefinitely" to ensure a smooth transition.

Hartung has worked in various positions within Chipotle since 2002. Today, he oversees the finance, tax, and investor relations functions within the company. That should increase Chipotle's chances of maintaining its relatively rapid growth.

In the first half of the year, revenue of nearly $5.7 billion rose 17% from year-ago levels. A rise in comparable restaurant sales and the addition of 262 new restaurants over the last year contributed to the increase. Also, Chipotle earned $815 million in net income in the first half of the year, 29% more than in the same period in 2023.

Story continues

These increases put Chipotle in charge of its financial destiny, and with no changes on the finance side of the business, its numbers could continue to rise at a similar pace.

Investors should also remember that Niccol's departure occurred late in the third quarter. Thus, its financials are not likely to change significantly from previous forecasts, and investors will have to wait for the fourth-quarter results next year to see how its financials fare under new leadership.

Should I buy Chipotle?

Buying a stock after a CEO's departure usually carries significant risk, but buying now could benefit risk-tolerant investors. Ultimately, Niccol left Chipotle in better shape than he found it. With the food safety issues apparently behind it, Chipotle can focus more on service and expansion.

Admittedly, a change for the worse is not impossible, and the lack of a permanent CEO leaves plenty of room for uncertainty.

However, the moves to keep Boatwright and Hartung should minimize the chances of any negative impact. With these leaders having handled operations and finance, the company should remain on the current operational and growth trajectories, a reassuring sign for Chipotle investors.

Should you invest $1,000 in Chipotle Mexican Grill right now?

Before you buy stock in Chipotle Mexican Grill, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Chipotle Mexican Grill wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $729,857!*

Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*.

See the 10 stocks 

*Stock Advisor returns as of September 9, 2024

Will Healy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short September 2024 $52 puts on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Is Chipotle Stock Still Worth Owning Under New Leadership? was originally published by The Motley Fool
European shares opened higher on Friday as the betting increased on a larger-than-expected US interest rate cut in US, a day after the European Central Bank trimmed its benchmark, while gold prices were also driven to a record high.

The pan-regional Stoxx 600 index was up 0.47% to 514.50 with all major bourses higher. Former head of the New York Federal Reserve Bill Dudley said there was a strong case for a 50 basis point cut.

On Thursday the European Central Bank cut rates as expected - its second of the year  by 25 basis points and bringing its key rate to 3.5%.

"In mainland Europe, there is a general feeling of hope that we are on a positive trajectory after the declines seen over the past two-weeks. Yesterdays rate cut from the ECB came alongside fresh growth downgrades across the board, highlighting the banks need to intervene in a bid to kick start output in the region," said Scope Markets analyst Joshua Mahony.

"Gold prices have hit a fresh high in early trade today, with precious metals gaining traction once again. The strength seen for gold has finally started to feed through into the more volatile price of silver, which has gained an impressive 8% over the course of this week alone."

"With central banks finally pivoting towards a period of monetary easing, the gains seen throughout precious metals looks likely to continue as we move forward."

In equity news, shares in Stellantis were up even as the automaker said it was suspending production of electric Fiat 500 model on weak demand.

Vodafone gained despite Britains competition regulator ruling that its planned 15bn merger with Three would lead to higher prices for customers.

French payment group Worldline slumped by a fifth after the company announced the departure of its chief executive Gilles Grapinet and cut its 2024 revenue and core earnings guidance.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Answer the question: What went wrong during Covid and how do we make sure it never happens again?

These words are included in a Daily News editorial written by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week. He penned the opinion piece ahead of congressional hearings over severely undercounted nursing home deaths in New York State during the coronavirus pandemic.

As one of the people who carefully documented the topic over the Big Apples restaurant timeline, I now turn the question over to some of the subjects of those stories. I also asked each what they were experiencing on this day or week during those covid times in September, 2020.

Here are some reflections.

Anthony Morangelli of Tottenville's Bioclean Chemicals, formerly only servicing the restaurant industry with dish machines, morphed into sanitizers during the pandemic. Now, he shares observations of that time in history for restaurants. (Staten Island Advance File Photo)

Pivoting in the pandemic

Anthony Morangelli of BioClean owns a commercial dishwashing and chemical company based in Tottenville that services restaurants in the New York Metro area.

He shares, With my restaurant customers this week in 2020 we were pretty much dead in the water when Cuomo continued the restaurant closures. We switched to making hand sanitizers. That was our primary income. Our family was trying to isolate from others at that time.

As for the current congressional investigation so far, Morangelli says, I believe everyone has an opinion on what could have been done differently. I, on the other hand, feel...how can you really judge what to do in this situation that never happened before?

Ultimately Morangelli condemns Cuomo and his colleagues treatment of businesses during those coronavirus times, along with their getting caught fudging statistics. Those numbers were supposedly how the elected officials were making their decisions, he says, adding, That makes thinking back on those times all the more painful.

He adds, And my biggest problem with Cuomo and De Blasio also at the time  was he came on the news every day and told us what we cant do and can do.

Morangelli says, They made a scary situation worse  which in my opinion causes more damage than anything. I saw people who were scared and couldnt cope with that kind of mindset. The mental health toll on the public and the restaurant world, he said, was inexplicable then and, afterward, took on another level.

Morangelli wants to people to remember what life was like in New York City at that time  being forced to get new and untested vaccines not being able to go to a movie theater or restaurant. He reminds of that time when food service workers had to ask for patrons documentation at the door for entry. He, like others, still wonder what happened to that data.

Morangelli concludes, It was like communism to me. It showed me a really dark side of government.

Joseph O'Toole of Joyce's Tavern in Eltingville stands behind the bar on April 21, 2020. The restaurant at that time was open for pickup and delivery during the coronavirus outbreak. (Staten Island Advance File Photo)Staten Island Advance/ Victoria

Getting busted for dining out

Back in September 2020, the OTooles family restaurant, Joyces Tavern, made national news this week. They took the lead organizing a 9/11 dine out at a time when, by law, restaurant seating capacities were diminished.

Long story short, after a State Liquor Authority representative observed what appeared to be guests dining indoors, the SLA revoked the Eltingville restaurants license  after a hearing held without representation from the restaurant. The officials visit on the night of a well-broadcast 9/11-related fundraiser raised eyebrows, as did the fact that the Eltingville restaurant had recently became one of the lead plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the city and state.

Joyces got its license back after the blowback, in a rare move by the SLA.

OToole well remembers the ordeal. He reflects, While Covid-19 was a real thing and unfortunately many people died, I believe there was more political pressure to blame than medical malpractice. The aftermath of Covid today is still lingering as governmental emergency powers controlled and destroyed our small businesses.

He continues, We must never again allow for the government to come into our homes, churches, schools and businesses and enforce their political will on us again. Many businesses have folded and many are still today struggling paying back burdensome loans that they needed to stay alive.

OToole likens the restrictions and enforcements in New York State at the time to be like a tyrannical regime and considered Cuomos banter and daily news broadcasts as more of a political propaganda and self promotion than actual science.

He lingers over a sentiment that Cuomo repeated in public hearings. Follow the science, was the phrase, said OToole. Today we know it better as...follow the money.

OToole emphasizes, September 2020 was a very dark time in U.S. history and I hope that this city, state and nation will learn from that.

Palermo Pizzeria management thumbed their noses at city and state Covid restrictions throughout 2020. And they have no regrets. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Having no fear

South Shore accountant and restaurant owner Sal Finocchiaro says plainly, Palermo Pizza was doing business as usual as though the virus didnt exist. We served people at the counter and in our indoor-outdoor dining areas.

Finocchiaro adds, And deliveries were flying out the door! Man, I miss the virus.

He believes, Our government went wrong.it stripped the people of their rights. We couldnt visit family members. We had limited medical care, curfews, no work, mandatory vaccines and no celebrations. We, the people, need to have a say in these restrictions.

Finocchiaro maintains that everyone must remember this uncomfortableness and, in a democracy, power comes from the people.

He says, Every vote counts.

(Pamela Silvestri is Advance/SILive.com food editor. This column is part of a series, Pamelas Food Service Diary which started in the covid-19 pandemic. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.)
Editors note: Welcome to Inside Out, our weekly roundup of stories about Staten Islanders making waves, being seen, supporting our community and just making our borough a special place to live. Have a story for Inside Out? Email Carol Ann Benanti at benanti@siadvance.com.

The Ferraioli family members all play a part in the task of jarring fresh tomatoes. (Courtesy/Gina Ferraioli)Staten Island Advance

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Its the time of year when families of Italian descent gather in their basements, backyards or garages in order to partake in the time-honored tradition of jarring fresh tomatoes  as a way to preserve the freshness of the pomodoro  year round.

During the end of August  or very early in September  Italians kick off the joyous event by surrounding themselves with several crates of fresh, ripe tomatoes, humongous pots, stacks of clean Mason jars, lids and rings, outdoor burners, oversized wooden spoons, clean aprons, lots of linens, salt, fresh basil  and plenty of love.

And though there are a number of favored family customs in an Italian household, jarring fresh tomatoes continues to remain one of the most popular  rating high on an Italians list of priorities.

A treasured summer custom that came over from the old country, (at the end of August or the beginning of September when they say the towns in Italy are alive with the sweet aroma of fresh tomatoes) its a fun ritual in which generations of Italians partake  and everyone plays an integral role.

And because the yield is so great, some families say they never have to buy store bought canned tomatoes or tomato sauce passata  inasmuch as their shelves are stacked with jars all year long.

Whats more, as the day unfolds generations of kinfolk get to know one another  just a little better than before  and create forever cherished summer memories along the way.

THE FERRAIOLI FAMILY

Take the Ferraioli family of Tottenville  who knows all of the above to be so true.

Pasquale Fuschetto, 81, Gina Ferraiolis dad who hails from SantAngelo dei Lombardi in Italy, plays a major role in the tomato jarring process. (Courtesy/Gina Ferraioli)Staten Island Advance

Gina Ferraioli, the family spokesperson, tells us:

We hold this event every year at my in-laws house  Pat and Josephine Ferraioli in Tottenville, who along with other family members truly hold the sacred event to be very close to their hearts.

Gina goes on to explains, since its a tremendous undertaking, every single family member is assigned a unique task, whether its setting up the equipment, cutting tomatoes and eliminating dark spots, removing skin and seeds, boiling the tomatoes or filling jars.

The Ferraioli family began the tomato jarring event in 2020 and it all started with the three Ferraioli siblings and their spouses, Pat and Josephine Ferraioli, Sally and Paul Ingravallo, and Anthony and Gina Ferraioli  along with their children  and seven first cousins and their spouses, Gina added.

Brothers Pat and Anthony Ferraioli setting up the day before the event. (Courtesy/Gina Ferraioli)Staten Island Advance

And this year we now have five more (little) members added to the roster, the grandchildren, Vincent, Luca, Antonio, Joseph Paul ( Pauls Grandson) and Olivia.

Newest member Olivia Ferraioli helping out with Step one  Washing! (Courtesy/Gina Ferraioli)Staten Island Advance

Gina mentions with pride that prior to the Tomato Weekend, the family members actually conduct meetings at which they decide on the amount of cases they should purchase and then they begin the task of setting up burners, bottles and grinding stations the day before.

She recounts the grueling task  though its really such fun  kicks off around 8 a.m. on the designated day and lasts until 11 p.m. with sufficient lighting strewn outside in order to see clearly.= and remain accurate.

Italian music reverberates in the background  in order to have the day be all the more authentic and keep everyones spirits riding high.

A family member assists in the straining process. (Courtesy/Gina Ferraioli)Staten Island Advance

Step one is washing and cutting the tomatoes, then boiling, straining, grinding and then another boil with salt and basil before jarring, Gina continues. After that the jars are covered in blankets to maintain the warmth and within a week they are ready to go. This year we did 20 cases in one day, totaling 266 tomato jars to divide among the families. This entire process began during the pandemic because of Ginas brother in-law, Paul Ingravallo, who sadly passed away in December of 2023 after an 18-month battle with cancer.

The late Paul Ingravallo, the "Sauce Boss." ((Courtesy/Gina Ferraioli)Staten Island Advance

Members of the Ferraioli family of Tottenville pause during their tomato jarring event to pose for the camera and hold up an image of the late Paul Ingravallo who was dubbed the family "Sauce Boss." (Courtesy/Gina Ferraioli)Staten Island Advance

Gina recounts he was the Sauce Boss for the annual event because he taught the family the ins and outs of the Italian tradition that his parents hosted each year during his childhood.

His knowledge of the process was so valuable and his love for sharing it with us will forever remain a precious gift from him. This year was tough without him, but we felt his presence throughout the day and I really believe he would be so happy that we are all carrying on this great Italian family day of jarring tomatoes. This is our families Italian tradition and we love that we found a way to keep it going with all the generations working together.

A member of the Jarring Crew. (Courtesy/Gina Ferraioli)Staten Island Advance

In the photo below his daughter Alyssa and wife sally are holding up a picture of Paul wearing his Sauce Boss shirt . Also, I attached a picture of Paul on that August day in 2020 and the It would mean so much to all of us if you would be able to share this story again.

CELEBRATIONS - SEPT. 15 TO SEPT. 21

SEPT. 15

Happy birthday Sunday to Brian J. Laline, the executive editor of the Advance who shares a birthday today with Rose Miranda, Anna Pallotta and Danny Lemmen.

SEPT. 16

Monday is birthday time for Mary Ann Bougadis and Vincent James Dugan.

Happy wedding anniversary Monday to Lori and Paul Agnello.

SEPT. 17

The happiest of birthdays Tuesday to Dr. Daniel Megna, a New Dorp gastroenterologist, to Jennifer Eisler-Grynsztajn, Logan Carmine Noss, twins Mary Kate and Matthew Cassidy, Kathleen Gloskey and Joseph F. Marrone,].

Tuesday is wedding anniversary time for Sharee and Phil Balletto, Ann and Ken McBride, Wendy and Jack Flannagan, and Oscar and Melody Betancourt.

SEPT. 18

Birthday best on Wednesday to Ann Steele, Adrian Buckley, Michael Coppotelli, Leslie Palma Simoncek, Joe Frascati, Elise McIntosh, Georgina Russo, Joanne Chee, Raymond Mankowski, Patrick Meade and Jemy Bonilla.

Happy wedding anniversary Wednesday to Vito and Karen Peragine.

SEPT. 19

Mario DiCrocco shares his birthday on Thursday with Lorraine Witzak, Colleen Marie Oldmixon, Andrew Lenza, Maritza Lobo, Arielle Budd and twins Victoria and Alyssa Micalizzi.

SEPT. 20

Happy birthday Friday to Deacon Novella Lawrence, of Christ Episcopal Church, Jeffrey Spangler, Larry Mohr, Stephen Risley, Michael Mazella, Matthew Vincent Galant, and twins Alexander and Gregory Acerra.

Happy wedding anniversary Friday to Barbara and Joe Aloe and Kristen and Bryan Cytryn.

SEPT. 21

Birthday greetings on Saturday go to Joel Bibula, Staten Islands premier non-profit volunteer videographer, Marilyn Gianna, Julia Cauldwell, John S. Barton, Tiffany Cina, Lorraine Sullivan and Gary Gordon.

Saturday is wedding anniversary time for Bernardine and Walter Lazar and Steve and Barbara Risley.
The cause of death for former ALF actor Benji Gregory has been revealed, per the Post. According to the Maricopa County medical examiners office in Arizona, Gregory died of environmental heat exposure in the setting of hepatic cirrhosis. His death was ruled an accident.

Gregory, who starred in the popular 1980s TV sitcom Alf, was found dead on June 13 inside a vehicle, with his service dog, Hans, according to his sister Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger, who shared news of his death on Facebook. Gregory was 46.

It is with a heavy heart my family has suffered a loss way too early, Hertzberg-Pfaffinger captioned the post of Gregory. Ben was a great Son, Brother and Uncle. He was fun to be around and made us laugh quite often. Still, going through his things, I find myself laughing at little videos or notes of his, in between crying.

My brother Ben was found in his car, along with his beloved service dog Hans, deceased on June 13. We believe he went there the evening of the 12th to deposit some residuals. (Found in his car) and never got out of the car to do so. He fell asleep and died from vehicular heatstroke.

Gregory portrayed young Brian Tanner from 1986-1990 in 101 episodes of Alf, rising quickly to fame because of the alien shows popularity. For those unfamiliar, Alf is the acronym for Alien Form of Life. Alfs crash-landing of his spaceship into a suburban garage was the premise of the show.

According to the Mayo Clinic, hepatic cirrhosis is severe scarring of the liver. This serious condition can be caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions, such as hepatitis or chronic alcoholism.

Each time your liver is injured  whether by excessive alcohol consumption or another cause  scar tissue forms. Advanced cirrhosis is life-threatening but if diagnosed early, further damage can be limited. In rare cases, it may be reversed.

According to TMZ, the actor was found dead in his car at a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, Arizona, on June 13. Hertzberg-Pfaffinger told the news outlet that her brother suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and a sleep disorder that interrupted his sleep for days on end.

Per TMZ, it is believed that Gregory deposited checks  residuals from his Alf work  on June 12 and then fell asleep in his car, and succumbed to vehicular heatstroke because of Arizonas intense summer heat. His service dog Hans was with him and also died.

According to Fox10 Phoenix, the weather has been hovering around 115 degrees for many days, prompting an excessive heat alert to area residents. The high temperature in metro Phoenix hit 108 degrees the day of Gregorys death, according to National Weather Service records.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  When former World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval took to the field for the Staten Island FerryHawks Saturday night, it wasnt at his usual position. He was instead on the pitching mound.

And while he may not be playing in the big leagues, the 38-year-old third baseman didnt disappoint with a solid performance of 5 1/3 scoreless innings in which he allowed four hits with a walk with four strikeouts

Up at the plate, Sandoval went 1-for-3 with an RBI, as the FerryHawks flew past the Lancaster Stormers 6-2.

The two-time All-Star is batting .248 over 120 games, with 58 runs, 118 hits, 10 home runs and 79 RBIs.

Sandoval is a 14-year MLB veteran who won World Series titles with the San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

In addition to the Giants and Braves, he also played for the Boston Red Sox. He is a lifetime .278 hitter with 153 career home runs and 639 RBI.

You can see a clip (courtesy of the MLB Facebook page) below.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

Credit: xAI on Twitter/X

During the company's latest earnings call, Oracle founder Larry Ellison admitted (via Barrons) that he had to beg Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to supply his company with its latest GPUs. In Nobu Palo Alto, I went to dinner with Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and I would describe the dinner as me and Elon begging Jensen for GPUs. Please take our money; no, take more of it. Youre not taking enough of it; we need you to take more of our money, please, Ellison said during the call. It went okay; it worked.

It looks like this dinner was very productive indeed and that it was money well spent for Ellison and Oracle. The company recently announced that it will create a Zettascale AI supercluster composed of 131,072 Nvidia GB200 NVL72 Blackwell GPUs that delivers 2.4 ZettaFLOPS of AI performancemore powerful than Musk and xAIs Memphis Supercluster, which currently has 100,000 Nvidia H100 AI GPUs.

Oracles AI plans demand an incredible amount of power, which is also why the company has already secured permits to build three modular nuclear reactors to deliver the electrical needs of its facilities. However, since deploying nuclear reactors to data centers will likely take several years, the company could, in the meantime, follow Musks lead and use massive mobile generators to boost local power supply if needed.

Despite being smaller than other big tech companies that offer data center services, like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) has a distinct advantage over these giants. According to Barrons report, OCI provides better flexibility and can meet specific requirements that some customers demand. It can even provide offline servers that run on its own networking infrastructure to maximize security for the most demanding clients.

But despite its size, Oracle is pushing its investments in AI. Ellison says that frontier AI models coming in the next three years will cost $100 billion to train, echoing Anthropic CEO Dario Amodeis thoughts on the matter. And it seems that OCI wants to become one of the leaders in AI processing. Someones going to be better at this than anybody else, and multiple people are trying, and there is a race, said Ellison during the call. He then added later, Getting there first is a big deal.
NEW YORK, N.Y.  Colin Jost has a new nickname for the Staten Island Ferry he and fellow comedian Pete Davidson bought: The dumbest and least thought-through purchase Ive ever made in my life.

In an interview with PEOPLE Magazine aboard the vessel  which hosted Tommy Hilfigers fashion show during New York Fashion Week  Jost joked about how the ferrys square footage was a good deal.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  You may have noticed that the days are getting shorter and the temperature is dropping, so Daylight Saving Time is about to come to an end.

On Sunday, Nov. 3, at 2 a.m., Daylight Saving Time officially ends, and on Saturday night, Nov. 2, clocks should be set back one hour. So, we gain an hour that night when we fall back to standard time.

Sunrise will be about an hour earlier on Nov. 3, and there will be a bit more light early in the morning. But darkness will fall sooner that evening.

The idea behind Daylight Saving Time is that this allows us all to use natural daylight better. Moving the clocks forward one hour in the spring grants us more daylight during summer evenings, while moving clocks back one hour in the fall grants us more daylight during winter mornings, according to the Old Farmers Almanac.

Yet, not all states participate. Two states -- Arizona, with the exception of the Navajo Nation, and Hawaii -- do not observe Daylight Saving Time. In addition, some overseas territories, such as Guam, Puerto Rico, the American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands, do not change their clocks, according to the Old Farmers Almanac.

According to the Almanac, the practice of Daylight Saving Time was first introduced in the United States by Benjamin Franklins light-hearted An Economical Project, written in 1784.

It was whimsical in tone, advocating laws to compel citizens to rise at the crack of dawn to save the expense of candlelight, the website stated.

Why not change?

So why would a region get rid of changing the clocks twice a year? According to USA Today, specifically for Arizona and Hawaii, their proximity to the equator  and, by default, the amount of sunshine they get in comparison to other areas  is more than enough to remain on standard time year-round instead.

And some New York lawmakers would like Daylight Saving Time to remain permanent. During the fall 2023 legislative session, lawmakers introduced a pair of bills in the New York State Assembly and Senate to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. Those leading the charge are from upstate counties, including state Sen. Joe Griffo, of Rome, and state Sen. Angelo L. Santabarbara of Schenectady.

However, both bills remained trapped in committee, and no vote took place. So, neither has become law.

A bill did pass the U.S. Senate in March 2022, and State Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, author of the bill, reintroduced the bill in March 2023 with bi-partisan support. But the House never voted on it, citing more pressing matters at hand.

Advantages of Daylight Saving Time

Rubio and other supporters of a permanent switch to Daylight Saving Time argue that the clock change practice is antiquated. They say locking the clock, in Daylight Saving Time would result in better sleep for all, especially for young parents  because babies clocks dont change.

Others say setting the clocks back an hour in the fall robs us of sunlight during the darkest time of the year, making winter days even shorter at a time when depression and anxiety peak.

A change to permanent Daylight Saving Time would help those in the agriculture business, some say. Tourism, too, would benefit, since more shopping and dining out takes place during the longer days of Daylight Saving Time.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) pushed Thursday for the passage of a piece of legislation that would provide breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack to all schoolchildren.

Gillibrand called for the passage of the Universal School Meals Program Act, for which she is a co-sponsor, as kids around the country headed back to school in recent weeks.

In the richest country on earth, it is unacceptable that millions of kids go hungry each day. The Universal School Meals Program Act would provide funding for free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack for all students and slash burdensome red tape for school administrators, Gillibrand said. This bill would make our families and communities healthier and stronger, keep kids in school, and work to fight the stigma too often associated with meal programs. I look forward to passing this critical legislation so every child in the United States has the food they need to succeed.

Sen. Bernie Sander (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) introduced the bill in their respective chambers last year, and 18 co-sponsors in the Senate and 107 in the House, all Democrats.

In addition to providing food to schoolchildren, the legislation would increase reimbursement rates for school authorities participating in the food and nutrition programs, and expand summer food service and EBT programs.

Legislators also believe the bill would reduce stigma associated with meal programs by eliminating meal debt and prohibiting school food authorities from discriminating against or overtly identifying a child participating in the free meal program.

In total, eight states  California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont  provide universal school meals.

Similar bills have been introduced in the past but have not advanced.

The fact that we here in the United States are having a debate on the value of providing crucial meals to our children in times where we are expecting them to exercise their brain and to receive information through their educational lessons is an embarrassment, Omar told the Guardian in May 2023. Myself and others would consider it morally bankrupt.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Friend or food?

For many, turkeys are synonymous with Thanksgiving and dinner. For Staten Island residents, theyre often a nuisance and obstruction. But for residents of Roosevelt Island, one turkey has reportedly become something of a local celebrity.

Rosie, a wild Turkey, first spent time in Long Island City and Midtown Manhattan before settling on Roosevelt Island back in May, according to the New York Post.

Since then, shes gained the favor of residents from Roosevelt Island, which will become the first neighborhood in New York City to post Turkey Crossing signs, as indicated in the report.

I worry because Ms. Turkey, Rosie, she doesnt have a good sense of direction, and she just walks in the middle of the street. She doesnt know any better, Judy Berdy, 77, who made the signs reportedly told the New York Post.

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation office will erect the placards at some of Rosies frequented areas within the coming days, as noted in the report.

Turkey Town, USA

Staten Island has coexisted with its troublesome turkey population for decades now; the birds were first documented on the island in the late 1990s.

Roosevelt Island will be implementing "Turkey Crossing" signs. This file photo from Jan. 11, 2022, shows a flock of turkeys blocking traffic on Mason Ave in Midland Beach. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon)(Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon)

The creatures quickly took over the area surrounding Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze. Since then, the expansion has seen the turkeys conquest span island-wide.

Whether theyre arrogantly strutting across borough streets or nesting on front lawns, theyve certainly made their presence known.

Despite numerous conversations regarding what to do about the abundant population, they have predominantly been just that, conversations.

Both New Yorks Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and NYC Parks have previously emphasized that the wild turkeys are firmly established within the borough and encourage co-existence.

Considering the borough is infamous for its feathered inhabitants, could we see these turkey crossing signs in the near future?
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The blissfully sunny week Staten Islanders indulged in is now fading away to some much needed rain, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Ryan Adamson.

Today and Mondays partly-sunny disposition and high of 76 degrees will be the last days to grace us with such comfortable weather as clouds and humidity being to crawl into skies on Tuesday.

Tuesday night might also bring the just third rain shower of September, according to Adamson. Even if the rain holds back Tuesday night, its coming right for us during the latter half of the week.

The best chance of rain, right now, looks like its going to be Wednesday, but then there could be some lingering moisture into Thursday and even Friday, but its not going to rain the whole time, Adamson said. There could be one or two spotty downpours but certainly not a constant pouring rain or anything.

The reason behind the question mark with the rain is due to battling storm systems, one of which might just form a named tropical storm. Whether or not that happens, Adamson said, the storm will be further south of Staten Island  so no need to batten down the hatches and buy every milk carton in the grocery store.

Those spotty rain days will bear the same humidity as Tuesday, with highs ranging in the mid-to-low 70-degree range.

Typically, New York Septembers rack up about 4.31 inches of rain. This month, however, weve gotten less than a quarter inch in over half a month, according to Adamson.

Saturday and Sunday, however, will bring the return of partly-sunny autumn weather, comfortable humidity, and highs in the low 70s; it might just be the time to hit the pumpkin patch.
NEW YORK  With one decision, and four fingers in the air, Gerrit Coles start against the Red Sox went from the makings of a masterpiece to a meltdown.

The Yankees ace was in a groove over his first three-plus innings on Saturday afternoon, retiring nine of the first 10 batters that he faced. He hadnt allowed a hit when Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers  Coles archnemesis  stepped back up to the plate with one out and nobody on base in the top of the fourth.

Cole held out his right arm, stuck up four fingers and motioned toward first base, intentionally walking Devers.

Want to bet on MLB?

See the best NYC Sports Betting sites

He wanted nothing to do with the superstar that entered play batting .341 with eight home runs and a 1.389 OPS lifetime against him.

The new strategy from Cole backfired. Nine of the next 11 batters that he faced reached base safely and a 1-0 lead for the Yankees turned into a 7-1 deficit. They went on to lose by that same score.

Cole just intentionally walked Devers with 1 out and no one on base pic.twitter.com/yfZDPFYl6b  Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 14, 2024

Everyone was caught off guard by Coles decision in the moment. Home-plate umpire Marvin Hudson looked over to the Yankees dugout to confirm, as intentional walks are typically a managerial decision. Devers had a puzzled look as well before he tossed his bat toward the third-base side and trotted to first.

To put the bizarre move into perspective, it was Coles first intentional walk as a Yankee (his first overall since 2017) and the earliest bases-empty intentional walk issued by a Yankee pitcher in a game on record, per YES Networks James Smyth.

Coles outing unraveled immediately. Devers stole second, Cole walked left fielder Tyler ONeill and designated hitter Masataka Yoshida drove a game-tying double down the left-field line. Rookie right fielder Wilyer Abreu then cleared the bases with a two-run single through the right side.

A double play ball to first got Cole out of the inning, but the Red Sox picked back up in the top of the fourth.

And guess who delivered a knockout punch.

The Red Sox had already loaded the bases by the time it was Devers turn again. Coles 1-0 curveball to the lefty was laced into the gap in right-center, a two-run single that had Bostons bench going bananas. Two batters later, Yoshida brought two more home with another run-scoring single, a grounder up the middle.

Cole has been candid about his struggles with Devers in the past. Just the other day, when asked during Hispanic Heritage Media Day what Latin hitter has given him the most trouble in his career, he named Devers.

Its back to the drawing board to figure out how to get him out and defeat the Red Sox.

Coles ERA against Boston in his Yankees career is now up to 6.06.

His ERA against every other team while pitching in pinstripes is 2.87.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Sunday: Yankees vs. Red Sox, 1:35 p.m., YES/MLB Network. LHP Carlos Rodon (14-9, 4.21) vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (8-14, 4.09)

Monday: Off

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com.
Turns out Liz Lettuce Truss, famed for her 49-day reign as Britains PM, isnt the only piece of rotting debris from the Conservative Partys disastrous final years in power to wash up on these shores.

Truss appearance before a few hundred at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Brisbane next month will be swiftly followed by another visit from Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson in December, whose buffoonish three years in No.10 ended with a whimper in 2022 after a series of scandals.

Boris Johnson in Sydney last year  and hes coming back. Credit: Michael Quelch

Johnson clearly loves the antipodean sun and, after addressing a sell-out crowd of Liberal Party hacks at last Decembers John Howard Lecture, is back to talk about his Boys Own prime ministership to a few hundred wealthy friends at a lunch at Sydneys Doltone House, and dinner the following night at the Sofitel in Melbourne.

With celebrity agent Max Markson promoting Bojos tour, and spruiking him to various big corporates, tickets arent cheap. Standard tables of 10 start at $4000, with VIP tables (you get a signed copy of Johnsons new memoir Unleashed) costing $6000. For $10,000 a table you can get the full Platinum BJ experience, which includes a signed copy of the book and a photo with the great man.
This is The Takeaway from today's Morning Brief, which you can sign up to receive in your inbox every morning along with:

The chart of the day

What we're watching

What we're reading

Economic data releases and earnings

I have been on an unplanned tour of turnaround CEOs in the last three weeks.

Learning a lot, but still.

Several weeks ago, I caught back up with Gap (GAP) CEO Richard Dickson, who, through sheer will and vision, is somehow mounting a revival of the apparel retailer. This is a company I once thought was dead, but maybe not anymore.

Not too long after that, there was coffee with new PayPal (PYPL) CEO Alex Chriss at the company's NYC headquarters.

Chriss is a little over a year into trying to revive PayPal, no easy task in a crowded payments field that includes American Express (AXP), Visa (V), MasterCard (MA), Affirm (AFRM), Klarna, and Block (SQ), among many others.

I came away impressed with Chriss's focus and fast-paced build-out of a new leadership team.

Sometime in 2025, you will see better financials from PayPal than those of the past three years because Chriss is broadening the platform's reach and figuring out how to better monetize Venmo. It won't be easy, but PayPal will see brighter days.

The next CEO on my turnaround tour was Hasbro's (HAS) Chris Cocks, a leader further along in his turnaround playbook than Dickson or Chriss. We chatted at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference this week, which you can watch in the above video.

It hasn't been an easy gig for the lifelong gamer-turned-CEO since assuming the position officially on Feb. 25, 2022.

First, this was Cocks's first CEO job, and with that came all the inevitable growing pains ranging from talking to investors to developing a trusted CEO network.

Second, he was taking the CEO baton from longtime leader Brian Goldner, a popular figure in the toy industry who died in October 2021 after a long battle with prostate cancer. It's never easy to follow a great.

And lastly, the company found itself in a battle with upstart activist shop Alta Fox, who demanded board changes and a spin-off of the Wizards of the Coast gaming business Cocks used to run. During this run, I was super critical of Hasbro and believed Alta Fox offered up a rational analysis for unlocking shareholder value.

bio

Not helping matters were shifts in the toy industry such as a lower birth rate, post-pandemic inventory overhangs, and retailers ordering fewer goods to manage their inventory levels. The company's content business eOne, which Goldner bought in 2019 for $4 billion, was also massively underperforming.

Story continues

Full-year 2023 sales plunged 15%. The company posted an adjusted operating loss of $477 million. And it lost all the toy headlines to Mattel's (MAT) Barbie movie domination.

Package all this up, and by fall 2023 Hasbro's stock was trading near 10-year lows!

Like I said, it hasn't been a fun road for Cocks.

But through a series of key actions in the past 12-months, his company could be beginning to come out the other side:

Inventory levels have been slashed by more than 50% as Hasbro focuses on the toys with the best sales and profit potential and digital game development. It may be losing market share amid the SKU (stock-keeping unit) clean-up, but at least it's not losing money on unsold leftovers.

The company completed the sale of eOne to Lionsgate for $375 million in cash in December 2023, removing an overhang from its financials.

Hasbro is well along the road to delivering $750 million in cost cuts in 2025 as part of a restructuring plan.

Cocks (who spent 14 years inside Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox division) has pivoted the business hard to games. Its Monopoly Go game, a joint venture with Scopely, has grossed $3 billion in sales life to date, with Hasbro taking in $45 million in sales in the first half of this year under its agreement.

"We have over 100 games in the pipeline on mobile through partnerships, and then we have several interesting joint ventures and partnerships that we're also talking about," Cocks told me at the conference. In light of the historically high multiples paid to acquire gaming businesses (see Take-Two (TTWO) buying Zynga for $12.7 billion in 2022), this pivot makes a lot of sense.

Cocks said Hasbro is now targeting "kidults," or those over the age of 13 who spend on gaming and more adult toys.

Hasbro's stock has shown signs of life this year as investors have gotten more familiar with the new business model and seen fewer negative surprises  shares are up 32% year to date.

Keeping the momentum going into year-end won't be easy, given conditions in the toy industry.

Sales of toys for the G12 countries fell 1% to $24.5 billion from January to June 2024, according to data from industry research firm Circana. The average selling price for toys was relatively unchanged at $11.57.

Only 4 of the 11 toy "super-categories" experienced sales growth from the G12 countries, underscoring the pressure the category is under as parents cut back.

But that ultimately begged the question: Should Hasbro even be considered a toy company anymore given the gaming push?

"I think we're a toy company in the most general sense that we're in the industry of play and we make physical things as well as digital things. But I'd like to think that we're helping to redefine what a toy company can be. To me, a toy company of the future is aged up. It's digital and it's heavily partner- based. And I think that's been key to our turnaround," Cocks said.

Three times each week, I field insight-filled conversations with the biggest names in business and markets on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid podcast. Find more episodes on our video hub. Watch on your preferred streaming service. Or listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

In the Opening Bid episode below, investor and retail expert Jeff Macke discusses how Target could get its mojo back.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn. Tips on deals, mergers, activist situations, or anything else? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.

Read more coverage of the 2024 Goldman Sachs Communacopia and technology conference:
The call always comes on the worst day of someones life. It came last week when two primary school-aged brothers at Faulconbridge were allegedly stabbed to death by their mother.

It came in April, when dozens of shoppers at Bondi Junction were stabbed  five fatally  by itinerant man Joel Cauchi, and in April, when mother Molly Ticehurst was killed in her Forbes home.

On the front line: Detective Senior Constable Chris Abela, Senior Constable Jen McCormack, Detective Inspector Mardi Forsyth and Detective Sergeant Toni Proctor. Credit: Louise Kennerley

For those picking up the call  NSW Polices 114 family liaison officers  it can mean dropping their regular policing duties or leaving their families for days at a time to respond to a tragedy. They respond not as an investigator but to be a point of contact for victims families and begin what can be a years-long relationship.

Developed after recommendations from the Lindt Cafe inquest, the family liaison officers training program began in 2022.
I heard on ABC radio recently that the NSW Police had raided and arrested several members of the Lone Wolf Motorcycle Gang, writes Bruce Moxon of Toongabbie. Now, is it just me, or have these gang members missed the point of being lone wolves? Or are they just really dumb?

John Backs (C8) lament about celebrities touching down but never touching up reminded me of one of my pet peeves, says Anthony Franklin of Gordon. Please be upstanding. Why not simply please stand up? One never hears please be downsitting.

Alynn Pratt of Grenfell thinks: The fairly obvious reason for aircraft passengers not touching up is that, generally, runways do not have roofs, while Warwick Sherman of Huntleys Point points out that There are various news reports of Donald Trump touching up in a variety of situations.

Further to police raids, William Galton (C8), they swoop on jailbirds and pounce on cat burglars, informs the clever Kathryn Elliott of Dolans Bay, while Kenneth Graham of Newington thinks: Obviously, it would be the Flying Squad that swoop. Youre nicked!

Sometimes, heckling (C8) is welcome, according to Pauline McGinley of Drummoyne: In London, in the 1970s, a theatrical production of The Diary of Anne Frank was bankrolled by Meshulam Riklis, the adoring, wealthy husband of one Pia Zadora. She had aspirations of playing a leading lady and any lack of formal training in acting was deemed superfluous. Apparently, the performance was so excruciating that when the part in the play was reached where Annes family are betrayed and the house is being searched, members of the audience shouted, Shes in the attic!.
A man and woman died after becoming trapped in an SUV that crashed into a remote creek near the NSW-Queensland border on Sunday morning.

Emergency services were called to Carwal Creek Bridge near Mungindi township, south-west of Brisbane, after reports that an SUV had left Morialta Road just after 1am.

Friends travelling in another vehicle along the same route searched for the car and its three occupants after noticing it was no longer following them. They discovered the crash scene in the creek soon after.

A local property owner helped a 23-year-old woman out of the vehicle. She was flown to Newcastles John Hunter Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Public schools do not need three swimming pools, rowing sheds, iconic buildings and geography excursions to Antarctica. But they must have full provision of the basic requirements of education for their students to have an equal chance at the best life possible, an aspiration embraced by Associate Professor David Hastie, of Alphacrucis University College, in his column last week.

The fact is that public schools starved of resources have difficulty offering face-to-face teaching in the most demanding senior school subjects, let alone the full range of educational experience in the arts, physical education and competitive sport. The Kings School, meanwhile  receiving public funding worth tens of millions of dollars  boasts that it has 17 playing fields; surely every public school needs at least one.

The school funding debate is far from settled. Credit: Fairfax photographic

I agree entirely with Hasties aspiration for all students, but his other arguments about school funding cannot go unchallenged.

He claims that private schools are not overfunded at the expense of public schools. Public schools in all Australian states (though not in the ACT) are at 90 per cent or less of the Schooling Resource Standard, to which they and the Commonwealth committed following the Gonski Review (2011), while non-government schools in all states (not in the Northern Territory) receive more than 100 per cent. Does Hastie really propose that governments simply stump up more taxpayer money for public schools, rather than take it from overfunded private schools?
The United Nations has decided to pull funding from the most desperate refugees stuck in Indonesia, including people with chronic illnesses and children without parents, because it is running out of money and prioritising other global crises.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has been pleading for more donations as humanitarian disasters unfold in Sudan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, the Middle East and elsewhere, leaving the body with impossible choices about whom to save among the 120 million global refugee cases and whom to ignore.

Bibi Rahimi uses her fluent Indonesian, learnt from scratch when she arrived aged 23, to volunteer as an interpreter for other refugees. Credit: Zach Hope

Due to the funding situation  with deep regret we are forced to take this unpleasant decision, UNHCR Indonesia office spokeswoman Mitra Suryono said.

Many of the more than 12,000 registered refugees in Indonesia, originally from countries such as Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, live in destitution as they wait years for resettlement in other countries. Indonesia does not let them work, so those without family support from home, or who have not been able to find meagre jobs in the cash economy, rely on internationally funded allowances that equate to about $4 a day.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. John Lennon. Greta Garbo. Jean-Michel Basquiat. Mae West. Arthur Ashe. Ivana Trump. Luther Vandross. Heath Ledger. George Balanchine. George Gershwin. Mario Cuomo. Biggie Smalls. Nikola Tesla. Celia Cruz. Joan Rivers. Aaliyah. Ayn Rand. Lena Horne. Norman Mailer. Philip Seymour Hoffman. Logan Roy. What do these people have in common? The answer is that, shortly after their deaths, they passed through the Frank E. Campbell funeral home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. After Judy Garlands death in 1969, the streets nearby were swarmed with fans who waited hours behind police barricades. Credit: The New York Times For more than a century, Frank E. Campbell has been the mortuary of choice for New Yorks power brokers and celebrities. In some circles, to end up anywhere else would be a fate even worse than death. Writer Gay Talese, a long-time Upper East Sider, has lost count of how many services he has attended there. For a certain kind of person, they must end up at Campbell as a matter of honour and status, Talese, 92, said. And Campbell is the rare New York business that might never close, because it will never run out of customers  because everyone dies.

Advertisement

Eventually, sure, Ill probably have my own moment at Campbell, he continued. Ill enter reclined on my back and have a moment of silence there while friends and relatives come to stare at me. Its the final stop. The last picture show. Frank E. Campbell, the Funeral Chapel, occupies a five-storey building at 1076 Madison Avenue, in the heart of one of the citys most expensive shopping districts. Black SUVs idle in the no-parking zone out the front as clients consult funeral directors. A service might include horse-drawn carriages. Private jets and Rolls-Royce Phantoms can be reserved for grieving family members. The gold-hued coffin used for Ivana Trumps service in 2022 at Frank E. Campbell cost a reported $US125,000. The home also offers a sarcophagus casket for more than $US150,000 ($222,500). For a certain kind of person, they must end up at Campbell as a matter of honour and status. Writer Gay Talese After Judy Garlands death in 1969, the streets nearby were swarmed with fans who waited hours behind police barricades. An estimated 20,000 people went in for a glimpse of the body, which was dressed in a chiffon gown and silver slippers with buckles. Mourners included Mickey Rooney, James Mason, Lauren Bacall and Otto Preminger. (When their own time came, Bacall and Preminger ended up at Frank E. Campbell, too.) After the service, pallbearers carried the coffin, which had been covered in yellow roses, to a hearse. Photos depict Garlands three children  Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft  all dressed in black. I was 16 and still remember being scared of the crowds, Lorna Luft recalled. I remember Liza saying, Well do this together. Its the three of us. She was the oldest and had more awareness of what the media was saying about mums death. But the crowds were sad about losing the legend. She was Dorothy to them. We lost our mum, and we had to share her with the world that day. I still cant look at yellow roses.

Advertisement

My family will always be grateful for how Campbell protected us as kids, she continued. One reason theyre still considered the best is because of their code of silence. They dont let anything leak out. That is extremely rare in this day and age. In 1980, after the murder of John Lennon, the Frank E. Campbell team arranged for a decoy hearse to lure away the swarms of journalists camped out front. In 1994, when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died in her Fifth Avenue apartment, a Frank E. Campbell undertaker slipped through the crowds outside her building and embalmed the body in her home. The Frank E. Campbell funeral home, which recently undertook a $US20 million renovation. Credit: Vincent Tullo/The New York Times In 2023, after Robert De Niros grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, died from an accidental drug overdose, family friends including Christopher Walken and Harvey Keitel attended the service at Frank E. Campbell. A security guard kept watch, telegraphing to the paparazzi that they approached at their own peril. The homes impenetrability made it a tantalising target for the news media, said George Rush, who co-wrote the Rush & Molloy gossip column with Joanna Molloy for The Daily News. The paparazzi have always been part of the Campbell experience, Rush said. Campbell confronts them while they try to get shots of the mourners. At the same time, the deceased becomes defined by the images of who attended their Campbell funeral.

Advertisement

He added: Its a tabloid ritual, to send some young reporter to stake out Campbell to try to buttonhole a mourner, to extract that poetic final thought about the deceased. But its always a tough assignment. Campbells reputation for privacy is well earned. I never discuss our clients The inner workings of Frank E. Campbell are almost as mysterious as the afterlife itself. Its pallbearers, doormen, cosmeticians and embalmers honour a code of silence when it comes to clients. Its website makes no mention of its illustrious customers. People who visit the home may not realise that it is owned by Service Corporation International, the nations largest chain of funeral homes and cemeteries. With annual revenue in the billions, the company developed its Borg-like empire by acquiring scores of family run mortuaries across North America. We appreciate that people are curious, but privacy is our standard. Frank E. Campbell president William Villanova William Villanova, the president of Frank E. Campbell since 2018, says discretion is a crucial part of his job. We appreciate that people are curious, but privacy is our standard, said Villanova, 54. But people try. They sure do try. Weve seen them hiding inside cars, behind cars, behind trees. Anything to get a glimpse.

Advertisement

I never discuss our clients, he added. In a break with tradition, Frank E. Campbell allowed a reporter from The New York Times to spend some time within its walls. The decision to loosen up a bit coincided with a $US20 million renovation that brings the home into the 21st century. The buildings sombre brown facade is now a more welcoming off-white. There is even a new rooftop patio with a nightclub-worthy name, The Terrace at 1076. Villanova, who once made the cover of American Funeral Director magazine, wears an American flag pin on the lapel of his suit jacket. It was given to him by a Secret Service agent who stood guard at a service he helped arrange. No, he would not divulge whose corpse was in the casket that day. Bill Villanova, funeral director, with a painting of the namesake of the Frank E. Campbell mortuary. Credit: Vincent Tullo/The New York Times On one of my return visits, Villanova re-created a client planning meeting in his office, a plain room furnished with little more than a wooden desk, funeral industry excellence awards and a painting of the founder, Frank Ellis Campbell. We were joined by a fellow funeral director, James Pescitelli, and a representative from the Rubenstein Public Relations firm. Lets say a high-profile client was with us right now, Villanova said. Take it from here, James.

Advertisement
Nobel winners demand jailed Niger president Bazoum's release



Abidjan, Sept 15 (AFP) Sep 15, 2024



Some 30 people including Nobel Prize-winners Denis Mukwege and Wole Sonyinka on Sunday called for the release of Niger's ex-president Mohamed Bazoum, held captive since a July 2023 coup.

In an appeal published in French newspaper Le Monde, the signatories urged the army chiefs who overthrew Bazoum to release the democratically elected leader.

In their view Bazoum and his wife Hadiza were "the victims of arbitrary detentions", kept in "very harsh conditions" under strict surveillance and with limited communication with the outside world.

Led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, Niger's military authorities accuse Bazoum of treason, financing terrorism and plotting to undermine the state.

But the writers, which also include Cameroonian author Achille Mbembe, argued: "The putschists intend to make President Bazoum pay the price for his resolute fight for freedoms and the rule of law, and even more, the price for his vigorous fight against corruption and embezzlement of public funds."

Bazoum refused to resign after his ousting and has been held at the presidential palace since the coup.

Since gaining independence from former colonial ruler France in 1960, Niger has seen five coups along with a further two attempts.

The military leaders justified their taking power by citing the deteriorating security situation.

Yet insecurity persists. Some 1,500 civilians and soldiers have died in jihadist attacks in Niger in the last year, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

By contrast, 650 people died between July 2022 and 2023, when Bazoum was in charge.
For the past few days the prospect of launching the Zangezur Corridor has reemerged as a key issue in regional discussions, stirring debates among major South Caucasus players. Certainly, Iranian officials and experts have been particularly vocal, raising concerns about the proposed transport route.

As we have previously reported, on September 2, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed worry about "potential geopolitical changes in the South Caucasus." Mojtaba Demirchilu, head of the Eurasian Department at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with Russian Ambassador to Tehran Alexey Dedov to discuss the "inadmissibility of altering internationally recognized borders in the region." Tehran has voiced its dissatisfaction with Moscow's support for the corridor project, which aims to connect Azerbaijan's western regions with Nakhchivan through Armenian territory.

As much as Iran's concerns can founded as a political or Tehran's says 'perceived as a challenge to her traditional Caucasus policy', this issue also needs to be rated from economic perspectives as well. Indeed as it's stated, for Iran, the Zangezur Corridor, which connects mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan via Armenian territory, is seen as a potential threat to its geopolitical position. Note that the corridor is set to become a crucial link in the global transport network, bridging the East and West, and opening new trade opportunities between China, Turkiye, Europe, and the Caucasus.

So what makes Tehran so concerned about?

One primary concern for Iran is the potential loss of transit revenues. The volume of transit goods passing through Iran has increased by 30% compared to the previous year. From March 2023 to January 2024, 14.2 million tons of cargo transited Iran, generating approximately $1 billion in revenue during these ten months.

Given Iran's ongoing economic distress exacerbated by sanctions since change of regime in 1979, this income is vital. TThe increasing number and scope of sanctions have severely impacted Iran's economic prospects, making transit revenue a critical lifeline. Even by checking the reports in US Department's official website, we can easily say how much nation is deprived in terms profitable gains. For Iran, which is experiencing such economic and political distress, earning income as a transit country is the last resort.

Additionally, Turkiye's foreign trade strategy has increasingly prioritized Central Asia. In general, the realization of the principles of the "United Turkic World" has seriously increased the development trends towards Asia in Turkiye's foreign economic policy. By the end of 2023, trade turnover between Turkiye and Kazakhstan reached a record $6.4 billion, with Uzbekistan also showing significant growth with whopping 3 billion dollars and with a prospect of reaching 5 billion dollars in the upcoming years. Turkiye is one of the five main trading partners of the Central Asian countries, and Turkiye has become the number one exporter for Turkmenistan in recent years, surpassing China. Therefore, if there is no Zangezur Corridor, Turkiye's increased trade turnover in Central Asia will mean an opportunity for Iran to obtain excellent transit revenues, and an additional obstacle and more costs for Turkiye itself. We all know that, as Moscow preoccupied with the conflict in Ukraine and redirecting its focus away from the South Caucasus, Tehran is eager to assert its influence in the region.

However, Iran might benefit from re-evaluating its stance. Strengthening cooperation with Azerbaijan and Turkiye could open new opportunities for Iran. Amid growing Western isolation and increasingly stringent sanctions, Iran could leverage the Zangezur Corridor to enhance its position in international trade.

Future initiatives: A win - win situation for all the countries

In his recent interview with Azerbaijani channel Real TV, spokesperson of Azerbaijans Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aykhan Hajizada said Azerbaijan is working on building communication lines through Iran. Given the context, as it was before the Zangezur Corridor is still keeping its relevancy, and it is more than just a transport route; it represents a significant element of the new geopolitical reality in the South Caucasus. Its launch poses no threat to Iran and, as mentioned earlier, does not aim to alter the border between Iran and Armenia. Therefore, instead of viewing the Zangezur Corridor with hostility, Tehran should consider it as an opportunity to enhance its economic and political position in the region. Also adding the fact that as mentioned abovem, corridor is set to become a crucial link in the global transport network, bridging the East and West, and opening new trade opportunities between China, Turkiye, Europe, and the Caucasus, so it is indeed a win-win situation for all the parties.
The Australian market has shown mixed performance recently, with the ASX200 closing up 0.3% at 8,099.9 points, driven by gains in the Materials and Real Estate sectors while Financials lagged behind. In this dynamic environment, identifying high-growth tech stocks becomes crucial as they offer potential for significant returns amid fluctuating economic indicators and sector performances.

Top 10 High Growth Tech Companies In Australia

Name Revenue Growth Earnings Growth Growth Rating Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals 22.41% 27.42%  Pureprofile 14.94% 80.73%  AVA Risk Group 32.56% 118.83%  ImExHS 20.47% 111.20%  DUG Technology 10.90% 32.21%  Pointerra 56.62% 126.45%  Careteq 34.13% 126.60%  Wrkr 36.31% 100.29%  Adveritas 57.98% 144.21%  SiteMinder 19.39% 60.31% 

Click here to see the full list of 61 stocks from our ASX High Growth Tech and AI Stocks screener.

Let's explore several standout options from the results in the screener.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Nuix Limited offers investigative analytics and intelligence software solutions across various regions including the Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with a market cap of A$1.77 billion.

Operations: Nuix Limited generates revenue primarily from its Software & Programming segment, amounting to A$220.62 million. The company operates in regions such as Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Nuix's revenue growth is forecasted at 11.8% per year, outpacing the Australian market's 5.3%. With earnings projected to grow by an impressive 40.2% annually, Nuix has become profitable this year, reporting a net income of AUD 5.03 million for FY2024 compared to a net loss of AUD 5.59 million the previous year. The strategic partnership with Veritone enhances their eDiscovery and compliance solutions, leveraging AI models to process vast amounts of evidentiary media efficiently.

ASX:NXL Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Sep 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Pro Medicus Limited is a healthcare informatics company that develops and supplies imaging software and radiology information system (RIS) software and services to hospitals, imaging centers, and healthcare groups in Australia, North America, and Europe, with a market cap of A$17.52 billion.

Operations: Pro Medicus Limited generates revenue primarily from producing integrated software applications for the healthcare industry, amounting to A$161.50 million. The company focuses on providing imaging and radiology information system (RIS) software services to various healthcare entities across Australia, North America, and Europe.

Story continues

Pro Medicus has shown robust growth, with revenue increasing to AUD 166.33 million from AUD 127.33 million last year and net income rising to AUD 82.79 million from AUD 60.65 million. The company's earnings are forecasted to grow at an annual rate of 18.7%, outpacing the Australian market's average of 12.3%. With a significant focus on R&D, Pro Medicus invested approximately $16M in FY2024, ensuring continued innovation in medical imaging software solutions that cater to high-profile clients like Mayo Clinic and Yale New Haven Health System.

ASX:PME Revenue and Expenses Breakdown as at Sep 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: WiseTech Global Limited develops and provides software solutions for the logistics execution industry across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa with a market cap of A$43.46 billion.

Operations: WiseTech Global Limited primarily generates revenue from its Internet Software & Services segment, amounting to A$1.04 billion. The company focuses on delivering software solutions tailored for the logistics execution industry across various global regions.

WiseTech Global's recent performance highlights its robust growth trajectory, with revenue reaching AUD 1.04 billion and net income rising to AUD 262.8 million for FY2024. The company is heavily investing in innovation, allocating approximately $130 million to R&D, which represents a significant commitment to maintaining competitive advantage through technological advancements. Earnings are projected to grow at an impressive annual rate of 23.9%, outpacing the broader Australian market's average of 12.3%, driven by strong demand for its logistics software solutions from high-profile clients like DHL and FedEx.

ASX:WTC Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Sep 2024

Taking Advantage

Discover the full array of 61 ASX High Growth Tech and AI Stocks right here.

Are these companies part of your investment strategy? Use Simply Wall St to consolidate your holdings into a portfolio and gain insights with our comprehensive analysis tools.

Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors.

Interested In Other Possibilities?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include ASX:NXL ASX:PME and ASX:WTC.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
I think what the defence review will show is how we respond to that as a country and the choices we need to make in terms of right-sizing our forces to get to the fighting force we need to deter an aggressor but defeat one if necessary.
Mr Lammy said no war is won with any one weapon, but added: Its important that we support the Ukrainians to continue to repel Russia in the Black Sea, its important that they can deal with the huge challenges in the air that are being mounted by Russia and of course that we support them  and we have  with training of their own men and women on the front line.
* FIRST NAME

* LAST NAME

* EMAIL Your email address

* PASSWORD Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Show

* YEAR OF BIRTH You must be at least 18 years old to create an account 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906

* Required fields

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice

CREATE ACCOUNT

I'LL TRY LATER

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Looking at icetana Limited's (ASX:ICE ) insider transactions over the last year, we can see that insiders were net buyers. That is, there were more number of shares purchased by insiders than there were sold.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

View our latest analysis for icetana

icetana Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider Peter Meurs bought AU$250k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.035 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$0.023. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. It is encouraging to see an insider paid above the current price for shares, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Peter Meurs.

You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

icetana is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that icetana insiders own 19% of the company, worth about AU$1.2m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Do The icetana Insider Transactions Indicate?

The fact that there have been no icetana insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Overall we don't see anything to make us think icetana insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. While it's good to be aware of what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. When we did our research, we found 4 warning signs for icetana (2 are concerning!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

Story continues

But note: icetana may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Illinois widow loses $1M life savings after pig butchering scam  here's how to spot this scheme

Erika DeMask thought shed finally found love again  but instead she lost her entire life savings over a period of several months in a pig butchering scam.

These so-called pig butchering scams are a type of fraud in which the scammer gains a victims trust over a prolonged period of time  fattening them up as it were  before going in for the kill by stealing all their money.

Dont Miss

Often, the victims are lured into digital relationships in order to build trust  which is exactly what happened to DeMask.

Her husband had passed away decades ago, and shed recently met a charming man online.

"He said that he loved me, the Lombard, Illinois, woman told ABC 7 Eyewitness News. "Once, he sent me a huge bouquet of flowers and [later] the FBI said they were shocked that he did that.

But the flowers were all part of a larger ploy to scam DeMask out of her entire life savings. Heres what happened.

Pig butchering scams are on the rise

DeMasks "online boyfriend" claimed to work on an oil rig. The first time he requested money, he told DeMask that he needed $20,000 to repair a rig.

"The second time, I sent $35,000, she told reporters. Then two weeks later, another $35,000. He [said his] pastor is sending him $250,000. Can I match it? Which was a dumb thing."

In total, DeMask sent the man more than $1 million via cashiers checks and wire transfers. The man even told her hed double her money in various investments under his name.

Now, she has to sell her home to pay back a home equity loan and taxes on the investments she withdrew. She told reporters she now only has $400 left to her name.

DeMasks situation isnt unique. With pig butchering scams on the rise, an increasing number of Americans are falling victim to fraudsters.

In 2023, we saw well over $3.5 billion of reported losses, and over around 40,000 victims in the United States, James Barnacle, of the FBIs Financial Crimes Section, told NBC. Ive seen [individual] losses well into the $2-, $3-, $4 million.

Story continues

Here's how pig butchering scams work: you meet someone online or via text. Sometimes, scammers "accidentally" text the wrong number and then try to initiate a conversation.

They may claim that their assistant got the number wrong or say a colleague must have given them the wrong digits.

The scammer will then try to build trust, either via a romantic relationship or with an offer of a lucrative investment opportunity. They often come across as kind and charming.

Once trust has been built, theyll start asking for money. Over time, the financial requests will start to increase in size until they have most, if not all, of their victims savings.

According to INTERPOL, the International Criminal Police Organization, many of these crimes typically originate in Southeast Asia and use human trafficking victims to carry out the scams.

Read More: Feeling broke on a $665K salary: This surgeon and his wife didn't realize their financial adviser may have been charging a high fee until Ramit Sethi set things straight

How to protect your assets from similar scams

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), people between the ages of 60 to 69 were the second-most commonly targeted group by fraudsters, with 200,216 reports in 2022. The most commonly targeted age group are people between 30 and 39 years of age.

There are several ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud. Although it may sound obvious, dont share personal or financial information with someone you dont know.

Be wary of anyone you meet on a social app or online, especially if they want to move the conversation to another platform after your initial meeting. Scammers often try to move the conversation to WhatsApp, Signal, or Instagram to have a more private conversation.

Never send money to someone you've met online, especially if they originally messaged you "by mistake". Pay attention to the grammar and spelling. Due to the fact that many of these scams originate overseas, scammers frequently use awkward sentence structures or misspell words.

If you have older adults in your life, have a conversation with them about how to spot a scam. More often than not, scammers will target lonely people.

If you do happen to send money to someone before realizing it's a scam, contact the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) immediately.

As for DeMask, authorities were unable to recover her money. A lot of [my] things are going to be gone and it's hard," she said.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
PNL (National Liberal Party) leader Nicolae Ciuca on Sunday stated that he is entering the presidential race to be the guarantor of social peace, and to promote trust and respect in our society, Agerpres reports.

"As president, I will be the guarantor of social peace. I cannot promise what is unrealistic, populist and deceptive to the people. Instead, I can assume that I will promote, with all my might, values such as respect and trust in our society. As a military man I have always been faithful to the country and I defended it when needed. As a politician, when I say that I am loyal to the country I understand that I need to promote respect and trust in our society," said Ciuca, on Sunday, at the PNL National Council.

Nicolae Ciuca showed that he wants "a lively and dynamic economy in which ideas and work count"."I want us to continue to support entrepreneurs, reduce bureaucracy and attract investments that create jobs. I want the Romanian village - as I said - to prosper. We must believe in the rural middle class and come up with concrete policies to develop and strengthen it. Agriculture must become an economic engine. I will support the farmers and the modernisation of rural communities, so that life in the country is a worthy option and our traditions continue. The healhcare system also needs to be accessible for everyone, to be a modern and efficient one, attentive to the needs of the people. We need investments in hospitals, in equipment, but especially in those who save lives, just as we need a long-term project for education for the future. I also want to prepare the young for the future, to insist on innovation and research, because we need to have schools and we need to have universities to be proud of, knowing that the educational future of the young people is the future of our society as a whole," pointed out Ciuca.The PNL leader noted that "care for the environment also means care for tomorrow". "We all see how serious the effects of the floods in the southern part of Moldova are. Romania must become a leader in green energy and nature protection, to leave a clean and healthy country to future generations," added Nicolae Ciuca.The National Council of PNL validated, on Sunday, the candidacy of Nicolae Ciuca for the presidency of Romania.
The secretary general of the PNL (National Liberal Party), Lucian Bode, on Sunday stated, on the occasion of the meeting of the National Council of this political arty, that Nicolae Ciuca will win the fight for the presidency of Romania and he will bring PNL to the government, and also that the party needs to respond with unity to the "the cascading attacks aimed at destabilizing it", Agerpres reports.

"The National Liberal Party is a strong party, which has the political strength necessary to support Nicolae Ciuca to win the presidency of Romania. The next months will be tough, the good score from the local elections must be defended in both the presidential and parliamentary elections. Unity will bring us victory. We must respond to the cascading attacks that want to destabilize us by showing our unity," said Bode.

According to Bode, PNL "goes into battle for the next 10 years with a man who has proven that he stands by his country, and his oath was to the country and he will respect it his whole life"."He is the responsible, courageous man, who is not afraid of confrontations, political battles, neither of extremists or of the populist left. He will win in this fight and lead the National Liberal Party to the government. The strength of our team, the unity and discipline, and I emphasize discipline, are the coordinates that can bring us victory in the political battles that will follow. The result that the National Liberal Party obtained in June was a surprise for our opponents, but for us it was no surprise, because we do not sit all day with eyes on the polls, we do our job in the communities we manage (...) We obtained a third of the votes of the Romanians a few months ago, mobilizing the Romanians who trusted us to vote for Nicolae Ciuca, we will have an open road to the presidency of Romania," Bode said.He emphasized that Nicolae Ciuca is the only one who can defeat the candidate of the left."In the second round, the PSD candidate has a battle with the former president of the PSD (Social Democratic Party), now independent, and with their former ball boy in the stadiums, now an extremist on the left side. So, it's a big crowd. And it's for the first time in history that their electorate is having more candidates they associate with the PSD to vote for, one redder than the other. There is only Nicolae Ciuca on the right, and that's about it. There's another new lady, but she doesn't know which boat she's in yet: if she's from the right, if she's going to win the vote of the progressives or the votes of the diaspora. In fact, all three are playing PSD games and the world must know that they are in this to actually fight for the candidate of the Social Democrats, who, if he reaches the second round, must have a comfortable opponent. That comfortable opponent is not Nicolae Ciuca, because Nicolae Ciuca is the only one who can defeat the candidate of the left," Lucian Bode pointed out.The PNL National Council met on Sunday to validate the candidacy of the Liberal leader Nicolae Ciuca in the presidential elections.
ACQUISITIONS

Family owned Buttonwood Farm, California, Missouri, acquired local food distributor Eat Here Saint Louis. The farm and food distributor markets to area restaurants, retailers and partners from St. Louis to Kansas City, Missouri.

HELPING OUT

The Missouri Humanities Council awarded a $15,000 grant to the Eagle Charitable Foundation in support of Destined II SOAR  a local television newsmagazine. The council has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities since 1971.

Employees of Revity Credit Union, through their August Revel for a Cause Jeans Program, raised $1,230 for SWIC Programs and Services for Older Persons Foster Grandparent Program.

GETTING BETTER

Got Your Six Support Dogs, based in Maryville, Illinois, achieved accreditation by Assistance Dogs International. The nonprofit trains and places PTSD service dogs at no cost to veterans and first responders.

MILESTONES

Mathis, Marifian & Richter celebrated its 40th anniversary. The law firm has offices in Belleville and Edwardsville, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri.

RECOGNITION

INSIDE Public Accounting recognized Anders CPAs + Advisors as the websites Best of the Best Top 100 Firms list for the fourth consecutive year.
Ashley Mason and her fiance. Melanie Zacek Photography

Ashley Mason insisted on a prenup to protect her business and assets before marriage.

Mason believes contracts are essential in both business and personal relationships.

The couple spent a year drafting the prenup, ensuring mutual protection of their assets.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ashley Mason, a 27-year-old business owner in Massachusetts. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I started my marketing agency in 2016. I worked hard to build it from scratch and told myself that if I got married, I wanted to protect this asset at all costs.

I heard stories from other entrepreneurs about how they built a business, got married without a prenup, and later divorced. Some had to hand over money and partial business ownership to their ex-spouse.

I spent so much time building my business that I couldn't imagine losing some of it in a divorce. I promised myself that when I met my future partner, we'd sign a prenup before we married.

Getting a prenup before marriage was a non-negotiable for me

After meeting my fiance in 2018, we talked about prenups several times before getting engaged. You hear stories of people being offended by the idea of a prenup, but my fiance didn't care at all. He's ambitious and works for his dad's plumbing business. He was totally fine with it.

I believe contracts are essential in business and relationships. It might not sound romantic to compare love to business, but when you're about to enter a legal marriage with someone, I believe it's best to have a contract outlining worst-case scenario terms.

Before I work with a client, we sign a contract that protects us if something goes wrong. I would never do business with someone without that legal protection because it could end in a costly lawsuit. That's why it makes sense from a personal perspective, too.

I have more assets than just my business and money in bank accounts

I often hear people say they don't need a prenup because they don't have any assets except their cash or investment accounts. That's not the case for me. With my own money, I've purchased assets like a car and a 16-acre property.

While I'm excited to share my money and assets with my partner and plan to split our bills and expenses, I still want to protect my assets if something happens. The only way to do that legally is by having a detailed prenup.

Plus, a prenup isn't one-sided. It protects my fiance, too, and he can add in what assets he wants to protect.

We spent a year working on our prenup

My fiance and I got engaged in November 2022 and set a wedding date for October 2024. Seven months after getting engaged, I suggested we start the prenup process.

Story continues

We first audited all our assets in and out of our bank accounts. For example, my fiance owns a truck, snowmobiles, and Jet Skis. We listed all his items and their values. Then, we discussed how we'd split things if we broke up.

We decided what's mine is mine, and what's his is his. Anything we own jointly, like the house we own together, will be split 50-50. We didn't disagree on anything during this process.

My fiance decided not to get his own attorney

While I chose to hire a lawyer, my fiance decided not to hire his own. He felt that since we were on the same page, it didn't make sense for him to pay for an attorney when he was willing to sign the prenup that my lawyer and I would draft.

This is allowed in Massachusetts; however, my lawyer did share that if we were to get a divorce, the judge might rule more in his favor. I was OK with that risk.

I found a lawyer through a colleague's recommendation. Over the past year, we've had about five meetings.

There was a lot of back-and-forth because our assets changed during that time. After every meeting, I'd share with my fiance what the lawyer and I talked about or added to the prenup draft. As of July 11th, 2024, the prenup is signed and notarized, which makes it final.

I paid around $5,000 for the prenup but view that as an investment in my future

My fiance offered to split the cost of the prenup with me, but I felt it wasn't fair for him to pay. Since I drafted the prenup more favorably, I thought it was right to take on the cost.

My prenup cost around $5,000. It might seem like a lot, but I was happy to spend a little bit of money now to potentially save in the long run.

The most complicated part was figuring out alimony

At first, I was set on not giving any alimony, which is financial support that will allow your ex-spouse to maintain the lifestyle they had while married to you. My attorney advised me that if a judge sees that in your prenup, it can be seen as unfair to the other party.

We decided to include alimony terms in the prenup since I make around 40% more than my partner a year. My fiance and I agreed on a tiered system based on the number of years we've been together. For example, if we've been together for five years, there wouldn't be alimony, but at 10 years, a certain percentage would be given, and so on.

Prenups aren't just for rich people

There's a stigma around getting a prenup that if you get one, it's because you're superrich. That's not true, but at 27, nobody I know has a prenup. I couldn't turn to friends for advice, so I researched independently.

We're just a few weeks away from the wedding, and now that the prenup is signed, I feel like we can focus on what's next for us. Eventually we want to have kids and buy more houses together. We have a strong relationship, and we're entering marriage knowing we're on the same page now and will be in the future.

Want to share your story? Email Lauryn Haas at lhaas@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
ST. LOUIS  Police here are cutting ties with a wealthy fitness mogul after an obscenity-filled podcast rant in which he said women should not be cops and that men could end their (expletive) life if the female officers werent armed with guns and badges.

Andy Frisella, a St. Louis native and police donor who has found immense success in the fitness industry, voiced those opinions in an episode of his Real AF podcast on Thursday, which also happened to be National Police Womans Day. The comments came as he discussed last weekends traffic stop of Tyreek Hill, a wide receiver for the NFLs Miami Dolphins, in Florida.

Especially when you know that if that person didnt have a badge or a gun, you could punch a hole through their (expletive) face and end their (expletive) life, he said while talking about how he felt female officers were always difficult to interact with.

The fallout was swift. St. Louis and St. Louis County police chiefs condemned Frisellas rant by Sunday and said they would sever all ties with his fitness companies and donations. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page also publicly condemned the comments and supported the chiefs decision to cut ties.

His statements crossed far over the line from criticism to sharing violent fantasies of killing policewomen, St. Louis County police union President Derek Machens wrote in a letter to members on Saturday.

In a 12-minute apology recording Frisella posted on Saturday, he said he regretted the comments. He said he edited them out of the podcast not because of the heat he received but because he didnt want people to think it was acceptable to talk about and behave that way toward police.

Im embarrassed that I embarrassed my friends and my family and my business partners and especially my employees who work extra hard to do the best job they can, Frisella said, They have nothing to do with what I say. And its just embarrassing, and its disappointing, and it hurts my heart that Ive let so many of you guys down.

The fitness entrepreneur could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Frisella is a St. Louis native who co-founded Supplement Superstore and 1st Phorm nutritional supplements and has turned himself into a giant in the entrepreneurial world, according to a 2020 New York Times story about his $100,000 donation to Blues game-night workers during the pandemic.

He created the popular 75 Hard fitness challenge and has founded six businesses that generate over $200 million in annual revenue, according to one of his websites. His Instagram account has more than 3.3 million followers, and his Real AF podcast also has millions of listeners.

In one of his two follow-up recordings about Thursdays comments, Frisella pointed out that he hosts charity events for police and has given away collectively, millions of dollars, over the course of our business life to law enforcement.

A recorded clip of his deleted comments was widely circulated among police officers this weekend. In it, Frisella said a lot of police officers, especially women officers, try to emasculate men.

The quickest way to escalate a situation is to do that to a grown man, you know, he says to Davione Johnson, who records the podcast with Frisella. That is why, in my opinion, women shouldnt be in the (expletive) field and police officers. I just dont think they should be.

He goes on to say he could end their lives if they werent armed.

Sgt. Jennifer Williams retired last June and has a daughter on the St. Louis County police force. She told the Post-Dispatch on Sunday that she felt his apology was all about a threat to his business and the bottom line  and she was thankful police leadership took a stand.

This is about finances, she said. Its not about his beliefs. He thought what he said originally was fine. He then doubles down in the second episode, for the most part, saying the same things.

Machens, the union president, wrote to officers that while Frisellas financial contributions to law enforcement were appreciated, they cannot come at the expense of our integrity, our morals, and the respect owed to not only our women officers, but all the members of our police family.

A day after Machens sent out his letter, St. Louis County police Chief Kenneth Gregory sent an all-staff email calling Frisellas comments hateful. The St. Louis County police chief said that even though Frisella tried to retract them, the department is severing its relationship with him.

Effective immediately, we will no longer be providing services to 1st Phorm via secondary employment, nor receiving donations of any kind or services from them through fitness and nutrition classes, Gregory wrote. The words used by Mr. Frisella in his rant were violent and unacceptable. We all stand together and will not tolerate such hate against our sisters in uniform.

Frisellas fitness company, 1st Phorm, provided four free classes to county police staff members in 2023 and 2024, said Sgt. Tracy Panus. She confirmed the department has no ongoing contracts with Frisellas companies.

Echoing Gregory, St. Louis police Chief Robert Tracy said in a statement that his department is severing ties with Frisella. He said female officers are at the core of the agency.

Female police officers are valued and respected members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Tracy said. Each day, they risk their lives in service to the city of St. Louis. His overall and disparaging comments do not reflect our views or core values and have no place in the SLMPD.

Joe Patterson, executive director of the countys police union, thanked department leadership on Sunday for taking a stand.

At a time when hundreds and hundreds of police officer vacancies currently exist in our region, women represent the fastest growing demographic of new police officers, he wrote in a statement. Current and future women police officers must know we wholeheartedly support and value their commitment in helping to secure the public safety of our region.

Women make up between 15% and 16% of both departments.

Panus on Monday said 123 of the county department's 812 officers are women. Mitch McCoy, spokesperson for St. Louis police, on Monday said the city department has 883 officers and about 142 of them are women. Both agencies have also struggled for years to recruit and retain officers.

The citys police union did not respond to a request for comment.

Frisella first addressed the criticism on Saturday in a 20-minute Q&A-style video that had about 100,000 views as of Sunday afternoon. He walked back his points about women in policing and took responsibility for generalizing, without outright apologizing.

What I really mean is that certain women shouldnt be police officers, and certain men shouldnt be police officers, Frisella said. And if were going to have women be police officers, they should be capable. They should be emotionally stable.

He said the same goes for male officers.

Frisella then posted a 12-minute audio recording where he apologized. He said he made the comments about women because he had gotten worked up thinking about a traffic stop about a decade ago when two female officers had him face down on the side of the highway in a suit being berated. He said a male officer came along, resolved the issue and everyone went on their way.

Williams said something doesnt sit right with her about his story.

I can tell you, in my 33 years of law enforcement, that if I had someone out on the ground face down, theyre going with me, she said. Theres a reason theyre going with me. And I dont know of a situation where another officer is going to pull up and go, Hey, youre going to have to let him go.

In the third audio recording, Frisella said his comment was the wrong thing to say.

I was trying to make the point that women escalate situations sometimes because they are armed, and men do the same, he said. It was an unfair comment to me to single out women. ... Thats not what I meant to say. Its not what I feel in my heart.

Editor's note: This story was updated Monday with the number of female officers in the county and city police departments.
After making innumerable inane comments about Vice President Kamala Harris race since she became the Democratic nominee  including suggesting that she turned Black recently to advance her political career  former President Donald Trump was asked during last weeks debate if he thought his opponents race or gender should be part of his platform.

He replied: I dont care what she is. I dont care. ... I couldnt care less. Whatever she wants to be is okay with me.

Thats the same sort of rhetoric that is still often heard about people who are LGBTQ  namely that they choose to be who they are.

Harris is a woman, not an object, as Trumps whatever would imply. Furthermore, what she wants to be is similarly immaterial. Race-wise, she is a Black, Asian-American woman.

Harris noted that race was being used to further divide us as a country. Thats true, but this is exactly why it needs to be discussed. A great many peoples opinions are often based on racial biases, even if unconsciously.

I was watching Ted Koppel on CBS Sunday Morning last week. He was at the Wisconsin State Fair and interviewed fairgoers about their reasons for supporting whichever candidate they favored. One woman said Harris is too liberal: Im a white woman. I couldnt afford to go to college when I graduated from high school. But when I had children my husband and I worked and paid for them to go to college. Nobody repaid us for that.

The fact that she had to mention at the onset that she was a white woman reveals the underlying bias, implying that forgiving college loans was something done only for Black people.

More revealing, though, was her remark that she and her husband worked to pay for their childrens college. Being in a two-parent household where both work is a definite advantage. But if the only work a person was able to obtain had been legislatively limited by race, paying for a childs college might be impossible.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first time that racial discrimination (as well as discrimination based on color, sex, religion and place of origin) in employment became illegal. Before then, the experience of a Black person trying to work was different from that of a white person getting a job to send their child to college.

Imagine this scenario: A young woman freshly graduated from high school sees a help-wanted sign in a bank window for tellers. When she goes into the bank to apply she cannot even get an application because she is white. She can apply for a janitorial position that pays less than half of what a teller earns, but she cannot apply for any white-collar job. If she later marries, and her husband has similar employment restrictions, how do they pay or save for college if they are living month to month? A single parent would be doubly disadvantaged.

Before 1964, most Black people were not allowed to apply for anything other than menial jobs. This was exactly the reason for the seven-month protest in August 1963 at the Jefferson Bank and Trust in St. Louis. The bank refused to hire anyone Black for a white-collar job. The Congress of Racial Equality asked the parent bank to hire four black people in non-janitorial jobs. The reply was that there were there were not four blacks in the city fit for such jobs.

During that time, there were Black people in clerical jobs in the government sector, but often the pay was paltry.

My father died when I was 9, after which we lived in a shared home where all four adults worked full-time. My mother worked as a clerk-typist for the Missouri Division of Family Services for 26 years until mandated retirement at age 70 in 1985. She never earned over $12,000 a year. Her older sisters retired at 62 and 80 from jobs as domestics, being paid $25 a day. Her brother-in-law worked as a forklift operator at the Volkswagen plant, earning enough to pay the rent, buy groceries, and cover his car expenses. There was no saving for college.

Of course, there were disenfranchised white folks too. But its a lot easier to pull yourself up if there are no racial restrictions on the types of jobs you can get.

Race should not be a factor in the election, but the former president likes to blow on the racial ember to keep the flames of distrust burning. He says he doesnt care what Harris wants to be. President, thats what.
The Korean War Memorial in Washington on Veterans Day in 2014. (Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes)

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced last week that it has identified the 700th service member listed as missing from the Korean War. More than 7,400 remain missing.

Army Cpl. Billie Charles Driver, 18, of Dallas was identified by the DPAA on Sept. 9. Driver, a member of the 1st Calvary Division, died Sept. 5, 1950, in the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter.

This is an incredible milestone, said Kelly McKeague, DPAA director, It is reflective of the talent and dedication of the Department of Defense personnel who are dutifully serve this sacred mission.

During the three-plus years of the war, the United States suffered approximately 36,500 casualties. Of the remain missing, the agencys researchers believe that about 5,300 are located in North Korea.

Since 1982, forensic scientists have analyzed recovered remains to reach this accounting milestone and return fallen Korean War personnel back to their families for proper burial. This number is in addition to the roughly 2,000 Americans whose remains were identified in the years immediately following the end of hostilities when the North Korean government returned more than 3,000 sets of remains to U.S. custody.

The Korean War Identification Project was established to oversee the identification process for all Korean War laboratory cases, said Kristen Grow, who leads the project. Our dedicated team represents the largest project in the DPAA Laboratory and involves remains from varied sources, including unilateral turnovers, field recoveries, cemetery disinterments and cases turned over to us by our esteemed partner organization in South Korea.

Dont give up, said Sam Storms, the son of Army Maj. Harvey Storms, who died during the Korean War and was identified in 2019, when asked in a 2021 interview what advice he would give to families waiting on the return of their loved ones. I never expected it happen.

More than 81,500 Americans remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and the Gulf Wars/other conflicts, according to the DPAA. About 41,000 of the missing are presumed lost at sea. The DPAA does not account for the missing from World War I.

The DOD first established an agency to begin identifying missing service members in 1973.
Framed family photos, military awards and tributes rest on a remembrance table for U.S. Army Pvt. Billy E. Calkins at Fir Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Hillsboro, Ore., on Sept. 13, 2024. (John Hughel/Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

The remains of U.S. Army Pvt. William E. Calkins were laid to rest Saturday in Hillsboro, Ore., nearly 82 years after he died in a POW camp in the Philippines.

Calkins was buried at Fir Lawn Memorial Park with full military honors provided by the Oregon Army National Guard Funeral Honor Guard team.

After surviving the infamous Bataan Death March from April 9 to April 17, 1942, Calkins died Nov. 1, 1942, at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province and was buried in a mass grave until remains were identified using DNA analysis. Calkins died of inanition, the exhausted condition resulting from lack of food and water.

Calkins remains were identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency on April 17, 2024.

An Oregon Army National Guard Funeral Honor Guard member presents the American Flag to family members of U.S. Army Pvt. Billy E. Calkins during his memorial service at Fir Lawn Cemetery, in Hillsboro, Ore., on Sept. 13, 2024. (John Hughel/Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) Oregon Army National Guard Funeral Honor Guard members carry the remains of U.S. Army Pvt. Billy E. Calkins during his memorial service at Fir Lawn Cemetery, in Hillsboro, Ore., on Sept. 13, 2024. (John Hughel/Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) A funeral procession for U.S. Army Pvt. Billy E. Calkins during his memorial service at Fir Lawn Cemetery, in Hillsboro, Ore., on Sept. 13, 2024. (John Hughel/Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) Oregon Army National Guard Funeral Honors members conduct a flag folding ceremony to honor U.S. Army Pvt. Billy E. Calkins during his memorial service at Fir Lawn Cemetery, in Hillsboro, Ore., on Sept. 13, 2024. (John Hughel/Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

Oregon Army National Guard Chaplain Col. Jacob Scott officiated at the ceremony.

The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau in the capital city. In the center of those peaceful grounds stands a beautiful white marble memorial chapel. A limestone hemisphere monument features the tablets of the missing, and contains 36,286 names, said Scott, describing the memorial grounds where so many American service members are remembered. Billys name is permanently inscribed on those tablets.  But from now on, his name will forever be adorned with a Brass Rosette, signifying that Billys remains will now rest in a known grave.

Calkins military awards include: Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster (posthumous), Purple Heart (posthumous), Prisoner of War Medal (posthumous), Good Conduct Medal (posthumous), American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service Clasp, World War II Victory Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Infantryman Badge (posthumous), Philippine Defense Ribbon with Bronze Star and Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation.
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Victoria Luna, an administrative specialist with Combat Logistics Battalion 13, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, poses with the local community for a photo during a local night market as part of exercise Koa Moana 24, at Koror, Palau, Aug. 24, 2024. Marines from Koa Moana 24 assisted recruiters from Recruiting Station San Diego, 12th Marine Corps District Headquarters, in expanding their presence in Palau During Koa Moanas deployment throughout the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Marines and Sailors from I Marine Expeditionary Force work to strengthen alliances and partnerships with development of interoperable capabilities, combined operations, theater security cooperation, and capacity-building efforts. (Photo by Cpl. Daniel Childs)

KOROR, Palau  Koa Moana 24 supported Marine Corps Recruiting Commands return to the Republic of Palau after several years of absence. As part of efforts to enhance Marine Corps recruiting in the Second Island Chain, Maj. Shannon Gross, commanding officer of Marine Corps Recruiting Station San Diego, and Staff Sgt. Jesse Benavente, station commander of Recruiting Sub-Station Guam, visited Palau. This visit marked a significant step in expanding the Marine Corps recruiting presence across the Pacific, given the absence of a permanent recruiting station in Palau. Expanding our recruiting footprint to Palau, and eventually to the Federated States of Micronesia, is vital in ensuring the Marine Corps remains steadfast in finding the Corps next influential leaders, said Gross, a native of Palm Bay, Florida. Our visit is a testament to the Marine Corps commitment to seeking out the best and brightest, no matter the distance required to travel.

Koa Moana 24, an annual theater security cooperation exercise aimed at strengthening ties between the U.S. and Pacific Island nations, played a crucial role in the success of this recruiting initiative. By organizing events with local high schools, the community college, and community relations activities prior to their arrival, the recruiters were able to engage with potential recruits while also gaining a deeper understanding of the community and culture they aim to impact and reach.

Koa Moana 24 not only assisted in our presence here but also provided the manpower and support we needed at each event to make meaningful connections with the Palauan community, added Benavente, a native of Mangilao, Guam. We reached young individuals interested in challenging themselves and serving for something greater.

Lt. Col. Brian McCarthy, commanding officer of Koa Moana 24, recognized the importance of supporting recruiting efforts. Finding the most qualified individuals who seek the opportunity and challenge the Marine Corps offers is existential to sustaining our Service. Deliberately reaching out to Palau and the FSM is a reminder of the United States commitment to this region while also bolstering our ranks with exceptional young men and women. Our reputation as The few and the proud proceeded us, and our Marines presence showcased our inherent diversity and how the title Marine is attainable.

Throughout their visit, the recruiters emphasized the opportunities available in the Marine Corps, focusing on leadership development, educational benefits, and the chance to serve in one of the worlds elite winning forces. They also underscored the importance of cultural understanding and the unique perspectives that recruits from Palau could bring to the Corps.

As a native of Guam, I deeply understand island life and can connect with fellow Pacific Islanders, said Benavente. I want them to know that the Marine Corps has given me opportunities I might not have had if I had stayed in Guam. Being a Marine is truly unparalleled.

A recent success story is Pvt. Hisley Hesus, from Ngesaol Village, Koror, Palau, the latest Palauan to join the Marine Corps. After graduating from Boot Camp at Marine Corps Recruiting Depot San Diego on Aug. 23, 2024, Hesus earned his Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, demonstrating the resilience and capability of Palauans, even through the rigorous challenges of training.

As the visit concluded, the recruiters expressed optimism about the potential recruits they met, and the relationships built during their time in Palau. This visit symbolizes a new chapter in our relationship with Palau, said Gross. As we look toward the future, we are eager to welcome more Palauans into our ranks and continue building upon the strong partnership between the U.S. and the Republic of Palau.

The efforts of Recruiting Station San Diego and Recruiting Sub-Station Guam, supported by Koa Moana 24, are expected to have a lasting impact on the region as the Marine Corps expands its reach across the Pacific.
If You Invested $1,000 In NNN REIT Stock 20 Years Ago, How Much Would You Have Now?

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

NNN REIT, Inc. (NYSE:NNN) is a real estate investment trust that invests in and develops properties throughout the United States. The company generates revenue from leasing properties to tenants, including convenience stores, automotive services, fitness centers, theaters, restaurants, and banks.

The company is set to report its Q3 2024 earnings on October 30. Wall Street analysts expect the company to post an EPS of $0.84, up from $0.81 in the year-ago period. According to data from Benzinga Pro, quarterly revenue is expected to be $216.52 million, up from $205.13 million in the year-ago period.

Check It Out:

This billion-dollar fund has invested in the next big real estate boom, here's how you can join for $10 .

This is a paid advertisement. Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fundrise Flagship Fund before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's prospectus. Read them carefully before investing.

Commercial real estate has historically outperformed the stock market. This platform allows accredited investors to invest in commercial real estate, invest today for a 1% boost.

If You Bought NNN REIT Stock 20 Years Ago

The company's stock traded around $17.77 per share 20 years ago. If you had invested $1,000, you could have bought approximately 56 shares of NNN REIT stock. Currently, shares are trading at $48.33, which means your investment's value could have soared to $2,720 due to stock price appreciation. But wait, the company also paid dividends during these 20 years.

NNN REITs dividend yield is currently 4.80%. Over the last 20 years, it paid around $31.97 in dividends per share, meaning you could have made $1,799 from dividends alone.

Summing up $2,720 and $1,799, the final value of your investment would be $4,519. This represents a total return of 351.9%. However, this figure is significantly lower than the S&P 500 total return for the same period, which was 553.44%.

Keep Reading:

A billion-dollar investment strategy with minimums as low as $10  you can become part of the next big real estate boom today .

This is a paid advertisement. Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fundrise Flagship Fund before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's prospectus. Read them carefully before investing.

Investor alert: Triple-net properties can put a check in your pocket every quartera cant-miss opportunity for accredited investors.

Story continues

What Could The Next 20 Years Bring?

NNN REIT has a consensus rating of "Outperform" and a price target of $47 based on the ratings of 15 analysts. The price target implies a nearly 3% potential downside from the current stock price.

Check out this article by Benzinga for six analysts' insights on NNN REIT.

On Aug. 1, the company reported its Q2 2024 earnings, posting revenues of $216.81 million, beating the consensus of $212.70 million, while EPS of $0.83 was in line with expectations.

Steve Horn, Chief Executive Officer, commented: NNN REIT continues to operate with a high degree of discipline. During the second quarter, we deployed $110.5 million of capital in accretive, high-quality real estate deals while maintaining a balance sheet with a sector-leading 12.6-year weighted average debt maturity. Our thoughtful approach to raising and deploying

Capital, combined with our high occupancy and active management of our robust property portfolio, enables us to increase our Core FFO per share guidance for 2024."

Check out this article by Benzinga, which analyzes NNN REITs recent short interest.

In summary, growth-focused investors may not find NNN REIT stock attractive, given the historical modest stock price appreciation and expected downside potential. Conversely, the stock can be a good option for income-focused investors, who can benefit from the company's high dividend yield and consistent hikes. NNN REIT has raised its dividend consecutively for the last 35 years.

Better Yields Than Some REITs?

The current high-interest-rate environment has created an incredible opportunity for income-seeking investors to earn massive yields, but not through publicly-traded REITs.

Arrived Homes, the Jeff Bezos-backed investment platform has launched its Private Credit Fund, which provides access to a pool of short-term loans backed by residential real estate with a target 7% to 9% net annual yield paid to investors monthly. It paid 8.1% in July. The best part? Unlike other private credit funds, this one has a minimum investment of only $100.

Looking for fractional real estate investment opportunities? The Benzinga Real Estate Screener features the latest offerings.

This article If You Invested $1,000 In NNN REIT Stock 20 Years Ago, How Much Would You Have Now? originally appeared on Benzinga.com
Women wait in line to vote at a polling center in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in October 2018. The Talibans religious code issued late last month bans women from raising their voices, reciting the Quran in public, and looking at men other than their husbands or relatives. It requires women to cover the lower half of their faces in addition to donning a head covering they were already expected to wear, among other rules. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)

As the Taliban begin enforcing new draconian laws, Afghan women say that whatever hopes they once harbored for an easing of the severe restrictions on them have largely vanished.

The new religious code issued late last month bans women from raising their voices, reciting the Quran in public, and looking at men other than their husbands or relatives. It requires women to cover the lower half of their faces in addition to donning a head covering they were already expected to wear, among other rules.

Womens lives were heavily regulated by the Taliban-run government before the latest rules were promulgated, and some of the new laws codify restrictions that were imposed on women in practice. But Afghan women, speaking in phone interviews over the past week, pointed to mounting signs of a crackdown in urban areas, where rules had been less rigorously enforced.

The Talibans morality police, which are an extension of the regimes most conservative elements, appear to have been handed an unprecedented amount of power in the capital, Kabul, and elsewhere, women said. While the morality polices white robes were a rare sight in Kabul, they have become omnipresent since late August, several women said.

Officers are roaming bus stops and shopping centers searching for dress-code violations or any women who might laugh or raise their voices. On Fridays, the Muslim holy day, religious police officers disperse women in some parts of Kabul and accuse them of preventing male shop owners from making it to the mosque in time for prayers. Women are an increasingly rare sight on Afghan television broadcasts.

While girls were banned from going to school above sixth grade and women barred from universities soon after the Taliban took power three years ago, some still attended English classes as recently as a few weeks ago. But after the Talibans morality police issued warnings to male teachers, according to students, many families now refuse to let their daughters participate. Other women have decided to stay home out of fear.

Three weeks ago, I was still hopeful that the Taliban may change and remove the restrictions on girls education, said Meena, a Kabul resident in her 20s who runs secret classes for teenage girls. But once they published their Vice and Virtue law, I lost all hope, she said. The women interviewed for this story spoke on the condition that they remain anonymous or that only their first names be published due to fear of drawing unwanted scrutiny from the Taliban regime.

Another womens rights activist who also lives in Kabul said she had been banned from studying when the Taliban held power in the 1990s. Now, she sees history repeating itself. The entire country has turned into a graveyard for womens dreams, said the 48-year-old woman. She added that initial signs that Taliban rule would be less extreme the second time around have not borne out.

When the Taliban seized power in August 2021, the new government quickly imposed far-ranging restrictions on women. But afterward, many of these changes  particularly the bans on education  were portrayed by Taliban officials as temporary. Those officials were often unable to specify what these rules required, leaving some room for interpretation that translated into regional variation in how the rules were followed. There remained a large difference, for example, between urban Kabul and the conservative rural south of the country.

But now, some women said, hopes are waning that urban influences could moderate the Taliban.

There are two groups within the Taliban, said Sajia, 24, a female former university student. One group seemed to be moderate and eager to bend the rules. But now, with the restrictions approved as law, it seems that they have failed and there is no hope left.

Others gave up hoping long ago that the Taliban leadership could be made more tolerant. When it comes to cruelty and restrictions, they are all on the same page, said a 20-year-old female Kabul resident, who was admitted by Kabul Universitys archaeology department just when the Taliban banned women from studying.

The Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which oversees the morality police, could not be reached for comment. Two former senior officials with the ministry said the position of spokesman is vacant.

In a video statement to RTA, a Taliban-run broadcaster, Justice Ministry spokesman Barakatullah Rasouli said the new regulations emphasize respect for human dignity of individuals and advise officials to preach gently. The Taliban maintain that womens lives have improved under its three-year rule and frequently argue that restrictions on women are for their protection.

Afghan womens rights activists counter that the Quran does not ban women from getting educated and imposes far fewer rules about proper dress than the ones mandated by the Taliban.

Many of the Talibans beliefs are partly rooted in centuries-old Pashtun culture, which remains entrenched in many rural areas of Afghanistan. In these areas, it is not only men who share the Talibans views. In Kabul, some women particularly fear female members of the morality police, who are often recruited from conservative suburbs. They behave even more aggressively than the male officers do, said a 20-year-old female Kabul resident.

Many women in Kabul say they doubt the Talibans religious justifications for the rules, and there is widespread speculation that the regime is adding restrictions on womens rights so it can later bargain them away in negotiations with international agencies and foreign capitals. The Taliban have been seeking international recognition for its government  so far, no country has done so  and trying to gain access to Afghan Central Bank reserves that remain frozen. Afghan leaders hope such a breakthrough would give a boost to the economy, helping to ease unemployment and hunger.

Some Afghan women blame the outside world for their vanishing freedoms. The silence of the world over the last three years will go down as a dark chapter in history, said Meena, echoing a widespread sentiment in the country that global attention has moved on from Afghanistan.

Many of the women she speaks to say they have unsuccessfully applied for scholarships abroad, she said, and are running out of options.

The Taliban will keep using religion as a weapon against women, she said. To them, seeing the hair of a girl is a sin, but starving your country is not.

Lutfullah Qasimyar and Haq Nawaz Khan contributed to this report.
Mr Anderson found fame on TV talent shows The Voice and Andrew Lloyd Webbers Superstar

A former reality TV star currently charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm is to be prosecuted in the Crown Court, a judge heard this week.

Although Jeffrey Anderson did not appear at Newtownards Magistrates Court, the 34-year-old was charged with causing GBH to a male complainant on 29 December last year.

Jeffrey Anderson on The Voice in 2014

None of the alleged facts giving rise to the charge were opened in court but a prosecuting lawyer and defence solicitor Paul Dougan confirmed the case would be ready for a Preliminary Enquiry by 16 October.

Anderson, from the Crawfordsburn Road in Ards, will have to appear in court on that date.

Mr Anderson found fame on TV talent shows The Voice and Andrew Lloyd Webbers Superstar.
According to the case Duta and Orhean transported the female from Dublin to a property in Omaha in June last year

A Romanian sex worker and alleged pimp accused of controlling prostitution and money laundering is to be further interviewed by detectives, a court heard this week.

While the defence contend that Ondina Cordovan is herself a victim who was pressured into prostitution by her boyfriend and co-accused Gabriel Orhean, a detective told District Judge Nigel Broderick the police attitude to her will depend on what she tells them..

The officer also told Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, anything the 21-year-old claims during what was described as a screening interview will also be subject to further investigations.

Cordovan, from Bridge Street in Ballymena, is the only female among four defendants to be charged with offences relating to money laundering and prostitution.

On an indictment covering a global time span between January 2019 and 13 August this year the four defendants Cordovan, 27-year-old Ionut Duta, Gabriel Orhean (31) and 52-year-old Florin Ripan, are jointly charged on four charges including controlling prostitution for gain, entering an arrangement to acquire criminal property, using and concealing criminal property.

Ondina Cordovan

In addition Cordovan is further charged with brothel keeping, possessing criminal property and possessing class B cannabis while Orhean, whose address was given as c/o HMP Maghaberry, faces a further accusation of driving while disqualified.

Previous courts have heard how the charges aside following a proactive investigation lead by the modern slavery and human trafficking team and which focused on the activities of an organised crime gang involved in prostitution and money laundering.

When the defendants first appeared last month, DC Bickerstaff explained how the investigation began after police were contacted by a vulnerable female who had travelled from Romania to Dublin and was then initiated into sex work by the OCG based in Ballymena.

According to the police case Duta and Orhean transported the female from Dublin to a property in Omaha in June last year and between then and December 2023, she was the subject of advertisements in adult websites for sexual services.

Ripan, claimed the officer, was involved in transporting the alleged victim between a property in Ballymena and Omagh on numerous occasions, depending upon when she was required to have sex for payment while Cordovan, according to the detective is very much at the heart of the operation, allegedly providing the link between the OCG and the complainant and has potentially the highest turn over of the accused.

Ondina Cordovan

The court heard that despite having no income and only claiming 27,000 in state benefits for two years, 194,967 had been put through Cordovans bank account between 2019 and 2024.

While Ripan and Duta both worked in Moy Park chicken and had each been paid around 20,000 a year, DC Bickerstaff said police had identified a turn over of 211,000 in Ripans account over the last five years and 30,000 in Dutas account can the last 12 months which he could not account for.

The detective said the police investigation had found evidence that each of the defendants were connected to each other through cash deposits, bank transfers and telecommunication evidence which all allegedly supported the police case.

The court heard how their victim, who speaks little English and was kept isolated, only able to associate with the defendants, also had a bank account but that the deposits and withdrawals, according to the police, were all managed by the OCG.

In court earlier this week DC Bickerstaff highlighted that throughout a series of police interviews Cordovan refused to answer any questions or present any explanation.

She repeated that police were objecting to Cordovan being freed due to concerns that she would contact two of her co-accused who were granted bail by the High Court.

Ondina Cordovan

Lodging a bail application for Cordovan defence counsel Grant Powles revealed that the 21-year-old will tell police how she had been in a relationship with Orhean and it was him who pressurised her to start out and partake in prostitution.

He told the court that according to Cordovan, she worked in the sex trade for three years until her arrest and during that time, Orhean had supplied her with a phone, he had created online profiles and he told her what to charge.

The barrister revealed that more than 20,000 of the money which had gone through Cordovans now frozen bank account had come from a single client who had paid her 6,000 a night for four nights but that all of that cash had been transferred into the accounts of her co-defendants.

In relation to the complainant Cordovan claimed that despite having a wife back in Romania, Orhean had also been in a relationship with the alleged victim and similarly to her, he had effectively forced her on the same path to prostitution.

The dynamic of the relationship was that he was enforcing her [into sex work] and he made sure that she told him every time she had a customer in terms if the prostitution, said Mr Powles.

It was Orhean, claimed the barrister, who introduced the alleged victim to Cordovan and told her to instruct the complainant in what to do and what to charge customers.

Mr Powles told the court that Cordovan did not come forward sooner as she was in love with this man, revealing that Orhean had bought her a mini, a BMW and a Mercedes car as well as taking her to restaurants and overnight stays.

He argued that as Cordovan was herself a victim she should be afforded the same protections given to any victim and as such, should be granted bail.

Judge Broderick said however that in his view, this application is premature and her status will depend on what is said during the screening interview and any subsequent police investigations.

Remanding Cordovan back into custody, he adjourned the case to 3 October.
A search is underway for missing Arlene who was last seen with killer Robert Howard

The search for the remains of Arlene Atkinson this year in Co Donegal

Fifty years ago a psychiatrist described him as a dangerous, explosive psychopath who was quite likely to kill someone.

The medics assessment had been absolutely accurate in 1974 when Robert Howard was jailed for ten years for the rape of an elderly woman in her home in Youghal in Cork.

Howard would go on to leave a murderous legacy.

Now searches are being carried out in Co Donegal for traces of teenager Arlene Arkinson who was last seen with the sex predator 20 years after that conviction.

Unfortunately, the warning from the psychiatrist from the Southern Health Board proved darkly prophetic with at least two murders attributed to Laois native Howard.

He died in prison in the UK while serving a life sentence for killing a teenager, but Irelands version of the Yorkshire Ripper never faced justice for all his crimes.

The search for the remains of Arlene Atkinson this year in Co Donegal

Arlene Arkinson

Originally from Wolfhill, Co Laois, he was preying on young girls for five decades in Ireland, Scotland and England.

His first sex attack was in London in 1964 when he sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl during a burglary.

He was also convicted of attempted rape and aggravated burglary in Durham.

Then in 1967, Howard was the centre of a garda manhunt as he fled up Ben Bulben in Sligo trying to escape after a summer-long crime spree.

He stole cars, cash, cigarettes and alcohol across the country, not long after getting out of jail.

The rape of the woman in Cork during a burglary made it clear he was an extremely dangerous man.

But in the days before a sex offenders register existed, he was free to move around in different communities where people were unaware of his hideous criminal record.

Howard was traced to addresses during the 1980s in Dublin, Wexford and Monaghan as well as Newry, Castlederg and Cookstown, Co Tyrone.

While living in Castlederg in 1994, Howard was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl, but he insisted the sex was consensual and was given bail, even though she told of being locked in a wardrobe.

Robert Howard

In August that year, Arlene Arkinson disappeared after last being seen with Howard, who gave her and two other teenagers a lift from a disco.

Despite his record, he was not questioned by the Royal Ulster Constabulary until 46 days later.

He later got a suspended three-year sentence for having unlawful sex with a girl under the age of 17.

But the RUC kept Howard under 24-hour surveillance as he left Castlederg for a new address in Cookstown.

Then in 1995 Howard went to Scotland, where he got a council home in Drumchapel, near Glasgow.

Hannah Williams

When his past was exposed by the media, he fled from the estate, eventually moving to Northfleet in Kent.

It was there he murdered 14-year-old Hannah Williams in 2001, for which he was later jailed for life.

A teenager with learning difficulties, he had met the schoolgirl who had been a friend of his then partner in Kent.

Her body was found a year after her death by a builder working on the Channel Tunnel, wrapped in blue tarpaulin and with the rope used to kill her still around her neck.

The trial judge commented that Howard had been a danger to women for a very long time.

In May 2002, Howard was charged with murdering Arlene Arkinson but three years later a jury in Belfast found him not guilty after 23 hours of deliberation.

The former home of Robert Howard

He was sent back to Frankland Prison in the UK to continue his sentence where he died in 2015 at the age of 71.

An inquest into her death since found that in all probability Arlene was murdered by Howard on the night she disappeared.

On Tuesday, gardai working on the case began digging in a forested area about 1km from Ballybofey, Co Donegal, in the second search so far this year.

Arlenes family campaigned for years to discover her remains and to find out if Howard was, for some reason, protected by the security forces.
However, he is still allowed to use a phone on the landing, positioned under a video camera, and can still call the Samaritans

Convicted rapist Michael Murray has had his in-cell telephone removed at the Midlands Prison over allegations he made a hoax phone call to the Samaritans, saying there was a bomb at the home of Taoiseach Simon Harris.

However, he is still allowed to use a phone on the landing, positioned under a video camera, and can still call the Samaritans, as all prisoners are entitled to ring the helpline.

It is understood prison bosses recently considered removing that entitlement from Murray (53), who already has a conviction for making a false bomb threat against Justice Minister Helen McEntee through the Samaritans.

After consideration, it was decided it would not be possible to remove his right to phone the Samaritans, because if he was genuinely in need of the crisis helpline and it had been removed, it could be viewed as a breach of his human rights and he could potentially take a legal action.

Earlier this year, Murray, formerly of Seafield Road, Killiney, Co Dublin, who is serving a 19-year-sentence for rape, was given an additional two years in prison for phoning in a hoax bomb threat against McEntee.

He has emerged as the prime suspect behind the hoax bomb threat on Taoiseach Simon Harriss home last June 26.

An investigation is being carried out by the Garda Special Detective Unit, which is the States counter-terrorism branch.

Prison authorities have also investigated the Harris threat and have sanctioned Murray.

Michael Murray

Prisoners in Irish jails benefit from in-cell phones. Each inmate has a log-in number and several pre-agreed numbers they are allowed to call.

These generally are parents, partners, children, other relatives and their solicitor. The Samaritans number is also available for all prisoners to call.

Murray brought a High Court case against sanctions imposed by the prison authorities. The court heard he rejected a finding that he breached prison rules by making a threatening phone call on June 26, but the governor found he had engaged in misconduct.

After finding that such behaviour contravenes the 2007 Prison Rules, the governor imposed a sanction of 40 days loss of ordinary privileges within the prison and the loss of 12 days remission from his sentence.

The governors finding and the sanctions were upheld on an appeal to the Irish Prison Operations Directorate.

Through his lawyers, Murray has brought High Court judicial review proceedings, claiming the sanctions are unlawful and should be set aside.

He says that after denying the claim against him, he was not given a proper opportunity to respond.

He claims that during the disciplinary hearing, he asked to be provided with the information supporting the allegation against him.

He says that request was declined on the grounds that the material was confidential. He further claims he was not informed of the nature of the evidence against him.

In his action against the governor of the Midlands Prison, Murray seeks a declaration from the court that the disciplining of a prisoner under the 2007 rules for misconduct is subject to the principals of natural justice and fair procedures.

The case was adjourned and will come before the court after the new legal term begins next month.

Murray was jailed for 19 years in 2013 for the rape of a woman whose child he abducted.

In 2021, he was convicted and jailed for an additional 16 years on charges including threatening to kill and harassing lawyers who had prosecuted him. He is not expected to be released from prison until 2037.
The victim has been named as 43-year old Rachel Simpson from east Belfast

Police at the scene in the Castlereagh Road area of east Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

A 21-year old man has been charged with murder following the discovery of a womans body in east Belfast.

Earlier today, police said upon responding to an incident at a home in the Castlereagh Road area a womans body was discovered in the garage.

The woman has been named as 43-year-old Rachel Simpson, from east Belfast.

The scene of the incident in east Belfast today.

A 21-year-old man was then arrested on suspicion of murder and has now been charged.

In a statement, a police spokesperson said: Detectives investigating the murder of 43-year-old Rachel Simpson in east Belfast on Friday night, 13th September, have charged a man to court.

The man, aged 21, has been charged with murder and is expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court on Monday, 16th September.

As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the PPS.

Police at the scene of the murder in east Belfast overnight. Photo: Kevin Scott

Police forensic teams in white suits were pictured at the scene from Friday evening to Saturday afternoon.

Police at the scene of the murder in east Belfast overnight. Photo: Kevin Scott

The red-brick semi-detached property has been sealed off by police tape.

One local said: There is a lot of shock in the community today.

East Belfast UUP MLA Andy Allen said he was deeply saddened the learn of the murder.

"I am deeply saddened to learn of the murder of a woman in East Belfast, he said. My thoughts are with her family, friends and neighbours as they process this heartbreaking news.

Forensic teams at the scene of the murder in east Belfast overnight. Photo: Kevin Scott

Alliance East Belfast MLA, Peter McReynolds also expressed his sympathies and said: I am deeply saddened to hear of the heartbreaking news of the death of Ms Simpson. My sympathies are with her family and loved ones.

The whole community is completely shocked upon hearing of devastating news. This is yet another tragic loss of a female life in the East Belfast area.

I urge anyone with relevant information that could help the police in their investigations to get in touch with them immediately.
This man has tried to ruin my reputation and has lied about me from the beginning

A married woman who was bitten on the buttock by an intruder has slammed her attackers one-month jail sentence, saying: He didnt just attack me...he tried to ruin my life with lies that we were having an affair.

Martin Gooney has been given a one -month sentence in prison for intruding in my home and biting me twice.

And hes not even in jail because hes appealed the sentence.

This is so, so wrong.

On Friday last week, Gooney, of Riverview, Scariff, Co Clare, was given two one-month sentences, to be served concurrently, for the assaults on the woman at an address in Whitegate, Co Clare.

Killaloe District Court heard he bit the woman twice, once on the buttock and once on the shoulder, while trespassing in her home on the night on December 22, 2022.

Martin Gooney admitted his assault

The attack only ended when the womans eight-year-old son walked in causing Gooney to flee.

Gooney (27), who has previous convictions for making a threat to kill and assault causing harm, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault against the woman and one count of trespass at her family home.

But his solicitor, Daragh Hassett, requested 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 acknowledged this was denied by the married woman.

Judge Alec Gabbett said he could not suspend the prison term and had been considering a longer sentence than one month.

It was a human bite and human bites are very serious, the judge said.

Today, in her first interview, since the sentence was handed down, the woman has again denied ever being in a relationship of any sort with the 27-year-old.

He has thrown everything at me to walk away from this, she said. This man has tried to ruin my reputation and has lied about me from the beginning.

That was his defence  that he rode me and we were having this big affair. And even though its a lie  because of it, hes basically gotten away with what he did to me.

Sitting in her kitchen, the mother of fours voice cracked as she relived the events that took place on Christmas week two years ago.

She said on the night of the attack, her eldest son and Gooney  who both worked for her brother-in-law  were at a Christmas do in the local pub. My husband was with them too, she said.

The woman tells our reporter about what happened to her

He had just come home and he fell asleep on the couch. At 11.45pm, he [Gooney] came to my door looking for my son.

The woman told him her son was still out and offered to ring him. Gooney walked into the kitchen with her as she made the call.

I put my son on to Gooney because he wanted a lift out to Scariff, she said. My son said hed ring him back in five minutes.

After she put the phone down, she said Gooney tried to kiss her.

I said: What do you think youre doing? Thats not happening. He kind of jumped back and then the phone rang and it was my son and he told him he couldnt get anyone to pick him up. At that stage, he left and went out the front door.

The woman said she went upstairs to check on her younger son and daughter, who were up late and excited about Christmas, before going back downstairs to lock up.

Thats when I saw him again, she said, standing outside the back door. Hed climbed over the gate at the side of the house to come in around the back. I opened the door and said what are you at? And he said to come out to him for a few minutes.

I said no and thats when he caught me by my wrists and dragged me out the back door.

I had caught the door-jamb to try and pull myself back in through the door. And as I did, he lost his footing and thats when he bit me there [on the buttock].

As the woman tried to get away, she said Gooney followed her into the kitchen where he shoved her into a corner against the dishwasher and bit her on the shoulder.

I screamed again, she recalled, and thats when my eight-year-old son walked in and said whats going on?

Gooney left his victim black and blue

The woman said her sons arrival startled Gooney, who then fled as she attempted to comfort the panicked child. I didnt know what to do, she continued. I didnt want to ruin Christmas for the children. So I said nothing at all the next day but that evening, as my husband was sitting in the sitting room, my younger son asked my older son why his friend had hurt mammy last night?

And thats how it all came out. I told my husband everything then and I showed him the bruises.

He [Gooney] had pulled me so hard out that back door he left bruises on my wrists.

I had to show my husband all these bruises and the teeth marks on his wifes body where he broke the skin.

The woman said her husband was furious and contacted his brother, Gooneys employer, demanding his address.

We didnt know this man, she said. We had met him only a handful of times while my son was working with him.

He had picked him up a couple of times from here but he was never inside this house  never.

My husband went nuts looking for his address and then his brother obviously rang him to find out what was going on. But Gooney denied everything. He said Id come on to him and that he left.

The next day, at 6.30pm on Christmas Eve, the woman recalled, Gooney rang her husband.

He told him I dont know you but I rode your wife a year ago and thats all thats going on here. Thats where this whole affair thing started, the woman said.

That was his defence, that he rode me and we were having this big affair. But we werent and the guards examined his phone.

I was going mad in court the last day that a solicitor could stand up in court and say all this stuff. Hes tried to ruin my entire life.

But it wasnt just a bite on the buttocks, he left me black and blue. I havent felt safe in my own home for the last year and a half.

I dont let anyone in  I dont trust anybody anymore. Ive lost friends and Ive lost family because this is a small community and everybody took their sides.

But the people who know me know the truth  they didnt believe the lies.

The woman said she was appalled at the sentence. The justice system is broken, she said.
Graham The Wig Whelan, partner of UFC star Conor McGregors sister, joins family at gangsters funeral

Graham The Wig Whelan was among the mourners as James Jaws Byrne was laid to rest

Gangster Graham the Wig Whelan embraced Lee Byrne, the grieving grandson of veteran criminal James Jaws Byrne, as the 77-year-olds coffin was being walked into St Catherines Church for his funeral on Friday.

Whelan, the convicted gangster who has long been a friend to the embattled Byrne family, was one of only a handful of Kinahan-linked criminals seen at the funeral. Another was Cartel foot-soldier Lee Gibson.

As the Byrne family, led by matriarch Sadie, walked the coffin up Meath Street in Dublins south inner city, Lee spotted Whelan standing to one side of the street and broke from the funeral procession to greet him.

When the grieving 24-year-old approached, Whelan enveloped him in a bear hug and offered his condolences.

Whelan who appears to have turned his back on his former life of crime since his release from prison for money laundering two years ago is, like Lee, a regular on the celebrity circuit.

James Jaws Byrne was laid to rest

The 42-year-old began a relationship with Conor McGregors sister Aoife, who regular visited him while he was in prison, after his release from prison and is now regularly seen on her arm at high-profile events.

Lee, meanwhile, is in a relationship with Lily Gerard, the daughter of former Liverpool player Steven Gerard and a well-known social media influencer in her own right.

After the men embraced, Lee rejoined the procession led by Jaws son James Jnr, his wife Sadie and his sister-in-law Joanne Kavanagh.

Joanne Kavanagh is the wife of senior Kinahan Cartel boss Thomas Bomber Kavanagh, who could not attend as he is serving a 21-year jail sentence in Belmarsh Prison in the UK for importing more than 35 million worth of cocaine and cannabis into the UK.

Another who could not be present was Jaws son Liam, who is on remand in Belmarsh on gun charges arising from a bizarre plot to get Bomber a reduction on that sentence.

Both Liam and Bomber are due in court this week, where their trial for firearm offences is due to take place.

Kavanagh and Byrne are both facing charges along with Shaun Kent and Daniel McLoughlin at the Old Bailey.

Graham The Wig Whelan was among the mourners

The Prosecution were due to open the case tomorrow but as legal arguments continue it is now likely to be later in the week.

Last week,heard a series of legal arguments surrounding potential evidence in the case ahead of a jury being sworn in.

The original trial date had been for September 2, in what is expected to be a complex case that will last at least six weeks.

Inside a packed church, the criminal past of Jaws Byrne was forgotten with Lee praising him as a hero who had taught his family their values.

But Byrne, who as also known as Jemmy, was a self-described criminal with links to Martin The General Cahill was an armed robber in his younger days.

He was also well known for involvement in fraud and counterfeiting and was targeted by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and Revenue around the turn of the millennium.

Speaking about his father, Liam, in custody in the UK, Lee said: My Da has asked me to say these few words, as you all know how close they both were. I even get a little jealous sometimes. They had a bond that could never be broken. They were inseparable. Hes so so sorry he cant be here today, especially to support my nanny who he also adores.

Addressing his grandmother Sadie, he said: My Da has asked us to stand up and do a minutes silence, and later, well raise a toast to the man we loved the most  your husband, Jemmy.

This is from my dad. He said: Youre my hero. Love you always. To Jemmy Byrne  Youll never walk alone.

Flowers at the grave of David and James Byrne

The mourners then stood while the song The Wind Beneath My Wings played. Lee thanked the doctors, nurses and staff in Tallaght Hospital, especially the hospitals renal team, for making his grandfather comfortable in his last few weeks.

He taught us all values, from his own children to his own grandchildren, that we all stick together and always watch out for one another, he said.

He was happiest when we were all together, whether it was for a favourite holiday, Christmas, birthdays or a Liverpool match, he was a true Reds supporter.

You gave us all your love, life, memories, and morals to be the men, women and people we are today.

He added: Over the last few weeks it was very hard for me. He was very sick, but all he was worried about was my Da.

Graham The Wig Whelan was among the mourners

He asked the doctors to please make him better again until September. Well, Grandad, you got to September and you never gave up the fight.

Jaws wish to live until September is understood to be a reference to his desire to learn the outcome of Liams trial in the Old Bailey.

As with Kinahan gangster Liam Roes funeral two weeks ago, he Garda maintained a visible but low-key presence on Friday.

Security sources say the feud with the Hutch faction is over  with both the Byrne and the Hutch families having proven its biggest casualties.

The Kinahans, meanwhile, escaped any personal loss or arrest having fled to Spain and then Dubai to avoid sanction.

After the funeral, Jaws coffin was brought by hearse to Mount Jerome cemetery where he was buried beside his murdered son David.
We recently published Jim Cramers Exclusive List: 10 Stocks You Should Keep an Eye On. In this article, we are going to take a look at where The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR) stands against Jim Cramer's other stocks to keep an eye on.

In a recent episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer expressed frustration with analysts who attempt to explain stock movements during each trading session without acknowledging the unpredictable nature of the market and those who trade stocks for a living. He noted that while the Dow rose by 125 points, the S&P increased by 1.07%, and the NASDAQ jumped 2.17%, these gains resulted from conflicting market perceptions. Only one view can hold up in the end, and the process restarts the next day.

Okay, look, it keeps happening, and its beginning to drive me even crazier than I already am. Im talking about analysts attempting to explain why stocks do what they do in any given session without taking into account the capriciousness, if not the lunacy, of those who trade stocks for a living. Sure, the averages appear to tell a decent story. The Dow inching up 125 points, the S&P climbing 1.07%, and the NASDAQ vaulting 2.17%, but those percentages are the product of a furious battle between competing visions of reality. And only one vision can survive.

Cramer explained that the day saw the release of an important, though not game-changing, Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, just days before an anticipated Federal Reserve rate cut. With market tensions high, the inline CPI data didnt surprise anyone. However, Cramer pointed out that despite the CPI meeting expectations, stock futures remained down early in the day. When the market opened, stocks continued to drop, confusing commentators. Some analysts attributed the selloff to disappointment over the possibility of only a quarter-point rate cut rather than a half-point cut. Cramer was shocked by this explanation, calling it inaccurate.

Only one vision can hold up under close scrutiny before it all starts over again the next morning. Today, like many days, we got a somewhat crucial set of figures from the government. This time it was for the Consumer Price Index. Notice I said somewhat crucial because were now just days away from the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, where were likely to get a rate cut. Any session between now and then could be an outlier that might alter the Feds core mindset. When youre in Fed mode, as we are, you know that tensions are heightened, which is why it was good to see a basically in-line CPI reading nothing important, nothing shocking, just a number we all expected. So, well probably get the quarter-point rate cut that were looking for. But next, you know, various speakers and interviews started ginning up reasons to explain why the Dow had dropped more than 700 points in the first hour of trading, and the NASDAQ was off 1.5%. The pontificators were frantic. After a few tries, they settled on a new narrative that we had to listen to for a couple of hours. Many people were banking on a half-point rate cut, they said, and this 2.5% inflation number made a double rate cut very unlikely. We were told that led to disappointment and then furious selling of stocks.

Story continues

Jim Cramer mentioned an earlier interview with Doug Yearley, CEO of Toll Brothers, who had a positive outlook on the housing market, expecting it to strengthen further if rates were cut. Cramer believed the upcoming rate cuts could spark a housing boom, which would benefit the broader economy. Confident in this view, Cramer and his colleague Jeff Marks, during their CNBC Investing Club show, expressed confusion over the markets decline, with Cramer even predicting that the averages could end the day higher, though that didnt materialize.

Now, I was aghast. Can I just say? I was aghast at this wholesale license of the truth. I had just come from an interview with Doug Yearley on Squawk on the Street. He told me the business had gotten very strong in August and September and could only get stronger as rates fell. Doug is a straight shooter, not a lot of fluff, but he basically said, Look out if rates go down from here. He was effusively, empirically positive on the coming rate cuts. He and I are both students of financial history, and these rate cuts, 25 basis points at a time, could ignite housing sales. Thats huge for the business of our country, even though housing is only 10% of the economy. Its connected to so many other areas that I always like to say it punches above its weight. So I figured it was time to commit heresy.

Cramer criticized the notion that the markets decline was due to disappointment over the CPI reading, calling it nonsense. He argued that sellers were misjudging the situation and misunderstanding the potential power of rate cuts. For him, theres no harm in calling out irrational behavior in the market and stating that sellers were clueless in this instance. He dismissed the idea of inventing justifications for market actions, especially when they clearly didnt make sense.

I predicted that the average could actually finish up but it didnt happen. I refused to dignify the musings of commentators who clung to the fiction that bulls were disappointed by the CPI reading. I knew the early action was just nonsense. Furthermore, I knew the sellers were wrong. Whats wrong with honestly stating the sellers are clueless and dont understand the power of rate cuts? Why cant I do that? Where does it say we always have to be descriptive and cant be judgmental? I dont feel like making things up to ratify, if not justify, the action in a given day, especially not when the action is so clearly wrong and nonsensical.

Our Methodology

This article talks about a recent episode of Jim Cramers Mad Money, where he highlighted several stocks. We selected ten of those companies and analyzed hedge fund investments in each. Finally, we ranked the companies based on hedge fund ownership, from least to most owned.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A close-up of a precision-engineered bearing from the company, gleaming in the light.

The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 31

Jim Cramer described The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR) as a classic example of a cyclical stock that performs well in a strong economy but faces challenges during economic downturns. He believes that The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR) is suited for the current economic climate, though hes hesitant to say its the best choice right now.

The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR) is a textbook smokestack stock, the kind of cyclical company that thrives in a strong economy but struggles during a downturn. I think The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR)s right for this moment, but it might not be the most right. I cant make that judgment until we learn more, which is why Id love to have CEO Tarak Mehta on the show to dig deeper. 

The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR) is an attractive investment due to its stable financial performance, strategic growth efforts, and positive earnings outlook. In Q2 2024, The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR) reported $1.18 billion in sales and an adjusted EPS of $1.63, beating expectations despite a 7.1% drop in sales compared to the previous year, mainly due to lower demand in some markets. The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR)s strong profitability is evident from its 19.5% adjusted EBITDA margin, showcasing its ability to remain resilient amid economic challenges.

The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR) is expanding its motion-control platform through strategic acquisitions, like CGI Inc., and investing in research and development to enhance its engineered bearings segment. Analysts expect EPS to rise to $1.91 by Q2 2025. Additionally, The Timken Company (NYSE:TKR) offers a stable dividend yield of 1.73% with a sustainable payout ratio of 25.9%, making it appealing to income-focused investors.

Overall TKR ranks 7th on Jim Cramer's list of the stocks to keep an eye on. While we acknowledge the potential of TKR as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TKR but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Six people have been killed on Donegals roads in the last three weeks.

A special church service will be held today in Co. Donegal as the county reels from more tragedy on its roads.

Six people have been killed on Donegals roads in the last three weeks.

Fourteen people have died on the countys roads this year so far  four more than in all of 2023.

A total of 172 people have been killed on Irelands roads this year so far  130 in the south and 42 in the north.

This is five less deaths in comparison with same period last year.

The latest victim in Donegal was a motorcyclist in his 60s who died on Wednesday in Bunbeg. The man was killed in the single-vehicle incident on the R257 road at around 2.50pm.

On September 6, Donna McDermott died in a crash at Quigleys Point close to the Donegal/Derry border.

Ms McDermott, who was in her 30s and from Greencastle in the Inishowen peninsula, was a back-seat passenger in one of two cars involved in a collision at 11.15pm.

Gardai said the male driver of the other car was arrested after he failed a roadside breath test at the scene.

The man, understood to be aged 19 years, was uninjured.

Two other people travelling in the car with Ms McDermott were treated in hospital for non life-threatening injuries.

Noah Karran died earlier this week

On August 30, Patricia McBrearty, who was in her 80s, was struck by a lorry in the Donegal village of St Johnston.

She was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later.

Elizabeth Cave, who was also in her 80s, was fatally injured in a two-car collision at Inver on Sunday, August 25. Mrs Cave, who was from Donegal town, was taken to Sligo University Hospital following the crash but died four days later.

Martin Mittmansgruber, a 50-year-old Austrian man, has appeared in court charged with dangerous driving in connection with Mrs Caves death.

In another road tragedy on August 24, cousins Eoghan Dawson and Kian Dawson-Kirk died after a crash, also at Quigleys Point, as they returned home to Derry from a trip to Malin Head.

Kian (16) died at the scene of the crash, while Eoghan (20) died three days later.

As the families of the recent victims deal with their heartbreak, their loved ones will be remembered this afternoon during a service at St Aenguss church in the Donegal village of Burt.

Although an annual event, the Blessing of Motorbikes service will have an added poignancy following the recent tragedies.

The service was first organised in 2011 by local priest, Father Gerald Sweeney, himself a keen motorcyclist.

Several hundred people attended the inaugural service and despite since leaving the parish, Father Sweeney returns every year to lead the event.

After the service at 1.30pm, the motorcyclists will then ride to the RNLI lifeboat station in nearby Buncrana.

There will also be a motorbike tribute at the funeral tomorrow of the latest road victim in Northern Ireland.

Noah Karran (18) died after the car he was driving crashed on the Learmount Road in Co. Derry around 9am on Thursday.

Noahs funeral will take place at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Derry tomorrow afternoon.

Members of the Shamrock Motorcycle Tourers club are organising a special guard of honour in recognition of Noahs love of motorbikes.

Many tributes have been paid to the teenager, who was the 42nd person to die on Northern Irelands roads this year so far.
Whakatane woman Rochelle Hollowoods whole life changed when she found out she had breast cancer.

The shocking news came two years after her sister Nicki Hagens diagnosis.

Hagen had just bought a home with her husband and they were raising their three young children.

Cancer was the furthest thing from her mind.

The pair share their stories to raise awareness about breast cancer and to encourage women to do regular self-checks.

Rochelle Hollowood is determined to beat the odds of her Stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis.

The 37-year-old found out she had Grade 3 breast cancer on her 37th birthday in March.

After having surgery in June, she was told in August the cancer had spread to parts of her body that could not be operated on.

Her diagnosis was upgraded to Stage 4 - she was told there were no further treatment options.

Me and Mum and my sister had a big cry together.

Hollowood is holding on to hope and trying natural treatments to heal her body.

I just want to do everything I can to obviously prolong time and quality of life.

Rochelle Hollowood: How can this be real?

A few years ago, Hollowood had a lump in her right breast which was a fibroid. When she discovered a lump in her left breast, she thought it would be the same.

After appointments with her GP and radiology, she checked her Manage My Health profile online to see if her results had been uploaded, similar to when she had a fibroid.

The results were online and she thought, Well it cant be cancer because if it was a doctor would have called me.

Instead, Hollowood saw the words carcinoma and Grade 3.

I was like, this cant be real. How can this be real? It was just shock.

The doctor confirmed the diagnosis.

That was it. My whole life changed.

Hollowood was referred to a surgeon and the oncology team at Tauranga Hospital.

Hollowood had the tumours removed and had reconstruction surgery where a surgeon took fat from her thighs and put it into her breast to fill the area that was removed.

It looks quite natural - its quite amazing what theyve done.

Hollowood said after her surgery, they werent confident they got clear margins.

She had an axillary clearance where her main lymph nodes were taken from her armpit.

Unfortunately ... out of the 38 they took, 13 tested positive for cancer.

She had an oncology appointment in August, intending to start five months of intensive chemotherapy.

A PET scan revealed the cancer was in multiple areas in her body which could not be operated on.

Her diagnosis was upgraded to Stage 4.

Prescribed Ribociclib, Letrozole: Im holding on to hope

Hollowood was told since the cancer had spread, it was less likely chemotherapy would be effective.

She was prescribed two drugs - Ribociclib and Letrozole - to slow the spread and growth of cancerous tumours.

They cant say how long it can do that for ... but they said theyve had high success for that.

As her cancer was oestrogen-fed, she was given an injection that shuts down oestrogen produced in her ovaries.

Hollowood was getting Vitamin C administered intravenously and had a protocol designed for her based on a book called How To Starve Cancer by Jane McLelland, which involved taking supplements, prescription, and off-label medication.

She was recommended to do mistletoe therapy which built up her immune system but weakened the cancer, she said.

Whakatane sisters Nicki Hagen (left) and Rochelle Hollowood were diagnosed with breast cancer two years apart. Photo supplied.

Hollowood said it was about finding her bodys imbalance that created the cancer.

Theres obviously something that Ive been doing in the past. Maybe its lack of sleep, too much stress, not eating well enough ... I look at cancer as an alarm bell saying, Hey, you need to make some changes.

Hollowood said she had listened to many podcasts about cancer patients who have beat the odds.

I think its so important having that in your mind and believing it is possible.

Im hopeful that I can heal my body ... Im holding on to hope.

Money raised on Hollowoods Givealittle page will go towards her treatments. She was eternally grateful for everyones generosity.

Healthy living: What a gift life is

Hollowood said her diagnosis led to a deep amount of appreciation and gratitude for her loved ones.

When youre given news like this, you just see how important those people are, the time you have, what you put your energy into, and just how beautiful and what a gift life is.

Hollowood said Hagen had been amazing.

I have so much love and support around me but no one understands like someone thats been through it or is going through it ... 

Whakatane sisters Nicki Hagen (left), Rochelle Hollowood (middle), and Leaarne Hollowood. Photo supplied.

Hollowood encouraged women to do self-checks so they knew when something unfamiliar popped up.

She recommended preventative measures to reduce stress daily, such as meditating and spending time in nature, and encouraged people to invest in their health.

I know that living a healthy lifestyle is incredibly expensive these days, but I say, choose your expensive. Because when you get sick, its very expensive to get better.

She also recommended women research the beauty products and deodorants they put on their skin.

Living with the fear cancer will return

Hagen, 38, was diagnosed with Stage 3C advanced triple-negative breast cancer in February 2022.

At the time, she and her husband Darren had just bought their first home and were raising their children Shaya, 14, Denzel, 12, and Kiara, 10. She also has a 24-year-old stepson, Masen.

Breast cancer was the furthest thing from her mind.

It was a pretty stunning diagnosis.

Hagen - a project manager living on the Gold Coast in Australia - had six months of very aggressive chemotherapy.

Through fundraising and the generosity of friends and family, she paid $60,000 for immunotherapy. Studies had shown quite promising results for reducing the risk of the cancer returning.

Hagen had a mastectomy and radiation. She finished treatment in December 2022.

Hagen said she got a pathological complete response which meant at the time of surgery, no cancer was detected.

But with my type of cancer, its a very high chance of reoccurrence within the first five years.

She said she was in a surveillance stage for five years and had three-monthly check-ups.

Hagen said one of the hardest parts of her diagnosis was learning to live with the fear it may return.

She wanted to raise awareness of breast cancer in young women.

Learn what your normal is and do regular checks on yourself ... Trust your gut, because early diagnosis can mean that you have a lot better chance of having a full recovery.

- Bay of Plenty Times
A paraglider has been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after crashing into the side of Mauao at Mount Maunganui this afternoon.

Emergency services responded to the scene about 4.15pm after reports that a paraglider had crashed into bush.

A Hato Hone St John spokesperson confirmed they attended a paragliding incident on Mauao.

Two ambulances and one operations manager attended alongside Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) and Surf Lifesaving NZ members.
Police are warning the public to be aware that a gift parcel scam operating overseas could also find its way to New Zealand.

"Police are aware of a recent overseas rise in scams which involve an unexpected package being sent to addresses with a gift and a QR code inside," says a police spokesperson.

"Police believe this scamming method could find its way to New Zealand and we are urging people to be vigilant."

The gift will have the recipients address, but not include the sender's information or be from a known retailer.

When the recipient opens the package to see what it is and possibly who sent it, there is a QR code to scan to find out who sent the gift.

"The QR code allows the offenders to then access any and all data on your phone or device you used to scan the code, including financial information such as your bank account login details, and personal data.

"Police are urging anyone who receives one of these gifts not to scan the QR code, the gift can either be kept or discarded, but do not scan the QR code."

Please report information to Police online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 or call Police on 105.
Water Safety New Zealand is applauding the Bay of Plenty Regional Council for its recent update to navigational bylaws, particularly the enhanced requirements around lifejacket use.

The new bylaws, which mandate the wearing of lifejackets at all times on vessels six metres or under, are a vital step toward reducing preventable drowning incidents in the region.

The importance of lifejacket use cannot be overstated.

So far this year, there have been 14 craft-related fatalities in New Zealand. Tragically, in 13 of these incidents (93 per cent), lifejackets were not worn.

"These are preventable deaths," said Water Safety New Zealand CEO, Daniel Gerrard.

"Wearing a lifejacket significantly increases your chances of survival, and it is a simple step that can save lives."

Gerrard praised the Bay of Plenty Regional Council for taking decisive action in line with nationwide water safety efforts.

We fully support the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's move to make lifejackets mandatory on smaller vessels. This change aligns with best practices already seen in other parts of the country. Its a critical measure that will undoubtedly contribute to reducing drowning fatalities in the region."

This positive result also follows a similar update in the Tairawhiti region, where local bylaws were recently strengthened in support of lifejacket use.

The alignment of regional approaches to lifejacket safety is a welcome development, reinforcing the message across multiple areas that wearing a lifejacket is a key factor in staying safe on the water.

Gerrard noted that the water safety community has long been lobbying successive Governments and Ministers of Transport to amend Rule 91 of the Maritime Transport Act to make lifejackets mandatory on all vessels under six metres.

The numerous and varied interpretations of Rule 91 have resulted in a patchwork of regional variations, creating confusion for the public regarding lifejacket requirements and water safety rules across different areas in New Zealand.

Despite our continuous efforts, no significant changes have been made at the national level.

"However, it is encouraging to see that regional councils, such as Bay of Plenty and Tairawhiti, are taking the initiative to amend their local bylaws and make the water safer for their communities. These changes show real wisdom and leadership, setting a strong example for others to follow," said Gerrard.

"To be consistent with other parts of the country, the new bylaws now require lifejackets to be worn at all times on boats 6m or under," said a Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokesperson.

"We know lifejackets save lives, so this was a no-brainer for the committee."

"With the summer season approaching, the timing of these changes is perfect," said Gerrard.

"It sends a strong message to boaties and water users that safety should always come first. Every life lost to drowning is a tragedy, and wearing a lifejacket is one of the simplest, most effective ways to protect yourself on the water."

Water Safety New Zealand continues to work alongside councils, communities, and water safety partners to promote safe practices in and around water.

Water Safety New Zealand looks forward to supporting the Bay of Plenty Regional Council as it implements these changes and encourages all water users to prioritise safety whenever they are on or near the water.

Many of the 2024 drowning deaths will require active investigation by the Coroners Office. The use or absence of lifejackets would be confirmed through the formal investigation process.
Inigo Gurruchaga London Sunday, 15 September 2024 | Updated 16/09/2024 08:21h. Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

WhatsApp

Facebook

X (antes Twitter)

LinkedIn

Telegram

Threads

European Union tourists wishing to visit the United Kingdom will have to fill in an online form with their identity from 2 April 2025 and pay around twelve euros (ten pounds sterling) before they travel. This is stipulated by the introduction of a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, an operation similar to that applied at US borders. The EU will also introduce its own system in May next year.

The system is already in use for passengers from Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. It will now be gradually rolled out to the remaining 83 countries that currently do not require a visa to travel to the UK. These include Spain.

The scheme will affect some 2.2 million Spaniards who travel to the United Kingdom for leisure: sightseeing, shopping, a short break or to visit family and friends. The UK received 37.9 million tourists from all over the world in 2023, which represents a growth of 21 per cent compared to 2022, and of these, Spain was the fifth largest market, spending 1,266 million euros.

The authorisation allows for multiple trips and is valid for two years for stays of up to six months at a time, or until the expiry date of the holder's passport.

The date set by the authorities to start the procedure with the launch of a digital platform for the registration of applications is 5 March 2025. Visit Britain, the body that promotes tourism in the country, has released a statement in Spanish about the decision of the British Home Office, which is responsible for border controls.

In its message it explains that the authorisation allows for multiple journeys and is valid for two years for stays of up to six months at a time, or until the expiry date of the holder's passport. All passengers, including children and babies, and passengers in transit in the UK, will need a permit. It recommends applying at least three days before departure.

State secretary for migration, Seema Malhotra, said that the authorisation does not seek to hinder tourism, but to move "towards a modern migration system"

A website and mobile phone app will facilitate the procedures - explained, for the moment only in English - on a dedicated page to advise Middle Eastern and Persian Gulf nationals who are already on the scheme. Visit Britain's chief executive, Patricia Hayes, says: "The digital process is quick and easy to complete. We are working with the Home Office to ensure that visitors have the clarity they need to plan and book their travel with confidence".

The British procedure is identical to that of the USA, which was developed as one of the measures to protect the country after the Twin Towers terrorist attack on 11 September 2001. It is a form that has to be registered before travelling. It is valid for two years and allows multiple visits. It costs 19 euros.

EU citizens can currently enter the UK without a visa, if the purpose of the journey is not to seek employment, for which a complex special permit is required. The requirement for a maximum period of six months is to be in possession of a valid passport during that time. The electronic passport is still valid, but the National Identity Card is not recognised.

Shared interest

The procedure is not reciprocal for British nationals entering EU territory. Those undertaking a tourist trip or a temporary stay do not need a visa for a maximum of 90 days (in a period of 180). After that date they must have a visa to extend their stay. EU countries have different criteria for the residence of third-country nationals. Some require a work permit, others allow travellers to seek employment.

875,000 Spanish people travelled in 2023 to the UK for purely holiday purposes. A further 892,000 travelled to the UK to visit family or friends.

Interest in the new cyber security system is shared by the European Union's Schengen area. Its website, describes the ETIAS system, which is not yet operational, as an authorisation requirement for citizens of 80 visa-free countries travelling to 30 EU states, including Spain.

It is more generous and cheaper than those of the USA and the UK. It will cost seven euros and is valid for three years - instead of two - or until the expiry date of the passport. If the traveller obtains a new passport, another application must be made. Children under 18 and the over 70s are exempt from the fee.

Who can apply now

These nationalities can apply for an ETA now.

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Who can apply from 27 November 2024

Nationalities from the following locations (including associated territories) can apply for an ETA from 27 November 2024.

They can travel to the UK with an ETA from 8 January 2025.

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Australia

The Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Botswana

Brazil

Brunei

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Grenada

Guatemala

Guyana

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British national overseas)

Israel

Japan

Kiribati

Macao Special Administrative Region

Malaysia

Maldives

Marshall Islands

Mauritius

Mexico

Federated States of Micronesia

Nauru

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Palau

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

Samoa

Seychelles

Singapore

Solomon Islands

South Korea

St Kitts and Nevis

St Lucia

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Taiwan (if you have a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan)

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tuvalu

United States

Uruguay

Who can apply from 5 March 2025?

Nationalities from the following locations (including associated territories) can apply for an ETA from 5 March 2025.

They can travel to the UK with an ETA from 2 April 2025.

Andorra

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Italy

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Monaco

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

San Marino

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Vatican City
Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription.

Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service.
We recently compiled a list of the 7 Best Organic Food and Farming Stocks to Buy. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Kellanova (NYSE:K) stands against the other organic food and farming stocks.

The farming and organic food industry is essential in meeting global food demand while catering to the growing preference for healthier and sustainable options. Despite challenges like fluctuating costs and climate change, the sector benefits from trends such as increased organic food consumption and alternative proteins.

Sector Performance

The broader market had a strong performance in 2024, largely driven by technology stocks in the first half, resulting in a roughly 16% (year-to-date) YTD increase. However, future performance remains uncertain due to ongoing market volatility.

In 2022, inflationary pressures in the U.S. reached a peak, fueled by rising input costs for commodities, transportation, and labor. Since then, inflation has gradually decreased, providing relief for businesses across sectors. Inflation continues to ease as the annual inflation rate slowed for a fifth consecutive month to 2.5% in August 2024, the lowest since February 2021. This has led to lower feed costs, improving margins in the agriculture industry. The sector is also experiencing stable poultry production, slight gains in pork, and challenges in herd recovery due to constraints in the beef industry, resulting in higher retail beef prices.

While alternative proteins remain an essential, yet small component in meeting global demand, their sales have recently contracted. Despite this setback, reduced access to capital infusions has benefited the sector by filtering out weaker products, resulting in stronger business plans with a clear focus on profitability.

Overall, food and farming companies are still grappling with the lingering effects of high inflation, particularly elevated commodity prices, as the 'Farm Products' sector has underperformed with a 7.80% YTD decline. Although consumer spending has remained stable, households have shifted toward a "value-driven" mindset, prioritizing affordability in response to the rising cost of living.

Agriculture Market

According to the Business Research Company Report, the agricultural sector is poised for robust expansion in the coming years. Projections indicate the market will reach $19,286.79 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7%, according to The Business Research Company.

Even the agricultural sector hasn't been able to escape the impact of the ongoing AI revolution as farmers in the US are increasingly adopting AI to address key challenges like labor shortages and climate unpredictability. Technologies such as drones, self-driving tractors, and AI-driven crop management tools are helping farmers maintain productivity and profitability in an industry facing workforce declines and increasing costs. These innovations not only improve productivity but also help reduce expenses by optimizing resource use and enhancing efficiency across farming operations. AI is poised to transform agriculture, helping farmers "do more with less" and meeting the worlds growing food needs.

Story continues

Organic Food Market

Organic food sales in the United States in 2022 broke through the $60 billion mark for the first time, hitting another high-level mark for the resilient organic sector. Total organic sales  including organic non-food products  were a record $67.6 billion, according to the 2023 Survey by the Organic Trade Association.

However, this market is also facing challenges, such as the shorter shelf life of organic products due to the absence of preservatives. According to Lending Tree, inflation last year had a greater impact on organic food prices compared to conventional products. In that period, organic fruit and vegetable prices rose by 13.1%, while conventional counterparts saw a 9.9% increase. Similarly, organic chicken prices surged by 19.5%, compared to a 5.9% rise in conventional chicken prices.

The outlook for the organic food industry remains strong, fueled by rising consumer interest in sustainability and health. Organic sales have more than doubled in the past decade, surpassing $50 billion, with food sales reaching this mark in 2019. Despite challenges like economic fluctuations and supply chain disruptions, the industry's focus on sustainability positions it for continued growth.

Methodology:

For this list, we scanned Insider Monkeys database of Q2 2024 and selected companies involved in the organic food and farming industries, covering areas including but not limited to processing and distribution of agricultural, industrial, feed, and organic food products. From that group, we picked 7 companies with strong balance sheets and solid financials and ranked them in ascending order of hedge funds having stakes in them.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A stack of grocery bags filled with ready-to-eat cereals, frozen waffles, and savory snacks.

Kellanova (NYSE:K)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 45

Next on the list is Kellanova (NYSE:K). With a legacy of over 100 years, it boasts iconic brands like Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, and RXBAR. It also includes Kelloggs (international), Eggo, and MorningStar Farms. In 2023, Kellanova achieved net sales of over $13 billion and operates in 180 markets with around 23,000 employees. One of its brands, Pure Organic, offers organic, gluten-free, non-GMO Project Verified, and vegan snacks.

In Q2 2024, Kellanova (NYSE:K) reported net sales of $3,192 million, reflecting a 4% organic growth. Adjusted operating profit surged 16%, with gross profit up 9% YoY. Nigeria played a key role in the company's performance, accounting for nearly all of the global volume decline, due to price elasticity impacts following Q1 price increases. The devaluation of the Nigerian Naira negatively affected net sales.

Despite these challenges, Nigeria contributed to 16% organic sales growth in the region through strategic pricing. EPS came in at $1.01, surpassing analysts' expectations, marking a 14% growth from the previous year.

In terms of liquidity, Kellanova's (NYSE:K) cash flow generation remained strong. The company experienced a YoY increase in free cash flow and maintained debt leverage below target. They also raised their free cash flow outlook to over $1 billion, driven by robust operating profit. Additionally, significant cash was returned to shareholders through dividends.

On August 14, an announcement was made that Mars would acquire Kellanova for $36 billion. This acquisition is set to transform Mars into a leading player in the global snacking market, expanding its presence in both sweet and savory categories. The deal is expected to be executed within the first half of 2025.

Kellanovas share price surged 8.61% in the past month and 43.30% year-to-date, fueled by strong financial performance. It could also be partly linked to the use of AI, ML, and data analytics, which are optimizing operations and driving innovations like the Pringles Harvest Blends.

Declines in revenue, especially in Europe and Asia Pacific, were noted. Moreover, sales declined 4.7% YoY due to currency fluctuations and the divestiture of its Russia business. Despite these challenges, the company raised its 2024 guidance, signaling a positive outlook.

As of Q2 2024, 45 hedge funds, with a combined investment of $2.1 billion, remain bullish on the stock, as per Insider Monkey's database. Considering the company's performance and outlook, Kellanova is featured on our list of the Best Organic Food and Farming Stocks to Buy, despite analysts currently giving it a consensus hold rating.

Overall K ranks 3rd on our list of the best organic food and farming stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of K as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than K but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Syracuse, N.Y.  An overheated electrical cord started a fire late Sunday morning in an apartment in Syracuses Eastwood neighborhood, officials said.

The fire at 272 Taft Ave. in the Eastwood Homes apartment complex was reported at about 11:20 a.m.
Every fall, seniors must face the complicated task of researching, comparing and selecting a Medicare plan for the upcoming year. To help them navigate the complexity of Medicare supplemental insurance, Advance Media New York will host a free webinar and Q&A with expert panelists. Guide to Medicare: How to Navigate the Big Choices will take place from 1 to 2 p.m., Thurs. Oct. 17.

Presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, this one-hour virtual event moderated by Advance Media New York journalist Susan Kennedy aims to simplify the complex process through interactive information sessions with local Medicare experts.

This one-hour event features leading Medicare experts discussing:

- How to know if you have the right plan for your needs

- How to navigate the Annual Election Period (AEP)

- Whats new for 2025, trends, cost-saving tips, etc.

A Q&A session with Medicare experts will follow the discussion.

About the panelists:

Taylor Frawley earned her Masters in Public Health at Upstate Medical University with a certification in Health Services Management and Policy through Syracuse University. In her current role with Onondaga County Department of Adult & Long Term Care Services, Taylor is the Coordinator for the HIICAP (State Health Insurance Program) and provides Medicare eligible individuals with information and resources that they need to decipher what type of Medicare Plan best suits them. She is a strong advocate for the aging population and looks forward to providing on-going support to those in the Onondaga County community.

Jeanine Meyers, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Medicare Consultant. Jeanine has 8 years of experience in Medicare helping eligible beneficiaries navigate the ever-changing rules and regulations as well as choosing plans that best fit their lifestyles.

Amanda MacLachlan, owner and licensed agent, Im With Amanda Medicare Solutions, a private broker insurance agency specializing in Medicare. Amanda works with current Medicare members and those approaching Medicare eligibility to determine when to move to Medicare and what options are available to them.

For more information on the webinar, visit https://events.syracuse.com/medicare2024
Each week, syracuse.com will look back at some of our best stories from the previous week. Here are six stories for the week of Sept. 8, 2024.

Subscribe to get the Syracuse.com Exclusives newsletter delivered to your email inbox every Sunday.

Things keep getting worse for Destiny USAs owner: Its close to losing a major New York mall

Just when it looked like things couldnt get worse for Destiny USAs owner, they have. As it struggles to avoid foreclosure on its giant Syracuse mall, Pyramid Management Group just lost control of a nearly identical mall in the New York City area and may soon lose ownership of it. The situation offers a preview of what could happen at Destiny.

Inside a terrifying night at the NY State Fair: The panic in her face ... you cant forget that

Troopers sprinting by. A wall of people fleeing. The words shooter and gun. Fear and confusion. Multiple fairgoers shared with syracuse.com their experiences during a Sunday evening jolted by two back-to-back reports of possible gunfire at the fairgrounds. State police later closed their investigation into the reports.

Bankrupt Madison County businessman Burt Marshalls home is for sale. See inside (photos, video)

Burt Marshalls stately 19th-century home is up for sale as a bankruptcy trustee tries to raise money for the victims of the multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme a judge said the businessman ran for years. The three-story home at 20 Payne St. in the Madison County village of Hamilton is listed for $725,000.

How can Syracuse train workers in the age of Micron? Look to the west for answers

A major part of Syracuses plan to train workers for the semiconductor industry is based largely on a model thats been operating for years in Buffalo: the Northland Workforce Training Center. Northland is an immense facility that trains hundreds of people each year and has been held up as the gold standard for finding, educating and placing talent in advanced manufacturing.

What issues separate Brandon Williams, John Mannion in race for Congress?

Rep. Brandon Williams and state Sen. John Mannion have vastly different views on the issues that will face a new Congress in 2025. Williams, a first-term Republican, and Mannion, a two-term Democrat, disagree on almost every key issue. Those include abortion rights, gun safety, immigration, border security, taxes, education and the environment.

Meet the neighbor who rushed to subdue a shooter at Manlius gas station. It was just instinct

Robert Sherlock of Manlius helped subdue a man who fired shots at at gas station on Kirkville Road on Sept. 1. (Photo courtesy of Robert Sherlock)SYR

Robert Sherlock was at his Manlius home Monday night when he thought he heard the crack of lightning. Less than 30 seconds later he got a call from his co-worker at a Sunoco gas station next door. It wasnt thunder he heard. It was a gunshot, his co-worker told him, and she could hear screaming. She told Sherlock she was locking up the store. Then he rushed to the gas station less than 150 yards away.
BraveArc BHPian



Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Sydney Posts: 219 Thanked: 1,099 Times

View My Garage





re: GWM ORA Good Cat Electric Car Review Driving the ORA Good Cat





The ORA Good Cat is equipped with a single electric motor delivering 141hp, with 210 Nm of torque available instantly. This instant torque makes the Good Cat feel zippy and responsive in city driving, with good acceleration from a standstill. It handles urban environments effortlessly, with its compact size allowing it to navigate traffic and tight spaces easily. When driven on highways, it can maintain decent speeds, but the power delivery is smoother and more consistent at lower speeds.



Despite its weight of around 1,510 kg due to the battery pack, the car was nimble and quite easy to maneuver. The steering is light, making it ideal for city use, though I found it a bit too light at higher speeds. Did not get the feedback I expected at three digit speeds. The turning circle is tight enough to handle narrow streets and U-turns efficiently.



There are four driving modes to choose from and unlike some other cars, these aren't gimmicky except maybe one. They're mapped specifically for different driving styles and also change the steering weight.



 Eco Mode: This is the default mode whenever I got into the car. Its designed for maximum efficiency, Eco Mode reduces throttle sensitivity, minimizes the energy draw from the motor and enhances regenerative braking to conserve battery power.



 Normal Mode: This offers a balance between performance and energy efficiency. It provides moderate throttle response and regenerative braking. The steering is light in this driving mode.



 Auto Mode: This intelligently adjusts the driving parameters based on real-time conditions, balancing performance and efficiency without requiring manual input from me. Used it most of the time with the car, felt like another normal mode to me. Could have been my driving style though.



 Sport Mode : This sharpens the car's throttle response and reduces regenerative braking, allowing for quicker acceleration and a more dynamic driving experience. The dash turns red to show you want to be sporty. Does eat up battery faster. I used it on the highway to have some fun while driving. The steering weighs up slightly, but not as much as I wanted it.



Regenerative Braking



Regenerative braking felt a bit weird on this car albeit Im not an EV veteran. Everytime I removed my foot off the accelerator pedal, it would coast for a second and then the system kicks in which made my wife feel a bit nauseous after a while. Dont notice it in the city but on highways it did stand out and became a bit annoying.



Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)



As with many EVs, the ORA Good Cat excels in terms of NVH levels, especially at lower speeds. The electric motor is whisper-quiet, and theres minimal road or wind noise at lower speeds. At higher speeds, wind noise and tire noise become more noticeable, particularly when driving over rough surfaces.



Range



The ORA Good Cat 400 Tech has a claimed range of 400 km. In my use, I got around 330km, which is pretty good for city.



Suspension





Ride Comfort



The ORA Good Cat is equipped with a front MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam axle suspension tuned to prioritize comfort in urban environments.

However, at higher speeds or on rougher roads, the ORA Good Cat's suspension transmits larger bumps and potholes into the cabin more noticeably. The softness of the suspension, while great for comfort, can lead to a bit of body roll when cornering at higher speeds.



Handling & Dynamics



In terms of handling, the Good Cat is easy to maneuver. The steering is light and responsive, making it ideal for tight city driving and parking. The electric motor provides instant torque, making acceleration brisk and ideal for urban traffic conditions. The car feels nimble and easy to navigate through tight spaces, and it remains composed on smoother roads

Its an ideal car for city dwellers who need something easy to drive and park, with handling characteristics that support this use case



Steering



The Good Cat features an electric power steering that is tuned to be light, making it convenient for city driving. As speeds increase, the steering doesnt firm up significantly, so while it remains easy to control, it does not offer the feedback or confidence.



Braking



The Good Cat is equipped with ventilated disc brakes at the front and solid discs at the rear, along with regenerative braking. The brakes provide adequate stopping power for typical city driving, with good modulation and feel. The car comes with an auto hold feature so can remove foot off the brake pedal while waiting in signals, etc and the car wont move till the accelerator is pressed. Very convenient for heavy traffic. The ORA Good Cat is equipped with a single electric motor delivering 141hp, with 210 Nm of torque available instantly. This instant torque makes the Good Cat feel zippy and responsive in city driving, with good acceleration from a standstill. It handles urban environments effortlessly, with its compact size allowing it to navigate traffic and tight spaces easily. When driven on highways, it can maintain decent speeds, but the power delivery is smoother and more consistent at lower speeds.Despite its weight of around 1,510 kg due to the battery pack, the car was nimble and quite easy to maneuver. The steering is light, making it ideal for city use, though I found it a bit too light at higher speeds. Did not get the feedback I expected at three digit speeds. The turning circle is tight enough to handle narrow streets and U-turns efficiently.There are four driving modes to choose from and unlike some other cars, these aren't gimmicky except maybe one. They're mapped specifically for different driving styles and also change the steering weight. Eco Mode: This is the default mode whenever I got into the car. Its designed for maximum efficiency, Eco Mode reduces throttle sensitivity, minimizes the energy draw from the motor and enhances regenerative braking to conserve battery power. Normal Mode: This offers a balance between performance and energy efficiency. It provides moderate throttle response and regenerative braking. The steering is light in this driving mode. Auto Mode: This intelligently adjusts the driving parameters based on real-time conditions, balancing performance and efficiency without requiring manual input from me. Used it most of the time with the car, felt like another normal mode to me. Could have been my driving style though. Sport Mode : This sharpens the car's throttle response and reduces regenerative braking, allowing for quicker acceleration and a more dynamic driving experience. The dash turns red to show you want to be sporty. Does eat up battery faster. I used it on the highway to have some fun while driving. The steering weighs up slightly, but not as much as I wanted it.Regenerative braking felt a bit weird on this car albeit Im not an EV veteran. Everytime I removed my foot off the accelerator pedal, it would coast for a second and then the system kicks in which made my wife feel a bit nauseous after a while. Dont notice it in the city but on highways it did stand out and became a bit annoying.As with many EVs, the ORA Good Cat excels in terms of NVH levels, especially at lower speeds. The electric motor is whisper-quiet, and theres minimal road or wind noise at lower speeds. At higher speeds, wind noise and tire noise become more noticeable, particularly when driving over rough surfaces.The ORA Good Cat 400 Tech has a claimed range of 400 km. In my use, I got around 330km, which is pretty good for city.The ORA Good Cat is equipped with a front MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam axle suspension tuned to prioritize comfort in urban environments.However, at higher speeds or on rougher roads, the ORA Good Cat's suspension transmits larger bumps and potholes into the cabin more noticeably. The softness of the suspension, while great for comfort, can lead to a bit of body roll when cornering at higher speeds.In terms of handling, the Good Cat is easy to maneuver. The steering is light and responsive, making it ideal for tight city driving and parking. The electric motor provides instant torque, making acceleration brisk and ideal for urban traffic conditions. The car feels nimble and easy to navigate through tight spaces, and it remains composed on smoother roadsIts an ideal car for city dwellers who need something easy to drive and park, with handling characteristics that support this use caseThe Good Cat features an electric power steering that is tuned to be light, making it convenient for city driving. As speeds increase, the steering doesnt firm up significantly, so while it remains easy to control, it does not offer the feedback or confidence.The Good Cat is equipped with ventilated disc brakes at the front and solid discs at the rear, along with regenerative braking. The brakes provide adequate stopping power for typical city driving, with good modulation and feel. The car comes with an auto hold feature so can remove foot off the brake pedal while waiting in signals, etc and the car wont move till the accelerator is pressed. Very convenient for heavy traffic.
LA recyclers arrested in major crackdown on stolen metal  how to profit from rising copper prices without jail risk

As Los Angeles battles a surge in copper wire and metal theft, police have launched a major crackdown, arresting several metal recyclers in the San Fernando Valley.

Authorities have recovered over 1,600 pounds of stolen copper wire.

Don't miss

Commercial real estate has beaten the stock market for 25 years  but only the super rich could buy in. Here's how even ordinary investors can become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger

Car insurance premiums in America are through the roof  and only getting worse. But 5 minutes could have you paying as little as $29/month

These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2024  and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how

This is an organized form of crime that's enabled by those metal dealers, metal purchasers who are enabling these crimes by knowingly purchasing stolen goods, said Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian.

The cost of repairs resulting from these thefts is expected to reach half a million dollars for the city.

Thefts arent limited to wires; thieves are also ripping fire hydrants out of the ground to sell for scrap metal. Golden State Water, a California water company, reported more than 300 hydrants stolen since the start of 2023, with the pace ramping up in 2024.

Stealing fire hydrants poses a serious risk, potentially leaving communities vulnerable. With each hydrant costing around $3,500, Golden State Water estimates that the losses have totaled $1.2 million.

The damage extends further, with thieves also targeting historical monuments and grave markers.

Even grave markers, which gives you a sense of the despicable nature of the people who commit these crimes, Krekorian remarked.

Frustrated, Krekorian is urging the district attorney to classify copper theft as a felony.

Whether it's a sign of desperate times or a crime of opportunity, metals like copper are not just a target for thieves; they can also be a strategic asset for savvy investors. The price of copper has increased by more than 50% over the last five years.

With growing demand in sectors like renewable energy, electric vehicles and global infrastructure development, analysts predict that coppers value will continue to rise, making it a potentially lucrative investment for those looking to capitalize on long-term trends in the market.

Heres a look at three legitimate ways to add copper to your portfolio.

Copper stocks

When copper prices increase, companies that engage in copper mining and production often experience significant financial benefits. Copper mining stocks allow investors to tap into the profitability and growth of these companies as they extract and sell copper.

Story continues

Major players in the industry, such as Rio Tinto (RIO), Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Southern Copper Corporation (SCCO), can be sensitive to copper price fluctuations. As the price of copper rises, these companies typically see higher revenues and improved profit margins, which can lead to increased stock prices and potentially higher dividends for shareholders.

It's important to note, however, that many copper miners also mine other metals such as gold, silver and molybdenum. This diversification can affect the stock's performance, as the prices of these additional metals also play a role in the company's overall profitability.

Additionally, each company is different, so investors should conduct thorough research and consider factors such as production costs, geopolitical risks and overall market conditions before making a decision.

Read more: Dont leave your family unprotected  find life insurance coverage up to $2 million with no medical exam or blood test

Copper ETFs

For those who prefer not to pick individual stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer a convenient way to gain exposure to the red metal.

There are ETFs that invest in shares of companies involved in the copper mining and production industry. They provide indirect exposure to copper by leveraging the profitability and growth of these companies.

These funds offer diversification within the copper sector by spreading investments across multiple companies. Notable examples include the Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPX) and the iShares Copper and Metals Mining ETF (ICOP).

There are also ETFs that are designed to track the performance of copper itself, often by using futures contracts. These ETFs aim to mirror the price movements of copper, providing investors with a direct way to benefit from fluctuations in the metal's market value. A good starting point for further research is the United States Copper Index Fund (CPER).

Copper futures

Investing in copper futures offers a direct and leveraged way to gain exposure to the copper market, but it's important to note that this approach may not be suitable for everyone, especially novice investors.

Copper futures contracts allow investors to buy or sell a specific amount of copper at a predetermined price on a future date. This method can provide substantial returns due to its high leverage, meaning that even small price movements can result in significant profits or losses.

However, this same leverage also makes copper futures highly volatile and risky. Trading copper futures requires a more sophisticated understanding of the market and can be more volatile than other investment options. Additionally, trading futures involves mechanisms like margin requirements and potential margin calls, which can be challenging for inexperienced investors to manage.

Ultimately, finding the right copper investment  or any investment  depends on your goals, knowledge, risk tolerance, and financial situation.

If you're unsure of the best course of action, consulting a professional financial adviser could be a smart move. They can help you evaluate your unique circumstances and navigate the complexities of the market to ensure your investments align with your financial objectives.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Storm, flooding death toll in Myanmar jumps to 74: state media



Yangon, Sept 15 (AFP) Sep 15, 2024



The death toll in Myanmar in the wake of Typhoon Yagi has jumped to 74, state media reported on Sunday.

As of Friday evening the floods had "resulted in 74 deaths and 89 people missing" in Myanmar, the Global New Light of Myanmar said.

According to official figures floods and landslides have killed almost 350 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which hit the region last weekend.

Search and rescue operations were ongoing, it said, adding that the floods had destroyed more than 65,000 houses and five dams.

The junta's previous death toll was 33, with more than 235,000 people displaced, according to figures released on Friday.

Swathes of farmland have been inundated in central regions, including around the sprawling, low-lying capital Naypyidaw.

There have been reports of landslides in hilly areas but with roads and bridges damaged and phone and internet lines down, compiling information has been difficult.

The floods have heaped more misery on the country where war has raged since the military seized power in 2021.

More than 2.7 million people were already displaced in Myanmar by the conflict.

Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request for foreign aid to deal with the floods, state media reported on Saturday.

The military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad.

Last year it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha that hit the west of the country.
AI is 'accelerating the climate crisis,' expert warns



Montreal, Sept 15 (AFP) Sep 15, 2024



If you care about the environment, think twice about using AI.

Generative artificial intelligence uses 30 times more energy than a traditional search engine, warns researcher Sasha Luccioni, on a mission to raise awareness about the environmental impact of the hot new technology.

Recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the world of AI by the American magazine Time in 2024, the Canadian computer scientist of Russian origin has sought for several years to quantify the emissions of programs like ChatGPT or Midjourney.

"I find it particularly disappointing that generative AI is used to search the Internet," laments the researcher, who spoke with AFP on the sidelines of the ALL IN artificial intelligence conference, in Montreal.

The language models on which the programs are based require enormous computing capacities to train on billions of data points, necessitating powerful servers.

Then there's the energy used to respond to each individual user's requests.

Instead of simply extracting information, "like a search engine would do to find the capital of a country, for example," AI programs "generate new information," making the whole thing "much more energy-intensive," she explains.

According to the International Energy Agency, the combined AI and the cryptocurrency sectors consumed nearly 460 terawatt hours of electricity in 2022 -- two percent of total global production.



- Energy efficiency -



A leading researcher on the impact of AI on climate, Luccioni participated in 2020 in the creation of a tool for developers to quantify the carbon footprint of running a piece of code. "CodeCarbon" has since been downloaded more than a million times.

Head of the climate strategy of startup Hugging Face, a platform for sharing open-access AI models, she is now working on creating a certification system for algorithms.

Similar to the program from the US Environmental Protection Agency that awards scores based on the energy consumption of electronic devices and appliances, it would make it possible to know an AI product's energy consumption in order to encourage users and developers to "make better decisions."

"We don't take into account water or rare materials," she acknowledges, "but at least we know that for a specific task, we can measure energy efficiency and say that this model has an A+, and that model has a D," she says.



- Transparency -



In order to develop her tool, Luccioni is experimenting with it on generative AI models that are accessible to everyone, or open source, but she would also like to do it on commercial models from Google or ChatGPT-creator OpenAI, which have been reluctant to agree.

Although Microsoft and Google have committed to achieving carbon neutrality by the end of the decade, the US tech giants saw their greenhouse gas emissions soar in 2023 because of AI: up 48 percent for Google compared to 2019 and 29 percent for Microsoft compared to 2020.

"We are accelerating the climate crisis," says Luccioni, calling for more transparency from tech companies.

The solution, she says, could come from governments that, for the moment, are "flying blindly," without knowing what is "in the data sets or how the algorithms are trained."

"Once we have transparency, we can start legislating."



- 'Energy sobriety' -



It is also necessary to "explain to people what generative AI can and cannot do, and at what cost," according to Luccioni.

In her latest study, the researcher demonstrated that producing a high-definition image using artificial intelligence consumes as much energy as fully recharging the battery of your cell phone.

At a time when more and more companies want to integrate the technology further into our lives -- with conversational bots and connected devices, or in online searches -- Luccioni advocates "energy sobriety."

The idea here is not to oppose AI, she emphasizes, but rather to choose the right tools -- and use them judiciously.
Volunteers rush to help as Myanmar flood toll surges



Bago, Myanmar, Sept 15 (AFP) Sep 15, 2024



Volunteers rushed to areas inundated by floods in Myanmar on Sunday as the country's death toll from the Typhoon Yagi deluge more than doubled and remote areas reported increasing numbers of dead and missing.

Floods and landslides have killed almost 350 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which hit the region last weekend, according to official figures.

One man told AFP how he had tried to rescue people with ropes, as floodwaters four metres (15 feet) high surged through the hill town of Kalaw in Shan state on September 10.

"The current was very strong and even some buildings were destroyed," he said, describing pieces of furniture being washed through the streets.

"I could see trapped families in the distance standing on the roofs of their houses," said the man, who works for a local non-governmental group.

"I heard there were 40 bodies in the hospital," he added.

A businesswoman in Yangon who runs a company in Kalaw told AFP her staff there had reported nearly 60 people had been killed in the town.

The junta has not specified how many of the 74 people it says have died from the floods were in Kalaw.

Around 30 kilometres (18 miles) away at the tourist hotspot of Inle Lake, flood levels on Saturday had risen to the second storey of houses built on stilts above the water, according to one man there helping to evacuate his family.

In some areas near the lake "whole villages have been submerged", he told AFP on Sunday, asking to remain anonymous.

"The elders say this is the highest level of flooding they have seen," he said.

Locals had "lost foods such as rice and salt", he added.

"Now people are drinking rain water. There will be no water once that is gone."

AFP images showed the flood waters high against the wooden houses on the lake.

Cars and trucks carrying volunteers were streaming north from commercial hub Yangon to reach affected areas in Taungoo in the Bago region and around the capital Naypyidaw, AFP reporters said.

The vehicles were loaded with palettes of bottled water, bundles of clothes and dried food, while some had boats strapped to their roofs.

"We want to help anyone who needs help at the moment. That is why we arranged to go to the flooding area," said one woman heading for Taungoo.

"We brought food, water and some clothes."



- More misery -



The floods have added to people's miseries in Myanmar, where millions have already been displaced by more than three years of war since the military seized power in 2021.

The deluge has left 74 dead and 89 people missing as of Friday evening, according to state media, and more than 235,000 displaced.

But with roads and bridges damaged as well as phone and internet lines down, information has been limited.

The Sittaung and Bago rivers, which flow through central and southern Myanmar, were both still above dangerous levels on Sunday, state media said, although water levels were expected to fall in the coming days.

In the east, the Thanlwin river was more than two metres above its danger level in the state capital Hpa-an on Saturday, state media reported.

The junta's previous death toll, released on Friday, was 33.

Thailand's weather office warned Sunday of further heavy rain in provinces along the Mekong river.

Authorities in Vietnam on Sunday gave an updated toll of 281 dead and 67 missing.



- Request for aid -



Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request for foreign aid to deal with the floods, state media reported on Saturday.

The military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad.

Last year, it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha.

On Saturday, the United Nations's Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Myanmar and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told AFP they could not comment on the junta's request.

Heavy monsoon rains lash Southeast Asia every year, but human-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

Climate change is causing typhoons to form closer to the coast, intensify faster and stay longer over land, according to a study published in July.
Volunteers rush to help as Myanmar flood toll surges



Bago, Myanmar, Sept 15 (AFP) Sep 15, 2024



Volunteers rushed to areas inundated by floods in Myanmar on Sunday as the country's death toll from the Typhoon Yagi deluge more than doubled and remote areas reported increasing numbers of dead and missing.

Floods and landslides have killed almost 350 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which hit the region last weekend, according to official figures.

One man told AFP how he had tried to rescue people with ropes as floodwaters four metres (15 feet) high surged through the hill town of Kalaw in Shan state on September 10.

"The current was very strong and even some buildings were destroyed," he said, describing pieces of furniture being washed through the streets.

"I could see trapped families in the distance standing on the roofs of their houses," said the man, who works for a local non-governmental group.

"I heard there were 40 bodies in the hospital," he said.

A businesswoman in Yangon who runs a company in Kalaw told AFP her staff there had reported nearly 60 people had been killed in the town.

Myanmar's junta has not specified whether any of the 74 people it says have died from the floods were in Kalaw. Its previous death toll, released on Friday, was 33.

At Inle Lake, a tourist hotspot about 30 kilometres (18 miles) away, flood levels had risen on Saturday to the second storey of houses built on stilts above the water, according to one man there helping to evacuate his family.

"Whole villages have been submerged" in some areas near the lake, he told AFP on Sunday, asking to remain anonymous.

"The elders say this is the highest level of flooding they have seen," he said.

"Now people are drinking rain water. There will be no water once that is gone."

Cars and trucks carrying volunteers were streaming north from the commercial hub Yangon to reach affected areas in Taungoo in the Bago region and around the capital Naypyidaw, AFP reporters said.

The vehicles were loaded with pallets of bottled water, bundles of clothes and dried food. Some had boats strapped to their roofs.

"We want to help anyone who needs help at the moment. That is why we arranged to go to the flooding area," said one woman heading for Taungoo.

"We brought food, water and some clothes."

- More misery -



The floods have added to people's miseries in Myanmar, where millions have already been displaced by more than three years of war since the military seized power in 2021.

Residents of the Yado displacement camp in eastern Karen state were forced to flee their temporary homes after torrents of water ripped through the camp.

Belto, a resident of the camp, said the waters had washed his house away, along with his sister who was inside trying to retrieve their money.

"She was taken by the water... and she got injured," he told AFP on Saturday.

"We are already displaced people from war zones and after the floods, we don't have anything left... But we are not the only ones who face this fate, all families are facing difficulties."

The deluge had left 74 dead and 89 people missing by Friday evening, according to state media, and more than 235,000 displaced.

However, with roads and bridges damaged as well as phone and internet lines down, information has been limited.

The Sittaung and Bago rivers, which flow through central and southern Myanmar, were both still above dangerous levels, state media said, although water levels were expected to fall in the coming days.

In the east, the Thanlwin river was more than two metres above its danger level in the state capital Hpa-an on Saturday, state media reported.

Thailand's weather office warned Sunday of further heavy rain in provinces along the Mekong river.

Authorities in Vietnam gave an updated toll on Sunday of 281 dead and 67 missing.



- Request for aid -



Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request for foreign aid to deal with the floods, state media reported on Saturday.

The military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad.

It suspended travel authorisations last year for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha.

The United Nations's Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs in Myanmar and the International Committee of the Red Cross told AFP on Saturday they could not comment on the junta's request.

Heavy monsoon rains lash Southeast Asia every year but human-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.
Death toll rises as storm lashes central, eastern Europe



Glucholazy, Sept 15 (AFP) Sep 15, 2024



One person has drowned in Poland and an Austrian fireman has died responding to floods, authorities said Sunday, as Storm Boris lashed central and eastern Europe with torrential rains.

Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually heavy rainfall.

The rains have flooded streets and submerged entire neighbourhoods in some places, while shutting down public transport and electricity in others.

Romanians waded through armpit-high water to safety, Poles sought shelter in schools, and Czechs hurriedly put up sand dykes in an effort to keep the water at bay.

Sunday's deaths bring the overall toll from the storm to seven, with thousands evacuated across the continent.

In Romania, a body was found on Sunday, after four people were reported killed earlier. Four more people were reported missing in the Czech Republic.

"The water came into the house, it destroyed the walls, everything," Sofia Basalic, 60, a resident of Romania's village of Pechea, in the hard-hit region of Galati, told AFP.

"It took the chickens, the rabbits, everything. It took the oven, the washing machine, the refrigerator. I have nothing left," she said.



- 'Worst hours of their lives' -



Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sunday morning that "we have the first confirmed death by drowning, in the Klodzko region" on the Polish-Czech border in the southwest of the country, which has been hit hardest by the floods.

Around 1,600 people have been evacuated in Klodzko, and Polish authorities have called in the army to support firefighters.

Separately, a fireman in northeastern Austria died in floods in the Lower Austria region, which has been classified as a natural disaster zone.

"Unfortunately a firefighter has died while responding to the flooding," Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of Lower Austria, told reporters Sunday.

"For many residents, the upcoming hours will be the worst of their lives," she said.

Emergency services had made nearly 5,000 interventions overnight in the state of Lower Austria, where flooding had trapped many residents in their homes.

Polish authorities shut the Golkowice border crossing with the Czech Republic after a river flooded its banks on Saturday, as well as closing several roads and halting trains on the line linking the towns of Prudnik and Nysa.

In the Czech Republic, police reported four people were missing Sunday.

Three were in a car that was swept into a river in the northeastern town of Lipova-Lazne, and another man was missing after being swept away by floods in the southeast.

A dam in the south of the country burst its banks, flooding towns and villages downstream.

In the village of Velke Hostice, residents put up a wall of sandbags 500 metres long in an effort to hold back the rising waters of the River Opava.

"If we don't stop the wave, it will flood the lower part of the village," local hunter Jaroslav Lexa told AFP.



- 'Catastrophe of epic proportions' -



On Saturday, four people died in floods in southeastern Romania, with the bodies found in the worst-affected region, Galati in the southeast, where 5,000 homes were damaged.

Another body was found in the same region on Sunday.

"We are again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present on the European continent, with dramatic consequences," Romania's President Klaus Iohannis said.

Hundreds of people have been rescued across 19 parts of the country, emergency services said, releasing a video of flooded homes in a village by the Danube river.

"This is a catastrophe of epic proportions," said Emil Dragomir, mayor of Slobozia Conachi, a village in Galati, where he said 700 homes had been flooded.

Romania's interior minister said more than 5,000 households and 15,000 people were affected in the region.

Some areas of Austria's Tyrol region were blanketed by up to a metre (three feet) of snow -- an exceptional situation for mid-September, which saw temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) last week.

Rail services were suspended in the country's east early Sunday and several metro lines were shut down in the capital Vienna, where the Wien river was threatening to overflow its banks, according to the APA news agency.

Firefighters have intervened around 150 times in Vienna since Friday to clear roads blocked by storm debris and pump water from cellars, local media reported.

Neighbouring Slovakia has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bratislava.

Heavy rains are expected to continue until at least Monday in the Czech Republic and Poland.
Mark Zuckerberg Says He Is Done Apologizing, Reveals One Of The Biggest Mistakes Of His Career

Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he has grown tired of taking on too much ownership of problems beyond his or his company's control. The billionaire said his days of apologizing are over.

What Happened: Zuckerberg said this during a conversation at the Chase Center in San Francisco, reported TechCrunch.

The event, hosted by the Acquired podcast's David Rosenthal and Ben Gilbert, saw Zuckerberg joking about scheduling his next appearance to apologize for his comments. He quickly clarified that his days of apologizing were over.

Dont Miss:

Reflecting on his career, Zuckerberg mentioned his biggest mistake was a "political miscalculation" spanning 20 years. He admitted to taking too much responsibility for issues beyond Facebooks control, particularly those related to the 2016 U.S. election.

"Some of the things they were asserting that we were doing or were responsible for, I don't actually think we were," said Zuckerberg.

"When it's a political problem... there are people operating in good faith who are identifying a problem and want something to be fixed, and there are people who are just looking for someone to blame," he added, without naming anyone specifically.

Trending: Amid the ongoing EV revolution, previously overlooked low-income communities now harbor a huge investment opportunity at just $500.

In August, Zuckerberg sent a letter to House Republicans apologizing for censoring COVID-19 misinformation in 2020 under government pressure. He vowed to resist similar pressures in the future.

Recently, Meta lifted restrictions on former President Donald Trumps social media accounts, which were imposed after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Meta's latest social media platform, Threads, has adopted a different approach than its rival X, formerly Twitter. The platforms head, Adam Mosseri, stated that politics are not encouraged on Threads to avoid scrutiny and negativity.

Trending: This billion-dollar fund has invested in the next big real estate boom, here's how you can join for $10.

Why It Matters: Zuckerbergs declaration comes amid a series of significant events and decisions at Meta.

Story continues

In August, he revealed that the Biden administration pressured Meta to censor certain COVID-19 content during the pandemic.

In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg expressed regret for not opposing the pressure sooner and vowed to resist similar pressures in the future.

Zuckerberg has also been in the news for his personal life, such as commissioning a seven-foot statue of his wife, Priscilla Chan, which sparked online buzz.

Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Read Next:

UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets.

Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga?

This article Mark Zuckerberg Says He Is Done Apologizing, Reveals One Of The Biggest Mistakes Of His Career originally appeared on Benzinga.com

 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Environmental activist killed in Honduras



Tegucigalpa, Sept 15 (AFP) Sep 15, 2024



An environmental activist working to oppose mining in Honduras was shot and killed, President Xiomara Castro said.

Juan Lopez was killed as he left church Saturday in the northeastern town of Tocoa, his widow Thelma Pena told AFP.

Castro condemned the killing in a post on the social media platform X late Saturday and said she had ordered an investigation into it.

"Justice for Juan Lopez," Castro wrote.

Lopez, who belonged to the ruling Libre party, worked to oppose open-pit iron ore mining in Tocoa, where he worked in the town hall.

At a recent news conference he called for the resignation of Libre officials caught on a video negotiating bribes with drug traffickers in 2013.

That video ensnared Carlos Zelaya, a brother-in-law of the president. He resigned his seat in congress after admitting he took part in that meeting with drug gangsters.

In an interview with AFP in 2021, Lopez discussed the risks that he said environmental activists face in this poor and violent Central American country.

"If you start defending common interests in this country," he said, "you clash with major interests."

"If you leave home, you always have in mind that you do not know what might happen, if you are going to return," said Lopez.

The NGO Global Witness says Honduras is one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmental activists.

In 2023 it was ranked third in the world for the number of killings of such activists at 18, tied with Mexico. The top two were Colombia and Brazil.

The organization said that from 2012 to 2023, 148 environmental campaigners were killed in Honduras.
Czech city awaits the inevitable as floodwave looms



Opava, Czech Republic, Sept 15 (AFP) Sep 15, 2024



The sun was shining and the sky was bright blue with just a few white clouds, but in downtown Opava in the Czech Republic, most people only talked about the weather with concerned frowns.

Local people gathered on bridges and the embankment in the city centre to watch the eponymous Opava river gradually rise level with the banks, fed by heavy rain that started on Friday and only stopped on Sunday morning.

Police vans and fire trucks blocked roads to the local Katerinky housing estate, from which thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate on Saturday.

Standing outside a prefab block of flats with a friend, purchase manager Marie Lasak Blokesova assessed the situation, reflecting on the devastating floods that hit the region in 1997.

Back then, floodwater killed 50 people and caused damage worth $3 billion -- especially in the eastern parts of the Czech Republic, an EU country of 10.9 million people.

"Since we all expected this, I hope everyone is as ready as we are, and since we had already experienced the 1997 flood, we are basically just waiting," Lasak Blokesova told AFP.

"We had enough information suggesting what will come. These days with Facebook and Instagram, you know what is happening around you and so you can calm down a bit in that you know what's going on."

The water kept rising as she watched -- a car park where cars were safe at 9:30 (0730 GMT) was covered with water reaching above the sills an hour later.

"My boyfriend has recalled the 1997 flood so we have made stocks of drinking water and prepared a camping gas cooker in case they switched off gas and electricity," said Lasak Blokesova.

"We also recharged all the electrical devices we have and we are hoping we just won't need this all."



- Evacuate or not? -



Since Friday, over 10,000 people have been evacuated across the Czech Republic.

More than 250,000 households were without electricity on Sunday, four people were reported missing and firefighters had attended almost 15,000 incidents.

In Opava, several people braved the high water in the street on foot, many in Wellington boots.

Some even rode bicycles through the floodwater, while one maverick driver rode his Volkswagen into the waves before changing his mind and returning in a U-turn.

Some in the upper stories watched out of their windows -- deaf to the firefighters' pleas to evacuate.

Dustbins and containers floated freely along the Opava, navigating between flooded bus stops and road signs.



- 'Watching this in horror' -



The river in Opava, a city some 240 kilometres (150 miles) east of the Czech capital Prague, was expected to culminate at around 1700 GMT on Sunday, forecasters said.

Twenty kilometres upstream, the city of Krnov was 80-percent flooded by 1230 GMT, said its deputy mayor Miroslav Binar.

In Velke Hostice -- a village about five kilometres down the stream from Opava -- local volunteers were frantically trying to perfect an improvised wall of sandbags stretching for 500 metres (550 yards) on a jetty built after the 1997 floods for protection.

Visibly tired, local hunter Jaroslav Lexa told AFP the men had worked on the sandbag barrier until 1:00 am on Saturday night, and resumed work at 7:00 am on Sunday, patching holes in the impressive work.

"I'm watching this in horror. If we don't stop the wave, it will flood the lower part of the village," he said.

frj/rox



Meta
Volunteers rush to help as Myanmar flood toll surges



Bago, Myanmar, Sept 15 (AFP) Sep 15, 2024



Volunteers rushed to areas inundated by floods in Myanmar on Sunday as the country's death toll from the Typhoon Yagi deluge surged to 113 and remote areas reported increasing numbers of dead and missing.

Floods and landslides have killed more than 400 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which hit the region last weekend, according to official figures.

However, with roads and bridges damaged in Myanmar and phone and internet lines down, information has been limited.

One man told AFP how he had tried to rescue people with ropes as floodwaters four metres (15 feet) high surged through the hill town of Kalaw in Shan state on September 10.

"The current was very strong and even some buildings were destroyed," he said, describing pieces of furniture being washed through the streets.

"I could see trapped families in the distance standing on the roofs of their houses," said the man, who works for a local non-governmental group.

"I heard there were 40 bodies in the hospital," he said.

A businesswoman in Yangon who runs a company in Kalaw told AFP her staff there had reported nearly 60 people had been killed in the town.

The junta said on Sunday the death toll had jumped to 113 by Saturday night. The previous toll had been put at 74.

It did not specify whether any of those confirmed dead had been killed in Kalaw.

More than 320,000 people had been displaced and moved to "temporary relief camps", junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said.

At Inle Lake, a tourist hotspot about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Kalaw, flood levels had risen on Saturday to the second storey of houses built on stilts above the water, according to one man there helping to evacuate his family.

"Whole villages have been submerged" in some areas near the lake, he told AFP on Sunday, asking to remain anonymous.

"The elders say this is the highest level of flooding they have seen," he said.

Cars and trucks carrying volunteers were streaming north from the commercial hub Yangon to reach affected areas in Taungoo in the Bago region and around the capital Naypyidaw, AFP reporters said.

The vehicles were loaded with pallets of bottled water, bundles of clothes and dried food. Some had boats strapped to their roofs.

"We want to help anyone who needs help at the moment. That is why we arranged to go to the flooding area," said one woman heading for Taungoo.

- More misery -



The floods have added to people's miseries in Myanmar, where millions have already been displaced by more than three years of war since the military seized power in 2021.

Residents of the Yado displacement camp in eastern Karen state were forced to flee their temporary homes after torrents of water ripped through the camp.

Belto, a resident of the camp, said the waters had washed his house away, along with his sister who was inside trying to retrieve their money.

"She was taken by the water... and she got injured," he told AFP on Saturday.

"We are already displaced people from war zones and after the floods, we don't have anything left... But we are not the only ones who face this fate, all families are facing difficulties."

The Sittaung and Bago rivers, which flow through central and southern Myanmar, were both still above dangerous levels, state media said, although water levels were expected to fall in the coming days.

In the east, the Thanlwin river was more than two metres above its danger level in the state capital Hpa-an on Saturday, state media reported.

Thailand's weather office warned Sunday of further heavy rain in provinces along the Mekong river.

Authorities in Vietnam gave an updated toll on Sunday of 281 dead and 67 missing.



- Request for aid -



Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request for foreign aid to deal with the floods, state media said on Saturday.

On Sunday, India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on X that India has sent ten tons of aid including dry rations, clothing and medicine to Myanmar, as well as supplies to Vietnam and Laos.

Myanmar's military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad.

It suspended travel authorisations last year for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha.

The UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs in Myanmar and the International Committee of the Red Cross told AFP on Saturday they could not comment on the junta's request.

Heavy monsoon rains lash Southeast Asia every year but human-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

lmg-hla-rma/dhw
Environmental activist killed in Honduras



Tegucigalpa, Sept 15 (AFP) Sep 15, 2024



An anti-mining activist was shot and killed in Honduras, President Xiomara Castro said, vowing justice for the latest such murder in one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmentalists.

Juan Lopez, 46, was gunned down as he left church Saturday in the northeastern town of Tocoa, his widow Thelma Pena told AFP.

Castro condemned the "vile murder" in a post on the social media platform X late Saturday and said she had ordered an investigation.

"Justice for Juan Lopez," Castro wrote.

Lopez, who belonged to the ruling Libre party, campaigned against open-pit iron ore mining in a forest reserve in the vicinity of Tocoa, where he worked in the town hall.

At a recent news conference he called for the resignation of Libre officials caught on a video negotiating bribes with drug traffickers in 2013.

That video recently ensnared Carlos Zelaya, a brother-in-law of the president. He resigned his seat in congress after admitting he took part in that meeting with drug gangsters.

In an interview with AFP in 2021, Lopez discussed the risks that he said environmental activists face in this poor and violent Central American country.

"If you start defending common interests in this country," he said, "you clash with major interests."

"If you leave home, you always have in mind that you do not know what might happen, if you are going to return," said Lopez.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights had ordered protective measures for Lopez due to threats against him and other environmentalists from Tocoa.

Fellow rights defender Joaquin Mejia paid tribute to the environmentalist, calling him "a comrade committed to social change."

Mejia accused authorities of failing to "fulfill their obligation" to protect Lopez.

Honduran attorney general Johel Zelaya said the "reprehensible" murder would not go unpunished, and paid tribute to Lopez's activism.

"His life was an example of struggle. He never gave up in his incessant battle, hand-in-hand with the people to preserve natural resources," Zelaya said on X.

The NGO Global Witness says Honduras is one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmental activists.

In 2023 it was ranked third in the world for the number of killings of such activists at 18, tied with Mexico. The top two were Colombia and Brazil.

The organization said that from 2012 to 2023, 148 environmental campaigners were killed in Honduras.

They include Berta Caceres, a high-profile opponent of a controversial hydroelectric dam who was murdered in 2016.
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Canadian Stocks To Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA) stands against the other Canadian stocks.

In the ever-evolving landscape of investment opportunities, keeping an eye on the broader economic environment can be as crucial as analyzing individual stocks. As we delve into the best Canadian stocks to buy, its important to consider the country's current economic outlook. Canada's economic environment reveals a complex mix of challenges and potential opportunities. The global economy is still reeling from historically high inflation, which has triggered the most aggressive monetary tightening in decades. While the U.S. economy has demonstrated an unexpected resilience, balancing robust growth with moderating inflation, Canada's situation requires closer scrutiny. The Canadian economy, though strong in many respects, is particularly sensitive to interest rates. High levels of household debt and relatively short mortgage terms amplify the effects of rising interest rates, making Canadian consumers and businesses more vulnerable compared to their U.S. counterparts. Nevertheless, the latter part of 2023 showed unexpected economic strength, buoyed by record immigration and positive spillover from a resilient U.S. economy, leading to a significant easing of recession fears in Canada.

Yet, the Canadian economy is not entirely out of the woods. Growth is anticipated to remain below trend in 2024, with the Bank of Canada forecasting a modest GDP increase of 1.25% to 1.5%. This slowdown is partially attributed to Canadas distinct economic vulnerabilities. For instance, productivity growth has been alarmingly weak, with Canadas senior deputy governor labeling it as an emergency. This decline is largely due to insufficient business investment in key areas such as equipment and intellectual property, compounded by limited competition in essential sectors like telecommunications and banking. On a positive note, this slower growth is expected to ease inflationary pressures. Headline inflation has been gradually decreasing, and core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is moving closer to the Bank of Canadas target range. This scenario provides the Bank with some flexibility, with expectations for a 50-75 basis point reduction in interest rates later this year.

Despite strong job creation, particularly a notable surge in April 2024, employment growth of 2.0% over the past year has not kept pace with the 3.4% rise in population. This disparity has pushed the unemployment rate up by nearly a full percentage point to 6.2%, and it is projected to remain high through the rest of this year before beginning to decline in 2025. Wage growth, which averaged 5.3% in 2023, has decelerated to 3.9% (annualized) in the first quarter of 2024. With inflation pressures easing, this slower wage growth is expected to continue through 2024 and into the following year. Although the Bank of Canadas decision to cut its policy rate is a step in the right direction, Canadian households remain the most indebted in the G7. The interest rate hikes since 2022 have strained household finances, resulting in a decline in real consumer spending per capita over five of the last seven quarters as more income is diverted towards servicing mortgage and loan interest payments.

Story continues

The housing market has felt these effects more acutely. Real residential investment per capita dropped by 22.8% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to two years earlier. Looking forward, consumer spending and residential investment are expected to recover as lower interest rates stimulate demand. However, with low consumer confidence, hesitation to make significant purchases, ongoing housing affordability issues, and elevated savings rates, the pace of recovery in the latter half of 2024 is likely to be slow. Deloitte forecasts that more substantial improvements in consumption and residential investment will occur next year as confidence improves. Overall, Canada's economy performed better in the first half of 2024 than expected, but this strength is projected to be counterbalanced by slower real GDP growth in the latter part of the year due to reduced household spending. The updated forecast anticipates real GDP growth of 1.2% for 2024, accelerating to 2.6% in 2025. On a per-capita basis, real GDP is expected to decline by 1.6% this year before rebounding to 1.1% growth in 2025.

For investors looking to capitalize on these evolving conditions, understanding the underlying economic indicators and trends is essential. With this context, we now turn to a detailed examination of the best Canadian stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts.

Our Methodology

For this article we first used a stock screener to identify Canadian stocks that analysts see material upside to, as of September 9. From this list we chose 10 stocks that have the highest upside potential from their current price based on average analyst price targets.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A specialized team conducting site dewatering operations in a vast open pit mine.

North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA)

Upside Potential: 54%

Average Analyst Share Price Target: $27.96

North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA) is a leading provider of mining and heavy construction services, particularly focused on surface mines in Canadas oil sands region. It presents an upside potential of 54%, with analysts setting an average share price target of $27.96.

The company's Q2 2024 performance demonstrated resilience despite challenges, particularly in its Canadian operations, which faced weather-related disruptions. However, the company maintained an impressive 26% EBITDA margin, highlighting its strong operational efficiency. Its Australian division continued to perform exceptionally well, with MacKellar posting its best results in company history, contributing significantly to overall growth. A key strength for North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA) is its focus on safety and operational consistency. The company has won several safety awards, underscoring its commitment to its workforce. This focus has allowed it to expand its workforce significantly since 2016, with hours worked up 340%. Furthermore, the companys ability to manage its fleet efficiently is also notable, with 50 underutilized trucks either being reallocated to more productive markets or sold at favorable terms.

Financially, North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA) acquisition of MacKellar in Australia continues to pay dividends, as it contributed to a third consecutive quarter of solid performance. Gross profit margins remained strong, especially in the Australian division, which achieved over 20% in Q2. Moreover, North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA) strong cash flow generation and reasonable debt levels give it flexibility to fund future growth and integrate new assets. The companys future looks promising, with a robust backlog of CAD 2.8 billion and growing opportunities in both the Canadian oil sands and Australian resource sectors. North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA) ability to win contracts outside its traditional markets, combined with operational efficiencies, makes it well-positioned for sustained growth and profitability in 2024 and beyond.

In its Q3 2023 investor letter, Bonhoeffer Capital Management stated the following regarding North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA):

North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA) is a construction services firm that provides heavy civil and bulk earthmoving and project and mine site operations services in supply-constrained markets. NAC is typically the first contractor in and the last contractor out of project and mine sites. NAC has over 3,500 employees and over 900 pieces of equipment in its fleet operating at 30 sites. The fleet has a replacement value of over $2 billion. NAC was founded in 1953 as a civil construction firm. NAC has provided earthmoving services in Canada since the 1950s, in the oil sands since the 1970s, and for resources firms since the 1980s. NAC was sold to a private equity firm in 2003 and went public in Canada in 2006. A new CEO, Martin Ferron, was appointed in 2012. His goal was to increase geographic and service offering diversification and to increase return on invested capital (RoIC). In 2012, NAC sold its lower-returning and more cyclical divisions providing pipeline construction and piling-related construction, while retaining its oil sands earthworks business. Later in the 2010s, via acquisitions and partnerships with First Nations and other aboriginal groups, NAC expanded its service offerings and its geographic footprint to other geographies such as the US and Australia. Most of NACs invested capital is in large dump trucks and other earthmoving equipment. If NAC could maximize fixed asset utilization, then ROIC would increase. An economies of scale in purchasing and maintenance moat was created by having a highly utilized large fixed asset fleet in remote geographic locations with harsh conditions. Since 2015, equipment utilization has increased from an average of 40%, to 61% in 2023. NAC has a target goal of 75% to 85% by 2024. Since 2012, NACs RoIC has increased from -12% to 12%, with a current goal of 15%; and its return on equity has increased from -10% to 22% (Click here to read the full text)

Overall NOA ranks 8th on our list of the best Canadian stocks to buy according to Wall Street Analysts. While we acknowledge the potential of NOA to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NOA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
There are some excellent history books out, too. Paris in Ruins (Text, out) by Pulitzer-Prize-winning Sebastian Smee, art critic for The Washington Post, explores the connection between the Prussian occupation of France and siege of Paris in 1870-71 and the birth of the Impressionist movement shortly after, with focus on Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, and Edgar Degas. Its a vibrant portrayal of the relationship between political and art history. The Yirrkala bark petition, presented in 1963. Credit: Yirrkala artists Stella Prize-winning historian Professor Clare Wrights Naku Dharuk (Text, October 1) is a ground-breaking history of the 1963 Yirrkala Bark Petitions, which were sent by the Yolngu people to Parliament to protest the mining of their traditional lands, launching the modern land rights movement. It is the third in Wrights deeply researched democracy trilogy, following The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka and You Daughters of Freedom. Historian and writer Yves Rees tells a cracking, never-before-told tale in Travelling to Tomorrow (NewSouth, out) of 10 trailblazing Australian women who ventured to the US in the early 20th century, among them a lawyer, an interior decorator, a swimmer and an economist. Together, these women helped to forge a stronger relationship between the two countries and imported innovative ideas such as synchronised swimming into Australia. Finally, the irrepressible Tim Minchin has written his first non-fiction book. You Dont Have to Have a Dream (Penguin, out) is a compilation of three speeches made over the past decade. Included are Minchins nine rules for life, advice on a career in the arts and life as an actor. Its straight-shooting, wise and funny.

Look out as well for memoirs from Jimmy Barnes and Noni Hazlehurst, journalist and writer Rick Mortons Mean Streak (HarperCollins, October 16), about the robodebt debacle, and Shapeshifting (UQP, October 1), a collection of innovative First Nations creative non-fiction co-edited by Jeanine Leane and Ellen van Neerven. International Egyptian-born writer Andre Aciman, who lives in Manhattan, is best known for his internationally bestselling novel Call Me by Your Name. His memoir, My Roman Year (Faber, out), describes the year he (then a teenager), his brother and their deaf-mute mother spent in Rome in 1966 after being forced to leave their home in Alexandria. A yearning, emotive description of what it is to be a migrant. Gillian Anderson has curated a collection of womens fantasies. Credit: AP Ever wondered about womens innermost sexual fantasies? Look no further than multi-award-winning actor Gillian Andersons Want (Bloomsbury, out). Her publishers invited women from around the world to send anonymous letters about their most intimate desires. Anderson curated a selection of their responses. Its illuminating.

Craig Brown is a contributor to the satirical Private Eye magazine and author of the hilarious bestselling Maam Darling about the late Princess Margaret. His latest, A Voyage Around the Queen (HarperCollins, out), an idiosyncratic biography of the late Queen Elizabeth II, is equally entertaining  filled with snippets of interesting information about her and the disarming impact she had on those who met her (called the royal effect). Character Limit (Cornerstone, September 18) by New York Times tech reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac reveals the full story of Elon Musks $US44 billion takeover of Twitter and the fallout as he changed the companys name (to X) and its character  from a digital town square to something more sinister. Meticulously researched, it includes revealing interviews with company insiders. Why did Elon Musk trash Twitter? Kate Conger and Ryan Mac try to answer the question. Credit: Bloomberg Leading British historian William Dalrymple (also cohost of popular podcast Empire) writes in The Golden Road (his term; Bloomsbury, out) of Indias cultural and intellectual pre-eminence between 250BC and AD1200, a period during which it spread its ideas about religion, mathematics, art technology far and wide to create an Indosphere that transformed the world. Ben Macintyres latest thrilling narrative non-fiction (others include The Spy and the Traitor and Agent Sonya) has all the drama, suspense and intrigue weve come to expect from the British writer and journalist. The Siege (Viking, September 17) tells the story for the first time of the six-day siege of the Iranian embassy in London in 1980 (there were 26 hostages), which culminated in the storming of the embassy by the SAS.

Stanley Tucci tells us all about the food he ate in one year. British farmer and writer James Rebanks, author of the bestselling The Shepherds Life, writes in The Place of Tides (Allen Lane, October 22) about the quiet but meaningful existence of an old woman living on a remote Norwegian island where she gathers the down of eider ducks. The Rest is History Returns (Bloomsbury, October 1) is a follow-up by popular historians and podcasters Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland to The Rest is History. Here, they take an irreverent look at how some of historys defining moments might have played out differently  for example, the response of King George III to the United States Declaration of Independence. What I Ate in One Year (Fig Tree, October 15) by Italian-American actor and globetrotting gourmand Stanley Tucci is a foodie memoir filled with reminiscences of meals eaten in the course of a year around the world  alone or shared, in restaurants, hotels, on film sets and in his own kitchen. These accounts are accompanied by warm, engaging writing about Tuccis life as an actor, husband, father and friend. Look out also for new books from Hillary Clinton, Something Lost, Something Gained (Simon & Schuster, September 18), and veteran journalist Bob Woodward, War (Simon & Schuster, October 15).
Advertisement

Eating outJust open This corner terrace in Carlton North is your new go-to for French-ish snacks and pastis A first-time restaurant owner has dialled up the charm at this double-storey neighhourhood wine bar, adding marble, linen and Euro-leaning dishes. Gail Thomas Tomas Telegramma and September 16, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

As featured in the October hit list. See all stories .

More openings you need to know about The Batesford Hotel , outside Geelong, is the place to go for pub classics and a leafy beer garden

, outside Geelong, is the place to go for pub classics and a leafy beer garden An all-day Mexican destination open for breakfast tacos through to clever cocktails In prime position on a Rathdowne Street corner, the double-decker site  most recently home to Latin restaurant La Tonada  has been given a charming new lease on life. Owner Tash Sorensen, who previously worked at Smith St Bistrot and Bar Margaux, recruited her father, a builder, to help make her first restaurant, Malin, stand out in a pocket flush with similarly Eurocentric wine bars. Two-storey Malin in Carlton North is set to become a neighbourhood favourite. Tash Sorensen Moving the entrance to a sconce-flanked doorway on Curtain Street added intimacy, while restoring the original staircase (where a private dining room will soon await) made it a statement piece. Likewise: calacatta marble tables from Crowns now-closed Rosetta.

Advertisement

Despite the polish, Sorensen is determined to keep the bar neighbourhood-orientated. We opened quietly ... and did an old-school letterbox drop to nearby residents. Head chef Clement Pilatre is French, but influences from his homeland are more evident in technique than in specific dishes. The menu doesnt scream French, says Sorensen. Panko prawn with rouille and citrus paste at Malin. Tash Sorensen One snack marries two favourites: oysters and beef tartare. Both are finely diced, then served in the molluscs shell beneath an airy champagne sabayon sauce and a daub of caviar. Theres also a rum-spiked mashed potato  with notes of vanilla and coconut  that Sorensen says channels the cuisine of the French-colonised island of Reunion. The drinks list also reps France, with imported pastis, select Burgundy and Loire Valley bottles, and a pinot blanc-auxerrois blend from Alsace winemaker Jintaro Yura. But its locally minded too, featuring young-gun SA winemaker Lauren Langfield.

Advertisement

Open Wed-Fri 6-10pm; Sat noon-10pm; Sun noon-5pm 687 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North, malinmelbourne.com Tomas Telegramma Find two-hander fish burgers and an epic beer garden at this revived Geelong pub A longstanding watering hole outside Geelong has been restored to its gold rush glory, with a classic pub look inside, a fresh coat of paint on the facade, and a menu big on comfort.

Advertisement

The team behind Geelong venues Barwon Edge, Felix and Alma has taken over the Batesford Hotel, on the banks of the Moorabool River. Fish burgers join steaks, chicken parmas and prawn cocktails on The Batesfords comforting menu. Ryal Sormaz Over the past 165 years, the pub has been called everything from the Derwent to the Dog Rocks Hotel. Its new chapter is all about embracing that history while adding some fresh spins. Prawn cocktail, pork chop with apple and cabbage slaw, and oysters Kilpatrick are some of the more retro items on the menu, written by John Carter, chef at Felix. Monster-sized fish burgers, chicken parmas and three cuts of steak are also in the mix. But theres also roasted tomato and nduja risotto, and veg burgers made with lions mane mushroom, known for its meaty chew. Deep-green carpets, tan banquettes and olive-green wainscoting are part of the cosy design inside, which covers dining spaces and a function area the team is pitching for weddings and other events.

Advertisement

The beer garden at The Batesford is the kind you only find in the country. Ryal Sormaz In summer, the wide and leafy beer garden dotted with picnic tables will be the best seat in town. Open Wed-Thu 5pm-11pm, Fri-Sun noon-11pm from September 28. 700 Ballarat Road, Batesford, 0411 143 155, thebatesfordhotel.com.au Gail Thomas

Advertisement

Go from breakfast birria to mole Old Fashioneds Seven years spent working in Mexico City  including at internationally regarded fine diner Quintonil  led Australian chef Ross McCombe to his latest gig, heading up the kitchen at Southbanks new Hacienda Cocina Mexicana, right on the Yarra River. McCombe says the menu is fairly a traditional Mexican one, but not entirely. Southbanks Hacienda is serving house-made tortillas, grilled mulloway and oysters with longaniza chorizo, butter and lime. Kit Edwards One non-negotiable was making tortillas in-house, using maize that has undergone the ancient process of nixtamalisation, which involves soaking dried corn kernels in an alkaline solution.

Advertisement

Theyre served as-is, alongside all Haciendas larger dishes  such as Western Plains pork with a complex mole sauce, made here with peanut, and apple pico de gallo  but also in more tongue-in-cheek forms. A tostada-esque snack called Old El Paso riffs on the Tex-Mex brands hard-shell tacos: Haciendas house-made version is filled with tuna tartare, and smoked tomato and chipotle foam. Hacienda, in the former Tutto Bene at Southgate, has been fitted out with timber, marble and neon. Kit Edwards For early birds, a dedicated Mexican-inspired breakfast menu (with coffee) is available from 7am. Find pies stuffed with cochinita pibil, or Yucatan-style pork, and sausage rolls spiced with burnt habanero paste and fermented tomato ketchup. And birria comes as a stew  not the more recently popularised taco  with a grilled cheese sandwich. [Mexico City] is one of the best cities in the world for bars, says McCombe, whos recruited consultant bar manager Ramon Tovar  co-owner of Mexico City bars Long Story Short and Nardo Cocktail Club  to shake up Haciendas cocktail program. Ramon Tovar pours mezcal into hand-made shot cups Haceinda imported from Mexico. Kit Edwards

Advertisement

The sweet cashew mole used in McCombes clay-baked beetroot dish is infused with whisky to make the Old Fashioned new again, and house-brewed tepache, a Mexican drink made with fermented pineapple peels, stars in the extra-refreshing gin sour. Owned and operated by Highgate One Group (Richmonds Ella, Hawthorns Osteria 20), Hacienda has taken over the former Tutto Bene site at Southgate, now moodier with splashes of marble and timber, and neon-framed Mexican sculptures. And there are plans to add a big old oyster and ceviche bar on the balcony, like Mexico City seafood hotspot La Docena. Open daily 7am-late M28, 3 Southgate Avenue, Southbank, haciendamelbourne.com.au Tomas Telegramma

Advertisement

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Special Minister of State Don Farrell, the Labor senator tasked with leading the Albanese governments sweeping reforms to electoral laws, has admitted the legislation has taken longer than [he] wouldve liked but said the delay was necessary to get the laws right.

In Senate question time shortly before 3pm, Greens senator Larissa Waters asked Farrell about Labors commitment to curbing money in politics, ending her question by asking the senator: Will you keep your election commitment to improving our democracy, or will you instead stitch up a deal with the LNP to benefit the flagging two-party system?

Special Minister of State Don Farrell last week. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

In response, Farrell acknowledged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did commit to improve political accountability, transparency and further regulate political donations.

It is true that we have not yet presented that legislation to the parliament, Farrell told Waters.

Loading

But one of the things that Ive tried to do, over the period that weve been in government, is to consult with all of the parties. And weve certainly been doing that with you  weve had direct personal meetings on these issues  and your leader [Adam Bandt] and his relevant staff have also been involved in those negotiations. Im very happy to talk to anybody in this place that wants to discuss electoral reform.

It has taken longer than I wouldve liked, but sometimes in this place to get the best results you do have to take longer than you otherwise would like.

In a supplementary question, Waters asked whether Labor would ban donations from fossil fuel companies. But Farrell rejected the premise of her question, saying the High Court routinely makes it very clear that organisations in this country are entitled to make donations to political parties.

Queensland Greens senator Larissa Waters. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

My objective, in all of the discussions that I am involved in at the moment, is to try and put downward pressure on the amount of money that is being spent by rich actors in the political process. I think we have one opportunity to do this.

Last month, this masthead reported Farrell would begin revealing to MPs the specifics of a bill he intends to introduce in September, a months delay from the governments previously indicated timeline.

Senior Labor sources, who asked not to be named so they could discuss plans that remain confidential with this masthead, said a seat-by-seat spending cap would be set at under $1 million. Jail time and big fines were on the cards for those who breached these rules, they added.
Officials held a stubborn refusal to get police involved as they were regarded as almost the enemy. Loading One senior official said he could give me 1000 cases where workers have been stood over and bashed and said that all the police do, is turn around and go after unions, Watson said. He noted the scope of his investigation was curtailed by threats of violence made against senior union officials who were seen to be lagging or giving people up to police. Because of this, Watson was instructed to avoid contacting third parties including journalists, employers and former delegates in his investigation to avoid creating a risk of violence.

It appeared to me that, in this cycle of intimidation and violence, the CFMEU had lost control, Watson said. The anti-corruption expert made seven recommendations in the report, including that the Victorian CFMEU branch build relationships with police, and administrators look further into instances of violence, threats and abuse. Mick Gatto (left) and then-CFMEU leader John Setka in 2018. Credit: AAP The report found the Victorian branch was infiltrated by outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime figures, and one senior official said underworld figure Mick Gatto came with the furniture of the job. Some officials said they saw or met with Gatto or Faruk Orman  a former Melbourne gangland figure  at the CFMEUs Melbourne offices, with enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) paperwork sometimes brought to Gatto. Others described Gatto as a friend.

The Victorian branch has entered into several EBAs with entities owned, controlled by or associated with Orman, the report said. Through that process, an EBA was treated as a financially valuable commodity, given to an underworld figure with no industry background who was close to Mick Gatto, Watsons report said. Integrity expert Geoffrey Watson, SC, investigated allegations of criminality and intimidation in the CFMEU. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Gatto declined to discuss the report when contacted on Monday, other than to say they were rubbish. I have been looking after builders for 30 years. I dont work for the union, he said.

Watson noted the Victorian branch had moved to remove some bikies from their positions after the Building Bad series was published. Loading But he branded as superficial the branchs investigation to find out who were members of outlaw motorcycle gangs. He also said the process was ineffective at removing the influence of these men because they had swapped their union roles for jobs with the project companies, and they remained on building sites. Almost all of the people on the list remained with the same employer, in a different capacity (for example, switching from paid employment as a union delegate to paid employment working for the employer directly as a health and safety officer), Watson said in the report.

The EBA process was vulnerable to corruption, the report said, as organisers were tasked with assessing whether an entity should be given a CFMEU-endorsed EBA. Based on the information provided to me, there was no formal criteria that governed an organisers assessment of an entitys suitability and no requirement to keep any record of the approval decision or the reasons for the decision, Watson said. Watson said he was told union officials believed it was helpful to have connections with bikies and organised crime figures as a counterweight to intimidation tactics used by employers. Union officials claimed company bosses, including large contractors, engaged organised crime figures and bikies to stand over and scare them. One official told me that a whole heap of bosses employ standover people, the report says.

A spokesperson for the Master Builders Association Victoria would not address the allegation that contractors used criminal figures to intimidate unionists. However, the spokesperson said other elements of the report showed the magnitude of the task ahead to reform the CFMEU. Protesters at the CFMEU rally in Melbourne on August 27. Credit: Jason South CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith appointed Watson, who was a counsel assisting the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, to investigate the allegations against the union. Federal Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt said the interim report showed the government had taken the right step putting the union into administration. The report also makes clear that industry figures outside the union also require investigation of their conduct and we support this occurring, Watt said.
A well-known 24-hour Melbourne nightclub has closed after a man suffered life-threatening injuries in a stabbing early on Sunday morning, leaving the venues management heartbroken.

Police were called to Revolver Upstairs in Chapel Street, Prahran, about 4am after reports two unknown people attacked a man inside and fled.

A 31-year-old Endeavour Hills man sustained life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, police said in a statement. The pair of offenders fled the area before police arrived, [and were] last seen heading along Macquarie Street.

It is believed a knife and a machete were the weapons used, they said.
When Bridget McKenzie rose to deliver a speech to the Nationals federal council on Saturday, she wasnt only making a statement with her words.

Her outfit also told a story to the party loyalists gathered at the National Press Club in Canberra for their annual policymaking forum.

Nationals frontbencher Bridget McKenzie says she is sending a political message through her clothes. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

McKenzie, the partys Senate leader, was wearing a three-piece pinstripe suit and a navy tie featuring the green and gold colours of the Nationals logo.

This was no one-time kind of thing. In recent months, McKenzie has taken to regularly wearing a suit and tie, sometimes multiple times a week.
Today marks the 106th anniversary of Baku's liberation from Armenian Dashnak-Bolshevik forces, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its official "X" account.

"On September 15, a date written in golden letters in the history of Azerbaijani-Turkish brotherhood, we remember with gratitude the noble memory of all our brothers and sisters who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Baku," the post reads.
Pakistan and China remain "strong partners" with growing economic cooperation through the Beijing-led Belt and Road Initiative, despite terrorist attacks that have cast a shadow over Chinese investment in the South Asian country, a senior Pakistani diplomat has said.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post on Wednesday, Khalil Hashmi, the Pakistani ambassador to China, vowed further collaboration with Beijing on counterterror initiatives to protect those investments.

"Pakistan and China continue to be very strong partners, friends and they [will] cooperate economically on Belt and Road Initiative related projects," Hashmi said. "We have a lot of Chinese investments, and we are grateful for that."

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

"The Pakistan and China friendship has weathered many challenges, many changes in the regional or the international environment, and it continues to be very solid-footed."

Hashmi arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday to attend the Belt and Road Summit, as Pakistan pursues more Chinese investments amid a slow economic recovery and troubled security situation. The summit concluded on Thursday.

Pakistan has been one of the most active players in China's signature belt and strategy, with multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects built in the last decade. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - a key belt and road project - has seen more than US$65 billion in Chinese investment including the landmark Gwadar Port, which gave China's western Xinjiang region access to the Arabian Sea.

But Pakistan faces a deteriorating security situation, especially in its Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces - with Balochistan in particular a location for CPEC infrastructure projects.

In March, five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver -were killed in a suicide bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; in 2021, a similar attack killed 13 people, including nine Chinese.

Last month, a series of separatist anti-government attacks in Balochistan killed 73 people. While no Chinese personnel were targeted, the region has constantly seen anti-Chinese-investment protests.

"It is unfortunate that these incidents took place," Hashmi said, but added that Pakistan had also successfully countered such attacks and prevented loss of lives.

"Pakistan is perhaps one of the very few ... countries which have endured terrorist attacks. But what is more important is that Pakistan has been most successful in countering and combating the acts of terrorism," he said.

Story continues

The ambassador disputed claims that China had stopped investing in Pakistan because of the security concerns, saying that such views "would remain opinions unless they are backed up by facts".

According to the Pakistani consulate in Hong Kong, the country saw nearly US$700 million in net Chinese investment last year, up more than 16 per cent compared to 2022. But it was still only about half the level of investments made in 2018.

In June, when Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Xi Jinping in Beijing, the two leaders pledged to upgrade the CPEC to a "2.0" version - highlighting agriculture, hi-tech innovation and new energy as areas for cooperation.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on June 7. Photo: China Daily via Reuters alt=Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on June 7. Photo: China Daily via Reuters>

Besides traditional "government to government" collaboration, Hashmi said that Islamabad would pursue more "government to business" models to attract high-end, innovative Chinese industries.

Pakistan, he contended, remained attractive to Chinese investment, especially since - as the world's fifth most populous nation - it boasted a huge young and well-educated labour pool.

"Sixty per cent of this population is [from the] young generation. These young boys and girls are English-speaking, tech-savvy, and with a lot of good technical skills," he said.

"So this is where we are, very much focused on, trying to synergise [with] what China has gained."

Islamabad remains Beijing's reliable ally, the ambassador said.

"So regardless of changes in the regional or international environment, whether it was during the Cold War or post-Cold War or the new era, our relationship has always been very stable, and in fact, is on an upwards trajectory," he said, despite the growing geopolitical tensions fed by the US-China rivalry.

Afghanistan, which shares borders with both Pakistan and China, remains a core security concern for both nations.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring terrorist militants and anti-government forces. After the March attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chinese envoys in Islamabad reportedly said they felt "stabbed in the back" by the Taliban government in Kabul.

According to Hashmi, the two nations are in sync in dealing with Afghanistan and the Taliban.

"Afghanistan issues require a lot of diplomatic efforts, political efforts, outreach and engagement. I think that ongoing engagement and dialogue is the key, which requires capacity building and supporting Afghanistan economically, but also on the security front.

"The reality is that there is very close convergence and alignment of views and approach [between China and Pakistan] in terms of what type of policy should be, with reference to Afghanistan," he added.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
One of two senior public servants publicly blamed for their part in the robo-debt scandal says she was sacked after pressuring the former Coalition government to bring the welfare debt recovery scheme to an end.

Renee Leons intervention means both she and her predecessor as head of the Human Services Department, Kathryn Campbell, have questioned the public service watchdogs findings.

Renee Leon, pictured in 2021, said she gave frank and fearless advice to the former Coalition government about the robo-debt scheme. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

In a report handed down last week, the Australian Public Service Commission apologised on behalf of the bureaucracy for the scheme, overseen by ministers including Scott Morrison, that issued automated debts to welfare recipients based on unlawful calculations. The resulting political scandal culminated in a royal commission.

Leon and Campbell were among 12 officials found to have breached public service rules in the watchdogs probe, though the 10 others will remain unnamed.
He returned to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach where he lives, according to a person familiar with Trumps movements who was not authorised to discuss them publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. It was not immediately clear how the development would affect his schedule or campaign dynamics. An email to Trump campaign staffers said: We ask that you remain vigilant in your daily comings and goings. As we enter the last 50 days of President Trumps campaign, we must remember that we will only be able save America from those who seek to destroy it by working together as one team. Biden and Harris were briefed on the matter and each issued a statement condemning political violence. Harris added that she was deeply disturbed by the days events and that we all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence.

Biden said he had directed his team to ensure the Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former presidents continued safety. In the aftermath, Trump checked in with allies, including running mate Ohio senator J.D. Vance, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham and several Fox News hosts. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he spent several hours with Trump and called him unstoppable. Fox News host Sean Hannity recounted on air his conversation with the former presidents golf partner, Steve Witkoff. They had been on the fifth hole and about to go up to putt when they heard a pop pop, pop pop. Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents pounced on Trump and covered him to protect him.

Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. His campaign had not announced any public plans for Trump on Sunday. He often spends the morning playing golf. Trump has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he is at Trump Tower in New York, parked dump trucks have formed a wall outside the building. At outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind bulletproof glass. Police officers direct traffic near Trump International Golf Club after the apparent assassination attempt. Credit: AP The Florida golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, but there are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line. Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on ATVs generally secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump. Agents also usually bring an armoured vehicle onto the course to shelter Trump quickly should a threat arise. The Palm Beach County sheriff said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the president, but because he is not, security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.

I would imagine that the next time he comes to the golf course, there will probably be a little more people around the perimeter, Bradshaw said. But the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done. Loading Late on Sunday, Trump posted a message on social media thanking the Secret Service and law enforcement for keeping him safe, calling them brave and dedicated Patriots, adding that it was certainly an interesting day! He was to be briefed in person by acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe about the investigation into the assassination attempt, according to a person familiar with the plan for the briefing who was not authorised to speak publicly. Former presidents and their spouses have Secret Service protection for life, but the security around former presidents varies according to threat levels and exposure, with the toughest measures typically being taken in the immediate aftermath of their leaving office.

Trumps protective detail has been higher than some other former presidents because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again. Loading The man in custody was Ryan Routh, three law enforcement officials said. The officials who identified the suspect spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the ongoing investigation. Records show Routh, 58, lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving to Hawaii in 2018. In 2020, he made a social media post backing Trumps re-election, but in more recent years his posts have expressed support for Biden and Harris. Routh tried to recruit Afghan soldiers fleeing the Taliban to fight in Ukraine, and spent several months in the country, according to an interview with The New York Times last year.

The FBI was leading the investigation and working to determine any motive. Attorney General Merrick Garland was receiving regular updates. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were helping investigate. The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach Florida and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump, the bureau said. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said the state would do its own investigation, posting on X that, The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee. News reporters were not with Trump on Sunday. Bucking tradition, Trumps campaign has not arranged to have a protective pool of reporters travel with him, as is standard for major party nominees and for the president. Harris does not have a protective pool at all times, but does allow reporters to travel with her for public events. Snyder, the Martin County sheriff, said the suspect was apprehended within minutes of the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office putting out a very urgent BOLO  or be on the lookout alert.
Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Wrap-up September 8-14, 2024













Auto Central September 15, 2024; Every Sunday Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy and Auto Channel Executive Producer, with able assistance from senior Detroit editor Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, compile The Auto Channel's "take" on this past week's automotive news, condensed into easy to digest news Nuggets.

LEARN MORE: Complete versions of today's news nuggets, along with hundreds of thousands of pages of relevant news, information and opinions, are stored in a million-page library published and indexed on The Auto Channel during the past 25 years. Complete information can be found by copying a headline and inserting it into any Site Search Box.

Here are Larry's top story picks from this past week's important to you, relevant, semi-secret, or snappy automotive news, opinions and insider back stories presented as expertly crafted easy-to-understand automotive news nuggets.

Nutson's Auto News Wrap-up Week Of September 8-14, 2024

Prices down. For the 11th straight month, the average transaction price (ATP) for a new vehicle in the U.S. was lower year over year, according to data released by Kelley Blue Book, as higher inventories continue to add price pressure to the market. At $47,870, the new-vehicle ATP in August was also lower by 0.6% compared to the revised July ATP of $48,166. Incentive levels increased month over month and year over year in August, according to data from Kelley Blue Book. The average incentive package in August equaled 7.2% of ATP, up from 7.0% in July to the highest level since the first half of 2021. The average transaction price for an EV in July, at $56,575, was marginally higher than the revised July ATP of $56,435 but lower year over year by more than 1.2%, suggesting the EV price declines are slowing.

For the 11th straight month, the average transaction price (ATP) for a new vehicle in the U.S. was lower year over year, according to data released by Kelley Blue Book, as higher inventories continue to add price pressure to the market. At $47,870, the new-vehicle ATP in August was also lower by 0.6% compared to the revised July ATP of $48,166. Incentive levels increased month over month and year over year in August, according to data from Kelley Blue Book. The average incentive package in August equaled 7.2% of ATP, up from 7.0% in July to the highest level since the first half of 2021. The average transaction price for an EV in July, at $56,575, was marginally higher than the revised July ATP of $56,435 but lower year over year by more than 1.2%, suggesting the EV price declines are slowing. Too much tech. Are vehicle owners becoming overwhelmed with technology features that dont solve a problem, dont work, are difficult to use or are just too limited in functionality? The results of the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study suggests that could be the case. The study, which focuses on the user experience with advanced vehicle technologies as they come to market, finds that while owners offer praise for some advanced features, others are found to be lackluster. Read more HERE

Are vehicle owners becoming overwhelmed with technology features that dont solve a problem, dont work, are difficult to use or are just too limited in functionality? The results of the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study suggests that could be the case. The study, which focuses on the user experience with advanced vehicle technologies as they come to market, finds that while owners offer praise for some advanced features, others are found to be lackluster. Read more HERE Hybrids on the rise. US consumer interest in electrified vehicles has dropped to 34%, a decline from 48% last year, with interest in fully electric vehicles falling to 11%, according to EY's Mobility Consumer Index. While charging infrastructure has improved and range anxiety has decreased, hybrids' flexibility is drawing more buyers in the US. Full story HERE

US consumer interest in electrified vehicles has dropped to 34%, a decline from 48% last year, with interest in fully electric vehicles falling to 11%, according to EY's Mobility Consumer Index. While charging infrastructure has improved and range anxiety has decreased, hybrids' flexibility is drawing more buyers in the US. Full story HERE New Prius MPG champ. The Prius continues to impress and has recently achieved a new high bar for efficiency. Hypermiler, Wayne Gerdes has been awarded the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for lowest fuel consumption driving across the U.S. from the west coast to east coast. Earlier this summer, Gerdes drove from Los Angeles City Hall all the way to New York City Hall in a Prius LE and achieved a staggering fuel economy average for the entire trip of 93.158 MPG combined. This smashed the previous record which was in the mid-70s MPG combined. Gerdes journey of 3,211.7 miles across the country took him through a wide variety of terrain as well as unpredictable weather. See more HERE



The Prius continues to impress and has recently achieved a new high bar for efficiency. Hypermiler, Wayne Gerdes has been awarded the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for lowest fuel consumption driving across the U.S. from the west coast to east coast. Earlier this summer, Gerdes drove from Los Angeles City Hall all the way to New York City Hall in a Prius LE and achieved a staggering fuel economy average for the entire trip of 93.158 MPG combined. This smashed the previous record which was in the mid-70s MPG combined. Gerdes journey of 3,211.7 miles across the country took him through a wide variety of terrain as well as unpredictable weather. See more HERE Auto Hall of Fame. Bill Ford, executive chair of the Ford Motor Co., is among this years inductees into the Automotive Hall of Fame, and in a first for the organization founded in 1939, the ceremony will be broadcast live. Induction into the Hall of Fame is an honor that has been bestowed on big names across the automotive spectrum. Other new inductees this year are: Betsy Ancker-Johnson, Vic Edelbrock Sr. and Vic Edelbrock Jr., and John James.

Bill Ford, executive chair of the Ford Motor Co., is among this years inductees into the Automotive Hall of Fame, and in a first for the organization founded in 1939, the ceremony will be broadcast live. Induction into the Hall of Fame is an honor that has been bestowed on big names across the automotive spectrum. Other new inductees this year are: Betsy Ancker-Johnson, Vic Edelbrock Sr. and Vic Edelbrock Jr., and John James. NACTOY Best. Twenty-five vehicles have been named the Best of 2025 by the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards organization and will move on to the second round of judging. The semifinalist vehicles were revealed at Cars at the Station, an event developed by automotive enthusiast brand Hagerty in partnership with Michigan Central Station, Newlab and the City of Detroit. See the list here. HERE

Twenty-five vehicles have been named the Best of 2025 by the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards organization and will move on to the second round of judging. The semifinalist vehicles were revealed at Cars at the Station, an event developed by automotive enthusiast brand Hagerty in partnership with Michigan Central Station, Newlab and the City of Detroit. See the list here. HERE Electris school buses. California, New York and Illinois are the top three states for total electric school buses, according to a new analysis released by U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment America Research & Policy Center. The three states also lead the nation in combined federal and state investments into electric bus fleets. HERE

California, New York and Illinois are the top three states for total electric school buses, according to a new analysis released by U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment America Research & Policy Center. The three states also lead the nation in combined federal and state investments into electric bus fleets. HERE Slow down or else. On Aug. 31 lawmakers in California passed a bill to require speed warnings on new vehicles starting in 2030. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D), the bills sponsor, said the number of people dying in crashes is a state and national crisis. Road safety advocates are calling for this fairly simple fix: Passive Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) System--- an onboard technology that can warn lead-footed drivers to slow down. The next step: Active ISA actually interacts with the vehicle control systems and does the slowing.

On Aug. 31 lawmakers in California passed a bill to require speed warnings on new vehicles starting in 2030. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D), the bills sponsor, said the number of people dying in crashes is a state and national crisis. Road safety advocates are calling for this fairly simple fix: Passive Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) System--- an onboard technology that can warn lead-footed drivers to slow down. The next step: Active ISA actually interacts with the vehicle control systems and does the slowing. New post office mail van. The US Postal Services new delivery vehicles have appeared and they arent going to win a beauty contest. They're tall and ungainly. The windshields are vast. Their hoods resemble a duck bill. Their bumpers are enormous. They do have air conditioning, making postal delivery drivers happy. Have a look HERE

The US Postal Services new delivery vehicles have appeared and they arent going to win a beauty contest. They're tall and ungainly. The windshields are vast. Their hoods resemble a duck bill. Their bumpers are enormous. They do have air conditioning, making postal delivery drivers happy. Have a look HERE Volkswagen recall. Volkswagen is recalling nearly 100,000 of its ID4 EVs over faulty door handles. Insufficient water protection in the 2021-24 Volkswagen ID4 door handles could cause the door to fly open while the vehicle is moving.

Volkswagen is recalling nearly 100,000 of its ID4 EVs over faulty door handles. Insufficient water protection in the 2021-24 Volkswagen ID4 door handles could cause the door to fly open while the vehicle is moving. Ram recall. Stellantis NA is recalling over 1.2 million certain 2019, 2021-2024 Ram 1500 vehicles. Due to a software malfunction, the anti-lock brake system (ABS) control module may disable the electronic stability control system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems." According to NHTSA, if the stability control system is disabled, and the driver isnt aware, that could cause a collision.

Stay safe. Be Well.

Kind regards, Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Gandhi, Hindi have same underlying quality of simplicity, says Purohit





 Wardha Correspondent

WINDOW ON VIDARBHA

MAHATMA Gandhi and Hindi language have the same under lying quality - that of simplicity. Accepting Hindi whole-heartedly will allow one to fully immerse in the sentiment that was Gandhi, said former Governor of Punjab Banwarilal Purohit while addressing the Hindi Diwas programme organised at Ghalib Sabhagruh of the Mahatma Gandhi Antarashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya (MGAHV ) on Saturday. Vice-Chancellor of the University Prof Krishna

Kumar Singh presided over the programme. Giving a special lecture on 75 years of Hindi as Rajbhasha, Purohit, who was the chief guest of the programme, said that Gandhi had done enormous service to the cause of Hindi. He was a great supporter of the language. His assassination on January 30, 1948, was a huge blow to Hindi language, Purohit said. Stating that he was feeling a sense of pride coming to a place that had been Gandhijis Karmabhoomi, Purohit said that Hindi is a mine of knowledge. He cited poems of Bharatendu Premchand, Tulsidas, Kabir, Maithili Sharan Gupt and Harivansh Rai Bachchan while recalling their contribution to Hindi language. In his presidential address, Vice-Chancellor Prof Krishna Kumar Singh stated that Hindi had grown in power and reach. Asserting that non-Hindi people have played a key role in promoting Hindi and that is the reason why Hindi is growing along with all other

Indian languages.On this occasion, Universitys souvenir Media Samay was released at the hands of the guests. The art direction of its digital copy was done by Rajesh Agarkar. Earlier, the programme started with lighting of the lamp. Prof Kripa Shankar Choubey, President of the Department of Mass Communication, delivered welcome speech and explained the theme. Rajesh Kumar Yadav, Rajbhasha Officer, introduced former Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Yadav also read out the message of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. On this occasion the ViceChancellor Prof Singh presented shawl, garland and University emblem to former Governor Purohit. Dr Rakesh Kumar Mishra, President of the Gandhi and Peace Studies Department of the University, conducted the programme while Prof Anand Patil, Pro ViceChancellor and Director of Distance Education, proposed a vote of thanks. The programme concluded with national anthem. Deans of various branches, heads of departments, Center Director, faculty members, students, researchers, officers and employees of various universities were present in the programme. Teachers, students and employees of Kolkata and Prayagraj Regional Centres and Sarvajna Shri Chakradhar Swami Marathi Bhasha Va Tatvagynan Centre, Riddhapur, also joined online.
SRIVIJAYA PURAM





IT WAS a golden moment in the modern history of India, when Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah announced that the Port Blair was renamed as Sri Vijaya Puram. Renaming the capital city of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, marked one more step towards shedding colonial baggage and recognising the importance of the heritage of Bharat. Of course, prior to this also, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had renamed three islands Ross Island, Neil Island, and Havelock Island as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep, Shaheed Dweep, and Swaraj Dweep respectively.The renaming of Port Blair as Sri Vijaya Puram marks an important event. Its import is not only for one particular island, but also for the entire Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Though most of the islands divided into Andaman and Nicobar groups are not inhabited, they bear a great strategic significance for India. The Chola empire was probably the first to realise the strategic importance of the islands.

Then, theAndaman islands were used as strategic naval base, from where the Indian heritage footprint expanded to south-east Asia. Even today, these cultural ties are intact in many a country. Sadly, the islands with such a great history were turned into a penal colony by the East India Company following the 1857 revolt, which SwatantryaveerVinayak Damodar Savarkar described as the first war of Independence against the British. The British kept the key Indian revolutionaries including Savarkar languishing in the infamous Cellular Jail on the islands. The British colonial mindset distorted the symbols of rich Indian history into negative entities. What was once a gateway to south-east Asia through sea-route was turned into Kaala Paani by the British. This colonial baggage was shed by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose when he first hoisted the Indian national tricolour on the islands. As India gained Independence from the British, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands rightfully became pilgrimage sites.

People offered their respects at the cell where Savarkar was confined in the Cellular Jail. Gradually, it became national monument. Also, the independent India did not miss out on recognising strategic significance of the islands, and established Strategic Command there. Thus, the process of shedding colonial baggage actually began soon after India gained Independence from the British. Those trying to derive political meaning out of the renaming of the islands are the people not proud of ancient Indian history or Indian heroes. These people want to exploit everything to further their own divisive political agenda. Hence, people see in such politically motivated lot the remnants of the British Raj in India. Except for these people with pathological contempt for Indian history, heritage, culture, and traditions, all Indians welcome the renaming of Port Blair. The ordinary Indians were waiting for such a change to take place as they were fed up of distorted historical narratives aimed at creating a kind of inferiority complex about Indian history and heritage. They were not happy with the continuation of British colonial baggage. Today, they are confident that Bharatiya values can propel their growth on the world stage. Hence, all the Indians welcome Sri Vijaya Puram wholeheartedly as a symbol of awaited change.
THE holiday announced by the State Government for Eid-e-Milad will be observed on Monday





 Staff Reporte

Eid-e-Milad HOLIDAY on Monday

r THE holiday announced by the State Government for Eid-e-Milad will be observed on Monday in Nagpur district. During a meeting held on Saturday with representatives from Muslim community organisations at the collectorate, Collector Dr Vipin Itankar made this decision.

State Government offices are scheduled to observe 24 public holidays in 2024, including Eid-e-Milad. Since Eid-e-Milad falls on September 16 and Anant Chaturdashi on September 17, there were concerns about security issues. To maintain law and order, it was decided that Muslims in Mumbai city, Mumbai suburbs, and some other districts would hold their procession on September 18 instead of September 16. As a result, the Eid-e-Milad holiday on September 16 has been moved to September 18 for Mumbai and its suburbs. Deepak More, Deputy Secretary to the Government, issued a letter regarding the change on September 13.

District Collectors in other districts of the State were given the authority to adjust holidays as needed. In this context, Dr Itankar held a meeting at the collectorate on Saturday, which was attended by Police Commissioner Dr Ravinder Singal and SP Dr Harssh Poddar, and declared holiday on Monday
VIDARBHA'S POWER WOES :XI High Tariff REDUCED INCENTIVE pinch Vidarbha industries Hard





By Ravi Chandpurkar

VIA Demands restoration of old incentive scheme for industries in Marathwada and Vidarbha Region

THE industries in industrially backward Vidarbha region are caught between the two saws -- high electricity tariff and reduced incentive under Government scheme.Already burdened by high tariff, these industries are facing a new problem -- incentives have been reduced under the new scheme as compared to the old one. Coupled with long delays in getting those incentives, this particular development has left the industries in Vidarbha dejected, taking cognisance of which the Vidarbha Industries Association ( VIA) has urged the State Government to restore the old incentive scheme with an extension up to March 31, 2029. According to Prashant Mohota, Secretary of VIA and Chairman of VIA Energy Forum, there is a huge difference in the old and new incentive schemes. Under the old incentive scheme for large and efficient units, the incentive offered was at Rs 2.40 per unit of electricity consumption. Under the new incentive scheme, this incentive has been reduced to 90 paise per unit.

There is, thus, a huge difference of Rs 1.50 per unit between the incentive offered under the old and new schemes. Similarly, for small and inefficient units, the incentive was Rs 1.90/unit under the old scheme. Now, under the new scheme, the incentive has been brought down to 80 paise. Again, there is a big difference of Rs 1.10 per unit in incentive offered under the old and new schemes. The new scheme with reduced incentive came only after followup by VIA. After VIA made numerous submissions to the State Government, the latter formed a Cabinet Sub-Committee on July 7, 2023 to revise the Power Subsidy Scheme. On March 5, 2024, a Government Resolution was issued extending the Old Power Subsidy Scheme until March 31, 2027, with a commitment that the Cabinet Sub-Committee would decide on the New Scheme, considering that Rs 1,200 crore sanctioned in the budget was unutilised. The new Vidarbha and Marathwada Subsidy Scheme, which replaced the original scheme from 2019, has seen delays and huge reduction in incentive released so far. During 2022-23 and 2023-24, the amounts released were significantly lower than the budgeted amount of Rs 1,200 crore each year, Mohota added. Industries have bulk consumption of electricity. As such, additional burden of Rs 1.90/unit or Rs 1.10/unit, due to reduction in incentive, may result in increase in energy bills by thousands of rupees per month. Vishal Agrawal, President ofVIA, said that extraordinary high power tariff as compared to neighbouring States like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh was discouraging the industries away from Nagpur. He cited examples too. Two large industrial houses of Nagpur migrated out of the region and invested thousands of crores of rupees in setting-up new plants in Raipur about 15 years ago. Sarda Energy and Neco Group have expanded their operations and invested heavily in setting-up their steel plants in Raipur because of the lower cost of power in Chhattisgarh. A large number of companies keen on making investment are moving clear of Nagpur as a suitable

industrial destination on account of high power tariff in Maharashtra. Recently, VIA made a submission to the Additional Chief Secretary (Energy), Government of Maharashtra and member of the Board of Directors of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL). In it, VIA raised several urgent issues affecting the industries in Nagpur and urged the State Government to convene the Cabinet SubCommittee to introduce a New Power Subsidy Scheme from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2029. The MERC SoP Regulations, 2021, increased the security deposit for industries in Maharashtra from one months average electricity bill to two months. With the continuous rise in power tariffs and Fuel Adjustment Charge (FAC), this adds a huge burden on industrial consumers, despite timely payments. Hence, VIA sought the security deposit requirement to be restored to one month instead of two months presently, and also to file an application before the MERC to amend the said Regulations of 2021. VIA has requested the State Government to issue new guidelines for delegating power from the Director of Operations (DOP) Mumbai to the Superintending Engineer (Operations and Maintenance) Circles, specifically for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and NonStandard Operating Procedures (Non-SOPs). The new guidelines should clearly outline the scope, responsibilities, and authority limits for Superintending Engineer in regional places like Nagpur, ensuring seamless execution of operations and maintenance tasks. This is also necessary to get refunds and special permissions at the regional level so that a person does not have to go to Mumbai to get work done, Mohota elaborated.
Data-mining software company Palantir Technologies is popular among retail investors, but Bank of America said it's still misunderstood by many on Wall Street.

In a note on Tuesday, analysts pointed out that a 1980 estimate of cell phone users by 2000 was just 900,000. The actual number of mobile subscriptions that year was more than 100 million. Meanwhile, such early forecasts also failed to see the advent of mobile apps and smart devices.

"We view Palantir's (PLTR) capabilities, technology and path forward facing a similar fundamental misunderstanding," wrote BofA analysts led by Mariana Perez Mora. "The upcoming S&P 500 inclusion provides a watershed moment for institutional investors to revisit what they 'know' about PLTR."

BofA reiterated its buy rating on Palantir stock and raised its price target to $50 from $30. The new target represents 40.5% upside from the stock's closing price on Friday. And that comes after shares had already jumped on news last week that the company would join the S&P 500 later this month and have more than doubled in the year to date.

A key misunderstanding on Wall Street is Palantir's unconventional sales strategy, which has engineers playing a key role. While investors have said the approach limits scalability and profitability, BofA disagrees.

"We think this method makes PLTR solutions significantly more relevant to the users and gives PLTR stronger pricing power," the note said. "The engineers create intimacy with the customer's mission and help shape the product to add real value."

Meanwhile, as Palantir racks up more customers in the public and private sectors, BofA sees a huge opportunity for the company to become the common data operational system for the U.S. government and large U.S. businesses.

Palantir is known for its work in defense and intelligence but has also been expanding in the commercial space.

Celebrating Palantir's inclusion in the S&P 500, CEO Alex Karp took a victory lap in a video posted on Tuesday. He also nodded to Wall Street's misconceptions about the company, which developed and offered products a decade ahead of rivals, allowing entire enterprises to use AI and large language models.

"It's still radical to the point where people do not completely comprehend," Karp said. "They do not comprehend how we could've turned a switch and gone to GAAP profitability. And gone from what adults, professional managers, and some analysts thought was a Frankenstein monster powered by a freak show leadermeto a dynamic, clearly profitable company worthy of and admitted to the S&P 500."

Story continues

Along the way, Palantir charted its own course, ignoring what conventional wisdom preached, he added, while also applauding retail investors who maintained faith in the company.

"All of you who are inside the company and around the world should celebrate that the rebels won," he said.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Free Report)s share price traded down 0.5% during trading on Friday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $115.94 and last traded at $116.25. 460,198 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 92% from the average session volume of 5,811,062 shares. The stock had previously closed at $116.83.

Specifically, CEO Robert B. Ford sold 141,679 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.41, for a total transaction of $16,492,852.39. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 220,059 shares in the company, valued at $25,617,068.19. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Get Abbott Laboratories alerts:

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on ABT shares. Edward Jones cut Abbott Laboratories from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $119.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $121.00 price target for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $121.80.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Down 0.4 %

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $109.24 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $108.65. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The firm has a market cap of $202.52 billion, a PE ratio of 36.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.72.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.04. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 20.18% and a net margin of 13.65%. The company had revenue of $10.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.08 EPS. Abbott Laboratoriess quarterly revenue was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Abbott Laboratories

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Unique Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors own 75.18% of the companys stock.

About Abbott Laboratories

(Get 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.

Read More

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.
Shares of Banco Santander, S.A. (LON:BNC  Get Free Report) passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 363.74 ($4.76) and traded as high as GBX 373.56 ($4.89). Banco Santander shares last traded at GBX 363 ($4.75), with a volume of 211,701 shares traded.

Banco Santander Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of 56.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 605.00, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.32. The businesss 50 day moving average is GBX 363.74 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 374.90.

Banco Santander Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Banco Santander, SA provides various financial services worldwide. The company operates through Retail Banking, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, Wealth Management & Insurance, and PagoNxt segments. It offers demand and time deposits, mutual funds, and current and savings accounts; mortgages, consumer finance, loans, and various financing solutions; and project finance, debt capital markets, global transaction banking, and corporate finance services.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Banco Santander Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Santander and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:BNY  Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $10.65 and traded as high as $11.02. BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust shares last traded at $11.00, with a volume of 76,603 shares changing hands.

BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust Trading Up 0.5 %

The companys 50-day simple moving average is $10.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $10.65.

Get BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust alerts:

BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be given a dividend of $0.043 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.69%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th.

Institutional Trading of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust

About BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Robinson Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $126,000. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust by 329.6% in the 1st quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 40,846 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $433,000 after purchasing an additional 31,337 shares during the last quarter. Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC purchased a new position in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $450,000. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $244,000. Finally, Focused Wealth Management Inc raised its position in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Focused Wealth Management Inc now owns 117,638 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,247,000 after purchasing an additional 7,114 shares during the last quarter.

(Get 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.

Further Reading

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.
Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Limited (OTCMKTS:BDWBF  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 28,988,600 shares, a drop of 45.6% from the August 15th total of 53,270,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 20,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1,442.2 days.

Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Stock Down 10.4 %

Shares of OTCMKTS BDWBF traded down $0.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1.01. The company had a trading volume of 6,300 shares, compared to its average volume of 26,327. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $1.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1.33. Budweiser Brewing Company APAC has a 12 month low of $0.98 and a 12 month high of $2.04.

Get Budweiser Brewing Company APAC alerts:

Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Featured Stories

Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Limited, an investment holding company, produces, imports, markets, distributes, and sells beer and other non-beer beverages primarily in China, South Korea, India, Vietnam, and the other Asia Pacific regions. It offers a portfolio of beer brands, including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona, Hoegaarden, Cass, and Harbin.

Receive News & Ratings for Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Budweiser Brewing Company APAC and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Caledonia Mining Co. Plc (LON:CMCL  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 1,041 ($13.61) and last traded at GBX 1,020 ($13.34), with a volume of 2278 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 980 ($12.82).

Caledonia Mining Stock Up 4.1 %

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 891.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 845.41. The firm has a market cap of 195.84 million, a PE ratio of 2,217.39 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.31.

Get Caledonia Mining alerts:

Caledonia Mining Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 11th were paid a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 11th. This represents a yield of 1.42%. Caledonia Minings dividend payout ratio is currently 9,565.22%.

Caledonia Mining Company Profile

Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc primarily operates a gold mine. It also engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties for precious metals. The company holds a 64% interest in the Blanket Mine, a gold mine located in Zimbabwe. It also owns 100% interests in the Maligreen project, a brownfield gold exploration project located in the Gweru mining district in the Zimbabwe Midlands; the Bilboes, a gold deposit located to the north of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; and the Motapa, a gold exploration property located in Southern Zimbabwe.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Caledonia Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Caledonia Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Capital Properties, Inc. (OTCMKTS:CPTP  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a decline of 50.0% from the August 15th total of 200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Capital Properties Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:CPTP remained flat at $9.92 during trading hours on Friday. The firms 50-day moving average is $10.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.25. Capital Properties has a 1 year low of $9.90 and a 1 year high of $12.52.

Get Capital Properties alerts:

Capital Properties (OTCMKTS:CPTP  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, August 2nd. The company reported $0.11 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $1.49 million during the quarter. Capital Properties had a net margin of 36.86% and a return on equity of 31.27%.

Capital Properties Dividend Announcement

About Capital Properties

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th were issued a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th.

(Get Free Report)

Capital Properties, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in leasing land in downtown Providence, Rhode Island under long-term ground leases. It owns approximately 18 acres in the Capital Center consisting of 13 individual parcels; leases the undeveloped parcels of land adjacent to the Capital Center for public parking purposes; and leases 23 outdoor advertising locations containing 44 billboard faces along interstate and primary highways in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Capital Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Capital Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
High-yield dividend stocks offer two key benefits. They provide regular cash flow through dividend payments and, when dividends are consistently reinvested, have often outperformed the S&P 500 over extended periods.

High yields, however, warrant scrutiny. They often result from falling share prices or overly generous payout policies. The payout ratio, which measures the proportion of earnings distributed as dividends, is a critical metric. Ratios exceeding 75% can signal unsustainability, potentially leading to dividend cuts and subsequent stock price declines.

Image source: Getty Images.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) stands out in this context. The company currently offers a mouthwatering 5.7% dividend yield -- the highest among major drug manufacturers and one of the highest in the entire healthcare sector. However, Pfizer's payout ratio of 436% raises significant concerns about sustainability.

Is Pfizer's high dividend worth the risk? Let's dig deeper to find out.

A pharmaceutical powerhouse facing challenges

Pfizer is a global pharmaceutical giant with an impressive portfolio of over 350 marketed medicines, 113 experimental candidates in clinical trials, and a presence in more than 200 countries. Despite this commanding position, the company's stock has recently stumbled, plummeting 52% from its three-year high.

This significant decline primarily stems from the sales slump of Pfizer's once-booming COVID-19 franchise. However, amid this key challenge, Pfizer's current valuation may present an intriguing opportunity for both bargain hunters and yield-seeking investors.

Delving into the specifics, Pfizer's shares now trade at a mere 9.6 times 2026 projected earnings, a notable discount in the typically premium-laden pharmaceutical sector. This attractive valuation, combined with the stock's high dividend yield and Pfizer's entrenched market position, creates a compelling value proposition for investors with a long-term horizon.

Dividend sustainability concerns

Pfizer's 5.7% dividend yield, while attractive, raises significant sustainability concerns. The company's payout ratio has skyrocketed to 436%, far exceeding the 75% threshold that typically signals potential dividend instability. This ratio is not only alarmingly high in absolute terms but also stands out as the highest among Pfizer's big pharma and blue chip biotech peers.

PFE Payout Ratio (Annual) Chart

Context is crucial, however. The pharmaceutical industry often experiences periods of elevated payout ratios due to its capital-intensive nature and the finite patent protection for branded medications. These factors can lead to temporary spikes in this metric. Indeed, the average payout ratio among Pfizer's peer group is 141% -- already quite high but still dwarfed by Pfizer's 436%.

Wall Street's reaction to these figures has been decidedly bearish. Pfizer's shares have declined by 14% over the prior 12 months, reflecting investor skepticism about its ability to maintain its current dividend levels. This negative sentiment persists despite Pfizer's strong commercial performance in the first half of the year, including several successful new drug launches.

Management's stance and prospects

During Pfizer's 2024 second-quarter conference call, management reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining and growing the dividend as a top priority. This stance is supported by the company's 15-year streak of consecutive dividend increases and no reductions since the $68 billion Wyeth acquisition in 2009.

To bolster this commitment, Pfizer has implemented a cost-saving plan targeting $4 billion in net savings by year-end. This initiative aims to improve free cash flows and support short-term dividend sustainability.

Looking ahead, Pfizer's pipeline includes several potential blockbuster cancer drugs, notably vepdegestrant for breast cancer and sigvotatug vedotin for lung cancer. If successful in clinical trials, these high-value medications could generate over $1 billion in annual sales.

Successful launches of these drugs could significantly boost Pfizer's top-line growth and earnings power in the latter half of the decade. This improved financial performance could help bring the company's payout ratio closer to its historical average of around 50%.

The verdict: A calculated risk worth considering

While nothing is guaranteed in investing, the market's pessimistic outlook on Pfizer's near-term prospects may be overdone. Management's steadfast commitment to dividend growth, cost-cutting measures, and a promising drug pipeline suggest the potential for a turnaround.

Pfizer's shares also currently trade at a steep discount relative to many of its big pharma peers, potentially providing a margin of safety for investors buying at current levels. While the elevated payout ratio is a concern, the company's strong market position, diverse product portfolio, and proven innovation engine offer some reassurance that this situation will ultimately prove temporary.

Given these factors, Pfizer screens as an intriguing option for investors seeking high-yield opportunities. However, as with all high-yield stocks, monitoring the company's financial health and dividend coverage will remain crucial.

Should you invest $1,000 in Pfizer right now?

Before you buy stock in Pfizer, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Pfizer wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $729,857!*

Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*.

See the 10 stocks 

*Stock Advisor returns as of September 9, 2024

George Budwell has positions in Pfizer. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Pfizer. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Is Pfizer's 5.7% Dividend Yield Worth the Risk? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Capitec Bank Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:CKHGY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 200 shares, a growth of 100.0% from the August 15th total of 100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 11,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.0 days.

Capitec Bank Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:CKHGY traded down $1.25 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $83.32. 1,056 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,829. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $77.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $66.06. Capitec Bank has a 12 month low of $41.01 and a 12 month high of $84.59.

Get Capitec Bank alerts:

About Capitec Bank

(Get Free Report)

See Also

Capitec Bank Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services in South Africa. The company operates through three segments: Retail Bank, Business Bank, and Insurance. It offers transactional banking services; fixed and tax-free savings, and call and notice deposits; term loans, credit facilities, mortgage loans, overdrafts, instalment sales and leases, credit and debit cards, and access facilities; rental finance; payment services; merchant services; and value-added services, as well as credit and life insurance products.

Receive News & Ratings for Capitec Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Capitec Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Cellnex Telecom, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CLLNY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 16,800 shares, a decrease of 74.2% from the August 15th total of 65,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 102,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days.

Cellnex Telecom Price Performance

CLLNY stock traded up $0.30 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $20.28. The stock had a trading volume of 27,904 shares, compared to its average volume of 97,569. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $18.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $17.86. Cellnex Telecom has a 52 week low of $13.69 and a 52 week high of $20.39.

Get Cellnex Telecom alerts:

Cellnex Telecom Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Further Reading

Cellnex Telecom, SA operates infrastructure for wireless telecommunication in Austria, Denmark, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Switzerland. It operates through three segments: Telecom Infrastructure Services, Broadcasting Infrastructure, and Other Network Services.

Receive News & Ratings for Cellnex Telecom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cellnex Telecom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Central African Gold Inc. (BANC.V) (CVE:BANC  Get Free Report)s stock price shot up 8.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as C$0.32 and last traded at C$0.32. 80,972 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 230% from the average session volume of 24,545 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.30.

Central African Gold Inc. (BANC.V) Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 0.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.17. The company has a market capitalization of C$11.23 million and a PE ratio of -0.91. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of C$0.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$0.32.

About Central African Gold Inc. (BANC.V)

(Get Free Report)

Bankers Cobalt Corp., a natural resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of cobalt and copper mineral projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia. The company explores for nickel, gold, platinum, and palladium deposits. It holds 100% interest in six concessions located in Namibia.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Central African Gold Inc. (BANC.V) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Central African Gold Inc. (BANC.V) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
China Hongqiao Group Limited (OTCMKTS:CHHQF  Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 46,269,700 shares, a decline of 20.1% from the August 15th total of 57,874,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently  days.

China Hongqiao Group Price Performance

OTCMKTS:CHHQF remained flat at $1.15 during trading hours on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $1.15 and its 200 day moving average is $1.10. China Hongqiao Group has a 1-year low of $1.15 and a 1-year high of $1.15.

Get China Hongqiao Group alerts:

China Hongqiao Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Read More

China Hongqiao Group Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures and sells aluminum products in the People's Republic of China and Indonesia. The company's products include molten aluminum alloys, aluminum alloy ingots, aluminum busbars, aluminum alloy processing, and alumina products.

Receive News & Ratings for China Hongqiao Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Hongqiao Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com began coverage on shares of China Pharma (NYSE:CPHI  Free Report) in a research note released on Wednesday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock.

China Pharma Price Performance

CPHI stock opened at $0.23 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.84. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $0.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $0.28. China Pharma has a twelve month low of $0.17 and a twelve month high of $1.21.

Get China Pharma alerts:

China Pharma (NYSE:CPHI  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. China Pharma had a negative net margin of 70.47% and a negative return on equity of 60.19%. The business had revenue of $0.93 million during the quarter.

About China Pharma

China Pharma Holdings, Inc develops, manufactures, and markets generic and branded pharmaceutical, and biochemical products to hospitals and private retailers in the People's Republic of China. The company provides products in the form of dry powder injectables, liquid injectables, tablets, capsules, and cephalosporin oral solutions.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for China Pharma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Pharma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Dunelm Group plc (LON:DNLM  Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of Hold by the seven research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 1,214.17 ($15.88).

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on DNLM. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating and set a GBX 1,060 ($13.86) price objective on shares of Dunelm Group in a report on Thursday. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price objective on shares of Dunelm Group from GBX 1,250 ($16.35) to GBX 1,325 ($17.33) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Saturday, July 20th.

Get Dunelm Group alerts:

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Dunelm Group

Dunelm Group Price Performance

Dunelm Group Cuts Dividend

LON:DNLM opened at GBX 1,232 ($16.11) on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of 2.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,664.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -10.32 and a beta of 1.18. Dunelm Group has a 12-month low of GBX 959 ($12.54) and a 12-month high of GBX 1,335.54 ($17.46). The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 236.84. The companys 50-day moving average is GBX 1,202.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 1,117.52.

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 31st will be issued a GBX 27.50 ($0.36) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 31st. This represents a yield of 2.23%. Dunelm Groups payout ratio is 5,945.95%.

Dunelm Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Dunelm Group plc retails homewares in the United Kingdom. The company offers furniture and beds products, which include bedroom, living room, dining room, and other furniture, as well as bed and mattresses, and sofas and armchairs; bedding products comprising bed linen, dorma, baby and kid's bedding, and duvets, pillows, and protectors; curtains and rugs; and venetian, roller, roman, vertical, and made to measure blinds.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Dunelm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dunelm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Element Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of NexGen Energy Ltd. (NYSE:NXE  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 15,800 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $110,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. CapWealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in NexGen Energy during the second quarter valued at $147,000. TD Asset Management Inc raised its position in shares of NexGen Energy by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 3,131,701 shares of the companys stock valued at $21,834,000 after buying an additional 47,394 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of NexGen Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its position in NexGen Energy by 60.5% in the second quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 816,560 shares of the companys stock worth $5,691,000 after acquiring an additional 307,675 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Privium Fund Management B.V. bought a new stake in NexGen Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $195,000. 42.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get NexGen Energy alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on NXE shares. Ventum Cap Mkts upgraded NexGen Energy to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, July 8th. National Bank Financial upgraded NexGen Energy to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, NexGen Energy presently has an average rating of Strong Buy and an average price target of $11.00.

NexGen Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NXE opened at $5.73 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $3.22 billion, a P/E ratio of -573.00 and a beta of 1.91. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $7.08. NexGen Energy Ltd. has a 1 year low of $4.95 and a 1 year high of $8.88.

NexGen Energy (NYSE:NXE  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported ($0.01) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.02. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.03) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that NexGen Energy Ltd. will post -0.09 EPS for the current year.

NexGen Energy Company Profile

(Free Report)

NexGen Energy Ltd., an exploration and development stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation and development of uranium properties in Canada. It holds 100% interest in the Rook I project comprising 32 contiguous mineral claims totaling an area of 35,065 hectares located in the southwestern Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for NexGen Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NexGen Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Element Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 23,627 shares of the investment management companys stock, valued at approximately $10,687,000. The Goldman Sachs Group makes up 0.8% of Element Capital Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of GS. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 1st quarter worth $25,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 106.3% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 66 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 103.3% during the 2nd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 61 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. 71.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts:

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on GS. Citigroup lifted their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $460.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $504.00 to $559.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and issued a $500.00 price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $475.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $513.00 to $561.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $496.44.

Insider Transactions at The Goldman Sachs Group

In related news, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.99, for a total transaction of $1,770,965.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 12,095 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,119,949.05. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, Director Thomas K. Montag sold 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.04, for a total value of $5,050,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 12,450 shares in the company, valued at $6,287,748. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.99, for a total transaction of $1,770,965.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 12,095 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,119,949.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock.

The Goldman Sachs Group Price Performance

Shares of GS stock opened at $478.99 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $490.33 and its 200 day moving average is $451.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.20. The stock has a market cap of $154.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.70, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.36. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $289.36 and a twelve month high of $517.26.

The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 15th. The investment management company reported $8.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.52 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $12.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.60 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 9.36% and a return on equity of 10.56%. Research analysts expect that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 35.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Goldman Sachs Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $3.00 per share. This represents a $12.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.51%. This is a positive change from The Goldman Sachs Groups previous quarterly dividend of $2.75. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.86%.

The Goldman Sachs Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in financing under securities to resale agreements.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Pinion Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Free Report) by 8.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,280 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after buying an additional 319 shares during the quarter. Pinion Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $539,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 59.2% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 25,420,916 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $3,074,660,000 after acquiring an additional 9,455,621 shares during the last quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main raised its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 26.3% in the 4th quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 4,948,119 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $598,475,000 after purchasing an additional 1,029,727 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors lifted its stake in EOG Resources by 7.1% during the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 11,564,463 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,478,401,000 after purchasing an additional 766,056 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in EOG Resources by 1.3% during the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 28,889,715 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $3,693,261,000 after buying an additional 373,365 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI grew its position in EOG Resources by 237.9% in the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 487,920 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $61,741,000 after buying an additional 343,527 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.91% of the companys stock.

Get EOG Resources alerts:

EOG Resources Stock Up 1.0 %

EOG stock opened at $119.37 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a market cap of $67.87 billion, a PE ratio of 9.43, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.28. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 1 year low of $108.94 and a 1 year high of $139.67. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $125.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $126.25.

EOG Resources Announces Dividend

EOG Resources ( NYSE:EOG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.07 billion. EOG Resources had a return on equity of 25.42% and a net margin of 30.33%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.49 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 12.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 17th will be issued 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 yield of 3.05%. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.75%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup raised their price objective on EOG Resources from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, May 24th. Scotiabank decreased their price target on EOG Resources from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 12th. KeyCorp started coverage on EOG Resources in a report on Thursday, June 27th. They set an overweight rating and a $157.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $166.00 to $167.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and issued a $147.00 price objective on shares of EOG Resources in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Thirteen research 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $143.63.

View Our Latest Report on EOG

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Michael P. Donaldson sold 11,037 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.50, for a total transaction of $1,429,291.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 74,250 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,615,375. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, EVP Michael P. Donaldson sold 11,037 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.50, for a total value of $1,429,291.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 74,250 shares in the company, valued at $9,615,375. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Charles R. Crisp sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.60, for a total value of $816,400.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 60,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,648,035.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 21,537 shares of company stock valued at $2,751,612 over the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

EOG Resources Profile

(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.

See Also

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.
Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:FMN  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 25,600 shares, an increase of 122.6% from the August 15th total of 11,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 39,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days.

Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund Stock Up 0.3 %

NYSE FMN opened at $12.43 on Friday. Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund has a 1-year low of $9.09 and a 1-year high of $12.46. The stocks 50 day moving average is $11.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.37.

Get Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund alerts:

Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.038 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 23rd. This represents a $0.46 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund Company Profile

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund by 86.9% during the 1st quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,108 shares of the companys stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 4,236 shares in the last quarter. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund in the second quarter valued at approximately $149,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund in the 4th quarter worth approximately $239,000. Sar Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $278,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund by 100.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 38,925 shares of the companys stock valued at $445,000 after purchasing an additional 19,477 shares in the last quarter.

(Get Free Report)

Federated Premier Municipal Income Fund is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Federated Investors, Inc The fund is managed by Federated Investment Management Company. It invests in fixed income markets of United States. The fund primarily invests in tax-exempt municipal bonds of GO state, GO local, special tax, hospital, transportation, pre-refunded, senior care, water and sewer, education, electric and gas, and public power sectors.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Key Insights

Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad's significant private companies ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public

The largest shareholder of the company is Tan Chin Tuan Pte Ltd with a 52% stake

Ownership research, combined with past performance data can help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad (KLSE:MSC), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that private companies own the lion's share in the company with 53% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

And individual investors on the other hand have a 34% ownership in the company.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad, beginning with the chart below.

View our latest analysis for Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad. The company's largest shareholder is Tan Chin Tuan Pte Ltd, with ownership of 52%. This implies that they have majority interest control of the future of the company. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 1.3% and 1.2%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time.

Insider Ownership Of Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Story continues

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own some shares in Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad. It has a market capitalization of just RM995m, and insiders have RM70m worth of shares, in their own names. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 34% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

Private Company Ownership

It seems that Private Companies own 53%, of the Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad stock. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Garrison Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR  Free Report) by 3.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,277 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Garrison Asset Management LLCs holdings in Digital Realty Trust were worth $346,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Gradient Investments LLC raised its holdings in Digital Realty Trust by 75.2% in the 2nd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 177 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. American Capital Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Private Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC raised its stake in Digital Realty Trust by 1,125.0% in the first quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 196 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.71% of the companys stock.

Get Digital Realty Trust alerts:

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Jean F. H. P. Mandeville sold 600 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total transaction of $90,156.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 9,055 shares in the company, valued at $1,360,604.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on DLR. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Digital Realty Trust from $143.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Digital Realty Trust from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $150.00 to $175.00 in a report on Friday, June 28th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $122.00 to $120.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $160.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $144.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, June 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $154.00.

Get Our Latest Research Report on DLR

Digital Realty Trust Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:DLR opened at $158.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.78. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has a 1 year low of $113.94 and a 1 year high of $162.58. The company has a market cap of $49.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.15, a PEG ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.60. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $151.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $146.97.

Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($1.43). Digital Realty Trust had a net margin of 20.58% and a return on equity of 5.93%. The company had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.68 EPS. Digital Realty Trusts revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Digital Realty Trust, Inc. will post 6.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Digital Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a dividend of $1.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.07%. Digital Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio is presently 135.56%.

About Digital Realty Trust

(Free Report)

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Digital Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Digital Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Hanson & Doremus Investment Management increased its holdings in Kilroy Realty Co. (NYSE:KRC  Free Report) by 19.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 84,998 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 14,029 shares during the quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management owned 0.07% of Kilroy Realty worth $2,649,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of KRC. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Kilroy Realty in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Wiser Advisor Group LLC increased its stake in Kilroy Realty by 67.5% during the 1st quarter. Wiser Advisor Group LLC now owns 757 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Kilroy Realty during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in Kilroy Realty by 1,322.9% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,366 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 1,270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Kilroy Realty by 2,510.7% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,462 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 1,406 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.22% of the companys stock.

Get Kilroy Realty alerts:

Kilroy Realty Stock Up 4.0 %

Shares of NYSE:KRC opened at $36.59 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 3.61 and a quick ratio of 3.61. The stock has a market cap of $4.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.03 and a beta of 1.04. Kilroy Realty Co. has a 1-year low of $26.78 and a 1-year high of $43.37. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $34.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $34.16.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Kilroy Realty ( NYSE:KRC Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.08 by ($0.67). The company had revenue of $280.73 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $276.81 million. Kilroy Realty had a return on equity of 3.52% and a net margin of 17.91%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.19 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Kilroy Realty Co. will post 4.25 EPS for the current year.

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. KeyCorp cut their price objective on Kilroy Realty from $45.00 to $42.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on Kilroy Realty from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Scotiabank dropped their price target on Kilroy Realty from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Kilroy Realty from $39.00 to $38.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Kilroy Realty currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $38.30.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Kilroy Realty

Kilroy Realty Profile

(Free Report)

Kilroy Realty Corporation (NYSE: KRC, the company, Kilroy) is a leading U.S. landlord and developer, with operations in San Diego, Greater Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Greater Seattle and Austin. The company has earned global recognition for sustainability, building operations, innovation and design.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KRC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Kilroy Realty Co. (NYSE:KRC  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Kilroy Realty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kilroy Realty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Hoge Financial Services LLC lifted its position in Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC  Free Report) (TSE:MFC) by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 30,399 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 1,435 shares during the period. Manulife Financial comprises about 0.7% of Hoge Financial Services LLCs holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Hoge Financial Services LLCs holdings in Manulife Financial were worth $809,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MFC. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Manulife Financial by 1.1% in the second quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 201,873 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,374,000 after acquiring an additional 2,245 shares during the period. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale lifted its holdings in Manulife Financial by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 2,145,519 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $56,662,000 after buying an additional 56,677 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its position in shares of Manulife Financial by 130.6% in the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 54,049 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,439,000 after buying an additional 30,614 shares during the last quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Manulife Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $239,000. Finally, Wambolt & Associates LLC raised its holdings in shares of Manulife Financial by 2.2% during the second quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLC now owns 92,871 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,442,000 after acquiring an additional 2,003 shares in the last quarter. 52.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Manulife Financial alerts:

Manulife Financial Trading Up 0.5 %

Manulife Financial stock opened at $28.08 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $49.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.08. Manulife Financial Co. has a 12 month low of $17.07 and a 12 month high of $28.17. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $26.45 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.44.

Manulife Financial Dividend Announcement

Manulife Financial ( NYSE:MFC Get Free Report ) (TSE:MFC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.27. Manulife Financial had a return on equity of 16.16% and a net margin of 9.18%. The company had revenue of $9.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.95 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.62 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Manulife Financial Co. will post 2.72 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.13%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. Manulife Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on MFC shares. Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Manulife Financial to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Barclays assumed coverage on Manulife Financial in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. They issued an equal weight rating for the company. Finally, TD Securities upped their price target on Manulife Financial from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $35.67.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Manulife Financial

About Manulife Financial

(Free Report)

Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in the United States, Canada, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; and Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment offers investment advice and solutions to retirement, retail, and institutional clients through multiple distribution channels, including agents and brokers affiliated with the company, independent securities brokerage firms and financial advisors pension plan consultants, and banks.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC  Free Report) (TSE:MFC).

Receive News & Ratings for Manulife Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Manulife Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Dr. Martens plc (LON:DOCS  Get Free Report) insider Kenny Wilson acquired 226 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 67 ($0.88) per share, for a total transaction of 151.42 ($198.01).

Kenny Wilson also recently made the following trade(s):

Get Dr. Martens alerts:

On Thursday, July 11th, Kenny Wilson acquired 200 shares of Dr. Martens stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 75 ($0.98) per share, for a total transaction of 150 ($196.16).

Dr. Martens Stock Up 1.1 %

DOCS stock opened at GBX 64 ($0.84) on Friday. The firms 50-day simple moving average is GBX 70.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 79.17. The stock has a market cap of 615.50 million, a PE ratio of 914.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.40 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 2.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 129.55. Dr. Martens plc has a fifty-two week low of GBX 62 ($0.81) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 155.50 ($2.03).

About Dr. Martens

Dr. Martens plc designs, develops, procures, markets, sells, and distributes footwear in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific. It offers originals, fusion, kids, and casual, as well as accessories. The company offers its products under the Dr. Martens brand name. Dr. Martens plc was founded in 1945 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Dr. Martens Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dr. Martens and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
iShares MSCI Ireland ETF (NYSEARCA:EIRL  Get Free Report)s stock price were up 0.6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $68.21 and last traded at $68.14. 2,036 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 73% from the average session volume of 7,566 shares. The stock had previously closed at $67.70.

iShares MSCI Ireland ETF Stock Up 0.6 %

The companys 50-day moving average is $68.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.98. The company has a market capitalization of $119.24 million, a P/E ratio of 17.14 and a beta of 1.03.

Get iShares MSCI Ireland ETF alerts:

Hedge Funds Weigh In On iShares MSCI Ireland ETF

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Comerica Bank raised its position in iShares MSCI Ireland ETF by 141.4% in the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 461 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Choate Investment Advisors purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Ireland ETF in the first quarter worth about $208,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Ireland ETF in the second quarter worth about $287,000. Brookstone Capital Management boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI Ireland ETF by 32.0% during the 1st quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 5,007 shares of the companys stock valued at $347,000 after acquiring an additional 1,214 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI Ireland ETF by 205.4% during the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,194 shares of the companys stock valued at $412,000 after acquiring an additional 4,166 shares during the period.

iShares MSCI Ireland ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI Ireland ETF (EIRL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI All Ireland Capped index, a market-cap-weighted index of Irish firms. EIRL was launched on May 5, 2010 and is managed by BlackRock.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Ireland ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Ireland ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG  Free Report) by 0.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 27,532 shares of the companys stock after selling 123 shares during the quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF were worth $2,817,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 57.4% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 26,597,234 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,720,897,000 after purchasing an additional 9,697,657 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 8,384,800 shares of the companys stock worth $812,068,000 after buying an additional 137,178 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC boosted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 49.5% in the second quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 6,599,521 shares of the companys stock valued at $675,131,000 after buying an additional 2,184,037 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 60.9% in the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 3,742,137 shares of the companys stock valued at $382,821,000 after buying an additional 1,416,067 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SageView Advisory Group LLC grew its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 56,912.3% in the first quarter. SageView Advisory Group LLC now owns 2,788,471 shares of the companys stock valued at $273,103,000 after acquiring an additional 2,783,580 shares during the last quarter.

Get iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF alerts:

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Trading Up 0.1 %

EFG stock opened at $104.60 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $103.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $102.87. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a 12 month low of $67.58 and a 12 month high of $85.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.30 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.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG  Free Report).

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.
Parallel Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Free Report) by 9.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 72,087 shares of the companys stock after selling 7,464 shares during the quarter. Parallel Advisors LLCs holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $10,536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $43,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Grayhawk Investment Strategies Inc. grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 528.6% in the 4th quarter. Grayhawk Investment Strategies Inc. now owns 308 shares of the companys stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Get Johnson & Johnson alerts:

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

JNJ opened at $165.52 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $159.55 and a 200-day moving average of $153.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $398.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.32, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.53. Johnson & Johnson has a 12-month low of $143.13 and a 12-month high of $168.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

Johnson & Johnson ( NYSE:JNJ Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $22.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.33 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 36.60% and a net margin of 46.34%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.80 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 27th were issued a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 27th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.00%. Johnson & Johnsons dividend payout ratio is 30.92%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

JNJ has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Monday, September 9th. StockNews.com raised Johnson & Johnson from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Saturday. Daiwa America lowered Johnson & Johnson from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, TD Securities decreased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $173.21.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on JNJ

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Robert J. Decker sold 5,635 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.06, for a total transaction of $930,113.10. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 18,973 shares in the company, valued at $3,131,683.38. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

(Free Report)

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JNJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Johnson & Johnson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Johnson & Johnson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR  Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, August 21st, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th will be given a dividend of 0.15 per share by the construction company on Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th.

KBR has increased its dividend by an average of 10.5% per year over the last three years. KBR has a payout ratio of 15.4% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect KBR to earn $3.86 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.60 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 15.5%.

Get KBR alerts:

KBR Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE KBR opened at $62.23 on Friday. KBR has a fifty-two week low of $49.37 and a fifty-two week high of $69.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The company has a market cap of $8.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -32.41, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.90. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $65.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.39.

Insiders Place Their Bets

KBR ( NYSE:KBR Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The construction company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.04. KBR had a return on equity of 27.92% and a net margin of 2.77%. The business had revenue of $1.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.88 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that KBR will post 3.25 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, insider Jalal Ibrahim sold 35,000 shares of KBR stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.56, for a total value of $2,329,600.00. Following 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KBR has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen lowered shares of KBR from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $72.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, September 6th. StockNews.com raised shares of KBR from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a buy rating and issued a $78.00 price objective on shares of KBR in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, KBR currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $75.50.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on KBR

About KBR

(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.

See Also

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.
Wedbush reissued their neutral rating on shares of Lennar (NYSE:LEN  Free Report) in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $144.00 target price on the construction companys stock.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on LEN. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Lennar from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $180.00 to $174.00 in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Argus lifted their target price on shares of Lennar from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Lennar from $183.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. StockNews.com downgraded Lennar from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Lennar from $157.00 to $154.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $172.69.

Get Lennar alerts:

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Lennar

Lennar Price Performance

Shares of Lennar stock opened at $185.91 on Wednesday. Lennar has a twelve month low of $102.90 and a twelve month high of $186.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 4.93. The firm has a market cap of $51.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.61. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $172.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $162.96.

Lennar (NYSE:LEN  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 17th. The construction company reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.20 by $0.18. Lennar had a return on equity of 15.93% and a net margin of 11.58%. The company had revenue of $8.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.57 billion. As a group, research analysts expect that Lennar will post 14.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lennar Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 5th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 5th. Lennars payout ratio is 13.60%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lennar

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in Lennar during the second quarter worth about $6,069,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its position in shares of Lennar by 21.1% in the 2nd quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 165,931 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $24,868,000 after acquiring an additional 28,938 shares during the period. Delphi Management Inc. MA grew its holdings in Lennar by 3.4% during the second quarter. Delphi Management Inc. MA now owns 10,726 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,608,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares during the period. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in Lennar in the second quarter valued at approximately $904,000. Finally, Kimelman & Baird LLC acquired a new stake in Lennar in the second quarter worth $124,000. 81.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Lennar

(Get 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.

See Also

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.
Royal Bank of Canada restated their sector perform rating on shares of M&G (LON:MNG  Free Report) in a report released on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a GBX 220 ($2.88) target price on the stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a GBX 240 ($3.14) target price on shares of M&G in a report on Thursday, September 5th. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a hold rating and issued a GBX 225 ($2.94) target price on shares of M&G in a report on Thursday, September 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 223.33 ($2.92).

Get M&G alerts:

Get Our Latest Research Report on MNG

M&G Trading Up 1.5 %

M&G Cuts Dividend

LON:MNG opened at GBX 206.90 ($2.71) on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 228.54, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of 4.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,955.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -2.76 and a beta of 1.47. M&G has a one year low of GBX 170 ($2.22) and a one year high of GBX 241.10 ($3.15). The business has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 208.14 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 209.39.

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 18th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 12th will be issued a dividend of GBX 6.60 ($0.09) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.05%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 12th. M&Gs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28,571.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling at M&G

In other M&G news, insider Edward Braham purchased 24,600 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 19th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 204 ($2.67) per share, with a total value of 50,184 ($65,625.74). Insiders own 1.75% of the companys stock.

About M&G

(Get Free Report)

M&G plc, through its subsidiaries, engages in savings and investment businesses in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Asset Management, Life, and Wealth. It offers retirement, savings, and investment management solutions. The company also provides individual and corporate pensions, retirement, annuities, life, savings, and investment products, such as equities, fixed income, multi-asset and real estate.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for M&G Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for M&G and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Canadian Stocks To Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) stands against the other Canadian stocks.

In the ever-evolving landscape of investment opportunities, keeping an eye on the broader economic environment can be as crucial as analyzing individual stocks. As we delve into the best Canadian stocks to buy, its important to consider the country's current economic outlook. Canada's economic environment reveals a complex mix of challenges and potential opportunities. The global economy is still reeling from historically high inflation, which has triggered the most aggressive monetary tightening in decades. While the U.S. economy has demonstrated an unexpected resilience, balancing robust growth with moderating inflation, Canada's situation requires closer scrutiny. The Canadian economy, though strong in many respects, is particularly sensitive to interest rates. High levels of household debt and relatively short mortgage terms amplify the effects of rising interest rates, making Canadian consumers and businesses more vulnerable compared to their U.S. counterparts. Nevertheless, the latter part of 2023 showed unexpected economic strength, buoyed by record immigration and positive spillover from a resilient U.S. economy, leading to a significant easing of recession fears in Canada.

Yet, the Canadian economy is not entirely out of the woods. Growth is anticipated to remain below trend in 2024, with the Bank of Canada forecasting a modest GDP increase of 1.25% to 1.5%. This slowdown is partially attributed to Canadas distinct economic vulnerabilities. For instance, productivity growth has been alarmingly weak, with Canadas senior deputy governor labeling it as an emergency. This decline is largely due to insufficient business investment in key areas such as equipment and intellectual property, compounded by limited competition in essential sectors like telecommunications and banking. On a positive note, this slower growth is expected to ease inflationary pressures. Headline inflation has been gradually decreasing, and core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is moving closer to the Bank of Canadas target range. This scenario provides the Bank with some flexibility, with expectations for a 50-75 basis point reduction in interest rates later this year.

Despite strong job creation, particularly a notable surge in April 2024, employment growth of 2.0% over the past year has not kept pace with the 3.4% rise in population. This disparity has pushed the unemployment rate up by nearly a full percentage point to 6.2%, and it is projected to remain high through the rest of this year before beginning to decline in 2025. Wage growth, which averaged 5.3% in 2023, has decelerated to 3.9% (annualized) in the first quarter of 2024. With inflation pressures easing, this slower wage growth is expected to continue through 2024 and into the following year. Although the Bank of Canadas decision to cut its policy rate is a step in the right direction, Canadian households remain the most indebted in the G7. The interest rate hikes since 2022 have strained household finances, resulting in a decline in real consumer spending per capita over five of the last seven quarters as more income is diverted towards servicing mortgage and loan interest payments.

Story continues

The housing market has felt these effects more acutely. Real residential investment per capita dropped by 22.8% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to two years earlier. Looking forward, consumer spending and residential investment are expected to recover as lower interest rates stimulate demand. However, with low consumer confidence, hesitation to make significant purchases, ongoing housing affordability issues, and elevated savings rates, the pace of recovery in the latter half of 2024 is likely to be slow. Deloitte forecasts that more substantial improvements in consumption and residential investment will occur next year as confidence improves. Overall, Canada's economy performed better in the first half of 2024 than expected, but this strength is projected to be counterbalanced by slower real GDP growth in the latter part of the year due to reduced household spending. The updated forecast anticipates real GDP growth of 1.2% for 2024, accelerating to 2.6% in 2025. On a per-capita basis, real GDP is expected to decline by 1.6% this year before rebounding to 1.1% growth in 2025.

For investors looking to capitalize on these evolving conditions, understanding the underlying economic indicators and trends is essential. With this context, we now turn to a detailed examination of the best Canadian stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts.

Our Methodology

For this article we first used a stock screener to identify Canadian stocks that analysts see material upside to, as of September 9. From this list we chose 10 stocks that have the highest upside potential from their current price based on average analyst price targets.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

10 Largest Gold Mines in the World by Production Volume

A closeup view of a large gold mine, illustrating the company's gold properties.

Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA)

Upside Potential: 142%

Average Analyst Share Price Target: $39.04

Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) stands at number five on our list of ten best Canadian stocks to buy according to wall street analysts. Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA), headquartered in Toronto, Canada, focuses on acquiring and exploring gold properties, with key projects including the Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchel (KSM) in British Columbia, Courageous Lake, Iskut, and 3 Aces. Its flagship project, KSM, achieved a significant milestone in July 2024 when it received the "substantially started" designation from the BC Government, solidifying its environmental assessment certificate and ensuring its long-term viability. This is a crucial step for Seabridge as it advances the KSM project, which is expected to be a major copper and gold producer. Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) is also actively exploring the Iskut and 3 Aces projects, with a $12 million drill program at Iskut and a $6 million exploration initiative at 3 Aces. Both projects show strong potential for copper-gold porphyry systems, with recent discoveries supporting further resource expansion. At Iskut, the first mineral resource estimate for the Bronson deposit reveals an impressive 5.4 million ounces of gold and 1.06 billion pounds of copper.

Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) commitment to sustainability is evident in its 2023 report, highlighting progress in environmental compliance, indigenous partnerships, and safety. The company aims to lead in low-carbon copper production at KSM, while maintaining strong community ties and a focus on decarbonization. Financially, Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) reported a net profit of $45.2 million for Q2 2024, driven by gains from its secured note liabilities. With solid working capital and ongoing exploration, Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) is well-positioned for growth, making it an attractive stock for investors seeking exposure to the gold and copper markets.

Old West Management made the following comment about Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) in its Q4 2022 investor letter:

Seabridge Gold Inc. (NYSE:SA) was founded by current chairman and CEO Rudi Fronk in 1999. To say Seabridge is Fronks life work would be accurate. Fronk, who has two degrees in mining and minerals, is a top shareholder of the company. Seabridge owns the KSM project in northwestern British Colombia. KSM has proven and probable reserves of 47 million ounces of gold and 7 billion pounds of copper. Seabridge also owns attractive deposits in Nevada and Northwest territories of Canada, although much smaller than KSM. The average grade of KSMs gold deposit is less than one gram per ton, but there is good accessibility to the site, and it is in the safe jurisdiction of mining friendly Canada. Seabridges market cap is C $1.5 billion, they have no long term debt and C $200 million cash. They have been burning C $75 million of cash per year. The company is openly looking to partner with a major miner to develop their properties.

Overall SA ranks 5th on our list of the best Canadian stocks to buy according to Wall Street Analysts. While we acknowledge the potential of SA to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Mystic Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB  Free Report) by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,390 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the quarter. Mystic Asset Management Inc.s holdings in AvalonBay Communities were worth $494,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AVB. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 2.7% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 300,039 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $62,075,000 after purchasing an additional 7,939 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its position in AvalonBay Communities by 11.1% during the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,638 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,166,000 after buying an additional 563 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its stake in AvalonBay Communities by 8.1% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 7,730 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,599,000 after acquiring an additional 580 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 30.2% in the 2nd quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 1,938 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $401,000 after acquiring an additional 449 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale increased its stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 10.7% in the second quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 111,107 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $22,664,000 after acquiring an additional 10,773 shares during the period. 92.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get AvalonBay Communities alerts:

Insider Transactions at AvalonBay Communities

In related news, SVP Keri A. Shea sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.17, for a total transaction of $414,340.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,383 shares in the company, valued at $908,026.11. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other AvalonBay Communities news, CIO Matthew H. Birenbaum sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.90, for a total value of $1,044,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive now directly owns 65,967 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,780,506.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Keri A. Shea sold 2,000 shares of AvalonBay Communities stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.17, for a total value of $414,340.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 4,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $908,026.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.42% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AVB has been the subject of a number of research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $206.00 to $249.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on AvalonBay Communities from $194.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, June 17th. UBS Group raised their target price on AvalonBay Communities from $210.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $207.00 to $214.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $223.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $219.94.

Get Our Latest Research Report on AvalonBay Communities

AvalonBay Communities Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of AvalonBay Communities stock opened at $234.75 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has a twelve month low of $160.45 and a twelve month high of $234.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.38 billion, a PE ratio of 34.93, a P/E/G ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.97. The firms 50-day moving average price is $214.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $199.40.

AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $1.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by ($0.93). AvalonBay Communities had a return on equity of 7.16% and a net margin of 29.61%. The firm had revenue of $726.04 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $718.49 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.66 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that AvalonBay Communities, Inc. will post 11.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AvalonBay Communities Profile

(Free Report)

As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 299 apartment communities containing 90,669 apartment homes in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which 18 communities were under development. The Company is an equity REIT in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing apartment communities in leading metropolitan areas in New England, the New York/New Jersey Metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California, as well as in the Company's expansion regions of Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, Southeast Florida, Dallas and Austin, Texas, and Denver, Colorado.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for AvalonBay Communities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AvalonBay Communities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Nia Impact Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 64,380 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,659,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TOST. Whale Rock Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Toast in the first quarter valued at approximately $179,111,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Toast in the 4th quarter valued at $76,699,000. Meritage Group LP acquired a new stake in Toast during the 4th quarter worth $70,270,000. Capital International Investors lifted its position in Toast by 12.2% in the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 32,924,082 shares of the companys stock valued at $820,468,000 after acquiring an additional 3,574,397 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in Toast by 21.4% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 19,524,700 shares of the companys stock valued at $486,557,000 after acquiring an additional 3,445,788 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.91% of the companys stock.

Get Toast alerts:

Toast Stock Up 0.4 %

NYSE:TOST opened at $26.19 on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $24.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $24.45. The stock has a market cap of $12.07 billion, a PE ratio of -52.38 and a beta of 1.75. Toast, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $13.77 and a fifty-two week high of $27.90.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Toast ( NYSE:TOST Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by $0.04. Toast had a negative net margin of 3.10% and a negative return on equity of 11.27%. The company had revenue of $1.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.19) earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 27.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Toast, Inc. will post -0.1 earnings per share for the current year.

TOST has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wedbush upgraded Toast to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, September 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a buy rating and issued a $29.00 price objective on shares of Toast in a report on Thursday. Mizuho raised shares of Toast from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the company from $21.00 to $33.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Stephens reiterated an equal weight rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Toast in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Toast from $28.00 to $26.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Toast has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $28.22.

Check Out Our Latest Report on TOST

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Toast news, President Stephen Fredette sold 3,810 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.64, for a total value of $97,688.40. Following the sale, the president now owns 2,847,315 shares of the companys stock, valued at $73,005,156.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CRO Jonathan Vassil sold 100,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.55, for a total transaction of $2,555,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive now directly owns 31,919 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $815,530.45. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, President Stephen Fredette sold 3,810 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.64, for a total value of $97,688.40. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 2,847,315 shares in the company, valued at approximately $73,005,156.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 731,612 shares of company stock worth $18,129,920 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 13.32% of the companys stock.

Toast Profile

(Free Report)

Toast, Inc operates a cloud-based digital technology platform for the restaurant industry in the United States, Ireland, and India. The company offers software products for restaurant operations and point of sale, such as Toast POS, Toast now, multi-location management, kitchen display system, Toast mobile order and pay, Toast catering and events, Toast invoicing, Toast tables, and restaurant retail; and hardware products, including Toast flex, Toast flex for guest, Toast go 2, Toast tap, kiosks, and Delphi by Toast.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Toast Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toast and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Northland Power Inc. (TSE:NPI  Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the ten analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$31.00.

A number of analysts recently issued reports on NPI shares. National Bankshares lifted their target price on Northland Power from C$34.00 to C$35.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Desjardins raised their target price on shares of Northland Power from C$27.00 to C$29.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 6th. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Northland Power from C$27.00 to C$28.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. Finally, CIBC lifted their price objective on shares of Northland Power from C$30.00 to C$31.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th.

Get Northland Power alerts:

Get Our Latest Analysis on Northland Power

Northland Power Trading Up 1.2 %

TSE:NPI opened at C$22.35 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of C$5.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 93.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.45. Northland Power has a twelve month low of C$19.36 and a twelve month high of C$25.36. The business has a 50 day moving average price of C$22.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$22.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 166.53.

Northland Power (TSE:NPI  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The solar energy provider reported C$0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.17 by C$0.08. Northland Power had a net margin of 2.98% and a return on equity of 3.95%. The business had revenue of C$528.97 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$526.10 million. As a group, analysts expect that Northland Power will post 1.2402886 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northland Power Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.37%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. Northland Powers dividend payout ratio is presently 500.00%.

About Northland Power

(Get Free Report

Northland Power Inc, an independent power producer, develops, builds, owns, and operates clean and green power projects in Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Colombia, and internationally. The company produces electricity from renewable resources, such as wind and solar, as well as natural gas for sale under power purchase agreements and other revenue arrangements.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Northland Power Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Northland Power and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (OTCMKTS:NWARF  Get Free Report) was up 24.1% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $1.08 and last traded at $1.08. Approximately 4,533 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 68% from the average daily volume of 14,019 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.87.

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA Stock Performance

The businesss 50-day moving average price is $1.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $1.28.

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, together with its subsidiaries, provides air travel services in Norway and internationally. It is also involved in aircraft financing, leasing, and ownership activities; and cargo activities. It operates a fleet of 87 aircrafts. Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Fornebu, Norway.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Kennon Green & Company LLC reduced its holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Free Report) by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 52,724 shares of the companys stock after selling 559 shares during the period. Philip Morris International makes up 4.9% of Kennon Green & Company LLCs holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Kennon Green & Company LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $5,343,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Diversify Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Philip Morris International during the second quarter worth about $2,270,000. Seven Mile Advisory acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $245,000. SilverOak Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $213,000. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Philip Morris International by 11.4% in the second quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 13,109 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,328,000 after acquiring an additional 1,339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Philip Morris International by 4.2% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,755,075 shares of the companys stock worth $583,162,000 after acquiring an additional 231,678 shares during the period. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Philip Morris International alerts:

Philip Morris International Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of Philip Morris International stock opened at $125.62 on Friday. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52-week low of $87.23 and a 52-week high of $128.22. The company has a market capitalization of $195.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a 50 day moving average of $116.31 and a 200 day moving average of $103.55.

Philip Morris International Increases Dividend

Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $9.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.19 billion. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.41% and a negative return on equity of 113.32%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.60 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 26th will be given a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 26th. This is a positive change from Philip Morris Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 101.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Philip Morris International news, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total transaction of $1,038,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 85,629 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,877,305.15. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of Philip Morris International stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total transaction 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.01, for a total transaction of $2,260,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 158,447 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,906,095.47. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on PM. StockNews.com upgraded Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, September 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Philip Morris International from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research report on Monday, September 9th. One 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, Philip Morris International has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $117.05.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Philip Morris International

Philip Morris International Company 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.

Recommended 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.
Pine Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK  Free Report) by 6.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,449 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the quarter. Pine Harbor Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Duke Energy were worth $346,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Pinnacle West Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Duke Energy by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle West Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,425 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $444,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Sachetta LLC raised its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 41.9% during the second quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 325 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 1.6% during the second quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,093 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $611,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Waddell & Associates LLC boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 2.7% in the second quarter. Waddell & Associates LLC now owns 3,753 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $376,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO now owns 2,147 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $215,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the companys stock.

Get Duke Energy alerts:

Duke Energy Trading Up 1.2 %

NYSE DUK opened at $117.31 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.54 billion, a PE ratio of 29.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.47. Duke Energy Co. has a one year low of $83.06 and a one year high of $118.18. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $111.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $103.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.81.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

Duke Energy ( NYSE:DUK Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $7.17 billion during 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 revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.91 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be issued a dividend of $1.045 per share. This is an increase from Duke Energys previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 16th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.56%. Duke Energys payout ratio is 105.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DUK has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, August 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Duke Energy from $111.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $99.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $113.92.

Get Our Latest Research Report on DUK

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In other Duke Energy news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 540 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total transaction of $61,365.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,884 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,259,617.76. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the companys stock.

About Duke Energy

(Free Report)

Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I), and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest.

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.
Pinnacle West Capital Co. (NYSE:PNW  Get Free Report)s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $90.70 and last traded at $90.70, with a volume of 606100 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $89.22.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on PNW. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Pinnacle West Capital from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Pinnacle West Capital from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 23rd. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised Pinnacle West Capital from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the company from $74.00 to $83.50 in a research report on Thursday, June 6th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on Pinnacle West Capital from $81.00 to $78.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Pinnacle West Capital currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $77.95.

Get Pinnacle West Capital alerts:

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on PNW

Pinnacle West Capital Stock Up 1.7 %

The stock has a market cap of $10.30 billion, a PE ratio of 19.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.52. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $85.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $78.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28.

Pinnacle West Capital (NYSE:PNW  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.45. Pinnacle West Capital had a return on equity of 9.75% and a net margin of 12.65%. The business had revenue of $1.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.21 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.94 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Pinnacle West Capital Co. will post 4.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pinnacle West Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 1st were paid a dividend of $0.88 per share. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 1st. Pinnacle West Capitals payout ratio is currently 76.69%.

Insider Activity

In other Pinnacle West Capital news, EVP Robert Edgar Smith sold 4,950 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.80, for a total transaction of $424,710.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,397 shares in the company, valued at $548,862.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.23% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PNW. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in Pinnacle West Capital by 97.5% during the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 12,851,930 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $960,425,000 after acquiring an additional 6,344,121 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Pinnacle West Capital by 72.7% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 6,719,397 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $502,139,000 after purchasing an additional 2,828,450 shares during the last quarter. Zimmer Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 1st quarter worth about $198,409,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Pinnacle West Capital in the 4th quarter valued at about $112,914,000. Finally, Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC increased its stake in Pinnacle West Capital by 24.6% during the 2nd quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 6,985,619 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $533,562,000 after buying an additional 1,379,368 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.51% of the companys stock.

Pinnacle West Capital Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, through its subsidiary, provides retail and wholesale electric services primarily in the state of Arizona. The company engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity using coal, nuclear, gas, oil, and solar generating facilities. Its transmission facilities include overhead lines and underground lines; and distribution facilities consist of overhead lines and underground primary cables.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Pinnacle West Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pinnacle West Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Prosperity Consulting Group LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 24.1% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 8,186 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 2,593 shares during the period. Prosperity Consulting Group LLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $340,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BMY. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 23.5% in the 4th quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC now owns 5,235 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $280,000 after buying an additional 995 shares in the last quarter. Fiera Capital Corp bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at about $508,000. Financial Advocates Investment Management boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 17,184 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $882,000 after buying an additional 1,576 shares in the last quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 20.4% in the 4th quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,897 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $303,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ING Groep NV boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 108.1% in the 4th quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 488,072 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $25,043,000 after buying an additional 253,553 shares in the last quarter. 76.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on BMY shares. TD Cowen increased their price objective 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. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $53.00 to $45.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. StockNews.com raised shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Bristol-Myers Squibb has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $54.67.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BMY opened at $49.13 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $99.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.85, a PEG ratio of 12.59 and a beta of 0.46. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 12 month low of $39.35 and a 12 month high of $60.55. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $46.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $46.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 1.02.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.43. The business had revenue of $12.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.54 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a negative net margin of 14.06% and a positive return on equity of 12.51%. The businesss revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.75 EPS. Analysts expect that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 0.77 EPS for the current year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 4th. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.88%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is -77.42%.

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 Articles

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.
Rock Point Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Triumph Group, Inc. (NYSE:TGI  Free Report) by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 633,333 shares of the aerospace companys stock after buying an additional 7,243 shares during the quarter. Triumph Group comprises approximately 2.9% of Rock Point Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Rock Point Advisors LLCs holdings in Triumph Group were worth $9,760,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its position in shares of Triumph Group by 1.6% during the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 38,700 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $596,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Keeley Teton Advisors LLC grew its stake in Triumph Group by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Keeley Teton Advisors LLC now owns 120,877 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $2,004,000 after purchasing an additional 721 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Triumph Group by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 13,263 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $199,000 after purchasing an additional 892 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Triumph Group by 98.3% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,877 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 1,922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in shares of Triumph Group by 10.0% during the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 22,493 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $347,000 after buying an additional 2,043 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.53% of the companys stock.

Get Triumph Group alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Triumph Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $19.00 to $15.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Truist Financial lowered Triumph Group from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $17.00 to $15.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. StockNews.com lowered Triumph Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, June 1st. TD Cowen restated a hold rating and set a $14.00 price objective (down from $19.50) on shares of Triumph Group in a research note on Tuesday, May 28th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Triumph Group from $18.00 to $16.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Triumph Group has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $16.67.

Triumph Group Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of TGI stock opened at $13.46 on Friday. Triumph Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $7.00 and a fifty-two week high of $17.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.03, a P/E/G ratio of 17.75 and a beta of 2.50. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $14.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $14.45.

Triumph Group (NYSE:TGI  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The aerospace company reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.05) by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $281.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $274.64 million. Triumph Group had a negative return on equity of 1.77% and a net margin of 40.39%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.10) earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Triumph Group, Inc. will post 0.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Triumph Group Profile

(Free Report)

Triumph Group, Inc designs, engineers, manufactures, repairs, overhauls, and distributes aircraft, aircraft components, accessories, subassemblies, and systems worldwide. It operates in two segments, Triumph Systems & Support, and Triumph Interiors. The company offers aircraft and engine-mounted accessory drives, thermal control systems and components, cargo hooks, high lift actuations, cockpit control levers, hydraulic systems and components, control system valve bodies, landing gear actuation systems, electronic engine controls, landing gear components and assemblies, cyber protected process controllers, main engine gearbox assemblies, geared transmissions and drive train components, main fuel pumps, fuel-metering units, primary and secondary flight control systems, and vibration absorbers.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TGI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Triumph Group, Inc. (NYSE:TGI  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Triumph Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Triumph Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Saga plc (LON:SAGA  Get Free Report) shares passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 114.53 ($1.50) and traded as low as GBX 100.80 ($1.32). Saga shares last traded at GBX 105 ($1.37), with a volume of 219,918 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 154 ($2.01) price target on shares of Saga in a report on Monday, June 24th.

Get Saga alerts:

Get Our Latest Research Report on Saga

Saga Stock Performance

About Saga

The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 106.61 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 114.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 368.86. The firm has a market cap of 149.69 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -129.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 2.57.

(Get Free Report)

Saga plc provides package and cruise holidays, general insurance, and personal finance products and services in the United Kingdom. The company operates through three segments: Cruise and Travel, Insurance, and Other Businesses and Central Costs. It offers car, home, travel, health, landlord, motorhome, caravan, and pet insurance products.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Saga Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Saga and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
- AFP via Getty Images

If our politicians tried to do to us what Chinas politicians just did to their own citizens, Ill bet Americans would take to the streets.

The Chinese government, in one fell swoop, approved two measures to prop up that countrys wobbly retirement system: an increase in the retirement age and a hike in the number of years workers must labor in order to qualify for a monthly pension.

Most Read from MarketWatch

Read: China raises retirement age, currently among the lowest of the worlds major economies

This change was announced Friday by the countrys legislature, following a sudden announcement earlier in the week that it was reviewing the measure, AP reported, citing Chinas state broadcaster.

Theres no sweet and sour here, just sour. And theres a lesson in it for us, as we grapple with difficult questions about how to fix our own teetering retirement system. By teetering, I mean cuts to Social Security benefits of as much as 21% in a few years, unless we take action.

Read up on what China did. Over the course of 15 years, the retirement age for men will go from 60 to 63. For women, the retirement age will go up from either 50 or 55, depending on their job, to 55 or 58.

Chinas problem is similar to our own, and to those of Western Europe and Japan. In these and other places, as the senior population explodes and takes retirement benefits, there arent enough younger workers to support them.

In China, this problem stems in no small part from its vaunted one-child policy, under which, beginning in 1979, families could have just that: one child. Fast-forward a few decades, and in 2020, China had about five workers for every retiree. But by 2050, that ratio is projected to shrink dramatically, to 1.6 workers per retiree. Its one reason the Communist government ditched the one-child policy in 2015.

-

Unlike the Communist government in China, our politicians cant compel us to have or not have kids. But you know what can? Economic pressures. The U.S. birthrate has been falling for years as young Americans grapple with the rising cost of housing, healthcare, child care and more. Its reasons like these, along with often-massive student debt, that are discouraging couples of marriage age from getting hitched and starting families in the first place.

For the U.S., as for China, fewer babies means fewer people growing up, entering the workforce and paying onto the system. I mentioned that as recently as 2020, China had about five workers for every retiree. In the United States, in 2022, the ratio was far lower: about 2.8 workers for every retiree, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on the intersection between Americas fiscal health and its economy.

-

When youre a top-down communist country, where no serious political opposition exists and where anti-government speech is quickly squelched, its pretty easy to do what China has done to bolster its retirement system. In the United States? Not so easy.

But everyone agrees that something has to be done. Raising the full retirement age for Social Security  currently 66 and change or 67 for most of us  is one option. Raising taxes on high earners is another. But most Democrats oppose raising the retirement age, while most Republicans oppose higher taxes. Letting more immigrants into the country to work and pay taxes would also help. But this, too, is a source of political disagreement.

Like the menu in a Chinese restaurant, perhaps something from both Column A and Column B will be the answer. But this would involve something from our politicians that Chinas one-party Communist government doesnt have to worry about: compromise.

Most Read from MarketWatch
Seven Mile Advisory lifted its position in Target Co. (NYSE:TGT  Free Report) by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,830 shares of the retailers stock after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the quarter. Seven Mile Advisorys holdings in Target were worth $271,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Triad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Target in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Target by 56.1% in the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 178 shares of the retailers stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Slocum Gordon & Co LLP purchased a new stake in Target in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Retirement Group LLC lifted its position in Target by 85.0% during the first quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 198 shares of the retailers stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Target in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.73% of the companys stock.

Get Target alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on TGT. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on shares of Target from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Citigroup lifted their price target on Target from $180.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Target from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Target in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a neutral rating and a $156.00 target price for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Target from $147.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $179.68.

Target Trading Up 2.0 %

NYSE TGT opened at $151.36 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.73 billion, a PE ratio of 16.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.24. The stocks 50 day moving average is $148.02 and its 200 day moving average is $155.04. Target Co. has a twelve month low of $102.93 and a twelve month high of $181.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Target (NYSE:TGT  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 21st. The retailer reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.39. The firm had revenue of $25.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $25.19 billion. Target had a net margin of 4.18% and a return on equity of 33.10%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.80 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Target Co. will post 9.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total value of $153,130.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,276 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,114,173.88. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total transaction of $7,140,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 303,843 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $48,210,768.81. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total transaction of $153,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,276 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,114,173.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the companys stock.

Target Profile

(Free Report)

Target Corporation operates as a general merchandise retailer in the United States. The company offers apparel for women, men, boys, girls, toddlers, and infants and newborns, as well as jewelry, accessories, and shoes; and beauty and personal care, baby gear, cleaning, paper products, and pet supplies.

Recommended Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TGT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Target Co. (NYSE:TGT  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Target Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Target and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Invesco High Income Trust II (NYSE:VLT  Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 37,000 shares, a growth of 113.9% from the August 15th total of 17,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 22,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.7 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Invesco High Income Trust II

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Invesco High Income Trust II stock. Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its position in Invesco High Income Trust II (NYSE:VLT  Free Report) by 4.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 67,370 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 2,595 shares during the quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC owned approximately 1.04% of Invesco High Income Trust II worth $723,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. 21.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Invesco High Income Trust II alerts:

Invesco High Income Trust II Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLT traded up $0.08 on Friday, reaching $11.24. The company had a trading volume of 50,748 shares, compared to its average volume of 27,749. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $11.00 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.72. Invesco High Income Trust II has a twelve month low of $9.29 and a twelve month high of $11.48.

Invesco High Income Trust II Dividend Announcement

About Invesco High Income Trust II

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 17th will be given a dividend of $0.0964 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 17th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.30%.

(Get Free Report)

Invesco High Income Trust II is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Invesco Ltd. The fund is co-managed by Invesco Advisers, Inc, INVESCO Asset Management (Japan) Limited, INVESCO Asset Management Deutschland GmbH, INVESCO Asset Management Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited, INVESCO Senior Secured Management, Inc, and Invesco Canada Ltd.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Invesco High Income Trust II Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco High Income Trust II and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Toho Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:TKCOF  Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 219,800 shares, an increase of 15.0% from the August 15th total of 191,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2,198.0 days.

Toho Price Performance

Shares of TKCOF remained flat at $38.90 on Friday. The stock had a trading volume of 200 shares, compared to its average volume of 314. The companys 50-day moving average price is $29.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.52. Toho has a 52 week low of $25.81 and a 52 week high of $37.17.

Get Toho alerts:

Toho Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Featured Articles

Toho Co, Ltd. engages in the motion picture, theatrical production, and real estate businesses in Japan. It is involved in producing, buying/selling, and renting movies; producing and selling television programs, movie pamphlets, and video software; and business related to merchandising rights, and other activities.

Receive News & Ratings for Toho Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toho and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. (NYSE:AESI  Get Free Report) major shareholder Stacy Hock sold 8,571 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.44, for a total value of $166,620.24. Following the sale, the insider now owns 943,317 shares of the companys stock, valued at $18,338,082.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a companys stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Stacy Hock also recently made the following trade(s):

Get Atlas Energy Solutions alerts:

On Monday, August 19th, Stacy Hock sold 8,571 shares of Atlas Energy Solutions stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.22, for a total value of $173,305.62.

On Tuesday, July 9th, Stacy Hock sold 8,571 shares of Atlas Energy Solutions stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.89, for a total value of $170,477.19.

On Monday, June 24th, Stacy Hock sold 8,574 shares of Atlas Energy Solutions stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.76, for a total value of $169,422.24.

Atlas Energy Solutions Trading Up 2.4 %

NYSE:AESI opened at $20.64 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.92 and a beta of 0.56. Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. has a one year low of $15.55 and a one year high of $24.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.53. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $20.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.36.

Atlas Energy Solutions Increases Dividend

Atlas Energy Solutions ( NYSE:AESI Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.31 by ($0.18). Atlas Energy Solutions had a net margin of 13.71% and a return on equity of 16.75%. The business had revenue of $287.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $270.55 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.69 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 77.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. will post 1.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. This is a positive change from Atlas Energy Solutionss previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 15th. Atlas Energy Solutionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.11%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Atlas Energy Solutions from $27.00 to $26.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Atlas Energy Solutions in a research report on Monday, June 24th. They set a buy rating for the company. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Atlas Energy Solutions from $29.00 to $27.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Tudor Pickering raised Atlas Energy Solutions to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a buy rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Atlas Energy Solutions in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $26.25.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on AESI

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atlas Energy Solutions

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Atlas Energy Solutions by 313.7% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,725 shares of the companys stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,308 shares in the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank lifted its holdings in Atlas Energy Solutions by 328.1% during the 2nd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 2,350 shares of the companys stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 1,801 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank bought a new stake in shares of Atlas Energy Solutions in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $74,000. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new stake in shares of Atlas Energy Solutions during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $78,000. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC bought a new position in Atlas Energy Solutions during the second quarter worth $106,000. Institutional investors own 34.59% of the companys stock.

Atlas Energy Solutions Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Atlas Energy Solutions Inc engages in the production, processing, and sale of mesh and sand that are used as a proppant during the well completion process in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico. The company provides transportation and logistics, storage solutions, and contract labor services. It sells its products and services to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, and oilfield services companies.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Atlas Energy Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Atlas Energy Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust plc (LON:SLS  Get Free Report) passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 732 ($9.57) and traded as high as GBX 744 ($9.73). Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust shares last traded at GBX 732 ($9.57), with a volume of 84,315 shares traded.

Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust Stock Down 1.3 %

The firms 50-day simple moving average is GBX 732 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 732. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.92, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of 715.41 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.37.

About Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust

(Get Free Report)

Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust plc is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched by Standard Life Investments Limited. The fund is managed by Standard Life Investments (Corporate Funds) Limited. It invests in the public equity markets of the United Kingdom. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Tokuyama Co. (OTCMKTS:TKYMF  Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 26,200 shares, a decline of 52.0% from the August 15th total of 54,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently  days.

Tokuyama Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:TKYMF remained flat at $15.10 during midday trading on Friday. The stock had a trading volume of 20 shares, compared to its average volume of 100. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $15.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.10. Tokuyama has a 52 week low of $13.56 and a 52 week high of $15.10.

Get Tokuyama alerts:

About Tokuyama

(Get Free Report)

See Also

Tokuyama Corporation produces and sells various chemical products in Japan. The company operates through six segments: Chemicals, Cement, Electronics and Advanced Materials, Life Science, Eco Business, and Others. The Chemicals segment offers caustic soda, soda ash, calcium chloride, sodium silicate cullet, sodium bicarbonate, purified, vinyl chloride monomer, polyvinyl chloride resin, propylene oxide, methylene chloride, and chloroform.

Receive News & Ratings for Tokuyama Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tokuyama and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Clear Investment Research LLC increased its stake in United States Oil Fund LP (NYSEARCA:USO  Free Report) by 44.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,589 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 488 shares during the quarter. Clear Investment Research LLCs holdings in United States Oil Fund were worth $126,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in United States Oil Fund by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 26,000 shares of the companys stock worth $2,047,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Founders Financial Securities LLC grew its position in United States Oil Fund by 7.2% during the second quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 5,193 shares of the companys stock valued at $413,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC grew its position in United States Oil Fund by 13.7% during the second quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 3,319 shares of the companys stock valued at $264,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in United States Oil Fund in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its position in United States Oil Fund by 14.8% in the 2nd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 6,945 shares of the companys stock worth $553,000 after buying an additional 893 shares in the last quarter.

Get United States Oil Fund alerts:

United States Oil Fund Stock Down 0.1 %

United States Oil Fund stock opened at $69.84 on Friday. United States Oil Fund LP has a 12 month low of $63.84 and a 12 month high of $83.41. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $75.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $76.67. The stock has a market cap of $1.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.97 and a beta of 0.10.

About United States Oil Fund

United States Oil Fund, LP (USO) is a commodity pool that issues limited partnership interests (shares) traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc (the NYSE Arca). The investment objective of USO is for the daily changes in percentage terms of its shares per share net asset value (NAV) to reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of the spot price of light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma, as measured by the daily changes in the price of the futures contract for light, sweet crude oil traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, that is the near month contract to expire, except when the near month contract is within over two weeks of expiration, in which case it will be measured by the futures contract that is the next month contract to expire, less USOs expenses.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding USO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for United States Oil Fund LP (NYSEARCA:USO  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for United States Oil Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United States Oil Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Vista Capital Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:VNQ  Free Report) by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,208,031 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 40,274 shares during the period. Vanguard Real Estate ETF accounts for approximately 12.5% of Vista Capital Partners Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Vista Capital Partners Inc. owned approximately 0.31% of Vanguard Real Estate ETF worth $101,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new position in Vanguard Real Estate ETF in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Triad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Vanguard Real Estate ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Addison Advisors LLC raised its position in Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 6,350.0% in the second quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 387 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 381 shares during the period.

Get Vanguard Real Estate ETF alerts:

Vanguard Real Estate ETF Price Performance

Shares of VNQ opened at $98.64 on Friday. Vanguard Real Estate ETF has a 12 month low of $70.61 and a 12 month high of $98.66. The stocks 50-day moving average is $91.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $86.28. The stock has a market cap of $38.82 billion, a PE ratio of 22.09 and a beta of 1.03.

Vanguard Real Estate ETF Company Profile

Vanguard REIT ETF (the Fund) is an open-end investment company. The Fund invests in stocks issued by real estate investment trusts (REITs), companies that purchase office buildings, hotels, and other real property. It tracks the return of the MSCI US RIT Index, a gauge of real estate stocks. The Vanguard Group, Inc provides investment advisory services to the Fund.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VNQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:VNQ  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard Real Estate ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard Real Estate ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Visa (NYSE:V  Get Free Report) and MOGU (NYSE:MOGU  Get Free Report) are both business services companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, dividends, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Risk & Volatility

Visa has a beta of 0.96, meaning that its share price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, MOGU has a beta of 0.55, meaning that its share price is 45% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Get Visa alerts:

Institutional & Insider Ownership

82.2% of Visa shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 19.1% of MOGU shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Visa shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 19.8% of MOGU shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Visa 54.72% 51.94% 21.66% MOGU N/A N/A N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Visa and MOGUs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

This table compares Visa and MOGUs gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Visa $32.65 billion 16.04 $17.27 billion $8.95 32.11 MOGU $22.21 million 0.64 -$8.21 million N/A N/A

Visa has higher revenue and earnings than MOGU.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Visa and MOGU, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Visa 0 6 23 1 2.83 MOGU 0 0 0 0 N/A

Visa currently has a consensus price target of $309.81, indicating a potential upside of 7.82%. Given Visas higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Visa is more favorable than MOGU.

Summary

Visa beats MOGU on 11 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Visa

(Get Free Report)

Visa Inc. operates as a payment technology company in the United States and internationally. The company operates VisaNet, a transaction processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions. It also offers credit, debit, and prepaid card products; tap to pay, tokenization, and click to pay services; Visa Direct, a solution that facilitates the delivery of funds to eligible cards, deposit accounts, and digital wallets; Visa B2B Connect, a multilateral business-to-business cross-border payments network; Visa Cross-Border Solution, a cross-border consumer payments solution; and Visa DPS that provides a range of value-added services, including fraud mitigation, dispute management, data analytics, campaign management, a suite of digital solutions, and contact center services. The company also provides acceptance solutions, which include Cybersource that provides modular and value-added services for connecting merchants to payment processing; risk and identity solutions, such as Visa Advanced Authorization, Visa Secure, Visa Risk and Decision Manager, Visa Consumer Authentication Service, and payment-decisioning solutions for fraud prevention; and Visa Consulting and Analytics, a payment consulting advisory services. It provides its services under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink, V PAY, and PLUS brand names. The company serves merchants, financial institutions, and government entities. Visa Inc. was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

About MOGU

(Get Free Report)

MOGU Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the online fashion and lifestyle business in the People's Republic of China. The company operates an online platform that primarily offers a range of fashion apparel and other products, including beauty products and accessories provided by third party merchants, as well as personal care, food, and medical beauty products. It also provides online marketing, commission, financing, technology, and other related services to merchants, brand partners/owners, and users; and technology services to insurance companies. The company offers its products through mobile apps, including flagship Mogujie app, mini programs on Weixin, and Weixin pay; websites comprising Mogu.com, Mogujie.com and Meilishuo.com. The company was formerly known as Meili Inc. and changed its name to MOGU Inc. in November 2018. The company was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in Hangzhou, the People's Republic of China.

Receive News & Ratings for Visa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Visa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Vizsla Silver (NYSE:VZLA  Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of ($0.01), reports.

Vizsla Silver Price Performance

Shares of Vizsla Silver stock opened at $2.19 on Friday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $1.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $530.90 million, a PE ratio of -43.80 and a beta of 0.99. Vizsla Silver has a 1-year low of $0.96 and a 1-year high of $2.21.

Get Vizsla Silver alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VZLA has been the topic of several research reports. CIBC raised their target price on shares of Vizsla Silver from $3.50 to $4.50 and gave the stock an outperformer rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. HC Wainwright raised their target price on shares of Vizsla Silver from $3.50 to $3.75 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. HTLF Bank purchased a new position in shares of Vizsla Silver during the 1st quarter worth $40,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vizsla Silver during the 1st quarter worth $46,000. DNB Asset Management AS purchased a new position in shares of Vizsla Silver during the 2nd quarter worth $72,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new position in shares of Vizsla Silver during the 2nd quarter worth $108,000. Finally, Oxbow Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vizsla Silver during the 2nd quarter worth $110,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 22.46% of the companys stock.

About Vizsla Silver

(Get Free Report)

Vizsla Silver Corp. engages in the exploration, and development of precious and base metal assets. The company explores for gold, silver, and copper deposits. It owns 100% interest in the Panuco Project covering an area of 7,189.5 hectares located in located in southern Sinaloa, Mexico. The company was formerly known as Vizsla Resources Corp.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Vizsla Silver Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vizsla Silver and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
(Bloomberg) -- Indian food-delivery platform Swiggy Ltd. is considering filing publicly for its domestic initial public offering as soon as this week, people familiar with the matter said, adding to a strong pipeline of share sales in the country.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Swiggys IPO may seek to raise more than $1 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isnt public. The Bengaluru-based company is waiting to get approval from Indias Securities and Exchange Board of India, known as Sebi, to proceed with the IPO filing, the people said.

Details of the offering such as size and timing are still under discussion and subject to change, they said.

A representative for Swiggy didnt immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

Founded in 2014, Swiggy partners with more than 150,000 restaurants across India to help deliver food in the worlds most populous nation, according to its website. It competes with companies including public-listed Zomato Ltd., e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc.s India unit and conglomerate Tata Groups BigBasket.

Swiggy, backed by SoftBank Group Corp., would follow in the footsteps of other local and international companies seeking to tap the countrys economic growth and demand from global investors. About $7.8 billion has been raised through first-time share sales so far this year, already exceeding proceeds in each of the past two years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

More listings are expected in coming months. Hyundai Motor Co. is planning to sell shares in its local Indian unit this year in what could be one of the biggest-ever listings in India, people familiar with the matter have said. LG Electronics Inc. has picked banks for a potential listing of its Indian business that could raise as much as $1.5 billion, Bloomberg News reported.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Fertnig / Getty Images

Every state is known for something wonderful. In Maryland, you can sample crabs galore after exploring some unique museums. Head further south to Florida, and you can take the family to Disney World or the Everglades National Park. Jet across the country to California and take in Hollywood history, not to mention some amazing beaches.

However, sometimes a state can also have more unfortunate claims to fame  like debt. A series of studies and articles have highlighted the states with broader numbers of residents who are carrying some form of debt.

Check Out: 25 Cheap, Beautiful Places To Retire With Just $100K in Savings

For You: 9 Easy Ways To Build Wealth That Will Last Through Retirement

GOBankingRates investigated some of this reporting to determine the states where residents carry some of the highest amounts of personal debt.

Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week.

Credit Card Debt

Forbes Advisor led its reporting about the states with the highest credit card debt with the staggering statistic that in the last quarter of 2023, credit card balances increased by a whopping $50 billion to $1.13 trillion  and that the debt seems like itll keep accumulating.

When determining the states where residents struggle the most with credit card debt, the publication said it analyzed data on credit card debt and delinquency rates (defined as the percentage of balances that are at least 90 days late) from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

The publications research showed that Florida topped the list with the dubious distinction of being the state where people hold the most credit card debt. But it was far from the only state where residents contended with credit card debt. According to Forbes Advisor, the list breaks down as follows:

Florida

Louisiana

Texas

Nevada

Georgia

Read Next: Floridas Retirees Are Fleeing: Experts Predict These 5 States Will Be Top Retirement Spots in 10 Years

Student Debt

Student debt is one of the most common forms of personal debt across the country, with the Federal Reserve sharing that total outstanding loans have exceeded $1.7 trillion. Newsweek reported that this debt burden impacts over 44 million Americans, often placing limitations on their ability to reach key milestones like owning a home or saving for retirement.

Taking a look at where some of the worst student loan debt is consolidated, Newsweek shared research from WalletHub about the states with the most severe student loan debt in the country. Here are the top five:

Story continues

Mississippi

New Hampshire

Pennsylvania

Delaware

South Dakota

Bankruptcies

Filing for bankruptcy can happen for a number of reasons, sometimes well beyond an individuals control. Anything from a sudden job loss to an illness or accident can cause a person to need bankruptcy protections because of their debts. Unfortunately, having a bankruptcy on your record can impact your financial health for a long time.

Forbes Advisor investigated the states with the highest rates of bankruptcies, looking into both personal bankruptcies, as well as bankruptcies filed on behalf of businesses. Here are the top five, with Mississippi topping another debt list:

Mississippi

Tennessee

Nevada

Georgia

Illinois

Its important to remember that while filing for bankruptcy is an undeniable financial setback, its not an insurmountable one. There are resources available to help people bounce back. Regardless of where you live within the country, there is always hope for successfully dealing with your debt.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The States With the Most Personal Debt in 2024
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday paid a surprise visit to the agitating junior doctors protest site in front of the Swasthya Bhawan at Salt Lake and urged them again to resume work, ending their 35-day long cease-work programme in OPDs across 26 government medical colleges demanding justice for the horrific rape and murder incident at R G Kar hospital on 9 August.

She has also assured the agitating junior medics of no disciplinary action.

Miss Banerjee met the agitators outside Swasthya Bhawan today, couple of days after the 34-member delegates had gone to the Nabanna, on Thursday evening, following chief secretary Manoj Pants email to attend a meeting with the CM. But the delegates did not attend the meeting and came back to their protest site after waiting in front of the Nabanna Sabhaghar for about two hours after their demand for live streaming was not met.

Advertisement

Taking everyone by surprise, Miss Banerjee along with director general of police Rajeev Kumar and other senior police officials visited the site around 1.05 pm. She said she had come as an elder sister, Didi, not as chief minister.

I have complete solidarity with your movement. Hats off to your protest braving night-long rain. I too could not sleep last night thinking of your plight. I came here to meet you despite restrictions in terms of my own safety and security. I will look into your demands with sympathy. This is my last attempt here, Miss Banerjee using microphones.

I believe many have died due to lack of treatment. Your parents are also worried. Please resume work, Mamata told the protesting junior doctors who have been camping outside Swasthya Bhawan since Wednesday afternoon. We have started work on improving the healthcare infrastructure and development. All Rogi Kalyan Samity (RKS) in medical colleges and multi-super hospitals hereby stand cancelled in the state. Principals of the medical colleges will head the board now which will have representation from police, junior doctors and nurses, she said.

The agitators started shouting slogans we want justice as soon as they found the CM suddenly standing on the spot. She left the spot after finishing her address to junior doctors for about 15 minutes.

I will not take any action. I am not the UP Police. They had clamped ESMA [Essential Services Maintenance Act], I will not, she announced from the makeshift dais. Remember, there is a Supreme Court hearing on 17th [Tuesday]. I dont want any harm to come to you. I am your Didi, she said.

She assured that their demands will be heard with sympathy and she will take a discussion after holding talks with the police ADG, chief secretary and home secretary Nandini Chakravarty.

Please give me some time, Mamata said.

The chief minister tried to distance herself from those accused of running a syndicate in the hospitals.

No culprit is my friend. Nor are they my enemies. And I have no connection with people allegedly involved. I dont know them, they came through a process, said Mamata.

We are thankful to the CM for visiting us here and her assurance to solve the crisis looks positive to us. We are ready to sit for a meeting with her anytime as and when she wants, said agitators.
Two persons, including a DYFI leader Kalatan Dasgupta were arrested after an audio tape related to a conspiracy of attacks on junior doctors was released by TMC leader Kunal Ghosh yesterday.

Amid the controversy over the viral audio, Sanjib Das alias Bublai from Haltu and DYFI leader Kalatan were arrested and interrogated by the police. However, Kalatan viewed this police crackdown as a political conspiracy. He stated, I have not been informed about anything yet. When protests are demanding justice for the victim, my arrest is an effort to divert attention. A political conspiracy is being hatched, he said.

Mohammed Salim, state secretary of the CPM West Bengal state committee, strongly condemned the arrest of Kalatan Dasgupta, calling it illegal and motivated by political vendetta. In a statement, he emphasized that the circumstances surrounding the arrest point to a criminal conspiracy aimed at discrediting the ongoing mass movement for Justice for R G Kar.

Advertisement

Salim compared the situation to the BJP-led central governments tactics to malign the farmers protests in Delhi, as well as the Bhima Koregaon and Delhi riot cases, where false accusations were leveled against protestors based on fabricated electronic evidence.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sparked a controversy at home with his critical remarks about the BJP and PM Modis rule during his three-day trip to the United States this week. This was Gandhis first visit to the US as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Rahuls programmes included engaging with the IndianAmerican community and students, and meeting with officials and lawmakers. The BJPs angry response shows that the party is upset about many of his controversial comments.

Gandhi chose his topics after careful consideration. He commented on the RSS, Indias democracy, Modis China policy, and religious freedom in India, among other things. In India, the BJP criticised his adverse comments and meeting with US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who has been critical of Indias policies. Rahul claimed that Indian democracy was broken over the last decade but is gradually recovering. He also highlighted that 90 per cent of Indias population, including OBCs, Dalits, and Adivasis, are not able to participate in the democratic process actively. This angered the BJP. While Rahul agreed with Modis policies on Pakistan and Bangladesh, he felt the China policy was flawed. Rahul said, Weve got Chinese troops occupying land the size of Delhi in Ladakh.

I think thats a disaster. On RSS, Gandhi said that the BJPs parent organisation believes India is one idea, but the Congress considers it a diversity of ideas. Upset by the attempt to dent the Prime Ministers image abroad, the BJP fielded top leaders to refute Rahuls allegations, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh leading the response. He rubbished Rahuls claim on the China policy. He observed it was extremely shameful that the LOP is hurting the dignity of India by saying misleading, baseless and factless things. Rahul Gandhi supported the caste census and claimed that BJP was trying to end reservations. Union Minister Amit Shah affirmed that they would not allow anyone to abolish reservations or undermine the nations security.

Advertisement

In addition, BJP leader and senior minister Hardeep Puri refuted Rahuls remarks about Sikhs. Puri said, I am a proud Sikh, and I have been wearing a turban for over six decades and a kada for even longer The BJPs angry counter is because the party takes a severe view because of Rahuls increased stature after leading the Bharat Jodo yatra, a nationwide campaign to unite the country. Now that Rahul has become the LOP, the BJP must give him his due respect. First, the Congress continues to survive despite Modis vow of a Congress- Mukth Bharat. In the 2024 elections, much to the dismay of the BJP, Congress doubled its numbers. Second, the opposition INDIA coalition has been strengthened after the 2024 polls. The BJP had to form the government with the help of allies. Third, Rahul visited the US just before Modis scheduled visit on September 22. His trip was well received, which did not please the BJP.

But Modi would get a bigger welcome as a significant event planned is Modi and the United States progress together. The BJP criticised Rahul for meeting Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who has in the past taken anti-India positions both within the US Congress and outside. The BJP believes that such meetings can be used for antiIndia propaganda. Gandhi claims she was part of the lawmakers delegation, and he could not decline to meet the delegation. The United States also clarified that Rahul Gandhis meeting with top official Donald Lu in Washington was part of regular diplomatic engagement. Gandhis US visit was primarily meant to engage US lawmakers and the Indian-American community and to interact with students. It is part of his outreach to the diaspora. Rahul Gandhi talked about issues that make the government uncomfortable. They believe its wrong for the LOP to say negative things about the Indian government on foreign soil.

The BJP claims that Rahul made false and misleading statements about every issue when speaking overseas. Though there is no law, there is an unwritten code for citizens, including the Leader of the Opposition. The Congress counters that Modi also did the same by claiming Congress did nothing for the country during his foreign trips. Rahul clarified in the end, The fight for democracy in India is Indian. It has nothing to do with anybody else. Its our problem. And well take care of it. We will make sure that democracy is secure. And the BJP wants to know why he was not doing just that. The jury is out on whether Rahul crossed the red line. There is some merit in the BJP saying dirty linen should not be washed abroad. But this line holds good for both sides.
West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury today described the tragic death of a young trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College as a moment that has opened the eyes of the people of West Bengal.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Chowdhury voiced his deep concern about the troubling revelations that have surfaced in the wake of the incident. We had no idea of the rampant irregularities and corruption that have infected the medical education system in state-run hospitals. The R G Kar tragedy has been a wake-up call for all of us, he said.

Mr Chowdhury further noted that chief minister Mamata Banerjee never anticipated the overwhelming support the doctors movement would receive, not only from West Bengal but from across India and even from overseas.

Advertisement

Chowdhury also claimed that the state government made deliberate efforts to cover up the truth. Theyve worked overtime to suppress the facts, erase evidence, and control the narrative, he alleged.

The chief minister has been protecting her close associates, who may have been involved in the R G Kar incident. But what she didnt anticipate was the steadfast unity of students, junior doctors, and medical professionals, all supported by the people, standing strong in their fight for justice, he added.

The Congress leader emphasised that the movement isnt only about demanding justice for the deceased doctor.

This is a fight against the entire system  the flaws in medical education, the mismanagement of healthcare  everything. We are supporting this movement politically and will continue to stand with the protesting doctors, he declared.

Chowdhury also addressed the controversy surrounding a leaked audio clip, calling it a scripted drama. He accused chief minister Banerjee of trying to create a rift between the doctors movement and the public in an attempt to weaken their cause.

Referring to Banerjees recent statement about being ready to step down, Chowdhury dismissed it as a result of internal tensions within her party. She has no real intention of resigning, PCC chief Mr Chowdhury said, adding, Its just a tactic to quell dissatisfaction within her ranks. The reality is, many in her party want her to step down because she has failed to provide good governance and uphold the rule of law. Despite all their talk about ma, mati, manush, this is the actual state of affairs under TMC rule.

Mr Chowdhury also spoke of his visit to Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri, where he met the family of Manik Roy, a man allegedly murdered by members of the ruling party. His visit, he noted, was part of his broader effort to highlight political violence in the state.

The day concluded with a rally in Siliguri, where Mr Chowdhury-led Congress supporters protested on various issues, including the R G Kar incident and calling for accountability and justice.
A youth allegedly hurled an acid bulb on a 17-year-old girl in Dulmi area under Tamna police station area of Purulia district last evening.

At that time, the victim was sitting in the balcony of the first floor, when suddenly the youth rushed towards her, with his face covered and hurled an acid bulb at her.

The victim has suffered severe burn injuries and has been admitted at Purulia Deben Mahato Sadar Hospital in Purulia town by her mother.

Advertisement

Hearing the news, police chief of Purulia, Abhijit Banerjee rushed to Purulia Deben Mahato Sadar Hospital and spoke to the victim.

We have started an investigation and hope soon the culprit will be arrested. There will be zero tolerance on acid attack. Security will be provided to the girl by police, said Purulia SP Abhijit Banerjee. So far, nobody has been arrested.

Police sources said that about a month ago the girl had lodged a complaint about a sexual harassment, after which the accused was arrested.

After his arrest, the victim and her family had received several threat calls. Even the family of the accused had offered money to compromise, which was refused by the victims family after which the threats increased and ultimately the acid attack on her, yesterday evening.
(Bloomberg) -- Temasek Holdings Pte is nearing a deal to buy a significant minority stake in VFS Global, according to people familiar with the matter, a transaction that could value the visa outsourcing and technology services firm at about $7 billion including debt.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Singapore state-owned investor is poised to acquire about 20% in closely held VFS, which is controlled by US alternative asset manager Blackstone Inc., the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private. Temasek and Blackstone are hammering out the details of a deal that could be announced as soon as Monday, the people said.

Blackstone will remain the majority shareholder in VFS after the transaction, the people said. Considerations are ongoing and no final decisions have been made, they added.

Representatives for Blackstone and Temasek declined to comment.

Blackstone has been weighing options including a full or partial sale in VFS after receiving interest from investors such as sovereign wealth funds, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. One of the options included bringing in a minority investor to help raise cash and boost growth, the people had said.

VFS Global, headquartered in Zurich and Dubai, provides governments with administrative solutions for processing passport applications and visa consular services, according to its website. It was founded in 2001 by Zubin Karkaria, who is also its chief executive officer. It has processed more than 294 million applications since inception, and about 141 million biometric enrollments since 2007.

Blackstone bought a majority stake in VFS from EQT AB for an undisclosed amount in 2022, with the Swedish investor retaining a minority stake in the business along with the Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation.

Temaseks net portfolio value reached S$389 billion ($288 billion) as of March, up from S$382 billion a year earlier. Its investments include both publicly-traded and closely held assets globally.

India Focus

VFS has a large presence in India, where it provides visa application services for the US consulate across cities in the country.

Global investors have been increasing their focus on India, lured by its rapid economic growth. Thats turned the country into a hotspot for deal-making. Blackstone is aiming to add an additional $25 billion of Indian private equity assets over the next five years, its head of private equity in Asia, Amit Dixit, said in March.

Story continues

Temasek has deployed nearly $37 billion in India over the past two decades, according to Vishesh Shrivastav, its managing director for India investments. That figure is set to rise sharply, with the company saying last year it planned to commit billions more.

Temasek has been targeting minority stakes and helping Indian companies to grow from there, largely eschewing the trend of taking majority holdings in firms based in the worlds most populous country. Core areas include digitization, consumption and sustainable living, according to Shrivastav.

--With assistance from Preeti Singh.

(Updates with background on India deals starting in tenth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Two tribal women have been lynched allegedly for practicing sorcery at Adivasi Para in Harisara village, under Mayureswar police station area of Birbhum district on Friday evening.

Few villagers called them at a khap panchayat and beat them mercilessly and threw their bodies in a nearby irrigation canal allegedly for practicing witchcraft in the village.

Raj Narayan Mukherjee, superintendent of police (SP) of Birbhum district said that after getting the information through sources, a huge police force from Mayureswar police station rushed to the spot and recovered the two dead bodies floating in the irrigation canal.

Advertisement

They were beaten with rods, prima facie it seems.

So far, we have arrested six villagers in this connection. Murder cases have been registered at the Mayureswar police station. The bodies of both the two women have been sent to Rampurhat Medical College for post-mortem by police, the Birbhum SP Raj Narayan Mukherjee added.

There has been a heavy police picket in the village. The situation is tense. There will be few more arrests as police will continue raids at night. The men have fled from their houses fearing arrest by police.
Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav on Sunday claimed that the power connection of the Burari DTC Bus Depot has been disconnected for non-payment of bills.

He added that due to disconnection of power, buses have been parked without operating services with the drivers and conductors feeling helpless at the deterioration of the once robust Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot should answer why things came to such a sorry pass in the DTC, he said.

Advertisement

Yadav alleged that the AAP government ruined DTC, which had been left behind in a healthy state by the Congress Government, transporting over 35 lakh passengers daily.

He added that in the last 10 years, the numbers of DTC buses have come down drastically, and most of the present fleet of buses still running, were purchased by the Congress Government, which have outlived their life span.

Yadav said that Delhi now requires nearly 20,000 buses to cater to the burgeoning population as most people depend on the DTC buses, but DTC presently operates only a fleet of 4536 buses out of which 2966 runs on CNG and 1570 are electric.

Further alleging the AAP of corruption, Yadav claimed that Delhi Congress had earlier exposed the corruption in the purchase and maintenance contracts for 1000 DTC buses to the tune of Rs 4288 crore, and had demanded a probe by the CBI, and the Home Ministry had ordered a CBI probe, following which the move to purchase new buses was shelved.
Netflix is firmly standing by its hit Korean series Squid Game amid accusations of plagiarism. The streaming powerhouse has issued a robust defense against claims that the popular show copied elements from a 2009 Bollywood film titled Luck, directed by Soham Shah.

The lawsuit, filed by Shah, alleges that Squid Game borrows heavily from Luck, a film about people in financial distress who are drawn into a series of deadly games with the promise of substantial rewards. Shahs legal team argues that the similarities between the two stories are too significant to be coincidental.

In response, Netflix has dismissed the allegations as baseless. This claim has no merit. Squid Game was created by and written by Hwang Dong-hyuk, and we intend to defend this matter vigorously, the company stated. Netflix maintains that the series is a unique creation stemming from Hwangs own imaginative efforts and asserts that any similarities to Luck are purely accidental.

Advertisement

The core of Shahs argument lies in the premise of both works. Luck features a plot where a group of individuals, facing severe financial difficulties. They participate in high-stakes games to win a large sum of money. This, Shah contends, mirrors the central theme of Squid Game, which similarly involves contestants risking their lives in competitive games for a substantial cash prize.

Shahs lawsuit also highlights a perceived overlap in timing. He claims that Netflix had ample opportunity to view Luck due to its significant promotional efforts. Shah says Squid Games development timeline aligns suspiciously with the release of Luck. Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of Squid Game, has publicly stated that he began working on the shows script in 2009. Shah argues that the date corresponds closely with the release date of Luck.

Released in July 2009, Luck stars a range of Bollywood celebrities. They are Mithun Chakraborty, Shruti Haasan, Imran Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Danny Denzongpa, Ravi Kishan, and Chitrashi Rawat.

Netflixs defense centers on the assertion that Squid Game is a product of Hwangs originality. They claim that any resemblance to Luck is coincidental.
An Armyman allegedly raped a married woman and injured her private part by shoving a glass into it in a hotel room at Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

On the victims complaint, the police arrested the accused, identified as Sanjay Yadav (30). He is on the rank of a Naik in the Army and is posted in Assam. Currently, he is on leave at Indore.

According to the police, the complainant woman is the wife of a bank employee. She has known the accused for the past few years.

Advertisement

She alleged in her police complaint that the accused called her to meet at a hotel located on the AB Road in Indore late at night on Friday. There he allegedly raped her and then pushed a water glass inside her private part, which led to heavy bleeding.

The complainant said that Yadav also threatened her and demanded Rs 50,000. She subsequently reached the Women Police Station in Indore and lodged her complaint.

According to police station in-charge Kaushalya Chauhan, accused Sanjay Yadav has been arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday alleged that the BJP created the liquor scam story, which has been proved wrong in the Supreme Court.

Speaking at the party office, the Aam Aadmi Party leader stated, The BJP drafted a fantasy story, namely the liquor scam. The Supreme Court granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal and ended that story. It is a happy ending for us and a sad ending for the BJP.

BJP thought they would keep Arvind Kejriwal jailed till the Delhi elections, but their stories were proven wrong in the court, and today Arvind Kejriwal and I are out of jail, he added.

Advertisement

I entered politics with the sole intention of working honestly for the cause of education. For the last 10 years, I dedicated myself to my role as Delhis Education Minister and worked with integrity. I built schools and established new universities, Sisodia said.

In a post on X, the AAP leader stated, As Delhis Education Minister, I worked with the belief that India cannot become a developed nation without providing excellent education in government schools. The impact of 10 years of hard work is visible today as students from Delhis government schools are excelling in competitive exams like IIT, JEE, and NEET.

Echoing the issue of his arrest, Sisodia posted, I worked honestly, but I was falsely accused as part of petty politics to portray me as corrupt. I was imprisoned for 17 months under false charges and after two years of legal proceedings, even the countrys highest court has now said I am free to resume my duties. However, I will not return to the post of Deputy Chief Minister or Education Minister right now. I didnt enter politics out of greed for positions or power.

Stating on the announcement of the resignation of CM Kejriwal, Sisodia posted, I entered politics to work for education with honesty. I have decided that, alongside Arvind Kejriwal, I will approach the public and ask them whether they consider me honest or not. Elections are in three to four months. Only if the public affirms my honesty will I return to the position of Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister to continue working for education.
Union Minister for Coal and Mines and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy has slammed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for yielding to the politics of appeasement by celebrating 17 September as Praja Palana Dinotsavam (Peoples Governance Day) instead of Hyderabad Liberation Day. The Union minister wrote a letter to the Chief Minister turning down his invitation to attend the state governments programme on 17 September. The central government had recently issued an order to commemorate 17 September as Hyderabad Liberation Day.

In 1948, a year after the countrys Independence, the erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabad signed the instrument of accession to merge his princely state into the Union of India after Operation Polo by the Indian Army defeated the Razakars. This year, the Congress government chose to mark the day by celebrating Praja Palana Dinotsavam to celebrate the ushering in of democracy in Telangana. Incidentally, the Congress also refers to its current government as a Praja Palana to distinguish it from the ten years of BRS rule, which it deems feudal.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had invited Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah to attend the programme of the state government as a special guest. He also invited Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Sekhawat, G Kishan Reddy, and Bandi Sanjay Kumar to attend the occasion. While thanking him for the invitation, Kishan Reddy criticised the move of the Congress government as appeasement towards the substantial Muslim population in the state. He wrote, Your intent seems to be to deflect the attention of the people from the core aspects of the struggle which is evident in the very name given to the day. To describe the Liberation of Hyderabad, as just another transition of power from a monarchy to a democracy not only subverts the heroic struggle but also propagates further the politics of appeasement.

Advertisement

Turning down the invitation, he said, I cannot be a party to an insincere ritual that blatantly attempts to erase the truth from the people. I sincerely believe though that acknowledging September 17th as a day of immense significance is the first step in your journey to eventually understanding and accepting the truth of liberation.

BRS leader Dasoju Sravan Kumar accused Revanth Reddy of distorting Telanganas history for political gain and echoing BJPs approach that the rule of the Nizam was feudal and tyrannical.
Delhi Police have arrested six visa agents and unearthed a factory producing forged visas in the Tilak Nagar area.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, IGI Airport, Usha Rangrani said on Sunday that six people have been arrested so far. The raid led to the recovery of 16 Nepali passports, two Indian passports, 30 visa stickers, and 23 visa stamps. Besides, a significant amount of equipment used in making forged visas, including dye machines, printers, laminating sheets, laptops, and UV machines was also recovered.

According to the police, on September 2, a man from Haryana named Sandeep was caught attempting to fly to Italy on a fake Swedish visa during an immigration check at Delhi airport. Upon questioning, he revealed that several people from his village had visited abroad using similar counterfeit visas.

Advertisement

Sandeep revealed that he obtained the fake visa from an agent named Asif Ali for Rs 10 lakh. Following this information, the police raided and arrested Asif Ali and his associates Shiva Gautam and Naveen Rana.

During the investigation, the arrested individuals revealed the names of two more agents linked to the gang  Balbir Singh and Jaswinder Singh, who were also arrested.

They later disclosed that fake visas for several countries were made in a factory in Delhis Tilak Nagar area which was operated by a man named Manoj Monga.

Subsequently, the police raided a factory in West Delhis Tilak Nagar and arrested Manoj Monga. Manoj revealed that he has a diploma in graphic design. Around five years ago, he met a man, who encouraged him to use his graphic designing skills to make counterfeit visas. He also provided him with the necessary equipment.

According to the police, they were making some 30-60 fake visas every month and could prepare a visa sticker in just 20 minutes. Every fake visa was sold for Rs 8-10 lakh. The racket used Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp for communication and had a web of local agents across several regions that would connect with people seeking jobs abroad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, said that the Centre was determined for the rapid development of Jharkhand.

The Prime Minister will be in Jharkhands Jamshedpur where he will flag off six Vande Bharat trains and inaugurate or lay the foundation of various development projects worth Rs 21,000 crore.

Before leaving for Jharkhand, PM Modi posted on X, We are determined for the rapid development of Jharkhand. Today at around 10 am, I will have the privilege of flagging off six Vande Bharat trains at Tatanagar, as well as laying the foundation stone and inaugurating many more projects. Apart from this, I will also be a part of the program related to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin.

Advertisement

The Vande Bharat trains will operate between Berhampur-Tata, Rourkela-Howrah, Deoghar-Banaras, Howrah-Gaya and Howrah-Bhagalpur.

The PM will then participate in a public meeting organised by the BJP at Gopal Maidan in Jamshedpur.

The Prime Minister will also hold a road show there.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Jharkhand on September 15. The Centre has approved homes for 1,13,400 people living in temporary shelters under the PM Awas Yojana. The Union government has already sent its share of funds to the state government. The Prime Minister will release the first instalment to construct their homes.

Tight security arrangements have been made for the Jharkhand visit of the PM. PM Modi will stay in Jharkhand for about six hours. More than 3,000 police officers and jawans have been deployed for PM Modis security.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw arrived a day earlier on Saturday to take stock of the preparations for PM Modis visit.

It is widely anticipated that the Prime Minsters visit will energise BJPs election campaign in Jharkhand.
As we mark Engineers Day 2024, celebrated on September 15 to honour the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, one of Indias greatest engineers, its important to reflect on the current state of engineering education, particularly in Gujarat.

Sir Visvesvaraya, known for his pioneering work in irrigation, flood control, and water resource management, symbolises the profound impact engineers have on society.

However, the future of this critical profession faces serious challenges.

Advertisement

In Gujarat, more than 44 per cent of engineering seats, including those in self-financed institutes, were left vacant in 2023.

According to data presented in the Gujarat Assembly, this accounted for more than 62,000 unfilled seats across the state.

Of the total 1,40,852 seats available in government, grant-in-aid, and self-financed colleges, 62,311 seats remained vacant.

In March 2024, State Higher and Technical Education Minister Rushikesh Patel in the Gujarat Assembly said, Gujarat has a total of 1,40,852 seats in engineering degree and diploma courses across government-run, grant-in-aid, and self-financed colleges. Of these, 71,629 seats are for degree engineering courses, and 69,223 are for diploma courses. Last year, 78,540 seats, or 55.76 per cent, were filled, leaving 62,311 seats, or 44.23 per cent, vacant. Specifically, 38,811 degree engineering seats and 23,501 diploma engineering seats remained unfilled in 2023.

This problem is not isolated to Gujarat.

Across India, engineering courses are facing a steep decline in enrollments.

The 2023 All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) revealed a 10 per cent drop in enrollments in engineering programmes between 2016-17 and 2020-21.

In Maharashtra, for example, nearly one in three engineering seats remained vacant this year, with vacancy rates as high as 42 per cent in some regions.

These trends indicate a national issue that extends beyond state boundaries and points to deeper challenges in engineering education.

Several factors contribute to the high vacancy rates in engineering programmes. First, many students are opting for top-tier institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs), leaving state-level and self-financed colleges struggling to fill their seats.

In Gujarat, a significant number of students also prefer pursuing higher education abroad or in other states, where they perceive better opportunities for career advancement.

Second, there is a noticeable shift in student interest towards new-age technology fields.

Branches like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data science, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are in high demand, while traditional engineering fields such as mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering are seeing a sharp decline in enrollment.

In Maharashtra, out of 25,065 seats available for computer science and allied new-age technology courses, only 5,521 remained vacant, a stark contrast to the 8,078 vacant seats in mechanical engineering and 6,272 in civil engineering.

The issue is further complicated by the structure of diploma courses in Gujarat.

With the eligibility for admission set at passing Class 10, many students opt to continue with higher secondary education or choose alternative career paths, such as nursing or pursuing IIT entrance exams, rather than enrolling in diploma engineering programmes. This has led to a higher number of vacant seats in diploma courses as well, where 23,501 seats remained unfilled in 2023.

Gujarats vacancy crisis mirrors the national trend, where a steady decline in traditional engineering enrollments has been observed over the past decade.

Despite a modest increase in overall intake capacity, student interest has continued to drop.

In Maharashtra, for instance, while the total intake capacity increased by 3.6 per cent from 2022-23 to 2023-24, the number of students enrolling in engineering courses declined by four per cent, resulting in higher vacancy rates this year.

This shift in interest from conventional engineering to emerging fields like AI and data science is reshaping the engineering education landscape.

In Maharashtra, super-specialised courses in AI-ML and AI-Data Science had only 608 vacant seats out of 13,286 available, while traditional branches like mechanical and civil engineering saw much higher vacancy rates.

One of the key reasons for the decline in engineering enrollments is the changing job market.

As industries increasingly prioritise skills in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, and automation, students are seeking courses that align with these future-ready fields.

Traditional engineering programmes, particularly in lower-tier colleges, are struggling to update their curricula to meet these evolving demands.

The result is a growing disconnect between the skills students acquire and the job markets requirements.

Moreover, employability remains a significant concern.

Many graduates from lesser-known engineering colleges face difficulty securing jobs, which further dissuades potential students from pursuing engineering.

Even in fields like civil and mechanical engineering, once considered reliable career paths, job opportunities have shrunk due to automation and shifts in industry demand.

Furthermore, career guidance at the high school level is crucial in helping students make informed decisions about their educational paths.

Encouraging students to explore emerging fields and providing more information about the wide range of opportunities in engineering can help address the growing vacancy issue.
Two simultaneous operations against terrorists were underway on Sunday in Jammu regions Poonch and Kathua districts where gunfights between the security forces and terrorists were reported.

An Army soldier was injured on Saturday night in a firefight with infiltrating terrorists in the Rajouri district.

A gunfight broke out between the security forces and terrorists in the wee hours in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district, while another encounter broke out in the mountainous Nuknali area of Bani in the Kathua district in the afternoon.

Advertisement

Confirming the encounter at Bani, Police said Based on specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists, a search operation was launched by Police and security forces in the general area of Bani in Kathua.

Contact has been established and few rounds have been fired from both sides. Area has been cordoned off. Further details are awaited.

Reports said that terrorists ambushed a security forces patrol in the Nuknali area. This was followed by an exchange of fire. Two to three terrorists are believed trapped and additional troops have been rushed to tighten the cordon.

Officials said that blood stains were seen near the gunfight spot at Pathanateer near Gursai Top in Poonch indicating that some terrorist might have been injured.

The area is near the spot where terrorists had recently targeted a convoy of the IAF.
Editors note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.

The Thornton Park home of Falcon Bar and Vamp Hair Studio among others has sold for $1 million.

The building at 813 E. Washington St. was sold Sept. 4 by Perryken LLC to Morningside Mgmt LLC, an entity tied to Orlando-based investor James Savko, acting as a trustee for the 813 E. Washington St. Land Trust, according to a deed posted to Orange County records.

Read: Tech billionaire returns to Earth after first private spacewalk

Neither the seller nor the new owner could be reached for comment.

Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journals website.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.




Reacting to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals resignation announcement, the BJP on Sunday called it a PR stunt and claimed the Aam Aadmi Party leader wants to apply what it called a Sonia Gandhi model to run the government from behind the scenes.

This is a PR stunt by Arvind Kejriwal. He has understood that his image among the people of Delhi is not of an honest leader but of a corrupt leader, today Aam Aadmi Party is known across the country as a corrupt party. Under his PR stunt, he wants to restore his imageIt is clear that he wants to apply the Sonia Gandhi model, where she made Manmohan Singh a dummy Prime Minister and ran the government from behind the scenes, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said.

The BJP leader further claimed that Kejriwal has understood that people of Delhi wont vote in his name and want to make someone else a scapegoat.

Advertisement

They have understood today that the Aam Aadmi Party is losing the Delhi elections and the people of Delhi cannot vote in their name, so they want to make someone else a scapegoat he added.

Another BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the resignation is not a sacrifice and that Kejriwal was forced to resign because of the Supreme Court order.

This is not a sacrifice, the Supreme Court has said in the order that he cannot go near the CMs chair and cannot sign any files. Hence, you dont have an option, you are forced to resign because of the SC order, Sirsa stated.

The BJP leader further said that people of Delhi have already given their verdict during the Lok Sabha elections when AAP lost all the seven seats in the national capital.

The people gave their verdict 3 months ago when you asked jail or bail, you lost all 7 (Lok Sabha seats in Delhi) and were sent to jail Now he has asked for a two-day time because he is convincing all MLAs to make his wife the CM He is forced to leave his chair because he is involved in the liquor scam, he said.

Earlier today, Kejriwal announced his resignation as Delhi chief minister in next two days, asserting that he will sit on the CM chair only after peoples verdict.

I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till I get a verdict from the people, Kejriwal said while addressing party leaders and supporters in Delhi.

He also demanded elections to the Delhi legislative assembly be held in November instead of February next year.

The elections are supposed to be held in February. I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the chief minister. In the next 2-3 days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next CM will be elected, he added.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Gorakshpeethadhishwar Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday that at a time when much of the world lacked a strong emphasis on civilisation, culture, and human values, India was flourishing in all these spheres.

From ancient times to the present, the Indian civilisation has been deeply rooted in democratic principles. The Rishi tradition emphasised the principle of Live and Let Live, a true form of democracy, one that originated in India, he remarked.

Unlike other cultures that sought to conquer or dominate, Indias ethos has always been one of inclusivity, captured in the timeless philosophy of Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah (May all be happy). This spirit is reflected today in Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', he added.

Advertisement

CM Yogi made these remarks while presiding over the inaugural conference on India as the Mother of Democracy, which was part of a series of discussions on contemporary issues, held in observance of the 55th death anniversary of Yugpurush Brahmaleen Mahant Digvijaynath Ji Maharaj and the 10th death anniversary of Rashtrasant Brahmaleen Mahant Avedyanath Ji Maharaj here on Sunday.

Congratulating the chief guest, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, CM Yogi said, The evidence of democratic values can be found in India from the Vedic period through the Ramayana and Mahabharata eras. In Indian democracy, the peoples voice and interests have always been of utmost importance. Indian tradition has long upheld the belief that the king is responsible for the well-being of the people.

He added, During the Ramayana era, Lord Ram prioritised the peoples voice, and Lord Krishna oversaw governance through a council of elders. When internal strife broke out in Dwarka, leading to the demise of the council members, Lord Krishna remarked that the laws of the state apply equally to all citizens.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed concern over the fact that a mindset of slavery still prevails among some people in the country, despite Indias deep democratic roots that date back to ancient times. He said, India lost its freedom when it failed to safeguard its democratic heritage.

In ancient India, councils representing the people had the authority to remove autocratic kings, he said, underscoring that in a true democracy, the welfare of the people is paramount. He cited the Vaishali Republic as a prime example from ancient history, where the entire governance system was dedicated to the peoples interests.

The Chief Minister said, Today, all Indians should take pride in their democracy and the nations rapidly growing economy, which is built on democratic values. He stressed that the strength of our democracy lies in the protection of our Constitution.

It is the collective responsibility of every citizen to safeguard the Constitution with sincerity and rise above divisions of caste, creed, religion, and region, he added. He noted that by upholding the highest respect for the Constitution, India can ensure a stronger democracy.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, the chief guest at the conference on India as the Mother of Democracy, stated that the principles of democracy have been shaped by Indias 5,000-year-old values. He highlighted that true democracy today is deeply rooted in Indian traditions and values.

Shri Harivansh said, The essence of democracy lies in the freedom to express ones views openly, a principle deeply rooted in thousands of years of Indian tradition. Indian democracy provides people with full freedom, along with the ability to correct its flaws.

He remarked that those influenced by Western ideals have mistakenly viewed Indian democracy as an imported concept, largely because of the habit of looking to Greece for inspiration. He pointed out that when India gained independence, many foreign scholars doubted the survival of democracy in the country.

However, today, India stands ready to prove them wrong, as the coming year marks the Amrit Year of the implementation of the Constitution, he asserted.

Shri Harivansh said, India is now presenting itself to the world as the true mother of democracy, a topic that had not been widely discussed before but is now being highlighted, including at the G-20 summit.

He praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for advancing significant discussions on Indian democracy through such events. Referring to CM Yogi as the embodiment of the Ramraj concept, Shri Harivansh said: Yogiji reflects the spirit of Ramraj, with his work exemplifying ancient Indian values of equal justice and security for all.

The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, while paying tribute to the revered memories of Brahmalin Mahant Digvijaynath and Brahmalin Mahant Avedyanath, remarked that remembering great figures from the past serves as an inspiration for the future. Both Gorakshpeethadhishwars played a pivotal role in reviving national, social, and cultural consciousness, and their lives were devoted to upholding Indian values.

The conference was also addressed by Prof Sadanand Gupta, former Executive President of Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan, Lucknow, Brahmachari Das Lal of Sawai, Agra, and Swami Vishwesh Prapannacharya of Sugreev Kiladhish Ayodhya. On this occasion, the chief priest of Gorakhnath temple Yogi Kamalnath, Mahant Suresh Das from Ayodhya, Mahant Shivnath from Cuttack, Mahamandaleshwar Santosh Das alias Satua Baba from Kashi, Mithileshnath, Rammilan Das, Bhayanaknath from Karnataka, Kamalnath from Ahmedabad, Ravindradas, etc. were also prominently present.
The Central government Sunday launched Operation Sadbhav to provide humanitarian assistance to Southeast Asian countries affected by Typhoon Yagi, a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone.

Under Operation Sadbhav, India has extended assistance to the Government of Vietnam to provide relief to the affected communities in northern Vietnam impacted by the natural disaster.

A consignment of 35 tonnes of humanitarian assistance, including water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, and solar lanterns, among others, was airlifted to Vietnam today by a special aircraft.

Advertisement

The humanitarian support to Vietnam is a testament to the enduring close ties between the two countries, marked by our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed sympathies and solidarity to Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh immediately after the typhoon struck Vietnam. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also extended sympathies to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son.

India has been among the first responders in providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to impacted countries.

Operation Sadbhav is part of Indias broader effort to contribute to HADR within the ASEAN region, in line with its long-standing Act East Policy.

Ten tonnes of humanitarian relief supply have been sent to the Government of Lao PDR. Floods and landslides have caused widespread damage to property and agricultural land, affecting around 40,000 people in northern Laos.

The supply in the form of hygiene kits, blankets, mosquito nets and repellents, sleeping bags, gensets, water purifiers, water purification tablets and disinfectants and other material has been airlifted today onboard a special aircraft from India.
An inter-departmental committee setup by the government will combat the proliferation of online gaming platforms and ensure regulatory compliance

As per the DGGI report, inter-departmental committee with representatives from ED, RBI, tax and consumer affairs departments will examine the same.

It highlighted that the GST intelligence wing of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has initiated action against 118 domestic online gaming entities, and Show Cause Notices have been issued to 34 taxpayers involving tax amount of Rs 1,10,531.91 crore.

Advertisement

The notices were issued to these gaming companies as they were not paying GST at 28 per cent rate.

The DGGI annual report 2023-24 flagged that online money gaming is a high-risk industry for tax evasion, money laundering, cyber frauds, juvenile delinquency and various socio-economic evils.

It said 658 offshore entities have been identified as non- registered/non-compliant entities and are being investigated by the DGGI. Also, 167 URL/websites have been recommended for blocking.

There are online gaming platforms which keep on changing their URL/website/apps to avoid tax compliance. Use of dark web or VPN based platforms for such supply further accentuates the difficulties in tax law enforcement, the DGGI said.

Therefore, a multi-prolonged approach to deal with this sector is need of the hour. An Inter-department committee comprising CBIC, CBDT, ED, MeITY, MCA, MIB, RBI, Department of Consumer Affairs, and the like along with industry bodies may be set up to develop comprehensive strategies and regulations to combat the proliferation of such platforms, ensuring regulatory compliance, consumer protection and national security, it added.

Sir William Raynell Anson, a renowned British jurist, has defined a wager or bet as a promise to give money or moneys worth upon the determination or ascertainment of an uncertain event. The Honble Supreme Courts verdict on the matter shall have a significant impact on how the concept of online money gaming is understood, the DGGI said.

Creating awareness and education among digital nagriks about safe and responsible gaming practices, promoting the use of legitimate platforms registered with MeitY or verified as permissible Real Money Gaming Platforms under the IT Rules, 2021, and entering into reciprocal arrangements with foreign governments for information sharing and tax enforcement may go a long way in effecting regulatory compliance in this industry, the DGGI said.
In a major political development, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal announced Sunday that he will step down from his position in two days, citing corruption charges against him as the reason for this decision.

During his address, Kejriwal stated that allegations of corruption have been made against both  him and AAP leader Manish Sisodia.

Kejriwal demanded that the Delhi elections, scheduled for February, be advanced to November to coincide with the Maharashtra elections.

Advertisement

He announced that a meeting of the AAP legislature party would be held in a few days to appoint a new leader who would assume the role of Chief Minister.

Kejriwal stated, I will resign in two days. I will seek the peoples opinion on my honesty, and until they respond, I will not occupy the Chief Ministers chair. I will only resume the position of Chief Minister, with Sisodia as Deputy Chief Minister, if the people affirm our integrity.

Kejriwal also launched a scathing attack on the BJP, stating that the AAP has transformed Indian politics and given it a new direction.

He criticised BJPs efforts to undermine AAP, saying, Their conspiracies have failed to break our spirits. We are back among you, and we will continue fighting for the nation.

He added that his imprisonment was not due to corruption but rather an attempt to dismantle AAP and its government.

They thought they could break Kejriwals spirit by sending him to jail. But neither I nor our MLAs or workers were broken, he said.

Kejriwal explained that he did not resign while in jail because he wanted to protect democracy.

Their new formula is to arrest the Chief Ministers where the BJP does not have power, just as they did with Hemant Soren, so he did not resign from jail he remarked.

Reflecting on his time in jail, Kejriwal shared that he found solace in reading and studying. He read the diary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, along with religious texts like the Gita and Ramayana.

The Chief Minister alleged that he wrote a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, requesting permission for Minister Atishi to hoist the flag on Independence Day.

In response to this letter, Kejriwal claimed he was threatened that if he wrote another such letter from jail, his weekly meetings with his family would be stopped.

Kejriwal further remarked that even the British allowed Bhagat Singh to write letters while he was in jail, but as an elected Chief Minister, he was not permitted to do so.

He also noted that while Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt were placed in the same jail by the British, he and Manish Sisodia were put in different cells despite being arrested in the same case.

Kejriwal concluded by urging all Chief Ministers not to resign under pressure, stating that he and his party have overcome many challenges due to their integrity and determination.

During the party address, Kejriwal was accompanied by his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, as well as AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and his wife, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha, Delhi Minister Atishi, and his aide Bibhav Kumar.

After his release from Tihar Jail, Kejriwal resumed his duties by holding a meeting with AAP leaders to discuss the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections on October 5.

In the excise policy case, Kejriwal met with senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi at his residence on Saturday. The Aam Aadmi Party also issued a statement expressing gratitude to Singhvi for his robust defense of Kejriwals case before the Supreme Court.
Onam, the traditional annual harvest and cultural festival of Kerala was celebrated on Sunday throughout the state with much fanfare.

On Sunday, marking Thiru Onam, the second day of the Onam festival, people from all over the state celebrated it with traditional fervour, gaiety, and splendour.

People wearing new clothes(Onakkodi) visited temples and offered prayers early in the morning. All major temples, including the famous hill shrine of Lord Ayappa at Sabarimala, Sree Krishna Temple, Guruvayour and Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram witnessed a heavy rush of devotees

Advertisement

At the Aranmula Temple, the grand Onasadya was held on Sunday as part of the traditional celebrations. The sacred Thiruvonathoni (Onam boat) arrived at the temple carrying offerings for the feast.

Children and youngsters decorated their houses with colourful pookkalam (floral carpets) in various designs and colours. Dramatic decorations made of flowers are put on display in the front courtyard of the house.

A sumptuous onasadya (feast) prepared by family members comprising various vegetarian dishes and delicious dessert payasam is among the highlights of the day.

Onam is marked by happiness, excitement and enjoyment among all sections of the people. It is celebrated with much fanfare not only in Kerala but by Malayalis across the world.

Onam is celebrated during the Malayalam month of Chingam, which falls in the period of August  September, and honours mythological King Mahabali  whose reign witnessed the golden era of Kerala. According to legends, the great king visits his subjects from the nether world on the day of Thiru Onam.

Although the festival originated in Hindu tradition, people cutting across the religion celebrated the festival with equal fervour. One of the highlights of Onam is the sumptuous feast called Ona Sadya. Onam has been an occasion known for bringing family members together.

The legend behind Onam is that once a demon king, Mahabali ruled Kerala. People were really happy under his rule, as he was very humble and just. But the Gods were upset with his popularity and approached Lord Vishnu for help, who later took the incarnation of Vamana, one of the 10 avatars, to banish the king.

Lord Vishnu disguised himself as a dwarf and a poor Brahmin called Vamana went to the king and asked for a piece of land measuring three feet.

The king readily agreed but little Vamana grew dramatically big and covered the kingdom in his first feet and the rest of the universe in second. With no space left for the third, Mahabali offered his head for it.

But before going to the nether world he asked Lord Vishnu for a boon to be allowed to visit his erstwhile people and country once every year to which Vishnu granted Mahabali the right to visit his people and his kingdom every year during Onam.

President Draupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among those who greeted Malayalees on the occasson of Onam.

On the auspicious occasion of Onam, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all citizens, especially the brothers and sisters of Kerala living in India and abroad, President Murmu said in her message.

Vice president JagdeepDhankhar in his greetings said: Onam weaves communities together through cherished traditions and serves as a heartfelt reminder of the enduring values of compassion and sacrifice. May the spirit of Onam fill everyones life with happiness and prosperity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended his warm greetings to Kerala on the occasion of Onam. Taking to X, PM Modi wished that there may be peace, prosperity and wellness all over.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan in his greetings said: I convey my heartiest Onam greetings to the people of the state and other Keralites all over the world.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a statement said, This time, Onam is coming in the background of landslides in Mundakai and Chooralmala. We are now engaged in a major effort to rebuild homes, reclaim livelihoods, and make the region economically and socially dynamic. Therefore, let us be full of compassion for our brothers and sisters who have survived this calamity during this celebration.
As part of the ongoing Ashwagandha awareness campaign, Patanjali Research Foundation, in collaboration with the National Medicinal Plant Board (Ministry of AYUSH) and the State Medicinal Plant Board, Dehradun, organised a quiz competition on medicinal herbs at the College of Smart Agriculture, Core University, Roorkee.

The event aimed to raise awareness about the importance of medicinal plants, particularly Ashwagandha.

Dr. Uday Bhan Prajapati, a scientist from Patanjali Research Foundation, delivered a lecture on the cultivation of medicinal herbs, focusing on the significance of Ashwagandha and its role in Ayurvedic medicine.

Advertisement

The lecture was followed by an engaging quiz competition, where students tested their knowledge on various medicinal plants.

A total of 44 students registered for the event, actively participating in both the lecture and the quiz.

The session saw enthusiastic interaction, with students posing a wide array of questions about medicinal herbs.

Dr. Prajapati addressed all the queries, ensuring a deeper understanding of the subject among the participants.

In attendance at the event were Dr. Amit Kumar Vashishth, Head of College of Smart Agriculture, Core University, as well as Agriculture Faculty members Dr. Ramashankar and Miss Seenu, along with Dr. Prajapati from Patanjali Research Foundation.

At the conclusion of the event, Dr. Ramashankar distributed stationery kits and certificates to all participants as a token of appreciation for their involvement. Dr. Amit Kumar Vashishth, who coordinated the program, offered a vote of thanks, marking the end of the successful session.

The Ashwagandha awareness campaign, supported by the Ministry of AYUSH, is aimed at promoting the benefits of medicinal herbs across educational institutions.
Launching a scathing attack on the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called these Opposition parties as the enemies of Jharkhand.

The Prime Ministers attack at the Opposition parties comes months ahead of Jharkhand Assembly polls which are due later this year.

Addressing a public rally in Jamshedpur, Modi said, There are three enemies of JharkhandJMM, RJD, and Congressand the sooner people understand this, the better it will be for them. The RJD still seeks revenge against Jharkhand for its separate statehood.

Advertisement

Congress despises Jharkhand, which is why, for so many years, when they ruled the country from Delhi, they never allowed the Dalit, poor, and backward sections to move forward. They are willing to go to any lengths for their greed and power, the Prime Minister said.

He accused JMM of building its political base on Adivasi votes while now aligning with those

who allegedly threaten the land rights of the states people.

The Prime Minister expressed concern about the growing problem of illegal immigrants in Jharkhand, particularly in the Santhal and Kolhan regions, which he said has endangered local girls and their families.

Today, the biggest problem in the state is the intruders. Just two days ago, the Jharkhand High Court passed orders to investigate these activities, but the JMM government refuses to acknowledge that this is a significant issue, he said.

The Prime Minister alleged that the demographics and identity of these regions are changing rapidly due to Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants. Modi claimed that JMM is siding with these immigrants for political gains.

JMM is standing with the Bangladeshi and Rohingya intruders. Political benefit is their top priority, he added.

He also pointed to the recent controversy surrounding former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, saying, Today, poor tribal people in Jharkhand are questioning if Champai Soren wasnt a tribal or if he didnt come

from a poor family. The insult to him has deeply hurt every tribal person in Jharkhand.

Shifting his focus to Congress, PM Modi branded the party as the most corrupt in the country and took aim at the Gandhi family, labelling them as the most corrupt family.

He accused the JMM of being trained in corruption by what he called the Congress School of Corruption.

PM Modi emphasised that accountability is key in the upcoming elections, calling for the public to hold corrupt individuals responsible.

We must hold accountable those corrupt individuals who have looted your money and drained the treasury of Jharkhand. It is our responsibility to account for every penny, and I need your support for this, PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister also criticised the state government over the deaths of more than 15

candidates during physical tests for recruitment exams. He extended condolences to the families of the deceased and assured them of a thorough investigation once the BJP and NDA come to power.

I pay my respects to those young lives lost due to recruitment exams in the state, and offer my condolences to their families. I promise that once the BJP and NDA government is in power in Jharkhand, a thorough investigation into these matters will be conducted, Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome in Jharkhand on Sunday morning, as he arrived in the state capital to launch six Vande Bharat trains and a slew of other developmental projects.

As the Prime Minister reached the Ranchi airport, he was welcomed with a Jahva, a sign of a popular Karma festival in the tribal state.

PM Modi, in a video message, explained the significance of Karma Parv and stated that sisters tie Jahva on their brothers ears praying for their safety.

Advertisement

This morning, when I reached Ranchi Airport, a sister welcomed me with a Jahva, a sign of Karma Parv. In this festival, sisters pray for their brothers well-being in this festival, PM Modi said.

He also extended warm greetings to the people of Jharkhand on this Karma Parv.

Notably, Karma Festival is a festival, celebrated by diverse groups of tribal populations including Ho, Mundadri, Oraon, Santhali, and Nagpuri tribes, particularly in areas of Jharkhand and West Bengal.

PM Modis participation in Karma Parv celebrations assumes importance in light of the fact that Jharkhand, primarily a tribal state is headed for Assembly elections in the next two months.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister also flagged off six Vande Bharat trains virtually, from Tata Nagar. This will increase connectivity on many routes including Tatanagar-Patna, Bhagalpur-Dumka-Howrah, Brahmapur-Tatanagar, Gaya-Howrah, Deoghar-Varanasi and Rourkela-Howrah.

Later, addressing a public rally, PM Modi hit out at Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress over rampant corruption in the state.

There are three enemies of Jharkhand  JMM, RJD and Congress. The RJD still remains revengeful of Jharkhand formation while Congress dislike for the state is evident from its actions. JMM stands with the Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas. The ghost of Congress has entered JMM. These parties want to create their vote banks in the name of religion, PM Modi said at a rally.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that positive steps will be taken for the inclusion of the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.

Efforts are on to ensure that the admittance should be sustainable in the framework of law and should not be an injustice to any other community, he said

A meeting between the Chief Minister with the delegation of Dhangar Samaj coordination committee was held on Sunday against the backdrop of a demand made by the Dhangar community for the inclusion in Scheduled Tribe category and agitation following the demand, thereby.

Advertisement

The Chief Minister had a telephonic interaction with the agitators and enquired about them.

Shinde said that the demand for inclusion of the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribe category has been pending for many years and in order to ensure the inclusion, the prescribed procedure of the law will have to be followed.

He further said that for this, the efforts for follow-up at the secretariat level will be immediately started.

He said that the opinion of the Advocate General of the state, law and justice department will also be taken.

Along with the tribal development department, secretaries of other departments and the members of the coordination committee should actively participate and action should be initiated with immediate effect regarding other demands, the chief minister directed.

The directions were also given for submitting the report to the Sudhakar Shinde committee, established for the inclusion of the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribe, as early as possible.

During the meeting, Shinde gave information about the functioning of the committee.
On the 106th anniversary of Bakus liberation from occupation, we congratulate our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its official "X" account.

"We remember with gratitude and respect all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for independence," the post reads.
Survival of the widely popular Chinese app, TikTok, designated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a national security risk, could depend on a court hearing this week in Washington, D.C.

Lawyers for the US Justice Department, TikTok, and a group of the platforms users are scheduled to argue in court on Monday over a US law prohibiting Chinese ownership of the app. TikTok, a subsidiary of tech giant ByteDance, claims that the law, signed by President Biden in April, is unconstitutional.

The law says ByteDance must divest control of TikTok by Jan. 19 or face a nationwide ban. It also precludes any ongoing relationship between TikTok's US operations and affiliated entities controlled by a foreign adversary.

US lawmakers and security officials have been concerned that the China-based TikTok collects its users' information, including their location, IP address, the type of device they use to access the app, and the information they type into the device's keyboard.

TikTok has asked the court for an injunction to block the US government from enforcing the law based on First Amendment speech rights and other grounds.

Content creators who use the platform are also scheduled to make arguments in connection with similar requests to block enforcement of the law.

The dispute is playing out in the District of Columbias US Court of Appeals before a three-judge panel, including its Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan, Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, and Senior Circuit Judge Douglas Ginsburg.

Lawyers for the US Justice Department said in a court filing that the case involves classified information that may be disclosed only to the judges.

A spokesperson for TikTok declined to comment on the proceedings.

FBI Director Christopher Wray last year testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing concerning worldwide threats. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) (Drew Angerer via Getty Images)

Legal experts say the panel may not buy TikToks arguments that content on the platform qualifies as TikTok or ByteDances own speech or that, as a foreign company, it should be afforded full constitutional protections.

"As a general matter, foreign companies don't have constitutional rights," Jamil Jaffer, director of the National Security Institute at George Mason Universitys Antonin Scalia Law School, told Yahoo Finance at the time the case was filed.

The Supreme Court has carved out some exceptions, including a First Amendment right for US companies to make campaign contributions.

Wilson Freeman, an attorney for Pacific Legal Foundation, said his initial reaction to TikTok's complaint was that it's a challenge the government must take "very seriously." He added, "Im not surprised they led with the First Amendment claim, as it seems like the strongest of the four claims by far."

Story continues

TikTok users joined the company as plaintiffs in the case, alleging that the law violates their rights to free speech.

In March 2023, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that TikTok "screams" of US security concerns. One reason is that under Chinese law, its government authorities can demand that TikTok hand over user data.

"ByteDance is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government. It is a private company," TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified to members of Congress that same month.

Not owned by China: Tik Tok's Shou Zi Chew last year during a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on the platform's consumer privacy and data security practices and impact on children. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Chew also told members of Congress that he didnt think spying was the right word to describe ByteDances access to Americans personal information. That said, earlier in December 2022, ByteDance admitted that its employees accessed the personal data of foreign journalists, including their location data.

Multiple US states and other countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom, have banned TikTok from government devices. Former President Donald Trump flip-flopped on whether he was in favor of banning the app after a failed attempt during his administration to ban the platform by executive order.

According to University of New Haven senior economics lecturer and lawyer Brian Marks, the panel could reason that the case is strong enough on national security grounds because users still have access to other similar platforms where they can exercise their right to speech, like Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).

Even if the court did validate the First Amendment claims of TikTok or its users, the company would still have to overcome another hurdle: proving that the law is intended to influence the viewpoints expressed by TikTok, rather than its stated purpose of protecting national security and user privacy.

TikTok asserted three more constitutional claims in its lawsuit.

It said the forced divestment violates the Constitutions prohibition against bills of attainder, also known as ex post facto laws, which outlaw a once legal activity, then reach back in time to punish violators for past actions.

TikTok also claimed Congress's law violated the Constitution's takings clause, which says the government cannot assert ownership over private property without just compensation.

Still another of TikTok's claims states the law violates the equal protection clause, which requires that the nations laws be applied equally to US citizens and entities. According to TikTok, the law singles out TikTok for punishment.

After Monday's hearing, the appellate panel will be tasked with deciding the case. Some legal scholars expect that the novel questions presented in the case  and the high-risk financial and security issues at stake  could propel the case to the US Supreme Court.

Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on X @alexiskweed.

Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
In an apparent dig at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks on reservation while in the US, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said a person holding constitutional position who is making serialised periodic anti-India rant on foreign soil is talking about ending reservations.

Delivering his address as Chief Guest at the inauguration of Samvidhan Mandir at Elphinstone Technical High School & Jr College in Mumbai, Vice President Dhankhar, without directly taking the Congress leaders name, said, It is a matter of concern, a subject for reflection, and a topic for deep contemplation! The same mindset that was anti-reservation, the pattern of prejudice against reservation that has been handed over. Today, a person sitting in a constitutional position says abroad that reservations should be abolished.

Criticising the flaunting of Constitution by some, Dhankhar said, The Constitution is not to be flaunted like a book. The Constitution has to be respected. The Constitution has to be read. The Constitution has to be understood. Merely presenting the constitution as a book, showcasing itat least any civilised, knowledgeable person, someone with a devoted spirit towards the constitution, and one who reveres the essence of the constitutionwill not accept it.

While under the Constitution we enjoy fundamental rights, our Constitution also includes fundamental duties. And what are the foremost duties? Abide by the Constitution and respect the national flag and national anthem. Follow the ideals of the freedom struggle, and protect the sovereignty and integrity of India. How ironic it is that the sole purpose of some foreign travels is to neglect these duties. Publicly tearing apart the spirit of the Indian Constitution, he added.

Why the true gem, Bharat Ratna, was not awarded to Baba Saheb Ambedkar, it was awarded on March 31, 1990. Why was this honour not given earlier? Baba Saheb was very well-known as the architect of the Indian Constitution. Another significant issue related to Baba Sahebs mindset is the Mandal Commission report. After this report was presented, for the next ten years, and during that decade when the country had two Prime MinistersIndira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhinot a single move was made regarding this report, the Vice-President said.

Drawing attention to the anti-reservation mindset, Dhankhar reflected, Let me quote certain reflection about this mindset. Pandit Nehru, first PM of this country, What did he say?

I do not like reservations in any form. Especially reservations in jobs. According to him and sadly and unfortunately I quote I am against any step that promotes inefficiency and takes us towards mediocracy.

Criticising those who talk of ending reservation and think that it is against meritocracy, Dhankhar underlined, Let me assure you, reservation is the conscience of the Constitution, reservation is in our constitution with positivity, with great meaning to bring about social equality and to cut inequities. Reservation is affirmative action, it is not negative, Reservation is not depriving someone of opportunity, reservation is hand holding those who are pillars and strength of society.

On September 9, Rahul Gandhi had said the Congress party will think of scrapping reservations when India becomes a fair place, which it is not. The Congress leader was interacting with students and faculty at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

He also reiterated the need to conduct a caste census while saying that 90 per cent of the countrys populationOBCs, Dalits and Adivasisnot having proper representation in the country is the elephant in the room.
Six pilgrims, including a woman, from Dewas in Madhya Pradesh were killed and three others were seriously injured after their van collided with a heavy vehicle in Hindoli area of Bundi district in neighbouring Rajasthan state early Sunday morning.

MP Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident. The CM announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs two lakh to the kin of each deceased.

According to reports, nine pilgrims were travelling in a Maruti Eeco Van from Dewas to offer worship at the Khatu Shyam Temple in Rajasthan.

Advertisement

At around 4.30 am, a speeding dumper hit the van head on near Lagdhariya Bheru bridge in Hindoli area of Bundi district.

The collision was so strong that the van got almost completely mangled.

Reports said that the deceased were identified as Poonam Nayak, Mahesh Nayak, Rajesh Nayak, Madan Nayak, Rakesh Nayak and another person.

The injured were identified as Manoj Nayak, Aniket Nayak and Pradeep. They were admitted to a hospital for treatment.
For centuries, diplomacy has often operated in a space where truth is moulded, concealed, or reshaped to suit the interests of nations. Sir Henry Wootens famous aphorism, An ambassador is a gentleman sent to lie abroad for the good of his country, captured a recurring truth of his era. However, figures like Robert White, a U.S. diplomat who served seven presidents, exemplified that standing for truth can come at a cost. Whites integrity, which ultimately led to the loss of his career under pressure from the Reagan Administration, serves as a potent reminder of how values and truth can clash with power.

In todays fast-evolving geopolitical landscape, these themes resonate more deeply than ever especially with the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) in the realm of foreign policy. As AI increasingly influences how nations communicate, negotiate, and manage international relations, its role in shaping the ethics and future of diplomacy is under scrutiny. While AI offers transformative potential for decision-making, intelligence gathering, and conflict resolution, it also introduces new risks and dilemmas that challenge the very principles diplomats like White stood for. Will AI be a tool for enhancing transparency and truth, or will it further blur the lines between diplomacy and deception? AIs ability to process vast amounts of data, analyze complex geopolitical trends, and simulate potential outcomes can aid diplomats in making more informed decisions.

For instance, AI can predict political unrest or detect early signs of conflict through social media patterns, enabling governments to act preemptively. Virtual assistants and translation software can smoothen communication between officials from different countries, reducing misinterpretation that has historically led to conflicts. However, AIs promises are also accompanied by significant perils. The tools used to promote peace and cooperation can also be manipulated to serve darker purposes. Disinformation campaigns, deepfake technologies, and AI-generated propaganda pose challenges to the integrity of global communication. Governments or non-state actors could leverage AI to manipulate public opinion or orchestrate sophisticated disinformation campaigns that blur the line between fact and fiction  leaving both diplomats and citizens vulnerable to deceit on an unprecedented scale. The digital age makes it easier for nations to hide behind algorithms rather than human accountability.

The anonymity and speed of AI-driven actions could lead to deniability when ethical boundaries are crossed. In a world where AI operates behind the scenes, the timeless question of how much truth diplomats owe to their citizens and the global community becomes even more urgent. In the AI-driven world of diplomacy, the pressure to uphold truth and integrity will become even more complex. AI may automate certain processes and decisions, but it is humans who must ultimately decide how and why AI is deployed in the service of foreign policy. This brings into focus the need for ethical frameworks to guide the use of AI in diplomacy. Just as Robert White refused to lie for political convenience, future diplomats may find themselves grappling with how to use AI responsibly, ensuring it serves the common good without perpetuating falsehoods or escalating conflicts. The presence of AI also redefines the role of the diplomat, requiring a new set of skills and responsibilities.

Advertisement

Diplomats will need to understand the implications of AI tools while maintaining the moral compass to use them wisely. They will have to navigate not just cultural differences but technological complexities, where the ability to discern between truth and manipulation will be critical to preserving global stability. As we move into this new era, international organizations and governing bodies must work collaboratively to establish clear regulations around the use of AI in diplomacy. Transparency in AI algorithms, robust verification processes for information, and accountability mechanisms should be embedded into the fabric of diplomatic practice. Otherwise, we risk a future where diplomacy is not only guided by machines but by the whims of those who control them  without the ethical restraint that has historically been the cornerstone of international relations.

The development of global AI standards should be driven by a commitment to peace, human rights, and truth  principles that ambassadors and diplomats have upheld for generations, even when personal and political costs were high. The international community must ensure that AI does not become a tool that erodes the very trust and transparency it was designed to enhance. In the coming decades, AI will undoubtedly reshape the landscape of diplomacy and foreign policy. But while machines can process data and predict outcomes, they cannot replace the core human values of integrity, accountability, and ethical judgment that are essential to the art of diplomacy. Figures like White remind us of the importance of standing firm for truth, even in the face of political expediency.

As AI takes its place in the diplomatic toolkit, it is crucial that we continue to ask: How can we ensure that AI serves as a force for good rather than deception? What role should diplomats play in guiding its development? And, most importantly, how do we protect the principles of truth and integrity in an increasingly AI-driven world? The answers to these questions will determine the future of international relations and whether the digital age becomes an era of enhanced global cooperation or one of deepening mistrust and manipulation. The stakes are high, but with the right leadership and ethical foresight, AI could be a powerful ally in building a more just, transparent, and peaceful world. In the realm of diplomacy, principles such as an enemys enemy is a friend or no permanent friends, only permanent interests have guided international relations for centuries. AI may reshape the landscape, but these timeless truths remain. Diplomats will continue to navigate a world where interests shift, alliances form and break, and opinion is not an iron rod but a flexible tool of negotiation.

(The writer is Associate Professor, Centre for South Asian Studies, Pondicherry Central University.)
The imposition of US sanctions on Chinese companies for supplying Pakistans ballistic missile programme marks another chapter in the complex geopolitical dynamics of South Asia. The decision to target specific Chinese entities underscores Washingtons growing concerns about the proliferation of missile technologies, particularly in regions fraught with security risks. At the same time, it highlights the increasingly strained relationship between the US and China over military technology transfers, further complicating the already fragile balance of power in the region. One of the key issues at hand is the continuing development of Pakistans missile capabilities.

The sanctions specifically target entities connected to the development of the Shaheen-3 and Ababeel missile systems, which are capable of delivering nuclear payloads over long distances. Pakistan has long sought to modernise its missile arsenal as part of its broader defence strategy, aimed primarily at countering Indias growing military prowess. The Shaheen-3, with its extended range, could potentially reach deep into Indian territory, while the Ababeel system is notable for its ability to carry multiple warheads, enhancing its strategic deterrent.

The involvement of Chinese companies in Pakistans missile development, while not surprising, raises critical concerns. China has been a longstanding strategic partner of Pak istan, particularly in defence and technology transfers. This partnership, often seen as a counter-balance to Indias alliances with the West, is part of Beijings broader efforts to expand its influence in South Asia. The latest sanctions, however, demonstrate the USs increasing willingness to disrupt these partnerships, especially when they involve sensitive military technologies that could alter regional security dynamics. From a US perspective, the decision to impose sanctions reflects a broader policy objective of preventing the spread of missile technologies, particularly in regions like South Asia where nuclear rivalries exist.

Advertisement

The US has consistently sought to curb missile proliferation through international frameworks, and these sanctions are a clear signal of its intent to act unilaterally when necessary. This action aligns with Washingtons historical stance of addressing any potential threats that could undermine regional stability, particularly when it comes to weapons of mass destruction. Chinas response to these sanctions, which emphasises its opposition to unilateral measures and long-arm jurisdiction, is also predictable. Beijing has frequently voiced its disapproval of US actions that it perceives as overreaching or not in line with international law.

However, Chinas role in facilitating Pakistans missile programme cannot be ignored, as it reflects a broader strategic alignment that transcends mere economic cooperation. As China continues to assert its global influence, especially in regions of strategic interest like South Asia, it will likely face increasing scrutiny and pushback from the US and its allies. The sanctions underscore the delicate balance of power between nuclear-armed neighbours and the broader implications of military technology transfers in an increasingly multipolar world. As the US, China, and Pakistan navigate these developments, the consequences for regional and global security will be closely watched.
The resignation of two Maldivian ministers who had disparaged Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks an important moment in the fragile Maldives-India relationship. This development, coming just ahead of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzus planned visit to New Delhi, signals a potentially strategic shift in the way Maldives might navigate its complex ties with India.

Mr Muizzu, known for his India out campaign, had been critical of the heavy Indian presence in the Maldives, specifically the stationing of Indian defence personnel. His political rise was marked by a commitment to reversing Maldives traditionally close ties with India, pivoting instead toward strengthening relationships with China. His demands to replace Indian military personnel with civilians earlier this year were met by New Delhi, although the move was seen as a strain on what had once been a close partnership. However, the resignations of the two junior ministers ~ who had made inflammatory comments about Mr Modi on social media ~ may indicate a desire to temper the overtly anti-India rhetoric that has characterised Mr Muizzus administration.

The Maldivian President, despite his pro-China stance, appears to be making efforts to manage relations with India, likely recognising that an outright antagonistic approach could be counterproductive, especially given Indias economic and strategic importance in the region. Mr Muizzus planned visit to New Delhi is a critical diplomatic step. It will be his first official visit to India since taking office, signalling that despite previous tensions, he values maintaining open lines of communication with New Delhi. The Maldives, located strategically in the Indian Ocean, is an important player in the broader regional dynamics, where India and China are vying for influence.

Advertisement

India, with its historical and cultural ties to the Maldives, has always played a significant role in the countrys political and economic landscape. Meanwhile, Chinas growing presence in the region, particularly through its Belt and Road Initiative, has presented a new geopolitical challenge for India. For Mr Muizzu, balancing these competing influences is vital. While his initial actions suggested a clear pivot toward China, the upcoming visit to New Delhi hints at a more pragmatic approach. The resignations of the ministers, who had drawn ire from Indian officials and the public alike, may be seen as an olive branch to smooth over diplomatic friction ahead of the talks.

Given the Maldives dependence on tourism ~ much of which came from India until tensions flared ~ Mr Muizzu cannot afford to let strained relations hinder the economic benefits of close ties with its larger neighbour. Ultimately, Mr Muizzus upcoming visit to India presents an opportunity for recalibration. By engaging with New Delhi while maintaining his ties with Beijing, Mr. Muizzu may be seeking to position the Maldives as a neutral, independent actor in the increasingly polarised Indo-Pacific region. The resignations of the ministers who had publicly insulted Mr Modi are perhaps just the first step in a broader strategy of navigating these complex geopolitical waters.
Her name was Miss Josephile Macleod. Everybody fondly called her Joe. She was born and brought up in the lap of luxury and opulence. Her kith and kin were liberal and forward looking. Therefore, she led an independent life, choosing to love and serve others. She was a maverick connected to many well known personalities across the globe. But, a magic transformation occurred in her as soon as she came in contact with Swami Vivekananda. She first saw him in New York in 1895, while he was giving a parlour talk.

His words penetrated into her heart with immediate effect. She said, whatever he uttered was to me truth. She felt she was in eternity and that realisation never altered. Speaking about her maiden experience of listening to Swamiji, she later described a vision she had: Subject of the talk was the Gita  When Swamiji started speaking  I lifted my eyes and saw with these very eyes Krishna himself standing there and I stared and stared  I saw only the figure, and all else vanished.

The experience stirred her, leaving an indelible mark on her mind. From that moment life had a different import, she wrote in her reminiscences. She believed she had a rebirth on that day. So, she counted her age from then for the rest of her life. She thought she found her own soul that day. Describing Swamijis impact on her she said: It seems as if all my life dated from that event. As if Id fulfilled the mission I was born for ~ recognition of the new Buddha.

Advertisement

She listened to Swamijis talks and lectures for a few years tirelessly with enormous enthusiasm. In her view, It was because Swamiji was new and fresh every day that he held one! Swamiji saw she was deeply spiritual and highly susceptible to Vedantic teachings. He, accordingly, taught her in their light: Always remember, you are incidentally an American and a woman, but al ways a child of God. Discerning her intrinsic character, he proclai med, She is pure as purity, loving as love itself. As a follower hers was an absolute loyalty to Swamiji, and his an unbreachable trust in her. He said: Shes my good luck  When she is with me, everything goes well  I can do nothing without her.

Swamiji relied on Joe for her tact and quiet way. He thought she could wield a kingdom. On the other hand, Joe saw Swamiji as a limitless personality. She said: The thing that held me in Swamiji was his unlimitedness. I never could touch the bottom ~ or top ~ or sides. The amazing size of him! Oh, such natures make one so free. She was in awe, observing him once during a lecture on Jesus of Nazareth, when he seemed to radiate a white light from head to foot. She said: I was so impressed with this obvious halo that I did not speak to him on the way back for fear of interrupting  Suddenly he said to me, I know how it is done.

I said how what is done? How they make mulligatawny soup (he ate it before coming to the lecture). They put a bay leaf in it, he told me. That utter lack of self-consciousness, of self-importance was perhaps one of his outstanding characteristics. She was fit to become his disciple. But, she would say They were disciples, whereas I was never anything but a friend. Maybe, she used to say this to mean her closeness with Swamiji.

It, nevertheless, created confusion whether or not she was formally initiated by Swamiji. Contrarily, in her research work on Swamiji in the West, Marie Louise Burke wrote: She, too, became, it can be said, his disciple, for while often emphasised in later years that she was his friend, not disciple, in her own reminiscences she speaks of some early spiritual instruction she received from him and of an experience she had as a result of following it; one also knows that he gave her a mantra.

In any case, be cause of her exceptional maturity, Swamiji let her be friendly, with the prospect of her being substantially useful. She asked Swamiji, Swami, how can I best help you? Swamiji answered Love India. She saw the greatness of India in Swamiji and her love for him as her pathfinder was total. She therefore didnt have the least difficulty in loving India dearly, although she had never visited the country until then. She loved India working for Swamiji which was, she knew, for the cause of India. Joe visited India regularly, even after Swamijis demise, with the resolution of doing it until the end. She said: I havent renunciation, but Ive freedom. Freedom to see and help India to grow ~ thats my job and how I love it.

She thought Swamiji give her freedom spiritually. She spoke about its conviction thus: It is the Truth I saw in Swamiji that has set me free.  It was to set me free that Swamiji came, that was as much part of his mission  Joe was a frontline worker of Swamiji abroad. Not she alone, her sister Betty as well as Bettys spo use Francis were also there to as sist Swamiji to start a centre in New York, which was the first of its kind in the West. Besides, Joe worked hard to get Swamijis lectures published in the form of books. She took care of myriad other things for making Swamijis mission fruitful. Swamiji returned to India in 1897.

Joe was also eager to come and wrote to him, Shall I come to India? His reply was: Yes, come, if you want filth and degradation and po verty and many loin cloths talking religion. Dont come if you want anything else. We cannot bear one more criticism. Swamiji co  uld af ford to be curt with her. She was aware that he wanted her to know the existing reality in India in distinct terms.

She appreciated such answers with no mincing words from him on crucial questions related to her life and work for him. She came to India in 1898, saw Sarada Devi, travelled with Swamiji to many places and learnt a lot. Meanwhile, the land for Belur Math was purchased and a monestary was established on it, in which Swamiji stated living. Soon, Betty and Francis arrived. They bought a house adjoining the Math and stayed in it with Joe, in order to be near Swamiji. Joe had many urgent discussions with Swamiji during this time on the work. When she came for the second time, one day he quite unexpectedly spoke to her about his approaching death.

She wrote: I was standing in Swamijis bedroom  and he said to me, I shall never see forty. I, knowing he was thirty-nine, said to him, But Swamiji, Buddha did not do his great work until between forty and eighty. But he said I delivered my message and I must go. I asked, Why go? and he said The shadow of a big tree will not let the smaller trees grow up. I must go, I must go to make room. In another conversation he told her, I havent a penny to myself. I have given away everything that has ever been given to me.

She said: I will give you fifty dollars a month as long as you live. He said after a little thought: Can I live on that? She replied Yes. She knew she was the only person to whom he could say it frankly, for she would not misunderstand him. She would be able to see that he didnt want to be a burden on the organisation for his livelihood. She gave him two hundred dollars then and there to meet his expenses for four months, but before the four months were passed he had gone. Returning, she wrote a letter in April 1902, in which she said, I swim or sink with you.

The ans wer to it never came. Instead, she received a cable, Swami attained nirvana, dated 4 July 1902. The news drowned her in a sea of sorrow. Swamijis loss weighed on her heart unbearably. She wrote afterward: For days I was stunned. I never answered it (the cable). And then the desolation that seemed to fill my life made me weep for years and it was only after I read Meterlink who said, If you have been greatly influenced by anyone, prove it by your life, and not by your tears, I never wept again For a long time Joe didnt come to India after Swamijis passing.

But when she came she was full of joy, witnessing that instead of India being a place of desolation all India was alive with Swamijis ideas. She said, Since that time I am going frequently. Then onwards, she was a guardian angel to the monks of the Ramakrishna Mission. For crises she was there to save and protect the work done by them. Otherwise, she, like an ambassador, indefatigably travelled all over the world to spread Swamijis universal message, as a result of which, many world thinkers became seriously interested about Swamiji. Swamijis influence on Joe was cathartic.

He was the warp and woof in everything of her life. She learnt from him how to love India and be free. In her advanced age she recapitulated her unqualified faith in Swamiji and India saying: I feel that Swamiji is a Rock for us to stand upon. That was his function in my life, not worship, nor glory, but a steadiness under ones feet! At last Im free. Its so curious to feel free, not needed any more in the West, but all my characteristics ~ in India.

(The writer is associated with Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narendrapur)
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which is currently being scrutinised by a Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP), has stirred a hornets nest. The government claims that the proposed amendments to the original Waqf Act are intended to bring transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the management and administration of over 8.7 lakh Waqf properties spread across India. It is also being asserted that this Bill inten ds to address issues of corruption and to ensure the proper utilisation of Waqf properties so that its benefits reach poor Muslims. How ever, Muslims, opposition parties, and secularliberal intellectuals consider the proposed changes as a wolf in sheeps clothing.

Much before the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 8 August 2024, a false narrative was already being peddled in the print and electronic media and also through other digital platforms for quite some time. A false impression is being sought to be created that Waqf Boards have unlimited power and they can lay claims on anyones property, especially those of Hindus, and declare them as Waqf property and courts cannot intervene in the matter. A commentator has even claimed that Waqf has acted as an enabler to Islamic imperialism, proselytization, and appropriation of other denominational sites. Waqf is an important instrument of Islamic philanthropy of dedication of ones personal property, either moveable or immoveable, for religious, pious, or charitable purposes. Under Islamic law, the dedication of Waqf can take place either through a deed, or even orally.

A property can be deemed to be Waqf if it has been used for religious or charitable purposes for a long period of time. Once a Waqf is created, the proprietary right of the creator (waqif) upon such properties extinguishes and the ownership is permanently transferred to the Almighty God. A Waqf is generally perpetual and irrevocable and can never be alienated, given away as a gift, inherited, or sold. At present, Auqaf (plural of Waqf) in India is governed through the Waqf Act, 1995. This provided for the establishment of Waqf Boards in each state and Union Territory. The 1995 Act was amended in 2013, granting more power to the Waqf boards. The precursor to this was the Muslim Waqf Validating Act, 1913, brought out by the colonial government to remove the effect of the Privy Council decision in Abul Fata Mahomed lshak v. Russomoy Dhur Chowdry (1894), by which the institution of waqfal-aulad was declared illegal.

Advertisement

This was later replaced by the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923. In 1954, the Waqf Act was passed, which established the Central Waqf Council in 1964. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposes as many as 44 amendments to the existing Waqf Act, 1995. While expressing grave concerns over the proposed changes, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the Jamiat Ulema-eHind, and other prominent Muslim organisations have rejected the Bill in its entirety, there are a few proposed changes which have annoyed Muslims the most. The most contentious aspect of the bill is the proposal to include non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards and the removal, from the existing Act, of the condition that the chief executive officer of a Waqf Board has to be a Muslim.

Critics point out that Waqf is a religious institution, and imposing members of other faiths on its management seems illogical as non-Hindus are not allowed to be part of temple boards. Section 7 of the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997 specifically provides that The Commissioner and every Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner and every other Officer or servant, appointed to carry out the purposes of this Act by whomsoever appointed, shall be a person professing Hindu religion, and shall cease to hold office as such when he ceases to profess that religion.

Another aspect of the bill, that is being vehemently criticised is the addition of a new provision stating that any government property identified as Waqf will cease to be so. Replacing the Waqf Tribunal, the proposed bill has given sweeping power to the District Collector to decide whether a property is Waqf or government land in case of a dispute. The Bill also seeks to omit Section 40 from the existing Act, which empowers the Waqf Board to decide whether a particular property is a waqf property. This provision assumes significance in light of the fact that a large number of Waqf properties are under the possession of various departments of the state and the central governments. This could affect as many as 73,196 disputed properties across 30 states.

Many Muslims fear that if the proposed amendment is passed in the present form, the government would usurp Waqf properties that are already in its possession. The removal of provisions that allowed a property to be considered waqf based on oral declaration and Waqf by user is another contentious part of the proposed legislation. Generally, a Waqf requires an express dedication, but if land has been used for a long time for a religious purpose, then the land is user Waqf. A large number of mosques and graveyards are Waqf properties by use and may not have valid Waqfnamas. Under the new law, a property without a valid waqfnama will be treated as suspect or disputed and will remain inactive until a final decision by the District Collector.

The new bill has also added that Waqf-alal-aulad must not result in denial of inheritance rights to the donors heir, including women heirs of the Waqif. This proposal has reopened an old tension between Muslim law of family Waqf and inheritance, which was settled way back in 1913 through the Muslim Waqf Validating Act, 1913. It is often claimed that Waqf-alal-aulad is more about circumventing Quranic inheritance rules and preventing division among heirs than about altruism, charity, and public welfare. It is true that the management and administration of Waqf in India is currently afflicted with many ailments and requires urgent corrective measures. Over the years, Waqf properties have been left neglected and mismanaged. Corruption has also crept into the Waqf system.

Though Waqf holds the third largest land ownership in the country, the income generated remains abysmally low. If efficiently managed, Waqf properties can generate thousands of crores of rupees annually. A large chunk of Waqf properties have been either encroached on or are under illegal possession with the collusion of the Waqf Board members and other officials. This sorry state of affairs cannot be allowed. However, these issues have hardly been effectively addressed in the proposed amendments in the Waqf Act. The proposed bill addresses the concerns of others more than those needed to bring reforms in the administration of Waqf. Furthermore, there exists a huge trust deficit between the government and Muslims, who view the proposed legislation with scepticism.

They consider it politically motivated and an undue interference in their religious matters. Many of them see it as a ploy of the government to usurp Waqf land under the guise of protection and transparency. One cannot shy away from the fact that the desired goal of revamping the Waqf administration cannot be achieved in the atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust.

(The writer is political, commentator and professor at Aligarh Muslim University)
India held bilateral meetings with the US, Brazil, Germany, UK, Japan, Spain, UAE on the sidelines of the G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting on September 12 and 13 in Cuiaba, Brazil.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur led the Indian delegation along with Ambassador of India to Brazil Suresh Reddy and Joint Secretary Franklin L Khobung, Department of Agriculture & Farmers during the bilateral meetings.

A bilateral meeting between Thakur and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan Sakamoto was held on 12 September in Brazil, the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry said on Sunday.

Advertisement

Both sides expressed their commitment to cooperate in mutually beneficial areas including such as use of technology, food processing, cold storage etc, sustainability and productivity of agriculture in India also through private investment.

Market access issues were discussed where Indian Minister Thakur asked to expedite the market access of Indian pomegranate and grapes in Japan while Japan Minister Sakamoto raised the market access of Japanese cedar.

A bilateral meeting between Thakur and Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil Carlos Favaro was held on 13 September in Brazil. Favaro underscored learnings from the Indian Presidency and friendly relations between the two countries. Thakur congratulated the Brazilian Presidency on successful completion of AWG meetings.

During the meeting, both sides discussed issues related to cooperation in science and technology, cooperation in ethanol production and market access.

The two countries agreed to cooperate in science and technology and expressed the hope that the Memorandum of Understanding between ICAR India and EMBRAPA Brazil would be completed before the G20 leaders meeting in November.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 206 prisoners of war, said the Russian Defence Ministry.

A total of 103 Russian servicemen who were taken prisoner in Kursk region have been released. In exchange, 103 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been transferred, Russian Defence Ministry said on Saturday in a statement.

All the exchanged Russian soldiers are in Belarus where they are provided necessary assistance, Xinhua news agency reported.

Advertisement

The UAE made humanitarian mediation efforts for the exchange, it said.

The exchange was the second one in two days, Ukrainian authorities said on Saturday.

A total of 103 Ukrainian military troops, including 21 officers, were released, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a post on Telegram.

Our people are home. We have successfully brought back another 103 warriors from Russian captivity to Ukraine. Eighty-two privates and sergeants. 21 officers. Defenders of the Kyiv and Donetsk regions, Mariupol and Azovstal, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions. Warriors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, border guards, and police officers, Zelensky wrote on social media platform X.

I thank our exchange team for delivering such good news for Ukraine, he added.

Despite ongoing hostilities, Russia and Ukraine have managed to swap hundreds of prisoners throughout the two-and-half-year conflict, often in deals brokered by the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Turkey.

The announcement came just three weeks after Russia and Ukraine swapped 115 prisoners of war each in an exchange deal also mediated by the UAE.

The UAEs Foreign Ministry hailed the deal as a success and thanked both sides for their cooperation on Saturday.

The prisoner swap came as Russia on Saturday pushed ahead in eastern Ukraine, where it claims to have captured a string of villages in recent weeks.

The Russian Defence Ministry said in a daily briefing it had liberated the village of Zhelanne Pershe, less than 30 km (19 miles) from the key Ukrainian-held logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

Pokrovsk lies on the intersection of a key road that supplies Ukrainian troops and towns across the eastern front and has long been a target for Moscows army.

More than half of the citys 60,000 residents have fled since the invasion began in February 2022, with evacuations ramping up in recent weeks as Moscows army closes in.

Ukraine had hoped its major cross-border incursion into the Kursk region last month would slow down Russias advances in the east.

But Zelensky has conceded that while the Russian advance in eastern Ukraine had slowed down, the situation on the eastern front was very difficult.

Ukraine made a new call on Saturday on the West to allow it to strike deeper into Russia after a meeting between US and British leaders on Friday produced no visible shift in their policy on the use of long-range weapons.

Russian terror begins at weapons depots, airfields, and military bases inside the Russian Federation, Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said on Saturday.

Permission to strike deep into Russia will speed up the solution.

The call came a day after US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met in Washington, D.C., but no decision on allowing Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russian territory was taken.

Zelensky has been pressing the US and other allies to allow his forces to use Western weapons to target air bases and launch sites deep inside Russia.

On Saturday morning, the Ukrainian President did not directly comment on the Biden-Starmer meeting.

But he said Ukraine needed to boost its long-range capabilities.

We need to boost our air defence and long-range capabilities to protect our people, Zelensky wrote on social media.

We are working on this with all of Ukraines partners.
Business leaders have warned that Angela Rayners bid to extend employment rights to newly hired workers risks creating uncertainty - AP Photo/Jon Super

Close to two thirds of British businesses think Labours reforms to workers rights will make the country a less attractive place to invest.

Proposals being put forward by Angela Rayner will mean staff no longer have to wait two years until they qualify for full employment rights, instead giving immediate protection from unfair dismissal. The proposals are part of a package meant to strengthen workers rights and make work pay.

However, the plans have alarmed company leaders who fear they will face a wave of employment tribunals as a result of the changes. There is also confusion as to how probation periods would work under the new system. Many companies have said the plans will put them off hiring.

Matthew Percival, of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said that day one workers rights were the biggest concern among businesses.

A survey of CBIs members, who include FTSE 100 giants including AstraZeneca, Unilever and GSK, found 62pc predict a decline in the UK as an attractive place to invest and do business over the next five years.

Similar polling among smaller businesses have reflected similar anxiety.

Click here to view this content.

Mr Percival said there were concerns that new recruits wont be given a chance if the day one rights are too rigid.

He said: I dont find that anyone is saying to me we need two years but people get nervous when it comes down to 12 months.

He added: The hard reality is that companies are already struggling to keep up with the pressures on their bottom lines, especially SMEs, and that further pressure from employment costs will inhibit their ability to invest, hire and grow.

The CBI said that the main change in perceived future threats to competitiveness were rules on flexibility, which 58pc of businesses think will impact competitiveness in the next five years.

The Government has proposed giving workers the rights to ask for flexible working arrangements from day one and to push for a four day week.

The flagship package of measures designed to boost employee rights also includes ending zero-hour contracts, banning fire and rehire practices and increasing the minimum wage.

The CBI said that only 26pc of businesses are currently confident they can absorb the cost of the Governments plans without a negative impact on growth, investment, jobs or employee benefits.

Mr Percival said the lack of detail about how the workers rights reforms would work in detail had created damaging uncertainty.

Ms Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with industry leaders earlier this month to discuss the plans. Executives pressed their concerns to ministers at the meeting.

Story continues

This will be a crunch week for discussions about the reforms as the Government gets closer to unveiling its employment rights bill next month, which it said it would do within the first 100 days of entering office.

A government spokesman said: Our number one priority is economic growth and wealth creation which is why our plan for better workers rights is designed to help people into secure work and lead to a more productive workforce.

This is why we are working in close partnership with business and civil society to find the balance between improving workers rights while supporting the brilliant businesses that pay peoples wages.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Grievance triggered the biggest political earthquake in modern Germany. For the first time since World War II, a party with Nazi roots won state elections. In the Thuringia and Saxony state elections, east Germans embraced the untouchable, populist far-right party AfDAlternative fur Deutschland. Its local leader Bjorn Hocke hollers banned Nazi slogans; intelligence agencies categorise sections of the party extremist. No matter. They bagged the votes of resentful easterners.

East Germans believe history has dealt them a triple whammy. First, they got left behind when they merged with west Germany in 1990 after Soviet Unions collapseenduring unemployment, social upheaval and snobbery: Soviet-controlled east was clunky compared to the fashionable west. Then globalisation left east Germany behind with factory closures and immigrants. Then they were left behind by their own educated children, who sought western wages and lifestyles. Equally troubling for west German establishment is the other election winner, the populist hard-left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). They share AfDs anti-immigration, pro-Russia worldview. The seven-month-old alliance is vaingloriously named after its chic and coiffed founder, a longstanding communist whom critics dub Kremlins mouthpiece. Leipzig Universitys Hendrik Trager said, Its a personality cult, tailored to the person of Sahra Wagenknecht.

Price rise, costly green policies and the Ukraine war have contributed to the unpopularity of mainstream parties throughout Europe. In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholzs federal coalition partners, the Greens and Liberals, were banished from the provincial parliaments. Scholzs campaign speeches were drowned by boos and insults with voters jeering Liar Warmonger and Send Scholz to the warfront. His coalition is unlikely to win national elections next year.

Illustration: Deni Lal

The east German results also mirror the squeezing of mainstream European parties by hard right and left populists, both of whom oddly share leftist economic views while holding rightwing political, cultural beliefs. Both are anti-business, Euroskeptic, anti-immigration, anti-green, anti-elitist, pro-welfare and pro-Russia. Populists in Germany, France, Britain and Italy reject their governments narrative that Russia is the aggressor in Ukraine, blaming instead Natos enlargement into Russian sphere. They resent financing Ukraine and asylum seekers saying taxpayers money is better spent on improving local infrastructure. Voters complain western sanctions against Russia have resulted in painfully high domestic energy prices, fuelling 33 per cent rise in food prices. They oppose Scholzs plans to station US medium-range missiles in Germany from 2026. Thuringian octogenarian Ulricht Hoffmann grumbled, Earlier the Soviets dictated everything, now its the Americans.

Germanys firewall to keep ultranationalists out of government means AfD will be unable to find partners to form a ruling coalition. But AfD already exerts influence from outside. Prior to these polls, their growing popularity forced Scholz to introduce stricter immigration controls, deport illegal migrants, ban knives in public places and reduce welfare benefits for asylum deportees. But business leader Marie-Christine Ostermann warned that populism pushes Thuringia and Saxony to the brink of an economic catastrophe. AfDs Hocke retorted, Companies should shut their traps when it comes to politics.

But he would be wise to listen. In recent years, new factories and investments have flowed into eastern Germany, but steep demographic decline portends economic decay. Thuringia will lose close to four lakh of its 10 lakh workers, Saxony faces around 3.6 lakh vacancies in the coming decade in factories, schools, hospitals, care homes. Migrant workers are needed to do the job, but xenophobia frightens foreigners away. The far-right threatens remigrationreturning migrants to their countries even if they have acquired German citizenship. Unless populists dial down, another chapter in east Germanys left behind saga may yet unfold.

Pratap is an author and journalist.
If one is spending a summer in New York, any summer in New York, an absolute must-do is to spend an afternoon at the citys Metropolitan Museum of Art, on the edge of Central Park, just gawking in gobsmacked awe at the annual fashion exhibition the museums Costume Institute puts together. The museum does this with a massive fundraiser under the aegis of the fashion worlds queen bee Anna Wintour, and her snobby Conde Nast stable. Wintour and the media company ensure the whos who of international celebrities attend the gala, from Rihanna to Roger Federer.

I was lucky to catch the exhibit in its last week. The title, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, made no sense to me at all since its themes are usually quite specific. It is Christian art in fashion one year, Karl Lagerfeld the year he had passed, camp and queer fashion, China and oriental fashions, and such. I did not understand this years title until I actually saw the show.

A necklace with a stuffed bird as centrepiece by designer Simon Costin.

Many of the garments shown here were indeed sleeping, or placed lying down as they were too delicate to be worn by a mannequin. They were placed in glass coffins, with various stages of their decay pointed out to visitors. It was almost poetic, to see such artful works age. One felt incredibly lucky to see some of the earliest pieces in fashion history up close, albeit at the nearly last stages of their life.

It was also emblematic of the world we are in today. The mannequins are usually male or female. And fashion has been at the forefront of removing gender from the worlds lexicon. When much of the young world is not choosing the gender assigned at birth, or choosing to be gender-less entirely, this new identity was driven home, too.

Now, for the second part of the title. Reawakening Fashion is an homage to spring, fashions favourite season of course. But also the need to restore fashion to its former glory, not invaded by social media attention or bottomline-seeking boredom. There were flowers, birds, butterflies, snakes and seashells everywhereeven live wheatgrass growing on a woollen coat by Loewe. Designer Jonathan Anderson played with nature and artifice, and unpacked the organic idea of clothing by actually creating a coat with seeds in it, so that real grass could grow and renew itself using the jacket as turf. One could hardly escape the metaphor: fashion is organic, alive, cyclical, dies and is reborn.

Designer Mayyur Girotra has done a terrific review of this exhibition for this magazine, so I will refrain. Ill just list out some of my favourites instead. A white organza dress, embroidered with 3-D flowers from the House of Dior, made by Christian Dior himself in 1952, looks as good as new. Another 3-D dress by Japanese label Undercover has pink roses stitched on a satin underlayer, and a white nylon tulle over it embroidered with black spiders. Alber Elbaz had made a dress for Lanvin in 2013 using beads and paillettes to mimic dragonflies, butterflies and other winged insects. Birds and insects inventively showed up on the dresses of several other designers too, such as Alexander McQueen and Madeleine Vionnet, in 1938. Fashions cruel nature was on display in a room filled with real birds taxidermied for necklaces and hats.

But I think the real success of the show was how insanely crowded it was; I had to queue up for nearly an hour to get into the exhibition rooms. The attending usher tells me it was like this every day since it opened.

X@namratazakaria
When my publishers at Aleph invited me to put together a book on words and language, I hesitated for a brief moment. A book on words (following on the heels of the successful Tharoorosaurus) was all very well, but did a serious politician really want to reinforce the image that had grown up of himself as an etymological egghead? As one journalist rather breathlessly asked me, Your vocabulary has become the subject of memes, comedy shows and now a book! Did you ever think things would take such a turn?

Well, no, I didnt. I fell in love with language as a child, and used the words I came across quite unselfconsciously, as a beachcomber might blow into the shells hes picked up on a stroll along the seaside. But in the process, I found I had inadvertently acquired a rather inflated reputation as a vocabularist. Such reputations tend to build gradually, but mine reached escape velocity with a specific tweet. Incensed by a libellous TV programme about me, I had tweeted that it was a farrago of distortions, misrepresentations and outright lies broadcast by an unprincipled showman masquerading as a journalist.

These were all words I had flung about with abandon in my debating days at St Stephens College, Delhi, but for some reason this sentence did not just strike a chord but triggered an almighty wave of enthusiastic curiosity on the internet. The Oxford English Dictionary even recorded in some puzzlement an unprecedented spike on its search engines, with over a million people, mostly in India, looking up the meaning of the word farrago within the span of a few hours. My notoriety was established: I was Indias Mr Difficult Words.

From there it was a short step to being caricatured. Memes rolled off the versatile keyboards of those who seem to spend their creative juices entirely on web parody. Desi wits translated Diwali greetings and descriptions of bhel puri into logorrheic English and attributed them to me. A clever meme-maker put my tweet into the mouth of Captain Haddock, replacing his usual billions of blue blistering barnacles, while a taken aback Tintin responds, Captain, I told you to stay away from that Shashi Tharoor fella!

Photographs of my meeting the then home minister, Rajnath Singh, were modified to add a speech bubble above his head, saying And I dont even have a dictionary! While many of these were formulaic even if good-natured, the best was probably a rueful meme that stated, I used to think I was poor. Now Ive met Shashi Tharoor and I realise Im impecunious.

There are only two things you can do when a tidal wave of caricature descends upon you like thiseither sulk crossly and reject any attempt to slot you into the jokers stereotypes, or embrace the caricature and try to turn it to your advantage. I preferred the latter course. I accepted an invitation to author a weekly column on words for the Dubai-based Khaleej Times. Many of these found wide circulation online, and the demand arose for a book. So here I am: my new bookA Wonderland of Wordshas just been published.

Yes, words have always mattered to me. My father, Chandran Tharoor, was an immense influence on my life. After a village and small-town education in rural Malabar, he had moved to the UK in 1948 and relearned English from scratch. He was my teacher, guide, research adviser, imparter of values, my source of faith, energy, and self-belief. My enthusiastic approaches to life and learning are inherited from him; so is my work ethicand my love for words. His great love of words and language, and the inventive ways my father put it to practise, inevitably rubbed off on his eldest child: me.

But it was never just words for their own sake. My father instilled in me the conviction that words are what shape ideas and reflect thought, and the more words you know, the more precisely and effectively are you able to express your thoughts. Hence a book on the wonderland of words, often a source of fascinationand indispensable for communicationseemed not such a bad idea after all. I hope my readers will agree.

editor@theweek.in
In what comes as the first reaction to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's surprise announcement to step down from the post after two days and seek fresh polls in Delhi, the BJP called the move a PR stunt.

Kejriwal, who was released on bail from Tihar on Friday in the excise policy graft case, said on Sunday that he would hold a meeting of AAP MLAs in the next few days and a party leader would take over as chief minister.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said Kejriwal understood that his image among the people of Delhi is not of an honest leader but of a corrupt leader.

"Under his PR stunt, he wants to restore his image. It is clear that he wants to apply the Sonia Gandhi model," he said and added that Kejriwal wants to run the government from behind the scenes.

Calling AAP a corrupt party, he said, "They have understood today that the Aam Aadmi Party is losing the Delhi elections and the people of Delhi cannot vote in their name, so they want to make someone else a scapegoat."

#WATCH | On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's 'I am going to resign from the CM position after 2 days' remark, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari says, "This is a PR stunt of Arvind Kejriwal. He has understood that his image among the people of Delhi is not of an honest leader pic.twitter.com/cr10rchu7y  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

Dubbing it a "drama" BJP leader Harish Khurana sought to know why Kejriwal is not reigning right now.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's 'I am going to resign from the CM position after 2 days' statement, BJP leader Harish Khurana says, "If he wants to resign, then why not today? This is a drama that he will ask the people. The people are asking you if the court has pic.twitter.com/cKAsf17Bqz  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

Meanwhile, the Congress called the announcement "a gimmick.



Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said there is no question of Kejriwal becoming the chief minister again, and added that his party has been demanding the Delhi CM's resignation for a long time.

"This is a mere gimmick. This happened for the first time when an elected leader came out of jail on bail, and was asked by the Supreme Court not to go to the CMO or sign any papers," he said.



#WATCH | On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's 'I am going to resign from the CM position after 2 days' statement, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit says, "There is no question of becoming the CM again. We have been saying this for a long time that he should resign as the CM... This is a pic.twitter.com/zn0bgXMryd  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024












Haryana senior BJP leader Anil Vij has announced that he is in the race for the Chief Minister's post, considering that he was the senior most MLA of BJP in Haryana.

Vij, the former Home Minister at the Manohar Lal Khatter government, was unceremoniously dropped from the Haryana Cabinet during the 2024 reshuffle. He then left the Legislature Party meeting midway and refused to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Nayab Singh Saini government.



However, despite the rift within the party, Vij, the BJP candidate from Ambala Cantt Assembly constituency, announced himself as the front-runner for the post. "I am the seniormost BJP MLA in Haryana. I have contested elections six times. Based on people's demands and seniority, I will claim the CM post. However, it is the high command that has to take a final call," Vij told reporters, adding that he would change the picture of Haryana if made the chief minister.



#WATCH | BJP candidate from Ambala Cantt Assembly constituency Anil Vij says, "I am the senior most MLA of BJP in Haryana. I have contested elections for 6 times. On the demand of people, I will claim for the designation of CM on the basis of my seniority this time. However, it pic.twitter.com/jdwQt9nKSS  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

His statement comes as the BJP continues to ignore him, including when he filed nomination papers two days ago. No BJP leader attended the event but Vij expressed hope of being elected again. "People of Ambala Cantt are very wise and have thoughtfully elected a simple man like me six times," the senior BJP leader said.



He, however, courted controversy after he removed "Modi Ka Parivar" phrase from his bio on X. Vij later clarified that he was a BJP man and will remain one till the end of his life.



Despite Vij's statement, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini continues to be the BJP's CM face. Saini filed his nomination papers from the Ladwa constituency in Kurukshetra district. With Saini in the forefront, the BJP is aiming for a hattrick in Haryana. It faces a tough challenge from Congress which is hoping to make a stunning comeback riding on the anti-incumbency factor.


The junior doctors, who are protesting in Kolkata demanding justice for the R G Kar Medical College Hospital rape-murder victim, have alleged that they waited for three hours in front of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence at Kalighat but were told 'it was too late' for talks by the government.

Besides Mamata, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, Home Secretary Nandini Chakravorty and state police chief Rajeev Kumar were present in Kalighat for the talks on Saturday evening.



The doctors had arrived at the Chief Minister's residence on Saturday evening around 6:40 pm after Mamata herself came to their protest venue at Swastya Bhavan in Salt Lake, seeking to hold talks. However, both sides couldn't agree on the protester's demand for a live telecast.



While the agitating doctors insisted on a live telecast of the meeting, the TMC government refused the demand. Mamata Banerjee, who stepped out of her residence, appealed to the doctors to join the talks. She promised to give them a signed copy of the minutes of the meeting after it was done.



Mamata also reminded the doctors that Saturdays meeting was arranged as the junior doctors asked for it and their email did not say anything about live-streaming. The Chief Minister insisted that the video will not be released now as the case is still in (the Supreme) Court. "Have faith in me. I will not mislead you," she said



 BREAKING:#WestBengal Chief Minister Hon'ble Mamata Banerjee with administration waiting for JuniorDoctors.



After Shifting Blame On #NarendraModi, CM Mamata Says 'Ready To Quit'



Didi, Stop Politics & Give Justice!#RGKarProtest #MamataBanerjee pic.twitter.com/hnGd01mWxD  Truclaw  (@truclaw) September 14, 2024 I have never felt so helpless & frustrated! Look how my seniors are drenched in the rain. All they want is a transparent,fair, open discussion. The entire State is looking forward to this meeting but our CM #MamataBanerjee is creating all the mess!#RGKarProtest #JusticeForRGKar pic.twitter.com/CaUSnkR27C  Dr. Abhinaba Pal (@abhinabavlogs) September 14, 2024

She also invited them inside, stating she had made space for them.



"The CM came outside and requested us to have a meeting over tea  but the junior doctors said that we would have tea only if justice was delivered," Dr Aqeeb, who was part of the delegation that went to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, told ANI.



However, the protesters said they agreed to have the meeting without the live-streaming, a key demand of theirs, after discussions with the government. "We later gave up on the demand of recording as well and just asked for the minutes of the meeting. But, we were informed that there had been a delay and nothing could be done now. We kept waiting in the rain for three hours but at 9 pm, we had to return without any solution. All the junior doctors were disheartened," he said.



Many doctors were reportedly in tears while boarding the bus back to Salt Lake.


What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad (KLSE:DKSH) so let's look a bit deeper.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.19 = RM194m  (RM3.3b - RM2.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2024).

So, DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad has an ROCE of 19%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 7.8% generated by the Trade Distributors industry.

See our latest analysis for DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad

roce

In the above chart we have measured DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad .

What Does the ROCE Trend For DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad Tell Us?

DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad's ROCE growth is quite impressive. Looking at the data, we can see that even though capital employed in the business has remained relatively flat, the ROCE generated has risen by 192% over the last five years. So it's likely that the business is now reaping the full benefits of its past investments, since the capital employed hasn't changed considerably. It's worth looking deeper into this though because while it's great that the business is more efficient, it might also mean that going forward the areas to invest internally for the organic growth are lacking.

On a side note, we noticed that the improvement in ROCE appears to be partly fueled by an increase in current liabilities. Effectively this means that suppliers or short-term creditors are now funding 69% of the business, which is more than it was five years ago. And with current liabilities at those levels, that's pretty high.

Story continues

Our Take On DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad's ROCE

To sum it up, DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad is collecting higher returns from the same amount of capital, and that's impressive. Since the stock has returned a staggering 134% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad and understanding this should be part of your investment process.

While DKSH Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Social activist Anna Hazare said the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals resignation was something bound to happen and he had advised his former comrade against venturing into politics. Kejriwal was a prominent face of Hazare-led anti-corruption movement.



Addressing presspersons in Maharashtra, Hazare said he had repeatedly advised the Aam Aadmi Party leader against joining politics. I told him since the beginning that you should not join politics but serve the people. We have worked together for many years and told him the same thing. He never listened to me and today what had to happen has happened, he said.

VIDEO | "I told him since the beginning that you should not join politics but serve the people. We have worked together for many years and told him the same thing. He never listened to me and today what had to happen has happened," says social activist Anna Hazare on Delhi CM pic.twitter.com/o3WkRxfAGD  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 15, 2024

Hazare had criticised Kejriwal earlier as well, when he was arrested in cases related to alleged scam in Delhi liquor policy. Hazare said he had warned the Delhi CM against formulating the now-scrapped excise policy. The Supreme Court recently granted Kejriwal bail in the CBI case registered in connection with alleged scam.

On Sunday, Kejriwal announced his resignation from the chief minister post. Arvind Kejriwal said he will resign as the Delhi chief minister after two days and would demand early polls as he vowed not to sit in the CM's chair till people give him a "certificate of honesty"."I will only sit on CM's chair after people give me a certificate of honesty. Want to give 'agnipariksha' after coming out of jail," said the Delhi CM.

The AAP leader asserted that only the AAP can stand against the BJP's "conspiracies". Kejriwal asked people to vote in his favour only if they considered him honest.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday revealed that a prominent political leader had proposed to support him if he wanted to become the Prime Minister. However, the veteran BJP leader said he declined the offer, as "the role was not his lifes ambition."

Gadkari made the interesting remark during a speech he gave at the Anil Kumar Patrakarita Puraskar Samaroh organised by Vidarbha Gaurav Pratishthan on Saturday.



Reiterating his commitment to the organisation, Gadkari said: "I remember one incident... I wont name anyone. That person said, 'If you are going to become the Prime Minister, we will support you."



#WATCH | Nagpur, Maharashtra | Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says, "I do not want to name anyone but a person said to me, if you are going to become a Prime Minister, we will support you. I said, why you should support me, and why I should take your support. To become a Prime pic.twitter.com/yo6QDpqq5b  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

"But I asked, why should you support me, and why should I accept your support? To become a Prime Minister is not the aim in my life. I am loyal to my conviction and organisation and I am not going to compromise for any post because my conviction is most important to me. I think that this conviction is the biggest strength of Indian democracy," Gadkari told the audience.



Though he did not give any other details, including who proposed the idea and when it happened, Gadkari's speech went viral on social media. While many praised him for his commitment to the organisation and conviction, others reacted that stating this on a public stage hinted at his desire to helm the top post. Some added that he was putting himself as a contender for the post for the next general elections.



Gadkari has been Minister for Road Transport and Highways in the last two Narendra Modi governments.



An MP from Nagpur Lok Sabha seat, Gadkari emerged as a potential Prime Ministerial candidate during both the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. There are also speculations that the political leader who offered to support the leader was from the Opposition INDIA bloc, just after the 2024 election results were announced.



However, months before the elections, Gadkari aleared the air about speculations that he could be a "consensus PM face" in case the Narendra Modi-led NDA government fails to secure a majority mark. "I was never in the race for the prime ministers job. I am content with whatever I am today. I am a committed BJP worker with conviction, not a politician by calculation," Gadkari told the Times of India during an interview.


Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday lashed out at opposition leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Sikhs in the United States. Bittu called the Lok Sabha opposition leader as the "number one terrorist".

"He is not an Indian, he has spent most of his time outside. He does not love his country much because he goes abroad and says everything in a wrong way, said Bittu, who had left Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections this year.

#WATCH | Bhagalpur, Bihar: On Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's recent statements, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu says, "Rahul Gandhi is not an Indian, he has spent most of his time outside. He does not love his country much because he goes abroad and says everything in a wrong pic.twitter.com/uZTvtSuhGj  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

Those on the most wanted list like separatists, experts in making bombs, guns and shells have appreciated and backed him, he added.

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu says, "He(Rahul Gandhi) is trying to break a religion and abroad he is saying that wearing a kada, turban is not allowed in India...The Gandhi family under a conspiracy raped our mothers and sisters in the pic.twitter.com/t7P0cNsmyP  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi's 'Sikh' remarks in US anger BJP: 'Congress massacred them'

Gandhis remark in the US on religious freedom for Sikhs sparked a row. He had said that Sikhs in India might not be allowed to practice their religious faith freely.

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress leader Tariq Anwar says, "Ravneet Bittu has just joined BJP from the Congress party and he wants to prove that he follows the ideology of BJP and is anti-Rahul Gandhi. That's why he is making these kinds of absurd statements..." https://t.co/IcpxLHYtyz pic.twitter.com/vlejvlX0ay  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

At a diaspora event in Virginia Gandhi also said, The fight is about whether he, as a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear a turban in India; or whether, he as a Sikh, will be allowed to wear a kada in India...Thats what the fight is about.

His remarks drew condemnation from the BJP which accused him of defaming the country.

ALSO READ | Foreign policy: Congress, PM Modi-led BJP on same page? Here's what Rahul Gandhi said

Bittu accused Gandhi of trying to break a religion. Abroad he is saying that wearing a kada, turban is not allowed in India...The Gandhi family under a conspiracy raped our mothers...Bullets were fired at the Golden Temple...Why are they teasing Sikhs? What do they want to do? He is speaking the language of terrorists like Pannun who are sitting abroad, he said.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit told ANI, "We can only pity such people. His political career in Congress was also a mess."

After resigning from Congress and joining BJP, he is showing his loyalty to the party through such comments, Dikshit added.
The 2024 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the first in 10 years, are turning out to be a unique political contest in the history of the former state. On the one hand, separatist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) have entered the fray for the first time since the eruption of militancy, and on the other hand, relatives of separatists have also thrown their hats into the ring. Notably, Ajaz Guru, the brother of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged in 2013 by the Congress government, is among the contestants.

Ajaz is contesting to be an independent candidate from Sopore in Baramulla. Once a separatist stronghold, Sopore will witness a multi-cornered fight between the National Conference (NC), Congress, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Awami Itehad Party (AIP), and independents.

Sopore has boycotted polls in the past; however, the constituency recorded a 44 per cent turnout during the Lok Sabha elections. Most voters backed Engineer Rashid of AIP, who successfully contested from jail and won the Baramulla Parliamentary constituency, defeating Omar Abdullah of the National Conference and Sajad Lone of the Peoples Conference.

The JeI commands significant support in Sopore, which observers believe could be crucial in securing a victory in the constituency.

Ajaz took voluntary retirement from the Animal Husbandry Department in 2014 and currently works as a contractor.

I have filed my nomination papers from Sopore, he said. He also clarified that he is not seeking votes in the name of his brother.

His motivation to contest the elections stems from the arrest of his jailed son, Shoaib Guru, who, he claims, has been imprisoned in a fabricated case.

I will raise the voice for those who have been arrested in fabricated cases, including my son Shoaib, he said.

Ajaz said that he will work for the people of Kashmir, who he believes have been betrayed by every political leader.

He said that some leaders promised autonomy, others self-rule, and some in the name of 'Azadi'.

In 2014, Sopore elected Congress candidate Haji Rashid, who has been fielded again from the constituency.

Sopore is one of five constituencies where the NC and Congress will have a "friendly contest" despite fighting the election together. Apart from these five seats, the NC will contest 51 seats, Congress 31, while one seat each has been left for a CPI(M) candidate and Jammu-based Panthers Party in Jammu.
After successfully completing SpaceXs Polaris Dawn mission, tech billionaire Jared Isaacman and the rest of the crew returned to Earth on Sunday.

SpaceX's capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas in the predawn darkness, carrying Isaacman, two SpaceX engineers and a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot.

Dragon and the Polaris Dawn crew splash down off the coast of Florida, completing the @PolarisProgram's first human spaceflight mission pic.twitter.com/Sobt66zxnL  SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 15, 2024

This was the first privately funded spacewalk mission. The mission was launched from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

ALSO READ | Watch | Polaris Dawn mission: Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman becomes first civilian to walk in space

Dragon's hatch is open and the Polaris Dawn crew is getting ready to exit the spacecraft pic.twitter.com/KItVBSwJff  SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 15, 2024

Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis pulled off a spacewalk while orbiting nearly 460 miles (740 kilometres) above Earth, higher than the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope. The spacecraft hit a peak altitude of 875 miles (1,408 kilometres) following Tuesday's liftoff.

Isaacman became the 264th person to perform a spacewalk since the former Soviet Union scored the first in 1965, and Gillis the 265th.

Until now, all spacewalks were done by professional astronauts through government-funded missions.

ALSO READ | Polaris Dawn mission: Blast off! SpaceX launches all-civilian crew for first privately-funded spacewalk

During Thursday's commercial spacewalk, the Dragon capsule's hatch was open barely a half-hour. Isaacman emerged only up to his waist to briefly test SpaceX's brand-new spacesuit followed by Gillis, who was knee-high as she flexed her arms and legs for several minutes.

From here Earth sure looks like a perfect world, said Isaacman after the spacewalk.

This was Isaacman's second chartered flight with SpaceX, with two more still remaining under the Polaris Dawn Mission.

So far about 263 people have conducted a spacewalk representing 12 countries.
Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer has acknowledged that the Maldives-India ties witnessed rough patches in the initial days of President Mohammad Muizzu-led government but insisted that the two countries have resolved the misunderstandings".

Zameer made the remarks on Friday during a visit to Sri Lanka, where he stressed the importance of the Indian Ocean archipelago's relationships with key allies, particularly China and India.

He said that relations with India had faced challenges, particularly following President Muizzu's campaign to remove a small contingent of Indian troops from the Maldives.

Zameer said that the "misunderstandings" between the two countries have been resolved following the repatriation of Indian troops from the Maldives.

"At the start of our government, we did have some rough patches (with India), you know," Zameer has been quoted as saying by The Edition newspaper.

"(We) have good relations with both China and India, and both countries continue to support Maldives, he said.

India's relationship with the Maldives came under strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge as the President. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms gifted by India to the Maldives. After talks between the two sides, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.

Things escalated after three Maldivian deputy ministers made controversial remarks regarding India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. Maldives Foreign Ministry distanced itself from their remarks, and the three junior ministers were suspended.

Unlike his predecessors, who made the first port of call to New Delhi after assuming office, Muizzu travelled to Turkiye first and to China for his first state visit in January. He visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

Muizzu will travel to India on an official visit "very soon", his spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Zameer also said that the Maldives has no plans to seek an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, dismissing the current economic challenges faced by his country as "temporary."

"We have bilateral partners who are very sensitive to our needs and our situation," he said, signalling the government's confidence in addressing its fiscal issues without resorting to external assistance from the IMF.

"I seriously don't think it is a time where we will be right now engaging with the IMF. The issue that we have is very temporary because currently, we are having a dip in reserves."

Zameer outlined the government's strategy to address the economic situation, which includes implementing reforms in the tax regime and cost-cutting measures for government-owned enterprises.

He also highlighted the strengthening of bilateral relations with China and India, noting that these countries have been instrumental in supporting the Maldives.

His remarks came in the wake of warnings from credit rating agencies about the Maldives' financial situation.

The Maldives owes much of its external debt to China and India. The government's debt servicing commitments amount to USD 409 million this year, placing additional stress on its already limited foreign currency reserves.

Maldives reserves currently stands at USD 444 million, with usable reserves at USD 61 million, the paper said.

"The rationalisation of state-owned enterprises will certainly help us in managing our resources better," Zameer said.

Zameer was joined by Finance Minister Mohamed Shafeeq in Sri Lanka, where the two held meetings with Sri Lankan central bankers and other officials to discuss financial matters.
In what could be a nod to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's prestigious ULLAS programme, Pakistan was told by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to adopt the model to fix its education system.

Pakistan approached the Manila-based lender requesting aid to support its dysfunctional education system. As per UNICEF, Pakistan has the world's second-highest number of out-of-school children with an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 not attending school. This comes to 44 per cent of the total population in this age group.



It was in this context that Pakistan's education secretary Mohyundin Wani approached ADB to develop a mechanism for a central education scheme.



However, ADB advised Pakistan to follow the ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) programme. The scheme, launched last year, targets citizens aged 15 and above who missed the opportunity to attend school. The objective is to impart not only foundational literacy but also critical life skills, including financial and digital literacy.



According to the ADB, the ULLAS scheme stressed on the joint involvement of both central and state governments to collaborate to provide quality education and this can be replicated in Pakistan as well.



ADB's advice to Pakistan comes just days before ADB president, Masatsugu Asakawa is set to visit Pakistan.



Paksitan has a underdeveloped education system and as per statistics, none of Pakistan's 134 districts could get the rating of high performing in the education sector. Out of 134 districts, 133 fell in the category of medium to low.



Many schools lack trained teachers and basic facilities such as clean drinking water, electricity, and proper classrooms. The lessons are outdates and does not meet the current educational and market needs. A significant number of children, especially girls, do not attend school. The dropout rates are very high.



The recent floods also contributed to an increase in drop out rate. Many schools, including in Sindh Province, were affected by floods and 40% of schools in disrepair.


Interview/ Sajith Premadasa, presidential candidate, Samagi Jana Balawegaya

Young men and women queue up for security check outside the Samagi Jana Balawegaya office in Colombo. Lemon yellow and light green colour flags fly high everywhere, and the office appears unusually busy. The partys presidential candidate and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa walks in, with a smile on his face and folded hands. Sajith spoke exclusively with THE WEEK, explaining the importance of the upcoming election, his promise to abolish the executive presidency and his views on ties with India. Edited excerpts:

India is our closest neighbour, and a strong, powerful and vibrant country. I have always been supportive of India getting a permanent seat in the UN security council, because that would be a reflection of the global political, military and economic situation.

Q/ How crucial is this election for the people of Sri Lanka? Why do you think they should vote for you?

A/ It is a pivotal moment in Sri Lankas history. The people will have an opportunity to express their opinion and to provide their mandate for a new approach, for a pathbreaking vision and for changing the old guard. The country has gone through a terrible human and economic tragedy. Catastrophe has engulfed the whole country, affecting children, mothers, youth, everyone. Except for the super rich, every strata of society has been affected. This election will give an opportunity for the people to make a choice against the old approach of protecting the rich and the crony capitalists. Our approach would be to serve all 22 million people of our country. The people also have a choice [of not opting for] extreme socialism and Marxism, which has not proven to be a viable model in modern governance. I am very confident that they will make the right choice.

Q/ You contested the 2019 election as well. Is there a change in the mindset of the people?

A/ In 2019, there was polarisation in society. There was a lot of ethnic and religious extremism. The election took place after the Easter terrorist attacks. And the country was not bankrupt. The administration that came to power in 2019 has bankrupted the country. So this is a post bankruptcy election, testing the peoples will. More and more people are looking for results, for solutions. They want to see the practical, honest implementation of the solutions. They do not want ethnicity-centric racism, religious polarisation and extremism. They want answers to their problems. I firmly believe that my party and my alliance provides Sri Lanka with the best set of solutions that will ensure that we come out of this disastrous situation.

Q/ You have promised to abolish the executive presidency.

A/ It is an important aspect of the policies that we have proposed. We have seen that the executive presidency tends to corrupt, to move towards the concentration of power in the hands of a single person. In a parliamentary system, one would be accountable and would listen to the people. It will be a more participatory system of governance than the authoritarian system which exists now. It is always good to have a system of checks and balances. We dont want elected dictatorships, a phrase used by Lord Hailsham, back in the 1970s in the UK. We need to have an accountable, responsible and transparent government.

Q/ As far as Sri Lankas economic recovery is concerned, do you plan to continue with the IMF? How would you restructure debts?

A/ We have to work within the existing international economic order. And we will work with the IMF. There should be transformations, reforms and changes on a mass scale and a number of corrective measures are needed. The difference between the incumbent government and us is that we believe that the changes need to be done with minimum damage to the people. The present administration has dumped all the burden on the common man and woman, sparing the super rich and the crony capitalists. We need programmes that uphold social justice and equity, that promote growth, rather than contract growth. This will make the economy stronger. We want to grow ourselves. We want to ensure that economic activity and positive economic multipliers are there, so that we grow ourselves out of the problem. And we will work with the IMF. Of course, we do not want to burden the people by taxing them very high. We need to have a humane approach that protects the people and does not victimise them.

Q/ You have been a friend of India. How do you expect India to engage with you?

A/ India is a great power. We want to have a strong, productive, constructive and conducive relationship with India in multiple sectorspolitics, international affairs, commerce, trade, economyto ensure that we grow together. And we have a very scientific, professional approach to decision-making. Our relationship with India will be towards maximising our national interests. India is our closest neighbour, and a strong, powerful and vibrant country. I have always been supportive of India getting a permanent seat in the UN security council, because that would be a reflection of the global political, military and economic situation. I have a very cordial and strong relationship with India. We will make sure that it results in benefiting our motherland, and our 22 million people in a variety of ways.

Q/ How do you assess the performance of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government in the past two years?

A/ He has driven the country to a new normal, which entails forcing millions and millions into poverty, making the micro, small and medium industries go bankrupt and causing the fabric of society to crumble. Do you want stability by bringing unseen suffering on the people? We have proposed that we have to grow ourselves out of this problem. We have to extricate ourselves out of this quagmire through productive, constructive, pro-people and pro-poor growth.
It is 4pm on a Sunday evening at Homagama, a Colombo neighbourhood. Small groups of working class people walk into an open ground for an election rally. An hour later, the ground remains half empty. High decibel speakers belt out popular Sinhala numbers. By 6pm, darkness engulfs the area as rain clouds gather high up in the sky. Soon, it starts raining, but, by then, the venue is full. People unfurl their umbrellas and wait for the leader to arrive.

Anura was among the leaders who grew immensely popular because of his leadership role in the protests. Now a significant majority of the youth, university students and teachers, farmers and the working class stand by him.

It is almost 8pm when a man, clad in jeans and a blue shirt, walks on to the stage. The crowd laps up every single word of his speech. Anura Kumara Dissanayake has that effect on people. Political observers say his people skills are impeccable. They point to his unique disarming style while dealing with his party colleagues, parliamentarians, ambassadors, political aides and even his detractors. And that could be one of the factors that has helped him win over a significant number of voters and emerge as a leading contender this presidential election.

Rooted in the Marxist-Leninist ideology, the 55-year-old Anura leads the National Peoples Power, a coalition of leftist political parties and socialist groups. The leading party in the coalition is the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, headed by Anura. With his strong anti-corruption credentials, Anura, who is the sitting MP for Colombo district, is running an energetic campaign against the two other main candidates, President Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

The voters used to be carried away by emotions and petty identities such as religion, race or affiliation to a particular party. This election is going to decide whether they want the same crooks or they want to find a new path. Anura is the anti-corruption leader who wants to bring about a change, said Anil Jayantha, executive committee member of the NPP. This is a historic moment that will change the destiny of the Sri Lankan people.

Born on November 24, 1968, at Thambuttegama in Anuradhapura district to a daily-wage worker and a homemaker, Anura was active in student politics during his days at the University of Peradeniya and the University of Kelaniya. He entered politics full time with the JVPs anti-government insurrection of 1987-1989. In 1995, he became the national organiser of the Socialist Students Association and was appointed to the central working committee of the JVP. Three years later, he became a member of the partys political bureau.

He was part of Chandrika Kumaratungas Sri Lanka Freedom Party government in the early 2000s as agriculture minister. In 2019, he contested the presidential election against Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sajith Premadasa, finishing a distant third with just 3 per cent of the votes. But his prospects improved impressively in the past five years thanks to an effective grassroots campaign.

It all began in 2021, soon after the second wave of the pandemic, when Sri Lanka started facing a major economic crisis. President Gotabaya banned importing chemical fertilisers to make the agriculture sector completely organic, but it led to a dramatic fall in yields, hurting farmers. Subsequent protests gave rise to the Aragalaya movement, leading to Gotabayas resignation.

Anura was among the leaders who grew immensely popular because of his leadership role in the protests. Now a significant majority of the youth, university students and teachers, farmers and the working class stand by him. I believe only Anura and the NPP can bring in change, said Chandani Karunaratne, a student from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Corruption has to go for the economy to thrive. All other contenders are from the same old guard. Chandani and her classmates were part of the Aragalaya movement and were inspired by the JVPs policies.

Anura has also promised to abolish the powerful executive presidency and to renegotiate the terms of the IMF economic programme. The implementation of the IMF programme has caused significant hardship for the people. That is why we are seeking a new mandate from the public to renegotiate with the IMF, said Anura. In pursuing economic goals, we must advance in a way that alleviates pressure on the public. We aim to make the necessary changes gradually to ensure long-term stability.

While Anura and his alliance are growing increasingly popular, there are also apprehensions about them. His popularity and revolutionary ideas do not go well with the Colombo elites and the rich. In 2019, Gotabaya won because there was a fear factor about terrorism returning to the country. Though that fear has abated somewhat, the JVPs revolutionary ideas and the insurrection it launched in the late 1980s could work against Anura. When Aragalaya was at its peak, the houses of MPs were burnt. Many places were set on fire. Who did that? The JVP was well entrenched in Aragalaya. So that fear factor is there this time, said a senior Sri Lankan official. Some critics worry that insurgency could return to the island under an Anura presidency.

The Marxist leaders emergence could upset the ongoing economic reforms, too, given his dislike of the IMF. Anura finished a distant third in the 2019 elections. The popularity he has gained now is a huge surge from the 3 per cent he got back then, said Omar Rajarathnam, adviser to Factum, a Colombo-based think tank. There is concern among people whether he has the experience to govern, but in democracies, the peoples mandate takes priority over the leaders political experience.
New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) Adani group has won a bid to supply 6,600 MW of bundled renewable and thermal power to Maharashtra for the long term after its quote of Rs 4.08 per unit beat the likes of JSW Energy and Torrent Power, sources said.

Its bid for the bundled renewable and thermal energy supply for 25 years was almost a rupee lower than the cost at which Maharashtra currently procures electricity and will help meet future electricity requirements of the state, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Supplies are to start in 48 months from the date of award of the letter of intent.

As per the bid conditions, Adani Power will supply solar power at a fixed cost of Rs 2.70 per unit throughout the entire supply period, while that from coal will be indexed to coal prices.

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL), in March, floated a unique tender for sourcing 5,000 MW of electricity generated from sunlight and 1,600 MW of power generated from coal.

That tender was floated just ahead of the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections kicking in, and it was awarded to Adani before the announcement of the assembly elections in the state.

The tender combined solar power with thermal electricity to meet peak energy demand and that during non-solar hours (like night hours or monsoon/winter months).

It gave equal energy weightage to electricity generated from renewable energy and that from coal. Bidders were asked to quote a unified tariff for the supply of 6,600 MW of electricity (5,000 MW from solar and 1,600 MW from thermal).

Adani Power quoted Rs 4.08 per unit to win the contract, according to sources said.

Its bid compares to Rs 4.36 per unit quoted by the second lowest bidder, JSW Energy, and Rs 4.70 per unit average procurement cost of Maharashtra last year.

The tariff is about Re 1 per unit lower than the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) approved average power purchase cost of Rs 4.97 per kWh (unit) for 2024-25.

In all, four companies participated in the tender for the electricity supply for 25 years.

The weighted average tariff for thermal and solar projects will help achieve a lower effective power tariff. Separate PPAs will be executed for solar and thermal projects. However, the aggregate power procurement will be complied in spirit even after that, sources said.

The bundled procurement is to meet future electricity requirements of the state, a source said, adding that against MSEDCL's contracted capacity of 27,877 MW, peak demand is projected at 35,573 MW in 2028-29 and 39,884 MW in 2032-32.

According to sources, MSEDCL designed the tender in a way to get equal energy weightage to solar and thermal components. 5,000 MW of solar power equals 1,600 MW of thermal electricity in terms of capacity utilisation factor (CUF). The ratio between thermal and renewable power is 1:3.

The combination ensures that thermal meets the base load and cheaper solar electricity is available to the grid, sources said, adding that bundling renewable and thermal power was to drive efficiencies of scale.

Sources said Adani will be paid a fixed price for renewable energy for 25 years, while there is an escalation price in the electricity produced from coal, but it more or less balances out after accounting for 1.5-2 per cent depreciation.

Against the regulatory requirement under Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO), 32 per cent of Maharashtra's power demand is to be met from solar sources by 2028.

Currently, the figure stands at only 12 per cent, and so the procurement of 5,000 MW of solar power will help in filling that requirement.

Adani Power, India's largest private-sector thermal power generator, has a generation capacity in excess of 17 GW, which is rising to 31 GW by 2030.

Its sister company, Adani Green Energy Ltd, is the country's largest renewable energy company with a generation capacity of 11 GW, which is being expanded to 50 GW by 2030.
Blue Poppy/Getty Images

Bipartisan support is growing for a US sovereign wealth fund.

The Alaska Permanent Fund, which distributes money to Alaska residents annually, could be a model.

Challenges include funding sources, legislative hurdles, and state-owned natural resources.

Bipartisan momentum is building around a sovereign wealth fund that could help the United States reduce its national debt or fund ambitious projects.

At the White House, President Joe Biden's top aides have circulated plans for a fund to finance national security interests. And former President Donald Trump recently called for a similar state-owned investment fund to finance "great national endeavors" during a campaign stop at the Economic Club of New York.

It is unclear how an American fund would be funded or how it would operate. However, lawmakers might have something of a model in The Alaska Permanent Fund, which distributes the money it makes to the state's residents as annual dividends.

"The fund was initially established with revenue from mineral extraction, primarily oil, but within a few years after its initiation, its primary source of revenue is investment returns," Sarah Cowan, executive director of the Cash Transfer Lab, previously told Business Insider. "It diversifies the Alaskan economy because, at this juncture, the revenue from this fund primarily does not come from oil."

Alaska's fund offers benefits that mimic a universal basic income  a no-strings-attached, recurring payment distributed to people regardless of socioeconomic status. But there are some key differences. For one, the dividend doesn't come out of taxes; it's paid only annually and doesn't equate to a livable wage.

Federal lawmakers likely see a sovereign wealth fund serving a different purpose, like supporting industries or financing supply chain initiatives. Creating one at the national level also comes with more legislative hurdles.

"Typically, many countries went through special law making to create a SWF, defining the SWF's source of capital, investment mandate, and supervision system," Winston Ma, an adjunct professor at NYU and the author of The Hunt for Unicorns: How Sovereign Funds Are Reshaping Investment in the Digital Economy, wrote to Business Insider by email. "Therefore, it's not a simple corporate setup. It will involve lots of collaborative work between the executive and legislative branches  after the election."

Sovereign wealth funds  like Alaska's or Norway's Government Pension Fund Global, which is the largest in the world  are often funded by wealth generated from state-owned natural resources. The issue is that "natural resources in the US are mostly owned by the states," Ma said. So, consolidating those revenue streams might require some back and forth.

Read the original article on Business Insider
New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) With the need for regulating dissemination of information becoming extremely crucial, governments should engage AI research institutions and social media companies to detect and flag false or misleading content, says a new book.

Author Aswin Chandarr says "The Inevitable AI: Art Of Growth With Generative Intelligence" is a "friendly guide" to the world of AI or artificial intelligence, seeking to demystify its essence, strengths and limitations.

Governments have traditionally been the custodians of public discourse and the architects of national narratives. However, the landscape has significantly changed with the advent of social media and its unprecedented reach, the book says.

" Distorted narratives can manipulate public opinion, sway elections, and even incite violence. The need for governments to regulate the dissemination of information has never been more crucial," it says.

How can this be achieved?

"One approach is through monitoring and fact-checking. Governments could collaborate with AI research institutions and social media companies to develop sophisticated AI systems capable of detecting and flagging false or misleading content," suggests Chandarr.

"Additionally, public investments can be directed towards enhancing digital literacy, which would equip citizens with the necessary skills to discern truth from falsehood in the digital arena," he says.

Regulating online platforms is another essential strategy, he adds.

"Governments must hold these platforms accountable for the content they host, encouraging them to actively moderate and factcheck the information they disseminate. One possible measure could be implementing strict penalties for platforms that fail to remove harmful content," Chandarr writes.

He says this is, however, a delicate task.

"On the one hand, strict regulation is necessary to curb the spread of disinformation. Conversely, not infringing upon the fundamental right to freedom of speech is crucial. Striking a balance between these two imperatives is a task that governments will need to navigate with care and precision.

"Moreover, governments must maintain high transparency and integrity standards in communication to set the right precedent," the book says.

According to the author, the battle against the deluge of disinformation and misinformation is a challenge of paramount importance for governments in the AI era.

Through proactive measures such as monitoring, fact-checking, regulation, education, and maintaining transparency in communication, governments can provide a bulwark against these harmful tactics, he says.

"This task is fraught with complexities and potential pitfalls, but it is one that governments cannot afford to ignore, for the stakes are high concerning nothing less than the integrity of our democratic societies," he adds.

The book also suggests that the very strengths of AI - its speed, precision, and capacity for complex problem-solving - can be harnessed to enhance national cybersecurity.

"Generative AI systems can shoulder routine but intricate tasks, liberating skilled cyber personnel to tackle the ever-changing landscape of threats. By leveraging AI's potential, we can build reactive defence systems that proactively anticipate, adapt, and neutralize threats, keeping us one step ahead in the ceaseless game of digital cat and mouse," it says.
Kolkata, Sep 15 (PTI) Over 50 filmmakers of the Bengali film industry on Sunday issued a statement voicing their anguish over alleged attempts to malign the entire fraternity after charges of sexual misconduct were brought against a well-known director.

Referring to the recent decision of the Directors' Association of Eastern India (DAEI) to suspend the accused director, the filmmakers' body said one such incident should not be used as a tool to tarnish the image of the entire fraternity by making wild claims about "casting couch".

"We have already made it clear that if someone is found guilty, he should not be shielded and stern action must be taken against him. Our guild has already taken steps in this regard. But we will resist any effort to use one incident as a tool to malign the entire community of directors," the statement said.

Among those who signed the statement were Kaushik Ganguly, Parambrata Chatterjee, Indranil Roy Choudhury, Soukarjya Ghosal, Abhijit Guha, Sudeshna Roy, Anjan Dutt, Ashok Biswanathan, Haranath Chakraborty and Subrata Sen.

The DAEI had recently put filmmaker Arindam Sil under indefinite suspension on charges of sexual misconduct against an actress on the sets of a film.

Sil had claimed the DAEI had taken a unilateral decision without hearing his version and expressed regret if he had "accidentally touched" anyone during the shoot to explain a scene.

He had also said apologised for any such "unintentional conduct" in a letter to the state women's commission.

In Sunday's statement, the directors said if there was any defamatory statement by any stakeholder in the Bengali film industry targeting the directors as a group, they would collectively take legal action.

The statement was preceded by allegations from some quarters that "casting couch" by filmmakers was prevalent in the Bengali film industry.
Dubai, Sep 15 (PTI) Over 10,000 people on Sunday attended a grand Onam celebration in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with traditional fervour, cultural performances and delicious cuisine.

The Malayali community in the city marked "Thiruvonam -- the most auspicious day of the 10-day-long harvest festival with high spirits.

Hundreds of people lined up to enter the event, which saw high-energy performances of folk dances and music of the state.

"It is a very good experience over here...very similar to more than in Kerala," an attendee told PTI Videos.

The women, wearing traditional 'kasavu' sarees, and men in 'mundu' (dhoti) feasted on delicacies from Kerala served on rows of banana leaves.

The decorated and caparisoned elephants were also present at the event, with whom many people clicked photos.

"It is a fantastic moment, there is a huge crowd. We miss Kerala," an attendee said.

"It is good to be here...all of us are gathering together...it is almost like Kerala, but we miss Kerala," another person said.

"Glimpses of #Onam celebrations in Abu Dhabi! The festival is celebrated in the UAE with great frolic & fervour bringing the Indian diaspora together. Wishing all a very Happy #Onam2024," the Indian Embassy in the UAE said in a post on X along with some pictures of the celebration in the Gulf country.

Indians constitute roughly 30 per cent of the UAE's population. Among the Indian states, Kerala is the most represented, followed by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Onam is a festival associated with harvest and the homecoming of King Mahabali in Kerala.
Bogota (Colombia), Sep 15 (AP) Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were arrested Saturday after Venezuelan officials accused them of coming to the South American country to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

The arrests were announced on state television by Diosdado Cabello, the nation's powerful interior minister. Cabello said the foreign citizens were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. In the television program, Cabello showed images of rifles that he said were confiscated from some of the plotters of the alleged plan.

The arrest of the American citizens included a member of the Navy, who Cabello identified as Wilbert Joseph Castaneda Gomez. Cabello said that Gomez was a navy seal who had served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Colombia. Spain's embassy in Venezuela did not reply to a request for comment on the arrests of its citizens.

The US State Department late Saturday confirmed the detention of a US military member and said it was aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained in Venezuela.

Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela, the statement said.

The announcement of the arrests comes just two days after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Maduro who were accused by the U.S. government of obstructing voting during the disputed July 28 Venezuelan presidential election, and carrying out human rights abuses.

Earlier this week, Spain's parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election, angering Maduro allies who called on the Venezuelan government to suspend commercial and diplomatic relations with Spain.

Tensions between Venezuela's government and the US have increased as well following the election, whose result sparked protests within Venezuela in which hundreds of opposition activists were arrested.

Venezuela's Electoral Council, which is closely aligned with the Maduro administration, said Maduro won the election with 52 per cent of the vote, but did not provide a detailed breakdown of the results.

Opposition activists, however, surprised the government by collecting tally sheets from 80 per cent of the nation's voting machines. The tally sheets collected by the opposition were published online, and they indicate that Gonzalez won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.

Despite international condemnation over the election's lack of transparency, Venezuela's supreme court, which has long backed Maduro, confirmed his victory in August. Venezuela's attorney general then filed conspiracy charges against Gonzalez, who fled to Spain last week after it became clear he would be arrested.

Maduro has dismissed requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to provide tally sheets that prove he won the election. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has long claimed the US is trying to overthrow him through sanctions and covert operations.

The Maduro administration has previously used Americans imprisoned in Venezuela to gain concessions from the US government. In a deal conducted last year with the Biden administration, Maduro released 10 Americans and a fugitive wanted by the US government to secure a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally who was held in Florida on money laundering charges.

According to US prosecutors, Saab had also helped Maduro to avoid US Treasury sanctions through a complex network of shell companies. (AP) RPA
Dhaka, Sep 15 (PTI) The United States will provide USD 202.25 million in aid to Bangladesh to advance development, empower youth, strengthen democracy, improve health and expand trade and economic opportunities to people in the South Asian country, authorities said on Sunday.

AKM Shahabuddin, additional secretary of the Economic Relations Division, and Reed J Aeschliman, mission director of USAID, signed the 6th amendment of "The Development Objective Grant Agreement (DOAG)" in Dhaka on behalf of their respective governments, according to a press release from the Ministry of Finance.

Under the agreement, USAID will provide a USD 202.25 million grant to Bangladesh for its three sectors namely good governance, social, human and economic opportunity and resilience, the state-owned BSS news agency reported.

"Driving greater prosperity: @USAID signed an agreement worth over $200 million with the Bangladesh interim government to advance development, empower youth, strengthen democracy & governance, improve health and expand trade & economic opportunities to people across the country," the US Agency for International Development (USAID)-Bangladesh said in a post on X.

On September 27, 2021, a new DOAG was signed between Bangladesh and USAID for the period of 2021-2026. By implementing the DOAG, USAID is committed to contributing a total of $954 million. So far up to the 5th amendment, USAID has provided USD 425 million to Bangladesh, the BSS news agency reported.

The US provides most of its development assistance through USAID, the United States Department of Agriculture and some other government and non-government organizations, it added.

On Sunday, the interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus met a high-powered American delegation and sought support from the US to rebuild Bangladesh, carry out vital reforms and bring back stolen assets.

He described the challenges that the interim government is facing and said his administration has moved quickly to "reset, reform, and restart" the economy, initiate reforms in financial sectors, and fix institutions such as the judiciary and police.

The US delegation assured him of expanding economic and political ties to create a more equitable and inclusive future for its citizens.

The multi-agency US delegation was led by Assistant Secretary for International Finance at the US Department of the Treasury Brent Neiman. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, who arrived in Dhaka on Saturday from India, also joined the delegation.

The meeting came over a month after Yunus, known for his deep relations with Washington, was installed Bangladesh's Chief Advisor following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina who fled the country on August 5 amidst student-led mass protests.

"Our (US) delegation met with the Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, affirming our dedication to fostering inclusive growth, institution building and development to benefit the people of Bangladesh, the US embassy in Dhaka said in a statement after the meeting.

The statement added that the United States stood ready to support Dhakas efforts as Bangladesh looks to chart a more equitable and inclusive future.

Earlier in the day, the US delegation met Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain at the state guest house Padma.

"We are committed to helping expand economic opportunities, build institutional capacity, uphold human rights, and mitigate climate risks with our partner, Bangladesh," the US Embassy in Dhaka posted on X after the meeting.

"Great to meet the foreign affairs adviser at Padma House," said the embassy.

Neiman also met Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.

After the meeting, the embassy said: We support Bangladeshs path towards renewed dynamism and growth. Our engagement with top economic policymakers centred on the authorities efforts to propel economic growth, job creation, and sustainability, including through engaging with international financial institutions.

The US was one of the first countries to welcome Yunuss installation while this is the first delegation from Washington to visit Bangladesh following the formation of his interim government on August 8.

The US-Bangladesh ties deteriorated and saw its lowest ebb in recent months when Hasina in public alleged that the US was out to see her ouster as she declined to serve its strategic interest compromising Bangladeshs sovereignty.
Dhaka, Sep 15 (PTI) The US on Sunday assured Bangladesh's interim government of its commitment to helping the country expand economic opportunities, build institutional capacity, and uphold human rights.

The US commitment came as a high-level US delegation met Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain.

"We are committed to helping expand economic opportunities, build institutional capacity, uphold human rights, and mitigate climate risks with our partner, Bangladesh," the US Embassy in Dhaka posted on X after the meeting.

The US delegation at the meeting was headed by Assistant Secretary for International Finance of the US Department of Treasury Brent Neiman. The delegation also included US State Department Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Donald Lu, The Daily Star newspaper said.

"Great to meet the foreign affairs adviser at Padma House," said the embassy.

Neiman also met Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.

After the meeting, the embassy said: We support Bangladeshs path towards renewed dynamism and growth. Our engagement with top economic policymakers centred on the authorities efforts to propel economic growth, job creation, and sustainability, including through engaging with international financial institutions.

The six-member interagency delegation reached Dhaka on Saturday.

The US delegation is also scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and attend a working lunch hosted by the foreign secretary in the state guest house Padma.

Earlier, the US State Department said the discussions will focus on how the US can contribute to Bangladesh's economic growth, financial stability, and development priorities.
Thane, Sep 15 (PTI) The Shiv Sena has removed two office-bearers of its Thane unit after a video showed some people dancing and showering currency notes in front a portrait of late Anand Dighe, the mentor of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The incident took place on September 12 during the Ganesh festival.

A video showed some local party activists dancing and showering money in front of the portrait of Dighe at Anand Ashram, from where the latter used to run the Thane unit of the Shiv Sena.

The clip later went viral on social media.

CM Shinde and Thane Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske had expressed disapproval, calling the incident "highly unpleasant" and contrary to the respectful manner in which Dighe celebrated such occasions.

As per an order issued by Mhaske on Saturday night, the two party office-bearers have been dismissed in connection with the matter. Their posts were not specified in the order.

The CM's party stressed on the need for appropriate conduct during celebrations.
Guna (MP), Sep 15 (PTI) A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of his eight-year-old daughter in Madhya Pradeshs Guna district, with a doctor suspecting that she was raped before being killed, an official said on Sunday.



The childs body with a hand and a leg tied to a stone was found in a well on Saturday, three days after she went missing under Chachoda police station limits, some 75 km from the district headquarters, an official said.

Chachoda police station in-charge Machal Singh Mandeliya said suspicion arose about the likely involvement of the girls father as he was not showing any interest in the search for his daughter.

Citing the initial probe, he said the girl was last seen with her father before she went missing.

After the girl's body was found, police handed it over to her family after post-mortem, he said. Police detained the girl's father after her last rites on Sunday morning, Mandeliya said.



The father told the investigators that he killed the girl and dumped her body in a well after tying her hand and leg to a stone with a towel.

Chachoda's Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Divya Rajawat said in the preliminary post-mortem report, Dr Ankit Upadhyaya from the local government hospital has expressed suspicion that the girl was raped before being murdered.

Further investigation is underway, the official added.
New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) The six new Vande Bharat trains that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off on Sunday for different locations, offer faster connectivity, safe journey and a range of passenger amenities, the Railway Ministry has said.

These new trains would also bolster the rapidly growing fleet of this modern innovation from 54 train sets to 60 with 120 trips daily covering over 280 districts across 24 states and union territories, the ministry said in the statement issued on Saturday.

Prime Minister Modi will travel to Jharkhand today and flag off six Vande Bharat trains at Tatanagar Junction Railway Station around 10 am, according to a release by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

"The Vande Bharat Portfolio is ever-expanding with new train services being added for enhanced connectivity," the statement read.

"Indigenously designed under the 'Make in India' initiative, it offers cutting-edge features delivering luxury and efficiency to millions of passengers, it added.

The six new routes that these trains will cover are Tatanagar-Patna, Brahmapur-Tatanagar, Rourkela-Howrah, Deoghar-Varanasi, Bhagalpur-Howrah and Gaya-Howrah.

"With faster commute times, advanced safety features, and world-class amenities, Indian Railways is setting new benchmarks in travel," the ministry said highlighting the benefits.

It added, "Indian Railways, a cornerstone of the nations transportation infrastructure, is experiencing a significant transformation with the expansion of the Vande Bharat train fleet."

According to the Railway Ministry, as a flagship project of the Make in India campaign, these semi-high speed trains symbolise India's ambition for a modern, efficient, and world-class rail system.

With the Vande Bharat Express, Indian Railways is set to redefine the passenger experience, offering unmatched speed, safety, and comfort, it said.

The first Vande Bharat train was inaugurated on February 15, 2019.

The ministry said the train is capable of reaching a speed up to 160 kmph, offering an unparalleled travel experience for millions of passengers.

"As of date (September 14, 2024), with a fleet of 54 trains (108 services), Vande Bharat has completed a total of around 36,000 trips and carried over 3.17 crore passengers, the Railway Ministry said.

It added that Vande Bharat is India's first indigenously designed and manufactured semi-high-speed train, which has showcased the nation's engineering prowess.

According to the statement, the original Vande Bharat train set has now proliferated into Vande Bharat 2.0, boasting even more advanced features such as fast acceleration, Kavach, anti-virus system and WiFi, among others.

"With the Vande Bharat Express train services, Indian Railways is on a path to revolutionise travel in India. These trains not only reflect the success of the Make in India initiative but also set new global standards for speed, safety, and service," the ministry said.

"As India's rail network continues to expand, passengers can look forward to a future of seamless, comfortable, and efficient travel that caters to the diverse needs of the nation, it added.
New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) India on Sunday sent urgent relief materials to Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam under an operation christened 'Sadbhav' to assist them in dealing with the impact of a major typhoon.

Various parts of Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam have been reeling under massive floods after Typhoon Yagi, said to be Asia's most powerful storm this year, hit the three countries.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said 10 tonnes of aid including dry ration, clothing and medicines were dispatched to Myanmar onboard Indian naval ship INS Satpura.

A military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force is carrying 35 tonnes of aid to Vietnam and 10 tonnes of relief materials to Laos.

"India launches #OperationSadbhav. Demonstrating our solidarity with the people affected by Typhoon Yagi, India is dispatching aid to Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos," Jaishankar said on 'X'.

"10 tons of aid including dry ration, clothing and medicines left for Myanmar onboard @indiannavy INS Satpura today," he said.

Jaishankar added: "@IAF_MCC is carrying 35 tons of aid comprising of water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, solar lanterns for Vietnam."

"10 tons of aid comprising genset, water purification items, hygiene supplies, mosquito nets, blankets and sleeping bags for Laos," he said.
New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) On the completion of its 40 years, the All India Mahila Congress on Sunday launched a nationwide online membership campaign and announced a special leadership training programme for members.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba said, "Today, on the foundation day of the Mahila Congress, we are going to launch the website of the Mahila Congress. The All India Mahila Congress is going to start a nationwide online membership campaign for the first time. So now, sisters from all over the country who used to ask 'how to join Mahila Congress', it has become easier for them now."

"Along with launching our website, today we are also going to start a nationwide membership campaign of the Mahila Congress for the first time. With one click, all the sisters of the country will become members of the All India Mahila Congress," she said.

She also appealed to women of the country to join the Mahila Congress and strengthen the organisation.

"We assure you that if you are facing any kind of injustice or atrocities, if you need any kind of help, the All India Mahila Congress is standing with you with full strength," Lamba said.

She also announced the start of a special leadership training programme for women members.

"All the women who will become members of the Mahila Congress will be given a three-day leadership training programme, which we are going to start soon," she said.

Since the enactment of the law for 33 per cent reservation for women, "our continuous effort and struggle has been that the reservation law has been made but it is not being implemented", she said.

"We are constantly putting pressure on the central government and this pressure will remain that the women's reservation law, which has been made, should be implemented. Naturally, if it is implemented, then half of our population of the country will get the opportunity to contest elections, to become MLAs, MPs and to write in the House... to also participate in decisions," she said.

"That is why we announce the Women Leadership Training Programme. We will start from the state, every state president, state executive will have to undergo this leadership training programme. Every district president, block president will have to undergo this training programme and, along with this, we will also fully empower and enable our sisters who are connected to the ground through this training programme so that they can know how to build an organisation, contest elections, and win," Lamba said.

In his message to the Mahila Congress on its foundation day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said he was happy to know that the organisation was launching a nationwide membership campaign for the first time, along with a new website.

"Members are the life of any organisation. Especially when new members join the organisation, they work hard to prove themselves and that expands the organisation. I am confident that in the membership campaign, we will also get an opportunity to propagate the power of our ideas across the country," he said.

"Women have been a very strong force of the Congress organisation. Sardar Patel was given the title of 'Sardar' in Bardoli by women power. Many women leaders like Kamla Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Aruna Asaf Ali, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur shook the British rule," Kharge said.

Bharat Ratna Indira Gandhi, who founded the Mahila Congress, is cited as an example for the impact she left with her work as the country's first woman prime minister, he said.

"Sonia Gandhi's hard work and contribution in the Congress organisation is cited as an example," he said.

"Women power has always been in the mainstream in the Congress party. After independence, Sarojini Naidu became the first woman governor in the country in 1947. Mrs Sucheta Kripalani became the first woman chief minister in the country in 1963. Indira ji became the first woman prime minister in 1966. Pratibha Patil became the first woman president in 2007. Meira Kumar became the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha in 2009. All this is the contribution of the Congress," he said.

The power that nearly 14 lakh elected women got in the Panchayati Raj system was also due to the vision of the Congress, Kharge said.
Bahadurgarh, Sep 15 (PTI) Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday said the Congress will form the next government in Haryana and warned criminals to either give up crime or leave the state before October 8, the day poll results will be out.

Addressing an election meeting in Assoda village here, Hooda said the aim of the Congress government will be to make Haryana "developed and safe".

"A Congress government is going to be formed in the state on October 8. Before that, either stop your criminal activities or leave Haryana," Hooda said in a warning to the criminals of the state.

"The aim of the Congress government will be to make Haryana developed and safe," he said and appealed to the people to vote for Congress candidate Rajendra Joon.

Hooda told the gathering that when the Congress returned to power in Haryana in 2005, it eradicated crime, and law and order was maintained for 10 years.

"Due to this, the state progressed, and Haryana became the number one state in the country in terms of development," he said.

"The BJP made Haryana a haven for criminals in the last 10 years. Haryana became the number one state in the country in crime. Every day, ransom is demanded from businessmen... The criminals have become fearless.

"Every day, murders, rapes, and kidnappings take place. No one feels safe. But this state of fear which the people are living in will end when a Congress government is formed. The rule of law will be established again," he said.

Hooda said after coming to power, Congress will fill 2 lakh vacant posts, restore the old pension scheme, and give Rs 6,000 per month as pension to the elderly, 300 units of free electricity and gas cylinders at Rs 500 to every household.

Joon said Bahadurgarh emerged as an industrial and footwear hub during the Hooda government as several factories were set up and thousands of people got employment.

Meanwhile, the people present at the rally wished Hooda on his 77th birthday on Sunday.

His supporters celebrated the occasion by organising blood donation camps, performing havans and cutting cakes at several places across the state, according to a statement issued by the party.
Jaipur, Sep 14 (PTI) Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra launched a scathing attack on the BJP during a farmers' meeting in Bikaner, asserting that the unity of farmers will be the "final nail in the BJP's coffin".

The farmers' meeting was organised by the party in Sridungargarh.

"Every farmers' meeting across the country is now a wake-up call for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The unity of farmers will be the final nail in the BJP's coffin," he said.

"The BJP came to power by deceiving the people and has failed to deliver on a single promise made to them. Farmers have been among the most neglected people under the BJP rule," Dotasra said.

He also targeted Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and questioned the performance of his government.

"The chief minister is travelling to Japan and South Korea but he cannot resolve the issue of waiving farmers' loans. The people voted for the BJP to form a government, but it has turned into a circus," Dotasra alleged.

Dotasra labelled the state government as a "parchi sarkaar", alleging the administration in the state is entirely controlled by the Delhi leadership.

"The state government is being dictated by slips (parchi) from the high command in Delhi. Ministers, MLAs, and bureaucrats do not listen to the chief minister," he alleged.

Calling for unity in the upcoming by-elections on seven Assembly seats in Rajasthan, Dotasra urged Congress supporters to stand together against the BJP.
Tumakuru (Karnataka), Sep 15 (PTI) Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said BJP MLA N Munirathna, arrested in connection with two cases registered against him for allegedly issuing death threats to a BBMP contractor, has been sent to two-day police custody.

The Minister ruled out any vendetta politics behind the former Minister's arrest and said the action was taken in accordance with law.



Munirathna, who represents Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment in Bengaluru, was picked up from Nangli village in Kolars Mulbagal on Saturday evening on charges of harassing a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor for bribe, using casteist slurs against a former corporator, cheating, criminal intimidation and outraging a womans modesty.

Contractor Cheluvaraju, who is one of the complainants, has also released a purported audio recording of a phone conversation between him and Munirathna.

"A complaint has been lodged alleging that he (Munirathna) spoke in a very derogatory manner about a former corporator who was a block Congress president and also about a contractor. On the basis of the complaint he has been arrested. Now the investigation has begun," Parameshwara said.

Addressing reporters here, he said this morning he was produced before a judge, who remanded Munirathna to two days police custody.

"They will investigate, let's see what happens." "... his voice samples will be taken, it will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and it will be verified whether it is his voice or not," he added.

Munirathna in a video statement on Saturday had termed the allegations against him as "far from truth", and claimed that a conspiracy was being hatched against him.

Citing violation of party discipline, the state BJP has issued a show cause notice to Munirathna and asked him to clarify the allegations before a disciplinary committee within five days.

Responding to allegations of vendetta politics, the Home Minister said, "action has been taken in accordance with law based on a complaint, where is vendetta politics in it? Those who were with him and faced abuse have complained. Did Congress or anyone else give the complaint?"

"If action is not taken then it will be alleged that action has not been taken despite complaint. Police have taken action in accordance with law," he added.
Shahjahanpur (UP), Sep 15 (PTI) Two children drowned while trying to rescue a goat that had gone into a river here, police said on Sunday.

The incident happened in Tilua village of Kalan area when some children went to graze their goats near a river on Saturday evening, Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh S said.

When a goat went into the river six children also went into the river to rescue it, he said.

The children started drowning in deep water and upon hearing their cries the villagers came to rescue them, the SP said.

He said, the villagers were able to rescue four children safely from the river, Vandana (12) and Silesh (10) died by drowning.

The SP said that police reached the spot after receiving information and took out the bodies from the river with the help of the villagers.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, he said.

The condition of one child, who was rescued is critical and he is undergoing treatment at a hospital, the SP added.
A woman in Austria was found guilty of fatally infecting her neighbor with COVID-19 in 2021, her second pandemic-related conviction in a year, according to local media. A judge sentenced the 54-year-old on Thursday to four months suspended imprisonment and an 800-euro fine ($886.75) for grossly negligent homicide.

The victim, who was also a cancer patient, died of pneumonia that was caused by the coronavirus, according to Austrian news agency APA. A virological report showed that the virus DNA matched both the deceased and the 54-year-old woman, proving that the defendant almost 100 percent transmitted it, an expert told the court.

I feel sorry for you personally  I think that something like this has probably happened hundreds of times, the judge said Thursday. But you are unlucky that an expert has determined with almost absolute certainty that it was an infection that came from you.

While the judge issued the sentence Thursday, APA reported that the verdict isnt yet final. The names of the victim and defendant were not released in line with Austrian privacy rules.

The woman was convicted of a COVID-related offense last summer, APA reported. The agency said she was sentenced to three months suspended imprisonment for intentionally endangering people through communicable diseases. But she was acquitted on the grossly negligent homicide charge at that time.

This week, the judge heard statements from the deceaseds family, who said there had been contact in a stairwell between the neighbors on Dec. 21, 2001  when the defendant would already have known she had COVID-19. But she denied the meeting, saying she was too sick to get out of bed that day. She also said she believed she had bronchitis, which she typically gets every year.

But the womans doctor told police that the defendant had tested positive with a rapid test and told him that she certainly wont let herself be locked up after the result.

(AP)
In an effort to prevent another riot like the one on Jan. 6, 2021, the Homeland Security secretary has designated the congressional count and certification of the presidential election as a national special security event overseen by the Secret Service.

Both political parties national conventions, the presidential inauguration and the U.N. General Assembly already have this designation, but its the first time the Jan. 6 vote count and certification have received it.

The Secret Service said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made the designation following a request from the mayor of Washington, D.C. The move means these are particularly high-profile events that might be targets for terrorists or criminals.

The Secret Service is in charge of running security for such events in a planning process that kicks off many months in advance. A steering committee for the Jan. 6 certification has been formed and will begin meeting in the coming weeks, the Secret Service said.

The goal is to improve planning and coordination, especially when it comes to pulling in resources across the federal government.

National Special Security Events are events of the highest national significance, Eric Ranaghan, the special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Services Dignitary Protective Division, said in a statement. The agency and its partners are committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive and integrated security plan to ensure the safety and security of this event and its participants, he said.

Rioters seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election descended on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021. They scaled walls, shattered windows, beat police and hunted down lawmakers in the halls of Congress. About 140 police officers were injured that day. One officer collapsed and died. Four others later died by suicide. A Trump supporter seeking to climb through a broken window was shot and killed by authorities.

In the aftermath of the riot, 1,500 criminal cases have been brought to court with more than 900 people pleading guilty and roughly 200 convicted.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday that House Democrats are committed to protecting the democracy, were committed to free and fair elections and were committed to the peaceful transfer of power that will begin on Jan. 6.

Asked if the special security designation was needed, he said that given what happened in 2021, and the refusal by many extreme MAGA Republicans to stop something like that from ever happening again  this designation by national security professionals seems to have been necessary.

Its a high-profile job for an agency struggling to defend its reputation in the wake of the assassination attempt against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The Secret Service has been criticized for failing to secure the building that Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed on top of and opened fire as Trump spoke. A bullet nicked Trump on the ear. The agencys director, Kim Cheatle, resigned after a heated congressional hearing, and the agencys decisions and planning are the subject of multiple investigations.

(AP)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday bringing back tough criminal penalties targeting large-scale stealing schemes and smash-and-grab robberies that have fueled voter frustration across the state.

The new law requires prosecutors to start imposing harsher sentences again for those who damage or destroy property valued at more than $50,000 while committing a felony. A similar law expired in 2018. The new law will sunset by 2030.

California already has some of the strictest retail and property crime laws in the nation  and we have made them even stronger with our recent legislation, Newsom said in a statement. We can be tough on crime while also being smart on crime  we dont need to go back to broken policies of the last century.

The decision to bring back tough penalties comes as Democratic leaders continue to work to prove that they are tough enough on crime while trying to convince voters to reject a ballot measure that would bring even harsher sentences for repeat offenders of shoplifting and drug charges.

While shoplifting has been a growing problem, large-scale, smash-and-grab thefts, in which groups of individuals brazenly rush into stores and take goods in plain sight, have become a crisis in California and elsewhere in recent years. Such crimes, often captured on video and posted on social media, have brought particular attention to the problem of retail theft in the state.

The new law is part of a bipartisan legislative package of about a dozen bills aiming to crack down on thefts, making it easier to go after repeat shoplifters and auto thieves and increase penalties for those running professional reselling schemes.

Violent sledgehammer crimes and flash-mob attacks by organized gangs must stop now, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, who authored the bill, said in a statement. Our business owners and workers should not have to live in fear that these crimes will come to their doorstep.

The measure is also supported by the California Retailers Association, which said the new penalties would serve as a deterrent against smash and grabs and retail crime.

But opponents, including criminal justice advocates and public defenders, said the new law will result in more people behind bars for non-retail theft crimes. The measure increases prison time for a wide range of felony charges, they said. That means a person could receive a tougher sentence for offenses such as damaging vehicles while driving under the influence under the new law.

They also criticized the new law for modeling after a plan proposed in a tougher-on-crime ballot initiative, which Newsom and Democratic lawmakers spent months lambasting and unsuccessfully fighting to keep off the November ballot. The new law will expire in five years, while the ballot measure proposes a plan to make the harsher penalties permanent.

If were opposed to it being permanent, why arent we opposed to it being temporary? said Taina Vargas, executive director of Initiate Justice Action, about the new law. This makes it apparent that, you know, certain individuals in the Legislature and the governor just want to give off the impression of doing something.

How to tackle crimes in California has become increasingly difficult to navigate in recent years for state Democrats, many of whom have spent the last decade championing progressive policies to depopulate jails and prisons and invest in rehabilitation programs.

As the issue could even affect the makeup  and control  of Congress, some Democrats broke with party leadership and said they supported Proposition 36, the tough-on-crime approach.

Newsoms administration has spent $267 million to help dozens of local law enforcement agencies increase patrols, buy surveillance equipment and prosecute more criminals. Law enforcement across the state has arrested 6,900 people for retail theft crimes in the first six months of the operation, Newsoms office said Thursday.

It is hard to quantify the retail crime issue in California because of the lack of local data, but many point to major store closures and everyday products like toothpaste being locked behind plexiglass as evidence of a crisis. The California Retailers Association said it is challenging to quantify the issue in California because many stores dont share their data.

(AP)
The Wall Street Journal editorial board has taken aim at former President Donald Trump for his recently reignited association with right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer. In an op-ed published on Friday, entitled Donald Trump and Loomer Tunes: Why is the Former President Hanging with a 9/11 Conspiracist?, the board raised concerns about Trumps decision to align himself with the controversial figure, particularly in the lead-up to the ABC News debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Loomer, a 31-year-old activist known for her inflammatory rhetoric, was seen accompanying Trump during public events commemorating the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. She joined the GOP nominee during his visits to memorial sites in New York City and Pennsylvania, including the Flight 93 crash site. However, Loomer has previously drawn ire for suggesting that 9/11 was an inside job, a conspiracy theory highlighted by the Wall Street Journal in their op-ed.

Does she think Osama bin Laden was a CIA front man? the editorial board asks rhetorically, before adding that describing Loomer as simply far right is too mild for her extreme views.

In their critique, the WSJ editors also pointed to Loomers history of inflammatory comments. On X, she insulted Kamala Harriss Indian heritage, writing that if Harris were elected, the White House will smell like curry. She has also taken aim at other public figures, such as Casey DeSantis, the wife of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and cast conspiracies about Senator Lindsey Graham.

While Loomers provocations have long been on the fringe, her proximity to Trump raises broader concerns for the WSJ editorial board. All of this would be ignorable, except that others close to Mr. Trump say he is listening to Ms. Loomers advice, the board wrote. People in the Trump campaign are trying to get her out of the former Presidents entourage, to no avail. Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks Ms. Loomer is damaging the former Presidents election chances.

Trump, when asked by the press about his association with Loomer, downplayed the controversy, saying, Lauras a supporter. I have a lot of supporters, and added, Shes a strong person; shes got strong opinions, without directly addressing her history of incendiary remarks.

The WSJ editorial board expressed its broader concern over the former presidents decision-making process, writing that Trumps association with Loomer feeds the concern among voters that Mr. Trump listens to crazy courtiers who flatter him and play to his vanity. Is this who the next four years are going to feature?

The op-ed goes further, cautioning that the problem extends beyond Trumps immediate electoral prospects. The editors argue that a troubling segment of the American right is increasingly populated by figures who peddle conspiracy theories and extreme rhetoric.

A movement that used to admire William F. Buckley Jr. and Thomas Sowell now elevates a pseudo-historian who blames Winston Churchill for World War II and media personalities who sell falsehoods as a triumph for free speech, the board lamented, concluding that this shift in priorities isnt an intellectual or political movement that is going to win converts, nor will it deserve them.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Air France announced on Monday that it will continue suspending flights between Paris and Tel Aviv until October 15, and between Paris and Beirut until October 26, citing ongoing security concerns in the area, according to a company spokesperson.

Netanyahus Address at the State Ceremony to Mark One Year since the October 7 Massacre

Following is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus address at the state ceremony to mark one year since the October 7 massacre [translated from Hebrew]:

Citizens of Israel,

A year ago, on October 7th, we were all hurled into a critical battle.

That day, a Saturday, the Sabbath and the holiday of Simchat Torah, will be etched in the history of our nation as a day of grief and loss, of unimaginable agony.

On that day, the Hamas monsters attacked our communities, our brothers and sisters, who are so dear to our hearts.

They murdered and kidnapped babies and children, adults and old people. They tortured, maimed, raped, burned and destroyed.

The memory of our citizens who were killed in the terrorist attack, and the memory of all the fallen heroes from the IDF and security forces, will be cherished forever.

On October 7th, we were all hurled into a critical battle, but we were not defeated. On the contrary, it is we who are acting to defeat and deter our enemies.

And, as we have often experienced in our history, it is in dark moments such as these that we exude our great inner power.

We rallied together to defend our country, our homeland. We mustered immense mental strength. We outlined the goals of the war and we are achieving them: toppling the rule of Hamas; bringing all the hostages home, the living and the deceased alikethis is a sacred mission and we will not stop until we complete it; eliminating any future threat from Gaza to Israel; and returning the residents of the south and the north safely to their homes.

We are doing this with solidarity unlike anything among the nations. When put to the test we proved, once again, that we are the Eternal People. A people that fights to bring light to this world, that aspires to spread good and eradicate evil. A people that rises like a lion, leaps up like a lion.

Every time my wife and I meet with our soldiers, our wounded, with bereaved families, we hear the same message over and over again: we mustnt stop the war prematurely. As long as the enemy threatens our existence and the peace of our country, we will continue to fight. As long as our hostages are still in Gaza, we will continue to fight. We will not forsake any of them. I will not give up. As long as our citizens have not returned to their homes safely, we will continue to fight.

We will continue to fight, and unitedwe will win. And when we win, not only for our sake but for the sake of future generations and for all humanity, we will rebuild the Tekuma region even bigger. When we hold onto the roots, the tree of life will grow back

.

Laly Derai, the mother of Saadia, who fell in battle said: Shadow is not darkness. Shadow is a sign that there is light from behind. Even if a mountain of grief obscures the light, we must all, as a nation, climb the mountain, because the light exists. We must always aim up, towards the light.

Citizens of Israel, my dear brothers and sisters,

Victory is the light. Victory guarantees eternity.

October 7th will symbolize for generations the cost of our revival, and for generations it will demonstrate how determined we are and how strong our spirit is.

Together we will continue to fight. And together, with Gods help we will win.

Am Yisrael Chai!
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Thursday during a security meeting that Israel is on the brink of a large-scale confrontation with Hezbollah in the north, according to Channel 13 news.

Although no specific timeline has been set for the escalation, sources close to Netanyahu suggest it could occur in the coming weeks or months.

Security officials during the discussion emphasized that a diplomatic solution alone wont be enough to return the tens of thousands of displaced northern residents to their homes. The officials reportedly stressed that Israels goal is to open a war front with Lebanon when the IDF is fully prepared and international backing is secured. However, they noted this would likely require reallocating some forces currently engaged in Gaza.
The IDF has reported significant progress in its ongoing operations in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah, where troops from the 162nd Division have been carrying out precise, intelligence-driven operations against terrorists. The targeted operations have resulted in the elimination of over 100 terrorists from the Tel al-Sultan Battalion, who were entrenched in the area.

In addition to neutralizing terrorists, the IDF has located and destroyed rocket launchers, weapons caches, and other terrorist infrastructure. Among the seized items were sniper rifles, anti-tank missiles, ammunition, and grenades.

As part of the broader effort to dismantle underground terror networks, IDF troops have also uncovered multiple tunnel shafts and mapped out extensive underground tunnels over the past two weeks, further weakening the terror groups capabilities.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is actively preparing for a return to the political arena, according to a report by Chadashot Sof Shavua. Bennett has reportedly reached out to over 100 activists as part of a broader strategy to reestablish his political presence. One key figure in this effort is a woman described as the head of the field headquarters, who has begun sending out text messages to rally support.

Bennetts resurgence comes amid recent polls showing him as a strong contender for the prime ministerial position. A poll conducted by Ulpan Shishi revealed that 40% of respondents viewed Bennett as the best candidate for the role, compared to 29% who favored current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, a quarter of respondents did not support either candidate, and 6% remained undecided.

When posed against opposition leader MK Yair Lapid, Netanyahu held a slight edge, garnering 31% support compared to 29% for Lapid. However, a significant 34% of respondents indicated that they believe neither is a suitable candidate for prime minister.

These results suggest that Bennetts potential return could significantly shift the Israeli political landscape, as many voters appear disillusioned with both the current leadership and the primary opposition.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
In an interview on Channel 12 news, Israels Foreign Minister Israel Katz weighed in on the recent U.S. presidential debate, making an unambiguous statement about the performance of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

When asked directly, Who won the debate? Did you watch it? Katz responded, Who won it? Kamala Harris. His definitive answer surprised the interviewers, with one remarking, Even he says so, highlighting Katzs unusual openness.

Katz elaborated that while he believed Harris had won the debate, he quickly added a note of caution: Theres still a long time to go until the U.S. election, signaling that much could change before the final vote.

The conversation then shifted to Trumps comment during the debate, where he suggested that if Harris were to win the election, Israel would not exist two years from now. Katz chose not to address Trumps claim directly but reassured viewers that Israel will be and will exist forever. He framed Trumps statement as an expression of the former presidents great commitment to the State of Israel.

When pressed about whether Israeli government discussions were concerned about a potential Harris victory, Katz dismissed the idea. There were no discussions of that nature, formal or informal. Its not Israels business to deal with that. Well await the results of the election, he said.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Hezbollahs deputy leader, Naim Qassem, issued a warning that an all-out war initiated by Israel could result in the displacement of hundreds of thousands more people. His remarks come in response to ongoing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, where around 100,000 people have already been displaced due to the conflict.

Speaking in Beirut, Qassem said, We have no intention of going to war, as we consider that this would not be useful. However, he made it clear that if Israel were to launch a full-scale offensive, Hezbollah would not hesitate to retaliate. If Israel does unleash a war, we will face up to it  and there will be large losses on both sides, Qassem said, signaling the potential for widespread devastation in the event of a conflict.

Qassem added, If they think such a war would allow the 100,000 displaced people to return home we issue this warning: prepare to deal with hundreds of thousands more displaced.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
A surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen triggered sirens across central Israel at about 6:35 a.m. on Sunday.

The military reported that the ballistic missile landed in an open area near Moshav Daniel, about six kilometers from Ben-Gurion Airport, causing a fire to break out.

Shrapnel from interceptor missiles fell on the Modiin train station, causing property damage.

The fire on Moshav Daniel:

A short while after the incident, the IDF announced that the missile originated from Yemen.

MDA reported that paramedics treated five people who were lightly injured in falls while running to a protected space and evacuated them to the hospital for further treatment.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
IDF aircraft dropped leaflets in the Al-Wazzani village in southern Lebanon instructing residents to evacuate the area by 4:00 p.m., Lebanese media reported on Sunday morning.

The leaflets said that due to Hezbollahs military action in the area, residents of the border village must leave their homes.

To all residents and displaced persons in the refugee camp area, Hezbollah is firing from your area, the leaflets state. You must leave your homes immediately and head north of the area by 4 p.m. Do not return to this area until the end of the war. Anyone present in this area after this hour will be considered a terrorist element and will be eliminated.

Kan News later reported that senior IDF and government officials were unaware of the distribution of the leaflets, which turned out to be a private initiative of the 769th Territorial Brigade. The move was not coordinated with senior IDF officers. Army Radio reported that the commander of the 769th Brigade made the decision on his own and the distribution of the leaflets was carried out with the Brigades drone without the involvement of the Air Force.

The IDF is investigating the unusual event and clarified: There is no evacuation order for residents in southern Lebanon.

The reports followed Hezbollahs latest missile and drone barrage at northern Israel on Sunday morning and heavy barrages on Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Colorado lawmaker Meg Froelich led a protest rally demanding that Colorado's Supreme Court Justice Monica Marquez ensure that judges overseeing custody disputes adhere to a series of reforms for family court the legislature passed into law in the past three years. The protest was prompted by the case of Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins, a mother jailed for opposing reunification therapy between her two youngest sons and their father, who is criminally charged with sexually abusing his daughters and physically abusing an older son. The rally called on Marquez to consider reconvening a task force on judicial training on domestic violence, issuing a Supreme Court directive or taking judicial disciplinary action.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu threatened to strike a severe blow against the Houthis in Yemen in the wake of their launch of a surface-to-surface missile at Israel early Sunday morning.

Speaking at Sundays Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu began with a reminder that Iran is behind all the Houthis strikes against Israel.

We are in a multi-front battle against the evil axis of Iran that is striving for our destruction, he said. This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen into our territory. They should have known already that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us. Anyone who needs a reminder is welcome to visit the port of Hodeidah.

In July, Israel carried out heavy airstrikes against Houthi targets in the Hodeidah port area in western Yemen in response to the terror groups launch of a drone that struck Tel Aviv two days earlier, completely disabling the port.

Anyone who attacks us will not escape our reach, Netanyahu threatened.

The IDF said several attempts were made to shoot down the hypersonic missile with the Arrow and Iron Dome defense systems. According to an initial investigation, the missile fell apart in the air.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saria claimed responsibility for the launch of the ballistic missile, bragging that the terror group launched a new hypersonic missile at a military target in the Tel Aviv area that traveled 2,040 kilometers in 11.5 minutes and caused fear among the Zionists and forced over two million of them to flee to shelters for the first time in its history.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman responded to the Houthi missile attack on central Israel on Sunday morning by noting that the increasing aggression of Iran and its proxies are a direct result of the Biden/Harris administrations policies of appeasement of Iran.

Israelis were awakened early this morning to sirens warning of an incoming hypersonic ballistic missile coming from the Houthis, an Iranian proxy in Yemen, Friedman wrote. Undoubtedly, this will provoke a war.

Inevitably, Israel also will be at war with Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy in Lebanon. Hezbollah has been shooting missiles into northern Israel since October 7, forcing the evacuation of nearly 100,000 Israelis who remain refugees within their own country.

All of this ties back to the appeasement of Iran by the Biden/Harris administration  its failure to enforce sanctions which has permitted Iran to more than double its GDP since January 2021. That extra money is what funds all this turmoil.

Recall the deal negotiated by Bidens envoy  mistakenly agreed to by then Israeli PM Lapid  for Israel to surrender 100% of its claim in favor of Lebanon to gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean. That was supposed to bring peace  instead it signaled extreme weakness and is likely to bring war.

The Biden/Harris administration has failed Israel, the entire region, and most of the world, with feckless and self-destructive policies.

Harris affirmation of Israels right to defend itself  a meaningless platitude  every nation has that right! Her insistence on a two-state solution in the face of Palestinian terror signals that the Palestinians will never be held accountable for their malign activity. Her placating anti-American and anti-Israel radicals only emboldens their disruption of American life. And her continued appeasement of Iran will set the whole world on fire.

To my friends who think shell be OK because she can cook a brisket and her husband is Jewish  open your eyes!

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
A Border Police Officer was lightly injured after a Palestinian terrorist stabbed him in Jerusalem, Sunday evening.

It happened at Shaar Schechem just before 8:00PM.

Police officers immediately opened fire and neutralized the terrorist.

MDA paramedic from MDA medicycle unit Israel Weingarten told YWN:

The patient was fully conscious, walking around the scene while suffering from a stabbing wound to his upper body. We gave him primary medical treatment and he was evacuated to the hospital. The terrorist was neutralized.
A Dollar General employee has revealed the allegedly sneaky way the retail giant dupes buyers into spending more money for a sale item.

The video posted on TikTok shows a woman who claims to be a Dollar Store employee allegedly changing the price of an item to be on sale for the original shelf price.

The video, posted by a woman named Ashtyn, seemingly shows her changing the price of a Forever Pals pet steel bowl, which was originally priced at $5.75.

However, in the clip, Ashtyn increased the price to $6, before lowering to the original $5.75 and listing it as on sale.

The video, posted by Ashtyn, shows her changing the price of a Forever Pals steel bowl, which was originally priced at $5.75, to an increased $6 before eventually putting it on sale for the original $5.75

In response to the video, one user expressed their outrage in comments, saying: 'This should genuinely be illegal.'

They added, 'I always look and if it's not actually a discount and I don't need it I don't get it. My local does this ALOT'

Another said that because the trick is used so often, it's become the reason buyers have stopped 'believing in sales' and why 'Black Friday has been dead for years'.

The alleged trick, known as fictitious or deceptive marking or false pricing schemes, goes largely unenforced except for those who have been served class action lawsuits.

According to Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 'unlawful, unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce' is prohibited.

The video posted by Ashtyn has garnered more than 225,000 views.

Pictured: Dollar General store deals, which have come under fire by a TikTok user named Ashtyn

Dollar General has come under fire recently after the chain delivered a disappointing earnings report

Dollar General has come under fire recently after the chain delivered a disappointing earnings report.

Shares of all three national dollar store chains have flailed over the last year, with Dollar General falling by 39 percent this month.

At its latest earnings, Dollar General said poorer Americans are running out of money at the end of the month - which means they are having to cut back on even the most basic of purchases.

David D'Arezzo, a former top executive at Dollar General and other retailers, told CNN that Dollar General made a mistake in trying to shift toward discretionary items - known as 'non-consumables.'

In recent years, the chain has added items such as decorations and candles to its shelves, rather than focusing on core 'consumable' products like food and cleaning supplies.

'They're trying to dig out from a failed non-consumable strategy where they have lots of inventory,' he said. 'They missed the fact in tough times the consumer would be looking for consumables.'
I am told by various banking moles that cash machine network Link will announce on Wednesday 15 locations where new banking hubs will be launched. Hurrah.

Hubs are the closest we have in this country to community banks, allowing customers of all the big brands to carry out basic banking transactions under one roof  and (if they are lucky) get access to a representative from their bank one day a week. Hubs are replacing standalone banks, with Lloyds announcing 55 more closures next year.

Although new hubs are becoming almost two a penny  148 have been recommended so far and 81 opened  these latest 15 represent a big step forward. Why? It's because the banks which fund the hubs  through an organisation called Cash Access UK  have finally agreed to change the rules governing where they can be located.

Currently, a hub can only be set up in a town that has lost its last bank. Even then, it may be ruled out because the banks don't believe the town is big enough to support one.

They were also ruled out in towns where Nationwide still had a branch.

Lone voices: Sparks sang This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both Of Us

Although it's a building society, not a bank  and doesn't offer business banking  the banks' collective view was that a hub couldn't be justified where a Nationwide still stood proud. As pop band Sparks sang in 1974: 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us.'

Yet, through a mix of pressure from the new Government and longstanding community bank campaigners such as Derek French, banks have seen sense.

Most of the 15 to be announced this week are in areas where Nationwide has a branch. Harpenden in Hertfordshire (French's backyard) and Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear are among towns to benefit. It is a move which the banks should be patted lightly on the back for agreeing to.

This announcement will be supported by a new requirement put on a bank which announces the closure of the last bank in a town where Link recommends a hub.

The bank will now not be allowed to close its doors until the hub is up and running. It means there will be continuity of banking services. With hubs having carried out more than a million customer transactions to date, they are beginning to establish themselves on our high streets which, as consultant PwC said last week, are under pressure like never before. Banks, pharmacies and pubs are dropping like flies.

The next step is to improve the breadth of service that hubs offer, even if they are little changes such as the installation of printers so that customers can get duplicate bank statements.

Last week, City minister Tulip Siddiq impressed on the banks and Cash Access UK the need for better services at a 'banking hubs' roundtable. Let's hope the banks respond positively. Siddiq wants 230 hubs up and running by the end of next year and 350 by the end of the current Parliament.

All 350 need to be fit for purpose.

Ask energy firms for a cut in bills

The axing of the winter fuel payment (WFP), passed by the House of Commons last week, is cruel and indefensible.

Sadly, it now looks that despite all the campaigning from the likes of Age UK and Baroness Ros Altmann (and a lot of coverage on the issue in both the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday), Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has got her wicked way.

To all those readers who have contacted me on WFP, a big thank you for your lovely emails and letters  a mix of anger, passion, and occasional tear-jerking words.

If you haven't checked whether you qualify for pension credit (the trigger for WFP), I urge you to do so.

Please visit https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claimplease or ring the claims line on 0800 99 1234 (open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm). It might take a while for your call to be answered. Let me know if you are left hanging on the telephone for an eternity.

Also, please see if your energy supplier can offer you a discount on your bills. Lesley Main, a 70-year-old pensioner from near Barnard Castle in County Durham, tells me she received a credit of 183  the equivalent of six months of energy standing charges  after applying for assistance from Octopus via its help fund Octo Assist. Other energy suppliers offer similar schemes.

Three final points on WFP. The National Pensioners Convention is holding a day of action on WFP on October 7, with a 'protest' in Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament (I'll be there). Email me if you want more details.

Secondly, hats off to Jon Trickett for being the only Labour MP to have the courage to vote against the WFP changes. Worthy of a knighthood.

Finally, I trust the Chancellor has learnt from the WFP debacle and resists scrapping the single person's council tax discount  which would impact many elderly people.

Investors still haunted by spectre of Woodford

Fallen idol: Fund manager Neil Woodford

The ghost of fund manager Neil Woodford, once the golden boy of the investment community, lingers on, as readers remind me on a regular basis.

A big thank you for the latest Woodford missives from John Harris and Alan Berrow.

More than five years have elapsed since Woodford's main investment fund (Woodford Equity Income) put up the shutters because of acute liquidity issues. The fund was subsequently broken up and compensation paid to investors, albeit meagre sums.

Yet the two other funds, Woodford Income Focus and Woodford Patient Capital Trust, chug along, under the respective wings of Abrdn and Schroders.

Neither investment house has shrugged off the curse of Woodford. Abrdn UK Income Equity has underperformed the average of its peers since Abrdn fund managers took over the reins in February 2020. It has also trailed behind the FTSE All-Share Index.

Many investors have voted with their feet and the fund has shrunk from 250million in February 2020 to today's 163million. Although the ongoing charge is reasonable at 0.64 per cent, surely it's time for the fund to be merged away.

Yet Abrdn's travails pale into insignificance against those running Schroders Capital Global Innovation Trust (Woodford Patient Capital as was and then for a while Schroder UK Public Private). However hard Schroders has tried, its performance has gone nowhere.

Sadly it is still plagued by many of the dog investments (primarily unlisted securities) that Woodford bought and which the current managers are unable to offload.

Over the past year, the shares are down 23 per cent. Over the past two and three years, they have fallen 41 and 70 per cent respectively. The share price stands at just above 11p and the trust is capitalised at 87million.

To put this into perspective, Woodford Patient Capital launched on the Stock Exchange in April 2015 with 800million of investors' hard-earned money under its wing and the shares priced at 1.

Maybe the trust will recover but I don't believe in miracles. Next year it will hold a continuation vote. Winding up would put everyone out of their misery.

As for Woodford, we await a Financial Conduct Authority decision on disciplinary action.

Whatever the verdict, it won't replace the losses that tens of thousands incurred by following the Pied Piper of fund management.
Damning report: Mario Draghi

Something has gone terribly wrong with the European economy. That's not a British viewpoint, though many here would agree. It comes from Mario Draghi, the man who, as president of the European Central Bank in 2012, saved the euro with his commitment that the ECB would do 'whatever it takes' to do so.

He was asked by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, to write a report on The Future of European Competitiveness. The results, just published, were dire.

He concluded that the European Union faced lasting sluggish growth, and that this would threaten its entire social model.

If it did not act, it would face 'a slow agony' of decline.

The report is 400 pages, but in short form, the message cited three ways to boost performance: close the innovation gap between Europe and the US and China; seize opportunities in the process of decarbonisation; and make Europe less reliant on foreign supply chains.

To do that, Europe needs huge investment by governments and business, a rethink of regulation, and changing rules on competition so that European companies could combine to create industrial champions.

He is far from alone in his concerns. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said in April that Europe faced a 'moral risk'. And last weekend, the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, put the problem pithily: 'America innovates, China replicates, Europe regulates.'

Some 20 years ago, the US was 27 per cent of global GDP at market exchange rates, the eurozone 22 per cent, and China only 5 per cent. The US remains much the same with 26 per cent, China has jumped to 17 per cent, while the eurozone is down to 14 per cent.

The report has, unsurprisingly, met a mixed reception.

Everyone agrees with Draghi's analysis. What you do is another matter. To fund the investment he suggested there should be some kind of common borrowing, which the German finance minister has already said wouldn't solve the problems, and they won't agree to it.

Germany feels it would, in practice, be guaranteeing the debts of less prudent countries.

If Europe's largest economy is not on board, it is hard to see much progress on funding.

Deregulation, Meloni's point, is also fraught with difficulties. The green groups don't like it, largely because they feel that environmental protection is being framed as a barrier to competitiveness. Common taxation? That's impossible. And sceptics point out that there have been similar reports in the past and Europe's relative performance has continued to decline.

I had a conversation with the head of one of our top-five largest corporations around the time Draghi was trying to save the euro. He was an early Brexiteer. Why? If we remained in the EU we would be 'shackled to a corpse'. That seemed to me to be a rather forceful way of putting it, but his point  that Europe would continue to decline  has sadly proved right.

So what can they do? It would be easy to say that the main problems are onerous regulation and high taxation, and that must be part of it.

But there are European companies that manage to cope, and quite a few success stories where the more cautious culture has given better results than the US focus on short-term profits. Think Airbus and Boeing.

I think the problem boils down to two linked elements. One is that Europe has failed to create a significant high-tech sector along the lines of the Magnificent Seven. That goes for the UK too.

The other is cultural. There isn't the same zest for wealth-creation, or indeed respect for people who have done well. So fewer new companies are formed, fewer risks taken, and the wealthy keep their heads down.

I can't see Europe changing. We have the opportunity to do so, becoming more like America, and I think we will eventually head in that direction.

But it will need a different sort of leadership than the gloom we are being served right now.
When AngloGold Ashanti unveiled a 1.9billion takeover of London-listed gold miner Centamin last week, the South African firm described the deal as 'highly compelling'.

Centamin owns a world-class mine in Egypt that will boost AngloGold's annual production by more than 15 per cent.

In return, Centamin investors have been asked to swap the bulk of their shares for AngloGold stock plus 12.5 cents (9.5p) in cash.

A nugget?: While gold is at an all-time high, gold miners are not

The blend valued each Centamin share at 1.63 on the day of the deal, but the price began to slip last week as AngloGold shares fell.

Midas recommended Centamin at 62p in 2015. After a bumpy ride, the stock hit 1.20 before AngloGold pounced and ended the week at 1.56.

Midas verdict: While gold is at an all-time high, gold miners are not. The South Africans have spotted a bargain: this story may have further to run. Sit tight.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: CEY Contact: Centamin.com
Tasteful: Magnum is promoted by model and actress Cara Delevingne

The UK risks losing a key multi-billion pound listing to the Dutch because Labour has not appointed an investment minister.

The warning came from former Barclays chairman Gerry Grimstone amid fears Amsterdam will win a battle for Unilever's 15billion ice-cream business, which includes Magnum, promoted by model and actress Cara Delevingne.

Last night, Grimstone, who was investment minister between 2020 and 2022 and worked on trying to get chipmaker Arm to list in London, called on the Government to appoint someone who has the dedicated remit of encouraging inward investment into the UK.

Labour had been set to hire Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, but he did not want to abandon his existing job running the Global Counsel advisory group he co-founded with Lord Mandelson.

'It's a difficult job, the person has to be familiar with Whitehall and able to manage investors,' Grimstone said.

While Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been scrambling to find an investment minister, the Dutch have been busy wooing Unilever's top executives.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that The Netherlands' minister of economic affairs, Dirk Beljaarts, met the consumer goods giant's Dutch chief executive, Hein Schumacher, last month.

He is thought to have encouraged Unilever in a video meeting on August 19 in an introductory conversation to list the 15billion spin-off on the Euronext exchange.

The Treasury refused last week to confirm whether City Minister Tulip Siddiq has met, or been in contact with, Unilever executives.

But Grimstone said such charm offensives were not in Siddiq's remit.

Euronext said it was the number one listing venue for European companies but did not want to comment specifically on Unilever. The pan-European bourse hailed 34 listings this year, with 3.1billion raised.

By contrast, the London Stock Exchange won eight companies in the first half of 2024, raising 513.8million.

Schumacher said in July the group was 'progressing at pace' with demerging the unit behind ice-cream brands Wall's and Magnum.

The Dutch are confident they can win the highly sought-after listing. This would rub salt in the City's wounds as it suffers an exodus of companies to markets elsewhere.

Arm also eventually snubbed the UK when it chose to list in the US, despite ministers rolling out the red carpet.
The company behind the world's first effective urine-based screening test for prostate cancer wants to raise money to expand.

Cambridge-based Oncologica has hired business advisory firm FRP Corporate Finance to tap potential investors for 6million.

The funds will be used to complete clinical trials and win regulatory approval for its 'revolutionary' early-detection technology.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with around one in eight diagnosed in their lifetime.

It mainly affects men over 50, with the risk increasing with age, and accounts for 12,000 deaths every year.

Expansion plans: Cambridge-based Oncologica has hired business advisory firm FRP Advisory to tap potential investors for 6 million

At present, tests to check for prostate cancer include a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, imaging scans and sample, or biopsy, of the prostate gland.

But blood tests or scans alone cannot tell for sure whether someone has prostate cancer.

A biopsy is more reliable but can also find small, low-risk cancers that do not need treatment.

Oncologica has developed urine tests that distinguish between aggressive prostate cancers and harmless ones that require no treatment.

Dr Marco Loddo, co-founder and scientific director, said: 'This accuracy ensures men are not subjected to unnecessary, costly, and invasive procedures.'

Co-founder and medical director Professor Gareth Williams added: 'Our urine test will revolutionise early detection rates and patient outcomes.'

FRP partner Dan Bowtell said the innovation was 'a shining example of the UK's status as a global life sciences superpower'.
Decision time: Chancellor Rachel Reeves

Firms representing millions of savers have lined up to warn Rachel Reeves about the damaging consequences of a raid on pension contributions.

The Chancellor is widely thought to be considering a cut to income tax relief on retirement savings for top-rate taxpayers.

That could end up affecting nearly 9 million workers as more and more employees are dragged into paying tax at the 40 per cent rate over the next few years.

Pension firms, including Standard Life, warned that it could deter employees from putting aside enough money for their retirement.

Workers paying into pension savings receive tax relief on those payments  at 20 per cent for basic rate taxpayers and an additional 20 per cent if they pay tax at the higher 40 per cent rate.

But there are fears that Labour could limit tax relief for those in the 40 per cent bracket as Reeves looks to shore up the public finances.

And some are also concerned about other potential pension reforms, which could include reductions in the lump sums that can be taken out tax-free, or making pensions subject to inheritance tax.

Mike Ambery, retirement savings director at Standard Life, said: 'A flat rate of pension tax relief will increase complexity into the pension system and have a lasting impact on people's future retirement, so it's important that decisions are made with a long-term view rather than focus on near-term fiscal challenges.'

Steven Cameron, director of pensions at insurer Aegon, said: 'While it may be tempting to the Chancellor to boost tax revenues by reducing such incentives, doing so could have far-reaching adverse consequences if they discourage people from doing the right thing and saving for their own retirement rather than relying on the state.'

Lynda Whitney, senior partner at Aon, said: 'Pensions are a long-term product where trust in the structure is vital.

'Changes for short-term budgetary reasons could erode that trust  particularly if the Treasury makes what feels like retrospective changes to pensions taxation of retirement lump sums or inheritance of pension rules.'

Steve Watson, director of policy & research at NatWest Cushon, said: 'Any potential change in the pension equation needs to be part of a long-term view. We've seen how tinkering around the edges can lead to an imbalanced system.'

Tess Page, UK wealth strategy partner at Mercer, said: 'We already know people are not saving enough for their retirement.'

Jamie Fiveash, boss of Smart UK, said: 'The tax changes rumoured have the potential to move us in the wrong direction.'
Scott Shamblin is the executive director of Colorado Right To Life, the nation's oldest pro-life organization, dedicated to defending the sanctity of life from fertilization to natural death.
A suspected one-person shooting rampage resulted in one known injury early Sunday when a bullet penetrated the wall of a Colorado Springs apartment and struck a sleeping person, according to law enforcement officials.

Rupesh Jain, who was arrested in connection with the shooting, is suspected of firing shots into an apartment building and at least two businesses, police said.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 11300 block of Nahcolite Point, near Interquest and Voyager parkways on the northern end of the city. When they arrived, they determined that several shots had been fired from an unoccupied apartment next to the one where the sleeping person was hit. The victims injuries were not life-threatening, officials said.

While looking for the tenant of the apartment, officers heard gunfire nearby. They later learned that the suspect had driven to the KeyBank at 27 Spectrum Loop and fired shots into the business.

As officers tried to find the source of the gunshots theyd heard, they were dispatched to another incident at the Village Inn at 7934 Duryea Drive, where the suspect had reportedly fired several times into the restaurant in an attempt to break in.

Featured Local Savings

Not long after that, more gunshots were reported at another KeyBank at 3506 Hartsel Road, police said.

The suspect, later identified as Jain, then returned to the apartment building where he was arrested by waiting officers.
This week both politicos ans small biz leaders have exchanged a great many pleasantries regarding the local crime crisis with very little progress on finding real, immediate solutions.



Here's a glimpse at so much left unspoken and more ideas about a tech solution to a problem that is rooted in American culture, horrific local policy and the impact of national trends on local policing.

Still . . . We consider all arguments and ideas . . .



Donutology founder, Andrew Cameron, said the business lost $3,000 with the damages to the shop and a safe being stolen.



Cameron is left looking for ways to further protect his business.



"We are exploring options of going cashless in our business," he said.



Cameron said business leaders in the River Market are working together to find preventative solutions. He said they're considering hiring private security and installing monitored cameras.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Ukraine tried to convince the U.S. leadership of the need to strike deep into Russia using U.S.-provided weapons, but Kyiv has not received such permission so far.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria, Ukrinform reports.

"Everyone is looking at the decisions of the United States. Everyone is waiting for such decisions. After that, they make such decisions, it's true. And that is why we really wanted to use these weapons to attack these [Russian] jets at military bases, not civilian infrastructure," Zelensky said.

At the same time, he confirmed that Ukraine simply wants to be able to attack bases that Russia is using to bomb Ukrainian territory.

"They use these jets to launch not only missiles. They drop 4,000 guided aerial bombs every month in the east of our territory alone, 4,000 bombs. And these bombs and missiles hit the Ukrainian civilian population, schools, energy. These guided bombs destroyed 80% of our energy infrastructure," Zelensky said.

At the same time, the head of state noted that during meetings with partners, he had already informed them that they had waited too long.

"Now Moscow has started moving its jets from bases that were 100 or 150 kilometers away to 300-500 kilometers. After that, I will tell you that now we need more permissions," he said.

When asked whether Ukraine currently has permission for deep strikes into Russia, the president said: "No."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier that President Joe Biden did not rule out allowing Ukraine to use Western-made missiles for deep strikes into Russia.

A group of Republicans from the House of Representatives in a letter to Biden called on him to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons provided by Washington for deep strikes into Russia.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega Saavedra on the occasion of his country's national holiday - Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

"His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Dear Mr. President,

On behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, I sincerely congratulate you and, through you, your entire people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Nicaragua - Independence Day.

I believe that we will continue our joint efforts successfully to strengthen friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Nicaragua and expand our cooperation in line with the interests of our peoples.

On this festive day, I wish you robust health, happiness, success in your endeavors, and the friendly people of Nicaragua everlasting peace and prosperity.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 12 September 2024"
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is seeking help in identifying a person who shot a mule deer at Lake Pueblo State Park in the past week.

CPW officers found a dead mule deer on Sept. 12 near Rock Creek Canyon Road and adjacent to the Kestrel Pond Swim Beach, and evidence from the scene indicated that the deer had been poached.

"We need the publics help," said Gretchen Holschuh, District Wildlife Manager for the Pueblo West region in a news release. "This is poaching and its illegal and we want to catch the person who did this. This mule deer was treated unethically and that is something we take very seriously."

According to CPW, anyone illegally injuring or killing wildlife could face misdemeanor charges including harassment of wildlife, hunting big game without a license, illegal taking of wildlife, and careless use of a firearm. Convictions could result in fines and surcharges from $750 to $13,000 and up to six months in jail.

CPW encourages anyone with information about the incident to contact them. The public can also contact Operation Game Thief at 877-265-6648, by dialing #OGT from a Verizon cell phone, or by email at game.thief@state.co.us, to provide information anonymously.

If the information leads to an arrest or citation, there is a reward of up to $500.

STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Sep, 2024) Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar on Sunday ruled out any person specific legislation, reiterating the governments commitment to ensure speedy justice for the people of Pakistan.

Reforms are overdue to give the people of Pakistan access to speedy justice, he said while talking to the media inside the Parliament House.

To a query, he said the government would complete its numbers in both the Houses for the new legislation.

This impression is wrong that there is any person specific legislation as we are legislating for only the greater good of the masses, he stressed.

All parties are unanimous to ensure speedy justice for the people at their doorstep, the minister remarked.

He said the meeting of a special committee which comprised of allied parties was underway. The reforms were of the national importance and the Cabinet would meet shortly on this matter.

To another query, he said leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Maulana Fazl ur Rehman is our old ally and partner.
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Sep, 2024) Provincial Minister for Minorities Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora has said great work is being done for religious minorities in Punjab, and for the first time, a minorities day has been celebrated at a high level."

He said this during his visit to suburban area of Rubensabad Chak 136-Sole-L in Mian Channu, where he attended a special prayers ceremony, organised by the Christian community. The assistant commissioner Mian Channu, along with members of the religious minority community, warmly welcomed the provincial minister, while special prayers were offered for development and security of the country.

Ramesh Arora also attended a ceremony for distribution of laptops among Christian students, where Bishop Isaac Anwar Fazal conducted a draw to distribute laptops among 10 Christian students.

Additionally, the provincial minister distributed Rs.

50,000 each among 10 deserving unemployed individuals to assist them financially and improve their living conditions.

In his address, Ramesh Arora said, "As a result of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif's commitment to protecting the rights of religious minorities, people of all faiths are more satisfied and at peace than ever before. The Chief Minister has called religious minorities the crown of her head."

The event was organised by Pastor Anwar Fazal and Isaac tv, and it was attended by Bishop of Sahiwal, Abraham Azeem Daniel, Pastor Shaukat Fazal, Pastor Peter Imran, and other prominent religious figures. The ceremony also saw the presence of former Federal Minister Khalil George, foreign pastors, and a large number of members from various churches within the Christian community.
A robbery suspect was transported to the hospital with serious injuries after being shot by officers in Fountain Saturday morning, according to the Fountain Police Department.

Police said just before 10 a.m. officers received reports of a robbery in progress at the Walgreens along 7910 Fountain Mesa Road.

The reports indicated the suspect had threatened employees, and was armed with a gun and a bomb.

After taking items from the store, the suspect fled from the store on foot toward a Lowes shopping center in the area, police said.

According to the department, officers attempted to apprehend the suspect in the parking lot of a nearby Chase Bank.
(@FahadShabbir)

Rome, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Sep, 2024) Italian prosecutors requested on Saturday a six-year prison sentence for Matteo Salvini, Italy's far-right deputy prime minister, for blocking migrants from disembarking at one of the country's ports in 2019.

Salvini, a partner in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition, is on trial for alleged deprivation of liberty and abuse of office for keeping 147 migrants at sea for weeks on a ship run by the Open Arms charity.

"The prosecution has asked for former interior minister Salvini to be sentenced to six years," Open Arms' lawyer Arturo Salerni told AFP, as the "long and difficult trial" nears an end.

A verdict in the trial, which began in October 2021, could come next month, he said. Salvini would be free to appeal any decision.

Salvini was not present, but wrote on Facebook: "Six years in prison for having blocked arrivals and defended Italy and Italians? Madness. Defending Italy is not a crime."

Meloni also criticised the prosecutors.

"It is incredible that a minister of the Italian Republic risks 6 years in prison for doing his job defending the nation's borders, as required by the mandate received from its citizens," the prime minister wrote on X.

In summing up, prosecutor Geri Ferrara told the Palermo court in Sicily that there was "one key principle that is not debatable".

"Between human rights and the protection of state sovereignty, it is human rights that must prevail in our fortunately democratic system," he said.

The ship was stuck at sea for nearly three weeks before the migrants were finally allowed to disembark on the island of Lampedusa following a court order.

Members of Open Arms have testified that the migrants' physical and mental well-being reached a crisis point as sanitary conditions onboard became dire, including a scabies outbreak.

- 'Chaos' -

Salvini, head of the anti-immigration League party and interior minister at the time, testified in January that he had understood that "the situation was not at risk" onboard the ship.

"The POS (safe port) should have been provided immediately and without delay," prosecutor Marzia Sabella said Saturday, according to Italian media reports.

"Refusing to do so was breaking the rules, not being in line with a government plan," and Salvini's "choices" had given rise to "chaos", she said.

A populist known for an "Italians first" policy, Salvini has repeatedly used attacks against illegal immigration to boost his political capital.

In 2019, serving under prime minister Giuseppe Conte, he implemented a "closed ports" policy under which Italy refused entry to charity ships that rescue migrants stranded while crossing the Mediterranean.

He cast it as a tough measure against traffickers who operate boats between North Africa and Italy and Malta, the deadliest migrant crossing in the world.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, also known for her anti-immigrant politics, offered Salvini a message of support on Saturday night, alleging he was the target of "judicial harassment aimed at silencing him".

Salvini thanked her and promised not to "give in".

Much of the trial has been focused on determining whether the decision-making and responsibility in the case lay with the Conte government or Salvini alone.

Salvini has previously faced a similar trial, accused of refusing to allow 116 migrants to disembark from an Italian coastguard boat in July 2019. But it was thrown out by a court in Catania in 2021.
Warsaw, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Sep, 2024) One person has drowned in Poland and four people are missing in the Czech Republic, authorities said Sunday, as Storm Boris lashed central and eastern Europe with torrential rains and flooding.

Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually fierce rains.

The storm has already caused the death of four people in Romania, and thousands have been evacuated from their homes across the continent.

"We have the first confirmed death by drowning, in the Klodzko region" on the Polish-Czech border, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sunday morning.

Tusk was travelling through the southwest of the country, which has been hit hardest by the floods.

Around 1,600 people have been evacuated in Klodzko, and Polish authorities have called in the army to support firefighters on the scene.

On Saturday, Polish authorities shut the Golkowice border crossing with the Czech Republic after a river flooded its banks, as well as closing several roads and halting trains on the line linking the towns of Prudnik and Nysa.

In the nearby village of Glucholazy, Zofia Owsiaka watched with fear as the fast-flowing waters of the swollen Biala river surged past.

"Water is the most powerful force of nature. Everyone is scared," Owsiaka, 65, told AFP.

In the Czech Republic, police reported four people were missing Sunday.

Three were in a car that was swept into a river in the northeastern town of Lipova-Lazne, and another man was missing after being swept away by floods in the southeast.

A dam in the south of the country burst its banks, flooding towns and villages downstream.
The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, called Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government "dictatorial" during an interview broadcast Sunday in Spain, echoing comments made by a Spanish minister that angered Caracas.

Venezuela on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Madrid for consultations and summoned Spain's envoy to Caracas for talks after Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles referred to Maduro's administration as a "dictatorship" and saluted "the Venezuelans who had to leave their country" because of his regime.

Asked about the row during an interview with private Spanish television channel Telecinco, Borrell said over 2,000 people had been "arbitrarily detained" since Venezuela's disputed July 28 presidential election, which the Latin American country's opposition accuses Maduro of stealing.

Political parties in Venezuela are "subjected to a thousand limitations on their activities" and the leader of the opposition, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, "has had to flee" to Spain, he added.

"What do you call all this? Of course, this is a dictatorial, authoritarian, dictatorial regime. But just saying so doesn't solve anything. What we need to do is to try to solve it," said Borrell, a former Spanish foreign minister.

"Sometimes resolving things requires a certain verbal restraint, but let us not fool ourselves about the nature of things. Venezuela has called elections, but it was not a democracy before and it is much less so after."

Maduro, who succeeded iconic left-wing leader Hugo Chavez on his death in 2013, insists he won a third term but failed to release detailed voting tallies to back his claim.

The opposition published polling station-level results, which it said showed Gonzalez Urrutia winning by a landslide.

Maduro's claim to have won a third term in office sparked mass opposition protests, which claimed at least 27 lives and left 192 people wounded. About 2,400 people, including numerous teens, were arrested in the unrest.
One person drowned in southwest Poland and thousands were evacuated across the border in the Czech Republic as heavy rains continued to batter central Europe on Sunday, causing flooding in several areas.

A firefighter tackling flooding in lower Austria was also killed, Austrian Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler said on Sunday on social platform X as authorities declared the province, which surrounds Vienna, bordering the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a disaster area.

Rivers overflowed from Poland to Romania, where four people were found dead on Saturday, after days of torrential rain in a low-pressure system named Boris.

Some parts of the Czech Republic and Poland faced the worst flooding in almost three decades.

In the Czech Republic, a quarter of a million homes were without power due to high winds and rain. Czech police said they were looking for three people who were in a car that fell into the river Staric near Lipova Lazne, 235 kilometers east of Prague on Saturday.

In Poland, one person died in Klodzko county, which Prime Minister Donald Tusk said was the worst-hit area of the country and where 1,600 had been evacuated.

"The situation is very dramatic," Tusk told reporters on Sunday after a meeting in Klodzko town, which was partly under water as the local river rose to 6.65 meters Sunday morning before receding slightly.

That surpassed a record seen in heavy flooding in 1997, which partly damaged the town and claimed 56 lives in Poland.

The nearby historic town of Glucholazy ordered evacuations Sunday morning as the local river started to break its banks, while firefighters and soldiers had been fighting since Saturday to protect a bridge in the town.

Residents across the Czech border also said the situation was worse than flooding seen before.

"What you see here is worse than in 1997, and I don't know what will happen because my house is under water, and I don't know if I will even return to it," said Pavel Bily, a resident of Lipova Lazne.

The fire service in the region said it had evacuated 1,900 people as of Sunday morning, while many roads were impassable.

In the worst-hit areas, more than 10 centimeters of rain fell overnight and around 45 centimeters since Wednesday evening, the Czech weather institute said.

More rain is expected Sunday and Monday.

In Budapest, officials raised forecasts for the Danube to rise in the second half of this week, to above 8.5 meters, nearing a record 8.91 meters seen in 2013, as rain continued in Hungary, Slovakia and Austria.

"According to forecasts, one of the biggest floods of the past years is approaching Budapest but we are prepared to tackle it," Budapest's mayor Gergely Karacsony said.

In Romania, authorities said the rain was less intense than on Saturday, when flooding killed four and damaged 5,000 homes. Towns and villages in seven counties across eastern Romania were affected, and the country's emergency response unit said it was still searching for two people missing.
It's a practice that's about as American as apple pie  accusing immigrant and minority communities of engaging in bizarre or disgusting behaviors when it comes to what and how they eat and drink, a kind of shorthand for saying they don't belong.

The latest iteration came at Tuesday's presidential debate, when former President Donald Trump spotlighted a false online tempest around the Haitian immigrant community of Springfield, Ohio. He repeated the groundless claim previously spread by his running mate, JD Vance, that the immigrants were stealing dogs and cats, the precious pets belonging to their American neighbors, and eating them. The furor got enough attention that officials had to step in to refute it, saying there was no credible evidence of any such thing.

But while it might be enough to turn your stomach, such food-based accusations are not new. Far from it.

Food-related scorn and insults were hurled at immigrant Chinese communities on the West Coast in the late 1800s as they started coming to the United States in larger numbers, and in later decades spread to other Asian and Pacific Islander communities like Thai or Vietnamese. As recently as last year, a Thai restaurant in California was hit with the stereotype, which caused such an outpouring of undeserved vitriol that the owner had to close and move to another location.

Behind it is the idea that "you're engaging in something that is not just a matter of taste, but a violation of what it is to be human," said Paul Freedman, a professor of history at Yale University. By tarring Chinese immigrants as those who would eat things Americans would refuse to, it made them the "other."

Food as flashpoint

Other communities, while not being accused of eating pets, have been criticized for the perceived strangeness of what they were cooking when they were new arrivals, such as Italians using too much garlic or Indians too much curry powder. Minority groups with a longer presence in the country were and are still not exempt from racist stereotypes  think derogatory references to Mexicans and beans or insulting African Americans with remarks about fried chicken and watermelon.

"There's a slur for almost every ethnicity based on some kind of food that they eat," said Amy Bentley, professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University. "And so that's a very good way of disparaging people."

That's because food isn't just sustenance. Embedded in human eating habits are some of the very building blocks of culture  things that make different peoples distinct and can be commandeered as fodder for ethnic hatred or political polemics.

"We need it to survive, but it's also highly ritualized and highly symbolic. So the birthday cake, the anniversary, the things are commemorated and celebrated with food and drink," Bentley said. "It's just so highly integrated in all parts of our lives."

And because "there's specific variations of how humans do those rituals, how they eat, how they have shaped their cuisines, how they eat their food," she added, "It can be as a theme of commonality ... or it can be a form of distinct division."

It's not just the what. Insults can come from the how as well  eating with hands or chopsticks instead of forks and knives, for example. It can be seen in class-based bias against poorer people who didn't have the same access to elaborate table settings or couldn't afford to eat the same way the rich did  and used different, perhaps unfamiliar ingredients out of necessity.

Such disparagement can extend directly into current events. During the Second Gulf War, for example, Americans angry at France's opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq started calling french fries "freedom fries." And a much-used insulting term in the United States for Germans during the first two world wars was "krauts"  a slam on a culture where sauerkraut was a traditional food.

"Just what was wrong with the way urban immigrants ate?" Donna R. Gabaccia wrote in her 1998 book, "We Are What We Eat: Ethnic Food and the Making of Americans." In reviewing attitudes of the early 20th century and its demands for "100% Americanism," she noted that "sauerkraut became 'victory cabbage'" and one account complained of an Italian family "still eating spaghetti, not yet assimilated."

More food culture, more fodder

Such stereotypes have persisted despite the fact that the American palate has significantly expanded in recent decades, thanks in part to the influx of those immigrant communities, with grocery stores carrying a wealth of ingredients that would baffle previous generations. The rise of restaurant culture has introduced many diners to authentic examples of cuisines they might have needed a passport to access in other eras.

After all, Bentley said, "when immigrants migrate to a different country, they bring their foodways with them and maintain them as they can. ... It's so reminiscent of family, community, home. They're just really material, multisensory manifestations of who we are."

Haitian food is just one example of that. Communities like those found in New York City and south Florida have added to the culinary landscape, using ingredients like goat, plantains and cassava.

So when Trump said that immigrants in Springfield  whom he called "the people that came in"  were eating dogs and cats and "the pets of the people that live there," the echoes of his remarks played into not just food but culture itself.

And even though the American palate has broadened in recent decades, the persistence of food stereotypes  and outright insults, whether based in fact or completely made up  shows that just because Americans eat more broadly, it doesn't mean that carries over into tolerance or nuance about other groups.

"It's a fallacy to think that," said Freedman. "It's like the tourism fallacy that travel makes us more understanding of diversity. The best example right now is Mexican food. Lots and lots of people like Mexican food AND think that immigration needs to be stopped. There's no link between enjoyment of a foreigner's cuisine and that openness."
Iran's government forces were reportedly flooding the city of Saqqez, the hometown of Mahsa Amini, on Saturday, the eve of the second anniversary of her death in the custody of the morality police.

In an interview with VOAs Persian Service, sources reported severe internet disruptions in multiple cities, including Saqqez and Sanandaj. Checkpoints also had been established at key entry and exit points in Saqqez, as well as in several neighborhoods across Sanandaj, another Kurdish-majority city in northern Iran, the sources said Saturday.

On Thursday, the human rights organization Hengaw posted a video on its X account reporting that "a large number of government security forces have entered the city of Saqqez through the Bukan road."

Several journalists also noted a significant presence of what they called armed agents throughout the city.

Journalist Nazila Maroufian said, "residents of Saqqez are reporting the deployment of a large number of armed agents in the city, ahead of the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death," in a post on X, formally Twitter.

Amjad Amini, Mahsa Amini's father, has announced that, barring any government interference and "in response to public calls and requests," a memorial ceremony for his daughter would take place Sunday.

"We, the family of Zhina, like any grieving family, will gather at the grave of our beloved daughter Zhina (Mahsa) Amini on the anniversary of her martyrdom to hold the traditional and religious memorial ceremony," Amini's parents, Mojgan Eftekhari and Amjad Amini, wrote in a post on Instagram.

Reports indicate that, ahead of the second anniversary of Amini's death and the onset of the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, several citizens and civil activists have been arrested. The Islamic Republic has also intensified its pressure on families seeking justice.

In a report released Friday, United Nations Human Rights Council-appointed independent investigators warned that two years after the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising  sparked by Amini's death while in the custody of the morality police  the Iranian government has escalated its efforts to suppress the fundamental rights of women and girls [to] crush remaining initiatives of womens activism.
Texas Kadiri Moro stood in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Accra on Thursday, dressed in short pink Speedos and a pink polo shirt.

Accompanied by trumpet players, carrying a banner with slogans including "Why should a society of evildoers judge others?" and "Justice begins where inequality ends!" he marched across the Ghanaian capital in a one-man protest against a highly controversial bill that targets members of the LGBTQ+ community and their supporters.

Moro is an unusual figure amid the LGBTQ+ rights activists in the coastal West African nation.

He is heterosexual, married to a woman, and a father of six. He is a teacher. And he is a practicing Muslim. Yet for months he has been conducting solo demonstrations against the bill, which criminalizes members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as its supporters, including promotion and funding of related activities and public displays of affection. It could send some people to prison for more than a decade.

The bill was passed by Ghana's parliament earlier this year but has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

It has not yet been signed into law by President Nana Akufo-Addo, who cited ongoing proceedings. But he refused to reject it either.

"There are so many issues about rights" when it comes to the bill, Moro told The Associated Press.

"Homosexuality does not affect anyone," Moro said. "We have activities that people are doing in the country that are worse than homosexual activities," he said, citing adultery as an example. Parliament, he said, should be more concerned with "other crimes and pollution."

The bill has sparked condemnation from rights groups and some in the international community who have been concerned about similar efforts by other African governments.

Sponsors of the bill have said it seeks to protect children and people who are victims of abuse.

Man becomes target

Gay sex is already illegal in Ghana, carrying a three-year prison sentence, but the new bill could imprison people for more than a decade for activities including public displays of affection and promotion and funding of LGBTQ+ activities.

Since he began his protests, Moro has lost his job, not received any assistance from the LGBTQ+ community, and become a target of "very hostile attacks from the Muslim community," he said.

But he is determined to continue. For him, it is about battling injustice.

"I know I'm doing something that God is asking me to do," he said.

To point out the hypocrisy of the bill, Moro carried a petition to the Parliament asking the government to withdraw foreign missions from countries where homosexuality is legal, if they find it "filthy," he said.

Bill 'is a wrongdoing'

At the entrance to Parliament House, Kate Addo, Parliament's director of communications, received Moro's petition on behalf of the speaker. She said she was pleased with his initiative.

"We live in a democratic country where what people do in their bedrooms is not to be anyone's concern," Addo said. "However, we are also regulated by law."

Even though Ghana's president delayed signing the bill into law, activists said that the debate by itself triggered an increase in physical and psychological violence against LGBTQ+ people.

Joseph Kobla Wemakor, the executive director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana, said that "abuse, both psychologically and physically against members of the community has skyrocketed" since the bill was introduced.

"The moment people hear that you are part of this, the LGBTQ+, you are an enemy," Wekamor said. "They are looking forward to hurting you, even lynching you, killing you."

They are "forgetting that we are all humans," he said.

"It takes one man to change the world," he said. "And if he has started something like that, other people will follow, because it (the bill) is a wrongdoing."
The false testimony of a former Colorado Springs police officer led to a man accused of attempting to kill his girlfriend being found not guilty at trial, according to documents obtained by The Gazette.

Documents from the Colorado Springs Police Department show that on June 30, 2023, officers responded to a call for service at an apartment complex on Colorado Springs' east side for reports of a stabbing.

When officers arrived they found a woman with several stab wounds. She told officers that her ex-boyfriend had been the one who had stabbed her.

Officer Noah Howard, a patrol officer who was with the Police Department for four years, was the initial officer of the investigation and testified at the trial in late January.

During his testimony, the transcript of which was acquired by The Gazette, Howard read the statement given to him by the victim which summarizes the allegations in the case:

I was sitting in the living room watching TV when I heard a loud  a long bang and turned around to see (the defendant) standing in the doorway. He said b----, youre gonna die tonight and came rushing towards me.

"I thought he was going to start punching me when I got a glimpse of something in his hand. Then he began stabbing me at the same time saying b----, Im gonna kill you and b----, tonight youre gonna die. And then he started walking towards the front door to leave and then turned back around and said you stupid b----, I hope you die and came back and stabbed me again. He then turned around and left running.

Howard testified that the alleged victim gave the statement from the hospital where she was recovering from life-threatening injuries, according to the transcript of the testimony.

The alleged victim, whose name is redacted from the transcript, told law enforcement that she believed her ex-boyfriend, whose name also was redacted from the transcript, attempted to kill her because he was upset that she wouldnt give him a ride that evening.

The alleged victim did not reply to interview requests from The Gazette.

Despite the statement from the alleged victim and a statement from another witness who separately told law enforcement that they saw the defendant stab his ex-girlfriend, the defendant was found not guilty at trial, according to documents obtained by The Gazette.

According to a CSPD memo describing an internal affairs complaint, the jury found the defendant not guilty due to not trusting the officers who testified, specifically Howard.

I asked Mr. (Jeffrey) Harwood about the conversation with the judge and he advised that they had lost the trial and that the jury indicated that this was due to not trusting the cops, and that this mostly came from Officer Howard's testimony, Lt. Tim Stankey wrote in the interoffice memo, recounting his conversation with Jeffrey Harwood, who prosecuted the case for the 4th Judicial District Attorneys Office. Mr. Harwood indicated that the jury did indicate that they felt the defendant was guilty but could not come to that conclusion with the distrust of the officers who testified.

Harwood added that Judge Deborah Grohs said she could not believe that the jury would hold the police to such a high standard and find the defendant not guilty just based on that fact, according to the interoffice memo.

The internal affairs investigation began in May after the defendants attorney, whose name is redacted, made a complaint to the Police Department that Howard departed from the truth several times during his testimony.

According to the transcript of the testimony and the internal affairs investigation, Howard created a false traffic stop report about a car found at the scene of the crime that was allegedly connected to the defendant.

The transcript of Howards testimony details that the court had excluded evidence of previous domestic violence accusations or convictions against the defendant at trial. Throughout Howards testimony, the defense attorney called for bench conferences to argue that Howard was intentionally attempting to slip evidence into the trial about previous domestic violence accusations.

This came to a head near the end of Howards testimony, when he stated that a van found at the scene of the crime believed to be associated with the defendant had been contacted in a traffic stop fairly recent to this call, according to the transcript of Howards testimony.

Following the statement, the defense attorney approached the court and requested a mistrial.

That was an intentional statement made by Officer Howard. His demeanor throughout the entire cross-examination makes it very, very clear that he was attempting to slip in any information that he can, the defense attorney said to Grohs, according to the transcript. The court admonished him. He had previously made a statement. I dont know where his confusion could have come in on this. Our position is that this is willful, and we are again requesting a mistrial.

Grohs denied the mistrial request, but sent the jury out of the court to discuss the issue further and requested Howard clarify his testimony that the van was involved in a traffic stop. When asked by the defense attorney, Howard stated he didnt know exactly when the traffic stop occurred, but that it was recent. Howard then tried to explain that he knew the van belonged to the defendant because of its involvement in a case before the stabbing where the defendant was accused of intentionally crashing his car into the victims car in an attempt to assault her.

When the court reviewed the allegations in the misdemeanor case, it became clear that the minivan was not involved in the misdemeanor case, and the defendant was accused of crashing a different car that evening, according to the transcript.

The Gazette obtained a copy of the affidavit for the defendant in his misdemeanor case, and there is no mention of the minivan discussed in Howards testimony. Court records for the misdemeanor case referred to in the transcript show that the defendant pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief and received a 15-day jail sentence with credit for 218 days of time served and two years supervised probation.

After discussing the misdemeanor case, the court reviewed the vehicle history and discovered that the last time the van was on CSPDs radar was Oct. 4, 2022, nine months before the alleged attempted homicide incident, and that the van was not registered to the defendant, according to the transcript.

Featured Local Savings

Grohs summarized the issue before calling the jury back into the courtroom.

So (the defense attorney) asked a question of the officer about whether or not he had any knowledge if this van was running, and in response to that the officer said yes. He made up something in an effort to not testify to what he thought was the connection between (the defendant) and the minivan, so he said it was the subject of a traffic stop, Grohs said, according to the transcript.

In our investigation that we've just conducted, it turns out that information isnt true, that it wasnt related to the misdemeanor.

The thing is (Howard) made up a traffic stop. And the information that he provided that that gold minivan was involved in a recent traffic stop is inaccurate. There is no record of such a traffic stop.

Despite this, Grohs said she did not believe the inaccurate statement rose to the level of a mistrial. When the jury returned, they were informed that Howard testified to some inaccurate information, and told the minivan was not involved in a traffic stop, nor did it belong to the defendant.

Grohs and Harwood stated after the trial that they did not feel Howard lied intentionally, with Harwood specifically saying to Stankey in the interoffice memo that Howard had been up the entire previous evening working and that he had gotten so overwhelmed with his testimony that he didnt know which way was up.

I do not think that he was lying, I dont think he was intentionally trying to make things up, I dont think he was intentionally trying to mislead anybody. Harwood said. I think the poor kid just got so flustered that he kinda lost his mind.

After the jury found the defendant not guilty, the case was sealed, according to documents obtained by The Gazette. The defendant is not in custody of the El Paso County jail or the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Throughout Howards testimony, according to the transcript, he was grilled by the defense attorney, who asked why Howard or other members of the Police Department didnt follow up investigating certain aspects of the crime, accusing Howard of only relying on the statements given by the victim and witness.

Kate Singh, a spokesperson for the District Attorney's Office, stated that "no such records exist," when asked about the attempted homicide case and Howard's testimony.

Law enforcement agencies in Colorado are told to respond with "no such record exists," when asked about criminal cases that have been sealed due to the laws around cases being sealed in the state.

Cailtin Ford, a CSPD spokesperson, confirmed that had the investigation been completed, the recommendation by the investigation team would have been termination.

According to the internal affairs file, in November 2023 Howard was referred to internal affairs by a superior for knowingly entering an incorrect weight of narcotics that he seized during a call for service regarding a stolen motor vehicle.

The file lists issues with Howards conduct on this call for service, noting that Howard also failed to turn on his body-worn camera for the majority of the interaction and that he labeled the drugs to be destroyed, despite being evidence in a crime.

As the investigation into the incident continued, internal affairs determined that he had departed from the truth during his interview with his superiors about the incident. Specifically, the say Howard had informed his superiors he had, or was going to, do more follow-up investigation but never did.

Internal affairs is also critical of Howard's response when asked by his superiors about the incident, saying he took "no accountability for his actions."

Commander Hugh Velasquez in an interoffice memo written just over two months after Howards court testimony stated that the administrative insight team (AIT) were overwhelmed by the sheer number of potential policy violations Howard had committed in what was a standard call for service for a patrol officer.

Officer Howards misconduct lies in two core areas, his work ethic, and the ability for him to be taken at his word. He clearly demonstrated he will guess at critical information (weight of the drugs and whether or not he contacted a witness) and more importantly he will intentionally place false information in a police record.

Additionally, the interoffice memo states Howard had been placed on probation for poor performance evaluations.

The investigation led to the AIT recommending that Howard be terminated on May 10, but he resigned before being terminated.

Howard did not return a call for a request for comment from The Gazette.

The Police Department declined further comment.
Hundreds of people marched through Paris on Sunday in support of women's rights and the opposition in Iran, two years after the death of Mahsa Amini sparked protests against the country's religious authorities.



A 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, Amini died in custody after being arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women.



The march, organized by around 20 human rights associations, took place as 34 women began a hunger strike in a Tehran prison to mark the two-year anniversary of her death.



Chirinne Ardakani, a Franco-Iranian lawyer and member of the "Iran Justice" collective, said that the "sacrifices" made by Iranians opposed to the regime were "not in vain".



"Everything has changed in Iran," Ardakani told AFP.



"We've gone from an absolutely patriarchal culture, where there was no question of women being able to reveal themselves in the street, to massive support for these women," the lawyer and activist added.



The march in solidarity with the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement was attended by Benjamin Briere and Louis Arnaud, two Frenchmen who were arrested and arbitrarily detained in Iran.



Iran is accused of arresting Westerners without cause and using them as bargaining chips in state-to-state negotiations, with French diplomats describing these prisoners as "state hostages".



Briere was eventually released in May 2023, while Arnaud was let go the month after.



"Yes, I was in prison, but it is an immense honor to have been able to live among you, freedom fighters, who shared my suffering," Arnaud told the crowd, in his first public address since his release.



Three other French nationals are still being held in Iran.



After Amini died in custody on September 16, 2022, the women-led protests which erupted rattled Iran's leadership that autumn and winter.



But the demonstrations were then crushed by the authorities, with rights group Amnesty International saying security forces used assault rifles and shotguns in the crackdown.



Human rights groups say at least 551 people were killed. Thousands more were arrested, according to the United Nations.
Italian prosecutors requested on Saturday a six-year prison sentence for Matteo Salvini, Italy's far-right deputy prime minister, for allegedly blocking migrants from disembarking at one of the country's ports in 2019.

Salvini, a partner in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition, is on trial for alleged deprivation of liberty and abuse of office for keeping 147 migrants at sea for weeks on a ship run by the Open Arms charity.

"The prosecution has asked for former interior minister Salvini to be sentenced to six years," Open Arms' lawyer Arturo Salerni told AFP, as the "long and difficult trial" nears an end.

A verdict in the trial, which began in October 2021, could come next month, he said. Salvini would be free to appeal any decision.

Salvini was not present, but wrote on Facebook: "Six years in prison for having blocked arrivals and defended Italy and Italians? Madness. Defending Italy is not a crime."

Meloni also criticized the prosecutors.

"It is incredible that a minister of the Italian Republic risks 6 years in prison for doing his job defending the nation's borders, as required by the mandate received from its citizens," the prime minister wrote on X.

In summing up, prosecutor Geri Ferrara told the Palermo court in Sicily that there was "one key principle that is not debatable."

"Between human rights and the protection of state sovereignty, it is human rights that must prevail in our fortunately democratic system," he said.

The ship was stuck at sea for nearly three weeks before the migrants were allowed to disembark on the island of Lampedusa following a court order.

Members of Open Arms have testified that the migrants' physical and mental well-being reached a crisis point as sanitary conditions onboard became dire, including a scabies outbreak.

Salvini, head of the anti-immigration League party and interior minister at the time, testified in January that he had understood that "the situation was not at risk" onboard the ship.

"The POS (safe port) should have been provided immediately and without delay," prosecutor Marzia Sabella said Saturday, according to Italian media reports.

"Refusing to do so was breaking the rules, not being in line with a government plan," and Salvini's "choices" had given rise to "chaos," she said.

A populist known for an "Italians first" policy, Salvini has repeatedly used attacks against illegal immigration to boost his political capital.

In 2019, serving under prime minister Giuseppe Conte, he implemented a "closed ports" policy under which Italy refused entry to charity ships that rescue migrants stranded while crossing the Mediterranean.

He cast it as a tough measure against traffickers who operate boats between North Africa and Italy and Malta, the deadliest migrant crossing in the world.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, also known for her anti-immigrant politics, offered Salvini a message of support on Saturday night, alleging he was the target of "judicial harassment aimed at silencing him."

Salvini thanked her and promised not to "give in."

Much of the trial has been focused on determining whether the decision-making and responsibility in the case lay with the Conte government or Salvini alone.

Salvini has previously faced a similar trial, accused of refusing to allow 116 migrants to disembark from an Italian coast guard boat in July 2019. But it was thrown out by a court in Catania in 2021.
New tensions erupted in the Middle East on Sunday as Houthi rebels in Yemen hit Israel with a missile attack and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly vowed to retaliate.

The missile landed in an open area in central Israel and triggered air raid sirens at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters, although there were no reports of casualties or major damage. The airport authority said normal operations resumed shortly thereafter.

Netanyahu said at the start of a Cabinet meeting, "This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen into our territory. They should have known by now that we charge a heavy price for any attempt to harm us."

"Those who need a reminder in this matter are invited to visit the port of Hodeida," he added, referring to Yemen's Red Sea city that Israeli warplanes bombed in July after the Houthis claimed a drone strike that killed a civilian in Tel Aviv and wounded 10 others.

Watch related report by Arash Arabasadi:

The Yemeni rebels have repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel since the start of the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza last October, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

In the latest attack, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the rebels, said they fired a ballistic missile aiming at "a military target" in Jaffa, which is part of Tel Aviv.

The Houthis are among several Iran-backed groups in the Middle East that have been drawn into the conflict triggered by Hamas' shock attack on southern Israel last October 7 that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of 250 hostages. Israels counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, a death toll Israel says includes several thousand militant fighters.

On Israel's northern flank, Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement has traded regular cross-border fire with Israeli forces in exchanges that threaten to spiral into all-out war. The Israeli military said about 40 projectiles were fired Sunday morning from Lebanon toward Israel's Upper Galilee region and the annexed Golan Heights.

Netanyahu said Sunday that the current situation along the Israeli-Lebanon border, where tens of thousands of people have been displaced, was not sustainable.

"The existing situation will not continue. We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes," he said.

"We are in a multi-arena campaign against Iran's evil axis that strives to destroy us," he said.

Netanyahu described speaking with residents and authorities in the north, saying, "I hear the distress, I hear the cries.

"The status quo will not continue, he said. This requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border."

Hezbollah has said it would halt its attacks if there were a cease-fire in Gaza. The United States and Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar have spent much of this year trying to broker a truce and the release of scores of hostages held by Hamas, but the talks have repeatedly bogged down.

Hamas has been designated a terror group by the U.S., the U.K., EU and other Western countries.

Some material in this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
From the window of her tin-sided shop outside El Salvador's capital, San Salvador, Esmeralda Quintanilla watches artists get to work in her neighborhood on walls still pockmarked by bullet holes from the country's civil war and gang conflict.

Armed with brushes, paint and spray cans, muralists and graffiti artists have already covered the walls of several of the 40 five-story units in a housing complex in the Zacamil neighborhood of the Mejicanos district.

"With the murals, everything looks really nice," said Quintanilla, a 55-year-old seamstress who has lived in the neighborhood nearly half her life. "You start to see all this, and it gives the place a different image. I feel really happy, proud."

The dozen murals already completed include a Mesoamerican pyramid, pixelated depictions of the Virgin Mary and works straight out of the artists' imaginations.

The initiative in the once-violent neighborhood is led by a Salvadoran foundation that seeks to fill communities with art. Its aim in Zacamil is to create stories-high murals over the next two years on nearly every wall of the complex, which houses around 4,000 residents.

Zacamil got a break from decades of violence two years ago when President Nayib Bukele launched a nationwide crackdown on gangs. The state of emergency  which human rights groups have said Bukele must end amid reports of abuses  has put almost 82,000 alleged gang members in prison.

Even with the murals improving the neighborhood's appearance, chronic infrastructure issues remain, with garbage piled up in the streets and storm drains clogged. TV antennas, power cables and clothes strewn out windows across clotheslines also dot the neighborhood.

Many Zacamil residents fled in 1989 when fighting between the Salvadoran army and the former leftist guerrilla group, Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, or FMLN, nearly destroyed the Mejicanos district.

When they returned, many found homes damaged by two earthquakes in 2001 or invaded by gang members.

"There are always problems, but this is a facelift," said a 70-year-old resident who declined to give his name.

El Salvador's 12-year civil war from late 1979 to January 1992 killed more than 75,000 people.
The head of NATO's military committee said Saturday that Ukraine has the solid legal and military right to strike deep inside Russia to gain combat advantage  reflecting the beliefs of several U.S. allies  even as the Biden administration balks at allowing Kyiv to do so using American-made weapons.

"Every nation that is attacked has the right to defend itself. And that right doesn't stop at the border of your own nation," said Admiral Rob Bauer, speaking at the close of the committee's annual meeting, also attended by U.S. Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Bauer, of Netherlands, also added that nations have the sovereign right to put limits on the weapons they send to Ukraine. But, standing next to him at a news briefing, Lt. General Karel Rehka, chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, made it clear his nation places no such weapons restrictions on Kyiv.

"We believe that the Ukrainians should decide themselves how to use it," Rehka said.

Their comments came as U.S. President Joe Biden is weighing whether to allow Ukraine to use American-provided long-range weapons to hit deep into Russia. And they hint at the divisions over the issue.

Biden met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday, after this week's visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats, who came under fresh pressure to loosen weapons restrictions. U.S. officials familiar with discussions said they believed Starmer was seeking Biden's approval to allow Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles for expanded strikes in Russia.

Biden's approval may be needed because Storm Shadow components are made in the U.S. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share the status of private conversations, said they believed Biden would be amenable, but there has been no decision announced yet.

On Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that allowing long-range strikes would mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries, are at war with Russia. His remarks were in line with the narrative the Kremlin has promoted since early in the war, accusing NATO countries of de-facto participation in the conflict and threatening a response.

Providing additional support and training for Ukraine was a key topic at the NATO chiefs' meeting, but it wasn't clear Saturday if the debate over the U.S. restrictions was discussed.

Many of the European nations have been vigorously supportive of Ukraine in part because they worry about being the next victim of an empowered Russia.

At the opening of the meeting, Czech Republic President Petr Pavel broadly urged the military chiefs gathered in the room to be "bold and open in articulating your assessments and recommendations. The rounder and the softer they are, the less they will be understood by the political level."

The allies, he said, must "take the right steps and the right decisions to protect our countries and our way of life."

The military leaders routinely develop plans and recommendations that are then sent to the civilian NATO defense secretaries for discussion and then on to the nations' leaders in the alliance.

The U.S. allows Ukraine to use American-provided weapons in cross-border strikes to counter attacks by Russian forces. But it doesn't allow Kyiv to fire long-range missiles, such as the ATACMS, deep into Russia. The U.S. has argued that Ukraine has drones that can strike far and should use ATACMS judiciously because they only have a limited number.

Ukraine has increased its pleas with Washington to lift the restrictions, particularly as winter looms and Kyiv worries about Russian gains during the colder months.

"You want to weaken the enemy that attacks you in order to not only fight the arrows that come your way, but also attack the archer that is, as we see, very often operating from Russia proper into Ukraine," said Bauer. "So militarily, there's a good reason to do that, to weaken the enemy, to weaken its logistic lines, fuel, ammunition that comes to the front. That is what you want to stop, if at all possible."

Brown, for his part, told reporters traveling with him to the meeting that the U.S. policy on long-range weapons remains in place.

But, he added, "by the same token, what we want to do is  regardless of that policy  we want to continue to make Ukraine successful with the capabilities that have been provided" by the U.S. and other nations in the coalition, as well as the weapons Kyiv has been able to build itself.

"They've proven themselves fairly effective in building out uncrewed aerial vehicles, in building out drones," Brown told reporters traveling with him to meetings in Europe.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has made similar points, arguing that one weapons system won't determine success in the war.

"There are a number of things that go into the overall equation as to whether or not you know you want to provide one capability or another," Austin said Friday. "There is no silver bullet when it comes to things like this."

He also noted that Ukraine has already been able to strike inside Russia with its own internally produced systems, including drones.
Nigerian troops have rescued 13 hostages who were kidnapped by an extremist group in the northwestern state of Kaduna, the country's army said on Saturday.

The army said in a statement that "the troops successfully overwhelmed the terrorists, forcing them to abandon their captives."

Several kidnappers were killed, and others were captured, the military added. It didn't specify which armed group the kidnappers belonged to.

The rescued hostages were taken to a military facility for a medical assessment before being reunited with their families. Weapons, ammunition, solar panels and cash were also discovered during the rescue operation.

Kidnappings have become common in parts of northern Nigeria, where dozens of armed groups take advantage of a limited security presence to carry out attacks in villages and along major roads. Most victims are released only after the payment of ransoms that sometimes run into the thousands of dollars.

At least 1,400 students have been taken from Nigerian schools since the 2014 kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls by Boko Haram militants in the village of Chibok in Borno state shocked the world.

Boko Haram, Nigeria's homegrown jihadi rebels, launched its insurgency in 2009 to establish Islamic Shariah law in the country. At least 35,000 people have been killed and 2.1 million people displaced due to the extremist violence, according to United Nations agencies in Nigeria.
Pakistan has documented the killings of 11 journalists in 2024, reaching a record-breaking annual tally with nearly four months left in the year.

The South Asian nation continues to face persistent criticism for an alleged lack of justice or impunity for journalists' murders, making it one of the worlds most dangerous countries for media workers.

The latest victim was Nisar Lehri, a 50-year-old Pakistani journalist and secretary of a local press club in violence-hit southwestern Balochistan province. Unknown assailants shot and killed him on September 4 near his home in the town of Mastung for his reporting about criminal elements, according to a complaint filed with the area police.

Lehris murder followed the death of reporter Muhammad Bachal Ghunio on August 27. He was associated with the local Awaz TV channel and was targeted by gunmen in his native Ghotki district in southeastern Sindh province.

Ghunios family and police investigators believe he was killed because of his reporting. Police subsequently announced the arrest of a suspect, and the recovery of a weapon allegedly used in the attack.

Islamabad-based nonprofit Freedom Network, an advocate for press freedoms, reported that before the two fatalities, nine journalists were killed in Pakistan this year, including a YouTube show host.

Safety is every journalists key concern while reporting, and given the fact that 11 journalists, including a YouTuber, were killed this year so far, it has a chilling effect on independent media, Iqbal Khattak, the executive director of the nonprofit network, told VOA.

Pakistani officials blame growing terrorist activities in the country for the uptick in attacks on journalists.

However, critics dispute these claims, noting that many of the journalist fatalities this year occurred in Sindh and the countrys most populous Punjab province, which have been relatively peaceful compared to terrorism-hit Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

While Pakistans military and its intelligence agencies are routinely accused of orchestrating violence against journalists critical of their involvement in national politics, influential feudal lords and politicians in Sindh, as well as Punjab, are often blamed for ordering violence against media workers in their native constituencies and escaping accountability.

The deep-rooted impunity and political instability are driving the current violence. However, the list of press freedom predators is not restricted to the two drivers, Khattak stated. The list is long to name the predators. Terrorism is not excluded, he added.

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told reporters Saturday that the federal government is working closely with authorities in the four provinces to address the challenges facing journalists.

There are incidents in Sindh, I totally agree. Some people often use political influence to get their way and get out of these cases," Tarar stated when asked by VOA about his governments role in addressing the cases of fatal attacks on journalists and providing justice to their families.

The minister pledged to coordinate with provincial counterparts to investigate these cases and deter further violence against media workers.

We need to set an example in one or two cases, so this does not happen again. I think this is a very important issue which needs to be handled, Tarar said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a U.S.-based global media rights group, mourned the deaths of Lehri and Ghunio in a Friday statement.

Pakistani authorities must immediately bring the perpetrators of the killings  to justice and show urgent political will to end the horrifying cycle of violence against journalists that has continued this year across Pakistan, said Beh Lih Yi, the CPJ Asia program coordinator.

The press in Pakistan cannot carry out their journalism unless the government and security agencies put an end to the impunity against journalists in the country, she stressed.

The CPJ statement also noted that dozens of Pakistani journalists have been attacked or forced into hiding this year due to their reporting across the country.

Another global media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), urged Pakistan's federal and provincial authorities in a recent report to take urgent measures to address the alarming decline in press freedom in the country.

The many press freedom violations reveal a climate of violence, and a determination to censor that has little in common with the undertakings by the political parties in their elections campaign manifestos and the message of support for journalists by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stated Celia Mercier, the head of RSFs South Asia desk.

Pakistan remains one of the worlds most dangerous countries for media personnel, and the level of impunity for the murders of journalists is appalling, Mercier said in June.



Stifling free press



Until this month, millions of Pakistanis experienced significant disruptions in accessing major social media platforms nationwide, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, drawing a public outcry.

The military-backed Sharif government was blamed for imposing the shutdowns and internet slowdowns to deter dissent or political unrest.

Pakistani authorities rejected the allegations and blamed internet disruptions on a faulty submarine internet cable.

In an August 28 announcement, the state regulator, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, announced that repairs to the faulty cable would likely be completed by early October, but slow internet speeds might persist until then.

VOA Islamabad Bureau Chief Sarah Zaman contributed to this report.
Peru bid an emotional farewell Saturday to its divisive ex-President Alberto Fujimori after three days of national mourning marked by expressions of nostalgia for his iron-fisted rule.

Fujimori was revered by many in Peru for crushing a bloody leftist insurgency and helping shore up the economy while in office from 1990 to 2000.

He "had the guts to fight terrorism," said Edgar Grados, a 43-year-old businessman, who traveled more than 100 kilometers to attend the funeral.

"Fujimorism never dies," he told AFP.

But for others, Fujimori was a power-hungry autocrat, who signed off on gross human rights abuses, for which he spent 16 years in prison.

The 86-year-old died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer.

"You are finally free from hatred and revenge," his daughter Keiko told his packed funeral mass in Lima's 1,500-capacity National Theater, denouncing "16 years of unjust imprisonment."

Mourners clapped and chanted "Chino, Chino," Fujimori's nickname which was a nod to his Asian heritage, although his family was originally from Japan.

A large portrait of the late leader wearing his presidential sash stood on the altar, next to his coffin, which was draped in the Peruvian flag.

Outside, hundreds of people, many carrying Fujimori dolls and pictures, followed the proceedings on a giant screen.

Coffin received with state honors

After the funeral, his coffin was received with state honors at the presidential palace in a ceremony led by President Dina Boluarte. He was buried afterward at the Huachipa commitment ceremony east of Lima.

While nearly a quarter of a century has passed since he dramatically faxed in his resignation from Japan during a corruption scandal, Fujimori loomed large over public life in Peru right up until his death.

Thousands of people queued for hours Thursday and Friday to view him lying in state in an open casket at the culture ministry.

"We're very nostalgic," 30-year-old Jesus Neyra told AFP on Friday night as he waited in line. "A president who brought peace, economic stability, freedom and democracy to the country is gone. He left a great legacy."

But relatives of the victims of army massacres carried out on his watch lamented that he went to the grave without showing remorse for their deaths.

"He left without asking forgiveness from their families, he made a mockery of us," Gladys Rubina, the sister of one of the civilian victims, told AFP.

Before politics, worked as math teacher

An engineer by training, Fujimori worked as a university math professor before entering politics.

In 1990, he defeated writer Mario Vargas Llosa to win the presidency  a surprise result.

His neoliberal economic policies won him the support of the ruling class and international financial institutions.

He also won praise for crushing a brutal insurgency by Shining Path and Tupac Amaru leftist rebels in a conflict that left more than 69,000 people dead and 21,000 missing between 1980 and 2000, according to a government truth commission.

But the brutal tactics employed by the military saw him spend his twilight years in jail.

In 2009, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison over two massacres of civilians by an army death squad tasked with fighting the Shining Path  one at a house party, the other in a university dormitory. In all 25 people were killed.

As recently as July, Fujimori had been considering a comeback attempt in the 2026 election, according to his daughter Keiko, also a politician.

But his health took a turn for the worse as he battled tongue cancer.

One of the most dramatic episodes of his presidency was a four-month hostage ordeal at the Japanese embassy in Lima in late 1996 and early 1997.

It ended with him sending in special forces, who saved nearly all 72 hostages and killed the 14 rebel hostage-takers.

His downfall began in 2000 after his spy chief was exposed for corruption.

Fujimori fled to Japan and sent a fax announcing his resignation. Congress voted to sack him instead.

He was eventually arrested when he set foot in Chile and was extradited to Peru, where he was put on trial and jailed.

In December 2017, then-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski pardoned him on health grounds.

The Supreme Court later annulled the pardon and in 2019 he was returned to jail before finally being released nearly five years later.
A group of female prisoners at Tehrans Evin Prison started a hunger strike Sunday to mark the second anniversary of the nationwide protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.

An Instagram account linked to jailed Nobel peace laureate Narges Monammadi said 34 female prisoners began the strike on the anniversary of the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement and the killing of Mahsa [Jina] Amini."

Amini died on Sept. 16, 2022, days after being detained by Irans morality police for allegedly violating Iran's law requiring women to wear a hijab.

Her death ignited widespread protests throughout Iran, with demonstrations erupting in the streets, universities and schools that persisted for months.

During the government crackdown on the 2022 nationwide protests, hundreds of citizens were killed, and thousands more were injured or arrested.

The Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported Sunday that Ministry of Intelligence officials have surrounded the home of Amini's parents in Saqqez, issuing threats and forbidding the family from leaving their house or visiting their daughter's grave.

News reports indicate that tradespeople and shopkeepers in western and northwestern Iranian cities  including Sanandaj, Saqqez, Divandarreh, Mahabad, and Bukan  are staging a strike on the second anniversary of Amini's death.

Amini's mother, Mozhgan Eftekhari, took to Instagram on the anniversary of her daughter's death to address those responsible, declaring, "They will be eternally disgraced in history."

Eftekhari, reflecting on the events of two years ago, emphasized that Mahsa Amini was seized by "those dark-hearted individuals who could not tolerate the beauty of their nation's daughter" during her trip to the capital.

Amini's family had alleged she was beaten in the police van after her arrest. Police had rejected the allegations, saying Amini died after being taken to a hospital because she had suffered a heart attack. Her family disputes that claim.
Walking into court each day with her head held high, the ex-wife of a Frenchman on trial for orchestrating multiple rapes of her in her own bed for almost a decade has become a feminist icon.

With her now trademark auburn bob and dark glasses, 71-year-old Gisele Pelicot has become a figurehead in the battle against the use of drugs to commit sexual abuse.

Her life was shattered in 2020 when she discovered that her partner of five decades had for years been secretly administering her large doses of tranquilizers to rape her and invite dozens of strangers to join him.

But she has decided not to hide and demanded the trial of Dominique Pelicot, 71, and 50 co-defendants since September 2 be open to the public because, as she has said through one of her lawyers, it should be up to her alleged abusers  not her  to be ashamed.

"It's a way of saying ... shame must change sides," her attorney Stephane Babonneau said as the trial opened.

Since then, feminist activists have held up her stylized portrait by Belgian artist Aline Dessine, with the words "Shame is changing sides," to show support at protests.

The artist with 2.5 million followers on TikTok has given up all rights to the image.

Thousands protest

Thousands protested in cities across France on Saturday in support of Gisele Pelicot and demanding an end to rape.

"Gisele for all, all for Gisele," read one hand-drawn poster at a gathering in the southern city of Marseille.

A day earlier, outside the courthouse in the southern town of Avignon, protester Nadege Peneau said she was full of admiration for the trial's main plaintiff.

"What she's doing is very brave," she said. "She's speaking up for so many children and women, and even men" who have been abused.

Gisele Pelicot in August obtained a divorce from her husband, who has confessed to the abuse after meticulously documenting it with photos and videos.

She has moved away from the southern town of Mazan where, in her own words, for years he treated her like "a piece of meat" or a "rag doll."

She now uses her maiden name, but during the trial has asked the media to use her former name as a married woman.

Her lawyer Antoine Camus said she had transformed from a devoted wife and retiree, who loved walks and choir singing, into a woman ready for a battle.

"I will have to fight till the end," she told the press on September 5, in her only public statement outside court in the first days of the four-month trial.

"Obviously it's not an easy exercise and I can feel attempts to trap me with certain questions," she added calmly.

Learning truth behind memory lapses

She met Dominique Pelicot, her future husband and rapist, in 1971.

She had dreamed of becoming a hairdresser but instead studied to be a typist. After a few years temping, she joined France's national electricity company EDF, ending her career in a logistics service for its nuclear power plants.

At home, she looked after her three children and later seven grandchildren.

Only when the police caught her husband filming up women's skirts in a supermarket in 2020 did she find out the true reason behind her troubling memory lapses.

Camus, her lawyer, said his client "never wanted to be a role model."

"She just wants all this not to be in vain," he said.
When your job is to listen to children  from tykes to teens  talk about how theyve been sexually abused and try to help them get through the unthinkable hardship, the vibrant colors of life melt into a muddy slush.

Obviously the work is very hard, but it is also needed, said Sarah Hagedorn, clinical manager of the forensic medical examiner team for UCHealths Memorial Hospital.

We see people oftentimes on their worst day but are able to utilize empathy and trauma-informed care so they can begin to start healing, she said. Were lucky when at the end of that contact, their day is a little better, or they can take away some of their fears about their health as a result of the abuse. Its compassion satisfaction.

But many times, those working in the field of child sexual abuse never know how things go after they fastidiously guide kids through the criminal justice system and start them on recovery from psychological and physical wounds that have the potential to leave a lifelong scar of trauma.

So, when Emmy-nominated filmmaker Sasha Joseph Neulinger, who lives in Montana, came to Colorado Springs last week for a private showing of his documentary, Rewind  which relates the sexual abuse he was subject to starting at age 4 at the hand of several relatives  attendees were excited to hear his success story.

We are in the triage phase and the early stages of what a child victim is going through, so we really dont know entirely how things progress for kids, said Maureen Mo Basenberg, executive director of Safe Passage, a nonprofit that built and operates a Childrens Advocacy Center that brings together in one building representatives from several agencies who work on cases in Colorado Springs.

People like Sasha coming forward and talking about that helps inspire us to keep going, Basenberg said.

The organization invited Neulinger to Colorado Springs, which he said was his first time to visit here.

Neulinger showed his documentary and participated in a question-and-answer session afterward. The following day he delivered a workshop titled, Rediscovering the Beauty Within, as part of Safe Passages 30th anniversary celebration. The presentation breaks down the steps he used to confront his past, what taking such action has done for his life and lessons he learned.

In the audience were some of the more 70 local team members who work on sexual child abuse cases, including law enforcement, medical personnel, Department of Human Services workers, Children's Advocacy Center staff, legal prosecutors and mental health professionals.

We were looking at ways to share the impact of one child victims experience and the healing afforded to them through advocacy centers, and we looked at connecting via the arts, Basenberg said.

Neulingers autobiographical film examining multigenerational child abuse that included molestation relies on old photos and home videos from the 1990s, as well as present-day interviews with his family, his psychiatrist, and prosecutors and detectives who helped him obtain justice.

The telling of the story doesnt beat around the bush, he said in an interview, which can be tough for some people comprehend.

Its bringing the conversation to the mainstream, and I was honored I had the opportunity to do it, he said. Every survivor has their own unique journey to make sense of what has happened to them and figure out themselves how to move forward.

One takeaway, he said, is that healing is not a destination, it's a path that's different for everyone and shaped by the values, desires and choices for the kind of life a person wants to lead.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one in four girls and one in 20 boys in the United States will be sexually abused before they reach the age of 18, yet only one in 10 children who have been abused will disclose what happened to them, he said.

Which means 90% wont, and thats not OK, Neulinger said. For a child to overcome the trauma, they need the opportunity to disclose it, and the support of a Childrens Advocacy Center and the community to confront that trauma is needed.

From January through July 31, the local advocacy center served 457 child victims of abuse, compared with 415 child victims served over the same period last year, Basenberg said.

When Neulinger was 23 and had graduated from film school, he took an anguishing trip into his mind's dark memories and began questioning people who knew more than he did about his childhood because he wanted answers for the unresolved and missing pieces.

Featured Local Savings

I wanted to leave no stone unturned and share that internationally through my film, which was not only validating but also extremely cathartic, he said. There was a time I was scared to use my voice at all, now professionally through the film and public speaking, Im empowered by that.

"REWIND," which Neulinger directed through his production company, Step 1 Films, debuted in 2019 at the Tribeca Film Festival to favorable reviews, premiered on television in 2020 and in 2021 was nominated for Emmys for Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Social Issue Documentary and Outstanding Editing.

Since then, the film has been screened internationally, and Neulinger has delivered more than 100 keynote speeches focusing on reforms in child advocacy and child abuse prevention.

While its no longer difficult for Neulinger to talk about his adverse upbringing, he knows its not a subject many people want to hear about.

It is ultimately whether we have the stomach to confront the truth of child sexual abuse or not, he said. Its happening, and if these children have the courage to come forward, we owe it to them to not only listen but do everything in our power to support them to reclaim their lives. Organizations like Safe Passage give them the opportunity to do that.

There are about 1,000 Children's Advocacy Centers like the one Safe Passage nationwide and each varies by county, Neulinger said.

They are at the heart of being the first safe place in a community for disclosure, he said, and to figure out whats happening with the child and how to support the child through the organizations involved.

The center in Colorado Springs opened in 2021 as Colorados only such center to have co-located agencies that include representatives from law enforcement, medical and therapeutic care, and personal empowerment training.

In 2017 Neulinger founded Voice For The Kids, which bridges the experiences of abused children and the adults who can help them. The company has raised more than $9 million for nonprofits to fight child abuse, he said.

Any kind of sexual abuse is terrible, but when youre a child and youre just starting to learn what it means to be a human on this planet and part of our society, if your first most impressionable moment is that level of pain and betrayal, and you dont have the opportunity to unpack that and understand it and be able to move forward, it not only hurts the child but it hurts everybody, Neulinger said.

Now 34 years old, Neulinger said he works to take away the shame and stigma and have a candid and open conversation about what this is and what we can actively and tangibly do so people dont have to be defined by their trauma.

If children are unable to receive the care they need, they default to a position of, "I was awful, I must have done something to make this happen," Neulinger said. "If you grow up with the idea of you're dirty, bad and at fault, it's going to limit opportunities, healthy relationships and your scope of what you think you deserve in life."

Kelson Castain, supervisor for the Special Victims Unit in the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office, said he found the event useful.

"I think of all the cases we work with and wonder where they (children) are at," he said. "It's rejuvenating to know there are people who have gone through that process and see some of the benefits. It's a struggle for us in the DA's office thinking about cases and resolution to balance accountable punishment and closure."

Neulinger describes his life as good now.

What I went through as a child was horrific, but Im happily married, have a beautiful son, live in a beautiful part of Montana, have friends, hobbies and a successful career, Neulinger said. All those things can be traced back to rebuilding a healthy relationship with myself. It took a lot of work, but I want that opportunity for every child whos going through what I went through.

I dont want my outcome to be the exception. I want it to be the rule.

Editor's note: Statistics on the frequency of child sex abuse have been corrected from the original version.
Thethiwe Mahlangu woke early on a chilly morning and walked through her busy South African township, where minibuses hooted to pick up commuters and smoke from sidewalk breakfast stalls hung in the air.

Her eyes had been troubling her. But instead of going to her nearby health clinic, Mahlangu was headed to the train station for an unusual form of care.

A passenger train known as Phelophepa  or "good, clean, health" in the Sesotho language  had been transformed into a mobile health facility. It circulates throughout South Africa for much of the year, providing medical attention to the sick, young and old who often struggle to receive the care they need at crowded local clinics.

For the past 30 years  ever since South Africa's break with the former racist system of apartheid  the train has carried doctors, nurses and optometrists on an annual journey that touches even the most rural villages, delivering primary health care to about 375,000 people a year.

The free care it delivers is in contrast to South Africa's overstretched public health care system on which about 84% of people rely.

Health care reflects the deep inequality of the country at large. Just 16% of South Africans are covered by health insurance plans that are beyond the financial reach of many in a nation with unemployment of over 32%.

Earlier this year, the government began to address that gap. President Cyril Ramaphosa in May signed into law the National Health Insurance Act, which aims to provide funding so that millions of South Africans without health insurance can receive care from the better-provisioned private sector.

But the law has been divisive. The government has not said how much it will cost and where the money will come from. Economists say the government will have to raise taxes. Critics say the country can't afford it and warn that the system  yet to be implemented  will be open to abuse by corrupt officials and businessmen. They say the government should fix the public health care system instead.

For Mahlangu and others who look to the train for a rare source of free treatment, the situation at local health clinics is one of despair.

Long lines, shortages of medicines and rude nurses are some of the challenges at the clinics that cater for thousands of patients a day in Tembisa, east of Johannesburg.

"There we are not treated well," Mahlangu said. "We are made to sit in the sun for long periods. You can sit there from 7 a.m. until around 4 p.m. when the clinic closes. When you ask, they say we must go ask the president to build us a bigger hospital."

The health train has grown from a single three-carriage operation over the years to two 16-carriage trains. They are run by the Transnet Foundation, a social responsibility arm of Transnet, the state-owned railway company.

When the train began in 1994, many Black people in South Africa still lived in rural villages with little access to health facilities. It was a period of change in the country. The train began as an eye clinic, but it soon became clear that needs were greater than that.

Now both trains address the booming population of South Africa's capital of Pretoria and nearby Johannesburg, the country's economic hub. One would spend two weeks in Tembisa alone.

"The major metros are really struggling," said Shemona Kendiah, the train's manager.

But the traveling clinic is far from the solution to South Africa's health care problems.

Public health expert Alex van den Heever said there have been substantial increases in the health care budget and the public sector employment of nurses and doctors since the country's first democratic government in 1994. The health department's budget in Gauteng province, which includes Pretoria and Johannesburg, has grown from 6 billion rand ($336 million) in 2000 to 65 billion ($3.6 billion) rand now.

But van den Heever accused the African National Congress, the ruling party since the end of apartheid, of allowing widespread corruption to undermine the public sector, including the health care system.

"This has led to a rapid deterioration of performance," he said.

For South Africans who have witnessed the decline firsthand, it can be a relief when the health train pulls into town.

Mahlangu  with her new pair of glasses  was among hundreds who walked away satisfied with its services and already longing for the train's return next year.

Another patient, Jane Mabuza, got a full health checkup along with dental services. She said she hoped the train would reach many other people.

"Here on the train, you never hear that anything has been finished," she said.
The official start of the presidential campaign season in Tunisia began on Saturday, a day after Tunisians took their anger to the streets of the capital to decry what protesters say is the deteriorating state of the country.

In what appeared to be the largest protest since authorities began a monthslong wave of arrests earlier this year, hundreds of Tunisians marched peacefully on Friday and called for an end to what they called a police state.

"We're here to say no and show that we don't all agree with what's really happening in the country," Khaled Ben Abdeslam, a father and urban development consultant, told The Associated Press.

In 2011, longtime Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled by nationwide protests that unleashed revolt across the Arab world.

More than a decade later, Ben Abdelslam said he was worried about the growing number of political figures who've been thrown in jail under President Kais Saied and said he wants to ensure Tunisia "turns the page" for the good of his kids.

"Nobody dares to say or do anything anymore today," he said as protesters neared Tunisia's powerful Interior Ministry.

He and other demonstrators slammed both Tunisia's economic and political woes, carrying signs that grouped together the growing costs of staple items and growing concerns about civil liberties.

"Where is sugar? Where is oil? Where is freedom? Where is democracy?" signs read.

Some carried posters telling the government that "human rights are not optional" while others revived the popular slogans that mobilized Tunisia's masses against Ben Ali.

This time though, they directed scorn toward Saied.

The protests capped off a week in which the North African country's largest opposition party, Ennahda, said its senior members had been arrested en masse, at a scale not previously seen.

The arrests come as Saied prepares to campaign for reelection on October 6, when he will ask voters to grant him a second term.

When first elected in 2019, Saied used anti-corruption promises to win over people disillusioned with the political controversies that plagued Tunisia's young democracy in the years that followed the Arab Spring.

Since taking office, the 66-year-old former law professor has gone to lengths to consolidate his own power, freezing the country's parliament and rewriting the constitution. Throughout his tenure, authorities have arrested journalists, activists, civil society figures and political opponents across the ideological spectrum.

And though he promised to chart a new course for the country, its unemployment rate has steadily increased to one of the region's highest at 16%, with young Tunisians hit particularly hard.

The economy continues to face significant challenges, yet Saied has managed to energize supporters with populist rhetoric, often accusing migrants from sub-Saharan Africa of violence and crime and aiming at changing the country's demography.

In the months leading up to his reelection bid, the political crackdown has expanded.

His opponents have been arrested, placed under gag order or faced criminal investigations that observers have called politically motivated. Figures who said they planned to challenge him have been sentenced for breaking campaign finance laws. Others have been ruled ineligible to challenge him by Tunisia's election authority.

Even those whom the authority approved have later faced arrest.

Ayachi Zammel, a businessman planning to challenge Saied, was promptly arrested after being announced as one of the two candidates approved to appear on the ballot alongside Saied. His attorney, Abdessattar Messaoudi, told The Associated Press that she feared a court may bar him from politics for life as it had done to other Saied challengers.

The Tunisian Network for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms  a newly formed coalition of civil society groups and political parties  organized Friday's protest to draw attention to what it called a surge of authoritarianism.

Outrage swelled among many members of the network after the country's election authority  made up of Saied appointees  dismissed a court ruling ordering it to reinstate three challengers to Saied.

The authority has defied judges who have ruled in favor of candidates who have appealed its decisions and pledged not to allow Mondher Zenaidi, Abdellatif El Mekki and Imed Daimi to appear on the ballot alongside Saied next month.

Hajer Mohamed, a 33-year-old law firm assistant said that she and her friends are terrified about the direction Tunisia is heading in ways they couldn't have imagined when people rejoiced the freedoms won 13 years ago.

"We never thought that after the 2011 revolution we'd live to see the country's suffocating situation," she said. "Even under former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the situation wasn't as scandalous as it is today."
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "bluster" Sunday over his warning that letting Ukraine use long-range weapons to strike inside Russia would put NATO "at war" with Moscow.

Tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict reached dire levels this week as U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met at the White House to discuss whether to ease rules on Kyiv's use of western-supplied weaponry.

"I think that what Putin's doing is throwing dust up into the air," Lammy told the BBC.

"There's a lot of bluster. That's his modus operandi. He threatens about tanks, he threatens about missiles, he threatens about nuclear weapons."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been asking for permission to use British Storm Shadow missiles and U.S.-made ATACMS missiles to hit targets deeper inside Russia for months.

Biden and Starmer delayed a decision on the move during their meeting on Friday.

It came after Putin warned that green-lighting use of the weapons "would mean that NATO countries, the U.S., European countries, are at war with Russia."

"If that's the case, then taking into account the change of nature of the conflict, we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face," he added.

The Russian leader has long warned Western countries that they risk provoking a nuclear war over their support for Ukraine.

"We cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist, effectively, that wants to move into countries willy nilly," said Lammy.

"If we let him with Ukraine, believe me, he will not stop there."

Lammy said that talks between Starmer, Biden and Zelensky over the use of the missiles would continue at the United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York later this month.
Single mother Rebecca Wood, 45, was already dealing with high medical bills in 2020 when she noticed she was being charged a $2.49 "program fee" each time she loaded money onto her daughter's school lunch account.

As more schools turn to cashless payment systems, more districts have contracted with processing companies that charge as much as $3.25 or 4% to 5% per transaction, according to a new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The report found that though legally schools must offer a fee-free option to pay by cash or check, there's rarely transparency around it.

"It wouldn't have been a big deal if I had hundreds of dollars to dump into her account at the beginning of the year," Wood said. "I didn't. I was paying as I went, which meant I was paying a fee every time. The $2.50 transaction fee was the price of a lunch. So I'd pay for six lunches, but only get five."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federal policy on fee-free school lunch, has mandated that districts inform families of their options since 2017, but even when parents are aware, having to pay by cash or check to avoid fees can be burdensome.

"It's just massively inconvenient," said Joanna Roa, 43, who works at Clemson University in South Carolina as a library specialist and has two school-aged children.

Roa said that when her son was in first grade and she saw the $3.25-per-transaction fee for lunch account transactions, she and her husband decided to send him to school with packed lunches instead.

"A dollar here and there, I expected," she said. "But $3.25 per transaction, especially here in rural South Carolina where the cost of living is a lot lower  as are the salaries  is a lot."

Roa said packing lunch for two kids every day, for two working parents, was an increased burden of time and effort. For the past two years, thanks to surplus funds, her school district has been providing free lunches in school, which has changed the equation, but Roa said that could end at any point.

In its review of the 300 largest public school districts in the U.S., the CFPB found that 87% of sampled districts contract with payment processors.

Within those districts, the companies charge an average of $2.37 or 4.4% of the total transaction, each time money is added to a child's account. For families with lower incomes who can't afford to load large sums in one go, those fees can hit weekly or even more frequently, increasing costs disproportionately. Families that qualify for free or reduced lunch pay as much as 60 cents per dollar in fees when paying for school lunches electronically, according to the report.

In Wood's case, she researched the fees and learned about the USDA requirement to offer fee-free payment by cash or by check. When she pointed this out to the superintendent of her daughter's Massachusetts school district, the administrator said the lack of transparency was an oversight. To protest, Wood had planned to pay for her daughter's lunches in coins at the school office, together with other parents. But then the pandemic hit, changing, among other things, school lunch policy.

In subsequent years, Wood became part of a campaign that successfully pushed for universal free school lunches in the state, but she continues to protest school processing fees for families.

"Even if lunch itself is free, if you want to buy something a la carte, or an extra lunch, or some other transaction, you still have to pay that fee," Wood said. "They take money from people who need it the most."

While payment companies maintain that school districts have the chance to negotiate fees and rates when they form their contracts, the CFPB found that complex company structures "may insulate companies from competition and make school districts less likely to negotiate." Just three companies  MySchoolBucks, SchoolCafe, and LINQ Connect  dominate the market, according to the report.

Without the ability to choose which company to work with, "families have fewer ways to avoid harmful practices," the agency said, "including those that may violate federal consumer protection law."

The companies named in the report did not respond to requests for comment.

I'm a parent facing these fees. What can I do?

Know that you always have a right to pay by cash or check, under federal policy. You can also request that your school district negotiate down the fees with their payment processing company, or request that the district cover the fees directly, which can give them leverage in negotiating a contract.

If your school is located in a low-income area, you may also check whether your district qualifies for the Community Eligibility Provision, which would allow the school to provide free breakfast and lunch to all enrolled students. More information on the CEP is available at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website.
U.S. Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance defended his claim Sunday that Haitian migrants in his home state of Ohio are abducting and killing neighbors cats and dogs for food, even as the states Republican governor and local officials said there is no evidence the animal cruelty is occurring.

"My constituents are telling me firsthand that they're seeing these things," an unapologetic Vance told CNN anchor Dana Bash during a contentious interview on the networks State of the Union show.

Vance blamed Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for president, for the alleged attacks on the pets in Springfield, Ohio, saying that she allowed 20,000 Haitian migrants to move there, overwhelming city services and hospitals.

Kamala Harris opened the border, Vance said, although most of the Haitians are not undocumented migrants and instead were admitted to the U.S. under a federal program granting them temporary protected status to work. Vance denied any responsibility for several recent threats against Springfield, blaming them on "psychopaths" and "losers."

Springfield's mayor and a local sheriff have said they have no evidence to back up Vance's claims that residents pets have been killed for food.

On Sunday, the states Republican governor, Mike DeWine, also rejected Vances contention.

"These discussions about Haitians eating dogs and cats and other things need to stop," DeWine told ABCs This Week show. "What we know is that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal. They came to Springfield to work (and)... they are very good workers."

Appearing on CNN just after Vance, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro of the neighboring state of Pennsylvania, who once was touted as a possible Harris vice-presidential running mate, accused Vance of reckless rhetoric.

"When they go out and they lie about this stuff, they put their fellow Americans at risk," he said. "JD Vance should be ashamed of himself. ... This is dangerous stuff."

Vances claims about the attacks on cats and dogs gained new prominence last Tuesday when Republican former President Donald Trump brought it up in his debate with Harris as he sought to portray Harris as lax on controlling the U.S. border to keep undocumented migrants from entering the country. Immigration is a prominent concern for many voters heading to the November 5 national election.

ABC News debate moderator David Muir fact-checked Trump, telling debate watchers that Springfields city manager had assured the network that the alleged attacks on peoples pets had not occurred. Trump later in the week claimed that some of the migrants were stealing geese from a city pond to kill and eat.

But a man captured on a video carrying two dead geese across a street said he had merely picked them up to dispose of them after they had been hit by a passing car.

Vance, in the CNN interview, pressed his case that Americans have suffered terribly under the (immigration) policies of Kamala Harris. He contended that CNN and other national media are letting Kamala Harris coast and not forcing her to account for her performance over the 3 years she has been vice president.

At the debate, Harris defended immigration control efforts by her and President Joe Biden, saying that Trump had urged congressional Republican lawmakers several months ago to defeat a bipartisan effort to impose new restrictions so that he could run on the issue ahead of the election.

After the proposal was scuttled in Congress, Biden signed an executive order that imposed new regulations at the U.S.-Mexican border that has greatly cut the influx of migrants.

As part of his campaign, Trump says that if he wins the White House, he will institute a mass deportation of millions of migrants, starting in Springfield and Aurora, Colorado, where Venezuelans have moved.

As president I will immediately end the migrant invasion of America, Trump said Saturday on his social media account.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again Sunday urged Western allies to permit Kyiv to strike military targets deep inside Russia, especially air bases, after a deadly attack on Kharkiv.

"Only a systemic solution makes it possible to oppose this terror: the long-range solution to destroy Russian military aviation where it is based," Zelenskyy said in his daily address.

"We are waiting for appropriate decisions coming primarily from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy."

Earlier, a guided Russian bomb struck a residential building in Kharkiv, the latest of a series of attacks on the northeastern city, starting a blaze which firefighters extinguished.

Rescuers pulled out the dead body of an elderly woman from the rubble, Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram, adding that 42 people were wounded.

In his speech, Zelenskyy said Russia had also struck the Sumy and Donetsk regions Sunday with guided bombs.

He said the Russian army carried out "at least 100 such air attacks" daily.

It is to prevent these sorts of attacks that Ukraine is asking for permission to strike military targets deep inside Russia from Western allies, who remain hesitant for fear of an escalation.

Also Sunday, Russian shelling killed one person in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, local authorities said, as Moscow's troops inched closer to the key logistics hub.

More than 20,000 people  almost half of its population  have fled the city since August, while Russian strikes over the past two weeks have cut off water and electricity to many of its remaining residents.

"Around 11 a.m. (0800 GMT), the enemy shelled the western part of the city... Unfortunately, one person died," Pokrovsk's military administration said on Telegram.

Russia has been advancing toward Pokrovsk for months, getting to within 10 kilometers Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again Sunday urged Western allies to permit Kyiv to strike military targets deep inside Russia, especially air bases, after a deadly attack on Kharkiv.

"Only a systemic solution makes it possible to oppose this terror: the long-range solution to destroy Russian military aviation where it is based," Zelenskyy said in his daily address.

"We are waiting for appropriate decisions coming primarily from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy."

Earlier, a guided Russian bomb struck a residential building in Kharkiv, the latest of a series of attacks on the northeastern city, starting a blaze which firefighters extinguished.

Rescuers pulled out the dead body of an elderly woman from the rubble, Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram, adding that 42 people were wounded.

In his speech, Zelenskyy said Russia had also struck the Sumy and Donetsk regions Sunday with guided bombs.

He said the Russian army carried out "at least 100 such air attacks" daily.

It is to prevent these sorts of attacks that Ukraine is asking for permission to strike military targets deep inside Russia from Western allies, who remain hesitant for fear of an escalation.

Also Sunday, Russian shelling killed one person in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, local authorities said, as Moscow's troops inched closer to the key logistics hub.

More than 20,000 people  almost half of its population  have fled the city since August, while Russian strikes over the past two weeks have cut off water and electricity to many of its remaining residents.

"Around 11 a.m. (0800 GMT), the enemy shelled the western part of the city... Unfortunately, one person died," Pokrovsk's military administration said on Telegram.

Russia has been advancing toward Pokrovsk for months, getting to within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of its eastern outskirts, according to the local administration.

The city lies on the intersection of rail and road routes that supply Ukrainian troops and towns across the eastern front line and has long been a target for Moscow's army.

Russian strikes damaged two overpasses in the city earlier this week, including one that connected Pokrovsk to the neighboring town of Myrnograd, local media reported.

Other eastern cities such as Bakhmut and Mariupol suffered massive bombardment before falling to Russian forces. of its eastern outskirts, according to the local administration.

The city lies on the intersection of rail and road routes that supply Ukrainian troops and towns across the eastern front line and has long been a target for Moscow's army.

Russian strikes damaged two overpasses in the city earlier this week, including one that connected Pokrovsk to the neighboring town of Myrnograd, local media reported.

Other eastern cities such as Bakhmut and Mariupol suffered massive bombardment before falling to Russian forces.
KYIV, UKRAINE  Moscow and Kyiv swapped 103 prisoners of war each on Saturday in a United Arab Emirates-brokered deal, a rare moment of coordination between the warring sides as Russia pushes ahead in east Ukraine.

The Russians released in the swap were captured during Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region, Moscow said, while some of the Ukrainians freed had been held prisoner since Moscow seized the Azovstal steel plant in May 2022.

"Another 103 soldiers were returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

Among the freed were 82 privates and sergeants as well as 21 officers, Zelensky said.

Russia confirmed it had "handed over" 103 Ukrainian army prisoners, and received 103 Russian servicemen captured by Kyiv in its Kursk offensive in return.

"All Russian servicemen are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are being provided with the necessary psychological and medical assistance, as well as an opportunity to contact their relatives," the Russian defense ministry said.

Despite ongoing hostilities, Russia and Ukraine have managed to swap hundreds of prisoners throughout the two-and-half-year conflict  often in deals brokered by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia or Turkey.

The announcement comes a day after Zelenskyy said 49 Ukrainian POWs had been returned from Russia, and three weeks ago both sides swapped 115 prisoners each in a deal also mediated by the UAE.

The UAE's foreign ministry hailed the deal as a "success" and thanked both sides for their cooperation Saturday.

Russian advances

The prisoner swap came as Russia pushed ahead in east Ukraine, where it claims to have captured a string of villages in recent weeks.

The Russian defense ministry said in a daily briefing it had "liberated" the village of Zhelanne Pershe, less than 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the key Ukrainian-held logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

Pokrovsk lies on the intersection of a key road that supplies Ukrainian troops and towns across the eastern front and has long been a target for Moscow's army.

More than half of the city's 60,000 residents have fled since the invasion began in February 2022, with evacuations ramping up in recent weeks as Moscow's army closes in.

Ukraine had hoped its major cross-border incursion into the Kursk region last month would slow Russia's advances in the east.

On Friday, Zelenskyy said Moscow had been slowed down somewhat but conceded the situation on the eastern front was "very difficult."

Russia, meanwhile, claimed this week to have clawed back a swath of territory in the Kursk region, as it mounted what appeared to be a counteroffensive.

Missile spat

Tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict reached dire levels this week over U.K. and U.S. discussions about letting Ukraine use longer-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

The discussions came after a visit to Kyiv by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British counterpart David Lammy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West this week that green lighting the use of the long-range weapons deep inside Russia would put the NATO military alliance "at war" with Moscow.

"This would in a significant way change the very nature of the conflict," Putin told a state television reporter.

"It would mean that NATO countries, the U.S., European countries, are at war with Russia," he added.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden delayed a decision on the move.
BANGUI, Central African Republic  Hours after Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled against his country's top military leaders, his private army's biggest client in Africa panicked, turning for help to his foe in the West.

Officials from Central African Republic, where some 1,500 of Prigozhin's Wagner Group mercenaries were stationed, wrote a letter that day, requesting to "rapidly" arrange a meeting with a private U.S. security firm to discuss collaboration.

Dated June 23, 2023, the day Prigozhin launched the armed rebellion, the letter sparked a series of meetings, culminating in a deal with the central African nation and Bancroft Global Development. That sparked backlash from Russian mercenaries, according to a dozen diplomats, locals, and analysts.

The tensions in Central African Republic are a window into a larger battle playing out across the continent as Moscow and Washington vie for influence.

The Russian mercenaries  using success in staving off rebels in this impoverished nation as a model for expansion  have long been accused by locals and rights groups of stripping natural resources such as minerals and timber and are linked to the torture and death of civilians. In the wake of Prigozhin's rebellion and suspicious death in a plane crash, the Russians are recalibrating their Africa operations. The United States, which has been largely disengaged from the region for years, is attempting to maintain a presence and stymie Russian gains as it pushes African countries to distance themselves from the mercenaries.

U.S. officials blame Russia for anti-American sentiment in the region and say they're trying to shift the narrative.

"If the U.S. can't regain a foothold, it could give Russia greater economic and political leverage," said Samuel Ramani of the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank. "If Russia loses Central African Republic, its flagship model on the continent, there could be a domino effect in other countries."

Russia's influence

In recent years, Russia has emerged as the security partner of choice for a growing number of governments in the region, displacing traditional allies such as France and the U.S.

Moscow expanded its military cooperation by using mercenaries like Wagner, which since around 2017 has operated in at least half a dozen countries by protecting African leaders and in some cases helping fight rebels and extremists.

They're also plagued by their human rights record. Two years ago in Mali, Wagner and the army were accused of executing about 300 men  some suspected of being Islamist extremists, but most civilians  in what Human Rights Watch called the worst single atrocity reported in the country's decade-long armed conflict. And in Central African Republic, mercenaries train the army on torture tactics, including how to tburn people alive, according to watchdog The Sentry.

Central African Republic

Central African Republic was one of the first places the mercenaries entered. The country has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced the president from office. Six of the 14 armed groups that signed a 2019 peace deal later left the agreement. Locals and the government credited Wagner with fighting back rebels who tried to overtake Bangui, the capital, in 2021. The Russians soon expanded to Burkina Faso and Niger, and have ambitions for further growth.

Russia is refurbishing a military base some 80 kilometers from Bangui. Alexander Bikantov, Russia's ambassador to Central African Republic, said the base will improve the country's security.

Fidele Gouandjika, adviser to President Faustin-Archange Touadera, said the base aims to have 10,000 fighters by 2030 to engage with more African nations.

Touadera's office didn't reply to written requests for comment for this story. His adviser to the country's spy agency declined to be interviewed.

Pressure from United States

The U.S. had been pushing Central African Republic to find an alternative to Wagner for years. A more assertive U.S. approach came as it faced new setbacks and tried to rework agreements in the region. Its troops left Chad and Niger, where they were no longer welcome.

Still, the State Department said in a statement this year that it wasn't involved in the decision to establish Bancroft Global Development's presence in Central African Republic.

But Washington could deny such contracts if it wanted, said Sean McFate, a former contractor in Africa and author of "The New Rules of War."

The U.S. has used private military companies to reduce American "boots on the ground" in Africa, McFate said, and companies like Bancroft have to play by Washington's rules if they want future government work.

In response to AP questions, the U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity said it uses private contractors in Africa to help countries operate more effectively, with U.S. government oversight to ensure accountability. The official said the State Department has overseen Bancroft's work in Somalia but not Central African Republic or elsewhere.

Bancroft's background

Washington-based Bancroft is a nonprofit working in nine countries  five in Africa. Its involvement in Central African Republic has been shrouded in secrecy since signs emerged of its presence last fall.

During an AP visit months later, rumors swirled about Bancroft's activities, fueling speculation the U.S was bringing its own Wagner to oust Russia.

But according to Bancroft founder Michael Stock, the group entered at Bangui's behest.

Stock received the letter from the presidency within a day of Prigozhin's mutiny, and the two signed a deal in September, he said.

Fewer than 30 Bancroft personnel work there, Stock said, helping Central African Republic with intelligence systems, interagency cooperation and law enforcement.

Bancroft has invested some $1.4 million there, Stock said.

Much of Bancroft's funding has come from U.S. and United Nations grants. From 2018 to 2020, it received more than $43 million from the U.S., according to audits required as part of tax forms.

Amal Ali, a former U.S. intelligence analyst, is among critics who say that despite its yearslong presence in Somalia, Bancroft hasn't contributed to any eradication of terrorism.

Stock dismissed such comments as uninformed and said the Somali and U.S. governments "agree Bancroft has done a great deal to damaging illegal armed groups and developing the capacity of the government to perform its national defense functions professionally."

Backlash on the ground

Rights groups say a lack of transparency about Bancroft's operations has fostered an atmosphere of distrust in a country already rampant with armed actors. Wagner, a U.N. peacekeeping mission and Rwandan troops are all on the ground to try to quell violence.

"Operating in a vague and nontransparent way in the Central African Republic only leads to suspicion," said Lewis Mudge, of Human Rights Watch.

Stock defended Bancroft's work and policies. "It is perfectly normal for a government not to publicize how it is defending the people and the state," he told AP.

Unclear future

As the U.S. and Russia jockey for power, African governments say they want to make their own choices.

Central African Republic officials approached Bancroft, which shows that these governments haven't become Russian puppets, said Jack Margolin, an expert on private military companies.

But, he added, Russia's reaction to Bancroft could hurt Moscow's standing with other nations.

After Prigozhin's death, Russia moved quickly to take control of Wagner's assets, and the defense ministry told countries where Wagner operated that it would take over. The country and its military intelligence arm have taken a more direct role in Africa operations, deploying more official detachments from its army.

In Central African Republic, it's unclear how much sway the Russian state has with the mercenaries, who are beloved by many. For most people here, there's little interest in squabbles among foreign nations.

"There are problems between the Americans and Russians, but that doesn't matter to us," said Jean Louis Yet, who works at Bangui's market. "We are here working, trying our best to make a living. All we want is security."
A new Colorado law has lifted restrictions on how many unrelated people can live in one dwelling, causing concern and celebration among some Pikes Peak region officials and residents.

House Bill 1007 went into effect July 1 and prohibits local governments from having restrictions on the number of people who can occupy a single dwelling, regardless of their connection to each other. The law allows for exceptions based on health and safety concerns.

Pikes Peak Housing Network Executive Director Jill Gaebler said the bill would remove unnecessary restrictions, which in some Colorado municipalities have limited the number of unrelated people living together to as low as three.

"It should not just have to be family members, it should be anyone regardless of whether theyre related or not," she said.

Dutch Schulz, president of the Old North End Neighborhood Association, said that he was concerned that the new legislation would allow density that would cause parking pressure on residential streets.

"Where do they think these cars are going to go?" he said.

Schultz said that 38% of the historic neighborhood was zoned R2, allowing duplexes as well as short-term rentals. Schultz himself has multiple separate units on his Old North End lot, but says that unregulated density encourages owners of investment properties to pack in renters.

He said that prices have swiftly gone up in recent years for the sprawling Victorian and Craftsman style homes near downtown, with few on the market for less than $1 million.

Some in local government are also unhappy about the state mandate, which voids local zoning definitions and requirements.

"Like many in our community, we are frustrated by the state's continued disregard for local control," said the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners in a statement on the bill.

The county's existing zoning for single dwellings will need to omit a clause on the definition of family:

Featured Local Savings

"An individual, or 2 or more persons related by blood, marriage, adoption, or as guardian and ward, or a group of not more than 5 persons, excluding servants, who are not so related, living together in a dwelling unit."

Colorado Springs occupancy limits are currently set according to square foot available per person. For example, a dwelling of 125 square feet can have one person, 740 square feet can house 10. A dwelling over 840 feet can house more if all residents are part of one family.

The city has a similar definition of "family" that limits unrelated people living together to five. The new state law would void that requirement. In a statement, a spokesperson said the city "recognizes that our definition of family conflicts with statute, and staff are reviewing what would be needed to modify our code to bring it into compliance in the future."

Before modifications, the spokesperson said the city would not be enforcing current occupancy code.

The county commissioners said that the law would allow uses previously zoned as nonresidential in residential areas. In the statement, they said that the law "may result in large numbers of unrelated individuals living next door in your neighborhood for a variety of purposes, including group homes, sober living facilities, halfway houses, multifamily rentals, etc."

El Paso County had no recorded instances of code enforcement actions when it came to occupancy, according to the statement.

Gaebler said that code infractions in Colorado Springs, where she served on City Council until 2021, are usually brought to the city's attention through neighbor complaints. She said that municipalities retain the right to enforce code that restricts the types of uses for dwellings, regardless of occupancy.

Colorado Springs has also not had any recent occupancy code enforcement actions, said the spokesperson.

Gaebler said that the new law reflects changing patterns in how people attain housing in the area. She said that with a shortage of starter homes and condos, people are choosing to split the cost between roommates.

"Generally, for the state of Colorado. I think it is a good thing," she said.
Bereavement

The death sadly occurred on Sunday, September 8, of Mr Richard (Dick) Flynn, St Johns Park, Waterford, formerly of Faithlegg, Co Waterford and late of CIE.

Predeceased by his loving parents Richard and Bridget, he is survived by his loving and heartbroken wife Teresa, son Richard, daughters Anne, Lorraine and Amanda, daughter-in-law Alice, sons-in-law Tony and Bob grandchildren Mark, Alan, Mollie, Cadhla, Tom, Giulia and Sarah, sister-in-law Bridie, extended family, relatives, neighbours and wide circle of friends. Richard (Dick) will be sadly missed by all his family, relatives neighbours and wide circle of friends. Requiem Mass took place on Thursday, September 12, at 12 noon in Sacred Heart Church, The Folly, followed by burial in St Mary's Cemetery, Ballygunner.

Condolences are extended to Richard's (Dick) family, relatives and friends. May he rest in peace.

Bereavement

The death sadly occurred on Thursday, September 5, of Mr Michael Kervick, late of College Court, Ballytruckle, Waterford, and formerly of Morgan Street, Waterford. Predeceased by his loving parents Mavis and Jimmy and his sister Nicolette, he is survived by his loving wife Rita, son Patrick and his fiance Tara, daughter Maeve Ann, brothers Adrian and Alexis, sisters Rosemary and Ann Jude, extended family and friends. Michael will be sadly missed by all his family, relatives and friends. Requiem Mass took place at 1pm in the Sacred Heart Church, The Folly, on Monday, September 9. Private cremation to follow. Condolences are extended to Michael's family, relatives and friends. May he rest in peace.

Baptism Celebration

We welcome Tadhg Luke Ryan, Fiadh Marie Ryan, James Anthony Prendergast and Alex Ellen Kiely into our Christian Community through Baptism in Sacred Heart Church. Please keep them, their parents and god-parents in your prayers. For Baptism enquiries / bookings please email: sacredheartparishinfo@gmail.com

Divine Mercy Prayer Group

Divine Mercy Prayer Group, takes place in Sacred Heart Church, The Folly, every Friday from 3pm to 3.45pm.

Relics of St Bernadette

The Relics of St. Bernadette will journey on pilgrimage to Ireland for the very first time this year, visiting every diocese in the country. This is a very special, once in a life-time event and all are invited to come and pray. The relics of St Bernadette will visit the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Waterford on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 17 and 18. The schedule will be comprised of: 1pm - 2pm - time for schools; 2pm - 3pm - quiet time; 3pm - 4pm - Welcome Liturgy & Water Ritual; 4pm - 6pm - quiet time; 6pm - 6.30pm - Rosary; 7pm - 8pm - Mass; 8pm - 9.30pm - quiet time. For more information log on to www.waterfordlismore.ie

Music Lessons

Learn to sing and read music for free at the Butler Community Centre. A reading music and singing course is currently taking place and beginners are welcome. It's a great opportunity to explore the world of music. The 12-week course, which began on Saturday, September 14, will continue for 12 weeks each Saturday from 11.30am to 1.30pm. Enjoy learning music and singing in a practical manner. To book a place contact maria.musicclasses@gmail.com or phone 089 4158263.

Musical Theatre

Sarah Corcorans Musical Theatre Classes will be starting soon at Butler Community Centre. Sarah is a fully qualified drama teacher and there are very limited places left. It's a fabulous opportunity for children aged 3 to 8 years and the classes will take place on Saturdays at 9am, 10am and 11am. For more details contact 086 328263 or email: sarahacorcoran8@gmail.com

Chair Yoga

Chair Yoga in Butler Community Centre will take place in Room 5 from Monday, September 23, from 10am to 10.45am. The cost is 8 so why not drop in, move with confidence and improve your flexibility, mobility, balance and co-ordination. The are lead by an experienced yoga and Pilates teacher. For more information or to book your place contact Grainne on 087 6370502 or email hello@graforfitness.ie or book online at www.graforfitness.ie/class-schedue

Whist Club

A Whist Club takes place at the Butler Community Centre, St. John's Park on Tuesdays at 7.30pm. They would love to see all their old players and new players would be most welcome, 5 per person.

Older People's Council

The Annual General Meeting of the Older Peoples Council will take place in the Mary Strangman (Large Room) at City Hall, Waterford, on Wednesday, September 18. All are invited to the event which will take place from 2pm to 4pm. Light refreshments will be provided for those attending the event. Information will also be provided at a number of stands located throughout the room.

Bewley's Big Coffee Morning

Bewley's Big Coffee Morning for Hospice will take place on Thursday, September 26, or a date that suits you. Register now for your Coffee Morning Pack, to host your own, at www.waterfordhospice.ie or email info@waterfordhospice.ie

Paediatric First Aid Course

Sacred Heart Family Resource Centre will be holding a free Paediatric First Aid Course on the morning of Monday, September 23. The course is for adults to learn how to provide life-saving and basic first aid skills in relation to children, in an easy and understanding way. Places are limited so please ring Elaine on 051 306728 to secure your place today. Funded by the WWETB Adult and Community Education All are welcome.

Nutrition & Pilates for Menopause

Sacred Heart Family Resource Centre Waterford will be running a free seven-week 'Nutrition & Pilates for Menopause' programme, starting on Tuesday, September 17. The course will run for one morning a week, from 9.30am to 11.30am. For more information or to register for your place please contact Maria on 051 306728.

Parents Plus Programme

A free Parents Plus Programme will take place in Sacred Heart Family Resource Centre Waterford for parents of children aged up to 7 years. The programme will begin on October 2 and will take place from 10am to 12.30pm. If you would like to reduce your stress as a parent and build your child's confidence, learning and positive behaviour then why not come along to this programme. To register your place now ring Anne on 051 306728.

Parent Support Programme

A free support programme for parents of children experiencing anxiety is taking place in the Sacred Heart Family Resource Centre, Waterford. The free course will take place one morning a week from 9.30am to 11.30am. The programme is facilitated by a Creative Arts Therapist in a confidential space. For more information or to register for your place please contact Elaine on 051 306728.

Participants must be willing to commit to the 10 weeks of this programme.
The premiere screening of 'The Aftermath', took place at Dungarvan Cinema last week. The feature documentary explores what happened in Waterford during the War Of Independence and the Civil War.

'The Aftermath' is the third film produced and directed by John Foley, about the 1916-1924 period of Irish History. The film sets out to explore the impact of both the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War on those who were involved in County Waterford.

The project included over 30 interviews with descendants of families involved and with local historians, capturing a wide range of perspectives and viewpoints.

Many of the descendants described ancestors who took the anti-treaty side to the conflict and hold strong opinions to the current day. Others, describe ancestors who took no further part in conflict after the War of Independence.

The interviewees included descendants and relatives of men and women involved in the War Of Independence and the Irish Civil War. These relatives include children of those involved, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, grand nieces and grand nephews. The contributors have a wide age profile and come from locations across Waterford city and county.

The Aftermath

Contributors shared perspectives from different sides of the conflict, alongside their knowledge, their memories and in some cases the emotions passed down from their ancestors.

Interviews from locals are supported by some simples visual re-enactments to augment and illustrate the stories being told.

One interviewee, Pat Ormond described how his father was shot near the end of the Civil War and the lifelong consequences he carried for the rest of his life. Another, Anne Higgins, described how her uncle John Ivory was shot in controversial circumstances at the end of the Civil War.

Various other stories presented in the film included incidents involving the Black and Tans, the IRA Cumann na mBan and Free State forces.

Also covered were specific incidents across the county such as Piltown ambush, Pickardstown ambush and the Burgery ambush, whilst the siege of Waterford City was described by local historians James Doherty and Dermot Power.

These stories and many more were further illustrated thanks to the extensive collection of old photographs provided by Waterford County Museum and the National Library of Ireland.

There is a further screening scheduled for October 15, in Dungarvan cinema. The premiere for Waterford City will take place on the November 13, in Garter Lane. More screenings will be arranged depending on demand.
Few Australians had heard of Shant Kradjian before he swooped in to rescue online bookseller Booktopia from administration last month.

The entrepreneur, who established his ecommerce business DigiDirect, specialising in camera equipment, two years after Booktopia was founded, has seldom courted media attention.

The Booktopia brand touched a lot more people than [the] DigiDirect brand, so I thought its probably worth me getting a little bit more in front of people, he told this masthead.

DigiDirect chief executive and Booktopias new boss Shant Kradjian.

I dont particularly want to be in the limelight too much, but at least people have to understand that theres someone behind it [Booktopia] to invest and drive the business.
Where do we draw the line between legitimate expression of political opinion and the need to comply with an employer directive not to make adverse comment about their values or support for particular causes? Each case is dependent on the facts, of course, but employees should be allowed to endorse or advocate for human rights issues that are of national or international significance. For example, endorsing an Amnesty International campaign about the human rights abuses being committed in Gaza. Or supporting self-determination for Indigenous Australians. Such an exercise of freedom of speech is vastly different to criticising your boss, or complaining about fellow employees.

Given the importance of the right to freedom of expression, employees should only be sanctioned if their public commentary breaches anti-discrimination or hate laws, or if it can be said to directly harm their employers reputation. A case of the latter might be to accuse the employer of supporting racism in the workplace. While that might be the case, it is reasonable that the employee raise the issue with the employer or in an appropriate legal forum.

So, given what we have seen in the Gillham and Lattouf cases and more generally about the weakness of the position of employees in the political advocacy space, is there a model that would strike a fairer balance?

South Africa has one of the most rights-oriented constitutions in the world, including the right to freedom of speech. This means, as legal academics Jean Chrysostome and Osman Bantu, noted in 2022, that while the contract of employment has always been regarded as the foundation of a relationship between the employers and employees, it does not allow companies to violate workers right to express their views and thoughts in or outside the workplace in social media. A simple reality is that citizens, including workers, have the right to freedom of expression.

Employers can and do sack employees in South Africa for social media posts or emails that are derogatory, racist or damage the employer. But the main difference between that country and here is that in a dispute an employee can legitimately defend themselves by arguing their constitutional right is a relevant factor.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the September 15 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories . Virginia Trioli, a two-time Walkley Award winner and host of ABC TVs Creative Types, was inspired to write her latest book, A Bit on the Side, after a talkback radio caller got her thinking that food rather than feminism would be her pathway back into book publishing. Its been almost 30 years since Trioli published her bestseller Generation F: Why We Still Struggle with Sex and Power, a counter-take on Helen Garners 1995 non-fiction book The First Stone, about two alleged sexual assaults at Melbourne University in 1992. The book was reissued in 2019 with a new foreword in the light of the Me Too movement, and now, with more life experience behind her and some lessons learnt, Trioli is ready to publish a second book, one thats less pasta dura and more leavened sourdough. I didnt want to write another book just for the sake of writing a book, says Trioli as she makes me as espresso in her kitchen. (The piping Bialetti espresso machine is removed from the stove and gently rinsed under cool water to stop the coffee from overcooking, a hack shes happy to share.) I had to go through a lot of life to be comfortable writing about me, and its not something I was that interested in or could have done before now. Prince Harrys Spare helped change her mind. The memoir dilemma was solved after I read a piece in The New Yorker by ghostwriter J.R. Moehringer, who says he was conflicted by Harry, who didnt want a lot of things about him in the book, says Trioli. Thats when he [Moehringer] told him, The memoir isnt about you, Harry. Its more about what you leave out than what you leave in. Its a story constructed with the history of you, and what you select are the pieces that have the greater resonance for the greater number of people. That was a great piece of instruction for me going forward.

Advertisement

A Bit on the Side is more memoir than cookbook, even though the domestic angle appealed to Trioli more, whose interest in food goes back to childhood. Throughout the book, we get glimpses into her life, all revolving around a dish, a food memory, a culinary hack. She also shares some favourite recipes she makes at her home in North Melbourne. Trelise Cooper suit, Office shoes. Credit: GK Photography Where actor Stanley Tucci brings glorious cinema to the table with his writing in Taste, and chef Nigella Lawson eloquently leans into the personal and emotive when she shares recipes, Trioli serves up a taste of both, further spiced with a reporters sensibility. Whether the topic is the finesse of French cooking or farm-to-table simplicity, she moves from the theoretical to the humorous with ease, using food as a means of self-exploration. Theres a peppering of the intellectual know-it-all to her style  it wouldnt be Trioli without it  but her academic dissection of the relevance of the egg in cinema, for example, is very entertaining. Using Stanley Tuccis 1996 movie Big Night and the recent TV series The Bear, she cracks open a new way of looking at making an omelette. As a result, I watched Emily (Lily Collins) trying to make one in the new season of Emily in Paris in a whole new philosophical light. Along the way we also learn that Trioli likes her martinis with vodka, prefers a sour gimlet over a sweet one, and always orders small share plates rather than large ones. Theres intimacy and warmth to her stories. Trioli was one of seven children raised in the Melbourne suburbs of Donvale and Nunawading by her Italian father, who migrated to Australia in the 1930s, and Australian mother. Regular tastes of the Italian way of life were provided via visits to her paternal grandparents in Bendigo, where they ran a fruit and vegetable shop. Triolis love of Italian cuisine stems from them but was reinforced when she shared a house with her older sister Angela in Carlton, then a hub of Melbournes Italian community, and through trips to Italy over the years.

Advertisement

As Italians who came to Australia before World War II, the Trioli familys experience isnt as well known as that of the migrants who came in the 1950s and 60s. That wave of Italian migration has been somewhat erased from our history, and I feel it was a bit erased from our family as well, says Trioli. I did ask Dad once if he was afraid to make the voyage to Australia. He told me that you arent afraid when youre with your mother. Trioli says her father was loving but also domineering, which meant she couldnt wait to move out of home. I loved my dad enormously, but he had a big temper. He could really lose it, and it was very stressful. It created a tension in the household that was very difficult to deal with. I can be impatient and I know I have been at times and feel deeply ashamed. VIRGINIA TRIOLI I remember setting up house with my sister and relishing the peace. The fact that I was in charge of the mood in the house was a lovely realisation of independence. Trioli speaks frankly about marrying former boss Russell Skelton, 18 years her senior and with three children from his former relationship, in 2003. She was 36 and found step-parenting a challenge. I can be impatient and I know I have been at times and feel deeply ashamed, she says. I have become better because of age and stage, and learning through life. I guess you take every opportunity you can to keep building up your stores of compassion and understanding for others and nothing teaches you faster than being a stepmum. Victoria Beckham trench coat, Perri Cutten singlet, AG jeans, Oroton jewellery. Credit: GK Photography

Advertisement

A woman I once spoke to struggled with how important her partners son was to him. I remember saying to her, Sweetheart, deal with it. It was crucial to me that the kids were happy. They had come through a hard time, so I put in some deliberate hard work to make it work. Trioli and Skelton welcomed a child of their own, son Addison, in 2012. Our talk returns to Triolis first book, published in 1996. In the 1990s, a third wave of feminism swept over Western culture; it was the advent of the riot grrrl movement, Naomi Wolf had written The Beauty Myth and increasingly the personal became political. Trioli is the first to admit that writing a book that picked an argument with Helen Garner, already a celebrated novelist, was a brave move. I look back at the Virginia who wrote that book and am very proud of her because she had no friggin idea what she was walking into, says Trioli. Now I think to myself, why didnt anyone take me aside and say, Darling, youre never going to win taking on Helen Garner. Loading She is a glorious icon and I still think of her that way. I respect and revere Helen, which is why writing Generation F was so important to me. But it was also painful. I was attempting to call out someone who was a giant and say, I think you got this wrong. You need to listen to us and hear us out. Theres always been a point of tension between the two of us that weve never reconciled. A few weekends ago Trioli and her husband found themselves perched on bar stools at the Carlton Wine Room, relishing some time together while their son was rehearsing a school play. They ordered duck croquettes, oysters and a bottle of champagne. We looked at each other and said, We havent done this since forever. Its nice to open a little window sometimes and slip through it.

Advertisement
Private school graduates are over-represented in the nations parliament, with data revealing more than half of independent and Coalition MPs attended non-government schools.

Half of Labor MPs went to public schools, including Assistant Employment Minister Andrew Leigh, who graduated from the selective James Ruse. It was an easy place to be a nerd, he said.

About 23 per cent of Labor MPs in the current parliament were privately educated. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles went to Geelong Grammar, Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton attended Knox and Bennelong MP Jerome Laxale graduated from Kings.

Coalition shadow minister Angus Taylor also attended Kings, Paul Fletcher went to Sydney Grammar, Andrew Hastie went to Scots and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton went to St Pauls, a private school in Brisbane.
Same-sex couples, single women and low-income families would have cheaper access to fertility treatment under a new 10-year plan to address declining birth rates and regulate Australias booming IVF industry.

In a sweeping review of Australias national fertility policy, unveiled on Sunday, former health minister Greg Hunt and embryologist Dr Rachel Swift found the fragmented IVF system was not equipped to keep up with rising demand fuelled by older parents and more non-traditional families.

Another recommendation was to fund public patient IVF targeted at low and limited-income families, noting a single IVF cycle could cost upwards of $10,000.

Former health minister Greg Hunt, now a professor at the University of Melbourne, has co-authored a review into the countrys booming IVF sector. Credit: Eddie Jim

The review will increase pressure on Hunts successor as federal health minister, Mark Butler, to update the Commonwealths definition of infertility after the authors found there was near universal community support for giving same-sex couples and single women equal access to Medicare-subsidised IVF.
Maribyrnong City Council and gas giant BOC are being sued over a West Footscray chemical blaze that was the worst industrial fire in Melbourne in more than two decades.

The lawsuit has been brought by Danbol Pty Ltd, the company that owns the sprawling rented warehouse that had allegedly been illegally packed with hundreds of drums of chemical waste and acetylene gas cylinders before it caught fire and burnt for nearly two weeks in August 2018.

A 2018 industrial fire in West Footscray sent a toxic plume over the city. Credit: MFB

Graham Leslie White, who rented the property through a company called Delacor Pty Ltd, is set to face criminal trial over the circumstances of the fire early next year. White is also due to stand trial over allegedly illegal stockpiles of chemical and industrial waste found at numerous sites around Melbourne and near the town of Kaniva in western Victoria.

Danbol, as the landlord of the property in Somerville Road, West Footscray, claims in its lawsuit that the local council and the alleged source of the cylinders, BOC, were negligent by failing to stop the stockpiling that contributed to the fires outbreak.
The Liberal senator criticised amid allegations against Bruce Lehrmann believes parliaments new workplace watchdog will not stop the weaponisation of parliament as crossbenchers attack its structure as too weak to enforce a change in behaviour.

Both major parties agreed to create the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission last week to investigate complaints against badly behaved politicians, staff and others in federal parliament, but its reach stops at the doors of the Senate and House of Representatives chambers.

Senator Linda Reynolds in Parliament House last month. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Debate in those chambers is legally protected from both lawsuits and the new watchdog to allow robust discussion of the issues facing the country.

Liberal senator Linda Reynolds told this masthead she welcomed the commissions establishment and the protection of parliamentary privilege, but that it would not prevent political attacks.
Australian Border Force workers wont have to take care of asylum seekers health and safety during boat interceptions under a fresh exemption to workplace laws, which has been granted by the government despite concerns from parliaments Labor-led human rights committee.

The Albanese government has renewed a rule that exempts Operation Sovereign Borders staff from taking reasonable care not to harm the health and safety of others while at sea, meaning workers cannot be prosecuted under workplace laws.

Asylum seeker arrivals by boat have significantly reduced under Operation Sovereign Borders. Credit: Reuters

Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt justified the decision to the parliaments human rights committee, saying it was necessary to ensure that individuals can act confidently and quickly in the diverse and unpredictable circumstances that might arise in the operational environment.

But the Labor-led committee said the measure did not seem necessary or proportionate as it issued its response this week. Chair Josh Burns said the exemption applied to no other similar workplaces and that Watt had not provided evidence it was achieving its stated purpose.
Frustrated Perth local governments say the state is not pulling its weight in the fight against the polyphagous shot-hole borer as it falls short on physical signage communicating important quarantine zones that fall over the Perth metro area.

More state support to stop the borer is top of the WA Local Government Associations pre-election wishlist released last week, and they have been lobbying the government hard on the issue of signage but, as of Friday, it had been to no avail.

Workers beginning to remove a shot-hole borer-infested Moreton Bay fig last month. Credit: Emma Young

The campaign must provide location-specific materials for those within Zone A and B of the quarantine area, and those outside, WALGA deputy president Paul Kelly said.

Local governments outside the current quarantine zone are keen to play their part in stopping the spread of the borer to their communities.
Social media is frequently awful, but sometimes you thank the gods for it. How else would we cope with the outlandishness of Donald Trump, who this week claimed that Haitians are eating the cats and dogs of Ohio?

The claim, made during his presidential candidate debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, was a fresh serve of the inadvertent comedy Trump has been dishing up ever since he descended the golden elevator of Trump Tower into our collective consciousness.

The first meeting of the two candidates got fiery quickly. Credit: AP

He has recommended drinking bleach to stave off COVID. He looked directly at a solar eclipse. He once asked a seven-year-old who had contacted the North American Aerospace Defense Command to track the movements of Santa Claus if she still believed in the big red feller because at seven, its marginal, right? Oh, and he coined the term covfefe.

Each one of these moments spawned a thousand internet memes, and Trumps debate claim about pet imperilment was no different. Trump made this bizarre assertion in response to, well, something that was completely unrelated, but it was part of an attack on the Biden/Harris administration for what they have done to our country by allowing these millions and millions of people to come into our country.
If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now!

Submit
Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulated Nicaragua, on the occasion of National Day of Nicaragua, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by ministry on its official "X" account.

"Warm congratulations and best wishes to Nicaragua and its people on the occasion of their National Day!" the post reads.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local apple production base to learn about the development of the modern specialty fruit industry in mountainous areas in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

LANZHOU, Sept. 14 (Xinhua)  In September, the air in Tianshui City in Gansu Province, northwest China, is filled with the scent of ripening apples, and farmers like Dong Guihong are busy gathering the early autumn harvest. This year, Dong was joined in the orchard she worked in by a special visitor: President Xi Jinping.

When Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended his hand to Dong, she was momentarily stunned by the gesture, but quickly removed her gloves to shake hands, marking a memorable encounter in the local apple production base.

This was Xi's first inspection tour outside Beijing after the conclusion of the reform-themed third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in July.

In the orchard, which is part of the production base, Xi spoke with Dong as well as other apple growers and agricultural technicians amid trees laden with ruby-like Huaniu apples, a specialty fruit of Tianshui. He asked details of the quality and characteristics of Huaniu apples, including the planting techniques, market sales and the daily lives and work of the local farmers.

Responding to Xi's queries, Dong said that since the beginning of spring this year, she has been busy with all kinds of work, such as tending apple trees, bagging apples, and laying weed barriers.

"With a daily pay of 110 yuan (about 15.49 U.S. dollars), I can earn up to more than 30,000 yuan a year," said Dong, whose village is not very far from the orchard.

After being briefed by local officials on how the base has ensured the quality and yield of apples by implementing refined management methods, Xi encouraged the locals to aim for greater success in developing the apple industry and live happier lives.

In Tianshui, Huaniu apple cultivation began as early as 1925. With favorable conditions like moderate rainfall, abundant sunshine and mild temperatures, the apple has developed into a high-quality product and Tianshui's signature agricultural export over the decades.

The apple production base visited by Xi boasts about 10,000 hectares of apple orchards, which produced 220,000 tonnes of fruit in 2023, with a total value of about 600 million yuan. Across the 25 villages involved, the per capita income from the fruit industry has reached over 8,000 yuan in the year.

Tianshui's agricultural success is a prime example of how specialty industries have driven China's rural revitalization, an area of great importance to Xi.

Xi has emphasized the importance of developing such industries on multiple occasions, including his domestic inspection trips. He visited apple orchards during inspection tours of Shaanxi, a neighboring province of Gansu in 2015 and 2022.

In 2015, Xi traveled up a steep, winding mountain road to visit an orchard located on the upper reaches of Liangjiahe Village in Yan'an City. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, this very village was where a young Xi spent seven years working and studying as an "educated youth"  urban youth sent to remote rural areas to "learn from farmers."

There, the president congratulated the orchard's owner, Zhang Weipang, on his successful business, saying: "Weipang, you are a rich man now!" He also encouraged locals to stay committed to developing the apple industry.

Like Tianshui, Yan'an has a long history of apple cultivation spanning decades. Today, apples are a signature product of the city's rural areas, and played a crucial role in lifting Yan'an out of absolute poverty in 2019.

In October 2022, Xi visited the city again, shortly after the closing of the 20th CPC National Congress. This time, when touring an orchard in Nangou Village, he praised local apple growers for their use of drip irrigation and refined management practices.

"This is agricultural modernization," said Xi. "You have found an industry development direction that suits you best."

In recent years, many rural areas across China have identified industries well-suited to their local conditions, effectively "planting the seeds" of rural revitalization through industrial development.

Beyond apples from Tianshui and Yan'an, oranges from Ganzhou in Jiangxi Province, strawberries from Dandong in Liaoning Province, and numerous other specialty products have gained prominence in the market, significantly contributing to local social and economic development.

As Xi emphasized during his visit to the apple orchard on Sept. 11, rural revitalization hinges on the development of local industries, and each region should harness its unique strengths and forge a path toward revitalization that aligns with its specific conditions.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Wei Xuanyi
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua)  President Xi Jinping emphasized continuous efforts to uphold, improve and run the system of people's congresses, China's fundamental political system, to good effect at a meeting held here on Saturday to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the need to further firm up confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics in developing whole-process people's democracy.

Addressing the meeting, attended by about 3,000 people, Xi said that the system of people's congresses is the outcome of the Chinese people's arduous exploration and long-term struggle under the leadership of the CPC.

He called the system "an entirely new political system that has grown from Chinese soil," hailing it as a great invention in the evolution of political institutions in human history.

The NPC is China's highest organ of state power. The first session of the first NPC was convened In September 1954.

The establishment of this system marked a profound transformation in China's political landscape, signifying a shift from a system where the power was concentrated in the hands of a few while the majority faced oppression and exploitation, to one that empowers the people to govern the country as its masters under the Party's leadership, Xi said.

Over the past 70 years, the system of people's congresses has demonstrated its clear political strength, providing an important institutional guarantee for creating miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, Xi noted.

It is a sound system that embodies the country's socialist nature, he said.

Noting that the system of people's congresses is an important institutional vehicle for realizing whole-process people's democracy in China, Xi said it is imperative to uphold the CPC's leadership and adhere to using institutions to ensure that the country is run by the people.

He stressed the need to give full play to the role of people's congresses in ensuring full and effective implementation of the Constitution and laws.

Efforts must be made to ensure people's congresses play a leading role in legislation, Xi said, calling for more legislation in key, emerging and foreign-related fields.

He emphasized the key role of people's congresses in the oversight of both the Party and the country to ensure that all state organs exercise their powers in accordance with the law and that the legitimate rights and interests of the people are safeguarded and realized.

People's congresses should play an exemplary role in maintaining close ties with the people and serve as the bridge that links the Party and the state with the people, he said.

Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice President Han Zheng, attended the meeting.

The meeting was presided over by Zhao Leji, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attend a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan]

Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]

A meeting is held to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan]

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Wei Xuanyi
Farmers unite to support curlew recovery project in North Wales

Farmers have been praised for giving their support to the first year of a project designed to help an under-threat bird.

Clwydian Range and Dee valley National Landscapes is taking part in the project Curlew Connections Wales, a Curlew Recovery Wales partnership project working with Bannau Brycheiniog and GWCT.

Gylfinir Cymru, an all-Wales partnership project aims to help breeding Curlew across the country, including Denbighshire.

Curlews are under severe threat and are Red Listed on both the Welsh and UK Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC). Over 80 percent of the breeding population has been lost across Wales since the 1990s.

This decline is due to a number of reasons including habitat loss, pressures during nesting season and the impact of predation on the birds.

Collaborative work is happening across the Clwydian Range and Dee valley National Landscapes area to protect the birds which is funded by Welsh Government through the Heritage Lottery fund (HLF).

These areas include large parts of Denbighshire, as well as parts of Flintshire and Wrexham.

Local Curlew and People Officer Sam Kenyon has led on the project and has praised the support of all farmers involved during the projects inaugural breeding season.

Approximately 30 curlew pairs were located and electric fences were put up around a few nests to protect the birds and eggs from predation.

The efforts of all farmers involved to collaborate in giving the rare animal a chance has been heartwarming and made all the difference according to Sam.

She said: Its been really inspirational to see neighbouring farms join together to give support to the nests and these iconic birds situated on their land.

Several took a single field approach towards protecting these vital nests and to support the project overall which is a real commitment I completely value.

Some of our farmers agreed to delays in cutting forage in their fields as they protected the birds, meaning theyve been late in accessing quality feed for livestock.

Through the project we have been able to give back in recognition of their valuable support with payments to compensate for these delays in the access to nutrients, done through the Welsh Government funding we have.

But what really stands out is how committed our farmers have been to wanting to safeguard this rare bird on the land.

Sam added: Without their support, knowledge and observations, we could not have found the nests to protect and limit the impact of predation on eggs.

Its been really good to work with other farmers, supporting us to put together a team effort in helping to protect one of Wales most historical birds.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Biodiversity Champion at Denbighshire Council, said: This is an important project for a bird that was once a popular sight not just in Denbighshire and North Wales but across the whole of the UK.

We are grateful that this project and funding allows the Clwydian Range and Dee valley National Landscapes to really move forward with protecting the curlews we have and encouraging the populations to survive and hopefully thrive in the future.

We are also extremely grateful for the immense support provided by the farming community towards this project alongside the small team of volunteers who have worked with the lead officer to monitor this important animal.

Farmers on the project have given this under-threat bird a vital chance this season and we look forward to next season.
Lead Volunteer needed to inspire and Guide Local Youth at Chirk Scouts

A scout group is on is on the lookout for a dedicated and enthusiastic Lead Volunteer to join its team and help deliver an enriching experience to youngsters in and around Chirk.

As the Lead Volunteer, you will play a pivotal role in planning and delivering a variety of activities that promote personal growth, teamwork, and outdoor skills.

As part of the role you will work closely with other volunteers to ensure that our programs are engaging, inclusive, and aligned with the values of the Scouts Association.

The Chirk Scouts Group has been a cornerstone of the community for over a century, providing a safe and supportive environment where young people can learn new skills, build confidence, and make lifelong friends.

Its programs include Beavers (ages 6-8), Cubs (ages 8-10), and Scouts (ages 10-14), meeting every Tuesday during term time at the Chirk Scout & Guide HQ on Shepherds Lane.

Benefits of Volunteering with the Scouts

Personal Development: Gain new skills and experiences that can enhance your personal and professional life.

Community Impact: Make a positive difference in the lives of young people and contribute to the well-being of the community.

Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded individuals and build lasting relationships.

Adventure and Fun: Participate in exciting activities and adventures, from camping trips to community service projects.

Join Us

A spokesperson for Chirk Scouts said: If you are passionate about youth development and have a few hours to spare each week, we would love to hear from you.

No prior scouting experience is necessary  we provide all the training and support you need to succeed in this role.

For more information or to apply, please contact Jonathan by emailing dlvllangollen@scoutscymru.org.uk or visit our website at scouts.org.uk.

The Scouts Association is the UKs largest mixed youth organisation, offering fun and challenging activities, unique experiences, everyday adventure, and the chance to help others so that we make a positive impact in communities. For more information, visit scouts.org.uk.
Man thanks medical team for saving his life after cardiac arrest at Llangollen Eisteddfod

A man who had a cardiac arrest at the world-famous Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has thanked the onsite medical team who saved his life.

Alwyn Williams, 76, collapsed suddenly and stopped breathing after attending a Katherine Jenkins concert at the major festival in July.

Event medics MediEvent quickly moved Alwyn from his car, where he was slumped over the wheel, and administered life-saving treatment defibrillating him and restarting his heart before the arrival of Community First Responders Emma Lawrenson and Richard Witheridge.

Community First Responders are trained by the Welsh Ambulance Service to administer life-saving treatment and support in the precious minutes before an ambulance arrives.

The newly qualified volunteers arrived on scene within minutes of a 999 call being made and worked under the direction of the on-site medical staff from MediEvent to stabilise the grandfather-of-eight and take him to hospital.

Community First Responder Richard, 49, of Rhosllanerchrugog, Wrexham, said: We were just coming to the end of our shift and decided to have one last drive around the area before logging off.

As we approached the car park we received an alert, notifying us of a confirmed cardiac arrest just 100m from our location.

We rushed to the scene and found that event medics had already obtained a return of spontaneous circulation.

Everything went so well and we knew that between us, we had given him the best possible chance of survival.

All in all, it was the perfect way to end our shift.

MediEvent director Chris Robinson-Springall said: MediEvent were delighted with the positive outcome following Mr Williams cardiac arrest. Our highly skilled paramedics and clinicians were able to restart Mr Williams hear within minutes of commencing lifesaving CPR and defibrillation.

This is a prime example of the need for medics at high capacity venues and the spend in which you need to act in these situations.

Alwyn is recovering alongside his wife, Judith, 76, in their Llanfyllin, Powys, home after being fitted with a pacemaker.

He said: I dont remember anything about the incident at all but what I do know is that Im incredibly grateful to the medical staff who saved my life.

My son is a police sergeant and he has told to me that if it wasnt for the immediate intervention of MediEvent UK staff and the Community First Responders from the Welsh Ambulance Service, it may well have been a very different outcome.

Martin Spencer, Operations Assistant (Community Support) at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: Alwyns story highlights exactly what our Community First Responder initiative is about.

Being based in the local community means our volunteers can be there much quicker than a conventional ambulance crew.

Its a role which is making a real difference to peoples lives, and the fact that Emma and Richard had only just completed their training makes this even more impressive.

In this instance it was also the quick action of MediEvent staff on site who were able to begin working on Mr Williams as soon as it became apparent that hed suffered a cardiac arrest that saved his life.
Welsh council workers demand fair pay as UNISON launches strike ballot

Council workers and school support staff in Wales say they want their voice to be heard as UNISON has started a ballot of more than 360,000 workers over whether to take strike action on pay.

They say the 2024/25 flat rate pay offer of 1,290 from local government employers falls far short of what council employees need and has also been superseded by the deals achieved by some other public sector workers, says the union.

Now social workers, teaching assistants, refuse collectors, caretakers, planning officers and other staff at more than 4,000 organisations will be asked if theyre prepared to strike.

Local government staff across Wales have told UNISON they want their voices to be heard and are calling on as many workers as possible to take part in the postal ballot which runs until Wednesday October 16

Wrexham County Borough Council support worker Michelle Bielawski-Jones said pay is the most important vote to take part in.

Michelle said: I want my voice to be heard, with the rest of my colleagues, together we are stronger.

My advice is look out for your purple envelope, vote for your pay and rights and if you havent received one make sure your branch has your correct address and email.

Use your right to vote.

UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: Local government finances are in a dire state, but that doesnt mean staff should be denied a fair pay rise after 14 years of austerity and low wages. Employers still have time to come back with a better offer.

Central government also needs to assist employers by providing stable, long-term funding settlements that allow councils and schools to retain expert staff and protect the vital services on which our communities rely.
French hit detective show comes to US with 'High Potential'

Based on a hit French TV series, 'High Potential' stars Kaitlin Olson as a cleaning woman who is recruited by police due to her brilliant intellect (Dia Dipasupil) (Dia Dipasupil/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP)

The biggest French television hit of the past 20 years arrives on American screens Tuesday with "High Potential," a family-friendly detective comedy with an ultra-smart twist.

Adapted into English from the French series "HPI" and transplanted from Lille to Los Angeles, the ABC series stars Kaitlin Olson ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") as a cleaning woman who is recruited by police due to her brilliant intellect.

Showrunner Todd Harthan said Olson's character -- a single mother of three, with an IQ of 160, originally played by French actress Audrey Fleurot -- is one of the show's "secret ingredients" that drew him on board.

"I haven't seen this kind of character take us through an investigative case on TV," he told AFP.

"Wildly unorthodox" and "more sophisticated" than a typical police procedural, the show's English-language adaptation has "the potential to reach a huge audience," predicted Harthan, speaking on the sidelines of a press conference this summer.

Certainly in France, "HPI" quickly became a phenomenon after its launch in 2021. Some episodes have drawn as many as 10 million viewers.

Ratings on that level have not been seen since 2005, in a different era before television was overtaken and fragmented by streaming platforms.

The show's name comes from the term "high intellectual potential," a term widely known in France for children with extraordinary cognitive intelligence.

Olson's Morgan has an encyclopedic knowledge, derived mainly from binge-watching documentaries, as well as lightning-fast calculation skills and a photographic memory.

But she is also a loudmouth, with a penchant for flashy outfits, and a deep-rooted disdain for cops who she only reluctantly agrees to work for.

With three children to support, she struggles financially, counting every penny she earns.

"I did want her to feel very working class -- very much like she has to rely upon herself, doesn't necessarily trust anyone else, has been let down by other people in the past," said Olson.

Morgan is also "quirky" and "doesn't necessarily follow the rules" added Olson, who was attracted to the role after watching the French series.

All of this makes her invaluable -- and infuriating -- to police investigators. Among them is Detective Karadec, played by Daniel Sunjata, who has Morgan foisted upon him by his boss.

Sunjata told AFP he only watched the first episode of the French original, as he did not want to be overly influenced by it.

"We're trying to make this our own," he said.

- 'Our own identity' -

Still, the show borrows several elements from its source material, such as a family-friendly policy of leaving the violent crimes off-screen.

The pilot episode of "High Potential" follows the original "HPI" almost beat for beat.

The US version even borrows the same playful music from the original series, as its heroine deciphers clues and cracks complex cases.

But Harthan said that "as we get deeper in the series," it will gradually diverge more from the French format, "just because we want to create our own identity."

If it succeeds, "High Potential" will follow in a tradition of hit US shows about high-functioning misanthropes.

"Monk," about a brilliant homicide investigator with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), ran for eight acclaimed seasons on the USA Network.

And the lead character in "HPI" reminded showrunner Harthan of "what I loved so much about 'House,'" the wildly popular and long-running Fox medical drama, which starred Hugh Laurie.

"I'd never seen a doctor like that before, it was such a tour-de-force character that you had to watch."

"High Potential" will air in a prime slot at 10:00 pm Tuesday on the Disney-owned ABC network.

rfo/amz/sst
Professional ballet dancer Michaela DePrincewho was featured on Dancing with the Stars and Beyonce's Lemonadeis dead at 29.

On Friday, Sep. 13, DePrince's official Instagram account confirmed the news of her death.

"With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond," the message read.

The post, which featured a black-and-white portrait of the dancer, continued, "Her life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength. Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us."

In the death announcement, DePrince was described as a "beacon of hope" who displayed that "no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places."

View the original article to see embedded media.

The Instagram update concluded, "Though her time with us was far too brief, her brilliance and legacy will continue to shine in the hearts of all who were touched by her story, for generations to come."

As of writing, no cause of death has been reported.

Born in Sierra Leone, DePrince was taken to an orphanage during a civil war. She fled to a refugee camp after the orphanage was bombed and at 4, was adopted by a couple in New Jersey.

DePrince was the youngest principal dancer to perform with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She later danced with both the Dutch National Ballet and the Boston Ballet.

The talented dancer appeared in Dancing with the Stars and on Beyonce's music video album, Lemonade.

Additionally, DePrince published a memoir, Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina, and a children's book, Ballet Dreams. She was also featured in the documentary First Position.

DePrince was an ambassador of War Child, a nonprofit organization helping children in countries affected by war.

Next: Remembering the Stars and Legends We've Lost in 2024




More from Footwear News





There are plenty of sneaker releases on the way for Air Jordan fans to look forward to for the holidays, but the calendar may need some adjustments. According to new reports, a number of Air Jordan Retro styles originally rumored to be released this holiday season are now canceled.

New information shared on social media by @zsneakerheadz and @mrunloved1s states that seven different Air Jordans which were slated for holiday arrivals have now been scrapped.

The most anticipated sneaker of the canceled bunch was Travis Scotts Air Jordan 1 Low in a new Pale Vanilla look. Also included in this batch of nixed drops is the Black Cat Air Jordan 5, Brown Cement Air Jordan 3, Dark Mocha Air Jordan 1 Low 85, Medium Olive Air Jordan 1 High, Fire Red Air Jordan 6 and the Chutney Air Jordan 13.

A commonality between all of these purportedly scrapped sneakers is that physical in-hand images of the shoes had yet to surface online. Each of the seven pairs had only been revealed via speculative mock-up renderings.

Nobody said it yet huh.. dont think these are dropping folks. Sorry https://t.co/J2xIEbIGpi  Aviator (@MrUnloved1s) September 11, 2024

Other recent Air Jordan cancellations of note include Travis Scotts Air Jordan 1 Low in Dark Pony and Shy Pink, both of which were expected to be released during spring 2025.

Its worth noting that although the holiday 24 launches for these pairs have reportedly been called off, it does not necessarily mean that they wont be released at a later point in time.

Despite these cancelations, there are several anticipated Air Jordans on the way for the holidays and beyond. In November, the Black Cement Air Jordan 3 will be rereleased and the Air Jordan 11 Columbia returns in December.

Looking ahead to 25, Jordan Brand is expected to pull out all the stops as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. The most anticipated pair is arguably the Undefeated x Air Jordan 4, but theres also a true-to-form Air Jordan 1 High 85 Bred, a new Union x Air Jordan 1 High and a Reimagined Black/Metallic Air Jordan 5, among others.

More canceled Holiday 2024 drops pic.twitter.com/w8nwjgM7KD  zSneakerHeadz (@zSneakerHeadz) September 11, 2024

jordan brand, jordan sneakers, cri

Jordan Brands Flight Club: The FN Cover Shoot

View Gallery 15 Images









Launch Gallery: Young Michael Jordan's Red Carpet Style Over the Years

Best of Footwear News

Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Prince Harry is officially the big 4-0, and it's honestly hard to believe. The Duke of Sussex has packed a lot into his life so far and as he hits this milestone birthday, he's busier than ever.

Between juggling his non-profit Archewell Foundation (which he co-founded with his wife Meghan Markle) and a string of entertainment projectsincluding a new Netflix documentary set to drop in December that dives into his love for poloHarrys plate is full.

But despite all that, being a dad still takes top priority for him. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex share two children: Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. Reflecting on his birthday, Harry got sentimental, revealing what his favorite gift has been through the years.

"The best gift I've ever been given is, without doubt, my kids," he told People via a spokesperson. "I enjoy watching them grow every single day and love being their dad."

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

And it shows in his birthday plans. The family-of-four are set to spend the day together followed by some celebrations with close friends, as reported by the outlet.

Even though Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are growing up out of the public eye, Prince Harry and Markle have shared glimpses into their children's lives.

Just last month, the Suits alum opened up about raising Lilibet during a panel in Colombia. She chatted about how she's encouraging her daughter to speak up for herself, a value passed down from her own mom, Doria Ragland.

Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images

Markle also gave a little shout-out to Archie during their visit to a public school in Colombia. While chatting with some kindergartners, she couldnt help but point out, Youre the same age as my son, Archie.

Happy 40th, Harry! Here's to all the love, family time and new adventures ahead.

Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here.

Prince Harrys Dance Moves Resurfaceand They're Seriously Impressive
The Oscars race is wide open this year, and so is the question of which film will win the coveted TIFF Audience Award.

With A-listers like Selena Gomez and Angelina Jolie and breakout stars like Mikey Madison and Gabriel LaBelle, the 49th annual Toronto International Film Festival concludes on Sunday after screening 278 films over its 10-day run. Following Pedro Almodovars stunning melodrama, The Room Next Door, taking the Golden Lion at Venice, attention shifts to the Canadian festival to see which film will get a significant boost in the early days of the best picture race.

More from Variety

While some films here scream awards potential, others are destined only for commercial success, while others are just blips in the massive lineup. Below are potential awards contenders from other films screened at the festival and Varietys predictions on which film will win the TIFF Audience Award on Sunday, Sept. 15.

Read: You can see all Academy Award predictions in all 23 categories on one page on the Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars.

(from back center) Roz (Lupita Nyongo), and Brightbill (Kit Connor) in DreamWorks Animations Wild Robot, directed by Chris Sanders.

The Wild Robot launches DreamWorks Animations 30th anniversary and a best picture campaign.

Chris Sanders animated sci-fi adventure, The Wild Robot, is already hailed as one of the best films in DreamWorks Animations 30-year history. Featuring a stellar voice cast  Lupita Nyongo, Pedro Pascal, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine OHara and Bill Nighy  the film will hopefully reignite discussions about the SAG Awards eligibility for animated films competing in the best cast ensemble category.

Historically, only three animated films  Beauty and the Beast, Up and Toy Story 3  have ever been nominated for best picture, all Disney titles. Recent acclaimed animated films like Netflixs Guillermo del Toros Pinocchio and Sonys Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse fell short of best picture nods. Yet, The Wild Robot could shift that dynamic, especially in adapted screenplay and the technical categories like score and original song. Composer Kris Bowers, fresh off an Oscar win for the live action short The Last Repair Shop (2023), delivers his best work. The films standout original song, Kiss the Sky, may also capture the attention of the Music Branch.

Im Still Here

Fernanda Torres could make history with Im Still Here.

Brazilian legend Fernanda Montenegro was the first Latina nominated for best actress for Central Station (1998). Now, her daughter, Fernanda Torres, has a shot at making history herself with her powerful performance in Walter Salles political drama, Im Still Here. If nominated, she would be the first second-generation Latina acting nominee in Oscars history. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, Torres dedicated turn of a woman relentlessly searching for a husband after being taken by a corrupt government, the film is poised to be a contender in the international feature race. At the same time, Torres seeks to break into the competitive best actress category.

Notably, Montenegro appears in the film as an older version of her daughters character. Without speaking a word, the 94-year-old delivers a heart-wrenching performance using only her expressive eyes. Wont it be amazing if she made history as the first Latina to receive a second Oscar nomination? (Yes, a grotesque statistic.)

Flow

Latvias Flow is a silent animated movie that can also vie for best international feature.

Last year, Pablo Bergers dialogue-free Robot Dreams made a surprise appearance at the Oscars, and this year, another silent animated feature is gaining traction: Gints Zilbalodis Flow. The whimsical and heartwarming film, about a cat surviving a post-apocalyptic flood, is Latvias official submission for best international feature, which could place it in the range of landing into both categories. Janus Films and Sideshow acquired it after its success at the Annecy Film Festival, and its quickly picking up momentum.

Cate Blanchett in "Disclaimer"

Alfonso Cuarons Disclaimer sets its sights on Emmys 2025.

While Disclaimer isnt a film, its generated plenty of buzz at TIFF after debuting at Venice and Telluride. Alfonso Cuarons psychological thriller miniseries starring Cate Blanchett, about a journalist who discovers shes a character in someone elses novel, premieres on Apple TV+ on Oct. 11. Early reactions suggest its already staking a claim for next years Emmys. Lets get through this weekends ceremony first.

Bird with Barry Keoghan

Barry Keoghan and Nykiya Adams take flight with Bird.

Andrea Arnolds Bird stars Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) as a father grappling with his responsibilities, alongside Franz Rogowski and newcomer Nykiya Adams. Though the film may be too niche for significant Oscar recognition, its a likely contender at the Indie Spirit Awards. Mubi, the distributor, hopes the movie picks up steam as it progresses through the festival circuit. I think with a famed DP like Robbie Ryan behind the camera, best cinematography could be a spot where the film can find some ground.

Jamie Lee Curtis steals the show in The Last Showgirl.

Fresh off her Emmy win for FXs The Bear, Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once) retakes the spotlight for her remarkable turn in Gia Coppolas drama The Last Showgirl. Curtis plays Annette, a bold cocktail waitress, in a scene-stealing moment involving a dance to Total Eclipse of the Heart, which mimics the dramatic equivalent of Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike.

The film, which also stars Pamela Anderson, Dave Bautista and Billie Lourd, has yet to find a distributor but is expected to land one. It will likely come with a 2025 release date.

We Live in Time

Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh have beautiful awards chemistry in We Live in Time.

Two gorgeous actors in love for two hours? Sign us up.

Directed by John Crowley (Brooklyn), We Live in Time is a tear-jerker starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh as star-crossed lovers as one of them battles cancer. While romantic dramas like The Notebook and A Walk to Remember rarely fare well at the Oscars, Garfield and Pughs magnetic chemistry and previous Oscar nominations could be the films best shot at recognition. A24 is betting on the duos star power to make this a box-office hit, which looks all but assured, considering the reaction from the crowd to their sex scenes.

Anora trailer

Which movies could win/will win the coveted TIFF Peoples Choice Award?

Since the Oscars expanded the best picture field in 2009, TIFF Audience Award winners have become reliable indicators of Oscar success. Films like Green Book (2018) and Nomadland (2020) went on to win best picture. Only one TIFF winner has failed to receive a nomination for best picture, Where Do We Go Now? (2011), and one that didnt win at least one Oscar statuette, The Fabelmans (2022).

So, which film will take home the TIFF Peoples Choice Award this year? The winner often comes down to three factors: the number of screenings, audience size and the timing of showings.

The festivals most buzzed-about contenders are Palme dOr winner Anora (Neon), Netflixs musical sensation Emilia Perez and the body horror thriller The Substance (Mubi). Jason Reitmans crowd-pleasing Saturday Night also generated buzz for its mainstream appeal, but it premiered on Tuesday at the festival, which doesnt allow attendees much time to see it. The same goes for Malcolm Washingtons directorial debut, The Piano Lesson, with John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler.

There are vocal Almodovar admirers, but how many are passionate about his latest offering, The Room Next Door, with Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, is unclear.

Even though it is receiving a huge amount of acclaim, Brady Corbets The Brutalist, which was acquired by A24, may be at a disadvantage with its massive 215-minute runtime and few public screenings.

Not many world premieres are viable for the coveted prize: The Wild Robot from DreamWorks Animation and Rachel Morrisons The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM); both films received glowing reviews and have broad audience appeal. Also in the mix is Unstoppable, directed by Oscar-winning editor William Goldenberg (Argo), which has been picking up solid praise.

TIFFs Peoples Choice Award could shake up the Oscar race. Below are the top 10 rankings for which movies could take the title.

Rank Film 1 Anora (Neon) 2 Emilia Perez (Netflix) 3 Saturday Night (Sony Pictures) 4 The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation) 5 The Substance (Mubi) 6 The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM) 7 The Room Next Door (Sony Pictures Classics) 8 The Brutalist (A24) 9 Im Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics) 10 The Piano Lesson (Netflix)

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Port Charles got a little luckier this week, and the General Hospital recap covers every inch of the drama.

What Happened In Port Charles?

Port Charles saw some dramatic turns, while things in Somalia got luckier.

READ THIS: Heres whats up next on GH.

Monday, September 9, 2024

Lucky (Jonathan Jackson) is still locked in his cell in Somalia, and when Holly (Emma Samms) sneaked in to see him, he asked for her help getting him out. In typical Holly fashion, she told him getting her hands on Sidwells (Carlo Rota) diamonds was her priority and he was enough like his father to keep himself alive.

Back in Port Charles, Jordan (Tanisha Harper) has made GHs John Doe (Sawandi Wilson) her top priority, and when she caught Sidwells guy attempting to kill the patient, she chased him into the stairwell and took him down. Later, John Doe finally woke up as Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) checked on him and the first thing he said was Luckys name.

As for the case of the missing gun, everyone wound up at Sonnys penthouse over the situation, including Kristina (Kate Mansi), who had just gotten into another heated exchange with Molly (Kristen Vaganos). After Anna (Finola Hughes) questioned her and Michael (Chad Duell) and vowed to find the gun, Kristina finally admitted she stole the gun while Jason left to destroy the actual murder weapon. If all that wasnt bad enough, back at Alexis house, Chase (Josh Swickard) and Dex (Evan Hofer) arrived to question her after Rics (Rick Hearst) statement.

Tuesday, September, 10, 2024

Isaiah woke up saying Luckys name, which got both Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) and Carly (Laura Wright) questioning how he knows him. Carly decided to go ask Brennan (Charles Mesure) for help locating her cousin, and he agreed.

In Somalia, Lucky continued playing poker for his life, and when Sidwell got distracted by one of his employees, Lucky pulled an ace from his sleeve to ensure hed win. After learning that the mines were empty and killing the messenger, Sidwell ordered Lucky to search the man. Lucky found gold nuggets in the mans pocket, and when Sidwell left the cell, he pulled a gold nugget from his sleeve.

After Jordan gave her statement of the attempted murder on Isaiah, Jason visited Anna at her office and assured her he still wants to be friends. She turned him down, disappointed he chose protecting Sonny over their teamwork, then got a call about Isaiah being awake. He told her everything he knew while Elizabeth filled Jason in on the man he saved and how hes connected to Lucky.

Molly told Kristina about their mother being brought in for questioning, and when Michael shot his sister a look, Molly realized they were keeping something from her about the missing gun and went venting to TJ (Tajh Bellow) about how she thinks her sister murdered John.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Molly made her parent rounds when she visited her mom at the PCPD interrogation room and found out her father was behind the statement incriminating Alexis. When she met Ric (Rock Hearst) at the Metro Court, she revealed to him she believed Kristina was responsible for the murder, prompting her to give a statement to the PCPD.

Anna introduced Isaiah to Jordan (will they be a future couple?) and he learned she saved his life, while Carly and Anna both pleaded with Brennan to help them find Lucky.

Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) had her first day back as a GH nurse and she vented to a comatose Lulu about her feelings for Drew (Cameron Mathison).

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Tracys (Jane Elliot) back to her old self as she met with Deception about Sonny murdering John and later lashed out as Sasha (Sofia Mattsson) for hosting her friends at the Q boathouse.

On the couples front, Cody (Josh Kell) and his new family had breakfast with Sasha, during which he asked her to be his girlfriend and she accepted, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) told her mom shes ready to start a family with Chase (Josh Swickard).

Carly asked Jason to go find Lucky, and he agreed, despite warning her not to get too close to Brennan.

Friday, September 13, 2024

Jason met Isaiah, who told him about Sidwells girlfriend he calls English. Later, when Anna boarded her plane to find Lucky, she wound up on the same flight as Jason.

After a questioning from Chase, Kristina confessed to Michael that she did go to the Q Mansion to kill Cates the night he was murdered, while Mac (John J. York) showed up at Alexis house and placed her under arrest for the murder right in front of Sonny.

The post Weekly General Hospital Recap September 9-13: Luckys Golden Opportunity And Alexis Arrest appeared first on Soap Hub
Costco connoisseurs worldwide are familiar with the store's reputation for selling high-quality products at a fair price, such as the hidden gems among its prepared food selections and its legendary $5 rotisserie chicken. However, the real key to its success seems to be its store brand, Kirkland Signature. The name is so popular among customers that it accounted for 25% of Costco's total sales in 2021, earning it about $58 billion that year.

What may be most shocking about Kirkland Signature's success as a store brand is that it's been around for fewer than 30 years. From 1983 through 1994, Costco employed the same strategy as other chain stores by creating a store brand for each type of product. Names like Simply soda, Clout detergent, and Ballantrae wine graced the shelves, allowing customers to identify what kind of product they were buying via brand name.

However, co-founder Jim Senegal started to question this strategy in the early '90s as the company began to grow internationally. He wanted to create a single store brand that was instantly recognizable anywhere in the world. When attempts to license his first brand name choice, Seattle Signature, were denied, Senegal was undeterred. At the same time, Costco's headquarters had recently moved just north of Seattle to Kirkland, Washington. Senegal used that name instead and the Kirkland Signature brand made its debut in 1995.

Read more: A Guide To Buying Salmon At The Grocery Store

Kirkland's Signature Move Supports Its Storied Reputation

Costco wholesale storefront - Andy.LIU/Shutterstock

Though Costco HQ has since relocated to Issaquah, Washington, Kirkland Signature has remained the name of its trusted store brand. One of the greatest advantages to placing all store brand products under a single umbrella is the cost savings. Rather than purchasing 30 different labels for different products, Costco can instead invest in a single label for a single brand. This results in money saved that the company can then pass on to the customer.

Another big reason customers remain loyal to Kirkland Signature is the semi-open secret of which companies produce its products. Kirkland Signature brand Greek yogurt, for instance, is very likely made by Erhmann, a German dairy company with a reputation for excellence. Additionally, Kirkland Signature liquor reportedly comes from a variety of high-end distilleries, making these bottles a popular pick for those who want top-shelf spirits at lower-shelf prices.

Unifying store brands not only allowed Costco to offer higher-quality products, but enabled it to do so at a reduced cost. Kirkland Signature's prices are typically 20% lower than other well-known store brands. While part of the cost savings is due to Costco's warehouse-style stores and membership business model, uniting its store-brand products under one label has certainly made an impact.

Read the original article on Chowhound.
Hope, Maine: Preserving the past to pave the way for the future

HOPE, Maine  Wild blueberries have long blanketed the hills and valleys of this quiet hamlet 15 miles from New Englands rocky shores.

They grew here before Native people roamed the lands, and before Sonja Howards family decided to put down roots in the grassy, windswept territory nine generations ago.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Every summer since she can remember, Howards relatives have flocked back, as the long sunny days begin to wane and the first breaths of autumn appear, to harvest the scattered blue clumps that emerge from these prickly bushes on the 800 acres of farmland the family owns.

Ron Howard harvests wild blueberries using a modified lawnmower at Brodis Blueberries in Hope, Maine, on July 30, 2024.

The blueberries that grow here at the Brodis Blueberries farm arent like the kind you usually find in the produce aisle at the grocery store. Nobody planted these. Instead, farmers have removed barriers  trees, rocks and weeds  to allow for the crops to naturally flourish.

The pea-sized variety is typically sold fresh only at farm stands and markets in late July and early August. The Brodises sell a small portion of their yield to commercial growers, such as Wymans, which freezes and ships them across the country.

But for those who have lent their labor and sweat to the land, the difference in the taste is clear.

Ron Howard, who married into Sonja Brodis' family 48 years ago and now manages the business, said the more popular high-bush blueberries just dont have the same flavor and texture and sweetness as the wild ones.

Its a comparison those in Hope would also find apt to describe their neighbors. Much like the wild berries, the town has been cared for by generations who have sought to preserve a quieter way of life that is increasingly hard to find elsewhere.

Brad Ellsworth, a boatbuilder from Hope, poses for a portrait next to his latest project on July 31, 2024, in Hope, Maine.

Many of the town's 1,500 residents are farmers, artisans and businesspeople working in trades forgotten by time  shoe cobbling, metal fabricating, fire truck restoration and bagpipe making, to name a few.

Brad Ellsworth, a longtime Hope resident who restores wooden boats, lovingly described his neighbors as unique, eccentric people.

This community in midcoast Maine is one of 19 towns of the same name across the country, six of which USA TODAY visited this summer.

In our visits to these places called Hope, from Michigan to Arkansas, Maine to Alaska, we looked for signs of optimism and what was getting in people's way. Here's what we found just inland of the bustling Maine tourist havens of Camden and Rockport, in one of the countrys oldest states.

The center of town

At the heart of Hope is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, general store in Maine. Today, Damon McClure and his wife, Simone-Claire Girard Delevett, are its stewards.

Like many of the people in Hope, the couple are from away  jargon locals use to delineate out-of-towners.

As a child, McClure's family traveled from Virginia every summer to visit Deer Isle, an island just south of Acadia National Park. But he didnt move to the area until 2019. He had recently lost his job and was looking for a new challenge when a buddy told him about Hope General Store. McClure, Delevett and their daughter, who was going into her senior year in high school, visited and quickly grew attached.

You can feel the age. You can feel like you've sort of gone back in time when you come in here, McClure told USA TODAY. That's what we fell in love with.

One of the biggest challenges they faced when they first arrived in February 2019 was quieting fears among town residents that they were going to change the beloved landmark and mess it up.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit a year later, the general store, which typically acts as a convenience stop for locals to pick up coffee or the odd forgotten grocery item, became an even more essential part of town.

For much of the crisis, McClure ran the store alone because his staff was wary of the health risks.

The pandemic was one of the only times McClure said he has seen politics bubble up in the more than four years he has lived in Hope. The store required customers to wear masks before face coverings were mandated by the state. Most regulars were understanding, but some pushed back, and McClure had to turn away people who refused to follow the rule.

Overall, though, he said the store's response to the pandemic helped him earn the trust of the community more quickly.

We made it feel as friendly and as safe as we could, McClure said. We gained a lot of goodwill during that time.

A customer enters the Hope General Store.

Today, McClure jokes that he knows more about whats going on in Hope than anyone else, and he takes pride in the stores role as the hub of the community. He stocks four-packs of Lion Stout from Sri Lanka for a regular who buys it three or four times a week, and he always has various flavors of Larabars on hand for one woman who loves them.

The general store also hosts pub nights twice a week in the back corner known as the nook. Rain, shine or snow, locals pile into built-in pine wooden benches and colorful metal chairs to sip on pints and shoot the breeze. The one rule: no talking politics, or religion.

The most important thing about owning a store like this is just responding to what the community needs, McClure said. That's really the reason we're here.

Changing with the times

Like much of the country, residents of Hope are still contending with changes since the pandemic. In many ways, the crisis brought the community together.

When Brodis Blueberries found that it was no longer able to operate out of the familys farm house for social distancing reasons, for instance, the town rapidly approved a permit to allow them to build a new structure. The same year, when their sons distillery several towns away caught fire, Hope allowed him to operate out of the farm.

They knew that this was kind of critically important for us, Ron Howard said. They said, Hey, these are local folks, and let's get this approval done.' And they approved it. That doesn't happen everywhere.  It does give us hope."

But the pandemic also ushered in new dynamics. Every home in the town now has access to high-speed fiber optic internet. Locals say the change has encouraged more people in search of solitude to migrate from large metropolitan areas like Boston, New York and even as far as Texas to this sleepy Maine town.

Camden Road, one of the main thoroughfares in Hope, where the general store and other small businesses sit, used to see only a few cars pass in the morning and the afternoon. Now, cars drive by at a slow but steady clip throughout the day.

Longtime residents are quick to say they dont mind new arrivals; they just worry the newcomers will rapidly change the community's way of life.

People move from other places, because they like it, but then they get here and they find that there are things that they liked from where they came, said Stephanie Powers, a lifelong resident of Hope who works at Pine Ridge Carpentry, two doors down from the general store. They want to try to sort of impose more bigger town ideas or processes.

A few of those ideas have been about creating new town public works and police departments, both of which Powers says are unnecessary in a community with fewer than 2,000 people. A registered independent, she said the drive to preserve Hope isnt about keeping everything exactly the same, just the spirit of it and the intent.

Its a desire shared by many in town, across age, demographics and political parties.

On a cloudy afternoon, while he waited for a technician to repair his refrigerator, Creighton Drury, 75, sat in a lawn chair outside his home and explained that the piece of the towns culture he most wants to safeguard is its integrity. Drury moved to Hope 15 or so years ago. He has lived in the pre-Civil War home he restored with his wife ever since.

I always was raised by the saying If you make a commitment, stick to it. And it seems like that is kind of a dying concept, said Drury, a proud Democrat who displayed a 2020 Biden-Harris sign in the back of his garage.

He added, I love this neighborhood, because if you ever had a problem, your neighbors would be there to help you.

All politics is local

Politically, Hopes population mirrors the rest of Maine. There are roughly 500 Democrats, 400 Republicans and more than 350 voters unaffiliated with a party. Thats to say: the town is divided.

Most people avoid talking about national politics. More often, conversations revolve around local issues.

Emily Davis, who has owned Hope Orchards with her husband, Brien, for more than two decades, said the rule of thumb is that you bring up politics only with people you know agree with you.

There's a hesitation for most of us to even initiate conversation, Davis said at a potluck of 10 people hosted in the orchards.

The main divide in town falls more along geographical lines between Hope and South Hope. Hope tends to be more Democratic, and South Hope is more conservative.

The former of the two sits closer to the coast and features many of the main attractions in town, including the general store, the town offices and Hope Orchards. South Hope is a five-minute drive away on winding mountain roads, with meadows on either side and small strips of houses every few miles.

Susan Pushaw, co-owner of Pushaws Trading Post in South Hope, stands for a portrait in the store on July 31, 2024.

Susan Pushaw, 66, co-owns Pushaws Trading Post, the central store in South Hope. She remembers a time when the neighborhood considered seceding from Hope. People in the southern part of town didnt want to make the trek to the area near the general store for town meetings, she said. They later did away with the initiative because of the legal complexities.

But today, the two areas might as well be separate towns.

Pushaw has never visited Hope General Store, despite the similarity of the businesses and their proximity. She grew up in South Hope next to her store and bought it with her brother Jerry after she retired from a food processing plant.

To Pushaw, Hope resembles Camden, the wealthier coastal town it borders.

Where Hope General Store sells sandwiches with brie cheese, apples and hummus and names like the Tree Hugger, the South Hope trading post mostly dabbles in greasier comfort food items like spicy chicken burgers, fried chicken, and steak and cheese sandwiches.

Pushaw, a Republican, doesnt like getting involved with politics. Theres an 8 oclock crew that will come into the store and occasionally get into spats about national and local issues, but just like in other parts of Hope, the main priority is getting along.

Every town has its politics, Pushaw said. They start out with little arguments, but it all ends up good before they all leave.

Restoring and preserving hope

Andy Swifts studio  a massive, three-story chicken coop  sits at the top of Hatchet Mountain Road, in between Hope and South Hope. His artform is restoring antique fire engines.

Rusting ladder trucks and engine parts lay in the tall grass outside of his shop. On top of on old car at the entrance, an object designed to look like a missile reads Jazz not War.

This is the place Swift, 71, goes when his frustrations at the daily news cycle hit a tipping point. Fire engines are almost primeval in that people understand that they're here to help," said Smith, who was a firefighter in Alaska for years, before moving back to his home state of Maine.

Mechanically speaking, a fire engine is bringing the hope, Swift said. If there's a fire, and you hear that bell, you hear that siren, you know, it's coming to respond to the enemy that's out of control.

Although the Bernie Sanders sticker on Swifts car hints at his political beliefs, he declined to talk about his affiliation, instead saying fire engines are a reminder that the purest forms of hope dont have a political party.

Sitting beneath flickering fluorescent lights in his shop  tools, engine parts and photographs littering the counters behind him  Swift recounted work he did for the New York City Fire Department after 9/11.

Feeling helpless and needing a place to put his energy, Swift offered to restore a piece of the NYFDs choosing. In December, a group of fire commissioners from the city arrived in Hope to deliver the hose wagon they wanted him to fix.

Hazel picks blueberries with her father, Kyle Rittenburg, at Hope Orchards in Hope, Maine.

This is very shortly after 9/11, and everybody's heart has just been tenderized, Swift says, with tears brimming. One of the fire commissioners, Tom Fitzpatrick, looked around and he said, It's, it's being done in a town called Hope.'

So it is kind of cool to be in a town called Hope, Swift added, his voice cracking.

When asked what brought them hope, over and over again, the people in Hope, Maine, pointed to the people around them.

We need connection, said Kyle Rittenburg, who with his wife, Anna, helps the Davises run Hope Orchards. He and Anna had organized the potluck for participants in their community sustained-agriculture program, who subscribe to receive produce directly from the farm every week. Theyre hoping to use the orchards to help people get connected with the food and hence the land.

The Davises are all for the mission  and take pride its happening in Hope.

Having the name 'Hope' sort of inspires us to be hopeful and to live hopefully, Emily Davis said. Live in hope, die in hope.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hope, Maine: Preserving the past to pave the way for the future
Whiskey is a whole world. If you're just dipping your toes in, you may already be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices, not to mention all the different classes of whiskey out there. Do you spell it "whisky" or "whiskey?" Is there actually a difference (the answer is yes, regionally speaking, but not really)? What's the difference between Irish, Japanese, American, and Canadian whiskey? Do you want a bourbon or a rye when you're whipping up a cocktail? And what is Scotch anyway? Single malt or blended?

To break down some must-know labels, we spoke with bartenders Torrance Coombs and Meg Messer, as well as Jennie Wilson, co-owner and head of the beverage program at the 11th Mile restaurant in Fredericton, New Brunswick. They weighed in on the classics, shared personal favorites, and also gave us some tips on which whiskey to use in classic whiskey cocktails.

When asked simply which whiskies everyone should know about, Wilson demurs, "It's a question you're not going to be able to answer without a lot of argument ... You would think these things are fixed facts, but they're not." Whiskey aficionados are passionate about their spirit of choice, and Wilson, Messer, and Coombs make no claims to have the definitive word of the subject. Personal taste has a lot to do with it, so you'll likely have to taste a few before you know what you really want to keep on your bar. We've done some of the legwork for you to break down the best options, but having a favorite whiskey is pretty cool, so we think you'll enjoy your homework.

Read more: Strawberry Hacks You'll Wish You Knew Sooner

Buffalo Trace And Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon

Two bottles of Buffalo Trace - Q77photo/Shutterstock

Both Jennie Wilson and Torrance Coombs start with bourbon. "I would say we lean more heavily ... towards bourbons out of all the whiskies," Wilson told us, "and our very favorite bourbon is Buffalo Trace without a doubt." Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon has been distilled from corn, rye, and barley malt for over 200 years at "the world's most decorated distillery." It named its spirit for the majestic animals whose migration route crossed the Kentucky River right at their location in Franklin County. Wilson says they use Buffalo Trace in whiskey sours, New York sours, brown derbies, and any other "classic bourbon drinks where you just want a nice American bourbon without surprising taste profiles." Try a paper plane if you like Aperol!

Bourbon is, by definition, whiskey made from at least 51% corn and aged in charred oak barrels. To be labeled "straight" bourbon, it must be aged at least two years. It's a traditionally American whiskey associated specifically with the state of Kentucky. While most bourbon is made in Kentucky, it can technically be made anywhere in the U.S. Maker's Mark, Bulleit, and Four Roses are other common bourbons, all made in Kentucky.

Torrance Coombs says, "the value in whiskies I think is mostly in American whiskies like bourbons and ryes." His go-to affordable bourbon is Wild Turkey 101. "It's got a burn to it," he says, "But it's tasty. It's like that burn that wakes your face up in a good way." Wild Turkey 101 is aged for six to eight years in American White Oak barrels that have been coated in alligator char in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.

Baker's, Blanton's, And Woodford Reserve Premium Bourbons

Bottle and glass of Woodford Reserve - Irik Bik/Shutterstock

For a nicer bottle of bourbon, Jennie Wilson says she'll pick up Baker's or Blanton's. If you're not mixing it into a cocktail and you want to sip something straight up, those are the two "more special" premium bourbons that she would gift someone, she told us. Baker's is a single barrel bourbon -- it doesn't batch or mix its whiskey, and the company says that means "inside each bottle is a big, bold bourbon, full of tiny subtle details that change barrel to barrel." However, Blanton's claims to have originated the single barrel bourbon in 1984 when Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee started bottling "super premium" bourbons this way.

Torrance Coombs' favorite bourbon is Woodford Reserve, a premium small batch bourbon made from 72% corn. Woodford's distillery is a national historic landmark. "It doesn't need anything," says Coombs, "you can just sip it neat. It's got a sweetness to it also that makes a good old fashioned, but ... you can just sip some Woodford and it's delicious, and it doesn't completely break the bank."

You can sip any kind of liquor if you feel like it, but it does seem that whiskies tend to find themselves neat or on the rocks more often than other spirits. Ordering one straight up can feel pretty classy, or even like a power move. So, if you find you like the brown stuff and you're leaning into bourbon, check if these premium options are available.

Lot No. 40, Knob Creek, Bulleit, And Old Forester Rye

Bottles of Knob Creek bourbon - Scott Olson/Getty Images

Rye is similar to bourbon in many ways. They are both aged in charred new-oak barrels, with nothing but water added, and many contain both corn and rye grain mash. While bourbon must be at least 51% corn, however, rye is made from -- you guessed it -- majority rye grain. Many of the same labels will make a bourbon and a rye whiskey. They are similarly used in many classic cocktails, and if you want a Manhattan, for instance, you'll likely want to use rye.

Jennie Wilson gives a shout out to J.P. Wiser's Lot No.40, a Canadian 100% rye, and her rye of choice for the bar at 11th Mile. She says it "brings a nice peppery note" to cocktails. Bartender Meg Messer also goes for Knob Creek, which makes both bourbons and ryes. Knob Creek is aged for 7 years before bottling, and "its high corn mashbill makes it perfect for the bourbon drinker looking to add a rye to their liquor cabinet."

Asked what he'd grab in the rye department, Torrance Coombs says his favorite is Bulleit rye. Bulleit is an American brand based in Louisville, Kentucky, that -- again -- makes both bourbon and rye. The bourbon comes with an orange label around their signature canteen-shaped bottles, and the rye has a green label. Go for the green, he says. It makes for a delicious old fashioned, sazerac, or whiskey ginger. "It's because the rye has a little bit of, like, a spiciness to it ... aromatic and kind of, like, peppery..." He gave another shout out to Old Forester rye.

Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey

shelf of Jack Daniels bottles - Jakob Berg/Shutterstock

Tennessee whiskey is not just a famous country song, it's another class of whiskeys that crops up regularly in the U.S. "I think Tennessee whiskey is just basically you've made bourbon but you've made it in Tennessee instead of Kentucky," says Torrance Coombs. In some international trade agreements, it is literally defined as a class of bourbon. Coombs says it's "similarly delicious and honestly ... I think Jack actually holds up pretty well." He's talking about Jack Daniels, of course.

Made in Tennessee since 1866, there are few alcohol brands more famous. In fact, when you google "Tennessee whiskey," Jack Daniels is just about the first thing that comes up... after the Chris Stapleton rendition of the song, of course. It was the first registered distillery in the U.S. Old No. 7 is the original Jack Daniels sour mash Tennessee whiskey, and it is "charcoal mellowed." The brand started introducing other products in the 1980s, and its flavored whiskies, like Tennessee Apple, Tennessee Fire, and Tennessee Honey, are now commonly available.

The square bottle with the black label is likely to appear just about everywhere. However, there are other smaller labels, and you can explore them along the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. You can collect a Tennessee Whiskey Trail passport to track your journey. Its website can help you plan a route and you can even win a prize if you visit all the participating distilleries. Did somebody say road trip?

Crown Royal, J.P. Wiser, And Forty Creek Canadian Whiskey

Crown Royal and diet coke - sockagphoto/Shutterstock

Canadian Whiskies as a class tend to be blended whiskies, and they're known for their light and smooth taste and finish. Some originally Canadian brands are legendary, and you may recall from history class how the Canadian distillers bootlegged to the Americans during prohibition.

J.P. Wiser (mentioned above) and Seagram's both began in Ontario in 1857. The iconic Crown Royal was created in 1939 as a gift for the king and queen of England. A blend of over fifty different whiskies, Crown Royal entered U.S. markets in the '60s and is one of the top selling Canadian whiskies. Formerly Seagram's Crown Royal, it was bought by beverage conglomerate Diageo in 2000, but it's made in Canada to this day from around 80% grain sourced locally in Canada. You'll often find it sold in its signature purple bag.

Jennie Wilson's personal favorite, Forty Creek, is a Canadian label that has its roots in 1972. Forty Creek makes several whiskies, but she specifically recommends its Copper Pot (now known as Copper Bold) whiskey. Released by Forty Creek in 2007, this spirit was meant to continue the distillery's mission of "pushing the boundaries of Canadian whisky." It's blended from three different types of grain whiskies, which are individually aged. The brand was acquired by Campari Group in 2014, but it's still produced in the Niagara region of Ontario. Wilson says it's especially nice "if you're doing like some kind of warm cider or 'an apple-y style drink.'" Come fall, bust out the Copper Pot and get cozy.

Bushmills And Jameson Irish Wiskey

Bottle of Bushmills bottle - Irik Bik/Shutterstock

Irish whiskies come from Ireland, no surprise there. Like Scotch, they are made from mostly malted barley with other grains like wheat and corn mixed in. When it comes to these whiskies from Ireland and Scotland, the term "single malt" refers to whiskies made from 100% malted barley in pot stills by a single distillery. Grain whiskies use wheat or corn, blended whiskies combine single-malt and grain whiskies, and single pot still whiskey is a uniquely Irish whiskey distilled from both malted and unmalted barley. They are all aged in wooden casks and typically triple distilled.

"Bushmills is our preferred Irish whiskey on the bar," says Jennie Wilson. Licensed in 1608, Bushmills has the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. Named for the Bush River, it's been triple distilling whiskey in copper pot stills for over 400 years. However, Jameson is the Irish whiskey in the dark green bottle known the world over. Starting in 1780, Jameson made its whiskey in Dublin and later moved to Cork, where it remains to this day. While it's not on the bar at 11th Mile, Wilson says, "Personally I loved it." Irish whiskies are the go-to for a hot boozy beverage. Irish coffee, anyone?

Johnnie Walker And The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch

Johnnie Walker red label - Ruslan Lytvyn/Shutterstock

The Famous Grouse blended scotch is what Jennie Wilson uses for her famous penicillin cocktails. Famous Grouse has been made in Perthshire, Scotland since 1896. Its signature blend is aged in oak casks at "a higher temperature to deliver a soft, warm depth of flavour, with bright fruity notes." It also uses different casks from different woods to make its special "cask series," and currently features one aged in sherry casks.

One of the most commonly sold and widely known brands of scotch whiskey is Johnnie Walker. John Walker started blending whiskies at his grocery store in Kilmarnock in the early 1800s. His son, Alexander, went on to create the brand and its signature slanted label in 1867. They entered worldwide markets and spread throughout the 20th century, becoming the most popular blended Scotch whiskey. Today, it is owned by Diageo and is first on the list when you visit the Our Brands page on their website. You can visit Johnnie Walker Princes Street, Edinburgh, and experience immersive tastings, cellar tours, and even Michelin star pairing menus. The brand features different tiers, or "labels," that range from affordable to rather expensive. The scale goes from Red Label, Black label, Double black, Gold label, Platinum, and at the top of the ladder is Johnnie Walker Blue Label. For Wilson, Red Label will do just fine on the bar. It's her basic blended scotch for making mixed drinks.

The Macallan, Dalmore, And Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch

Glenfiddich 12 and 15 - John Keeble/Getty Images

Scotch really is a whole world within worlds. Scotches are whiskeys produced in Scotland, and must be aged at least 3 years, though most are aged much longer. Interestingly, many Scotches are aged in ex-bourbon barrels. Whether they're made near the coast or inland can have an affect on their character. Many Scotches also have a distinctive "smoky" or "peaty" scent and flavor, which is the product of drying the barley over peat smoke during the malting process.

"Once you start scratching the surface it almost becomes like being a sommelier," Jennie Wilson says. For those looking to sip a scotch straight up, neat or on the rocks, 11th Mile keeps The Macallan 12, Glenfiddich 15, and The Dalmore 15 on the bar. We'd add Glenlivit, Glenmorangie, Oban, Laphroaig and Lagavulin to the list of must-know brands, but that list goes on and on.

Those numbers on the label refer to the number of years a Scotch has been aged. That's the thing about Scotch, more so than with other whiskies -- there's a great focus on aging. Whiskies take on flavor from the barrels they are aged in. Nowhere is this more true than with scotch. Typically, the older a scotch is, the more it's going to cost you.

Suntory And Nikka Japanese Whiskey

Hibiki Suntory whiskey bottle and glass - Mattias Westphal/Shutterstock

The Japanese whiskey scene developed largely thanks to Masataka Taketsuru, who studied in Scotland from 1918 to 1920. He apprenticed at several Scotch distilleries, and brought that knowledge home to the other island empire. Taketsuru worked for Shinjiro Torii at Kotobukiya Limited (Suntory), helping it build the first whiskey distillery in Japan until he founded his own distillery in 1934 and developed Nikka whiskey. To this day, those two labels are the backbone of an increasingly diverse whisky culture. Both distilleries produce many different whiskies, single malt and blended. While Japanese whiskies still tend to resemble Scotches in several ways, they have a reputation for being quite refined and can have a more experimental quality today. Distilleries produce many blends by working with multiple types of casks, fermentations, and stills.

Japanese whiskey has continued to diversify, growing in international reputation. "Japan produces good whiskies," Torrance Coombs says. "I actually haven't tasted one where I was thinking it wasn't any good, like they're all good." He recommends a newcomer to whiskey might even like to start here. Though the price of Japanese whiskey has risen along with its popularity. Now, whiskey production has spread throughout Asia. You can also find good whiskies made in Taiwan and India, though they're not quite as common in the average American bar...yet, that is!

Read the original article on Chowhound.
NYCs San Gennaro festival brings out many for Italian food

NYCs San Gennaro festival brings out many for Italian food

NEW YORK (PIX11)  The feast of San Gennaro is well underway in Little Italy.

Thousands of people were in Little Italy for the Feast of San Gennaro.

More Local News

Bobby here at Riris has been frying Zeppolis up for 18 years.

Its basically like a hot donut, Zeppolis we just add salt and sugar water.

Next door, the gnocchis are equally mouthwatering. Sicily-born Ivan Crami has opened Gnocchi on the Go here for the first time.

We make everything homemade, said Crami. From the basil from the backyard to the homemade sauce to the gnocchi.

Riris and Gnocchi on the Go are two of nearly 2000 vendors participating in the festival.

The festival kicked off on Thursday.

Saturday- Chef Anne Burell was the Grand Marshall in the procession.

Burrell said, The San Gennaro Festival is a part of September in NY like every year. Oh, yay, its that time of the year!

The feast is in its 98th year. Eugene Donofrios great-grandfather was one of the original founding members who brought it over from Naples. Hes on the Feasts committee.

Donofrio said, You have an Italian festival honoring a patron saint of Naples. This is history ok, and you have some of the best food in the world of all cultures!

For many businesses on Mulberry, its an honor to take part.

Its a community pride thing. A lot often the businesses that have been here have been here 100 years so to keep the traditions going, Olga Checo at La Bella Ferrera said.

If you havent been yet, dont worry. The feast runs until September 22 and runs 10 blocks on Mulberry Street.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Its finally confirmed, Shisha Pangma is open for foreign expeditions this fall. Yet climbers must respect the rules set by the China-Tibet Mountaineering Association for the Tibetan 8,000ers: no solo climbers and supplementary oxygen is mandatory from 7,000m.

They are the mandatory rules, outfitter Climbalaya explained. Climbalaya has a small group of clients from China and India heading to the mountain. Their group also includes Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, the Nepali woman aiming to complete her 148,000ers project.

We expect several other climbers with the same goal to announce their plans soon, as members of teams launched by Seven Summit Treks and Imagine Nepal.

Are no-O2 projects impossible?

Mario Vielmo will be among them. Vielmo is a professional mountain guide from Italy who has devoted over a decade to climbing the 148,000ers without O2. He only has Shisha Pangma to go.

The regulations established by the CTMA will probably spoil his plans.

I honestly dont know what I will do about the use of O2, he told us before departing for Nepal. I will double-check the requirements and, if there is no option, I will stick to them and will have to use supplementary O2.

In that context, it is surprising that Nirml Purja announced that he intends to climb the mountain without bottled gas.

When asked for comment, Purjas team told us that: Nims has all the required permissions from the relevant authorities for this exped.

Purja is back in the spotlight

After some months of keeping a low profile, Purja returns to his open-secret project of summiting the 148,000ers without supplementary O2.

This mountain has been the site of so much joy and sorrow in my life, Purja said when announcing his plans.

Indeed, Purja finished his record Project Possible on Shisha Pangma in 2019. At the time it was closed to foreigners, but he obtained a special permit from the Chinese authorities.

Last year, as the mountain opened again, Purja led an expedition that ended in disaster. His American client Anna Gutu died in an avalanche, together with her sherpa guide. Gutu was in a frantic race against Gina Rzucidlo (a client in another team launched by Seven Summit Treks) to become the first American woman to summit the 148,000ers. Less than an hour after Gutu and Mingmar Sherpa died, a second avalanche killed Rzucidlo and her guide Tenjen Lama.

At the time, Purja was lower on the mountain, climbing without supplementary O2.

Controversy

Purja was at the center of several controversies this year. Two female climbers accused him of sexual assault and shared their story with The New York Times. Purja denies the allegations. He also argued with many in the Sherpa community after accusing someone of cutting the ropes on Everest right before he was about to climb.

Purja also faced accusations of flouting the rules on Everest by using a helicopter to reach Camp 2. Purja claimed it was part of a rescue operation (one of his clients in Camp 2 was ill) but the helicopter pilot had his license suspended by Nepals Civil Aviation authorities.

The post Shisha Pangma Opens: What Will Happen with No-O2 Climbers? appeared first on Explorersweb.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  One person was hospitalized following a shots fired call in the Oregon District on Sunday morning.

Police were called to Fifth Street in downtown Dayton in the early morning hours of Sept. 15 after reports of shots fired. Additional backup units were requested around 2:30 a.m.

A sergeant on scene told 2 NEWS that one person was injured in the incident and taken to Miami Valley Hospital.

It is unknown if any suspects were taken into custody. The incident remains under investigation.

2 NEWS is working to learn more.

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 WDTN.com.
Disclaimer: All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.

RED RIVER PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  The Red River Parish Sheriffs Office asked parents to speak with their children about the seriousness of school threats after a threat to Red River Parish Schools was posted online.

According to the RRPSO, a concerned citizen contacted them on Sept. 11 to report an Instagram post threatening the school system. The callers granddaughter reportedly sent her an Instagram screenshot warning of a threat at a Red River school the following day. The post did not specify which school.

As the investigation began, the RRPSO implemented plans for additional patrol deputies and criminal investigators to assist the school resource officers secure all parish schools. The Coushatta Police Department also assisted with increasing security.

TikTok ban effort to be tested before federal appeals court

Allison Strong activated school lockdown protocols at all facilities and notified all parents through the Parent Square alert system. Law enforcement worked throughout the day to ensure the safety of everyone on the school campuses.

By the end of the day, investigators determined the post was a screenshot of a post on Snapchat that students began sharing with their friends. The RRPSO Criminal Investigation Division identified a 10-year-old suspect who is a student at Red River Elementary School.

Authorities said the suspects mother voluntarily brought the child to the Criminal Investigation Division Office on Friday, where he was taken into custody and transported to the Ware Youth Center. The suspect is facing charges of terrorizing and unlawful disruption. Juvenile court proceedings are scheduled for next week.

Investigators said the suspect had no means of carrying out the threat found and no evidence of a real danger to the schools. The investigation remains ongoing.

Sheriff Edwards asked parents to monitor their childrens social media accounts and speak with them about the seriousness of posting or sharing information related to school threats. They said anyone who sees a post of that nature should immediately contact a parent, school representative, police, or any other person of authority.

They warned that even sharing that type of information promotes fear and helps spread panic, giving the original sender what they want.

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 KTALnews.com.
A 10-year-old girl fell to her death from a building window in the New York City after she was apparently left at home alone, according to sources.

Police were called to 2157 Southern Boulevard in the East Tremont section of the Bronx around 8:45 p.m. Thursday on a report that a girl had fallen out of a building window.

The young girl may have been home alone when she took the tumble, and police said she had injuries indicating a fall from a high elevation including bruising on the feet, police sources told The Post on Sunday.

A 10-year-old girl fell to her death from a building window in the Bronx after she was left at home alone, according to reports. CBS

She was vomiting up blood when she was taken by private vehicle to St. Barnabas Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to law enforcement sources.

Sources also told CBS News that the girl and her mother had argued about using an iPad earlier that day.

The mother left around 4:30 p.m. for a doctors appointment.

When she returned home, she found the girl lying in the courtyard outside their building, the sources added.

Police are reviewing the surveillance video to try and determine if the child was supervised and whether she fell from a window or the roof.

Police were called to 2157 Southern Boulevard in East Tremont around 8:45 p.m. Thursday on a report that a girl had fallen out of a building window. TOMAS E. GASTON

The girl was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital where she was pronounced dead. TOMAS E. GASTON

On Sunday, a memorial with pink flowers, purple balloons and candles was set up outside the building where the little girl fell. her death.

One resident of the building for over 30 years said she called 911, unaware that her neighbors daughter was who she was calling for.

My son called out to me and told me to call 911, she told The Post on Sunday. I called 911 and they kept asking me questions. I thought something happened to someone who got off the bus with him [her son]. I didnt know it was my neighbors daughter upstairs.

A memorial to the girl set up outside of the building. TOMAS E. GASTON

By the time she got downstairs, the family had gotten into a cab to take the girl to the hospital, she added.

Her mother was very very nice. Decent mom. She lives above me. Those kids were kept very nice and clean, she said. Im sorry for the mother. I feel for the mother.

The neighbor added that the family was very private and the little girl was shy.

Sources told CBS News that the girl and her mother had argued about using an iPad earlier that day. CBS

The child was very quiet. I would tease her like, Oh, you look so you,' she recalled. She was a sweetheart.

The city medical examiner will determine the cause of the childs death, police said.

No charges have been filed, and no arrests have been made in the case.
19 Kids and Counting star accused of fraud, posing as licensed contractor in new lawsuit

BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  A former reality TV star is accused in a new lawsuit of pretending to have a contractors license and failing to complete repairs on an Arkansas mans home.

The lawsuit was filed in Benton County on Sept. 10 against Madison Holding LLC and Jason Duggar, who appeared on the TLC shows 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On.

Jason Duggar is one of the sons of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who also starred in the hit reality series centered on their large family.

Trump posts I hate Taylor Swift days after her endorsement of Harris

The plaintiff, Mark Thompson, said he entered into a contract to buy a home in Bella Vista from Madison Holding, with Duggar as the contractor.

The complaint said Duggar claimed to have a contractors license, but the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board reportedly did not have one on file.

The contract required 22 items to be repaired within 30 days, but after 11 months, most of the repairs were not completed, the complaint said.

Duggar is accused of not completing work in the master bedroom and bathroom, as well as failing to fully install the sod. The complaint lists various other issues, including the need to repair crown molding upstairs and fix roofing problems.

According to the lawsuit, Duggar acknowledged the roofing issues in April or May and said they would be addressed. In late May, Duggar allegedly said Thompson should pay someone else to make the repairs instead of him continuing to do so.

Your old iPhone could be worth big bucks. Heres what to look for

Alleged text messages between Duggar and Thompson are also included in the lawsuit, including the one below.

Mark, I have a question for you, Duggar is accused of writing. Instead of us coming back several times and you getting upset with me and me getting upset with you, what if I cut you a final check for however much you think its gonna cost to get these things? You sign a contract saying we are no longer responsible for any additional fixes on the home inspection repair list.

Duggar and Madison Holding are accused of fraud, negligence, and breach of contract and breach of warranties in the lawsuit.

Thompson is seeking monetary damages, which include the cost to make the repairs, along with Thompsons attorney costs and fees. The amount will be determined at trial.

Duggar and Madison Holdings have not yet responded to the lawsuit, court records show.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Firefighters continue to extinguish the fire that broke out after Russian airstrikes in Kharkiv, Ukraine on September 15, 2024. According to officials, at least 41 people are wounded due to the attack. Credit - George Ivanchenko/AnadoluGetty Images

Two people died in a missile attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, local officials said, as Moscow and Kyiv exchanged drone and missile attacks.

The Ukrainian air force said Sunday it shot down 10 of the 14 drones and one of the three missiles Russia launched overnight.

Oleh Kiper, Odesa's regional governor, said the two who died in the suburbs of Odesa on Saturday night were a married couple, and that another person was wounded in the attack.

At least 41 people were wounded Sunday afternoon when a Russian aerial bomb struck a multistory residential building in Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said, adding that the guided bomb hit the 10th floor of the building, with the fire spreading across four stories. Twelve other buildings were also damaged, he said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it downed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday over western and southwestern regions, with no damage caused by the falling debris. It also said another Ukrainian drone was shot down Sunday morning over the western Ryazan region.

While Ukraine and Russia regularly launch overnight drone raids on each others territory, Ukrainian officials generally don't confirm or deny attacks within Russias borders.

The latest attacks came after Ukraine made a new call Saturday on the West to allow it to use the long-range missiles they have provided to strike targets deep inside Russia, as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.

So far, the U.S. has allowed Kyiv to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russias border with Ukraine.

Kyiv officials argue the weapons are vital to weaken Russias ability to strike Ukraine and force it to move its strike capabilities further from the border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social media on Sunday to again appeal for a shift in the West's policy on the use of long-range weapons, noting that Russia had launched around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine this week.

Ukraine needs strong support from our partners to defend lives against Russian terror  air defense, long-range capabilities, support for our warriors. Everything that will help force Russia to end this war," Zelenskyy posted on X.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
The 2024 harvest moon is a supermoon and features the last lunar eclipse of the year. Here's the best time to see it Tuesday night.

This year's full harvest moon is also a supermoon, and it's rising early Tuesday evening.

There will also be the last partial lunar eclipse of the year later, Tuesday evening.

Here's the best time to see the super harvest moon and catch the partial lunar eclipse.

There are a couple of reasons to check out the upcoming harvest moon. First, it's a supermoon, meaning it will appear slightly bigger and brighter in the night sky than a typical full moon.

Second, it coincides with the last partial lunar eclipse of the year. So, depending on your location, you'll be able to see Earth's shadow sweep across a small part of the harvest moon when it rises Tuesday evening.

The best time to watch the super harvest moon and partial lunar eclipse

The harvest moon is the full moon that occurs nearest to the first day of autumn. It typically rises in the early evening around sunset, which meant farmers could finish harvesting their fall crops by its bright moonlight, hence the name.

This year, the harvest moon will officially be at its fullest on September 17 at 10:35 p.m. ET, according to NASA. But if you miss it on Tuesday, the harvest moon will still appear full through Thursday morning, NASA adds.

The best time to catch any full moon, including the harvest moon, is right around moonrise.

A full moon, also a harvest moon, rises past thunder clouds. REUTERS/Mike Blake

That's because the moon looks larger and adopts a yellow-orangish hue when it's close to the horizon. No one knows why this illusion occurs, according to NASA, but it makes for some spectacular moon gazing and photos.

The moon will rise over the east horizon around 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday for most of the contiguous US, but check TimeandDate for exactly when moonrise is in your area. Here's when the full harvest moon will rise Tuesday in the five largest US cities:

City Moonrise (local time) New York City 6:58 p.m. Los Angeles 6:55 p.m. Chicago 6:54 p.m. Houston 7:20 p.m. Phoenix 6:30 p.m.

Also happening Tuesday evening is a partial lunar eclipse. The eclipse will start at 8:41 p.m. ET, according to NASA, but you likely won't see anything happen until closer to the eclipse's peak at 10:44 p.m. ET, when the maximum area of the moon's surface will be in shadow.

A partial lunar eclipse is when Earth passes between the sun and moon, casting its shadow across a certain percentage of the lunar surface. The more the Earth, sun, and moon are aligned the greater portion of the moon the Earth eclipses.

A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth's shadow covers the moon. VCG/Getty Images

For this particular eclipse, about 8.4% of the moon will be immersed in shadow, per NASA. So, at the time of the eclipse's peak, you should be able to notice that a small sliver looks like it's missing from the top of the moon.

"The only impact the eclipse has on seeing the moon is that part of the moon will be dimmer than the part that is outside of the shadow of the Earth," Noah Petro, a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, told BI over email.

Tuesday's partial eclipse is the last lunar eclipse of the year. The next lunar eclipse will be a total eclipse on March 14, 2025.

Just about everyone worldwide can enjoy the upcoming supermoon but only regions of North America, South America, Europe, and Africa will have a chance to see the lunar eclipse. TimeandDate has a map showing which portions of the globe will get the best eclipse show.

The harvest moon is the second supermoon of 2024

If the full moon looks larger than normal, that's because it is. Marcos del Mazo/Getty Images

This year's harvest moon is the second in a series of four consecutive supermoons, according to EarthSky.

Supermoons occur when a full (or new) moon coincides with perigee  the point in the moon's orbit when it's closest to Earth.

But that distance isn't always the same value because the moon's orbit is elliptical, not perfectly circular. Therefore, supermoons vary in how much larger and brighter they may look.

In general, though, supermoons appear about 7% larger and 15% brighter than a typical full moon, Larry Wasserman, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Arizona, told Business Insider via email.

This photo shows the brilliant supermoon of November 2016. Anadolu/Getty Images

This year's harvest moon will be about 222,131 miles from Earth at perigee. To compare, the closest supermoon so far this century, in November 2016, was at a distance of 221,524 miles, according to EarthSky.

The next two full moons, on October 17 and November 15, will also be supermoons. In particular, October's full moon  called the Hunter's moon  will be the largest supermoon of the year.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Faith has kept the members of Wedgwood Baptist Church going in the 25 years since a gunman opened fire at a Wednesday night service, the former pastor and congregants said at a special service Sunday.

Sunday marked the 25th anniversary of the shooting, in which the gunman killed seven people and wounded seven others before killing himself in the church.

Chip Gillette, an off-duty police officer who ran across the street to the church to help when the shooting happened, is a member of the church who spoke Sunday. He said he became angry, while his wife became more religious. Now theyre both devoted to their faith.

Gillette looked outside his house when his dog started barking, a police spokesperson said at the time. Gillette saw teens fleeing the church and ran there, unarmed, and then rushed back to his house to get his gun and police radio when he heard the gunshots.

Former pastor Al Meredith said the church was heartbroken, but turned to God for peace.

News articles from the time said the gunman had a conversation with one 19-year-old man during the shooting, with the 19-year-old trying to talk him down and the gunman demeaning the religion before sitting in a pew and shooting himself.

Witnesses described the shooting to the Star-Telegram that night.

We thought it was a joke, Kristen Dickens, a 14-year-old who was sitting in the second pew of the sanctuary when the gunfire erupted, said at the time. We were singing, and he told us to shut up. ... I thought our pastor was playing a joke on us.

The shooting sent congregants diving for cover beneath pews as the gunman fired, stopping to reload several times.

A crowd gathers around Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth on Sept. 15, 1999, after a gunman opened fire inside the church. Eight people died, including the gunman, who shot himself, according to police.

The victims killed, which included some students from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, were Shawn Brown, 23; Susan Kimberly Jones, 23; Cassandra Griffin, 14; Joseph Ennis, 14; Justin Ray, 17; Sydney Browning, 36; and Kristi Beckel, 14.

The Wednesday night church service and See You at the Pole prayer event featured Christian rock group Forty Days, drawing  as it was intended to  many young people among the more than 200 worshipers.

The gunman, a 47-year-old man who neighbors described as a recluse who often carried a gym bag, also critically wounded seven others.

At the anniversary service Sunday, current pastor Dale Braswell told the stories of Israelites in exile and the destruction of the temple, relating it to the shooting, and the Israelites return to Jerusalem and rebuilding the temple, saying the younger generation had only heard stories of the temples destruction and didnt understand the pain of seeing it firsthand.

He said that for both the older generations and those younger, they were able to heal with time and faith.

This story contains information from the Star-Telegrams archives.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The community is rallying together after three businesses were hit by copper wire thieves this past week at the Rancho Towne and Country shopping center.

I know it happens, but I didnt know it happened in this area. Broadway is a main spot of mine and its just a shame people are trying to make money any way they can nowadays, Broadway Pizza Customer, Mark Abbott shared with 8 News Now.

The first was Broadway Pizza, and then just days later, New York Bagel N Bakery and Starbucks were hit too.

28 years in the same building and after all of these years, getting hit like this? Broadway Pizza Customer, Tammy Anderson shared.

Owner, Anthony Rossi said while its been a stressful week, with their AC unit still down, the amount of support theyve received from their customers has been tremendous.

Weve had people in the last week or so call us up and say we want to come down and get pizza because we saw your story and we dont care how hot it is, Rossi shared.

Rossi was in talks with New York Bagel N Bakery next door about different security measures they can implement to ensure that this doesnt happen to them again.

Las Vegas pizza shop without air conditioning after copper wire theft

Adding lights and a blaring alarm system is a must. We will probably do something together to bring our costs down a little bit. We did get one estimate of $13,000, but hopefully, our insurance will cover it, however, we have to pay a deductible, Rossi added.

Broadway Pizza was not letting a little warm air keep them from celebrating their 28th anniversary as it had a live band and a continued flow of loyal customers making their way through Saturday night.

As soon as we are able to have live music again. Its on. Get some good pizza and good music. Thats it. Whats better than that? Rossi said.

Its still unclear when Broadway and the New York Bagel N Bakery will get their AC units replaced, but Starbucks already has their AC back up and running. Business owners also shared with 8 News Now that after this ordeal, they would like to see round-the-clock security on the premises at all times.

Since October, over 100 miles of copper wire have been stolen or damaged in Las Vegas. The County in the midst of working on its first copper wire theft task force to combat this issue.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
A former Benton County sheriffs legacy continues to cost taxpayers three years after he was voted out of office.

The county is paying $45,000 to public records activist Eric Hood to end a lawsuit over some records related to a 2019 state audit.

That state audit found the sheriffs office should have a system for tracking the 13,700 rounds of ammunition found at former Sheriff Jerry Hatchers home.

Hood accused the county of withholding several documents including emails between the former sheriff and employees about the ammunition, invoices and new policies mentioned in the audit.

Benton County did not admit in the agreement to making any mistakes, but the Aug. 27 settlement came after a Yakima County Superior Court judge ruled in June that the county didnt provide all of the records.

The judge ordered Benton County to spend 60 days searching for more records than it originally turned over.

Hood, a Langley, Wash., public records advocate has been involved in more than 100 lawsuits across Washington.

Benton County attorneys tried to get the case dismissed by claiming that Hood is well known for making such vacuous claims.

He is a vexatious requestor with several public records cases open throughout the state, the countys attorney wrote in a motion to get the case thrown out.

Hood responded by admitting that hes made many requests, but theyve been geared toward making sure governments uphold the states Public Records Act.

(Public Records Act) compliance at many state and local agencies is simply terrible, he wrote in a declaration to the judge. Agencies all over this state have repeatedly failed to properly respond to a simple PRA request for records of a single recent audit.

County Administrator Jerrod MacPherson declined recently to comment further on the settlement.

Training ammunition

Hoods request was focused on a state audit that included a criticism of how the Benton Sheriffs Office uses an inventory monitoring system to manage ammunition.

While a county-based software system manages pistols, rifles, safety equipment, cameras and radios, anyone could request varying amounts of ammunition for training or on duty.

The county didnt have any paperwork showing how 13,700 rounds of ammunition ended up in Hatchers garage. Hatcher said he had the ammunition for practice.

Cases of ammunition were seized as part of a 2019 order in Hatchers divorce case when he was told to surrender all weapons, since his estranged wife had accused him of domestic violence.

Shipping labels on the boxes showed they were bought in 2015 and 2016 for the jail corrections division. At the time, Hatcher was the undersheriff and the sheriffs office also managed the jail.

The stockpile became one of the eight charges against Hatcher that were used to oust him from office during a recall vote. He was accused of intimidating witnesses and public servants in investigations, retaliating against them, tampering with physical evidence and violating his oath of office.

After several years of legal battles, signature collecting and campaigning, the voters approved removing Hatcher from office in August 2021.

As part of its response to the state auditors finding in 2021, the county commissioners recommended the sheriffs office track issuance of ammunition.

They also said they planned to implement a new financial management software system at the time and recommended the sheriffs office use it to track ammunition.

Hatcher was still in charge of the sheriffs office at the time of the audit and disagreed with the finding, claiming hed already ordered officials to track the ammunition.

Public records request

After learning about the audit, Hood made a request in August 2021 for the ammunition tracking records from the county.

The county turned over 183 pages to Hood by March 2022 but Hood noted several documents were mentioned in those records that were not included in the documents handed over.

The county hadnt turned over any documents about the new software and policies that they were putting in place. It also didnt include the sheriffs 2020 policy that was mentioned in the response to the finding.

I found no emails from Sheriff Jerry Hatcher to county employees (including commissioners) related to the finding or its resolution, Hood said in court documents.

There was only one email from the sheriff to county employees which only indirectly related to the finding, Hood wrote.

He also believed there should be invoices for the $130,000 auditing costs that were supposed to be turned over, as well as an audit survey.

He sued the county a year later in March 2023.

The county responded by trying to get the lawsuit thrown out by claiming Hood was not making the request in good faith and also arguing later to the Yakima County judge that it believed it had supplied all the documents that were requested.

The judge disagreed and said there were likely more documents. After that, the county agreed to settle the suit rather than face stiffer fines for being found in violation of the state public records law.
Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics.
A placard carried during a march in Paris marking the second anniversary of the death in custody in Iran of Mahsa Amini (Sameer Al-DOUMY) (Sameer Al-DOUMY/AFP/AFP)

Thirty-four women prisoners went on hunger strike in an Iranian prison Sunday to mark two years since protests erupted against clerical authorities, the foundation of Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi said.

"Today, on the 15th September 2024, 34 female political prisoners in Evin Prison have gone on a hunger strike in commemoration of the second anniversary of the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement and the killing of Mahsa (Jina) Amini," it said.

Amini was a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd whose death in custody after her arrest for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women sparked the demonstrations.

The prisoners had abstained from food "in solidarity with the protesting people of Iran, against the government's oppressive policies," the foundation added.

Mohammadi, who has campaigned against the compulsory wearing of the hijab and the death penalty in Iran, has been in Tehran's Evin prison since November 2021.

She has spent much of the past decade in and out of jail and has staged repeated hunger strikes.

"On the second anniversary of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement, we reaffirm our commitment to achieving democracy, freedom, and equality and to defeating theocratic despotism," Mohammadi said in a statement on her official X account.

"Today, we raise our voices louder and strengthen our resolve."

Mohammadi's children received the Nobel Peace Price on her behalf in 2023 while she was incarcerated.

According to her family, she was on hunger strike at the time in solidarity with the Baha'i community, Iran's largest religious minority who say they are targeted by discrimination.

UN experts last month accused Iran of denying Mohammadi proper healthcare.

She "was reportedly subjected to physical violence" in Evin on August 6, during which she "allegedly lost consciousness, and sustained injuries to her ribcage and other parts of her body", the experts said.

Iranian authorities acknowledged a confrontation had taken place, but blamed Mohammadi for "provocation" and denied any prisoners had been beaten.

Women-led protests erupted after Amini died in custody on September 16, 2022.

The protests rattled Iran's leadership that autumn and winter, but authorities crushed them, with rights group Amnesty International saying security forces used assault rifles and shotguns in the crackdown.

Human rights groups say at least 551 people were killed. Thousands more were arrested, according to the United Nations.

ah/srm
4 Alaska Airlines flight attendants were taken to hospital after reporting an 'unidentifiable odor' that caused plane to divert

4 Alaska Airlines flight attendants were taken to hospital after reporting an 'unidentifiable odor' that caused plane to divert

An Alaska Airlines flight diverted to Honolulu after four flight attendants felt unwell.

The crew reported an "unidentifiable odor" in the cabin shortly after takeoff from Lihue, Hawaii.

It's not the first time such an incident has occurred on an Alaska Airlines flight.

An Alaska Airlines flight from Hawaii to Seattle was forced to turn back after four flight attendants felt unwell and reported an "unidentifiable odor" in the cabin.

Flight AS810 took off from Lihue, Kauai, on Thursday evening, but the Boeing 737-890 soon diverted to Honolulu "out of an abundance of caution" after the crew reported an unknown odor, an Alaska Airlines spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider.

"After the aircraft safely landed, all four flight attendants were transported to the hospital for evaluation. None of the pilots and guests on board required medical attention," they said.

The Honolulu Emergency Services Department said that the flight attendants had shown symptoms of "nausea and disturbed coordination" from the smell, per local outlet KHNL.

The carrier said it had worked to get the 119 passengers on other flights to Seattle, adding that the aircraft had been taken out of service and was being "thoroughly inspected" by its maintenance technicians.

It's not the first time such an incident has occurred on an Alaska Airlines flight.

In June, an Alaska flight from Honolulu to Anchorage was canceled after two crew members reported feeling sick during the flight's boarding process, USA Today reported.

The airline said it had likely been caused by an "unknown odor," the report said.

In another incident in March, an Alaska aircraft traveling from Portland to Phoenix turned back when crew members and passengers noticed fumes in the cabin, per NBC Los Angeles.

Melanni Rosales, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland, told the outlet that seven people requested medical evaluations but no one was taken to the hospital.

In 2019, an Alaska flight from Seattle to Orange County, California, also turned around shortly after departure due to a "cabin odor."

Alaska told BI at the time that the flight's pilots and flight attendants were medically evaluated at the airport before being taken to the hospital for further evaluation. It said no passengers had been affected or had reported any symptoms.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Four journalists  Hadley Freeman, Jonathan Freedland, David Baddiel and David Aaronovitch  have resigned from Britains Jewish Chronicle following allegations that freelance contributor Elon Perry fabricated material used in nine articles related to Israels war on Hamas in Gaza. The newspaper is the worlds oldest Jewish publication.

The resignations followed an investigation conducted by the Guardian into wild fabrications in the articles in question. Those articles were subsequently removed by the Chronicle.

The Chronicle issued its own statement addressing the allegations, which stated, The Jewish Chronicle has concluded a thorough investigation into freelance journalist Elon Perry, which commenced after allegations were made about aspects of his record. While we understand he did serve in the Israel Defense Forces, we were not satisfied with some of his claims.

We have therefore removed his stories from our website and ended any association with Mr Perry, the statement continues. The Jewish Chronicle maintains the highest journalistic standards in a highly contested information landscape and we deeply regret the chain of events that led to this point. We apologise to our loyal readers and have reviewed our internal processes so that this will not be repeated.

Freeman wrote on X, To whoever is interested in such things, Ive resigned as a columnist from @JewishChron. Im immensely grateful for all the support Ive had from the editors during my time there, and enjoyed writing for it enormously. But recent events have made it impossible for me to stay.

To whoever is interested in such things, Ive resigned as a columnist from @JewishChron. Im immensely grateful for all the support Ive had from the editors during my time there, and enjoyed writing for it enormously. But recent events have made it impossible for me to stay.  Hadley Freeman (@HadleyFreeman) September 15, 2024

Freedland  host of the Guardians Politics Weekly America  separately announced his own resignation from the outlet in a letter posted to X that both Baddiel and Aaronovitch shared, with the latter adding, I have done the same.

He wrote in part, The latest scandal brings great disgrace on the paper  publishing fabricated stories and showing only the thinnest form of contrition  but it is only the latest. Too often, the JC reads like a partisan ideological instrument, its judgments political rather than journalistic.

Of course, all newspapers make mistakes and run articles that writers on the paper dislike. The problem in this case is that there can be no real accountability because the JC is owned by a person or people who refuse to reveal themselves, Freedland added.

I have today told the editor of the Jewish Chronicle that I can no longer continue my relationship with the paper. Here is my letter to him pic.twitter.com/H5FkXJnv16  Jonathan Freedland (@Freedland) September 15, 2024

The investigation into Perrys work began months ago when the writer, a British-based Israeli journalist, began contributing articles to the Jewish Chronicle.

Highly sensational, the articles purported to describe blow-by-blow Israeli operations  including what would be regarded as sensitive details  and intelligence purportedly gathered by Israel on the fugitive Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his plans, the Guardian reported.

Journalists who were covering the war doubted Perrys claims and could not substantiate them. The Israeli media also cast doubt on Perrys work and questioned whether or not the articles were planted as part of an effort to support prime minister Benjamins Netanyahus negotiating position over Gaza.

Investigations also determined that Perry had embellished parts of his own background and history, including his supposed work as a journalist and academic, and parts of his military record, were untrue or questionable. Editor Jake Wallis Simons was unable to explain how Perry, who had little to no provable background as a journalist, was launched into the position in the first place.

Obviously its every newspaper editors worst nightmare to be deceived by a journalist. The @JewishChron has cut all ties with the freelancer in question and his work has now been removed from our website, Simons wrote on X. Readers can be assured that stronger internal procedures are being implemented. I understand why some columnists have decided to step back from the paper. I am grateful for their contributions and hope that, in time, some of them will feel able to return.

I take full responsibility for the mistakes that have been made and I will take equal responsibility for the task of making sure nothing like this can happen again, he concluded.

Obviously its every newspaper editors worst nightmare to be deceived by a journalist.

The @JewishChron has cut all ties with the freelancer in question and his work has now been removed from our website. Readers can be assured that stronger internal procedures are being  Jake Wallis Simons (@JakeWSimons) September 15, 2024

The post 4 Columnists Quit Jewish Chronicle After Colleague Accused of Fabricating Stories About War in Gaza appeared first on TheWrap.
U.S. Capitol | Susan J. Demas

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

More than a half-dozen Michigan congressional Democrats received either a perfect or near-perfect score for supporting voting rights, while three Republican members were given zeroes.

Thats according to Common Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog, which recently released its 2024 Democracy Scorecard, recording every member of Congress support for voting rights, Supreme Court ethics and other reforms.

This years scorecard includes 10 legislative items in the U.S. Senate and 13 in U.S. House, including the

Freedom to Vote Act, John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and the Transparency Act, among others.

Four members of Congress from Michigan had perfect scores: U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) with a 10/10, and U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Detroit), Dan Kildee (D-Flint) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit), who each scored 13/13. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) scored 9/10, while U.S. Reps. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) and Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit) scored 12/13. U.S. Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) and Haley Stevens (D-Livonia) both received an 11/13.

On the other end of the scale, three GOP congressional members scored perfect zeroes: Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland), John Moolenaar (R-Caledonia), and Tim Walberg (R-Tipton), who all scored 0/13. U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet) had a 1/13, U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain earned a 2/13 and U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.) received a 2/13.

Our 2024 Democracy Scorecard shows a surge of support in Congress for reforms that strengthen the right to vote, take back the Supreme Court, and break big moneys grip on our politics, said Virginia Kase Solomon, president and CEO of Common Cause. The number of Members of Congress with perfect scores increased 100% from 2020, with 58 members in our 2020 Scorecard to 117 today. As we see the wealthy and well-connected try and influence our politics and our very livelihoods, we must demand our leaders deliver on the peoples pro-democracy agenda.

Common Cause notes that the first year of the 118th Congress was the least-productive first year of any Congress for nearly 100 years, a trend that has continued. As of August 15, only 78 standalone bills have become law, representing 0.5% of the total number of bills introduced. By comparison, about two percent of bills became law in the 116th and 117th Congress, and about three percent of bills became law in the 114th and 115th Congress.

With such dysfunction, it is not surprising that 78 percent of Americans disapprove of Congress, while only 16 percent approve, according to a July 2024 Gallup poll, said the organization.

Since 2016, Common Cause has tracked support and co-sponsorship of democracy related legislation, according to Quentin Turner, executive director of Common Cause Michigan.

Four of Michigans members of Congress earned a perfect score for their support for pro-democracy legislation. With this years pivotal election, we must drive these key reforms to the top of the agenda, so everyone is afforded an accountable government, no matter what state we call home, said Turner.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
At least 8 dead as heaviest rain in decades hits parts of central and eastern Europe

At least eight people have died after some of the heaviest rain in years hit central and eastern Europe, causing flooding and widespread disruption.

A slow-moving low pressure system dubbed Storm Boris dumped months worth of rain onto several of Europes historic capitals, including Vienna, Bratislava and Prague, over just a few days.

On Monday, heavy rainfall continued to pummel the region with red alerts, the highest-level warning, still in effect for portions of Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia.

In Poland on Sunday, one person drowned in Klodzko county and authorities advised residents of Moszczanka and Laka Prudnicka to evacuate after a dam at risk of collapse breached. In Austria the same day, a firefighter died in action, the fire department told CNN.

In Romania, two more people were confirmed to have died from flooding on Sunday, following four deaths on Saturday.

Rescuers have been working hard to rescue hundreds of people left stranded by heavy rainfall there. The effects were most critical in seven localities, Romanias Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu told Antena 3. Although teams managed to save 95 people trapped in their homes, the bodies of the dead were found in either their houses or yards, Predoiu added.

Around 5,400 houses have been damaged in the southeastern region of Galati which has been hardest hit by the flooding, Antena 3 reported.

Residents in one of the regions villages, Pechea, recounted their shock at the devastation wrought by the flooding. I have nothing left, social worker Sofia Basalic told AFP, describing how the gushes of water had entered the house and tore down the walls, destroying her kitchen appliances and killing her farm animals.

Factory worker Gica Stan, whose entire house was also flooded, said he didnt even have a needle left and was now relying on donated clothes.

Rescue services have been launched in hard-hit counties as authorities warn that they have recorded the heaviest rainfall in 100 years over the past 24 hours.

While rainfall is expected to gradually ease for some of the hardest hit areas as Storm Boris slowly heads south towards the Mediterranean, flooding could persist in already waterlogged areas.

Garages and a house flooded in the town of Kodzko, in Poland's southwest, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, after days of unusually heavy rain. - Krzysztof Zatycki/AP

Rising water along the Wien River during heavy rain on September 15, 2024, in Vienna, Austria. - Christian Bruna/Getty Images

Rivers have burst their banks in Poland and the Czech Republic. In southwest Poland, 1,600 people were evacuated in Klodzko county as local rivers reached record high water levels and broke their banks. Klodzko, a town of 25,000, was left partially submerged in water on Sunday.

Polands Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters Sunday: We have the first confirmed death by drowning, here in the Klodzko County.

The situation is still very dramatic in many place, he added. Unfortunately, these situations are repeating themselves in many places but some residents sometimes underestimate the level of threat and refuse to evacuate.

In a post on X, Tusk said the government would announce a state of disaster and seek aid from the European Union.

In the Czech Republic, authorities have been grappling with torrential rainfall across the breadth of the country. Czech President Petr Pavel warned reporters on Sunday that the flooding was still far from over with the countrys poorest regions likely to suffer the greatest damage in the coming days.

In the northeast, up to 80% of the city of Krnov is submerged under water, CNN affiliate CNN Prima reported on Sunday.

Since the beginning of the extreme rains, more than 10,500 people have been evacuated in the Czech Republic, General Director of the Fire Rescue Service Vladimir Vlcek told CNN Prima News

Water is flowing over the whole of Krnov. We estimate that 70-80% of the town is under water. The water is almost at the town hall. The square is two-thirds flooded, the towns deputy mayor, Miroslav Binar said.

A flooded house on September 15, 2024, in Jesenik, Czech Republic. - Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images

A destroyed car under a tree that fell due to strong winds at the Ruinov estate in Bratislava, Slovakia, on September 15, 2024. - Tomas Benedikovic/AFP/Getty Images

The swollen Biala River in Glucholazy, southern Poland. - Sergei Gapon/AFP/Getty Images

In the southern municipality of Benesove nad Cernou, authorities released footage on Saturday showing two women being rescued by boat from a flooded street after failing to heed mandatory evacuation orders.

In Germany, southern and eastern states in particular are preparing for flooding. Flood warnings have been issued for rivers in the state of Saxony.

In neighboring Austria, heavy rainfall has caused water levels to rise in several rivers and rescue services have been called out to parts of the country. Many municipalities in Lower Austria have declared a state of emergency as heavy rainfall continued into Sunday.

European Union chiefs have also offered to assist countries dealing with the downpours.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed her heartfelt solidarity to EU countries impacted by the flooding, also paying condolences to flooding victims and their families in a social media post.

CNN meteorologists Taylor Ward, Allison Chinchar, and Elliana Hebert contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
8 of the best cruises in Australia for 2024 and 2025

Australia covers plenty of ground, and its expansive terrain encompasses everything from pristine beaches to rugged Outback, coral reefs and cosmopolitan cities. With such a scintillating and diverse landscape available to explore by land and sea, its hardly surprising Australia is a popular cruise destination.

Whether its dedicated antipodean cruises youre looking for, or stop-offs as part of a longer voyage to other countries, weve rounded up some of the best itineraries to help you plan your travels.

From epic multi-country voyages aboard giants of the sea to Scenics intimate 228-passenger Scenic Eclipse II, there are a range of routes and a variety of vessels, plus trips that cover myriad interests and hobbies, from sampling Hobarts delectable oysters to some much-needed R&R on a secluded beach. Whatever youre after, youll find theres a cruise  and part of Australia  for everyone.

Princess Cruises: 7-day Queensland

Brisbane  Airlie Beach  Cairns  Port Douglas  Willis Island - Brisbane

Diamond Princess at sea (Princess Cruises)

Setting sail 10 February 2025, Princess Cruises seven-night Queensland round-trip from Brisbane calls at hotspots including Airlie Beach, Cairns and Port Douglas, and is a great option if youd like to get acquainted with this northern Australian state. On board Diamond Princess you can expect to enjoy everything from freshly prepared sushi in the Kai Sushi restaurant to the renowned Izumi Japanese Bath, complete with sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool. Off-shore excursions include exploring Brisbane, and discovering the Great Barrier Reef by catamaran with an on-board marine biologist.

Departs 10 February 2025. Princess Standard fares start from 624pp, based on two sharing an inside stateroom; flights not included.

Viking Cruises: Komodo and the Australian Coast

Bali (Benoa)  Lombok  Komodo National Park (Slawi Bay)  Darwin  Thursday Island  Cairns  Townsville  Whitsunday Islands (Airlie Beach)  Brisbane  Newcastle  Sydney

Viking Venues carries less than 1,000 passengers at a time (Viking Cruises)

Traversing both Australias legendary coastline and the Indonesian archipelago, Vikings 16-night adventure aboard Viking Venues is guaranteed to be an animal- and culture-filled adventure. From Komodo dragons on Komodo Island to jumping crocodiles in the Northern Territory, there are plenty of opportunities to uncover the diverse habitats of this exciting landscape. Highlights include an exploration of the Komodo National Park with a trained naturalist, as well as stop-offs in waterside Darwin and cosmopolitan Brisbane.

Departs 7 December 2024. Prices from 4,290pp in a veranda stateroom; flights included.

Princess Cruises: 16-day Australian Outback

Sydney  Airlie Beach  Cairns  Port Douglas  Willis Island  Moreton Island  Sydney

The Australian icon that is Uluru / Ayers Rock (Getty Images)

Kickstart the new year with an adventure aboard Princess Cruises 16-day Australian Outback cruise. Sailing on Crown Princess, this exciting deep dive into the Outback and beyond also features six nights spent on land in Sydney and Cairns, and youll also get the opportunity to watch the sun rise (and set) over the awe-inspiring Uluru / Ayers Rock. The cruise includes a stop-off at Moreton Island, famed for its pristine sand dunes and multi-coloured fish, and youll get the chance to enjoy excursions such as desert safaris, paddleboarding and snorkelling, too.

Departs 29 January 2025. Prices from 3,975 for an interior roomflights not included.

Viking Cruises: Grand Australia Circumnavigation

Sydney  Brisbane  Whitsunday Islands (Airlie Beach)  Townsville  Cairns  Darwin  Komodo  Bali (Benoa), Geraldton  Perth (Fremantle)  Busselton Albany  Adelaide  Melbourne  Burnie  Eden  Sydney

Cruising the coast of Queensland (Getty Images)

Take a tour around Australia and parts of Indonesia with Vikings epic 31-night cruise aboard Viking Orion that encompasses the Whitsunday archipelago, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne, as well as Indonesias Komodo Island and Bali. Fifteen guided tours are included in the package, as well as return flights from select UK airports. Its a great way to take in Australias expansive coastline, as well as a variety of seas and straits including the Coral Sea, Arafura Sea, Timor Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Bass Strait.

Sails 30 December 2025. Prices from 16,290pp in a veranda stateroom; flights included.

Cunard: Australian Literature Festival at Sea

Sydney  Hobart  Sydney

Start and finish this cruise in Sydney, one of the most exciting cities in Australia (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

For a cruise with a difference, be sure to book a cabin aboard Cunards Queen Elizabeth . Sailing five nights, this literary-focussed voyage sets sail from Sydney with a stop-off at Hobart along the way. In partnership with Australias oldest bookshop, Dymocks, this inaugural literary cruise will feature author talks and Q&As from the likes of Alexander McCall Smith and Paul Cleave, informative workshops, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the idyllic sescapes with your favourite book in hand.

Departs 11 December 2024. Prices start from 799 for a Britannia inside room; flights not included.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines: Australian and South African Exploration

Sydney  Melbourne  Hobart  Albany  Fremantle  Port Louis  Reunion Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)  Cape Town

The Three Sisters formation in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Forming part of Bolettes longer Exploration Around the World voyage, Fred Olsens Australian and South African Exploration spans 29 nights. Australian on-shore highlights include touring the Blue Mountains and viewing the indigenous quokka species in its natural habitat. Beyond Oz, youll get the chance to go in search of the Big Five at Aquilla Game Reserve, accompanied by wildlife expert and TV presenter Michaela Strachan.

Departs 3 March 2025. Prices start from 5,199pp, including a flight from London Heathrow to Sydney, a pre-cruise overnight hotel stay in Sydney, and a flight from Cape Town to London Heathrow.

Scenic: Australias Top End: Cape York & the Great Barrier Reef

Darwin  Cobourg Peninsula  Galiwinku (Elcho Island)  Wessel Islands  English Company Islands  Yirrkala  Thursday Island  Cape York  Piper Islands  Sandy Cay, Creech Reef  Davie Reef Osprey Reef  Cooktown  Port Douglas  Willis Island  Cairns

Australias Great Barrier Reef, the worlds largest coral reef system (Getty Images)

Scenics 16-day voyage aboard Scenic Eclipse II explores Australias diverse northern coastline, from the Cape York Peninsula and the Great Barrier Reef to the enchanting Piper Islands and secluded Sandy Cay, only accessible by small vessels. With just 228 guests on board Scenic Eclipse II, this cruise promises an intimate exploration of Australias northern tip. Its also set to steeped in luxury, with butler service for every passenger and six-star luxury suites on offer.

Departs 11 October 2025. Prices from 12,128; flights included.

Read more: The best Northern Lights cruises, from Iceland to Canada
Eight migrants die attempting to cross English Channel from France in rubber boat

Around 60 migrants cross the English Channel on a small boat, on March 6. Eight migrants attempting to cross the English Channel from France died early Sunday, officials said. File photo by OlgaAkman/EPA-EF

Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Eight migrants attempting to cross the English Channel from France in a small rubber boat died early Sunday, officials said.

The vessel with around 60 people from countries including Eritrea, Sudan, Syria and Iran got into difficulty in waters north of Boulogne-sur-mer in the northern Pas-de-Calais region, the BBC reported.

Authorities were alerted at 1 a.m. local time.

The boat was seen heading toward a beach in the town of Ambleteuse, the French coast guard said, but rescue teams could not offer assistance from the sea.

It went onto rocks where it came apart.

Care was provided to 53 people with eight confirmed deaths, the coast guard said. Six people were taken to a hospital including a baby with hypothermia.

"Driven by profit, human traffickers are putting more and more lives at risk, selling crossings in dangerous conditions on ill-suited boats," Jacques Billant, the regional prefect, said in a report by Sky News. "This is literally leading them to their deaths.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the BBC many people were "of course not able to make it" in the type of vessel.

Only one in six people on the boat had a life jacket, Lammy said.

"The boats are overloaded, of poor quality, underinflated, without proper flooring, underpowered, and lack life jackets for all passengers," Lammy said.

He said his government has been working with European partners to tackle the criminal smuggling gangs to deter small boat crossings.

French authorities are leading an investigation.

On Saturday, 801 people crossed the Channel -- the second-highest daily total so far this year, according to provisional Home Office figures. On June 18, 882 people made the journey.

French maritime authorities said 200 people were rescued over 24 hours on Friday and Saturday.

On Sept. 6, a small inflatable ripped apart on a failed effort to cross the English Channel. Twelve people died.

After that incident Refugee Council CEO Enver Solomopn posted on X: "Any serious plan to tackle Channel crossings must extend beyond enforcement. Crucially, it should include expanded safe routes, such as refugee vias, schemes for family members to be reunited and far better cooperation with European partners."

Forty-five people have died attempting to cross the channel this year. It's the most reported number since 2021, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration.

More than 23,000 people have crossed the Channel this year.
(NewsNation)  A former New York City police detective who says she worked at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks is now fighting cancer and struggling to prove her service at the site to secure her pension benefits.

Detective Sara Salerno, speaking exclusively to NewsNation, revealed she is battling triple-negative breast cancer that has affected her lymph nodes.

She still vividly recalls working at Ground Zero more than two decades ago.

The smell, I cant explain it, said Salerno. The smell that was in the air. We were all going, Thats death.

Salerno says shes been denied her 3/4 disability retirement pension by the NYPD Pension Fund Board of Trustees, which claims there isnt enough evidence of her service during the critical days following 9/11.

Ive been doing this for what, 14 years, proving my existence, Salerno said, describing her efforts to validate her presence at Ground Zero. She has submitted photographs she took at the site, along with corroborating accounts from colleagues and supervisors.

Salerno was originally found to have vocal cord problems linked to World Trade Center exposure, which qualified her as disabled.

She has filed multiple legal challenges, with courts consistently ruling she hasnt met the burden of proof for the statutory minimum presence at the site.

Why do I have to go and prove something that we all know happened? We were there, and were all getting sick. Diagnoses are coming, said Salerno. Whats going to happen in the next 10 years and all of these other people will start developing other things? Whats going to happen to them, my fellow brothers and sisters? Thats what bothers me.

Funerals held for Georgia school shooting victims

Salerno is not alone in her struggle. A lawyer for Officer Kim DiMartini tells NewsNation shes been denied benefits despite submitting photos, negatives, and even a helmet signed by former President Bill Clinton as proof of her service.

DiMartini was found disabled by the NYPD Pension Fund with PTSD. Her evidence also includes overtime slips, witness affidavits, and a WTC exposure report.

Despite this documentation, DiMartinis application was denied. Her appeal to the Appellate Division is currently scheduled for the courts November term.

What is it going to take for them to wake up and see that we were there and the proof is there? Salerno questioned.















The NYPDs apparent loss of its own roll call records from that period has complicated efforts by officers to prove their presence. The documents that show where people were have disappeared, Salerno explained.

Timothy McEnaney of Goldberg & McEnaney represents both Salerno and DeMartini. He said he believes there are easily hundreds of NYPD members in the same situation.

They all thought the NYPD was keeping those rescue and recovery attendance records, but in fact, the NYPD often kept no records, or, if they did, lost them or allowed them to be destroyed, said McEnaney. And now this failure is being used by the NYPD against those members in order to save the city money at their expense.

The denial of benefits has significant financial implications for Salerno, who has had to mortgage her house twice to cover expenses. Cancer is very expensive, she said.

Salerno expressed frustration and sadness over the situation, particularly concerning the future of her two children. I dont want to leave them with my burdens, she said.

Despite her struggles, Salerno maintains her commitment to service. There are so many cops that would just drop everything and do it all over again. And I would do it in a heartbeat, she said.

Its reprehensible to treat people this way, who have willingly put their lives on the line to save 9/11 victims and help the families of those heroes find closure after such grievous losses, said McEnaney.

NewsNation reached out to the NYPD and the head of the medical division for the NYPD police pension fund Board of Trustees for comment but had not received a response at the time of reporting.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
ABC host presses Kamala Harris ally on VP's false claim about active US troops: 'Why would she say that?'

ABC News' Martha Raddatz pressed Gov. Maura Healey, D-Mass., on a false claim Vice President Kamala Harris made during the ABC debate on Tuesday, and asked bluntly, "why would she say that?"

"There is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century," Harris claimed during the debate.

ABC News' David Muir and Linsey Davis hosted the first presidential debate between Harris and Donald Trump on Tuesday. Davis and Muir fact-checked Donald Trump multiple times during the debate but failed to fact-check Harris at all.

"Our fact-checkers found that to be false," Raddatz said during the interview on Sunday. "There are currently 900 U.S. military personnel in Syria, 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq. All have been under regular threat from drones and missiles for months. We also have action in the Red Sea. Also, every single day, the Navy SEALs, Delta Forces special operators can be part of any sort of deadly raid."

ABC's Martha Raddatz called out VP Kamala Harris for her claim that there were no U.S. troops in active duty in a combat zone during the debate, which is false.

CNN PANEL CLASHES AFTER DEMOCRATIC GUEST SUGGESTS DEBATE MODERATORS WERE 'HARSHER' ON TRUMP

"I think whats important here, Martha, is that Kamala Harris, in contrast to Donald Trump, demonstrated herself to be commander in chief. We are in a world where there are all sorts of conflicts, and its all the more reason we need somebody whos serious and who supports the military," Healey responded.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Raddatz jumped in again and repeated what Harris had said.

"You say she demonstrated her ability to be commander in chief, but did she not know about these people in Syria and Iraq? Why would she say that?" Raddatz said.

Healey argued that Donald Trump "stands with Vladimir Putin."

Vice President Kamala Harris during the debate in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

"I think thats whats really important. Kamala Harris, she respects our military, she respects our service members. Donald Trump calls them suckers and losers," Healey said.

Healey was also asked if Harris should draw a clear line on what restrictions she would support on abortion.

"She already did, Martha," Healey said. "What she said is, lets go back to Roe."

ABC's Davis admitted in a post-debate interview that her fact-checking of Trump was influenced by the CNN debate that went disastrously for President Biden in June.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Davis said, "People were concerned that statements were allowed to just hang and not [be] disputed by the candidate Biden, at the time, or the moderators."





Original article source: ABC host presses Kamala Harris ally on VP's false claim about active US troops: 'Why would she say that?'
Abcarian: Think Donald Trump isn't really serious about being a dictator? Think again

Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris seen on a monitor during last week's debate in Philadelphia. (Hannah Beier / Bloomberg / Getty Images)

One of the pleasures of last weeks presidential debate was watching Vice President Kamala Harris deftly filet former President Trump over his affinity for dictators such as Russias Vladimir Putin and North Koreas Kim Jong Un.

It is absolutely well known that these dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again because they're so clear they can manipulate you with flattery and favors, Harris said. Given a second term, she said, Trump would readily hand Ukraine over to Putin for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with  a dictator who would eat you for lunch.

In a rambling response, Trump repeated his dubious claim that Russia would never have invaded Ukraine on his watch and added that Putin has an arsenal of nuclear weapons. And eventually, Trump said, maybe he'll use them.

Read more: Column: What Donald Trump's incomprehensible word salad about child care revealed

He spoke approvingly of Viktor Orban, Hungarys autocratic leader and a MAGA media darling. Id like to give you an exact quote, but I could not extract a whole meaningful sentence from Trumps comments about Orban.

Trump has always flirted with the idea of autocracy. But now that flirtation has become a full-on embrace. He has threatened to weaponize the Justice Department against his political opponents, gut the civil service system to replace professional federal employees with loyalists, invoke the Insurrection Act to put down protests, reinstitute his ban on Muslim immigration and incarcerate millions of immigrants in detention camps.

If you dont think hes serious, you're in denial.

Read more: Abcarian: The incredibly long list of musicians who have demanded that Trump stop using their songs

Trump has already tried to strong-arm state officials into overturning the results of a free and fair election. When that didnt work, his supporters mounted a deadly assault on the Capitol aimed at stopping the certification of his loss to Joe Biden. Even before all that, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright called Trump the first anti-democratic president in modern U.S. history.

And, like most despots or would-be despots, he is sadistic, dismissing those who have given their lives for their country, mocking disabled people, ripping children away from their families.

To say that democracy experts are worried would be an understatement.

I consider Trump a very serious threat to American democracy, said Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution and the author of numerous books about democracy. He has repeatedly demonstrated in word and deed that he does not value democracy, does not respect constitutional norms, does not accept the results of democratic elections if he loses and only values the friendship of strongman autocrats like Orban and Putin rather than our democratic allies.

I met Diamond in July 2019, when Trump was 2 years into his presidency. He had just published Ill Winds: Saving Democracy From Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency, a disturbing look at the retreat of democracy and rise of authoritarians around the world. An entire chapter, titled The Decline of American Democracy, is devoted to Trump.

We can survive sleaze and vulgarity in a president, Diamond wrote. "We can challenge and reverse bad policies. But the threat that Trump poses to Americas democratic institutions and norms is unprecedented.

And, Diamond told me Thursday by email from Taiwan, the threat has only grown more serious, especially since the Supreme Court undermined the bedrock American ideal that no one is above the law.

He is much more unhinged now than he was when he ran in 2016 or 2020, and I truly fear for his potential to abuse presidential power and weaponize it against his opponents, Diamond wrote, even more so in light of the recent Supreme Court decision expanding immunity from prosecution for virtually anything a president does in office that can be claimed to be an official act.

One of the most distressing aspects of Trumps popularity is his supporters' willingness to accept a president with unchecked authority.

A February Pew Research Center survey of global opinions about authoritarianism found that about a third of Americans said they would support a system in which a strong leader can make decisions without interference" from legislators or courts. (Unsurprisingly, that roughly corresponds with the share of Americans who really want a second Trump term.)

Diamond has often said that democracies, with their strong protections for civil liberties and the rule of law, dont drop dead of a heart attack. Instead, they die slowly, incrementally, poisoned at the roots by the fear and anger instilled by demagogues like Trump.

"They say we lost," Trump told a crowd in Arizona last week, whining about 2020 as usual. "But we didn't lose. And we're never going to let that happen again in this country."

Pay attention: He's telling you exactly what he plans to do.

@robinkabcarian

If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
EDITORIAL: A moment of justice, perhaps, in the war on fentanyl
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is countering a right-wing smear campaign against Haitian immigrants in his state.

During a Sunday stop on ABC This Week, DeWine said "absolutely not" when asked if he'd seen any evidence of the claims, spread by former president Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance, that recent immigrants to Springfield are eating pets.

"That's what the mayor has said. That's what the chief of police has said," the Republican governor shared. "Let me tell you what we do know, though. What we know is that Haitians who are in Springfield are legal. They came to Springfield to work. Ohio is on the move and Springfield has really made a great resurgence."

Ohio Gov. DeWine on ABC says "absolutely not" when asked if he's seen any evidence of Haitian migrants eating pets and adds, "the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal. They came to Springfield to work. Ohio is on the move and Springfield has really made a great resurgence" pic.twitter.com/GuS8pNwilU  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 15, 2024

DeWine admitted that the recent influx has come with "some challenges" including traffic enforcement among drivers who might not be familiar with U.S. roads, but added that the Haitian immigrants are "good workers" who have "helped the economy."

DeWine's admonishment came after members of his party have spent the last week spreading baseless accusations against immigrants in the small city. Vance admitted earlier the same morning that he had used the unsubstantiated claims to "create a story" that he wanted to tell.

Since Trump and Vance shared the rumors, Springfield has suffered through a spate of bomb and shooting threats, which the former president has waved off.
Demeaning

I love cats. Most people I know love cats. Vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance spreads false rumors about cats being eaten by Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, and Donald Trump further promoted the idea in the presidential debate last week.

This unfounded claim is based on wild internet hearsay and has been refuted by local police and other officials. The issue is not that one preposterous allegation has appeared online, but rather that it has been given extended life by a major political party, including its members of Congress and candidates for president and vice president. Could this be part of their ongoing efforts to brand immigrants and people of color as those to be feared and hated? I guess they find their claims that immigrants are criminals, drug dealers, rapists and worse are not sufficient, so they resort to accusations of cat-eating.

Absurd. Can they possibly stoop any lower?

- Sheryl Rose, St. Louis

Poor KCPD

As I watched a squad car go by recently, I thought of the three Us regarding the Kansas City Police Department: understaffed, underpaid and underappreciated.

- Jim Dunn, Parkville

Left behind

It seems to me we are wrongly arguing a right to abortion in our country.

Certainly, there are circumstances when a pregnancy goes bad, as it sometimes can, and the life of the mother is at risk, when abortion is health care.

Certainly, rape and incest can result in pregnancy, and it might not be pleasant for the victims to endure, but the sympathetic thing to do is to help these mothers through their pregnancies and find families for their babies through adoption. Why are we letting otherwise healthy babies die for the circumstances of their existence?

Certainly, the legal system can be strengthened to make prosecution of rapists and incestuous fathers more successful and more of a deterrent. Why must abortion be the only answer to an unfortunate situation? Crisis pregnancy centers exist that help mothers through unfortunate circumstances of all kinds. Why are these groups not more widely supported in their work?

- Mary Bognich, Overland Park

Abortion lies

I watched the presidential debate and again heard the assertion that doctors and parents are killing children after birth. I looked up the statement Donald Trump referenced from the previous governor of West Virginia. He presumably meant Ralph Northam, a former governor of Virginia, who spoke about babies born with severe physical impairments, not about abortion. Northam said these infants should be made comfortable, with the parents and doctors discussing the best way forward. Nowhere did he discuss killing the baby. And again, it was never about abortion.

Parents and families going through this and having to decide what to do deserve better than to be lied about and used to manipulate people for political reasons.

- Thomas Kenney, Liberty

False fame

Im a bit confused when newspapers, TV networks and other mass media outlets elevate a previously unknown loser to a celebrity and then act befuddled by his motive  for example, the recent shooter at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. He has achieved his objective and set the standard for those seeking similar recognition.

- Larry Murphy, Kansas City

Just so sad

Its a rarity for me to agree with a white supremacist, but I feel Nick Fuentes pain. He erupted in anger recently after Donald Trump stated several times that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. In interviews on Aug. 4, 23 and 30, Trump said, He beat us, or used similar language.

On his podcast, Fuentes called this a tremendous betrayal and callous indifference to the sacrifices that his supporters made on his behalf. He blasted the Stop the Steal movement, which fed into the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, resulting in criminal charges against more than 1,200 Trump supporters. Fuentes also complained that it has led to lawsuits, indictments and disbarments for Trumps inner circle, and that it has caused himself personal and financial hardship.

Sorry, Nick, but Trumps betrayal was no surprise. The only question was when he would throw you under the bus. I guess now he wants to appeal to moderates and independents by disavowing the wackadoodle stuff.

Dont lose hope, though. Im sure Stop the Steal 2.0 is already prepped in case the wind shifts and Trump needs the far right again.

- John McDonald, Ferguson, Missouri

Zero trust

Denny Hoskins, Republican candidate for Missouri secretary of state, wants to hand count ballots in our states elections. (Sept. 11, 1A, Missouri Republicans call to hand count ballots sparks alarm)

I will say this: I trust the ballot tabulation machines far more than I trust the Republican Party to count ballots.

- Carrie Homstad, Kansas City

Response request

Thanks to Steve Paddock for pointing out Kansas Sen. Roger Marshalls constant blaming of the Biden administration when, in fact, Marshalls claims are often exaggerated and very misleading. (Sept. 5, 13A, Sen. Marshalls email should help Kansans, not just play politics)

I write to Marshall almost weekly and have received only one response, other than confirmations of receiving my email.

Maybe after Paddocks Star guest commentary, Marshall will feel a need to respond to his own unfounded comments.

- Alison Pearse, Overland Park
Additional security will be in place for Jan. 6, 2025 certification of presidential vote

A protester holds a Trump flag inside the U.S. Capitol Building near the Senate chamber during the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection. Federal officials are taking steps to prevent a repeat of those events in 2025. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Editors note: This report is featured as part of NC Newslines participation in Democracy Day 2024  a nonpartisan collaborative journalism project dedicated to exposing threats to American democracy and the importance of accurate information and citizen activism in countering those threats. Read more about the collaborative by clicking here.

WASHINGTON  The U.S. Capitol Police are welcoming a special security designation from the Department of Homeland Security for Jan. 6, 2025, when Congress will gather to certify the Electoral College vote count for the winner of the presidential election.

The last time Congress undertook the responsibility, a pro-Trump mob attacked the building, eventually breaking through police barricades, severely injuring officers and disrupting the process.

The rioters were spurred on by false claims from former president and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump that he won the 2020 election when he had in fact lost both the popular vote and the Electoral College.

Members of Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence were evacuated or told to shelter in place in their offices as one of the most secure buildings in the country was overrun.

Federal prosecutors have since secured convictions or plea deals for hundreds of the people who attacked law enforcement and obstructed Congress responsibility to certify the vote that day.

United States Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger released a written statement Thursday saying the National Special Security Event designation will further strengthen our work to protect the Members of Congress and the legislative process.

The United States Capitol Police has been preparing for the January 6 count, as well as the Inauguration, for several months, Manger added. We have made hundreds of changes and improvements over the past three years, and we are confident that the Capitol will be safe and secure.

National Special Security Events, or NSSEs, are somewhat expected for major events, like State of the Union speeches, presidential inaugurations and the presidential nominating conventions that the Democrats and Republicans hold every four years.

This, however, will be the first time that one has been issued for Congress certification of the Electoral College vote.

The designation means the U.S. Secret Service will be the lead federal law enforcement agency planning security for the event, despite it being held in the U.S. Capitol, where USCP typically holds the top jurisdiction.

National Special Security Events are events of the highest national significance, Eric Ranaghan, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Services Dignitary Protective Division, said in a written statement released Wednesday. The U.S. Secret Service, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners are committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive and integrated security plan to ensure the safety and security of this event and its participants.
A lawsuit brought forward by several advocacy groups alleges that four individuals in Alabama have been unfairly targeted by the states voter roll purge ahead of the presidential election in November.

The lawsuit claims that State Secretary Wes Allens purge program, a plan seeking to purge more than 3,000 voters in the state who had previously been issued noncitizen identification numbers by the Department of Homeland Security, violates the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), a law that advances voting rights and makes it easier for voters to register.

The Purge Program inactivates and constructively removes thousands of Alabamians from the active voter rolls shortly before the November 2024 general election and forces them to needlessly re-register in order to vote and be registered to vote, based solely on Secretary Allens belief that they were at one point issued a noncitizen identification numbereven if they have since become naturalized citizens and lawfully registered to vote, the advocacy groups wrote in the lawsuit.

The communications director in Allens office said that the office had not been served with a lawsuit as of Saturday. She added that as a rule, the office does not comment on pending litigation where the secretary is a named defendant.

The lawsuit also alleges that some eligible voters on the purge list were inaccurately added due to false information, which has led to them having to re-register to vote.

No American citizen should be denied their freedom to vote, and all Americans have the same freedom to vote regardless of where they were born. Instead of protecting Americans freedom to vote in the November election, Alabama is shamefully intimidating naturalized citizens and illegally purging qualified Americans from voter rolls, said Paul Smith, senior vice president of Campaign Legal Center, one of the advocacy groups.

Last month, several advocacy groups including the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama sent a letter to Allen criticizing the purge program and demanding it to cease.

We demand that your office and all other implementing state and local entities in Alabama immediately cease this program, and we further demand that Alabama produce documents related to the program pursuant to the NVRA, they wrote.

Story updated 9/15/24 at 10:36 a.m. ET

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.
(Getty Images)

The state motto of Arkansas perfectly captures the spirit of democracy. Regnat Populus, Latin for the people rule, reminds Arkansans that the true power of a democracy lies with its people.

On this Democracy Day, the Advocate is celebrating the launch of a nonpartisan voter guide to provide readers with the tools they need to participate in Novembers election. Our voter guide and special Election 2024 page are full of election-related stories, as well as information about candidates and answers to frequently asked questions about the voting process.

Well be adding more stories as our election coverage progresses in the coming weeks, but the first step in being able to participate in the democratic process is making sure youre registered to vote.

The deadline to register this year is Oct. 7. You can obtain a voter registration application from your local county clerk, state revenue office, DMV office, public library, disability agency, military recruitment office or the Arkansas Secretary of State Elections Division. You can also request a form through the mail or print a form here.

Have more questions about the voting process? Read on to learn more.

How do I know if Im eligible to vote?

To register to vote in Arkansas, you must: be a U.S. citizen, an Arkansas resident and 18 years old on or before the election. You cannot be a convicted felon whose sentence has not been discharged or pardoned. You also cannot be presently adjudged as mentally incompetent as to your ability to vote by a court of competent jurisdiction.

How do I check my voter registration status?

Once your local county clerk has processed your application, they will send you a personalized voter registration card. It could take up to several weeks. You can check your voter registration status by calling your county clerk or visiting www.voterview.org.

When can I vote?

Early voting begins on Oct. 21, 2024, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Early voting ends at 5 p.m. on the Monday before the election, Nov. 4, 2024. On Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, polls are open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. As long as you are in line by 7:30 p.m. you will be allowed to vote.

How do I vote in person?

Bring a form of ID to your polling location where a poll worker will ask you to verify your name and address. You can find your local polling stations by contacting your local county clerk or at www.voterview.org.

Who can I vote for?

Representatives for your area depend on where you live. Check out these interactive maps to see who your representatives are. You can also locate your elected officials with this district finder tool or at www.voterview.org.

How do I request an absentee ballot?

Request to have an absentee ballot application sent to you by contacting your county clerk in the county where youre registered to vote. You can also download and complete an absentee ballot application here. Then return this application to the county clerk where youre registered to vote.

When must I return my absentee ballot?

A voted ballot must be returned in person or by a designated bearer or administrator to the county clerk by the close of business the Friday before the election (Nov. 1, 2024). If the ballot is delivered by mail or an authorized agent, it must be received at the clerks office by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 5, 2024).

What if I have more questions?

Check out the Arkansas Secretary of States website or contact your local county clerk.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
AeroVironment's Switchblade drones are the US Army's latest big bet. See the small but mighty munitions in action.

Switchblade drones offer attack and reconnaissance capabilities in a compact, portable vehicle.

The US military has invested millions in the drones for precise air support with reduced collateral.

These kinds of attack drones have revolutionized modern warfare.

Switchblade drones, a loitering munition used for attack and reconnaissance, weigh under 10 pounds and can fit in a soldier's backpack.

Though small in size, the miniature munition packs a punch.

For over a decade, the US military has invested millions in the one-way bomber drone to provide fast, cheap close air support with more precision and less collateral damage.

Earlier this year, the US Army announced plans to field more than 1,000 of the largest Switchblade drones over the next year. Last month, the service signed a massive deal worth up to $1 billion to acquire more Switchblade drones.

Since its inception, the drone has enabled armed forces worldwide to adapt to a modern battlefield.

Scout to attack drone

Soldiers launch a Switchblade drone near rubble. AeroVironment, Inc./Business Wire/AP

Developed by American defense contractor AeroVironment, the drone was initially pitched as a scouting tool, launched from a 105mm mortar barrel, to assess damage in hostile areas without sending personnel on the ground.

While the surveillance concept wasn't approved by the US Air Force Special Operations, the tube-launched design was included in its future, more lethal prototype.

Funded by a $4.9 million contract from the US Army in 2011, the Switchblade was deployed in the US War in Afghanistan and used on a limited basis to counter insurgents during Operation Desert Storm.

Once the Army and Marine Corps became more familiar with the new technology, demand for looked to the explosive drone grew as a "more rapid and effective way to address threats they could identify from a distance," according to a Defense Department release.

Real-time reconnaissance from a distance

A US Marine monitors the visual feed from a Switchblade 300. US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Anna Higman

Like other drones, the Switchblade is equipped with cameras and advanced sensors for remote control and conducting real-time reconnaissance from a distance.

A miniature makeshift missile

A Switchblade 300 drone sits on the ground next to metal fencing. US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alexis Moradian

Unlike other drones, the Switchblade is also packed with all-electric explosives, which work with its reconnaissance components to identify a target and propel itself toward it, detonating on contact.

AeroVironment considers the Switchblade as a "tactical missile system," a nod to the hybrid nature of the flying lethal camera robot.

The drone's camera suite allows it to engage targets with more precision, resulting in a lower likelihood of harm to civilians. However, the drone is only as discerning as its remote operator, and it has been involved in at least one accident, where children were mistakenly killed.

Drone variants

AeroVironment's Switchblade drones are seen in flight. AeroVironment, Inc./Business Wire/AP

Since its inception in the early 2000s, AeroVironment developed two primary variants of its drone  Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600  each with its own set of subvariants.

Switchblade 300

A US Marine reaches out to retrieve a drone during a training exercise. US Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Sarah Pysher

Switchblade 300 Block 10C, the first generation of the 300 variant, measures two feet and weighs six pounds. With a range of just over six miles, the drone can travel nearly 100 miles per hour and loiter for up to 10 minutes.

Its more advanced successor, Switchblade 300 Block 20, is equipped with a warhead as powerful as a 40mm grenade. It has an improved digital data link to prevent signal jamming and a more advanced camera suite with a higher-quality video feed.

The next-generation drone is lighter than its predecessor, has a range of more than 18 miles, and can fly for up to 20 minutes.

The Switchblade 300 also has an unarmed variant known as the Blackwing, which was provided to the US Navy in 2015.

Similar in size to the Switchblade 300 Block 20, the Blackwing is designed to be deployed from a submerged submarine, surface ship, or mobile ground launcher.

Switchblade 600

Switchblade 600 is an all-in-one, man-portable loitering missile. AeroVironment, Inc./Business Wire/AP

The Switchblade 600 is the more upgraded version of AeroVironment's loitering munitions.

Clocking in at 33 pounds, the drone is much larger but features more advanced reconnaissance and attack functions, including an anti-armor warhead capable of taking out tanks and armored vehicles.

Built to be deployed in less than 10 minutes, the Switchblade 600 has a range of 25 to 56 miles, reaching speeds of 70 to 115 mph.

Deployed around the globe

A Switchblade loitering missile drone is on display at an arms show in France. Michel Euler/AP

The Switchblade has been used in major conflicts around the globe, most notably in Ukraine.

Months after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the US sent 100 Switchblade 300 systems as part of its multibillion-dollar security assistance to Ukraine. However, the miniature missiles weren't the most effective at taking out Russian tanks and heavy vehicles, and Ukrainian forces turned to commercial drones with cheaper explosives instead.

Earlier this year, the US approved the sale of more than 1,000 small armed drones  more than 700 of which were Switchblades  to Taiwan amid heightened tensions with Beijing.

As of July 2024, Israel also received at least 200 Switchblade 600 drones as part of US arms transfers to counter Hamas rebels, according to a release from the DC-based nonprofit Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

Armed forces from the UK, France, and Australia have also acquired the miniature loitering munitions for their arsenals.

Ramping up production

A soldier stands at a distance as a Switchblade 600 is launched. AeroVironment/AP

While Switchblade drones have seen use throughout the years and across the world, AeroVironment has plans  and millions of dollars in funding from the US Army  to ramp up production even further.

Last month, the Army awarded a five-year contract with a ceiling value of $990 million to AeroVironment to supply "an organic, stand-off capability to dismounted infantry formations capable of destroying tanks, light armored vehicles, hardened targets, defilade and personnel targets."

Charlie Dean, AeroVironment's vice president of sales and business development, told Defense News that the contract includes delivering Switchblade 600 drones to Ukraine, which has shown "considerable interest" in acquiring the anti-tank smart flying mortar.

Read the original article on Business Insider
On the Agenda: Eugene fees for stormwater, rideshare

Local governments are seeking community input on multiple initiatives this week, with several public hearings scheduled.

The City of Eugene will hear input on a proposal to create an accelerated version of its Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption that would focus on the "core" of Downtown, while also holding hearings on proposals to increase fees for stormwater and rideshare users.

Lane County will hold a public hearing on its method for finding a partner to construct a portion of the CleanLane waste processing facility. Springfield will hold one for a proposed re-zoning of a lot in Glenwood from employment mixed-use to light-medium industrial.

City of Eugene

ADMINISTRATIVE PUBLIC HEARING

When: 12 p.m., Monday, Sept. 16

What: The Eugene Public Works Department will host a remote public hearing on the city's proposal to increase Eugene's stormwater fees 5%.

To listen: Dial 877-853-5257

A sign at the display breaks down the uses of land in the downtown core.

Link: https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/j/89763000149

Meeting ID; Passcode: 897 6300 0149; COE24water

CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING

To attend: The Eugene City Council Chambers are the northern building on the former Eugene Water & Electric Board property at 500 E 4th Avenue, Eugene.

To watch: Meetings stream online at bit.ly/Eugene-meetings, the city's YouTube channel, and the GovHub Media app and are broadcast on Comcast channel 21.

To listen: Dial 833-548-0282 and use the meeting ID and passcode.

To comment: Fill out the city's request to speak form at https://forms.office.com/g/e65TJf4Spi between 5 p.m. and 5:35 p.m. on Monday. Written testimony can be submitted to the council by sending an email to mayorcouncilandcitymanager@eugene-or.gov.

When: 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 16

What: Eugene city councilors are scheduled to hear public comment on:

A proposed Accelerated Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption, which aims to expedite MUPTE applications for housing developments planned in the "downtown core."

A proposed increase in the fee the city charges taxi and rideshare users, from 20 to 50 cents per trip.

Link: https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/j/83453214560

Meeting ID; Passcode: 834 5321 4560; council9

CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION

To watch: Meetings stream online at bit.ly/Eugene-meetings, the city's YouTube channel, and the GovHub Media app and are broadcast on Comcast channel 21.

To listen: Dial 833-548-0282 and use the meeting ID and passcode.

When: 12 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 18

What: Eugene city councilors are scheduled to discuss progress towards the planned Eugene airport expansion and discuss and possibly vote on a new name for Striker Field Park.

Link: https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/j/87375960776

Meeting ID; Passcode: 873 7596 0776; council9

Lane County Board of Commissioners

To attend: These meetings take place at the Harris Hall at 125 E. Eighth Ave., Eugene. Doors to Harris Hall open at 8:45 a.m.

To watch: County commission meetings stream at bit.ly/LaneCounty-meetings, Lane County's YouTube channel, Comcast channel 21 and the GovHub Media app.

To comment: In-person commenters can sign up at the door. Online commenters should register for the Zoom meeting. To submit written comments, email publiccomment@lanecountyor.gov by noon Monday with the subject line PUBLIC COMMENT FOR MEETING DATE 9/17/2024.

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gLOSM6JSQ2yeOk1ieJGSfg

MORNING SESSION

When: 9 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 7.

What: County commissioners are scheduled to hear public comment followed by votes on a slate of Health & Human Services contracts and a contract with St. Vincent De Paul for a childcare program.

Commissioners will follow this with a report on programs the county funded with American Rescue Plan funds, a discussion on the countys Community and Economic Development Program, and a report on a potential federal funding opportunity to expand broadband access to more of rural Lane County.

AFTERNOON SESSION

When: 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 17.

What: County commissioners are scheduled to hear an update on Springfield's master plan for the Glenwood area and to vote on a contract to distribute the federal reimbursement to Lane County's local governments to pay for ice storm response and clean-up.

Next commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing on the county's approach to finding a developer for the county's portion of the CleanLane Resource Recovery Facility and to give staff direction on a proposal to legalize living in RVs on rural residential properties.

Springfield City Council

To watch: Springfield's system requires registration to watch and to participate in meetings. Use the links for meetings to register and get information to attend.

To listen: Dial 1-971-247-1195 or 1-877-853-5247 and use the meeting ID.

To attend: Meetings are held in the City Council Meeting Room of Springfield City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield.

To comment: There are instructions during the regular session for how to provide testimony.

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3Z-ON3AAQmqUg6tJXq3UIA

Meeting ID: 871 0201 0949

WORK SESSION

When: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 16

What: Councilors are scheduled to discuss changes to the city's annexation code and hear a five-year forecast of the city's general fund.

REGULAR SESSION

When: 7 p.m., Monday, Sept. 16

What: Councilors are scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposal to rezone a lot on Newman Street from employment mixed-use to light-medium industrial for use as storage for Atkore Plastic Pipe Corporation. Then they're scheduled to vote on invoking eminent domain for portions of the properties near the Daisy Street/ S. 42nd Street intersection, where the city plans to build a roundabout.

Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached over email at atorres@registerguard.com or on X @alanfryetorres.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: On the Agenda: CleanLane construction contractor
FILE - Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson presents her closing arguments during the trial of De'Marquise Elkins and Karimah Elkins at Cobb Superior Court in Marietta, Ga., Aug. 2013. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Phil Skinner, File)

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP)  Three years after a former Georgia district attorney was indicted on charges alleging she interfered with police investigating the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery, the case's slow progression through the court system has sputtered to a halt, one the presiding judge insists is temporary.

Jackie Johnson was the state's top prosecutor for coastal Glynn County in February 2020, when Arbery was chased by three white men in pickup trucks who had spotted him running in their neighborhood. The 25-year-old Black man died in the street after one of his pursuers shot him with a shotgun.

Johnson transferred the case to an outside prosecutor because the man who initiated the deadly chase, Greg McMichael, was her former employee. But Georgia's attorney general says she illegally used her office to try to protect the retired investigator and his son, Travis McMichael, who fired the fatal shots.

Both McMichaels already have been convicted and sentenced to prison in back-to-back trials for murder and federal hate crimes. So has a neighbor, William Roddie Bryan, whose cellphone video of the shooting triggered a national outcry over Arberys death. A court heard their first appeals six months ago.

The criminal misconduct case against Johnson has moved at a comparative crawl since a grand jury indicted her on Sept. 2, 2021, on a felony count of violating her oath of office and a misdemeanor count of hindering a police officer.

While the men responsible for Arbery's death are serving life sentences, the slain man's family has insisted that justice wont be complete until Johnson stands trial.

Its very, very important, said Wanda Cooper-Jones, Arbery's mother. Jackie Johnson was really part of the problem early on.

Johnson has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. After losing reelection in 2020, she told The Associated Press that she immediately recused herself in the handling of Arbery's killing because of Greg McMichael's involvement.

Johnson's case has stalled as one of her attorneys, Brian Steel, has spent most of the past two years in an Atlanta courtroom defending Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug against racketeering and gang charges. Jury selection in the case took 10 months, prosecutors began presenting evidence last November and they are still calling witnesses.

Senior Judge John R. Turner, who was assigned to Johnsons case, insists there is nothing he can do but wait.

If anyones concerned that the case is being shuffled under the rug, I can guarantee you its not, Turner told the AP in a phone interview. Its moving at a snails pace, but it will move forward eventually.

After Arbery was killed, Greg McMichael told police that he and his son had armed themselves and chased the Black man, suspecting he was a fleeing criminal. Bryan, who didn't know any of the men, made a similar assumption after seeing them pass his home and joined in his own truck.

The indictment against Johnson alleges she told police they shouldn't arrest Travis McMichael. It also accuses her of showing favor and affection to Greg McMichael by calling on George Barnhill, a district attorney in a neighboring judicial circuit, to advise police about how to handle the shooting.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr appointed Barnhill four days later to take over as outside prosecutor. Carr has said he picked Barnhill without knowing he already had advised police that he saw no grounds for arrests in Arbery's death.

Barnhill stepped aside after a few weeks, but not before he sent a letter to police captain arguing the McMichaels acted legally and Arbery was killed in self-defense.

After Johnson was charged, she reported to jail for booking and was released without having to post bond. Her attorneys waived a formal reading of the charges before a judge and she has yet to appear in court. The judge denied legal motions by Johnsons lawyers to dismiss the case last November. Court records show no further developments over the past 10 months.

Securing an indictment is just one step in our ongoing pursuit of justice for Ahmaud Arbery and his family," Carr said in a statement. "We have never stopped fighting for them, and we look forward to the opportunity to present our case in court.

Johnson's attorneys, Steel and John Ossick, did not respond to emails and a phone message seeking comment. They have argued in court filings there is not a scintilla of evidence that she hindered police.

Prosecutors responded with a court filing that listed 16 calls between phones belonging to Johnson and Greg McMichael in the weeks following the shooting.

Two legal experts who aren't involved in the case said there is no deadline for Johnson to stand trial. She hasn't been jailed, so there is little pressure to expedite her case.

Steel's prolonged absence because of the Atlanta gang trial likely isn't the only factor slowing the case, Atlanta defense attorney Don Samuel said.

Courts remain saddled with a backlog of cases since the COVID-19 lockdowns, he said. And the attorney general's office has a limited staff of criminal prosecutors with their own busy caseloads.

Samuel also questioned whether prosecutors have a strong case against Johnson. Even if she opposed charging the McMichaels in Arbery's death, he said, prosecutors haven't accused her of taking bribes or similar blatant corruption.

District attorneys have a huge amount of discretion to make decisions about what cases to pursue, Samuel said. The notion that were going to start prosecuting DAs for prosecuting or not prosecuting strikes me as really being on the edge of propriety.

Danny Porter, the former district attorney for Gwinnett County in metro Atlanta, said prosecutors like Johnson have a legitimate role in advising police on whether or not to arrest suspects before an investigation is complete.

As for Johnson's recommendation in 2020 that the attorney general replace her with another prosecutor who concluded Arbery's killing was justified, Porter said: I dont think thats a violation of the law, though it might have made them mad.
Hundreds of people faced disruption at the airport while police carried out "precautionary checks" [BBC]

Hundreds of holiday-makers were evacuated from Birmingham Airport as police investigated an incident.

Travellers were temporarily asked to leave a small area in the arrivals zone and gather outside just after 16:00 BST on Sunday.

A number of passengers took to social media to share videos and photos of the baggage area brought to a standstill while others reported being "stuck on a plane".

West Midlands Police confirmed the force had been alerted to an incident and subsequently carried out precautionary checks.

@bhx_official Birmingham airport baggage area right now. Nobody being let out pic.twitter.com/kAI6SxYEuM  Matt (@Mattipper) September 15, 2024

The X1, X12 and 97A National Express bus services were diverted "due to the entrance at Birmingham Airport being inaccessible".

A spokesperson for the airport confirmed they were aware of an ongoing incident and advised people in the airport to follow the instructions of the police.

Just before 17:00, staff began to allow travellers back into the site and the incident was reported as cleared by the airport.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

More on this story

Related internet links
Apti Alaudinov, the commander of Akhmat, a Chechen armed formation fighting on Russias side, is refusing to exchange Chechen prisoners of war in Ukrainian captivity, advising them to "wash off their shame with blood" and be slaughtered instead.

Source: Alaudinov on social media

Details: Alaudinov was responding to an appeal from his brother Kadyrovites, who were pleading to be released from captivity. [Kadyrovites are Chechen troops loyal to the country's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov  ed.]

He delivered a lengthy tirade about the disgrace of surrendering for Chechens, finishing up by advising them "to take a pen or a nail, pounce on someone," and do all they could to die fighting and "end their lives like men".

Quote: "Why do you think anyone should release you from captivity? I can free anyone in captivity, but not Chechens who surrendered voluntarily. To me, they do not exist. I don't care what you do with them; you can have them. I don't consider myself responsible for them because they've strayed from the divine path.

For generations, Chechens have held capitulation to be the worst dishonour. I have absolutely no respect for you...

I dont believe you deserve to live at all. It amazes me how you expect to live [with yourselves] after putting your hands up and surrendering like girls."

Support UP or become our patron!
George Brauchler is the former district attorney for the 18th Judicial District and is a candidate for district attorney in the newly created 23rd Judicial District. He has served as an Owens Early Criminal Justice Fellow at the Common Sense Institute. Follow him on Twitter(X): @GeorgeBrauchler.
This is Sheriff Dix, Ive tried to answer several questions on different posts and each time Im accused of being a liar, arguing with the family, making my deputies out as victims, covering up, or belittling what happened. Ive said I couldnt comment on it, but with all thats going on, I am.

For a fact, the person that started the rumor that Mrs. Mallory asked for an escort has admitted that it was a lie. Clerks in the Magistrate Office were asked, not a Deputy, and a Deputy was never requested by anyone to escort her. Video from the lobby shows that as Mrs. Mallory walked through the lobby, she passed Deputies and did not ask for assistance either. She walked out of the courthouse to her car that was parallel parked facing north on 6th St., and entered it. Mr. Mallory, who was in a second car, traveled north on 6th St. with the traffic flow, stopped beside her car where she was sitting, fired multiple rounds through the passenger side window of his car, and the rounds struck her. There were Deputies on the front of the courthouse and when they heard the shots they responded. Mr. Mallory by this time was driving off, and turned east on Solomon Street. A marked police unit got behind him and Mr. Mallory refused to stop. When he finally did stop, he shot himself in the head. He is still alive. Yes, in the past we have received multiple calls to the Mallorys residence. Both would claim that the other started the fights. On occasions where witnesses were present and interviewed by deputies they said they didnt see anything, or said it didnt happen like it was described by either Mr. Or Mrs. Mallory. On other occasions it was her word against his, or his word against hers with no marks on either except old bruising, or no marks at all. On one occasion when furniture and other items were damaged, both agreed that the fight was mutual, and they both caused the damage observed by Deputies. There was information given about services available to them for help and counseling.

Under Georgias Family violence law it says that the primary aggressor shall be arrested. If witnesses didnt see anything, say that what they saw was not what was described by either party, both parties say they both fought mutually, all marks or bruising appear to be old, and there is no physical evidence found, no arrest can be made. There were times when she claimed he hit her or pulled a gun on her, there were times where he said she got angry hit him, and shot at him. This was by all definitions a toxic relationship. In these situations where no one can be determined to be the primary aggressor, both parties are given information about contacting a Magistrate Judge on their own to see if the Judge, after a hearing, will issue a warrant.

On one occasion Mr. Mallory was in fact arrested by Deputies, but posted bond. We are tracking down who posted his bond.

He was at the courthouse, just as she was, for their hearing. From what we can find, the only people that were at that hearing were the Mallorys, their attorneys, the Judge, and a friend of Mrs. Mallory. (Who is the same person that started the lie about asking a Deputy for an escort). They are the only ones who know for a fact what was said and what happened. I cannot speak about a Judges decision or orders. No one is picking one person over the other or believing one over the other. No one is blaming Mrs. Mallory for what happened to her. We have to take facts and evidence and weigh them against the law in order to act. This is a horrible thing that happened and people are emotional and angry about it. Mrs. Mallorys family believes she did no wrong and he was bad guy. Mr. Mallorys family believes he did no wrong and she is the bad guy. Everyone else picks a side to stand with. Deputies dont have the option to arrest based on who has the most followers, thats not how it works. Do improvements need to be made to the law, yes they do. Maybe it wasnt a Deputy or my agency that failed, maybe it was the law itself. By the way, the Deputies that allegedly refused to escort her are the same ones that removed her from the car, tried to control the bleeding and tried to save her life.
One of Vice President Kamala Harris most devastating zingers in last weeks debate with former President Donald Trump was when she looked at him and said he was fired by 81 million people  Clearly he is having a difficult time processing that.

Harris was correct about the 2020 election. That year more people voted against Trump than against any candidate in the history of the nation.

On the other hand, Trump is correct when he says he received more votes in that election than any incumbent president in the nations history. The only problem with that is that in that 2020 election, Joe Biden garnered more votes than any candidate had ever received.

Biden defeated Trump by about 7 million votes.

Turnout of the eligible voting-age population in 2020 was 66.7%  the highest since 1900, according to Fair Vote, a national nonprofit promoting various voting reforms.

In Mississippi, the turnout compared to past elections in the state was high, but well below the national average. According to Fair Vote, the turnout in Mississippi in the 2020 election was 60.2%. And by the way, in the 2020 election, Trump received more votes  756,764  than any presidential candidate in Mississippis history. In 2008, incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran garnered 766,111 in his reelection bid against Democrat Erik Fleming.

This perhaps is an appropriate time to mention one of our funniest age-old political jokes: that the outcome of a particularly close election will depend on turnout.

All elections, of course, do depend on turnout. A candidates most basic mission is to get his or her voters to the polls. The only problem is that generally speaking, when a candidate drives up his or her voter turnout it also spikes on the other side.

That, in part, is why elections often turn so negative. It is part of the effort to depress the opponents turnout.

The question this election cycle is will people turn out to vote at as high a rate as is in 2020?

Will Trump garner as many votes as he did in 2020  more than 74 million  the second most in the nations history? Can Harris in 2024 match what Biden did in 2020  more than 81 million votes?

In other words, will voter interest or enthusiasm be as high on each side as it was in 2020? A drop on either side most likely will portend the winner of the November election.

There you go  the old joke again.

In Mississippi, turnout was high in 2020 but much lower than the national average.

But there is a reason to believe that turnout might be higher in Mississippi this November. The two Democrats winning the most votes in federal elections in Mississippi history were Black candidates: Mike Espy in his unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid against Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in 2020 and President Barack Obama in 2012. Espy captured 578,619 votes in losing to Hyde-Smith by 10% in 2020. In his successful reelection in 2012, Obama received 562,949 in Mississippi, or about 11.5% less than Republican Mitt Romney.

Minnesota generally is the state with the highest turnout, hovering near 80%  almost 20% higher than the turnout in Mississippi.

If Mississippians come out to vote at the same level as Minnesotans in 2024, that would mean almost 260,000 more people would vote in 2024 than in 2020.

That could be enough votes to give the Democratic presidential nominee a victory in Mississippi for the first time since 1976.

Of course, that victory would only occur if Harris could ensure those extra votes were mostly her supporters.

After all, its all about the turnout.

This analysis was produced by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization that covers state government, public policy, politics and culture. Bobby Harrison is Mississippi Todays senior Capitol reporter.
Homes and downtown Anchorage buildings are seen from Westchester Lagoon on May 6, 2020. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Anchorage Daily News owner Ryan Binkley declined to recognize a nascent newsroom union on Thursday.

Newsroom staff announced their intention to unionize on Tuesday. They are asking for fair wages, financial transparency and a sustainable workplace environment at the states most widely read newspaper.

In a letter, Binkley wrote that management believes employees should have an opportunity to decide whether they wish to be represented by the Anchorage News Guild in a free and fair secret ballot election conducted by the (National Labor Relations Board). He did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Unionizing staff said the refusal delays the beginning of contract negotiations by a few weeks because employees must formally vote to unionize. Fifty percent of the eligible staff plus one vote must be in favor.

Guild members foresee no problem achieving that: Sixteen of 20 newsroom staff have publicly supported the move to unionize and signed union authorization cards, a necessary first step to organizing a union.

In a news release, Anchorage News Guild members said the decision fails to honor the voices of the hard-working staff of the ADN newsroom.

Employees are working with a union lawyer who is in communication with ADNs lawyers, the California-based law firm Littler Mendelson. Anchorage News Guild criticized management for spending time and money on a national firm with a reputation as a union buster.

ADN employee and Anchorage News Guild member Megan Pacer said she was disappointed in the decision from newspaper leadership, but it isnt stopping the unionization effort.

We were prepared for this. We were prepared for either reaction. I think some of us may have been surprised. Some of us were certainly disappointed, she said.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Animal rights activists are calling for the release of an orca who has been living in Argentina's largest aquarium for over 30 years.

The orca named Kshamenk, pronounced Shamenk, is the last captive orca in all of Latin America, living in Buenos Aires' Mundo Marino aquarium since his rescue in 1992.

Recently, viral drone footage showing Kshamenk lying almost motionless in his small concrete pool has brought renewed attention to the fate of the lone orca, with thousands around the world calling for him to be released from captivity.

"Time is not on Kshamenk's side," Canadian whistleblowing organization Urgent Seas, which has been leading the campaign for Kshamenk's release, told ABC News. "The recent deaths of solitary orcas highlight the despair social animals such as Orcas feel when not living in their proper families or with members of their own species."

"To witness their mental healths decline is gut-wrenching  as we are seeing with Kshamenk," Urgent Seas said in its statement.

PHOTO: In this screen grab from a video posted to social media, Kshamenk, an orca, is shown in his smal concrete tank at the Mundo Marino in Argentina. (Urgentseas/iktok)

In November 1992, three fishermen sailed from San Clemente del Tuyu, a town on Argentina's Atlantic coast, to embark on a normal day of sea fishing, according to Mundo Marino's biography of Kshamenk. A few hours into their trip, the fishermen spotted four black figures lying near the coast in a marshy area of Samborombon Bay, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.

The figures turned out to be four stranded orcas that had become trapped on a muddy bank.

One of the orcas was Kshamenk  then approximately 3 years old  found by rescue teams in "critical condition" and "showing various signs of weakness" including being "severely decompensated, dehydrated' and with "very altered blood parameters," according to the biography.

The group of orcas was presumed by rescuers to have been stranded for approximately two days, becoming stuck in the sand on a mud bank after chasing a school of fish during a higher tide.

After consultation with local authorities, it was considered the "best thing" for the young orca to remain in the care of the Mundo Marino team following rehabilitation, according to the aquarium. The aquarium said specialists who evaluated Kshamenk's physical and mental health "reject the possibility of transfer" because it would "seriously put her well-being and life at risk."

According to testimonies of fishermen, it is believed the other three orcas were able to swim back into the sea the next day as the water level rose.

Kshamenk is estimated to be around 35 years old, Mundo Marino told ABC News. He is one of at least 54 orcas currently being kept in captivity in marine parks around the world, according to the International Marine Mammal Project.

Online petitions to free Kshamenk have garnered tens of thousands of signatures, videos posted on TikTok and Instagram shining light on the plight of the orca  which has lived for years without orca companionship - amassing hundreds of thousands of views.

Munro Marino described Kshamenk as a "healthy, curious, active [and] affectionate Orca who enjoys playing and doing activities with her keepers." On the orca's health, Mundo Marino said Kshamenk is in "excellent health".

"His survival would depend on both being accepted by a new pod of orcas and being able to hunt independently, both of which are highly unlikely," Mundo Marino said in a statement sent to ABC News.

"We are aware of what some activist groups believe about a hypothetical reintroduction; we respect their position, but the reality is that this is a proposal without a consistent scientific basis. It is impossible for Kshamenk to return to the sea without putting his life at serious risk."

PHOTO: In this screen grab from Google Maps Street View, Mundo Marino Aquarium is shown in San Clemente del Tuyu, Argentina. (Google Maps Street View)

Scientific studies on orcas have found captivity can have "harmful effects' on the marine mammals. "The scientific data on how both wild-caught and captive-born orcas fare in captivity are increasingly robust in demonstrating that they cannot thrive under artificial circumstances in concrete tanks," a study by the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of New Mexico found.

"In captivity, orcas exhibit a wide range of abnormal behaviors and often die at an early age from infections and other health conditions that are uncommon in a wild setting."

Campaigners are calling for the passing of a Kshamenk Law  known as Ley Kshamek in Spanish  a bill that calls for the "prohibition and sanctioning of shows with while marine animals' and their exhibition or captivity without rehabilitation and reinsertion or reintegration purposes."

"The time is now," Urgent Seas told ABC News.

Animal rights group calls for release of Argentina's last captive orca originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA)  The Hispanic Heritage Festival has continued to celebrate and highlight the beauty of the culture for 25 years.

This year, crafts, music, and food filled Fluor Field. Organizers said that the event showcases 15 different Hispanic countries.

Hispanic Heritage month begins on Sunday, September 15, and each year the American Hispanic Womens Association kicks off the month with the Hispanic Heritage Festival.



We want to promote all of our diversity as Latins. We want to make sure the public understands how rich we are and to come and enjoy our delicious dishes, food, music and authentic crafts, Patricia Vivas, with the AHAM said. We can showcase our culture, so we have countries like Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, both central and south America and even some parts of Spain.

There is a table for each country represented, where attendees can stop by and experience what the specified country is best known for.

Organizers said that this was the third year the festival has been held at Fluor Field.

The event proceeds go towards funding educational scholarships for Hispanic students pursuing higher education.

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 WSPA 7NEWS.
Lila Rose told her followers last month Trump had made it "impossible" to support him [Lila Rose/YouTube]

Among the more than 67 million people who tuned in to the first US presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris was Lila Rose.

The young and charismatic founder of the anti-abortion group Live Action had hoped for big things from the Republican candidate: a bold display of anti-abortion beliefs and a promise to turn those beliefs into law.

She was quickly disappointed. While Trump criticised Democrats extreme abortion policies, he refused to take a position on a national ban, saying instead that the issue should be left to the states.

And he called himself a leader on IVF, putting himself at odds with Ms Rose and many in her movement, who oppose the procedure because it often involves destroying embryos.

It was painful to watch, Ms Rose said of Trumps performance.

Ms Rose, 36, had always had reservations about Trumps anti-abortion bona fides, after years of shifting positions (including previously declaring himself pro-choice) and his openness to what she called concerning compromises. But she, like most in her movement, had been encouraged by his first term and the three Trump-appointed Supreme Court nominees who went on to overturn Roe v Wade and end the nationwide right to abortion.

Then Trump changed course, and her disillusionment with the former president swelled. Now on his third White House run, Trump seems to be working to appeal to all sides.

He hinted he would sign federal abortion legislation, before later walking it back. He called the state-wide restrictions that came into place after Roe v Wade fell a beautiful thing. But later, he said abortion bans early in pregnancy went too far, suggesting Republican candidates needed to be moderate enough on the issue to win elections.

This summer, during the Democratic National Convention, the former president posted a statement online saying his future administration would be great for women and their reproductive rights - language typically used by pro-choice activists.

By late August, Ms Rose had had enough, telling her more than one million followers that Trump was making it impossible to vote for him.

In his first term in office, Donald Trump embraced the pro-life movement [Getty Images]

Its very clear that Trump is less pro-abortion than Kamala Harris, she told the BBC on Thursday. But our movements goal is not just to accept whatever the least worst candidate is and show up for them. Our goal is to help candidates who are going to be fighters for the pre-born.

One of the most prominent leaders in the anti-abortion movement, Ms Roses defection signals a potential problem with Trumps new strategy. As Trump attempts to moderate on abortion, he risks alienating some within his socially conservative base. And in an election that may be decided by a razor-thin margin, if those voters stay home in November it could cost Trump the White House.

When a strategy like that works, you can kind of be anything to everyone, said Mary Ziegler, a legal historian and expert on the US abortion debate. And when it stops working you wind up being nothing to everyone.

His campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump in 2016, and again in 2020, had held social conservatives close. He embraced anti-abortion activists and championed their movement, becoming the first sitting president to attend the March for Life, the countrys largest annual anti-abortion demonstration.

He delivered for social conservatives in a way that few Republican presidents ever had, Ms Ziegler said.

Trump, I think, always understood with his first two races that he would be politically dead in the water without the movement, she said. So there was much more catering to them.

In return, these voters turned out overwhelmingly for Trump. In 2020, the former president claimed 84% of white evangelical Christians - some of the most socially conservative voters in the country - up from the already high 77% in 2016.

But Trump was reportedly spooked by his partys underperformance in the 2022 midterm elections - which he and many analysts attributed to the fall of Roe v Wade - and aware of the broad public support for abortion access. So, this time around, Trump has seemed to soften on the issue.

By the time the Republican primary elections began at the start of the year, he had started to criticise six-week abortion bans, promising to find a national standard that would please everyone. Both sides are going to like me, he said last year.

And over the summer, confronted with more questions about what his White House would do on abortion, Trump could not settle on an answer.

He indicated he wanted a national standard for abortion but has since backed away from any commitment. He said he believed in states authority over abortion policy but intervened in several state battles over abortion, often in opposition to social conservatives.

He came out against Floridas six-week abortion ban, saying you need more than six weeks and appeared to signal he would vote for a November referendum that would protect abortion in the state. A day later, after intense pressure from anti-abortion activists, he said he would vote against it.

These contortions have strained relationships with key anti-abortion allies.

Its disconcerting for our students and for our movement, said Kristan Hawkins, head of Students for Life, one of the largest anti-abortion organisations in the country. And what Ive conveyed to the campaign personally is that this strategy is not a winning strategy.

A growing number of voices within the social conservative movement have started to say the same: that by playing to the middle on abortion, Trump may lose must-win voters, without actually attracting anyone new.

The frustration for pro-lifers is that Trump is saying things he thinks might ultimately reach more moderate voters, which frankly is not going to work, said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of the Florida-based anti-abortion group Liberty Counsel. And in doing that youre causing consternation among other voters who are otherwise with you. Theres no point for him engaging in this.

There is no indication that Trump is facing any wide-scale exodus of social conservatives from his party, and both Mr Staver and Ms Hawkins said they would still be casting their ballots for Trump.

But in an election that could hinge on a narrow slice of voters, in just a handful of states, some experts say Trumps abortion wavering could still cost him the election.

John Feehery, a Republican strategist, estimated that some 80% of white evangelical Christians - who make up about 14% of the American electorate - need to turn out for Trump to deliver him a win.

I dont think theres a danger of white evangelicals voting for Harris, I think theres a real danger of them not voting, Mr Feehery said, adding that 10,000 votes could be enough to tip the scales.

Former President Trump faces an electorate that broadly supports abortion access [Getty Images]

That risk could explain the reticence of most anti-abortion leaders to talk publicly about abandoning the Republican candidate.

Indeed, some in the movement have expressed frustration with Ms Roses position, saying that while Trump is not the ideal candidate, he is still better for their cause than any Democratic opponent.

Ms Hawkins of Students for Life has begun to focus her messaging, increasingly, on Harris, telling followers that the harm her administration could do - in the number of abortions alone - would eclipse any missteps by Trump.

I know well be able to work with his administration, she said. When you believe, as pro-life activists do, that babies are dying that have a right to be born, I dont feel I can morally take a position of sitting this out.

But Ms Rose has shrugged off any criticism that her position may inadvertently assist Harris, and her decidedly pro-choice agenda. For her, good enough is not good enough when it comes to abortion, and to Donald Trump.

I know its painful for a lot of you guys to hear this, people that want to go out and vote cheerfully for Trump because Kamala Harris is such a disaster but we have to tell the truth, she told followers the morning after the debate.

Abortion is the intentional killing of an innocent child," she said. "We need to oppose it loudly.
Get Loud Arkansas hosted a rally outside the state Capitol on April 23, 2024 following the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners' decision to limit the use of electronic signatures on voter registration applications. (Sonny Albarado/Arkansas Advocate)

Arkansas officials can again implement a new wet signature rule that limits the use of electronic signatures on voter registration forms after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit granted a temporary administrative stay Friday evening.

State lawmakers in May approved an emergency rule drafted by the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners that requires a wet signature, meaning signing with a pen, on voter registration applications unless theyre completed at state agencies, like the DMV.

In June, voter advocacy group Get Loud Arkansas challenged the rule with a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas against Secretary of State John Thurston, the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners and the county clerks of Benton, Pulaski and Washington counties.

Additional plaintiffs include Vote.Org, a national voter registration-focused nonprofit, and two Arkansans who had their voter registration applications rejected because they had an electronic signature  Nikki Pastor and Trinity Blake Loper.

U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks said he issued a preliminary injunction on Aug. 29 because requiring that voter registration applications be signed with a wet signature likely violates the Materiality Provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and will cause plaintiffs irreparable harm.

Defendants in the case filed an appeal with the Eighth Circuit on Sept. 4. According to Fridays order, the district courts preliminary injunction is administratively stayed pending a ruling by the Eighth Circuit on Appellants motion to stay the preliminary injunction pending disposition of this appeal.

In a statement Sunday, Get Loud Arkansas said the new rule places an undue burden on Arkansans.

This rule creates an obstacle that risks disenfranchising eligible voters and disrupting the fundamental process of our elections, according to GLAs statement. The preliminary injunction recognized that this irreparable harm must be avoided. While the administrative stay poses a temporary barrier, Get Loud Arkansas assures all Arkansans that the fight is far from over.

Get Loud Arkansas is directly impacted by the wet signature rule because the organization developed a digital tool that allows Arkansans to fill out and sign their voter registration application online and authorize Get Loud Arkansas to submit the form to the applicants county clerk.

The voter advocacy group halted the use of its online tool earlier this year, but relaunched it after Brooks issued his temporary injunction last month.

To those who have registered to vote with digital signatures during the injunction period, your voice matters, and we are committed to ensuring that your registration will count, GLAs statement said. We understand your concerns and urge you to remain steadfast as we navigate these legal challenges. Get Loud Arkansas will advocate for those registrations to be recognized and for your right to participate in upcoming elections to be protected.

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 7. Election day is Nov. 5.

The Arkansas Secretary of State could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  An Arizona man has been sentenced to a decade in prison for transporting three teenagers to San Diego for prostitution, the Department of Justice announced Friday.

The United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California announced Clifford Stokes Jr., 23, of Tempe, Arizona, was sentenced in federal court to 10 years in prison on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, for transporting a 19-year-old woman and two 16-year-old girls from Arizona to San Diego to engage in prostitution.

The DOJ reports the incident happened in January 2023 and one of the victims was even reported missing from Arizona.

According to the court, San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force officers saw Stokes let two of the victims out of his car and the women were seen walking the streets and waving at vehicles.

Man sentenced for taking 2 girls to San Diego for prostitution

The task force pulled over Stokes after he returned and picked the women up.

Officers found a loaded firearm, and one of the victims then relayed to officers what was happening and told investigators that Stokes used violence and threats of violence to require her to earn $1,000 a day in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit.

Officers identified the victims and reunited them with their families back in Arizona with the help of Child Welfare Services.

Todays sentence underscores the gravity of human trafficking crimes, said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. The road to recovery for these young girls will be long and painful, but they will walk free from fear and brutality years before this defendant is released from prison.

DOJ: Man sentenced to decade in prison for forcing women to travel for prostitution

If you are living or working under the threat of violence or extortion, or you suspect someone else may be, the public can call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free, 24/7 Hotline: CALL: (888) 373-7888 or TEXT BeFree or 233733.

This sentencing sends a clear message to potential offenders that they will be held accountable for their criminal behavior and the exploitation of the youth in California will not be tolerated, said Attorney General Bonta. Im extremely grateful to our San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, local law enforcement and our federal partners for their dedication and commitment to keeping our communities safe. My office always stands ready to work with our partners across California to fight for public safety.

The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sheriffs Office and California Highway Patrol assisted in this case.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
A man Flagstaff police sought for allegedly posting mass shooting threats online was arrested Sunday after investigators located him in Montana.

Sgt. Jerry Rintala, a department spokesperson, said police received reports Friday that 36-year-old Justin Hill of Ash Fork had made mass shooting threats at various schools, businesses and government offices in the Flagstaff area.

Hill allegedly shared messages online and on the social platform Yelp that consisted of "threats associated with mass shooting incidents," Rintala said.

An image of Justin Hill, who police were searching for after he made mass shooting threats on the internet on Sept. 13, 2024.

Rintala announced Sunday afternoon that officers had arrested Hill in Bozeman, Montana, at about 11:50 a.m. thanks to the collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies that included the Coconino County Attorneys Office, the Coconino County Sheriffs Office, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and the Bozeman Police Department.

"The nonstop work hours and asset resources made available by all agencies involved to quickly apprehend Mr. Hill underscores our dedication to protecting our communities from threats of violence and ensuring public safety," Rintala said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear what charges Hill would face or when he would be extradited to Arizona.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ man arrested in Montana on suspicion of mass shooting threats
Arizona Mills mall in Tempe reopened on Saturday after gunshots inside the mall prompted an evacuation of shoppers and employees on Friday night.

The west Tempe mall near Priest Drive and Baseline Road was open for regular business hours on Saturday, according to employees at Harkins Theatres, along with retailers Ross and Black-Market Minerals.

The Tempe Police Department declined to provide further information regarding the investigation into the shooting on Saturday afternoon and evening.

There were no reports of injuries, and the investigation remained ongoing, according to Tempe police Sgt. Ryan Cook on Friday.

People inside the mall were evacuated and roads nearby temporarily closed off.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Mills reopens after Tempe police respond to Friday shooting
Chairman of Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States Binali Y?ld?r?m congratulates Azerbaijan on 106th anniversary of Bakus liberation, Azernews reports, citing the post Yildirim shared on his official "X" account.

"On the occasion of the 106th anniversary of Baku's liberation from occupation, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and warmly greet my Azerbaijani brothers with love," the post reads.
A new episode of The Gazette's Weekend Roundup with Jon Mitchell is out now. This week's special guest is Democratic congressional candidate River Gassen.

In this week's episode, Gassen explains why she thinks the race for the open House of Representatives seat in Colorado's 5th congressional district, against Republican Jeff Crank, will be much more competitive than some people think.

We'll also give an update on what Aurora city officials are saying about the Venezuelan gangs in the city, and take a look at the latest development in an ongoing dispute between Ford Amphitheater and Colorado Springs homeowners over noise.

New episodes of the Gazette's Weekend Roundup are released every Sunday.

Featured Local Savings

You can read more about the stories covered in this episode here:
(NewsNation)  The U.S. Army is reviewing and updating how it trains its helicopter pilots after a sharp increase in fatalities in the past year. But another report points to a big shortfall in flight hours as a contributing factor.

Ten soldiers have died in 14 Class A aviation mishaps since October of 2023, well above the average of six fatalities a year since 2011. A class A mishap is an incident in which someone is killed, or the cost of damaged equipment exceeds $2.5 million.

The Army says its aircrews flew an average of 198 hours last year, a drop of nearly one-third from the average of 302 hours flown in 2011 when the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were winding down.

The Congressional Budget Office says the number of manned aircraft in the Army has declined by 20% in the past 23 years. In 2000, the Army had nearly 5,000 manned aircraft. But last year, the number was about 3,900.

Tennessee nonprofit offers hope from the skies for human trafficking survivors

According to The Army Times, changes to pilot training will likely include a look at the types of helicopters soldiers are training with, simulator time and effectiveness and equipment upgrades in some helicopters warrant officers sticking to their technical tasks for longer in their careers.

Warrant officer is a class of rank between enlisted personnel and officers. It is reserved for those who possess highly technical skills, such as helicopter pilots.

The Army aircraft fleet includes four types of helicopters: the Black Hawk, Apache, Chinook and Lakota. The Huron, for passenger transport, is the Armys lone fixed-wing aircraft.

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 NewsNation.
ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR)  Arvada is mourning the loss of one of their firefighters.

The Arvada Fire Protection District recently announced that 34-year-old Kyle Trombly died in late August in an off-duty motor vehicle crash. Tromblys procession and funeral took place on Saturday at Faith Church in Arvada.

Expect increased traffic, danger on mountain roads as leaves change

Thanks, Kyle for being the firefighter that all of us will look up to. Kyle was a firefighter 24/7, whether off duty or on duty, said Arvada Fire Chief Kirk Lock. We will miss Kyle, and we will honor him by trying to strive for excellence ourselves and by showing up every morning with the passion just like he did. I would like to say one final time, job well done Kyle Trombly, thank you.

Trombly had been with Arvada Fire since 2011. Speakers at his funeral said he was an active member of the Arvada Honor Guard and was on the EMS Fire and Safety Team at the Bandimere Speedway.

Most people have one family. Kyle had three. One of them was his family at Bandimere, said Lock. He also loved his second family He loved Station 1, he loved his crew and his profession And, finally his family. He deeply loved all of you.

Trombly died just days after his 34th birthday.

Last time I met with him was August 6th We got to sit there and have a birthday cake piece with him. He cut us pieces of birthday cake that was so big, said Tromblys uncle at the funeral service.

Why are firetrucks in Denver white, not red?

Arvada Fire says Trombly was recently deployed to California on a wildland deployment. But, when a crew of Arvada firefighters was sent off to Idaho, the night before Tromblys crash, he told them, get some work in. They honored Kyle by taking that message to heart, and creating a memorial and naming the camp that would be their own base for 14 days Camp Kyle, said Lock.

Arvada firefighters renamed their camp after a fellow firefighter was killed in a crash. (Arvada Fire Protection District)

Arvada firefighters renamed their camp after a fellow firefighter was killed in a crash. (Arvada Fire Protection District)

Grief counseling and resources are available to all Arvada Fire members.

Kyle, although physically gone, we will carry your spirit with us and know you will be with us on every call, at every event, sitting with us at the dinner table, listening to us, wishing we could hear you again, said Captain Derrick Varela of Station 1.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  An Austin man pleaded guilty Friday to arson causing bodily injury in connection with incidents involving pipe bombs.

According to the Williamson County District Attorneys Office, 61-year-old Michael Sean Myers was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison.

Terroristic and dangerous acts will not be tolerated in Williamson County, and I am proud of the work to see that Myers cannot harm anyone again in Williamson County, Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said.

According to the office, the arson was motivated by Myers son dating a woman he disapproved of.

The following is a timeline of events provided by the DAs office.

Late 2021: Victims family notices strange occurrences around their property, including finding superglue on locks, sabotaged lawn equipment and a sabotaged vehicle

January 2022: Pipe bomb explodes in victims van as he and his wife were driving in Williamson County, causing the driver to have severe injuries to his hand

February 2022: Victims son finds pipe bomb with partially burned fuse in the backyard of his Georgetown home

Late 2022: Officers find a third bomb prepared by Myers, along with grenades he was making at his house

Law enforcement agencies identified Myers as the person responsible for the bomb in the victims car, the DAs office said. Prosecutors worked together with law enforcement to secure the evidence necessary to prove Myers guilt, and upon realizing the case against him, Myers agreed to plead to 15 years in prison.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
BadAss Grandmas want you to get involved for democracy

Sarah Vogel, from left, Kathy Tweeten, Ellen Chaffee and Dina Butcher founded the BadAss Grandmas for Democracy. (Photo by Leah Black Photography, @leablackco)

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

An effort that started with four North Dakota women pushing for a state ethics commission has evolved into a larger movement to promote democracy.

The BadAss Grandmas for Democracy is a nonpartisan, grassroots group that aims to get people more involved in promoting good governance.

The groups to-do list includes empowering voters, encouraging people to run for office and supporting ethical candidates from any party.

We want to be a movement that will engage people locally, said Lyn Dockter-Pinnick, who facilitates the groups monthly virtual meetings. Because democracy isnt a spectator sport. It has to involve citizen participation.

The group initially formed to advocate for integrity in government through a citizen-initiated ballot measure. Voters approved the measure in 2018, establishing the North Dakota Ethics Commission to promote transparency and accountability of state government.

Ellen Chaffee, one of the founders, said the women stayed engaged after the vote because they feared the Legislature would undermine the intent of the initiative.

It was important to keep the pressure on and it took a number of months to get the members appointed, said Chaffee, former president of Valley City State University and Mayville State University.

The BadAss Grandmas have since pivoted to promoting civic involvement, said Dina Butcher, another founding member.

The groups name was coined after a friend of Butchers grandson saw a photo of the original members and remarked that his grandmother is a badass. The women embraced the nickname.

There are two kinds of people in the world  there are the badasses who go out and get things done, and then there are the tight-asses that just sit around and complain about everything, Butcher said.

The group is open to anyone and not limited to North Dakota residents. About 260 members are on the groups email list with attendance varying for meetings.

You dont need grandchildren to be a BadAss Grandma, and you dont even need to be female, Chaffee said. My husband is a BadAss Grandpa.

Members come from all walks of life and political beliefs.

Butcher said she was a Republican who worked for various conservative lawmakers throughout the years, but broke from the party in the 2010s over its stance on reproductive rights. She said she still holds many conservative values but felt left behind by the Republican Party.

Chaffee ran in 2012 as the Democratic-NPL Partys lieutenant governor candidate, but she said she considers herself an independent. Another founding member is former North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Sarah Vogel, a Democrat.

Butcher said she sees the BadAss Grandmas movement as a rallying cry for more women to get involved and run for office.

I think the main thing is that we are networking with a lot of other groups, be they national or local, to maintain momentum on remaining aware of whats going on, studying the issues and knowing your candidates, and actually helping to find candidates, Butcher said.

Chaffee said since the movement has no dues, or steadfast rules about membership, all a person needs to do to join is to claim it.

The group holds its virtual meetings on the third Wednesday of every month. The next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 and will feature the Bismarck Documenters presenting how everyday citizens can get involved in public meetings.

The priorities of the BadAss Grandmas for Democracy, which include citizen engagement, supporting democracy and working across the aisle, are more important than ever, according to Dockter-Pinnick.

We are united around the fact that we must be able to work together, she said. We must be able to have civil conversations, not name calling and disparagement.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Update: National City man arrested after deadly shooting in Barrio Logan

Editors Note: Police confirmed in an update Monday a third person was at the scene of the fatal shooting but was not injured by gunfire

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  Police are investigating after a shooting in Barrio Logan Saturday night left two people dead, police say.

San Diego Police responded to reports of a shooting in San Diegos Barrio Logan neighborhood just after 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

Police investigate stabbing at Oceanside Harbor campground

According to SDPD, two people were shot. One person was taken to the hospital, and police confirmed in an update Sunday that person has since died. Another victim was pronounced dead Saturday night.

Police initially reported that there was a third victim who had remained at the scene with minor injuries, but confirmed that person was not shot.

None of the victims have been identified at this time.

This story is breaking. Check back for updates.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio  It was meant to be an event to help heal the community.

Instead, Haitian residents and advocates were confronted by a small group of frustrated Springfield residents and at least one right-wing provocateur Saturday evening outside the local Haitian Community Help & Support Center.

Shouting nearly escalated into a skirmish when a group not affiliated with the Haitian community showed up outside the event, which was canceled hours before and held online out of security concerns. They questioned why so many immigrants had moved into Springfield illegally, a claim that city officials have repeatedly said is not true.

Haitian residents and people who had gathered to support them de-escalated the confrontation shortly before police arrived.

Its just so frustrating, Colin Barclay, who is white and has lived in Springfield since 2015, said, moments after arriving at the church to help defuse the situation. You can tell people the truth, This is whats going on, and unless it fits their narrative, theyre just, you know, theyre not going to listen to it.

Springfield is a town on edge. Its been five days since it was thrust into the national spotlight by baseless  and to many, racist  rumors of Haitian residents killing and eating wildlife and pets, and its economic comeback has been dramatically overshadowed by tensions that once rarely reached beyond city council meetings. The city has been forced to close schools, City Hall and other municipal buildings because of bomb threats and safety fears tied to the rumors, and Haitian immigrants are afraid to leave their homes because of anger directed at them.

On Saturday, nearby Wittenberg University canceled all on-campus activities for the following day after receiving a threat of a potential shooting targeting the Haitian community.

Mayor Rob Rue says the city of nearly 59,000 is being torn apart by hate and vitriol.

There has been a lie thats been posted and said about Springfield, and then its been repeated, double repeated and triple repeated, and wed like that to stop, he said Saturday.

Part of a revitalized section of downtown Springfield.

Still, JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee and senator who was born about 50 miles outside of Springfield, doubled down on these false claims on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, while also appearing to acknowledge on CNN that he used the rumors to bring attention to immigration.

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then thats what Im going to do, he said.

Like other Rust Belt communities, Springfield suffered from years of job losses that ate away at its economic base as well as its shared identity. Now, its one of many towns across the U.S. that are enjoying a resurgence. The return of manufacturing jobs has reinvigorated the area, though not without some growing pains.

The real story is that for 80 years we were a shrinking city, and now were growing, said Carl Ruby, a longtime resident and senior pastor at Central Christian Church. There is a workforce here just waiting.

That story, however, is not the one that has made national headlines or turned it into an election season flashpoint. Springfields story took a sudden turn on Tuesday when Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump called the city out by name on TV in front of tens of millions of Americans and repeated the lies about the Haitian community.

East Main Street along the downtown route of Springfield, Ohio.

The situation has made Springfield the scene of a particularly modern tale: Facts, data, rumors, half-truths, memes and misinformation filtered through a fractured media environment and hyperpolarized politics have created a warped picture of a city that had been on the upswing.

Now, the local Haitian population is living in fear.

I just tell the fellow Haitians just to be careful when they go out  just make sure that they go into places that are safe, said James Fleurijean, a Haitian immigrant who moved to Springfield four years ago.

A town in Ohio

Its hard to get much more capital-A American than Springfield, Ohio. Even the city name conjures up a certain Norman Rockwell sensibility, sharing it with almost three-dozen other cities across the U.S.

Brick buildings surround a revitalized downtown area dotted with new businesses, including a recently opened Mexican restaurant that had a line down the block on Friday night. Single-family homes are spread through the city on a grid filled with old manufacturing plants and new factories.

Springfield, Ohio, (Rich-Joseph Facun for NBC News)

Previous waves of immigrants drawn to Springfield in the late 19th and early 20th centuries arrived when it was a manufacturing mecca, with jobs that enabled new arrivals to quickly become U.S. citizens and propelled businesses to flourish. By 1960, Springfields population peaked at 82,000, according to U.S. census records.

Betty Jones, who moved to Springfield from Kentucky in 1963 with her coal miner husband, recalls there were jobs aplenty when they arrived. She worked as a secretary at a company that manufactured helicopter parts, and her husband was a scheduler at a hydraulics plant. He was laid off at the age of 50, she said, and it took him years to find work again.

Those were lean times, Jones said. When the jobs left, the people left.

Jones estimates some 13 factories went out of business since she moved to the area. She remembers a row of them on either side of Sheridan Avenue on the east side of town.

The deindustrialization in the 1980s under then-President Ronald Reagan hastened the exodus of good-paying manufacturing jobs to other countries, forcing many Springfield residents to search for greener pastures.

By 2011, Springfield was declared the unhappiest city in the U.S. by Gallup pollsters.

A cat sits in the sunlight in Springfield, Ohio, on Sept. 12.

But Springfields fortunes appear to be on the rise. New housing is cropping up throughout the city. Businesses are opening, and downtown Springfield after dark is growing more lively.

Jones credits some of the revitalization to the Haitians and other immigrants.

I see jobs now that werent available, she said. I feel good because I see things happening again in my community.

Boom, bust, and boom again

Springfield has more recently made headlines of late for outlandish reasons, but in many ways the city is representative of wider national trends. Its a once-prosperous place that is still getting back on its feet, a phenomenon that was felt across the Midwest starting in the 1980s.

That renewed prosperity and the ensuing population growth has meant strains on local infrastructure, health care and schools.

From 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians who fled political turmoil and violence in their home country have landed in Springfield over the past five years, arriving in the U.S. under a federal humanitarian program for migrants, according to the city. Others are in the U.S. on tourist visas and green cards.

Many of them were professionals, medical doctors, attorneys, teachers, engineers, you name it, said Sophia Pierrelus, an immigration advocate who left the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince nearly two decades ago. Culture shock happens for both Americans and Haitians.

Haitian rice and beans with goat meat is a common dish served at Rose Goute Creole Restaurant in Springfield, Ohio.

A business in downtown Springfield.

Jims Denis moved to Springfield five years ago after hearing about the low cost of living from his brother, who had already relocated to the city from Haiti. Denis and his family secured tourist visas through his father, who worked at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, he said.

Denis, who now has a green card that allows him to live and work in the U.S. permanently, owns three homes in Springfield, including two that he rents out for extra income. He also has two jobs, working as an electronics technician and operating a photography studio in Springfield. His wife is in nursing school.

I came here and worked very hard for what I have, he said. I live below my means and I invest. But people think Haitians arent smart enough to do what I do.

He said when he arrived in Springfield, it was a dead city of abandoned buildings and vacant lots. When more immigrants started to move in, he saw an opportunity for Springfield to grow into a place where he and his young family could rebuild their lives.

Up until a few weeks ago, Denis and his wife spent their free time riding their bikes around town or taking their young children to the park. Now his wife is afraid to leave their home and is pleading with him to move.

There are some in the community who hope people like Denis do move.

Bill Monaghan, a Springfield resident who helps manage a Facebook page called Stop the Influx Into Springfield, Ohio, said Haitian immigration has been disastrous for the working class and the working poor.

Rent has increased as some landlords see an opportunity to charge per person rather per household, a claim supported by several immigration advocates and local renters.

Waits at the local health care clinic and the department of motor vehicles have also increased, and wait times for emergency services are taking longer, he said.

Its just entirely too many people all at once, Monaghan told NBC News. People are losing their housing to migrants. The roads are becoming unsafe.

Local officials acknowledge that the sudden arrival of so many immigrants has put a strain on local services as the city struggles to keep up with increased demand on health care and housing.

A street view of the Rose Goute Creole Restaurant in Springfield, Ohio.

The school district and other key departments have hired Creole speakers and interpreters, but more are needed, they said. Even driving instructors are in short supply.

We are going through very bad growing pains, said Denise Williams, president of the Springfield NAACP chapter.

Local politics go national

What might have remained a local or even regional issue has since become one of the most hotly debated topics in this election cycle.

The efforts of Monaghan and other local residents to draw attention to Springfields issues found some success with conservative pundits and politicians, and it became one of the many places mentioned in relation to the challenges posed by immigration. The town was known in part because of a deadly crash last year when a Haitian immigrant driving a minivan collided with a school bus, killing 11-year-old passenger Aiden Clark. Another 23 children were injured.

Vance and other Trump supporters seized on the tragedy to attack Haitian immigrants, which Aidens parents, Nathan and Danielle Clark, denounced this week at a City Hall forum.

A mural by Project Jericho addresses solutions for food disparities in the community.

I wish that my son, Aiden Clark, was killed by a 60-year-old white man, the grieving dad said. I bet you never thought anyone would say something so blunt, but if that guy killed my 11-year-old son, the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone.

Clarks pleas were not heeded, and his familys story soon fell out of the headlines. That night, Trump would mention Springfield at the presidential debate and anti-immigrant rhetoric escalated to new heights.

Denis said he sympathizes with longtime Springfield residents who may feel they are being displaced, but he wont be intimidated.

I understand the frustration, he said. What I dont agree with is the lies. Its pure evil.

Alicia Lozano reported from Springfield, and Corky Siemaszko from New York. Yamiche Alcindor contributed reporting from Springfield.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
It is 100 years since the first BBC broadcast from Northern Ireland.

On 15 September 1924, a Belfast based station known as 2BE became the ninth station of the fledgling British Broadcasting Company.

The centenary is being marked on Sunday with a special series of programmes on BBC Radio Ulster.

They include a recording of a concert held at St Annes Cathedral in Belfast to mark the 100th anniversary.

Entitled The Living Air, it features the Ulster Orchestra conducted by James Burton and will be broadcast at 19:00 BST on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Sounds.

The concert was hosted by BBC presenters John Toal, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey.

Belfast beginnings

Back in 1924, the first voice heard on the airwaves from Belfast was Tyrone Guthrie who went on to enjoy an international career in theatre, as well as broadcasting.

The first floor of a converted linen warehouse at 31 Linen Hall Street in Belfast became home to the BBCs operations in the city.

The head of music at Methodist College, E Godfrey Brown, was appointed as the first member of staff.

He was soon joined by a small group of colleagues, many of them musicians.

The beginnings of the new BBC station were modest - and Mr Brown had to pay for some of the furniture himself.

Tyrone Guthrie was the first voice heard on the airwaves in Belfast [BBC]

The BBCs Belfast station was part of a developing UK-wide network.

Its schedule was intended to complement the programmes that were available from other BBC stations  reflecting local talent and diversity, while remaining sensitive to the particular circumstances that the BBC faced in Northern Ireland.

In the early days, politics was avoided.

The first Belfast transmitter was located in the east of the city on East Bridge Street, opposite what is now Lanyon Place train station.

It is a raised part of Belfast. It was deemed best suited at the time for a radio transmitter and a blue plaque now marks the spot where it was placed.

'The window and the mirror'

Former controller of BBC NI Anna Carragher believes the corporation changed as society evolved [BBC]

The first half of the centenary of the BBC in Northern Ireland was dominated by radio, then television came to the fore.

Former controller of BBC NI Anna Carragher believes the corporation changed as society evolved.

Initially the sheer joy of having this strange thing called the wireless, that music came out of, carried people along," she said.

And then, as it [the BBC] went through the decades, it started becoming much more what we used to call the window and the mirror.

Television is a window and a mirror. Its a window that we could look through and see other places, other people and other things - but also a mirror we could see ourselves in."

BBC NI director Adam Smyth at the location of the first Belfast transmitter on East Bridge Street [BBC]

The current director of BBC NI, Adam Smyth, said the centenary was a reflective moment for the corporation in Belfast.

We should be enormously proud of what weve achieved and thats thanks to our very loyal audience," he added.

Mr Smyth admitted it had not been a perfect journey through the past 100 years.

He said BBC had picked up some cuts and bruises along the way, but had emerged as deeply beloved by many people.

More on this story
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE)  Its almost time for early voting ahead of the November 5 elections, which means the deadline to apply to be a poll worker is coming up soon as well.

Whether you feel strongly about the electoral process, or youre just looking for a way to make a little extra money on the side, becoming a poll worker can be a rewarding position. During elections, poll workers are stationed at polling sites in their communities during early voting and on election day. Their responsibilities include greeting voters, answering questions, explaining how to cast a ballot, using the voting equipment, and counting votes.

When is Tennessees voter registration deadline for November election?

While some poll workers may prefer to volunteer their services, the job is one that is compensated for in Tennessee. Poll workers are also paid for attending any required training sessions.

The state requirements to be a poll worker are pretty simple:

Be at least 16 years old

Those ages 18 and older must be a registered voter in the county

Be able to read and write in English

Not be a candidate, a close relative of a candidate, or supervised by a county or municipal elected official on the ballot

That last point also specifically brings up an important note  city county, and state government employees are also able to serve as poll workers in Tennessee, so long as they are not working directly under the supervision of an elected official on the ballot. The Tennessee Secretary of State does not say federal employees cannot be poll workers, but they should consult their Human Resources Department to ensure they are eligible first.

So how do you become a poll worker? Apply!

Poll workers are appointed locally based on need. The Tennessee Secretary of States website has an easy form to fill out to apply to be a poll worker online, but county election commissions may also have applications available. For example, the Knox County Election Commission has an application available on its website.

What to know for the 2024 Presidential Election in East TN

The Secretary of States website does not mention a specific deadline for the state that poll worker applications must be in by, but as each election commission is in charge of its own hiring needs, they may set different deadlines or stop reviewing applications at different times. The Knox County Election Commissions website states that they typically stop reviewing applications six weeks before election day, meaning their deadline for the November 5 election would likely be around September 24.

The voter registration deadline for the November 5 election in Tennessee is October 7. Early voting will run from October 16 through October 31, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 29.

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 WATE 6 On Your Side.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  After three years of construction, Benson Polytechnic High School has officially reopened its doors to students and staff.

Some of the upgrades include includes a seismic retrofit of campus buildings, as well as an upgrade to the schools gym providing a temporary emergency shelter. Additionally, the five new buildings include upgrades to learning spaces for the schools wide array of technical programs.

Portland Book Festival will bring 80+ esteemed authors to the South Park Blocks

Students and staff got to ring in the 2024 school year at the modernized Northeast Portland campus in late August, but held an official celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday.

Today is a day of celebration, reflection and hope for the future. And we stand on the threshold of a new era for Benson Polytechnic High School.  said Gary Hollands, PPS Board member and Benson alumnus, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of pride and excitement. This isnt just any school  it is our school. There is no other school like us. A place that has shaped our lives, offered ambitions and given us the foundation to build the future we dreamed of.

According to PPS, this new remodel also emphasizes a reduced carbon footprint, with a large solar array providing hundreds of megawatt hours of renewable energy. Further, more than 40 new trees have been planted.

Portland State v. South Dakota game canceled due to whooping cough

We here at Benson Tech which includes our students, staff, alumni and community are extremely excited to be in our new state of the art 21st century facility, and we look forward to utilizing all the new and updated tools and equipment that this remodeled Benson Tech has to offer, said Benson Polytechnic Principal Curtis Wilson Jr.

Benson is the sixth PPS high school to be modernized or completely rebuilt through the School Building Improvement Bond program passed by voters in 2017.

There are currently three Portland high schools in the design phase of this program, with construction on Jefferson High School set for the summer of 2025.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A 19th century cartoon showing a Black man holding a paper ballot in his hand confronting a group of people blocking him from the ballot box.

An 1892 cartoon in Judge magazine condemns Southern efforts to suppress the Black vote. Mississippi's 1890 constitution was the first to impose voting restrictions that mostly affected Black voters in the South. Southern states quickly followed, with Congress and the federal judiciary unable or unwilling to enforce constitutional voting protections. (From the New York Public Library: Public domain)

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

The end of American democracy wont be a man declaring himself dictator for life or crowning himself king.

It will come incrementally. Through a rapid narrowing of the electorate that can vote without facing state intimidation.

The forms and rituals of the republic will remain in place. But the spirit will be entirely gone.

And we dont have to speculate about this outcome. Or look to a foreign country for an example.

We have American history.

For nearly a century, millions of Americans lived under authoritarian Jim Crow regimes. Congress tolerated them. The federal judiciary blessed them.

After a brief period of democracy during Reconstruction, and a few decades of sharply diminished voting with many stolen elections, Alabama enacted the 1901 Constitution.

Nearly every Black person in the state of Alabama lost the right to vote. And after a few years, the constitution allowed the Legislature to impose poll taxes, locking many poor whites out of the voting process, too.

Alabama wasnt alone in this. From 1890 to 1908, southern states violently shook off the thin cloak of democracy and handed power to a small oligarchy that manipulated the system and ensured its members remained on top while populist revolt remained contained.

They held elections. They campaigned. They confronted public issues every now and then.

But they did it on their own narrow terms, free of fear from censure by the broader electorate.

It was racism. But the official reason was that the mere act of voting by opponents amounted to fraud.

The result will be that the ballot will be left in the hands of those of our present voting population who have demonstrated their capacity to exercise the (voting) privilege in the interest of social order and progress, the Montgomery Advertiser wrote on Sept. 27, 1901 in support of the states racist constitution. And the right to a place and such permanent registration will be denied only to that mass of vicious or unworthy voters which has so long threatened our welfare.

Over six decades later, after the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the Mobile Register raged: When illiterates ignorant of the responsibilities of the ballot are herded together in great numbers to vote en bloc for political masters whose allegiance is to candidates and causes in conflict with the public interest, responsible citizens are drive to apathy and dejection about elections.

Those are strong arguments for a well-funded public education system, which the oligarchs who ran Alabama didnt want to pay for. But here, they lost. The Voting Rights Act held, and the first free elections in Alabama in well over a century took place in 1966.

That should be the end of the story. Democracy restored; all disputes now political.

Yet the old, cracked voice of the Jim Crow authoritarian hasnt gone away. And it keeps whispering in the ears of our leaders that the wrong people are voting.

Republican politicians at the state and federal level are ginning up a wholly nonexistent issue of people who arent citizens voting in federal elections. Thats already a crime. It almost never happens, and certainly not to the extent that it can sway an election. But its being used as an excuse to scour voting records and even block a federal budget bill.

And in the last few years, in the name of fighting alleged fraud, Alabama lawmakers have tried to make voting an intimidating ordeal for those with the least power.

The state has criminalized some forms of absentee ballot assistance. Lawmakers outlawed curbside voting. Officials quickly dropped a brief pandemic experiment with no-excuse absentee voting, even though more than 300,000 people participated in it.

American authoritarianism starts here. It comes from the men in suits, the calm and blank-faced ciphers who sigh that the masses dont know whats best for them and decide that they need to ensure that the right people are voting, and to stop fraud  which, in their minds, is always part of an adverse election outcome.

They gather in conventions and meeting halls and conferences, and rewrite their bills until theyre satisfied that they can direct the states police power toward the ballot box.

And for most of our history, Alabama and other states used this power to stop people from voting. Theyve blatantly and cheerfully thrown constitutional protections aside and dared the federal judiciary to intervene. (For most of its history, the U.S. Supreme Court has meekly deferred to these tyrants or actively connived with them.)

If American democracy ends  if the republic falls  it will die as it did before: with entrenched lawmakers calling political results contrary to their world views fraud and throwing up as many obstacles to voting as they can.

It has happened before. And it could happen again.

The forms and rituals of democracy will go on. But most people will be observers, not participants, watching our purported leaders insist that governance is too important to be entrusted to the governed.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has requested Congress to extend the authority of "presidential write-offs" for supplying weapons to Ukraine until 2025, so that the remaining $5.8 billion can be used beyond the fiscal year ending on September 30.

Under current rules, the funds will expire if not used by that deadline.

The Pentagon is working with Congress to ensure the extension, which would allow continued military aid to Ukraine.

If the extension isn't granted, the White House may announce a large aid package by October 1, but this approach could present logistical challenges, such as lack of available resources.

Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken recently announced over $700 million in aid to Ukraine during his visit to Kyiv.

The U.S. will provide $325 million to help repair Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which requires strengthening ahead of winter and expectations of a renewed campaign of Russian strikes.

The package also includes $290 million in humanitarian aid, which will support "millions of people in Ukraine and the surrounding region who have been forced to flee their homes," Blinken said.

Read also: ATACMS restrictions subject of intense consultations between Ukraine and allies, Sullivan says

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Tony Blinken are set to host back-to-back receptions on Sunday evening to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Blair House, the presidents official guest house. Blair House has hosted foreign heads of state and dignitaries, including leaders from Israel. Located across the street from the White House, Blair House is also where incoming presidents frequently stay on the eve of their presidential inaugurations.



Cosmetics executive Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer, the daughter of businessman and philanthropist Ronald Lauder, posted invitations to the two receptions on Instagram. Bidens reception is called for 5 p.m. on Sunday at the White House, followed by a 7 p.m. dinner at the State Departments Benjamin Franklin Room hosted by Blinken and his wife, White House Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan.



According to the Blair House guestbook, past guests from Israel have included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in 1996 during his first term, as well as former prime ministers Golda Meir, in 1973, Yitzhak Rabin, in 1974, Ariel Sharon, in 2001, and former President Shimon Peres in 2012. Chaim Weizmann, then-President of the Provisional Council of the State, stayed at Blair House in May 1948.



In 2020, the Washington Post reported that Netanyahu and his wife Sara were known to bring suitcases of dirty laundry to be cleaned at Blair House. Israeli officials denied the allegations. Depending on the status of his relationship with the sitting president, Netanyahu has not always been invited to stay at Blair House. Netanyahu stayed at the Watergate Hotel during his most recent visit to Washington in July.





View comments
The Scene

Almost exactly a year since the creation of the White Houses first-ever Presidents Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement, long-time US-Africa policy watchers said they are still uncertain of its exact role or impact. And yet there is still plenty of goodwill to almost guarantee it would get extended beyond 2025  but thats only more likely if Vice President Kamala Harris wins her bid for the presidency.

Harris announced the establishment of the council at the US Leaders Africa Summit in December 2022. It was finally established under executive order by President Joe Biden in September 2023. He appointed Deniece Laurent-Mantey, a US State Department official and Ghanaian-American, as the councils executive director along with 12 members with two-year terms from the African diaspora, including African American communities and African immigrant communities across the continent and the Caribbean.

Supporters like Rosa Whitaker, CEO of The Whitaker Group and a former career diplomat, told Semafor Africa she had faith in the group and that given its the first time it is being done, we need to give it time to work. Others take a similar view.

I think the fact that the President has put together a framework and a policy for this is commendable, said Nii Simmonds, a non-resident fellow at the Center for Global Development, who has worked on diaspora engagement programs for the World Bank and the African Development Bank. I know there were some hiccups when it first got going, but give them credit. You havent seen much work by the council because of the election year.

Know More

Biden mandated the council to, among other things, improve cultural, social, political and economic connections among African communities, the global African diaspora and the United States.

The council is made up of 12 members with two-year terms. Patrick Hubert Gaspard, the former US Ambassador to South Africa, actress Viola Davis, Nigerian-American WNBA player Chinenye Joy Ogwumike, and Uganda-born Ham Serunjogi, co-founder of fintech unicorn Chipper Cash, are among those who serve on the council.

Laurent-Mantey said the council is focused on harnessing the strength of the African diaspora to make foreign policy recommendations. She and members of the council visited Nigeria in July and helped coordinate parts of the Kenya state visit in May, including President William Rutos visit to Spelman College, a historically Black college in Atlanta, forging a new educational exchange partnership called Ed Tech Africa.

Edens view

The United Nations sees Africas young population as the key to a sustainable future, with 70% of the population being under the age of 30. Its analysis argues that this means this is an opportunity for the continents growth  but only if these new generations are fully empowered to [realize] their best potential.

Semhar Araia of the Washington-based The Diaspora Academy says the world must partner with them to tap into their workforce, and that Bidens council can help propel US-African engagement.

Laurent-Mantey acknowledged the economic and environmental challenges across Africa and wants assistance from the diaspora as the continents population grows. Statistics have shown that although there are challenges on the continent, there are also several opportunities, she said. Thats the youth bulge, theres lots of opportunities in investing on the continent, and we want the diaspora to also play a critical role.

The next iteration of the council will no doubt have to take into account better continental diversity beyond sub-Saharan Africa. Araia said North Africans have complained to her that its not inclusive because theyre not represented.

Ultimately, all eyes are on the 2024 election and whether Harris will win because its existence depends on whoever is in the White House. And it is unclear if a second Trump administration would prioritize maintaining the council. Assuming she wins, Gaspard, president of the Center for American Progress, believes Harris would continue Bidens work. I think she has made it consistently clear that American isolationism, as expressed by Trump and his cohort, is problematic all over the world, particularly problematic in the Global South, specifically in Africa.
Black people in Charleston, South Carolina are no strangers to gentrification. Over the past several decades, due to overtly racist policies and practices to turn Charleston into a tourism hotspot, theyve been forced out. They begrudgingly abandoned their historically Black communities because they could no longer afford high property taxes or elevated insurance costs which resulted when developers built luxury homes there for wealthy whites.

The most recent type of gentrification in Charleston called climate gentrificationmay be the worst yet. But this time, Black residents are organizing, standing up for their communities, and staying in their homes, often on ancestral lands. Environmental conservation of the South Carolina coastline and adjacent wetlands is a welcome side effect of Black residents efforts to say no to climate gentrification in Charleston.

Gentrification in Charleston

In 2017, Charleston was rated the fastest gentrifying city in the United States, according to a survey by Realtor.com. Its modern-day gentrification spiral began in 2001, when low-income Shoreview Apartments, located downtown, was razed and replaced with single-family homes of greater value. Soon after, other Black neighborhoods shifted toward white, middle-class families who could afford to live there.

As a result, within 15 years, between 2000 and 2015, median home prices increased by 78%, effectively preventing working class Black people from living there. So, the citys racial demographic flipped from roughly two-thirds black to two-thirds white, with a 55% drop in the Black population.

This gentrification was not caused by climate change. But now, climate impacts are accelerating gentrification in Charleston.

Climate change in Charleston

By itself, climate change really is a Black issue, said Bernard Powers, formerly the interim CEO of the International African American Museum in Charleston. People who live close to the coast as we do, were the ones who are going to be affected by potential damage from increasingly devastating hurricanes.

The area of South Carolina most vulnerable to climate change is aptly named the Lowcountry because its situated only a few feet above sea level. Parts of Charleston make up the Lowcountry, an area that has been habitually flooded by hurricanes and high tides. In recent years, though, flooding is more regular, even occurring on sunny days.

Charleston is also experiencing accelerated sea level rise, which has already increased by seven inches in 14 years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates it will continue to rise more than 12 inches by 2050. At that point, two out of every three days will encounter tidal flooding.

Ironically, the luxury condos and structures built on stilts located so close to the coast further destabilize it, hurrying their eventual demise, swept up not only by rising sea levels caused by human-caused climate change but also prone to sinking land according to a 2016 report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Climate gentrification in Charleston

Climate gentrification refers to the ways that anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change contributes to shifts in community demographics and the potential displacement of marginalized residents through changes in property values and insurance costs. In this manner, climate gentrification exacerbates housing inequalities.

Situated so close to the sea, Charlestons Lowcountry ports historically received enslaved Africans. Hundreds of thousands of slaves and their descendants worked the plantations along the Carolinian coast for decades.

After Emancipation, many freed slaves bought inexpensive marshland in the Lowcountry that rich white landowners didnt want. That property was generally used for farming and passed down for generations within families.

Now, despite rising sea levels, sinking land, and intensified storms, coastal property values are at an all-time high with developers scrambling to buy and build ocean-front condos and luxury resorts for wealthy white people. Many are able to purchase the land for next to nothing at auctions because it has unknowingly slipped into heirs ownership.

Heirs ownership and climate gentrification in Charleston

Lowcountry land that has been passed down and farmed for generations within Black families is being snatched up by developers who purchase a share in the property. They are able to do so because the original Black landowners did not leave a will, legally designating ownership to family descendants. Its estimated that 81% of freed black landowners didnt make wills because of an inability to hire lawyers, a privilege afforded at the time mainly to white people.

Since the land was not legally inherited, it was designated as heirs property. The Center for Heirs Property Preservation in Charleston County, South Carolina, estimates that there are 105,000 acres of heirs property in the 15 counties it oversees.

Heirs property may be jointly owned by hundreds of descendants, even those far removed from the property. Legally, each one has a claim to the land. Any one heir can sell their share at any time independently of the others. When this happens, a judge may order that the entire property be auctioned off. In this way, a massive transfer of real estate from Black people to white people has occurred and is still occurring in South Carolinas Lowcountry.

Thomas W. Mitchell, an expert in heirs property at the Texas A&M University School of Law, stated in The Nation: If the Kennedys, the Bushes, or the Clintons had their property sold under these circumstances, the law would have been reformed by now.

Fortunately, in 2016, Nikki Haley, then governor of South Carolina, signed the Clementa C. Pinckney Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act. Named for the state senator and pastor murdered in the 2015 massacre at Charlestons Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, this law mandates several protections for people involved in heirs property disputes, making it less likely that Lowcountry farms will be land-grabbed by developers.

Conservation initiatives and climate gentrification in Charleston

One way Black neighborhoods are slowing down the sale of their ancestral land in the Lowcountry is by petitioning the local government to become historic districts. That designation requires any new construction must first be approved by a county commission.

Mavis Gragg, director of the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program, is further spearheading efforts to empower Lowcountry Black residents subject to heirs property laws to embark on conservation efforts as a strategy to stay on their ancestral lands. We found that doing conservation, stewardship, and sustainable forestry actually motivates people to take action on the legal part that makes their ownership so precarious, Gragg stated to Inside Climate News. That particular program puts Black landowners in contact with foresters who can help them grow trees that mitigate flood risk, and with businesses in the sustainable lumber market.

Additionally, some Lowcountry neighborhoods are using the countys greenbelt program to prevent development. Begun in 2007, the program has so far preserved 45,000 acres in its natural state. By purchasing this land, Black residents allow it to serve as a natural buffer against encroaching high tides and salt water intrusion as well as aid in flood resilience even as Charleston sinks.

African Americans were environmentalists before the word was even created because of the way in which we live. [They] might not have known about sea level rise, but they understood certain things: If you move from one spot to another, the water is going to adjust. They knew that and they were mindful of their surroundings, Jennie L. Stephens, CEO of the Center for Heirs Property Preservation, stated in Inside Climate News.
Body retrieved from under rubble and fire extinguished after Russian attack on Kharkiv

The aftermath of the Russian strike on Kharkiv on 15 September. Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine

A body of an elderly woman has been retrieved from under the rubble of a residential building in the city of Kharkiv, which was struck by the Russians on 15 September. Meanwhile, the number of casualties has risen to 43.

Source: Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv; the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office

Quote by Terekhov: "Rescue workers have retrieved the body of an elderly woman from under the rubble of a residential building, which was struck by the enemy with a guided aerial bomb today. Therefore, the strike resulted in 1 person killed and 42 injured.

A fire has been extinguished. All corresponding services and volunteers are working on site."

Details: The Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office specified that the body of the woman was found on the ninth floor of the building.

Quote by the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office: "Identification is not possible at the moment: the body has been almost entirely burned. A DNA-test will be conducted.

Likely, it is a 94-year-old woman whos been considered missing after the Russian aerial bomb struck the building."

Updated: Later, the State Emergency Service reported that at 22:00 the fire in the 12-storey building was extinguished.

"Emergency rescue operations have been temporarily suspended. According to preliminary information, there are no people under the rubble," the reports said.

The State Emergency Service reported that as of 21:30, 1 person is known to have been killed and 43 others injured, including 4 children. Seven apartment buildings and 20 cars were damaged.

Background:

On 15 September as a result of Russian strikes on the city of Kharkiv a residential building was damaged, and a fire broke out there.

Later it was reported that the number of casualties had risen to 42, including 4 children.

Support UP or become our patron!
Boyfriend of woman found dead near St. Pete dumpster arrested for her murder: police

Boyfriend of woman found dead near St. Pete dumpster arrested for her murder: police

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA)  The boyfriend of the woman found dead on Saturday morning near a dumpster in St. Pete has been arrested by police.

Detectives arrested 41-year-old Daniel Coley on Sunday for the homicide of 40-year-old Amanda Browning.

Deputies searching for suspect after boy shot, killed outside Red Robin at Citrus Park Town Center

Brownings body was found with signs of trauma by a passerby just after 8 a.m. in the 3800 block of 15th Avenue North. Officials said she had visible stab and cut wounds.

According to detectives, the two shared an apartment.

Coley was booked into the Pinellas County Jail and is charged with second-degree murder.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  Saturday advocates, community members and brain injury survivors gathered together in Rochester to honor survivors, and the work being done at URMC  which recently helped to garner statewide recognition of its services.

Courtesy: Susan Bardack, BIANYS

According to the Brain Injury Association of New York State, URMC is the first organization to be recognized as its Statewide Program Honoree. Saturday during the March On for Brain Injury Walk at Seneca Park, organizers emphasized the importance of the services URMC provides.

Courtesy: Susan Bardack, BIANYS

As western New Yorks largest and the Rochester regions only Level 1 trauma facility, Strong Memorial Hospital at URMC is a destination for patients from across upstate NY who require advanced levels of trauma care, Susan Bardack with BIANYS explained in a release.

Also honored Saturday: a local couple that worked through a life-threatening injury together. According to BIANYS, Eric OBrien suffered numerous concussions that went untreated. Later down the line while recovering from brain surgery for a cyst, officials said he nearly died. His wife, Maureen (Mo), worked with him patiently according to officials, and remained by his side the entire time.

To learn more about the BIANYS, click here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst.
Veterinarian Thiago Luczinski (C), his wife Pollyanna Motinha (L) and collagues treat Itapira, a young female jaguar, at the Nex NoExtinction Institute in Corumba de Goias, Brazil (EVARISTO SA) (EVARISTO SA/AFP/AFP)

At a shelter for big cats in Brazil, a vet gingerly dresses wounds on a jaguar that was caught in wildfires raging in the world's largest tropical wetland.

While the animal is expected to heal, her home in the Pantanal continues to burn.

The Pantanal, south of the Amazon in Mato Grosso do Sul state, has the world's highest density of jaguars. It is also home to millions of caimans, parrots and giant otters.

Brazil has been parched by a historic drought that experts link to climate change and which has sparked what authorities have called a "fire pandemic." So far this year, some 6.7 million hectares (16.6 million acres) have burned in the Brazilian Amazon, amounting to 1.6 percent of the rainforest.

The fires are also ripping through the Pantanal, a UN World Heritage site which has recorded 1,452 fire outbreaks so far in September -- almost four times the number recorded in September 2023, according to the National Institute for Space Research.

Pollyanna Motinha, a vet at the Nex NoExtinction shelter on the outskirts of Brasilia, says she is increasingly seeing animals "at the top of the food chain, like jaguars" being injured in wildfires.

"It's not something that happened often in the past," she told AFP.

The jaguar, the largest feline in the Americas, is listed as a "near threatened" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The Pantanal jaguar, which is found along the banks of the Paraguay River, weighs on average 100 kilograms (220 pounds).

It is estimated that there are fewer than 2,000 left in the region.

The jaguar named Itapira was found hiding in a drainpipe near the town of Miranda, an area badly hit by flames. All four of her paws had been burned.

Despite her injuries the two-year-old, 57-kilogram cat must be approached with caution.

Before being treated, she is sedated with anesthetic darts.

Motinha, her husband and fellow vet Thiago Luczinski and two students then clean her wounds and wrap her paws in bags to apply ozone, which acts as a disinfectant, as well as a healing agent.

After a month of almost daily care, Itapira's condition has improved.

In the wild, the burns prevented her from using her claws to hunt caimans and capybaras -- a large semi-aquatic rodent native to South America.

"If she had not been brought here, if she had remained in the wild, she would probably no longer be alive or would be in a deplorable state," Luczinski said.

But the caregivers worry about the jaguar's future.

"This animal is safe today but she is going to return to a region that is still burning," he said.

Another female jaguar who suffered burns in a previous major wave of fires in the Pantanal in 2020 was unable to return home from Brasilia.

Her legs were so badly burned she lost the tendons that move her claws, Silvano Gianni, co-founder of Nex NoExtinction, explained.

She went on to have two cubs in captivity -- one of whom will be reintroduced to the wild.

rsr/cb/acb
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH)  More than 80 films from Connecticut filmmakers were screened at this years Bridgeport Film Festival on Saturday.

In its fourth year, the Bridgeport Film Festival was created by Jason A. Coombs during the pandemic as a way to make philanthropy through film a priority in Bridgeport.

The three day film festival features multiple blocks divided by genre and visitors are encouraged to choose their own adventure.

Sarah Beirne, event coordinator for the festival, told News 8, We did a horror block yesterday for Friday the 13th. All of them were phenomenal.

Filmmakers that contributed to the festival came from every corner of Connecticut, including one of our own here at News 8. George Grotheer, Producer at News 8 had the local debut of his short film, Put Put.

Weve screened at a few other festivals around the region, with a few more coming up in the next couple of months. But Im really excited to be showing off my film in my home state, Grotheer told News 8.

Following a contribution, this years film festival will be the first officially presented by the City of Bridgeport.

Sunday is the last day for the festival. The day begins at 9:30 a.m. with a virtual reality experience at the Klein Auditorium.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
(NewsNation)  Bryan Kohberger has been transported from Moscow, Idaho to Boise ahead of the murder trial where he is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022.

The Idaho Supreme Court gave the green light to move the trial from northern Idaho to Ada County last week. Judge Steven Hippler ordered that Kohberger be transferred into the custody of the Ada County Sheriffs Department.

Bryan Kohberger to stand trial for murder in Boise, Idaho

Boise is nearly 300 miles from Moscow, where the alleged slayings of the four students took place.

Kohberger was transported from Latah County in Idaho to the state capital on Sunday morning via plane.

Upon his transfer, an updated mugshot of Kohberger was released by the Ada County Sheriffs Department.

Kohberger will be held at the jail until his trial begins in June of 2025. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.

This story is developing. Download our NewsNation app for 24/7 fact-based unbiased coverage.

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 NewsNation.
Budanov discusses Russia's strategy and North Korean involvement at YES meeting in Kyiv

Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraines military intelligence chief, delivered multiple statements during the 20th annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) meeting in Kyiv.

Budanov expressed concern over North Koreas significant military support to Russia, particularly its supply of ballistic missiles.

When asked to rank the countries offering the most military support to Russia, Budanov placed North Korea at the top, stating that "North Korea would be first, then there is no one for a long time, and then everyone else," highlighting the unmatched volume of supplies North Korea provides.

He added that Russia has significantly ramped up its missile production, including Iskander missiles and guided aerial bombs.

In another interview, Budanov said that Russia aims to end the war by the end of 2025 or early 2026, due to expected economic and social crises.

He noted that by summer 2025, Russia will face serious economic problems and may be forced into further mobilization.

"They (Russia) predict that around the summer of 2025, the negative impact on the economy will be very noticeable for their country," Budanov said.

In February 2024, U.S. intelligence estimated that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has spent up to $211 billion on military operations in Ukraine. The war has cost Russia up to $1.3 trillion in lost economic growth through 2026, an undisclosed source in U.S. intelligence in a comment to Reuters.

Read also: NATO could have done more to stop Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Stoltenberg says

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Business premises in Mykolaiv district on fire after Russian Shahed UAV shot down

Russian forces directed its UAVs to Mykolaiv district overnight; a fire broke out when a Shahed drone was shot down.

Source: Ukraines State Emergency Service on Telegram

Details: As a result of falling debris from the downed drones, a fire broke out in warehouses at a food sector firms premises.

The fire covered an area of 800 square metres.

Support UP or become our patron!
(KTLA)  A Southern California teacher is under investigation after he allegedly fathered a child with one of his students.

The suspect was identified as Steve Graves, 61, by the Anaheim Police Department. Graves is currently employed with the Anaheim Union High School District.

On August 26, 2024, a woman reported to police that in the late 1980s, when she was a student at Loara High School in Anaheim, she had a sexual relationship with one of her teachers.

Detectives investigated and discovered a second woman who allegedly had a sexual relationship with the same teacher, Graves. She also told police she had a child together with him.

Law enforcement stops armed man accused of running Monroe officer over, threatening to burn home down

Both victims were minors at the time of the incidents.

On Aug. 29, Graves was placed on administrative leave by the school district. Anaheim police said they are in contact with him.

Anaheim Police detectives are working with the Orange County District Attorneys Office to determine what charges can be filed, if any, based on the statute of limitations, officials said.

Graves has worked as a teacher at Loara High School in Anaheim, Ball Junior High School in Anaheim and Lexington Junior High School in Cypress.

No further details were released as the case remains under investigation.

Anyone who may have been a victim of the suspect or has information on the case is asked to call Detective Evenson at (714) 765-1623.

Anonymous tips can be provided to OC Crime Stoppers at 1-855-847-6227 or online at occrimestoppers.org.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
More than 8,600 firefighters simultaneously battling three major Southern California wildfires made substantial progress overnight, taking advantage of cooler and wetter weather to increase containment lines on all three blazes, authorities said Sunday.

The largest blaze -- the Bridge Fire burning in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties -- was at 54,567 acres as of Sunday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

More than 2,600 emergency personnel battling the fire increased containment to 9% on Sunday, up from 2% on Saturday morning. Fire crews ensured a "minimal" spread of the inferno by about 800 acres overnight, according to Cal Fire.

Two firefighters have been injured in the Bridge Fire, which began on Sept. 8. At least 19 structures have been destroyed and six damaged, with 11,560 more still under threat, Cal Fire said.

A firefighting Chinook helicopter flies over the smoke from the Bridge Fire burning in the hills overlooking Pinon Hills, California, on September 12, 2024. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)

The northwest corner of the fire was most active through Saturday, Cal Fire added, while the east side of the blaze still poses risks to residents in the Mount Baldy area, where evacuation orders remain in effect.

Firefighters held their containment line on its south side in the Sunset Peak area, and increased containment there by 2%.

PHOTO: 3 major wildfires in Southern California (National Interagency Coordination Center)

The cause of the Bridge Fire remains under investigation.

Elsewhere in the Los Angeles area, firefighters were gaining the upper hand on two other major wildland blazes.

Line Fire

Firefighters in San Bernardino County increased containment of the Line Fire to 36% on Sunday morning, up from 25% to 29% on Saturday, according to Cal Fire. The blaze, which was started Sept. 5 by an alleged arsonist, was 38,421 acres in size as of Cal Fire's latest update Sunday morning.

Some 36,300 structures are being threatened, with one destroyed and three damaged as of Sunday. There are 4,103 fire personnel fighting the blaze, with three firefighters so far injured.

PHOTO: Color infrared overview of Line Fire in Running Springs, California, Sep. 11, 2024. (Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies.)

"Late Friday night and into the early hours Saturday, Line Fire activity was moderated due to higher moisture levels," San Bernardino National Forest officials said, though they added that danger of spreading fire remained in dry vegetation, drainages and along slopes.

MORE: California Bridge Fire updates: Cooler weather slows wildfire's growth, but evacuations continue

"The weather is expected to remain cool over the next several days which will continue to help moderate fire behavior," the national forest officials said.

Airport Fire

Firefighters battling the Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties grew containment from 9% to 19% on Saturday, Cal Fire reported, with the fire now 23,519 acres in size.

The wildfire destroyed 109 structures and damaged 24 more as of Saturday night, Cal Fire said, with another 21,993 still threatened. Fourteen people -- 12 firefighters and two civilians -- have been injured.

Time-lapse Alert: "Airport Fire" in Riverside County  Check out this powerful time-lapse video showing the #AirportFire east of Santiago Peak, captured by @ALERTCalifornia. California is still facing extreme fire behavior with high temps and dry conditions. Remember: pic.twitter.com/Jz3pVdDFJR  CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) September 10, 2024

"Favorable weather conditions persisted, with the marine layer returning this evening and forecast light precipitation in the coming days," Cal Fire wrote on Saturday evening.

MORE: California Bridge Fire updates: Cooler weather slows wildfire's growth, but evacuations continue

"Despite recent weather, the dry vegetation has exhibited active fire behavior, indicating the continued risk of increased fire activity," Cal Fire said.

"Evacuation levels are being assessed daily by fire managers in collaboration with law enforcement based on fire containment and safety considerations," it added. "Efforts are underway to safely return residents to their homes as conditions permit."

The Airport Fire began around 1 p.m. PT on Tuesday, sparked by county public works crews working on a fire prevention project by trying to move boulders to prevent public access -- mostly by motorcyclists -- to an area of the canyon with a lot of dry vegetation that could ignite easily, officials told Los Angeles ABC station KABC.

ABC News' Samira Said and Tristan Maglunog contributed to this report.

California Wildfires updates: Firefighters score success in containment battle originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Lucky for the Republicans who run the House, few Americans are paying attention to their antics of late, given the focus on the presidential race. Heres what theyre up to: busily exemplifying the definition of insanity  doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Led by Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson, Republicans yet again are threatening by their actions to shut down the government. After their extended summer recess, they returned after Labor Day and set out to score preelection points  egged on by Donald Trump  rather than seriously trying to pass legislation to keep the government funded. And theyre doing this just weeks before the Oct. 1 start of a new fiscal year, though theyve had months to pass regular bills funding federal operations to avoid a last-minute grab-bag.

Their doomed strategy  and they know its doomed  is a familiar one: Attach a pet right-wing priority onto the funding package and try to force the Democratic Senate majority and President Biden to accept it under deadline pressure. Except the House Republicans dont have enough votes to pass the package, given the opposition of party defectors as well as Democrats.

In past years, Republicans poison pills on funding bills have included proposals targeting Obamacare, abortion rights, immigrants and transgender people. This time immigrants are their target again. They are demanding a law requiring Americans to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Voting by noncitizens is already a crime and one that virtually no one commits.

Yet for this meritless cause, House Republicans would bring the government to a halt.

Read more: Calmes: What's with the silence from former Trump heavyweights?

There is a silver lining. The fiscal follies are a welcome preelection reminder of Republicans inability to govern, and why voters should strip them of their majority in November.

The current saga is also a reminder that, if Republicans do keep their majority and Trump becomes president, theyll act as an extension of his sorry White House  not as the independent branch of government the founders intended.

Trump publicly issued his all-caps marching orders just hours ahead of his debate last week with Kamala Harris. In a social media post Tuesday, he characterized the proof-of-citizenship requirement as an Election Security measure necessary to prevent Democrats from cheating. Consider it a preview of his fraud claim should he lose to Harris.

Read more: Calmes: Who is House Speaker Mike Johnson? Matt Gaetz's victory lap says it all

Without the citizenship proof, Trump wrote, Republicans in Congress SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET. THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO 'STUFF' VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS. DONT LET IT HAPPEN - CLOSE IT DOWN!!!

The speaker complied, though youd think Johnson would be getting tired of being humiliated by his party and its leader, just to stay in Trumps good graces. His Trump-blessed bills never seem to be extreme enough for the farthest-right faction in the House (they never vote for spending bills anyway), and yet the measures are too extreme for endangered Republican moderates. (Moderates is a relative term when it comes to House Republicans.)

Lacking enough support for his budget bill, Johnson canceled a House vote on Wednesday, saying he needed more time for family conversations with Republicans. If he corrals his slim majority and the bill does pass, its DOA in the Senate.

And the follies continue.

Read more: Calmes: Why Trump's 'leave it to the states' abortion stance ties him in knots

Only last November, just after his election as speaker, the all-but-impotent Johnson addressed a Christian nationalist group and compared himself to Moses, divinely chosen to lead House Republicans  and America  to some political promised land.

At the Museum of the Bible in Washington, Johnson told the group a lengthy tale about how, amid House Republicans jockeying to replace ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, God awakened him in the night and told him to be ready for a Red Sea moment. Then, after Republicans rejected other speaker candidates over several weeks, God awoke him again, Johnson recounted. The Lord said, Now step forward.

Me? Johnson asked. Him. He did Gods will, and hes been doing Trumps, or trying to, ever since.

We know how the funding fight will end: with Republicans retreat. They wont pass the bill, Johnson will accept a compromise  just as McCarthy had to, relying on Democrats votes  and they wont shut down government right before an election. Theyre eager to get home to campaign.

Read more: Opinion: Think of Donald Trump as Robin Hood in reverse. Here's why

After two more weeks of partisan scuffling, right up to or beyond the midnight Sept. 30 deadline, Congress likely will pass a three-month bill, free of partisan add-ons, funding the government until mid-December. Biden will sign it. Then the House and Senate will return after the election for a lame-duck session and fight right into the holiday season over a longer-term spending measure, against the backdrop of the new Congress that starts in January.

And theres where the follies could end. Democrats have long been favored, slightly, to regain control of the House, and their takeover prospects improved after Harris replaced Biden atop the partys ticket. If voters strip House Republicans of the majority, the far-right extremists will be relegated to the backbench where they belong. Moses Johnson will be retired as speaker. And Democrats, led by their leader, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, will school the Republicans on how a bill actually becomes law.

A Democratic House, and the first Black speaker. Thats the ticket.

@jackiekcalmes



If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The family of a 24-year-old woman who died from cancer is helping to develop an app aiming to improve the wellbeing of young people with the disease.

Huddersfield-based charity the Ella Dawson Foundation is working with technology firm Careology to provide support to patients aged between 18-30.

Ms Dawson died in July 2021 two years after she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with the charity set up in her memory the following month.

Her sister, Natasha Dawson, said Ella had been passionate about wellbeing throughout her cancer experience and would be really proud of the app.

Natasha Dawson, pictured outside the Royal Marsden hospital, lost her sister Ella to cancer aged 24 [The Ella Dawson Foundation]

The Careology app allows cancer patients to manage and track symptoms and communicate with clinicians and healthcare providers.

The partnership will see the charity's support embedded within the app for patients to use across the UK, beginning at specialist cancer hospital the Royal Marsden in London.

Ms Dawson, who works for the charity, said: When you are told you have cancer in your teens or twenties, so many people think that theyre the only ones.

Some people dont have other people theyre aware of in that age group, and having these platforms to reduce that isolation and hear from other people and know youre not alone is so powerful.

The app's support includes information about managing mental health, finding like-minded friends and providing exercise tips.

Paul Landau, app founder, said it came about five years ago after his wifes cancer treatment led him to realise how overwhelming the journey was for patients.

Careology was designed to better support someone going through cancer and then connect that person back to a broader support network, he said.

Theres around 2,300 teenage and young adult diagnoses each year in the UK, so the aspiration is to support as many of those people as possible.

Ms Dawson said the charity had supported 350 people since its launch two years ago.

Discussing her sister's experience, she said: When she was going through treatment she was very passionate about wellbeing, there are so many stories of her doing yoga and the consultant walking in.

She wanted to live well to her last day and she didnt find that there was tailored support for her at that time  thats where the charity came about after she passed away.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.

Related internet links
AUSTIN (KXAN)  Over 530,000 people are food insecure in Central Texas, and one in five children are at risk of hunger, according to the Central Texas Food Bank.

The Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) serves 21 counties in the Central Texas region.

This region alone has a 16.4% rate of food insecurity. This means 530,000 individuals in this region suffer from food insecurity and are at risk of going hungry.

RELATED: Food, job assistance easier to access in new nonprofit partnership

FILE (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

The CTFB reported that Texas ranked number two in the country in terms of food insecurity. They said they see this as a severe issue.

We have higher than average rates of food insecurity here in our Central Texas region for the state of Texas. So it is a big challenge, and thats why we want to get the word out, through Hunger Action month, said Mark Jackson, the chief development officer at the Central Texas Food Bank.

Last week on Hunger Action Day, Sept. 10, the CTFB teamed up with Feeding America in an initiative to raise awareness on the issue of hunger in our area. They encouraged community members to participate by showing support and wearing orange, donating, advocating and volunteering.

RELATED: KXAN viewers donate more than $120,000 to Central Texas Food Bank

Central Texas Food Bank Ribbon Cutting ceremony for new pantry. (KXAN Photo)

There is so many different ways that you can get involved. The simplest way is, is donating. We can leverage a donation and provide so many meals with just a small gift, Jackson said.

The food bank works to educate the community on public policies and legislation that impacts peoples ability to access food.

We just need to do more. Were still falling short of meeting the need, Jackson said.

The CTFB is always out in the community searching for donations and food resources. They work closely with retail partners like HEB on food rescue programs.

RELATED: Central Texas Food Bank creates art competition to help in combating hunger

Were spending right now $1.1 million a month purchasing fresh produce and other shelf-stable items to make sure that we have food in our warehouse that we can distribute to our network of 250 partner agencies, Jackson said.

The CTFB said it appreciates how the community continues to step up and ensure that they have those resources. When they donate money, it means that we can stretch that dollar so much further, Jackson said.

Ways you can help

The CTFB has an online toolkit for you to download and advocate by sharing with your friends. CTFB is also always looking for donations and volunteers at their warehouses and in the kitchen.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Please read the following post issued by Trump last week on Truth Social, his social media platform. Never in my lifetime did I think I would hear a Republican presidential candidate threaten the use of force and imprisonment for those administering our election laws.

Therefore, the 2024 Election, where Votes have just started being cast, will be under the closest professional scrutiny and, WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again. We cannot let our Country further devolve into a Third World Nation, AND WE WONT! Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.

Although Trump says its about When I Win, this latest blast stokes the fires of his MAGA crowd, already blaming election officials for his possible November loss and once again setting up another violent attack on the peaceful transfer of power. That is the very reason why former Vice President Dick Cheney pledges his vote for Kamala Harris. It was an historic moment when his daughter, Liz Cheney, told the Texas Tribune that she and her father would do just that.

No matter your politics, this endorsement of the Democratic candidate for president by a conservative Republican whom liberals considered the Darth Vader of American politics is a big deal, a moment when other Republicans and Independents not enamored with either Trump or Harris might just heed the warning of the Cheneys that this not about what party wins the presidency nor is it necessarily about Harris. Its a referendum on whether the rule of law will prevail in our democracy, or will the White House be occupied once again by a vengeful hatemonger who will apply his own despotic calculus to anyone who differs with him or does something as straightforward as follow the law.

Cheney must be thinking that his own personal endorsement of Harris and his denunciation of Trump is required at a moment when the nations national media seems to have gone to work for Donald Trump. Too often, the mainstream media has given Trump a break and failed to report on Trumps outlandish claims and threats. But this latest one is the last straw and, finally, the New York Times and others stepped up and reported it.

Over 200 Republicans who worked for Bush, Romney and McCain have also announced their support for Harris, which is more a vote against an aging and unpredictable Trump. But it is still troubling that more moderate and well-respected Republicans with name recognition are reluctant to announce their support for Harris.

Former President George W. Bush comes to mind. He will go down in history responsible for the deaths of over 4,000 service members killed in the Iraq War and over 32,000 Americans wounded in the conflict. It was a war sold to Congress and the American people by Dick Cheney who wrongfully believed Saddam Husseins claim that he had weapons of mass destruction he was prepared to use. At least, Cheney adds an important footnote to his tarnished place in history with this courageous move deserting the party he called home for his entire life. No matter how you feel about his past actions, credit must be given to someone who in the closing chapters of his life chooses to part company with his Republican Party for one reason and one reason only  to save the Republic.

Bush could learn a thing or two from former President Jimmy Carter, whose presidency suffered both on the domestic and international fronts, before being defeated for a second term by President Ronald Reagan. Carter fashioned a post-presidency that is the gold standard for how former presidents can continue to contribute both at home and abroad. Bush just might be able to muster a more favorable footnote in history as his vice president has done if he could put down his painters brush and take a stand for democracy and the rule of law by endorsing Harris.

It is not an exaggeration to say just from reading those latest comments of Trump that America is headed for autocratic mayhem if Trumps imbecilic and unintelligible take on America were ever allowed in the White House again. Yet, Ive heard some Republican voters who cant stomach Trump say they will sit out the presidential race. Its usually well-educated men holding on to their investments for dear life and somehow assuming that they are safe with Trump, the man who wants to slap tariffs on most consumer products arriving in America. How about a lesson on what that will do to the pocketbooks of consumers?

If you dig deeply into their thinking, I am convinced we are dealing with men who know how dangerous a second Trump term will be, but they also hear his talk of cutting taxes and think, well, that cant be so bad. But listen to the Cheneys of this world who have spent their lives representing the monied class of America. Listen to the Dick Cheney of today who has watched his Republican Party wither away and be replaced by a gang of right-wing radicals who even the Republican Party of his day did not allow to overwhelm and capture Republican primaries. The Dick Cheney of today fears for Americas international leadership against totalitarian and autocratic states with Trump having already demonstrated his adoration for autocratic rulers like Putin and Kim Jong Il.

What a wasted vote. To pass on voting for president is a vote for Trump. That is exactly why Liz Cheney is all in, crisscrossing the country and admonishing anyone who will listen to her message--voters cannot sit this one out. If he and her father can vote for Harris, then I cannot imagine any moderate Republican voter not understanding the gravity of this election and its impact on our democracy.

What is underway in America at this moment resembles the way parliamentary governments work in other countries. Its called coalition government, when parties cannot by themselves muster a majority or a winning plurality, but together, in what is sometimes nothing more than an unholy alliance, they put together a new majority for the purpose of governing their nation.

America broke from the parliamentary government of its colonial past and created the presidential election system much different than the parliamentary government of Britain. Although the United States Constitution is not written to accommodate the principles and structure of parliamentary government, Trumps recent remarks give Republican voters license to join a coalition of Americans that has the power and strength to not only to elect Kamala Harris, but also to reconfigure how Americas political parties will forever again be constituted.

Before we get to what happens after the November election, it is imperative that Republican and Independent voters rethink their decisions to stay on the sidelines of the most important presidential election of our lifetimes. This year, voters who support Harris and Tim Walz stand shoulder to shoulder with the delegates in Philadelphia in 1787 who gave birth to this great nation and signed their approval of the United States Constitution. In 2024, voters can assure that the flame of liberty ignited on that day in Philadelphia and embodied in our Constitution is not extinguished by a ruthless autocrat.

Bob Kustra served as president of Boise State University from 2003 to 2018. He is host of Readers Corner on Boise State Public Radio, and he writes a biweekly column for the Idaho Statesman. He served two terms as Illinois lieutenant governor and 10 years as a state legislator.
Chicago police search for elderly woman who may need medical attention

CHICAGO  Chicago police are searching for a missing elderly woman who may need medical attention.

Police said 88-year-old Lee Ann McGhee was last seen Friday in the 5700 block of South Racine Avenue wearing a blue denim jacket and a black fanny pack. She is 504 and weighs 136 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

McGhee may also need medical attention, according to investigators.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or Area One Detectives at 312-747-8380.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife reported that the young child was walking down a dock at a Seattle-area marina when an otter grabbed them and dragged them away

Getty The Bremerton Marina in Washington

A young child in Washington is recovering after being dragged underwater by a river otter in a rare attack.

According to a press release from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW), a child was visiting the Bremerton Marina, located east of Seattle, on Thursday, Sept. 12, when a "human-river otter incident" occurred.

The WDFW said that officers received a report at around 9:30 a.m. from the child's mother, who said a river otter pulled her child off the dock they were walking down. The otter then dragged the child underwater, and the child came back up above the surface after a few moments.

The child's mom then lifted them out of the water as the otter was still attacking, resulting in her sustaining a bite on her arm. The otter "continued to pursue the family" as they left. According to the WDFW, the child was taken to a nearby hospital, where they received treatment for bites and scratches on the face, legs and top of the head.

Getty The Bremerton Marina in Washington

Related: 3 Women Injured in Rare Otter Attack While Floating on Montana River

"We are grateful the victim only sustained minor injuries, due to the mothers quick actions and childs resiliency," WDFW sergeant Ken Balazs said in the press release. "We would also like to thank the Port of Bremerton for their quick coordination and communication to their marina tenants."

According to the release, officers requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services trap and kill otters in the marina. One animal was found near the dock where the child was attacked, and the WDFW said it was taken to a lab for testing, particularly for rabies.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Getty North American river otter (stock image)

The WDFW also said in its press release that river otters are commonly found across Washington, in both fresh and saltwater bodies of water. People can legally trap them with a trapping license during open season, and the department also said they can be legally killed or trapped if they are "damaging crops or domestic animals."

Related: Calif. Surfers Warned About Aggressive Otter After Animal Is Filmed Attacking Surfboards  Watch!

"Although encounters with river otters are rare, they can be territorial and, like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable," the department stated, noting that there have been six documented incidents between humans and river otters within the past 10 years.

This is not the only otter attack to make headlines in the past week. The New York Post reported on Wednesday, Sept. 11, that a woman in Malaysia was jogging in Tanjung Aru Recreation Park in Sabah when a group of otters approached her and attacked her, biting her and leaving her bloodied.

A park official said that the otters may have had a "change in behavior" because of visitors feeding the animals, and added that the woman was transported to a hospital and treated for her injuries.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
(FOX40.COM)  California Highway Patrol officers recently arrested two people after they discovered $1.3 million worth of cocaine during a traffic stop.

CHP said a vehicle was pulled over on 1-5 in Merced County for a traffic violation. During the stop, police said they discovered 37 pounds of cocaine which is valued at over $1 million. Two Oregon men, ages 24 and 20, were arrested.

CPS investigation in Northern California reveals several illegal guns in household

Both suspects face multiple felony charges, including possession and transportation of cocaine for sale, and conspiracy to distribute, according to CHP. The case was handed over to the Merced Area Gang Narcotics Enforcement Team.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
The City of Brownwood will host the Feels Like Home Festival. Local businesses hope to draw crowds to them

BROWNWOOD, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  If you live or have lived in Brownwood, mentioning the Brownwood Reunion might spark some memories. The Brownwood reunion was an annual music event held in September for over a decade, featuring live performances in the city. Unfortunately, according to Mayor Stephen Haynes, that event came to an end around 2016.

Brownwood reunion was a great event. It ran a span of about 10-12 years, but part of it was lack of facility, and thats a bit of the story of how the Brownwood event center came to be. Because we didnt have a stage, we didnt have a true event center type of facility. So much set up to do that required hundreds and hundreds of man hours lots of money to put that event on it was just not profitable, explained Mayor Haynes.

The issues were resolved by renovating the 1920s Radford building into a brand-new downtown event center. A point of pride ready for a stress test with the inaugural Feels like a home festival, headlined by musical group Midland. The reunion lawn and event center have the capacity to host around 10 thousand people. The festival was hosted in partnership with the city and the event production company Soundskilz. City staff say this kind of opportunity was made possible by the event center, which they see as proof of payoff.

We built this event place to hopefully host these types of events. The idea is we can attract people from all across the state who will come see Brownwood and all its great beauty and businesses. They (Soundskilz) were pleased with the facility we had here. Thought it was conducive to have really great concerts and really great events, added Mayor Haynes.

Longtime resident and owner of Over the Rainbow Ice Cream, Julie McDermed, shared that her business is a couple blocks down from the event center. She hopes those crowds will be drawn to visit local businesses as well. She is already planning to keep the freezer in stock with enough ice cream.

Definitely, walk around. Theres so much every weekend we have people stop in who havent been in Brownwood for a while, and theyre so surprised of the growth and all of Brownwood, explained McDermed.

McDermed shared that, living in Brownwood for about a decade, she has heard a lot about the Brownwood Reunion and believes the event has the potential to draw in crowds as many people across the state have a connection to the city.

It boosts the citys economy in terms of sales, hotel stays, and more. Mayor Haynes hopes that if the event is a success, it can open the door for similar events in the city. Im looking forward to seeing families on the lawn, listening to music, and enjoying the space.



Providing a boost in the citys economy in terms of sales, hotel stays, and more. Mayor Haynes hopes if the event is a success, it can open the door for similar events to take place in the city. Looking forward to seeing families in the lawn listening to music and enjoying the space.

Our goal in this is to bring people to Brownwood that will spend money in our local businesses. Downtown Brownwood is just a short walk away from the event center we have lots of great restaurants and lots of great stores and of course other businesses all throughout our community, added Mayor Haynes.

To learn more about the Feels Like Home Festival visit here: FAQ  Feels Like Home Festival

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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.
This city is hailed as a vaccination success. Can it be sustained?

Chanel Ferran Gutierrez, a 10th grade student at Newcomer Academy, prepares to be vaccinated during a pop-up immunization clinic in the school's library in Louisville, Ky., on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  On his first day of school at Newcomer Academy, Maikel Tejeda was whisked to the school library. The 7th grader didnt know why.

He soon got the point: He was being given make-up vaccinations. Five of them.

I dont have a problem with that, said the 12-year-old, who moved from Cuba early this year.

Across the library, a group of city, state and federal officials gathered to celebrate the school clinic, and the city. With U.S. childhood vaccination rates below their goals, Louisville and the state were being praised as success stories: Kentucky's vaccination rate for kindergarteners rose 2 percentage points in the 2022-2023 school year compared with the year before. The rate for Jefferson County  which is Louisville  was up 4 percentage points.

Progress is success, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But that progress didn't last. Kentuckys school entry vaccination rate slipped last year. Jefferson County's rate slid, too. And the rates for both the county and state remain well below the target thresholds.

It raises the question: If this is what success looks like, what does it say about the nation's ability to stop imported infections from turning into community outbreaks?

Local officials believe they can get to herd immunity thresholds, but they acknowledge challenges that includes tight funding, misinformation and well-intended bureaucratic rules that can discourage doctors from giving kids shots.

We're closing the gap, said Eva Stone, who has managed the county school systems health services since 2018. We're not closing the gap very quickly.

Falling vaccination rates

Public health experts focus on vaccination rates for kindergartners because schools can be cauldrons for germs and the launching pad for community outbreaks.

For years, those rates were high, thanks largely to mandates that required key vaccinations as a condition of school attendance.

But they have slid in recent years. When COVID-19 started hitting the U.S. hard in 2020, schools were closed, visits to pediatricians declined and vaccination record-keeping fell off. Meanwhile, more parents questioned routine childhood vaccinations that they used to automatically accept, an effect that experts attribute to misinformation and the political schism that emerged around COVID-19 vaccines.

A Gallup survey released last month found that 40% of Americans said it is extremely important for parents to have their children vaccinated, down from 58% in 2019. Meanwhile, a recent University of Pennsylvania survey of 1,500 people found that about 1 in 4 U.S. adults think the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine causes autism  despite no medical evidence for it.

All that has led more parents to seek exemptions to school entry vaccinations. The CDC has not yet reported national data for the 2023-2024 school year, but the proportion of U.S. kindergartners exempted from school vaccination requirements the year before hit a record 3%.

Overall, 93% of kindergartners got their required shots for the 2022-2023 school year. The rate was 95% in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officials worry slipping vaccination rates will lead to disease outbreaks.

The roughly 250 U.S. measles cases reported so far this year are the most since 2019, and Oregon is seeing its largest outbreak in more than 30 years.

Kentucky has been experiencing its worst outbreak of whooping cough  another vaccine-preventable disease  since 2017. Nationally, nearly 14,000 cases have been reported this year, the most since 2019.

Persuading parents

The whooping cough surge is a warning sign but also an opportunity, said Kim Tolley, a California-based historian who wrote a book last year on the vaccination of American schoolchildren. She called for a public relations campaign to get everybody behind improving immunizations.

Much of the discussion about raising vaccination rates centers on campaigns designed to educate parents about the importance of vaccinating children  especially those on the fence about getting shots for their kids.

But experts are still hashing out what kind of messaging work best: Is it better, for example, to say vaccinate or "immunize''?

A lot of the messaging is influenced by feedback from small focus groups. One takeaway is some people have less trust in health officials and even their own doctors than they once did. Another is that they strongly trust their own feelings about vaccines and what they've seen in Internet searches or heard from other sources.

Their overconfidence is hard to shake. It's hard to poke holes in it," said Mike Perry, who ran focus groups on behalf of a group called the Public Health Communications Collaborative.

But many people seem more trusting of older vaccines. And they do seem to be at least curious about information they didn't know, including the history of research behind vaccines and the dangers of the diseases they were created to fight, he said.

Some of the CDC's recent communications take a gentle approach.

One example is a digital media ad that depicts a boy playing with a toy Tyrannosaurus rex. The caption reads, He thinks diphtheria is the name of a dinosaur." It's an attempt to use humor while sending a message that children no longer know much about the infections that used to be common threats  and it's better to keep it that way.

Improving access

Dolores Albarracin has studied vaccination improvement strategies in 17 countries, and repeatedly found that the most effective strategy is to make it easier for kids to get vaccinated.

In practice, most people are not vaccinating simply because they don't have money to take the bus or have other troubles getting to appointments, said Albarracin, director of the communication science division within Penn's Annenberg Public Policy Center.

That's a problem in Louisville, where officials say few doctors were providing vaccinations to children enrolled in Medicaid and fewer still were providing shots to kids without any health insurance. An analysis a few years ago indicated 1 in 5 children  about 20,000 kids  were not current on their vaccinations, and most of them were poor, said Stone, the county school health manager.

A 30-year-old federal program called Vaccines for Children pays for vaccinations for children who Medicaid-eligible or lack the insurance to cover it.

But in a meeting with the CDC director last month, Louisville health officials lamented that most local doctors don't participate in the program because of paperwork and other administrative headaches. And it can be tough for patients to get the time and transportation to get to those few dozen Louisville providers who do take part.

The school system has tried to fill the gap. In 2019, it applied to become a VFC provider, and gradually established vaccine clinics.

Last year, it held clinics at nearly all 160 schools, and it's doing the same thing this year. The first was at Newcomer Academy, where many immigrant students behind on their vaccinations are started in the school system.

It's been challenging, Stone said. Funding is very limited. There are bureaucratic obstacles, and a growing influx of children from other countries who need shots. It takes multiple trips to a doctor or clinic to complete some vaccine series. And then there's the opposition  vaccination clinic announcements tend to draw hateful social media comments.

But there's also a lot of support. The local health department and nursing schools are crucial partners, and city leaders support the endeavor.

At the recent vaccination celebration, Mayor Craig Greenberg acknowledged access problems and that vaccinations have become politicized.

But "to me, theres nothing political about improving public health, about improving the health of our kids," said Greenberg, a Democrat. There should be no debate about that.

___

AP video journalist Mary Conlon contributed to this report.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The City of Las Vegas kicked off its Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations Saturday with a ceremony honoring El Grito, the call for Mexican Independence.

While the celebration kicks off today, it marks the beginning of a month celebrating Hispanic heritage, which many in our community call theirs. That includes City Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, who helped organize todays event.

Its just a way to acknowledge that theres still those cultural ties to our home countries and that were all here united, Diaz said.

City of Las Vegas begins Hispanic heritage celebrations (KLAS)

City of Las Vegas begins Hispanic heritage celebrations (KLAS)City of Las Vegas begins Hispanic heritage celebrations (KLAS)

City of Las Vegas begins Hispanic heritage celebrations (KLAS)

City of Las Vegas begins Hispanic heritage celebrations (KLAS)

City of Las Vegas begins Hispanic heritage celebrations (KLAS)

City of Las Vegas begins Hispanic heritage celebrations (KLAS)

Diaz is the first Latina elected to the Las Vegas City Council and says shes thrilled to see how the recognition of Hispanic heritage has expanded in the valley.

It makes my heart happy to see that every year the offerings are growing from all municipalities.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department also attended the event, and Sheriff Kevin McMahill was happy to gather with neighbors.

Literally hundreds of people come out here and its a great way for them to meet their police department and help us improve the quality of life in our community, McMahill said.

Tomorrow, the City of North Las Vegas will hold its Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at Craig Ranch Park.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
An artist's impression of the first phase of Cardiff Crossrail, connecting Central Station with Cardiff Bay [The Urbanists]

Plans for a new tram that could eventually stretch across Cardiff have been revealed.

It is hoped that the first stage of Cardiff Crossrail, connecting the city's central station with the bay, will be built by early 2029.

Cardiff council, which is working with Transport for Wales (TfW) to build the tramway, said Crossrail would eventually connect "some of the most deprived communities" in the city to the railway network.

People are being asked to share their views on the plans as part of a consultation, which runs until the end of October.

"Subject to funding, the Cardiff Crossrail will eventually run from the north-west of the city all the way to the east of the city connecting with the proposed Parkway railway station," council cabinet member Dan D'eath said.

"To start this process, the first phase of the scheme must be built between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay."

What is Cardiff Crossrail?

A map shows the proposed route of Cardiff Crossrail, as laid out in 2019 [Transport for Wales/Cardiff Council]

Like its London namesake, Cardiff Crossrail is the name of a plan to build a light-rail route through the middle of the Welsh capital.

It is intended to stretch from the village of Creigiau, in the north-west, to Newport Road in the east.

If Cardiff Parkway in St Mellons goes ahead, the plan is to extend Crossrail to incorporate that too.

So far, only the first stage of Crossrail has secured funding, which connects Cardiff Central station with Cardiff Bay by rail for the first time.

This will involve building a new two-platform stop in the rear car park of Cardiff Central, Wales' busiest station.

An artist's impression of the proposed new platform for the tramway in the southern car park of Cardiff Central station [The Urbanists]

The tramway will then be built through Callaghan Square before joining up with the existing railway line to Cardiff Bay station, where an extra platform will be built.

Subject to more funding, it would then go east to a new station at Pierhead Street, near the Senedd.

The long-term aim is for it to be 17 miles (27km) long, with 18 stops including the 7,000-home Plasdwr development, a new park and ride near the M4's Cardiff West services, Tremorfa and Splott.

An artist's impression of the tramway's proposed route through Callaghan Square [The Urbanists]

Prof Mark Barry, who has been involved with the scheme since it was first suggested in 2011, said the first stage was a "great starter", but "doesn't cut the mustard" on its own.

"The real benefit is when you connect this line to the west, because that will improve the capacity of the whole South Wales Metro and provide much more capacity, resilience and reliability in the core of the network," he said.

When will Cardiff Crossrail be built?

Construction of the first phase is hoped to begin in autumn 2025 and developers hope to have that section up and running by late 2028 or early 2029.

There is no timeline for the wider Crossrail project.

How much will Cardiff Crossrail cost?

100m has been raised to support the first phase, including 50m from the UK government's Levelling Up fund and 50m from the Welsh government.

The cost of the full Crossrail project is unclear, although in 2019 the city council referred to plans as a "1bn transport vision".

Is Cardiff Crossrail part of the South Wales Metro?

The planned Cardiff Crossrail, in green, together with the wider South Wales Metro [Cardiff Council]

The South Wales Metro is focused on improving public transport between Cardiff and the south Wales valleys.

TfW said Crossrail was "fully aligned" with Metro plans, but its aim was to improve connectivity across the Welsh capital.

Longer term, the council also wants to create a Circle Line, building a new connection between Radyr and Coryton stations - creating an orbital railway around the city.

This would also connect a new park and ride near junction 32 of the M4 with Velindre Cancer Centre in Whitchurch, but this project has no funding or timeframe.

"A city of soon to be 400,000 people will be operating on a transport system built to serve a much smaller population," the council said in its 2019 transport white paper.

What are the plans for a new arena in Cardiff Bay?

The planned new indoor arena in Cardiff Bay would be built on the site where the Red Dragon Centre sits [Cardiff council]

The hope is that Crossrail will improve connectivity to a new 250m indoor arena, which is set to be built on the site of the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay.

Preliminary ground works began on the 15,000-capacity venue in January with a planned opening date of summer 2026.

Has Cardiff had trams before?

Cardiff had horse-drawn trams as far back as 1872 and, by the early 20th Century, there were more than 100 electric trams operating throughout the city.

A tram crossing a swing bridge over the River Taff in Cardiff, in about 1940 [Getty Images]

Initially, the old network focused on Cardiff's busy docks area but, by the late 1920s, trams linked Victoria Park, Grangetown, Roath, Splott and Gabalfa to the centre and the docks, carrying more than 40 million passengers a year.

In 1950, the trams were replaced by electric trolleybuses, which ran in the city until 1970 when motorised buses took over.

Remember the plans for driverless pods?

Cardiff's proposed driverless pods would have travelled at up to 25mph (40km/h), with passengers using smart cards to select their destination, paying 1 per ride [BBC]

There have been discussions about connecting Cardiff's popular waterfront with the city's central station for more than 20 years.

Back in 2002, the council announced a 45m plan to create a system of futuristic driverless taxis.

The proposed Ultra cabs, made of glass fibre pods, would have run on an elevated track system.

But the scheme was halted after Welsh ministers said they would not financially support the scheme.

Similar driverless vehicles now carry passengers between the main building of London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 and its business car park.

More on this story

Related links
More and more Russians, both civilians and military, are cooperating with the Ukrainian defence forces. Residents of Kursk Oblast are reporting Kadyrovites en masse, as this is the only way to protect themselves from them (Kadyrovites is the collective term for Chechen troops loyal to the country's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov)

Source: National Resistance Centre (CNS)

Quote: "Similarly, behind almost every effective strike deep into the temporarily occupied territories, there are people who provide information about air defence positions, ammunition depots or the movement of Russian units."

Details: The CNS said that on 31 August, it was reported that on the Kursk front, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had shot down an unusual target  a rare Orion reconnaissance and attack UAV, "a kind of Russian Bayraktar", but not as good.

According to open sources, up to 30 of these drones were produced, and at least six were shot down (excluding the one in Kursk Oblast), with the destruction confirmed visually. Their cost is not disclosed, but the total investment in this project has already amounted to about US$30 million.

The Orions are manufactured by the Russian joint-stock company Kronstadt, a self-described "leader of the national unmanned aerial vehicle industry" in Russia. The company is based in St. Petersburg and has offices in Moscow. In addition to Orion, it produces several other drone systems.

According to the CNS, the Russians themselves were involved in the destruction of this particular Orion. More precisely, an informant within the group that maintains and pilots these drones is connected to Kronstadt.

This person got in touch with representatives of certain units of Ukraine's Defence Forces and offered to provide information about the UAVs, the control system and personnel training  and most importantly, how the Russians use Orions against Ukrainian troops.

With all the information, the Ukrainian Air Force was able to ambush this rare and expensive Russian UAV.

Support UP or become our patron!
Cleburne police make arrest in killing of 18-year-old woman

CLEBURNE, Texas - Police have made an arrest in the shooting death of an 18-year-old woman in Cleburne earlier this month.

Giovanni Jimenez Diaz, a 20-year-old from Cleburne, was arrested on Friday.

He has been charged with the murder of 18-year-old Kaylee Merchant.

On September 8, police say Merchant was a passenger in a white SUV when she was shot on Poindexter Avenue.

She was taken to the hospital, where she died.

Police say the suspect ran from the scene.

Jimenez Diaz is in the Johnson County Jail.

In a social media post, Cleburne police thanked the public for tips that helped lead to the arrest.

Police have not released any information about what they believe led to the shooting.




WEST PALM BEACH  Many restaurants and bars remain dark on weekend mornings on Clematis Street as the downtown strip stirs to life. But the medical marijuana dispensaries are open by 9 a.m., with lines forming at the registers before noon.

The dispensaries have taken a liking to West Palm Beachs downtown. At least three currently do business on Clematis Street, along with several shops that sell pipes, bongs and CBD products.

Business has been thriving, so much so that the City Commission last year banned new dispensaries citywide, limiting the market to only the nine operating at the time. City leaders said the abundance of dispensaries in and around their most visible street created perception issues.

But with Florida voters set to decide in November whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, those businesses could be poised to become even more prominent, if eligibility and demand for commercial marijuana products spikes after a yes vote.

Id imagine wed see an uptick in business for sure, said Matt Barnes, co-manager of Sunburn Cannabis, located across the street from the city police headquarters on Clematis Street. A lot of people are coming up here already.

Barnes said every day people walk into his store looking to buy recreational marijuana, unaware that Florida, for now, only allows marijuana to be purchased by people found to have a medically valid reason to consume it, such as to relieve chronic pain or anxiety.

Barnes said legalizing the recreational use of marijuana would be a boon for his business  but also for public services. Legalizing the industry is expected to bring in between $200 million and $400 million dollars a year in extra tax revenue.

Full recreational legalization would have other benefits too, said Lexy, a West Palm Beach resident who recently got her medical marijuana card.

It would be more regulated, she said. I think it would be a positive.

Lexy, who declined to give her last name, pointed out that recreational use of the drug is already widespread, so legalization would merely ensure that a greater share is produced and sold in professionalized settings and taxed.

But whats good for marijuana dispensaries isnt good for other businesses, a group of downtown business owners contend.

In 2022 the Downtown Development Authority, an independent taxing district that represents downtown business owners, called for a moratorium on the opening of new dispensaries.

Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, seen Saturday, has been transformed over the last few years with a paver-covered curbless street to promote a social environment. Concerns have been raised about what will happen to this environment if the marijuana use amendment passes.

The proliferation of this type of business has a deleterious effect on the area by sending the wrong message about our community, creates a negative perception of our place, and prevents other, more beneficial types of businesses from opening, the organizations executive director, Raphael Clemente, wrote in a letter to the City Commission.

Mayor Keith James said at the time that he share(d) the same concerns.

Similar concerns have been raised by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said in April that widespread public use of marijuana would ruin the feel of public spaces.

This state will start to smell like marijuana in our cities and towns, he said at a news conference. It will reduce the quality of life.

Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, said recently that he supports the referendum.

"As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 this November," he wrote on social media this month.

Polls consistently show a majority of Florida voters support legalizing recreational marijuana, but they are split on whether the proposed constitutional amendment will surpass the 60% threshold necessary.

Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@pbpost.com

Alter Native, a wellness retailer, sells tetrahydrocannabinol or THC products in downtown West Palm Beach on Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Clematis Street pot dispensaries could see boom after marijuana vote
CLEVELAND COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR)  Court documents reveal Cleveland County Detention Officer Luis Alejandro Cardona faces two counts of sexual battery and one count of assault and battery.

Cardona was arrested Wednesday.

| READ LOCAL NEWS > Authorities are investigating after 36-year-old man, 3-year-old son died in Waynoka >

In an affidavit, a detainee in the Cleveland County Jail says Cardona told her to hit him up, when she gets out. The detainee also stated that the detention officer groped her and made comments about her breast size.

Cleveland County Sheriffs Office announces layoffs, cites budget constraints

Documents also read that Cardona intentionally groped a detainees buttocks in a lewd manner.

The paperwork added that the Detention Officer knocked a detainee to the ground with force and violence.

On September 4th, authorities say they interviewed Cardona at the Cleveland County Detention Center.

Police say Cardona admitted to multiple policy violations and was caught in multiple lies.

News 4 tried contacting the Cleveland Co. Sheriffs office for comment Friday afternoon but could not reach anyone. The office is closed on weekends.

The Cleveland Co. Sheriffs office also announced Friday that they would be laying off an unspecified number of employees due to budget constraints.

The announcement sparked questions from members of the community.

The layoff announcement comes after the Cleveland Co. Commissioners voted unanimously to bail out the Sheriffs office in June, due to $3.2M in overspending.

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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Vice presidential candidate and Ohio Sen. JD Vance seemingly took credit on Sunday for propagating the media bonanza over baseless claims of pet-eating in Springfield, Ohio, that made their way to last weeks presidential debateeven as it led to bomb threats at offices and schools in the city.

The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I start talking about cat memes, Vance told CNNs Dana Bash on State of the Union. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then thats what Im going to do.

Nobody Is Eating Our Citys Dogs Mr. TrumpId Know, Im the Dog Warden

Sorry, you just said that youre creating the story, Bash shot back. You just said that this is a story that you created. So, the eating dogs and cats thing is not accurate?

I say that were creating a story, meaning were creating the American media focusing on it, Vance clarified. I didnt create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris policies. Her policies did that. But yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris policies.

The tense exchange came as Bash took Vance to task over calls for violence made against Springfield and its Haitian community, questioning why Vance and the campaign continued to boost a narrative that puts lives at risk despite officials in your state saying that theres no evidence and pleading for you to stop.

(Many Haitian migrants legally reside in Springfield through the governments Temporary Protected Status classification, which the Department of Homeland Security extended in June through 2026.)

Vance opted to ignore the mention of Springfield officials pleas and instead claimed that the media was just ignoring the issue. Many of the things that the media says are completely baseless have since been confirmed, Vance said, pointing to a 911 call made by an Ohio resident who claimed to see a Haitian immigrant stealing a goose.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources told local outlet WSYX on Friday it found no evidence that the incident happened. The Ohio Department of Wildlife, meanwhile, told TMZ the viral photos of a manwhose identity or immigration status has never been confirmedholding a goose were actually taken in Columbus, Ohio, and that the bird had actually been hit by a car.

CNNs Dana Bash Defends Harris Interview That P**sed Off Both Sides

Instead of saying things that are wrong, and actually causing the hospitals, the schools, the government buildings to be evacuated because of bomb threats, because of the cats and dogs thing, why not actually be constructive? Bash asked.

The question roiled Vance, who attacked Bashs disgusting insinuation that he was responsible for such bomb threats as more appropriate for a Democratic propagandist than it is for an American journalist.

There is nothing that I have said that has led to threats, he continued.

Local officials seemed to disagree. Springfield Mayor Rob Hue told The New York Times the threats were a hateful response to the Haitian population and lambasted national politicians, on the national stage who mischaracterize what is actually going on and misrepresent our community.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro followed Vance on the show with some harsh words: This guy is so pathetic.

There is a causal connection between the BS that JD Vance and Donald Trump spew and the safety and security of the American people, Shapiro said, calling the segment bonkers. When they go out and they lie about this stuff, they put their fellow Americans at risk.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)  The College of Charlestons Department of Public Safety issued a timely warning to the campus community following an off-campus fondling incident near Montagu Street and Coming Street during the early morning of September 15.

According to the advisory, the incident occurred between 12:38 a.m. and 12:50 a.m. and was reported to the Charleston Police Department. The victim was approached by an unknown male suspect who groped and physically assaulted them before fleeing the area. The suspect is described as a skinny male, with short hair, and wearing all black at the time of the offense.

The suspect has not been found and authorities are continuing their investigation. The College of Charleston urges students and community members to remain vigilant, avoid walking alone at night, and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Charleston Police Department or the College of Charleston Department of Public Safety.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
Three prominent columnists have resigned in protest from the Jewish Chronicle, as a row deepens over the publication of allegedly fabricated articles on Israeli operations in Gaza.

Jonathan Freedland, Hadley Freeman and David Aaronovitch announced they were quitting their columns over what Freedland described as a "great disgrace" at the London-based newspaper.

It comes after the JC said it conducted a "thorough investigation" into one of its freelance journalists, Elon Perry, "after allegations were made about aspects of his record".

It said it was "not satisfied" with some of the claims made by the writer, and therefore had deleted his articles and ended its association with him.

Jonathan Freedland - who described the stories as fabricated - said the JC had shown only the "thinnest form of contrition".

Hadley Freeman said recent events made it impossible for her to stay, while Aaronovitch said he, too, had left the paper.

JC editor Jake Wallis Simons said on Sunday that he understood "why some columnists have decided to step back from the paper".

"I am grateful for their contributions and hope that, in time, some of them will feel able to return," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"I take full responsibility for the mistakes that have been made and I will take equal responsibility for the task of making sure nothing like this can happen again."

Wallis Simons said "its every newspaper editors worst nightmare to be deceived by a journalist".

He added: "Readers can be assured that stronger internal procedures are being implemented."

Elon Perry told BBC News the JC "made a huge mistake with its statement". He said he could not reveal his source to JC editors and described a "witch-hunt against me caused by jealousy".

Perry describes himself in an online biography as having worked as a lecturer and a journalist, as well as "a commando in the Israeli army, taking part in numerous operations in pursuing terrorists in Gaza, the West Bank, and in Lebanon".

The JC said on Friday: "While we understand he did serve in the Israel Defence Forces, we were not satisfied with some of his claims. We have therefore removed his stories from our website and ended any association with Mr Perry."

It did not specify which claims it was referring to.

In recent months, Perry has written a series of articles for the JC.

The most contentious was a piece he wrote claiming a document showed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning to smuggle himself and some surviving Israeli hostages out of Gaza and to Iran, via the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land on the Gaza-Egypt border.

The article's claims appeared to be similar to talking points used by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to justify the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) presence in the Philadelphi Corridor.

The story was followed up by media in Israel, and later shared by Netanyahu's son.

According to the Times of Israel, the IDF subsequently said it had no knowledge of such a document existing.

Freedland - who has written for the JC since 1998 - said his attachment to the paper "runs very deep", beginning with his late father who also wrote for it.

"That bond partly explains why I've stuck with it even as it departed from the traditions that built its reputation as the world's oldest Jewish newspaper," he wrote on X.

"Too often, the JC reads like a partisan, ideological instrument, its judgements political rather than journalistic."

He also warned that there was "no real accountability" because the newspaper is owned "by a person or people who refuse to reveal themselves".

He concluded by saying that he was breaking his connection with the paper because he no longer recognised it.

His post was shared by Aaronovitch, who wrote: "I have done the same."

Meanwhile, Hadley Freeman said she was "immensely grateful" for all the support she has had on the paper, but said she was no longer able to remain as a columnist in light of recent developments.

BBC News has contacted the JC for further comment.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  A community conversation about what lies ahead for Providences public schools was hosted by Mayor Brett Smiley on Saturday.

We need all of you to help us make progress on the metrics that weve identified, Smiley said. To give us feedback and advice on how we do a better job as a city and as a community, and then to demonstrate to RIDE and the K-12 board that were prepared.

The discussion comes after a decision last month to extend the state takeover for another three years.

BACKGROUND: State votes to continue Providence schools takeover through 2027

This meetings purpose was for students, parents and teachers to give feedback to the city as it works on the states Turnaround Action Plan.

The state of Rhode Island developed a turnaround action plan as a road map for improving school performance and management, Stephen Grace, director of recreation for the city, said.

There were also breakout groups for discussions in English and Spanish.

Another meeting will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14.

NEXT: RI leaders urge support for $53M green bond after Mass. offshore blade failure

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily Roundup

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com.
(FOX40.COM)  A follow-up to a Child Protective Services request led to the discovery of several illegal firearms in a San Joaquin County home, according to the Lathrop Police Department.

On Thursday, LPD officers were dispatched to a residence in Lathrop after a tip from CPS. A K9 named Duke helped police locate several illegal firearms and ammunition inside the residence, according to LPD. During the investigation, officials said there was a heavy police presence near Mossdale Elementary School, however, there were no outstanding suspects or threats to the public.

Rain heads back to Northern California after a record-hot summer

The firearms were subsequently confiscated and two adults were placed under arrest, according to LPD. They were booked at the county jail and CPS handled the safety of the children.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
Critics took to social media demanding that the New York Times apologize for an opinion piece accusing former President Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, of pushing "blood-and-soil nationalism."



The piece by New York Times opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie was initially published on Saturday with the headline: "JD Vances Blood-and-Soil Nationalism Finds Its Target."

After outcry on social media, however, the Times changed the headline to "Shouldnt JD Vance Represent All of Ohio?" Bouies message, however, accusing Vance of espousing "blood-and-soil nationalism" and suggesting he would progress past simply a "rhetorical war" against immigrants if elected vice president, remained.

Critics online accused the Times piece of inciting violence against Vance and essentially calling him a Nazi just two months after the assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. Vance's wife, Usha, is the daughter of Indian immigrants. Other X users and the Vance campaign pointed to how the couple share three biracial children.

TRUMP TALKS ABC NEWS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, IN FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

JD Vance's campaign slammed the New York Times for an opinion piece.

"'Blood and soil' The @nytimes has now stooped to essentially calling @JDVance a Nazi," Republican strategist Andrew Surabian wrote, sharing a screenshot of the original headline. "Truly vile stuff from the supposed paper of record  If they had any ethics at all they would retract this and apologize."

"Just months after a psychopath tried to assassinate my father, the @nytimes is now openly trying to incite violence against @JDVance," Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"PS: JD is the father of 3 biracial kids, which makes this smear even more disgusting!" the Republican presidential nominee's eldest son added.

"With an assassination attempt on President Trumps life only two months ago, its abhorrent the New York Times would spew such disgusting bile  against a father of three biracial children nonetheless," Vance's national press secretary Taylor Van Kirk said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "With headlines like these, it's no wonder why countless people are asking if the purpose was to incite violence against Senator Vance. We sincerely hope that isn't the case and that the Times will come to their senses and retract this disgusting headline."

"So now the Times is directly calling JD Vance a Nazi," Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk wrote to his 3.4 million followers. "This is the kind of regime propaganda that nearly got President Trump assassinated."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Times for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

In the Times piece, the columnist took issue with Vances comments about Springfield, Ohio, where residents have been pointing to an uptick in crime, mayhem and car crashes due to the massive influx of roughly 20,000 Haitian immigrants into what was a small town of approximately 58,000 people since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents at city council meetings have alleged that Haitians are killing and eating ducks in parks and pet cats and dogs, allegations which Vance and Trump repeated on social media and at the debate. Local officials said they had not received reports of such incidents.

"What matters to Vance is who they are, where they come from and what they look like," Bouie wrote of Haitian immigrants. "They dont belong to this soil, he might say, and therefore they dont belong. Right now, the most Vance can do to wage this war is use his words. I shudder to think what might be possible if he had the authority of the state to wield as well."

Former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus slammed the Times' piece for attacking Vance despite rising antisemitism under the Biden-Harris administration since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.

SINGER JOHN LEGEND LECTURES HOMETOWN TO 'EMBRACE' HAITIAN MIGRANTS, DISMISSES PET-EATING CLAIMS IN OHIO CITY

"Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Jewish Americans cant safely wear religious symbols in many places in America; Jewish students are harassed, intimidated, and calls for their genocide, which are eerily reminiscent to the holocaust, [permeate] our educational Institutions. Israel faces existential threats while Harris both-sides the argument everytime [sic] she speaks," Ortagus wrote. "Our generation of Jews have known levels of antisemitism that we havent experienced since WW2. But the legacy media tries to somehow paint my friend @JDVance as the problem for American Jews. I can tell you from my public and private conversations with him, that he is ardently pro-Israel. Further, he refuses to tolerate the open season on Jewish Americans that has flourished under the Biden-Harris Administration."

"I look forward to the Oct 1st VP debate, where JD will absolutely expose Walz and Harris on these issues," she added.

"Its disgusting that the media is now pushing these ridiculous, violence inciting claims about @JDVance just two months after @realDonaldTrump was nearly assassinated," Trump campaign adviser Alex Bruesewitz wrote on X. "Also friendly reminder to the media & the left that JD is the father of 3 biracial kids. They should immediately retract and apologize to JD."





Original article source: Critics demand NYT apologize for 'violence inciting' column accusing JD Vance of 'blood-and-soil nationalism'
The end of 2023 was not a great time for the crypto industry. In November, Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, learned that no amount of Michael Lewis gymnastics could save him from being convicted on seven charges of fraud and conspiracy. He was eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison after disappearing $11 billion of other peoples money. The following month, Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent letters to three crypto industry giants, the Blockchain Association, Coin Center, and Coinbase, criticizing them for undermining efforts to rein in cryptos use in terrorist financing.

Around the same time, crypto groups began making noises about spending money in 2024 to defeat Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, the current chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Brown is a profound skeptic of the industry and signed off on Warren holding hearings on cryptos possible links to terrorism. Asked about the threats, Brown, a mop-topped Democrat with a raspy voice and wry sense of humor, said he was unconcerned.

Bring em on, he told reporters, according to Politico. Theyve had a bad six months. They clearly have betrayed the public interest. If they think thats the way to attack someone politically? Pretty amazing.

Brown had no idea.

Rolling Stone has learned that crypto interests are set to spend $32 million on TV ads promoting Bernie Moreno, Browns Republican opponent, by the end of September, according to Democratic media buyers. The spending began on August 22  meaning the crypto interests are spending more than $800,000 per day to flip the Ohio Senate seat, and potentially control of the Senate.

Outside groups are spending record amounts to try to defeat Sherrod because they know he will always fight for Ohio, not special interests, said Reeves Oyster, a Brown campaign spokesperson.

So far, the ads have been primarily fluffy positive spots boosting Moreno; some of the spots fearmonger about immigrants and China.

Tracing the roots of Defend American Jobs can be as convoluted as tracing crypto currency itself. The group is effectively a subsidiary of Fairshake  the second-largest fundraiser among Super PACs this season according to OpenSecrets, with over $200 million in its coffers. The bulk of Fairshakes money has been donated by three crypto monoliths: Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, and Ripple.

Coinbase and its affiliates have donated $86 million. The founders of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz have together given $44 million. Ripple has contributed $25 million. (The Winklevoss Twins, who donated nearly $5 million to Fairshake, previously tried to donate $1 million in bitcoin to Donald Trump  well beyond what is legal.)

Most of the money raised by Defend American Jobs has come through Fairshake. Coinbase, Ripple Labs, and the founders of Andreessen Horowitz have donated separately, too.

Coinbases CEO Brian Armstrong has led the latest charge to bring crypto into the political mainstream, hosting a Super Tuesday rally with Nas in Los Angeles where he proclaimed, More Americans own crypto than own electric vehicles or are in a union  yet some people in D.C. are still underestimating how much and how many people care about crypto. In 2024, it will become clear that being anti-crypto is bad politics.

Rep. Katie Porter found that out the hard way. During the California Democratic Senate primary, Fairshake spent over $10 million against her campaign, apparently because she had the temerity to question the energy uses of the industry. Porter didnt make the runoff, losing to Adam Schiff, a longtime collaborator with crypto who received an A rating from Stand With Crypto, a self-described grassroots advocacy hub nonprofit led by Coinbase and fronted by Armstrong. Porter got an F.

I think in 2024, some people need to win an election or lose an election because of their crypto stance, said Armstrong.

Browns skepticism about crypto has been long-standing and largely correct. Shortly after the 2022 Super Bowl featured a raft of celebrity ads promoting the industry, Brown spoke before the Senate Banking Committee.

If you watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, you saw ad after ad for a product that most Americans have heard of, but almost nobody knows what it really Is, Brown said. Big crypto companies are looking to make big profits. They are desperate to reach as many Americans as they can. They brought in celebrities and gimmicks to make crypto sound exciting and daring and profitable, but the ads left a few things out. They didnt mention the fraud, the scams, and the outright theft. The ads didnt point out that you can lose big and cryptos huge price swings. They didnt tell you about the high fees pocketed by the crypto companies. They sure didnt explain that the crypto markets lack basic investor protections and oversight. Watching those ads remind a lot of us of some asset bubbles weve seen before We need to look beyond the unproven promises to protect Americans and our entire financial system.

By the next Super Bowl, Bankman-Fried had been indicted and there were exactly zero crypto ads. Brown wasnt done ringing the warning bell. On October 23, Brown sent the following tweet regarding alleged ties between crypto and foreign terrorists, including Hamas: @SenateBanking is examining the financing behind terrorism & working to cut it off at the source. Were looking at all options including sanctioning state sponsors of terrorism & their proxies & cracking down on cryptocurrency. We must do whatever we can to deny Hamas funding.

Stand With Crypto gave the statement a Very Anti-Crypto rating with a large thumbs down emoji on their website.

So maybe it shouldnt come as a surprise that Fairshakes affiliate has gone all in against Brown, especially since his opponent Moreno is a crypto evangelist who founded a property title blockchain startup in 2016. Still, the sheer amount of their expenditure is breath-taking.

From Sept. 4-9, Defend American Jobs spent $6.7 million on television in support of Moreno, more than the Brown campaign and other pro-Brown groups spent combined, and more than the Moreno campaign and other affiliated groups as well.

Not all Fairshake donors think taking out Brown is a great idea.

According to Politico, Crypto advocate and billionaire investor Ron Conway, a Democrat, exploded when he found out Big Crypto was going after Brown, especially since he was meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about the possibility of crypto-friendly legislation being taken up in the lame duck session after the election. At that point, Conway was into Fairshakes network for $500,000.

How short sighted and stupid can you possibly be, wrote Conway in a group email that included Armstrong, Andreessen Horowitz founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, and Ripple head Brad Garlinghouse.

Conways complaint did not dissuade them. So far, most of the ads have been Moreno bio commercials with shots of Ohio farmhouses and back roads. But things are getting darker.

One of the ads says Moreno will stop illegal immigrants from taking Ohios tax dollars. A new ad features a shadowy outline of Brown and scare words about China, and reiterates that Moreno will stop illegal immigrants from taking our hard earned tax dollars.

Where they go in the last 50 days  immigrants eating cats propaganda?  is unknown.

A spokesperson for Fairshake declined to comment.

If crypto succeeds in unseating Brown, you may wonder who would replace him as chair of the Senate Banking Committee. That would be Republican Tim Scott.

Stand With Crypto gives him an A.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone

Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Since Friday, over 10,000 people have been evacuated across the Czech Republic (Michal Cizek) (Michal Cizek/AFP/AFP)

The sun was shining and the sky was bright blue with just a few white clouds, but in downtown Opava in the Czech Republic, most people only talked about the weather with concerned frowns.

Local people gathered on bridges and the embankment in the city centre to watch the eponymous Opava river gradually rise level with the banks, fed by heavy rain that started on Friday and only stopped on Sunday morning.

Police vans and fire trucks blocked roads to the local Katerinky housing estate, from which thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate on Saturday.

Standing outside a prefab block of flats with a friend, purchase manager Marie Lasak Blokesova assessed the situation, reflecting on the devastating floods that hit the region in 1997.

Back then, floodwater killed 50 people and caused damage worth $3 billion -- especially in the eastern parts of the Czech Republic, an EU country of 10.9 million people.

"Since we all expected this, I hope everyone is as ready as we are, and since we had already experienced the 1997 flood, we are basically just waiting," Lasak Blokesova told AFP.

"We had enough information suggesting what will come. These days with Facebook and Instagram, you know what is happening around you and so you can calm down a bit in that you know what's going on."

The water kept rising as she watched -- a car park where cars were safe at 9:30 (0730 GMT) was covered with water reaching above the sills an hour later.

"My boyfriend has recalled the 1997 flood so we have made stocks of drinking water and prepared a camping gas cooker in case they switched off gas and electricity," said Lasak Blokesova.

"We also recharged all the electrical devices we have and we are hoping we just won't need this all."

- Evacuate or not? -

Since Friday, over 10,000 people have been evacuated across the Czech Republic.

More than 250,000 households were without electricity on Sunday, four people were reported missing and firefighters had attended almost 15,000 incidents.

In Opava, several people braved the high water in the street on foot, many in Wellington boots.

Some even rode bicycles through the floodwater, while one maverick driver rode his Volkswagen into the waves before changing his mind and returning in a U-turn.

Some in the upper stories watched out of their windows -- deaf to the firefighters' pleas to evacuate.

Dustbins and containers floated freely along the Opava, navigating between flooded bus stops and road signs.

- 'Watching this in horror' -

The river in Opava, a city some 240 kilometres (150 miles) east of the Czech capital Prague, was expected to culminate at around 1700 GMT on Sunday, forecasters said.

Twenty kilometres upstream, the city of Krnov was 80-percent flooded by 1230 GMT, said its deputy mayor Miroslav Binar.

In Velke Hostice -- a village about five kilometres down the stream from Opava -- local volunteers were frantically trying to perfect an improvised wall of sandbags stretching for 500 metres (550 yards) on a jetty built after the 1997 floods for protection.

Visibly tired, local hunter Jaroslav Lexa told AFP the men had worked on the sandbag barrier until 1:00 am on Saturday night, and resumed work at 7:00 am on Sunday, patching holes in the impressive work.

"I'm watching this in horror. If we don't stop the wave, it will flood the lower part of the village," he said.

frj/rox
In her award-winning documentary Dahomey, director Mati Diop imagines the voice of royal treasures looted from West Africa by European colonisers and only recently sent back to their homeland in present-day Benin. She tells RFI she hopes it will prompt reflection on displacement, exile and return  not just of objects, but of people.

Dahomey, released in France this week, tells the story of 26 artefacts stolen by 19th-century French troops from the former African kingdom of the same name, including a throne and sculptures representing the dynasty's warrior kings.

In 2021, the collection was returned from the Quai Branly museum in Paris to Cotonou in Benin.

Diop follows the objects on this journey, travelling with them as they are packed and flown to the presidential palace in Benin, where they are greeted by visitors eager to see their heritage on display at last.

"From the moment they were removed from the display cases in Paris to being packed in crates, right up to arriving in Cotonou, I absolutely wanted to follow everything," she told RFI. "I didn't want to miss anything from the return trip."

She describes the journey as a shared experience and "an odyssey".

By documenting it, Diop hoped to represent a "community of souls much larger than that of the works"  including "men and women deported during the slave trade, dispossessed, colonised", the contemporary diaspora, and people in Benin today.

"The subject of restitution is a movement, a gesture, and it is symbolically very loaded," she said.



Read more on RFI English



Read also:

Franco-Senegalese documentary 'Dahomey' wins Berlin's Golden Bear

African feminism pumps the heart of Benins debut at Venice Biennale

How could countries finance reparations for historical injustices?
Minneapolis has burned, pet dogs are captured and eaten by hungry folk and women are having eighth, ninth and after delivery abortions? So says Donald Trump. All of which is simply not true. To consider placing someone so untethered to reality or to the truth in our highest public office, the presidency, is dangerous.

Dangerous for all US citizens and dangerous for our position in world affairs. Further, the Supreme Court has already ruled that he will not be held accountable for any in-office foolhardy decisions he should make. And make them he will, if elected.

Deborah Brogden, Durham

Liberalism

Of all the fantastic quotes attributed to President Ronald Reagan, one is particularly poignant right now. If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism. Here it comes.

Lee Hortman, Raleigh

Gun violence

A Sept. 8 letter asserts the position that the availability of guns is the cause of gun violence, and that the only other explanation would be that the US has more mentally ill people than other countries. To that writer I respond, if one takes a broad definition to the term mentally ill, then yes, that is precisely the problem. I was a kid in the 1960s, here in NC. Guns were in virtually every household in my community, and their purchase was unregulated and undocumented. Their purchase was much easier than it is today. And guess what, folks werent shooting each other!

The answer is screaming at us, dont look for something else. Love our kids, teach our kids.

Ed Holloway, Raleigh

Gun raffle

Our current NC House member Keith Kidwell is advertising a raffle for an AR-15 on his campaign website. This after a 14-year-old shot and killed four people at a school using an AR-15 This after an intensive manhunt for someone using an AR 15 to shoot motorists in Kentucky.

Maybe we should think of a more responsible way to raise campaign funds?

Kathleen Gaskill, Ocracoke

DMV waiting

All my friends could talk about at the gym last week was how long they had to wait, and how far they had to drive, to get a DMV appointment. And even with an appointment they sometimes couldnt get in that day for services that cant be done online.

Im sure the 2.4 million more North Carolina residents since 2003 bring in enough new revenue for the legislature to fund more drivers license examiners. The problem is no surprise: the Republican super majority doesnt understand that spending money on necessary services is necessary. And the legislature cant compromise enough to get its work done passing laws and budgets.

We do our jobs. NC Legislators. Do your job.

Judith Predmore, Raleigh

Medicaid waitlist

The North Carolina General Assembly continues political shenanigans and disregard for NCs most vulnerable children and young adults. But what is the NCGA doing about the 17,000 children and families on the waitlist for the Medicaid Innovations Waiver? Their lives are defined by significant intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their futures hang in the balance without the essential life support services they are owed.

There is a backlog of applications at NC Department of Health and Human Services from 2007, and it is more than likely that some of the people on the waitlist will die before the system reviews their case.

This is a not a partisan issue; it is a human rights issue, a civil rights issue, and an ethical and moral imperative.

Isabell Geffner, Chapel Hill

Education priorities

The Angel Fund established by the Wake County School District to provide full lunches for those who cant afford it is an admirable effort, and the donors deserve our thanks. But we note that this voluntary donor fund was established at the same time our GOP-led legislature voted to contribute additional taxpayer money for vouchers for the families of wealthy citizens to send their kids to private schools. Notably, there were no raises for teachers in the funding bill.

Next month voters should remember that the GOP prioritizes your tax money for their wealthy friends over the nutritional needs of our states school children

Robert D. Brown, Cary
Despite claims from politicians, the media and abortion activists that female health in Texas is at risk with pro-life laws on the books, new numbers released by the state show that doctors do intervene in cases when the life of the mother is at risk.

The latest data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on induced terminations of pregnancies (HHSC ITOP) shows that doctors in Texas performed 113 abortions to save pregnant womens lives in the 22 months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

Texas has a pro-life law that went into effect shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which prevents elective abortions beginning at conception with an exception for medically necessary abortions when the pregnancy causes "a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy that places the female at risk of death or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function unless the abortion is performed or induced." Additionally, every state in the country with a pro-life law includes an exception for the life of the mother.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign have previously claimed that doctors are hindered from performing abortions in the case of a pro-life law when the pregnancy puts a womans life at risk.

When the Texas Supreme Court ruled in May that physicians may use "reasonable medical judgment" to determine whether a pregnancy requires a medically necessary abortion, Harris tweeted: "This Texas Supreme Court ruling means women will continue to be denied access to necessary medical care, putting their health and lives at risk. To the women of Texas: Know you are not alone. @POTUS and I will continue to fight for reproductive freedom."

Mother and baby holding hands

When reached for comment, the Harris campaign pointed to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey in which 68% of OBGYNs said the Dobbs ruling has worsened their ability to manage pregnancy-related emergencies and 64% said the decision has worsened pregnancy-related mortality.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"The latest report reaffirms that Kamala Harris dire claims about Texas protective abortion laws are completely baseless," Amy ODonnell, Texas Alliance for Lifes communications director, said of the data in a press release. "Texas laws continue to save unborn babies from abortion while also protecting womens lives in those rare and tragic cases where pregnancy endangers a pregnant womans life or health."

ELON MUSK RIPS INTO KAMALA HARRIS FOR LYING ABOUT TRUMP'S ABORTION POSITION

"Since the Court overturned Roe, no doctor has been prosecuted by a district attorney, sanctioned by the Texas Medical Board, or sued by the Attorney General, and no pregnant woman has lost her life because of the provisions of Texas abortion laws, even with more than 360,000 live births in Texas each year," ODonnell added.

Dr. Ingrid Skop, vice president and director of medical affairs at Charlotte Lozier Institute, told Fox News Digital that "intentional media misinformation" about Texas pro-life laws initially left many physicians confused and fearful, but that the situation has improved after the Texas Medical Board and the Texas Supreme Court issued guidance to physicians, reassuring them that they may use their "reasonable medical judgment" to determine when to intervene, and the risk of maternal death does not need to be "imminent."

"The Texas Induced Terminations of Pregnancy (ITOP) Reports also demonstrate that physicians have been intervening in the rare circumstances when an abortion is necessary to save the life of a mother," she said. "In 2023, 62 abortions were performed in hospitals. 77% were performed by labor induction and only 6% by dilation and evacuation (dismemberment) abortion. 90% were performed between 13- and 25-weeks post-fertilization."

"Similarly, the data for the first four months of 2024 demonstrates that 32 abortions have been performed," she added. "Unborn life is being protected in Texas, but the state also prioritizes the life of the mother and allows physicians to provide quality care when severe complications arise."

A mom holding her baby outside

"Med Ed" efforts in Texas, as well as Florida, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kentucky aim to stop the abortion lobby from spreading what Kelsey Pritchard, the director of state public affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called misinformation that confuses doctors and harms women.

KAMALA HARRIS TWEET ON ABORTION RIGHTS SLAMMED BY LIBERALS: LITERALLY THE EMBODIMENT OF THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

"In Texas, specifically, with this Texas MedEd rule, they made it clear that doctors can continue to rely on their reasonable medical judgment," Pritchard said. "They also made it clear that you should not wait until a woman is actually at the point where her life is in danger. If there is a foreseeable threat, then that allows doctors to act. You don't have to wait until it's a dangerous situation. I think that's a very important point in Texas and in all the pro-life states."

Pritchard said the talking point is a tactic by Democrats to distract from their push to provide all-trimester abortion, which only 10% of Americans support, according to SBA Pro-Life data. A Gallup survey in May estimated 35 percent of Americans support abortion in all circumstances, verus 50 percent supporting it under certain circumstances. Just 12 percent in that poll were in favor of it being totally illegal.

"I think the abortion lobby has been telling this lie for a while now that if there is a pro-life law that will put women in danger and women will die because they won't be able to get emergency care," she said. "That's something they've said for a long time, but we really saw it ramp up with Dobbs, and it has really become their number one talking point, their number one lie in red states, particularly."

"Whether it's a ballot measure fight, a legislative fight or it's a candidate, a Democrat, talking about abortion, this is the number line they go to because they know that the Democrat agenda for all trimester abortion is unpopular with Americans widely," she added. "They use this as the justification for: 'Oh, we can't have any limits, we can't at any point, not in the seventh, eighth, ninth month of pregnancy even, you have to be able to have abortion at all points because, you're putting women in danger.'"

In Florida, Planned Parenthood employee Laura Goodhue said Florida's six-week abortion ban would create a "public health crisis" in the state, while Democratic State Sen. Lauren Book said "women and girls will die" as a result of the law.

KAMALA HARRIS TORN APART BY PRO-LIFERS FOR HISTORIC TRIP TO ABORTION CLINIC: NORMALIZATION OF EVIL

In June, the Arizona Democratic AG issued guidance clarifying that the 15-week abortion law does not impede a pregnant womans ability to receive treatment when experiencing a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or another health emergency. But, pro-choice groups posted ads that claimed women's lives were at risk. President Biden himself claimed "womens lives are in danger" in regard to the law.

Pritchard said Democrats and the abortion lobby are the ones putting women's lives in danger by telling such "lies."

"That lie is what is putting women in danger, it is what has led some women to delay seeking care," she said. "We've heard some of these horror stories where there are a handful of doctors that are confused about their ability to provide care, like the story of a woman who was told to wait in her car till she was bleeding profusely. That is wrong and those situations are really often created by this misinformation."

"I would hope that pro-choice, pro-life, we could all agree that this is wrong and that women need to understand the truth, doctors need to understand the truth that lifesaving care is as available now as it has always been," she added.





Original article source: Data shows Texas doctors perform abortions to save life of the mother, despite claims from politicians, media
On This Day, Sept. 15: Gunman kills 7 at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Texas

Anne Smith of Fort Worth kneels beside a memorial in front of Wedgwood Baptist Church early September 18, 1999, three days after a man opened fire at the Texas church, killing seven people. File Photo by Alyssa Banta/UPI

Sept. 15 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1812, Russians set fire to Moscow in an effort to keep out Napoleon and his invading French troops.

In 1954, the famous scene in which Marilyn Monroe is shown laughing as her skirt is blown up by a blast of air from a subway vent was shot during the filming of The Seven Year Itch. The scene infuriated her husband, Joe DiMaggio, who felt it was exhibitionist. The couple divorced a short time later.

In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet leader to visit the United States after saying he hoped to improve relations with Washington.

In 1963, four Black girls were killed in the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Ala. Two Black teenage boys were shot to death later that day as citywide rioting broke out.

Police investigators inspect bombing damage on the eastern facade of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., on September 15, 1963. Photo courtesy Birmingham Public Library

In 1971, the environmental organization Greenpeace was founded by 12 members of the Don't Make A Wave committee of Vancouver, British Columbia.

In 1983, an ailing and secluded Menachem Begin resigned as prime minister of Israel.

Greenpeace protesters gather at Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony at the Capitol on January 20, 2017, in Washington, D.C. On Sept. 15, 1971, the environmental organization Greenpeace was founded by 12 members of the Don't Make A Wave committee of Vancouver, British Columbia. File Photo by Michael Wiser/UPI

UPI File Photo

In 1988, the Museum of the Moving Image dedicated to the history of film, opened in London. At the opening, Britain's Prince Charles condemned those responsible for gratuitous violence on television and video.

Australia's 400m gold medal hope, Cathy Freeman, stands in the pool below the waterfall which she lit with the olympic torch during the Sydney Summer 2000 Olympic opening ceremonies on September 15, 2000. File Photo by Peter J. Thompson/UPI

In 1993, Katherine Ann Power, a Vietnam War opponent and a fugitive for more than 20 years in the death of a police officer during a bank robbery in Boston, surrendered. She pleaded guilty and spent six years in prison.

In 1999, a 47-year-old man opened fire during a youth service at the Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, killing seven people and wounding seven before killing himself.

Frank Sinatra greets then Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev on the set of "Can Can" September 19, 1959, during Khrushchev's visiti to the United States. On September 15, 1959, Khrushchev became the first Soviet leader to visit the United States after saying he hoped to improve relations with Washington. UPI File Photo

In 2000, the 27th Summer Olympic Games opened in Sydney, with a record number of female athletes participating -- and with North and South Korea marching together in the opening procession.

In 2009, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the recession, which began in December 2007, was "very likely over" but the economy would appear weak "for some time."

File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

In 2011, a widespread U.S. outbreak of listeria food poisoning was traced to contaminated cantaloupes sold by a Colorado company that recalled millions of melons. Officials said about two dozen people had died of listeriosis in 20 states. Two farmers were sentenced to five years probation and each ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution.

In 2019, Norman Lear became the oldest person to win an Emmy award as part of the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmys. He won the Outstanding Variety Special award for Live in Front of a Studio Audience.

In 2020, for the first time in Scientific American's 175-year history, the popular science magazine made a presidential endorsement -- Joe Biden.

In 2021, SpaceX launched Inspiration4, the first all-private orbital spaceflight, from Florida, carrying four civilians.

In 2023, thousands of auto workers at three U.S. assembly plants went on strike when their United Auto Workers union and the Big Three automakers failed to come to an agreement on a new contract. The strike ended the last week of October 2023 after the companies largely agreed to the UAW's demands.

File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
"Its not over on Election Day, its over on Inauguration Day," Chris LaCivita, a top Trump campaign official, said about the upcoming election during the Republican National Convention in July. (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

After the 2020 election, supporters of former President Donald Trump all too willingly acted on his lie that he won. Their efforts to prove that the last presidential election was stolen occupies less space in the national conversation as the country prepares for the next one. But that initial election denial has evolved into democracy denial, a movement focused not on the fairness of a single election but rather on rejecting the principle of fairness in any election, including the one in November.

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

Contempt for democratic processes and admiration for authoritarian methods is becoming normalized for an alarmingly large segment of the American right. The movement claims it wants to ensure fairness, but this veneer obscures its true aim  to ensure the success of favored candidates, no matter whom the electorate prefers.

The movement is national, but it emerged again in Colorado recently in several striking examples.

After the states primary elections in June, three Republican members of county canvass boards refused to certify election results, as Newslines Sara Wilson reports today. Refusal to certify has become one of the main threats to the completion of free and fair elections around the country. Canvass board members are supposed to act as scorekeepers, their ministerial role mostly limited to tallying a vote rather than adjudicating purported irregularities. But democracy denial has inspired some local officials to exploit the canvassing process as an occasion to disrupt elections.

If county officials successfully obstruct certification, it could have a cascading effect on state and federal certification deadlines. It could also lead to mass disenfranchisement of qualified voters, says a recent report from the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

The report cites Colorado and seven other states as hotspots for rogue election officials who pose a threat to elections.

Last year, the Colorado Republican Party alleged  without evidence  that the general election was compromised by systemic fraud and advised county canvass boards not to certify results. Republican canvass board members in Boulder, El Paso, Jefferson, La Plata and Larimer counties ran with this advice and refused to certify local tallies. Similar refusals occurred this year in Boulder, El Paso and Jefferson during the presidential primary and primary elections.

Challenges to voter rolls are another top threat to elections this year. Numerous groups throughout the country falsely allege that official lists of eligible voters are substantially inaccurate, and theyve launched legal efforts to purge millions of voters from the rolls.

The recent rise of mass voter challenges is creating a massive strain for county clerks, registrars, secretaries of state and other election officials who are tasked with maintaining clean voter rolls, according to Democracy Docket.

Colorado last week became the latest state to face a voter-roll challenge. As Newsline senior reporter Chase Woodruff wrote, the Missouri-based nonprofit United Sovereign Americans filed a federal lawsuit against state officials and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, claiming, based on dubious evidence, that an entire third of Colorado voter registrations were erroneous in the 2022 election. The organization has filed similar lawsuits in a handful of other states.

Secretary of State Jena Griswold, one of the defendants, called it a sham lawsuit filed by election deniers as a part of a national campaign to undermine voter confidence.

Thats just it  democracy deniers are less concerned with proving a particular claim about a given elections validity and more interested in rendering validity impossible. Undermining voter confidence in elections allows them to claim power by other means. The Jan. 6 insurrection was only the most dramatic instance of this strategy so far, but theres more to come.

How do we know? Theyre telling us.

Its not over on Election Day, its over on Inauguration Day, Chris LaCivita, a top Trump campaign official, said about the upcoming election during the Republican National Convention in July. This astonishing remark made explicit otherwise behind-the-scenes preparations to thrust Trump back into the White House no matter what the election results say. Trump himself has repeatedly told supporters that they dont have to vote. This advice is bizarre on its face, but it makes perfect sense in light of how Trump and MAGA are attempting to undermine faith in the coming election, as The New Republic noted.

Trump has already signaled that he will refuse to accept a loss in November. And Republicans are engaged in an unprecedented legal campaign targeting the American voting system and laying the groundwork to contest an election that they argue, falsely, is already being rigged against Trump, reported The New York Times. The Trump campaign has every reason to be confident that after a close election loss, even a spurious legal challenge is likely to be decided in its favor by the U.S. Supreme Court, which in multiple cases has treated Trump with shocking deference.

The conservative majority that ruled in July that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution  a stance that no previous court or president had seriously entertained  shielded this hero of democracy denial from accountability.

Colorado has experienced many other democracy denial tactics that experts say are common, such as attempts to discredit voting machines, disruptive public records requests, threats against election officials and workers, and election equipment tampering. The Republican former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters became a national symbol of election denial after she took part in a scheme to tamper with secure election machines in her own office.

But Peters case offers some hope for Americans who abhor authoritarianism and want to see democracy survive. A jury convicted her of felony counts last month for her involvement in the election security breach.

This kind of accountability for democracy deniers must be more frequent. Most Americans support democracy. If theres a steep price to pay for election norm-breaking, intimidation, lies and crimes, bad-faith actors will be deterred, and the peoples will, as it has since the countrys founding, might persist as the basis for choosing the countrys leaders.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Direct democracy is in Californias political DNA. How to be informed this election

Editors Note: This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

California is ruled by Democrats, but its also one of the most small-D democratic states in the nation.

Direct democracy  or legislating through the ballot  has been baked into the Golden States political system for well over a century, allowing voters to legislate and amend the constitution at the ballot box, placing them on equal footing with state lawmakers.

Its a right that isnt guaranteed to all American voters: twenty-four states do not allow for citizen initiatives or referenda at the state level.

Two-thirds of California voters said its a good thing that voters can make laws and change policies through initiatives, according to a 2022 PPIC survey.

Californians love the idea of the initiative process, said Renee Van Vechten, political science professor at the University of Redlands. They dont love the process itself.

Thats because money plays a huge role in the ballot measure process: Its expensive to gather the million-plus signatures needed to place a question on the ballot and even more expensive to run a statewide ad campaign.

Already this year, Van Vechten has totaled more than $450 million in spending on the statewide initiatives.

We have a system that allows organizations, businesses and individuals to buy a seat at the table, she said. If you have enough money, you can get almost anything to qualify.

Since the initiative, recall and referendum processes were enacted in California in 1911, voters have attempted to place 2,147 measures on the ballot (thats not including constitutional amendments or questions placed on the ballot by state lawmakers).

The vast majority of those  1,580  failed to qualify. In over a century, only 138 ballot propositions have been approved by voters in the end, according to data from the Secretary of States office.

Though they reject most ballot measures, California voters often have many complicated and high-stakes issues to decide each election. And lawmaking via ballot initiative is much more rigid than in a legislature, where elected officials and lobbyists can negotiate and cut deals.

One of the fundamental flaws of our system is that it allows for a kind of up or down vote on complex issues without the benefit of compromise, expertise or a process that could accommodate changes that are reasonable, Van Vechten said.

The people get an up or down vote on hugely convoluted and complex initiatives at times.

As Stan Lee once wrote, with great power comes great responsibility.

Read up on the propositions that will be on California voters ballots this November:

Proposition 2, education facilities bond

Prop. 2 asks voters to approve a $10 billion bond financing for aging educational facilities. If approved, $8.5 billion would go toward updating or building new K-12 buildings. The remaining $1.5 billion would be used for community colleges. Its the second time in five years voters are being asked to allow the state to take on debt for school infrastructure  voters rejected a $15 billion school bond in March 2020.

Supporters of Prop. 2 include:

California Teachers Association

California School Nurses Organization

Community College League of California

Opponents include:

Assemblyman Bill Essayli, R-Corona

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Proposition 3, marriage equality

This ballot measure would repeal outdated language from Californias Constitution that says marriage is a union between one man and one woman. Voters enshrined this definition, effectively banning same-sex marriages, when they approved Proposition 8 in 2008. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually struck down the decision, when in ruled in favor of the right to marry for same-sex couples in 2015, but the Prop. 8 language remains on Californias books.

Californians will once again decide whether to change the Constitutions language this November.

Supporters include:

Assemblymember Evan Low, D-Campbell

Equality California

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California

Opponents of Prop 3 include:

California Family Council

The American Council for Evangelicals

Proposition 4, climate bond

Similar to Prop. 2, lawmakers placed Prop. 4 on the ballot to request $10 billion in bond funds for a variety of climate projects. The bond comes after two years of significant budget deficits which saw Californias climate spending scaled back.

If approved, $3.8 billion would go toward safe drinking water and drought and flood resilience projects; $1.5 billion for wildfire resilience; $1.2 billion to protect against sea level rise; and other allocations for biodiversity, outdoor access, clean air and more.

Backers of the climate bond include:

CALFIRE Firefighters union

Clean Water Action

The Nature Conservancy

Opponents include:

Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-Santee

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Proposition 5, local bond approval

Prop. 5 would lower the supermajority vote required by voters to approve local bonds to finance housing and infrastructure projects in their communities. Currently, a two-thirds vote is needed, but this constitutional amendment would lower the threshold to 55%.

If passed, it would be easier for local governments to issue bonds to develop affordable housing and other projects in their jurisdictions. Opponents say it would lead to more borrowing and higher property taxes to pay for new projects.

Those opponents include:

California Business Roundtable

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce

Supporters of Prop 5 include:

California Professional Firefighters

League of Women Voters of California

Habitat for Humanity California

Proposition 6, involuntary servitude

Prop. 6 would remove all language allowing slavery and involuntary servitude from Californias constitution. Currently, the constitution reads Slavery is prohibited. Involuntary servitude is prohibited except to punish crime.

That language would be amended to read Slavery and involuntary servitude is prohibited. It would also ban the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from punishing inmates for refusing a work assignment. A companion bill created a voluntary work program in the prison system.

Supporters of Prop. 6 include:

The California Legislative Black Caucus

Dolores Huerta, a farmworker and labor leader

There is no formal opposition to Proposition 6.

Proposition 32, minimum wage

Prop. 32 would gradually bump up Californias minimum wage to $18 an hour. If it passes, all minimum wage workers would immediately get a pay bump. The $16 minimum wage would reach $18 per hour for all workers, besides contract and self-employed workers  by Jan. 1, 2026.

The measure does require larger businesses with more than 25 employees to reach $18 at a faster pace, by the start of 2025. However, if an economic downturn occurs, the Governor has the power to delay those increases up to two times.

Supporters of Prop. 32 include:

Joseph Sandberg, a businessman and Blue Apron investor

Los Angeles Councilman Kevin de Leon

Opponents include:

California Restaurant Association

California Chamber of Commerce

California Grocers Association

Proposition 33, rent control

A vote in favor of this measure would allow cities to expand rent control in California. If the proposition passes, it would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which bans rent control for housing built after 1995 and fo single-family homes.

Cities and counties would have more power to limit rent increases for incoming and existing tenants, making it harder for landlords to hike up prices. The measure would also insert new language into California law that prohibits the state from limiting how cities and counties expand or maintain rent control. This is the third time since 2018 that voters will decide on the issue: Similar ballot initiatives, in 2018 and 2020, failed by 19 and 20 points, respectively.

Supporters of Prop. 33 include:

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

California Nurses Association

Opponents include:

California Council for Affordable Housing

California Chamber of Commerce

Women Veterans Alliance

Proposition 34, funding for patient care

Prop. 34 requires organizations that use a federal drug discount program to spend at least 98% of that money on direct patient care. Proponents who put the measure on the ballot say it is meant to go after the Aids Healthcare Foundation, which critics accuse the nonprofit of spending millions on political causes (such as Prop 33), rather than patient care and housing. The AHF has called Prop 34 a wolf in sheeps clothing.

Supporters of Prop 34 include:

The ALS Foundation

California Chronic Care Coalition

Latino Heritage Los Angeles

Opponents include:

AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Consumer Watchdog

Dolores Huerta

Proposition 35, permanent Medi-Cal funding

Prop. 35 would make permanent a tax on health insurers  also known as the MCO tax  which is currently set to expire in 2026. Newsom and legislative leaders recently renewed the tax to help fill budget deficits. Implementing the MCO tax also allows the state to draw down additional federal funds to pay for Medi-Cal, the states health care program for poor residents.

The measure requires funds from the tax to be used specifically for Medi-Cal and prohibits the state from using the money to replace existing funds. The MCO tax is expected to bring in between $6 and $9 billion by the end of 2026, but analysis by the Legislative Analysts Office said the long-term fiscal effects of the measure are uncertain, in part because the tax requires regular federal approval and isnt guaranteed under future administrations.

Supporters of Prop. 35 include:

California Medical Association

California Dental Association

International Association of EMTs and Paramedics

Its opponents include:

California Pan-Ethnic Health Network

League of Women Voters of California

The Childrens Partnership

Proposition 36, criminal penalties

Prop. 36 aims to revise Prop. 47, a 2014 ballot initiative that downsized some lower-level crimes to misdemeanors and put in place a $950 threshold for shoplifting felonies.

The proposed changes would raise penalties and sentences for some drug and theft offenses. For example, fentanyl would be added to the list of drugs that warrant a felony charge if the person is also carrying a gun, increasing the punishment from up to one year in jail to up to four years in prison. Another major revision would bump up punishments for convicted shoplifters with two or more prior theft-related convictions.

Prop. 36 is dividing Democratic leaders across the state; some mayors and moderate lawmakers broke with Newsom and legislative leaders to support the measure.

Prop. 36 supporters include:

Mayors London Breed of San Francisco, Matt Mahan of San Jose and Todd Gloria of San Diego

California District Attorneys Association

California Small Business Association

Its opponents include:

Gov. Gavin Newsom, Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate pro Tem Mike McGuire

Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice

Anti-Recidivism Coalition
Our societal tragedies may appear sudden but are long in the making  just as they were for Dantes sinners - William Blake

In London, they are closing primary schools, and more and more it will happen around the country. From Devon to Darlington we have more school places than children in need of an education, and the gap is growing. The total fertility rate in Britain has fallen to 1.49 births per woman  the lowest ever recorded.

No sudden moment prompted this trend. Just like in lots of other countries, we simply started having fewer babies, and the consequences will be profound. Without great productivity leaps made possible by technology, a population in numerical decline will struggle to fund pensions, public services and its own defence. It will demand higher taxes of working-age people and risks deflation, which reduces consumption, slows growth, increases the real value of debt, and leads to dangers such as banking crises.

For years, we knew this change was building, and today we know it looks set to continue. But unlike specific moments and events  a pandemic, perhaps, or a war or financial crash  we find slow change harder to confront. Far too long after the falling birth rate became clear, we are starting to consider what might be done.

Two decades ago, thinkers like Lord Willetts, the former pensions minister, warned us to heed declining birth rates. But something more pressing  or more convenient  always got in the way.

Only now are we debating how we blundered into making parenthood too difficult and expensive, how we encourage family formation, what we do about childcare, and whether tax breaks and direct payments might increase the birth rate. We are arguably already too late, but even today, there is a suspicion among some that worrying about the size of families is a sign of eccentricity or extremism.

Something similar applies to our ageing society. The growing number of people living in their 70s, 80s and 90s has led to an increase in the state pension age, but that is about all. County council budgets are now dominated by social care costs, and central government budgets by pensions, health and social care spending. This squeezes other budgets and makes it harder to keep taxes down. But despite the long notice, we did not plan for the problem. Our tax system traps older people in ill-equipped houses that are too big for them, and social care is an expensive and dysfunctional mess.

We neglect other kinds of demographic change. The census showed, for example, that the UK Muslim population has grown by 44 per cent in the last decade, and research by Pew suggests one in five us might be Muslim by 2050.

Whatever your view of the desirability of this change, nobody can doubt it has far-reaching social and political consequences, such as the recent election of Islamist MPs to the House of Commons. Yet the gradual nature of the change and fear of talking about race and religion means our leaders have preferred to turn their attention elsewhere. We see something similar with economic change too.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused an energy crunch two years ago, but British energy prices had been growing increasingly uncompetitive for decades. During the 1980s and 1990s we generally had the third most competitive industrial electricity costs of the G7 economies. But a lack of investment in nuclear power and later climate change policies meant this all changed.

The cost of policy failure was not sudden but gradual: our industrial electricity costs went from just above the average for an advanced economy in the years before Tony Blair became prime minister to 23 per cent higher by 2010, to 52 per cent higher for the past five years. As costs have risen, our manufacturing base has shrunk and the trade deficit has increased.

No single regulation breaks business, but the steady accumulation of taxes and laws can make an economy unproductive. According to research by Britain Remade, it costs Germany 24 million per mile to build new tram tracks. In Europe, the average is 42 million per mile, but in Britain it is 87 million per mile. It is more expensive here to build roads, railways and power stations than in comparable countries.

The reason is the gradual increase of regulation, administrative law and bureaucracy, created by public authorities and private businesses seeking to anticipate the whims of planning officers and judges.

Like bankruptcy, social and political change can happen slowly, and then suddenly. The revolt of the elites, in which those in positions of power became disconnected from the lives and interests of those they led or supposedly served, was foreseen by the late Christopher Lasch, in the early 1990s. But the ideas behind the change in culture  a fusion of selfish individualism and apparently high-minded ideology and internationalism  were decades in the making. So were the academic, commercial, institutional and technological developments that created the networks that made the change possible.

From housing to skills, we could list many more examples. Commentators talk about the European Convention on Human Rights as though it were still the same legal instrument as that advocated by Winston Churchill, yet decades of jurisprudence and the creep of the Courts powers mean it is something else altogether. Our policy of benign neglect towards Beijing has led us to grow slowly dependent on Chinese investment, leaving us silent and complicit in its destruction of Hong Kong, its threats to neighbours, and the industrial espionage and economic warfare it wages here and elsewhere.

Our society, media and political system are geared towards the immediate and not the long term, and we struggle to notice deeper trends than headline events. But even when we do notice, we tend not to focus on them. The election cycle may be too short, our institutions too corrupted by ideology and frivolity, our society too divided and distrustful, our economy too dependent on the kindness of strangers, for us to think long to the future.

Too often, the slowness of change and distance of danger is a convenient and irresistible excuse for inaction. A country needs leadership, and leadership requires the bravery to confront the inevitable. From the economy to demographic change, from our legal system to national security, fatalism must give way to courage.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Disorderly Passenger Ordered to Pay Airline Nearly $6,000 for Wasted Fuel After He Forced Flight to Divert

The 33-year-old man was also charged with disorderly behavior on an aircraft and failure to comply with safety instruction

Hanson Lu / Unsplash

A 33-year-old man flying from Perth to Sydney forced the plane to turn around due to his unruly behavior on Sept. 25, 2023

Almost one year later, he was ordered to pay nearly $6,000 to cover the cost of fuel in reparation to the airline on Sept. 5, 2024

The man was also charged with disorderly behavior on an aircraft and failure to comply with safety instruction

A passenger who forced a flight to divert due to his disorderly behavior has been ordered to pay the airline back for the cost of its wasted fuel.

The 33-year-old man from Western Australia was traveling from Perth to Sydney when his unruly conduct prompted the plane to turn around, according to a press release from the Australian Federal Police.

While the incident occurred on Sept. 25, 2023, the man was ordered to pay $8,630 AUD ($5,786 USD) in reparation costs to the airline to cover the cost of fuel from the flight nearly a year later, on Sept. 5, 2024. He was also fined an additional $6,034 USD by the Perth Magistrates Court.

The man pleaded guilty to two offenses, including one count of disorderly behavior on an aircraft and one count of failure to comply with safety instruction, per the release.

Related: Passenger Ordered to Pay American Airlines Nearly $40K for Disrupting Flight with Profanity, Threatening Crew

Getty Perth Airport

While the release further explains the details of the incident, it does not share the mans name or specify which airline he was flying on at the time.

The AFP responded to a request for assistance from airline staff on board a flight from Perth to Sydney. The mans behavior caused the flight to return to Perth, which required the pilot to dump fuel before landing, as well as the cancellation of the flight," the release states.

Shona Davis, the AFP Acting Superintendent, said that this specific incident acts as a warning for travelers.

This incident should serve as a warning that criminal behavior on board can come at a heavy cost to the offender, Davis says. The AFP is committed to ensuring all travelers have a safe journey from their departure through to their arrival at their destination.

Related: FAA Orders 'Zero Tolerance' for Disruptive Passengers After Several Incidents on D.C. Flights

Getty

While paying for fuel specifically is unusual, hefty fines are not uncommon for those who misbehave at 30,000 feet.

In November 2023, a woman flying from Phoenix to Honolulu was ordered to pay nearly $40,000 to American Airlines for disorderly behavior, according to a press release from the US Attorney's Office in the District of Arizona.

The woman was fined because she used profanity and threatened the flight crew and passengers on board, according to the release. The captain ultimately decided to return to Phoenix as the crew was unable to continue their duties, leading several other flights to be rerouted.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

And in July 2021, a woman flying from Dallas-Fort Worth to Charlotte was fined $81,950 by the Federal Aviation Administration for allegedly pushing a flight attendant and attempting to open a cabin door.

It was the FAAs largest fine in its history.

Former FAA chief Steve Dickson officially signed a zero tolerance policy in January 2021 that vows to pursue legal enforcement action against any passenger whos guilty of disorderly behavior, per the organization's website.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Candidates vying to represent the southeast Valley on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors laid out their plans to fuel economic development in the region.

Their appearance at a Sept. 10 forum hosted by the PHX East Valley Partnership marked the first time Democrat Joel Navarro and Republican Mark Stewart have shared a stage while battling for the key county seat.

Both seek to represent one of the most prosperous areas of the county. The district, which stretches from Tempe to Queen Creek, leans conservative. But it is also home to a number of business-friendly, education-friendly Republicans who have played a pivotal role in recent elections and have shown a willingness to split their tickets. Democrats believe the seat is winnable and see it as a chance to gain a long-sought-after majority on the influential board.

Whoever pulls through the race in November will serve on a board with oversight of the county's budget, giving them power over other county offices. They'll hold sway over issues ranging from election administration to land use issues, and they'll be part of a powerful body that influences the direction of the region as a whole.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors District 1 candidates Joel Navarro (Democrat) and Mark Stewart (Republican)

Both candidates said they are focused on bringing in businesses and economic opportunities  but they have different ideas on how to do so.

Navarro, a member of the Tempe City Council and a firefighter, said fostering an educated workforce and promoting amenities such as stadiums and universities was crucial to maintaining growth and supporting a business-friendly environment.

Politics in AZ: RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard to campaign for Trump in Glendale

"We're talking about atmosphere," he said. "We're talking about having the things people want."

If elected, Navarro said he would work to develop a long-term regional business plan for the county and deepen relationships with cities to promote economic growth. He also proposed launching a regional Pre-K program in partnership with cities, similar to one he spearheaded in Tempe. The city's program offers a full-tuition option to all families and free and half-tuition options to income-eligible ones.

Jun 2, 2022; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Tempe council members Joel Navarro and Lauren Kuby listen as Xavier Gutierrez, president and CEO of the Arizona Coyotes makes his case to start negotiations with the City of Tempe, to build an entertainment district that would include, a new arena for the Coyotes, restaurants, and residential units just east of Sky Harbor International Airport.

"Programs like these are vital to a county, vital to a community," Navarro said.

Stewart said the East Valley is already a "hot" area for businesses and economic investments. To continue that trend, he said he would focus on tackling issues like the county's housing crisis and focusing on vital infrastructure upgrades.

"There is so much opportunity for growth," he said.

He proposed expediting building permits to create more housing supply. The county issues such permits for those building in unincorporated areas, which include so-called county islands, pockets of land surrounded by city streets. Stewart said he supports an extension of the county's half-cent sales tax that funds road improvements and public transit.

Chandler councilmember Mark Stewart asks for the residents gathered for a town-hall at Hamilton High School to be respectful of the people speaking on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023.

He also said he'd prioritize keeping county taxes low. Still, both he and Navarro have called for investments in regional public safety. Stewart called it "smart spending."

"We need to hire more sheriff's deputies and we need to pay them fairly," Stewart said.

Talk briefly veers into state of down-ballot race, election issues

The discussion briefly touched on the importance of the race, the candidates' stances on election conspiracies and how the two view collaboration across the political aisle.

Stewart emphasized the importance of the supervisor contest at the top of the conversation.

"Much of the air is being sucked out of the room by the presidential race," he said, thanking PHX East Valley Partnership officials for inviting both him and Navarro to share the stage. The race isn't currently scheduled for future debates, even though organizations like the Arizona Clean Elections Commission are holding events for some other county contests.

Navarro brought up election administration while talking about his priorities if elected to the board. The issue has dominated county discourse amid a wave of election denialism that has led to threats against sitting elected officials. Protecting democratic norms is a major point of Navarro's campaign.

Members of the public speak at the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors meeting about election certification on Nov. 28, 2022.

Stewart's views on election issues have been harder to pin down. He previously told The Arizona Republic that many voters "still have questions" about election outcomes, citing an Arizona State University study that found 33% of respondents were "very confident" in election results, 32% were "somewhat confident" and 34% were "not confident."

On Tuesday, he didn't affirm whether he was confident in the results of prior elections. But Stewart commended the county for a primary election that "ran like a top." He said his ultimate goal remains "getting Maricopa County out of the news."

"The elections are in our past," he said. "We're ready to move forward."

The two also briefly discussed cross-aisle collaboration. They both pledged to work to create connections with politicians at various levels of government, including those who may have a different party label.

"We provide service to the public," Stewart said. "These are not 'R' or 'D' issues."

Navarro praised sitting Supervisor Jack Sellers, a Republican, for his leadership. He said he'd "lean" on Sellers and listen to him if elected, as well as continue some of his "good initiatives."

"We all live together, so we all have to work together," Navarro said.

Sasha Hupka covers county government and election administration for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads: @sashahupkasnaps. Sign up for her weekly election newsletter, Republic Recount.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: County supervisor candidates in Arizona talk plans to fuel growth
Prosecutors on Saturday said DNA and forensic evidence tied a 20-year-old Auburn Gresham man to a two-year-old triple homicide in the Morgan Park neighborhood that authorities believe began as a home invasion.

Zavier Jacquel Griffin faces charges for first-degree murder, home invasion, residential burglary and armed robbery in the early April 2022 attack that left Arteria Riley, 81, and her two children, Ruben, 61, and Thomas Ann Riley, 64 dead, according to police and court records.

Griffin also faces a single count of aggravated criminal sexual assault with a firearm after his DNA matched forensic evidence taken from a rape kit performed on the 81-year-old victim, court records showed.

Appearing before Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman Saturday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, Griffin was ordered detained until trial as a danger to the community.

Another Cook County judge signed an arrest warrant for Griffin last April, but the suspect wasnt arrested until Friday at the downstate Pinckneyville Correctional Center, where he was slated for parole for a 2023 gun case.

In court, prosecutors offered claims of evidence that they said tied Griffin to the scene of the murder. One such piece of evidence was Griffins recorded confession to a prison inmate while in custody for the gun case.

Longtime residents of the neighborhood, the family was found dead inside their Cape Cod-style home in the 11300 block of South Green Street during a well-being check. Thomas Ann and Ruben Riley both died from gunshot wounds, while their mother, found partially unclothed at the bottom of her homes steps, suffered a combination of strangulation and blunt force trauma, according to court documents.

Police said Griffin was identified as the person who entered the familys home between April 4th and 5th in 2022. Griffin broke into the home intent on stealing firearms and cash, according to court documents.

Authorities said the killer surveilled the Riley home the day before the attack, adding that cell phone tower records and low-quality video surveillance placed Griffin near the crime scene at the time of the murder.

Chicago police sought to have Griffin charged with murder and criminal sexual assault in 2023, but prosecutors declined to charge him at the time, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report.

While questioned by Chicago detectives last year, Griffin denied any knowledge of the homicides, claiming that Ruben Riley had taught him to fix cars.

Both of the Riley siblings vehicles were taken from the home after the slayings but were later recovered by police.

Inside the trunk of Thomas Ann Rileys vehicle, authorities found a garbage bag containing knives taken from the Riley home, along with duct tape, gloves, clothing and a water bottle that tested positive with Griffins DNA, authorities said.

Griffin is scheduled to return to court on Tuesday.
Deputies shot and killed a domestic violence suspect following a standoff at a Victorville home on Sept. 7, sheriff's officials confirmed late Saturday.

Lavon Green, 36, of Victorville died in the deputy-involved shooting, which took place shortly after 9 p.m. on Sept. 7 at a home in the 15600 block of Kadota Avenue, just west of 9th Avenue, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies responded to a report of a "domestic disturbance," the sheriff's department said in a statement issued Saturday night.

"When deputies arrived, they found the female victim outside the residence who had been assaulted by the suspect, Lavon Green," according to the statement. They spoke with the suspect through the front door of the home.

The 15600 block of Kadota Place in Victorville, pictured in a Google Street View image.

"Deputies attempted to de-escalate the incident for several minutes before Green retreated further into the residence. Green remained barricaded and later appeared at a window of the residence armed with a handgun and a (lethal force encounter) occurred."

Deputies made their way into the home and found Green dead.

No further details were released.

More: San Bernardino County coroner restricts release of info on shootings, crashes and other deaths

Brian Day is a Daily Press reporter who covers breaking news and writes about the criminal justice system.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Domestic violence suspect fatally shot by deputies in Victorville
Donald Trump was better for the economy, Kamala Harris better for America

Remember when the US had a ban on assault weapons?

It is no longer a question of whether our own communities will be affected by gun violence, but rather when will it happen.

Some of us remember when the U.S. had a ban on assault weapons. It prohibited the manufacture or sale for civilian use of certain semi-automatic weapons. It also banned magazines that could accommodate 10 rounds or more. But in 2004, the Republican Congress refused to renew the ban. Today, nearly seven out of 10 Americans support a ban on assault style weapons, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Americans are sickened by the carnage of innocent people who are going about their daily lives and are killed in a mass shooting.

We no longer feel safe at shopping malls, places of worship, theaters and schools. It is affecting the mental health of Americans of all ages. So, for those who say we must address mental health in the U.S. after one of these shootings, the obvious solution would be common sense gun laws.

Before you vote in November, go to the internet and do some research about how much your senator or representative received from the gun lobby. We can change this deadly trend by working to get rid of future production of assault weapons and ones already produced by electing the right people to Congress.

It was not always like this. It can be better. It is up to us.

Janet Dersey

Plymouth

Center Mass sales manner Justin Udvardy hands a newly purchased AR-15 to Karen Gossett of Plymouth Township in Livonia, Thursday, March 19, 2020.

Welcome to Detroit, Lions fans  take your trash when you go

Trump better for economy

Folks should be concerned that someone who did so poorly when she ran in the Democratic Primary a few years back dropped out before a single vote was cast, as her polling was so awful.

Kamala Harris' positions then were far different from what she is saying now. Now she seems to support a border wall, and promises to not ban fracking, a 180-degree turn.

So, which Harris is real, which do you believe?

My opinion is that her handlers have told her to speak to the press as little as possible (less than 17 minutes recently) and to say anything to get elected.

Is Trump perfect? OMG no ... and every talking head on Fox News talks about his poor impulse control and his harping about the 2020 election. But his policies were, and will be, better for the economic success of the U.S. We cannot afford the luxury of the weakness Harris, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and others would bring.

Michael Muczynski

Tilton, Illinois

Winning aint easy: Letting go of a losing identity as a Detroit Lions fan

Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, debated on Tuesday night.

Harris better for America

Currently, Americans smile and laugh a lot.

We are a happy people because life here in democratic America is better than anywhere else in the world. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, is a happy person who likes to laugh and smile. Contrast that to Republican candidate Donald Trump, who rarely laughs or smiles, and when he does smile, it is usually a smile of derision.

Trump doesnt understand true happiness, and childishly derides Harris for being a happy person. Candidate Trump is hellbent on changing America from a democracy to an autocracy like Putins Russia. I suspect they dont smile a lot in Russia, and if Trump is somehow re-elected to the presidency of the U.S., Americans will quickly lose their ability to laugh and smile.

What I really cant understand is how any average American can support Trump. Cant they hear and see? I understand why the ultra-rich and some politicians support him and, believe me, it isnt so they can support and defend the Constitution of the U.S. The ultra-rich hope to enrich themselves even further like the Russian oligarchs, and the politicians who support him are simply maneuvering for a high-level government job.

Only one of the candidates has the average American, the middle class, in her heart and mind, and that is Kamala Harris. Make no mistake about it, laughter and joy are being voted on in November.

Lt. Col. James Stuart Emery, U.S. Army (Retired)

Clinton Township

Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters and we may publish it online and in print.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump | Letters
Donald Trump may be a teetotaler, but hes hoping another intoxicating product will give his campaign an important boost in a tight election.

After years of skirting around the issue, the former president recently announced his support for a bevy of pro-cannabis policies on social media, including recreational marijuana legalization in his home state of Florida.

Marijuana legalization enjoys broad popularity across partisan lines, and more than two dozen states and territories allow it for recreational use. But support for the policy is particularly potent among some core Democratic constituencies that Trump is desperate to slice into: Black men and voters under 35. A Pew Research survey from 2022 found some 61 percent of Black men support legalization.

The issue is hardly top of mind for voters, but Trumps cannabis conversion has the potential to make his candidacy more palatable to pockets of Americans that could prove crucial. It fits into a set of Trumps evolving niche, populist policy views  embracing cryptocurrency and eliminating taxes on tips  that could hoist him at the margins.

Are you looking at 10 percent of the population or vote? No, I don't think so, said former GOP Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, who championed cannabis policy during his time on Capitol Hill and spoke regularly with Trump about the issue, in an interview. But are you looking at a marginal factor that could make a difference in a close state? Yeah, I think you could argue that there is enough.

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said Trumps new pot position could spark interest from a cross section of voters, some of whom have grown disengaged with politics.

Cannabis is obviously very, very popular with young people. He has some strength with younger white, alienated men, who are very pro-cannabis, Lake said, pointing to survey data her firm released last year showing two-thirds of voters 18 to 25 back loosening federal cannabis restrictions.

It's a question of breaking into [Vice President Kamala Harris] lead among young voters, but also an attempt to [further court] young Black men.

Last week, Trump announced he backs President Joe Bidens efforts to loosen federal marijuana restrictions and will vote for a ballot initiative that would legalize cannabis use for adults in the Sunshine State. He also laid out his support for federal legislation to give states more control over legalizing weed and expand access to banking services for cannabis companies.

While Trump flirted with pro-cannabis positions  like backing states rights legislation and working with criminal justice reform activists like Weldon Angelos  in the past, it was the first time he embraced specific policies to liberalize marijuana laws.

For any candidate that wants to be the responsible common sense candidate that can appeal to people across the divide, this is an easy issue to pick up, said Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), a two-term Republican who has campaigned on a pro-legalization platform in her conservative district.

His administration, however, had a very mixed record on cannabis policy.



Some of Trumps appointees  most notably Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr  took a much more combative approach. Sessions repealed the Cole Memo, Obama-era guidance that shielded the state-legal cannabis industry from Justice Department interference, and Barr became the subject of a whistleblower complaint over his role investigating cannabis businesses.

That track record could deter voters who support Trumps positions but are unsure about his follow through.

They're scared of what Trump appointees could potentially do, said Angelos, who was issued a pardon by Trump in 2020 for a cannabis-related conviction.

But Gardner believes weed supporters have nothing to fear.

I doubt if he was thinking of [cannabis] when he was selecting attorney generals. I do think he will now, said Gardner.

The Harris campaign suggested Trumps weed awakening is nothing more than a political ploy.

Donald Trump does not actually believe in marijuana reform, but the American people are smart enough to see through his campaign lies. campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello said in a statement to POLITICO.

Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), a national co-chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, dismissed the idea that Trumps policy position would attract Black voters to support him.

Look at his record, said Horsford, who is chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. He added that Trumps administration didn't do anything to reclassify marijuana, which currently holds the same spot as heroin in the federal Controlled Substances Act.

Harris own record on marijuana reform  like Trump and many other politicians  has shifted over the years. As San Francisco district attorney, she co-authored the argument against a poorly written 2010 legalization ballot measure in Californias voters pamphlet and oversaw more than 1,900 marijuana convictions, a higher rate than her predecessor, which sparked criticism from drug legalization advocates. However, that number paints a somewhat misleading picture of her tenure, according to reporting by the San Jose Mercury News: Only a small percentage of those people ever ended up in prison. Once in the Senate, Harris threw her weight behind a bill to federally decriminalize marijuana. She then took the reins on discussions around clemency during her time in the Biden administration.

The Biden administration has stopped short of federal legalization, and many cannabis advocates have criticized the administration for not going further.

It puts Democrats in an awkward position because what Biden has done is totally insufficient, and I feel like they don't want to get called out on that, said Maritza Perez Medina, the director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates for decriminalizing all drugs.

As Democratic presidential nominee, Harris has not included any statements about cannabis in the policies outlined on her campaign website.

Trumps public embrace of federal legislation and state legalization means theres little daylight between the Biden-Harris administrations accomplishments and Trumps platform on cannabis policy. But Trump likely has more to gain by being the first GOP presidential candidate to support this issue, which has broad popularity.

His backers point out that Trump signed the First Step Act, a bipartisan bill that lowered sentences for certain drug crimes, into law and dedicated resources to reduce recidivism and directed the Bureau of Prisons to update its policies on compassionate release. His campaign has tried to contrast that with Harris sentencing record as a prosecutor in California.

Unlike Kamala Harris, who also sentenced thousands of Black men for non-violent marijuana use, President Trump agrees that Americans should not be permanently imprisoned for using a substance that is now legal in multiple states, Janiyah Thomas, the Trump campaigns Black media director said in a statement to POLITICO.

But whatever the Trump campaign's official positions on the issue of marijuana legalization, the former president has never personally mentioned the issue while on the campaign trail.
Confession time again. In a previous article, I admitted to reading the Independent Records comics pages pretty regularly and occasionally discovering some great life lessons there.

Today I make another confession: Im a fan of the television series "M*A*S*H," especially the later episodes when the writing was so much better and the humor less bawdy. And like the IRs comics, some of my favorite "M*A*S*H" episodes have proven to be the source of great life lessons.

One of those episodes is Blood Brothers. In the opening scene, we meet two injured soldiers, Sturgis and Lowry, in post-op. Lowry is the more severely injured of the two and Sturgis is pushing doctors Pierce and Hunnicutt for assurances that his buddy, Lowry, is going to survive his injuries. The doctors are evasive in their replies; Lowry is not doing well.

In the next scene, Colonel Potter (the commanding officer) is delivering what he anticipated would be welcome news to Father Mulcahy, the camps much-loved Catholic priest. Potter has just learned that James Cardinal Reardon, the honcho padre himself, is going to be visiting the 4077th M*A*S*H on Sunday in time to hear Mulcahys weekly sermon. At this announcement, Mulcahy goes into a panic. Two days doesnt feel like nearly enough time to prepare a sermon good enough for Cardinal Reardons ears. Potter expresses his confidence in the good fathers abilities and adds that he will make sure everything in the camp is perfect for the Cardinals visit.

The next several scenes show Father Mulcahy discovering and expressing his outrage (in increasingly forceful language) at soldiers engaged in various forms of debauchery, all of which are flagrant violations of Colonel Potters orders to clean up the camp for Cardinal Reardons visit. Meanwhile the doctors continue to carefully monitor Lowrys medical condition. Sturgis hovers nearby, looking for any sign of improvement. When it becomes apparent that Lowry is going to need a blood transfusion, Sturgis quickly volunteers. His blood is drawn and taken to the lab to be cross-matched.

As Pierce is performing the lab work, Hunnicutt checks Lowrys condition. Seeing improvement, he tells Sturgis that his buddy may just make it. Hunnicutt goes to the lab to check on the cross-matching and finds a very subdued Pierce. Hunnicutt looks at Sturgis blood under the microscope and quickly comes to the same conclusion Pierce reached: Sturgis has leukemia.

Additional samples of Sturgis blood are taken over the next few hours and he becomes suspicious that something is wrong. He confronts Pierce, and Pierce reluctantly tells him they fear he may have leukemia. The doctors want to send Sturgis to Tokyo for more testing. Sturgis is angry.

Its Saturday night now, and the Cardinal has arrived earlier than anticipated. Standing in the compound wearing only his bathrobe, Mulcahy makes the necessary introductions and welcomes the Cardinal to the 4077th. The colonel and Mulcahy escort Cardinal Reardon to the VIP tent, where he will spend the night.

Opening the door to the tent, they are met by a group of rowdy, crap-shooting soldiers. Mulcahy storms out and proceeds to the mess tent where he finds Pierce somberly drinking a cup of coffee. The padre rants to Pierce about what has just occurred, but gets no reaction. Pierce apologizes for not being more sympathetic and explains that he has just had to tell a soldier (Sturgis) that he has leukemia. Mulcahy immediately senses the gravity of the situation, goes into priest mode, and comforts Pierce.

It's Sunday morning now. Pierce walks into post-op and finds Mulcahy and Sturgis deep in conversation. A now much calmer Sturgis announces that he and the father have been talking all night. Pierce makes a pitch for transferring Sturgis to Tokyo for testing but Mulcahy and Sturgis talk him into allowing Sturgis to stay at the M*A*S*H unit to support his buddy, Lowry, who is showing signs of improvement.

Corporal Klinger interrupts to ask why Mulcahy isnt in the mess tent delivering his sermon. The father realizes that his all-night conversation with Sturgis has caused him to nearly miss the Sunday morning service. He dashes to the mess tent and takes the podium.

Mulcahy apologizes for still being in his bathrobe and for his lack of preparation; spending the night with Sturgis left no time to prepare a special sermon in honor of Cardinal Reardon. With great emotion he then compares his petulant response to his personal crisis (his need for recognition from Cardinal Reardon) with Sturgis selfless response to his leukemia diagnosis (pleading to remain at the 4077th to support his wounded buddy). Mulcahy indicates that the experience has helped him to see something more clearly than ever before.

God didnt put us here for that pat on the back, he says. He created us so He could be here Himself, so that He could exist in the lives of those He created in His image. Or in other words, God put us here so that through us, He could be present in the lives of His children.

As we respond to this call to be the hands of God, we would do well to recall the words of Latter-day Saint church leader Spencer W. Kimball who said, God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.

We are  each of us  called to be that other person.
Roads and paths in South Moravia are impassable in many places due to swollen streams and rivers after persistent rainfall. alek Vaclav/CTK/dpa

More than 250,000 households in the Czech Republic have been left without electricity due to the devastating downpours, the CTK agency reported on Sunday, citing energy suppliers.

The situation was most dramatic in the eastern part of the Moravian-Silesian region on the border with Poland. There alone, more than 100,000 households had no power.

Rains had softened the soil, causing numerous trees to fall on overhead power lines and high-voltage lines. Forecasters expect the rainfall to continue until Monday.

There were significant rail traffic disruptions as trees fell onto tracks and overflowing waterways flooded sections of track. Around 40 railway lines had to be completely closed.

At Studenka station, the important main line between Prague and Ostrava, was submerged. As a result, numerous Eurocity connections towards Poland and Slovakia were cancelled. Authorities urged citizens to avoid travelling by car or train wherever possible.

A river in southern Moravia has swollen into a raging torrent due to persistent rainfall. alek Vaclav/CTK/dpa
Driver attempted to evade police by driving backwards on Route 9 near Cromwell

CROMWELL, Conn. (WTNH)  State Police reported that a New Britain man was arrested after attempting to escape a police pursuit by driving backwards up Route 9 near Cromwell Friday morning.

At 2:37 a.m. a Trooper with Troop H observed a Gray Honda Civic speeding on I-91 North near Exit 21 in Cromwell. The car was recorded travelling at 111 MPH in a 65 MPH zone.

As the Trooper drove closer to the Honda, the car turned off its headlights and taillights and accelerated while changing lanes.

The Trooper turned on their lights and siren, initiating a traffic stop. The Honda came to a stop, pulled into the right shoulder, and began reversing down the Exit 22 of I-91.

Out of concern for the publics safety, the Trooper called off their pursuit once they observed the vehicle traveling in the wrong direction.

After noting the Hondas license plate, State Police traveled to the home where the car was registered in New Britain. The owner explained that they lent the car to 24-year-old Darell Aponte.

Aponte, a New Britain native, agreed to meet Police at the home with the Honda where he admitted to driving in reverse to escape Police. He was transported to Troop H and charged with Reckless Driving, Unsafe Backing, Disobeying the Signal of an Officer, Driving the Wrong Way on a Divided Highway and Reckless Endangerment.

Aponte was later released on a $20,000 bond and is due to appear in Middletown Superior Court on October 4th.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

Credit: Joe Amon / The Denver Post / Getty Images

Is Latin American-style gangsterism gaining a foothold in the US? There are troubling signs of it, said Collin Pruett in The American Conservative. Visiting Texas's border with Mexico last year, I found a "population under siege, overstretched police", and Mexican cartels smuggling migrants and drugs with impunity.

And the problem seems to be spreading. In April, a Native American tribal leader from Montana cancelled his plans to testify before Congress, citing death threats from the Sinaloa cartel. And the past fortnight has brought reports of a Venezuelan gang seizing control of an apartment complex in Aurora, a suburb of Denver, Colorado. "The brazen nature of the takeover, common in Latin America but unprecedented in the US, alarmed local citizens." Videos from residents showed men with semi-automatic weapons barging into apartments. There have been reports of violent assaults, threats of murder, extortion, and child prostitution.

Back in April, the US Border Patrol chief, Jason Owens, warned Americans to "watch out" for the Tren de Aragua gang, said Luige del Puerto in The Denver Gazette. Venezuela's most powerful criminal organisation, it began life as a prison gang a decade ago but has since spread to other countries in South and Central America, and now to the US. Officials acknowledge that the gang is operating in the Denver region, but they claim it isn't a major threat. They've dismissed reports of gangsters seizing control of the apartments as wild exaggerations, insisting there have merely been isolated crimes.

A lot of nonsense has been spouted about this, said The Denver Post. Donald Trump claimed that Venezuelans were "taking over the whole town"; Colorado Republicans claimed their state was "under violent attack". Baloney. The fuss was instigated by the owners of the apartment complex, who are using gangs as "a scapegoat for the unsanitary, unsafe and unhealthy" conditions  a source of bitter complaint among residents.

Others have blown the story out of proportion for political reasons, or out of simple anti-immigrant prejudice. The fact is, the Denver region has always had some gang activity. According to the US Justice Department, prominent local gangs include the Bloods, Crips, Surenos 13, North Side Mafia and Gangster Disciples. "The addition of the Tren de Aragua gang to the mix is a dangerous complication, but not a cause for panic."
AUSTIN (KXAN)  The Dyslexia Center of Austin (DCA) recently received a massive check from a donor, but the apparent act of charity was actually a cautionary tale.

This is such a sophisticated scheme. And they are targeting non-profits, said Kelly OMullan, DCA executive director.

The check seemed legitimate enough  it was for $95,000, and came from a supposed donor out of New York state.

We were blown away

We were blown away by the cashiers check, OMullan said. This was the largest check we have ever received in our organizations history.

BBB warns of fraudulent message for Texas toll road billing

The man first contacted the non-profit through email saying he wanted to make a large contribution. The check was sent via FedEx and the group deposited the money.

He followed up with a phone call where he tried to pull on our heartstrings about his son that had died recently who had struggled with dyslexia, OMullan said.

That was all on a Friday. But before the weekend was over, the man emailed back and said some of the money had to be returned because he had made an error in the check amount. He said DCA could keep $50,000.

However, DCAs bank was able to realize the check was fraud before anything happened.

Thankfully that fraudulent attempt was thwarted, OMullan said. We were able to catch it.

FTC: These scams becoming more popular

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) explains these types of scams are becoming more popular. They work by having scammers send fake money and get you to deposit it in your account.

By law, banks have to make deposited funds quickly. In many cases, thats around a two-day period. Scammers typically reach back out between the deposit, but before the two days, and say you need to send back a portion of the money.

However, since the check is bad, youre now out the money you sent back, plus the money owed to the bank.

You dont want to fall for this: BBB warns of smart TV scam

It throws you for a loop but it takes us back to what were doing and thats to help students with dyslexia thrive, OMullan explained.

DCA said it wanted to share its story to stop it from happening to others.

OMullan said Austin police were made aware of the situation. The FTC also recommends you reach out to the state attorney general to file an official complaint.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
An e-bike rental scheme has been used to make more than 70,000 journeys in its first 12 months.

The 2.8m Leeds City Bikes launched in September 2023, with 300 e-bikes available across 40 locations.

A year on while some users described the bikes as "the best way to travel" around the city, others said safety and cost were an issue while the company behind the scheme warned vandalism was also a concern.

West Yorkshire's mayor Tracy Brabin said she wanted to make the bikes cheaper to use but asked for people to treat them "with respect".

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin said vandalism was putting the scheme at risk [Elizabeth Baines/BBC]

Civil servant Rick Webb, 42, said he used the bikes a couple of times a week to get from Headingley to the city centre.

He said, despite the price, it was still the best way to travel.

A lot of people are considering the cost of them at the moment and theyre saying compared with the bus theyre quite expensive, but actually the cost isnt the primary driver for me, he said.

Its the quickest and most efficient way of getting in and out of town. I cant even get an Uber quicker than that.

Leeds City Council said the cost of the Beryl Bikes was in line with other schemes across the country, with bikes available from as little as 16p a minute after paying a 1 unlocking fee.

Tom Forth, head of data at Open Innovations in Leeds, said he had used the bikes in Leeds and Manchester and praised the scheme.

They are a bit expensive, but it works really well. You can get where you need to go quickly. It is more than the bus but you get there quickly, he said.

You cant make bikes cheap if people keep smashing them up so I cant blame them. Ive got my own e-bike now, its the best way to get around Leeds. I think weve made quite a lot of progress on bike lanes in the city.

Cyclist Rick Webb said he used the bikes a couple of times a week to get from Headingley to the city centre [Elizabeth Baines/BBC]

However, one cyclist, who gave his name as Sev, said people did not ride bikes in Leeds because of dangerous driving and a shortage of cycle lanes.

Fear is what stops Leeds being a city full of people on bikes. People are afraid that theyre going to get run over, he said.

A council spokesperson said it had invested more than 300 million in sustainable transport, creating more than 30 miles (50km) of segregated cycle lanes in the past five years.

They added that anti-social behaviour had affected the availability of bikes in some areas, resulting in some bays being suspended.

Last month the council said 11 docking bays across the city were out of use due to a "large backlog of repairs".

Ms Brabin said vandalism was "only going to harm your community".

She said: "If we cant make sure that these bikes are safe and useable then unfortunately were going to have to think again. The more that theyre used the cheaper its going to be.

I do want to make it cheaper but I do want the bikes also to be treated with respect because its an exciting thing for our community  people are really enjoying using them.

According to the council, the bikes have been used by more than 17,000 cyclists [Elizabeth Baines/BBC]

According to the council, the bikes have been used by more than 17,000 users on more than 70,000 journeys since their launch in September 2023 - saving nearly six tonnes of carbon emissions.

Deputy leader Jonathan Pryor said: Around a third of these trips replaced journeys that would have been made by car, van, taxi or motorbike helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality across the city."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.

More on this story

Related internet links
A parking lot on the Elbe in Pirna in Saxon Switzerland is closed due to flooding. In Schoena, the corresponding guideline value of 5 meters was exceeded in the early morning, according to data from the State Flood Centre. Robert Michael/dpa

Eastern Germany is bracing for floods as the catastrophic rains hitting its Central European neighbours threaten to spill over the German border.

Authorities in the state of Saxony said on Sunday that the level of the Elbe river in Schona, near the border to the Czech Republic, is expected to peak on Tuesday afternoon at 7.50 metres - enough to declare the highest alarm level in the area.

The Elbe has already risen to 5.59 metres in Schona, far above the average height of 1.58 metres. It is expected to reach 6 metres by Sunday evening.

Should waters rise to the highest alarm level, the state flood centre said dams could overflow or break, causing built-up areas to flood and posing a threat to life and limb.

The state capital of Dresden, which lies along the Elbe, could be threatened by the flooding, which has devastated low-lying areas in the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria.

The city's historic city centre is to be protected from rising water levels by mobile barriers, which are to be set up on Monday.

Dresden authorities have been racing to complete the removal of parts of a bridge which collapsed into the Elbe on Wednesday ahead of the expected flooding.

Initial demolition work was completed on Saturday, the city's environmental agency said.

Numerous onlookers watch the demolition of the collapsed Carola Bridge on the banks of the Elbe. Robert Michael/dpa

The Elbe River floods its embankment in Decin, following heavy rains in the South Moravian Region. Hajek Vojtich/CTK/dpa

The Elbe River floods its embankment in Decin, following heavy rains in the South Moravian Region. Hajek Vojtich/CTK/dpa
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR)  In an effort to revitalize an iconic restaurant while bringing a new gas station and convenience store to the Interstate 70 corridor, Jack Buchanan, the owner of the historic El Rancho, is working with a Broomfield-based development company that has sold the property to QuickTrip.

El Rancho, Colorado was built in 1948 by the Jahnke family of Minnesota as a rustic lodge cabin cafe at the junction of Highway 40 and the road to Evergreen.

Expect increased traffic, danger on mountain roads as leaves change

Then, when the new interstate highway system was being designed and built, the highway engineers talked directly to the owner at the time, Paul McEncroe, in 1969 to provide the restaurant its own interchange.

The exit opened in 1972, and ever since it has been commonly known as the El Rancho Exit. This made El Rancho the only restaurant in America at the time to have its own exit.

Since then, it has passed through many hands and now is under ownership by Buchanan. Now, a Broomfield-based engineering consultant Kimley-Horn, is proposing a convenience store and gas station. The company submitted a pre-application package for the site to Jefferson County on Aug. 7.

The proposed Convenience Store with Service Station honors the seven-decade legacy of the site as a stopping point for travelers, and will be redeveloped as a new, Class A-type facility that will feature state-of-the-art systems and technologies, best-in-class design and construction standards, and exceptional accessibility for local residents and travelers along the I-70 corridor, wrote Coy Williams, project manager with Kimley-Horn.

Not everyone is on board, however, including more than 900 Evergreen residents who have signed a petition started by Kim Teschke-Timm, who also lives in Evergreen.

Its a part of Evergreen and honestly its kind of a part of Colorado, Teschke-Timm said.

Last chance to explore: Heres when Colorado mountain roads close for winter

Buchanan and Kimley-Horn have stated they intend to move the El Rancho building to the other side of Highway 40.

The current property owners are evaluating the feasibility of relocating the existing restaurant to a nearby property, thereby creating the opportunity to redevelop the property by utilizing the existing propertys footprint, Williams wrote.

Teschke-Timm said there are some holes in this idea.

What they want to do is move it across the street, which has absolutely no infrastructure, she said.

She added if they are unable to move it, then the only other option would be to tear it down.

In essence what theyre doing is destroying a part of Evergreen, and Colorado, to build a mega gas station, Teschke-Timm said.

She said other concerns were that this would impede the quality of life for people living in Evergreen.

Youre going to have the noise to deal with, youre going to have the light pollution which is going to be huge, youre going to have, you know, they say that truck stops bring crime and all that goes along with that, she said.

She said there is no point in having a travel stop at this location when there is already a gas station and a Walmart just across the street, plus many other truck stops along I-70.

There is no need for this whatsoever, Teschke-Timm said.

Track Breckenridges fall colors from your phone with new Leaf brief tool

The Jefferson County Historical Commission submitted a memo to the county on Aug. 28, which stated their opposition to the moving or demolishing of the El Rancho building. The memo states that moving or demolishing it would devastate the historical, scenic, and community character for area residents, and the building is an irreplaceable and iconic historic landmark and a big part of Colorado and Evergreens history with its location at the gateway to Evergreen and the mountains.

It is worth noting that Buchanan and Kimley-Horn have stated their intention is not to destroy it, but to move it several hundred feet.

FOX31 has reached out to Buchanan and is waiting to hear back.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
SHELDON, Mo.  A Nevada fraternal organization says their work today will help ensure the next generation is one day ready to lead.

We are always looking for community support, and it is essential for our survival, said Jennifer Smith, Sheldon school counselor.

Sheldon School counselor Jennifer Smith says without a donation like this.

Obviously we would still be able to educate the students, but probably not to the quality that we would like, said Smith.

This donation, delivered by Jason Meisenheimer on behalf of the Nevada Elks Lodge, will provide snacks for preschool and kindergarten students in the district.

It allows them to have a snack during the day, in between that time that they, you know, either arrive from breakfast to lunch or that time from lunch until they go home, said Smith.

Meisenheimer says this is the first stop on a tour of Vernon County.

This year, with one specific grant, we were allocated $6,000, so what were going to do is split it up between the three smaller schools within the county to help them out with some of their basic needs, said Jason Meisenheimer, Nevada Elks Lodge.

The grant funds come from the national level of the Elks, through the Elks National Foundation.

Meisenheimer says the money is a means to an end  helping the Elks fulfill their pledge to the community.

Each community, as they strengthen, will help us build a stronger America in the future, and, so, why not start with the kids, said Meisenheimer.

Smith says the Elks are just one of the many organizations helping to ensure no child is left behind on that path to the future.

It can be very unsettling knowing that you have a student whos going home, and may or may not have food, or clothes or whatever the case may be, and I know that I can reach out to many of the organizations, and say, hey, Ive got this, and they will immediately start working on fulfilling that need, said Smith.

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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.
Brazil's Supreme Court seized over $3 million from X and SpaceX on Friday.

The funds taken from Elon Musk's companies settle fines incurred from refusing to obey court orders.

The company accounts, which were frozen, have been reinstated after the seizure.

Elon Musk was forced to put his money where his mouth is on Friday when Brazil's Supreme Court ordered banks to seize over $3 million from financial accounts owned by X and SpaceX's Starlink to settle fines incurred by Musk's social media platform.

The Brazilian Supreme Court, in a statement on Friday, indicated that Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the seizure of $1.3 million from an X bank account and $2 million from a Starlink account.

De Moraes levied the fines against X after the company refused to appoint a legal representative to respond to government requests to remove accounts or specific posts on the platform. The targeted accounts were affiliated with " digital militias " that de Moraes says have been methodically spreading misinformation supporting ousted far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro .

"After the payment of the full amount that was owed, the justice considered there was no need to keep the bank accounts frozen and ordered the immediate unfreezing of bank accounts/financial assets," the Brazilian Supreme Court's statement said.

The company accounts, which had been frozen, have been reinstated. Still, the seizure indicates that Musk will face significant financial costs to sustain battles over his stated goal of protecting free speech online.

Musk himself has a far-from-perfect track record on protecting speech rights  including complying with requests to restrict content from the increasingly authoritarian governments of Turkey and India  but even the most reluctant supporters of Musk say he has a point in Brazil, as the Brazilian justice has taken a more extreme stance to address disinformation than other democratic leaders.

Some of the far-right groups de Moraes has sought to restrict online have argued that Bolsonaro's loss in the 2022 election was caused by election interference and supported a mob that stormed Brazil's Congress to start a military coup that would have seized control of the country's government.

Like the US, Brazil has enshrined speech protections in its constitution, but the Brazilian government has wider discretion to ban certain kinds of speech than the US government.

Musk has countered that the individuals targeted by de Moraes' legal actions have not been convicted of a crime, and therefore, the Brazilian judge's attempts to restrict their online activity amount to censorship. In retaliation for the actions taken against X, Musk has goaded the Brazilian justice online, comparing him to Lord Voldemort from the "Harry Potter" franchise and suggesting de Moraes' legal orders amount to violations of Brazilian law that should lead to the judge's imprisonment.

What does this have to do with Starlink?

The battle between Musk and de Moraes has escalated for months, leading to the seizure of funds from X and SpaceX. While the connection between the social media site's legal woes and the satellite communications company's responsibility for the former's fines is tenuous, de Moraes has dragged both companies owned by Musk into the fray.

Musk's refusal to comply with court orders to remove specific content from his social media platform led to de Moraes threatening to issue an arrest decree against Rachel Nova Conceicao, a representative for X, prompting Musk to close X's office in Brazil.

De Moraes then ordered X banned from Brazil  a demand that SpaceX's Starlink initially refused to comply with before reversing course and blocking access to the platform from its constellation of internet-providing satellites after its license to operate in the country was threatened. Other internet service providers in the country readily complied with de Moraes' order to block the platform, avoiding similar actions by the judge.

Legal analysts have questioned de Moraes' move to force Starlink to pay fines levied on X, given that the companies' only connection is that the same person owns them.

"Starlink is a different company. Belonging to the same economic group doesn't mean it is also responsible for a debt it did not take part of. It didn't even have a chance to defend itself," The Associated Press reported Brazilian jurist Lenio Streck said on social media. "What could Starlink have done to avoid what other company did?"

Representatives for X and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Endangered frogs threatened by California wildfires once again. A rescue could be in order

Endangered frogs snatched as tadpoles from fire-ravaged mountains above Los Angeles in 2020 were returned home last year in a moment of hope and excitement.

But the California amphibians are once again in the line of fire and another rescue mission could be in the cards.

Massive wildfires are raging through the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains  two of the three ranges where Southern California mountain yellow-legged frogs eke out a fragile existence in a handful of isolated streams. As of Saturday, the fires had chewed through more than 90,000 acres and there is worry the flames may be encroaching on the frog's critical habitat.

The federally endangered frogs are "a high priority because these fires are in the only known locations" for the species, said Hans Sin, a biologist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's South Coast region. The San Jacinto Mountains, in Riverside County, are their only other hopping grounds.

Read more: A bear crashed a picnic and swiped at a woman's leg. Wildlife cops had a decision to make

On Thursday, Sin met with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to work out a game plan for the frogs of the San Gabriels. (The San Bernardino range is served by a different CDFW region.)

As soon as it's safe, he said, staff will trek into the craggy hills and assess what happened to the frogs.

Depending on what they find, "We might need to do a rescue of said frogs," Sin said.

That could entail hiking them out in coolers and taking them to zoos, where theyd enter conservation breeding programs. It might also involve plunking them into other streams that could sustain them.

"Each population is small and highly susceptible to stochastic events, especially wildfire," notes a five-year status review for the frogs released last month by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Mountain yellow-legged frogs are named for their lemon-hued bellies and hind legs.

A biologist holds a bag of yellow-legged frog tadpoles that were recovered from a fire-scarred area of the San Gabriel Mountains in October 2020. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

If swooping in to save them sounds dramatic, consider their plight: Once common in the alpine reaches of the southern Sierra Nevada and Transverse mountain ranges, they've disappeared from 99% of their historical range , by some estimates. In Southern California, fewer than 200 of the medium-size frogs are believed to exist in the wild.

Climate change-fueled fires and prolonged drought are among the culprits for their stunning decline. Loss of riparian habitat due to development, stream channelization and other factors has robbed the mountain frogs of habitat. Their woes have also been compounded by disease and predation by nonnative trout. Cannabis cultivation and recreation haven't helped either, experts say.

According to Sin, its the secondary effects of fire that pose the greatest threat. Fierce wildfires can transform green canopies and undergrowth to gray ash. After that, the next rain then sweeps denuded earth and debris into streams, physically displacing the frogs and other inhabitants and making it harder for them to forage.

When the forest is on fire, "a frog is going to jump in the water and hide itself," Sin said. "Whether a burning, rolling log comes down and hits [it], I don't think that is as likely."

The Bobcat fire, the second-largest blaze in L.A. Countys recorded history, charred more than 100,000 acres, and made an impact on at least five "occurrences" of frogs in the San Gabriels, according to the status review.

Though the frogs are of special concern, they're not the only water-dwellers that could be in trouble.

Read more: Rare yellow-legged frogs are returned to drought-hammered San Gabriel Mountains

There's also heightened concern for the western pond turtle, California's only native freshwater turtle and a candidate for federal protection. While the turtles are found in more areas than the frogs, theyve seen stark declines.

Rescues and releases  of the frogs, turtles and other sensitive species  happen with some regularity.

Just last month, Sin said USGS and CDFW crews saved juvenile frogs from an area in the San Gabriels where the population had "crashed" in a short amount of time. Last year, they logged 140 adult frogs. This year, they found none. But they found some youngsters and hauled them out.

The federal status review notes that habitat in Little Rock Creek in the San Gabriels was "long considered a stronghold" for the frogs but just one adult was found in surveys this year. The area, home to what was once a premier rock climbing destination, is closed to the public.

This mountain yellow-legged frog was photographed in a tank at the Los Angeles Zoo in August 2019. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Around the same time the young frogs were rescued, a batch of the diminutive pond turtles that were ferried away from the charred San Gabriels after the Bobcat fire were brought back.

The irony of situation wasn't lost on Sin.

"We didnt expect the fire to happen like a month after release," he said. "Sometimes, wow, we can't predict the future. It's just unfortunate."

Releasing mountain yellow-legged frogs at new locations and beefing up existing enclaves is helping, the recent status review concluded.

However, threats have not meaningfully changed or subsided since the last review in 2019.

When it comes to climate change and wildfire, the report states, "the timing and options available to reduce these threats are either limited or unclear."



This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
DECATUR  A Decatur street gang member with the Facebook name Hothead Telly has been sentenced to nine years in prison for repeatedly shooting a man during a cannabis drug buy.

Chauntel J. Drake, 18, had been facing a Monday, Sept. 16 jury trial on attempted murder charges in the shooting, which dates to the afternoon of Dec. 7, 2023 in the 1600 block of North Edward Street.

But he had appeared in Macon County Circuit Court Friday, Sept. 13, and taken a plea deal negotiated by Chief Public Defender Michelle Sanders. Drake then admitted a new charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a street gang member and prosecutors had agreed to drop the attempted murder charge.

Drakes case had focused attention on the states elimination of cash bond under the Pretrial Fairness Act, which had taken effect on Sept. 18, 2023.

Court records show the defendant had been arrested Nov. 6, 2023, and charged with the aggravated unlawful use of a semi-automatic handgun after he was accused of trying to flee from Decatur Police Department officers in a stolen vehicle.

Under the new law, he had appeared in court Nov. 7 and been granted pretrial release with the condition he not possess a firearm or other dangerous weapon.

Detective Bryan Kaylor, who investigated the Dec. 7 shooting, said the 21-year-old victim had been shot in the chest and left leg by Drake, who was armed with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. The victim survived after emergency treatment at Decatur Memorial Hospital.

At the Sept. 13 court hearing that imposed the prison sentence, Judge Jeffrey Geisler agreed to dismiss the earlier weapons charge as part of the plea deal.

Illinois was the first state in the nation to eliminate the use of cash bail and a recent study by the Center for Criminal Justice at Loyola University in Chicago suggests a relatively neutral impact on crime rates.

Comparing the first six months of 2023 to the first six months of 2024, Center for Criminal Justice co-Director David Olson, quoted in a story by Capitol News Illinois, said: Crime is not up in Illinois. Its not up in Chicago, Its not up in other urban areas. Its not up in rural areas. Its not up for violence crime. Its not up for property crime.

Counties with the most gun deaths Counties With the Most Gun Deaths The rates of gun related homicides _ suicides are rising 1 More than 75_ of homicides _ 50_ of suicides involve a gun 1 Mississippi _ Louisiana have the highest rates of gun related deaths 1 Small _ midsize counties with the highest rates of gun deaths 1 15. DeKalb County, GA 14. Hamilton County, OH 13. Pima County, AZ 12. Cook County, IL 11. Fulton County, GA 10. Oklahoma County, OK 9. Cuyahoga County, OH 8. Milwaukee County, WI 7. Duval County, FL 6. Wayne County, MI 5. St. Louis County, MO 4. Jefferson County, KY 3. Marion County, IN 2. Philadelphia County, PA 1. Shelby County, TN
Two-month-old Moo Deng, a pygmy hippo, went viral after her handlers posted videos of her on TikTok and Instagram (Lillian SUWANRUMPHA) (Lillian SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/AFP)

The morning sunlight bouncing off her sleek hide, Moo Deng the pygmy hippo plops to the ground in her enclosure, seemingly unfazed by her rapid rise to social media stardom.

The two-month-old pint-sized creature went viral this week after her handlers posted videos of her on TikTok and Instagram from her home at a zoo in Chon Buri, Thailand.

Her cheeky expressions and playful frolicking racked up millions of views and have lured thousands of visitors wanting to witness her antics.

Moo Deng -- whose name in Thai means "bouncy pork", a popular snack -- is now an unwitting poster child for the endangered pygmy hippo.

The fame has not gone to Moo Deng's head, as she sticks close to her mother, sharing a meal of carrots, bananas, corn and runner beans.

Native to West Africa, the pygmy hippo is threatened by human activities, such as logging, mining and poaching, and there are only 2,000 to 2,500 left in the world, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Hundreds of visitors queued at the zoo for five minutes in the enclosure.

One group said they woke up at 5:00 am to make the two-hour drive from Bangkok to see the celebrity.

A visitor said she hoped more Thais would come and "post about Moo Deng online so that more people will come to see her".

Moo Deng's caretaker and social media manager Atthapon Nundee, 31, said the rise of short-form videos has turbocharged the pygmi hippo's fame and hopes it will be a boon for biodiversity preservation.

"With more and more images of pygmy hippos online, more people fell in love with them. They are poached in the wild, so with more people caring about them, it might prevent their poaching," he told AFP.

A 2022 study published by the Royal Society of Canada's Academy of Science shows that social media can play both positive and negative roles in wildlife conservation.

Public attention may help raise awareness about endangered wildlife but can increase the risk of species exploitation as more people try to come in contact with them.

Zoo management says the extra earnings from skyrocketing visitor numbers - almost double over the weekend -- will go towards improving the pygmy hippo enclosure and the zoo's public awareness campaigns.

The zoo also plans to launch a line of Moo Deng merchandise next month.

Pygmy hippos are not native to Thailand, but "zoos have a duty to lead in wildlife conservation outside natural habitats," zoo director Narongwit 'Wit' Chodchoy, 52, told AFP.

"So it's our mission to perpetuate the species for as long as possible."

sjc-rma/dhw
An anti-mining activist was shot and killed in Honduras, President Xiomara Castro said, vowing justice for the latest such murder in one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmentalists.

Juan Lopez, 46, was gunned down as he left church Saturday in the northeastern town of Tocoa, his widow Thelma Pena told AFP.

Castro condemned the "vile murder" in a post on the social media platform X late Saturday and said she had ordered an investigation.

"Justice for Juan Lopez," Castro wrote.

Lopez, who belonged to the ruling Libre party, campaigned against open-pit iron ore mining in a forest reserve in the vicinity of Tocoa, where he worked in the town hall.

In an interview with AFP in 2021, Lopez discussed the risks that he said environmental activists face in this poor and violent Central American country.

"If you start defending common interests in this country," he said, "you clash with major interests."

"If you leave home, you always have in mind that you do not know what might happen, if you are going to return," said Lopez.

At a recent news conference, the activist called for the resignation of Libre officials caught on video negotiating bribes with drug traffickers in 2013.

That video recently ensnared Carlos Zelaya, a brother-in-law of the president. He resigned his seat in congress after admitting he took part in that meeting with drug gangsters.

The UN country representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Isabel Albaladejo, urged investigators to consider "possible reprisals" against Lopez for his demand for a local mayor to resign for alleged links to organized crime.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights had ordered protective measures for Lopez due to threats against him and other environmentalists from Tocoa.

Fellow rights defender Joaquin Mejia paid tribute to the environmentalist, calling him "a comrade committed to social change."

Mejia accused authorities of failing to "fulfill their obligation" to protect Lopez.

Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya said the "reprehensible" murder would not go unpunished, and paid tribute to Lopez's activism.

"His life was an example of struggle. He never gave up in his incessant battle, hand-in-hand with the people to preserve natural resources," Zelaya said on X.

The NGO Global Witness says Honduras is one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmental activists.

In 2023 it was ranked third in the world for the number of killings of such activists at 18, tied with Mexico. The top two were Colombia and Brazil.

The organization said that from 2012 to 2023, 148 environmental campaigners were killed in Honduras.

They include Berta Caceres, a high-profile opponent of a controversial hydroelectric dam who was murdered in 2016.

A council of Indigenous organizations co-founded by Caceres said that the Honduran state and Castro's government were "responsible for this new murder by not guaranteeing Juan's life."

nl-hma/dr/bjt
Is the EU pushing its own mass migration problem in our direction? It sure looks that way

The tragic deaths of eight migrants off the French coast early this morning is a stark reminder to us all that there are still plenty of people prepared to risk their lives to try to get across to the UK. And its not just young men. Six more were taken to hospital, including a 10-month old child suffering from hypothermia.

The human trafficking gangs continue to thrive, taking money from people to load them into overloaded unseaworthy boats, many without life jackets. Its the latest in a series of incidents in French territorial waters, which has now claimed the lives of 45 people so far this year.. Once again, we are asking how we can stop this evil trade and prevent further drownings in the English Channel  something that was unheard of five years ago, but is now increasingly common.

Sir Keir Starmer is off to Rome to meet with the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, to see how the EU has managed to reduce irregular border crossings by 39 per cent in the first eight months of this year  including a massive 64 per cent on the Central Mediterranean route from North Africa into Italy. Whilst crossings and attempted crossings from France into the UK have remained stubbornly high  increasing over the same period.

Whats causing this massive decrease across the Central Mediterranean route? Have the Italians found the silver bullet that weve been searching for in the English Channel? Have they smashed the gangs operating on that route? Can we use the same tactics here?

I have long advocated that the only way to stop migrants dying on dangerous illegal maritime crossings is to rescue them and return them immediately whence they came. Assuming its safe to do so, of course. The duty to rescue persons in distress at sea is a fundamental rule of international law.

Mr Macron says that their migrant boats policy falls under EU competence, and we need to speak to them about it. The French coastguard cannot rescue migrants in the Channel or even in their territorial waters, he says, because the

migrants dont want to be rescued by the French.

Instead, their policy  presumably as endorsed by the EU  is to escort dangerous and unsafe vessels towards UK territorial waters. So that the UK Border Force can undertake the rescue and bring the migrants to Dover, rather than returning them to Calais. The French coastguard will only intervene when it is clear that the boat is about to sink, and people are in the water. Often with disastrous consequences.

So, if thats the EU position, how does it work on the Mediterranean with migrants embarking from North Africa towards Italy?

The same deal applies, right? Surely the migrants dont want to be rescued by the Libyan or the Tunisian coastguard once they are at sea (and taken back there) either?

Presumably, their maritime agencies adopt the same policy of escorting migrant boats towards EU territorial waters, so they can be rescued by the Italians and brought safely into Europe? They can then claim asylum or humanitarian protection under International law in Italy  or maybe to enter the borderless Schengen zone and head up to Calais, to get to the UK?

Well, no, actually.

We now learn that Tunisia was paid 105 million to boost its border security and to train up its coastguard to improve migrant detection in its waters, after Meloni and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, flew to Tunis to strike the deal.

Italy has also supplied patrol vessels to enable the Tunisian coastguard to pick up migrants who set off in the Mediterranean and return them there, well before they enter international or Italian waters.

Meanwhile, Italy and the EU have for years been paying Libya to clamp down on migrant boats; it is not just a Meloni initiative.

In August 2017, Italy and the EU put in place a deal whereby they train the Libyan coastguard to intercept boats and return migrants to Libya.

It has proved effective; but is very controversial because of concerns about abuse and overcrowding in Libyan migrant holding facilities, which are practically prisons. Indeed, the UNHCR has been actively seeking to resettle asylum seekers from Libya to other safe countries including (yes, youve guessed it) Rwanda.

So, its going to be hard for the UK to use Italys success as a model for stopping the boats. Not least because it involves a raft of human rights violations and accords with pretty unpalatable countries  Libya is a failed state; and Tunisia is slipping back to autocracy.

Human rights groups accuse the Tunisians of rounding up migrants on the coast and dumping them in the desert near the border with Algeria. And the Libyan coast guard is accused of intercepting and pushing back migrant boats, even of using live rounds to intimidate them and NGO rescue ships in the region. But one thing is clear. As far as the EU is concerned, its OK to intercept migrant boats heading for the EU from North Africa and return them immediately whence they came, whether they like it or not.

But its not OK to intercept migrant boats heading to the UK from France and return them there. Even though the relative safety of returns to France pales into insignificance, when compared with returns to Tunisia and Libya.

If Starmer is to learn anything from Meloni, it will be that the EU policy on maritime interventions is at best inconsistent, and at worst disingenuous. The plain fact is that the EU should stop pretending that maritime interdiction and returns of UK-bound migrant boats to France is not an option.

Rather, they should enter into immediate negotiations with us on joint patrols in the Channel  and the immediate safe return of all the migrants to France, regardless of who rescues them and where.

Then  and only then  will we be able to break the smugglers business model and, ultimately, save lives.

Tony Smith served as Director General of the UKs Border Force. He is the author of Changing Borders: A Kingdom unlocked

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
EVs, hybrids dominate North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year top picks

What has five pickups, 10 cars and 10 SUVs with costs from $28,750 to more than $350,000?

The list of the Best of 2025 announced Friday by the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year jury.

Twelve are electric vehicles while several offer hybrid models as the electrification of transportation continues.

The jury  which consists of 50 automotive journalists, including me  picked the top vehicles from 56 on sale in 2024. The list includes a handful that arent for sale yet, but have the potential to be good or important enough to invite to the NACTOYs comparison event in October, when the jury will drive the vehicles again and narrow the list to three finalists for each of the three awards. Those nine finalists will be announced at the Los Angeles auto show Nov. 21.

The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year will be announced in January 2025.

Whats hot, and why?

After further evaluation of finalists, jurors will vote for the winners, which will be announced at the Detroit Auto Show Jan. 10, 2025.

We have a great variety of vehicles on the list, NACTOY jury President Jeff Gilbert of WWJ (AM-950), said. This list is an example of the great products the auto industry is producing, from cutting edge electric vehicles to traditional gasoline-powered cars and trucks, but also hybrids, which are a growing share of the market.

The vehicles were to be revealed at Cars at the Station, which showcased a variety of vehicles at Michigan Central Station.

The Best of 2025 vehicles are:

Cars

Cadillac Celestiq in the courtyard of Cadillac House at Vanderbilt at the General Motors Tech Center in Warren, Mich.

BMW 3-series: The latest version of the car that created the sport-sedan segment

BMW M5: The max performance version of BMWs midsize sedan regularly redefines the performance limits of a four-door car

Cadillac Celestiq: A hand-built electric ultra-luxury car that aims to reestablish Cadillac as a maker of exquisite custom vehicles.

Dodge Charger EV: The electric version of one of Americas great muscle cars aims to power Dodges rebellious character into the future.

Fiat 500e: Tiny and inimitably Italian, this electric city car is Stellantiss second sortie into modernizing and expanding the appeal of its many brands.

Honda Civic hybrid: A more fuel-efficient version of a perennial customer favorite, hybrid power is a welcome return to the Civic lineup.

Kia K4: The hard-charging Korean brand renames and redesigns its compact sedan.

Mercedes AMG E-class: The highest performance version Mercedes midsize sedan should embody the automakers latest and best ideas.

Porsche Panamera: The car that proved you could have four doors and still deliver profoundly Porsche styling and performance.

Toyota Camry: Americas perennially best-selling sedan goes all hybrid and spruces up with all-new looks.

More: 2025 Hyundai Tucson adds comfort, safety features for babies and pet passengers

Trucks

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma midsize pickup offers a hybrid drivetrain that increases power and fuel efficiency.

Ford Ranger: Fords midsize pickup adds features and a desert-racing Raptor performance model.

GMC Sierra EV: GMCs full-size pickup goes electric, offering up to 440 miles on a charge, hands-free driving and more.

Ram 1500: Rams full-size pickup introduces a muscular new twin-turbo straight-six engine to replace the legendary Hemi, and adds hands-free driving.

Rivian R1T: More than half the midsize electric pickups parts are new, including motors, electrical system and longer battery range.

Toyota Tacoma: The best-selling midsize pickup adds a powerful and efficient hybrid version and a Trailhunter model intended for overlanding.

Revving engines and fighter jets: The inspirations behind EV sounds

Utility vehicles

The 2025 Volvo EX90 EV is rated at up to 310 miles on a charge

Chevrolet Equinox EV: An affordable electric vehicle in one of Americas most popular vehicles segments, the Equinox EV is a major step as EVs move into the mainstream.

Honda Prologue: Hondas first modern EV is a midsize SUV built by General Motors, but its style and character look at home alongside Civics and CR-Vs.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: Hyundai adds performance to its midsize electric SUV.

Hyundai Santa Fe: Radically restyled and featuring more cargo space, Hyundais best-selling model in the US.

Jeep Wagoneer S: The electric equivalent to the Grand Cherokee midsize SUV, the Wagoneer S must deliver luxury, technology and true off-road capability.

Lincoln Nautilus: Lincolns five-passenger midsize luxury SUV adds a breathtaking new display to the brands usual interior opulence.

Porsche Macan EV: Porsche sets out to redefine performance in an electric five-passenger luxury SUV.

Toyota Land Cruiser: One of Toyotas longest-running models returns to challenge GMC Yukons for SUV prestige and ruggedness.

Volkswagen ID Buzz: An electric minivan aims to blend modern technology with a counter culture vibe.

Volvo EX90: Built in South Carolina and designed to suit American tastes, the electric three-row SUV offers several innovative safety features.

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: EVs, hybrids among best vehicles of 2025, according to NACTOY
FILE PHOTO: Protest condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital, in Kolkata

By Subrata Nag Choudhary

KOLKATA (Reuters) - India's federal police have charged the former head of R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata with tampering with evidence linked to the rape and murder of a junior female doctor, a case that triggered weeks of nationwide protests.

Former college principal Sandip Ghosh is already in police custody for suspected graft. The additional charges were made against him in a petition filed on Saturday by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) before a court and which was seen by Reuters.

The CBI also arrested Abhijit Mondal, the officer in charge of police station that has jurisdiction over the college, for failing to protect the crime scene, a source with a direct knowledge of the matter said.

Asked about Mondal's arrest, a senior Kolkata police official said: "We will respond to the charges in court."

The lawyer representing Ghosh could not be immediately reached for comment.

The rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor, whose body was found at the college more than a month ago, set off a wave of protests by doctors demanding greater safety for women in the workplace and justice for their slain colleague.

In its petition, the CBI charged Ghosh with "deliberate destruction of evidence" in the case. It said that Ghosh, and others, allegedly delayed declaring the victim's death as well as filing a first information report, which led to the destruction of vital evidence.

Junior doctors in India's West Bengal state, of which Kolkata is the capital, have vowed to maintain their protests until justice for the slain doctor is meted out.

(Reporting by Subrata Nag Choudhary, writing by Dhwani Pandya; editing by Miral Fahmy)
Martin Hewitt was head of the National Police Chiefs' Council between 2019 and 2023 [Getty Images]

Former police chief Martin Hewitt has been appointed to lead the UK's new Border Security Command, which will focus on tackling small boat crossings.

As chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), Mr Hewitt previously coordinated action by UK police forces on issues including terrorism and organised crime.

He will join Sir Keir Starmer on a visit to Rome on Monday, where the prime minister will meet his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni to learn from her country's approach to tackling illegal migration.

Italy has recently seen a dramatic fall in the number of migrants making the dangerous crossing from north Africa.

Reducing the number of people crossing the Channel from France in small boats is one of the major challenges facing the new Labour government.

Over the weekend eight people died attempting the crossing.

The Border Security Command will bring together intelligence agencies, police and border force officials to tackle the smuggling gangs behind small boat crossings.

Mr Hewitt led the NPCC between 2019 and 2023 and previously served as an assistant commissioner in the Metropolitan Police.

Downing Street said his experience coordinating the work of police, government and other agencies, including responding to major securing threats and managing the UK's response to the Covid pandemic, was "key to his appointment".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "No more gimmicks. This government will tackle the smuggling gangs who trade the lives of men, women and children across borders.

"Martin Hewitts unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system."

Mr Hewitt said: "I am under no illusions of the challenges that lie ahead, but I am determined to face them head-on.

For too long, the criminal gangs who smuggle people through Europe have abused our borders in the name of profit, and they are responsible for the deaths of scores of vulnerable, innocent people."

More than 23,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year [Reuters]

During their visit to Rome, Sir Keir and Mr Hewitt will tour Italy's National Coordination Centre for Migration to see how the country responds to illegal migration and discuss future cooperation.

Over the weekend, Sir Keir said he was "interested" in Italy's migration deal with Albania, under which migrants rescued at sea will be sent to the Balkan country while their asylum claims are processed.

Asked whether he would consider pursuing a similar agreement, Sir Keir said: "Let's see. It's in the early days, I'm interested in how that works, I think everybody else is."

Reception centres in Albania are due to open later this year, after some delays.

After winning power, Labour scrapped the previous Conservative government's plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda from the UK.

Under the Italian agreement, migrants will still be able to apply for asylum in Italy while they are in Albania. If refused, they will face deportation.

This differs from the now-abandoned Rwanda scheme, where asylum seekers would not have been allowed to return to the UK if their claim was accepted and would instead have been able to stay in Rwanda.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "Keir Starmer has absolutely no plan to stop the boats, and thats why hes now resorting to trying to copy others."

He said Labour had "scrapped this countrys deterrent to illegal immigration and signalled to the vile people smuggling gangs they were not willing to take the serious action needed to stop the boats".

Frontex, the EUs border force, has calculated a 64% drop this year in those making the crossing from North Africa to Italy.

Central to the fall in crossings to Italy are financial deals struck with Tunisia and Libya  where most people depart from for Europe.

The EU has given Tunisia funding to boost border security, while Italy has supplied patrol vessels and given the government money to support small companies and invest in education and renewable energy.

Italian Prime Minister Meloni, who leads a right-wing coalition in Italy, was a close ally of Sir Keir's Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak.

Sir Keir's visit comes as he seeks a wider "reset" of relations with Europe after Brexit, and follows meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio has cancelled all planned on-campus activities for Sunday, after receiving a shooting threat targeted at Haitian immigrants.

"Wittenberg University is currently taking extreme precautions following an email sent Saturday, Sept. 14, that threatened a potential shooting on-campus," the school of nearly 1300 students shared. "The message targeted Haitian members of our community."

The school said that local police have increased patrols on-campus due to the threat of an attack. It's the latest in a string of threats against local government offices, hospitals and businesses in the Ohio town, all stemming from anti-immigrant rhetoric from Republican politicians.

The tense week in Springfield began with a rumor, circulated on Facebook, that recent Haitian immigrants to the area were eating local pets. That debunked story was circulated by right-wing operatives like Charlie Kirk and vice presidential nominee JD Vance.

The completely unsubstantiated claim was countered by local police, who have no record of any incidents involving pets being eaten. However, the truth couldn't stand up to former president Donald Trump yelling the story into a metaphorical megaphone at the presidential debates earlier this week.

Trump claimed that Haitian immigrants to Springfield were "eating the dogs" and "eating the cats" in an incoherent ramble from ABC's debate stage and has doubled down on that idea in recent days, even when he's been told that lie is putting people at risk. President Joe Biden has repeatedly countered the bigoted smears from Trump and the GOP, calling the rumors "simply wrong."

"So many Americans, like [Press Secretary] Karine [Jean-Pierre], as you point out, is a proud Haitian American, a community thats under attack in our country right now. Its simply wrong, Biden said in a press conference outside the White House on Friday. This has to stop, what hes doing. It has to stop.
Fact Check: No, DNA Tests in Israel Are Not Illegal, But There Are Legal Restrictions on Them

Claim:

It is illegal to do a DNA test in Israel.

Rating:

Rating: False

Context:

While genetic testing is not outright illegal in Israel, there are significant legal restrictions that limit access to DNA tests.

In August 2024, a rumor spread on social media that doing a DNA test in Israel was illegal. Some social media users claimed this was because it would reveal many Israelis were not ethnically Jewish or did not have ancestors from the Middle East.

One X user, whose post had amassed more than 3.8 million views as of this writing, asked (archived): "Why is it illegal to do a DNA test in 'Israel'?"

Another claimed: "DNA test in Israel is not only illegal, it's illegal to show the results of a DNA test or talk about it if you got the DNA test anywhere else in the world."

DNA test in Israel is not only illegal, it's illegal to show the results of a DNA test or talk about it if you got the DNA test anywhere else in the world pic.twitter.com/RKIyCut0B7  Compton Jay (@ComptonMadeMe) January 16, 2024

Similary, one November 2023 Facebook post read: "Did you know it's illegal for ppl in Israel to do a DNA test. Why? Cause they know they aren't the real Jews," while a month later an X user wrote: "Israeli settlers are mostly from Europe and their ancestors have never stepped foot in the Middle East. That's why they don't permit DNA testing there."

One Instagram post on the topic referenced an article published by The Jerusalem Post with the title: "Want to fully understand your family genealogy? Not without a court order."

The claim circulated elsewhere on X over the past year and on TikTok.

In short, while Israel imposes significant regulatory restrictions on DNA testing, particularly those related to familial ties, the claim that DNA tests are outright illegal in Israel is "False."

We reached out to Israel's Ministry of Justice for comment, but had not received a response by the time of publication. Israel's Ministry of Health later told us via email (translated from Hebrew):

What the Law Actually Says

The confusion stems from Israel's Genetic Information Law (2000), which regulates genetic testing to protect privacy and prevent misuse of genetic data. The law doesn't prohibit DNA tests outright but imposes strict regulations, especially on tests that determine familial relationships. For example, paternity tests in Israel can only be conducted with a court order. "A genetic test for family ties [...] will not be conducted except by order of a family court," the law states (we translated it from Hebrew). This is part of a broader framework designed to protect individuals from having their genetic information used without proper oversight.

Further confirmation that genetic testing is not outright illegal in Israel, but regulated for specific medical and preventive purposes, can be found on Israel's Ministry of Health website. A section titled "Recommendations for Genetic Testing" outlines guidelines for screening tests aimed at identifying couples at risk of passing severe genetic conditions on to their children.

Legal But Highly Regulated

In 2019, The Times of Israel reported that MyHeritage DNA testing kit was not available in Israel, as the country "does not allow private genetic health screening." Similarly, Ynet news website reported in 2019: "In Israel it is forbidden to sell home kits for DNA testing. One of the leading companies in this market is MyHeritage - an Israeli company, but an Israeli who tries to order such a home kit through its website, will not find a price, or delivery options. This service is blocked for Israelis."

Israel Democracy Institute also reported that the sale of DNA testing home kits is prohibited in Israel, adding that "quite a few Israelis manage to circumvent the ban."

In 2019, Israel's Ministry of Health confirmed to Ynet that it is impossible to conduct a DNA test in Israel without a court order and that "the law does not allow the sale of such kits in Israel." However, when asked specifically about the use of ancestry kits for personal curiosity, and not for health reasons, the Ministry staff indicated that they did not recognize this type of application. It also explained that, according to the Genetic Information Law, a DNA test should only be conducted in a recognized and licensed genetic laboratory or genetic institute, and "such a thing cannot exist in kits sold directly to the public."

Reasons Behind the Restrictions

The Ministry of Health highlighted concerns regarding the reliability and interpretation of DNA testing kits, noting that such kits are "heavily criticized for their degree of reliability, interpretation of results, and potential impact on the individuals and their families." Regarding genetic tests to determine family ties, the ministry emphasized that the law requires a court order to authorize such tests, ensuring the decision is made with consideration of "the best interests of all involved." Officials further stressed the potential consequences of performing these tests, particularly in the context of religious law, where results could have significant implications (emphasis ours):

Some of the considerations are for fear of serious harm to the benefit of minors or future children in the family, due to the possibility of being labeled as b*st*rds that will cause damage to their fitness to marry in Israel according to Jewish law. There may be harmful consequences in the religious law of other religions as well. In addition, there is a need for a process that ensures informed consent to the test on the part of all subjects, and admissibility of the results in a relevant legal proceeding (alimony, inheritance, etc.). Therefore, It is prohibited to market in Israel kits intended for genetic self-examination - in any medical matter, as well as for testing family ties.

Israel's Ministry of Justice told Ynet that "the fear here is that people will find out that they are b*st*rds (that their mother was not married to their biological father but to another man when MK was born) and this could cause them serious problems in the rabbinate."

Similarly, Jonathan J. Klinger, Adv. told Snopes via email a reason for DNA testing restrictions could lie in Jewish religious law, as genetic tests revealing non-biological relationships can have serious consequences:

If I were looking for a rationale it would actually be bastardry. It's tied to the jewish tradition of not revealing bastardry unless there are severe conditions requiring it, because under judaism, a b*st*rd cannot marry anyone but a b*st*rd for several generations down the line:

(link to Wikipedia on the word Mamzer)

Klinger also noted that the at-home DNA testing market has evolved significantly since the law was enacted in 2000:

Let's say, however, that the conspiracy claims are true. Then, how would this be effective? When the law was enacted in 2000, there were no tests to find ancestry similar to what we have today. The law was made to address familial ties. Moreover, even if this wasn't the case, what would prevent my US cousin from doing such a test?

Ordering DNA Kits from Abroad

There was some ambiguity regarding whether such DNA testing kits could be purchased online from Israel and, if so, whether such actions were legally permitted. For instance, the website for 23andMe, a saliva-based DNA testing service, stated that it does ship genetic testing kits to Israel. In contrast, the MyHeritage website indicated that its DNA tests were not available to residents of Israel  however, they also weren't available in France, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, North Korea, Lebanon, Russia, and Syria.

When asked about the legality of DNA testing kits that can be purchased online, Klinger told us:

This means that any services to inspect familial ties based on DNA are unlicensed in Israel and may be deemed illegal and carry penalties. It does not mean that what 23&Me or other companies do is illegal, because what they do is send the sample kits to Israel, and the "crime" itself may be carried outside Israel, as they can claim that the Israeli law does not apply to them. I assume that these companies have their own legal team that created the right legal atmosphere to allow it or disallow it.

When Ynet interviewed a company that ships DNA testing kits to Israel, it stated they "follow the import and export laws" and "at the moment, customs does not prohibit it, as there is nothing dangerous in such a sample, and I hope it will continue that way."

It's not the first time we looked at a genetic testing-related claim. For instance, in May 2024, we investigated whether genetic testing company 23andMe sold users' data to the Chinese government. Moreover, in May 2017, we fact-checked a rumor that Ancestry.com can retain the rights to your genetic information if you sign up for their DNA testing.

Sources:

Azoulay, Moran. "Revealed: Rabbinate Making Israelis Undergo Jewish DNA Test before Being Allowed to Marry." Ynetnews, 11 Mar. 2019. www.ynetnews.com, https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5476939,00.html.

---. "Revealed: Rabbinate Making Israelis Undergo Jewish DNA Test before Being Allowed to Marry." Ynetnews, 11 Mar. 2019. www.ynetnews.com, https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5476939,00.html.

Israeli High Court Allows DNA Testing to Prove Judaism - Israel News - Haaretz.Com. 6 Nov. 2022, https://web.archive.org/web/20221106051323/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-01-24/ty-article/.premium/israeli-high-court-allows-dna-testing-to-prove-judaism/0000017f-e13b-d804-ad7f-f1fb85f90000.

PerryCook, Taija. "Did 23andMe Sell Genetic Data to Chinese Government?" Snopes, 16 May 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/23andme-selling-data-to-china/.

Zlotogora, Joel. "Genetics and Genomic Medicine in Israel." Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine, vol. 2, no. 2, Mar. 2014, pp. 8594. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1002/mgg3.73.

, . "   :   "   ." Ynet, 30 Mar. 2019. www.ynet.co.il, https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5486172,00.html.

---. "   :   "   ." Ynet, 30 Mar. 2019. www.ynet.co.il, https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5486172,00.html.

https://www.health.gov.il/English/Topics/Genetics/checks/Pages/GeneticTestingRecommendations.aspx. Accessed 4 Sept. 2024.

https://www.health.gov.il/English/Topics/Genetics/checks/Pages/GeneticTestingRecommendations.aspx. Accessed 4 Sept. 2024.

Updates:

Sept. 16, 2024: This report was updated to include a response from Israel's Ministry of Health.
Former President Donald Trump has conjured up an inflammatory false claim about Vice President Kamala Harris policy positions  baselessly saying Friday that Harris is talking about forcing Americans to serve in the military.

Trump claimed at a rally in Las Vegas that voting for Harris means voting for war with Russia and voting to bring back the draft, a system in which some men are conscripted into involuntary service in the armed forces.

Trump continued: Would anybody like to be drafted, in the audience? Because thats what theyre doing. Shes already talking about bringing back the draft. She wants to bring back the draft, and draft your child, and put them in a war that should never have happened.

Facts First: Trumps claim is false. Harris is not talking about bringing back the draft and has not put forward any proposals to bring back the draft.

Trumps campaign did not respond Saturday to CNNs requests for any evidence for his claim. A Harris campaign aide said, We have no idea what hes talking about.

The US has not had a draft since 1973, the year it completed its military withdrawal from Vietnam. (Trump received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War draft, four because he was a college student and a fifth on account of a doctors diagnosis of bone spurs in his heels.) Since 1973, the country has used an all-volunteer force.

Regardless of the wishes of any president, launching a new draft would require Congress to pass legislation.

The current situation

Almost all male US citizens and non-citizen immigrants ages 18 through to 25 are already required by law to register in a federal database system, the Selective Service System, so that they could potentially be conscripted into the military if another draft eventually happened.

Its entirely unclear what prompted Trump to make his Friday claim, but there has been some media coverage related to the Selective Service System in recent months. Members of Congress have been debating separate proposals to automatically register men for the database when they turn 18  some men currently have to register manually, though registration is mandatory  and to start requiring women to register.

Both proposals face significant congressional opposition and may well fail to become law. Regardless, they are not proposals to revive the draft, and, more to the point here, Harris herself certainly hasnt called to revive the draft.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now)  Fairfax County police said detectives are investigating after a car hit and killed a man as he was walking on the sidewalk on Friday morning.

The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) said that at about 6 a.m., officers responded to the intersection of Franconia Road and Elder Avenue in Springfield for a person hit by a vehicle.

Water main break in Washington County prompts water conservation, water bottle distribution

Detectives determined that Julio Cesar Pasassi, 43, of Springfield, was walking west alongside the eastbound lanes of Franconia Road on the sidewalk when the driver of a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta drove off the road and hit him.

Pasassi died at the scene.

According to police, the driver of the Volkswagen left the vehicle at the scene and fled the area before officers arrived. Officers are working to identify them.

Detectives encourage anyone with information to call the Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543. Tips can also be submitted anonymously here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Family searching for man who disappeared in Los Angeles County

Loved ones are searching for a missing man who disappeared in Los Angeles County.

The missing man was identified as Andrew Scott Anderson, 23, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

Andersons family last spoke with him on Sept. 13 at around 1 a.m., but they have been unable to reach him since. Its unknown where he might be headed or located.

He is described as a white man around 6 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has brown hair, brown eyes and possible facial hair.

He is believed to be traveling in his 2012 black four-door Honda Civic with Virginia license plate number TKV3014.

Andrew Scott Anderson, 23, is seen in a photo from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

The missing mans 2012 black four-door Honda Civic with Virginia license plate number TKV3014. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

His family is concerned for his well-being and is asking for the publics help to find him.

Anyone who may have seen Anderson or knows his whereabouts is asked to call the LASDs Homicide Bureau Missing Persons Detail at 323-890-5500.

Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Family of woman killed in Silver Spring apartment fire files wrongful death lawsuit

SILVER SPRING, Md. (DC News Now) Tears flowed on Saturday morning, as Cesar Diaz recalled the loss of his daughter 25-year-old Melanie Diaz.

I dont have the chance to talk to my daughter anymore, said Diaz.

Melanie, who lived on the ninth floor of the Arrive Silver Spring Apartments, died as she tried to escape the February 18, 2023 fire that broke out on the seventh floor.

She was overcome with heavy smoke in the stairwell. The building did not have a sprinkler system.

Melanie was a superstar, said Matthew Christ, the familys attorney.

Man shot in Northeast DC

Melanies father Cesar stood outside his daughters building over a year after his daughters death to discuss the federal lawsuit he filed on September 12 against the apartments management, and its parent company, California-based Trinity Properties Consultants.

Some people like to cut the corners, and didnt want to give it to my family, or my daughters safety, said Diaz.

Among the allegations in the lawsuit: The building had faulty, or no smoke detectors in the apartments and a fire safety door on the seventh floor failed on the day of the fire.

(It) allowed the door to stay open, letting in dark plumes of smoke that would have disoriented, Melanie or other residents who would have relied on the evacuation stairwell, said Christ.

Christ said the family filed the wrongful suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland after management and its parent company did not respond to demands.

The suit seeks $2.3 million in damages under Marylands Wrongful Death Act, plus another $225,000 in economic damages.

No money is going to replace any life, said Cesar Diaz.

Neither management nor its parent company responded to requests for comment.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A driver is dead after crashing into an MSP officer on I-75, a man was killed after a vacuum truck hit power lines in Macomb County, and a Farmington Hills family is livid after a daytime sexual encounter was caught on their Ring doorbell camera: here are the top stories from FOX 2's Week in Review.

1. Driver killed after crashing into MSP officer on shoulder of I-75 in Lincoln Park A driver is dead after crashing into a Michigan State Police officer who had a semi-truck pulled over on I-75 in Lincoln Park on Friday morning. The motor carrier officer had the semi pulled over on northbound I-75 around 8:40 a.m. The officer was inside his vehicle on the right shoulder when a Ford Explorer slammed into the back of the patrol vehicle, forcing it into the back of the truck.

2. Do Not Eat Advisory in effect for deer at northern Michigan marsh due to PFAS contamination Hunters are reminded to not eat any venison taken from deer around a marsh in northern Michigan over concerns of forever chemical contaminants in the area. With hunting seasons around the corner, including archery beginning on Oct. 1, both the health department and natural resources agency are reminding people to not eat meat taken from animals in the area.

3. Aldi to hire 13,000 holiday workers, raising minimum wages up to $23 an hour Aldi is hiring thousands of workers for the upcoming holiday season and for the opening of new stores across the U.S. , while also increasing its minimum wages to $18 and $23 an hour. The no-frills grocery chain, known for its cost-saving measures like self-bagging and loaning carts to customers for a quarter, announced that it plans to hire more than 13,000 store and warehouse employees nationwide.

4. Man killed after vacuum truck hits power lines in Macomb County A vacuum truck in Macomb County hit power lines in the northern portion of the county, sparking a fire that charred the cab of the truck. Authorities confirmed one man died as a result. FOX 2 has learned that the victim was a DTE Energy contractor. The Macomb County Sheriff said they were called just after 1 p.m. Thursday to the fire on Romeo Plank at 32 Mile Road. The driver, a 61-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.

5. Driveway sex caught on camera leaves Farmington Hills homeowners livid A daytime sexual encounter was caught on a familys Ring doorbell camera in Farmington Hills. The 13 year old son, was waiting on a package, when he heard the Ring go off, he soon realized  this was not the package he was waiting for.

"Im angry that my child had to see such debauchery," said his mother, we'll call Samantha.

6. 2 dead, 3 injured in deadly crash on Michigan Avenue in Washtenaw County Two people were killed and three injured in a crash on Michigan Avenue Wednesday afternoon. Both directions of Michigan Avenue were closed between Wiard and Ecorse roads.

7. Motorcyclist slams into SUV while riding 150+ mph on I-75 in Detroit A 21-year-old motorcyclist was going more than 150 mph when he crashed into an SUV on I-75 on Wednesday night, police said. Michigan State Police said the Sterling Heights man hit a Honda CRV on the north side of the freeway near Davison in Detroit around 11:20 p.m., pushing the Honda into the median wall.

8. Horseback riding scam in Michigan creates headaches for some, heartache for others The emergence of an alleged horseback riding scam just outside of Southeast Michigan has created headaches for some business owners and heartache for other unsuspecting customers. One victim of the scam, identified as Deborah, originally thought she would be fulfilling her daughters' dreams by getting them lessons for horseback riding.

9. Runaway boat: Inexperienced owner thrown from boat, swims to shore as boat runs full throttle The Oakland County Sheriff's Office said a runaway boat did circles in an Oakland County lake before ultimately running out of gas. Despite fears this could have been another drowning in an Oakland County lake, the sheriff's office said the boat owner and passenger all escaped safely but the owner was inexperienced at operating a boat.

A runaway boat on Elizabeth Lake prompted concerns of another drowning. But th eowner was found at his home.

10. Mustang prototype crash at Auburn Hills test track left kids severely injured, lawsuit filed A violent crash at a test track in Auburn Hills that led to two kids being catastrophically injured is now the premise of a lawsuit against the test track's operator, Ford, a Detroit-based nonprofit, and the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident.
By Douglas Gillison

(Reuters) - The FBI said on Sunday it was assessing the credibility of threats against Haitians at Wittenberg University following baseless claims by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that the migrants in the town were eating cats and dogs.

The threats to open fire on Haitian migrants have forced the Springfield, Ohio, school to close its campus for a day.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's involvement follows similar threats made against migrants in the town after Trump and running mate Republican Senator JD Vance of Ohio spotlighted false claims that Haitians who have settled in the town were eating residents' cats and dogs.

Wittenberg announced on Saturday evening that all events scheduled for Sunday would be canceled following the emailed threat and warned students, faculty and staff to exercise extreme caution on campus.

"The FBI is working in coordination with the Springfield police department and Wittenberg University to determine the credibility of recent threats, share information, and take appropriate investigative action," according to a statement from the FBI's Cincinnati field office.

Haitians in the town now say they fear for their safety.

University spokesperson Karen Gerboth said on Sunday the university had received a second threat "but it was quickly cleared on campus."

The university also said in an update at least one other unnamed area campus had received similar threats. In a post to the social media network X, Clark State College said it had canceled classes in a building on Thursday and Friday "due to a safety situation" in the town. A spokesperson for Clark could not be reached.

Sergeant Atkins of the Springfield Police Division, who declined to give his first name, told Reuters there was no significant activity to report in the campus area as of Sunday morning.

In a series of cable and broadcast television appearances on Sunday, Vance defended the baseless claims, maintaining they were not entirely unfounded and had helped call attention to the area's social problems otherwise ignored by the news media.

(Reporting by Douglas Gillison; Editing by Sandra Maler)
CHICAGO  A Chicago man accused of fatally shooting and elderly woman and her two children during a home invasion on the citys Far South Side in 2022 is now facing felony charges.

According to Chicago police, 21-year-old Zavier Griffin, an Auburn Gresham resident, has been charged with several felonies, including three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of home invasion with a firearm, three counts of murder, two counts of possession or sale of a stolen vehicle and one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault with a firearm.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

The charges stem from Griffins alleged role in the murder of an elderly woman and her two adult children in Morgan Park in April of 2022.

The three family members were found dead inside a home in the 11300 block of South Green Street after police responded to the area at around 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 5.

Police said that they believe Griffin entered the home between April 4 and April 5 and once inside, he allegedly fatally shot two women and a man before fleeing the scene.

21-year-old Zavier Griffin, an Auburn Gresham resident, has been charged with several felonies, including three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of home invasion with a firearm, three counts of murder, two counts of possession or sale of a stolen vehicle and one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault with a firearm.



3 family members found shot to death inside Morgan Park home

The victims were later identified as 81-year-old Arteria Riley, who suffered a gunshot wound to her head, 64-year-old Thomas Ann Riley, who suffered a gunshot wound to her torso, and 61-year-old Ruben Riley, who also suffered a gunshot wound to the torso.

A crisis responder confirmed to WGN-TV in 2022 that the victims were related and had lived in the neighborhood for decades.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

It remains unclear what led to the deadly shooting.

Members of the Chicago Police Department and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force eventually caught up with Griffin on Friday morning and he was taken into custody in Pinckneyville, in Perry County.

Griffin appeared in court on Saturday for a detention hearing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Fiesta on the Square kicks off the start of Hispanic Heritage month

National Hispanic American Heritage Month starts on Sunday and the community gathered downtown to celebrate the beginning.

Fiesta on the Square took place Saturday in downtown Erie.

Fall season is upon us as Pumpkintown 2024 kicks off at Mason Farms

Its organized by the Erie Latino Leadership Association and the City of Eries Hispanic Latine Advisory Council.

Perry Square was filled with local food vendors, live music, a car show, and kid activities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage.

WATCH: Tom Atkins live at Eries Irish Festival 2024

I think its extremely important for us to connect to the roots. So many of us have lost maybe some of the language or some of the culture. Its so very important for us to connect and have these times in the city where were represented and were seeing flags from not just Mexico but from Venezuela or Puerto Rico. The diversity within Latin America is great to see and it unites us, it really does, said Rocky Escajadillo, member of the Hispanic Latine Advisory Council.

National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.
Fifth of US Gulf of Mexico crude oil and 28% of gas offline, regulator says

General view of the Centenario deep-water oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Veracruz, Mexico

HOUSTON (Reuters) -Nearly a fifth of crude oil production and 28% of natural gas output in U.S. Gulf of Mexico federal waters remains offline in the aftermath of Hurricane Francine, the U.S. offshore energy regulator said on Sunday.

Francine marched through prime offshore oil and natural gas producing areas and hit Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane on Wednesday. The storm toppled trees, flooded coastal areas and cut power in four southern states.

Energy producers on Sunday had 338,690 barrels per day of oil production and nearly 515 million cubic feet of natural gas offline in Gulf waters, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement estimated from producer reports.

Cumulative offshore production losses due to Francine total 2.16 million barrels of crude oil and 4.635 billion cubic feet of natural gas, according to a Reuters tally of BSEE daily estimates.

There were 37 oil and gas platforms still evacuated on Sunday, about 10% of the Gulf of Mexico total, down from 171 evacuated offshore platforms at peak last week, the offshore regulator said citing reports from producers.

(Reporting by Gary McWilliams; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Mikayla Hughes singing during an early voting gathering at the Midtown Center in Milwaukee. (Photo | Isiah Holmes)

The cure for the ills of democracy is more democracy, is a famous maxim from the early 20th century that has been variously attributed to the prominent American social worker and womens suffrage leader Jane Addams, to the leading American philosopher and psychologist of that era, John Dewey and, most famously, to the iconic former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senator Robert M. Fighting Bob LaFollette. Regardless of who actually coined that phrase, it was utilized by all three and has proven to be predictive and prescriptive time and again over the years. Now, it may never be more applicable and essential for the survival of our 235-year-old American Experiment in representative self-government than it is today, in 2024.

This year so far in Wisconsin has been an astonishingly positive period for the advancement of democratic engagement and participation after more than a decade of continuous diminishment and destruction of what was once considered the nations foremost laboratory of democracy.

Fair maps

In February, after 13 years of enduring one of the most partisan, unfair and unrepresentative political gerrymanders in the nation of our states legislative districts, Wisconsinites rejoiced as Gov. Tony Evers signed into law new, much fairer and more competitive state legislative voting maps. The new maps are in effect for 2024 and likely will remain in place until the end of this decade. These maps favor neither Democrats or Republicans. Instead, they much more accurately reflect the very closely divided, 50/50, blue/red partisan divide that is Wisconsin, arguably the most purple state in the nation.

The return of ballot drop boxes

In July the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned a misguided and injurious decision made two years ago by the previous court majority that wrongly prohibited the use of secure ballot drop boxes for all Wisconsinites. Disabled and elderly voters and people who live in areas where voting hours are limited used drop boxes to safely and securely return absentee ballots to election clerks in time for them to be counted on Election Day. Eliminating drop boxes was a callous voter suppression measure that was put in place only in Wisconsin and in about a dozen deep red southern and western states. Fortunately, the current Wisconsin Supreme Court majority corrected this travesty of justice and in many (but not all) communities, ballot drop boxes have been restored for the Nov. 5 election and beyond.

Voters reject constitutional amendments

Finally, in August during the partisan primary elections in Wisconsin, voters rose up and decisively defeated two constitutional ballot measures that would have hamstrung the ability of the governor of Wisconsin to distribute federal funds allocated to Wisconsin in times of emergency, such as a natural disaster or pandemic, without the permission of a small group of powerful partisan legislators. When voters were educated about the effect of this last gasp of a gerrymandered partisan legislative majority to seize more power and further upset the critical balance of political power in this state, voters resoundingly voted No! Voter turnout in August was higher in this state in a partisan primary election than any other in the past 60 years.

These three momentous and heartening victories for all of the voters of Wisconsin and for democracy signify that if citizens get engaged and informed they will support the expansion of voting rights, people empowerment and the preservation and enhancement of democratic norms and traditions and will defeat attempts to curtail these liberties. The recent developments in Wisconsin also demonstrate that a fully engaged citizenry and very robust voter turnout are as critical to the survival of democracy as oxygen is to the act of breathing and to life itself.

The cure for the ills of democracy in Wisconsin and nationally is voting. When we vote we help to cure the sickness of citizen disengagement that afflicts us as well as the despair, pessimism and cynicism that accompanies that sickness. When we vote we become a healthier and more empowered citizenry. The upcoming election on Nov. 5 is the most important and consequential of any for most of us in our lifetimes. There is no excuse for not actively participating in this election by, at the very least, voting. And each of us can and should do even more to promote voting by expressing its urgency with family members, friends, neighbors, and even strangers if we are able. Vote as if our country and democracy depend on it because in a very real and tangible way, it does.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The smell of smoke wafted through portions of Arden Arcade as a fire gutted a former fast-food restaurant Sunday along Fair Oaks Boulevard.

The fire started just after 11 a.m. at the former Boston Market location on the 2300 block of Fair Oaks near University Avenue, according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. Firefighters who first arrived at the scene found smoke pouring from the building and found the roof and a wall to be compromised, according to radio dispatch calls reviewed by The Sacramento Bee.

A second alarm was canceled by Metro Fire as personnel moved in to extinguish the blaze from ladder trucks. The response blocked portions of Fair Oaks Boulevard.

No injuries were immediately reported. The cause of the fire was not known.

A spokesman for Metro Fire said crews were expected to remain on scene through Sunday evening to get full containment and handle any hot spots.

Breezy conditions  winds at McClellan Airport were observed at 24 mph from the south-southwest  carried the fires smoke across most of Arden Arcade and into parts of North Sacramento, North Highlands and Carmichael for a time.

The Boston Market location closed in 2023 after the restaurants general manager said food suppliers had not been paid as the brands parent company struggled to make ends meet. Fewer than 30 locations remain open in the U.S.  all of the companys stores in California were sold to another company before being shuttered.

Sacramento County assessor records showed at the time that the Boston Market, which is just east of the Sacramento city line, owed more than $18,000 in taxes dating back to 2022. County records also showed that Starbucks submitted renovation plans seeking to turn the Boston Market into an outlet of the Seattle-based coffee house chain.

Boston Market, formerly Boston Chicken, opened its first location in Newton, a suburb of Boston, in 1985. The rotisserie chicken restaurant became enormously popular by offering freshly made ready-to-eat chicken. By the early 1990s, there were more than 1,200 locations nationwide, including eight in the Sacramento area.

A listing for the $4.2 million property, which states the building occupies 2,330 square feet, suggests that Starbucks has secured a lease on the site until 2039, though renovations had not appeared to have started.

A firefighter on a ladder truck sprays flames at a shuttered Boston Market location on the 2300 block of Fair Oaks Boulevard in Arden Arcade on Sunday.
The first graders who survived Sandy Hook will vote in their first presidential election

Graduating seniors who formerly attended Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., speak with Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House on June 6.

Grace Fischer survived the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School by staying quiet and huddled, as her first grade teacher softly read The Nutcracker.

Then she spent the rest of her childhood watching mostly from the sidelines as dozens of similar shootings shattered other schools across the country.

Now 18, Fischer will vote in her first presidential election in November. Its a monumental moment, nearly 12 years after she endured one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, and it has given her and her peers hope that they can effect change.

Its a huge turning point in our lives, said Fischer, who was 6 when a gunman killed 20 first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012.

From left, Grace Fischer, Henry Terifay, Lilly Wasilnak and Matt Holden during their meeting with Harris.

Activists at the time hoped the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, would become a watershed moment and spark significant legislative action, said Emma Brown, executive director of Giffords, the gun safety group founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords  a shooting survivor.

The country was forced to look at this issue in a visceral, terrible way, Brown said. The loss of all of those kids in their classroom was so inconceivable and so horrific that even the politicians and the folks who had been trying to act like this wasnt a growing problem in this country were unable to deny it for the first time.

States have since passed hundreds of gun-safety laws, but major federal bills that have been proposed, including bans on semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines, have failed.

After the Las Vegas mass shooting in 2017, the Trump administration imposed a federal ban on bump stocks, which are gun accessories that allow semiautomatic rifles to fire more quickly. But the Supreme Court overturned the regulation this year.

Friday marked 20 years since the 1994 federal assault weapons ban expired in 2004. Meanwhile, mass shootings have become more frequent.

Since 2013, at least 122 people have been killed by gunfire in 64 planned school shootings, according to NBC News tracker. Most recently, on Sept. 4, two students and two teachers were killed at Georgias Apalachee High School allegedly by a 14-year-old suspect with an AR-style rifle, authorities said.

On Thursday, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions said guns were the leading cause of death among children and teens, killing more people ages 1 to 17 in the U.S. than car crashes and cancer, for the third year in a row.

We were told this would be what turns everything around, said Emma Ehrens, 18, who was next to the Sandy Hook gunman as he shot her classmates. It really breaks your heart a little bit more every time.

A memorial site along a road in Sandy Hook after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012.

Ehrens, Fischer and two other first grade Sandy Hook survivors who spoke to NBC News said they are hoping to turn the tide by electing Vice President Kamala Harris as president.

Its a no-brainer for me, said survivor Lilly Wasilnak, 18.

The teens first met Harris at the White House on National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 6, as they were preparing to graduate high school. They shared their individual accounts of the shooting with Harris, who thanked them for their courage.

None of you should have had the experience that youve had at all, Harris told them, according to a video released by the White House. Know that you guys are moving the needle.

Harris has said keeping students safe from gun violence at schools is a top priority. Her plan, which the survivors support, includes banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and requiring universal background checks.

Harris also champions so-called red flag laws that allow a family member or law enforcement to seek a court order to temporarily confiscate guns if they feel a gun owner may cause harm.

Harris listens to Emma Ehrens, center, and Ella Seaver, left.

Matt Holden, another survivor who turned 18 last month, said these plans differ from those of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, who received backlash last week after saying school shootings are a fact of life.

I dont like this. I dont like to admit this. I dont like that this is a fact of life, the Ohio senator said at a rally in Phoenix. But if youre, if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets.

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 to, Vance added.

At the rally, Vance said strict firearms restrictions are not the solution. Similarly, at a National Rifle Association event in May, Trump said he would roll back Biden administration executive orders designed to reduce gun violence.

In a response to a request for comment, the Trump campaign provided quotes from relatives of shooting victims in support of the former president, including JT Lewis, whose brother Jesse was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting.

President Trump established the Federal School Safety Commission and signed the Stop School Violence Act, Lewis said. He supports hardening schools and protecting our nations children. Kamala Harris wants to take police out of schools and leave our kids defenseless. The choice is easy.

Brown, the Giffords executive director, said gun safety laws are the way forward to ensure school shootings do not remain the norm.

Theres a ticket in this race that says over and over that it doesnt have to be this way, she said.

Giffords spent $15 million to help Harris campaign as well as other House candidates who favor tougher gun laws, NBC News first reported.

Since Sandy Hook, states have passed more than 620 gun safety laws, Brown said. In 2022, President Joe Biden enacted the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun-safety law in nearly 30 years.

The momentum is there, and the will is there, Brown said.

This fall, when the survivors vote for the first time, Wasilnak and Holden said it will be in honor of their first grade classmates who will not get to experience this milestone, as well as the educators who died making sure they would.

Im casting a vote for the 26 who cant, Wasilnak said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
CHICAGO  The bright white feathers of a pair of Pekin ducks ruffled in the summer breeze as they snoozed on concrete steps leading into the Chicago River at Ping Tom Memorial Park. The birds were unfazed by the whistling trains, the rumbling traffic of the city and the nearby gaggles of Canada geese and wild mallards.

As former pets, humans didnt disturb them either. That is until a woman from a bird rescue group tried to net them.

When the ducks quickly dispersed, she took out a walkie-talkie and called for reinforcements. In moments, a volunteer whizzed by in a kayak, ready to catch the waterfowl with his bare hands as he expertly maneuvered the vessel.

Chicago Bird Collision Monitors rescues thousands of birds annually, said the organizations director, Annette Prince. Over a hundred of those rescue calls involve former pet ducks such as the Pekins, who had been at the park in Chinatown for a few months.

They are left to fend for themselves  but experts say its often a death sentence. Theres no official data on how often this happens, but according to an estimate by an anthrozoologist in a 2023 National Geographic report, tens of thousands of domestic ducks are dumped each year throughout the United States.

This is a true education problem, said Adrienne Eyer, a volunteer with the bird monitors project.

Domestic ducks in the wild become easy targets for predators; they are literally sitting ducks. Being bred and reared for the meat industry means most domestic ducks cant fly because their bodies are oversized and their wings are too small. And Chicago has no shortage of possible predators, including coyotes, foxes, raccoons, hawks and great horned owls. As pets, ducks also learn to depend on humans for food so they arent prepared to forage.

Every spring, families purchase chicks, rabbits and ducklings from local feed sellers and pet stores to include the cute animals in their Easter baskets and seasonal pictures.

After a few months, the novelty often wears off. As temperatures drop, owners realize they cant keep a growing duck in their backyard or inside their home  and some mistakenly believe the winged animal will be able to survive in the wild. Instead, they are effectively putting it in harms way, which is also illegal.

They are not expendable party favors, theyre living things you should only plan on getting if youre planning on being a responsible owner, Prince said.

Needlessly abandoned

The bird collision volunteer network tries to respond to all calls in the Chicago area about domestic ducks, but Prince said the efforts divert precious energy from saving birds injured on the countrys largest migratory route  the Mississippi Flyway  to birds needlessly abandoned. Other domestic breeds frequently dumped in ponds and nature areas around Chicago include Swedish Blue and Indian Runner ducks.

She said pet ducks, like any other pets, represent a commitment for as long as they live, which can be eight to more than 10 years in captivity. But their life expectancy can be easily halved in the wild, and experts say ducks likely experience traumatizing emotions from abandonment.

During a Humboldt Park rescue, Eyer said she was approached by a family who told her they had watched a crying and clearly distraught woman dump a pair of ducks earlier that day.

Domestic ducks are kind of like dogs or cats, she told the Tribune. Theyre very people-oriented, they have big personalities, they very endearing and very charming.

Duck dumping is illegal in Illinois under the section for cruel treatment in the states Humane Care for Animals Act: No owner may abandon any animal where it may become a public charge or may suffer injury, hunger or exposure.

Violating this state law is a criminal offense considered a Class A misdemeanor  the most severe of its kind, which also includes theft, criminal trespass, battery and aggravated assault. Such offenses can be punished by up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $2,500 and mandatory court assessments.

Chris Anchor, a senior wildlife biologist at the Forest Preserves of Cook County, said visitors dump all kinds of pets in their natural areas, including ducks but also cats, dogs, parakeets, exotic snakes and gerbils. But as the countys 22 nature preserves span tens of thousands of acres, rarely does the staff get to the abandoned pets in time to give them a second chance.

Many times, we find out when we find an animal that has died, Anchor said.

Sometimes, a singular pile of feathers will be how staff discovers a duck was left behind and became prey.

The vast majority of pet owners doing the dumping, he said, likely do so because they had no idea what they were getting into in the first place and then it became too much of a burden or too messy to keep the animal.

Besides violating state law, abandoning animals in the forest preserves of Cook County is punishable per the district code by a fine of $75 to $500.

The Chicago Park District, which owns some of the city parks where volunteers like Prince and Eyer have rescued ducks, said in an emailed statement that it discourages the disposal of unwanted pets for public safety reasons and the health of the animals and habitats.

Our park-based ponds are teeming with wildlife. However, we are unaware of any pet ducks being left behind at ponds, the statement said. Unknown disposal of pets in our parks and facilities is a very rare occurrence.

The Park District also warned the public not to engage wildlife without proper permission and precautions and suggested that people contact Chicago Animal Care and Control at 311, to report an injured or domestic duck.

An education problem

Advocates and experts say education should start from the beginning of the supply chain.

You can have your Instagram moment, your big, grand gesture, your perfect little Easter, without affecting the welfare of these animals, Eyer said.

Ducks can be purchased from feed stores for $5 to $20 each but generally must be bought at least two at a time because they require company. Little information is passed on to potential owners about their responsibilities. On the other hand, the process of getting a dog or cat can be expensive, and adopting one can also require a background check.

Ten years ago, Grayslake resident Kerri Gburek started taking stray chickens and ducks home from her job as a veterinary technician. Her passion has grown into a small business  the Chicken Eggspert  educating potential owners with home consultations and classes at the Lake County Farm Bureau, offering expertise in village board meetings in municipalities passing poultry ordinances, and renting out chicks and ducks around the Easter holiday so families can take photos and interact with the birds without having to commit. She also offers day or weeklong hatching projects for school classrooms and families at home.

I try to offer a solution so that those folks who maybe arent as educated about the husbandry requirements arent going out and purchasing them, she said.

At a 5-acre farm a few miles west in Lakemoor, Gburek has 180 chickens and ducks, including adults and younger ones. From the end of February to the end of June every year, she will hatch 1,200 to 1,500, most of which she sells to families she mentors through the ownership process or supplies to petting zoos. Her business has taken her across suburbs and cities in Cook, Lake, McHenry, DuPage and Kane counties, even up to Kenosha and Walworth counties in Wisconsin.

I wouldnt give it up for the world, educating people and allowing the kids to have the experience.  It teaches them how to care for something and (take) responsibility, she said. And I try to be very transparent and upfront with people and let them know what theyre getting into. You know, raising them is kind of a messy commitment. Theres a lot of bedding and spilled water and poop involved.

Team efforts

Eyer got involved in rescues earlier this summer after she saw a domestic duck with a flock of mallards at Columbus Park on the citys West Side, near her Oak Park home. After a sleepless night, she returned the next morning with her daughter, ready to spend all day building trust with the bird. Luckily, it took less than an hour but still required the help of a nearby birder.

A wildlife biologist and trained animal handler, Eyer has been volunteering to save ducks from local nature areas ever since.

She recalled a rescue in early August that lasted seven hours. When Eyer got to Riis Park, she found a female Pekin duck commingling with a flock of mallards, and a bonded pair  a male Pekin and a female Swedish Blue, later named Whitey and Bluey  that were keeping to themselves. It took the combined efforts of her husband, a family passing by and a fisherman to finally corral the ducks just before sunset.

They were only able to capture the last one after catching its partner.

The two of them had evaded us for hours at this point, she said, and within seconds of going into the crate, with all the noise the duck was making inside the crate, the other one just came walking out of the bushes and gave himself up. He was like, OK, I surrender. It was happy and sad all at the same time.

Princes recent rescue at Ping Tom Park took roughly half an hour  a quick turnaround for an often complicated operation.

She had invaluable help saving the ducks  later named Ping and Tom  from the volunteer on the water. A resident of the village of Wayne 40 miles west of Chicago, Jim Tibensky began kayak racing in 1967 and for 20 years has been volunteering for waterfowl rescues with the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors. Earlier that morning, Prince and Tibensky had rescued a Canada goose in Glenview whose leg had been injured with a fishing line.

After being radioed in, Tibensky chased the ducks to the riverbank opposite the park  wings furiously fluttering but never taking flight  and shepherded them one by one toward Prince.

So you see that they can get away, but they cant fly away, so its ultimately wearing them down, she said as she put one of the ducks in a canvas carrier and picked off white feathers stuck to her hands.

Even if they cant fly, waterfowl can swim and go underwater to escape predators and threats. But its not a sustainable survival strategy in Chicago when water freezes in the winter.

When theres partial ice, we never want them to dive under, because they then drown, Prince said.

The bitter cold and icy ponds can not only be dangerous for the birds but also for rescuers, so volunteers try to save as many domestic ducks as possible before temperatures drop too much and bodies of water ice over.

Our time is running out, Prince said. Their time is running out.
Five former UK defence secretaries urge London to allow Ukraine to use supplied weapons for strikes on Russia

Five former UK defence secretaries and a former prime minister have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to authorise Ukraine's use of long-range Storm Shadow missiles against targets in Russia, even without US consent.

Source: The Sunday Times

Details: Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt, Liam Fox and Boris Johnson warned Starmer that any further delay would embolden Vladimir Putin.

Wallace stated that if action is not taken now, the UK will be appeasing the Kremlin, while Williamson called it a "dereliction of duty" and Boris Johnson added: "There is no conceivable case for delay."

Starmer arrived in Washington for talks with US President Joe Biden on Friday to discuss a request by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow the use of UK-supplied missiles.

The Sunday Times noted that insiders say the 90-minute talks at the White House were "very open" about "the choices ahead of us".

However, Biden and his team made it clear that they wanted to wait until Zelenskyy presented his "victory plan".

Support UP or become our patron!
Florida man found guilty of using hidden cameras to record children

Gary Rivera, of Miami, has been found guilty of the production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

According to the State Attorneys Office, testimony and evidence presented at trial revealed Rivera gifted three items to a child, each having a hidden camera. When the mother found the cameras, she called the Clay County Sheriffs Office.

When investigators looked at his cellphones, they found 14 files containing child sexual abuse materials and an app to control the hidden cameras.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Rivera was found guilty of two counts of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material and one count of attempted production of child sexual abuse material.

For each count, Rivera faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN)  Plenty of classic fair food was available in Warren on Saturday to help raise money for a local food pantry.

It was the second year the Food Truck Rockn Rally was held at Blessed Sacrament Church. Between the fries, hoagies, corn dogs and more, there was something for everyone.

The event raised money for the St. Vincent DePaul Society Dining Hall.

We are feeding now, more than 550 people a day. We support three local food pantries, said Darlene Jones with St. Vincent DePaul.

Event coordinators said it was a way to help the church serve the community.

The people that depend on the dining hall to eat, every single day. Its very important we give back and they need us to give back, event coordinator Nicki Cicero.

The Dining Hall is located on Niles Road in Warren. Theyre hoping Saturdays proceeds can help in-house dining again, as right now its only curbside.

Wilson Corbisello contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
The aftermath of the Russian strike on Kharkiv on 15 September. Photo: Syniehubov on Telegram

Following Russia's strike on the city of Kharkiv on Sunday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on Ukraines partners to lift all restrictions on the use of Western weapons.

Source: Sibiha on X (Twitter), European Pravda reports

Details: The minister noted that Ukraine should be able to respond with a strike.

Quote: "Another barbaric Russian strike on a residential building in Kharkiv. At least 30 injured, including children. We need partners to lift all restrictions on the use of weapons so that Ukraine can destroy Russian airfields, bombers, and launch sites."

Another barbaric Russian strike on a residential building in Kharkiv. At least 30 injured, including children. We need partners to lift all restrictions on the use of weapons so that Ukraine can destroy Russian airfields, bombers, and launch sites. Let Ukraine strike back. pic.twitter.com/xLpSG9KLFv  Andrii Sybiha  (@andrii_sybiha) September 15, 2024

Details: Sibiha also expressed his belief that the allies should increase their support for Kyiv despite Russian leader Vladimir Putin's threats, as he does nothing besides talking.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that an airstrike on Sunday damaged a high-rise building in Kharkiv, damaging four floors, between the 9th and 12th, and causing a fire. Almost 30 people were reported injured, including children.

Support UP or become our patron!
Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, wave to supporters at his inauguration in January 1981.

Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, wave to supporters at his inauguration in January 1981. Photograph: Anonymous/AP

More than a dozen former Ronald Reagan staff members have joined dozens of other Republican figures endorsing the Democratic nominee and vice-president, Kamala Harris, saying their support was less about supporting the Democratic party and more about our resounding support for democracy.

In a letter obtained by CBS News, former Reagan aides and appointees  including Ken Adelman, a US ambassador to the United Nations and arms control negotiator, as well as a deputy press secretary, B Jay Cooper  said they believed that, if alive today, Reagan would have supported Harris.

President Ronald Reagan famously spoke about a Time for Choosing. While he is not here to experience the current moment, we who worked for him in the White House, in the administration, in campaigns and on his personal staff, know he would join us in supporting the Harris-Walz ticket, the group wrote.

The time for choosing we face today is a choice between integrity and demagoguery, and the choice must be Harris-Walz, the group added. Our votes in this election are less about supporting the Democratic party and more about our resounding support for democracy.

The letter comes as more than 230 former Republican administration officials have also backed Harris. Karl Rove, George W Bush campaign strategist and senior adviser, wrote theres no putting lipstick on this pig after Donald Trumps debate performance. Bush has said he has no plans to endorse any 2024 candidate.

Related: Why did this conservative US judge endorse Kamala Harris? | Margaret Sullivan

While there are more Republican-for-Harris defectors than vice-versa  Trump has gained the support of the Democratic outcasts Robert F Kennedy Jr and former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard  natural alignment resets are increasing.

The conservative columnist George Will floated in the Washington Post last week that a Harris presidency, tempered by a Republican-led Senate, might finally revive a more normal politics.

Will wrote that the outcome required the removal of Donald Trump  that Krakatau of volcanic, incoherent, fact-free bombast  from public life and the rekindling of genuine liberal-conservative debate.

The Reagan staffers said they were looking to convince former colleagues to back their stand for Harris and the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, as the only path forward toward an America that is strong and viable for our children and grandchildren for years to come.

Other Republicans backing Harris include former vice-president Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney, a former congresswoman; Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham; former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger; and former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan. The latter three accepted speaking slots at the Democratic national convention in August.

But few Republicans endorsing Harris over Trump are in the political game.

Trumps nomination rival Nikki Haley has not backed Harris and said she agrees with Trumps policies. But challenged last week to go further, the former US ambassador to the United Nations failed to say she thought Trump was a good candidate.

I think he is the Republican nominee, Haley replied. Do I agree with his style, do I agree with his approach, do I agree with his communications? No.

Olivia Troye, a former adviser to Trumps vice-president, Mike Pence, said before the Harris-Trump debate in Philadelphia last week that many people who have worked for Donald Trump have said that they do not support Donald Trump coming back to the presidency. And I think that speaks volumes, because we know him.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Former employees and volunteers from a closed Dayton hospital came together Saturday for a reunion.

Its been six years since the closure of Good Samaritan Hospital in West Dayton in July of 2018.

Pastor Julius Barnes, who worked at Good Samaritan for 23 years, organized the reunion as an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on what the hospital meant to the community.

It came to my heart that we needed a day of reflection, as well as healing, because so many individuals were impacted by the closure of Good Samaritan Hospital, Barnes said.

The reunion took place Saturday afternoon at West Social Tap and Table on West Third Street in Dayton.

The food hall was packed with many people who worked and volunteered there, along with countless memories.

Trish Schommer was born at Good Samaritan Hospital and later became a volunteer there, bringing along her certified therapy dogs to visit staff and patients.

It has been probably the best part of my life has been volunteering, and Good Samaritan has been a big chunk of that, Schommer said.

Ray Schmid also was a volunteer at the hospital with his therapy dog, Gus.

Good Sam was very receptive of us being there, Schmid said. Not for the patients, but also the staff. In fact, I think we did more for the the staff at times than we did for the patients.

Barnes said as the West Dayton community still recovers from the loss of Good Samaritan hospital, people shouldnt lose sight of the mission it was named after.

Make it your business to be kind to someone every day that the Lord allows your eyes to open and see the dawning of a day, Barnes said.

The former Good Samaritan Hospital site now holds Premier Healths Health and Wellness Campus, which contains an urgent and specialized care and a YMCA facility.

Recently, West Dayton residents spearheaded a petition for a new public hospital on the November ballot. However, it failed to secure enough signatures.

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 WDTN.com.
Former UK foreign secretary supports authorisation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied missiles for strikes into Russia

James Cleverly (centre) during his visit to Ukraine in 2023. Stock photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

Former UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly believes that London should authorise Ukraine to launch Western-supplied long-range missiles on targets inside Russia.

Source: BBC, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Cleverly, who is running to become the leader of the Conservative Party, was asked whether London should allow Kyiv to use long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia.

Cleverly replied that it is "untenable for Ukraine to defend itself" without their use.

He expressed disappointment that recent discussions with the US had not led to a relevant agreement, emphasising that Ukraine should be able to use the supplied weapons to target and destroy launchers in order to protect itself.

In response to a question about why the Conservative government, where Cleverly served as a foreign secretary, did not authorise Ukraine to use these missiles against Russia, he stated that he had advocated for this decision to be made.

Background:

On 12 September, Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin stressed that any move by the West to allow Kyiv to use such long-range weapons against targets in Russia would draw NATO into the war with Russia, a sharp escalation of his rhetoric on the war.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is convinced that the Allies should increase their support for Kyiv despite Russian leader Vladimir Putin's threats, as he does nothing beyond talking.

Support UP or become our patron!
(FOUNTAIN, Colo.)  The Fountain Police Department (FPD) reported that just before 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, officers responded to a call about an armed robbery that ended in an officer-involved shooting (OIS) in which the suspect was seriously injured.

According to FPD, officers were dispatched to the Walgreens located at 7910 Fountain Mesa Road for a report of a robbery where the suspect had threatened employees with a gun and a bomb. The man allegedly took some items and ran towards the Lowes shopping center.

FPD said officers found the suspect in the Chase Bank parking lot and attempted to arrest him. Two officers fired at least one round each, hitting the suspect, who was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. One officer was also hospitalized with minor injuries.

According to FDP policy, both officers have been placed on paid administrative leave while the Colorado Springs Police Department investigates.

This is an active investigation. Anyone with information or who is a witness to the event is asked to call the El Paso County Sheriffs Office at (719) 390-5555. For those who wish to remain anonymous, call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.

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 FOX21 News Colorado.
Four Palestinians killed in Gaza, Israel hits another former school

The bodies of Palestinians including children, are brought to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Dair EL-Balah district following the Israeli attack on Maghzi Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Four Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, hospitals said on Sunday, as Israel hit another former school in the war-torn coastal territory.

According to al-Awda hospital, three of the victims died in the shelling of a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

A fourth Palestinian was killed in an attack in the Jabaliya refugee camp, the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza said. An Israeli military spokesman said they were investigating the reports.

According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, 24 people were killed in the Mediterranean coastal strip within a day.

More than 41,200 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war, the ministry said. The number does not distinguish between militants and civilians and is difficult to verify.

Israel has come under severe international criticism due to the high number of civilian casualties, the catastrophic health situation in the Gaza Strip and the heavy destruction of the territory.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday that during operations and fighting with militant Palestinians in Rafah in southern Gaza in the last few days, more than 100 terrorists had been killed, while rocket launchers, weapons caches and terrorist infrastructure had been found and destroyed.

The claims could not be independently verified.

IDF hits another former school

The IDF also said it targeted a command post of the Palestinian militant group Hamas inside a former school in northern Gaza, days after Palestinian medics said several people were killed in a similar attack.

In a statement, the military said that it carried out a strike on a "compound that previously served as the Raazi El Shua School in Beit Hanoun."

There were no reports of casualties.

The building was "used by Hamas terrorists as an operational hideout" and "a place to plan and carry out rocket and missile attacks" on Israel, the IDF said.

The statement said measures were taken to minimize the danger to civilians. Witnesses reported that Israeli forces first launched a single rocket as a warning for civilians to flee.

On Wednesday, 18 people were reportedly killed in an attack on a former school building in Nuseirat, including six United Nations staff.

The IDF gave the names of nine suspected Hamas terrorists killed in the attack, including three employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The allegations could not be independently verified.

Hostages killed in Israeli airstrike

Also on Sunday, an investigation found that three Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered in Gaza last year were likely killed by an Israeli airstrike.

The IDF said in a statement that the three hostages - two soldiers and a young woman with French citizenship who was captured at the Nova music festival - probably died as a result of an airstrike on November 10, 2023 that targeted Hamas commander Ahmed Ghandour.

The findings, based on detailed analysis of the strike and pathological reports, were a "high-probability assessment," the statement said, although the IDF stated that it could not "definitively determine the circumstances of their deaths."

The hostages were being held in a "tunnel complex from which Ghandour operated," the statement said. It added that Israeli forces did not know the hostages were likely in the compound when they launched the strike.

Their bodies were recovered from the tunnel on December 14 after the IDF received "precise intelligence" on their location.

"The IDF shares in the grief of the families over the devastating loss," the statement added.

Relatives of the 250 hostages taken to Gaza in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas repeatedly warned Israeli leaders of the consequences of their retaliation.

Around 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, although it is unclear how many remain alive after almost one year in captivity.

The bodies of Palestinians including children, are brought to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Dair EL-Balah district following the Israeli attack on Maghzi Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Four high-profile journalists have quit the London-based Jewish weekly newspaper The Jewish Chronicle (The JC), following a scandal which saw the publication remove a series of sensational articles relating to the Gaza conflict.

Haaretz Israel News reports that columnists Jonathan Freedland and Hadley Freeman had both resigned, both sharing their decisions on social media early Sunday:

More from Deadline

To whoever is interested in such things, Ive resigned as a columnist from @JewishChron. Im immensely grateful for all the support Ive had from the editors during my time there, and enjoyed writing for it enormously. But recent events have made it impossible for me to stay.  Hadley Freeman (@HadleyFreeman) September 15, 2024

I have today told the editor of the Jewish Chronicle that I can no longer continue my relationship with the paper. Here is my letter to him pic.twitter.com/H5FkXJnv16  Jonathan Freedland (@Freedland) September 15, 2024

Fellow columnists David Baddiel and David Aaronovitch have also announced their resignations.



Founded in 1841, The JC began publishing several months ago a series of articles described as being by a British-based Israeli journalist, Elon Perry, based on well-placed sources.

The Guardian newspaper reports that when concerns were raised about the veracity of the stories, The JC began an investigation into both the stories, including one claiming Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar could flee Gaza with hostages through a tunnel  and Perrys own resume.

The Guardian reports that on Friday The JC put out a statement saying it was unsatisfied with explanations from Perry and had therefore removed all stories written by him and ended its associations with the writer.

The Jewish Chronicle has concluded a thorough investigation into freelance journalist Elon Perry, which commenced after allegations were made about aspects of his record. While we understand he did serve in the Israel Defense Forces, we were not satisfied with some of his claims.

We have therefore removed his stories from our website and ended any association with Mr Perry.

The Jewish Chronicle maintains the highest journalistic standards in a highly contested information landscape and we deeply regret the chain of events that led to this point. We apologise to our loyal readers and have reviewed our internal processes so that this will not be repeated.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Eight migrants have died attempting to cross from France to Britain via the English Channel, Azernews reports.

A boat carrying 50 people began to sink shortly after leaving the shore.

It is worth noting that on September 3, a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of France, resulting in the deaths of 12 people, including six children and one pregnant woman.
Fundraiser for veterans held in South Park Township in honor of 9/11 victims

Local community members honored the lives of people who died in the 9/11 attacks and supported veterans with a race in South Park.

The 9/11 Heroes Run was held at the South Park Fairgrounds on Brownsville Road at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The event is meant to remember the victims, firefighters, police officers, medics and other first responders who rushed into the World Trade Center after it was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.

The first run started in Eastern Pennsylvania more than a decade ago and it has grown since. It is sponsored nationally by the USAA.

Pittsburgh is one of more than 90 locations across the country to host the event.

Some participants chose to put some weight on their backs and ruck the course.

Organizers say it is important to keep educating the community about the attacks.

It is so important for our youth to know what occurred and what happened and how we can move forward and be a united country, 9/11 Heroes Run National Manager Jessica Gardner said.

Money raised from the run benefits the Travis Manion Foundation, which helps veterans reintegrate into civilian life.

Click here to learn more about the Travis Manion Foundation.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

Western Pennsylvania man dies after falling into campfire in Somerset County Former Pittsburgh Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster announces engagement Slow-moving superload scheduled to move through our region next week VIDEO: $2.3M worth of heroin found in Pittsburghs Fineview neighborhood DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries have condemned Iran's supply of ballistic missiles to Russia in the strongest terms.

Source: a statement following the ministerial meeting in Rome, posted on the website of the Italian Foreign Ministry

Quote: "Iran must immediately cease all support to Russias illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine and halt such transfers of ballistic missiles, UAVs and related technology, which constitute a direct threat to the Ukrainian people as well as European and international security more broadly.

Russia has used Iranian weaponry such as UAVs to kill Ukrainian civilians and strike their critical infrastructure. Russias aggression constitutes a flagrant violation of international law including the UN Charter."

Details: The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, and Japan, with EU High Representative Josep Borrell also joining.

The G7 representatives stated that they remained steadfast in their commitment to hold Iran accountable for its "unacceptable support for Russias illegal war in Ukraine that further undermines global security".

The ministers noted that, in line with previous statements on this issue, they are responding with "new and significant measures". The statement states that the evidence that Tehran continues to transfer weapons to Moscow, despite repeated international calls to stop it, is "a further escalation of Irans military support to Russias war of aggression against Ukraine".



Background:

On 5 and 6 September, Western media reported that Iran had delivered short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. Some sources said more than 200 missiles had been sent.

Reuters, the first to report that Iran was preparing to supply ballistic missiles to Russia, said it could be sending Fath-360s, a system that launches ballistic missiles with a 150-kg warhead with a maximum effective range of 120 km.

The White House National Security Council said any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would be a "dramatic escalation".

Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, admitted that Iranian ballistic missiles had been sent to Russia, which uses them to attack Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
A GA cab driver was shot to death during his first shift on the job. His killer was 16 years old

After nearly three years, a Georgia murder case has been solved.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

On March 25, 2021, Paul Lokey was murdered in Columbus.

According to the Newton County District Attorneys Office, Lokey had just begun working as a cab driver days before.

The day of his murder was his first shift driving on his own after finishing a few training shifts.

That morning, three people got into his cab, including then-16-year-old Javeon Stephens, the DAs office said.

After driving less than a mile, Lokey was shot from the passenger side in the back. Officials said after Lokey was shot, he lost control of his cab and crashed into a fire hydrant. He later died, from the gunshot wound.

TRENDING STORIES:

The Columbus Police Department arrested Stephens and others in connection to Lokeys murder.

Newton County District Attorney Randy McGinley handled the prosecution of this case after a former district attorney had a legal conflict.

Before jury selection on Monday, Stephens told the court that he wanted to plead guilty.

Stephens came back into the courtroom and pleaded guilty to murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Stephens will be sentenced on Sept. 27. He remains in custody.

Because sentencing is still pending, as well as charges against another defendant, the State cannot comment further, District Attorney Randy McGinley said.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
Palestinians perform funeral prayer for Palestinians including children, are brought to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Dair EL-Balah district who were killed in the Israeli attack on Maghzi Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Four Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, hospitals in the coastal territory said on Sunday.

According to al-Awda hospital, three of them died in the shelling of a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

A fourth Palestinian was killed in an attack in the Jabaliya refugee camp, the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza said. An Israeli military spokesman said they were investigating the reports.

According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, 24 people were killed in the Mediterranean coastal strip within a day.

More than 41,200 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war, the ministry says. The number does not distinguish between militants and civilians and is difficult to verify.

Israel has come under severe international criticism due to the high number of civilian casualties, the catastrophic health situation in the Gaza Strip and the heavy destruction of the territory.

The Israeli army said on Saturday that during operations and fighting with militant Palestinians in Rafah in southern Gaza in the last few days, more than 100 terrorists had been killed, while rocket launchers, weapons caches and terrorist infrastructure had been found and destroyed.

The claims could not be independently verified.
How Georgias election could deliver a major blow to Putin  or the US

How Georgias election could deliver a major blow to Putin  or the US

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the founder of the For Georgia party. It has been updated.

The country of Georgia is headed to a pivotal election at the end of October, a contest the U.S. and pro-democracy forces see as the last chance to stand up to aspiring autocrats inspired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) partys billionaire founder and de-facto leader Bidzina Ivanishvili is viewed as employing Putins playbook to stifle dissent, consolidate power and jeopardize Georgias ascension to the European Union.

Ahead of the election, the party is promoting conspiracy theories that the U.S. and European leaders are working to institute a coup and push the country into opening a second-front of Russias war in Ukraine.

The Biden administration has levied sanctions against the government for pushing legislation criticized as suppressing civil society organizations, the free press, and rolling back LGBTQ rights. And the European Union has halted Georgias accession to the 27-nation bloc.

The regime is the instrument of Russias hybrid warfare, said Tamara Chergoleishvili, co-founder of the Federalists party, one of more than a dozen political opposition groups which are united in their opposition to GD, but divided over a strategy to oust the ruling party.

The only reason Georgian Dream is in power is Ivanishvili, and Ivanishvili is the source of power, not Georgian people because he has captured the Georgian state.

Georgia, a tiny country of about 3.7 million people, has long been held up as a prime example of democratic aspirations blooming in post-Soviet states. For more than 30 years, Georgians have pursued closer ties with the U.S., Europe and NATO despite efforts by Russia  and allied aspiring autocrats in the country  to frustrate and sever those ties.

Russia occupies about 20 percent of Georgian territory  it launched an invasion in 2008 backing separatist forces in the territories of South Osettia and Abkhazia and has worked over the years to fortify its military presence in the areas.

Georgia is incredibly important to be in the account log of emerging democracies heading toward Europe, Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told The Hill.

If that doesnt happen, if that disruption occurs, that can be the trend, and weve got to be very concerned as to  how does that impact what really has been the great democracy project since the fall of the Berlin Wall?

Turner traveled to Tbilisi in August with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to send a clear signal to Georgian Dream that Republicans and Democrats are united in Congress to push back on threats to Georgias democracy.

Shaheen said Ivanishvili rejected her and Turners request to meet in August. The billionaire, who made his fortune in Russia during the Soviet collapse, is the honorary chairman of the party and has become a fixture on the campaign trail for Georgian Dream.

Hes taken to speaking behind bullet-proof glass after the state security services announced in July it was investigating assassination plots, the announcement coming a week after former President Trump survived a gunmans bullet at a rally in Pennsylvania.

More attention should be paid to whats happening here now

Ivanishvili has alluded to his preference for Trump in the U.S. election, saying his reelection would lead to the end of Russias war in Ukraine and reverse the sanctions issued by the Biden administration.

Turners presence in Tbilisi in August sought to dispel the notion that Republicans would be any softer on Georgian Dreams democratic backsliding than Democrats.

You only have to look to the past policies of the Biden administration and the Trump administration to see that there would be no change and that both policies of both governments were the same, Turner said at a press conference during his visit. And that is in building democratic institutions in Georgia and support of the European integration.

Among the most concerning, recent actions taken by Georgian Dream is its pushing through legislation in April that mirrors Russias foreign agents law. The Kremlins 2012 law forced out nearly all independent civil society organizations and is used to suppress anti-government speech.

The Georgian law, called the On Transparency of Foreign Influence, requires any civil society or nongovernmental organization (NGO) that receives 20 percent of its funding from foreign sources to register with the Ministry of Justice. The government estimates there are about 30,000 NGOs operating in Georgia, and the majority of those organizations are expected to boycott registering. Failure to register will incur thousands of dollars in fines, but the full scope of consequences is not yet known.

Opponents of the law say its the governments attempt to capture the last remaining democratic pillar in Georgia, civil society and the free press.

We dont care if our assets will be frozen, we expect everything  including arrests at some point, Eka Gigauri, executive director of Transparency International Georgia, said at a conference in Tbilisi in early September. Gigauri, personally, and the NGO have been targets of an intimidation campaign with accusations of foreign influence  posters featuring Gigauris image are posted outside her home with text reading Our homeland is not for sale.

Gigauri testified in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Sept. 12, where she said the foreign influence law is, in part, aimed at making it harder for independent organizations to monitor the October elections.

I think of course there are many questions about the fairness of the upcoming elections because now we already observe the abuse of administrative resources, attacks on the opposition, she told the panel. I think for the majority of Georgians these are very crucial elections. And this is the referendum between the membership of the E.U. and to become the country which is under the influence of Russia.

Georgian Dream, elected three times since 2012, holds the legislature, has infused the judiciary with loyalists and has control over the security services. Ivanishvili and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze have vowed to ban opposition parties if Georgian Dream is successful in October.

The crackdown on independent media, freedom of the press, freedom of expression, it is a mission impossible to silence all voices of dissent, all voices of opposition, but to be clear thats what some people here would like to see happen to this place, Steve Capus, president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), told the Hill in an interview in Tbilisi.

Capus said its not yet clear if RFE/RL, which runs a bureau in Tbilisi, has to register as a foreign agent in Georgia. But the full dangers of the law are crystal clear to the organization. RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was arrested in Russia for failing to register as a foreign agent in October, and her release was accomplished in a historic prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow in August.

More attention should be paid to whats happening here now, because the stakes are enormous and its not just about what happens in Georgia, Capus said.

Can fractured opposition unite?

The overwhelming majority of the population  about 89 percent  supports Georgias accession to the European Union, with a provision mandating the government work toward joining the EU added to the constitution in 2017. And about about 80 percent of the population supports Georgia joining NATO.

But even as Georgian Dream drags the country in the opposite direction, its unclear if the disjointed political opposition can secure the votes to achieve a ruling coalition in the parliament.

There are more than a dozen political parties competing for votes to overcome a 5 percent threshold to enter parliament. Some opposition parties are making small alliances to try and increase their numbers without narrowing choices.

But Georgian politics are famously fractious, confusing, frustrating  tensions fueled by egos, long-standing grievances, political differences, business interests or personal distrust.

While the United National Movement (UNM) is one of the largest and well-known opposition parties, it is somewhat isolated among the other groups over the turn of its jailed founder Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president colloquially referred to as Misha.

Once heralded as a pro-European, pro-democratic revolutionary in the early 2000s, Saakashvili had a disturbing fall from grace during his almost decade as president, paranoid over maintaining power he lashed out at perceived political enemies. Georgians voted out his party in 2012, and voted Georgian Dream in.

Saakashvilis supporters hold him up as a martyr to Georgian Dreams crackdown  imprisoned and in poor health, despite a European Court of Human Rights ruling that cases against him for corruption and directing violence hold merit.

Unity is a very good word and of course, the opposition should be united against the GD, but it doesnt mean limiting the choice to Georgian people, said Chergoleishvili, of the opposition Federalists party.

The opposition is getting in better shape than it was two months ago. Some alliances are being made. The main strategy is that Bidzina [Ivanishvili] doesnt manage to polarize the situation, because his winning ticket so far has been  and right now hes trying to use this ticket  is to polarize the situation between him and Misha, thats his best scenario.

Chergoleishvilis husband, Giga Bokeria, is the partys co-founder and served under Saakashvili as the secretary for the National Security Council  an example of the overlapping ties of Georgian politics.

Natia Mezvrishvili, deputy chair of the For Georgia party and head of its election task force, said her party is equally trying to distance itself from Georgian Dream and UNM, so it has shunned talk of coalition building. The partys founder, Giorgi Gakharia, served as prime minister representing Georgian Dream between 2019 and 2021.

We are running in these elections independently, Mezvrishvili said.

A priority focus for the party is to motivate voter turnout, she added, to serve as a guard against what she has warned is likely election-rigging by Georgian Dream.

Despite this really difficult situation, we still can protect the results and we still can protect the elections by high turnout  people need to go and vote, she said.

We need the highest possible turnout because it worked in 2012 under the UNM leadership when they had all institutions subordinated to the party, it was almost the same situation, but people went to the polling stations and high turnout outweighed actually this complex process of rigging. Thats what can happen now.

The preelection period is defined by intimidation and threats of violence, an international observation mission noted in a July report.

All of this is raising concern among Georgias international supporters, who warn theres little attention on Georgia while the U.S. and Europe are focused on maintaining support for Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia.

The danger is, if a country like this, with all the popular support for joining NATO, for joining the EU, being pro-American, if all that gets reversed, this is a really important test case of the decline of democracy around the world, said David Kramer, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute, which has for eight years co-sponsored a global security conference in Tbilisi.

And it will be a victory for Moscow, it will be a defeat for Brussels and Washington. It is a country that wants to secure its place in Europe and that ability to secure its place is in danger.

Updated at 11:45 pm EDT on Sept. 16

Disclosure: The writer traveled to Georgia as a participant of the 8th International Tbilisi Conference, hosted by the Bush Institute, the McCain Institute and the Economic Policy Research Center in Georgia. Her travel, accommodation and meals were covered by the conference. Interviews for this article were organized independently.

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.
Authorities in Georgia released on Friday 911 call audio from the day of the Apalachee High School shooting.

Most of the calls released from the deadly Sept. 4 incident are from parents of students at the high school or nearby schools inquiring about the whereabouts and safety of their children.

GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTING: AUTHORITIES REVEAL HOW SUSPECT BROUGHT GUN INTO BUILDING

The Barrow County 911 call center was inundated with calls around 10:20 am. Many callers received the automated message that the center had a "high call volume" instead of hearing from an operator.

One caller couldn't find the words to describe the school shooting as given by her daughter, saying, "My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go, 'boom, boom, boom, boom."

Students embrace near a makeshift memorial at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.

The agreed-upon response given to callers that morning explained that officers were on the scene, but details could not be provided. Apalachee High School was immediately placed on lockdown.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT'S FATHER ASKS FOR SEPARATION FROM OTHER INMATES, CITES 'PERSONAL SAFETY'

All schools in the area, including nearby Yargo Elementary School and Haymon-Morris Middle School, were also locked down.

Wes Robertson, former teacher of slain student Mason Schermerhorn, lays flowers at the entrance sign of Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.

Most of the emergency calls made that day cannot be released due to Georgia law, as they contain "the speech or cries of a minor," according to Barrow County Emergency Communications from a letter to FOX 5 Atlanta.

Fourteen-year-old students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, and teachers Cristina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall, were killed in the attack.

Colt Gray and his 54-year-old father, Colin Gray, are both in custody facing charges for the killings, with 14-year-old Colt being tried as an adult.





Original article source: Georgia high school shooting 911 calls released: 'High call volume'
Georgia leaders worry mail delays could cause many absentee ballots to arrive too late to count

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifies during a House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations and Federal Workforce hearing on Capitol Hill May 17, 2023. The hearing examined the U.S. Postal Service's implementation of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

In a rare bipartisan consensus about Georgias election process, both Republican and Democratic leaders agree that persistent mail delivery delays in the state could cost voters who use absentee ballots their chance to be counted on Election Day this November.

The stakes are high as Georgia is again considered a swing state that will likely help decide who will be the next U.S. president.

Georgias county election officers joined several dozen of their counterparts from across the nation this month who are raising serious concerns about the U.S. Postal Services ability to properly deliver absentee ballots on time for the Nov. 5 general election.

The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that listed a range of complaints about postal service processing facilities, inadequate staff training as well as potentially lost and delayed election mail that could put eligible voters at risk of having their registration canceled or absentee ballots not delivered to local elections offices in time to have the votes counted.

The national election officials urged the postal service to move up the date of implementation of extraordinary procedures to at least a month prior to the Nov. 5 election headlined by the presidential showdown between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

W. Travis Doss, Jr., president of Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, was among the state and local election officials who signed the letter warning that if important fixes are not made to shore up months of persistent election mail delivery issues, it could hurt voter turnout and trust in the election process.

The persistent mail delivery problems are hindering the ability for voters to receive critical voting information mailers, voter address confirmation cards and absentee ballots, with widespread reports from local election officials about postmarked ballots taking longer to arrive than the three to five business day standard for First Class delivery.

For example, election officials in multiple states report receiving anywhere from dozens to hundreds of ballots 10 or more days after postmark, the two groups wrote to DeJoy. There is no amount of proactive communication election officials can do to account for USPSs inability to meet their own service delivery timelines.

Election officials have emphasized the importance of voters returning ballots by mail early, but in nearly every state they are receiving timely postmarked ballots well after Election Day.

Important election mailings are sent year-round, however, and lasting improvements to election mail processing require continuous attention and emphasis, the letter says. Temporary measures will not be sufficient to address the persistent issues highlighted by election officials.

Meanwhile, the mail delivery delays are attracting scrutiny from a bipartisan group of Georgias congressional delegation.

Several Republican Georgia members of Congress, including U.S. Reps. Andrew Clyde, Mike Collins and Austin Scott, have requested updated information from DeJoy to explain mail delays.

Georgia Democratic U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff have also asked DeJoy how his organization plans to resolve the problems that caused Georgia to be ranked last in the postal services 2024 quarterly performance report in June.

This spring, Warnock and 18 other senators requested updated information from DeJoy regarding concerns that changes to mail processing in Georgia would lead to more disruptions to mail delivery and mail-in ballot delays.

The Georgia congressional delegation expressed particular frustration with the new Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center in Palmetto that opened in February. The Palmetto facility, about 30 miles south of Atlanta, is one of 60 postal centers across the country undergoing an overhaul intended to increase efficiency.

The letter was signed by Georgias Democratic U.S. Reps. Lucy McBath, David Scott, Hank Johnson, Nikema Williams, Sanford Bishop and Republican Rich McCormick.

The lawmakers asked what the postal service is doing to improve mail delivery times.

So far, USPS has failed to live up to this standard in Georgia. Since the opening of the new Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center on February 24, 2024, we have increasingly heard from Georgians about disruptions and delays in their essential postal services, Warnock and his colleagues wrote in the letter to DeJoy.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter was among a group of south Georgia and north Florida congressmen who sent DeJoy a letter on June 25 demanding that the postal service make improvements to its mail facility in Jacksonville, Florida, after months of complaints about late and lost mail.

Our constituents rely on the USPS for timely delivery of newspapers, life-saving medications, and all other types of parcels, wrote the group of Georgia and Florida officials. Some of our constituents have lost confidence in the postal system that was established before the founding of the United States. It is unacceptable for your tenure atop this department to stain a more than two-century-old reputation.

The postal service has expressed confidence that it can deliver millions of absentee ballots in a timely manner, referring to the 2020 election when a record number of Georgians submitted absentee ballots. Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the Georgia State Election Board adopted the emergency rule allowing mailing of absentee ballot applications to all registered voters during the general election cycle, which was headlined by the presidential election between GOP incumbent Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

Earlier this year, Paulding County Supervisor of Elections and Voter Registration Deidre Holden said it took two to three weeks longer than normal to receive new precinct cards notifying voters of changes spurred by redistricting. Holden said the postal service had been slow to deliver those cards and mail absentee ballots to voters who requested them.

Their lack of concern in delivering mail will be detrimental to our absentee voters in May and November, when their votes can affect the outcome of a close election, Holden said.

Norcross financial planner David Cross mentioned at an Aug. 7 State Election Board hearing that Warnock and Ossoff were among Georgia officials who sounded the alarm about the problems with postal service delivery.

Cross presented a rule seeking to add mail-in ballot tracking so voters can monitor the status of their absentee ballots during the mailing process.

Murphys Law says that that which can go wrong, will go wrong, Cross said. Im willing to bet 100 bucks that theres going to be problems with the mail-in ballots that need to be received back. At least if were using the service for tracking ballots and requirements and this ability to track, the election directors will know if a ballot was delivered or not.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
A Georgia man suspected of threatening students at a Florida middle school turned himself in to authorities on Thursday, authorities said.

Officials cautioned that the person, described as a person of interest, did not threaten the school itself or the student body as a whole.

Ormond Beach Police said it first became aware of a "potential threat directed at specific students" at Ormond Beach Middle School on Sept. 7.

"During the initial stages of the investigation, a person of interest was identified, and an internal, confidential intelligence bulletin was prepared and disseminated. As the investigation continued, new and relevant information was obtained. We are aware that this confidential intelligence bulletin was improperly released," read a news release issued on Sept. 10.

On Sept. 13, Ormond Beach police said Kaveon Jah'quez was taken into custody on Thursday night. He was booked into Volusia County Jail on a charge of written threats ot kill or do bodily injury, according to online jail records. He was being held on a $100,000 bond.

Details on the specific nature of the threat nor Jah'quez's relationship to the students, if any, was not immediately clear.

"Parents and guardians, please stay involved with your childs online conversations and activity. By regularly and openly discussing their activity, you may intercept cyberbullying, inappropriate content or conversations. Its your responsibility to ensure they stay safe while having an online presence," Chief Jesse Godfrey said in a statement.
Georgia man arrested with more than $300,000 of meth and a dozen guns

A Georgia man has been arrested with hundreds of thousands of dollars in meth.

Robert Henderson was wanted in Columbus and arrested in nearby Lee County, Alabama on Thursday.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman says Henderson was the target of an ongoing drug investigation into meth trafficking in the area.

Investigators found 6.6 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of approximately $301,450, 12 guns, 326 grams of marijuana with a street value of $3,260 and more than $35,000 in cash.

TRENDING STORIES:

Hes being charged with two counts of trafficking methamphetamine, 12 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute.

He is currently being held in Lee County, Alabama and will be extradited to Muscogee County.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia's most powerful man, Bidzina Ivanishvili, suggested that the South Caucasus country could apologise to Ossetians for the 2008 war with Russia that led to Moscow recognising two rebel Georgian regions, Georgian media reported.

Russia recognised South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia, as independent states after Russian troops repelled a Georgian attempt to retake South Ossetia in a five-day war in 2008. Most of the rest of the world continues to recognise the territories as Georgian.

Ivanishvili, a billionaire ex-prime minister who is the lead candidate of the ruling Georgian Dream party in an Oct. 26 election, said the "criminal regime" of former President Mikheil Saakashvili triggered the war on the orders of foreign powers, according to Georgian public broadcaster 1TV.

"Immediately after the October 26 elections, those who instigated the war will face justice", Ivanishvili said, adding that Georgians would then "apologise" for the war. He was speaking at a campaign event in the town of Gori, which was briefly occupied by Russia during the 2008 war.

Saakashvili is serving a six-year prison sentence for abuse of power and could not be reached for immediate comment.

His United National Movement (UNM) party said that Ivanishvili's remarks were a national shame that served the interests of Russia and said the statement was treacherous, according to Interpress News.

A small and mountainous country that gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia is being courted by the West, Russia and China and many Georgians say the country is at a crossroads as it heads into next month's election.

South Ossetia, about 100 km (60 miles) north of the Georgian capital Tbilisi, broke away from Georgia in a 1991-92 war that killed several thousand people. The area's ethnic Georgian population was mostly expelled from the province.

The majority of those now living in South Ossetia are ethnically distinct from Georgians. They say they were forcibly absorbed into Georgia under Soviet rule.

An EU-commissioned report published in 2009 said that Georgia triggered the war when it attacked South Ossetia's Tskhinvali with heavy artillery on the night of Aug. 7 to Aug. 8, 2008. Russia responded with overwhelming force, which the report said went beyond reasonable limits.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Alex Richardson)
BRISTOL, Va.  Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Friday his plan to limit student access to cellphones during school hours fits with newly developed school security plans.

Youngkin hosted an event Friday in Gate City with students, educators and parents to discuss the plan, which is scheduled to be unveiled on Monday.

In July the governor issued the executive order for school divisions to develop plans limiting students access to phones to be in place statewide by Jan. 1, 2025.

Youngkin spoke with the Herald Courier Friday after welcoming visitors to this weekends 23rd annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion.

The reality is, with the horrific acts that were just committed down in Georgia, the safety in our schools is the top issue for a governor and, I know, everybody else, Youngkin said.

During a workshop last month in Abingdon, area educators and parents discussed how the policy which wouldnt allow students to access phones bell to bell, would function in the event of an emergency.

Parents, in particular, have expressed concern about being able to speak directly with their child during a school lockdown or some other emergency.

We were working today with parents and teachers and superintendents and principals on how to make sure were communicating really well with parents in an emergency. I think weve got a really good plan, Youngkin said. The reality is most people support a cellphone free education and thats what were moving to as a Commonwealth but we also want to listen well to folks who might have concerns to make sure we address them.

The governor prioritized having law enforcement in school buildings and emergency planning.

Number one on our list is to make sure we have school resource officers in every school in Virginia. That has been one of my top priorities and Im proud of the progress weve made since I came in, he said.

Second, every school in Virginia has an emergency response plan. We lead the nation in making sure we have emergency response plans and threat assessment teams so that we can not only assess whats happening but we know how to respond, the governor said.

The executive order was issued in response to feedback and data linking student cell phone access with diminished academic achievement and concerns about mental and emotional well-being.

Our cell phone policy was drafted to address a real crisis. A crisis in academic achievement and in mental health for our young people. Weve seen it on a 10-year decline as social media has invaded their lives. And its really addictive, the governor said. We also understand if we can get cell phones out of schools, students do better and thats great for our students. Theyll learn better and be more healthy.

The deadline for the public to submit feedback on the policy is Sept. 15. The Department of Education is expected to release the final policy on Sept. 16.

For more information visit https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home
Sahra Wagenknecht, the head of the left-wing German BSW party, who has been dubbed "Putin's friend" in the media for her pro-Kremlin stance, has presented a pro-Russian "peace plan" for Ukraine.

Source: Wagenknecht in an interview with Tagesspiegel, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Wagenknecht proposed to Vladimir Putin that the West would stop supplying weapons to Ukraine if the Kremlin leader "agrees to an immediate ceasefire on the current line of contact".

Wagenknecht believes that negotiations should begin on Russian-occupied territories.

Quote: "And then you have to negotiate what happens in the areas where the Russians are now," she suggested.

Wagenknecht believes it is appropriate "to ask people in Donbas and Crimea which country they want to belong to in a UN-supervised referendum".

It is worth noting that Russia has been settling its citizens in these regions for years after the annexation, while Ukrainians were forced to flee.

When asked what compromises she believes Ukraine should make to achieve peace, Wagenknecht responded, "It should be willing to negotiate and compromise, particularly on its goal of NATO membership".

She also criticised the approach of supplying Ukraine with weapons in order to win the war, leaving unanswered the question of whether and what concessions Russia should make.

It is worth mentioning that in the most recent municipal elections in Saxony and Thuringia, the Wagenknecht party gained significant ground and will play an important role in coalition formation.

Michael Kretschmer, the minister president of the German state of Saxony, feels that a coalition of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Social Democratic Party, and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is viable following the municipal elections.

Instead, scores of CDU politicians oppose an association with the Wagenknecht party.

Support UP or become our patron!
The German Police control entry traffic at the German-Polish border crossing Stadtbruecke between Frankfurt (Oder) and Slubice. Patrick Pleul/dpa

Border controls along all of Germany's frontiers will be targeted to "combat cross-border crime and further limit irregular migration," the Interior Ministry said on Sunday, a day before the expanded measures take effect.

Neighbouring states have expressed concern that the border checks will lead to tailbacks, hampering regular cross-border traffic. The measures were announced last week amid a caustic German debate on migration triggered by a spate of recent attacks.

The police will carry out the spot checks "flexibly and according to current security requirements," the Interior Ministry said. The extent, duration and specific locations for the controls would depend on these factors.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said Germany would "continue to act in close coordination" with its neighbouring states and would ensure that "people in the border regions, commuters, trade and business are affected as little as possible by the controls."

She told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that there would be no long traffic jams. Nevertheless, her ministry indicated that disruptions could not be ruled out, while noting that travellers and commuters should carry an identity document when crossing the border.

The assurances came as the Danish police warned of congestion due to Germany's planned border controls.

The situation is compounded by road works on the E45 motorway crossing at Frslev which are due to last until November, reducing the road to a single lane.

Denmark also introduced controls at the border to Germany, most recently extending them until November.

From Monday, Germany will additionally carry out border controls on its frontiers to France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark for an initial six months, extending measures already in place on its borders with Switzerland, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Several European countries including Poland, Denmark and Greece have criticized the expanded controls, which are only intended in exceptional cases within Europe's passport-free Schengen area.
The skyline with the banking district is seen during sunset in Frankfurt

By Andreas Rinke

SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan (Reuters) - Germany has signed a deal with Uzbekistan to enable the migration of skilled workers from the Central Asian nation to support the German economy and the return of some immigrants, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

"We are enabling the necessary immigration of workers with great talent that we need in Germany so that our economy can grow," Scholz said on Sunday after a meeting with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the Uzbek city of Samarkand.

The two countries also agreed on "simple, unbureaucratic procedures for those who have to go back," Scholz said, without elaborating.

He did not respond to media speculation that the agreement with Uzbekistan would also serve to deport Afghans who had committed crimes.

"Otherwise, of course, there are confidential talks about cooperation in many areas," he added.

Germany said on Aug. 30 it had resumed deportations of convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country, days before regional elections in which migration was a campaign issue.

Berlin had stopped returning people to Afghanistan because of human rights concerns after the Taliban took power in 2021.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who accompanied Scholz and who signed the agreement in Samarkand, said she was planning further flights to Afghanistan in order to deport serious offenders of Afghan nationality.

"But we will see with which countries we do this in cooperation," Faeser said.

The German government has no direct relations with the Taliban government in Afghanistan and the first deportation flight in August was mediated by Qatar.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Writing by Maria Martinez; Editing by Ros Russell)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday arrived in Uzbekistan on his first stop of a three-day trip to Central Asia, with migration, oil and tensions with Russia all on the agenda.

Scholz landed in the historic city of Samarkand on Sunday afternoon, where he is set to sign several agreements with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, including a deal to facilitate the migration of Uzbek skilled workers to Germany and the repatriation of Uzbeks required to leave the country.

The chancellor's tour of Samarkand - a UNESCO World Heritage List site and a key stop on the Silk Road - began with a walk along the Registan public square ahead of a visit to the 17th-century Tilla Kari Mosque.

He is then due to head to Kazakhstan, the largest country and strongest economy in the region, on Monday and Tuesday.

There, he is to attend a summit with the region's five former Soviet republics - including Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan - which are all heavily influenced by heavyweights Russia and China.

Scholz is aiming to expand relations with the Central Asian countries and entered into a strategic partnership with them last year, covering the economy, energy, climate and the environment.

In Kazakhstan, his talks are set to focus on oil and gas supplies to Germany and also on sanctions targeting Russia, as Astana has been accused of enabling trade restrictions to be circumvented.

Since the outbreak of Russia's all-out war on Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has sought to diversify its relations in the region, which had previously focused heavily on economic ties to Russia and China.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz boards a plane for a three-day trip to Central Asia. Scholz is visiting two of the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, for the first time. His first stop is the more than 2,500-year-old Uzbek oasis city of Samarkand on the Silk Road. Michael Kappeler/dpa
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz boards a plane for a three-day trip to Central Asia. Scholz is visiting two of the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, for the first time. His first stop is the more than 2,500-year-old Uzbek oasis city of Samarkand on the Silk Road. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took off for Uzbekistan early on Sunday, where he plans to conclude deals on issues including migration during his first stop on a three-day trip to Central Asia.

Scholz is due to reach Samarkand on Sunday afternoon where he is set to sign several agreements with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, including a deal to facilitate the immigration to Germany of Uzbek skilled workers and the repatriation of Uzbeks required to leave the country.

He is then due to head to Kazakhstan, the largest and economically strongest country in the region, on Monday and Tuesday. There he is to attend a summit with the region's five former Soviet republics - including Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan - which are all heavily influenced by heavyweights Russia and China.

Scholz aims to expand relations with these countries and entered into a strategic partnership with them last year, covering the economy, energy, climate and the environment.

In Kazakhstan, his talks are set to focus on oil and gas supplies to Germany and also on sanctions targeting Russia, as Kazakhstan is accused of enabling these sanctions to be circumvented.

Since the outbreak of Russia's all-out war on Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has sought to diversify its relations in the region, which had previously focused heavily on economic ties to Russia and China.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday signed a bilateral agreement on migration with Uzbekistan as he travelled to Central Asia.

The deal was signed in the ancient city of Samarkand and is intended to facilitate the entry of skilled workers from Uzbekistan to Germany, particularly in the care and health sectors.

It will also speed up the repatriation of Uzbeks in Germany without a legal residence permit. Of the 13,700 Uzbeks living in the country, only around 200 people are believed to be eligible for repatriation.

Bilateral agreements a core component of the German coalition government's migration policy, with the latest example coming on Friday in Berlin with the visit of Kenyan President William Ruto.

Nancy Faeser, Germany's Interior Minister, speaks after signing a migration agreement with Uzbekistan. Michael Kappeler/dpa

Nancy Faeser (L), German Interior Minister, shakes hands with her Uzbek counterpart Bakhtier Saidov after handing over a signed migration agreement. Michael Kappeler/dpa
The outside of the new headquarters for the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office looks, mostly, like a modern government building.

Except for the giant pink flamingos at voting booths.

The flamingo-voting booth combination is the most unusual, and striking, element outside the new elections office on Cherry Road in an unincorporated part of the county near Palm Beach International Airport.

The installation entitled VOTE! is designed to convey both Florida and the elections operations taking place inside.

It consists of four oversized voting booths. Standing at three of them are flamingos, each taller than 30 feet. Theyre in full flamingo mode: Two of the three are standing on only one leg. The third has both feet planted firmly on the ground.

One voting booth is empty.

Even though VOTE! is a light-hearted image with flamingos, it illustrates the humanity of voting wherein each individual gets to express what is in their heart and mind, artist Matthew Mazzottas website explains. While all three flamingos stand in identical voting booths, they are voting in their unique way  One flamingo has its head down deep in thought, while the other two flamingos are sizing each other up or trying to see who the other one is voting for. The brightly-colored flamingos of VOTE! are designed to appeal to people from all age groups, serving as a whimsical and educational landmark.

Siting, planning and construction of the new office was years in the making. In Palm Beach County, as well as in many other places, capital projects involve setting aside a portion of the budget for public art.

And with a $60.3 million project, the countys 2% set aside left a healthy sum for public art. The cost totaled about $750,000 said Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link

The original proposal for the Art in Public Places program work, on the March 8, 2022 County Commission agenda, said it would facilitate wayfinding and announce the Supervisor of Elections facility as the voting and elections place as vehicular passengers and pedestrians approach the facility.

Related Articles

There were a total of 75 project submissions from around the country, the County Commission background material said. Link said there were three finalists, and the selection committee unanimously recommended Mazzottas.

The original County Commission agenda item called for $796,000 for the design, permitting, fabrication and installation. In July 2023, the amount was reduced because responsibility for installing concrete footers and plaza areas and lighting was shifted to the contractor responsible for the overall project, Kast Construction Co.

Mazzotta is an award-winning artist who has produced works around the country, including a 21-foot flamingo at Tampa International Airport entitled HOME.

Hes been a fellow at Harvard University, received a masters degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelors degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

At the heart of our voting process, we are a collection of unique individuals with a diverse range of experiences, but together we make the world we live in. Voting shapes day-to-day life in the US, however, the actions and policies of America extend to all reaches of the globe. As we become more and more aware of how interconnected we all are, we see the direct implications of our decisions on a global level, impacting all living creatures around the world. VOTE! urges us to consider the weight of voting on behalf of the people and beings who cannot vote but are affected by what we decide, for example, what would be on Natures mind if it had a chance to vote? the creators website states.

After years of attacks on voting, can new elections offices in Broward and Palm Beach counties increase voter confidence?

The elections office was completed in April, staff soon moved in, and the facility was in full use for the August 20 primaries and nonpartisan elections. Since moving in, Link has heard plenty of reactions to the voting flamingos.

Ive heard a little bit of everything. I would say most people really like them, Link said, adding that a few people offer a joke about the birds, mocking them for a similarity to the logo used by a large and well known state agency. Some say I thought this was the lottery office.

Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.
Girl, 8, died of sepsis after being sent home by GP who said hospital was full

Mia Glynn died of sepsis hours after she was sent home twice by a GP - IRWIN MITCHELL/SWNS

An eight-year-old girl died of sepsis after being sent home by a GP who said the local hospital was full.

Mia Glynn visited a GP surgery twice in four hours, but her parents Soron, 39, and Katie, 37, were told by the doctor to take her home, despite Mia showing symptoms of Group A Strep.

Her parents, from Biddulph, Staffordshire, first took Mia to the doctor after she had begun vomiting, had a severe headache and complained of a sore throat on Dec 5, 2022.

On the morning of Dec 8, her parents took Mia, who had developed a temperature and severe headache, back to the GP surgery.

Mias mother described her daughter as the happiest, brightest, most loving and caring girl - IRWIN MITCHELL/SWNS

A nurse practitioner told her mother that Mias symptoms were viral and advised her to give her daughter fluids and paracetamol.

But Mia returned to the surgery just after midday and was sent home following an examination by a GP.

Despite asking whether she had the infection Group A Strep, which was prevalent at the time, a doctor advised Mias mother to give her fluids and ibuprofen and to wait to start the antibiotics when Mia went to bed.

They were told to take their daughter home because the hospital was full and they would have to wait in a corridor.

Mia slept in her parents bed that night but woke in the early hours of Dec 9, disorientated and with blue lips and rashes on her arms and legs.

She complained of feeling hot but was cold to touch.

After being rushed to the hospital by ambulance, Mia was given intravenous fluids and antibiotics, but went into suspected septic shock and suffered a cardiac arrest about 15 minutes after arriving at the hospital.

Despite resuscitation attempts, she died around 20 minutes later.

Mias cause of death was given as sepsis caused by Group A Strep infection.

Following Mias death, her parents, who also have a son, Beau, 12, instructed expert medical negligence lawyers to investigate her care and secure answers.

Speaking publicly for the first time since Mias death, her mother Katie said: Our world and hearts broke forever when our beautiful daughter was snatched away from us.

Mia had been taken to the doctors twice to be told her symptoms were viral. Around 15 hours later she died of sepsis.

The unbelievable and unbearable pain we feel is unexplainable and unimaginable.

Our beautiful healthy girl was the happiest, brightest, most loving and caring girl who smiled, danced, brought joy and love to everyone she met.

She brought so much laughter and fun.

After Mias death, her family and well-wishers raised more than 40,000 in Mias memory through fundraising events.

The family has donated more than 16,000 to the UK Sepsis Trust and has set up the charitable organisation aiM  an anagram of Mias name  in their daughters memory.

Mias mother added: Well never get over the pain of losing Mia, especially in the way we did.

Our family will never be the same without Mia. She had her whole life ahead of her and was taken from us in the cruellest way imaginable.

Following Mias death, her family has donated more than 16,000 to the UK Sepsis Trust - IRWIN MITCHELL/SWNS

Her father, an engineering teacher, said: Seeing Mia in her final moments was awful.

We feel so blessed that she was our daughter but are completely heartbroken that Mia was taken from us so soon.

A lot of people may have heard of sepsis but its only after what happened to Mia that we realise just how dangerous it is.

He added: We need to educate the public and health professionals to identify the signs of sepsis and ask the question could it be sepsis?.

Victoria Zinzan, the specialist medical negligence lawyer representing the couple, said: Sadly through our work we see too many families affected by sepsis; with Mias death vividly highlighting the dangers of the condition.

Early diagnosis and treatment is key to beating sepsis, therefore its vital people know what signs to look out for when it comes to detecting this incredibly dangerous and life-threatening condition.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
A good Samaritan may have been the reason a Charleston, Vermont man isnt fighting for his life after a rollover crash.

Ruston Ovitt, 60, was driving a van downhill on Calhoun Road just before 1:00 Thursday afternoon. Vermont State Police say the vans brakes failed while heading toward a washed-out bridge at the Ten Mile Square Road intersection. Ovitt got out of the van while it was still moving; troopers say it crashed into a tree and rolled over, partly trapping Ovitt underneath.

An unnamed bystander who saw the crash pulled Ovitt out and called for help. At last report, Ovitt was being treated at North Country Hospital in Newport for non-life-threatening injuries.

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 ABC22 & FOX44.
The Justice Department wanted a jury for its ongoing adtech antitrust trial against Google.

Google made sure it would go jury-less by paying a cashier's check of exactly $2,289,751.

The judge said it satisfied the only part of the DOJ's case that would have required a jury.

At around 7 p.m. on May 16, a courier working for Google hand-delivered a cashier's check to the US Department of Justice.

The amount was for $2,289,751.

That sum would cover the damages for one of the claims the Justice Department  and 18 states  brought in its sprawling antitrust lawsuit against the company's advertising practices.

But more importantly for Google, it would mean the case would never see a jury.

The antitrust trial, which began on Monday and is expected to last another month, has been configured as a bench trial. There's no jury. US District Judge Leonie Brinkema, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, is deciding the facts and the law of the case from a Virginia courthouse.

The Justice Department accuses Google of running a monopoly in the digital advertising market, illegally crushing rivals and trapping clients in its ecosystem to drive up prices for everyone. The case is different from a different Google antitrust trial decided earlier this year, where a judge found the company illegally monopolized the search market.

Google says the Justice Department has overstated the power the company has in digital advertising. If Brinkema decides Google is an illegal monopoly in the market, it could force the company to break itself up.

Only one of 5 counts required a jury

While criminal defendants have a constitutional right to a jury trial, the rules for civil cases are more nuanced.

The Justice Department brought five different counts against Google under the Sherman Act, the landmark 1890 law that allows for the Justice Department to break up monopolies.

The first four acts called for "injunctive relief," meaning the judge could later order Google to change its practices.

The fifth was for damages, meaning money.

How much money? After some back-and-forth in court, the Justice Department said the monetary damages would amount to the sum that eight different federal agencies overpaid for online ads they purchased through Google's marketplace between January 2019 and January 2023. That amount would then be tripled, consistent with the Sherman Act. And then they'd add on interest.

According to a couple of professors who the Justice Department hired to do the math, that all added up to $2,289,751.

For context, Google's parent company Alphabet, is worth $1.9 trillion.

Lawyers at the Justice Department's antitrust division were caught off guard by the check, one said at a later court hearing. The check was paid the night before a major filing was due. Google didn't admit to any wrongdoing on the fifth count, but their lawyers at Paul Weiss said they "voluntarily tendered to the United States payment for the full amount of monetary relief it could receive" to make the issue "moot" and "streamline" the rest of the litigation.

And besides, Google's lawyers said, it was cheaper than the legal fees the company would incur for continuing to fight it.

"Rather than require the court to wade into DOJ's uncharted and unwarranted demand for a jury trial, and to prevent the waste of resources that would result from defending against a damages claim worth far less than a fraction of the cost of litigation, Google has tendered the United States payment of the full amount of damages it seeks, trebled, plus prejudgment interest," Google's lawyers wrote.

The trial is being held in a federal courthouse in the Eastern District of Virginia. AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

But the real victory for Google was avoiding a jury.

Juries are less predictable than judges, and may not be sympathetic to a massive tech company.

"There's a more robust public sentiment against big tech now than there maybe has ever been," Rebecca Allensworth, a professor of antitrust law at Vanderbilt University, told BI.

The Justice Department "virtually never" brings antitrust cases to juries, Allensworth told BI. But in this case, they wanted one. The government lawyers complained to Brinkema, the judge, arguing the fifth count should stand and the damages ought to be decided by a jury. The amount Google gave them in the check was wrong, they said, citing court documents that they said showed the damages should be calculated differently.

In the end, Brinkema sided with Google. The $2,289,751 figure came from math done by the Justice Department's own experts, she noted in a ruling. And the fact it was a cashier's check, issued by Wells Fargo, gave the Justice Department no excuse for refusing the money to keep the issue open, she said. (The precise check amount was initially redacted in court documents, but Brinkema later made it public.)

"It's an absolute 'here's the money,'" she said at a June 7 hearing. "If they could have given you a wheelbarrow of cash, it would be the same thing."

The trial, she said, would be sans jury.

A Google representative directed BI to an earlier statement the company issued in response to the judge's decision.

"DOJ's contrived damages claim has disintegrated," the company said in a statement at the time. "We're glad the Court ruled that this case will be tried by a judge."

Representatives for the Justice Department didn't respond to a request for comment.

At the end of June 7 hearing, Brinkema applauded Google and the Justice Department for their clever legal arguments.

"I want to commend counsel. Your arguments are great," she said. "I'm looking forward to this trial because the quality of the lawyering has been excellent."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley (LWVCV) will host a Meet the Candidates event in Hickory ahead of the November general election.

According to a news release from the LWVCV, the event will be held on Monday, Sept. 30, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Ridgeview Recreation Center, 115 Seventh Ave. SW, Hickory.

The event is a collaboration with the Hickory Chapter and Catawba County Chapter of the NAACP. This event is free and nonpartisan and is open to the public.

Meet the Candidates is a casual and easy way to speak one-on-one with candidates. The candidates will be located around a large room and have tables with their materials on them. Attendees can visit with candidates in any order to have the chance to ask questions and hear their answers.

Candidates in contested races for local and state offices representing Catawba County have been invited.

Meet the Candidates is the first in a series of candidate events for the 2024 general election. The other two events are:

Catawba County School Board Candidate Forum, 6:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Catawba Valley Community College Workforce Solutions Complex on campus, 1980 Startown Road, Hickory;

Catawba County Commissioners Candidate Forum, 10-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Catawba County Library, 243 S. Ashe Ave. in Newton.

League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley is a local nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering voters.

The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
GOP officials say states could punish colleges that divest from Israel. Could they?

As they return to college campuses this fall, pro-Palestinian student activists are encountering a new foe: lawyers for conservative states.

Last month, two dozen Republican attorneys general sent a harsh letter to Brown University ahead of the Ivy League schools planned vote to consider dropping its investments in companies with ties to the Israeli military. If that proposal is adopted, the officials warned, it would have immediate and profound legal consequences for staff and students.

Adopting that proposal may require our States  and others  to terminate any existing relationships with Brown and those associated with it, they wrote, citing antiboycott laws on the books in their states.

The threat suggested the school could lose money if those state governments stopped doing business with them. But the attorneys general didn't spell out exactly how that could happen. In a statement to USA TODAY, Steve Marshall, Alabama's attorney general, said the repercussions could come in the form of severed investments and contracts, but didn't provide further details.

The actual impact antiboycott laws could have on colleges like Brown is debatable. Two weeks ago the Muslim Legal Fund of America shrugged off the warning, saying the letter amounted to a fruitless attempt to force the Rhode Island school to comply with laws outside its jurisdiction. In a separate letter to Browns administrators, lawyers for the fund called on the university to reject the baseless threats of legal repercussions.

The debate marks a new phase in the campus divestment movement, as the few colleges where administrators considered protesters' demands start a new school year. Though most schools ultimately dismissed requests to disentangle their investment portfolios from companies with connections to Israel, some seemed to entertain those asks more earnestly. In late August, for instance, San Francisco State University said its foundation would stop investing in companies that make money from weapons manufacturing. Other schools also took steps to assuage student activists.

SFSU spokesperson Kent Bravo said via email the university has not received any warnings about antiboycott laws. Bravo also noted the foundation's divestment policy is solely based on the amount of money coming from weapons makers and not the geography of those companies

The letter to Brown also highlights the degree to which politicians, even at the state level, continue to see political opportunity in wading into the dynamics of campus protests about the Israel-Hamas war. Amid promises from some students that another surge of activism is imminent, the legal arguments over antiboycott laws highlight how much resistance there still is to divestment.

Divestment, explained: Pro-Palestinian protesters urge universities to divest from Israel. What does that mean?

At a dinner earlier this month with reporters in Washington, D.C., several prominent college presidents commented on the difficult task of handling the anti-war protests in the spring. Some student activists, they suggested, were making requests that were unrealistic.

Carmen Twillie Ambar, the president of Oberlin College in Ohio, said she encouraged students on her campus to think about alternate avenues to push for change in the Middle East. Some of their demands surrounding divestment, she said, were like trying to take cheese out of baked lasagna.

Antiboycott laws: What are they?

Roughly 40 states have enacted laws, executive orders or resolutions meant to discourage the boycott, divestment and sanctions  or BDS  movement, according to the Jewish Virtual Library. In 2017, the Arkansas Legislature passed a law prohibiting public entities from contracting with and investing in companies that boycott Israel, arguing that companies that refuse to deal with the Israeli government for political reasons are engaging in discrimination. The law came at a time when pro-Israel lobbyists were successfully pushing through dozens of policies in state capitals across the country.

USA TODAY investigation: One way to silence Israel boycotts? Get lawmakers to pass anti-BDS bills

In the recent warning letter to Brown, Arkansas attorney general, Tim Griffin, said if Brown were to adopt the divestment proposal set for a vote in October, his state and others would be forced to consider terminating any existing relationships with Brown. Many of the states mentioned in the letter said theyre already reviewing their pension investments and contracts to determine if the university had done anything to violate their laws.

But Brown likely doesnt have much reason to worry, said Chris Marsicano, an education professor at Davidson College in North Carolina.

Its not like the state of Arkansas is doing much business with Brown University, he said.

However, antiboycott laws may pose a greater financial problem at public universities considering divestment, according to Adam Gjesdal, a fellow at the Heterodox Academy, a nonprofit group advocating diverse viewpoints on college campuses. He has argued that divestment at those schools could raise tuition prices.

"University administrators are facing all sort of obstacles to divestment that the students are not really considering," he said in an interview. "Its a difficult thing for everyone involved."

Brian Clark, a spokesperson for Brown, said in an email the university has a longstanding process of examining any proposals for divestment and is committed to a fair and thorough review of students requests.

A free speech issue?

Supporters of state antiboycott laws say they protect against discrimination. Shira Goodman, the vice president for advocacy at the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights group, said its hard to predict how a schools decision to divest from Israel could impact students.

The fiduciary responsibilities that these investment managers have are really serious, she said. What does this do to our campus and what does it mean going forward?

Opponents of antiboycott laws, meanwhile, have argued they violate the First Amendment, which protects the rights to free speech and peaceful protest. Gadeir Abbas, a senior litigation attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy group, said the letter is part of an antiboycott hysteria.

In this climate, any university should take that letter as a threat, he said. Brown University has constitutional rights as well.

Student activists unfazed

In May, the National Lawyers Guild wrote to Brown, assuring the university it could boycott Israel in a legal way. A 1982 Supreme Court decision established that political boycotts are protected under the First Amendment, the group said.

Yet in the decades since that ruling, other court cases have created confusion about the legal merit of boycotts in specific circumstances. In 2018, a college in Arkansas tried to force a local newspaper to sign an antiboycott pledge before it would agree to continue advertising with the outlet. The paper in Arkansas, a state which has played an outsized role in the antiboycott discourse, sued the school. A circuit court sided with the college, and the Supreme Court last year declined to take up the case.

Students at Emerson College supporting Palestine sleep in tents in an encampment in Boston on April 22, 2024. President Joe Biden condemned any anti-Semitism on college campuses on April 21, 2024, as pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University spent their fifth day demanding the school sever financial ties with U.S. ally Israel.

Those cases, of course, did not involve the complexities of college endowments. Because investments in the U.S. are already strictly regulated, some courts may be more favorable to lawsuits that challenge campus divestment.

At Brown, student activists said they remain cautiously optimistic. Rafi Ash, a junior student leader among those calling for divestment, said he wasn't fazed by the letter from Republican officials.

These are pretty clearly extremist politicians using the law as they make it up, he said.

Zachary Schermele covers education and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Could state laws complicate calls for Israel divestment on campuses?
A shelf displaying Stanley cups is nearly bare at the Target in Metairie on Sept. 14, 2024, (Greg LaRose/Louisiana)

The Republican Partys persistent call for legislation to ban noncitizen voting is just as inexplicable as the raging popularity of those massive Stanley drinking cups.

Do you really need it? Dont we already have something available that takes care of that need? If you must, could you end up hurting yourself or others unintentionally?

Despite noncitizen voting already being against the law, GOP forces at the state and federal level are rabid in their support for measures that are obvious attempts to create obstacles for legitimate voting.

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org

In late August, Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order that calls for noncitizens to be monitored to ensure they arent offered opportunities to register to vote. He and other Republicans around the country have raised unfounded concerns that noncitizens will attempt to influence the November presidential election. Meanwhile, actual foreign interference in the nations democratic process happens with the help of the far right.

Everytime an illegal alien votes, it cancels out the vote of a citizen. Thats a disenfranchisement of American citizens, Landry said at an Aug. 27 press conference.

The governors order has no power to prevent state agencies from offering voter registration forms to the public, as dictated by federal law. But what it does do is require the state to include notice with those forms that it is illegal for noncitizens to vote.

Going back to the Stanley cup analogy, Landrys order is like placing a warning label on the cups saying that if the user pours molten hot liquids into it, theres a good chance their taste buds will be burned to the point of uselessness.

Sounds pretty pointless, right?

Yet the governor goes a step farther with his edict, directing the state Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) to compile a list of people issued a temporary, 180-day Louisiana drivers license or identification card. That list will be turned over to Secretary of State Nancy Landry, a Republican who is not related to the governor, so she can cross-check it against voter rolls.

According to Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill, who joined the governor at the order signing ceremony, the OMV has issued more than 40,000 temporary IDs, without providing a timeframe for that number. Those ID and license applicants could have received voter forms, Murrill added, and some might have unintentionally registered.

But Nancy Landry, who has helped run the state elections system well before being elected Secretary of State, said her voter roll checks since 2022 have resulted in just 48 noncitizens being removed from rolls. While she should be applauded for her scrutiny  and this weeks emphasis on voter registration  that number is not quite the panic-inducing figure the governor and other GOP standard bearers would have you believe it is.

Keep that in mind as Republicans continue their campaign in Congress this month to require voter IDs in federal elections for the false flag purpose of keeping noncitizens out of this falls election. In reality, its a blatant attempt at voter suppression.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, pulled his first attempt at a temporary spending bill with that requirement, but he intends to include it in a revised draft. GOP U.S. senators have their own version, which Democratic President Joe Biden intends to veto if it somehow advances to his desk.

Like when the last drop gets sucked out of a Stanley cup, the far-rights arguments for noncitizen voting keep coming up empty.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey avoided acknowledging that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris made a false claim during the debate last week when Harris said that there are no military members in an active combat zone.

That was a comment in a debate, Healey told ABCs This Week host Martha Raddatz on Sunday. I think the point that she was trying to make was a broader point.

Raddatz and Healey were discussing the vice president's debate performance, referring to a commonly fact-checked moment in which Harris said, There is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century.

ABC fact-checkers, for instance, specified that there are 900 U.S. military personnel in Syria and 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq. We also have action in the Red Sea, Raddatz said, adding that every single day, the Navy SEALs, Delta Forces special operators can be part of any sort of deadly raid.

When directly asked by Raddatz why Harris would make the claim, Healey deflected, instead comparing Harris character to Trumps.

I think what's important here, Martha, is that Kamala Harris in contrast to Donald Trump demonstrated herself to be commander-in-chief. We are in a world where there are all sorts of conflicts and it's all the more reason we need somebody who's serious and who supports the military, said Healey, who endorsed Harris the day after Biden dropped out of the race.

Raddatz doubled-down on her question.

You say she demonstrated her ability to be commander-in-chief, but did she not know about these people in Syria and Iraq? Why would she say that? Raddatz asked.

Healey pivoted to former President Donald Trumps military history, saying that he stands with Vladimir Putin. So, you know, I think that's what's really important. Kamala Harris, she respects our military, she respects our service members. Donald Trump calls them suckers and losers.

And it's why Donald Trump's former military generals support Kamala Harris, Healey continued. They say that Donald Trump shouldn't be anywhere near the Oval Office.
The Scottish and UK governments have said they are hopeful workers facing redundancy in Grangemouth will quickly be offered new jobs.

About 400 jobs are expected to go when the refinery closes next year.

Unions have accused ministers of failing to plan properly for a just transition, and said thousands more workers had been left at risk.

But Scottish energy secretary Gillian Martin told BBC Scotlands Sunday Show she was confident highly skilled staff would find other work.

And UK energy minister Michael Shanks said he was aware of other companies having already reached out to the workforce about taking them on.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

When the decision about the refinery's closure was announced on Thursday the UK and Scottish governments announced a joint 100m investment package in the hopes of improving prospects in the Grangemouth area.

But Ms Martin was unable to say how many jobs the investment would likely save.

"That is going to be a matter for commercial companies coming into the area," she said.

"I would imagine that at the moment, there's quite a lot of companies looking at the skills layout of that workforce and making offers to those people that they need.

"They are a highly skilled, highly experienced workforce who have the skills that could be transitioned into making biofuels, into making hydrogen and, of course, running the import terminal.

"I am confident that those highly skilled people will find other work."

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Michael Shanks told The Sunday Show the government was working to support a fair transition away from fossil fuels.

He said there was also targeted support for the community and workforce.

Shanks added: "I already know there's a few employers who have reached out to the workforce."

He said closing the refinery was a disappointing decision and added: "What we now need to make sure is that those workers have got a future but also that the site itself has got a strong industrial future."

Potential buyer

During First Minister's Questions last week, the local MSP revealed she was working with a potential buyer.

The SNP's Michelle Thomson told the Holyrood chamber: "I have been working with a third party that hopes to purchase the refinery in its entirety.

"The matter is, of course, commercially sensitive and confidential, but will the first minister meet me so that I can share what information I can, with the permission of the potential buyer?"

First Minister John Swinney replied that he was happy to meet Thomson.

On The Sunday Show, Gillian Martin said she was "wary" of talk of a potential buyer, but added that the Scottish government had "no idea" who the potential buyer was.

"I think one of the things that I'm slightly wary of is the fact that Petroineos actually said around late November last year that their intention was to close the refinery in its current form and turn it into an import terminal," she said.

"I would have imagined that if anyone was interested in taking over the refinery, that would have been the key point to get in touch, but obviously, I don't know the background of these people."

Ms Martin added: "I would like to know who they are, I would like to know what their background is.

"And I think Petroineos obviously would like to have an understanding of who this person is as well."

Thomson, who was elected for the SNP for Falkirk East in 2021, "did not know much about" the potential buyer when she spoke to Martin about the situation.

The Scottish energy secretary said: "Since then, she says things have been fast moving, she's got more information.

"She's obviously said what she said at First Minister's Questions last week about introducing them to the government, but I think also Petroineos needs to be involved, because of course, they're the people that would be selling the plant, if someone's interested."

Thomson posted a statement on social media on Sunday afternoon which said she had signed a non-disclosure agreement so could not share information about the work she was doing with a potential buyer.

She added: "Any successful transaction relies on a willing seller and a willing buyer and is under-pinned by complex negotiations and acute commercial sensitivity."

[PA Media]

Unions have said the facility should remain open for longer, in order to provide time for a green alternative to be established.

They have also criticised politicians for failing to plan properly for the site's closure and transitioning away from fossil fuels more generally.

Unite's Scottish Secretary Derek Thomson said: "The reality is that 500 refinery workers and at least a further 2,300 estimated jobs in the supply chain are at risk of being thrown on the scrapheap because of government failures.

"Ministers appear intent on attempting to salvage some positives from the industrial wreckage they have allowed to happen - and there aren't any."

He said the highly skilled workforce could be transitioned to work in renewables, but "those jobs are years away".

Mr Thomson continued: "Scotland backed Labour at the ballot box, but Labour has failed to back the Grangemouth workers when it needed them most.

"The SNP government has also shown itself on this critically important matter to be basically irrelevant to the needs and aspirations of working class communities."

The refinery was opened by BP in 1924 and expanded into petrochemicals in the 1950s.

It is the main supplier of aviation fuel for Scotland's airports and a major supplier of petrol and diesel ground fuels across the Central Belt.

Ineos acquired the site in 2005 and are responsible for the entire plant, while the refinery itself is owned by Petroineos - a joint venture between Ineos and PetroChina.
With the presidential election underway, it is time to think conceptually about Americas role in the world: not specific, short-term problems, but the big picture. Where do the candidates stand on this issue?

Three theoretical frameworks are paramount as alternatives with the rise of China and Russia and the end of American unipolar dominance. First, should the United States (herein U.S.) maintain its current forward, containment strategy, willing to defend areas peripheral to China and Russia, such as Ukraine, Thailand, South Korea, and Taiwan? Second, should the U.S. move to a more moderate strategy focusing on its allies and partners, such as NATO and the network of alliances developing in the Indo-Pacific region, for defense and for democratic, economic, and legal development? Third, should the U.S. pursue an America First strategy, playing the field with bilateral relations for self-interest, protecting itself through missile defense and a strong military, developing a Made in America capability, protecting domestic jobs and self-reliance through tariffs, by a neo-isolationism.

I have chosen an article by Condoleezza Rice (herein Rice), former National Security Adviser and Secretary of State, to analyze in terms of our three frameworks: The Perils of Isolationism, Foreign Affairs, September/October, 2024. I shall give my humble opinion in response.

Rice warns of the temptation of isolationism, that the United States has done enough, saying, It is someone elses turn. She sees a new, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse  populism, nativism, isolationism, and protectionism that threaten our traditional foreign policy. If the U.S. were to withdraw from the arena, she sees China and Russia as aggressors. Putin and Xi would move on to their next conquest Hamas and Hezbollah would launch more wars, and hopes that Gulf Arab states would normalize relations with Israel would be dashed.

Her thesis is that other great powers dont mind their own business they seek to shape the global order. As we have learned in 1917 (World War I), 1941 (Pearl Harbor and World War II), and 2001 (9-11), isolationism has never been the answer to the countrys security and prosperity.

Very importantly, Rice takes the first alternative of a forward, containment strategy, the extreme opposite of isolationism. Regarding Taiwan, less than one-hundred miles off the Chinese coast and thousands of miles from ours, she states that an attack on Taiwan would require a U.S. military response even though Taiwan is not a state in international law and while the U.S. recognizes Chinese sovereignty in the One-China policy. If she is willing to defend Taiwan, what country would she not defend peripheral to China and Russia? What would be the role of the CIA?

Rice concludes in zero-sum style: The future will be determined by the alliance of democratic, free-market states or it will be determined by the revisionist powers, harking back to a day of territorial conquest abroad and authoritarian practices at home. There is simply no other option.

I believe there are other options in a changing international system. Old analogies do not work in our new technological world. Trying to maintain the status quo in a changing environment is counterproductive, which was one of the lessons of Vietnam. Positive-sum (win-win) outcomes are possible if the U.S. is flexible with the rise of the new powers through diplomacy and willingness to accept change.

I support the second alternative framework of moderation, backing away from the forward, containment strategy through negotiation. The main goal of our foreign policy should be to work with allies and partners to spread a pattern of mutually defensive commitments and capabilities, including democratic/legal government. The U.S. should have a military capability second to none and the best missile defense. States should have autonomy over their internal affairs, but their legal systems should integrate with international law. The United Nations Security Council should be the legal center.

The three major powers  China, Russia, and the U.S. - should maintain a military balance. Hopefully, arms control, territorial disputes, trade, and general mutual benefit (e.g., trade) can be negotiated. If not negotiated, managed. But, trying to hem China and Russia in by unrelenting containment will likely lead to war, perhaps nuclear, to our mutual devastation.

 James W. Pfister, J.D. University of Toledo, Ph.D. University of Michigan (political science), retired after 46 years in the Political Science Department at Eastern Michigan University. He lives at Devils Lake and can be reached atjpfister@emich.edu.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Grand strategy for foreign policy
Group opens Charlottes first graffiti park

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Charlotte artists now have a new place to be creative.

The citys first graffiti park opened today in NoDa. Owners say it offers them a place to express themselves without risk of getting in trouble for painting in public.

The park was created through the citys opportunity fund grant that poured $1.2 million into the Charlotte art scene.

TAOH Outdoor Gallery is for creatives of any kind.

There arent really many limits to what creativity can be expressed here, said co-owner Osiris Rain. This idea has been going for years. It came from traveling to first off to Barcelona. They have a park called Park of the 3 to 3 Chimneys. Thats this beautiful industrial space, very similar to this. And I knew immediately that we had to have one here.

Rain and partner Sydney Duarte are the masterminds behind the project. They received $40,000 from the grant to build the park. Rain says it only took a little over a week.

Its so hard with this modern area of disconnect and phones and what have you to come and have a one-on-one conversation with those of a like mind and be able to have that connection of community and to experiment, collaborate and to not just for the creative side, just to have that healthy interaction with people on a one on one, Rain said.

The park is made up of more than 20 walls that can easily be painted over, relocated, and reassembled.

Anyone is welcome to come and express themselves, Duarte says.

Were encouraging everybody to think of their masterpiece as a sandcastle because there are only so many walls and they will get painted over eventually. But if you think of your sandcastle, you pour all of your love into it knowing that it will get washed away, she said.

John Harrison says seeing the area blew him away.

If you had told me some 20 years ago that this would be a thing in Charlotte, I wouldnt have believed it.

Harrison is an assistant professor of illustration at Winthrop University. He brought a few students to be part of the moment.

Weve already had people from Colorado, from California, from Louisiana, weve had someone from the UK, from Australia. Like theyre coming from everywhere because they dont have a space like that in their community. Weve already had two people from other countries reach out like, How do I get you guys here to build another space like this? So its blowing up quickly, which is amazing, Duarte says.

Despite the grant, organizers are still encouraging people to donate to their cause.

The importance of donations happening is so that we can fund younger artists that couldnt afford paint. So we can host workshops so that we can teach artists that are just starting out how to actually make a career out of it, how to in cant control how to do the business side of things. Most artists, theyre good at the art side, but they dont even know where to begin as far as contracts go, how to promote themselves, how to actually we want to get rid of the starving artists mindset, Duarte says.

The park will be at 2200 N. Brevard Street until February before organizers have to move locations. Duarte and Rain are encouraging the community to come and express themselves while they can.

We grew up in a space where adults told you like, you need to get a real job, you cant be an art, cannot be a career, but its not true, Duarte says.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Alexandre Goncalves De Oliveira, the owner of a bar and tobacco shop in the south of France, received a letter of apology and 50 euros from an anonymous person

A shoplifter has sent a written apology and a 50 note to the owner of a bar that the guilt-ridden thief stole sweets from as a child.

While opening his post, Alexandre Goncalves De Oliveira was surprised to find the anonymous typewritten note that included a confession, the cash and a heartfelt apology.

The owner of Le Provencal, a bar and tobacco shop, in the town of Uzes in the south of France, posted the details on social media over the weekend.

Hello, I am writing this letter to apologise and make amends for a mistake I made during my childhood, the letter starts.

Indeed, when I was a little boy, I stole a handful of sweets from your tobacco shop Le Provencal.

I wish the best for you

In earnest language, the shoplifter apologised and sent well-wishes to the owner.

That is why I have attached a 50 euro note to this letter to reimburse you and to present my biggest and sincere apologies.

I am sorry for having stolen from you and I wish the best for you, your loved ones and your business.

The letter is then signed, Respectfully, Anonymous.

Mr Oliveira, 46, initially assumed he was the victim of a prank.

I thought it was a joke at first, he told France Bleu Gard Lozere, the local news site. Then I checked the 50 euro note. It was real.

His social media post of the letter included the caption: There is still some honesty in this world.

Mr Oliveira said he understood that the letter and money was meant to clear the persons conscience.

He also wondered aloud if the person was a bar regular  or someone with no connection to the establishment.

He or she is sleeping peacefully, he said. It did them good to send me 50 euros. And I thought it was a nice gesture.

He has distributed the money between his three daughters.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
One Big Idea

Donald Trump is, on the surface, the ideal partner for the governments of the Arabian Gulf, particularly the powerhouses in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

Hes pro-business, staunchly pro-oil, and so uncompromising on Iran that he assassinated its foremost military leader on the tarmac  making him the target of its assassination plots and election interference. His presidency halted progress on any nuclear arrangement with Tehran. A potential second term promises to exert even more pressure on global rivals, particularly China and Russia. Although Gulf states work with Russia and have deep trade ties with China, they find an advantage when Washington, their closest ally, constrains its adversaries.

Moreover, many top figures in the Gulf see Trumps unpredictability as a source of strength, reintroducing an element of strategic ambiguity absent from the current administration. Add to that his unwavering support for Saudi Arabia and the UAE, exemplified by his inaugural international visit as president being to Riyadh and his outspoken backing for the kingdom despite contentious episodes like the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, and he is the perfect candidate.

But a second Trump presidency could come at a cost too high for the region to pay.

The past decade has seen Gulf governments lay out big plans for economic reform and diversification beyond oil. Each countrys vision is seen as an economic and political imperative, a bulwark against a future they know will one day be less reliant on fossil fuels. These plans are sweeping in scope and extremely expensive. Now, with oil today hovering around an anemic $70 a barrel, and with experts now predicting a further price slump by 2025, understanding the Harris-Trump spread has never been more urgent.

The first Trump administration was marked by conciliatory policies towards OPEC and its allies between 2017 and 2021. At the time, Im told, he would pick up the phone to speak directly to Riyadh and Moscow, talking price and production directly from the Oval Office.

But a second Trump term promises what the former president calls energy dominance. Its a step up from his previous commitment to Americas energy independence. At a moment when US oil production is already at its highest level in history, Trump promises to ramp up output further and immediately approve the drilling permits and leases on federal land that President Joe Biden delayed. All those moves would come, literally, at the expense of oil exporters in the Gulf and beyond.

Vice President Kamala Harris, though less forthcoming on specific policies, is likely to perpetuate the Biden administrations environmental and economic policies. Her approach could bolster energy prices, useful for sustaining and fueling the Gulfs long-term economic visions. Oil has already fallen below whats known as the break-even price for Gulf governments to keep borrowing to sustain their economic buildout. They can afford it for now, with deep reserves and low debt. But a difference of $20 a barrel is going to mean more and more to their bottom line.

So Trumps straightforward support and tough stance on adversaries benefit the Gulf in the short term. But his aggressive domestic energy policies might undermine the regions economic stability and reform plans.

This election is less about politics and more to do with price. Pragmatism is prevailing as officials say they are comfortable with either eventuality. Bottom line: they may prefer Trump but they probably cant afford him.
Two Fresno-area gun stores have shut down after years in business.

The owners of both businesses blamed strict California gun laws and high taxes as the primary reason for closing.

They said there was little to no money to be made as a gun store owner, citing newer California laws that they said increased owner expenses and turned off customers from buying as much guns and ammunition as before.

Thats all on top of increases in rent and energy bills along with workers compensation and insurance  inflation factors that all types of businesses deal with, especially those in California.

So after 16 years, PRK Arms in Fresno shut its doors for good.

So did South Gate Firearm Supply in the Coarsegold area after five years.

Both closed at the end of August.

It hurts, said Ryan Farrell, owner of South Gate Firearm Supply. I wish we could stay open. But its just not there.

Farrell estimated 5% of the reason he was closing was the typical stress of owning a shop and 95% because of these regulations.

After five years in business, Ryan Farrell is closing his South Gate Firearm Supply shop on the last day of this month, citing high costs of doing business due to new state laws for selling firearms. Photographed Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 in Yosemite Lakes Park near Coarsegold, CA.

New 11% tax on guns, ammo in California

On July 1, Assembly Bill 28 went into effect, requiring customers, manufacturers, vendors and dealers to pay an 11% tax on firearms and ammunition.

The purpose of the 11% tax  also known as the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act  was to fund violence prevention efforts.

But from the perspective of the two former gun store owners, they believe the 11% tax was the nail in the coffin.

The owner of PRK Arms confirmed his gun shops closing but declined an on-the-record interview. The PRK owner did express many similar views as Farrell, the South Gate Firearm Supply owner.

The PRK owner called the struggles of owning a gun store a perfect storm thats caused damage due to the economy, higher gun taxes and limitation to the number of guns a customer could buy during the majority of this year.

The South Gate Firearm Supply owner, meanwhile, said sales dropped by 50% in July, signaling to him that he could not endure staying open beyond his lease.

Just isnt sustainable, Farrell said.

The PRK Arms owner added that his store could not survive solely on selling weapon accessories; the 11% tax is not applied to accessories like a holster or scope.

Ammunition is seen on shelves as Ryan Farrell is holding a sale at his South Gate Firearm Supply shop which will permanent close its doors on the last day of this month. Farrell cites high costs of doing business due to new state laws for selling firearms. Photographed Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 in Yosemite Lakes Park near Coarsegold, CA.

One-gun-in-a-month law reversed for now

At the start of 2024, a California law took effect that limited residents to the purchase of one firearm of any kind within 30 days.

The law was later overturned in mid-August.

But gun store owners said that 7 1/2-month stretch in which customers were limited in how many guns they could buy caused too much damage for their business to overcome.

The intention of the one-gun-per-month law, the state said, was to address unprecedented social concerns, such as gun trafficking and straw purchases, which is when someone legally buys a gun, then gives it to someone else who is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

By mid-August, a three-justice panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the California one-gun-in-a-month law.

So at least for the time being, California residents can purchase firearms as frequently as they want.

I understand that the (Department of Justice) is trying to address public safety, Farrell said. They want the citizens of California to be safe, and they feel like firearms are contributing to making society unsafe. But I dont think thats right.

Its in our culture, Farrell added, regarding gun enthusiasts buying multiple guns. They buy guns for investments and buy guns for collections. If youre a sporting clays shooter, you dont have one gun for sporting clays. You probably have 20, 30 different guns.

To limit it to 12 guns a year, thats not in our culture, Farrell said. It affected us. There definitely had been people who wanted to buy more than one gun and I turned them away because they bought a gun like 20 days ago.

The gun restriction fight remains ongoing with a federal appeals court now considering the constitutionality on that California law that limited residents to one gun purchase every 30 days.

Some of the remaining firearms available at Ryan Farrells South Gate Firearm Supply shop are seen as the final day of business approaches. Photographed Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 in Yosemite Lakes Park near Coarsegold, CA.

Surveillance law

Another law that went into effect in 2024 that didnt directly impact customers but gun store owners have had to deal with was California senate bill 1384.

The bill, which was signed in September 2022, created new requirements for licensed firearms dealers to maintain digital video and audio surveillance systems on their premises.

The surveillance systems required digital records of all entries and exits to a building, all areas where firearms are displayed, and all points of sale.

And the surveillance, which must be sufficient to identify all parties involved in any firearm transactions, must record for 24 hours per day and have video time stamps.

In addition, the surveillance footage recordings must be stored for at least one year.

That created another expense for store owners.

The storage requirements are massive, Farrell said. It wasnt the camera cost; it was the data recorder/data storage cost that really kicked in.

The DOJ couldve done something simple like motion-activated only. ... Start recording when somethings moving in the area. Thatd cut (expenses) at least by half. I mean we also have an alarm system. So if someone breaks in, its going to set off a motion-detection system. To record while no one is in here, I dont know what the purpose is for that.

Ryan Farrell is closing his South Gate Firearm Supply shop on the last day of this month, citing high costs of doing business due to new state laws for selling firearms. Photographed Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 in Yosemite Lakes Park near Coarsegold, CA.

Future of gun stores

With Californias firearms regulations driving smaller gun store owners out of business, some in the local gun community are concerned additional mom-and-pop gun stores will close.

They theorize only big box retail stores such as Wal Mart and Sportmans Warehouse will remain as places to buy guns and ammo in California.

Hell of a loss for our community, said Delbert Greer, a longtime gun enthusiast and resident of Prather. They already dont have many gun shops nearby.

When you lose these small gun shops  a place where the people look you in the eye, know what theyre talking about, actually caters to the people  thats not good.

The gun store owners of PRK Arms and South Gate Firearm Supply think the only smaller gun stores thatll remain in California are those that offer a service or product beyond selling guns and ammo  like security service.

Or in the case of big box stores that sell guns, other types of merchandise like sporting equipment to help make up for possible stagnant sales guns.

The big companies, they sell guns, Greer said. But they dont have half the stuff someone like me is looking for because guns arent what they focus on. They sell bulk; they sell a lot of things like camping gear and coolers. Im not looking for that.

These mom and pop gun shops like South Gate Firearm, were going to miss them.

Business continues at Ryan Farrells South Gate Firearm Supply which closes permanently on the last day of this month. Farrell cites high costs of doing business due to new state laws for selling firearms. Photographed Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 in Yosemite Lakes Park near Coarsegold, CA.

Business cards forr local contacts are seen on a bulletin boarda at Ryan Farrells South Gate Firearm Supply shop, showing the local network that as grown around his firearms business. Farrell is closing his shop on the last day of this month, citing high costs of doing business due to new state laws for selling firearms. Photographed Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 in Yosemite Lakes Park near Coarsegold, CA.
Members of the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, from left, Lindsay Aime, James Fleurijean, Viles Dorsainvil, and Rose-Thamar Joseph, stand for worship at Central Christian Church, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP)  For many Haitian immigrants, Sunday mornings in Springfield, Ohio, are spent joyfully worshipping God as they sing and pray in their native Creole. This Sunday, they needed that uplifting balm more than ever.

Their community is reeling  confused, frustrated, hurt  from false accusations that they are eating their neighbors cats and dogs. The now viral and highly politicized rumors are being fueled by former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance and others, and violent threats against the community are upending daily life in their city.

Jesus is with us in truth, and the truth is that Haitians are not eating pets and geese in Springfield, said the Rev. Carl Ruby, preaching at Central Christian Church. He invited community members to join his congregation in prayer and peaceful protest of the false rumors leveled against their Haitian neighbors.

They also demanded an apology.

It is truth that a retraction of these rumors will help to restore peace in Springfield," Ruby said. We respectfully call on all politicians and media figures who are promoting this rumor to help make Springfield great and safe again by speaking the truth about our community.

Viles Dorsainvil, the leader of Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield, accepted Ruby's invitation to worship together at Central Christian, and was grateful to be relying on his faith.

Its important to be here because were Christian  despite everything, we worship in good times and bad times, he said. Im relieved that Im in the presence of God. Its therapeutic.

And he had a message for Trump and Vance: If they have the heart of God, they will think differently and speak differently.

The rumors, spread on social media and by Trump during Tuesdays televised presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, have exacerbated fears about division and anti-immigrant sentiment ahead of the election in the mostly white, blue-collar city of about 59,000 where more than 15,000 Haitians now live and work.

Thousands of temporary Haitian migrants have legally landed in Springfield in recent years under the U.S.'s Temporary Protected Status program, as longstanding unrest in their home country has given way to violent gangs ruling the streets.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has said the federal government needs to do more to help cities like Springfield serve the influx of migrants. On ABCs This Week," DeWine called the Haitians good, hardworking people who are in the U.S. legally, and said the false rumors are a piece of internet garbage.

Theres no evidence of this at all, he said during the program.

Despite the governor and local officials debunking the rumors, Vance reiterated the conspiracy theory on Sunday's Face the Nation on CBS while blasting Harris on her U.S.-Mexico border policy.

At Central Christian Church, Ruby encouraged his congregation to help hand out thousands of cards around Springfield that had been printed in Creole and English with a message of support for Haitians. It reads" Im glad you are here. Christ loves you and so do I."

As the service ended, Ruby praised parishioners for a beautiful moment amid what he called a storm of chaos. Looking at the Haitian members in the first pew and at the rest of his congregation, he asked them to come together in prayer: Pray and think what it is to be a Haitian parent sending their child this week to school."

One of those parents is Mia Perez, 35 an immigration lawyer whose 9-year-old daughter had to evacuate her school twice because of bomb threats to a nearby DMV this week.

Kids in school are being asked by other kids: How does the dog taste? How does the cat taste? Perez said, describing her daughters distress.

"Shes asking, 'Are we the kind of Haitians who eat this kind of stuff? Is it true? Whats happening?'

This is a conversation that I was not ready to have with my daughter," Perez said. "I felt disrespected of our culture.

On Sunday, Perez attended a service at Saint Raphaels Catholic church, while a Springfield police officer stood guard outside. Attendance by Haitians was lower than usual, and Perez  after talking with others who did attend  said many from their community stayed away out of fears for their safety,

This is emotional," she said. "They made a statement of not being here. Catholic Haitian people have such strong faith  not even hurricanes can keep them away, but look at this here today.

Another service was held at The First Haitian Church, located next to the Haitian Community Center.

They feel the threat. They feel not welcome, Bernardette Dor, 51, one of the pastors, said after the service. Even in the school system sometimes, they feel different, not because of their skin color but because theyre Haitian. But the reality is that were beautiful and were blessed.

Though she worries about repercussions of the false statements, she said gathering to worship with her community and feeling support from others in Springfield gives her hope.

We are united. It is time for good to stand for good, she said. This time the city of Springfield, Haitian people, asked the Lord to stay together to fight for good ... America is a great loving country, and American people care for people  it doesnt matter if they are Haitian. Were against lies.

After the service, some parishioners gathered at Rose Goute Creole restaurant for a traditional Haitian meal of rice and beans, fried plantains and pork. One of them, Jacob Payen, said the restaurant has been transformed in recent days.

Weve been outnumbered  we have more non-Haitian guests here at the restaurant who are curious to know the culture and Haitian cuisine, he said. We feel that theyre sending a strong message: if theyre here eating with us because they trust us.

Among those attending the earlier service at Central Christian was Rose-Thamar Joseph, 40, who works at the Haitian Community Center.

I was praying for peace and protection  for the Haitian community and all of Springfield," she said. I just want Springfield to go back to what it was a couple of months ago."

__

AP visual journalist Jessie Wardarski contributed.

__

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Hamas official says group has 'high ability' to continue Gaza war despite losses

Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the militant group had accumulated experience and new recruits during the Gaza war (Ozan KOSE) (Ozan KOSE/AFP/AFP)

A senior Hamas official told AFP on Sunday that the Palestinian Islamist movement had ample resources to continue fighting Israel despite losses sustained over more than 11 months of war in Gaza.

"The resistance has a high ability to continue," Osama Hamdan told AFP during an interview in Istanbul.

"There were martyrs and there were sacrifices... but in return there was an accumulation of experiences and the recruitment of new generations into the resistance."

His comments came less than a week after Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told journalists that Hamas, whose October 7 attack triggered the war, "no longer exists" as a military formation in Gaza.

"The number of casualties... is much less than what is expected in a battle of this size, level and breadth," Hamdan said on Sunday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched retaliatory military operations to destroy Hamas after the group's surprise attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

The Israeli military campaign has killed at least 41,206 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which does not provide breakdowns of civilian and militant deaths.

Militants also seized 251 hostages on October 7, 97 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Netanyahu is facing mounting domestic pressure to seal a deal in which hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Israel's announcement this month that the bodies of six hostages had been recovered from a tunnel in Gaza after they were "executed" by Hamas spurred an outpouring of grief and anger, leading to a brief general strike and large-scale demonstrations that continued in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Saturday night.

But months of negotiations aimed at securing a truce -- mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar -- have apparently stalled.

In the interview on Sunday, Hamdan said the United States, Israel's most important military backer, was not doing enough to force concessions from Netanyahu that would end the bloodshed.

"The American administration does not exert sufficient or appropriate pressure on the Israeli side," Hamdan said.

"Rather it is trying to justify the Israeli side's evasion of any commitment."

During two press conferences after officials announced the deaths of the six hostages earlier this month, Netanyahu said it was Hamas who refused to compromise and vowed "not to give in to pressure" on remaining sticking points.

He also said Israel's military campaign had killed "no less than 17,000" Hamas militants.

- Israel 'not immune' -

The war between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas has drawn in other Iran-backed groups in the Middle East, notably Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Huthi rebels in Yemen.

On Sunday the Huthis claimed a missile attack on central Israel that, while producing no casualties, triggered a rush to shelters and added to regional tensions.

Hamdan said the attack showed the limits of Israel's ability to defend itself, including its oft-touted aerial defence system.

"It is a message to the entire region that Israel is not an immune entity," Hamdan said.

"Even Israeli capabilities have limits."

Hamdan also reiterated Hamas's view that an attack earlier this month in which a Jordanian truck driver shot dead three Israeli guards at a border crossing underscored widespread anger at Israel in the region.

As for Arab leaders who have normalised diplomatic ties with Israel or are considering doing so, Hamdan said they should ask themselves how they would feel if their countries were occupied and the world stood by and watched.

"If you see Israel as a blessing and a gain... give them a piece of your country," he said, jokingly adding that it could be called "the new Israel".

- 'Day after' planning -

Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, but with Israel calling for the group to be eliminated it is unclear what form it will exist in after the war.

Hamdan said on Sunday it was impossible to imagine a scenario in which Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar would leave the besieged territory.

Sinwar and other leaders "are ready to be martyred thousands of times in Palestine rather than leaving it because everything he is doing is to free Palestine," Hamdan said.

Hamas has demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, including the Philadelphi corridor, a narrow strip of land along Egypt's border that has emerged as a key sticking point in the truce talks.

Hamdan said that Hamas wants "joint Palestinian rule" in Gaza, adding that Hamas officials and representatives of other Palestinian factions would meet soon in Cairo to discuss their post-war vision.

"The day after the battle is a Palestinian day," he said.

rs-rcb/jd/dcp
What happens in Disney stays in Disney: NYC educrats took own kids to Magic Kingdom on trips meant for homeless students

What happens in Disney stays in Disney: NYC educrats took own kids to Magic Kingdom on trips meant for homeless students

Six Department of Education employees used forged permission slips to take their own kids and grandchildren to Disney World and on other city-funded trips meant for homeless students, investigators alleged.

The secret perks robbed some of the citys most disadvantaged kids of a chance to enjoy the Magic Kingdom  a trip that cost $66,000 for 50 or so adults and kids, a staffer said  and other multiple-day trips between 2016 and 2019 to Washington, DC, New Orleans, Boston, upstate Rocking Horse Ranch Resort, and Frost Valley YMCA campground, according to a newly released report by the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools.

Linda M. Wilson, a Queens supervisor of DOEs Students in Temporary Housing, took her own two daughters on trips, and encouraged colleagues to take their sons, daughters and grandkids, but tried to cover up the shady practice when SCI started asking questions, the SCI report said.

DOE staffer Shaquieta Boyd said she took her daughter on some city-funded trips for homeless students because her boss, Linda M. Wilson, not only gave me permission, she encouraged it. Facebook Shaquieta Boyd

What happens here stays with us, Wilson allegedly told co-workers.

She said everyone should stick to the same story that we did not take our children on the trip, an employee told The Post.

She told us to lie to the investigators.

While some homeless students attended the trips, the staffers kids took up valuable spots.

One DOE educator had to beg Wilson to allow him to add two of his students on a trip to Disney World while Wilson and several staffers she supervised brought family members, the SCI said.

Taking money meant for homeless students is extremely inappropriate, said Naveed Hasan, a Manhattan public school parent and member of the citys Panel for Educational Policy who advocates for students in need of housing. Im shocked.

Family members are not allowed on field trips, even if the DOE is reimbursed for their expenses, chancellors rules state.

Wilson and other staffers used the names of homeless students to fabricate permission slips, then forged parent signatures on the paperwork, witnesses told investigators.

Few of the homeless students listed on the paperwork actually attended the trips, a whistleblower told the SCI.

What happens here stays with us, Queens manager Linda M. Wilson told her team, warning them not to tell anyone that the staffs kids and grandkids attended out-of-town trips. Facebook Linda Wilson

At first, Wilson used a DOE contractor to book transportation, hotels, food and activities.

The city paid for the trips with a $300,000 federal grant from the National Center for Homeless Education meant to give kids enrichment and incentives to improve their attendance or academics.

Wilson supervised about 20 staffers who worked with students in temporary housing, defined as those living in a shelter, car, park or abandoned building.

Last year, a record 119,320 NYC students  roughly one in nine kids enrolled in public schools  experienced homelessness, according to Advocates for Children of New York.

Most out-of-town trips included four to six staff members as chaperones, and one or two buses for about 30 kids each, the SCI report says.

The DOE spent $66,000 on a 2018 trip to Disney World for homeless students, but also paid for staffers kids put on the rosters against the rules. Getty Images

The buses alone cost about $2,700 each per trip, a staffer said. Those who went to Disney took the train.

Wilson would decide which staff members could attend a trip, assign students to each staff member to chaperone, then replace spots assigned for those students with staff members kids, the SCI said.

Wilson planned trips to colleges, including Washington, DCs Howard University in 2019, purportedly so homeless kids could tour campuses.

The DOEs Magic Kingdom trip and other jaunts to cities and upstate New York were funded by a federal grant from the National Center for Homeless Education. Getty Images

But she didnt contact the colleges to arrange visits, the SCI alleges.

On a three-day trip purportedly to see Syracuse University in June 2018, the DOE group only ate lunch on the upstate campus, the report says. Then they left for Niagara Falls, more than three hours away.

After planning numerous trips, Wilson abruptly canceled a visit to Philadelphia in 2018 when she was required to process the payments for trips directly through the DOE, instead of going through a contractor.

School and family aide Mishawn Jack, who took two daughters to the Broadway show Wicked and to Washington, DC, agreed to pay a $1,200 fine, reduced from $3,000 due to financial hardship. Facebook Mishawn Jack

Wilson, whose last salary was $99,726, brought one or two of her daughters on trips, the SCI said.

Other staffers accused of bringing family members are Mishawn Jack, who took two daughters; Shaquieta Boyd, who took a daughter; Virgen Ramos, who took two granddaughters; Maria Sylvester, who took two daughters; and Joanne Castro, who took two sons.

Boyd was fired, but blamed Wilson: The supervisor in charge not only gave me permission, she encouraged it, and I had no reason to believe that this was against the rules.

After completing its probe in January 2023, the SCI recommended Chancellor David Banks terminate all six employees and require them to pay restitution, with the amounts to be determined by the DOE.

Last year, a record 119,320 NYC students, about one in nine kids enrolled in the public schools, suffered homelessness, says Advocates for Children of New York. Valentina Jaramillo/NYPost

The DOE also fired attendance teacher Jack on Sept. 5, 2023, records show.

In a settlement last month with the city Conflicts of Interest Board, Jack admitted using slots intended for homeless kids to take her two daughters to see the Broadway show Wicked and on a trip to Washington, DC, in 2016  excursions she was hired to chaperone.

Jack agreed to pay a $1,200 fine, which the COIB slashed from $3,000, the approximate cost of the trips, due to the financial hardship of losing her job.

She also blamed taking the perks on Wilson, saying she told staff they could bring family members, according to the COIB settlement.

Reached this week, Wilson flatly denied that her daughters attended trips and that she allowed staff to bring their own children. She insisted that DOEs checks and balances would have prevented such abuses, and called the SCI probe a witch hunt.

Wilson, 63, said she wasnt terminated, but retired from the DOE.

The DOE would not say whether anyone was disciplined or paid restitution. All staff identified in this report are no longer employed by New York City Public Schools, said spokeswoman Jenna Lyle.

The SCI decided not to refer the cases for criminal prosecution, citing the lack of available documentation, a spokesperson said.
On the morning of September 4, a student rode the bus to his Georgia school with a rifle and knife hidden in his backpack, investigators said.

Within two hours of arriving at Apalachee High School in Winder, prosecutors said he committed the deadliest US school shooting since the March 2023 rampage at the Covenant School in Nashville, and the 45th this year.

Two teachers and two students were dead and nine others, including one teacher and eight students, were injured.

Newly obtained emergency recordings and dispatch records from the Barrow County Sheriffs Office captured the chaos and panic that unfolded inside the school as an active shooter was reported, and outside the school as worried parents got panicked texts from their teenagers.

Colt Gray, 14, who was enrolled at the school on August 14 and had already missed nine days of classes leading up to the shooting, is charged with four counts of felony murder and will face additional charges, the Barrow County district attorney has said. He will be tried as an adult and if convicted, he could face up to life in prison.

His father, Colin Gray, 54, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children. He bought the gun allegedly used in the shooting in December 2023 as a holiday present for his son, according to two law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the investigation.

The shooter and his father have not entered pleas. An attorney for Colt Gray declined to comment to CNN, and an attorney for Colin Gray has not responded to a request for comment.

Richard Aspinwall, Cristina Irimie, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. - Barrow County School System

September 4 at Apalachee High School

Colt Gray rides the bus to school, bringing with him an assault-style rifle concealed in his backpack, along with a knife, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which noted the school does not have metal detectors.

During his Algebra 1 class, Gray asked the teacher if he could go to the front office and speak to someone, the bureau said. The teacher allowed him to leave class around 9:45 a.m. and take his belongings with him, student Lyela Sayarath, who was sitting next to him in class, previously told CNN.

Gray sends an alarming, cryptic text to his mother, Marcee Gray, prompting her to warn the school something could be wrong. Im sorry, mom, the text read. An unknown person also called the school that morning, warning of shootings at five schools, with Apalachee to be the first, according to authorities.

Grays mother places a 10-minute phone call to the school around 9:50 a.m., the Washington Post reported. She asks administrators to check on her son and authorities start searching for him, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith told CNN affiliate WXIA.

A resource officer went to look for the boy but there is another student in the same class with almost identically the same name, and neither he nor Colt Gray are in the classroom at the time, according to the sheriff.

He went to the bathroom with a student that has the almost same name  thats who they think were looking for, Smith said.

The officers think they caught up to Colt Gray in time but were speaking to the other student. As were trying to figure out whats going on, the shooting starts, Smith told WXIA.

Shortly after Gray leaves the bathroom and hides from teachers, he walks out with the rifle and starts looking for soft targets, Smith told WXIA.

Authorities get the first calls of an active shooter on campus at 10:20 a.m. after someone presses a wearable panic button issued just a week earlier to teachers, the sheriff said.

The first call for the shooting comes in from a RapidSOS device at 10:22 a.m. ET, computer-aided dispatch reports released by Barrow County on Friday show. The Barrow County Sheriffs Office arrive at the school a short while later with two school resource officers.

Active shooter! an officer is heard yelling in one audio clip while speaking with a dispatcher, who repeats the phrase back to him. Another officer can be heard responding calmly, Correct. We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School.

Two minutes later, authorities have the suspects name as Colt and one student is already dead, according to the reports.

The suspect surrenders after a resource officer confronts him and he is taken into custody, Smith said. By 10:30 a.m., Gray is in custody, not injured, the reports show.

Fifteen minutes later, the reports show one person is dead in a hallway and three are dead in another hallway.

An officer, sounding slightly out of breath, asks the dispatcher to roll EMS. She is heard confirming emergency medical services were en route to the high school.

Law enforcement and first responders control traffic after a shooting took place at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024. - Christian Monterrosa/AFP/Getty Images

At 11:38 a.m., the school sends an urgent text to parents: Haymon-Morris Midd: Parents and Guardians, HMMS is still on a hard lockdown. HMMS students are safe and secure. Please be patient.

Just after 11:45 a.m., a woman who identifies herself as Colts aunt finds out about the text he had sent and makes a tearful call to a Barrow County 911 operator, saying she is afraid her nephew is involved in the school shooting at Apalachee High School, according to a recording released Friday.

My mom just called me and said that Colt texted his mom, my sister and his dad that he was sorry, and they called the school and told the counselor to go get him immediately, the woman tells the operator. And then she said she saw that theres been a shooting, and Im just worried it was him.

Meanwhile, a school counselor informs Marcee Gray her son had made references to school shootings, she told ABC News, prompting her and the teens grandfather to travel 200 miles from Fitzgerald to Winder, Georgia.

Asked why responding law enforcement did not shoot the suspect, the sheriff told WXIA Gray had committed to putting the gun down and laying out in the prone position, as he was told to do.

We put him in handcuffs, and the threat is over at that point, Smith added.

With the suspect detained, officers stream into Apalachee High, evacuating students from classrooms as paramedics tended to the wounded.

By midafternoon, the school sends another text: Haymon-Morris Midd: Law enforcement has now given the ok to lift the lockdown  Thank you.

As families scramble to reunite outside the school, Lyela Sayarath recounts the shooting to a CNN reporter. She describes the moment she saw a friend who had been in a classroom where shots were fired.

He saw it. He saw somebody get shot. He had blood on him. He was kinda limping, Lyela said. He looked horrified.

CNNs Dalia Faheid, Ashley R. Williams, Alisha Ebrahimji, Nouran Salahieh, Michelle Krupa, Nicole Chavez and Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Hardman who may be Ugandas next president is Putin fan and asked Meloni to marry him

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba is fond of strongmen and described Donald Trump as the only white man I have ever respected - Hajarah Nalwadda/AP

When he is not busy fawning over Vladimir Putin, the army chief aiming to be Ugandas next president has spent a good deal of time salivating over Giorgia Meloni.

So taken is Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba with Italys populist prime minister that in 2022 he offered 100 Ankole cattle  the most beautiful cows on Earth  in exchange for her hand in marriage, warning of war if his proposal was rejected.

Italy is not the only country the general has threatened when, late of an evening, he has settled behind a screen and opened up his page on X, formerly Twitter.

He has used the social media platform to rail against the United States, which gives Uganda $1 billion in aid a year, voiced support for Ethiopias rebels and unveiled plans to invade neighbouring Kenya.

Vladimir Putin is our Russian hero, says Ugandas heir apparent - Alexander Kazakov/Reuters

Even more worrying for Western diplomats fretting about the trajectory of a potential Kainerugaba presidency is his fondness for strongmen, particularly Putin.

Although he has heaped praise on Egypts military dictator, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, and described Donald Trump as the only white man I have ever respected, Gen Kainerugaba has reserved his deepest devotion for our Russian hero.

Giving his full-throated support to Putins invasion of Ukraine, he has even pledged to send troops to Moscow to defend it from Western imperialists.

Such outbursts are to the despair of Yoweri Museveni, Ugandas ageing president, who has been forced to expend considerable diplomatic capital apologising to world leaders for the generals buckshot pronouncements.

Had anybody else in Uganda been responsible for such indiscretions, they would surely be out of a job.

But Gen Kainerugaba, who claims to be a descendent of Jesus Christ, is not just any Ugandan.

He is also Mr Musevenis much-indulged only son and, so it has long been whispered, his chosen successor  a belief given renewed impetus in March when the Sandhurst-educated general was appointed head of Ugandas armed forces.

With Mr Museveni turning 80 on Sunday, a milestone that will bring the atmosphere of decay surrounding his 38-year presidency into renewed relief, many inside and outside Uganda are aghast at the prospect of a Kainerugaba presidency.

He has done little to assuage fears that he is a dictator in the making.

Declaring that he will definitely be president, he wrote in one post: Constitution? Rule of law? You must be joking!

In 2022, the general offered the most beautiful cows on Earth to Giorgia Meloni if she would marry him - Claudia Greco/Reuters

Inevitable parallels have been made with Idi Amin, the jovially brutal, Hitler-loving Ugandan dictator who proclaimed himself Conqueror of the British Empire, kept his enemies heads in his freezer and oversaw the slaughter of perhaps 300,000 people.

Amid the unease, the only party that seems enthused is Russia.

Last month, a Russia defence ministry delegation handed over a $100 million (76 million) donation to Gen Kainerugaba for the Ugandan armed forces.

Russias influence has grown in Africa in recent years, with Kremlin-backed mercenaries being deployed to protect military dictators in an array of former French colonies.

Putin, however, has struggled to gain a similar foothold in former British colonies and will regard Uganda as a tantalising opportunity to exploit.

For Ugandas Western donors there is dismay that an ageing autocrat once regarded as the continents most promising leader is contemplating an erratic, verbally incontinent popinjay as his successor.

Yet few observers are surprised that Mr Museveni finds himself in the position in which attempting to foist his wholly unsuitable son on the country is even an option.

When he seized power in a rebellion in 1986, he was seen by his people as a saviour who rescued a country scarred by mass murder during the dictatorships of both Amin and Milton Obote, an image he continues to cultivate.

The West regarded him as a new type of African leader who restored stability, presided over modest economic growth, pursued sensible development goals and beat back the countrys terrible Aids crisis.

In return, Western leaders turned a blind eye to atrocities committed by his armed forces in rebellion-afflicted northern Uganda.

Yet Mr Museveni was no democrat, winning six contentious election victories, twice changing the constitution to stay in power and presiding over an increasingly repressive regime.

His mental faculties waning as he ages, he now finds himself in the classic dictator trap in which, in order to protect corrupt regime allies and his increasingly unpopular family, he is unable to retire even if he wants to, according to analysts.

Museveni runs a system that is self-centred and focused entirely on regime survival, says Michael Mutyaba, a Ugandan political scientist.

In order to survive, he has to resort to ever greater repression because he knows if he reforms the system he is out within a minute.

So he cant reform, he can only deploy force, which worsens the situation.

Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni had to apologise to world leaders over his sons outbursts - Simon Maina/AFP via Getty

With the income of the average Ugandan stagnating since 2009 and the economic gap with neighbouring Kenya widening, Mr Museveni has desperately sought to regain control through a mixture of populism, patronage and brutality.

He has attempted to write and perform rap songs to demonstrate his youthfulness while pandering to public opinion by introducing the death sentence for those convicted of homosexuality for the second time.

At the same time he has moved to shore up his position among the military elite by granting greater control of the economy to the armed forces, whose business interests are run by his brother, Salim Saleh, believed to be one of Ugandas richest men.

Former officers have also been added to Mr Musevenis 82-strong cabinet.

Meanwhile, his suppression of the opposition has grown ever more ruthless.

Activists say dissidents are frequently abducted and held in a string of torture centres overseen by Gen Kainerugaba, who denies the claims.

For the moment, Mr Musevenis strategy has paid off, despite rising discontent.

But greater challenges lie ahead. As Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian dictator toppled in the Arab Spring, discovered, elderly autocrats who cling to office in the vague hope of handing over power to unpopular sons are pursuing a risky strategy.

Having groomed him for office, Mr Museveni may have hoped that his son would contest the 2026 elections in his place.

Yet Gen Kainerugaba remains so clearly unsuited for office that observers expect his father to seek a seventh term, meaning that any succession plan would not be realised until either after Mr Musevenis death or towards the end of the decade at the earliest.

As diplomats and analysts point out, the longer Mr Museveni remains in power, the greater the vulnerability when he does go for his family, his allies and even his Nkole ethnic group, tarred by the assumption that they have economically benefited from having a kinsman in office.

It is difficult to see Musevenis presidency ending well, says a Western researcher in Kampala.

If he dies or if the army decides he is a liability and topples him, you end up in very, very dangerous territory.

On one hand, you have the current elite trying to defend their privileges, on the other you have large sections of the country demanding justice or vengeance against anyone associated with the regime. Its a volcano waiting to erupt.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11)  A breakfast in Harlem kicked off the 55th annual African American Day Parade Sunday, honoring organizations and leaders who have made a difference in building up and supporting Harlem.

Watch the video player for the full story.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Vice President Kamala Harris outlined her vision for hard work in the future when she headlined a dinner at the 53rd Annual Legislative Conference hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in Washington on Saturday  an allusion to the final campaign stretch that lies before her.

The Congressional Black Caucus has served as the conscience of the Congress and of our nation, and as a proud former CBC member I know America relies on the leaders in this room not only for a conscience but for a vision, Harris said in a nine-minute address before lawmakers, congressional staff and activists.

The hard work, which Harris also called joyous, starts with the vice presidents ability to make an effective policy pitch to Black voters  particularly those outside urban areas  and mobilize them to get to the polls in November. Driving up Black voter turnout is crucial to her chances of winning in swing states across the county.

If we can get the turnout in rural Georgia, in rural North Carolina, rural Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where weve got sizable pockets of Black and brown voters, it puts less pressure on our urban areas, and it really allows us to run up these scores, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison told POLITICO earlier at CBC week. It's going to be the reason why Kamala Harris is going to be elected 47th president.



Harris and her vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have campaigned in Savannah, Georgia as well as Atlanta, in Grand Rapids, Michigan in addition to Detroit, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as well as Philadelphia.

Campaign co-chair Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), who is also chair of the CBC, said increased campaign stops in rural and less-blue-leaning areas was intentional and something he said in an interview that campaign co-chairs regularly discuss. At the Democratic National Convention in August, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) also previewed this strategy and its successes in his Senate campaigns and Quentin Fulks, who ran those efforts, is now also a principal deputy campaign manager to Harris.

If they can make a dent in those red areas that will make a huge difference in the entire state, said Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), who is also a surrogate for the campaign and whose district is about 56 percent non-white residents. So it's making sure that we leave no community behind because we're everywhere.

At the CBCs Phoenix Awards Dinner, Harris highlighted her campaign policy pitches. She earned a standing ovation for her plan to lower prescription drug prices, a frequent refrain on the campaign trail.

We actually have a plan for healthcare, not just concepts of a plan, Harris joked from the podium, referencing former President Donald Trumps answer to a question at last Tuesdays debate.

Though there is continuity in platform and campaign staff between President Joe Biden's and now-Harris campaign, instead of a doom-and-gloom warning over lofty democratic ideals, Harris has emphasized a more practical message of freedom focused on economic opportunity and reproductive rights.

The shift that she made from talking about democracy broadly as something that feels like it's in a law book somewhere to talking specifically about freedoms has been really critical, said Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of BlackPAC, a group that focuses on turning out and educating Black voters. She added that the erosion of rights and freedoms regularly comes up in focus groups as a major concern for Black voters.

But Harris surrogates and allies stress that theres still significant work to be done to turn out the vote.

In 2020, roughly 90 percent of Black voters supported President Joe Biden, but that was down from closer to 95 percent in the few elections preceding that one. The network exit poll four years ago did show Black voters between the ages of 30 and 44 were twice as likely to support Trump (19 percent) as those 18 to 29 (10 percent), 45 to 60 (10 percent) or 60 and older (7 percent).

Younger Black men, in particular, have been straying from the Democratic party. The NAACP released a poll on Friday that found one in four younger Black men are backing her Republican opponent Trump. The survey, conducted in partnership with HIT Strategies and Hart Research, found overall 63 percent of Black voters favored Harris compared to 13 percent that backed Trump.

The gender gap is significant. Two-thirds of Black women (67 percent) back Harris, but among Black men under 50 Harris support plummets to 49 percent. Researchers caution the poll was conducted in early August  before both the Democratic convention and this weeks presidential debate  and say late-deciding voters may break for Harris.

Harrison said he believes that a combination of investments from the Democratic Party as well as a focus on Harris new economic policy will be key to winning over Black voters.

Wes Bellamy, board member of the organization One Hundred Black Men of America, a nonprofit organization focused on mentoring African American men, has also been working to combat what he calls misinformation about Harris record and is in the middle of a 21-city tour focused on getting Black men to vote this November. He said that her record as a prosecutor and concerns about protecting the second amendment are typical.

When we hear situations like they're gonna take away all of our guns, there's no information or policies for Black men specifically. Like talking about all of those things are what we have to debunk. But again, it takes time, said Bellamy who wore a T-shirt that read: The ancestors didnt die for you to vote 4 Trump.

Just how to address young Black men's concerns continues to vex the Harris surrogates and activists hoping to get her across the finish line. During a Friday conference forum on the topic, a spirited exchange erupted over whether Harris herself is at fault for not directly speaking directly to Black men or have a plank in her newly-released platform that addresses specific needs of this crucial voting bloc.

We need her to say: Black men, heres what Im willing to do for you, said Joe Paul, Executive Director of Black Men Vote, a voter advocacy group that is working to mobilize voters in Michigan, Wisconsin and Philadelphia this cycle.

He then rattled off a list of issues that could help her reach Black male voters, including the need to specify what changes Harris would make to the criminal justice system that will impact the lives of Black men and to create opportunities for economic security and build inter-generational wealth.

We need to hear directly from the candidate because guess what, neither one of them are speaking to Black men. Let's be real, he said. You cannot say we need more Black men to vote before [you] address our issues.

Harris also has softer support from younger Black voters overall, according to both the NAACP poll and a recent survey from Pew Research Center  a demographic that has also been active in Pro-Palestininan protests in the last year.

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), who lost her primary earlier this year, said in an interview that she sees a parallel between the protest movements around Black Lives Matter in 2020 and the current pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The difference last cycle was those activists channeled their support behind Biden.

We remember how Joe Biden won, Bush said, of Black voters. He already had his base  But he also had a grand push from the activists who were on the ground where millions of people stood and pushed and marched  George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many more  who then took that fire and fierceness, that persistence, and turned it into mobilizing to turn out the vote.

For Harris, the election may hinge if she can reconnect the energy she is infusing into the campaign to a turnout operation that rivals past successful Democratic nominees.

Black voters are well positioned to turn out in historic numbers, Shropshire, of BlackPAC, said. [But] it will not happen without the necessary work, right? It will not happen if we do not increase knocks on doors, it will not happen if we don't increase mail and digital, if we're not countering what the Trump campaign is [doing] within Black communities, then we're going to lose people.

Steven Shepard contributed to this report.
'They hate us': Haitian residents in Springfield, Ohio, fear for their safety

Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, spoke out Saturday about the danger they feel in their community as the city remains at the center of the national debate on immigration.

The Haitian Times and the Haitian Community Help and Support Center organized a conversation with activists, journalists and Haitian residents to respond to claims spread online. Some of the posts were shared by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance. On Tuesday, former president Donald Trump tossed the city into the national spotlight claiming that Haitian immigrants are eating pets.

The Saturday event was originally planned to be in-person in Springfield, but the organizers decided to make it virtual because of security concerns, Macollvie Neel, executive editor of the Haitian Times, said. Springfield City Hall and two elementary schools were evacuated this week after receiving bomb threats. On Saturday, threats forced lockdowns and two area hospitals.

Wittenberg University announced Saturday that it was taking "extreme precautions" and increasing security following an email threatening a potential shooting on campus targeting Haitian members of the school's community on Sunday. Wittenberg is a small liberal arts college located in Springfield. Founded in 1845, it is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

"I don't know what happened with the bomb threats?" Trump told reporters on Saturday. "I know that it's been taken over by illegal migrants."

News: As Ohio town hit with bomb threats, Trump keeps posting lies about migrants eating pets

Read more: Trump pledges to deport Haitians in Ohio city, but most are in US legally

Jims Denis, a Haitian immigrant in Springfield, said he moved to the city five years ago and owns three properties in the city, including a photography studio. He said he feels like Haitians in the city are being targeted.

You can see its pure hatred. They hate us, Denis said.

Denis said Haitiians are not safe in Springfield and that he no longer leaves his house very much.

"I take my kids to the park usually, I cannot do that anymore. You know, I have to just stay home and just don't go out. We used to just go for a walk in the neighborhood, but we cannot do that anymore," he said, adding that his wife wants to move out of the city.

Sophia Pierralus, a Haitian activist who lives in Columbus, urged Springfield residents to care for their mental health and watch out for signs their children are experiencing bullying at school.

"You must keep your eyes open regarding your children," she said.

Viles Dorsainvil, the president of the Haitian Community and Support Center, said the center helps Haitian immigrants find jobs and housing. He said the center is focusing on cross cultural education, including Creole courses for Americans and ESL and driving classes.

Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY

Erin Glynn is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Haitian Springfield Ohio residents say they don't feel safe
'They hate us' Haitian Springfield residents speak out as city remains in spotlight

Haitian immigrants in Springfield spoke out Saturday about the danger they feel in their community as the city remains at the center of the national debate on immigration.

The Haitian Times and the Haitian Community Help and Support Center organized a conversation with activists, journalists and Haitian residents in Springfield to respond to claims without evidence spread online. Some of the posts were shared by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance. On Tuesday, former president Donald Trump tossed the city into the national spotlight claiming that Haitian immigrants are eating pets.

The Saturday event was originally planned to be in-person in Springfield, but the organizers decided to make it virtual due to security concerns, Macollvie Neel, executive editor of the Haitian Times, said. Springfield City Hall and two elementary schools were evacuated this week after receiving bomb threats. On Saturday, threats forced lockdowns and two area hospitals.

"I don't know what happened with the bomb threats?" Trump told reporters on Saturday. "I know that it's been taken over by illegal migrants."

Jims Denis, a Haitian immigrant in Springfield, said he moved to the city five years ago and owns three properties in the city, including a photography studio. He said he feels like Haitians in the city are being targeted.

You can see its pure hatred. They hate us, Denis said.

Denis said Haitiians are not safe in Springfield and that he no longer leaves his house very much.

"I take my kids to the park usually, I cannot do that anymore. You know, I have to just stay home and just don't go out. We used to just go for a walk in the neighborhood, but we cannot do that anymore," he said, adding that his wife wants to move out of the city.

Sophia Pierralus, a Haitian activist who lives in Columbus, urged Springfield residents to care for their mental health and watch out for signs their children are experiencing bullying at school.

"You must keep your eyes open regarding your children," she said.

Viles Dorsainvil, the president of the Haitian Community and Support Center, said the center helps Haitian immigrants find jobs and housing. He said the center is focusing on cross cultural education, including Creole courses for Americans and ESL and driving classes.

Erin Glynn is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Haitian Springfield residents say they don't feel safe
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)  Common Ground, an urban farm and high school in New Haven, held its annual fundraiser Saturday. The event drew more than 300 people for a farm-to-table dinner and connection.

Nestled in the base of West Rock, Common Ground students and staff welcomed families for the 17th annual Feast from the Fields. Common Ground is a high school, urban farm and environmental education center. The schools goal is to build up the next generation of leaders and connect city neighbors with their environment.

For me, one of the most fundamental aspects of humanity and what connects us is food, said Audrey Nefores, Common Ground Director of Development and Communications. Really what we do is teach people how to integrate the outdoor world into their every day life and to make sure people, especially in our environment here in the city, have as much access as possible to this outdoor space.

For the dinner, local chefs used ingredients from the farm on Springside Avenue to create a tasting menu. The farm is tended to by volunteers and high school students.

The earth holds us and gives us everything we want and everything we need, we have to give back to it, said Clouds Mutale, a Common Grounds High School Junior. A lot of people just dont care, they litter, destroy, its heartbreaking.

There was also an auction, emceed by News 8s Ken Houston. The proceeds from the night go back to Common Ground.

Its a great cause and a great opportunity to sample the most important and innovative of purveyors, said Suzanne Bona, an attendee from New Milford.

Linda Honan from Hamden attended the event with her friends. She supports the centers mission and goals.

To be able to be out in the actual nature doing things to understand what we eat, where it comes from, food insecurity, its a wonderful experience, she said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
I heard several shots: Residents rattled after deadly shooting in east Charlotte

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say a young man was gunned down in a shooting in east Charlotte Thursday.

The incident happened in a neighborhood just south of Albemarle Road.

Police have not been able to make an arrest in the case and that has residents worried.

Channel 9s Glenn Counts spoke with residents who said its normally a quiet part of town.

Its been lovely, I love it I love the neighborhood, Kim Farrow said.

TOP STORIES: Attorney: Dead person may hold key to circumstances of Asha Degrees disappearance

Police responded to a shots fired call and found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, according to CMPD.

Franklin Rodriguez-Alfaro, 23, died from his injuries.

I was going to bed, and I heard several shots, Scott Walls said.

Farrow walks 7 miles a day with her dogs and now, shes thinking about adjusting her hours.

Oh it would be safe enough to walk around at night, you know when its dark, now I dont know if I want to do that.

Investigators are asking for the publics help on the case. If you have any information, youre asked to call 704-334-1600.

WATCH: Community holding fundraiser for 7th grader diagnosed with brain tumor








Its been an open secret for weeks that at least some members of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnsons Intergovernmental Affairs staff would be leaving after the Democratic National Convention, including its director, Sydney Holman.

That happened last week. Holman quit and two others were forced out of the IGA office, which liaisons with both the city council and the Illinois General Assembly.

Holman is well-known to state legislators. She started on the House Democratic staff and did a stint as Gov. JB Pritzkers House liaison. Shes well-liked, even though the mayor isnt exactly popular at the Statehouse.

Holman leaves as the city is gearing up to face what is estimated as at least a $982.4 million budget deficit next fiscal year.

But the city has long known this massive deficit was coming. Almost a year ago, the city released a two-year budget forecast with a base outlook that projected a $986 million deficit in fiscal year 2025, which is only a few million dollars away from the current city projection. The citys 2023 budget report predicted a negative outlook of a $1.14 billion deficit by 2025.

And now the city is apparently hoping to convince the General Assembly to help it out. One outlet reported the other day that city officials are talking to state lawmakers about its budget concerns, although I personally couldnt find anyone who has had any serious talks with the city. Pritzker said the city hasnt spoken with him, either.

A Chicago-only bailout is just not in the cards, and a broader bailout of municipalities would cost exponentially more than the billion dollars that Chicago needs.

Chicago is already asking for an immediate increase of about $5 billion for statewide and Chicago-specific school funding and $2.5 billion in state help to build a new Chicago Bears stadium. So, were talking about a total ask of $8.5 billion, not including money for every other municipality, which would have to be included if Chicago got any more cash, and not including the $730 million mass transit bailout for next year, which will eventually rise to $1.32 billion.

Good luck with all that.

Syd Holman has been superseded by Kennedy Bartley, who was hired by the mayor earlier this year as a liaison to progressive groups and unions. Crains Chicago Business reported last week that the mayors office had circulated an organizational chart showing that Holman and her staff would report to Bartley. Holman, as long expected, did not want to work for Bartley, so she left.

Bartley comes from United Working Families, a progressive group that is closely allied with the Chicago Teachers Union.

Bartley spent quite a bit of time organizing on behalf of the defund the police movement. Two days after the terror group Hamas attacked Israel, Bartley tweeted, From the river to the sea Palestine will be free. Amen! which is considered by many to be a call to eliminate Jews in Israel. Bartley also called police f-ing pigs in a 2021 interview.

In other words, Bartley may have some problems lobbying the Illinois state legislature.

While most of the people stepping up to criticize Johnson for elevating Bartley are the usual Johnson critics, state Sen. Rob Martwick (D-Chicago) is a longtime Johnson friend, is very tight with the Chicago Teachers Union (where the mayor worked) and endorsed the mayors election last year. Martwick sent out a critical press release last week which focused on the f-ing pigs comment.

The comments made by Kennedy Bartley serve only to disparage our valued public servants and diminish the progress that we have made, Martwick said in the release. Our government leaders should be working toward a greater sense of safety through unity, not chaos through division and insults. I condemn these comments, and I implore our Mayor to ensure accountability for the harm they have caused.

That doesnt portend well.

Johnsons elevation of Bartley could also be seen as a sort of war declaration. The CTU and the mayor have strongly indicated that they plan to blame Pritzker and the General Assembly if they cannot achieve the unions contract goals. And Johnson, who comes from the CTU, may be wanting the same bogeyman to justify his own deficit problems. Bartley would likely be a good fit for that sort of role, even though that confrontational path will undoubtedly lead to no good end.
Partners of Scott County Watersheds will host the Fall 2024 Snapshot Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Event in Eldridge on Oct. 1.

Volunteers monitor over 60 sites for transparency, water temperature, pH, Nitrite, Nitrate, Dissolved Oxygen, Phosphate, Chloride and more. The event engages residents in water quality through a user-friendly process for data collection and empowers them to take a proactive approach to water quality.

Volunteers will start the day off at the Eldridge Fire Station for a brief overview about water quality and quick training on how to collect the data. During this time, youll be able to meet your data collection group while enjoying some free coffee and donuts.

After training, you and your group of 3-4 people will take off to collect data from 5-7 sites around Scott County. After collecting the information from each site, groups will meet back at the Fire Department for free pizza & T-shirts.

The data collected from the Snapshot goes to one of the largest water quality databases in Iowa. This data is then analyzed for patterns and trends to identify any areas of impairment. With this information, PSCW can take the next steps to continue to protect and improve the countys water quality.

Register today to volunteer here. Contact Liv Humphrey, Watersheds Coordinator, at liv@nahantmarsh.org with any questions. You can learn more about Partners of Scott County Watersheds, water quality and ways to get involved here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
Hey Muskingum County: Heres what you need to know to start your week

ZANESVILLE  The Muskingum County Engineer's Office has announced Wortman Road will be closed from Coopermill Road to Stine Road for 45 days starting Sept. 16 for a bridge replacement.

CORNING  The Perry County Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly luncheon at noon Sept. 17 at Will's Restaurant, 124 Main St., Corning. Guest speaker is Jobie Siemer on his new book, "Clash at Sunday Creek: Rum, Romanism and Rebellion in Corning and Rendville." Cost is $20. For information or registrations, email pcccofc@yahoo.com.

ZANESVILLE  The Zanesville Civil War Roundtable will meet at 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Stone Academy Museum, 115 Jefferson St. The program will be on Civil War era music with Steve and Lisa Ball of Columbus. Participants can listen to songs popular during the 1860s and hear stories about the music and how it related to the events of the time.

ZANESVILLE  The Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority will meet in regular session at 10 a.m. Sept. 18 at the Welcome Center, 205 N. Fifth St.

ZANESVILLE  Muskingum County History is presenting "Mark Twain in Ohio" with Mark Dawidziak at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Stone Academy Museum, 115 Jefferson St. Dawidziak has performed and discussed Twain throughout Ohio in more than 100 venues. He's played Twain on stage for 44 years. Muskingum County History Board President Peter Cultice will facilitate the program. For more information on the free program, call 740-454-9500 or go to muskingumcountyhistory.org.

DUNCAN FALLS  Franklin Local Schools Board of Education will have a financial work session at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the administration center, 360 Cedar St., Duncan Falls.

SHAWNEE  The Shawnee Farmers Markets will have its first farm-to-table fundraiser from 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 21 at Tecumseh Theater, 116 Main St., Shawnee. Proceeds will help to promote local entrepreneurs and address food insecurity in the community. For tickets or more information, email Tom Redfern at tomr@ruralaction.org.

MALTA  Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4713 of Malta is holding a self-paced three mile ruck march at 8 a.m. Sept. 21 starting at the post, 235 Front St., Malta. Registration starts at 7 a.m. A continental breakfast will be provided at the end. The event is to raise awareness for suicide prevention. A mobile vet center will be present and door prizes awarded. In connection, a silent watch to show local veterans that no one fights along will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 20 on the lawn of the Morgan County Courthouse in McConnelsville.

MOUNT PERRY  Zanesville & Western Scenic Railroad will present the Train Robbery Four once an hour from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 21 and 22 at the railroad, 5700 Ohio 204, Mount Perry. For information, visit to zwsr.org or call 614-595-9701.

THORNVILLE  The Thornville Activity Committee will hold an open house and meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 23 at Grace Lutheran Church, 65 E. Columbus St., Thornville. There will be a presentation on the new multi-use trail grant and connecting to the Buckeye Lake Bike Trail.

ZANESVILLE  Make Muskingum Home, a talent attraction and retention program, is accepting applications through Oct. 22. The program will make payments toward student loan debt up to $50,000 over a five-year period for those who live and work in Muskingum County.

Applicants must be a recent graduate with student loan debt who will commit to living and working in Muskingum County for five years. Non-county residents must move into the county within 90 days of being accepted. Those who have already accepted employment and lived in the county for three years or less are eligible as well.

For applications and more information, go to makemuskingumhome.org or contact Beth Fox at bfox@mccf.org or 740-453-5192.

ZANESVILLE  The Zanesville Times Recorder will accept letters related to the Nov. 5 general election until 5 p.m. Oct. 23. One must include their legal name and municipality of residence. A phone number is required for confirmation, but won't be published. Letters will only be accepted from residents of Muskingum, Perry and Morgan counties. Letters should be 350 words or less and are subject to editing for length, clarity, style and libelous or obscene language. One letter per writer is allowed every 30 days. No form letters or poetry. Email to trnews@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com.

NEWARK  Park National Bank of Newark, with local branches, has been named the best bank in Ohio by Forbes on its 2024 list of the America's Best Banks. Forbes, in collaboration with market research firm Statista, conducted a survey of approximately 26,000 U.S. residents. According to Forbes, participants rated their financial institutions on various factors, including customer service, fee structures, digital offerings, financial advice and overall trust.

ZANESVILLE  The Ohio Forestry Association Foundation will accept applications for small-scale projects Sept. 15 through Oct. 13. These grants are designed to assist an organization in a conservation education project, with a maximum individual grant amount of $2,500. Grant awards will be announced by Dec. 1 for funding to be used in the following calendar year. For more information or an application, visit the foundation's Conservation Education Grant Program online.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: What you need to know to start your week
Six months after Yulia Bar-Dan and her family fled their home on a kibbutz in northern Israel fearing a possible Hezbollah assault following the horrendous Hamas attack of Oct. 7, she returned to gather what she could from a lifetime of memories shed left behind.

One hour was all she had. "We were given a chance, under the cover of darkness, to return home for the first time," she told Fox News Digital. "I cried the whole time."

When she arrived, Kibbutz Manara, once home to close to 300 people, looked like a war zone. "We heard explosions above us and hurried to our house  the one closest to the Lebanese border. There was no electricity, and we couldnt open the windows," she said.

HEZBOLLAH RELIES ON 'SOPHISTICATED' TUNNEL SYSTEM BACKED BY IRAN, NORTH KOREA IN FIGHT AGAINST ISRAEL

With a flashlight in hand, she went room to room, gathering as much as she could in a large trash bag. The family of five is now living in a single room and theres not much space for extras. "My daughter wanted her dollhouse, but I couldnt bring it. The happiest moment was finding our cat alive. Seeing him brought real joy to the kids," she says.

Not long after she collected her belongings and left the kibbutz, a Hezbollah missile hit her house. The strike added her home to the staggering 75% of kibbutz structures in the north that have been damaged by Hezbollahs relentless bombardments.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Since Hezbollah joined the war as a "support front" for Hamas on Oct. 8, over 7,500 rockets have been fired from Lebanon into Israel, and more than 200 drones have crossed the border. The toll: 44 people have been killed, 271 wounded and 62,000 evacuated from dozens of communities in northern Israel. Those who have left have no idea when  or even if  they will ever return. The damage to agriculture and tourism has reached billions of dollars, and there is widespread fear that this conflict will escalate further.

The decision to evacuate most northern communities immediately after Oct. 7 didnt come from the government, which was slow to respond. It came from the residents themselves. "Its sheer luck that Hezbollahs Radwan forces didnt join Hamas in the massacre; if they had, nothing would have stopped them," says Yochai Wolfin, the community director of Kibbutz Manara. "We are right on the border and at high risk. Weve known for at least 10 years that Hezbollahs Radwan forces have a plan theyve been training to invade the Galilee, seize multiple communities and do here exactly what we saw happen in the south."

ISRAEL WARNS US DEFENSE CHIEF IRAN AGGRESSION HAS REACHED ALL-TIME HIGH

Naor Shamia, who has lived with his wife and three children on Kibbutz Manara since 2011, doesnt sugarcoat the response of people living near the northern border following Oct. 7. "We ran away. We were terrified they would slaughter us, just like they did in the Gaza envelope," he recalled.

Since Oct. 7, Shamia, who typically would spend his days teaching math and physics, has been focused on leading the kibbutzs rapid response unit  a band of community members with combat experience  which has been tasked with defending against terrorist infiltrations, rocket fire and even wildfires ignited by hot shrapnel or missile impacts. "Much of Kibbutz Manara is visible from Lebanon, which makes our situation even more challenging," Shamia says. "You can walk through parts of the kibbutz and be fully exposed to Hezbollah."

In December, when members of the rapid response unit rushed to a blaze that had been sparked by an anti-tank missile, Hezbollah fired three more missiles, injuring two members of the unit. "Manara sits on a high ridge, making us an easy target for anti-tank missiles," Shamia says. "Were exposed."

Established in 1943, the kibbutz economy has been primarily based on agriculture, including a famous vineyard, cherry and apple orchards, and poultry farming. Today, much of that has been destroyed by Hezbollahs rockets. The vineyard was burned and the orchards, located in frequently targeted areas, were abandoned.

An aluminum business, which Yulias husband, Nadav, ran, was also destroyed by a missile strike. Since then, he has been serving with the rapid response unit, while Bar-Dan and their three children live in a single room on a kibbutz in the north but away from the border.

This photo taken from a position in northern Israel shows a Hezbollah UAV intercepted by Israeli air forces over northern Israel on Aug. 25, 2024.

"Theres no official declaration of war here, but were living as if there is a war, constantly bombarded by drones and missiles," she says. "The children go to school, but they spent two hours in a shelter today because of missile fire. People might ask, Why dont you move somewhere else? But this is our home. I cant imagine living anywhere else."

She continued, "What would happen if she and others pulled up roots and abandoned the northernmost regions of Israel? Manara is on the border. If were not there, who will be? We have to come back."

She says she hopes for the day when the government comes to understand whats at stake "and does whats necessary to change the situation in the north. While the worlds attention is focused elsewhere," adding, "the war between Israel and Hezbollah has left northern Israel in a state of devastation."





Original article source: Hezbollah's neighbors: Israeli border community under constant attack from terror group
HONOLULU (KHON2)  In an effort to provide high-quality and safe meals for students, the Hawaii State Department of Education will implement the USDA food safety standards for their produce vendors.

Check out whats going on around the nation on our National News page

The update to the program will go into effect for the 2025-2026 school year starting July 1, 2025, to ensure Hawaii public school students have healthy and safe meals.

DOE gets grants to expand world language programs

This means produce farms will need to be certified under the Good Agriculture Practices Standards to provide consistent quality, healthier meals and streamlined food safety.

Were very fortunate that we have a partnership with the Farm Bureau and the Department of Agriculture that provides the support to local farmers in attaining that GAP certification. All of us working together ensures that were able to provide for our students healthy, nutritious, great tasting meals that students will enjoy. Superintendent Keith Hayashi

Officials said students and families can expect produce in schools to be sourced from farms adhering to the highest agriculture standards and will improve the Departments food safety protocols, making the processes for procurement and handing more efficient and secure.

We support our local farms through our distributors. This GAP standard ensures we have high quality, great tasting locally sourced produce for our students for their breakfast and lunch. We serve over one hundred thousand meals at the Department of Education and we are committed to supporting our students and their health, Hayashi added.

Check out more news from around Hawaii

Both the Department of Education and its suppliers will be in close contact as each farm completes its GAP-certified audit process.

Vendors will complete a GAP audit by a USDA-qualified inspector and must maintain annual audits to maintain eligibility.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
SAN YSIDRO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  A driver is facing charges after leading police on a high-speed chase on Interstate 5 late Friday night that ended in a crash involving two police cruisers.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating after an unidentified driver in a white BMW was seen by a CHP officer at 10:49 p.m. Friday lose control, coming to a stop in several lanes on I-5 northbound, south of State Route 905 in South Bay.

Police investigate stabbing at Oceanside Harbor campground

The CHP officer says they then watched as a San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officer attempted to pull over the BMW, which took off at a high speed north on I-5 before crashing at the SR-905 transition. The CHP police car and a SDPD police car were involved in the crash, CHP says.

The officers were taken to the hospital for treatment of unknown injuries. CHP reports the driver of the BMW was taken into custody by SDPD officers.

Officer Martinez parents speak on his recovery at home after fiery pursuit crash

California Highway Patrol is investigating and is asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact the CHP San Diego Area office at 858-293-6000.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
High tides and possible flooding expected in Georgetown and Charleston Sunday night

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)  Coastal areas may experience flooding Sunday night due to an area of low pressure affecting the region, with two separate advisories posted for Georgetown and Charleston.

Georgetown County Emergency Management said residents should be aware of a Coastal Flood Advisory along the immediate coastline, effective from 4 to 8 p.m. Up to one foot of flooding above ground level is expected in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways. Residents are urged to exercise caution and avoid driving through floodwaters.

Meanwhile, the City of Charleston has also warned of potential flooding, with a high tide of 7.7 feet expected at 6:31 p.m. Light rain and gusty winds could accompany the tide. Drivers are reminded not to navigate flooded streets or bypass barricades.

While both areas are at risk for flooding, these advisories apply to separate locations, so residents should be mindful of local conditions and warnings.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
A 45-year-old man hiking alone in Alberta, Canada, was mauled by a bear late Friday morning, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed to Fox News Digital Saturday.

The unnamed hiker from Calgary was in a remote part of Crowsnest Pass near Window Mountain Lake around 11:19 a.m., when the attack happened, leaving him with extensive injuries, RCMP public information officer Cst. Cory Riggs confirmed to Fox News Digital.

RCMP at Crowsnest Pass responded after receiving an emergency SOS activation from the hiker on the Great Divide Trail after the attack.

WATCH: ANGRY BEAR ATTACKS TRAINER DURING PERFORMANCE IN FRONT OF HUNDREDS OF TERRIFIED CHILDREN, PARENTS

The man was attacked by an unspecified type of bear in a remote part of Crowsnest Pass near Window Mountain Lake in Alberta, Canada.

The man was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries, RCMP said in a release.

Crowsnest Fire Rescue, Fish and Wildlife, Search and Rescue and STARS air ambulance assisted police in the mans rescue.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"No matter what your experience level is, while exploring the wilderness, SOS devices are an essential tool for anyone who may find themselves in an emergency situation," the release said. "It is the most reliable way to call for help after sustaining an injury in an isolated area. Always make sure that you notify others of your planned route, along with your time of departure and approximate return."

DISABLED VETERAN WHO SURVIVED ATTACK BY GRIZZLY BEAR RECALLS WHEN INSTINCTS KICKED IN

The man was hiking in a remote part of Crownest Pass when he was attacked.

RCMP didnt specify what type of bear attacked the man. It was likely a grizzly or a black bear, according to the CBC.

Two weeks earlier, a man was attacked by a female grizzly in Calgary, CBC reported.

On Sept.1, a hunter in Idaho was bitten by a grizzly in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

The attack was "like playing tug of war with your dog, but he was playing it with my arm and ripping it apart," hunter Riley Hill said afterward.

Doctors estimate it will take two months for him to recover.





Original article source: Hiker mauled by bear, hospitalized with extensive injuries: official
MILWAUKEE - Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off on Sunday, and Mexican Independence Day follows on Monday. But this weekend in Milwaukee, an explosion of culture was already underway.

"People come together and celebrate a heritage," said Fr. Ricardo Martin, pastor at St. Adalbert Parish.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Martin said the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration also falls in line with St. Adalbert's parish festival.

"I think it helps to bring the food, the meals, the music, the culture that they have in all these countries," he said.

From the food, to the flags and the family, organizers said Hispanic Heritage Month events are an all-in-one way to highlight cultures and communities that are growing in Milwaukee.

"Its like our Fourth of July, and so theres a lot of importance to this day," said Jesus Gonzalez, co-founder of Zocalo Food Truck Park.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.

Mexican Independence Day festivities also kicked off early Saturday at Zocalo Food Truck Park in Walker's Point. The celebration marks Mexico's independence from Spain on Sept. 16, 1810 and recognized Milwaukee's growing Hispanic population.

"Were here to commemorate our ancestors that have come here and have made Milwaukee home," said Gonzalez.

While the parties were in effect, parade preparation was also in motion. UMOS  United Migrant Opportunity Services, spent Saturday lining banners for Sunday's parade and festival.

"Our theme for the parade for the 50th anniversary is Viva Mexico, Viva Independence," said Kristy Moeller, UMOS director of corporate events. "Its very important for us to just have the opportunity to bring our community together in a cultural way."

UMOS' Mexican Independence Day parade starts at 10 a.m. Sunday. The free event starts at 20th and Oklahoma and ends at UMOS' parking lot on Chase Avenue for its annual festival.
(The Hill)  Home improvement company Home Depot agreed to pay nearly $2 million to settle a civil complaint from multiple California district attorneys, alleging the company took part in false advertising and unfair competition.

The company has to pay $1.7 million in civil penalties as well as $277,251 to cover investigation costs and support future enforcement of consumer protection laws. Home Depot did not admit wrongdoing, but was cooperative in the investigation, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney Offices news release.

False advertising and unfair competition are serious offenses that undermine consumer trust and distort the marketplace, Los Angeles County District Attorney Gascon said in a statement.

The lawsuit said that Home Depot customers would bring items to the checkout and the price of the item would be higher than what was listed on the shelf. Those are called scanner violations, according to D.A.s Office.

When companies engage in deceptive practices, they not only cheat consumers but also gain an unjust advantage over businesses that operate ethically and transparently, Gascon said. This settlement is a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated and underscores our commitment to safeguarding the rights of consumers in our community.

The home improvement retailer has to implement a price accuracy program that will add more audits and training and eliminates price increases on weekend days. In early July, the company agreed to pay $750,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging it did not adhere to Californias state law regarding gift cards.

The Hill has reached out to Home Depot for comment.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
"DEI hire," "didn't earn it," randomly blaming diversity  rightwing pundits have parroted those claims throughout the year, flinging the language at high-ranking officials or doling them out in the face of tragedy.

Far-right commentators hurled the phrase at Vice President Kamala Harris both before and after her surprise ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket. But before her, ultraconservative lawmakers, pols and influencers wielded the language against White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and former Harvard University President Claudine Gay, all of whom share in having held prominent positions and being Black.

For Evelyn Carter, a social psychologist and diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, the anti-DEI refrain from the right sounds all too familiar.

"It is the latest iteration of a challenge that has come up for, I mean, as long as I can remember. Twenty years ago, it was 'you're an affirmative action hire' or 'you're a diversity hire,'" she told Salon, recalling how peers at Northwestern University lobbed such comments at her and other Black students when she attended in the 2000s.

Since the label "DEI hire" has gained popularity among the far-right, many on the left have harangued it as another dog whistle, a form of coded language with multiple meanings, that allows ultraconservative political actors to disparage powerful professionals of color. Others have argued that the phrase is a thinly veiled way of saying the N-word, and even conservative officials have spoken out against its use.

The broad consensus around what "DEI hire" implies  if not outright means  is clear: at best it looks racist and sexist; at worst, it just is. But how easily its meaning is ascertained raises questions about whether "DEI hire" is a dog whistle in the traditional sense, more slur-adjacent as some suggest, or something new.

Still, if United States history has imparted anything, its that this language isnt isolated to just words. It often materializes in action that works to the detriment of the people the language is meant to exclude. Against a backdrop of a national effort to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies in schools, universities and corporations, the right's mobilization around "DEI" and "DEI hire" appears all the more dangerous.

From CRT to DEI  a conservative activist's strategy

Anti-DEI sentiment erupted into the mainstream in December 2023 as far-right influencers pushed for then-Harvard University President Claudine Gay's resignation amid campus tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. The campaign for her ouster started with far-right activist and journalist Christopher Rufo and found an amplifier online in users like hedge fund manager Bill Ackman before coming to a head after her controversial response to concerns of antisemitism on Harvard's campus during a congressional hearing.

As the claim that the university's first Black president was a diversity hire took off, the plagiarism allegations that Rufo and others also leveled about her early research, coupled with the blowback from her response, became evidence of her supposed lack of qualifications.

Gay's takedown was strategic  Rufo admitted as much in a January interview with Politico the day after Gay announced her resignation, telling the outlet: "When you put those three elements together  narrative, financial and political pressure  and you squeeze hard enough, you see the results that we got today, which was the resignation of Americas most powerful academic leader."

Rufo had been rallying against what he calls "DEI bureaucracy" long before last winter, and his anti-DEI campaign followed his 2020 crusade against critical race theory (CRT), once understood as an academic, legal framework interrogating the role of color-blind institutions and laws that undergird systemic racism.

The anti-CRT effort saw some success. In the wake of the 2020 racial justice protests, CRT, with help from Rufo, quickly became something of a "radical left" boogeyman. For the right, it came to represent an educational doctrine hellbent on fortifying racial resentment, and conservative officials felt the need to take action against it.

In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to the anti-CRT effort by enacting the 2022 "Stop W.O.K.E. Act," which prohibits classroom discussions and workplace trainings that made students and employees feel discomfort around their race. At the national level, former President Donald Trump in 2020 issued an executive order that admonished "blame-focused diversity training."

Still, the anti-CRT effort did not receive the kind of traction among the public that anti-DEI sentiment has seen thus far.

"The shift from attacking CRT to attacking DEI enables people to go after Black people and women in positions of power," said Jason Stanley, a co-author of "The Politics of Language" and a professor of philosophy at Yale University. "It was unclear with the CRT stuff, which was also a dog whistle, how you were going to use it to go after individual people. But what we had coming out of [the George Floyd protests] was a backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion offices, and then the expression morphed."

Since Gay's resignation, rightwing pundits have tacked a derogatory "DEI" moniker onto a smattering of subjects and people.

On social media, they sought to blame Boeing aircraft failures on the company's adherence to an internal diversity initiative. When a container ship crashed into a Baltimore bridge in March, they found fault for the tragic collapse in duly elected Mayor Brandon Scott, who they dubbed the city's "DEI mayor," and accused Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a fellow Democrat, of prioritizing diversity in his appointment of Ports of Baltimore Commissioner Karenthia A. Barber (both Barber and Moore are Black).

"We know what they want to say, but they dont have the courage to say the N-word, and the fact that I dont believe in their untruthful and wrong ideology," Scott said of the attacks during an appearance on MSNBC's the ReidOut at the time.

While Rufo, in his Politico interview, insisted the "DEI hire" invocation against Gay was "absolutely not fueled by racial animus" or sexism, it's clear the label largely comes off that way. It's taken on dog whistle status  even if it might not completely operate like one.

"A slightly different functioning dog whistle"

A dog whistle secretly communicates one targeted idea to an in-group while also offering an innocuous separate message to people outside of that group. As such, they often carry two meanings, the first being more acceptable and broadly understood, while the other, problematic meaning is meant to only to be understood by the speaker's intended audience. The number "88," for example, when used by white supremacists, is a code for the letters HH, or, "Heil Hitler."

How that language traditionally works is by relying on plausible deniability when confronted about the hidden message in order to keep it coded, explained Jennifer Saul, a University of Waterloo professor of philosophy whose research focuses on political language, including racist, sexist and deceptive speech.

While "DEI hire" ticks these boxes  on the surface discrediting the target's qualifications by claiming a policy privileges their race or gender, while underneath tying that alleged inadequacy to the target's race or gender, if not standing in for a slur  the plausible deniability component of its function is much harder to locate.

"In this case, the surface message isn't very good. It's not very acceptable either, and it looks pretty darn racist. And the hidden message is even worse," Saul told Salon. "So if it is working like a dog whistle, it's a slightly differently functioning dog whistle."

The term "DEI" on its own already comes with a number of negative associations. It can represent an affront to a supposed American meritocracy, while also being a reminder of a poorly done or cumbersome mandatory workplace training. Packaged into a dog whistle, those negative associations make it a "multifunctional term" that can be doled out in a number of different contexts to do "negative work," making it a "well-suited attack" for the right, Saul said.

"Dog whistles are only necessary where you're saying something anti-democratic because democratic public reason is governed by certain norms" like having full, equal respect, added Stanley. Using a dog whistle, then, "is threatening for democracy because democracy is all about equality, not making some people into second class citizens."

To Ian Haney Lopez, author of "Dog Whistle Politics" and a UC Berkeley law professor, "DEI hire" is a "classic dog whistle" insofar as it triggers "deeply internalized racial and gender resentments" while offering users a "seemingly neutral and principled way to defend" them.

Where do these fears and resentments come from? One answer is the diversifying population of the country, which research indicates can make white Americans "feel threatened," offered Carter, whose social psychology research has interrogated how to detect and discuss racial bias.

"A lot of that is because, when it comes to an understanding of the way that our country and our world operates, it is one that relies on white people and whiteness being the source of power, the main decision makers, and everyone else who is not white or who is not aligned with that practice being on the losing end," she said.

Claudine Gay, Vice President Harris and other targets of this "DEI hire" language "represent the kind of figurative representatives of this threat to whiteness," speculated Luvell Anderson, a professor of philosophy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who researches hate speech, racial slurs and racial humor. "Using phrases that aren't particularly well hidden seem to be more acceptable because the threat seems to loom larger  at least that's the perception  in a way that it might not have been in the 80s, for example."

Because most Americans are aware that the phrases are meant to communicate something negative, the use of "DEI hire" against Black professionals and officials "seems to mark a shift in the way that this kind of language is being employed," Anderson told Salon. That change, he said, follows "what our politics makes possible with respect to the way that power is operating, both at the policy level, but also at the discussion-level."

Looking to the past to see the future

Haney Lopez's theory of "dog whistle politics" locates the strategy's origins in the 1960s, with the 1964 campaign of Republican candidate Barry Goldwater and the 1968 bid of then-Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon. Both deployed the "Southern strategy," described as such because it strove to appeal to white Southern voters who opposed racial integration following the Civil Rights Movement's success.

While Goldwater's direct opposition to the Civil Rights Act failed to garner enough support to secure an electoral victory, Nixon's re-up on the strategy four years later, using racially coded language like "states' rights," "forced busing" and "law and order" to describe policies that let those voters know he had their interests in mind  "maintaining white dominance" as Haney Lopez puts it  proved more successful.

Here, "the plausible deniability is a deniability about the racial strategy, the racist demagoguery of Goldwater and mixing themselves," explained Haney Lopez, whose scholarship explores constitutional law and race.

Republican candidates would continue to build on dog whistle politics as a strategy to appeal to white Southern evangelicals over the next few decades.

During his campaign in the 80s, Ronald Reagan's warning of the "welfare queen" misusing government funds soon came to evoke an image of a Black single mother who exploited that financial support to the detriment of American taxpayers. George W. Bush's use of "wonder-working power" during his presidential campaign, while benign to a general audience, also called upon a religious association in evangelical circles that signaled allegiance to the group, according to Luvell Anderson.

But dog whistle politics, though not explicitly termed as such, also stretch much farther back through history to the post-enslavement era, argues Khalil Gibran Muhammad, a Harvard University professor of history, race and public policy.

Over a century ago, when Black people began to migrate from the South, Americans in the North used the language of Black criminality to justify segregation in places like Philadelphia, Chicago and New York, attempting to characterize Black people as criminal threats to distinguish themselves from Southerners who'd employ racial slurs. Later, in the South, the Jim Crow laws that restricted Black Americans' 14th Amendment rights and freedoms used "colorblind language" in an effort to use other legal maneuvers as proxies for race, like in the case of disenfranchising clauses that prohibited someone from voting if they weren't descended from people who had been voters.

"American politics, for 120 years since the end of slavery, has been defined by uses of political speech to signal a commitment to keeping Black people in their place, to limiting their freedom," Muhammad said.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

Those politics still remain in policies and practices that work to reinforce that supposed place for Black Americans and other minoritized groups, Haney Lopez argued, citing Michelle Alexander's "The New Jim Crow."

Mass incarceration, which disproportionately impacts Black Americans, grew, in large part, in response to "dog whistle competition about who could use the language of crime to stampede white voters in their fears of African Americans," Haney Lopez explained. Racial politics and resentment expressed in coded language drove the erosion of the social safety net, helped along by the Republican Party's interest in boosting big business and dismantling marketplace regulations. The "violence and rhetoric of criminality" applied to Central American migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border also buttresses the nation's mass deportation, he added, noting Border Patrol's status as the nation's largest law enforcement agency.

The right's mobilization around DEI also raises the possibility that similar consequences can arise, Haney Lopez and Muhammad said.

"The danger here is that, by scapegoating, maligning and essentially holding up a vision of America that is in stark contrast to the realities of a country that is becoming populated by more people of color, political violence will be normalized as results in a way that we haven't seen in a generation or two," Muhammad said. "In other words, we'd be reaching back into a kind of arsenal of weapons that have long been deployed against nonwhite people who had the audacity to make claims on the same rights as white Americans."

He pointed to the "authoritarian and arguably fascist regimes" Black Americans lived under post-slavery and Reconstruction: antagonism from a police state, having to contend with propaganda that held the natural leaders were white, Jim Crow politics that rejected Black women's bodily autonomy, particularly with respect to sexual violence and forced sterilization.

"If you want to see the future, you only have to look to what happened to Black people in this country 400 years after slavery began," Muhammad said, noting that the difference now is that the right is "targeting anyone who is not on board with an authoritarian vision of an American future" as evidenced by ongoing attacks on civil liberties, bodily autonomy and explicit calls for theocracy. "That's what homegrown fascism looks like in America."

"Racism is the core"

By the rise of the Trump era, dog whistles' form had changed, according to Haney Lopez. Instead of the plausible deniability of their hidden messages being directed outward to deny claims of bigotry from critics, it now turns inward from the speaker to  in this case  the MAGA base.

This new function of plausible deniability allows the base to tell itself, "We're not racist, we're just worried about criminals," or, "We're not racist, we're just concerned unqualified applicants are getting important jobs they don't deserve." This change, Haney Lopez explained, is, in part, due to the success of the Civil Rights Movement, which transformed white America's racist perspective into a belief that such views are immoral.

Trump and other Republican's rhetorical tactics play off that form, giving the base a rationale for embracing their fears, while also building solidarity with the group by eliciting accusations of bigotry, he said. The galvanizing force Trump generated from backlash around Hillary Clinton's 2016 "basket of deplorables" comment serves as an example of that dynamic.

So, too, does a 2022 ad for JD Vance, then running for the U.S. Senate in Ohio, titled, "Are you a racist?" In the ad, which opens with Vance asking the viewer the title question and if they "hate Mexicans," Vance concludes with a staunchly populist message: "I'm JD Vance and I approve this message because whatever they call us, we will put America first."

"Racism is the core of their campaign," Haney Lopez said, "and yet they want a public discourse in which the very idea that they're racist is not only absurd, but offensive and indicative of liberal condescension and bias."

That dynamic has translated into policy and legal challenges as Republicans have mobilized against critical race theory and DEI  and the impacts of those moves have become visible.

In June of last year, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott enacted a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion in the state's universities, which included eliminating campus multicultural centers and identity groups. A 2023 Florida ban on dedicating state funding to DEI policies and programs at state universities shuttered their DEI offices, eliminated connected positions and reallocated dedicated millions to other measures.

Some institutions of higher education across the nation have begun to review and roll back race-conscious scholarships in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling race-based affirmative action in university admissions unconstitutional. Others have seen dips in Black, Latino and Asian American student enrollment as the new academic year gets underway.

In the private sector, grant programs seeking to address inequities in access to funding for women of color have been hit with lawsuits. Fearless Fund's grant program, which aimed to boost Black women's businesses with $20,000 in venture capital funding, on Wednesday announced that they agreed to discontinue it in a settlement after a lengthy legal battle.

Shelton Goode, a diversity, equity and inclusion expert, told Salon that the crusade against DEI has also placed a strain on the industry as practitioners navigate the shift in attitudes. He said his business consultancy, Icarus Consulting, saw a 68% drop in its revenue between June 2023 and June 2024, which he attributes to the successful weaponization of DEI.

This movement against DEI, an extension of Nixon-era politics, "undoes the progress that we've made and that we're still trying to make toward being an integrated, multiracial society," Haney Lopez said. "It redescribes the progress as instead racial threat."

The characterization of Vice President Harris is an "escalation" of the ousting of Claudine Gay, which is also an escalation of the attack on DEI in Florida, Texas and other states, added Muhammad.

"So Kamala Harris, in some ways, represents an answer to Trumpism, and it is her embodiment of all of the work of trying to make this country embrace its future and live up to its full demographic possibilities, a country that will, by definition, look more like Kamala Harris than Donald Trump in the future," he said. "This is what this is all about. It is a political movement to forestall, to roll back, to destroy, the effort to make American democracy work for everyone."

The threat to democracy

When Nika White, a DEI practitioner and the founder of Nika White Consultancy, first saw how the far-right was wielding "DEI hire" against the vice president, she didn't have much of a reaction to it.

"I decided that I wanted to be more unbothered by it, and that felt a bit more empowering and like a way to reclaim agency," she told Salon, noting she expected that rhetoric to arise. "It's a distraction. It sows discord, and it's something that I don't want to give power to."

Since the rightwing crusade against DEI began, White said she has lost a handful of clients, including a university system in her state of South Carolina responding to the affirmative action decision. At the same time, she said she's also had an equal number of clients renew their commitment to DEI and continue their work, and she's instructed them to fortify their legal preparedness in the face of the attacks.

Still, White and Goode are concerned with what's next for DEI work and practice. They pointed to the proposed eradication of federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives outlined in "Project 2025," a 900-page policy guideline created by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation for what the next conservative administration, presumably that of Trump should he win, should work to implement if elected this November.

The proposals culling DEI from government agencies and offices, White and Goode warn, pose a danger to the practice and the people DEI is meant to assist by raising the potential for more hostility to be directed toward them and eliminating policies that increased the number of qualified people of color and other marginalized groups in career fields in which they are underrepresented.

But "regardless of whether Trump wins, it's already happened  that future is already here," Muhammad argued. "The only question is: will the federal government become an instrument of authoritarian state-level politics and policy vision  that the Heritage Foundation has now enshrined in a document  that would then eliminate any form of power or resistance to defining the entirety of America that way?"

When reached for comment over email, a Heritage Foundation spokesperson said someone at the organization would be able to respond via phone call. After providing a number, Salon never received a phone call, nor did the organization respond to a follow-up email.

While at least 140 of his former aides and associates have been connected with "Project 2025," Trump maintains he has nothing to do with, nor knows anything about, the document.

"We know what the tools of domination look like. More of our future hinges on this election than at any point, and more of our future will depend on what even happens if Harris wins or the Democratic Party secures the White House  it's not over. It ain't over," Muhammad said. "There's way more to come, much more work to do, and looking at what's happening at the state-level tells us all we need to know about what their vision is for the entire nation."

Editor's Note: This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.
RINCON, Ga. (WSAV)  Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) kicked off the building of a home for an Army Sgt. in Rincon on Saturday.

HFOT is a publicly funded 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives.

Bill Ivey, Executive Director of HFOT said, What were doing here today is, Homes For Our Troops is kicking off a specially adapted custom home for Matt Watters, who was wounded, severely injured, in Iraq.

In 2002 Watters went on his first tour to Afghanistan and deployed again in 2003 to Iraq with the 1st Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

On June 11, 2003, Watters was on a raid on a terrorist training camp in western Iraq when he was struck in the leg by a rocket propelled grenade. He lost his left leg below the knee and sustained severe damage to his right leg and left arm.

After medically retiring from the military, Watters worked as an officer with the Tacoma Police Department for over 17 years before moving to Georgia with his wife, Lindsey, and their two children. In their current non-adapted house, Matthew cannot use his wheelchair because the hallways are too narrow.

Receiving a specially adapted custom HFOT home in Rincon will enable Matthew to rest and recover in his wheelchair.

What really makes us different than a lot of other organizations is number one, we build where they want to live, and number two, we stay in contact with them for life, said Ivey, So, we dont hand them the keys and say good luck, we say here are the keys, welcome to the family, we will be there for you for the rest of your life.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.
An environmental activist who protested mining and hydro-electric projects in northern Honduras in an effort to preserve tropical forests and rivers has been killed, police said on Sunday.

Juan Lopez was shot dead on Saturday night by several men as he headed home in his car from church, an official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Lopez belonged to the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Common and Public Goods, an environmental organization in the city of Tocoa on the countrys Atlantic coast.

Three other members of the group were killed last year in what the organization saw as retaliation, in a country that is one of the worlds most dangerous for activists.

Residents take part in a protest after the murder of environmentalist Juan Lopez in Tocoa, Colon Department, Honduras, on September 15, 2024. - Oscar Lanza/AFP/Getty Images

The group had suffered threats and harassment for years amid efforts to preserve the Guapinol and San Pedro rivers, and the Carlos Escaleras nature reserve, amid the growing presence of mining and hydro-electric companies.

We demand clear and conclusive answers, this government must answer for the killing of our colleague Juan Lopez, the group said in a post on social media.

Last October, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted precautionary measures in favor of 30 members of the group and their legal representatives, including Lopez. It urged the Honduras government to strengthen its protection mechanisms.

According to the commission, Lopez reported numerous threats, including from a gang member, a local businessperson, and a mining company representative. Since June, two men on motorcycles began appearing around his home, the commission said.

The United Nations resident coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, said Lopez had been threatened for his activism, and she praised his efforts to stand up to powerful interests.

We condemn the terrible murder of Juan Lopez, a human rights defender threatened for his work, she said in a post on social media.

Latin America accounted for 85% of the worlds environmentalists who were killed last year, according to UK advocacy group Global Witness, with 18 deaths registered in Honduras.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
HOPE, N.M.  This town's story is one of big ambitions ruined by improbable events.

There was the railroad investor who went down with the Titanic. The banker who fled to Mexico with the towns money. The overnight freeze that nearly killed the orchards that once sustained the place  apple, pear, apricot  and woke up residents with a shattering of branches.

"That come through here about the time that the sap was going down in the trees," said Bill Fletcher, Hope's 85-year-old mayor, sitting in a recliner in his one-room cabin. "One old-timer  said it just blowed those trees to pieces.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

The worst of Hope's calamities, though, came when the river running through town disappeared underground, leaving the town to parch on the high desert plain.

"When I come out here," said Fletcher, who arrived in 1981, "the wind was blowing something terrible when we come out, dust and everything, I said, Aint no way Im going to stay out here.'"

And yet, he did. And Hope, despite everything, has held on.

Bill Fletcher, 85, started living in Hope, New Mexico in 1981.

The hide of a mountain lion stretches across one of Fletcher's cabin walls, a trophy of his days as a predator hunter in a government program serving mostly Anglo farmers and ranchers. A caged parrot named Monkey Bird chatters on the porch.

"It grows on you," said Fletcher, who moved from the Texas hill country. "I didn't think it would. But the people out here are the nicest bunch of people I have ever  you know, they have nice people in Texas. But all these ranchers, they just took us in. And theyre just the nicest bunch of people I ever had to work for."

The 2020 U.S. Census said 113 people lived in Hope. But no one  not even Fletcher  is sure its quite that many.

The town has 84 active municipal water connections and collects $5,600 in property taxes annually. The last school closed in the 1970s. The gas station and lone cafe shuttered six years ago. There isnt a business left in town and homes from Artesia, the next city over, seem to get closer and closer as the years go by.

But no one here is willing to bet against Hopes future.

This community just outside one of the most profitable oil basins in the world is one of 19 small towns across America of the same name. USA TODAY visited six of them this summer at a time when divisions in the nation appear to threaten hopes for America's future.

Everyone we talked to here in Hope, New Mexico, seemed to have a story of the town's history. Their stories all had one thing in common  resilience.

Steering population growth

The Eddy County Fair was up in July, and Hope's Catarino Varelas, 63, was spraying down a Black Angus steer named Juanchi. His niece Mabel Valenzuela had entered the fair's 4H competition and still needed to groom her steer for the showing.

Varelas came to Hope from Durango, Mexico, five years before Fletcher, in 1976. He walked some 200 miles with his father across the U.S.-Mexico border to work a cattle ranch north of town. He was 15 years old and worked for $1 a day. The rancher, a pillar of the Anglo community named George Teel, paid his father $7 a day when the legal minimum wage should have earned him $18.

"The Penasco River used to run (by here)," Varelas said. "The river sunk down, not through a hole, just little by little."

A barn next to the wash station bustled with young competitors and their families preening their steers: painting hooves, blow-drying their coats, hair-spraying their tails. Varelas' relatives  a cousin, nieces and nephews, his mother  gathered to support Mabel.

Catarino Varelas laughs with his extended family at the Eddy County Fair in Artesia, New Mexico.

They were Hope's newest residents and one of the few families still raising children in town. They were also one of the only families speaking Spanish as they prepared for the competition.

Across America, two-thirds of rural counties suffered population loss in the decade through 2020. But the economic and social upheaval of the pandemic led to some growth in rural counties as more Americans turned to remote work and moved to sparsely populated communities. But in Hope, the trends have been more local.

The expansion of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center 20 miles east in Artesia brought Border Patrol and other federal agents to town, Fletcher said. So does the oil industry. Though Hope lies just outside the Permian Basin's rim, Eddy County and Lea County next door accounted for nearly a third of crude oil and natural gas production in the basin last year.

But arguably the biggest driver of recent population growth has been Varelas' own family.

His mother and brother joined him 20 years ago. In the past five years, his cousin married a local man and brought her four children to Hope from Mexico. Now 6% of the 2020 Census population are his relations.

'Scratch one of us, we all bleed'

Fletcher brought the monthly city council meeting to order at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday in late July.

Outside, the sun roasted and a hot breeze blew. Desert harvester ants scurried over gravel while a rooster crowed among hens pock-pocking on someone's front porch.

Inside, fans worked overtime to cool the metal-sided municipal building that held council chambers and three offices: one for police chief Shane Baker; one for municipal judge Jeremiah Fletcher, the mayor's son; and one for city clerk Sonia Carbajal.

Were more or less a family here," Fletcher explained, as he greeted each of the councilors. "None of us is kin, but were a family anyway. You scratch one of us, we all bleed.

Lupe Varelas, the first Latina city councilwoman in town history, took her seat on Fletcher's left. She was born and raised in Artesia in a Mexican American family. She met Catarino Varelas at a dance in 1983. Although she dreamed of moving to the mountains, she didn't make it further than Hope.

"He asked my parents for my hand in marriage in three months," she said. "My mom said yes. My dad said yes. Then my mom changed her mind. So we eloped."

Lupe Varelas is the first Latina city council member in the city of Hope, In this photo, she is photographed with her husband Catarino Varelas at one of their properties in Main St.

Back then, Mexican laborers weren't welcome in town or in government. The memories are still fresh. "My husband wanted to be in the fire department," she said, "but they wouldn't let him because he was Mexican."

But he pushed the all-Anglo volunteer board for nearly 10 years until they let him on in 1991. He later led the department.

"Catarino has been fire chief," Fletcher said. "Hes been everything you can think of. He is a good man all the way through."

Ladder truck in a one-story town

The councilors sat at a semicircle dais, an attempt at municipal formality. But chambers were otherwise as informal as a church hall, and every surface was stacked with the detritus of years gone by  lima bean and radish seeds on an antique metal desk, a well head, reading glasses, garage door openers.

Baker, the 67-year-old police chief, was the only town resident attending the annual budget meeting. He came in uniform and set his white cowboy hat on a table.

Carbajal explained the finer points of the town's roughly $1 million budget, with most of the funding coming from state and federal grants. Councilors questioned an expense associated with the purchase of a secondhand fire truck from Florida for $39,000 that cost another $71,000 to refurbish.

"They had to put everything on it," Carbajal said. "We just got it back from Houston."

"Is a ladder truck really needed in our community, honestly?" asked Matt Bowerman, who joined the council after the truck purchase. "Those are generally used in a two-story or higher building, which we really don't have."

"We're going to use it to paint the flagpole," Fletcher said to chuckles. "All in favor of approving the budget?"

Life in Hope

Hope made a national name for itself, briefly, in May 1950, when Life magazine came to town. Voters had elected a female mayoress and all female council members to a municipal government the magazine dubbed the Petticoat Council.

A clip from the magazine hangs in the municipal building.

As soon as the women (aged 56, 54, 45, 32 and 28) took over, they acted up, Life reported. The town had no taxes and thus no money, so on May 13 the women threw a big barn dance and raised 800 whole dollars. This money will lie around, worrying peoples minds, until it is squandered on some civic improvement. Previous male governments never did any such thing.

The stories of Hope that residents love to retell aren't easily fact-checked. The one about the railroad investor who went down with the Titanic, with his gold? No one can remember his name. Same with the banker who absconded to Mexico. But to residents, the stories aren't tall tales  they are oral histories carefully handed down.

The story of how Hope became Hope, when the village incorporated in 1910, has also taken on a life of its own.

Robert Julyan, author of "The Place Names of New Mexico," published by the University of New Mexico Press, offers this account:

"The most popular and widely accepted explanation of the present name is that two early settlers, Elder Miller and Joe Richards, discussing who should give the name, tossed a dime in the air and shot at it with pistols to settle the issue," Julyan writes. "'I hope you lose,' exclaimed Richards.

"Miller did, and Richards chose the name Hope," Julyan writes.

A river ran through

Alyson Young, 67, spent summers in Hope as a teenager and remembers watching Catarino Varelas and the other Mexican cowboys at work. She remembers the orchards behind her grandmother's house, how the river ran through a deep canal and how it seemed to rain every afternoon at 2 p.m. sharp.

"Big, old trucks would come to load the apples," she said. "They were so plentiful. Now, there is not even a trunk out there. Its been years and years."

She knows the stories of the railroad money that went down on the Titanic, about the night of the big freeze and how the river disappeared underground.

Everyone does, as if the tales of the towns resilience in the face of its calamitous history could tether the place and keep Hope alive.

Her grandfather's family came to Hope in the 1800s, when it was still called Badgerville, before Richards renamed the town to match his outlook.

"It used to rain," she said. "Water came down from the mountain in a huge canal. Mother Young would let us all go play. Right behind my grandmothers house was a huge reservoir. It would fill up, and wed play in it while it was full, and then Daddy Young would water the crops, and wed wait until the next time."

No one here calls it climate change, but clouds blow past Hope now without leaving a drop. A hot wind rustled Young's gray curls as she chatted with Varelas outside the shuttered gas station and cafe he and his wife still own.

Hope is enough

Varelas sat under the wide canopy of a tree on the ranchland he has worked and managed for nearly four decades. He knows the land so well he can point out what's missing now: where the water used to flow, where wells were sunk to supply houses that no longer stand.

Catarino Varelas walks past an abandoned water well once used by homesteaders in the 1800s on a ranch near Hope, New Mexico.

Despite all that has been lost to time, Hope has given him everything he could have ever imagined as a young man, he said.

"I worked hard for everything I have," he said. "Im always watching for a good opportunity. They only come once."

Though he worked another man's land for most of his life, Varelas now owns two houses, one in town and one outside. He owns a farm and grazing land for his cattle and goats. He has two grown children who are well-off, he said, and two grandchildren who visit Hope twice a year.

"My dream was to have a little place big enough where I could ride my horse or go on my four-wheeler without asking anyone to give me permission," he said. "Now I have 2,500 acres and I think thats big enough."

Lauren Villagran can be reached at lvillagran@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where there's hope in New Mexico: 'Scratch one of us, we all bleed'
SPRING VALLY, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  An investigation is underway after one person was killed during a house fire in Spring Valley Friday, authorities said.

The San Diego County Sheriffs Department was alerted to a house fire in the 1200 block of Buena Vista Avenue shortly after noon. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find one person dead inside the residence, which was severely damaged by the blaze.

The Sheriffs Bomb and Arson Unit was called in to investigate the cause of the fire. At the time of this report, the cause remains undetermined and authorities are working to piece together what led to the incident.

The identity of the deceased individual is still under investigation and has yet to be confirmed by the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office. Due to ongoing investigations, authorities have not released any details about the individuals status prior to the fire.

Residents and neighbors are awaiting further updates as officials continue their probe into this fatal event. The Sheriffs Department is urging anyone with information to come forward as they work to resolve this case. Detectives can be reached at (858) 974-2222.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
The News

A missile fired by Yemens Houthi militia exploded in central Israel Saturday, as the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack draws near.

The Israeli Defense Forces said the missile disintegrated in mid-air and there were no known casualties. The countrys Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Houthis, who are backed by Iran and allied with the Palestinian militant group Hamas that Israel is at war with in Gaza, would pay a heavy price for the attack.

A Houthi official told The New York Times the missile attack was an attempt to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza.

The problem is in Gaza and the solution is in Gaza, the official said.

Meanwhile, the IDF Sunday said there was a high probability that three Israeli hostages in Gaza were killed in November during an Israeli air strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised a tough response to a rocket attack by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia on Sunday.

"We are in a multi-front campaign against Iran's axis of evil, which is striving for our destruction," Netanyahu said at his weekly Cabinet meeting.

"This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen at our territory. They should know that we exact a high price for any attempt to attack us."

The long-range ballistic missile triggered air raid sirens across central Israel. Sounds of explosions heard in the early hours of Sunday were due to Israeli missile interceptors, the military said, adding that it was reviewing the outcome.

The Jerusalem Post daily reported that the missile had been fired towards the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

The Arrow 3 missile defence system had apparently failed to intercept the projectile before it entered the atmosphere. Only on the second attempt did the Arrow 2 defence system manage to hit it over Israeli airspace.

According to media reports, missile fragments landed in various parts of the country, including in the cities of Modiin and Rehovot.

Houthi military spokesman Yehya Saree said the attack was carried out with a new hypersonic ballistic missile against an Israeli military target in Jaffa.

"It covered an estimated distance of 2,040 kilometres in 11:30 minutes," he said in a televised statement.

"The Israeli enemy should expect more strikes and specific operations," he added.

The Houthis have claimed several attacks against Israel since the eruption of the Gaza war in October last year.

Following a fatal drone attack on Tel Aviv by the Houthis earlier this year, the Israeli Air Force attacked the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah in July, leading to a massive fire and six deaths. The Houthi leader subsequently announced a new phase in the fight against Israel.

The Houthi militants have also been attacking ships in the Red Sea and said they want to force an end to the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which follow the unprecedented massacres by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in Israel during the October 7 raid.

First responders fight the fire at the scene after a ballistic missile fired at Israel from Yemen was intercepted early on 15 September, the Israeli military said. The surface-to-surface missile came from the east and landed in an open area, the Israeli army reported. Earlier in the morning, warning sirens had sounded in the centre of the country. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
MANOA, Hawaii (KHON2)  HPD announced through a social media post that the unattended death on Dole Street in Manoa has been reclassified as second-degree murder.

Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You

Police officials were initially called to the scene on Friday just after 2 p.m. when a body was found in a storm drain on the 2600 block of Dole Street.

Unidentified body recovered from storm drain on Dole Street

Honolulu Fire Department assisted with the retrieval of the body which was sent to the medical examiner to determine a cause of death.

On Saturday, an autopsy revealed that the unidentified female body had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

No arrest has been made and the investigation remains ongoing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
Human remains 'dug up by animals', police say

Police said the remains appeared to have been dug up by animals [BBC]

Police sealed off a cemetery after unearthed human remains were found.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers went to Park Road near the Dukinfield graveyard in Tameside on Saturday.

The local Tameside Correspondent website reported that the bones were found by playing children.

GMP said the remains were likely to have been disturbed by wildlife and were "historical".

Officers were still at the scene on Sunday.

A spokesman for the force said: "Our investigations have been concluded and it has been determined that there is no criminality and the remains that were found are from a historical burial site that had been disturbed by wildlife."

Det Insp Christopher Dean, from GMP's Tameside district, said the police, local council and coroner were satisfied "no criminality has taken place".

The BBC has approached Tameside Council for comment.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk

Related internet links
Faithful from various religions participate in the Defense of Religious Freedom march at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. The march seeks to bring attention to religious intolerance in the country. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP)  Practitioners of different religious traditions marched down Rio de Janeiro's iconic Copacabana Beach on Sunday to support religious freedom in Brazil, where cases of intolerance have doubled over the past six years.

Hundreds of men, women and children from more than a dozen faiths participated in the event, known as the March for the Defense of Religious Freedom. Many of the participants were practitioners of Afro-Brazilian religions that have recently faced attacks from members of Christian groups. Brazil's recently appointed Minister for Human Rights Macae Evaristo also joined the march, which was held for the 17th consecutive year.

The great challenge today in our country is to reduce inequality," Evaristo told the state-run Agencia Brasil news agency. "So for me it is very important to be present in this march, because the people here are also struggling for many things like decent work and a life free from hunger."

In Rio de Janeiro state, which is home to a quarter of the practitioners of Afro-Brazilian religions, theres been a proliferation of evangelical Christianity, particularly neo-Pentecostal churches founded since 1970 that focus on spreading their faith among non-believers.

Experts say that while most neo-Pentecostal proselytizing is peaceful, the spread of the faith has been accompanied by a surge of intolerance for traditional African-influenced religions, ranging from verbal abuse and discrimination to destruction of temples and forced expulsion from neighborhoods.

Everything that comes from Black people, everything that comes from people of African origin is devalued; if we are not firm in our faith, we will lose strength," said Vania Vieira, a practitioner of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomble. This walk is to show that we are standing, that we will survive.

While the Brazilian constitution protects the free exercise of religion, cases of disrespect and attacks, especially against groups of African origin, have become increasingly frequent.

Between 2018 and 2023, the Brazilian governments complaint service recorded an increase of 140% in the number of complaints of religious intolerance in the country.

In Brazil, those who commit crimes of religious intolerance can face up to five years in prison, as well as a fine.
Sunday marked two years after the death of Mahsa Amini, which sparked protests against Iran's religious authorities (Sameer Al-DOUMY) (Sameer Al-DOUMY/AFP/AFP)

Hundreds of people marched through Paris on Sunday in support of women's rights and the opposition in Iran, two years after the death of Mahsa Amini sparked protests against the country's religious authorities.

A 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, Amini died in custody after being arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women.

The march, organised by around 20 human rights associations, took place as 34 women began a hunger strike in a Tehran prison to mark the two-year anniversary of her death.

Chirinne Ardakani, a Franco-Iranian lawyer and member of the "Iran Justice" collective, said that the "sacrifices" made by Iranians opposed to the regime were "not in vain".

"Everything has changed in Iran," Ardakani told AFP.

"We've gone from an absolutely patriarchal culture, where there was no question of women being able to reveal themselves in the street, to massive support for these women," the lawyer and activist added.

The march in solidarity with the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement was attended by Benjamin Briere and Louis Arnaud, two Frenchmen who were arrested and arbitrarily detained in Iran.

Iran is accused of arresting Westerners without cause and using them as bargaining chips in state-to-state negotiations, with French diplomats describing these prisoners as "state hostages".

Briere was eventually released in May 2023, while Arnaud was let go the month after.

"Yes, I was in prison, but it is an immense honour to have been able to live among you, freedom fighters, who shared my suffering," Arnaud told the crowd, in his first public address since his release.

Three other French nationals are still being held in Iran.

After Amini died in custody on September 16, 2022, the women-led protests which erupted rattled Iran's leadership that autumn and winter.

But the demonstrations were then crushed by the authorities, with rights group Amnesty International saying security forces used assault rifles and shotguns in the crackdown.

Human rights groups say at least 551 people were killed. Thousands more were arrested, according to the United Nations.

dt/sbk/yad
Miles Peterson caught Lauren Lundgren completely by surprise with his marriage proposal.

The two had met in their sophomore year of college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was majoring in agriculture economics and Lauren in child, youth and family studies.

Miles liked her outgoing personality and she liked his easy go-with-the-flow personality.

We really clicked right away, Lauren said. Its true what they say, opposites attract.

In May of their senior year, Laurens girlfriends told her they were going to do a last girls get-together before their graduation a few weeks later. They decided to meet at James Author Vineyards near Lincoln.

In my head I thought nothing of it, Lauren said. We all got dressed up, and once we got there, we went to take pictures and thats where I saw Miles at the top of the hill waiting for me. It was very special.

The Petersons were married in March and now live in Bertrand, where Miles farms corn and soybeans. Thats 45 minutes west of Kearney.

Lauren, who went to Millard West, said shes adjusting well to farm life. Shes also started her own day care.

I definitely had to get used to not getting my Amazon packages in one day, but that adjustment hasnt been too bad, she said. I love how slow paced things are out here, and I enjoy getting to watch Miles do what he loves from start to finish every year.

Finding the right time

Since Miles is a farmer, they had to pick a day for the wedding that wasnt during harvest or planting. That left us with the winter months or the dead of summer. I was trying to dodge both of those seasons, so March felt like a great in-between, Lauren said.

They went for a timeless and elegant celebration, with lots of black and whites with little greenery. Their tablecloths were ivory with black napkins. Centerpieces were white florals and greenery.

Our head table was the trickiest thing for myself to think of what I wanted, Lauren said. Barbie at Hy-Vee Florals nailed my vision. Lots of single flower vases all along the head table. It was perfect.

Memorable moment

Their private first look before the ceremony and sharing their vows together was a sweet moment theyll never forget.

Being alone together was so special and a lot less nerve-wracking, Lauren said. We were able to take it all in and enjoy each others words and raw emotions.

Band wins over DJ

Food and drinks were their biggest expense with 415 guests. They opted for a band over a DJ, but said it was worth every penny. Downtown Collective knocked it out of the park. They were incredible, Lauren said. So many compliments on how amazing their performance was, and I cant tell you how awesome and easy they were to work with. We love them.

They wanted their dog to be a part of their day, so they printed a couple of Fathead photos of her and had her on the dance floor. Everyone got a kick out of that.

A corny moment saved

They were serving popcorn during cocktail hour and had cute custom popcorn bowls for their guests. However, they forgot to pick up the popcorn the Friday before the wedding.

Thankfully our wedding coordinator at 402 Events caught the mistake while setting up, and my brothers friend was able to run and pick it up in time for cocktail hours, Lauren said. I had no idea until a couple days after that it all happened.

The couple said their Memory Box Photo Booth was a hit. Its called the Glam Booth. It ended up being one of our most complimented things at our wedding, Lauren said.

Pizza anyone?

Theyve gotten a lot of use out of their Ooni Pizza Oven. It works great for a fun date night at home, Lauren said, and weve been able to make so many different kinds of pizzas. We love it.

Rocking his wedding ring

Lauren says she never realized how good Miles would look wearing his wedding band. She feels so lucky to be called his wife and appreciates how patient and loving he is.

Our wedding day was absolutely perfect because of him, and I thank him all the time for putting up with me during the planning process. He was always my reminder that not everything has to be perfect and the day will be amazing.

Miles said Lauren is a gift from God. She motivates me to be a better person every single day. Her compassionate and loving attitude makes every day with her such a joy, he said. She has been the most incredible wife and my love grows larger for her every single day.

Close The Petersons walk down the aisle at Kountze Memorial Church. The Petersons share a kiss after their ceremony. The Petersons leave the church. Miles and Lauren Peterson met as students at Nebraska-Lincoln. The Petersons in front of Durham Museum. The reception at the Durham Museum. The Petersons were married in March. They used black and white for their reception at Durham Museum. It was able to fit around 415 guests. "I liked how grand and open it was," Lauren said. The special popcorn bowls for guests. The Petersons held their reception at the Durham Museum. They decorated with white flowers. The reception at Durham Museum. They had 415 guests. The wedding party. The Petersons enjoying their reception. A tender moment during the reception. Fun at the reception before their white flower wall. Cutting the wedding cake. They loved having a band instead of a DJ. Lauren and friends in the photo booth. The Petersons are living in Bertrand on a farm. The photo of Lauren and her friends in the photo booth. The newlyweds. Omahan, Bertrand farmer celebrate wedding at the Durham Museum The Petersons walk down the aisle at Kountze Memorial Church. The Petersons share a kiss after their ceremony. The Petersons leave the church. Miles and Lauren Peterson met as students at Nebraska-Lincoln. The Petersons in front of Durham Museum. The reception at the Durham Museum. The Petersons were married in March. They used black and white for their reception at Durham Museum. It was able to fit around 415 guests. "I liked how grand and open it was," Lauren said. The special popcorn bowls for guests. The Petersons held their reception at the Durham Museum. They decorated with white flowers. The reception at Durham Museum. They had 415 guests. The wedding party. The Petersons enjoying their reception. A tender moment during the reception. Fun at the reception before their white flower wall. Cutting the wedding cake. They loved having a band instead of a DJ. Lauren and friends in the photo booth. The Petersons are living in Bertrand on a farm. The photo of Lauren and her friends in the photo booth. The newlyweds.
Can a hurricane lead to an earthquake? In most cases, the answer is no, but scientists havent ruled out the possibility in extreme circumstances.

According to several studies, including a group at Florida State University, there has been an uptick in quakes associated with some hurricanes, but these episodes have generally been weak in magnitude.

"This involves coupling of the atmosphere-ocean and solid earth. During a storm season, hurricanes or noreasters transfer energy into the ocean as strong ocean waves, and the waves interact with the solid earth producing intense seismic source activity," Wenyuan Fan, an assistant professor of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science at FSU, previously stated.

Some researchers have even labeled these events as stormquakes, but they are generally only observed when intense hurricanes have an extended track over the open waters.

Hurricane Bill off the coast of the Northeast in 2009, Hurricane Irene in 2011 off of Florida and the Bahamas and Hurricane Ike in 2008 are all examples of cyclones where there was an uptick in seismic activity.

Fan said that all the associated earthquake activity was generally reported as being a magnitude-3.5 or below.

Previous hurricanes tied to earthquake activity

See Incredible Video From Inside Hurricane Ernesto

Outside of a major weather event that does not result in a significant change in the pressure gradient, university researchers and seismologists with the United States Geological Survey have found no correlation between a normal days events and an uptick in quakes.

"There is no such thing as earthquake weather. Statistically, there is approximately an equal distribution of earthquakes in cold weather, hot weather, rainy weather, etc.," the USGS previously noted.

The agency noted that it is aware of significant pressure changes that have led to increased episodes of fault slips. However, these events are usually minor and not something coastal residents should be troubled by.

Researchers cautioned that those threatened by a tropical cyclone need not worry about the possibility of seismic activity, as the impacts of damaging winds and flooding rains are more consequential than any would be.

"We have lots of unknowns," Fan stated. "We werent even aware of the existence of the natural phenomenon. It really highlights the richness of the seismic wave field and suggests we are reaching a new level of understanding of seismic waves."

A magnitude-5.1 earthquake that occurred during the impacts of Tropical Storm Hilary in 2023 in California was considered to be purely coincidental and not an event directly associated with the tropical cyclone.

7 Facts About Earthquakes

The National Earthquake Information Center reports that approximately 55 detectable earthquakes occur every day, resulting in about 20,000 seismic events per year.

As a general rule, quakes with a magnitude of less than 2.0 cannot be felt but are the most common, while earthquake damage is usually not observed until a magnitude of 4.0 or greater is reached.

Seismologists estimate that around 90 percent of the worlds earthquakes occur in a region known as the Ring of Fire. This zone stretches from New Zealand to the Bering Sea and extends down through South Americas Pacific coastline.

Earthquake scale





Original article source: Can hurricanes trigger earthquakes?
Disgraced BBC News presenter Huw Edwards has been given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after he admitted charges of making indecent images of children.

The court heard that among a number of WhatsApp exchanges with a man later convicted of sex offences, Edwards was offered naughty images of somebody described as "yng (sic)", to which he replied "go on".

He will be placed on the sex offenders' register for seven years.

In July, the former newsreader admitted having 41 images, which were sent to him on WhatsApp  including some showing a victim aged between seven and nine.

Watch on iPlayer

During his sentencing at Westminster Magistrates Court he was also told to attend a sex offender treatment programme.

Edwards was sent images by a 25-year-old convicted sex offender called Alex Williams.

The court heard that in another exchange with Williams, Edwards replied "yes" followed by three 'X's when asked whether he wanted sexual images of a person whose "age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16".

He responded to Williams with: "Amazing". The court heard he was also sent a link with more images, then discussed buying Williams a Christmas present.

Two months later, after yet another exchange, Edwards told Williams: "Don't send anything underage", however this was not the last contact Edwards had with Williams.

The judge sentencing him remarked that the former broadcaster's "long-earned reputation" was "in tatters".

A BBC spokesperson said the corporation was "appalled" by Edwards' crimes.

"He has betrayed not just the BBC, but audiences who put their trust in him.

Huw Edwards leaving court on Monday [Reuters]

Edwards pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. Under the law, images can mean photos or clips.

The chief magistrate, District Judge Paul Goldspring, accepted Edwards submission that he did not make or create the images in the conventional sense, and instead met the legal definition of doing so by opening them on WhatsApp.

The court previously heard that Edwards sent hundreds of pounds to Williams after he sent him pornographic images.

While most of the images were of adult men, a significant proportion of the images were of children.

Of the 377 images, 41 were indecent images, which means they were underage.

The court heard that the Category A images Edwards was in possession of were mostly children aged 13-15.

One child was aged between seven and nine.

The offences were committed between December 2020 and August 2021.

Williams first contacted Edwards in 2018 via Instagram, and has since been convicted and sentenced for distribution and possession of indecent images of children  and it was during that investigation that Edwards involvement was revealed, the court heard.

Throughout the hearing, Edwards sat leaning forward, his hands clasped in front of his mouth, elbows propped on his thighs.

Summing up the case, the judge said there was no evidence that Edwards did anything further with the images he received from Williams.

The court heard Edwards had not directly paid for the images, but that there was a clear inference that Williams would request gifts and presents after sending them, and that Edwards had sent money, described by the prosecution as amounting to around 1,000 to 1,500.

Edwards had told Williams not to send images of people who were underage, but only at a later stage, the judge said, adding this is not a case where, despite protestation not to, nonetheless the images were still sent.

But the judge found Edwards remorse was genuine, and he said the former broadcasters decision-making at the time of the offences may have been impaired by his mental health difficulties.

He said Edwards did not pose a risk to the public or children, and an immediate custodial sentence was not necessary because the evidence showed he could be rehabilitated.

The appropriate sentence would be 12 months for the most severe abuse images, the judge said, but, taking into account the mitigation and early guilty plea, he said the sentence would be six months suspended for two years.

It means Edwards will not go to jail unless he commits another offence within the sentence period.

The magistrate also read from a pre-sentence report to highlight the impact such offences have on the victims.

It described how distributing child abuse images perpetuates a cycle of abuse and can lead to ongoing traumatisation of victims, impacting them throughout their lives and potentially making them vulnerable to further sexual abuse.

Edwards fronted BBC News coverage including the 2019 general election results [BBC]

Edwards was found to have seven category A images - the most serious classification.

He also had 12 category B pictures, and 22 photographs in category C, the least serious classification.

The category B and C pictures showed children aged between 12 to 15.

Reacting to the sentencing, the prime minister said he was "shocked and appalled" by the case.

Until last year, Edwards was one of the main presenters on BBC One's News at Ten and often fronted coverage of major national events.

He was the BBC's highest-paid journalist, receiving between 475,000 and 479,999 between April 2023 and April 2024.

The BBC has asked him to return the 200,000 he earned between his arrest last November and his resignation this April.

The BBC's director general said last week that "discussions are under way" about the possibility of clawing back the money.

Making indecent images - what does the law say?

"Making" indecent images can have a wide legal definition, and covers more than simply taking or filming the original picture or clip.

The Crown Prosecution Service says it can include:

opening an email attachment containing an image

downloading an image from a website to a screen

storing an image on a computer

accessing a pornographic website in which an image appears in an automatic "pop-up" window

receiving an image via social media, even if unsolicited and even if part of a group

or live-streaming images of children

A court must also decide whether an offence falls into the category of possession, distribution or production.

According to the Sentencing Council, which issues guidelines on sentencing that the courts must follow unless it is in the interests of justice not to do so, creating the original image counts as production - the more serious of the three categories. It adds that "making an image by simple downloading should be treated as possession for the purposes of sentencing".

In a statement, Derek Ray-Hill, interim CEO at the Internet Watch Foundation, said: It is shocking that an app most people have on the phone in their pocket allows child sexual abuse imagery to proliferate.

As the regulator, Ofcom needs to utilise the full strength of the Online Safety Act, and compel companies to use their best endeavours to prevent images from circulating in end to end encrypted environments."

Additional reporting by Ben Hatton

If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, the BBC Action Line has information about services that can provide support and advice.
Bryan Kohberger, the man charged in the fatal stabbings of four University of Idaho students, was moved on Sunday from rural Latah County to Ada County, where his upcoming trial will be held after a judge granted his defense team a change of venue.

Kohberger was seen arriving in Boise on a small plane and being transferred to a black SUV while wearing an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs. Boise, where the new murder trial will unfold, is roughly 300 miles from where the crimes occurred.

Kohberger is now in the custody of the Ada County Sheriff's Office, according to online jail records, after previously being held in a jail in Moscow, Idaho, since January 2023.

Latah County District Judge John Judge granted the defense's request for a change of venue earlier this month, citing a number of factors that he said collectively were in favor of moving the trial to a larger courthouse, further removed from the location of the crime.

IDAHO JUDGE RULES ON BRYAN KOHBERGER'S MOTION TO CHANGE VENUE IN STUDENT MURDER TRIAL

Bryan Kohberger is led to an awaiting Ada County Sheriff vehicle at Boise Airport in Boise, ID on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.

Kohberger is accused of entering an off-campus rental home around 4 a.m. on that date and fatally stabbing 21-year-olds Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves as well as 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Kohberger, who is accused in the murder of four University of Idaho Students in 2022, has had his trial moved from Latah County to Ada County.

Police arrested Kohberger six weeks after the killings at his parents home in Pennsylvania, where he was spending winter break.

IDAHO MURDERS SUSPECT BRYAN KOHBERGER GETS NEW JUDGE IN CHANGE OF VENUE IN STUDENT STABBINGS TRIAL

Authorities have said that cellphone data and surveillance video shows that Kohberger visited the victims neighborhood at least a dozen times before the killings; that he traveled in the region that night, returning to Pullman, Washington, along a roundabout route; and that his DNA was found at the crime scene.

Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and two other housemates in Goncalves' final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death.

His lawyers said in a court filing he was merely out for a drive that night, "as he often did to hike and run and/or see the moon and stars."

Kohberger was a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, just 10 miles away across the state line at the time of the murders. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Fox News Michael Ruiz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Original article source: Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger arrives in Boise ahead of trial
(WTVO)  Soon Illinoisans will no longer be able to buy fluorescent light as a result of the Clean Lighting Act.

The main goal of the act is to stop pollution that comes from fluorescent lights. Fluorescent lighting is known to be incorrectly disposed of which leads to mercury and other toxins being released into the air.

The act changes the wording of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act. The law will take partial effect in 2026 by banning screw-based or bayonet-based compact fluorescent lamps from being produced or sold.

By 2027, the law will take full effect and will also ban pin-base compact fluorescent lights and fluorescent tubes.

The main exceptions to the law are for using fluorescent lighting in medical uses, academic research and headlights on vehicles manufactured before 2020.

lawmakers who pushed for a ban said 3 in 4 fluorescent bulbs are disposed of incorrectly, resulting in broken glass and the release of toxins into the air. Opponents said the law will cost businesses in the long run.

Illinois is the 10th state to ban fluorescent lighting.

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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.
Jose Patino, a 35-year-old DACA recipient and Arizona community organizer, says it took him a long time to overcome the fear of sharing his personal information  including his legal status  on social media. (Photo courtesy of Jose Patino)

For more than a decade, San-Francisco-based Miguel has been successfully filing renewals for his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status every two years, at least until 2024.

For some reason, this year, it took more than five months to get approval, during which his enrollment in the program lapsed, leaving him in a legal limbo.

He lost his work visa and was put on temporary unpaid leave for three months from the large professional services company where hes worked for a decade.

In those three months, I was trying to do a lot of damage control around getting an expedited process, reaching out to the ombudsman, congressmen  all of the escalation type of actions that I could do, he said.

He was also being cautious about what he put in his social media and other online postings. Like many, he realized such information could put him at risk in an uncertain political environment around immigration.

Given my current situation, I try not to brand myself as undocumented, or highlight it as the main component of my identity digitally, Miguel said.

Miguel, who came to the United States at age 7 with his parents from the Philippines, says he was already mindful about his digital footprint before his DACA protections lapsed. His Facebook and Instagram accounts are set to private, and while amplifying the stories of immigrants is one of his goals, he tries to do so from an allyship perspective, rather than centering his own story.

While his DACA status has now been renewed  reinstating his work permit and protection from deportation  and Miguel is back at work, hes taking extra precautions about what he posts online and how hes perceived publicly. Its the reason that States Newsroom is not using his full name for this story.

Miguels company is regulated by the SEC, and has to take a nonpartisan approach on political issues, he said, and that extends to employees. Staying neutral about political issues may be a common rule for many American workers, but its more complicated when an issue is a part of your core identity, Miguel said.

I think thats been a huge conflicting area in my professional journey, he said. Its the separation and compartmentalization that I have to do to separate my identity  given that it is a very politicized experience  with my actual career and company affiliation.

Digital footprints + surveillance

Its not unusual for your digital footprint  the trail of information you create browsing the web or posting on social media  to have real-life ramifications. But if youre an immigrant in the United States, one post, like or comment on social media could lead to an arrest, deportation or denial of citizenship.

In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice saying it would begin tracking more information, including social media handles for temporary visa holders, immigrants and naturalized U.S. citizens in an electronic system. And Homeland Security would store that information.

People have to understand that whatever you put out there, its possible that you could be sitting in a room across from a government agent someday asking you a question about it.

 Ray Ybarra Maldonado, immigration attorney

But in recent years, theres been more data collection. In 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was found to have contracted with commercial data brokers like Thomson Reuters CLEAR, which has access to information in credit agencies, cellphone registries, social media posts, property records and internet chat rooms, among other sources.

Emails sent by ICE officials were included in a 2019 federal court filing, showing that information accessed via the CLEAR database was used in a 2018 deportation case, the Intercept reported. ICE agents used an address found in CLEAR, along with Facebook posts of family gatherings, to build a case against a man who had been deported from his home in Southern California and then returned. The man had been living in the U.S. since he was 1, worked as a roofer and had children who are U.S. citizens.

Ultimately, a Facebook post showing the man had checked in at a Southern California Home Depot in May 2018 led to his arrest. ICE agents monitored the page, waited for him to leave the store, then pulled him over. He was charged with felony illegal reentry.

Ray Ybarra Maldonado, an immigration and criminal attorney in Phoenix, said hes seen more requests for social media handles in his immigration paperwork filings over the last few years. It can be nerve-wracking to think that the federal government will be combing through a clients posts, he said, but clients have to remember that ultimately, anything put on the internet is for public consumption.

We all think when we post something on social media that its for our friends, for our family, Ybarra Maldonado said. People have to understand that whatever you put out there, its possible that you could be sitting in a room across from a government agent someday asking you a question about it.

Ybarra Maldonado said hes seen immigration processes where someone is appealing to the court that they are a moral, upstanding person, but there are screenshots of them from social media posing with guns or drugs.

Ybarra Maldonado suggests that people applying for citizenship or temporary protections consider keeping their social media pages private, and to only connect with people that they know. He also warns that people who share info about their legal status online can be the target of internet scams, as theres always someone looking to exploit vulnerable populations.

But maintaining a digital footprint can also be a positive thing for his clients, Ybarra Maldonado said. Printouts from social media can provide evidence of the longevity of someones residence in the U.S., or show them as an active participant in their community. Its also a major way that immigrants stay connected to their families and friends in other countries, and find community in the U.S.

Identifying yourself online

For Jose Patino, a 35-year-old DACA recipient, that goal of staying connected to his community was the reason he eventually began using his full name online.

When he was 6, Patino and his mother immigrated from Mexico to join his father in West Phoenix. From the beginning, he said, his parents explained his immigration status to him, and what that meant  he wasnt eligible for certain things, and at any time, he could be separated from them. If he heard the words la migra, or immigration, he knew to find a safe place and hide.

In Patinos neighborhood, he described, an ever-present feeling lingered that the many immigrants living there felt limited and needed to be careful. He realized he could work, but it would always be for less money, and hed have to keep quiet about anything he didnt agree with. Most people in his neighborhood didnt use social media or didnt identify themselves as undocumented.

You dont want your status to define your whole identity, he said. And its something that you dont want a constant reminder that you have limitations and things that you cant do.

But like most millennials, when Patino went to college, he discovered that Facebook was the main way of communicating and organizing. He went back and forth at least 100 times, over signing up with the social media platform, and eventually made a profile with no identifying information. He used a nickname and didnt have a profile photo. Eventually, though, he realized no one would accept his friend requests or let him into groups.

And then little by little, as I became more attuned to actually being public, social media protected me more  my status  than being anonymous, he said. If people knew who I was, they would be able to figure out how to support me.

Patino and others interviewed for this story acknowledged that the DACA program is temporary and could change with an incoming federal administration. In his first few months of his presidency in 2017, Donald Trump announced he was rescinding the program, though the Supreme Court later ruled it would stand.

That moment pushed Patino toward community organizing. He is now very much online as his full self, as he and his wife, Reyna Montoya, run Phoenix-based Aliento, which aims to bring healing practices to communities regardless of immigration status. The organization provides art and healing workshops, assists in grassroots organizing, and provides resources for undocumented students to get scholarships and navigate the federal student aid form.

Now, Patino said, he would have very personal conversations with anyone considering putting themselves and their status online. The community has gained a lot of positive exposure and community from immigrants sharing their personal experiences, but it can take a toll, he said. His online presence is now an extension of the work he does at Aliento.

Basically, I want to be the adult that my 17-, 18-year-old-self needed, he said. For me, thats how I see social media. How can I use my personal social media to provide maybe some hope or some resources with individuals who are, right now, maybe seeing loss or are in the same situation that I was in?

Tobore Oweh, a 34-year-old Nigerian immigrant who arrived in Maryland when she was 7, has spent the last decade talking about her status online. After she received DACA protections in 2012, she felt like it was a way to unburden some of the pressures of living life without full citizenship, and to find people going through similar things.

That was like a form of liberation and freedom, because I felt like I was suppressing who I was, and it just felt like this heavy burden around immigration and just like, its just a culture to be silent or fear, Oweh said. And for me, sharing my story at that time was very important to me.

She connected with others through UndocuBlack, a multi-generational network of current and former undocumented Black people that shares resources and tools for advocacy. Being open about your status isnt for everyone, she said, but shes a naturally bold and optimistic person.

She referred to herself as DACA-mented, saying she feels she has the privilege of some protection through the program but knows its not a long-term solution. Shes never felt super safe, but was uneasier through the Trump administration when he made moves to end the program.

Everyone with DACA is definitely privileged, but you know, we all are still experiencing this unstable place of like, not knowing, she said.

Since sharing more of her experiences online, Oweh said she feels a lot more opportunities and possibilities came into her life. Oweh moved to Los Angeles seven years ago and runs a floral business called The Petal Effect. She feels safe in California, as the state has programs to protect immigrants from discrimination through employment, education, small businesses and housing.

For Oweh, it was never a question of if shed use social media, but rather how she would. She feels the accessibility to community and for sharing resources far outweighs the risks of being public about her status.

Growing up, it wasnt like what it is now. I feel like, you know, future generations, or you know, the people that are here now, like we have more access to community than I did growing up just off of social media, Oweh said. So its been instrumental in amplifying our voices and sharing our stories.

Being vocal about your status isnt right for everyone, Beleza Chan, director of development and communications for education-focused Immigrants Rising, told States Newsroom.

Social media, student organizing, protests and blogging led to the passing of the DREAM act and DACA in the last two decades, and those movements were essential to immigrants rights today. But those feelings of security come in waves, she said.

I think the political climate certainly affects that, Chan said. In the previous years, it was undocumented and unafraid, and since Trump, its been like youre undocumented and youre very afraid to speak up.
(Bloomberg) -- Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of Indias national capital territory of Delhi, said he would resign and called for elections to be brought forward just days after he was granted bail and released from prison.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The court has ruled in our favor, he told a gathering in Hindi on Sunday. Kejriwal, an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said he would not accept the role of chief minister until the people had shown they believe he is honest. He called for Delhi elections, due to be held early next year, to be brought forward to November.

The Delhi leader was granted bail on Friday, after spending almost six months in prison without trial in a liquor-distribution case that alleged impropriety. The chief ministers former deputy and other members of his Aam Aadmi Party have been arrested over the last few years but none has faced trial yet. The party has denied all allegations.

Kejriwals comments come as the election battles for key provinces heats up in India. Parties including Modis Bharatiya Janata Party are looking for ways to boost support after disappointing general elections earlier this year, with polls due in states including Maharashtra and Haryana. AAP previously accused the BJP of using federal investigative agencies to target opposition leaders ahead of the elections.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
India has a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine. But can it catch up with China?

Indias second nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine joined its naval fleet late last month, a move the government says strengthens its nuclear deterrent as New Delhi casts a wary eye at both China and Pakistan.

But India is still playing catch-up, at least compared with China, as the Peoples Liberation Army grows its fleet  as well as its land and air capabilities  amid simmering tensions along their shared border.

The nuclear-powered sub, INS Arighaat  Destroyer of the Enemy in Sanskrit  will help in establishing strategic balance in the region, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said at an August 29 commissioning ceremony at Visakhapatnam naval base, the headquarters of Indias Eastern Naval Command on the Bay of Bengal coast.

That balance currently tilts in favor of China, with the worlds largest navy by numbers, including six operational Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic submarines that outclass Indias two  Arighaat and its predecessor in the same class, INS Arihant  in firepower.

The Chinese subs can carry a dozen ballistic missiles with ranges of at least 8,000 kilometers (4,970 miles) and have the ability to carry multiple nuclear warheads, according to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a non-profit organization promoting the development and deployment of missile defense for the United States and its allies.

Both 366 feet long with a 6,000-ton displacement, according to an analysis by the open-source intelligence agency Janes, Arighaat and Arihant carry K-15 Sagarika ballistic missiles that can be launched from four vertical launch tubes. But the range of the nuclear-tipped K-15 is thought to be only around 750 kilometers (466 miles), limiting the targets that can be struck from the Indian Ocean.

The INS Arihant-class can barely reach Chinese targets along the eastern Sino-Indian border from the coastal waters of northern Bay of Bengal, which is dangerously shallow for a submarine, said analyst Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Commands Joint Intelligence Center.

The de facto border between India and China, known as the Line of Actual Control, has been a longtime flashpoint between the two. Troops most recently clashed there in 2022 and in 2020, when hand-to-hand fighting between the two sides resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers in Aksai Chin.

India developing second-strike capabilities

The Indian government has been tight-lipped about the capabilities of the Arighaat, saying only technological advancements undertaken indigenously on this submarine make it significantly more advanced than its predecessor, which was commissioned eight years ago.

India has not even released pictures of Arighaat since its August 29 commissioning.

Naval analysts say India is clearly on course to develop a subsea nuclear deterrent that, while it may not be as big as Chinas, will pack enough second-strike wallop to deter Beijing from taking hostile action against it.

India has newer, bigger subs with longer-range missiles in the works. Those missiles could have ranges up to 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles), according to analysts, enabling strikes anywhere in China.

Although Indias sea-based nuclear deterrent remains in relative infancy, the country clearly has an ambition to field a sophisticated naval nuclear force with ballistic missile submarines at its core, said Matt Korda, associate director for the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists.

These submarines are a key piece of Indias broader efforts to establish a secure second-strike nuclear force, thus allowing India to hold both Pakistani and Chinese targets at risk, particularly with its eventual third and fourth submarines (which will have more missile tubes and longer-range missiles), Korda said in an email to CNN.

Indias next ballistic missile subs could be years away, however, if history is any predictor of the future. Arighaat was launched almost seven years ago, and if that timeline from launch to commissioning applies to the next Indian ballistic missile sub, it wont join the service until 2030.

The prestige of SSBNs

Still, a second ballistic missile sub does do something for Indias naval and military psyche, said Tom Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a former US Navy submarine commander.

It is a marker of being a great power, Shugart said, pointing out that the five members of the United Nations Security Council  the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France  all have nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines, or SSBNs.

The smallest of those SSBN fleets, those of Britain and France, have four boats each, a number Shugart sees as the minimum for keeping one at sea at all times.

Nuclear-powered submarines are complex machines. When things break and need repairing, or just when regular maintenance is needed, the work can take a month or more.

For instance, the US Navys Ohio-class SSBNs spend on average 77 days at sea followed by 35 days in port for maintenance, according to the US Navys Pacific Fleet.

Refits and overhauls take up to 27 months for a nuclear reactor refueling, according to US Navy documents.

By having more than one, theres a better chance India will be able to have one of them at sea in a survivable status, Shugart said.

But to keep one at sea at all times is probably going to take more boats than the current two, he said.

A wary China

Before its commissioning, the Arighaat was drawing attention in China, with state-run newspaper Global Times quoting unnamed Chinese experts as saying India should not use it to flex muscles.

Nuclear weapons should be used in safeguarding peace and stability, not muscle flexing or nuclear blackmailing, the Global Times report said.

Other analysts have said New Delhi is just responding to increased pressure from Beijing, which now has the largest navy in the world in terms of sheer number of vessels.

Chinas extensive naval buildup and the regular deployment of fully armed nuclear deterrence patrols by Type 094 submarines (the Jin class) are perceived as a threat by other countries in the region, including India, said Kandlikar Venkatesh, analyst at the GlobalData analytics company.

A type 094 Jin-class nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy participates in a naval parade in 2019. - Mark Schiefelbein/AFP/Getty Images

The deployment of Arihant-class submarines will provide India some degree of parity with its Chinese counterparts, he said, adding that more submarine investment is coming, $31.6 billion over the next decade.

Bigger subs and longer-range missiles are reportedly under development, which could eventually see India field nuclear-tipped weapons with a range of 12,000 kilometers (almost 7,500 miles), Venkatesh said.

Another regional rival

Its not just China that India is looking at with its sub development, according to Abhijit Singh, a senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in Mumbai.

The real impetus for Indias expansion of its second-strike capability is, in fact, the significant growth of the Pakistani and Chinese navies in the Indian Ocean, Singh wrote in an op-ed for the Hindustan Times, adding that Islamabad is in the process of acquiring eight Chinese-designed Type 039B attack submarines as it modernizes its fleet.

Pakistan continues to narrow the sea-power differential with India, Singh wrote.

India and Pakistan have long been at odds in the disputed and heavily militarized region of Kashmir, which both countries claim in its entirety. A de facto border called the Line of Control divides it between New Delhi and Islamabad. The dispute has led to three wars between the two nations.

China remains one of Pakistans most important international backers and a major investor in the country.

Proliferation fears

Korda, the Federation of American Scientists expert, says its not the subs themselves that give him cause for worry, but the multiple-warhead missiles they carry.

That technology  known as Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRV)  also applies to land-based missiles and can be destabilizing, Korda argues.

India, Pakistan, and China are all developing missiles that can carry multiple warheads, he says.

India announced to great fanfare in April that it had joined the MIRV club, which includes the US, UK, France, Russia and China, with a successful test of the domestically developed Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile.

Pakistan has also claimed to have MIRV technology, but experts say the claim is unverified.

Adversaries need to assume such claims are true, lest they be caught unprepared in the event of actual conflict.

These systems are ideal first-strike weapons, but they are also the first weapons that would likely be targeted in an opposing first strike, Korda says.

As a result, their deployment across the region will likely kick the collective arms race into a higher gear, as countries seek to build missile defenses and conventional strike options that can counter them.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Three Hoosiers high school students were honored for their audio essays on democracy. (Getty Images)

On this Democracy Day, I want to highlight the VFWs annual high school contest by sharing with you Indianas top three winners last year.

This years audio essay contest is open through Oct. 31 with a theme of Is America Today Our Forefathers Vision?

The Voice of Democracy Program is for students in grades 9-12.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) started the Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition in 1947. The Veterans of Foreign Wars became a national sponsor in the late 1950s and assumed sole responsibility for the program in 1961. Participants will compete for more than $2.3 million in college scholarships and incentives. To learn more go here.

2023 First Place  Robert Balkcom, of Fishers.

While democracy remains a rarity in many parts of the world, its profound impact on the American way of life is unmistakable. At the heart of democracy lie its attributes that have guided America through 247 years of wars, peace, booms, and busts. These attributes provide the foundation for the values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that all Americans hold dear.

The first attribute that truly sets our democracy apart is the bedrock of civil liberties.

First borne from the pens of our Founding Fathers, they are the cornerstones upon which this great nation stands, giving every citizen the power to forge their own destiny. Throughout our nations history, democracy has enabled individuals to challenge tyranny in the pursuit of justice and equality. The power of speech, the most important value of democracy, enables these acts of courage, ensuring that freedom of expression remains a critical piece of our society. This liberty empowers Americans to voice their concerns and to work for the fair treatment of all.

Equal opportunity is another defining attribute that encapsulates the essence of democracy. It ensures that no one is denied the chance to succeed based on arbitrary factors such as race, gender, or class. It is through this attribute that a poor Scottish immigrant named Andrew Carnegie could become the wealthiest man in America and a formerly enslaved Frederick Douglass could deliver orations all around the globe. Democracy gives every citizen the opportunity to soar to new heights, challenge the status quo, and leave an unforgettable mark on our country.

Our democracy also encompasses self-determination, with states rights providing the framework for regions and communities to chart their own unique courses. In this, we see the beauty of democracys diversity. It is within this diversity that our nations greatest strengths are found, as states shape differing polices that reflect the will of their residents. Self-determination transforms democracy from a monotone soloist into a choir of many voices. Democracy enables individuals to choose how they impact society, whether through teaching the leaders of tomorrow, building a better America, or serving their country.

The symbols that represent our democracy are equally powerful. The Statue of Liberty, standing tall in New York Harbor, symbolizes the shelter that democracy provides, a place to seek refuge from tyranny and to discover freedom. The American flag, with its assortment of stars, stripes, and colors, reflects the unity and diversity that defines our democratic nation. The greatest attributes of our democracy, proven through the stories of leaders and trailblazers, are liberty, equality, and self-determination. Because of its commitment to these principles, America stands as a beacon for those who seek a just and free society full of life, liberty, and happiness.

2023 Second Place  Raelyn Smith, of Carthage

History is not there for you to like or dislike. It is there for you to learn from.  Lt. Col. Allen West

We must not forget the many memorial walls scattered across our nation, or the many families who have had to move on and make new memories without their loved ones. If we forget, we are doomed to repeat our mistakes. One of my favorite subjects in school is history. The rise and fall of nations and how our country has endured many trials.

Its been almost 250 years since this great nation was founded. What makes America the land of the free and home of the brave? Our foundation consisted of many selfless men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. In order for our nation to live, we must protect the tree of liberty. So, what are the greatest attributes of our democracy? Lets look at it like a tree. Not just any tree, but a liberty tree. One: the leaves  of the people, two: the branches  by the people, and three: the roots  for the people.

The shade of the leaves helps us remember the first crucial attribute of our democracy: of the people. In the First Amendment, we see freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. Unlike other tyrannical countries where officials in power cast down the needs of their people, America was constructed differently. The main reason for this was because the most prevalent memory in the minds of our founding fathers was the ax to the root to the tree of liberty by Great Britain. If we disagree with something that those in office have said, we can speak out. But will we? For a long time, we have trusted those in power and have relied on their decisions. We the people must continue to investigate, but more importantly, care about what our representatives say and do. Because in order for our nation to live, we must protect the tree of liberty.

We come to the branches that support the leaves picturing the attributes of our democracy: by the people. Under the construction of our nation, the people are in control. We have a right to choose our representatives in government. The representatives of the people sign bills. The people know who enact laws. We must know who is in office and protect our rights by not allowing someone into office who would abuse or infringe upon our freedoms. Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and John Adams were citizens who cared and knew the status quo couldnt last. These leaders in our nation were still elected by the people.

Need to get in touch?

Have a news tip?

CONTACT US

It all comes down to how much we the people care. If we lose interest in what those in authority have to say, they will begin to sap the trees health rather than help it grow. In America, we must not lose the same passion that drove the founding fathers to write the Constitution: by setting up a system to promote freedom, liberty, justice, and morals. These important attributes must not be cut down by our desire for comfort. We must continue to be a government by the people. Because in order for our nation to strive, we must protect the tree of liberty.

As we dig deeper we come to the roots: for the people. Digging deep into truth and Gods word, our nation was founded to ward off tyrants. Like a tree deeply rooted to never be moved by the brutal winds. In God we trust: a phrase stamped on dollar bills and license plates is not just a saying. Its a reality. Along with our constitution being founded on Godly principles. The loss of a constitutional democracy leads to a regime that steals voices and cuts down any other ideology that does not fit their narrative. Each citizen plays a crucial role in our democracy. Each voice and opinion must not be silenced, because the day we let down our guard around the tree, our nation will die.

Many men and women have given their lives for our nation. Their courage should push us onward. Remember the liberty tree? The leaves showed us the attribute of the people, the branches reminded us we are by the people, and lastly, the roots that dig deep into the ground, not swaying but remaining firm, for the people. These are the greatest attributes of our democracy. As Abraham Lincoln said in The Gettysburg Address  we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain  that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom  and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

2023 Third Place  Lucy Thornton, of Evansville

Attributes of democracy. Im going to be honest, when I first started researching this, I wasnt quite sure what to say. Ive never really been considered the smart kid and I wouldnt typically attempt a writing like this. But something about this topic really stood out to me. And no, it wasnt just the scholarship money. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about our American government and how things were run. After some research, I learned of many attributes of our democracy, but three really stood out. Those three are respect for human rights, the voting system and freedom of speech. These things make up our democracy and give American citizens a reason to be proud. Now lets break each of these down.

Respect for human rights. This attribute sets our democracy apart from many others. Our country values its people, their rights and their opinions, and thats not something you can find in every country. According to un.org, Democracy provides an environment that respects human rights and fundamental freedoms, and in which the freely expressed will of people is exercised. Now how cool is that? Our democracy respects us! I dont know about you, but being disrespected is not something I can easily tolerate, so living in a country where our rights and freedoms are respected and even valued makes such a positive difference. In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it states in Article 21 The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government. This continues to point towards the fact that our government revolves around its people, and this is an important attribute to have,

Now onto the voting system. Our countrys voting system is very unique, and quite unlike most other voting systems. Pewresearch.org even goes to say No other democratic nation fills its top job quite the way the U.S. does, and only a handful are even similar. Now like any other system, its had its flaws and of course many changes have been made, but all of those things have led it to become what it is today. The American voting system is a way to give people a say in who their leaders are, and this heavily points back to the fact that our government respects its citizens. According to apiavote.org, Voting gives you the power to create positive change for your community and determine a better quality of life for you and your family. As people, we care about our quality of life, and being given the opportunity to better our country is valuable and widely desired.

The last attribute I want to hit on is freedom of speech, our First Amendment right. This is one part of our democracy that is highly enviable, considering the fact that many countries around the world dont have this freedom. This attribute truly sets us apart, allowing American people to be able to speak what they believe and practice their own religions. According to whitehouse.gov, The First Amendment provides that Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. People like to express themselves, and thanks to our democracy, we have that freedom. We dont have to feel controlled, manipulated or misunderstood because we have a voice. A voice that is heard and valued by our government and country. This freedom shapes our country, and it is a vital part of our democracy.

Now of course there are other attributes that build up America, and theyre all equally important. But these three attributes are clearly visible in our country, and they are incredibly crucial to the success of this nation. Without them, our country just wouldnt be the same. Im so grateful to be living in a country with firm attributes, where my opinion is valued and respected. I now have a much deeper understanding of our democracy, as well as a newfound respect. These three attributes, respect for human rights, the voting system and freedom of speech have great impacts on our democracy, and they make all the difference.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Time for a major turnaround

Thank you to Bud Kennedy for his Sept. 9 commentary, When red Tarrant County flips blue, blame these Republicans. (9C)

I have not always agreed with Kennedy throughout the years, but his point about Tarrant County is self-evident. I called the offices of County Judge Tim OHare and my county commissioner protesting the idea of closing early polling sites, especially for college students. Arent we supposed to make voting free, open and easier in this country?

Also, why is the appraisal of our properties becoming so convoluted? It is one thing after another, and it seems to all point to the hard right turn in Tarrant County politics.

Tarrant County residents need to stand up and say: Were not going back.

- Linda Garcia, Arlington

Fort Worth deserves answers

The Tarrant Appraisal District was created for two reasons:

The first was efficiency. Instead of each government having its own office to appraise, bill and collect taxes, there would be a countywide office.

Second was removing politics from appraisals. They were to be timely and accurate, and not subject to influence by elected officials.

Now that district leaders have gotten into the politics, Mayor Mattie Parker needs to send a letter similar to what she sent to the school board to ask what the Tarrant Appraisal District is going to do about the unsatisfactory performance by the Fort Worth school system.

- W.B. Gordon, Fort Worth

Contact prohibited by US law?

Bloomberg News reported in the Monday Star-Telegram that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Vice President Kamala Harris presidential campaign officials to devise a strategy for capturing voters who previously supported his party but had shifted their allegiance in recent years. (Sept. 9, 7A, Veterans of Labours big win cross Atlantic to aid Harris)

It is a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act for a candidate to collude with a foreign government  even a friendly ally  for the purpose of influencing an election.

Do I hear calls for a federal investigation, similar to the probe into Russian interference with American elections in recent years?

If not, why not?

- Jack Damario, Granbury

Texas, we can move forward

Recent threats against LGBTQ+ people, particularly targeting transgender communities, are alarming. We continue fighting for equal rights but still face severe discrimination, increasing violence and the risk of being denied housing.

I work to uplift trans people and build stronger communities. Ive learned that solidarity is key  we cannot do this alone. Remembering our shared humanity and common dreams for a safe life and opportunity is vital. As the Ad Councils American Dreams campaign reminds us: Were just people, working to care for our families, yearning for safety and peace.

Despite these challenges, I believe Texas can evolve, embracing greater understanding and acceptance for all its people.

- Carter Brown, Carrollton

Commercial a worrying sign

Recently, I was shocked to see a major television network run a commercial for bow-hunting equipment at the sporting goods store Scheels.

First, a bow is almost more dangerous than a gun. A bow hunter might simply cause pain for a deer and not kill the animal. The deer can, and often does, live for days in terrible pain before death.

I encourage television stations to refrain from running commercials for dangerous products such as this. I certainly hope the bow ad is not a precursor to advertising for firearms.

- Frankie Andrew, Willow Park
JANESVILLE, Wis. (WTVO)  An inmate was found dead in his cell at the Rock County Jail on Saturday.

According to the Rock County Jail, a correctional officer was conducting a routine security check and discovered an inmate hanging in his cell. Officials say the inmate was housed in a cell by himself.

Additional officers and jail medical staff responded to the scene and immediately started life-saving measures. Paramedics then took over advanced life-saving measures which were unsuccessful.

A death investigation will take place by the Rock County Medical Examiner staff, Rock County Sheriffs Office Detective Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

The deceased, Jacob West, age 30, of Beloit, WI was taken into custody in April on criminal charges and a probation violation.

The Rock County Medical Examiner says the cause and manner of Wests death is still under investigation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.
Mark Redwine was convicted of second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death in the 2012 killing of his 13-year-old son Dylan Redwine

La Plata County Sheriff's Office/Facebook Dylan Redwine; Mark Redwine

On Nov. 18, 2012, Dylan Redwine was picked up by his father, Mark Redwine, at Durango-La Plata County Airport in Colorado for a court ordered visit for Thanksgiving. That was the last time the 13-year-old boy was seen alive.

Dylan's mother  who was in the midst of a divorce and custody battle with Mark  reported him missing the next day. Dylan's remains, including a decapitated head, would be found a long time later, near Marks home.

While law enforcement searched for the boy, Mark pleaded for his safe return and denied any involvement in his death. But he was eventually identified as a suspect and arrested in 2017 on charges of second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death, per an indictment previously obtained by PEOPLE.

At trial, prosecutors argued there had been tension in the relationship between father and son after the boy allegedly discovered graphic, compromising sexual photos of Mark  including several depicting him cross-dressing, wearing a diaper and handling human waste.

Related: Dylan Redwine Planned to Confront Father About 'Compromising' Photos Before He Was Killed: Brother

Dylans older brother Cory told PEOPLE in 2017 that he believes the graphic photographs the boys allegedly found of their dad may have motivated the crime and said Dylan planned to confront his father about them. The brothers had found the alleged photographs on their fathers laptop during a bonding road trip the boys had taken with their dad.

Dylans partial remains were located in June 2013 during a search of Middle Mountain on the Vallecito Reservoir. Prosecutors alleged at trial Mark removed his son's head, which wasn't found until late 2015 by hikers, nearly two miles away from where his body was found.

Shaun Stanley/The Durango Herald via AP Dylan Redwine's missing poster.

Experts testified that the boy likely died from a skull fracture as well as sharp force injuries.

Mark was sentenced in October 2021 to 48 years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. After the judges decision, Mark continued to maintain his innocence, calling the sentence "fake justice, KUSA reported.

Related: Mark Redwine Sentenced to 48 Years for Murdering Teenage Son in 2012: 'Utter Lack of Remorse'

Jerry McBride/The Durango Herald via AP, Mark Redwine

After all this time and listening to what was heard in this courtroom, you still take absolutely no responsibility for what you did to Dylan," Judge Jeffrey Wilson told Mark before handing down the sentence. "I have trouble remembering a convicted criminal defendant that has shown such an utter lack of remorse for his criminal behavior."

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Inside the Twisted Case of a Mom & Boyfriend Who Killed Girl, 3, Because She Interrupted Plans for Sex

Kaylee-Jayde Priest died in 2020, and her mom and the mother's boyfriend are behind bars

West Midlands Police Kaylee-Jayde Priest

A mothers 2021 sentencing after the brutal death of her 3-year-old daughter is still stirring controversy today.

Nicola Priest was sentenced to 15 years in prison for manslaughter in connection with the death of her child, 3-year-old daughter Kaylee-Jayde Priest, alongside her then-boyfriend Callum Redfern, who received 14 years after his manslaughter conviction for his role in the toddlers death.

Critics of the courts ruling have continued to press authorities to change their sentences to life in prison, using social media and online petitions to raise awareness about the then-22-year-old mother and her then-21-year-old boyfriends actions, who were found guilty by a Birmingham Crown Court jury found responsible for the girl's death.

More than four years after Kaylee-Jayde's death in August 2020, the child's mother and her boyfriend remain behind bars. Court documents show Priest is eligible for parole in April 2030.

West Midlands Police Nicola Priest

What Happened to Kaylee-Jayde?

Police were called to Priests Solihull apartment, about 10 miles southeast of Birmingham, England, on Aug. 9, 2022. However, by the time Kaylee-Jaydes mother had called police, prosecutors said during the trial the 3-year-old was already dead, according to BBC.

According to the outlet, prosecutor Andrew Smith told the court that Kaylee-Jaydes death was caused by a sustained assault at some point during the night, while she was in Priest and Redferns care. The West Midlands Police Department said at the time that Kaylee-Jayde "suffered catastrophic abdominal and chest injuries, including fractured ribs, according to Business Insider.

In court, experts compared the 3 year olds injuries to injuries a child might suffer after being struck by a car at 40 mph or falling from about 30 feet onto concrete, according to the BBC.

Prosecutors Said Girl Was Killed After Interrupting Plans for Sex

In court, prosecutors told the jury that they believed Kaylee-Jayde was killed in a rage after she allegedly interrupted her mother and her boyfriends plans to have sex. Prosecutor Justice Foxton reportedly told the jury that Kaylee-Jade was put to bed around 7 p.m. local time, according to BBC.

But like many children her age, Kaylee did not want to go to bed, but to stay up and play," the lawyer said, later adding, "No doubt irritated by Kaylee crying, asking to be let out, it interrupted the two of you when you wanted to have sex. You lost your tempers and were parties to the assault which cost Kaylee her life.

West Midlands Police Callum Redfern

A History of Abuse

The prosecution team pointed to text message exchanges between Priest and Redfern, which showed them complaining about Kaylee-Jaydes behavior and describing physical abuse.



In one July 2020 text message, Priest reportedly told Redfern: I'm gonna kill her... because she keeps leaving the living room or going in the kitchen, so I've paled [hit] her one and smacked her for [dirtying] her nappy, BBC reported during the trial.

Detective Inspector Adam Jobson, who testified at the trial, said investigators believed the discipline Kaylee-Jayde received from her mother and her mothers boyfriend became increasingly forceful and violent throughout their relationship, according to BBC.

The outlet also reported that prosecutors explained how neighbors below Priests apartment had previously heard loud noises upstairs followed by Kaylee-Jayde crying. One neighbor allegedly heard Priest say after one of those occasions: "I'll just say she fell off the bed, according to BBCs trial report.

West Midlands Police Kaylee-Jayde Priest

Family Members Mourn, As Others Call for Harsher Justice

Priest and Redfern were not found guilty of murder, according to court records, while the mother received 15 years in prison for manslaughter and her boyfriend received 14 years. The BBC reported that prosecutors could not link the two adults directly to the toddlers death via physical evidence, and both Priest and Redfern pointed fingers at each other when asked who was responsible for her injuries.

After the trial, Kaylee-Jaydes grandmother Debbie Windmill released a statement mourning her granddaughters death, according to The Guardian.

I could never stop staring at the smile on her beautiful face, the grandmother said about Kayee-Jayde. I loved every moment watching her develop to nearly school age; preparing to buy my first grandchild her pre-school uniform was something that filled me with such happiness. I couldnt wait to see her in it, but this opportunity was stolen from me in the most brutal of ways.



Windmill added: Everybody deserves the gift of life. Kaylee-Jayde deserved to show the world who she could have been and what greatness she could have brought to this world. Nanny will forever hold you in her heart.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

In addition to an online petition signed by hundreds calling for Priest and Redfern to face harsher punishment, videos describing the killing  some calling for a stricter sentencing  have received hundreds of millions of views on TikTok, where Kaylee-Jaydes mother once shared videos of her and her daughter, some expressing remorse for her death, according to Newsweek.

After Priests sentencing, Jobson told The Guardian he cannot imagine for one second what Kaylee-Jaydes family must be going through, adding that Kaylee-Jayde died at the hands of her own mother and Nicky Priests boyfriend, Callum.

I dont think, sadly, we will ever fully know what has happened, the detective continued. Well never get that full picture, both have not admitted their own responsibility.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Iowans will decide on two constitutional amendments in November. What to know

Sample ballots were placed out for voters to view for the 2024 primary election at the polling located located at Valley United Methodist Church in West Des Moines June 4, 2024. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

Iowa voters will not only cast their votes for candidates in the upcoming general election, but will also have the opportunity to decide if two measures are added to the state constitution.

Its one of the few opportunities Iowa voters have to weigh in directly on statewide public policy.

In many states, voters will make decisions on ballot issues that were initiated by voter petitions, bypassing the state legislature.

Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2024, ballot initiatives related to abortion access have played a prominent role in many states that moved to restrict the procedure. Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment protecting abortion and reproductive rights in 2023, and states like Kentucky and Kansas saw initiatives to restrict the medical procedure fail during the 2022 midterm elections.

Several states, including Iowas neighboring states of Nebraska, Missouri and South Dakota, will consider ballot measures to restrict or protect abortion access in the upcoming election. Additionally, multiple states will weigh in on other high-profile issues through ballot initiatives like non-citizen voting, marijuana legalization and their states minimum wage.

In many of these cases, these subjects were brought onto the 2024 ballot through a petition system, where statutes or constitutional amendments can be brought to voters following a successful signature drive.

Iowa does not have this system. Instead, the only statewide ballot initiatives Iowa voters will see are constitutional amendments that have been passed as resolutions through two consecutive general assemblies. Voter approval in a general election through a simple majority is the final step needed to amend the Iowa state constitution.

This year, Iowans will consider two amendment proposals, making the final decision on whether they will be enshrined in the state constitution. Heres what to know:

Gubernatorial line of succession

One of the constitutional amendments Iowans will vote on this year is about the states gubernatorial line of succession. Iowans will vote on whether whether to repeal and replace a section of the Iowa constitution dealing with what happens if an Iowa governor resigns, dies or is removed from office.

The proposed new language would clarify that in these circumstances, the lieutenant governor will take over the position of governor until the end of the elected term. The measure also clarifies that this change will create a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor, allowing the new governor to appoint a new lieutenant governor to fill the position.

The amendment would change Article IV, Section 17 of the Iowa State Constitution to be:

Lieutenant governor or lieutenant governor-elect to become or act as governor or governor-elect.

If there is a temporary disability of the governor, the lieutenant governor shall act as governor until the disability is removed, or the governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office. In case of the death, resignation, or removal from office of the governor, the lieutenant governor shall become governor for the remainder of the term, which shall create a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor. This section shall also apply, as appropriate, to the governor-elect and the lieutenant governor-elect.

This issue came up after Gov. Kim Reynolds  formerly lieutenant governor under former Gov. Terry Branstad  took the top office when Branstad resigned to join former President Donald Trumps administration as U.S. ambassador to China. While Reynolds became governor, former Attorney General Tom Miller issued a legal opinion in 2017 that stated Reynolds had technically not vacated the position of lieutenant governor, and could not formally appoint someone to the position.

Reynolds appointed former Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg to the position in May 2017. However, until he and Reynolds won reelection in 2018, the person to fill the office of governor if Reynolds left would have been then-Senate President Jack Whitver.

The measure received bipartisan support when it passed through the Legislature, but some Democrats voted against the proposed amendment while asking for legislative approval to be added to the appointment process. Rep. Adam Zabner, D-Iowa City, said in 2023 that he believed the lieutenant governor should be confirmed by the Iowa Senate, similar to how Senate approval is needed when the governor appoints heads of state agencies.

My concern is the lack of oversight from the Legislature on who would be chosen for this position, Zabner said. For a position as important as lieutenant governor, I think its very important that the Legislature have a say in at least confirming the appointment and making sure that it is a reasonable person.

Discussion about the amendment has also recently been driven by Greggs resignation as lieutenant governor earlier in September. Rep. Heather Matson, D-Ankeny, said there has been some confusion over the language because of questions about who will fill the new vacancy in the lieutenant governors office.

The coincidence of timing is why there is that added level of confusion, Matson said in an interview with the Iowa Capital Dispatch. But the amendment only applies to when someone is lieutenant governor and becomes governor, because the person who was governor has stepped down or left office for some particular reason.

Reynolds is currently able to appoint a person to serve as her lieutenant governor without stipulations or legislative approval  and has said she plans to make an appointment for the position later this fall. The person appointed will serve for the remaining term of office, until the next gubernatorial election  in this case, until 2026.

The problem that arose in 2017 came about because of the attorney generals ruling that Reynolds had not officially vacated the office of lieutenant governor after succeeding Branstad. The constitutional amendment is only meant to address circumstances where the Iowa governor leaves their position, and will not have an impact on Reynolds ability to fill Greggs position.

Voting age, citizenship language

Another proposed constitutional amendment would would repeal and replace Article II, Section 1 of the Iowa State Constitution to read:

Only a citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years, who shall have been a resident of this state for such period of time as shall be provided by law and of the county in which the citizen claims the citizens vote for such period of time as shall be provided by law, shall be entitled to vote at all elections which are authorized by law. However, for purposes of a primary election, a United States citizen must be at least eighteen years of age as of the next general election following the primary election. The required periods of residence shall not exceed six months in this state and sixty days in the county.

The change would codify in the state constitution that 17-year-olds are allowed to vote in primary elections if they will be age 18 by the general election, in addition to modifying the voting age from 21 to 18. These voting age regulations are already in practice under state law, but would simply be added to the state constitution if voters approve the measure in the general election.

The amendment also includes a language change, replacing the wording that every citizen of the United States who meets voter requirements can participate in the states elections to instead state only a citizen of the United States with needed qualifications can vote.

The amendment passed through the legislative process with unanimous support in all four votes.

What constitutional amendments could Iowans see on future ballots?

Though Iowans will only cast their votes for two measures during the 2024 general election, there are other proposals working through the legislative process that may appear on the ballot in future years.

Iowa Republican lawmakers, who hold a majority in the House and supermajority in the Senate, passed two proposed constitutional amendments related to taxes during the 2024 legislative session.

House Joint Resolution 2006 would amend the state constitution to require a two-thirds majority vote of legislators for passing increases to individual or corporate income tax rates. Another proposal, Senate Joint Resolution 2004, would enshrine a flat individual income tax rate in the state constitution.

Democrats argued during session that these proposed constitutional amendments would hurt the states ability to respond to financial problems, and could mean that future lawmakers are forced to pursue taxes that disproportionately impact lower- and middle-income families, like increased sales or grocery taxes.

However, Republicans including Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, said these policies are in place in many Democrat-led states constitutions, and that the sky did not fall, every example of dystopian future did not happen.

These measures passed largely along party lines in the Iowa House and Senate during the session. However, theres still time before Iowans will see the tax proposals on a general election ballot. First, the measures must be approved during the next general assembly that will begin after the 2024 election.
First responders put out a fire near Tel Aviv that was caused by a missile fired from Yemen - MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images

Yemens Houthi terror group struck central Israel for the first time after a missile broke Israels air defence system on Sunday.

Sirens were sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel before the attack at 6.35am .

No injuries were reported according to Israels military, as the missile hit an unpopulated area. A train station in Modiin, east of Tel Aviv, was damaged by shrapnel.

Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in central Israel, a surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel from the east and fell in an open area. No injuries were reported, Israels military said.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would inflict a heavy price

Whoever needs a reminder of that is invited to visit the Hodeida port, Mr Netanyahu said, referring to an Israeli retaliatory air strike against Yemen in July for a Houthi drone that hit Tel Aviv.

Nasruddin Amer, the deputy head of the Houthis media office, said on Sunday that a Yemeni missile had reached Israel after 20 missiles failed to intercept it. He also described the attack as the beginning.

According to the IDF, a surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen landed in an open field. No injuries were reported - ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Through its Telegram channel, the Iran-backed terror group warned its military spokesman would soon give details about a qualitative operation that targeted the depth of the Zionist entity.

It comes as the Houthis continue their Red Sea region blockade, launched in November on the instruction of Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The group initially set out to attack and hijack Israeli-linked vessels in a bid to force a ceasefire in Gaza, but it has since expanded to target global shipping on the trade route.

Dozens of hostages from across the world have been taken and missiles launched at multiple international vessels.

In recent weeks, a Yemeni drone hit a residential building in central Tel Aviv, its target was believed to be the US embassy on the citys coastline.

Sundays strike is the first time the Houthis have penetrated deep into Israeli airspace with a missile. Most such missiles have been shot down although one hit an open area near Israels Red Sea port of Eilat in March.

Since the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7, killing around 1,100 mostly civilians, Irans proxies on Israels borders and Iraq have surrounded the Jewish state. The worst conflict has been on Israels northern border where Hezbollah have been sending almost daily bombardments.

Over 6,000 projectiles have been fired to the north of Israel since October 7 from Irans biggest proxy, with over 60,000 Israelis displaced, and around the same number displaced from southern Lebanon.

Israel dropped leaflets over a Lebanon border village on Sunday urging residents to leave, state-run media said, but Israels military told AFP a brigade had taken the initiative without approval.

It was the first time Israelis had told residents of south Lebanon to evacuate in 11 months of cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israel over the Gaza war, triggered by Hezbollah ally Hamass October 7 attack on Israel.

The leaflet read in Arabic: To all residents and refugees living in the area of the camps, Hezbollah is firing from your region. You must immediately leave your homes and head north of the Khiam region before 04:00 pm (1300 GMT). Do not return to this area until the end of the war.

It added: Anyone present in this area after this time will be considered a terrorist.

Wazzani is an agricultural region where Syrians are often hired to work the land.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli aircraft regularly drop leaflets urging residents to evacuate before an attack.

Click here to view this content.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
A top Isis commander tipped to become the groups new global leader was killed in one of the largest US counter-terror operations in years.

More than 100 US special forces and 100 Iraqi troops attacked a network of Isis compounds and bunkers in a remote part of Iraq.

During a helicopter-borne assault, several American soldiers were wounded and 14 Isis operatives were killed in total, US officials said.

Among the dead were a number of senior Isis leaders, including one of its most significant designers, manufactures and teachers of explosives.

The raid took place in volatile Anbar province, a vast tribal region bordering Syria that was the site of some of Iraqs bloodiest post-2003 battles.

Helicopter-borne special forces raid wipes out 14 Isis terrorists - JOHN MOORE/GETTY IMAGES

In a statement, US Central Command said that Isis leaders Ahmad al-Ithawi, Abu Hammam, Ali al-Tunisi and Shakir Abud Ahmad al-Issawi were killed in Anbar province on Aug 29 during a mission conducted in partnership with Iraqi security forces.

The raid appears to have effectively killed off Isis entire command in Anbar, said Charles Lister, a counterterror expert from leading Washington-based think tank The Middle East Institute.

The death of Ahmed al-Ithawi is a hugely consequential achievement. He has been a prime candidate for Isis global leadership in recent years.

Front-line Isis fighters - MEDYAN DAIRIEH/ZUMA WIRE/ALAMY

Ali al-Tunisi, who was the subject of a $5 million (3.8 million) reward from the US government, was an expert in improvised explosive devices, suicide vests and car bombs.

The raid came as the US and Iraqi officials said they had concluded a deal that would see American troops leave Iraq by 2026.

The first phase will begin this year and continue until 2025, while the second phase will conclude in 2026, Iraqi defence minister Thabit Al Abassi told Saudi television.

The 2,500 strong contingent of US troops in Iraq are tasked with destroying remnants of the Islamic State, a mission that has grown in urgency due to an increase in Isis attacks in Iraq and Syria and the growing influence of Iran on Iraqi internal politics.

US guards oil fields - DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP

According to the Washington Post, the raid was unusual for the high number of US troops involved in leading the assault directly.

Though Isis has claimed responsibility for 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria thus far this year, Iraqi political and military leaders, including prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, have vowed to keep the Isis threat under control without US assistance.

Mr Sudani has been under pressure from Iran, and its allies inside Iraq, to reduce the US military presence in the country.

The Iraqi military statement on the raid barely acknowledged US assistance and instead referred to coordination from the international coalition.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Israels military has admitted there was a high probability that three hostages died as a result of an airstrike in Gaza, 10 months after they were killed.

The families of soldiers Ron Sherman and Nik Beizer, both 19, and civilian Elia Toledano, 28, were informed that IDF fire was responsible for their deaths.

A joint investigation was conducted by officers of the Israeli Defense Forces intelligence directorate, as well as operational commanders from the Israeli air force, and officers from the Headquarters of the Hostages and Missing Persons.

All three hostages were abducted on October 7, when more than 250 were taken captive and about 1,100 mostly civilians murdered by Hamas terrorists.

The IDF report stated there was a high probability that the three were killed as a result of a byproduct of an IDF airstrike during the elimination of the Hamas northern brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November 10 2023.

Thousands of pro-ceasefire protesters in Tel Aviv on Saturday - SAEED QAQ/ANADOLU via GETTY IMAGES

However, it added that it is not possible to definitively determine the circumstances of their deaths.

The investigation indicated that the three hostages were held in the tunnel complex in Jabalia from which Ghandour operated. The IDF said that at the time of the strike it did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound.

Furthermore, there was information suggesting that they were located elsewhere, and thus the area was not designated as one with suspected presence of hostages, the investigation said, reiterating that throughout the war, the IDF has not struck areas where there are indications or suspicions of the presence of hostages.

Airstike blamed for killing hostages - JACK GUEZ/AFP via GETTY IMAGES

The bodies were recovered from Gaza on Dec 14 and brought back to Israel for burial.

The IDF continues, even at this moment, to exert all efforts to fulfil the paramount national mission of bringing all of the hostages home, the report concluded.

In December, the IDF accidentally shot and killed three hostages, Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samer Al-Talalka, fearing they were Hamas operatives posing as hostages. They went public on the tragedy just hours after it happened.

More recently, in February, the IDF also said it was likely an airstrike had killed hostage Yossi Sharabi, though as his body had not been recovered, said the chances he had been killed by Hamas could not be ruled out.

Click here to view this content.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike showed that Israel was fighting a "multi-front battle" from its enemies [EPA]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Yemen's Houthis will pay a "heavy price" after a missile fired by the group landed in central Israel.

The Israeli military said the missile landed in an uninhabited area early on Sunday, but that shrapnel indicated air defence systems had failed to destroy it before it entered Israeli airspace.

It added that it was investigating how the missile was able to reach so far into Israeli territory.

The strike marks the first time a missile fired by the group has reached central Israel, which is around 2,000km (1,240 miles) from Yemen.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said there had been repeated attempts to shoot the missile down on Sunday but that it most likely fragmented in mid-air.

The Houthis claimed the operation used a new type of hypersonic missile, which may help explain the failure of efforts to intercept it.

They are an armed group that seized much of Yemen in the countrys ongoing civil war and have declared themselves part of the Iran-led "axis of resistance" against Israel, the US, and the wider West.

The Houthis said in a statement that Sunday's attack was carried out in solidarity with the Palestinians and that Israel should expect more ahead of the first anniversary of the 7 October attacks.

Missile fragments landed at a railway station in the city of Modiin, causing some damage, and in open ground near Israel's main international airport on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

The damage is believed to have been caused by Israel's own interceptor missiles.

Netanyahu said the strike showed that Israel was in a "multi-front battle against Iran's axis of evil that strives to destroy us".

"[The Houthis] should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us," he said.

"Anyone who attacks us will not escape from our arms.

"Hamas is already learning this in our determined action that will lead to its destruction and the release of all of our hostages."

Israeli forces launched a campaign to destroy Hamas following the 7 October attacks, which saw around 1,200 people killed and another 251 taken to Gaza as hostages.

More than 41,206 people have been killed in Gaza since the campaign began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

This is not the first time the Houthis have attacked Israel.

In July, one man was killed and eight people were injured after a Houthi drone landed in Tel Aviv.

Previously, almost all Houthi missiles and drones fired towards Israel had been intercepted and none were known to have reached Tel Aviv.

In response, Israeli jets attacked the city of Hodeidah in Yemen, causing a huge fire which engulfed one of the countrys most important oil storage facilities.
A police officer inspects the area around a fire Sunday after a missile was launched from Yemen targeting central Israel. The Israeli military said it apparently fragmented in midair, (Ohad Zwigenberg / Associated Press)

A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted the center of Israel on Sunday, setting off warning sirens and sending passengers and staff scurrying for shelters at the country's main international airport. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to exact a heavy price."

The episode  less than two months after a drone launched by the group hit Tel Aviv  represented a new escalation in Israels confrontation with the Iranian-backed rebels.

It also offered a thunderous reminder that Israel is currently engaged in a three-front battle  with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah on its northern border, and with the Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians.

Sunday's strike did not cause any serious damage or direct injuries, Israeli officials said, but triggered pointed questions as to how the projectile was able to travel so far into Israeli airspace. The Israeli military said the missile apparently fragmented in midair, and that it was examining the debris.

News footage showed a blaze in a rural field about seven miles from Ben Gurion airport, and loud booms were heard in the vicinity. Minor damage was reported at a train station in the town of Modiin, in the country's center. Authorities said normal operations resumed at the airport a short time after the strike, which occurred just after 6:30 a.m. local time.

A Houthi statement claiming responsibility suggested an increased level of sophistication in the group's arsenal and tactics. In a televised address on Sunday morning, the Houthis military spokesman, Yahya Saree, claimed to have sown "fear and panic" with the group's use of what he described as a hypersonic ballistic missile. The Israeli military denied it was a hypersonic weapon, saying none of Israel's adversaries possessed such tehnology.

Since the start of the Gaza war, the Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel, but nearly all were intercepted over the Red Sea. On July 19, an Iranian-made drone launched by the group hit near the Tel Aviv seafront, killing one man and injuring several other people.

Israel retaliated then with multiple airstrikes in Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, an impoverished country at the tip of the Arabian peninsula where the rebels have been waging war on government forces for two decades.

Netanyahu indicated that this strike, too, would trigger an Israeli response.

The Houthis should know by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us," he told his Cabinet hours after the attack. Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah  the Yemeni coastal city, a Houthi stronghold, which was targeted after the July drone strike in Tel Aviv.

The attack was praised by Hamas, with Abu Obaida, the spokesman for its armed wing, calling it a "qualitative shift." But in addition to the Israeli denial that the missile was hypersonic, some experts expressed skepticism as well.

Right now, the only side thats talking about hypersonic are the Houthis, said Mohammed al-Basha, a senior Middle East analyst at Navanti, a risk-assessment group.

The Israeli military said it employed air defenses when the missile was detected, but was still assessing the incident. To date, only one other Houthi-fired missile has been reported to have penetrated Israeli territory, striking near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war  which began after Hamas-led attackers broke through the seaside enclave's border fence last Oct. 7 and attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping some 250 others  the Houthis have also attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, depicting the strikes on vessels from a variety of nations as a blockade on Israel due to the Gaza war.

Saree, the Houthi spokesman, said with the one-year anniversary of the war approaching, Israel should expect more attacks. The Gaza war has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the small territory, laying waste to whole districts and displacing virtually the entire population of about 2.3 million.

Additionally, in what has become a near-daily exchange of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border, the military said about 40 rockets and other projectiles were fired from Lebanon early Sunday. Cross-border strikes have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the frontier.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported the Israeli military dropped leaflets on a village in south Lebanon telling residents that Hezbollah was firing from the area and residents should leave their homes. Israeli media later reported the leaflet drop was done at the initiative of a local commander, and did not receive approval from senior military or political leaders.

Netanyahu also hinted that Israel might escalate its strikes inside Lebanon, saying the situation requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border.

The status quo will not continue, he told his Cabinet.

King reported from Tel Aviv and Bulos from Beirut.



Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A fire erupts after a ballistic missile fired at Israel from Yemen was intercepted early on 15 September, the Israeli military said. The surface-to-surface missile came from the east and landed in an open area, the Israeli army reported. Earlier in the morning, warning sirens had sounded in the centre of the country. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

A ballistic missile fired at Israel from Yemen was intercepted early on Sunday, the Israeli military said.

The surface-to-surface missile came from the east and landed in an open area, the Israeli army reported. Earlier in the morning, warning sirens had sounded in the centre of the country.

Explosive sounds heard in the early hours were due to the missile interception, the military said, adding that it was reviewing the outcome.

Following a fatal drone attack on Tel Aviv by the Iran-allied Houthi militia earlier this year, the Israeli Air Force attacked the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah in July, leading to a massive fire and six deaths. The Houthi leader subsequently announced a new phase in the fight against Israel.

The Jerusalem Post daily reported that the ballistic missile had been fired towards the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

The Arrow 3 missile defence system had apparently failed to intercept the projectile before it entered the atmosphere. Only on the second attempt did the Arrow 2 defence system manage to hit it over Israeli airspace.

According to media reports, missile fragments landed in various parts of the country, including in the cities of Modiin and Rehovot. Israel has a multi-tiered missile defence system.

First responders fight the fire at the scene after a ballistic missile fired at Israel from Yemen was intercepted early on 15 September, the Israeli military said. The surface-to-surface missile came from the east and landed in an open area, the Israeli army reported. Earlier in the morning, warning sirens had sounded in the centre of the country. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

A fire erupts after a ballistic missile fired at Israel from Yemen was intercepted early on 15 September, the Israeli military said. The surface-to-surface missile came from the east and landed in an open area, the Israeli army reported. Earlier in the morning, warning sirens had sounded in the centre of the country. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
Yemeni demonstrators in April, 2024, carry a mock missile during a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel rally in the Huthi rebel-held capital Sanaa (MOHAMMED HUWAIS) (MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP/AFP)

The Israeli military said a missile fired from Yemen crossed into central Israel on Sunday, causing no injuries but again adding to regional tensions nearly a year into the Gaza war.

After the incident, AFP photographers saw firefighters putting out a brush fire near Lod, and saw broken glass at a train station in Modin. Both areas are southeast of Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub.

Yemen's Huthi rebels did not immediately claim the attack but are among Iran-backed groups around the Middle East that have been drawn into the conflict triggered by the October 7 attack by Hamas Palestinian militants against Israel that triggered war in the Gaza Strip.

In July, the Huthis claimed a drone strike that penetrated Israel's air defences and killed a civilian in Tel Aviv, at least 1,800 kilometres (1,200 miles) from Yemen.

In a statement on Sunday, Israel's military said "a surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel from the East and fell in an open area. No injuries were reported."

"The missile was fired from Yemen," it added later.

The military said explosions "heard in the last few minutes" were from air-defence interceptors and the result of the interception was under review.

Yemen's Huthis have been launching attacks against Israel and its perceived interests in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The rebels are part of the "axis of resistance", which also includes Tehran-aligned militant groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

- Deadly shipping attacks -

Since November, the Huthis have carried out dozens of missile and drone strikes on shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, waterways vital to global trade.

Several Filipino sailors have been killed in the strikes which have led to American military retaliation against Huthi targets.

Huthi missiles last month hit a Greek-flagged tanker carrying more than a million barrels of crude, leaving it ablaze off the coast of the Yemeni port of Hodeida and threatening environmental disaster.

A Greek defence ministry source on Saturday told AFP that a salvage operation was underway and the Sounion vessel was being towed northward under military escort.

After the Huthis' deadly July attack on Tel Aviv, Israeli warplanes bombed Huthi-controlled Hodeida in response, destroying much of the facility's fuel storage capacity and killing several people, according to the rebels.

It was Israel's first claimed strike in Yemen.

A rebel official vowed at the time to "meet escalation with escalation". A Huthi statement last month affirmed "once again that the Yemeni response is definitely coming".

On Israel's northern flank, Lebanon's Hezbollah movement has been trading regular cross-border fire with Israeli forces in exchanges that threaten to spiral into all-out war.

On Sunday morning about 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon toward Israel's Upper Galilee region and the Golan Heights, Israel's military said.

The hostilities have displaced tens of thousands of people in both countries from their homes near the border.

- Israelis protest -

Hezbollah number two Naim Qassem warned in a speech Saturday that "if Israel does unleash a war, we will face up to it -- and there will be large losses on both sides".

"If they think such a war would allow the 100,000 displaced people to return home... we issue this warning: prepare to deal with hundreds of thousands more displaced."

The cross-border violence since early October has killed 623 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including at least 142 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

On the Israeli side, including in the Golan Heights, authorities have announced the deaths of at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians.

Hezbollah has said it is acting in support of its ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The Hamas attack which began Gaza's war resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Militants also seized 251 captives during the attack, 97 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 41,182 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which does not provide breakdowns of civilian and militant deaths.

On Saturday thousands of people once more took to the streets of Israel's main cities in a bid to increase pressure on the government to reach a hostage release deal.

Months of effort by Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators have failed to secure a truce and hostage release deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is facing rising anger from critics who accuse him of not doing enough to get the captives home.

bur-smw-it/jsa
Israeli mounted police deploy near the scene of an attempted stabbing attack at the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem (AHMAD GHARABLI) (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/AFP)

Israeli police shot dead an attacker after he stabbed a border officer at a gate to Jerusalem's Old City on Sunday evening, police said.

The attacker stabbed the border police officer near the Damascus Gate in the historic walls of the Old City.

"The stabbed officer was lightly wounded and was evacuated for medical treatment," the police said in a statement.

"Border Police officers engaged with the terrorist, neutralised him with gunfire, and concluded the attack swiftly," the police said.

A police spokesman later told AFP the attacker had been shot dead. He did not provide details about the attacker's identity.

Tensions between Palestinians and Israeli Jews are frequent in the Old City and have only heightened since the start of the Gaza war more than 11 months ago.

In a separate statement, Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said the 20-year-old wounded officer had an injury to his upper body.

Police and border forces were on the scene and investigating the incident, it added.

Jerusalem, and in particular the Old City, is a holy city for the three Abrahamic religions and remains a key issue at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel claims Jerusalem as its indivisible capital, but the United Nations and the international community consider Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem to be illegal.

Palestinians aspire to make occupied east Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City and its holy sites, the capital of a future independent state.

mib-jd-rcb/dcp
Syrians load their belongings on a truck as they prepare to leave Wazzani after the warning in the leaflets (Rabih DAHER) (Rabih DAHER/AFP/AFP)

Israel dropped leaflets over a Lebanon border village Sunday urging residents to leave, state-run media said, but Israel's military told AFP a brigade had taken the initiative without approval.

It was the first time Israelis had told residents of south Lebanon to evacuate in 11 months of cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israel over the Gaza war, triggered by Hezbollah ally Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.

"The Israeli enemy dropped leaflets over Wazzani calling on those in the area and its surroundings to evacuate," the official National News Agency said, referring to a southern border village.

Wazzani Mayor Ahmed al-Mohammed shared with AFP a picture of the leaflets that showed a map of the region with the areas marked for evacuation in red.

The leaflet read in Arabic: "To all residents and refugees living in the area of the camps, Hezbollah is firing from your region. You must immediately leave your homes and head north of the Khiam region before 04:00 pm (1300 GMT). Do not return to this area until the end of the war."

It added: "Anyone present in this area after this time will be considered a terrorist."

Wazzani is an agricultural region where Syrians are often hired to work the land.

Asked about the incident, an Israeli military spokeswoman said the leaflets had been dropped by drone in an area from which rockets had been fired into northern Israel.

"This was an initiative of the 769 Brigade, it was not approved by the Northern Command. An investigation has been opened," she added.

A cameraman collaborating with AFP saw Syrian families preparing to evacuate their makeshift tents, with young children carrying belongings in plastic bags.

Some families relocated to an area about a couple of kilometres (miles) further north, said the cameraman, who saw children and women unloading a truck filled with mattresses.

"Some of the Syrian workers are leaving the area... But as for us, we are farmers and we have livestock. We cannot leave our land," Mayor Mohammed said.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli aircraft regularly drop leaflets urging residents to evacuate before an attack.

On Saturday, Hezbollah's second-in-command Naim Qassem warned that an all-out war by Israel aimed at returning 100,000 displaced people to their homes in areas near the Lebanon border would displace "hundreds of thousands" more Israelis.

The cross-border violence since early October has killed 623 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including at least 141 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, authorities have announced the deaths of at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians.

jos/aya/srm
Israel's Netanyahu to appear at UN General Assembly in New York

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to attend the UN General Assembly in New York again this year.

He is scheduled to arrive in New York on September 24 and return to Israel four days later, Netanyahu's office said on Sunday.

Netanyahu has already addressed the UN General Assembly several times, most recently last year. This year, his trip is overshadowed by the war in Gaza.

A large majority of states in the General Assembly are critical of Israel and favourable to the Palestinians.

In May, a resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority granting the observer state of Palestine significantly expanded participation in meetings - albeit without regular voting rights.
Prosecutors in Italy are seeking a six-year jail term for deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini over a decision in August 2019 to stop a migrant boat from docking.

The ship, operated by the Open Arms charity, was kept at sea for almost three weeks before being allowed to dock on the island of Lampedusa following a court order.

Salvini, who was then the interior minister, denies charges of kidnap and dereliction of duty.

On Saturday, he said he had wanted to stop Italy becoming a "refugee camp for all of Europe" and declared himself "guilty of defending Italy and Italians".

The Opens Arms ship was carrying 147 migrants who had been picked up off the Libyan coast when it was prevented from docking in Lampedusa.

The island, situated around halfway across the Mediterranean towards the Italian mainland, has over recent years been a landing point for thousands of migrants trying to enter Europe.

As interior minister, Salvini implemented a "closed ports" policy that he argued would remove incentives for people smugglers.

Crewmembers have testified during the trial that the migrants' wellbeing and sanitary conditions on board the ship deteriorated while it was being held offshore - resulting, among other things, in a scabies outbreak.

Prosecutor Geri Ferrara told the Sicily court that there was "one key principle that is not debatable".

"Between human rights and the protection of state sovereignty, it is human rights that must prevail in our fortunately democratic system," he said.

In January, Salvini testified that he had understood that he had understood that "the situation [on the ship] was not at risk".

A verdict in the trial, which began in October 2021, could come next month. If convicted, Salvini could also be blocked from holding government office.

Responding to the requested sentence on X, Salvini said that "defending Italy is not a crime and I will not give up, not now, not ever".

"Thanks to my governments actions, landings, deaths, and disappearances in the Mediterranean Sea decreased," he said.

"This Spanish ship was never prevented from going anywhere, except to Italy. We could no longer be the refugee camp for all of Europe.

"No government and no minister in history has ever been accused or put on trial for defending the borders of his own country."

According to UN data, sea arrivals in Italy fell to 11,471 in 2019, significantly lower than the figures in the years before or since.

Salvini is the head of the Northern League party, which opposes illegal migration, and serves in a coalition government with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Five Star Movement.

On Saturday, Meloni offered Salvini her "full solidarity".

"It is unbelievable that a minister of the Italian Republic risks six years in prison for doing his job of defending the nation's borders, as required by the mandate received from the citizens," she wrote on X.

"Turning the duty to protect Italy's borders from illegal immigration into a crime is a very serious precedent."
J.D. Vance tripled down on his debunked claims that Haitian immigrants are killing and eating local pets in Springfield, Ohio, while also admitting, If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then thats what Im going to do.

Vance has spread unsubstantiated rumors about immigrants in his home state of Ohio, rumors that Donald Trump parroted during Tuesday nights presidential debate. As a result, hospitals, elementary and middle schools, and universities in the area have experienced threats of violence, forcing closures and evacuations.

CNNs Dana Bash confronted Vance about his claims about pet eating, which were spread earlier by neo-Nazis online. Can you affirmatively say now that that is a rumor that has no basis with evidence? she asked him during an interview Sunday on State of the Union.

Vance claims he and Trump have to "create stories" about migrants eating cats and dogs "so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people."



There is then some awkward dead air as Bash tries to highlight the absurdity of what he just said pic.twitter.com/IN26ZGYsvE  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 15, 2024

Dana, the evidence is the firsthand account of my constituents who are telling me that this happened The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes, Vance said.

But it wasnt just a meme, sir, Bash countered.

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then thats what Im going to do, Dana, because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast, Vance spat back.

You just said that this is a story that you created, Bash said. So, the eating dogs and cats thing is not accurate.

We are creating  we are  Dana, it comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents, Vance said, backpedaling. I say that were creating a story, meaning were creating the American media focusing on it. I didnt create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield, thanks to Kamala Harris policies. Her policies did that, but yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris policies.

But Bash quickly fact-checked Vance, pointing out that local law enforcement and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources reviewed 11 months of 911 calls. They only identified two instances of people alleging Haitians were taking geese out of parks. They found zero evidence to substantiate those claims.

Also, other evidence that you have talked about, even you have retweeted, alleged evidence, are unsourced social media videos from a different city, apparently no connection to Haitians, Bash added. And this is from a conservative activist who offered a $5,000 reward for such things.

Vance also downplayed threats of violence against Haitians in the community that have disrupted schools and hospitals. You just accused me of inciting violence against the community when all that I have done is surface the complaints of my constituents, people who are suffering because of Kamala Harris policies.

JD Vance downplays bomb threats against his own constituents: "We can condemn the violence on the one hand but also talk about the terrible consequences of Kamala Harris's open border on the other hand." pic.twitter.com/cazcloiVBZ  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 15, 2024

But Vance must know that the heightened attention to these unsubstantiated claims has Springfield immigrants in fear for their safety. You can see its pure hatred. They hate us, Jims Denis, a Haitian immigrant and Springfield resident, told USA Today. I take my kids to the park usually. I cannot do that anymore. You know, I have to just stay home and just dont go out. We used to just go for a walk in the neighborhood, but we cannot do that anymore.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone

Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Jay Blades is charged with one count of engaging in controlling behaviour in an intimate or family relationship - RII SCHROER

Jay Blades has resigned from the Kings Foundation after being charged with engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour towards his wife.

The Repair Shop presenter, 54, last year won a daytime Bafta TV award along with other members of the BBC programme for a special featuring the King, who was at the time the Prince of Wales.

He supported the Kings Foundation, formerly the Princes Foundation, as an ambassador, and visited its Dumfries House location in Ayrshire for the BBC special The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit.

The educational foundation confirmed on Sunday that Blades had informed the charity of his resignation.

On Friday, Blades appeared at Kidderminster magistrates court after being charged by West Mercia Police with one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship.

The charge relates to his wife Lisa Zbozen, a fitness instructor, who announced on her Instagram page on May 2 that their relationship was over, according to court documents.

Blades won a Bafta award last year for a special programme featuring the King - CHRIS JACKSON/SHUTTERSTOCK

West Mercia Police confirmed Blades was charged on Thursday following the launch of an investigation after they were called to an address the day after Ms Zbozens post.

The couple married on the grounds of a beachfront villa in Barbados on Nov 22 2022.

A repeat of Bladess show David & Jays Touring Toolshed was no longer on the BBCs schedule on Friday night and it is understood the broadcaster will not currently schedule any programmes in which he features.

The furniture restorer, who was made an MBE for services to craft in 2021, has also resigned from his role as chancellor at Buckinghamshire New University.

Blades will appear at Worcester Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on Oct 11.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
An ugly week of racist fearmongering kicked off by Donald Trumps viral debate claim that Haitain immigrants were eating the dogs of pet owners in an Ohio town came to a head on Sunday as JD Vance, the ex-presidents top surrogate, faced journalists questions about the spiraling chaos.

Tuesdays debate between Trump and his opponent Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, had several eyebrow-raising moments but none moreso than when Trump, echoing his latest online-born conspiracy, baselessly accused thousands of legal migrants in Springfield, Ohio, of stealing, killing, and eating pet dogs off the street.

The conspiracy was fact-checked in real time by ABCs David Muir, who noted that city officials had looked into the claim and found it to be baseless. But the damage was already done.

Nearly a week later, Vance found himself once again answering for his running mates actions after days of shocking fallout in Springfield, where residents have reported fliers dropped by the Ku Klux Klan as well as several threats of bombings or mass shootings  the latest of which, at Wittenberg University, occurred Saturday night just hours before Vance would go on the air.

On Sunday, Ohios junior senator was pressed by journalists as to why the Trump campaign was spreading a claim it could provide no evidence for beyond the anecdotal I heard it on television excuse Trump himself gave during the debate.

On CNN, he seemingly admitted that his claims were lies, then continued by saying that he would keep spreading such tales, even knowing them to be untrue, if they resulted in the media talking about issues he claimed were still just as real despite the deception.

JD Vance appears on CNNs State of the Union on September 15, 2024, to face questions about a wave of anti-migrant hate and threats of violence sparked by his and Donald Trumps claims that Haitians are stealing and eating family pets (The Independent)

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do, said the senator.

Because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast.

The apparent confession prompted host Dana Bash to point out: You just said that this is a story that you created.

The exchange grew fiery with Vance hitting out at Bash for what he claimed to be a frankly disgusting question when she pointed out there was zero evidence for his claims  and that the tales had triggered bomb threats in Springfield.

Instead of saying things that are wrong and actually causing the hospitals, the schools, the government buildings to be evacuated because of bomb threats, because of the cats and dogs thing, why not actually be constructive in helping to better integrate them into the community? she asked.

Vance hit back at Bash saying her question was more appropriate for a democratic propagandist than it is for an American journalist and slamming her for accusing him of inciting violence against the community when all that Ive done is surface the complaints of my constituents, people who are suffering because of Kamala Harriss policies.

As the sparring continued, he fumed: Dana, would you like to ask me questions and then let me answer them, or would you like to debate me on these topics? Im happy to be here to talk about policy, but if youre going to interrupt me every single time that I open my mouth, then why am I even doing this?

Despite his apparent confession on CNN that such tales are made-up, on NBCs Meet the Press Vance was still insisting they had veracity  even if all he could offer for evidence was anecdotal claims from Ohioans who had contacted his Senate office, and a video he shared on social media which appears to show several people cooking chickens.

Kristen, I hear ya saying that theyre baseless, but Im not repeating them because I invented them out of thin air. Im repeating them because my constituents are saying these things are happening, he said.

It was an undoubtedly uncomfortable position for the senator, who now stands accused of standing with Trump and ginning up the modern-day digital equivalent of a lynch mob against a community of migrants with legal status from the US government  even as Trump says he will order deportations in the town if elected.

His words and actions have now been denounced by the chief of police in Dayton, Ohio, the states sixth-largest city, and are certain to be a campaign issue should the senator fail to win the vice presidency in November and instead seek re-election to his Senate seat in 2028.

We stand by our immigrant community and there is no evidence to even remotely suggest that any group, including our immigrant community, is engaged in eating pets, chief Kambran Afzal said in a statement. Seeing politicians or other individuals use outlandish information to appeal to their constituents is disheartening.

On Sunday, Vance was also swiftly denounced by Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania and a Harris campaign surrogate.

"That was bonkers ... the US senator from Ohio just came on your show and blamed his own constituents for his own lies. This guy is so pathetic, said Shapiro. JD Vance should be ashamed of himself."
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Sunday reiterated false claims about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of residents in Springfield, Ohio.

Asked to support his claims in an interview with CNNs Dana Bash on State of the Union, Vance pointed to what he said are firsthand accounts from constituents who have told him this is happening, though he didnt provide the evidence.

The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then thats what Im going to do, the Ohio senator said.

Bash replied, You just said that this is a story that you created.

Vance said, It comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents. I say that were creating a story, meaning were creating the American media focusing on it. I didnt create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris policies. Her policies did that. But yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris policies.

The city of Springfield notes on its website that approximately 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants live in Clark County, and that Haitian immigrants are there legally as part of a parole program that allows citizens and lawful residents to apply to have their family members from Haiti come to the United States.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, flatly denied the rumor on Sunday and praised the immigrants for their positive influence on the community.

No. Absolutely not, DeWine said on ABCs This Week when asked whether hed seen any evidence of immigrants eating pets.

Let me tell you what we do know, though. What we know is that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal, the governor said. They came to Springfield to work.

On Tuesday, Vance said it was possible the claim about Haitian immigrants might not be true, but he encouraged his followers to continue posting cat memes.

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said Sunday that the city is going through a very difficult time, adding that it would be helpful if politicians who amplified plainly untrue rumors understood the weight of their words. He said city officials, including city commissioners, have received threats for the past three consecutive days.

We have been shined under a spotlight that is so bright that its hard to see some of the things that we actually need to be focusing on, and thats been difficult for sure, the mayor told Bash on State of the Union, adding that were concerned about the security in our community, and were focused on that right now.

The city hall in Springfield was forced to close due to a bomb threat on Thursday. Two elementary schools were evacuated Friday based on information received from the Springfield Police Division, the Springfield City School District announced. Two local hospitals were also forced into lockdown due to bomb threats Saturday, according to statements sent to CNN.

Vance rejected the idea that his rhetoric has led to bomb threats.

There is nothing that I have said that has led to threats against these hospitals, these hospitals, the bomb threats and so forth, Vance said.

The Springfield mayor, hes dealing with a lot of terrible things. I certainly sympathize with the guy, and were going to try to help him out. But he did not accuse me of inciting a bomb threat. He just didnt, Vance said later in the interview.

All that Ive done is surface the complaints of my constituents, people who are suffering because of Kamala Harris policies. Are we not allowed to talk about these problems because some psychopaths are threatening violence? he added.

Rue said he has not heard from Vance directly, and thats fine, but said the senator and others propagating the rumors should know authorities in Springfield are telling the truth.

DeWine acknowledged that Springfield was having some issues adjusting to the influx of mostly Haitian immigrants through the federal immigration program, but he said officials were working on them.

When you go from a population of 58,000 and add 15,000 people onto that, youre going to have some challenges and some problems, the Ohio governor said in his ABC interview. And were addressing those. Were working on those every single day.

Vance said that he is hearing directly from constituents about these concerns, bringing up one specifically about geese.

My constituents have brought approximately a dozen separate concerns to me. Ten of them are verifiable and confirmable, and a couple of them I talk about because my constituents are telling me firsthand that theyre seeing these things. So I have two options, Dana, I can ignore them, which is what the American media has done for years to this community, or I can actually talk about what people are telling me, Vance said.

My attitude is, listen to my constituents. Sometimes theyre going to say things that people dont like, but theyre saying things that people dont like because their town has been overwhelmed, and its my job to try to fight for them and to protect them, Vance said.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Sen. JD Vance (R) repeatedly justified on Sunday spreading the widely debunked racist lie that Haitian immigrants are stealing local pets for food in Springfield, Ohio  at one point admitting that he consciously decided to create stories about the unsubstantiated issue so that American media pays more attention to it.

The Republican vice presidential candidate faced aggressive fact-checking while appearing on CNNs State of the Union and NBCs Meet the Press, related to fearmongering by the senator and former President Donald Trump over the citys increased Haitian population.

Clearly these rumors are out there because constituents are seeing it with their own eyes, and some of them are talking about it, Vance told NBCs Kristen Welker, repeating his claim that the so-called evidence to support the conspiracy theory comes from 911 calls he says hes received from Springfield residents who are presumably not immigrants. He has also suggested that Springfields immigrants are spreading disease and contributing to rising crime  unsubstantiated claims that historically have contributed to the dehumanization of immigrants.

WATCH: Local officials in Springfield, Ohio, say theres no evidence of the claims @JDVance has made about Haitian immigrants.



On #MTP, Vance doubles down. pic.twitter.com/nqjxqPpvVc  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 15, 2024

On Sunday, CNNs Dana Bash corrected Vance by saying the Clark County sheriff and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources scoured through 11 months of 911 calls and only found two instances where residents alleged Haitians were stealing geese from parks. Neither instance was found to be substantiated, though the vice presidential candidate continued to amplify the claim.

In fact, local officials have touted industrial Springfield as a city undergoing revitalization thanks to the roughly 20,000 mostly legal Haitian immigrants who have settled there over the past few years and contributed to the economy. Ohios Republican Gov. Mike DeWine even pledged $2.5 million to the city to help increase available resources so that Springfield can better accommodate the population surge, and police quickly debunked the racist rumors.

Vance would not give a yes or no answer when Bash asked if he has been to Springfield since he allegedly began receiving calls from worried residents, and at one point revealed that he is concocting narratives about the dangerous rumor so that the media focuses more on it.

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then thats what Im going to do, Dana, he told Bash. Because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast.

When Bash asked Vance whether he was admitting that the conspiracy theory hes helped spread about Haitians is false, he tried to clarify with a more confusing response.

I say that were creating a story, meaning were creating the American media focusing on it, the senator said before falsely claiming all immigrants in Springfield are undocumented. But yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering created by Kamala Harris policies.

JD Vance attempts to justify spreading lies about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio:



If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that's what I'm going to do pic.twitter.com/9P5lUaZUJu  philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 15, 2024

After publication of this story, a spokesperson for Vance provided a statement to HuffPost that was similar to the candidates remarks on television criticizing the media and Harris.

The reality is that after Trump, Vance and their Republican allies perpetuated the racist lie, Springfield officials and residents  including Haitian immigrants  have voiced feeling unsafe. Trump said on Friday that he would launch mass deportations of Haitians to Venezuela as president. The citys Haitian population is, clearly, not from Venezuela.

Multiple Springfield schools as well as the City Hall building were recently evacuated due to bomb threats, and private liberal arts Wittenberg University canceled all events on Sunday due to what school officials said was an email that threatened a potential shooting on-campus.

Following the bomb threats, Vance posted on social media telling his followers to not let biased media shame you into not discussing this slow moving humanitarian crisis in a small Ohio town. When confronted Sunday with the reports of potential violence, the vice presidential candidate repeatedly and angrily lashed out at Bash for accusing him of being at least partly responsible for the threats facing Springfield before he condemned any such harm.

Since Thursday, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said that the lies being spread by Trump and Vance are hurting the community. Rue said he has not yet heard directly from Vance about the allegations.

Politicians like Vance should understand the weight of their words and how they could harm a community like ours, he told Bash on Sunday.

On Friday, the woman behind an early Facebook post that spread the baseless claim about Haitian immigrants admitted she actually had no firsthand knowledge of any such incident and is now remorseful of the fallout.

It just exploded into something I didnt mean to happen, Springfield resident Erika Lee told NBC News of her now-deleted post, which media watchdog Newsguard found had been one of the first circulating social media posts related to the conspiracy.

I feel for the Haitian community, she said, proclaiming shes not a racist and that she belongs to the LGBTQ and mixed-race communities. If I was in the Haitians position, Id be terrified too, worried that somebodys going to come after me because they think Im hurting something that they love and that, again, thats not what I was trying to do.

President Joe Biden condemned the conspiracy theory during a dinner with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Its wrong. Its got to stop, he said. Any president should reject hatred in America, not incite it.

Related...
JD Vance says he does not regret spreading baseless rumors of migrants eating pets

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance said Sunday he did not regret spreading baseless rumors that Haitian immigrants are stealing and eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, and that amplifying the claims drew media attention to his and former President Donald Trump's criticisms of U.S. border policies.

"If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that's what I'm going to do," Vance told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

Officials in the small town of Springfield, Ohio have called these accounts untrue and a woman behind a Facebook post that sparked the rumor has since said she did not have firsthand knowledge.

Trump, the GOP White House nominee, brought up the claims during the debate last week with Vice President Kamala, the Democratic nominee. The claim has led to threatening calls and bomb threats in Springfield.

Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio, dismissed any suggestion that Trump's comments had caused the threats, which led to the evacuation of three schools.

He said he and Trump were standing up for the residents who are worried about the influx of roughly 15,000 Haitians to the town of roughly 58,000 people over the last three years.

"Are we not allowed to talk about these problems because some psychopaths are threatening violence? We can condemn the violence on the one hand, but also talk about the terrible consequences of Kamala Harris's open border on the other hand," Vance said.

Republican vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, speaks to reporters in the spin room following the presidential debate between Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at The National Constitution Center on Sept. 10, 2024 in Philadelphia

"We created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris' policies," he added.

More: Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris. Will it be a touchdown with voters?

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday denounced claims promoted by Trump, however, calling the rumors "hurtful" and "not helpful."

"There's a lot of garbage on the internet and this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true, there's no evidence of this at all," DeWine, a Republican, told ABC's "This Week."

Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck said there was no evidence of any dogs, cats or other pets being harmed or eaten by Haitian immigrants. Local leaders have credited the city's economic and development rebound in party to the population growth fueled by Haitian immigrants.

"In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community," Heck said in a statement.

Trying to keep up with Election 2024? Sign up for USA TODAY's On Politics newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vice presidential candidate JD Vance defends pushing pet-eating rumor
JD Vance says he had to create pet eating controversy to highlight peoples suffering

JD Vance and Dana Bash trade blows on CNN - State of the Union

Click here to view this content.

JD Vance has defended his comments about pet-eating Haitian immigrants as he said creating stories was necessary to highlight the suffering of the American people.

Donald Trumps running mate last week drew attention to online claims that pet cats and dogs were being abducted and eaten in Springfield, a small city in Ohio, despite other Republican officials in the state calling them unfounded.

Trump further amplified the allegations during his debate against Kamala Harris on Tuesday, putting a national spotlight on Springfield. Some schools and hospitals in the town were forced to close following a series of threats.

Mr Vance stood by the claims during an interview on CNN on Sunday.

A dishonest smear.



I didn't invent constituents complaining about this. We did help create the media focus on their complaints. https://t.co/0JfZrZ0fR4 pic.twitter.com/imEd3mPbkK  JD Vance (@JDVance) September 15, 2024

My constituents are telling me first-hand that theyre seeing these things, the Ohio senator told the network.

Asked if he knew the claims were false, Mr Vance said: If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then thats what Im going to do.

When Dana Bash, the CNN interviewer, put it to Mr Vance that he had just said youre creating this story, the senator clarified.

I say that were creating a story, meaning were creating the American media focusing on it, he said.

I didnt create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harriss policies. Her policies did that.

He added: But yes we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story.

But his remarks drew a swift rebuke from Democrats.

Remarkable confession by JD Vance when he said he will create stories (that is, lie) to redirect the media, said Pete Buttigieg, the US transportation secretary.

All this to change the subject away from abortion rights, manufacturing jobs, taxation of the rich, and the other things clearly at stake in this election.

A journalist shared the video, claiming JD Vance had acknowledged the cat and dog stories are urban legends before rationalising it on CNN.

JD Vance responded: A dishonest smear. I didnt invent constituents complaining about this. We did help create the media focus on their complaints.

State officials say the majority of the Haitians are in the town legally under a programme known as Temporary Protected Status.

Earlier on Sunday, Mike DeWine, Ohios Republican governor, called the claims a piece of garbage that was simply not true, adding theres no evidence of this at all.

Mr DeWine noted that the roughly 15,000 to 20,000 Haitians who have arrived in Springfield in the last few years are here legally.

The citys population had been in decline prior to the influx.

What the employers tell you is, you know, we dont know what we would do without them, the Ohio governor said. They are working very hard. And theyre fitting in.

Mr Vance said there is nothing that I have said that has led to threats condemning them as disgusting.

Click here to view this content.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
This story has been updated with a statement from the JD Vance campaign.

JD Vance defended spreading rumors about a growing Haitian immigrant population in Springfield, Ohio.

In an interview Sunday morning on CNN's "State of the Union," journalist Dana Bash questioned the vice presidential candidate and Cincinnati resident on former president Donald Trump's rhetoric in the most recent debate. She asked why instead of mentioning policy issues surrounding an influx of new residents, like affordable housing, schools and health care, "(Trump) just said, 'Haitians are eating dogs and cats.'"

"Can you affirmatively say now that this is a rumor that has no basis with evidence?" Bash asked.

Related: Wittenberg University cancels events Sunday at Springfield campus in latest Haitian threats

Fact check: The truth about Springfield, Ohio: Are immigrants eating dogs as Trump says? What to know

JD Vance attempts to justify spreading lies about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio:



If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that's what I'm going to do pic.twitter.com/9P5lUaZUJu  philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 15, 2024

Vance said the evidence is the firsthand accounts of his constituents who told him it happened, adding he has been trying to talk about Springfield for months, but "the American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes."

Bash said it wasn't just a meme, though.

"If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do, Dana, because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast," Vance said.

Bash pointed out that he just said he's creating a story.

"You just said that this is a story you created," she said. Vance responded, "Yes."

"So the eating dogs and cats thing is not accurate," she said.

"We are creating  we are  Dana, it comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents," Vance said. "I say that we're creating a story, meaning we're creating the American media focusing on it. I didn't create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield, thanks to Kamala Harris' policies. Her policies did that, but yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris' policies."

Related: JD Vance shares social media post about immigrants cooking pets in Dayton, city refutes it

Vice presidential candidate and Ohio Sen. JD Vance defended spreading rumors about a growing Haitian immigrant population in Springfield in an interview with CNN Sunday.

Vance helped spread the rumor on social media about pets being eaten, which has been refuted by Springfield officials. The city manager released a statement saying there's no evidence of any cats or other pets being harmed or eaten by the Haitian immigrants. The statement also refuted rumors that immigrants were involved in "illegal activities such as squatting or littering" or "deliberately disrupting traffic."

Taylor Van Kirk, spokeswoman for Vance, said in a submitted statement to The Enquirer it is "pathetic that the liberal media only acknowledged the impact of Kamala Harris's open border policies after the very real suffering of a small Ohio community became an internet meme."

"Senator Vance will always do what the liberal media and Kamala Harris refuse to do, which is unapologetically listen to the concerns of his constituents," she said.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday also denounced claims promoted by former President Donald Trump that Haitian immigrants are eating dogs and cats, calling them "hurtful" and "not helpful."

Accusations of immigrants eating household pets is a longstanding xenophobic trope in American society. USA TODAY reports the origins of the immigrants-eat-pets trope have been lost to time, but the rhetoric was documented in Grover Cleveland's 1888 run for the presidency when he had trading cards printed up depicting Chinese male immigrants eating rats.

It has also been referenced in popular culture, with Larry David's character in an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" convincing fellow wedding guests a Korean caterer had served them dog, and the NBC television show "ALF" depicting the show's namesake furry alien character getting ready to eat a cat between two halves of a submarine roll.

USA TODAY staff writers Karen Weintraub, Deborah Barfield Berry and Lauren Villagran contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: JD Vance defends spreading of Haitian rumors in CNN interview
A new video shared by Republican vice-presidential nominee and Ohio Sen. JD Vance is continuing to fuel rumors about migrants abducting and eating pets in the state.

However, this time it says it's happening in Dayton, about 30 miles from Springfield. Springfield has been at the center of the immigration debate due to unproven claims that Haitian immigrants are killing pets.

A video of cats walking around a grill in a back yard posted Saturday by conservative activist Christopher F. Rufo was retweeted by Vance. Rufo is known for initiating the adversarial movement against critical race theory. Vance and other Republican influencers spread rumors earlier this week about Haitian migrants in Springfield eating pets.

"Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves. Another 'debunked' story that turned out to have merit," Vance posted.

In the caption of Rufo's post, he claims the video is proof of migrants barbecuing and eating cats in Ohio.

However, Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims said in a statement Saturday afternoon that the claims are "baseless."

"This claim is totally false and dangerously irresponsible of politicians aiming to sow division and fear. There has been absolutely zero reports of this type of activity and spreading such misinformation undermines our status as a welcoming city," Mims said in his statement. "The city of Dayton stands by its immigrant and refugee community and we value all of their contributions to our city's vibrant culture and economy. We will remain committed to creating an inclusive environment for all Dayton residents."

Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal also released a statement Saturday afternoon, saying the department "strongly refutes the irresponsible information being put out on social media or other avenues about our immigrant community."

"We stand by our immigrant community and there is no evidence to even remotely suggest that any group, including our immigrant community, is engaged in eating pets," Afzal said in the statement. "Seeing politicians or other individuals use outlandish information to appeal to their constituents is disheartening."

Dayton police and city officials did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.

Dayton is the second Ohio city to be at the center of pet-eating rumors. Earlier this week, rumors about Springfield, a town of about 58,000, and its growing Haitian population have dominated the internet and national news.

The rumors rapidly spread on social media and were amplified by former President Donald Trump who mentioned the false claims during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday.

Co-owner of Champion City Cuts, Rufus Humphrey, left, and Joe Ruck, right, talk about the influx of Haitians into the community, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. The business is in the strip mall on the west side of the city, they say is known as Little Haiti.

Fact check: Ohio woman accused of eating cat is from Canton, not from Springfield

"In Springfield, they are eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there," Trump said during the debate.

However, Springfield police and city officials and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources all said there is no evidence of pets, ducks or geese being eaten.

"In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community," Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck said in a previous statement.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dayton officials debunk rumors of migrants grilling, eating pets
A fiend sexually assaulted someone in a John Jay College of Criminal Justice restroom earlier this month, the school informed students Friday.

The attack happened sometime during the week of Sept. 2 in a restroom on college campus, according to an email from the college titled Clery Crime Alert/Timely Warning.

Crime alerts are posted in an effort to make John Jay College aware of any situation that poses a potential threat to the safety and well-being of those who live, work, attend and visit the campus, the email states.

But the alert, required on campuses by the federal Clery Act, offered almost no specifics about the alleged crime, and didnt say if the victim was male or female, or exactly when it happened.

The act requires colleges to alert students to certain crimes.

The schools fall semester started on Aug. 28.

A John Jay representative said the school is actively investigating the alleged incident.

While we cannot comment on current investigations, the safety and well-being of our students remains our top priority, and we are committed to creating a safe campus environment for all members of our community, they continued.

Counseling and support services are available to students, faculty and staff affected by this incident.

The NYPD apparently wasnt notified about the incident, a police spokesman told The Post.

Several students on campus Saturday were caught off guard by the alert as well as how long it took for the college to release it, they said.

It is pretty crazy that that happened here, especially since this is a criminal justice school, said Jaylen Hernandez, a 19-year-old sophomore.

Its crazy too that I feel like they focus so much on, for example, when an alumni dies, Hernandez said. When an alumni dies, I get notifications on my phone from the school every timeand Im like, [the sexual assault] happens and we didnt know about it.

Jason, left, listens to fellow freshman Arnold talk about the assault at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Aristide Economopoulos

A 22-year-old student, who got her undergraduate degree at Penn State, and just started working on her masters in forensics psychology at John Jay was disturbed by the attack.

I was shocked to see the email and see that that happened here  at a criminal justice college of all places  but I feel like sexual assault can happen anywhere unfortunately, she said.

She called the colleges warning this week a delayed response.

I know at my undergrad they would send the notice out right away, she said.

So when I saw it was from the first week of school I was like, why are we just hearing about it now?'

The schools fall semester began a couple of days prior, on Aug. 28. Helayne Seidman

Other students took the alert in stride.

We wish that didnt happen, but its New York, said Arnold, a 17-year-old freshman, who asked to remain anonymous.

I hope the school fixes this problem and any others like it so that this doesnt happen again, he said. Thats kind of terrifying.

The freshman said he hadnt seen the notice displayed anywhere on campus.

Heidy Velasquez, a 19-year-old sophomore, said faculty in her program held a mandatory meeting after the notification went out Friday and told students to come forward if they are victimized.

If you ever have something happen to you, something inappropriate or thats not consensual, you can come to us, she said the faculty members said.

She was pleased the school was informing students about reporting sexual assaults but frustrated the notice came a week after the alleged attack.

Its frustrating, she said, because for a school this prestigious, they should say something immediately.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL)  A Johnson City church is celebrating is 100th anniversary on Sunday with a special community service.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church was formed in Sept. of 1924 as a handful of people met in a small room above a pool hall. Since then, the church has grown in numbers and several generations have been part of the congregation.

UMOJA hosts 27th annual Unity Festival, health fair

Susan Burkey said her grandfather was one of those founding members, and she thinks its astonishing to see how the church has grown. In fact, she said the churchs congregation grew by more than 25% just in the last year.

We do a lot of community outreach, she said. We love that, and were like a great big family. We take care of each other if someone needs something, or has a problem, we always make sure its taken care of; and we stay in the word, with Bible studies and excellent sermons.









The church held its community celebration at Rotary Park Sunday with an after-service picnic lunch.

Burkey said the church will be back to conducting services as normal next week at its 201 E Watauga Avenue location.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
For more than 130 years, the Iowa Geological Survey (IGS) has been dedicated to understanding geology and hydro-geology in Iowa to serve state agencies, communities, and the public with scientific information needed to effectively manage natural resources for long-term sustainability and economic development.

The IGS invites partners, stakeholders, and interested people to join a tour of the Muscatine County area on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. to learn more about the region, a news release says.

Participants will meet at Land of the Swamp White Oak Preserve. Transportation to each site and lunch will be provided.

Space is limited to the first 30 registrants. Register here by Sept. 20 to reserve a spot.

Half a Million Years of Change

Participants will explore the Lower Cedar River region with researchers from the Iowa Geological Survey and IIHRHydroscience and Engineering. They will learn how the modern river landscape and local groundwater supplies were influenced by multiple glaciations over half a million years and interactions with local bedrock topography.

Field trip stops include

Discussion of modern floodplains at Land of the Swamp White Oak Preserve

An outcrop of glacial sediments overlooking the Mississippi River

Visiting Wildcat Den State Park for lunch (provided)

A view of landscape evolution and stepped terrace deposits

A visit to Cone Marsh Wildlife Management Area

Unraveling the geologic history of the Lower Cedar region is imperative for finding new aquifer sources and sustainably managing the regions unique natural resources. The event will be co-led by State Geologist Dr. Keith Schilling and Quaternary Geologist Phil Kerr.

The Iowa Geological Survey is part of IIHRHydroscience and Engineering (IIHR) in the College of Engineering at the University of Iowa. After spending nearly 30 years as part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the IGS joined IIHR in 2014, complementing existing programs like the Iowa Flood Center and contributing expertise to support research from groundwater to surface water and floods to droughts.

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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
JOLIET, Ill. - An 18-year-old Joliet man is behind bars after Illinois State Police said they found child exploitation materials in his possession.

Courtright Gleason is charged with possession of child sexual abuse material, a Class 3 Felony, according to ISP.

His arrest follows a search warrant that was executed by ISP agents on June 27 at his home in the 2300 block of Taylor Street in Joliet.

Investigators collected evidence for forensic analysis and the results confirmed that Gleason had child exploitation materials, according to ISP.

Gleason surrendered himself to police on Sept. 12 and he was processed on the charge.

Further details about the investigation haven't been released.
Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday nominated his chief of staff to be the new prime minister, the royal palace said, charging him with forming a government after parliamentary elections.

The outgoing premier, Bisher Khasawneh, submitted his resignation to the king earlier on Sunday.

Under the kingdom's constitution, the government usually resigns after legislative elections. It is the king who appoints the prime minister, not parliament which has limited powers.

"King Abdullah on Sunday tasked Jafar Hassan with forming a new government," a palace statement said.

As well as being chief of staff, the 56-year-old Hassan was previously planning minister.

In a letter published by the palace, King Abdullah called on Hassan to "mobilise all efforts to support the steadfastness of our Palestinian brothers" in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and "Holy Jerusalem".

He also called on the premier-designate to "work with all our energy through Arab and international movements to protect the Palestinian people, and stop the attacks and blatant violations of humanitarian principles and international law".

In Tuesday's election Jordan's leading Islamist party, the Islamic Action Front, became the largest in parliament, winning 31 out of the 138 seats.

The IAF is a political offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, and the result gives the Islamists their largest representation since 1989.

With a low turnout of 32 percent, the party's success came with voters frustrated about economic woes and Israel's war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Jordan in 1994 signed a peace treaty with Israel, becoming only the second Arab state to do so after Egypt, but regular protests have called for the treaty's dissolution since the war erupted last October.

Nearly half of the country's population is of Palestinian origin.

Khasawneh, 55, had headed the government since October 2020.

Jordan's parliament is bicameral. In addition to the elected parliament, there is also a senate with 69 members appointed by the monarch.

The Gaza war has hit tourism in Jordan, which relies on the sector for about 14 percent of its gross domestic product.

The kingdom is heavily dependent on foreign aid, especially from the United States and the International Monetary Fund.

In the first quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate was 21 percent.

kt/ila/dcp/srm
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz celebrate after Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 22, 2024 in Chicago. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Editors note: Montana Delegate Thomas Flanagan went to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. The following are his reflections of a Montana delegate.

Joy was a central point the Democrats hit hard whenever they couldand for good reason. Just look at the optics here.

The Republican National Convention tried almost embarrassingly hard to humanize or soften their candidate. In awkward exchanges on stage and a marked lack of laughter, tears or emotion other than anger, the family members of the candidates were on the RNC stage, yes. But did you see the difference?

When President Bidens daughter, Ashley Biden, so eloquently and authentically introduced her father (I have never heard her speak), Joe Biden entered the stage with tears in his eyes and embraced his daughter lovingly. Many in the audience were crying already at Ashleys intro. On Thursday night, an interesting snapshot of American diversity was reflected in the Harris family circleKamalas nephew, goddaughter, sister, stepchildren (black, white, Indian, mixed) all were there to speak for her and the final group on stage was large and inclusive. What a better picture for America than this! Between her sister Maya and husband Doug, so much love was expressed and it was palpable in the stadium at seemingly over 100% capacity. (In fact, at some times during the final day, the fire marshal had to close access to the floor to get capacity back under control.)

And then there is the Walz family. Gov. Tim Walzs wife, daughter and son were brought to tears when their father accepted the nomination for vice president and it led his son, Gus Waltz, to shout out Thats my dad! in an expression of pride and love for his father. If that moment didnt warm your heart, I dont know what will. The online right-wing haters of Gus out there confuse me to my core. There should be nothing wrong with a kid being so proud of their parents. By the way, the fact that he is neurodivergent changes nothing in that statement.

The Montana delegation had some awesome seats  just up and to the left of the stage with a direct view of the speakers. The pictures I took of Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris from my seat are nearly all with a grin on her face from ear to ear. Real joy!

My personal favorite tear-jerker moment was when Sen. Elizabeth Warren took the stage. The crowd absolutely erupted and applauded for minutes. All of which apparently was a surprise to her. Warren let herself show that she was truly moved by this overwhelming expression of appreciation. She teared up on stage and fought back more. Do you think I was crying at that point along with many other delegates in the United Center? You bet.

Another moment I was lucky to experience that gave me literal goosebumps came during President Bidens speech. Biden showed humility in a big way during one of the crowds outbursts of appreciation chanting Thank you Joe! Thank you Joe! Thank you Joe!, which in itself, was heartwarming. What did Biden respond while the crowd was doing this? He said, No. Thank you, Kamala. Credit where credit is due. What a respectable reaction that could hardly be imagined on the other side. You might recall other chanting from January 2021 directed at Vice President Mike Pence in the U.S. Capitol, for example. Biden has surely gone through a time of soul-searching in the past months. He didnt show up Monday night to lift himself up. Instead, he indicated that choosing Harris as Vice President and then endorsing her for President were the best of his political career. That is what legacy looks like.

Star-Studded show-stoppers

This DNC felt like being at a concert or a live show. Featured acts included Kenan Thompson, Pink, the Chicks, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, the Obamasand more. There were even rumors of Beyonce and Taylor Swift attending that never materialized, but I wont hold it against them!

It was a powerful moment when Oprah (an actual self-made billionaire) took the stage. Getting to hear her speak at a DNC in her own town was something I couldnt have imagined. And she was wearing a glorious purple, which, I dont think was an accidentfirst of all for her role in the original The Color Purple in 1985 (and relaunch in 2023), but also as a self-identified registered independent. Oprah is quite careful about politics so the opportunity to be there for her resounding endorsement of Harris and rejection of the other was awesome. (No, she didnt give any delegates free cars either).

In my opinion, Obama  and I mean Michelle Obama  gave by far the best speech and was welcomed with the most enthusiasm from the crowd. What it effectively did was shake the party awake to say we know there will be attempts to destroy us and Harris  that is what they always do. But we cannot stop here. We must do something, which became the theme of the evening. She also spared no opportunity to fling one at the Republican nominee. Gone are the days of we take the high road, and she showed us the new way. Now, its about going big, not high. Going small is never the answer. Going small is the opposite of what we teach our kids. Going small is petty. Its unhealthy. And quite frankly, its unpresidential.

At the same time, former First Lady Obama essentially relaunched the Obama hope campaign. I will never forget the beginning of her speech. Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isnt it? You know, were feeling it here in this arena, but its spreading across this country we love. A familiar feeling that has been buried too deep for far too long. You know what Im talking about. Its the contagious power of hope.

The crowd absolutely erupted. People want to be hopeful. I get a sense that many in our country, in our own community, including Republicans and Independents actually want to be hopeful, not fearful and cynical, which is what the MAGA-right wants us to be. Fearful of the future, not hopeful for it.

Of course, President Obama spoke with impressive ease and cool poise imbued with both humor and hope. And it was so refreshing to hear him again. In fact, I first saw Obama speak live when he was still a candidate running for President. He gave a speech in the summer of 2008 in Berlin, where I also happened to be with our Absarokee German Connection language club. Sixteen years later, I was lucky enough to watch him live again, to rekindle, reignite and reclaim hope in Chicago! He acknowledged Joe Biden and his service and their close relationship. But he is also clearly helping to pass the torch of hope directly to Harris. And what a masterful connection to the crowd President Obama creates and manages. These words still ring in my ears. Do not boo. Vote!

The Experience as a Delegate

Inspirational is the only word I can think of that gets close to describing the experience of being a delegate. Each morning, the Montana delegation had breakfast with the Wyoming delegation. We had morning guests such as Sen. Cory Booker, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Tina Smith, and former Gov. Steve Bullock. One of our breakfast speeches that sticks with me was from Wyoming State Senator and Minority Leader of the Wyoming Senate, Chris Rothfuss. There are 31 senators in Wyoming. Two are Democrats right now, 29 are Republican. So, Rothfuss is a minority leaderof two. These Democrats know what uphill battle means and it was so interesting to hear from him. Or do they actually understand the power of compromise and teamwork? Perhaps commitment is the word.

The best part of this experience was getting to openly express political viewsto discuss, comment, commiserate, criticize and celebrate with fellow delegates. I enjoyed getting to know the Montana delegation and beyond. Its just nice to be in a sea of shades of blue.

We dont live a life in the RNC or DNC world. Those are carefully crafted performances. Reality wears a deep purple power suit, like Oprah. So, we must meet people where they are at, do what we can, for crying out loud talk to each other, and not let up for the next couple months. In a sea of deep red, the way to purple is by adding a bit of blue.

I want to thank everyone who followed this DNC and for those who donated to my participation as a delegate. The experience I just had as a delegate in Chicago can be described as somehow life changing. Even though this type of politics is performative, it sure feels good to feel good.
Simon Aron, center, helps lead a chant in April at Vice President Kamala Harris' Brentwood home, where Sunrise Movement activists called on her to urge President Biden to declare a climate emergency. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

When Camp Hess Kramer burned down in 2018, I cried. My family had gone to the summer camp for generations. My grandma won the best camper award in the same dining hall where I tried soda for the first time. Overnight, it was gone. The place I grew up, once ringing with songs and laughter, had mutated into a black abyss strewn with the wiry corpses of oak trees.

It was one of the worst fire seasons in California history. Entire towns and many lives were lost.

In 2020, when COVID hit, I was just about to finish middle school. Instead of playing Magic: The Gathering with my friends in the hallways, I stared into my computer screen consuming information about the climate crisis. Feelings of terror morphed into anger. Decades of warning signs had been ignored because big oil was buying out politicians. These disasters were preventable; Hess Kramer didnt have to burn.

Evacuated horses on a beach in Malibu in 2018 as the Woolsey fire heads seaward. At least 670 structures were destroyed inside the Malibu city limits. (Los Angeles Times)

So, I signed up for every climate organization I could find online. My first meeting with the Sunrise Movements new Los Angeles youth hub was filled with the intimidating faces of high school seniors. I saw the gleam in their eyes as they talked about a future where everyone had a right to clean air, clean water, and good and meaningful jobs. They led protests and created spreadsheets and cold-called people  things I had no idea how to do.

I was 15 when Sunrise asked me to help lead the local portion of a campaign for a national Civilian Climate Corps. The idea was to push the federal government to create a program employing young people in good-paying jobs fighting the climate crisis.

Soon I was planning a sit-in at Sen. Dianne Feinsteins Los Angeles office. It was 2021. We slept on the sidewalk for two nights until Feinstein agreed to support the program. Then we demanded a Zoom meeting with Sen. Alex Padilla to get his support too. Around the country for many years, our movement continued to push for a Civilian Climate Corps. In June, the first cohort of 9,000 young people were sworn in by the White House.

But fire season is here, and the places I love are still in danger and my future is still uncertain. We could be looking at four years with a presidential administration that is in the pocket of fossil fuel billionaires.

A helicopter flies with a load of water heads to the Bootleg fire near Bly, Ore., in 2021. (Payton Bruni / AFP / Getty Images)

On July 29, eight of us blockaded the wooden door of JD Vances Senate office in Washington. Many more Sunrisers lined the marble hallways. Young people from all walks of life sang in unison: I went up to JD Vance and I took back my humanity/ Aint nobody gonna walk all over me.

In 2020, Vance, now a potential vice president, asserted that climate change was a threat. Yet after receiving nearly $300,000 from the fossil fuel industry during his 2022 Senate campaign, Vance seems to no longer believe this crisis is human-made.

Police began shoving their way through the crowd toward the door. Handcuffs dangled by their side. I wanted to run, but as the police gave their third warning, I remembered why I was here: An image of Camp Hess Kramer flashed through my head.

I was taken outside with my hands behind my back. I was told I was under arrest, alone in a sea of blue uniforms, but in the distance I heard 150 Sunrisers break out into another song. I could just make out the words. Where you go, I will go, Simon. Where you go, I will go.

Simon Aron is a freshman at Brown University, where he plans to continue his activism.



This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Kamala Harris To Make First Los Angeles Fundraising Swing Since Launching Presidential Campaign; Event Scheduled for Sept. 29

EXCLUSIVE: Vice President Kamala Harris will headline a fundraiser in Los Angeles on September 29, her first such appearance in the area since announcing her presidential campaign.

Details are to be announced, but the event will be an afternoon reception, per an invite.

More from Deadline

Tickets for the event start at $500 per person, and rise to $1 million. The latter price includes four tickets, a chairs reception with Harris, a luncheon and a photo, according to the invite.

Proceeds to the event will go to the Harris Victory Fund, a joint committee of the Harris campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties.

Harris campaign has held a number of fundraisers in Los Angeles since she launched her campaign, and one is scheduled next Friday with former President Barack Obama. But theres been a great deal of anticipation over Harris making her own appearance.

RELATED: Donald Trump Rejects Doing Another Debate With Kamala Harris

Harris has headlined a number of fundraisers this cycle when Joe Biden was still running, including an event in June at the home of Rob Reiner that was held shortly after the first presidential debate.

RELATED: Presidential Debate TV Review: Kamala Harris Baits Raging Donald Trump Into His Worst Self In Face-Off

RELATED: Barack Obama To Headline Los Angeles Fundraiser For Kamala Harris

RELATED: Bill Maher Is Dumbfounded By Taylor Swifts Influence On Male Voters After Kamala Harris Endorsement

RELATED: Kamala Harris Campaign Cites Taylor Swift Lyrics In Response To Trumps Meltdown

RELATED: White House Planning Event Celebrating 25th Anniversary Of The West Wing

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Kamala HQ account

Social media accounts run by the Kamala Harris campaign have been accused of posting misleading video clips.

KamalaHQ, which boasts 2.2milllion followers across X and Instagram and bills itself as providing context, frequently shares posts highlighting controversial or inaccurate comments made by Trump and his team.

But the account, which the Harris campaign calls its official rapid response page, has been accused of sharing misleadingly clipped videos of Trump, 78.

Fact checkers at CNN found eight examples of misleading videos shared by the account since mid-August.

One clip suggested Trump was confused about where he was during a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in August.

The footage showed the Republican nominee standing behind a podium which says text Pennsylvania, turning to the right of the stadium, and saying: Would that be ok, North Carolina? I dont think so, right.

Alongside the clip shared on 17 August, KamalaHQ wrote: He is in Pennsylvania. On Instagram, the account added: Donald Trump is lost and confused.

Trump: Would that be okay, North Carolina?



(He is in Pennsylvania) pic.twitter.com/TcymR609Rg  Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 17, 2024

But footage from the rally shows that earlier in his speech, Trump had addressed several groups in the stands, including one from North Carolina who had attended hundreds of his rallies.

About 15 minutes later, Trump gestured in the same direction as he discussed the length of his rallies.

He said: how would you like it... I walk in, speak for 15 minutes and leave? I dont know, somehow. Would that be OK, North Carolina? I dont think so, right? They want me to speak all day.

An account run by the Trump team, called Trump War Room, reposted the clip shared by KamalaHQ, writing: Wrong again, moron. President Trump was obviously referring to the Front Row Joes from North Carolina in the audience, whom he recognised earlier in his speech.

Wrong again, moron. President Trump was obviously referring to the Front Row Joes from North Carolina in the audience, whom he recognized earlier in his speech. https://t.co/O2sdgH9fhl pic.twitter.com/Oqg1JpMQjW  Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 17, 2024

Another post shared by the KamalaHQ account this week again suggested the Republican nominee had forgotten which state he was in.

It shared a clip of Trump speaking in Tucson, Arizona, where he says: So Pennsylvania, remember this when you have to go to vote, okay, just remember this: 2,000 per cent increase.

Meanwhile, the accompanying text on X highlighted Trump was in Arizona. On Instagram, text overlayed on top of the video read: Trump forgets which state he is in (again).

But the full footage shows the video had been clipped to omit Trump talking about the increase in the number of Haitian migrants in a Pennsylvania town.

He then said: So Pennsylvania, remember this when you have to go to vote, okay, just remember this: 2,000 per cent increase, this is a small town; of all a sudden they got thousands of people.

The misleading clips appear to be an attempt to draw attention to Trumps age, which became Joe Bidens biggest weakness on the campaign trail when he was the Democratic candidate.

In another post, KamalaHQ is accused of misleadingly clipping footage of Trumps running mate JD Vance discussing unions.

The post, shared on 29 August by KamalaHQ, included a clip of Mr Vance saying: Democrats want to attack Republicans as being anti-union and sometimes the shoe fits.

But the full clip, taken from Mr Vances speech to the International Association of Fire Fighters union reveals his full comment was: A lot of Democrats want to attack Republicans as being anti-union and sometimes the shoe fits  but not me, and not Donald Trump.

The Harris campaign told CNN the post was a direct quote of JD Vance and is clearly meant to convey that Vance acknowledges Republicans have a history of being anti-union.

The Telegraph contacted the Harris campaign for comment.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
GREAT BEND, Kan. (AP)  More than 44 years after a nursing student was slain in her trailer home in central Kansas, her former neighbor has been sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison for killing her.

The investigation into the Jan. 24, 1980, shooting death of Mary Robin Walter, 23, of Great Bend, had gone cold until 2022, when a detective persuaded Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir to reopen the case and use technology and techniques that werent available at the time.

The new evidence pointed to Steven L. Hanks, who was 25 at the time and had been a suspect early on. The Kansas Attorney Generals Office said in a statement Friday that it was Hanks admission in new interviews that allowed authorities to charge him in 2022, when he was living in Burden, Kansas.

Local parents react to school threats across the Kansas City metro

Hanks, now 70, got his sentence for second-degree murder Thursday. His plea agreement in August called for not less than 5 years and not more than 25 years. But Barton County District Court Judge Steve Johnson on Thursday departed upward from the plea agreement and sentenced Hanks to not less than 10 years and not more than 25 years.

The sheriff said they believe it is the oldest cold case in Kansas to be solved and result in a conviction.

It bothers me that many of the people who were so affected by this tragic crime have since passed away prior to bringing the suspect to justice, Bellendir said in a statement Friday. I consider myself fortunate that I had the resources and the diligent personnel to close this case. The credit for solving this homicide goes to the dedicated officers that had the tenacity to bring it to a conviction.

Walter was a wife, mother and nursing school student when she was shot multiple times. Police found a .22-caliber handgun at the scene and confirmed it was the murder weapon. According to the sheriff, nobody had actively investigated the case since at least 1982 until they reopened it, the Wichita Eagle reported.

Sgt. Detective Adam Hales and Lt. David Paden re-interviewed Hanks, a neighbor of Walter at the time, and a previous suspect. In his interviews, Hanks admitted to killing Walter, the attorney generals office said. The prosecutor, Associate Deputy Attorney General Jessica Domme, thanked them for their diligence,

Robins killer was finally brought to justice because of their dedication and commitment to this cold case, Domme said in the statement.

Hanks spent time in prison for another crime. He was arrested in 1981 and charged with rape, battery, robbery and burglary. He was sentenced in 1983 and discharged in 1993, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

The statements from the sheriff and attorney generals office, and online court records, dont say whether Hanks ever revealed his motive for killing Walter. The sheriffs office said Bellendir was not available for comment Saturday. Officials with the attorney generals office and Hanks attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Saturday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab works to build trust in elections in the face of skepticism

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab leads a June 21, 2024, meeting of the Kansas Objections Board at Schwab's office in Topeka

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab leads a June 21, 2024, meeting of the Kansas Objections Board at Schwab's office in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit

usdemocracyday.org

TOPEKA  As former President Donald Trump spreads misinformation on election security ahead of the November election, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab is betting on clear safeguards and local-level officials to keep Kansas voter confidence intact.

Well, sometimes Trump screams and people are scared to stand up, Schwab said. Ill stand up.

Schwab over the past four years has responded to concerns about election integrity by reinforcing policies that safeguard Kansas elections. His public education efforts and legislative changes he shepherded are aimed at preserving Kansans trust in election results and curbing skepticism.

Schwabs 2018 campaign centered around a no drastic changes approach, arguing that Kansans had already seen enough changes in the voting process. But after the 2020 election, he said in a recent interview, he saw that everybody was attacking the election system.

Schwab said he asked himself, What are some basic security measures we can put in the statute that would say, Hey, we did an election integrity bill, that wouldnt make it harder for voters to vote?

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE

Schwab tasked Connie Schmidt, a former Johnson County election officer, with checking polling locations to ensure baseline security. This practice wasnt mandated, and Schwab spent $1 million more than he intended to on the project. But the idea was to counter potential claims from election deniers.

The results were minor adjustments, like separating voting storage areas and ensuring that two officials are present while accessing voter equipment rooms.

That way, if something negative does come out, theres accountability, Schwab said.

Schwab also convinced lawmakers to increase penalties for messing with election equipment, set guidelines for ballot drop boxes, and put standard practices  like ensuring that voting machines are not connected to the internet  into law.

They werent (connected to the internet) anyway, but now its against the law, Schwab said. We can say that, and that just gives another layer of confidence.

Schwab said he isnt too worried about Trumps claims of stolen elections echoing through Kansans, and doesnt believe theyve made much of an impact. Trump hasnt targeted Kansas as one of the states where elections are a problem, likely because he won here by a large margin.

But Kansas isnt immune to election-related controversy.

Schwabs predecessor, now Attorney General Kris Kobach, lost a high-profile federal lawsuit in 2018 where Kobach failed to prove his claims of widespread voter fraud. Current Kansas GOP chairman Mike Brown, who lost to Schwab in the 2022 primary for secretary of state, frequently spread election-related conspiracies and alleged the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

After the 2022 primary, which included the defeat of an anti-abortion constitutional amendment by a 59-41 margin, 65% of ballots were recounted. Anti-abortion activists paid $119,000 to recount the votes of nine counties, state Rep. Tatum Lee-Hahn, a Republican election denier from Ness City, requested a recount in her race, and state Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Republican from Parker, requested a recount of six counties for the GOP state treasurers race.

Not one county result flipped. Schwab said the phones quit ringing after that.

Trump acknowledged the legitimacy of the abortion amendment vote in Tuesdays presidential debate.

Kansas, the vote was liberal, he said. Much more liberal than people wouldve thought.

Schwab has said the two major parties differ in how they complain about election integrity. He said Democrats focus on voter suppression, in the form of laws and policies that limit access to voting, while Republicans focus on voter fraud, in the form of illegal ballots cast. Pew research found that while Democrats trust in elections has been increasing, Republicans has been decreasing.

Still skeptical?

Go be a poll worker, Schwab said.

We need Republican eyes on the election. We need critical thinking in our polling centers, Schwab said. If youre skeptical, its because youre a critical thinker. So go be a poll worker. Go help us out. Go make the system better.

Laura Rainwater, Schwabs appointed election commissioner for Sedgwick County, said poll workers juggle so many checks and balances they often find it daunting. They see a side to elections that the voters dont  like the many forms and checklists that require two signatures, from poll workers of different parties.

Mike Stieben, a Leavenworth County Commissioner who ran in the GOP primary for a Kansas House seat, lost his primary by 37 votes. On primary night, the secretary of state website showed Stieben held a 41-vote lead. But by the next morning, his opponent was ahead. Despite the close numbers, Stieben didnt request a recount.

As a commissioner, Stieben has seen the process of many elections. Hes watched poll workers hand-count ballots, which have been an exact match to the machine-counted ballots every time.

Im not against people having a review or audit done on their election, Stieben said. But I think you have to think it through really closely.

Close races like Stiebens are one of the reasons the secretary of states website features a pop-up window on the unofficial election results page, reminding Kansans that mail-in, hand-counted, or other legally cast ballots were still being processed.

Mail-in ballots have been used for decades in Kansas to ensure voters voices are heard, but they became a point of contention after the 2020 election. And in the August primary in Kansas, approximately 1,000 mail-in ballots were either properly postmarked but received by county election offices after the three-day grace period or lacked a required postmark, according to a news release from the secretary of states office.

If theres any election fraud, its the United States Post Office, because they dont deliver ballots. And if theres any voter suppression, its the United States Post Office because they dont deliver ballots, Schwab said. Now they have something they can bite into and complain about, because Im complaining about the post office too.

Schwab last week requested an explanation from the postmaster general on how the U.S. Postal Service will ensure every ballot is postmarked correctly and will arrive on time for the November general election.

Despite Schwabs frustration with the Postal Service for mail-in ballots, Schwab remains firm that any reason to deny election results lacks proof. He found that when he asks election deniers who benefited, theyre at a loss.

So when you ask somebody saying that theres massive voter fraud, but they cant say whats the benefit, who did it, how it happened, suddenly people dont believe you anymore, Schwab said. Were seeing more and more that the folks who are loud on voter fraud, theyre just not swaying anybody anymore. Youre just kind of a banging gong and a clashing cymbal.
KINGSTON, Tenn. (WATE)  With two highways running through the heart of their city, members of the Kingston community are no strangers to traffic. Which is why the city is creating a Bridge-to-Bridge Corridor Master Plan to mitigate safety concerns and ease traffic on Highway 70 and Highway 58.

I definitely think something is needed. I dont want to have a four-lane highway going through the middle of Kingston, but I want to be able to get people through town without backing up everything, said one resident, Andrew Margrave.

Living in Roane County for years, Margrave invites the idea of a new master plan for their roadways.

In the past five years Ive seen a tremendous amount of traffic, he said. You hear about it all the time, something happens at the Midtown exit or at Gallaher and then youve got 8 or 10 miles of highway 70 backed up with all that interstate traffic.

Will the Oak Ridge airport project impact residents? City manager explains

As the city of Kingston is developing their master plan for the highway corridor, they asked the community to provide input to help them decide on the final designs of the roads.

Because we know that this will affect the city for the next 30 years, we want to make sure that we take into consideration peoples thoughts and experiences of today and, hopefully, then tell us what they envision for the future, said Community Development Partners urban planner Andreas Guevara-Nadeau.

What to know about Alcoa Highway corridor construction TDOTs biggest project ever

With the help of the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Community Development Partners, the City is looking at ways to redesign highways 70 and 58 to improve safety, movement, pedestrian and bicycle access, and maintenance.

Were working as best as we can to make sure that this road gets redesigned to fit within the context of the city, to actually be able to take into consideration a lot of the issues that this road has, said Guevara-Nadeau. Which is traffic issues, volume issues, interstate, rerouting issues, and as well making sure that this community has access to their parks, their schools, their downtown, and as well are other aspects of their city.

They say all funding for the project will come from federal grants, one of which they have already been approved for. However, some community members like Margrave say that money could be used elsewhere.

 See more top stories on WATE.com

I dont want to waste money, said Margrave. It needs to look decent. It needs to function well. It needs to be safe. It doesnt have to be the most glorious thing ever.

While Guevara-Nadeau said it will take time, they are still asking for input from the community by filling out this survey.

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 WATE 6 On Your Side.
Knife-wielding man arrested after barricading self in burning home in unincorporated Duluth

DULUTH, Ga. - A knife-wielding man has been arrested and charged after leading a SWAT situation on Gainesway Trace in an unincorporated Duluth neighborhood.

Gwinnett County police said neighbors called 911 just after 6 p.m. on Saturday when they allegedly saw the man carrying a knife coming out of a home that was on fire.

When the authorities arrived, the suspect reportedly barricaded himself inside the home.

BREAKING @GwinnettPd and @GwinnettFire are on the scene of a SWAT situation in Duluth. We can see dozens of police and fire vehicles on scene right now. Working to learn more details.@FOX5Atlanta pic.twitter.com/yFuTKIrhnk  Joi Dukes (@JoiDukesTV) September 15, 2024

Gwinnett County Officer Mark Meyers said the man refused their commands to drop the knife and come outside.

As the smoke and flames grew, the responding officers were forced to retreat while Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services battled the flames.

The fire was eventually contained, but the suspect, later identified as 33-year-old Jonathan Lee, remained in the home without any hostages.

According to Officer Meyers, in addition to the police force and fire team, a K-9, the entire SWAT team, and a clinician from their Behavioral Health Unit have also responded.

Nearby residents were told to evacuate or shelter-in-place.

Just after 10 p.m., Lee was arrested and charged with arson in the first degree as well as criminal damage to property in the first degree and obstruction.

Lee was taken to the hospital out of an abundance of caution.

Anyone with information to share about the incident is asked to contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or online. Crime Stoppers tipsters may receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.
Labour has just lost the next election  thats what the prisoner releases have achieved

Labours downfall has already been set in motion. Punishing pensioners to reward train drivers was bad. Promising during the election that there would be no additional tax rises was worse. But what will finish this administration was its decision to release violent criminals, even as people were being sent to jail for saying nasty things online.

Every crime will now trigger memories of freed convicts spraying champagne and promising to vote Labour. The BBC might not replay the footage, but voters will in their minds.

Seventeen hundred inmates were returned to the streets last week. One man, according to court documents, committed a sexual assault on the day of his release. Another 1,700 will be let out on Tuesday, and tens of thousands more by the end of next year.

Labours excuse for this criminal bonanza is the same as for its tax rises and its pension cuts: The horrid Tories made us do it. But voters arent falling for it. The two most recent polls show Labours lead down to 4 per cent  an extraordinarily sudden collapse for a party which, 10 weeks ago, won a 411-seat majority.

People see Labour making unforced choices. It chose to give public sector unions unconditional pay rises. It chose to cancel North Sea drilling licences. It chose to impose new burdens on employers. It chose to order a woke new national curriculum. And, yes, it chose to decant selected scoundrels back into society.

The man Starmer has brought in to run prisons, James Timpson, makes no secret of his view that there are too many people inside. Were addicted to punishment, he told Channel 4 News. So many of the people in prison in my view shouldnt be there.

This view, widely shared by penologists, Home Office functionaries and Blobsters, is impossible to reconcile with the data. But before we come to that, lets consider the politics of what has happened.

Rather than admitting that it had a doctrinal dislike of incarceration, Labour claimed that the issue was lack of space. Almost the first thing that Starmer said on becoming Prime Minister was that he would have to release convicts to ease overcrowding.

If he had wanted to, he could have ordered the construction of new prisons and told governors to convert common spaces to accommodation or double up more cells.

Given the speed with which we built the Nightingale hospitals in the early stages of the pandemic, we could surely have thrown up temporary structures while pushing ahead with something more permanent. If money is the issue, we could sell Wormwood Scrubs, which occupies prime development land next to Hammersmith Hospital, and use the proceeds to build larger facilities outside London.

But that was never Sir Keirs agenda. He seems to share Lord Timpsons view that many of the people in prison shouldnt be there. Blaming the Tories must have seemed a delicious bonus.

This viewpoint didnt seem so clever when various ruffians began rioting. And it seemed downright dishonest when some of those ruffians were then given lengthy jail terms, cheered on by Labour MPs, even while violent offenders were being discharged.

Labours reaction to the post-Southport violence has made a mockery of its justification for early release. The country has seen that, when it wants to, the Government is perfectly able to accelerate sentencing and give malefactors long stretches.

At the same time, the Blobs insistence that prison doesnt work has been exposed as performative. If Lefties truly thought that chokey was pointless, they would not demand the incarceration of people they dislike  in this case, racists. Economists call it revealed preference: the difference between what we tell ourselves we think, and what our actions show.

Last week, in a twist that might have come straight out of a Carry On film, the police and crime minister, Dame Diana Johnson, had had her purse stolen while she was addressing the Police Superintendents Association in Kenilworth.

What do you suppose Dame Dianas first thought was when she realised what had happened? Was it I pity whoever was driven to do this by years of Tory austerity? Or might she fleetingly have wondered whether putting more thieves behind bars would reduce theft?

If she did, she would have been right. The decline in crime, especially violent crime, since the 1990s owes a great deal to taking persistent offenders out of circulation.

People tend to assume that crime is on the rise. Their perception rests partly on negativity bias, and partly on the spread of smartphone footage, which can create the impression of a society sliding into disorder.

But the data tell a different story. Whether we use the measure of police reports or public experience, violent crimes, burglaries and homicides have fallen sharply over the past three decades.

As usual, there is more than one factor at work. Many electronic appliances now have find me functions, making them risky to steal. Shops and businesses use CCTV. People carry less cash. Alcohol consumption has fallen.

Even changing demographics may have played a part. Although black people are arrested 2.2 times as frequently as white people, Britons of Indian, East Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds have lower arrest rates than the national average.

But we cant ignore the impact of incarceration. Michael Howard, who became Home Secretary in 1993, was convinced that, since most crimes were committed by a small number of people, imprisoning those people would cause crime to fall.

Liberal lawyers saw him as a class traitor, and he was excoriated by judges, criminologists and Home Office grandees; but he was proved right. Incarceration rates rose by around 75 per cent over the next two decades, and crime consequently plummeted. When Labour took over in 1997, David Blunkett, a sensible man and a no-nonsense Home Secretary, saw no reason to reverse a successful policy.

Neither did the Cameron government after 2010. Nick Herbert, its first criminal justice minister, had intended to start by releasing the petty criminals and licence-fee defaulters who, he had been assured, were clogging up the system. But he found that there were no such people.

Prisons were full of hardened professionals who, on release, would go straight back to work. Herbert concluded that they had to be kept in for longer  even if that meant building more facilities to accommodate Britains growing prison population.

The statistics bear him out. Consider what you need to do to get yourself locked up in this country. Last year, 59 per cent of offenders with more than 75 previous convictions were given non-custodial sentences. Even if we look at violent crimes (assault, robbery and sexual offences), 30 per cent of offenders with more than 75 convictions escaped prison.

Letting out those determined enough to have got themselves jailed drives up crime rates, as almost every study confirms. When the economist Steven Levitt studied the impact of early release in the US, he found that, for every prisoner let out prematurely, there were 15 serious crimes.

How are people going to react when such crimes are committed in Britain by beneficiaries of Labours scheme? Will they blame the last government? Or will they think back to the champagne being sprayed about outside HMP Wandsworth last week?

Will they recall Djaber Benallaoua, a 20-year-old drug dealer, exulting as he walked out of HMP Isis that Starmers decision had made him a lifelong Labour voter? Will they remember Daniel Rutuls, who had been sentenced to three years for aggravated burglary, telling the PM, Thank you, its a smart decision?

No amount of bluster can hide the truth. Labour politicians have chosen to reverse a policy that had worked

for three decades. They dont know it yet, but the prisoner releases have done for them.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  Fiestas Patrias celebrations are in full swing at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on the east side of Wichita Falls.

Fiestas Patrias is to help ring in Mexican Independence Day, celebrating the country earning its independence from Spain in the 1800s.

Big Brothers Big Sisters celebrates back to school with annual bash

Our Lady of Guadalupe started their celebrations the weekend of September 7, 2024, with a downtown parade, but this Saturdays celebrations were always meant to be the main attraction.

Tents serving several types of Mexican food, including tortas, homemade quesadillas, fajitas, and gorditas, were set up starting at noon.

There were also different games set up for kids.

While the celebration is one of Our Lady of Guadalupes biggest fundraisers, church member Mary Aranda said its important because of how the date coincides with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.

For years Wichita Falls didnt have anything for us as Hispanics to go, Aranda said. But weve always celebrated to bring out community together, so this is our way of getting all of our Latinos, Mexican, anybody can come. But we didnt have any events for us, so this is why weve kept the tradition.

The celebration will go on until late the night of September 14, and entry is free.

Food will be available for purchase through tickets for sale at the event. The celebration is at the church at 421 Marconi St.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

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 Texomashomepage.com.
Lammy: West will not be bullied by Putin as talks continue on long-range strikes

The West will not be bullied by Vladimir Putins threat of all-out war with Nato if Ukraine is given permission to use Western weapons to strike inside Russia, David Lammy said.

The Foreign Secretary said talks were continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russian airbases and military sites which are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy has been part of intensive UK-US diplomatic talks in Kyiv and Washington in the past week which have so far failed to produce a decision.

We wont be bullied by Putins shameless grandstanding

David Lammy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly pressed Western leaders for permission to use the weapons they have supplied to hit sites within Russia.

Russian president Mr Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia.

But Mr Lammy told Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: Putin said dont send tanks. We sent them.

Putin said dont send any missiles. We sent them.

Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons.

What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.

Mr Lammy said there was a lot of bluster from Mr Putin but we cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist who wants to move into countries willy-nilly.

On the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, he said talks would continue with Sir Keir Starmer, US President Joe Biden and Mr Zelensky at the United Nations in New York later this month.

Its important that as allies supporting Ukraine, we have a shared strategy to win going forward.

Now weve been discussing this with the United States and with other key allies, but of course, we head to the UN General Assembly, where we will all meet with Zelensky in just under 12 days time.

Mr Lammy said no war is won with any one weapon, but added: Its important that we support the Ukrainians to continue to repel Russia in the Black Sea, its important that they can deal with the huge challenges in the air that are being mounted by Russia and of course that we support them  and we have  with training of their own men and women on the front line.

This week, the Russians have launched around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine.



Ukraine needs strong support from our partners to defend lives against Russian terrorair defense, long-range capabilities, pic.twitter.com/G51XjQpbem  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) September 15, 2024

We want to put Ukraine in the strongest position going forward.

I cant tell you operationally, on air, what we will or wont do, and I particularly wont do that at a time when Russia is buying ballistic missiles from Iran and escalating further.

But please understand this is under careful discussion with the Ukrainians as we assess what they need as they head into that winter.

Mr Zelensky posted a fresh plea for aid on social media site X on Sunday: This week, the Russians have launched around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine.

Ukraine needs strong support from our partners to defend lives against Russian terror-air defense, long-range capabilities, support for our warriors. Everything that will help force Russia to end this war.

I thank everyone around the world who understands this and our partners who help and support us.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 15 September 2024.



Russia has continued a high tempo of offensive operations across multiple areas of the frontline.#StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/Vv3Rvv2Gmw  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) September 15, 2024

A British military intelligence update suggested Russia was continuing a high tempo of offensive operations in multiple areas of the frontline in the conflict.

A counter-offensive has been launched by airborne and naval infantry units in Kursk, the area of Russia invaded by Ukrainian forces, and they have highly likely retaken several villages.

In eastern Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence intelligence update said Mr Putins troops were making gradual advances around Vuhledar and to the southeast of the important logistics hub Pokrovsk.

Senior Tories have pushed for the UK to give Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia with Storm Shadow missiles even without US agreement.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson and ex-defence secretaries Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox have pushed for the change, the Sunday Times reported.

Former foreign secretary and Tory leadership hopeful James Cleverly told Sky News: I think its disappointing that Keir Starmer and David Lammy have failed to secure international agreement for Ukraine to use these missiles in their self-defence against the launch sites of those weapons that are currently hitting civilian infrastructure, energy infrastructure.

Its complicated negotiations, but weve had a successful track record up until now, and I really hope that they will continue pushing on this.
Laura Loomer joke by Maher draws chuckles from his audience but Loomer takes it seriously

Far-right social media provocateur Laura Loomer on Saturday threatened to sue TV personality Bill Maher after the latter joked that Loomer and former President Donald Trump were in an intimate relationship.

Maher, who has a commentary and comedy show on HBO, made the quip during his Friday night program. Maher preambled his remarks noting that Loomer's own allegation that megastar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce were in an "arranged relationship" to impact the 2024 presidential election.

Maher then went on by musing about who the GOP nominee might be sleeping with these days.

"He's been a dog for too long and it's not Melania," Maher said. "I think we may have had our answer this week. I think it might be Laura Loomer."

More: Laura Loomer: Far-right influencer posted about pet-eating migrants. She's in Trump's orbit

Maher's audience laughed at the crude joke, but Loomer found nothing comical in the matter, which she took very seriously.

"This is beyond the pale and its a complete and blatant lie," Loomer wrote on social media. "This is unacceptable. And its a full blown LIE and incredibly disrespectful to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump."

I should sue Bill Maher @billmaher for Defamation.



This is beyond the pale and its a complete and blatant lie.



I have never in my life seen such a coordinated attack by the mainstream

Media, the White House and leftist personalities to target a private citizen and https://t.co/Nis17vPdPu  Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) September 14, 2024

Loomer also took aim at others she said are not coming to her defense.

"Dont think Im not taking note of which conservatives are sitting back doing nothing as these egregious lies and disgusting malicious things are being said about me by Bill Maher and the state sponsored fake news media networks," she wrote in another post.

Dont think Im not taking note of which conservatives are sitting back doing nothing as these egregious lies and disgusting malicious things are being said about me by Bill Maher @billmaher and the state sponsored fake news media networks.



I have done nothing but use my own https://t.co/E6S72sU4bg  Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) September 14, 2024

Loomer drew the media spotlight this week as a vocal proponent of a baseless allegation that Haitian immigrants in a Ohio town were eating the community's pet dogs and cats. Trump then repeated the falsehood during a Sept. 10 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Loomer also drew attention when she traveled with Trump to the debate in Philadelphia and then to New York City for the Sept. 11 observances of the terrorist attack 23 years ago.

Republican congressional candidate Laura Loomer celebrates with Milo Yiannopoulos (left) and campaign director Karen Giorno (right) at a 2020 primary election night event in West Palm Beach.

Trump's Republican allies, including U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, have expressed concern over Loomer's proximity to the candidate and his inner circle. Greene strongly criticized what she called an "extremely racist" message about Harris that Loomer posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Trump issued a statement on Truth Social on Friday saying Loomer does not work for his presidential campaign but is simply a "private citizen and longtime supporter." He added that he "disagreed with the statements she made" but did not elaborate.

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Bill Maher joke about Loomer-Trump relationship draws lawsuit threat
Guest Opinion. The sense of smell, considered to be one of the most evocative of the human senses, finds itself in perhaps unexpected places in the law.

Capturing and communicating a scent still eludes the digital technology behemoth and social media machine where many humans spend a good part of their day and often most of their social life. One has to wonder what is lost in our life in cyberspace without the use of our sense of smell?

Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

The elusive nature of scent can be endearing. It is connected to a time and place. The scent of baking bread or a rose typically trigger happy reactions. Smells can also trigger rage. In one case, I remember a detective asking the man who murdered his wife while she was cooking chicken livers for him, why did he murder her? I told her I didnt want any more chicken livers, he said. Clearly, his rage was triggered by the smell of cooking chicken livers, shocking as that may be.

Industries are built around scent, one of our five senses that tell us about the world around us. The perfume industry, the cleaning industry, and the food scents businesses are but some examples. We add scent to crayons, scratch-and-sniff cards, homes, cars, hotel lobbies, elevators and just about anything. Humans have memories based on scents, recognize scents, and use scents to attract mates or to cover up crime scenes.

Dogs are much better at smelling than we are. They can smell about 100,000 times more than we can. They can sniff out one molecule in a million, or equivalent to one teaspoon in two olympic size swimming pools. They can track a smell up to a mile or so away. They serve as police dogs and military dogs sniffing out the bad guys and discovering contraband, the enemy, criminal evidence and dead bodies, both above and below ground.

There are trained pigs that find truffles (fungus) that are living underground in the roots of oak trees in the pastoral lands of France (and other places) to service the gourmet food industry.

The Law of Scent

Municipalities lead the way in regulating obnoxious or harmful smells, because they have jurisdiction over property use and so this is connected to the smells these uses emit. They act with the power given them by the state. Sometimes it is state law that regulates smell.

In tort law, nuisance is an act that unlawfully interferes with the use or enjoyment of land or property. Nuisances can be either public or private, and unpleasant or harmful odors can be both public and private nuisances.

The Right to Farm Act state laws were inspired by those who complained about the stench of cattle manure after moving near cattle feeding operations or hog lots or other smelly farming operations. Coming to the nuisance, is the legal term that describes a situation where you knew you were moving to the nuisance (bad smells) and so you cannot now try to complain and close the business that was there before you were. The Right to Farm Act precludes those causes of action for public or private nuisance and all fifty states have some form of this law. However, in McKiver v. Murphy-Brown, LLC, the court upheld a jury verdict awarding damages to neighbors of a hog farm, where the odor was deemed an unreasonable interference with the plaintiffs' use and enjoyment of their property.

Scent as a Trademark

Trademarks serve as identifiers of the source of goods or services, traditionally relying on visual and verbal cues like logos, words, or symbols. However, the concept of a trademark extends beyond these forms and may include non-traditional marks, such as scents. The Lanham Act, which governs trademarks in the United States, does not explicitly exclude scents from trademark protection. In fact, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted trademark registrations for certain scents that have acquired distinctiveness and are non-functional.

The most notable case is the registration of a "scent of plumeria blossoms" for sewing thread and embroidery yarn by the USPTO. The scent is considered a "source identifier," signaling to consumers that the product comes from a specific manufacturer. However, to obtain trademark protection for a scent, the applicant must demonstrate that the scent is distinctive and not essential to the product's function. For instance, the scent of a rose for a rose-scented perfume would not qualify, as the scent is functionalconsumers expect a rose scent from a rose perfume.

The concept of scent trademarks remains controversial, where care not to make protections so broad that others cannot fairly use the scent when needed.

Scent in Criminal Law and Evidence

Scent plays an often understated role in criminal law, particularly in the context of evidence. Scent evidence can be used in criminal investigations and trials, most commonly through the use of "scent lineups." These lineups involve trained canines, often referred to as "scent dogs," who are employed to detect a suspect's scent from a lineup of scent samples. The dogs are trained to follow the unique scent markers that every individual possesses, which are considered distinct enough to serve as identifying characteristics.

Defense teams will often question the reliability of canine olfaction, the training and handling of dogs, and the procedures used in collecting and preserving scent samples. After the U.S. Supreme Court held that infrared heat detectors could not be used to detect heat coming from a marijuana-growing building without a warrant because it was not technology generally available to the public, and so not a legal search, a challenge to sniffing dogs was brought. Sniffing dogs are not technology generally available to the public (these dogs are highly trained and valued at nearly $100,000 and are usually owned by law enforcement agencies). So when a challenge was brought that sniffing dogs could not be used without a warrant, the court drew the line, excluding sniffing dogs from that test.

Are sniffing dogs technology or are they enhancements of human sense of smell?

In Florida v. Harris, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the alert of a well-trained and certified drug detection dog is sufficient to establish probable cause for a search and there is no requirement to prove the dogs reliability each time.

Scent as an Indicator of Discrimination or Disability

Scent also intersects with laws related to discrimination and disability. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), individuals with chemical sensitivities or "multiple chemical sensitivity" (MCS) may be entitled to reasonable accommodations in public places and employment settings (42 U.S.C.  12101). For example, if an individual with MCS experiences adverse reactions to certain fragrances, an employer may need to provide a fragrance-free environment as a reasonable accommodation, provided it does not impose an undue hardship on the employer.

Similarly, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from discrimination based on religion, which may include scent-based practices. For example, an employee who wears a specific fragrance as part of religious observance may be entitled to reasonable accommodation, such as being permitted to wear the fragrance despite a general workplace policy against scents (42 U.S.C.  2000e).

Scent, Indigenous Religious Practices and Rules

The use of sage, sweetgrass and cedar are central to ceremonies and traditional practices and is so common across tribal communities that it is often used in intertribal meetings, powwows, and other ceremonies. Sage is particularly used for cleansing ceremonies and so it is understandable that it would be used in common areas on campus, for example. The curling smoke from burning sage is the rising of spiritual prayers to the sky, and the pungent aroma of sage is shared by everyone in that space.

The University of North Dakota has a very detailed policy for the use of sage, sweetgrass and cedar for residential housing common areas. They use time, place and manner criteria in First Amendment, Freedom of Expression tests to allow its use, thereby avoiding the infringement on the rights of others  not to smell it. The general policy reads:

Use of Sage, Sweetgrass, and Cedar in Residence Halls In support of the spiritual lives of American Indian/Alaska natives, UND Housing Policies allow the spiritual use of sage, sweetgrass, and cedar smoke, when its use is for the purpose of purification and prayer; is consistent with time-honored cultural, traditional, and spiritual observances; and complies with the protocols outlined in this document.

Scent, Technology and Law

Courts and legal scholars continue to consider how to effectively balance the subjective nature of olfaction with the need for objective legal standards. Increasing reliance on technology like olfactometersdevices that measure the intensity of odorsor standardized guidelines for scent collection and analysis in forensic contexts.

Patents and recent patent applications demonstrate the quest to harness the power of scent. U.S. Patent No. 7,203,417 is a portable scent delivery device that selectively releases smells, preferably through a headset or a mobile telephone. The scent travels to the user's nose by diffusion.

Sony also filed for a patent, to Overlay Non-Video Content on a Mobile Device, U.S. Patent No. 12/554,958 in 2013. This invention injects scent technology into video games, so that the user can smell what the video character smells in real time in the movie or video game.

These technological ways of transmitting scent could find themselves into evidence in the courtroom like a video depicts the recreation of an accident.

Conclusion

While scent may not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering legal issues, it is undeniably relevant across various areas of law. From trademarks and criminal evidence to nuisance law and anti-discrimination protections, scent is a part of the law.

In the end, it is a quest of balancing this subjective human experiences with objective legal standards.

To read more articles by Professor Sutton go to: https://profvictoria.substack.com/

Professor Victoria Sutton (Lumbee) is a law professor on the faculty of Texas Tech University. In 2005, Sutton became a founding member of the National Congress of American Indians, Policy Advisory Board to the NCAI Policy Center, positioning the Native American community to act and lead on policy issues affecting Indigenous communities in the United States.

About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Lawmakers came together Saturday to find solutions to Florida's home insurance crisis and discuss the impact climate change has had on the problem.

Congresswoman Kathy Castor hosted a special roundtable discussion in Shore Acres, which is one area that suffered from significant flooding.

During big storms like Idalia and Tropical Storm Eta as well as Debby the Shore Acres neighborhood in St. Pete saw significant flooding. During Idalia, at least 1,200 of the roughly 2,600 homes flooded. Meghan Martin saw up to 18 inches of water in her home.

READ: Disaster assistance now available for Pinellas County residents impacted by Debby

"We've lived here for eight years and the first four or five were amazing. Unfortunately, we've flooded twice now in the last three years," Martin said.

Martin said her home insurance has more than tripled over the last few years. Last year, Florida saw some of the sharpest home insurance premium increases in the country.

A map from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows the average annual home insurance premiums. Florida is in dark red with several counties in South Florida reporting an average annual premium of $4,000 or more.

"We are paying more for our property insurance here in the state of Florida than any other state right now. On average, folks are paying over $6,000 annually, and it's practically doubled just in the past few years and folks are looking for solutions here in Florida," U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said.

That's why, on Saturday, Castor held a special roundtable discussion on the home insurance crisis at the Shore Acres Rec Center with U.S. Senator from Rhode Island and Senate Budget Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse. He warns Florida's home insurance crisis could end up costing all federal taxpayers.

"We have had in the Senate Budget Committee testimony from the big mortgage companies that a property insurance crisis cascades into a mortgage crisis and when you can't get mortgages, that cascades into a property value crash," U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said.

Whitehouse's budget committee has done investigations into the state insurer of last resort, Citizen's Property Insurance, to see whether it'll need to be bailed out by the federal government if disaster losses ever exceed the ability to pay.

Castor argues climate change is contributing to the home insurance crisis and hopes to see Florida invest more in renewable energy like solar.

"It's about time that state leaders begin to help solve the problem by reducing the drivers of climate change and that is the pollution, the burning of fossil fuels that is fueling a crisis here in the state of Florida, but all across the country, all across the globe," Castor said.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
You may think home builders are all about raising walls and hammering down roofs, but in North Carolina theyre also quite adept at raising legislation and hammering down opposition.

The home building industry is among the states most powerful lobbying groups.

According to campaign finance watchdog Bob Hall, the N.C. Home Builders Association PAC has donated more than $1 million in political contributions since 2018, with most of the money going to key state lawmakers. The recipients include Senate leader Phil Berger, who got $40,000, and House Speaker Tim Moore, who got $27,200.

The influence of the home builders was demonstrated this week as Republican lawmakers overrode Gov. Roy Coopers veto of Senate Bill 166, which reshapes the state Building Code Council. It shrinks the council from 17 to 13 members, removes the requirement that two architects be members and gives more control to contractors.

The override of Senate Bill 166 follows the 2023 passage  also by veto override  of House Bill 488, which created a separate Residential Building Code Council that is likewise dominated by contractors and does not include architects.

The North Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Architects strongly objected to the changes. In a memorandum asking Cooper to veto House Bill 488, the group said: Having a separate code council only for residential construction is an attempt to completely control the regulatory decision making and authorization processes. The proposal will lead to an endless roll back of health and safety code provisions and a stagnation of building technology in the residential market.

J. Richard Alsop Jr., an architect and former advocacy director of the North Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Architects, is alarmed at how the home building industry has cut out architects. They are experts on including code requirements in building plans and are advocates for code changes that promote building safety and energy efficiency.

People think our job is to make buildings look pretty, but in reality our job is to make buildings safe, Alsop told me. And this just flies in the face of that.

State Sen. Natasha Marcus, a Mecklenburg County Democrat and candidate for state insurance commissioner, agrees. She said in an NC Newsline report on the Senate Bill 166 override debate: Its irresponsible to remove the architects and we should not allow politics to be more important than the publics safety.

Alsop noted that House Bill 488 sharply limited inspection requirements for sheathing, the plywood wrap that helps buildings withstand high winds.

Architects back stronger standards for safety and energy conservation to save homeowners on utility costs. With them off the Building Code Council, that advocacy has been lost.

Tim Minton, executive vice president of the N.C. Home Builders Association, said architects and the public will still have a voice in shaping the states various construction codes. Any citizen can bring code recommendations to the code council at any time, he said. Its a pretty wide open process.

Minton said home builders also want safe buildings, but they oppose requirements that they say create unnecessary delays or drive up the cost of new homes.

To build a house is highly regulated  and it should be, he said. But when making changes, you have to recognize what its going to cost and how it will impact the markets as a whole. Nothing is free.

Climate change is making it urgent that building codes be strengthened as hurricanes, flooding and wildfires grow more intense and more frequent.

We design buildings for people to occupy in the future. The old code was fine then, but its not now, Alsop said. We need to work together in a way that is going to promote public safety and if we are not willing to do that we are never going to have safe buildings.

As North Carolina resists code changes to reduce builders expense, it will cost the state millions in federal dollars. The federal government will not pay for rebuilding after natural disasters if a state is following older and weaker building codes.

The home building industry has been generous, shrewd and effective in getting what it wants from the General Assembly. But letting the industry have its way will lead not to cheaper homes, but to costly hazards.

Associate opinion editor Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-404-7583, or nbarnett@ newsobserver.com
2 people hurt in multi-vehicle crash on Route 30 in North Braddock

Emergency crews responded to a multi-vehicle crash on Route 30 in North Braddock.

Allegheny County dispatchers say police officers, firefighters and medics were called to Ardmore Blvd in North Braddock at 9:09 p.m.

Two people were taken to a hospital from the scene.

Route 30 was closed while emergency crews responded.

The road has since reopened and traffic is back to normal.

Channel 11 has reached out to the Pennsylvania State Police and is waiting to hear back.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

Western Pennsylvania man dies after falling into campfire in Somerset County Former Pittsburgh Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster announces engagement Slow-moving superload scheduled to move through our region next week VIDEO: $2.3M worth of heroin found in Pittsburghs Fineview neighborhood DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
At least 8 people have died trying to cross the English Channel

At least eight people died during a failed attempt to cross the English Channel from northern France, French maritime authorities said Sunday.

The tragedy occurred Saturday just before midnight when authorities spotted a boat, carrying dozens, in distress near a beach in the northern town of Ambleteuse.

A French rescue ship was deployed to the area and rescue services offered medical assistance to 53 migrants on the beach, a statement from the French maritime authorities in charge of the Channel and the North Sea said.

Despite the emergency care provided, eight people have died, the statement said.

No people were discovered during the search at sea, it added.

Six people were taken to hospital in relative emergency, including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia, Jacques Billant, the Pas-de-Calais prefect, told French media on Sunday. He said that survivors came from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran.

The inflatable boat, carrying 59 people, set sail from the beach near the town of Vimont and ran aground soon after, the prefect said. The boat was clearly torn apart on the rocks, he added.

This photograph taken on September 15, 2024, shows the damaged boat used in a failed attempt to cross the English Channel that led to the death of eight people near the beach of Ambleteuse, northern France. - Bernard Barron/AFP/Getty Images

Fifty-one survivors have been taken to a reception center in the city of Toulouse, according to local authorities. The prosecutors office in Boulogne-sur-mer has opened an investigation.

The deaths on Saturday occurred nearly two weeks after a boat carrying migrants ripped apart in the English Channel as they attempted to reach Britain from northern France, plunging dozens into the treacherous waterway and leaving 12 dead, officials said.

British officials were quick to express sadness over another English Channel tragedy.

Its awful, Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the BBC. Its a further loss of life.

The new Labour Party government has pledged to crack down on criminal gangs and had discussed with European partners how we go after those gangs, in cooperation upstream.

Europes increasingly strict asylum rules, growing xenophobia and hostile treatment of migrants have been pushing them north. At least 46 migrants had died while trying to cross to the UK this year, said Billant, the Pas-de-Calais prefect.

At least 137,563 people have reached the United Kingdom after crossing the Channel from France since 2018, according to UK Home Office figures. On Saturday alone, 14 boats carrying 801 migrants reached Britain.

French coast guard and navy vessels on Saturday rescued 200 people from the treacherous waters in the Pas-de-Calais area, according to a report sent by French maritime authorities in charge of the Channel and the North Sea.

They said they observed 18 attempts of boat departures from France to Britain on Saturday.

Other surveillance and rescue operations are underway Sunday along the entire Pas-de-Calais coast amid stormy weather conditions and agitated sea, French maritime authorities said. They warned anyone who tries to cross the Channel on flimsy and overloaded boats and in often difficult weather conditions of significant risks.

In July, four migrants died while attempting the crossing on an inflatable boat that capsized and punctured. Five others, including a child, died in another attempt in April. Five dead were recovered from the sea or found washed up along a beach after a migrant boat ran into difficulties in the dark and winter cold of January.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
What do you think of when you hear the words climate change, Brittany Jefferson asked her fifth-graders. She moved around her classroom at Silver Lakes Citizens of the World Charter School making eye contact with each student as she talked.

World is getting hotter, someone shouted.

Man-made, another volunteered.

More water in the oceans.

With her class now on topic, Jefferson dimmed the lights and flipped on a slideshow shed created with data on rising temperatures. Even though summer break was nearing, her students were attentive. Earth has a fever from burning fossil fuels, she told her students, noting that climate change affects poor people disproportionately.

Ira Lefelt answers a question in Brittany Jefferson's class at Citizens of the World Charter School. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

The science class ended with her reading aloud a picture book on environmental damage from fossil fuels.

Introduced to climate change as a teenager when she watched Al Gores documentary An Inconvenient Truth, Jefferson was a classroom teacher when she came to believe the next generation, including many of her students, were clueless about the crisis.

Initially, in small ways, she began including the idea of caring for the natural world in her classroom. When the kids responded, she grew more ambitious for her students at the Title I school, where 55% of the students qualify for free or reduced-priced lunches.

Climate lessons were available online at Subject to Climate . But they werent always the right fit, so Jefferson created her own during personal time on evenings and weekends. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she teamed up with the two other fifth-grade teachers at her school to create comprehensive climate lessons that could be incorporated in every subject they taught. The administration was supportive of what we did, Jefferson said.

No matter the subject, if she could relate it to the degrading environment, she said, her students tuned in.

For a language arts lesson on persuasion, she gave her class the details of the then-pending Willow oil drilling project in Alaska. Using that information, students wrote letters to President Biden either supporting or opposing the project, and she mailed the packet of letters to the White House.

For a math lesson, her class studied the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the North Pacific Ocean. How many Californias would fit into that area? How many New Jerseys? Colorados?

For a math lesson, Brittany Jefferson's class studied the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the North Pacific Ocean. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

After five years, working hundreds of hours to create climate-oriented curriculum, Jefferson left the classroom before the start of the 2024-25 school year. She plans to work full time creating lessons that develop climate literacy in grade-school students.

Through her network of teachers, she said shes confident that, at least in Los Angeles, there is interest in developing climate literacy at all levels. Shes hoping some of the lessons she is creating will find their way into those classrooms.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Board of Trustees avoids responsibilities





Section VIII of the Penn State Standing Orders (Responsibility to Inform the Citizens of Pennsylvania) states The Board shall inform the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of the Universitys performance of its role in the education of the youth of Pennsylvania. This requirement, in effect for many years, has been regularly ignored by our trustees. But our boards non-adherence is now over. So, is a report card now forthcoming? No. Instead, the trustees voted (unanimously, Sept. 6) to simply abolish this Standing Order (and all others). So, presto, we are in compliance.

This bureaucratic maneuver allows our board to avoid their most fundamental responsibilities: establish long-term priorities/objectives along with metrics to monitor success. Without a report card one never receives an F! All high-performing organizations adhere to a vision with measurable outcomes which are shared regularly with their stakeholders. Why our board has so avoided these fundamental responsibilities should cause alarm among all Penn State stakeholders.

What is particularly shortsighted here is that next year PSU will be subject to someone elses report card, one from the new Performance-based Funding Council (Pennsylvania Legislative bill SB1154). This Council will develop performance metrics as a basis to competitively allocate state funding among PSU, Pitt and Temple. President Bendapudi will serve on this Council. Imagine the leadership and influence she would have if a longstanding history of Penn State report cards and metrics was shared with the Council. Surely, the Council would look favorably upon PSU.

Al Soyster, Boalsburg

PA needs advocates for farms in Congress

I am very concerned with nutritious food availability and the farms on which it is produced. With dismay, I have reviewed recent legislation designed to assist farms, support healthy food choices, and benefit families and children with limited incomes. Pennsylvania has long been a farming state, and my family has a rich history of farmers right here in Centre County. Our elected officials have not done very well, and I think we need someone that will promise to do more, and deliver.

The House 2024 farm bill, (H.R.8467) championed by Pennsylvanias Glenn Thompson, R-Howard, has no chance of passing in the Senate, and has few advocates within the community of small farms or even among fiscal conservatives. It expires the end of this month, and will likely just be extended. The current House version doesnt help Pennsylvania farmers much and is a flawed and biased bill due to: decreasing funds for conservation projects in agriculture; recalculating food benefits programs, mostly involving cuts, such as SNAP; increasing farm subsidies, which assist primarily corporate farming; and increasing subsidies for commodity groups, such as huge wheat and corn growers, which Pennsylvania doesnt have.

Pennsylvania needs leadership in Congress that understands the needs of our farmers and resists the lobbying efforts of corporate farms and commodity groups. Zach Womer is a 12th-generation Pennsylvanian who will represent you and your family, not the greedy corporations that have far too much power.

Elect Zach Womer as your representative in Congress this November!

Daniel L. Alters, Boalsburg

Balance must be part of tourism push

Recent articles in the CDT related how residents of European tourism hot spots are rebelling against the flood of visitors that have diminished their quality of life. There are winners and losers in tourism. Merchants and restaurants enjoy increased sales while local residents lose affordable housing options (already a problem in our area) and deal with traffic congestion, among other issues. The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau seeks to bring 6 million tourists to the area per year. The experience of other popular tourist destinations suggest that more visitors is not better if the goal is to maintain the qualities of life that make an area an attractive place to live. There needs to be a balance between economic benefits and livability. As the Area Comprehensive Plan is developed, I hope such a balance is part of the planning.

Frances Moorman, State College

Women cant trust Dave McCormick

Women arent a monolithic group.

However, women across Pennsylvania wont stand for Dave McCormick, in his capacity as CEO of Bridgewater, pressuring victims of sexual harassment to stay silent about the abuse they suffered  reportedly going so far as to tell a female employee that she would be in litigation for the rest of her life if she broke a settlement agreement about the harassment she experienced at Bridgewater.

Everyone, no matter their political affiliation, should disavow such behavior. Women, for years, have been subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace, fearing for their careers and reputations if they came forward with their stories.

Silencing victims is never OK, and calling out such a blatant abuse of power shouldnt be political.

Women cant trust Dave McCormick, not as a CEO and certainly not as a United States Senator.

Dorothy Neff, Bellefonte
Letters to the Editor: Trump said something racist about Haitians. It wasn't his first time

A Trump supporter in Tuscon, Ariz., carries an AI-generated image of Trump based on a falsehood about Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Ohio. (Rebecca Noble / AFP via Getty Images)

To the editor: With the subject of Haitian immigrants coming up in the presidential debate, there is another connection between that country and Donald Trump that seems relevant now. ("Trump's Haitian immigrant comments create a storm in Florida," Sept. 13)

On Jan. 11, 2018, then-President Trump had a meeting in the White House with a bipartisan group of senators. The subject was immigration. At some point in the meeting, Trump called Haiti and African nations "shithole countries." The next day he denied using those words. No senators in the room at that meeting denied the president used those words.

Buried under Trump's invective, of course, is a legitimate debate on immigration. But of all the rhetorical options he could have used, the president chose language that invited acrimony. I can see no justifiable upside to starting fights with other countries.

More broadly, this points to his misuse of the political capital that comes with the U.S. presidency. That capital belongs to American citizens. With his careless remarks, the president depleted that account and shrunk our standing in the world.

We should expect, and can get, better leadership than this.

Paul Skophammer, Malibu

..

To the editor: The Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, are not here illegally. They have temporary protected status. They are not eating people's pets. They are working. Surely Trump and vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) know this.

The Haitians are refugees  the tired, hungry and poor, just like it says on the Statue of Liberty. If you practice Christianity, then you must believe that these people who came here seeking a home are our brothers and sisters. And we should give them protection.

By maligning them in such a mean way and knowing that their followers will believe any crazy lie he tells them, Trump and Vance place these people in harm's way. If we give Trump back the power of the presidency, he can harm these refugees who have come here seeking protection, and he would not be held legally accountable if he breaks the law doing so, because of the U.S. Supreme Court's immunity ruling.

Alba Farfaglia, San Clemente

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Goldthorpe Library is due to close on 25 September [habiloid/Geograph]

Two libraries are to close as part of a 500,000 refurbishment to modernise the buildings and make them more energy efficient.

Barnsley Council said the work would help transform Darfield and Goldthorpe libraries into modern and flexible spaces.

Wendy Cain, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, said they had made great progress since they began refurbishing libraries as part of the Barnsley Library Strategy.

We remain committed to creating welcoming, exciting and sustainable places where people can meet, learn, study and work, she said.

Darfield Library is due to close on 24 September and Goldthorpe on 25 September, with the work expected to be completed early next year.

The refurbishment is funded by a 506,836 grant from the UK Shared Prosperity fund.

The council said extra support would be offered to those who need it during the closures.

It advised those who are not able to get to another library in the area to register with the free Home Library Service, which delivers books to people's homes.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.

More on this story

Related internet links
Life on a special mission comes to an end for Beauforts beloved Dr. Tony Bush | Opinion

Beaufort lost one of its brightest lights this month with the passing of Dr. Tony Bush.

He was known as a Beaufort surgeon for 26 years, a two-term City Council member and deacon at the Baptist Church of Beaufort.

He treated inmates at 12 county jails across the state  long after hed gone into jails with his guitar to lead devotionals.

But a light in a medical clinic in the boondocks of Haiti may best tell his story.

It was on the first of what would be 54 mission trips to the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission. He had taken enough basic supplies? to do six surgeries and planned to set up shop in a dirty, dark storage room  until he found the light.

Beaufort nurse anesthetist Carmen Marflak, who was part of most of Bushs medical mission trips, said they took a headlight and the battery out of a pickup truck, hung the light from the ceiling, cabled it to the battery and made it bright enough to do their surgery.

From that, a surgical wing would eventually be created, with equipment and supplies donated by Beaufort Memorial Hospital and hospitals in Hampton, Walterboro and Hilton Head Island.

Over the years, many more doctors and health care professionals from Beaufort would make trips to the Haiti mission. Bush also took high schoolers with him to show them what service to others looks like, and to interest them in the health-care field. Marflak said 17 of them pursued it as a career.

He typically did three or four 2-week trips per year, treating 100 to 300 patients in the clinic and doing 75 to 100 procedures.

It wasnt easy. His teams were opposed by local doctors who didnt want them cutting into their business. One time, his surgery was interrupted so they could get on the last plane out before service shut down due to civil unrest. Another time, he flew in on a private plane with no brakes to get in first after an earthquake. Yet another time, leaving required a 15-hour trip in the back of a pickup truck.

He wanted to be the hands and feet of Jesus, Marflak said.

He focused on Haiti because it is known as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, she said.

His first mission trip was in the summer of 1977 to the Gaza Strip, with his wife, Beaufort native Patricia Lubkin Bush, a nurse, and their two children, Clay, then 8, and Dolly, then 3.

Bush shared stories about early trips throughout the Middle East at a church gathering, he recalled those days and the Muslims he met kindly.

You have to admire their moral lifestyle, he said, their supervision of their young people and that they dont drink or smoke.

He was an undergraduate mechanical engineer who loved to work on Volkswagens. He helped build his own home, built the dock, dug the ditches and constantly tinkered in his shop.

As a member of City Council, Bush had so little to say in meetings that Mayor David Taub dubbed him loquacious councilman Bush.

Bushs retort? Theres no shortage of words on our council.

He mailed personal notes to more than 1,000 registered voters and he was the top vote-getter on the ballot in his two elections.

Patricia Lubkin Bush said if you saw him in a Volkswagen Beetle, he was going to church. In a VW van, he was playing. In a Cadillac, he was on vacation.

His days stretched from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. And he did it all amid a personal fight with Type 1 diabetes.

Over the last year, he had lost almost all of his eyesight and was using a walker, yet he never complained.

He never quit living, said his physician, Dr. Clark Trask. He never stopped until he decided to stop.

He had a diabetes-related infection that would have required a foot to be amputated. He was 87. He was ready to see the Lord, his wife Patricia Lubkin Bush said, and we were all at peace with that.

They brought him home from the hospital and a day later, a special light in Beaufort was gone.

David Lauderdale may be reached at lauderdalecolumn@gmail.com .
LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT)  The Limestone County Sheriffs Office is asking for help searching for a missing 18-year-old female.

At 1:52 a.m. on September 15, the Limestone County Sheriffs Office said it was searching for Savana May Austin. She is an 18-year-old white female and the sheriffs office said she may be living with a condition that could impair her judgement.

The sheriffs office said she was last seen on September 14 around 8:30 p.m. in the area of Lasso Circle in Athens.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said she is reportedly 5 9, 148 lbs with hazel eyes and brown hair. ALEA said she reportedly has two piercings on her nose, a scar on her neck and a pierced lower lip.

If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of Savana May Austin, you can contact the Limestone County Sheriffs Office at 256-232-0111 or call 911.

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 WHNT.com.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis visited the defensive lines of Ukraine on the border with Belarus.

Source: Landsbergis on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Ukraines Operational Command Pivnich (North) reported that Landsbergis visited Chernihiv Oblast, studying the fortifications of defensive lines and the process of building fortifications.

Here on the Belarus border to say: Mr. Lukashenko, stay behind that wall. pic.twitter.com/7JNGyk4Wmv  Gabrielius Landsbergis (@GLandsbergis) September 15, 2024

Quote from Landsbergis: "Here on the Belarus border to say: Mr Lukashenko, stay behind that wall."

"The people who need protection are not getting enough. The people they need protection from are getting plenty. It's time to switch that around," the minister added.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated recently during a visit to Ukraine that Belarus continues to pose a risk, and that Vilnius will seek additional sanctions against the country.

During a joint press-conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 12 September, Nauseda also promised to help Ukraine win the war against a "monster".

Support UP or become our patron!
HONOLULU (KHON2)  Emotions ran high at Kapiolani Medical Center when hundreds of nurses were locked out from going to work on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

The Hawaii Nurses Association said it is a hard-handed tactic to get the union to accept a new three-year contract deal and the one-day strike on Friday, Sept. 13 was over unfair labor practices.

The President of HNA is a registered nurse at Kapiolani and said the lockout on Saturday was indefinite and unnecessary.

Travel nurse fired amid Oahu nurse strike, lockout

The strike is the choice of the workers and this is the choice of the hospital, to lock us out, said HNA president Rose Agas-Yuu. What is the hospital going to do from this point, besides cut our insurance? Keep the nurses from getting paid?

Scores of nurses turned out to clock into work on Saturday even after they received a warning via email and letter that they would be barred from entry  the lockout was confirmed in person just before 7 a.m.

Where to find Hawaiis handmade fortune cookies

The nurses will not be allowed to work until further notice, Im asking you respectfully to leave the property, hospital leadership said in part to the nurses.

Officials with Kapiolani said the imposed lockout is to convince HNA to accept a three-year deal and add union nurses will maintain medical/dental benefits through the end of September 2024.

The proposed contract calls for three-day work weeks for nurses with 12-hour shifts, but Kapiolani nurses told KHON2 that their days already often can be as long as 14 or even 16 hours.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Mrs. Hawaii United States

When you cross over into October, they will have the ability to have the same benefits through COBRA, said Gidget Ruscetta, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Childrens chief operating officer. We have been corresponding, sending information to our nurses so that they can be prepared.

Kapiolani Medical Center nurses to strike despite threat of lockout

Nurses from other hospitals said it is an issue that they deal with as well and showed up to give support for the nurses at Kapiolani on Saturday.

When I go on break, I have to give my two sick patients to another ICU nurse who already has two very sick patients, Queens Cardiac Intensive Care Unit nurse Paul Silva said. At no time is it safe for an ICU nurse to have four patients.

None of those executives are working 12 hours and none of them are working for 12 hours straight without a break! Nurses do that. All. The. Time Paul Silva, Queens Cardiac ICU nurse

The two sides  Kapiolani and HNA  do not quite see eye-to-eye on who can end the lockout.

Theyre keeping us away from the patients. Thats their choice. Its not ours, its their choice. Agas-Yuu said.

The union has the power to stop this. Its in their hands. And we have reached out to the union as early as this morning, and we have expressed that we are willing and available to meet, Ruscetta said.

If there is any point of agreement, it is that local nurses are wanted back with patients.

We want our nurses back at the bedside. We want them to be able to provide the care that we know they want to provide, Ruscetta said.

Check out more news from around Hawaii

We dont want to be out here on a strike line, Silva said. We want to be in the hospital taking care of our patients. Thats it.

A temporary nursing workforce has been secured at Kapiolani while the lockout is ongoing, a future date for negotiations hasnt been confirmed.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
A man leans on a car submerged in flood water. Due to heavy rainfall, the whole of Lower Austria was declared a disaster area on 15 September. Doku-No/APA/dpa

The state of Lower Austria surrounding Vienna has been declared a disaster area, as the water levels of several rivers have risen dramatically due to continuous heavy rain.

"The situation is worsening due to the massive rainfall across the country," the deputy governor of Lower Austria, Stephan Pernkopf, told the APA news agency.

He warned of "massive floods" and said that landslides could occur in some places where the ground was completely soaked. Roads are flooded.

In some communities north of Vienna, the fire brigade had to rescue people trapped in their houses during the night. One person had to be rescued after driving into the floodwaters of the Pielach River, west of Vienna. The fire brigade is using rubber dinghies in some places.

People in streets close to rivers were asked to leave their homes in several municipalities.

By declaring a disaster zone, the authorities have extended powers to order evacuations. In Vienna, two underground lines were partially suspended as a precaution.

The situation is especially precarious in the areas of the Kamp and Krems rivers, which flow into the Danube. The energy supplier EVN expects the Ottenstein Reservoir on the Kamp to overflow during the day, which would significantly swell the lower course of the river.
Mali, Burkina and Niger to launch biometric passports under new alliance

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will introduce new biometric passports as part of their withdrawal from a West African bloc in favour of a new Sahel alliance after military leaders seized power in all three countries, Mali's leader said on Sunday.

The three junta-led Sahel neighbours jointly announced in January they would leave the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has sought to persuade them to reconsider their decision.

Burkina Faso announced earlier this month that it was rolling out new passports without the ECOWAS logo.

"In the coming days, a new biometric passport of the AES (Alliance of Sahel States) will be put into circulation with the aim of harmonising travel documents in our common area and facilitating the mobility of our citizens throughout the world", Malian junta leader Assimi Goita announced on Sunday evening.

He spoke ahead of a meeting Monday between the three countries' foreign ministers on the anniversary of the decision to form their own alliance.

Goita also said they were planning to launch a shared information channel "in order to promote a harmonious dissemination of information in our three states."

ECOWAS has warned that the three countries' withdrawal would undermine the freedom of movement and common market of the 400 million people living in the 49-year-old bloc.

Their departure comes as their armies battle groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, whose insurgencies have destabilised the region over the past decade and threaten to spill over into coastal West African states.

(Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo and Boureima Balima in Niamey; Writing by Portia Crowe; Editing by Sandra Maler)
NOVATO, Calif. (KRON)  Nicholas Tannler, a 34-year-old Inverness resident, was arrested on Tuesday for burglarizing several items, including campus keys, from Novato High School. The Novato Police Department said Tannler is currently facing commercial burglary charges and narcotic offenses.

Novato police received reports of a classroom burglary at NHS at about 2 a.m. on August 20. During the burglary, the School Resource Officer (SRO) told police that campus keys and personal items were stolen.

The SRO developed leads, spoke with witnesses, and told police they believed Tannler was a possible suspect in the school burglary.

Late Tuesday night, nightshift officers noticed a suspicious car on Redwood Blvd. Police identified Tannler in the car and initially detained him for other unrelated crimes. Officers then investigated Tannlers connection to the NHS incident and said their evidence confirmed Tannler was involved in the August burglary.

NPD said the stolen campus keys were recovered and returned to the school. Police did not give an update on the personal items stolen.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
CHICAGO  A 24-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a deadly shooting that happened Tuesday evening in Greater Grand Crossing.

Chicago police said Kevin Perez-Paredes was arrested just after 10:45 a.m. Thursday in the 500 block of West Lincoln Highway in Chicago Heights.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man dead after shooting in Greater Grand Crossing

Perez-Paredes was identified as the suspect who fatally shot a 25-year-old man in the 7100 block of South Yale Avenue on Tuesday, according to police.

He has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one traffic citation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
The man charged with murdering four University of Idaho students has been booked into the Ada County Jail, authorities said.

The Ada County Sheriffs Office announced that Bryan Kohberger, 29, arrived Sunday morning at the Ada County Jail, 7210 Barrister Drive in Boise. He is being held without bail, according to jail records.

The transport was done in secret, with officials declining to provide details ahead of time for security reasons, Lauren Montague, spokesperson for the sheriffs office, told the Idaho Statesman on Thursday.

Ada County Sheriffs Office Captain Ryan Jensen said Kohberger was transferred in a plane owned by the Idaho State Police. The plane left the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport at 6:25 a.m. and landed at the Boise Airport at 8:21 a.m., according to flight records.

The sheriffs office looked at all possible options before moving Kohberger and ultimately decided to ask the Idaho State Police for assistance.

If we were to put him in a van or a bus and drive him  its obviously a five to six hour drive  that would open us up to any type of complications that might happen on the way  road closures, a blowout tire, or any of those things, Ryan told the Statesman by phone We were like, Why not take advantage of our partnership with (Idaho State Police), and move him the quickest and most efficient way?

Ryan said the transport was a complicated process and involved several different agencies, including the Latah County Sheriffs Office and Washington State Police.

Relatively it went very, very smooth with no complications whatsoever, Ryan said. We were glad that it happened safely.

Once in Boise, Kohberger was put in a jail cell alone, without extra security, according to Ryan.

Hell be housed by himself, just simply because its safest for him, its safest for the other inmates, its safest for our staff, Ryan said. And thats consistent with what we did with other high profile inmates that weve had in our jail recently.

The former Washington State University graduate student is accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students in their home in November 2022. Prosecutors charged him with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in the fatal stabbings at an off-campus home in Moscow. The victims were Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, both 20, and Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21.

Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court on May 22, 2023.

The responsibility of Kohbegers custody shifted from Latah County to Ada County on Thursday after the Idaho Supreme Court issued a new order.

Kohbergers trial, and all further proceedings, will be held at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise and presided over by 4th District Judge Steven Hippler, the justices said. The trial is set to take place next year, between June 2 and Aug. 29. Its unclear whether the new changes will delay that further.

Latah County will continue to pay for costs accrued during the trial, according to Idaho Code 19-1806.

The main reasons for moving the trial out of Moscow and Latah County included the countys small jury pool, too few law enforcement officers and court clerks, and a small courthouse.

The Ada County Courthouse has already proved its ability to hold high-profile trials in recent years with the Chad and Lori Daybell trials.

The Trial Court Administrator and the Fourth Judicial District Court, in collaboration with multiple county departments and offices, do an outstanding job coordinating the vast logistical, security and media issues related to high profile cases in Ada County, the Ada County Board of Commissioners said in an emailed statement to the Idaho Statesman. We are confident they will do the same on this high-profile case as well.

The murder victims include Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle (top), Ethan Chapin and Madison Mogen.

Move to Boise marks a win for defense

Kohberger stood silent when asked to enter a plea at his arraignment in May 2023. As a result, Judge John Judge of Idahos 2nd Judicial District in Latah County entered not guilty pleas to each of the charges on Kohbergers behalf, as mandated by Idaho law.

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted by a jury. His defense has filed a number of challenges to remove capital punishment as a possible sentence, and a court hearing on the issue was scheduled for Nov. 7 in Moscow.

Prosecutors objected to moving the trial, arguing that it was not necessary or convenient, which are elements that must be met under Idaho criminal rules. The defense said the level of pretrial publicity in the case  most of it prejudicial against Kohberger  meant he couldnt get a fair trial in the community where the crimes took place. His attorneys specifically sought a move to Boise.

The interest of justice requires that the trial be moved to a venue with the resources, both in terms of personnel and space, necessary to effectively and efficiently handle a trial of this magnitude and length, Judge wrote in his decision granting the venue change.

Per Idahos criminal rules, Judge left the decision of the trial location to the Idaho Supreme Court. He also left it up to the five justices to assign a new judge after citing Idaho code that indicated his desire not to continue with the trial.
Man charged with killing 4 university students in Idaho is jailed in Boise after his trial is moved

FILE - Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students, is escorted into court for a hearing in Latah County District Court, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool, File)

The man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students has been booked into jail in Boise, where his trial was moved last week, Ada County records showed on Sunday.

Idaho's Supreme Court on Thursday moved the trial of Bryan Kohberger after his defense attorneys argued that extensive media coverage and strong emotions in the community of Moscow, Idaho, where the killings occurred, would make it difficult to find an impartial jury.

Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, who were killed in the early morning of Nov. 13, 2022.

When asked to enter a plea last year, Kohberger stood silent, prompting a judge to enter a not-guilty plea on his behalf.

The new trial venue in Boise is about 300 miles (483 kilometers) from Moscow. Prosecutors unsuccessfully argued they could find impartial jurors in Moscow by bringing in a large pool to choose from. They also said the move inconveniences the family members of victims, attorneys, and witnesses.

Officials have said that Kohberger traveled in the region the night of the killings, that his DNA was found at the crime scene, and that surveillance video and cellphone data shows Kohberger visiting the area at least a dozen times before the killings.

Kohberger's attorneys said in court filings that he was just out for a drive that night, which he often does to hike, run or look at the moon and stars.

Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. The trial is set for June 2025.
The Rowan County Sheriffs Office is investigating a double homicide after a man and a woman were found dead in a home Saturday.

Rowan County Deputies were called to the 1200 block of Old Oak Lane around 8:42 a.m.

A woman, Amanda Burr, called 911 saying that a friend, Johnathan Davan Freemon, allegedly sent her a photo of her husband, Brandon Burr, dead in their home, according to Rowan County deputies.

READ NEXT: I heard several shots: Residents rattled after deadly shooting in east Charlotte

Johnathans wife, Teri Freeman was also dead inside the home, according to officials.

When officers arrived on the scene, deputies said they found Johnathan on the scene and confirmed that the victims were inside, dead from gunshots.

It was discovered that Johnathan made incriminating statements, confessing to people he contacted after the killings, according to officials.

Johnathan has been charged with two counts of murder and has no bond.

The investigation is still active and deputies are encouraging anyone with information to contact Lieutenant Ryan Barkley at (704-216-8711).

This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.

WATCH:




PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) said it is investigating after a man was shot and killed on Saturday afternoon.

According to PGPD, shortly after 4 p.m., officers responded to the 9200 block of New Hampshire Ave. for a shooting.

Man dies after being stabbed in Prince Georges County

Once on the scene, officers found a man in a wooded area with gunshot wounds.

He died at the scene.

Detectives are working to establish any suspects and a motive in the case.

Police encourage anyone with information to contact Prince Georges County Crime Solvers or to submit a tip using the P3 Tips app.

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 DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Man dies after shooting at car wash in Woodbridge, 2 charged

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now)  The Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD) said a man has died, and two people have been arrested following a shooting outside of a car wash in Woodbridge on Saturday.

According to PWCPD, at around 3:50 p.m., officers responded to the Sonic Soft Car Wash, located at 14109 Richmond Highway, to investigate a shooting.

The investigation revealed that Earl Duwan Miller, 54, of Woodbridge, and Jermaine Antwoine Lewis, 25, of Springfield, were involved in a verbal altercation outside the car wash.

The two men separated briefly before another altercation ensued, turning physical.

During the altercation, Lewis brandished a firearm, shooting Miller in the upper body, according to police.

Police said a woman who was with Lewis, Vinisha Lanisa Neville, 29, of Woodbridge, also displayed a firearm.

WATCH: Firefighters extinguish blaze in Falls Church

After the shooting, the suspects fled in their car before Virginia State Police apprehended them along I-95 in Fairfax County.

Responders transported Miller to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Very sad, sad situation, said Daniel Ciconte, of Triangle, Va., who drove past the car wash shortly after the shooting happened. You know the crime situation is really badlets love each other and, you know, avoid this situation.

Gunfire struck one exterior wall of a building, but no injuries or additional property damage were reported.

Lets resolve problems amicably. It doesnt need to come to this, said Ciconte.

Officers arrested Lewis and Neville.

Authorities charged Lewis with second degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and shooting from an occupied vehicle. He is being held without bond.

Neville was charged with brandishing a firearm.

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 DC News Now | Washington, DC.
CHICAGO  One person was shot and killed and two others were injured after being stabbed Sunday morning in Humboldt Park.

Chicago police said just before 11:30 a.m., a group of people got into a fight in the 3100 block of West Luis Munoz Marin Drive when shots were fired.

1 dead, 2 critical after overnight hit and run involving tow truck on Near South Side

A 47-year-old man was shot in the back and taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital where he died. Two other men, ages 42 and 35, were stabbed in the face and taken to Stroger Hospital where they are listed as stable, according to investigators.

No arrests have been made and Area Five Detectives are investigating.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A female juvenile and an adult male were rushed to the hospital after a shooting in Orange Mound on Saturday afternoon.

At 4:39 p.m., officers responded to the 2600 block of Lamar Avenue regarding a shooting. They located two victims.

A female juvenile was taken to the hospital in critical condition and an adult male in non-critical condition was taken to area hospitals.

MPD: Man jumps on moving garbage truck to flee shooter

Memphis Police say this is an ongoing investigation.

If you have any information that could help police, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

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 WREG.com.
HAZLE TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  One man has been found after being reported missing Saturday in Luzerne County.

Hundreds gather for the Multi-Cultural Parade

According to a Pennsylvania State Police Hazleton Station release, they were looking for 59-year-old Richard Hall from Hazle Township, who since since been found.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
A man was stabbed to death during an argument on a Brooklyn street early Sunday, police said.

The victim was knifed in the left side of his torso on a store-lined stretch of Nostrand Ave. near Fulton St. in Bedford-Stuyvesant about 12:30 a.m., cops said.

Medics rushed the victim to Kings County Hospital, but he could not be saved.

The slaying left the sidewalk pooled with blood.

Man, I seen all that blood earlier and I was shocked. I couldnt believe it, said a nearby resident who declined to give his name. I pass by here all the time. Its a busy area, but a stabbing and seeing all that blood I havent seen that before. Its wicked.

Cops have made no arrests and are working to determine the victims identity.

Thats sad, said a man who hangs out on the block who declined to give his name. You shouldnt take another persons life over some disagreement. This is sad to hear this morning. I hope they find the guy who did it,  he said.

The stabbing marks the fifth homicide this year in Brooklyns 79th Precinct. The precinct saw seven killings through Sept. 8 of last year, according to NYPD statistics.
CAMDEN COUNTY, N.C. (WAVY)  A man wanted out of Virginia Beach in connection to making threats against a local Catholic school was arrested in North Carolina on Friday.

The Camden County Sheriffs Office, with help from Currituck Countys SWAT team, took 30-year-old Bobby Dale Francisco into custody on Friday, September 13 at his home on Keeter Barn Road in South Mills.

It comes after local authorities were contacted by the Virginia Beach Police Departments Special Investigations Unit about threats made through electronic communications to St. John the Apostle Catholic School in Virginia Beach.

Francisco was arrested without incident. During a search of the residence, potential evidence was seized and turned over to Virginia Beach authorities.

Francisco is currently being held at the Albemarle District Jail under a $1 million secured bond. He is awaiting extradition to Virginia to face charges related to the threats.

The threats against St. John led to classes being canceled on September 12 and 13. Authorities say the threat was sent after the suspect saw recent news coverage on the school. Just days before, 10 On Your Side reported that St. John suspended an 11-year-old boy who alerted his principal about another student brought a bullet to class.

Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
Sen. Joe Manchin, the conservative Democrat-turned-independent who had toyed with a presidential run and has long been a thorn in the side of the left, has been mum about the candidate hes backing in November.

But that could soon change.

In an interview with CNN, the veteran West Virginia senator signaled he may get off the sidelines. And he plans to speak to Vice President Kamala Harris soon.

Oh I could see that, yes, Manchin told CNN when asked if hed endorse a candidate before November.

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the Republican Partys 2012 presidential nominee who voted twice to convict former President Donald Trump in his impeachment trials, reiterated his disdain for Trump  and objected to the former presidents refusal to say at last weeks debate that he wanted Ukraine to win its war against Russia.

Asked twice if he would endorse Harris, Romney pointedly refused to say.

Im certainly not going to be voting for former President Trump, and I think thats been very clear, Romney said when asked the first time whether hed back Harris.

Asked again about supporting Harris, Romney said: I dont have anything on that at this stage.

The comments by Manchin and Romney  two retiring senators who have been on the outs with their respective partys base  underscore how Trump has turned off some more moderate voters but also how Harris herself has yet to close the deal with right-leaning voters skeptical of the former president.

A third Trump detractor, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, doesnt plan to vote for Harris, even as she said of the former presidents debate performance, I dont think it was Donald Trumps best evening.

Manchin, who refused to say in 2012 if hed vote for Barack Obama for reelection, seems most likely of the three to endorse Harris. The former Democrat downplayed Harris more liberal politics and sounded positive about the direction of her campaign. And he rebutted criticism that she was too far to the left for him.

I think shes moving in the right direction. Things Im hearing are sounding very good, Manchin said, adding that he wants to make sure the two have a very good conversation. We will do that.

She comes from California. I expect her to be different than where I came from, Manchin added. She seems to be looking at the larger picture now, which is very encouraging.

Manchin said hes been playing phone tag with Harris and is looking forward to a conversation about energy, the national debt and keeping in tact the Senates filibuster, the potent stall tactic that requires 60 votes to overcome.

I would like to make sure that she understands the need for us to have a filibuster in the Senate, being a former senator, of how it kind of calms things down, makes us work together, he said. If theyre willing to discard all of that, theyre willing to throw caution to the wind, were in serious problems.

In the interview in the Capitol last week, Romney heavily criticized the former presidents refusal to say that Ukraine should win the war against Russia and his use of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a character witness of sorts.

The president surely had to say, Of course, I want Ukraine to win. I want Ukraine to be successful, and then he can talk about how you define success and winning. But we stand with democracies. We stand with nations that are now being invaded by their neighbors, particularly invaded by Russia, Romney added. So, it was a huge gap that I think caused a collective gasp from nations around the world.

Romney contended that Orbans authoritarian tendencies are well known, and thats not someone who I would say, This is a badge of honor, you know, hes the guy who likes me.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
JEFFERSON, Ga. - Mason Schermerhorn, a 14-year-old boy tragically killed during the Apalachee High School mass shooting on September 4, has been laid to rest.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Jefferson Civic Center Saturday afternoon for Mason's funeral. They all wore red.

There was hardly a dry eye in the audience. Those who knew him best, including his parents, shared fond memories of him and reflected on his bright, loving personality.

STREAM FOX 5 NEWS AT 6 P.M. ON FOX LOCAL APP

The family asked that the media not record or take any pictures during the service. FOX 5 Atlanta honored that request.

HOW TO HELP APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING VICTIMS

Mason's father, Sheffron Pollard, took to the mic to read a heartfelt letter he wrote to his son. In part, he apologized for not being there to protect him.

Pollard also grieved the fact that he wouldn't get to coach him on special life moments, like his first date, his first love, and so on.

Just came out of the funeral for 14 year-old Mason Schermerhorn. At least 700 ppl in attendance. The family asked us not to record the service but Ill tell you about the emotional farewell and remembrance live at 6 on #FoxLocal. @FOX5Atlanta #Apalachee pic.twitter.com/PiJSc9QU1c  Eric Mock (@EricMockTV) September 14, 2024

Mason's mother, Breanna Schermerhorn, shared a moving tribute. She said her son had big feelings, and loved openly and fiercely.

She also described him as a protector, and someone who always looked out for his siblings and friends.

Schermerhorn said the mass shooting at Apalachee robbed her family of the opportunity to watch her son grow up and reach the major milestones that he was looking forward to.

A memorial for Cristina Irimie, Mason Schermerhorn, Richard Aspinwall and Christian Angulo in front of Apalachee High School in Winder. (FOX 5)

RELATED: When will Apalachee High School students return to class | Officials give update

After the service, FOX 5 Atlatna spoke to Melody Blouin, a close family friend.

"Mason was just the sweetest, kindest soul from childhood and on," Blouin explained. "To know Mason was to love him, and thats very apparent from everyone here. He touched everybody and I have so many fond memories of him talking to me endlessly about video games. His favorite one was Kingdom Hearts. My heart smiles when I think of him, but it also cries that hes not here."

RELATED: Sister of Apalachee High School student Mason Schermerhorn: 'He loved everyone'

Mason's love for Kingdom Hearts was so profound that his family actually played some music from the popular video game during the funeral.

The sea of red that came out to support Mason's family was a testament to just how many people he was able to touch in his short lifetime.

His memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.




DES MOINES, Iowa  The annual Mothers Against Violence (MAV) Walk honored victims of violence on Saturday at Good Park.

The walk took place from 1 to 4 p.m., where people gathered to commemorate those who have been victims of violence. Families of the victims brought photos of their loved ones and joined in a short walk around the park followed by a moment of silence.

After the walk, The Funeral Is Cancelled was presented. The Funeral Is Cancelled was designed by Dr. Lawerence Levy of Lafayette, Louisiana. The live performance helps spread a message regarding the impact violent crimes can have on individuals, families, and the community.

It brings us to an understanding of what part we play to change the way that our society is, the way our community is, said Levy. So, The Funeral is Cancelled not only brings you to a place where you can see whats taking place, but it gives you what we need to do in terms of coming together and making action plans versus just speaking about the actions that are occurring.

Saturday afternoon from 7 to 10 p.m. a Legacy of Love Gala is being hosted by Mothers Against Violence. The gala takes places at the Bella Love Event Venue and admission is $25. The event serves as a fundraiser for the organization so they can continue to serve the community by spreading awareness and resources for those affected by violence.

To learn more about Mothers Against Violence visit their Facebook page.

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 who13.com.
Cyrpus has stripped Ihor Kolomoisky's Cyrpus citizenship after concluding that the notorious Ukrainian oligarch had withheld vital information related to criminal charges he faces, Philenews reported.

Kolomoisky, who was arrested last year in Ukraine, faces trial for alleged fraud, illegal acquisition of property, and money laundering related to his oil and gas holdings.

The Prosecutor General's Office announced in May that Kolomoisky was also suspected of ordering the murder of the head of a law firm more than 20 years ago in Crimea.

After reviewing the personal information submitted by Kolomoisky to obtain his citizenship under the so-called "Golden Passport" program, which allows wealthy investors to obtain citizenship through financial investments, the E.U. country determined earlier this month that Kolomoisky's "suspicious character" risked worsening Cyrpus's reputation, Philenews wrote.

Ukraine's Bureau of Economic Security reported that it completed its pre-trial investigation into Kolomoisky on Aug. 21.

The prosecutors said that part of the money Kolomoisky allegedly embezzled and transferred to his account, some Hr 2 billion ($48 million), was obtained at the expense of loans from PrivatBank, a Ukrainian bank formerly owned by Kolomoisky.

The bureau also said its detectives proved that Kolomoisky had organized the illegal seizure of more than Hr 3.3 billion ($ 80 million) from Ukrnafta, Ukraine's largest oil producer previously affiliated with the oligarch.

Kolomoisky, together with five associates, was charged by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) with embezzling Hr 9.2 billion ($223 million) from PrivatBank, the NABU announced on Sept. 7, 2024.

Seven other wealthy individuals also lost their citizenship as part of the same review by Cyrpus authorities of personal data submitted during citizenship applications.

Read also: Opinion: Ukraines oligarchs were once kingmakers. Where are they now?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
UPDATE: Chincoteague beaches are now closed too due to the medical waste problem.

Maryland beaches all around the coast were closed Sunday due to a "significant amount of medical waste" washing up onshore.

A late afternoon update from Assateague Island National Seashore added Chincoteague beaches to the closure list.

Here's what we know so far.

A syringe on the beach at Assateague Island State Park Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.

Word first arrived from Maryland State Parks on Sunday morning

Maryland State Parks posted to X about the closure of the beaches on the Maryland side of Assateague State Park at 11:42 a.m.

That was followed shortly after with announcements from the town of Ocean City and Assateague Island Seashore about "immediate" beach closures all around the Maryland coast.

Assateague State Park, along with other beaches along the Maryland coast, is experiencing a significant amount of medical waste washing onshore. Access to the ocean will be restricted at this time. No swimming, wading, surfing, or any activities in the ocean are permitted. pic.twitter.com/jcT74Nn5zs  Maryland State Parks (@MDStateParks) September 15, 2024

Town of Ocean City closes beaches for swimming due to medical waste

Here's what the town of Ocean City said about its call for swimmers to avoid the beaches in the resort:

"Ocean City Emergency Services is actively addressing the recent discovery of medical waste that has washed up on our beaches. To ensure the safety of all residents and visitors, Ocean City Beach Patrol has temporarily closed the ocean for swimming, and we urge everyone to adhere to this closure until further notice.

"Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald stresses that this situation is serious, especially given the combination of rough seas and the current health concerns. 'We will work closely with the Worcester County Health Department and other public health authorities to investigate the source of the medical waste,' Theobald stated. 'Until we are confident that the situation is under control, we recommend wearing shoes on the beach and avoiding the ocean entirely.'

"Ocean City officials will continue monitoring the beach, removing debris, and updating the public as we gather more information. Your cooperation is crucial in helping us keep our beaches safe. Please monitor the official town of Ocean City Government social media channels for further updates."

OC Inlet parking lot closes for events: Ocean City's Inlet Parking Lot to close for string of big events. Here's what's coming.

All Assateague beaches also closed due to the medical waste

This sign at Assateague State Park on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, warned visitors about "medical needles found on beach."

Assateague Island National Seashore announced the closure of its Maryland beaches due to the medical waste.

On Facebook, it announced the following "immediate" beach closures:

"Immediate Closures!

1) The North End is closed to all visitation.

2) All Beaches in the Maryland District are closed to swimming and wading.

3) Visitors on the Beach are encouraged to keep their shoes on.

Assateague Island State Park also has a Beach Closure in effect.

Chincoteague beach added to list of closures to medical waste

The Assateague Island National Seashore added the Chincoteague Public Beach in the Virginia unit to a revised closure list on Facebook later Sunday afternoon. All Ocean Facing Beaches at Assateague Island National Seashore are now closed to swimming or wading due to medical waste coming ashore.

Employee shortage at ECI: Somerset county commissioners take aim at ECI employee shortage

Answers to FAQs about medical waste on beaches

In its late afternoon update, Assateague Island National Seashore added the following answers to questions asked by commenters:

1) The debris is trash with a large component of medical waste, which includes syringes and needles.

2) We believe it started to come ashore this morning, so those who were in the water on earlier days should have nothing to worry about.

3) We currently have no idea where it came from and will not be speculating about a source. Health authorities will be investigating.

4) We do not know how long the closures will be in effect. We do not know how much more material is out there, when it will stop coming ashore, and how long it will take for cleanup.

5) For those offering to help, Thank You-at this point we do not know what help would be necessary, but will keep the public advised.

6) This is part of a larger area problem-with closure from Fenwick Island to Chincoteague.

Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach and Fenwick Island also closed

Dewey Beach and Fenwick Island officials also announced Sunday afternoon on social media and in email blasts that their beaches were also closed, Delaware online reported.

When asked for information, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control spokesman Michael Globetti said his agency is investigating and "advising beachgoers to leave the beach and refrain from swimming in the ocean."

Rehoboth Beach also announced its closure to swimmers as of Monday, though a news release from the city said the closure is "primarily due to rough surf conditions."

"The Rehoboth Beach Patrol and city staff will monitor the beach throughout the day for any signs of medical waste as has been reported at other nearby beaches," city spokesperson Lynne Coan said. The city received one report of a syringe seen at the water line Sunday, Coan said, but staff have found no evidence of medical waste so far.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said in a Facebook post Sunday afternoon they had received reports of medical waste on the beach from the Indian River Inlet to Fenwick Island. Social media users reported collecting a myriad of small pieces of non-medical trash, mostly plastic, as well.

Delaware Online reporter Shannon McNaught contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Ocean City, Assateague, Chincoteague beaches close due to medical waste
Melania Trump blasts FBI's Mar-a-Lago raid, says it serves as 'warning to all Americans'

Former first lady Melania Trump shared a video on her X account Saturday morning blasting the FBI for the raid on her Mar-a-Lago home in 2022, and said it should be a "warning to all Americans."

"I never imagined my privacy would be invaded by the government here in America," the former first lady recalled in the video. "The FBI raided my home in Florida and searched through my personal belongings."

"This is not just my story, it serves as a warning to all Americans, a reminder that our freedom and rights must be respected," Trump continued.

Her husband, former President Trump, is set to sue the Justice Department for $100 million in damages over the governments unprecedented 2022 raid on his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Florida, with lawyers arguing it was done with "clear intent to engage in political persecution."

MELANIA RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN VIDEO PROMOTING HER NEW MEMOIR

Former first lady Melania Trump arrives at the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, July 18.

Trump and his legal team intend to sue the Justice Department for its conduct during the FBIs raid on Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8, 2022, amid the federal investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified records.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"What President Trump is doing here is not just standing up for himself  he is standing up for all Americans who believe in the rule of law and believe that you should hold the government accountable when it wrongs you," Trump attorney Daniel Epstein told FOX Business' Lydia Hu.

Epstein added that the decisions made by the DOJ and FBI regarding that raid were "inconsistent with protocols requiring the consent of an investigative target, disclosure to that individuals attorneys, and the use of the local U.S. Attorneys Office."

Trump's attorney also argues the decisions made by Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray were not grounded in "social, economic, and political policy" but instead, in "clear dereliction of constitutional principles, inconsistent standards as applied to" Trump and a "clear intent to engage in political persecution  not to advance good law enforcement practices."

DON LEMON SLAMMED FOR MOCKING VIDEO OF MELANIA TRUMP QUESTIONING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON HER HUSBAND: 'SICK'

"The FBIs demonstrated activity was inconsistent with protocols used in routine searches of an investigative targets premises," Epstein wrote, adding that Trump "had a clear expectation of privacy at Mar-a-Lago. Worse, the FBIs conduct in the raid  where established protocol was violated  constitutes a severe and unacceptable intrusion that is highly offensive to a reasonable person."

Epstein is also planning to sue for punitive damages.

"For these harms to President Trump, the respondents must pay punitive damages of $100 million," Epstein wrote.

This is the second recently released video the former first lady has posted as she is promoting her memoir, "Melania."

Her book will detail "the powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has defined personal excellence, overcome adversity, and carved her own path," according to the description. It is currently available for pre-order ahead of its Oct. 1 release date.

"The former First Lady invites readers into her world, offering an intimate portrait of a woman who has lived an extraordinary life," the description reads. "Melania includes stories and images never before shared with the public.

'DIVERGENT' ACTRESS DEFENDS SHARING 'BEAUTIFUL' MELANIA LETTER ABOUT TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT POST-BACKLASH

Republican presidential nominee and former President Trump is joined on stage by his wife, Melania, and other relatives after his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, in Milwaukee, July 18.

She posted her first video on Tuesday, raising questions about the July 13 assassination attempt on the former president.

"The attempt to end my husband's life was a horrible, distressing experience," Trump said in a video statement on X. "Now, the silence around it feels heavy."

"I can't help but wonder, why didn't law enforcement officials arrest the shooter before the speech?" she continued. "There is definitely more to the story and we need to uncover the truth."

Following the assassination attempt in July, Mrs. Trump called for the country to "reunite," calling for courage and common sense to "bring us back together as one."

TRUMP TO SUE DOJ FOR $100M OVER MAR-A-LAGO RAID, ALLEGING 'POLITICAL PERSECUTION'

Former President Trump and former first lady Melania Trump stand together during an event at their Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.

She said the gunman was "a monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine" who attempted to "ring out Donald's passion  his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration."

"When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron's life, were on the brink of devastating change," she wrote, adding that her husband is a generous and caring man.

"Writing my memoir has been an amazing journey filled with emotional highs and lows," the former first lady previously told Fox News Digital. "Each story shaped me into who I am today."

She continued, adding that "although daunting at times, the process has been incredibly rewarding, reminding me of my strength, and the beauty of sharing my truth."

Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman and Kendall Tietz contributed to this report.





Original article source: Melania Trump blasts FBI's Mar-a-Lago raid, says it serves as 'warning to all Americans'
Memorial honours 'The Few' on Battle of Britain Day

The anniversary of the Battle of Britain has been marked on Sunday at a memorial site in Kent.

The clifftop tribute to 'The Few' at Capel-le-Ferne, near Folkestone, was dedicated to the men who fought in the skies over Kent in the summer of 1940.

A service took place to mark the 84th anniversary at 11:00 BST.

An event organiser said the day was "widely acknowledged as the day on which the tide turned in the defenders' favour".

A memorial wall lists the names of all the aircrew known to have flown with a recognised squadron during the Battle of Britain.

Following the service, renowned historian and author Dilip Sarkar will give a free talk on the "10 surprising things arising from his lifetime of research" on the famous battle.

15 September marks the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Britain [Getty Images]

The Battle of Britain took place from 10 July-31 October 1940.

But on 15 September, 1940, RAF Fighter Command claimed what proved to be a decisive victory over the Nazis.

On that day two massive waves of German attacks were fought off while 60 German and 26 RAF planes were shot down.

Events have been held around the UK to remember the 1,497 pilots and aircrew who died in the famous battle.

An east Kent pub, where some scenes from Battle of Britain film were shot, is holding a commemoration weekend with live music and classic cars.

Proceeds from the event at the Jackdaw Inn, in Denton, will go to the Battle of Britain Museum, Memorial and RAF Benevolent Fund.

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Men have dominated skies for too long, says first female boss of pilots union

Balpas Amy Leversidge says progress in recruiting more women has been very slow - JEFF GILBERT

Amy Leversidge cant fly a plane, but shes determined that more women will soon.

As the first female head of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), Ms Leversidge said that increasing the number of women on the flight deck is high on her agenda.

Given UK airlines are suffering from a dearth of pilots since thousands left the profession during Covid, she should be pushing at an open door. But its not quite as simple as that.

She told The Telegraph: Theres a pilot shortage, which presents a real opportunity to catch up, yet progress in recruiting more women has been very slow.

Airline adverts showing female pilots are important because visibility makes a difference. But youve got to back that up with real policies. Otherwise its just surface level.

The proportion of female pilots in Britain remains stuck at 6pc, Balpa estimates. Even at easyJet, which claims the highest level after staging a series of targeted campaigns, the figure is only 7.5pc.

Its not that carriers are averse to hiring women, Ms Leversidge said  far from it. However, their efforts are being undermined by a failure to overcome many of the practical issues that prevent females from entering the profession.

She said: There are lots of things airlines could do to make being a pilot a lot more accessible for women.

Were trying to work with them around things like improving maternity pay and maternity leave, and what happens when you come back in terms of getting back on to the flight deck.

Also, how airlines can support women when they are going through menopause. And how they can support working parents with childcare. You hear some stories where both parents are pilots and theyre handing over children in the car park between flights.

If youre a woman you might love to be a pilot, but inevitably youre also going to be thinking, Well, what is going to happen when I want to start a family?

Most potential candidates also see working as a pilot as flying long haul and being away for nights on end, she said, without considering there are other less demanding ways of working.

As well as seeking to cajole airlines into reviewing their terms and conditions, Ms Leversidge is also encouraging female pilots to visit schools so that girls can hear about their work.

Its that whole thing of if you can see it, you can be it, she said. Education and outreach, having pilots say this is what you can do and this is how you do it, thats really important.

However, the greatest impediment to people entering the profession, whether they are male or female, is how much it costs to complete the required training, Ms Leversidge said.

She said: It costs over 100,000 to become a pilot and more often than not it comes from the bank of mum and dad. That in itself is a barrier to all sorts of people from different backgrounds being able to see flying as a realistic career option.

Ms Leversidge, 43, took over as Balpas general secretary in January following the retirement of Martin Chalk, who held the post for two years after more than three decades as a British Airways pilot.

As a sociology graduate and former official at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), where 99pc of members are female, she was not an obvious candidate to lead the 87-year-old union.

However, her experience as assistant general secretary of the FDA civil service union stood her in good stead and after gaining the backing of the 14 pilots on its national executive council, she was elected unopposed.

Ms Leversidge, who has no experience of flying a plane, said the trade union movement itself has a poor record of promoting women to senior roles.

But she said there has been slow but steady progress thats seen female leaders at the likes of Unison and Unite.

Balpa members have never been anything less than encouraging, she said. Only last week, a long-retired pilot left a copy of a book on his experiences of being in the cockpit on her desk.

She said: There was a lovely letter. He said it was a great thing to have a female general secretary and that he knew from having daughters that it can be tough in the professional world, but that he wished me every bit of luck. It was very kind.

Since being handed the job, Ms Leversidge has repaid the faith of members by securing long-term pay awards from easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, TUI, DHL and Loganair.

She also made headlines by facing down helicopter operator Bristow in a strike that disrupted North Sea oil operations.

After taking personal charge of negotiations, she obtained terms including a double-digit pay hike that was extended to ground crew.

A spokesman said Bristow was happy with the outcome but added that the settlement was not materially different from its initial offer.

Bargaining with private companies tends to be simpler as decision makers are in the room, Ms Leversidge said, whereas in public sector talks, the Treasury is in the background.

Jet2 is the only major UK airline with which Balpa lacks a comprehensive agreement.

The Bristow walkout was her second experience of industrial action after the RCM staged its first strike in more than three decades in 2014 following then-health secretary Jeremy Hunts refusal to accept a recommended 1pc pay increase for midwives.

She said: It sounds ridiculous to say we went on strike for 1pc, but it was a point of principle. To my knowledge, they had always paid the review bodys recommendation and we were saying there are rules to this game and we stand by it and you stand by it.

It was really the community midwives who were taking action and then only for periods of four hours. A lot of midwives who were not scheduled to work came down to provide cover and there were probably more on shift than on normal days. It was really about the optics.

Mr Hunt subsequently relented and agreed to honour the pay settlement.

Ms Leversidge said she was attracted to the Balpa role by its focus on a single profession. That was also the case at the RCM and in her introduction to labour relations as a policy officer at the Police Superintendents Association.

She said: Its fantastic to have a union thats also a professional body. You can really get to grips with it, as opposed to the big general unions, and people are really passionate and want to keep on getting better at what they do while being valued for it.

Balpa is also important for bigger reasons than negotiating pay, she said, with members active in 11 committees working on topics including flight safety and environmental issues.

Ms Leversidge said Balpa is keen to work with the new Government in areas including job security, which for pilots isnt as good as it should be.

Most recently, she has been encouraged by the Labour governments commitment to end fire and rehire tactics, although she insists Balpa is not politically aligned  adding that pilots are typically small c conservative.

She said: Balpa shows that the image of a trade union in some peoples minds is really not true. Our members are private-sector, professional and higher paid. In the TUC there are some things that we all agree on and some where there is a vast range of views.

But every union officer must be a people person. The union exists to improve working lives and for the most part, members are coming to you at a quite stressful time. Youve got to be able to connect, whether theyre a crown prosecutor, a midwife or a pilot.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Metro Atlanta police department arrests teen after online threats made toward middle school

The Johns Creek Police Department say they arrested a student this week after online threats.

Police say on Monday, they learned about online threats directed at Haynes Bridge Middle School.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

During their investigation, they learned a 13-year-old student from Autry Middle School made threats targeting a specific student and others at Haynes Bridge Middle School.

The teen suspect is charged with terroristic threats.

TRENDING STORIES:

The Johns Creek Police Department takes all threats to school safety seriously and will continue to work closely with school officials to ensure the safety of the students and staff.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
Downtown streets open again following Mexican Independence Day celebrations in Chicago over the weekend

CHICAGO  Downtown streets are open again Monday morning after hundreds of revelers packed both downtown and the Little Village neighborhood again Sunday, as Mexican Independence Day celebrations continued.

Chicagos Office of Emergency Management (OEMC) posted on X just after midnight Monday morning that downtown streets are now open.

The Mexican Independence Day Parade kicked off at noon Sunday in Little Village, on Chicagos Southwest Side.

The OEMC announced just after 6:30 p.m. Sunday that intermittent closures were in effect in the downtown area to alleviate traffic congestion.

Street closures were also in effect downtown from Division Street to 18th Street and DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Halsted Street.

Sundays celebrations came a day after the OEMC implemented rolling street closures and restricted access to downtown Saturday night in response to the crowds.

Chicago Traffic: Visit the WGN News traffic map for the latest real-time updates

That resulted in significant traffic backups, even on expressways like the Eisenhower, where some revelers decided to stop and celebrate after they were unable to reach downtown.

Caravan celebrations during past Mexican Independence Day celebrations have caused traffic jams that have lasted hours and prompted complaints from downtown residents about loud music.

El Grito: Chicago celebrates Mexican Independence in Grant Park

On Saturday, which traditionally draws the largest crowds of the weekend celebrations, car horns, revving engines and fireworks continued into the wee hours.

Still, past history and large crowds did not deter some visitors from coming to Chicago for the holiday this weekend.

Nope, no it didnt, one visitor said. I came so I can celebrate, and hopefully meet some good people.

Community leaders had hoped to curb caravans by sanctioning El Grito in Grant Park, the first time in more than a decade a downtown event has been held to celebrate Mexican Independence Day.

19th annual Lakeview East Festival of the Arts continues Sunday along N. Broadway St.

Fewer people appeared to participate on Friday night, and some said they felt the celebrations were tame compared to what the city has seen in years past.

Not all, however, said they were tame.

It was kind of scary, former downtown resident Angella Clark said. They were driving erratic, there was a lot of traffic, and no one seemed to care about the rules of the road.

 I would not have wanted to have been walking. I was glad that I was in a vehicle and that we were able to get on the expressway and go a little west and come back in.

Two men, including a 67-year-old, were shot Friday night while standing on the sidewalk near Michigan Avenue and East Wacker Drive, but police have not confirmed if the victims were taking part in the Mexican Independence Day celebrations.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

A CPD spokesperson told WGN on Sunday morning the department does net yet have numbers for how many arrests have been made during the weekend celebrations. Those numbers could come Monday morning.

Last year, Chicago police made more than 80 arrests from the celebrations downtown.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
MIAMISBURG, Ohio (WDTN)  The City of Miamisburg has announced the appointment of a new police chief.

On Friday, Miamisburg City Manager Keith Johnson announced Michael Brem will serve as new chief for Miamisburg Police Department. Brem comes from the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office with more than 30 years of experience.

Open burn ban issued for 28 Ohio counties

Brem started his career in 1993 as a corrections officer with the sheriffs office. Throughout his time at MCSO, he has served as an Assistant Community Services Division Commander with Jefferson Township, Organized Crime Supervisor and Regional Training Center Supervisor.

(Photo/MCSO)

Brem currently serves as a captain assigned to Washington Township.

City Manager Keith Johnson says they searched across the region for the next police chief.

We were looking for a proven leader and he was an impressive hire. Johnson said. I believe he has met and exceeded all the areas we were looking to address. He was undoubtedly the candidate and will be a great addition to the Miamisburg Police Department, City Staff and the community.

In addition to his extensive career with the sheriffs office, Brem is also a native of Miamisburg. He graduated from Miamisburg High School in 1991 and attended Sinclair Community College majoring in Criminal Justice.

Brem will replace Chief John Sedlak who plans to retire by the end of the year. Sedlack has served as police chief since 2002.

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 WDTN.com.
Ralph Freso/Getty Images

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

Over the past six years, Michigan has gone from 31st in the nation for election administration to second, as voters approved measures overhauling the states election laws and enshrining the right to vote in the state constitution.

Changes like no-reason absentee voting and nine days of early voting have expanded Michiganders voting options while additional options for voter registration  including same day absentee voting  have made it easier for voters to get on the rolls, with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat,

telling the Advance in May the changes in the states voter registration laws have had the greatest impact of the many changes to the election process.

While the new laws have garnered praise from local officials and national voting rights advocates, Democrats who control the Michigan Senate are pushing for additional protections for voters, introducing a four-bill package aimed at bringing aspects of the federal Voting Rights Act into state law and filling gaps created in the 1965 law, which has since been weakened by the courts.

Last year, we spent really a lot of effort and time ensuring that our election administration officials have all the tools and resources that they need, not only for this very high profile 2024 election, but for every election moving forward.  Now we really have to focus not just only on the election administrators, but also the voters, said state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), chair of the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee as well as the sponsor of one of the bills in the Michigan Voting Rights Act.

This is about voter protection. This is about ensuring that if you are a legal registered voter here in the state of Michigan, that your right to participate at the ballot box does not face any barriers or hurdles based on any factors, and specifically your race, your mobility and your language, Moss said.

The bills in the Michigan Voting Rights Act  Senate Bills 401404  are aimed at protecting minority voters from vote dilution, expanding language access, providing protections for voters with disabilities and creating an institution to create an institute collecting voting data and records from each county in partnership with one or more of Michigans research universities.

During committee hearings this year, democracy and voting rights organizations including Promote the Vote, the League of Women Voters, ACLU Michigan, Campaign Legal Center, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, APIA-Vote Michigan, the Brennan Center for Justice and the Center for Democracy submitted a deluge of verbal and written testimony alongside cards in support of the bills, with members of the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee referring the package back to the Senate floor.

While the bills almost came up for a vote at the end of June, the Senate adjourned for its summer recess without taking up the legislation.

That last day of session was pretty hectic, and we really wanted to make space to talk about this as a standalone item, because its incredibly important for a lot of communities here in Michigan and every lawful voter and their right to cast a ballot here in the state, Moss said.

The package has support from the Michigan Department of State and widespread praise from voting and civil rights groups, disability advocates, and groups representing Asian Americans, Arab Americans and Latino Americans. But its not without its detractors, as Republicans have argued the package places an additional burden on election clerks.

I continue to feel that the bills are, for the most part, quite unnecessary, said Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) who serves on the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee.

In their best light, theyre simply duplicating whats already in the federal Voting Rights Act and whats already and whats already explicitly stated within our own constitution and at worst, they are adding a huge layer of additional work for our local clerks and a lot of opportunity for our local clerks to not check the box, metaphorically speaking, and open themselves up to various liability from groups that are seeking to harass them, harangue them or make other trouble, McBroom said.

McBroom and Sen. Ruth Johnson (R-Holly), the committees minority vice chair, voted against reporting the bills out from committee.

Organizations representing local and county governments raised similar concerns in their testimony, with many pointing to the recent changes in election law and the increasing levels of scrutiny and hostility election workers face as additional areas of concern.

There are increasing difficulties in recruiting and retaining election workers. Every time we add complexity or new downsides to what is a fairly voluntary position with a local government we make it harder to recruit folks, Scott Smith, the city attorney for Wyoming, told the committee in May.

The Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks also sent a letter to the committee noting its support for codifying a voting rights act in Michigan, but warning that the bills, while well-intentioned, could paralyze clerks from making necessary ministerial decisions out of fear of incurring potential lawsuits.

While the Michigan Voting Rights Act would allow residents to bring claims at the state level if they feel their rights have been violated, it also encourages them to negotiate with their local jurisdiction in order to avoid legal action. However, the Michigan Association of Counties noted that whether a complaint is valid or not, this process would mean local governments would need to retain legal counsel in order to address voting rights concerns, which could cost thousands in legal fees for each complaint.

In addition to letting the dust settle on the recent changes to Michigans election law, some stakeholders questioned why the protections against vote dilution, suppression and discrimination in Michigan were needed if the state hadnt had an extensive history of federal voting rights complaints.

Parties testifying in support of the bill noted examples of legal action taken against barriers to voting access, such as a lawsuit against the city of Detroit and Wayne County arguing that many government buildings are inaccessible to those with disabilities. But McBroom sid that the reason why these cases had been identified is due to the laws that are already in place, comparing it to disproven claims of rampant voter fraud pushed by Republicans.

I kind of felt like both sides are playing up these certain fears in their base, and then when they have control, they have to then show that theyre doing something about it, McBroom said.

However, proponents of the package also noted that these additional protections would cover gaps in the federal Voting Rights Act, such those for voters whose first language is not English, as well as protecting the rights of historically disenfranchised communities and filling gaps in the federal policy that had been created through various decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Moss also told the Advance that his piece of the package, Senate Bill 402, would create an institute compiling voting data from Michigans 83 counties to monitor trends, connect the dots if there is a barrier for specific communities within the state, and provide policymakers the research needed to resolve those barriers.

This institute, I think, is one of the more important pieces of it, to have a central location taking in data from all 83 counties, and being able to output research that we can continue to use in real time to assess whether peoples voting rights are in threat, Moss said.

Although some groups, including the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks, asked the sponsors to narrow aspects of Senate Bill 401  the bill defining violations of the Michigan Voting Rights and outlining the process for voters to address potential violations  to better mirror the federal Voting Rights Act, Moss stressed the need for additional voting protections following the 2020 election.

We have to do everything we can in the world that we live in today to make sure that bad actors dont parachute into Michigan and disrupt our democratic process. Obviously, theres a heightened sensitivity around Michigan elections following 2020 and there was a concerted effort led by the then-president of the United States [Donald Trump] to make it difficult for some Michiganders to vote, and then on the back end, tried to throw out their votes altogether, Moss said.

So theres an opportunity to strengthen voting rights, even if it goes beyond whats in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, if it makes sense, we will try our best to achieve it. And I think thats what we have here in this product, Moss said.

Proponents like the Legal Defense Fund have also argued the package is a necessary response to efforts to restrict voting, pointing to at least 42 restrictive voting laws passed in 21 states since 2021. The Legal Defense Fund also notes that Michigans system of administering elections on the local level makes it uniquely susceptible to threats to voting rights.

While the Michigan Municipal League, the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks and the Michigan Association of County Clerks legislative committee have taken a neutral stance on the bill, Judy Allen, director of government relations for the Michigan Townships Association, said the personnel needed to implement these changes remains a concern, particularly in Senate Bill 404 which requires election administrators to provide voting assistance for individuals who are unable to enter a polling place or early voting site.

If I come up and Im in line and Im waiting, but then you come up and you want to do curbside voting, youve got to make sure youve got the adequate staff to go out, a Republican and a Democratic [inspector] to go out and monitor that whats happening. And Im waiting in line, so are you putting me on hold then, or do we have to have additional staff? Allen said.

Election staffing is an issue the association hears from a lot of local units of government, Allen said, alongside finding sufficient numbers of Democratic and Republican election inspectors, with state law requiring local election board to appoint at least one inspector from each major political party, and as equal a number as possible of inspectors from both parties in each precinct.

In requiring precincts to offer curbside voting services, the Michigan Voting Rights Act would enshrine recommendations and best practices that are already in the states election manual, Moss said before acknowledging the concerns around election staffing.

Were trying to change the culture around our elections here in the state of Michigan, and create a less hostile, chaotic and divisive environment when people go into the polls and vote, Moss said pointing to new laws creating penalties for harassing, intimidating and assaulting poll workers, in hopes of keeping them in the profession and on the team headed toward Election Day.

There is also a bill banning firearms in polling locations moving through the Legislature, which Moss said would also help reduce tension and hostility in polling places.

Should the Michigan Voting Rights Act be passed into law, Moss confirmed there would be additional conversations around funding to ensure the provisions on paper can be implemented.

The right to vote is sacred in this country, and there should not be any cost barrier thats so insurmountable that somehow we should cede on peoples right to access their ballot, Moss said.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
LAKE RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (PIX11)  A 13-year-old boy was arrested for having brass knuckles at a local Long Island middle school, Suffolk County Police Department announced Friday.

Police said the boy, a student at Samoset Middle School in Lake Ronkonkoma, was stopped by a school employee at 1 p.m. and asked to empty his bag. The teen was stopped because of an unrelated incident that led to the search, authorities said.

More Local News

The student had brass knuckles.

Police officers arrested the teen and charged him with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. He is scheduled to be arraigned in family court at a later date, police said.

It remains unclear what incident may have led to the teen being searched. Due to his age, his name was not released.

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
MILWAUKEE - An 18-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of leading police on a pursuit in a stolen SUV last month.

Prosecutors said Zamony Hart admitted to the crime. Court records show he remains jailed on $7,500 cash bond.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Armed carjacking

Police were called to a home near 37th and Lincoln on the city's south side shortly after midnight on Aug. 30.

There, a criminal complaint states a 71-year-old woman was walking from a home to her parked Ford Escape and three people approached her. She said two of the three had guns, and one of them grabbed the lanyard with her car keys off her neck. All three then got into her SUV and drove off.

Police chase

Within an hour, police had tracked the Ford Escape to the area of 95th and Silver Spring  roughly 10 miles from where it was stolen. Prosecutors said the driver took off when officers tried to pull it over, sparking a pursuit.

The police chase stretched more than a half-mile. The complaint states the SUV went into oncoming traffic, drove on sidewalks and into a wooded area before it crashed into a power line grounding cable near 98th and Thurston.

Four people got out and ran, per the complaint. Officers arrested two of those four, including Hart.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.

Hart in custody

Prosecutors said, while in custody at the scene, Hart admitted he was the driver during the pursuit. He also admitted he was presented during the carjacking, but the other people he was with were the ones who were armed. He further admitted to stealing an SUV in Wauwatosa a few days earlier.

In all, Hart is charged with:

Armed carjacking

Second-degree recklessly endangering safety

Vehicle operator fleeing/eluding police

Drive/operate a vehicle without the owner's consent

Misdemeanor obstructing an officer
A police officer inspects the area around a fire after the military said it fired interceptors at a missile launched from Yemen that landed in central Israel on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

JERUSALEM (AP)  A missile fired by Yemen's Iran-backed rebels landed in an open area in central Israel early Sunday and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, in the latest reverberation from the nearly yearlong war in Gaza. Israel hinted that it would respond militarily.

There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters in Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport authority said that it resumed normal operations shortly thereafter.

A fire could be seen in a rural area of central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be a fragment from an interceptor that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin.

Israel's army said the surface-to-surface missile was intercepted by Israel's defense system, which hit and fragmented the target but did not destroy it. The military said the sound of explosions in the area came from interceptors.

The Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, have repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

In July, an Iranian-made drone launched by the Houthis struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding 10 others. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen, including the port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold.

Israel indicates it will respond to attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a similar response in remarks at a Cabinet meeting after Sunday's attack.

The Houthis should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us," he said. Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the rebels, said they fired a ballistic missile targeting a military target in the area of Tel Aviv.

The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, in what the rebels portray as a blockade on Israel in support of the Palestinians. Most of the targeted ships have no connection to Israel.

The war in Gaza, which began with Hamas' Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, has rippled across the region, with Iran and allied militant groups attacking Israeli and U.S. targets and drawing retaliatory strikes from Israel and its Western allies. On several occasions, the strikes and counterstrikes have threatened to trigger a wider conflict.

Iran supports militant groups across the region, including Hamas, the Houthis and Lebanon's Hezbollah, its most powerful ally, which has traded fire with Israel on a near-daily basis since the war in Gaza began. Iran and its allies say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Israel says high probability its strike killed three hostages in Gaza

On Sunday, the Israeli military said there was a high probability that three hostages found dead months ago were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

The army announced the conclusions of its investigation into the deaths of Cpl. Nik Beizer, Sgt. Ron Sherman and Elia Toledano. It said investigations had determined that the three were likely killed in a November airstrike that also killed a senior Hamas militant, Ahmed Ghandour.

All three of the hostages were kidnapped in Hamas Oct. 7 attack. Their bodies were recovered in December, but the cause of death was only recently determined.

In its report, the army said there was a high probability they were killed in the strike, based on where the bodies were recovered, pathological reports and other intelligence. But it said, it is not possible to definitely determine the circumstances of their deaths.

The conclusions could add pressure on the government to strike a deal to bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Critics say it's too difficult and dangerous to try to rescue them. Late last month, Israel recovered the bodies of six hostages that it says were killed by Hamas captors shortly before Israeli forces arrived.

The army's announcement is the first time it has linked the deaths of hostages to airstrikes. In other cases of bodies being recovered, the army has said people were either killed on Oct. 7, died in Hamas captivity or were killed by the militant group.

In December, the army acknowledged mistakenly killing three hostages who had escaped Hamas captivity in a battle-torn neighborhood of Gaza City. It was believed that the three had either fled their captors or been abandoned.

Around 250 hostages were taken on Oct. 7. Israel now believes 101 remain in captivity, including 35 who are thought to be dead. More than 100 were freed during a cease-fire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Eight have been rescued by Israeli forces.

Also on Sunday, an Israeli border police officer was stabbed near Jerusalem's Damascus Gate and the attacker was shot and killed trying to escape, said the police. The stabbed officer wasn't severely injured and was evacuated for treatment. Police secured the area and began an investigation.

Rockets fired from Lebanon

The military said that around 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon early Sunday, with most intercepted or falling in open areas.

In a separate incident, Israeli forces dropped leaflets over the Lebanese border town of al-Wazzani, calling on residents to evacuate. The military later said there were no such evacuation orders, and that a local commander had acted without the approval of his superiors. It said the incident was under investigation.

It wasnt immediately clear if any message had been conveyed to residents that the leaflets were dropped in error. Ahmad al-Mohammed, the mayor of Al-Wazzani, said most of the towns remaining residents had not heeded the evacuation order.

The strikes along the Israel-Lebanon border have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides.

This requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border," Netanyahu said at the Cabinet meeting. "We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes.

Gaza smuggling tunnels blocked

Hezbollah has said it would halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire in Gaza. The United States and Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar have spent much of this year trying to broker a truce and the release of scores of hostages held by Hamas, but the talks have repeatedly bogged down.

In recent weeks, Netanyahu has insisted on lasting Israeli control over the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, which Israeli forces captured in May. He has said Hamas used a network of tunnels beneath the border to import arms, allegations denied by Egypt, which along with Hamas is opposed to any lasting Israeli presence there.

An Israeli military official said late Saturday that of the dozens of tunnels discovered along the border, only nine entered Egypt, and all were found to have been sealed off. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence, said that it wasn't clear when the tunnels were sealed.

The discovery appeared to weaken Netanyahus argument that Israel needs to keep open-ended control of the corridor to prevent cross-border smuggling.

Egypt has said it sealed off the tunnels on its side of the border years ago, in part by creating its own military buffer zone along the frontier.

___

Natalie Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Ali Sharafeddine in Beirut, Lebanon and Josef Federman and Isaac Scharf in Jerusalem, contributed to this report.

___

Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Yemens Houthis face a heavy price after the group fired a missile deep into Israel.

The projectile was fired from Yemen toward Israel at 6am local time on Sunday, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who added that it most likely fragmented in mid-air. The missile fell in an open area in central Israel, with no injuries reported.

Videos and images shared by the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority on Telegram show large plumes of smoke billowing into the air over an open field, and shattered glass inside a train station in Modiin, a city between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

A spokesman for the Iran-backed Houthis military spokesman confirmed the attack, claiming that the group used a new hypersonic ballistic missile and warning that Israel should expect more such strikes as the first anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas approaches. The IDF told CNN that the projectile was not a hypersonic missile.

Despite months of tensions it is a rare instance of a missile penetrating as far as central Israel, normally safe for civilians.

We are in a multi-arena campaign against Irans evil axis that strives to destroy us, said Netanyahu, speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting.

They should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us, he added, referencing the Israeli attack on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah in July which followed a deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv.

Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas political bureau, commended the strike in a public letter to Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, the leader of Yemens Iran-backed Houthi movement, saying it sent a message to the enemy that the plans of containment and neutralization have failed.

The letter emphasized Hamas readiness for a prolonged conflict, vowing that combined efforts with the Houthis, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other regional actors would ultimately break Israels political and military strength.

Israeli police said they were working with the police bomb squad in the Shfela area, also known as the Judaean Foothills, where an interceptor fragment had fallen. Authorities are now isolating the impact site and scanning for additional interceptor remains, police said.

Sirens rang across central and northern Israel, the military said, and sirens were also sounded at Tel Aviv airport, the airports spokesperson told CNN. Videos on social media showed passengers running to find shelter.

On Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a news conference in Tehran that Iran hasnt provided the Houthis with hypersonic missiles.

They have the technology, they learned it even before this war started. They are producing them themselves, Pezeshkian said.

Iran unveiled its first hypersonic missile last year, boasting that it can reach Tel Aviv in 400 seconds.

Also on Sunday morning, approximately 40 projectiles crossed from Lebanon into Israels northern region, some of them intercepted and others falling in open areas, the IDF said. No injuries were reported, and authorities are putting out fires caused by the fallen projectiles.

Hezbollah has been firing almost daily barrages of projectiles and drones into Israel. The existing reality will not continue, said Netanyahu, adding that a change in the balance of power is needed at the northern border to ensure residents could return home.

The IDF meanwhile opened an investigation following reports that leaflets were dropped in southern Lebanon warning civilians to leave.

The leaflets, written in Arabic and found in the area of Wazzani, a village within a few kilometers of the border with Israel, told residents that Hezbollah was firing from their area and that they should not come back to this area until the end of the war.

The IDF said in a statement Sunday that the disperal of leaflets was an independent initiative of the 769th Brigade in the Northern Command, and was not approved by the IDFs high command.

Fears of escalation

Tensions between Israel, Yemen and Lebanon have been escalating for months as Israel has waged its war on Hamas in Gaza after the militant groups October 7 attacks. World leaders have warned of the potential for a wider Middle East conflict.

Since the war began, the Iran-backed Houthi group, which controls Yemens most populous regions, has regularly targeted Israel with drones and missiles. Most of these have been intercepted by Israels defenses or those of its allies.

It has also targeted shipping in the Red Sea, as a rejection of Israels military campaign in Gaza.

Most notably in July, the group claimed responsibility for a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv, Israels commercial center  the first time the city has been struck by a Houthi drone.

Israel struck back the next day with deadly airstrikes on a Yemeni port  the first such strike on Yemen, according to Israeli officials.

The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon has also carried out attacks on northern Israel, sending rockets and drones on Saturday targeting Israeli military sites.

These direct attacks on each others soil have raised alarm that there could be a new front in the ongoing conflict, which is already threatening to spill over across the region.

Israel launched its war in Gaza after the militant group Hamas cross-border October 7 attacks, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.

Since then, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israels military operations in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the enclave. The health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its figures, but says most of the dead are women and children.

CNNs Rosa Rahimi and Lauren Izso contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Miyares to host One Pill Can Kill training in Virginia Beach Monday

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY)  Attorney General Jason Miyares will be in Virginia Beach Monday to host a One Pill Can Kill Fentanyl Awareness & Narcan Training session.

The free training is open to the public and will cover understanding opioids, how opioid overdoses happen and the risk factors for opioid overdoses.

Additionally, attendees will be trained on how to respond to an opioid overdose emergency with the administration of Naloxone (Narcan).

Miyares launched the One Pill Can Kill initiative in November 2022, its aim is to help generate open, honest conversations about the extreme threat that counterfeit drugs and opioids pose.

Virginia First Lady Suzanne Youngkin will join Miyares for a panel discussion with a local law enforcement officer and a representative from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

The event takes place from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. at Frank W. Cox High School, 2425 Shorehaven Drive.

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 WAVY.com.
A woman wades through the flood waters in a street of Hanoi, Vietnam, Friday. Typhoon Yagi has caused severe flooding in Hanoi and devastation across pats of Asia. EPA-EFE/LUONG THAI LINH.

Sept. 15 (UPI) -- At least 100 people are dead in Myanmar following flooding and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi, officials said Sunday.

"Dam bursts, house collapses and mass flooding have wreaked havoc in the Asian nation, govt.," Zaw Min Tun said in an audio statement on Friday and posted by RT India on X.

Zaw said Sunday that 113 people had been confirmed dead, with an additional 64 missing.

Yagi is Asia's most powerful storm this year, and has already walloped Vietnam, Laos, the Chinese island of Hainan and the Philippines. Officials said more than 280 people died as a result of the storm before it arrived in Myanmar.

An aerial view of the partially collapsed Phong Chau bridge into Red River, in Phu Tho province, northern Vietnam, September 9. Typhoon Yagi is Asia's most powerful storm this year. EPA-EFE/TA TOAN/VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY.

Across the globe, five people are dead in Romania, a firefighter has been killed in a flood rescue in Austria, another has drowned in Poland, and several remain unaccounted for in the Czech Republic following torrential rain from Storm Boris continued, officials said Sunday.

The storm continues to ravage Central and Eastern Europe. in Poland, prime minister Donald Tusk declared a state of natural disaster.

700 homes were flooded in Slobozia Conachi, a village in Romania's south-eastern Galati region. "This is a catastrophe of epic proportions," Mayor Emil Dragomir said.

In Vienna, trains and underground service have been disrupted, and at least one major traffic way has been closed. The storm situation had "worsened" and was "very serious" Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer wrote on X.
Some Gen Zers are deciding college isn't worth the cost.

Still, a recent report found that high schools rarely present alternative pathways to students.

High schoolers, parents, and advocates say it's time to change the story.

LeLaina Wakeham, 25, is six years into a fulfilling, full-time career that didn't require a college degree.

Wakeham's decision was partly inspired by her father's background. He was born in Mexico, and after moving to the US when he was five, he taught himself "pretty much everything," she said. Despite not having a high school diploma or college degree, he started multiple successful businesses that allowed him to financially support his family.

"He really wanted us to be educated. He just didn't prioritize it coming from college," Wakeham told Business Insider. "So he pushed us to read on our own, to figure out what we were passionate about and figure out how to learn it, whether that was college or wasn't college, it wasn't a big deal to him."

During her senior year of high school, Wakeham was struggling to decide on her post-graduation route. For a class, she conducted a research project on how many people actually used the degrees they went to college for, and she found that many did not.

"I just realized I had already been wrestling with this decision, and I didn't know what I wanted to be. I didn't know what I wanted to do, and I didn't want to waste a ton of money if I did go to college," she said. "That project really helped me validate my decision of not going to college and starting a job."

Still, she noted that her school advisors didn't have much advice for her when she told them she was considering an alternate path. She studied on her own to get her license in mortgage lending, and she now works full time in real estate.

While college still remains the primary pathway for high school graduates and the most reliable option for career and wage growth, a growing number of young people are choosing to forego it. They say it's difficult to find support and information about their other options.

Wakeham said she could relate  she felt she was "getting written off as somebody who wouldn't be successful because I wasn't going to have a college degree."

"I was taught that the only way supposedly I'll be able to learn is if I go to college and get a business degree to teach me what I can teach myself," she said. "That's crazy."

College is the default. Gen Z needs a different conversation.

US Census Bureau data found the enrollment rate of high school graduates at 61.4% in October 2023 was slightly down from 62% in 2022. While college is still the primary route for Gen Zers, some experts said that those who want to pursue an alternative path lack the necessary guidance to set them up for success.

High schools aren't necessarily intentionally ignoring Gen Zers who want a different path. Zach Hyrnowski, Gallup's senior education researcher, told BI. It could ultimately come down to a lack of resources and structural limitations. There aren't enough teachers and counselors to guide every student's individual path, meaning that the way high schools are funded and staffed could be limiting their abilities to help students with post-graduation options as much as they might want to.

"If you're responsible for the futures of 500 students, I understand that it's maybe not reasonable to be able to come up with customized options for every single one of them and really be able to go in-depth," Hyrnowski said.

He added that leaders over the years have made "a conscious policy decision" to push college. "We know the benefits that come along with that," he said, "but I wonder whether we've overcorrected."

Indeed, even as some Gen Zers don't think college is the best path for them, recent data has shown that college continues to provide long-lasting benefits when it comes to careers and earnings.

Hrynowski said, "If you go to college, you're more likely to be thriving in your life, you'll evaluate your life higher. You have higher subjective well-being. The data are there to suggest that college is a good thing."

But, he said, the reality is that there has never been a 100% college attendance rate after high school, and even so, kids who don't want to go to college are still continuing to hear about college as the primary route post-grad. A recent report from Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation found that while 68% of Gen Z high schoolers said people have talked to them "a lot" about college, less than a quarter said people have spoken to them about other routes like jobs that don't require degrees or starting a business.

"This was stemming from probably a well-intentioned place," Hyrnowski said, adding, "If the students tell us that that's not the path for them, are we meeting them where they're at and saying, 'Okay, if you don't want to go to college, here are your other options?'"

Hannah Maruyama, the co-author of "The Degree Free Way," a book that offers guidance for students who do not want to go to college, told BI that many Gen Zers simply don't know what career options are out there beyond the most talked-about ones, like doctors, lawyers, and engineers. Maruyama said changing the conversation and helping students learn about the many jobs available that don't require a higher education would be pivotal.

"People are much more likely to be happy with their life and content with their life, and find paths that really help them live the way they want to if the jobs that they pick actually fit how they want their day to day, week to week, life to look like," she said.

Still, college continues to be the most talked about path post-high school. Wakeham said she hopes the conversation will shift so more Gen Zers like her could feel confident in the decision to forego higher education, and have the proper tools to commit to that decision.

"As an 18-year-old, you don't know what makes you happy, but I would say to take the time to figure out what makes you happy and what you like, what you're passionate about, and do it," Wakeham said. "We have so many options available where advisors might not be giving that to you, so take it upon yourself."

A college degree is not 'the ultimate measure of success'

Some state lawmakers have recognized the shifting perception of higher education and have started offering more jobs that do not require college degrees. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, for example, announced he would take executive action to expand apprenticeship opportunities in his state. It could help meet future demand from employers: the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that between 2020 and 2030, 60% of new jobs in the economy won't require college degrees.

Some high schools have shifted to place a greater emphasis on alternative routes since the pandemic. For example, a January report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education conducted 266 interviews from April 2022 to November 2023 with caregivers, educators, and administrators across six high schools in New England. It found that, among the interviews, the broad consensus was that high schools should prepare students not just for college or work but should present them with a variety of choices that will help them feel fulfilled.

Some of the schools in the study offered career-oriented courses prior to graduation, while others hosted workforce roundtables and career nights with local employers. "At one point, people defined success by college," an assistant superintendent said in the report. "And I think that people have come to realize now that that's not the ultimate measure of success."

Wakeham said she has no regrets about her decision to skip college  she's able to financially support herself and is looking forward to building her career in real estate.

"I have sales experience, I have financial literacy, and I networked so hard the first year when I was 18 and had nothing going for me," she said. "I really had to make a name for myself if I wanted to be successful in real estate. So I did. I learned everything I possibly could to be able to have an advantage."

Are you deciding whether college is for you? Are you a parent of a child making this decision? Share your story with this reporter at asheffey@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Migrants storm a barbed-wire fence as they attempt to cross the land border with Spain's African enclave of Ceuta near Fnideq in northern Morocco (-) (-/AFP/AFP)

Moroccan police pushed back hundreds of people on Sunday who headed towards the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, an AFP photographer said, after social media posts encouraged crossing attempts.

Ceuta and its sister territory of Melilla, wedged on the North African kingdom's Mediterranean coast, have long been a magnet for irregular migrants, being the only European Union territories that share a land border with the African continent.

On Sunday, hundreds of people, including Moroccans and migrants from other parts of Africa as well as some minors, headed towards the village of Fnideq, which abuts Ceuta, before being sent back by Moroccan police, the AFP photographer said.

Local media reported another mass crossing attempt earlier on Sunday, similarly foiled by Moroccan police.

Security forces increased their deployment around Fnideq over the weekend following calls on social media to attempt the crossing into Ceuta on Sunday.

According to local media, hundreds of young Moroccans still managed to reach Fnideq, with police apprehending them during the night and sending them back to their hometowns elsewhere in Morocco.

A police source told AFP that 60 people were arrested between Monday and Wednesday for "fabricating and disseminating false information on social media" that encouraged "the organisation of collective illegal immigration operations".

The Moroccan interior ministry has said that in August alone, authorities blocked more than 11,300 attempts to cross into Ceuta and some 3,300 into Melilla.

The main route out of Morocco for irregular migrants hoping to reach Spain remains by sea.

More than 22,300 migrant arrivals were registered this year by August 15 in the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, marking a 126-percent increase from 2023.

str-kao/fka/ami/dcp
Yes on Morro Bays A-24





Would Measure A-24 block Morro Bay battery plant project? New law could leave loophole (sanluisobispo.com, July 8, 2024)

I urge a yes Vote on Measure A-24 on the ballot this November in Morro Bay to ensure that the land use designation for particular areas of our city will not change without the Bay residents consent. Under the Morro Bay General Plan adopted by the City Council and approved by the California Coastal Commission, the particular areas at issue include a portion of the harbor area just east of Morro Rock as well as 63 acres of the former power plant property. No other properties in Morro Bay are involved in this measure.

The current designation for areas as specified in Morro Bays General Plan adopted in 2021 is limited to Commercial/Recreational fishing for the harbor area and Visitor-Serving Commercial for the former power plant area.

Opinion

The current power plant property owner is in the process of seeking a land use change to industrial in order for its proposed battery energy storage system project to move forward. Initiative A-24 would require that any such change in land use approved by merely three out of the five City Council members would also require a subsequent vote and approval by a majority of Morro Bay voters. I believe these particular areas of land are so important to the future of Morro Bay that its citizens should have input and a final say.

To protect the natural beauty of Morro Bays waterfront as well as the safety of its natural habitat, residents and tourists, I again urge you to vote YES on A-24. Think of this as an insurance policy .

Norm Williams

Morro Bay

Its not dumb to donate

Thrifty Beaches about to open giant new SLO shop  and owner is banking everything on it, (sanluisobispo.com, Sept. 10, 2024)

One of the things that keeps our business community vibrant is entrepreneurs like Adam Kemp. I applaud him for taking a leap of faith and filling one of the large empty storefronts in San Luis Obispos great downtown. His comments concerning giving away clothing without compensation, however, are inflammatory and insulting. In the article, Mr. Kemp states, They dont have to give their stuff away for free to Goodwill. I think that giving something away for free that you paid $80, $40, $60 for it  we have to stop doing that thing.

Our downtown business core is fortunate to have many thrift stores that benefit the entire community. The Assistance League Thrift Store funds Operation School Bell. The Wilshire Hospice Hope Chest funds end-of-life care for individuals who cannot afford it. The Achievement House Thrift Store funds vocational training for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. The list goes on.

All of these examples are achieved due to the generosity of community members who selflessly upcycle clothing and other items, expecting nothing more in return than a charitable donation slip. My wish for Mr. Kemp is that he is wildly successful and adds to the vibrancy of downtown businesses. But Im also left to ask him, as a responsible downtown business owner, what are your plans to be a good corporate citizen and uplift our community to have an impact greater than reaping profits and paying sales tax?

Ron Yukelson

San Luis Obispo

Civility 101

The local, state and national climate of engaging in public discourse begs for lessons on how to constructively and effectively communicate ideas and be heard at public meetings. How can one get their message across without resorting to disruptive, rude or provocative behavior in this current climate? Feeling passionate about a topic or issue is good. And there are techniques to deliver a passionate message and be heard, and elicit a meaningful response.

The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County has re-established a Civil Discourse Committee that is offering techniques on how to do just this: ways to constructively and effectively convey ideas and be heard at public meetings. A forum on this topic will be held at the San Luis Obispo Public Library Community Room on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 6:30 pm. The meeting is open to the public and you can preregister at the Leagues website lwvslo.org. Future Forums on this topic are planned for Morro Bay/Central Coast and in the Atascadero/Paso Robles area.

Jean Burns Slater

San Luis Obispo

Too many people

It seems like most of the media and politicians avoid discussing the primary source of our climate problems: human population explosion. The population has grown exponentially in spite of the effects on the planet, other species and each other. There are not enough resources to go around and people tend to be ruder, more selfish and violent when they are crowded. Why not focus on reducing population growth, especially for unplanned and unwanted children (which is apparently 50%) and letting older people (like myself) choose when to exit this earth? Not everyone wants to live when they are mentally and/or physically disabled.

No one is even bringing this up, not even this publication. It would be helpful to have some facts and possible solutions offered to the public to address our population woes.

Elaine McElmury

Paso Robles






Mosque donates riot funds to 'help others'

Tahir Selby, of Nasir Mosque, said the fundraiser was a "powerful rebuttal of hate" [BBC]

Thousands of pounds raised for a mosque in the aftermath of recent rioting has been donated to several charities.

Police faced a barrage of missiles as they diverted crowds away from the Nasir Mosque in Hartlepool, County Durham, in July.

A fundraiser was launched to "show appreciation" for the place of worship, with its initial 200 target surpassed within minutes.

In all, 16,000 was raised and now groups, including food banks, a domestic violence charity and a hospice, have received donations in what mosque leaders described as "a powerful rebuttal of hate".

The online appeal had been launched by Andrew Cooper, who praised mosque volunteers for distributing almost 30,000 meals across the community in recent years.

The donations were presented at an event at the mosque on Saturday.

'Worthy causes'

Imam Tahir Selby said it had been "heart-warming to witness the community's love and support" in the days after the violence, which happened in the wake of a fatal knife attack on youngsters at a Merseyside dance class.

He added: "For years, we've worked to foster understanding and this response reaffirms our efforts.

"Islam teaches us to help others so the entire amount has been donated to worthy causes in Hartlepool."

A police car was set on fire during the rioting [PA Media]

Among the groups to benefit was the Salaam Community Centre, which received 5,000, while Alice House Hospice and Belle Vue Community Centre shared 3,000.

A number of other organisations were each given 1,000, including St Aidan's Kitchen, Epilepsy Outlook and Harbour Support which helps abused women.

Donations for the same amount were made to the police benevolent fund and Hartlepool's ambulance service to be used for a defibrillator kit.

Ahead of the disturbance on 31 July, Mr Selby said officers had warned the mosque that a group of protesters might try to approach the building.

He said he was later urged by colleagues to "lock the gate" and discovered police had blocked both sides of the building to prevent people getting closer.

The crowd was diverted and instead headed to Murray Street.

Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.

More on this story
FIRST ON FOX: The mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl allegedly murdered by illegal immigrants, is weighing in on the Texas Senate race as she blames Democratic policies for the loss of her daughter.

Jocelyn Nungaray from Texas was strangled and thrown off a bridge by two illegal immigrants in June, according to authorities. Two Venezuelans have since been charged with capital murder in connection with Nungaray's death.

In a new campaign ad, shared first with Fox News Digital, Alexis Nungaray details the tragic killing of her young daughter by Venezuelan nationals who illegally crossed the southern border.

Nungaray said that her "heart would break again" if Democratic Texas Senate candidate Rep. Colin Allred, who is running against Sen. Ted Cruz, wins the election in November.

JOCELYN NUNGARAY MURDER: HOUSTON PROSECUTORS SEEK ICE, CBP RECORDS ON ILLEGAL ACCUSED OF CHILD KILLING

Jocelyn Nungaray

According to police, Jocelyn Nungaray was strangled and thrown off a bridge by two illegal immigrants in June.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

BIDEN-HARRIS OPEN BORDER POLICY FREED ILLEGAL 3 WEEKS BEFORE JOCELYN NUNGARAY MURDER, MOTHER SAYS

"Jocelyn was murdered by two illegal migrants, each released on the same days they were detained. Not even 30 days later, she was found down there in the bayou. She had no pants on. They bounded her feet, and they just left her, like nothing. All because of that policy, catch and release," she said in the new campaign ad, which was released by the Win It Back PAC, a Club for Growth-affiliated fundraising group.

Rep. Colin Allred arrives at the U.S. Capitol on April 20, 2023.

Nungaray pointed to Allred's policies for the implications of the ongoing migrant crisis.

"And Colin Allred pushing that policy ultimately took my daughter's life. Her going away from her graduation, her having kids. If Colin Allred is elected, my heart would break again. It really would. Allred didn't kill my daughter, but his policies are why she's dead."

Allred previously addressed Nungaray's murder by calling it a "tragedy" and then attempted to deflect blame by accusing Cruz of using the murder as a "political attack."

Nungaray testified before the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month regarding her daughter's death where she slammed the Biden-Harris administration's border policy.

"Because of the Biden-Harris administration open border policies, catch and release, they were enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program," Nungaray told lawmakers. "This meant that they were released into the United States. It was not even a full three weeks later that they would take my daughter Jocelyn Nungarays life."

"They saw a young girl, my daughter Jocelyn, and placed a target on her without her even knowing," she said, referring to the murder suspects. "They were seen on video at 12:57 a.m. on June 17th, walking across the street down by the bayou under the bridge, at 3:04, for only the two illegal immigrants emerged. They were down there for two whole hours. I can't even fathom what was going through Jocelyn's mind, the amount of fear she was feeling in the last moments of her life.





Original article source: Mother of young girl killed by illegal migrants blasts Cruz challenger's policies: 'Took my daughter's life'
MSU grant to help those disabled by long COVID-19 enter workforce

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WJTV)  A multi-million dollar grant for Mississippi State University (MSU) seeks to help students with COVID-related disabilities gain education and employment.

Long COVID-19 is a condition that is marked by the presence of symptoms (such as fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, headache and brain fog) that persist for an extended period following a persons initial recovery from COVID-19 infection. The U.S. Department of Education awarded MSUs College of Education with a $9.9 million grant to help individuals who acquired a disability due to long COVID gain and retain meaningful employment in the Magnolia State.

Career Horizons Project: A 21st Century Workforce Initiative for Mississippians with Disabilities Accompanied by or Resulting from Long COVID Syndrome is expected to impact 700 Mississippians. It will target those from vulnerable populations, such as those living in poverty or rural areas.

MSU was one of 27 grantees chosen out of more than 200 applicants to receive the five-year grant. Zaccheus Ahonle, assistant professor and program coordinator of the rehabilitation counseling graduate program, is the grants principal investigator. He and his fellow team members are ecstatic about the grants impact.

Mississippi State releases 2025 baseball schedule

Through the Career Horizons Project, we aim to ensure people affected by long COVID syndrome have access to in-demand, good-paying jobs of the 21st century, Ahonle said.

Other team members include Madeline Castle, assistant professor of rehabilitation counseling; Kasee Stratton-Gadke, associate professor and executive director of the Mississippi Institute on Disabilities; and Daniel Gadke, College of Education associate dean of research, professor and department head.

Ahonle and his team will collaborate with multiple state agencies to research, develop and implement interventions statewide that can serve as a national model. Grant activities include producing vocational and worksite assessment instruments, developing workplace accommodation guides and providing family engagement and social support services that promote successful employment outcomes.

According to Teresa Jayroe, dean of MSUs College of Education, the award is one of the largest in the programs history. She believes that it stands as a testament to the dedication and innovation of MSUs mission for all students.

I am incredibly proud of Dr. Ahonle and the entire team for their leadership and vision in securing this critical funding, Jayroe said.

To learn more about the grant or the university, visit MSUs website at msstate.edu.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

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 WJTV.
Multiple bodies found inside vehicle by deputies responding to shooting, SC cops say

The bodies of two adult men were found in South Carolina late Saturday night, and the deaths are being investigated as a double homicide, according to the Richland County Sheriffs Department.

At about 10:30 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a shooting in the 300 block of Koon Store Road, the sheriffs department said Sunday afternoon in a news release. Thats in a more rural part of Columbia between U.S. 21/Wilson Boulevard and S.C. 215/Monticello Road.

Deputies found the dead bodies inside of a vehicle, according to the release.

The Richland County Coroners Office has not publicly identified the men that the sheriffs department called homicide victims.

No other injuries were reported.

There was no word about a shooter or shooters, or if anyone else was involved in the gunfire. Information about a motive for the shooting was not available.

No arrests have been reported by the sheriffs department, which said its continuing to investigate the deaths.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  As a low pressure lurks off the North Carolina coast with a tropical cyclone possible, a new tropical storm warning was issued Sunday along with earlier advisories for many beaches, the National Weather Service says.

A coastal flood advisory, high surf advisory and a high rip current risk are among the concerns for areas south of Wilmington and north including the Outer Banks, according to the Wilmington office of the National Weather Service.

Sunday at 5 p.m., the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for all North Carolina areas south of Hatteras Island for Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight  which is the name (for now) of the system.

Beach erosion at Emerald Isle on Sunday as high surf began hitting the North Carolina coast. Image from town of Emerald Isle.

Forecasters are warning that in addition to the risk of a half-foot of rain, large breaking waves up to 10 feet are expected after 2 p.m. Sunday until Tuesday morning in Pender, New Hanover, Carteret and Onslow counties.

National Hurricane Center watching North Carolina coast for tropical development

Also, forecasters said Saturday that even if a system does not form, the risk of impacts to eastern North Carolina is increasing regardless.

At the Outer Banks, a high surf advisory and a coastal flood advisory start Sunday with the threat until Tuesday and Monday, respectively. Large breaking waves up to 11 feet are possible along with up to 2 feet of flooding on Hatteras Island, the National Weather Service said.

National Weather Service image of rainfall expected.

Flooding of lots, parks, and roads with only isolated road closures expected, weather service forecasters said, adding that N.C. 12 could be closed by ocean overwash.

In Beaufort, Pamlico and southern Craven counties, a coastal flood advisory starts Sunday and lasts until 9 p.m. Monday with up to 2 feet of flooding above ground level.

Carteret and Onslow counties are under a coastal flood advisory from 2 p.m. Sunday until 9 p.m. Monday.

Another area of beach erosion at Emerald Isle on Sunday as high surf began hitting the North Carolina coast. Image from town of Emerald Isle.

Nearly the entire North Carolina coast has a high risk of rip currents from Sunday until Tuesday.

A gale warning was issued off the North Carolina coast for the next few days with forecasters warning that waves may be more than twice the significant wave height.

Closer to the North Carolina shoreline, a gale watch with waves up to 11 feet is in effect starting Sunday through Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
One of the beauties of public art is that it both tells us who we are and reminds us of who we were.

Backtrack a century, and we were irate about a bust of the great poet Dante Alighieri, ordered in tribute by a largely immigrant Italian American population.

Retreat to Thursday on Belle Isle, and people were jubilant over the refurbishing of a better bust, a finished project unveiled with a mayoral proclamation and an authentic Italian Carabinieri officer in a majestic plumed hat.

Dante, generally known in English by his first name, now reigns above the corner of Vista and Central avenues with his restored white head and shoulders atop a new, light gray pedestal and base.

Celebrating the unveiling of the refurbished bust of Italian writer and philosopher Dante Alighieri on Belle Isle Thursday were Carabinieri officer Alessandro Alberti, a Roman assigned to the Detroit consulate; Allegra Baistrocchi, the Italian consul in Detroit since 2021; and Lia Adelfi, the president of the Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan.

As for his somewhat obscure connection to the park, it's tied to the likeness nobody liked  meaning the original bust was a bust  and then a replacement that was much better, but too big.

He represents metro Detroit's vibrant Italian American community, said Allegra Baistrocchi, the Consul of Italy in Detroit, and symbolizes Italy's rich culture.

He also harkens silently to more difficult times for many ethnic groups in the city  and fortuitously, he is not Christopher Columbus, which means he's unlikely to be splashed with paint or yanked to the ground.

That's a lot to connect to a sunlit two-hour celebration near a picnic area and the Detroit River, but Dante is a towering figure even when he's not chiseled in marble, and it took a fair amount of love and money to return him to glory.

Italy's writer and uniter

A good place to start explaining everything is Dante himself, a writer and philosopher who was born in 1265 in Florence and died at 56 in Ravenna, 703 years ago Saturday.

He is mostly revered for "The Divine Comedy," a narrative poem that famously outlined the nine circles of hell. Aside from being brilliant, it was written in Italian, at a time when serious thoughts were expected to be expressed in Latin.

More: Belle Isle welcomes back Detroit Goodfellows founder statue

More: Bone cancer survivor swims across Belle Isle to raise money for research

"He is the father of the Italian language," said Lia Adelfi, 64, of West Bloomfield, the president of the Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan. "He unified Italy before it was really unified."

Her booster organization for Italian culture helped foot a bill of nearly $100,000 for the pedestal, base and restoration, joined by the Societa Dante Alighieri mother ship in Rome, the consulate and private donors.

They were proud to do it, she said, for a piece of history with a history.

Back in 1921, when Italians here were still struggling for respect, they raised money for a likeness of Dante to be placed in the main branch of the Detroit Public Library. Whether blame lay with prominent Italian sculptor Carlo Rivalta or squabbles among committees, when the artwork arrived, it was rejected.

A replacement carved by another Italian, Raffaello Romanelli, was accepted in 1925, but it was too large for the display space and was shuffled into storage. The city planning commission finally saw the light  or la luce, if you prefer  and approved the spot on Belle Isle two years later.

Keith Butler, District 5 deputy manager for Detroit, reads a proclamation from the city during the unveiling of the refurbished bust of Dante Alighieri on Belle Isle.

Monuments to pride

Dante's position on the island has become a nice piece of real estate, visible from four directions. Across Central Avenue, a former hero of Detroit's German population has grown obscure and obscured.

Influential writer Johann von Schiller was cast in bronze after a fundraising campaign the year before Ford launched the Model T. "Erected by citizens of German descent, Detroit, Mich., 1907," says the inscription carved into the pedestal.

Tucked in a grassy alcove with a brown slat fence as a backdrop, Schiller is easier to miss than notice. But he served his purpose as a point of pride and legitimacy for a population working to be respected.

A jogger on Belle Isle glances at the refurbished bust of Dante Alighieri, unveiled Thursday atop a new base and pedestal at Vista and Central avenues.

Former Detroit Historical Museum curator Joel Stone once referred to dueling monuments as genial ethnic jousting. The Germans bankrolled Schiller, and in 1910, Italians commissioned a bronze bust of Columbus, amid complaints from some donors that he deserved an entire statue.

Back then, students were still being told he discovered America. By the summer of 2020, when Black Lives Matter protests were roiling America, Columbus had been reevaluated.

Someone draped a red-on-white placard around the neck of his monument near the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel: "Looter. Rapist. Slave trader." The artwork was hauled into storage, and later donated to a local Italian American group.

Baistrocchi, the consul, is diplomatic on the subject. Columbus gets mischaracterized, she suggested, as the ultimate old white male.

As for Columbus Day, she said, Americans forget that President Benjamin Harrison instituted the first one, albeit only for 1892, as a peace offering after 11 Italian immigrants were lynched in New Orleans and Italy cut off relations with the United States.

Still, Dante and Detroit are safer subjects.

Building for the future

Baistrocchi, 44, arrived in Detroit in 2021 with a 4-year-old and an infant. The infant is now 3, and can speak to one grandparent in English and then translate what he said in Italian for the other.

She and her husband, Fabio, also have a baby boy  "Made in Detroit," she said.

She requested a posting here, she said, after four years in Sri Lanka, where the museum of design was closed for renovations for her entire stay.

In Detroit, she loves the culture. The DIA with its Italian masters. The DSO with its Italian music director, Jader Bignamini. The old buildings like the Fisher, Guardian and Masonic, with their embellishments by architectural sculptor Corrado Parducci.

And then there's Belle Isle, where her first official event was a 700-year commemoration of Dante's demise, back when the bust was stained and the supports were pitted.

"Unfortunately," she said, when the original base and pedestal were broken apart, "there was no hidden treasure."

There wasn't even a time capsule, and darn it, she didn't think to include one in the new construction.

But the good news  la buona notizia  is, "We feel confident that it should be around another hundred years."

Someone can fill a box then, with a note: Remember Dante, and remember to open in 2224.

Neal Rubin and consul Allegra Baistrocchi share a fondness for SheWolf Pastificio in Detroit, where the cuisine reminds her of her native Rome. She'll rotate home in 2025, which gives her a year to try his favorite, Giovanni's Ristorante. Reach Neal at NARubin@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dante Alighieri bust on Belle Isle gets renewed: History of monument
An agreement for the Netherlands to provide Ukraine with a full Patriot air defense system has fallen through after an unnamed ally working with the country backed out, local media reported.

In June, the Netherlands announced that it would provide radar and launch components for a Patriot system, and that it had found another country to provide the additional necessary parts.

The radar components provided by the Netherlands were recently transferred, NL Times reported on Sept 13., but it is still in discussions to find the remaining parts from other countries.

A spokesperson for the Dutch Defense Ministry told the news outlet that "the Ministry was "recently" informed "that the previously mentioned commitment by an ally is not being honored."

Kyiv has been calling on its partners to provide additional air defense assets as Russia intensifies its strikes against cities and energy infrastructure.

Ukraine received its first Patriot battery from the U.S. in the first half of 2023.

With more batteries arriving since then, the U.S.' most advanced anti-air system has proved crucial in protecting the sky from Russian attacks.

Read also: Netherlands to supply Patriot system to Ukraine together with another country

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mo.  A crash between a motorcycle and a minivan that had an equipment failure in St. Clair County on Saturday, September 14 resulted in the death of a man from Nevada, Missouri.

A crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) states that the crash occurred at 4:45 p.m. on Highway 54 one mile west of Collins.

Cattle Barons Ball holds fundraising event to fight cancer

MSHP says an eastbound Chrysler Town & Country minivan experienced an equipment failure, causing the vehicle to cross into the other side of the roadway. The minivan then crashed into a westbound Harley Davidson, ejecting 63-year-old Jesse E. Murray from the motorcycle. The minivan continued off the highway and hit a fence.

Murray was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver and a juvenile occupant in the minivan were taken by ambulance to Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar with minor injuries.

This is the 76th fatality for MSHP Troop D in 2024.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.
Newsom wants to ban intoxicating hemp products. Industry  and some health experts  say hes going too far

Newsom wants to ban intoxicating hemp products. Industry  and some health experts  say hes going too far

California is seeking to crack down on sometimes-toxic hemp products containing THC, sparking ire from an industry that has for years operated with little scrutiny.

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) proposed emergency regulations that would require all such consumable items to be free of any detectable THC, with the goal of protecting children from dangerous impacts. The rules, which would be among the strongest restrictions on the hemp industry in any state, would also restrict the purchasing age for hemp to 21 years old.

In the industry, theres full responsibility for not policing itself for the proliferation of these intoxicating products that are hurting our children, Newsom said at a press conference, noting the presence of these items in school-adjacent grocery stores.

As opposed to Californias cannabis industry, which is highly regulated, its hemp sector  like that of most U.S. states  operates with few restrictions.

This inadvertent free-for-all was the result of a provision of the 2018 Farm Bill  a multiyear legislative package that governs a wide range of agricultural programs. The bill created a statutory definition for hemp unique from that of marijuana and thereby removed hemp from Drug Enforcement Administration oversight under the Controlled Substances Act.

With that legalization of hemp has come mass distribution of mystery products that undergo no federal oversight and are left to be controlled  or not  by individual states.

Its crazy that were producing all these new cannabinoids  some old, some new, none of them regulated, Peter Grinspoon, a primary care physician and cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, told The Hill.

In contrast, he explained, a marijuana product that enters a cannabis dispensary is tracked from seed to sale and is tested for fungus, heavy metals, lead, industrial byproducts, pesticides.

Although hemp and marijuana come from the same Cannabis sativa species, they differ in just how much of the psychoactive component, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), they contain.

Hemp contains 0.3 percent or less THC and does not create a high, as opposed to marijuana, which has a typical potency of about 15-20 percent THC. Meanwhile, non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD), known for its relaxing and medicinal qualities, is found in both hemp and marijuana.

In states like California that lack hemp regulations, however, items with unidentified ingredients ranging from THC to pesticides have emerged on supermarket shelves and in the hands of children.

The 2018 farm bill legalized all these cannabinoids without any regulatory system, Grinspoon stressed, noting that people also gained access to synthetic hemp alternatives without knowing what they contain.

There has been ample push to make intoxicating forms of hemp illegal in the next rendition of the farm bill  initially expected to take effect this year  but the broader legislative package has faced continued delays.

Other states have already taken their own steps to regulate the hemp industry. Hemp cultivation in Kentucky requires a license, and all items that contain cannabinoids must adhere to facility-permitting and product-labeling demands.

Another state, Colorado, updated its hemp product safety regulations in November  clarifying manufacturing, testing, registration and labeling requirements and providing distinct rules for non-intoxicating hemp products and intoxicating safe harbor hemp products.

Kentucky and Colorado have limited the sale of intoxicating hemp products to individuals 21 years or older.

In California, a bill that would have restricted certain industrial hemp products failed to pass the State Senate this summer, after gaining the support of the Assembly in May.

That legislation would have built upon AB 45, an October 2021 bill that required the registration and independent lab testing of hemp products  to ensure that THC levels stay below 0.3 percent.

Consumable hemp products, per AB 45, must include bar codes that link to test certifications, expiration dates, warnings for vulnerable populations and disclaimers noting the lack of federal safety review. The 2021 law also enabled the Californias Department of Public Health to adopt any regulations deemed necessary to enforce the bills goals, in compliance with future federal laws.

This summers failed AB-2223 bill, authored by Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D), sought to limit THC content not only to 0.3 percent by weight but also to 0.25 milligrams per serving, with a maximum of five servings per package.

Prior to the State Senate vote, Aguiar-Currys office stressed the need to close a loophole in federal law that measures THC content by weight, rather than intoxicating effect, while also preventing the sale of certain synthetic cannabinoids.

The bill also would have allowed licensed cannabis dispensaries to sell hemp products and integrate them into the existing  and highly regulated  cannabis supply chain.

The U.S. Hemp Roundtable, an advocacy group that represents dozens of hemp and CBD companies and organizations, celebrated the legislations failure to pass in the State Senate.

Newsom offered a temporary fix with last weeks proposal, which he characterized as an interim solution that would hold bad actors accountable while lawmakers work on new legislation.

We believe hemp, even hemp with intoxicating components, can be sold, but they must be sold in a regulated environment, not in grocery stores, not in corner stores all throughout the state of California, Newsom said.

U.S. Hemp Roundtable representatives slammed the governors proposal, stressing in a press statement that Newsom was able to effectuate what the legislature did not and that they were already planning for a major fight.

Jonathan Miller, the groups general counsel, accused the governor of launching an all-out prohibition rather than addressing legitimate regulatory concerns shared by all good actors and acting upon the October 2021 legislation.

There are pathways that accomplish what he is most angry about without destroying the industry, Miller told The Hill. They need to start enforcing AB 45 and ensuring that all products out in the marketplace are produced with good manufacturing practices and tested.

To that end, Miller on Thursday sent a letter to the governor voicing agreement that hemp products must be robustly regulated and kept out of the hands of minors.

But your proposed regulations are the wrong approach, he wrote. And frankly, we believe that you are being misled.

Elaborating on this hypothesis, Miller told The Hill he believes that Newsom has folks in the marijuana industry telling him that theyre struggling, and theyre blaming their problems on hemp.

Miller warned in the letter that prohibition never works, adding that a retail ban on all THC-containing hemp items would be unreasonable.

Theres detectable THC in nearly every hemp product, including the large majority that are non-intoxicating, Miller wrote.

Requesting that Newsom withdraw his proposal, Miller added that industry would prefer to work with the governor than take him to court. The Hill has reached out to the governors office for comment on these demands.

Citing precedent from other states, Miller praised Kentuckys approach to hemp, noting the bipartisan effort that went into formulating those rules.

From Millers perspective, California should be conducting random product checks, while also establishing a meaningful age gate on purchases  similar to the rules that apply to alcohol sales.

Instead of robustly regulating these products, hes banning nearly everything, Miller said of Newsom.

Representatives of the legal cannabis sector, on the other hand, voiced their support for the governors emergency regulations.

Vince Ning, co-founder and CEO of cannabis distribution platform Nabis, said in a statement that he views the proposed ban as a necessary, larger push for safe, reliable access to plant medicine products.

Its imperative that access to any cannabis product  hemp-derived or not  always comes hand in hand with the clear protection of consumers, he added.

By proceeding with this dual approach and closing the regulatory gap, stakeholders in both the legal cannabis and hemp-derived industries could benefit from greater stability, according to Ning.

Similarly, Dustin Moore, the co-founder of Embarc cannabis shops, warned that the untested and unregulated intoxicating hemp market has spread outside Californias established framework for legal cannabis operations.

If the existing framework is not sustainable, we must come together to modify it and not allow a shadow industry to thrive outside it, Moore added.

Grinspoon, the Massachusetts General cannabis specialist, fell somewhere in the middle  stressing the need for regulation but criticizing some of Newsoms tactics.

Its like a very heavy handed and sort of partially wrongheaded response to a very real and urgent problem, he said.

Many new cannabinoids could have therapeutic benefits but require both further study and regulation, according to Grinspoon, author of the related book, Seeing Through the Smoke.

Im not a fan of completely unregulated, intoxicating products that are contaminated with industrial byproducts that anyone can get, the physician added.

But Grinspoon expressed concern that outlawing THC-containing hemp products entirely could have dire consequences and simply prove ineffective, since products could cross state lines. He also looked back on the disaster that he believes ensued from War on Drugs-related prohibitions.

It just results in people  the whole trade, billion-dollar industry  going underground and becoming all the more dangerous, Grinspoon said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Richard Nixon, who launched the war on drugs in 1971 that has had repercussions to this day, admitted he knew marijuana was not particularly dangerous.

His admission during a meeting with a group of aides at the White House was recorded in March 1973, via his secret recording system. It was only recently made available after a lobbyist for the cannabis industry came across the conversation amid listening through hours of tapes, as The New York Times reports.

Let me say, I know nothing about marijuana, he said. I know that its not particularly dangerous, in other words, and most of the kids are for legalizing it. But on the other hand, its the wrong signal at this time.

Though he publicly argued that drug abuse was public enemy number one, he privately questioned during the meeting the extreme punishments Americans were subjected to for marijuana crimes. Penalties should be commensurate with the crime, Nixon said during that Oval Office conversation, noting a 30-year sentence in a cannabis case he recently learned about and added, The penalties are ridiculous.

I have no problem that there should be an evaluation of penalties on it, and there should not be penalties that, you know, like in Texas that people get 10 years for marijuana. Thats wrong, Nixon said.

Despite Nixons reticence over the harsh criminalization for marijuana, he instituted the federal governments drug classification system, and he designated marijuana among the substances believed to be most abused and deemed as having no proven medical value. Since then, its categorization has led to mass incarceration, disproportionately affecting Black people who are 3.6 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, per analysis conducted by American Civil Liberties Union. Nixons decision also hampered progress on research over the therapeutic potential of marijuana through the last five decades.

Nixons newly discovered remarks come as the federal government is reconsidering marijuanas placement as a restricted Schedule 1 drug, which includes heroin and LSD. In May, the Department of Justice said that the attorney general was circulating a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. The Drug Enforcement Agency has scheduled a public hearing for after the presidential election, on Dec. 2, to consider various viewpoints on the proposal.

Meanwhile, both primary presidential candidates have appeared to advocate for loosening marijuana policies. In an interview with Rolling Stone published in June, prior to Kamala Harris becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, the vice president discussed her comments that marijuana should not be a Schedule 1 drug. I stepped on a couple of toes when I made the public statement, Can we move on with this? Do the analysis on the [drug] schedule. Move it. Change it.

Though Donald Trump appointed a slew of anti-pot crusaders to his cabinet, last month he acknowledged that a ballot measure that would legalize recreational marijuana in Florida appeared inevitable. Without quite endorsing it, he suggested he supported the decriminalization of marijuana. Someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States, he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, via The Times. We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone

Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Donald Trump Jr. attended Freedom Fest where he spoke in front of thousands of people in Northern Kentucky on Saturday.

MORNING VIEW, Ky.  Donald Trump Jr. was the star speaker at Freedom Fest Saturday in Northern Kentucky where he dismissed Taylor Swift's Kamala Harris endorsement, suggested an assassination conspiracy against his father, and repeated the false claim that immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.

"The media is going to tell you (Kamala Harris is) a moderate," he said. "They will tell you anything because they're not the ones that are going to get a bunch of migrants dumped in their backyard eating their pets."

The false claim that Haitian immigrants are eating pets began circulating online over the past few weeks and made its way onto the presidential debate stage Tuesday.

Immigration was one of the major talking points at the festival and a major concern among attendees who called for stricter immigration laws and border security.

Several thousand were at the third such event after it was canceled last year when former president Donald Trump withdrew as the primary guest speaker.

Host and political firebrand Eric Deters began welcoming people to his Morning View farm, about 25 miles south of Cincinnati, on Friday where people parked campers and listened to live music into the night.

The festival-like rally featured politicians, conservative activists, Trump Jr., and his fiancee, former prosecutor and Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Taylor Swift 'doesn't get it.'

Trump Jr. said pop superstar Taylor Swift is disconnected from the average person and doesn't understand what people in the country are going through.

"I get that Taylor Swift isn't affected by a 25% increase in your grocery prices, 50% increases in your insurance," he said to a cheering audience. "Guess what? She'll get on her plane  make another billion dollars. She doesn't get it, you guys."

Former President Donald Trump is worth an estimated $7.5 billion, Forbes reported this spring, and Trump Jr. acknowledged he's been "incredibly blessed."

Taylor Swift endorsed Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris this week, drawing ire from Republicans.

Assassination attempt was 'by design and it was on purpose.'

Trump Jr. said he was fishing with his daughter when he got a call telling him his father and former President Donald Trump had been shot at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania this summer.

It took him 40 minutes to find out his dad was OK, he said.

Trump Jr. said the attack  where a man was killed shielding his family from gunfire  was orchestrated by those who have tried to demonize his father.

"They called him a Nazi long enough to radicalize a 20-year-old kid who magically has no social media footprint, no digital footprint whatsoever, and they managed to let a shooter have 20 minutes inside of 130 yards," he said. "That was by design, and it was on purpose, right? That's not a conspiracy."

Audience members agreed, some shouting that the shooting was an "inside job."

No evidence has been made publicly available that suggests the assassination attempt involved anyone other than the shooter killed at the scene.

"Pets are now being grilled."

Alimemby Estimable, 19, talks about being Haitian in Springfield, Ohio. He said he graduated from Springfield High School and now works for Amazon. He said he came here four years ago to help his mother.

Rumors that Haitian immigrants are killing and eating pets in Springfield, Ohio have been debunked by city officials, residents, and reporters.

More: 'They hate us' Haitian Springfield residents speak out as city remains in spotlight

But that didn't stop Trump Jr. from repeating the claim that "pets are now being grilled."

The viral story put a national spotlight on the western Ohio city. It's prompted a slew of hate toward Haitian immigrants and evacuations at two elementary schools and Springfield City Hall this week. Saturday, threats to two hospitals in the area caused lockdowns.

Republican vice-presidential nominee and Ohio Sen. JD Vance also fueled the rumors about immigrants eating pets Saturday.

He retweeted a grainy video made public by conservative activist Christopher F. Rufo, who said African migrants grilled and ate cats last summer in Dayton, Ohio.

Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mim and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal disputed the claim in online statements, The Enquirer reported.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Trump Jr. dismisses Taylor Swift's Harris endorsement at Freedom Fest
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams cabinet secretaries will host several community events in the coming week in Mescalero and Ruidoso to offer help and information to residents recovering from this summers wildfires and flooding.

In times of crisis, New Mexicans always come together. My administration is here to ensure that no one goes through recovery alone, Lujan Grisham said. We are bringing essential services directly to the people who need them most. Join us in Mescalero and Ruidoso on September 20-21.

Families and individuals in the area are encouraged to attend the events to learn more about how the state government can help you navigate services such as Medicaid, unemployment benefits, career counseling, and more, the Governors Office said.

Food boxes, books, backpacks, and other free resources will be available on-site while supplies last.

The fifth Governors Cabinet in Your Community event of 2024 will kick off at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 with a State Services Expo at the Inn of the Mountain Gods, located at 287 Carrizo Canyon Rd. in Mescalero. There will also be a community town hall from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

On Saturday, Sept. 21, the Governors Cabinet in Your Community State Services Expo will begin at 11 a.m. at the Ruidoso High School Cafeteria, 125 Warrior Dr. A town hall will follow from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Ruidoso School Performing Arts Center (RS PAC).

Some of the resources available at the event include:

Enrollment in Medicaid, child support, low-income home energy, and food and cash assistance programs.

Information and enrollment for student academic tutoring and other childrens programming.

Assistance with unemployment benefits, technical education, apprenticeships, and employment searches including jobs with state government.

Information about adult education and free college.

Motor Vehicle Division services, lost property, and personal income tax inquiries.

State hunting and fishing license sales.

Senior programs and services including caregiver and long-term care.

WIC and Senior Farmers Market programs, vaccines, and vital records.

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 KTSM 9 News.
1. Yes. They look better and require less maintenance. Most high-end housing areas have them.

2. Yes. Wood fences can weather and look unsightly, plus masonry walls help to block sound.

3. No. Residents should have a choice of what kind of barriers are put up near their homes.

4. No. Allowing a variety of materials will be better for aesthetics, and costs may be lower.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say. Masonry walls may be sturdier, but mandating them is problematic.

Vote

View Results
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  New Mexico State Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting involving the Deming Police Department after a suspect allegedly led an officer on a chase and then drove in the officers direction.

Neither the officer nor the suspect were injured in the incident, which happened early Saturday morning, Sept. 14, according to State Police.

The incident happened around 4:30 a.m. Saturday when a Deming Police officer tried to make a traffic stop on a vehicle for allegedly driving carelessly.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as Kassandra Castro, age 32, failed to stop and a pursuit happened, according to NM State Police.

The pursuit ended when the suspect drove through a barbed wire fence, struck a cable box, and the vehicle became stuck in loose dirt in a field off Highway 11 at approximately Mile Marker 31.

As the officer approached the vehicle, Castro was able to get the vehicle unstuck and drove in the direction of the officer, NM State Police said.

The officer fired at least one round from his duty weapon, State Police said.

Castro then surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident. Castro was not struck by gunfire and the officer was not injured during this incident.

Castro was booked into the Luna County Detention Center on the following charges: aggravated assault on a peace officer and aggravated fleeing from a law-enforcement officer.

Castro also had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear on an original charge of dangerous drugs, according to the State Police.

New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau agents are working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the district attorney for review, State Police said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
No, Californias cannabis cafe bill does not threaten our right to breathe smoke-free air | Opinion

Cofer can think outside the box

Sacramento mayoral candidate jabs opponents homeless proposal. Did he misrepresent it? (sacbee.com, Sept. 7)

Dr. Flo Cofer is the best choice for Sacramento mayor. She has the most energy, knowledge and coalition-building skills of the two candidates to address our homeless crisis. She is not an extremist, as some misinformation suggests.

Anyone who has spent time with Cofer knows she is reasonable and clearly willing to listen. Sacramento needs someone who can think outside the box, not the same old, same old.

Gail Marie Erlandson

Sacramento

Opinion

Setting the record straight

CA bill could spark resurgence in indoor smoking culture, (sacbee.com, Sept. 6)

In no way does the recently passed cannabis cafe bill, Assembly Bill 1775, threaten Californians right to breathe clean, smoke-free air. In no case does it permit cannabis smoking anywhere that it is presently banned; rather, it permits beverages and fresh food to be sold at existing lounges where cannabis use is allowed.

Not a single Californian will be exposed to objectionable cannabis smoke or odors under AB 1775. The bill was written with union representatives in order to ensure that it protects worker safety. Its telling that the opposition to cannabis cafes comes from anti-smoking advocates who have no intent of visiting them.

Those who do have every right to be served coffee, tea and fresh food with their cannabis.

Dale Gieringer

Berkeley

Playing the fiddle while Rome burns

Photos | See how Sacramentos Tower Bridge Dinner celebrated local food in 2024, (sacbee.com, Sept. 9)

Im opposed to closing a state roadway so a few hundred people can have a banquet on it. Agree or disagree, theres no denying the optics of the event are terrible.

We are years into a homelessness crisis. How many of the banquets attendees are elected officials who have promised to solve these issues?

I detest this dinner. Its got a very playing the fiddle while Rome burns feel to it. Moreover, its another example of Sacramento hiding its baggage and pretending its something other than it is.

Tommy Stone

Sacramento

Deliberately misleading

Stockton residents fight back against wood pellet proposal, (sacbee.com, Aug. 31)

Golden State Natural Resources (GSNR), supposedly a nonprofit for community benefit, is failing Stockton by falsely claiming that a proposed pellet plant will lessen wildfire risk and improve air pollution levels.

GSNR purports that removing trees from California forests will lessen wildfire risk; however, logging will only increase fire risk by reducing wind, decreasing precipitation caused by tree height and decreasing overall wildfire resilience. The logging proposed is purely for the profit of Drax and their wood pellet product.

GSNR also claims that their factory will improve air pollution levels. Yet, there is no possibility that increasing boat, train and industrial traffic in Stockton could ever decrease air pollution  especially not considering the removal of air-filtering trees from our state.

GSNR is deliberately misleading this community to ensure Drax gets its pellet plant. If this plan is allowed, Stockton and Californias forests will forever be at risk.

Luke Zaelke

Chatsworth
We no longer study. Gazas children lose out on school, as Israels war disrupts a year of education

Multicolored posters, white streamers and Palestinian flags made of paper decorate a tent in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. School rucksacks stuffed with clothes, small pillows and floral blankets are strewn on the floor.

More than a dozen girls and boys sit cross-legged inside a makeshift classroom along the coastal region. Their eyes dart across a large whiteboard as they recite after their teacher, Oula Al Ghoul, who gently encourages her students. The sound of Israeli drones buzzes overhead  a stark reminder of the fighting that has engulfed the strip for more than 11 months.

We have war, no schools Yet the children are eager to learn, Al Ghoul told CNN. She decided to set up a rudimentary classroom in the same tent in which shes living, just to give some first-graders a chance to study.

Even the parents come and ask about their childrens progress in writing, asking if they are improving.

But her initiative is the exception. As children across the Middle East begin the new semester, those in Gaza will be unable to return to school. The Israeli offensive launched after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks has spawned a humanitarian crisis and halted educational services in the besieged enclave.

Oula Al Ghoul, a Palestinian teacher, has established a makeshift classroom for displaced children in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. - CNN

At least 45,000 first-graders in the Gaza Strip will be unable to start the school year, according to the United Nations childrens agency, UNICEF.

The first graders join 625,000 children who have already been denied an entire school year, and face the prospect of a second missed year of education, the agency said.

Israels bombing campaign has destroyed 123 schools and universities in Gaza, according to the Government Media Office (GMO) there. At least 11,500 students aged up to 18 and 750 teachers have been killed, the GMO reported on Monday.

Earlier this year, the UN accused Israeli forces of the systematic obliteration of the academic system in Gaza, citing independent experts, and called for the protection of schoolchildren. The IDF has said strikes on schools target Hamas militants and has previously insisted it take steps to minimize harm to civilians. Hamas has denied embedding fighters in civilian infrastructure.

Many schools have turned into makeshift shelters, as hundreds of thousands of people seek refuge from Israels bombardment. Several Palestinian children told CNN that days spent learning have been replaced by a struggle for survival. Some spend hours queueing for water or food aid, as Israels siege has depleted supplies. Aid workers say that displacement camps are crammed with children who have no safe space to play. .

I aspired to complete my studies and help my father feed my family, said Raghad Ezzat Hamouda, a 19-year-old English literature student, displaced in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. She told CNN on Friday that she had registered for her university course last fall  just before the hostilities erupted.

The war destroyed all my ambitions and there was nothing left.

Israel launched its military offensive on October 7 after the militant group Hamas, which governs Gaza, attacked southern Israel. At least 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others abducted, according to Israeli authorities.

Israeli attacks in Gaza have since killed at least 41,182 Palestinians and wounded more than 95,000 others, the Ministry of Health there reported on Thursday. CNN cannot independently confirm the figures.

No schools, no books, nothing

Dozens of Palestinian boys in dusty shoes carry empty jerry cans at a school which has become an improvised displacement shelter in Deir al-Balah. The sun beats down on their faces as they queue to collect water aid for their families.

At the school, run by the UNs main agency for Palestinian humanitarian relief, UNRWA, children clamor for scant resources. Flies swarm between lines of displaced people, who are scattered between rows of tents, washing lines and old mattresses, inside the sprawling facility. The Israeli offensive in Gaza has displaced 1.9 million people, according to the UN  almost the entire population.

Sajid, a young Palestinian displaced in Deir al-Balah, told CNN he dreamed of becoming a doctor, before the war disruption access to education in Gaza. - CNN

We used to study, attend classes, do homework, and our lives were happy, Maryam Shtawi, a young girl staying in the shelter, told CNN on Monday. Because of the war, we were displaced, and there is no more education, nothing else  no studies. Our lives have turned into fetching water and gathering food. I want to learn.

Nine-year-old Sajid told CNN he should have been starting fourth grade. There are no more schools to learn in. Schools have become shelters for displaced people, he said. Now, we go and fetch water and buy things from the market. We no longer study. If I had stayed in school, I would have grown up to become a famous doctor.

Theres no guarantee of safety for those sheltering in schools. At least 70% of schools run by UNRWA have been hit during the war  95% of which were being used as shelters for displaced people  the agency reported on September 9.

On Wednesday, at least 18 people, including UNRWA staff, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a UN school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, according to the Gaza Civil Defense and hospital officials.

The IDF claimed the school was used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the state of Israel. UNRWA said that their employees were teachers. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described Israeli strikes on schools as dramatic violations of international humanitarian law.

Children have also been uprooted from one shelter to another, parents told CNN. The lack of stability or routine will compound psychological trauma for children who have witnessed scenes of bloodshed, lost loved ones or been orphaned by the war, according to UNICEF.

The students situation is tough; they need to be learning right now Unfortunately, none of the students can write. There are no schools, no books, nothing, said Mohammad Masoud, a teacher. Instead of being in their classes or universities, students are either selling on the streets or trying to help their families by standing in line for water or food.

Meanwhile, at least 19,000 children have been separated from their parents or caregivers, the UN reported in August.

They are literally wading through rubbish

Further south, in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, children run barefoot through the littered streets, according to a relief worker in the sprawling coastal town.

Some search through mounds of waste for items they can resell, said Liz Allcock, head of protection at the UK-based NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).

There are children everywhere, Allcock said on Friday. Her testimony was relayed to CNN by MAP. Where else are they going to be? There arent really safe spaces for kids to play.

Ive seen children with no shoes on, barefoot and amongst rubbish dumps that extend as far as the eye can see. They are literally wading through rubbish, plastic, all sorts of waste. It is a highly hazardous environment.

Palestinian children play with hula hoops near a makeshift tent camp as schools remain closed due to Israel's military offensive, in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, on April 28. - Ramadan Abed/Reuters

Aid agencies say they are unable to offer adequate protection or refuge for children, citing aid restrictions, strikes on Israeli-designated humanitarian zones and repeated evacuation orders. In June, the UN added Israels military to a global list of offenders that have committed violations against children. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were also added to the list, according to a diplomatic source.

Its a case of compounding vulnerabilities that are unlike any other place I have worked as a humanitarian, said Allcock.

The actions taken by the Israeli military that have resulted in this situation  the denial of adequate aid, the bombardment and airstrikes on civilians and humanitarian zones  is a violation of every kind of possible child right that is enshrined in international law.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
From the left, Gov. Doug Burgum, Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, retired adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard, and Brig. Gen. Mitchell Johnson, adjutant general for the North Dakota National Guard, observed the national anthem during a change of command and retirement ceremony for the state National Guard in Bismarck on Sept. 15, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

The North Dakota National Guard has a new adjutant general after a change of command and retirement ceremony in Bismarck.

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Mitchell Johnson officially accepted command of the states military and emergency response force Sunday afternoon from Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, who is retiring after serving as adjutant general for more than eight years.

Our military and emergency services are a team sport and I couldnt ask for a better team, Johnson said during the ceremony.

He also praised the states Guard soldiers and airmen in serving through extraordinary times over the last decade, which included the COVID-19 pandemic, overseas deployments and multiple statewide emergencies.

Through these unprecedented times, you have been there for our state and nation, and youve never missed a mission, he said. There will be new and unprecedented challenges that we will face, and whether they are at home or around the world, we will face them as a team.

Gov. Doug Burgum presided over the change of command ceremony and quoted World War II Gen. George S. Patton when describing Johnson and the states National Guard.

Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and the spirit of the man who leads that gains that victory, Burgum said. Brig. Gen. Johnson, today we bestow our confidence on you.

Johnson also takes over the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, which responds to disasters and emergencies declared by the governor. The department is also composed of personnel from the Division of Homeland Security and Division of State Radio Communications.

Johnson completed 12 years of active duty service, which included multiple flight assignments with the Air Mobility Command, Air Education and Training Command and Air Force Special Operations Command.

After his active duty career, Johnson joined the North Dakota National Guard and flew multiple aircraft including the MQ-1 Predator, C-21 and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft.

He also served as an Air Chief of Staff at the North Dakota National Guard Joint Force Headquarters and completed six overseas deployments during his career.

After being sworn in, the events focus shifted to pay respect and celebrate a two-star generals longstanding and distinguished career.

Dohrmann served in the military for more than 40 years, including seven years on active duty before joining the North Dakota National Guard in 1991.

He was named the states deputy adjutant general in 2007 before deploying to Kosovo in 2009 where he commanded 2,000 military members in combined force, which included eight different countries.

During the ceremony, Dohrmann said he was struggling to make eye contact with his family seated in the first row because of the overwhelming display of love and emotion being reflected back at him.

My daughter is just a mess and if I look at her, I will be a mess too, so Im not going to look at my family, no offense, he said.

Dohrmann praised the states federal and state lawmakers for working with him over the years on budgets and other initiatives. He also highlighted members of National Guard leadership and some of his former superior officers whom he learned from that were seated in the crowd.

Dohrman was presented with retirement commendations, a North Dakota flag that was flown at the state Capitol and a U.S. flag that was flown in Kosovo and at the state Capitol.

Watch the entire change of command and retirement ceremony on the North Dakota National Guard YouTube page.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Ukraines Defence Intelligence, has said that North Korea's supply of ammunition to Russia is critical for Ukraine.

Source: Kyrylo Budanov at the 20th annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) meeting in Kyiv, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine

Quote from Budanov: "As the head of intelligence, I can say directly: the fact that they are supplying ballistic missiles there is unpleasant for us, but it is not a significant amount  but with regard to the ammunition, that is critical for us. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about it for now. That is the unfortunate truth."

Details: Asked to rank the countries that provide the most military support to Russia, the Ukrainian Defence Intelligence chief said that North Korea would be first, "then no one else for a lot of places, and then all the rest", because there is no comparison in terms of the volumes supplied.

Budanov also noted that the Russians have made significant progress in Iskander missile production, which has become "massive".

He added that guided aerial bombs are also a huge problem.

Quote from Budanov: "Production [of guided aerial bombs] has increased  I don't want to scare anyone, but by several times, let's say."

Support UP or become our patron!
Not helpful for Trump and others to talk about pets being eaten, Ohio's governor says

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Sunday that "it is not helpful" for fellow Republicans including former President Donald Trump to spread "garbage" claims that Haitian immigrants are eating dogs and cats stolen from the streets of Springfield, Ohio.

"We need to focus on what is important," DeWine said on ABC's "This Week" in batting down claims that were repeatedly spread by Trump and others in recent weeks, statements that have led to threats against the Haitians who have flocked to the Ohio community between Columbus and Dayton in recent years.

"Theres a lot of garbage on the internet," he said, "and, you know, this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true. Theres no evidence of this at all."

DeWine said that the Haitians in Springfield have a right to be there, and that they are welcome there.

"What we know is that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal," he told host Martha Raddatz. "They came to Springfield to work. Ohio is on the move, and Springfield has really made a great resurgence with a lot of companies coming in. These Haitians came in to work for these companies. What the companies tell us is that they are very good workers. Theyre very happy to have them there. And, frankly, thats helped the economy."

DeWine also said that the influx of thousands of migrants in recent years has taxed the community's resources and that Ohio was seeking help for that.

"We have challenges every day. We are working on these challenges," said DeWine, who is backing Trump for president.

Stories of immigrants eating pets began circulating on the Internet weeks ago, and they gained momentum when brought up by vice presidential nominee JD Vance, an Ohio Republican, and then Trump in last week's debate with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. Critics have not only noted that these claims are untrue, but also seem clearly designed to demonize Haitians and other immigrants.

"In his elevation of something akin to blood libel," Lydia Polgreen wrote of Trump in a New York Times opinion piece, "against a group of blameless legal immigrants who came to America from their strife-torn nation in search of a better life through hard work, like so many immigrants to our shores before them, he has proved himself a dangerous and malevolent figure."
LINCOLN, Neb. (KCAU)  After receiving numerous reports of scammers impersonating state officials, the Nebraska State Patrol is reminding citizens to remain cautious when communicating online.

According to a release, NSP describes the scam as originating from a lookalike social media profile for a government official. Once the scammer starts conversing with a potential victim, they move the conversation to a different communication or messaging platform. From there, the scammer attempts to convince the victim of an authentic and secretive agreement by initiating conversations that appear to be with the state official.

Sioux City police warn of scammers impersonating officials over phone

The release noted that the schemes that have been reported to NSP have promised perks including secretive financial grants of more than $500,000 requiring a downpayment to receive, financial transactions approved by government officials, and secretive job offers.

One victim reported losing $5,000 in cryptocurrency because of the scam, according to the release.

The State of Nebraska does not use social media sites or messaging applications to exchange sensitive financial or potential employment information with citizens.

Anyone who may have been contacted or is still in contact with one of the scammers should cut off contact immediately. Never provide sensitive personal information or financial resources to malicious actors.

The release concluded that if youve been contacted and your financial information has been provided, immediately contact your financial institution and ensure your accounts are secure.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
NY play delves into Jewish identity and the effects of antisemitic violence

NY play delves into Jewish identity and the effects of antisemitic violence

NEW YORK (PIX11)  There has been a shocking rise in antisemitic incidents in the New York area since the Hamas attack on Israel last October.

A new play has just opened dealing with Jewish identity within one family in Westchester.

More Local News

It begins with a Christmas carol and a Christmas treenot what youd expect for the opening of a play about three generations of Jewish women in Scarsdale confronting their relationships to their Jewish identities and one another.

This play is both a comedy and a tragedy, and it turns dark as family members and others deal with a deadly mass shooting at their synagogue.

When the Tree of Life Temple shooting happened in 2018, that was a real watershed moment for Jews in this country, Pamela Weiler Grayson, the playwright of Observant, told PIX11 News. That was the first time for many of us to explore our Jewish identity because of these acts of antisemitic violence, even you werent particularly Jewish.

Only one non-Jewish character in the play, an Iranian Muslim, is dating the younger daughter.

What I found interesting was from my characters perspective, Fady Demian, an actor, told PIX11 News. How important it is to recognize each other as human beings and how two

People can love each other even though the world tells them they should be enemies on paper.

By the end of the play, several family members who never took their Jewish identity seriously have a change of heart.

Cast members, the playwright, and the director hope this will spark meaningful discussions among audience members.

We perpetuate these kinds of needs to assimilate over the need to maybe appreciate, Rebecca Hoodwin, the actress who plays the grandmother, told PIX11 News. To over-assimilate and be afraid of acknowledging who you are.

The director of Observant, Shellen Lubin, added, The play raises all kinds of questions. But there is no proselytizing. There is no one perspective. And there are no answers.

The playwright summed up the entire message of the play.

In Judaism, there is the expression, Tikkun Olam, which means repair the world, Grayson told PIX11 News. And our tagline is How can we repair the world if we cant repair ourselves? she added.

Seven more performances of Observant are scheduled over the next two weeks, most with talkback panel discussions, as part of the Emerging Artists Theatres Fall Spark Theatre Festival at Chain Theatre.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  Lisa Zornberg, the chief legal counsel at New York City Hall, is leaving her post, Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy announced late Saturday night.

A former senior Manhattan federal prosecutor who went into private practice, Zornberg has been in her position since July 2023.

More Local News

We appreciate all the work Lisa has done for our administration and, more importantly, the city over the past 13 months, read a statement from New York City Mayor Eric Adams. These are hard jobs and we dont expect anyone to stay in them forever. We wish Lisa all the best in her future endeavors. The other senior members of the counsels team will remain in their roles to ensure the office continues to fully operate without issue, and we expect to name an acting chief counsel in the coming days.

On her departure, Zornberg stated, I am deeply grateful to Mayor Adams for giving me the opportunity to serve the city, and I strongly support the work he has done and continues to do for New Yorkers.

Her announcement comes a week after the FBI raided the homes of multiple top aides to Mayor Adams.

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
EAST HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11)  A Department of Correction officer was arrested in East Harlem early Sunday morning, according to the NYPD.

Latrice Hogan, 31, was arrested just before 5 a.m. and charged with assault and criminal possession of weapons, according to the NYPD.

NYCs chief legal counsel, Lisa Zornberg, steps down from post

Sources told PIX11 News Hogan was allegedly in a physical fight with a stranger near FDR Drive and East 111th Street before she was arrested.

Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered New York City since 2023. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
A New York City Department of Education manager and five other employees brought their own family to Disney World and on other excursions with city funds meant for homeless students, according to a report.

The New York Post first reported that the Special Commissioner of Investigation (SCI) for New York City schools alleges the workers actions robbed disadvantaged children of the opportunity to go to the Magic Kingdom and on other trips to Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Boston, Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in upstate New York and Frost Valley YMCA campground between 2016 and 2019.

Linda Wilson, the regional manager for the NYC Department of Educations Queens Students in Temporary Housing, took her two daughters on city-funded excursions while encouraging her colleagues to do the same with their families, according to the SCI report released this month.

While some students were brought on these trips, investigators alleged that spots were taken up by the employees family members. DOE rules state that employees cannot bring family on trips even if the DOE is reimbursed.

NO POLITICS SCHOOL THAT FACED BATTLE TO OPEN IN BLUE STATE BOASTS HIGH TEST SCORES

Wilson and five other employees allegedly took their own families on trips meant for homeless students. One such trip included Disney World.

Wilson allegedly skirted the rules by "forging permission slips in the names of students," the report said.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Wilson scheduled some of these trips under the belief that students would be visiting colleges, according to the report. Instead of visiting the schools, the investigation found that Wilson would take trips to other destinations.

The city-funded trips were meant to be for disadvantaged students.

On one such trip in June 2018, Wilson allegedly went with students to visit Syracuse University. But the university said that Wilson never toured the school. The subsequent investigation alleged that Wilson instead took a detour to Niagara Falls.

ONE-THIRD OF US PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE BEHIND GRADE LEVEL, DATA SHOWS: FAILING OUR CHILDREN

In 2018, Wilson learned that someone told others within the DOE of their actions, the report says, prompting her to cancel a visit to Philadelphia. She then allegedly told her colleagues, "What happens here stays with us."

Investigators allege that Wilson forged permission slips with the names of students so that she and other colleagues could bring their own families on the trips.

Workers have blamed Wilson for telling staff that they could bring family on these trips, with one employee telling the Post that Wilson instructed them "to lie to investigators."

"She said everyone should stick to the same story that we did not take our children on the trip," the employee said.

The other Students in Temporary Housing workers accused of bringing family members on these trips include Program Manager Shaquieta Boyd, Family Assistant Joanne Castro, Family Assistant Mishawn Jack, Family Assistant Virgen Ramos and Community Coordinator Maria Sylvester.

The SCI completed its probe in January 2023 and recommended to Chancellor David Bank that all six employees be terminated and pay restitution to the DOE.

The cases were not referred for criminal prosecution due to "the lack of available documentation," an SCI spokesperson told the newspaper.





Original article source: NYC Department of Ed manager brought family to Disney World with funds meant for homeless children
NEW YORK - The Mexican Independence Day in New York City will kick off festivities with a vibrant parade in Brooklyn on Sunday, ahead of the official holiday on Monday.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 17: New York City's Mexican-American community celebrates Mexico's Independence at the annual Mexico Day Parade, September 17, 2023 in midtown New York City, New York. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

The parade will honor Father Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla, who ignited Mexico's struggle for independence with his famous call to arms against Spanish rule.

When is Mexican Independence Day?

Sept. 16 marks the anniversary of the rebellion that sparked a decade-long war leading to Mexico's liberation.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 17: New York City's Mexican-American community celebrates Mexico's Independence at the annual Mexico Day Parade, September 17, 2023 in midtown New York City, New York. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

The parade will go from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The following streets will be closed for the Mexican Independence Parade on Sunday.

Formation:

59th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue

Route:

5th Avenue between 41st Street and 59th Street

Dispersal:

5th Avenue between 41st Street and 43rd Street
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday denounced claims promoted by former President Donald Trump that Haitian immigrants are eating dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio, calling them "hurtful" and "not helpful."

"There's a lot of garbage on the internet and this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true, there's no evidence of this at all," DeWine told ABC's "This Week." "These are positive influences on our community in Springfield and any comment about that otherwise I think is hurtful and is not helpful to the city of Springfield and the people of Springfield."

DeWine noted that there is no evidence of the claims spread by Trump, his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and others, adding that the mayor of Springfield and the city's police chief have both said there is no evidence of any truth to them.

A mural adorns a wall in the city of Springfield, Ohio, U.S. September 11, 2024.

Trump raised the rumors, which had surfaced on social media, in last week's presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Since then, there have been threats against the Haitian immigrants in the city.

The Ohio governor also added the influx of immigrants in Springfield has posed challenges to the city, including taking a toll on resources, but said the migrants have also contributed to the local community and economy.

"Springfield is a good city, they are good people, they are welcoming people. We have challenges everyday we are working on those challenges," DeWine said.

"What we know is that the Haitians in Springfield are legal, they came to Springfield to work Ohio is on the move and Springfield has really made a great resurgence with a lot of companies coming in," DeWine said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says claims of migrants eating pets 'not true'
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has sent money and additional state troopers to Springfield to handle a surge in traffic problems he says are the result of an exploding migrant population. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI

Sept. 15 (UPI) -- A bomb threat Sunday at Clark State College in Springfield, Ohio, prompted officials to close the physical campus and hold classes virtually this week, school officials said.

Clark officials on the Springfield campus say the school received a bomb threat via email Sunday, a day after it received another emailed threat on Saturday warning of a possible shooting.

"We took immediate action with the Springfield Police Department and they have ensured our campus is secure and safe," the college said in a statement.

The college said it was moving classes online "out of an abundance of caution," stressing that it was prioritizing student safety.

"We understand the anxiety that such incidents can cause and we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and care," Clark officials said.

"As a proactive measure, Springfield Police will also increase their security presence on campus, and we are working with our wellness team and partners to provide additional counseling services."

Springfield has been the focus of U.S. immigration policy in recent weeks and has drawn attention for how it is reacting to a huge influx of Haitian migrants to the town. The issue was brought front and center during the recent debate between presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has sent money and additional state troopers to Springfield to handle a surge in traffic problems he says are the result of an exploding migrant population.

He is also sending $2.5 million to help the city deal with a surge in healthcare issues that have surfaced with the rising migrant population.

The issue came to a head when former President Donald Trump made baseless claims during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are eating residential pets, a claim flatly denied by Springfield's city manager.

During an appearance Sunday on ABC's "This Week," DeWine called Trump's claim a false "piece of garbage."

"Let me tell you what we do know, though," DeWine continued. "What we know is that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal. They came to Springfield to work. Ohio is on the move, and Springfield has really made a great resurgence with a lot of companies coming in."

DeWine acknowledged that the immigration surge has caused some problems for the city, namely health care and transportation issues for some Haitian migrants who have never driven before and need basic health care and driving instructions.

"Now, are there problems connected? Well, sure. There's -- when you go from a population of 58,000 and add 15,000 people onto that, you're going to have some challenges and some problems: DeWine said on "This Week." "And we're addressing those. We're working on those every single day. Primary care is essential."

DeWine called for more help from Washington as Springfield deals with the influx, specifically asking federal lawmakers for more money and a better plan to handle the immigrants.

Other members of the GOP are using Trump's false claims during the debate as a way to draw attention to their stances on immigration.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump's running mate, stood by his claim that Haitian migrants were eating pets in Springfield.

"The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes," Vance said during an interview Sunday on CNN. "If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."
Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno is blasting "depraved" politicians for the migrant crisis in Springfield, Ohio, that he says shows elected Democrats have "forgotten" they "work for the American people."

"Let's start with we don't even know how many Haitian immigrants have been brought into Springfield, Ohio," businessman Bernie Moreno, running as a Republican against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, told Fox News Digital.

"That's problem number one, and number two is why on earth are we bringing that number of people into a small community like Springfield, where they don't have the infrastructure, they don't have the health system, they dont have the educational system and to get to the place where they do it would cost tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars."

Moreno continued, "We have incredible priorities here in America. We have people in need, American citizens that need housing, American citizens that are struggling because of high inflation caused by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Why on earth are we taking precious resources from the American taxpayers and using it to benefit foreign nationals? That's the real question to Springfield that's not being answered."

SPRINGFIELD RESIDENT SAYS ROADS ARE LIKE 'ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK' AFTER HAITIAN MIGRANTS OVERRUN RURAL TOWN

Bernie Moreno is the Republican candidate for Senate in Ohio.

Springfield, Ohio, has garnered national headlines in recent weeks over an influx of tens of thousands of Haitian migrants into the town of 60,000, where residents say the infrastructure doesnt exist to care for them all and that crime has been an increasing issue.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"It's like living in a dystopian nightmare," Springfield resident Diana Daniels told "Fox & Friends " on Thursday. "You hope you wake up and it's 2019 again, and then you realize it's 2024, and it's the same thing over and over again, day after day. It's hard sometimes to get up in the morning and hear residents that I've known for years struggle. This is a paycheck-to-paycheck kind of town working class. The citizens that depend on our social services like health care, the Rocking Horse [Community Health Center], going down to the Social Security office for benefits are waiting in line, and they're not getting the services they need."

Moreno told Fox News Digital that Brown and Biden, who he called "two 50-year career politicians," have "forgotten they work for the American people."

HAITIAN REFUGEES DONT UNDERSTAND THE LAWS, FORMER LAWMAKER SAYS AMID FATAL WRECK, CULTURAL CLASHES

"Elections come down to whose side you're on and are you on the side of Haiti and Haitians and people suffering all over the world, which clearly we all empathize with, or are you on the side of Americans, American workers, American families, who are seeing their costs of health care go up dramatically, who are seeing their taxes go up, who are seeing their insurance prices go up, who are seeing their grocery bills go up, and what are you doing about that?"

Moreno added, "You're certainly not helping by bringing 5% of the population of this poor country to America to clash two cultures together and land in a place like Springfield, Ohio, where the American citizens there are deprived of the very benefits that they're supposed to get."

Moreno echoed Daniels concerns and explained that residents who are "entitled" to use the resources they have paid into are "standing in line behind Haitian immigrants."

SPRINGFIELD PASTORS SPEAK OUT ON HAITIAN REFUGEE CHALLENGES: 'THE SUFFERING IS REAL'

"They shouldn't even be in this country in the first place," Moreno said. "That's ultimately what is unfolding and why this story matters so much, because this is genuinely the story of America. Do we want leaders in elected office in Washington, D.C., like President Trump, like what I'll do, like JD Vance, who put America first? Or do you want political leaders that have been there forever? These career serial politicians put the interests of foreign nationals first. That's ultimately what this election comes down to."

Moreno, who immigrated to the United States from Colombia as a child, told Fox News Digital that his fellow legal immigrants are "sick and tired" of this "culture that rewards people for skipping the line" and getting "preferential treatment for whatever reason."

"For example, temporary protected status, operative word 'temporary,' is supposed to be given to people who are here who have an emergency in their home country and need to stay for a few months," Moreno said.

"Instead, we're using that to make people stay here permanently. That skips the line from the millions of people who want to come to this country. Why are we giving preferential treatment to Haiti? There's suffering all over the world: India, Africa, my home country of Colombia. There's suffering everywhere. Why are we giving preferential treatment to certain countries and not others? And the answer is because you have special interest groups that pay off these politicians, that fund nonprofits, that pay huge salaries to the CEOs and it's all about money and the people who pay the price and the citizens of the people in Springfield, Ohio."

Sen. Sherrod Brown during votes in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 23, 2024.

Moreno also took issue with prominent Democrats and celebrities who he says have not taken the issue seriously.

"Then you have depraved politicians like Sherrod Brown that hang out with their Hollywood celebrity buddies like John Legend, who from his multimillion-dollar mansion in a bathrobe, by the way, talks about how the people in Springfield, Ohio, should be welcoming," Moreno said.

"Why doesn't he house them? Why don't these migrants go to Beverly Hills and live there 16 or 18 per two-bedroom or three-bedroom-home? And why don't his kids go to school with these migrants that don't speak a word of English, that their culture is very different than ours because, of course, they're the elites of this country that want the rest of us to have to live with the results of their ridiculous policies."

Fox News Digital reached out to Sen. Brown and the White House but did not receive a response.





Original article source: Ohio Senate candidate rips 'depraved' politicians for Springfield migrant crisis: Citizens 'pay the price'
Oklahomas election system frustrates this politics editor. No wonder other voters dont show up

(Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice)

For the first time in many years, I didnt vote in an Oklahoma primary election.

It might sound odd coming from the editor of a political nonprofit publication and from someone who typically shows up at even the lowest turnout elections, including one where a single school board race was on the ballot.

But when Election Day arrived in June, I felt an unusual surge of apathy and decided not to drive to my polling location.

There was one key item on the primary ballot that interested me  a state House race. Two Republicans  incumbent Preston Stinson and Steve Herburger  were facing off. It was a winner-take-all outcome. The winner faces no opponent in November.

But as a registered independent voter, I couldnt weigh in on the outcome of the race. The only issue I was aware of on my ballot was a local lodging tax initiative.

Instead, 2,575 Republicans got to choose who will represent the roughly 39,700 constituents who reside within House District 96, which encompasses parts of Oklahoma City, Edmond and Arcadia and five school districts.

I dont think anything drove home the worthlessness of my vote more than a visit from a Herburger supporter, who stopped at our home stumping for votes.

He had no interest in speaking with me because he had a list of registered Republicans living in our home.

Under our closed primary systems, I couldnt vote in the race, so he focused his pitch on the person who mattered  my husband.

I dont think Ive ever felt more disenfranchised at that moment, and I think subconsciously, I decided I wasnt going to vote.

I share this story because Democracy Day is once again upon us.

Coinciding with the International Day of Democracy each year on Sept. 15, the event is designed to draw attention to the crisis facing American democracy.

I think the biggest threat to democracy in our state is voter apathy.

Oklahoma ranked 50th in turnout in November 2020, according to one report that also factored in voters from Washington D.C. Only Texas fared worse.

The closed primary system that we have in place that empowers a few to make decisions for many isnt helping. Our political parties can voluntarily choose to open their primary elections, but theres no requirement to do so. Oklahoma Democrats have temporarily opened theirs. Republicans and Libertarians have not.

That means a huge swath of voters sometimes dont have the power to weigh in on who should represent them at our state Capitol.

As of August, over 466,000 Oklahomans identified as independents. Just shy of every 1 in 5 voters potentially might not have access to our primary contests. In the House District 96, Democrats and Libertarians were also disenfranchised and wound up with Stinson, who won the Republican primary, by default.

This stupidity has set up a situation where moderate Oklahomans  the silent majority  feel like their voices dont matter or are drowned out by the loud chatter from people on the far fringes of both ends of the political spectrum.

That vocal minority are the people who typically show up to vote in primaries. Our lawmakers have drawn legislative districts that are favorable to specific parties or even candidates.

And our existing system empowers our want-to-be lawmakers to ignore constituents outside their parties. Because why should any lawmaker care what an independent voter thinks if they wont have the ability to vote for them in the next primary election?

I fear thats allowed the people who do turn out to take control of our political narratives, and thats not good for democracy or Oklahoma policymaking.

Our schools rank in the bottom 10 in academic outcomes. But instead of focusing on concrete ways to recruit better teachers and improve academic outcomes, were fighting bizarre battles over where children can go to the bathrooms, what topics we can teach our children and whether Bibles should be used as a teaching tool in every classroom.

Meanwhile, nearly 1 in 4 children face hunger, yet were again turning down federal funding designed to alleviate that suffering.

Nearly 55% of Oklahomans live in child care deserts, which means theres not enough care to meet demand. That affects the ability of adults to pull themselves out of poverty and employers to hire quality workers who are also parents. Its a needle we havent moved.

A recent study found that we rank 43rd worst in the number of children living in poverty.

We ranked 50th  only ahead of Mississippi  in our state health system performance, which looks at things like access, quality, usage, cost and health disparities and outcomes.

The list goes on and on.

Is it any wonder were cellar dwellers with voter turnout rates?

It doesnt inspire a lot of confidence that casting a ballot is going to matter.

Im sure Ill get emails telling me to register as a Republican.

But I shouldnt have to in order to fulfill a basic tenet of democracy  the right to choose my elected representative.

And, I should have a say in who represents me in our state Capitol each November because otherwise whats the point of having democracy?

If any race is going to be decided in a primary, perhaps it should be placed on the General Election ballot instead. If not, maybe its time to take a look at adopting an open primary system like many other states have done.

But in any case, its time to take a closer look at whether we are doing enough to ensure that we have a vibrant, fully functioning democratic system of government and that were not disenfranchising large swaths of voters.

Because right now, were not doing enough to ensure were fulfilling the most basic tenant.

And were all suffering the effects of that.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Old rally photo resurfaces as ex-Pakistani PM supporters stage demonstration in 2024

A picture of an old rally by supporters of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has resurfaced in social media posts with a false claim that it was taken during a recent demonstration in Islamabad. The picture -- shared hundreds of times in September 2024 as Khan's party staged its largest demonstration in the capital since he was jailed -- appeared online in 2022 following a rally in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

"Despite road closures, police shelling, and obstacles, Imran Khan's party delivered an impressive power show in Islamabad today," read the English-language caption to the picture shared on social media site X on September 8, 2024.

It showed a large crowd holding flags of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party with a string of bright lights at the centre of the rally ground stretching far into the horizon.

"From jail, the ex-PM called for the rally, and local media reported a large turnout despite the restrictions," the post went on to say.

The false claim surfaced as thousands of Khan's supporters gathered in Islamabad on the day despite authorities' attempts to block the protesters' main routes into the capital, AFP reported (archived link).

The demonstration was the largest in the capital since the retired international cricketer was jailed on several charges, some of them still before the courts.

Screenshot of the false post, taken September 13, 2024

The picture has also been shared over 800 times alongside a similar claim on X here and here.

However, it was in fact taken at a rally two years ago.

Old rally

Reverse image searches on Google found the picture was shared on X here and here on April 14, 2022 (archived links here and here).

The posts said it showed a PTI protest in Peshawar the day before. The protest occurred a few days after Khan's ouster as prime minister in a parliamentary vote of no confidence on April 9, 2022 (archived link).

Below is a screenshot comparison between the picture in one of the false posts (left) and in a social media post from 2022 (right):

Screenshot comparison of the false post (left) with an old social media post about the rally in 2022 (right)

The picture also corresponded to footage shared on PTI's official X account on April 15, 2022. Its caption said: "14th April 2022, the first-ever Jalsa (rally) of Haqeeqi Azadi in Peshawar" (archived link).

"Haqeeqi Azadi" is a political slogan used by PTI that translates as "true independence".

Below is a screenshot comparison between the falsely shared (left) and the video shared by PTI (right) with the similar elements highlighted:

Screenshot comparison of the false post (left) with the PTI footage (right). Screenshot taken on September 13, 2024

A video showing a PTI rally was geotagged on Google Maps in April 2022 in Peshawar's Ring Road (archived link).

Khan has been in jail since August 2023 on charges he insists have been designed to prevent him from returning to office.

AFP has repeatedly debunked misinformation about the former Pakistani leader.
Your risk for health issues including drug addiction and psychiatric disorders could in part depend on the genetic makeup of our childhood and adolescent social circles, according to a new study.

Researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey looked at more than 650,000 Swedish health registry records for data on individuals aged 17 to 30 and their extended families, mapping risks for substance abuse and mental health problems. From this they determined their family genetic risk scores  the likelihood that their addiction or mood disorders had inherited features.

Referencing the information against location and school information, they searched for signs of a relationship between the genetic risk scores and tendency for school peers and other members of the local community to also experience similar outcomes.

Here's what they found: if you're hanging around with people who have a higher genetic risk of a variety of certain health problems, you're more likely to develop them yourself, even if you don't have the same risk mapped out in your own genes.

"Peers' genetic predispositions for psychiatric and substance use disorders are associated with an individual's own risk of developing the same disorders in young adulthood," says Rutgers University psychiatrist Jessica Salvatore.

"What our data exemplifies is the long reach of social genetic effects."

Known as socio-genomics, this emerging field of research looks at how one person's genotype can influence the observable traits of another. While there's evidence of people 'rubbing off' on others in this way, it's not yet clear why it happens.

The research looked at issues including drug use disorder, alcohol use disorder, major depression, and anxiety disorder. The likelihood of being affected by a peer group varied depending on the health problem, but it was higher for the substance use disorders  up to a 59 percent increased risk among those who attended high school in the same peer groups.

According to the data, a smaller but still significant influence could be seen among those living in the same area, and is most noticeable between the ages of 16 to 19  though the health issues can develop later on in life, and study data was collected up to the age of 30.

What is particularly interesting is that the association held even if the genetic risk hadn't manifested itself: so, for example, being at school with someone more genetically likely to develop an alcohol issue would affect your own risk, even if that person wasn't actually drinking to excess.

"In our analysis, we found that peers' genetic predispositions were associated with target individuals' likelihood of disorder even after we statistically controlled for whether peers were affected or unaffected," says Salvatore.

Basic group dynamics would suggest you're more likely to join in with what your friends are doing and think in similar ways, but this genetic link indicates there might also be something else going on at a deeper biological level.

The researchers are keen to investigate further to improve diagnosis and treatment methods.

"Peer genetic influences have a very long reach," says Salvatore. "It's not enough to think about individual risk."

The research has been published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Related News
The Sahel region has become a focal point of deepening polarization between pro-Western moderate states and nations seeking independence from neo-colonial influence, relying instead on non-African powers like Russia. On July 6, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger formalized their partnership by founding the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), a union of military-led regimes that reject the pressures from the West, particularly from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The timing of the AES announcement, just a day before the ECOWAS summit in Nigeria, was no coincidence. It highlighted the growing divide in West Africa. For the U.S. and EU, this development signals a complex geopolitical shift, raising questions about regional stability and influence in the Sahel. These nations, all now under military rule following coups that ousted pro-Western governments, want to chart a new course.

The AES has emerged not just as a confederation but as a defense pact  a signal that the days of reliance on Western powers are fading fast. Malis early exit from the G5 Sahel in 2022 foreshadowed this rupture, with Burkina Faso and Niger following suit in 2023.

The creation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) is a response to frustrations over how Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger feel they have been treated by the African Union and the ECOWAS. These nations argue that both organizations have failed to provide sufficient support in their fight against jihadist insurgencies. More pressing, however, is their critique of ECOWAS, which they claim has been unduly influenced by foreign powers, particularly France. Sanctions imposed by these organizations, they assert, have only worsened the suffering of their populations.

U.S. troops have wrapped up their withdrawal from the base in Nigers capital, Niamey, marking a significant step in Washingtons recalibration of its presence in West Africa.

This exit marks a broader disengagement by Western forces in West Africa, triggered by the military coups that have strained relations between the breakaway countries and the West. It also denotes the broader shifts in the region, where anti-Western sentiment and alliances with non-Western powers, particularly Russia, have taken root. As the Sahel region pivots toward closer ties with Russia, the U.S. is seriously reconsidering its engagement with the Sahel, which has been a critical hub for combating al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS)-affiliated groups.

The increasing animosity toward former colonial powers, particularly France, has already led to a complete exit of French troops from Mali in 2022, and later from Niger and Burkina Faso. As the region reorients its alliances, the U.S. departure signals a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape, raising questions about the future of counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel.

Will the AES deliver on its promise of self-reliance, or will it crumble under the weight of its own ambitions? This newly minted alliance, deeply critical of Frances lingering influence in the region, also highlights the dissolution of the G5 Sahel in 2023, a security framework that once held promise.

So far, the alliances launch has been met with mixed reactions. While some view it as a bold step toward autonomy, others are skeptical of its long-term stability. The AES isnt just a defense pact; its a broader attempt to reshape regional dynamics. The confederations plans include establishing a regional bank and stabilization fund, aiming to stimulate economic growth and attract foreign investment. This move reflects the member states desire for self-reliance, positioning the AES as an alternative to traditional frameworks.

The creation of the AES poses critical questions for the West African Sahel, a region already burdened by insecurity, poverty and environmental degradation. This confederation faces significant challenges, including its landlocked geography and the economic uncertainties triggered by its exit from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).

Economically, the confederations withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) could lead to considerable isolation. ECOWAS plays a crucial role in regional trade and financial integration, and exiting this bloc risks losing access to larger markets and encountering trade barriers. This economic isolation might be compounded by sanctions or trade embargoes from neighboring states or international entities disapproving of the confederations unconventional formation and military governance.

ECOWAS, once a cornerstone of West African cooperation, has seen its relevance called into question, especially after the defection of these three states. With the AES positioning itself as an alternative to existing frameworks, the regions future may be shaped by the confederations ability to deliver results where other organizations have fallen short.

While the alliance promises strategic autonomy and economic synergy, its ability to improve living standards remains uncertain. Military regimes in these countries, despite having had ample time to initiate reforms, have yet to deliver tangible benefits to their citizens.

Mali, in particular, serves as a case in pointits leadership has struggled to meet the socio-economic expectations of its people. This situation prompts a deeper inquiry: Are these governments using their external challenges as justifications for their shortcomings, or are they genuinely attempting to break free from the constraints imposed by powerful regional and international actors? The confederations success will depend not only on its ability to foster internal cohesion but also on managing the complex web of geopolitical pressures this time from Moscow.

Russia is now intensifying its grip on the Sahel, consolidating its influence across several key states while casting its gaze toward new alliances beyond the region. This ambitious strategy sets the stage for a potential clash with other global powers, as Moscow seeks to expand its reach. The next front in this geopolitical contest could very well emerge along the coastal states of West Africa, where the stakes are high and the competition fierce. In this unfolding drama, the Sahel is not just a theater of conflict but a pivotal chessboard in a broader struggle for influence.

While ECOWAS has sought to heal this growing divide and bring back the three countries, appointing Senegals newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye as a mediator, Burkina Fasos President Ibrahim Traore has been unrelenting. He labeled ECOWAS leadership as house slaves, accusing them of prioritizing Western economic interests over the well-being of their citizens.

For the U.S., this new geopolitical landscape in the Sahel underscores the complex and shifting dynamics in the region, where old alliances are dissolving and new ones are emerging in defiance of traditional Western influence.

Imran Khalid is a physician and has a masters degree in international relations.

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.
To MAGA-era conservatives, there is no crime more unforgivable than for a traditional, Reagan-era Republican to endorse voting for Vice President Kamala Harris. You wont find any such endorsement here: I care less about whom youre voting for than you should care about for whom Im casting my ballot.

Of course Harris cant keep the price of food and clothing down by setting up a ridiculous price gouging law (and if she could, why hasnt the Biden/Harris administration done so yet?). Obviously giving $25,000 to first-time homebuyers would increase demand and drive up housing prices. And taxing unrealized gains would be economically catastrophic, bureaucratically unworkable and almost certainly unconstitutional.

But its not like Republicans have spent the past nine years defending the bedrock principles of free-market conservatism. Slowly but surely, most of them have contorted themselves into endorsing whatever former President Donald Trump thinks economic populism is.

Thats why, with less than two months until the election, there should be an honest discussion of whether a Trump loss would be best in the long term for conservatism as traditionally understood. In a sense, a Harris presidency could serve as a type of political chemotherapy: a poisonous injection meant to eradicate a tumor in order to keep a major political party alive.

What happens to traditional free-market, low-tax conservatism if Trump were to win in November? One could argue the classical liberalism horse has already jumped the fence, never to return. But if America gives up and returns Trump to the presidency, conservatism as many of us understood it for the past half-century would simply become a museum piece, gathering dust on library shelves.

A second Trump term would mean that for the next four years, conservatism would continue its descent into whatever Trump decides it is based on the last person to whom he spoke. He would continue to insist tariffs are paid by other countries, when in fact economists are nearly unanimous in their belief those costs are borne by American consumers. Trump would continue to fumble the abortion issue, dragging Republicans into becoming the maybe-pro-life-sometimes-when-its-politically-convenient party. And he would destroy faith in American elections, but conveniently only in states in which he loses.

Further, if Trump were to win, the right would have permanently ceded any moral ground to the left.

Over the past four decades, the GOPs defense of morality, family values and patriotism was the sinew that held the party together. These were fundamental ties that held together religious conservatives, libertarian-leaning Americans worried about taxes and the economy and national defense hawks.

But Trump believes in none of these things. On the personal side, his amoral predilections are well-known and have been for 40 years (and have cost him dearly in courts around America).

Publicly, his idea of strength is to demean the presidency by cozying up with dictators and strongmen around the world. He mocks great American cities for their crime problems while he himself is carrying dozens of felonies on his ledger. Exactly what limited government principle was Trump conserving when he called for the termination of certain parts of the Constitution in order to return himself to the presidency?

Granted, it is rarely beneficial for a political party to occupy the minority in American politics, but the GOPs best chance at regaining its conservative heritage may be to mold itself in opposition to Harris positions. This would allow those truly interested in liberty to oppose taxes, regulations, court-packing and green mandates instead of obsessing over whether Harris is Black or Indian, whether photos of her crowds have been doctored with artificial intelligence or whether America is overrun by single women who enjoy the companionship of felines.

America has had good presidents and bad presidents. It has survived Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and progressives. Each time it has come out on the other side, electing a new administration that corrects the course of the previous one.

But Donald Trump isnt a true member of a party, nor does he clutter his mind with any ideological knowledge or allegiances. He is simply a political movement unto himself who responds with ridicule and scorn to any attempts to undergird his mercurial instincts with a cogent philosophy. He doesnt recognize the rules that have kept America a functioning republic for nearly 250 years, which has left the nation in the inconceivable position of either electing a man to the presidency or potentially sending him to prison for most of the remainder of his life.

Conversely, Kamala Harris is a standard, run-of-the-mill Democrat with bad ideas. Her administration would prompt groans and eye-rolls among conscious conservatives while sending the deranged fringes of the Republican Party into full conspiracy mode.

A Harris administration would be a painful four years for Republicans in the way America muddled through terms by Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. But pain is also the way the body teaches you a lesson. And the lesson in this case is that the sooner Republicans cut out the Trump tumor, the quicker they can once again become a healthy political party.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Former President Trump appeals to some white people, Christians and men who feel that their white, Christian and male identities are not as respected as they should be. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

Many factors explain why people across Western democracies vote for politicians like former President Trump, including economic concerns, rural resentment and racial animosity. Although Trump supporters have been characterized as left behind, stigmatized or even marginalized, these ascriptions are dangerously off base.

For one, they fuel the self-victimization narratives common among radical right movements, driving conspiracies and support for this ideology. Moreover, they neglect that historically powerful groups such as white people, men and Christians are overrepresented among Trump supporters. Even today, these groups remain privileged politically, economically and culturally. By objective measures, most Trump supporters are not left behind, stigmatized or marginalized.

Read more: Opinion: Do you remember what politics were like without Donald Trump? My students don't

That said, research suggests that white people, men and Christians nevertheless may subjectively feel excluded from society, which could explain the unwavering support many show for Trump. A nuanced understanding of how people feel included or excluded may help explain what those Trump supporters are really seeking.

Social psychological theories suggest two necessary conditions for people to feel included. First, they need to simply belong to the larger group  as white people, men and Christians in U.S. society do. Second, they need to feel that their unique backgrounds are respected and appreciated within the larger group. Hence, people may feel excluded from a group when they feel unseen or disrespected for their backgrounds even if they belong to the group.

Read more: Letters to the Editor: Dear Trump supporters: You're better than this, right?

In a recent study , I examined whether this second factor creates exclusion experiences among Trump supporters: Possibly, substantial shares of white people, men and Christians experience belonging to U.S. society but feel unseen or disrespected as members of those groups. To be clear, they are objectively seen, respected and even privileged. However, earlier studies indicate that growing shares of white people, men and Christians may subjectively feel disrespected, disadvantaged or neglected.

Using surveys, I mapped the extent to which white people, men and Christians experience belonging to U.S. society and feel that their backgrounds are respected. Generalizing from representative samples gathered in 2016 and 2020, I found that about 21% of white Americans feel they firmly belong to U.S. society but feel disrespected as a white group. Likewise, up to 20% of men and 35% of Christian Americans feel their backgrounds are disrespected.

This perception has political consequences: Compared with individuals experiencing both belonging to the nation and respect for their background, people who felt disrespected were more likely to vote for and sympathize with Donald Trump.

Read more: Letters to the Editor: 'He just says stuff': Do far-right Trump supporters not hear themselves?

His camp has long appealed to members of privileged groups who feel disrespected, as seen in slogans such as white lives matter and make men men again. This rhetoric promises to restore attention and respect for people who subjectively feel unseen. Trump fuels and exploits these individuals perceptions of disrespect and neglect. Radical right candidates often pledge to maintain inequities favoring privileged groups. Some members of privileged groups are vulnerable to that sales pitch.

This fervent support for existing inequality underscores that these people are not marginalized. Members of marginalized groups try hard to fit in, for example by changing their names to pass for members of a majority. This is not what we see among vocal Trump supporters, who proclaim their identities and assert that their background constitutes the true Americans.

Instead of trying to fit in, they seek to stand out: They stress that white lives matter even if white lives are not threatened; they defend heteronormative gender roles that dont need defending; and they promote stereotypical Christian-right life choices such as traditional marriage and procreation.

The key to understanding why the members of privileged groups would be vulnerable to Trumps appeals is this: subjective perceptions of exclusion or disrespect. And how does he meet the emotional needs of people who feel excluded or disrespected? By emphasizing the aspects of their identity that they feel do not receive appropriate respect.

This understanding has implications for how other Americans should deal with Trump supporters.

First, researchers, journalists and citizens should be more careful when explaining Trump support. Too often, characterizations of the Trump base repeat explanations that are scientifically refuted, such as considering most radical right voters as people with little income who are merely protesting against political elites. This not only covers up true discrimination and inequities against disprivileged groups but also fuels pro-Trump sentiment.

Sloppy language about Trump sympathizers being left behind is dead wrong; they are members of dominant groups who want to remain dominant. Ultimately, Trump voters support an ideology that is racist, sexist and exclusionary. Backing a radical right politician is not a protest vote but a vote for the status quo.

Second, research widely shows that liberal parties do not win back votes by shifting to the right. Instead, that strategy reinforces radical right rhetoric and support for those parties. A more promising approach would be to remind white people, men and Christians of the attention and respect they objectively enjoy already. If some members of these groups experience belonging to the American nation but subjectively feel disrespected, correcting these misperceptions may help these individuals feel included. In a polarized news environment, many Americans have many misperceptions about members of other groups; members of privileged groups may consume news that gives the mistaken impression that others disrespect them. Any factual information that can reach such privileged individuals may reduce perceptions of neglect or disrespect.

Third, Democrats need to offer liberal conceptions of what whiteness, masculinity and Christianity may look like. Vice President Kamala Harris campaign seems to have grasped this by choosing Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate. He represents such a liberal vision, as a man who supports women and as a white Christian who embraces diversity. Other white Christian men could take a cue from him; they dont have to feel excluded.

The current election is an opportunity to correct the problematic discourse around Trump support. Generic assumptions about white, male or Christian voters marginalization strengthen self-victimizing narratives. Instead, careful inquiries into individuals experiences can bridge the chasm between objective privilege and subjective perceptions of disrespect  which can lead to inclusion experiences among majority members who currently feel excluded. Ultimately, doing so offers one way to mitigate support for racist, sexist and polarizing ideology in the U.S. and beyond.

Luca Versteegen is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Vienna in Austria. His research examines how group identities and emotions shape individuals perception of societal developments and motivate political reactions to these perceptions.

If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
On Sept. 4, 14-year-old Colt Gray shot and killed two students and two teachers, and wounded nine others, at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. He used an AR-style rifle his father had bought him as a Christmas present.

Sixteen months earlier, an investigator from the sheriffs office in Jackson County had questioned Colt and his father Colin about an online threat to shoot up his middle school. Colts mother  whose history with law enforcement included guilty pleas for property damage, trespass and family violence, and warnings about drug possession  no longer lived with them. Colt denied that he was responsible for the threat. Colin Gray revealed that Colt had been bullied at middle school, but insisted his son did not have unfettered access to guns. I have to take you at your word, the investigator said, and I hope youre being honest with me.

K-12 school shootings occur far more frequently in the U.S. than in any other country. Most shooters give off warning signs before they act. Nonetheless, Republicans in Congress and in many states have often blocked measures to reduce gun violence, including three common-sense initiatives that the majority of Americans support.

First, nine states and many school districts mandate that every public school form, train and utilize a threat assessment team. Composed mostly of school personnel and drawing on a model initially designed by the Secret Service, teams are tasked to avoid the single point in time approach used by law enforcement by assessing reports of concerning behavior. The teams interview relevant individuals and follow up, if appropriate, with monitoring, counseling, mental health referrals, transfers to alternative educational settings and, if necessary, exercise their duty to warn or inform.

Although assessment teams are cheaper than hardening schools with gates, metal detectors and guards, the vast majority of them are underfunded. Nonetheless, evaluations of the impact of this initiative are encouraging. A recent study found that Floridas program, adopted after the Parkland school shooting in 2018, was widely, but not uniformly successful in preventing threats to safety. Other studies indicate that by identifying and addressing serious threats, schools can handle less serious cases more effectively.

The second measure is Red Flag laws, which 19 states and D.C. had passed as of the beginning of 2024, up from just five in 2018. Also called Extreme Risk Protection Orders, they allow law enforcement officers, medical professionals or family members to petition courts to temporarily seize firearms from individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others. Grounded in assessments of risk and dependent on individual circumstances, these orders can require counselling and are renewable.

Measuring the impact of these orders is difficult because, like threat assessment teams, they have been in place for only a short time and some sheriffs use them only in exigent circumstances. That said, a recent report found that if well-targeted, Red Flag laws could reduce suicides and homicides.

Third is universal background checks. With this measure stalled in Congress, 20 states now require them for all or most private gun sales. A recent study concluded that when combined with permit-to-purchase licensing strategies, background checks can reduce homicide and suicide rates. They are less effective, however, when nearby states lack the same regulations. This is another reason why 86 percent of Americans (including 80 percent of Republicans) support a federal government mandate for background checks on all firearm purchases and transfers.

Georgia allows adults to carry firearms without a conceal carry permit. Although it is illegal for anyone to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly sell or give a handgun to a minor, exceptions are granted when a youngster attends a hunting or firearms course, or lives at home and has parental permission to access the weapon.

Georgias legislature has not required or funded threat assessment teams, passed Red Flag laws, safe-storage laws or universal background checks. Eighty-two percent of Georgia citizens support Red Flag laws and 85 percent support background checks for all gun buyers, including purchases at gun shows.

Nationwide, 86 percent of Americans, including 80 percent of Republicans, support a federal government mandate for background checks on all firearm sales and transfers. A substantial majority, it is worth noting, also support a ban on purchases of assault weapons.

Implementation of the three initiatives described here may or may not have prevented the killing spree at Apalachee High School. But given our countrys appalling record of school shootings, these small steps are very much worth taking.

Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Emeritus Professor of American Studies at Cornell University.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
It is never wise to throw the baby out with the bathwater. But that is the perverse prospect we now face because of the striking failure of many college and university officials to confront campus antisemitism, both during the last academic year and now as the students return to campus.

Political decisionmakers who view the performance of the administrators as unacceptable  and who are answerable to voters rather unimpressed with campus elitism  often have only blunt instruments with which to address the kind of administrative behavior that we have seen.

One such blunt instrument is a potential reduction in federal funding for a wide range of campus activities and functions.

Congressional responsibility for budgeting as part of its role in the foreign and defense policymaking process makes it appropriate, as an example, to eliminate funding for government laboratories in China or other foreign adversaries.

But other programs conducted in substantial part at research universities are hugely efficient economically in terms of spurring technological advances yielding cost reductions, new production processes, new and improved products, and stronger long-term economic growth. Because some products of research efforts are not patentable for various reasons, the private sector is not well positioned to invest the sizable resources needed to pursue them. It is economically efficient for the federal government to make such investments as a substitute, even though the efficient amount of such funding is always a subjective judgment.

Unfortunately, the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology  justifiably outraged at the potential antisemitic violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act at universities receiving federal funds  recently sent letters to several federal departments that administer such research grants, pointing out that any such violation of Title VI would make the universities ineligible for federal grant funding.

A cutoff of federal research funding for universities would be deeply problematic in terms of the ongoing process of technological advancement. Universities must maintain the requisite laboratories and centers, and researchers must feel sufficiently confident in terms of their investments in their own human capital. Two examples illustrate the point. Long-term basic research at MIT has proven the utility of superconducting magnets in the long-elusive pursuit of fusion power. Yes, the fusion power lobby has told us for decades that such power is just around the corner. Nonetheless, because the federal funding role for such basic research is wholly justified in any sensible model of limited government, it is justified whatever the specific interests of the research lobby itself.

The Idaho National Laboratory has supported basic research on next-generation sodium-cooled nuclear reactors. Perhaps such a technological advance, if achieved, will prove competitive with natural gas-fired electricity; perhaps not. But the federal financial support of the basic scientific advances needed to prove the theoretical concept clearly is an appropriate function for the federal government.

States would not have the correct incentives because of an obvious free-rider problem, except perhaps in industries that are large components of their respective states economies. The proper level and allocation of such federal funding are difficult to determine, but there is no obvious reason that the Congressional bargaining process yields inefficient outcomes in this context, and there is no obvious reason that such federal funding should be cut. The only plausible argument is the creation of an interest group on campus (the research institutions) opposed to the long-term progressive drift.

Such basic research is likely to prove more productive when conducted by semi-independent institutions somewhat insulated from political pressures, rather than by federal bureaucracies directly, dependent upon Congress for their budgets. In any event, it is not beyond the ability of Congressional appropriations committees to use federal funding cuts to punish campus antisemitism narrowly without doing damage to the essential need for support of basic research.

Benjamin Zycher is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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.
Im sure theres all kinds of ways in which I would be a totally terrible political candidate, JD Vance said in a recently resurfaced interview, conducted less than three months before he first became a political candidate. How right he was. Vances struggles as a running mate are usually ascribed to his personal unlikability. But he gave another answer in that same interview that reveals a more fundamental problem for Vance and other Republican would-be populists  a contradiction that once tore Democrats apart.

Speaking with YouTuber David Freiheit in 2021, Vance proposed a grand theory of American politics:

American history is a constant war between Northern Yankees and Southern Bourbons, where whichever side the hillbillies are on wins. And thats kind of how I think about American politics today, is like, the Northern Yankees are now the hyper-woke coastal elites. The Southern Bourbons are sort of the same, old-school Southern folks that have been around and influential in this country for 200 years. And its like the hillbillies have really started to migrate towards the Southern Bourbons instead of the Northern woke people. Thats just a fundamental thing thats happening in American politics. JD VAnce

To be clear, Vance is not identifying with the old-school Southern folks, i.e., the segment of American elites who were slave owners at the beginning of his 200-year period. The Hillbilly Elegy author  who didnt so much grow up a hillbilly as he summered as one  identifies most with the hillbillies who, in his telling, now increasingly ally with the modern analog of slave owners.

In case there were any doubt about the relevance of the Civil War to Vances comments, the analysis of American political history he offers in that quote most accurately describes that era. Kentucky, the home of Vances hillbilly relatives, claimed a traditional role as mediator between North and South, wrote James McPherson, the great Civil War historian. When Kentucky was neutral in the wars early months, Abraham Lincoln reportedly said, I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky.

Lincoln got Kentucky, and many hillbillies from other states as well. Union support ran strong in southern Appalachia, which was not dominated by planters as much of the South was. The most enduring consequence of this alignment came in Virginia: The Shenandoah Valleys plebeian mountaineers, in McPhersons words, rebelled against the tidewater aristocrats who governed the state and created the state of West Virginia.

But these are kernels of truth in Vances cornucopia of problems. Start with the most obvious issue: His vision of American history has two centers of power, one group of hillbillies and no Black people  or any other minorities, for that matter. Few voting demographics in American political history have swung as significantly as Black voters: overwhelmingly Republican from Reconstruction until the Great Depression, overwhelmingly Democratic from the 1960s until today. Yet in Vances analysis, Black political power does not register.

And then theres Vances delicate characterization of old-school Southern folks. While he labels one side with the familiar label of Yankees, he chooses Bourbons for the other  a relatively obscure label from after Reconstructions collapse. While one side is specifically hyper-woke coastal elites, the other has vaguely been around and influential for 200 years. What Vance leaves unsaid is how the Bourbons expressed and maintained their influence for much of that time.

Vances euphemisms and vagueness reflect a fundamental tension in his narrative. Of the three groups he names, two are elites; only the hillbillies represent the people. Yet in this purportedly populist reading of American history, the group he wants the people to ally with (Southern Bourbons) is the one that has done the most in American history to chain and repress the people, especially nonwhite people.

This contradiction can be ignored, but it cannot be solved. And in fact, it has historically been a problem not for the GOP, but for the Democratic Party. From their earliest beginnings as Democratic-Republicans under Thomas Jefferson, Democrats clumsily seesawed between egalitarianism and support for a racial hierarchy. Until the final decades of the twentieth century, writes historian Michael Kazin in his recent history of the party, the party of the people could get a chance to govern the nation only if it acquiesced to a realm of unfreedom south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Just as Vance now laments coastal elites, Democrats during the Civil War era caricatured abolitionists and their ilk as officious figures backed by moneyed families who wanted to foist their isms on ordinary white people. After the war and Reconstruction, Southern Democrats imposed Jim Crow even as they denounced Gilded Age industrialists. Even at the height of the partys power during the New Deal, segregationist Southern Democrats ensured Franklin Roosevelts progressive programs still discriminated against Black Americans.

The devastation of the Great Depression and the rising power of organized labor during Roosevelts presidency brought substantial numbers of Black voters into the party for the first time and forced Democrats to choose between contradictory creeds: equality for all or white identity. The party under Lyndon Johnson cast its lot with the civil rights legislation of the mid-1960s. That choice fragmented the party, writes Kazin, and did much to bring an end to the New Deal order that labor, the white South, urban machines, and liberal activists had built together.

Eager to win over voters who abandoned the Democrats in the 1970s, the GOP accepted the same contradiction. Republicans wielded terms like the silent majority and real America to cast themselves as tribunes of the people even as their platform privileged prejudice and wealthy interests.

But just as changing demographics made equality for some untenable for Democrats, the double-dealing charades political viability for Republicans has become increasingly limited. Only once since 1988 has the GOP won a popular majority in a presidential election. The party has become an increasingly minoritarian outfit, relying on the Electoral College, the Senate, gerrymandering and the Supreme Court to preserve its power.

Whatever tortured euphemisms Republicans like Vance use, the truth remains: A party cannot simultaneously stand for working Americans and shelter prejudice. Hillbillies who make common cause with Southern Bourbons (to use his terminology) forfeit their populist claims to represent the common American. Freedom and equality have to be linked to each other, says political theorist Danielle Allen. You cant actually have freedom for all unless most people have equal standing relationship to each other. As Vances words show, Republicans solution to this problem is to pretend it doesnt exist. But sooner or later, the bill comes due.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Former President Trumps suggestion that a government efficiency commission be formed to examine the workings of every part of the federal government is a brilliant one. The idea that SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk be in charge of the commission would seem to be a no-brainer.

Such a commission would be the perfect vehicle for looking at NASA, an agency with a storied history beset with a slew of problems.

One of the major problems NASA faces is its difficulty with bringing projects on schedule and on budget. Examples over the past few decades include the International Space Station and the James Webb Space Telescope.

Some projects, such as the Mars Sample Return and the VIPER lunar rover have gone so far off the rails that they face cancellation or at least a lengthy process of rescoping. The tale of the Space Launch System, key to the Artemis return to the moon, remains depressing.

NASA is not unique in its inability to complete projects on time and under budget, The large number of weapons systems the Defense Department has funded that cost more and took longer to develop than originally planned goes back many decades. The F-35 is an example.

Civilian infrastructure projects have not been immune to government waste, such as the $7.5 billion the Biden administration has spent to build just seven electric car charging stations.

An article in Quartz, citing a study in the Oxford Review of Economic Policy, noted that projects at NASA have suffered an average cost overrun of 90 percent. By comparison, projects undertaken by SpaceX have had an average cost overrun of 1.1 percent.

One reason for SpaceXs relative success is that NASA concentrates on one-off projects focused on quantum leaps  the Space Shuttle or the Space Launch System, whereas Musks company climbs up the launch value chain, from the small Falcon 1 rocket, to the expendable Falcon 9, to the reusable Falcon 9, to the Falcon Heavy.

NASA reinvents projects every time, while SpaceX evolves its hardware, improving on what came before. The fact that SpaceX doesnt have layers of bureaucracy or direct congressional mandates as NASA does is helpful, as well.

Public policy experts have known that something was wrong with NASA for decades. The White House, dating back to the second Bush administration, responded by commercializing parts of the space agencys functions. Thus, several commercial initiatives, including Commercial Orbital Transport Systems (COTS), Commercial Crew, Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), Human Landing System and several private space stations to replace the International Space Station were undertaken.

Commercialization, with the exception of the problems encountered by the Boeing Starliner, has been successful, suggesting that two solutions exist for what troubles NASA.

One solution would be to commercialize as many functions of NASA as possible, including planetary science and Earth science. In effect, the space agency would do little to nothing in-house. It would hand out contracts on a fixed-price basis to control costs.

The other solution would be to figure out ways that NASA could borrow from the corporate cultures of its commercial partners. The space agency would streamline the decision-making process and would collapse layers of bureaucracy. The proposed commissions task concerning NASA would be to reimagine how the space agency functions and to develop a plan to implement it.

Finally, the role of Elon Musk in the government efficiency commission raises questions.

On the one hand, the idea of appointing Musk would seem to be a brilliant one. Musk, the richest man on the planet, has a proven record of doing the impossible, doing it relatively cheaply, and making a lot of money doing it. If he can teach the federal government, including NASA, the secrets of his success, the United States will benefit immeasurably,

On the other hand, Musks involvement in the commission raises conflict of interest questions. SpaceX, especially, makes a lot of money on government contracts and its activities are heavily regulated by the government. Even if the commissions proposals are found to be sound, some will raise questions if Musk and his companies stand to benefit.

Reforming the federal government, including NASA, would be worth the argument. If Musk can save taxpayers trillions of dollars, perhaps erasing the deficit and beginning to reduce the national debt, his personal benefit would be a small price to pay.

Mark R. Whittington is the author of  Why is It So Hard to Go Back to the Moon?   The Moon, Mars and Beyond  and, most recently,  Why is America Going Back to the Moon?  He blogs at Curmudgeons Corner.

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.
The Biden administration periodically promulgates new sanctions against Iran and its proxies. That is a sound policy. But sanctions without enforcement are easy to circumvent.

Case in point: Last Tuesday, the Biden administration announced new sanctions against Iran Air, the Islamic Republic of Irans flagship airline, and its 67 aircraft. The reason: Iran Air transported weapons to Russia, including long-range missiles, in support of Moscows murderous aggression against Ukraine. European allies have also suspended bilateral air service agreements.

Iran Air will now likely lose all its eight current routes to Europe. It is an important step, but it will only affect Irans malign behavior if the Biden administration now implements these sanctions by seizing aircraft at any international airport. Washington must also punish ground service providers and intermediaries with sanctions for providing material support to Irans aircraft.

Yet a key precedent in U.S. sanctions enforcement is not encouraging.

Consider the case of Mahan Air. In the past, the regime in Iran has relied on Mahan aircraft, in addition to Iran Airs fleet, to transport military personnel to war-torn Syria in support of the regime of Bashar Assad. That was one of the reasons Mahan Air could not benefit from the sanctions relief the Obama administration offered Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran Air, in contrast, was delisted under the agreement, and was able to buy brand-new Airbus aircraft before the Trump administration left the nuclear deal in 2018.

Mahan has been heavily sanctioned in the past  mostly under the Obama and Trump administrations. Washington put most (but not all) Mahan aircraft on its Office of Foreign Assets Control blacklist. The U.S. also repeatedly sanctioned general service agencies representing Mahan and providing it assistance around the world.

However, Mahan just didnt care, as Washington largely failed to enforce the sanctions.

Mahan flies among the largest fleet of Airbus A340s in the world. Earlier this year, Mahan arranged for the transfer of three widebody long-haul Airbus A340 that were registered with a Gambian leasing company and were stored in Lithuania. Two of the three planes took off, ostensibly heading to Sri Lanka and the Philippines, but eventually landed in Iran. Local authorities managed to ground the third plane, reportedly loaded with aircraft spare parts, before it could take off.

According to open-source data, the two planes Mahan has successfully procured through Lithuania in 2024 to date were not the only ones it managed to acquire since President Biden took office. In 2023, two more A340, formerly owned by Turkish Airlines, joined the Mahan Air fleet. These were likely acquired to replace three A340s that, in 2021, Mahan agreed to transfer to the Venezuelan, U.S.-sanctioned airline Conviasa through a Dubai-based broker, alongside an old Boeing 747 cargo plane. The planes duly reached Caracas, and while the U.S. Department of Justice was able to seize the Boeing 747 in Argentina, the others are operational, regularly flying to both Moscow and Tehran.

To be sure, Lithuanian authorities blocked one of these aircrafts from making its way to Iran and the Biden administration seized another in Argentina. But the intermediaries Mahan Air relied upon  those who brokered aircraft transfers and sales to a U.S.-sanctioned malign actor and may have also assisted in the procurement of vital spare parts for Irans aviation sector  have suffered no consequences so far.

Not only did Mahan, then, manage to procure new aircraft to its fleet through intermediaries and even transfer some of its aircraft to Venezuela, but it has also done these things largely without consequences. These days, Mahan also relies on this newly acquired aircraft to send arms to Hezbollah on regular commercial flights to Lebanon. Mahan has no problem doing this, because the limited losses incurred due to U.S. sanctions have done little to disrupt its operations.

This is a major flaw in the Biden administrations sanctions policy which, unless rectified, will diminish the impact of these new sanctions. Once malign Iranian actors take consignment of their aircraft, there is little that U.S. authorities can do to disrupt their flights to Moscow or Beirut.

What the U.S. can do, and did quite effectively until 2020, is target intermediaries and service providers.

Mahan, after all, does not fly only to destinations whose authorities are hostile to America. The same Mahan aircraft that fly to Beirut and Moscow, likely transporting military equipment in their cargo while posing as passenger flights, also fly to many destinations in Asia, including India and Thailand. The U.S. can try to seize these aircraft at least at some of these destinations. It can sanction companies that refuel them, handle their cargo and passenger luggage, sell their tickets, and provide other ground services. It should certainly go after the intermediaries that brokered aircraft sales to Mahan  something the Biden administration has yet to do.

Sanctions are not a silver bullet; they rarely take down a target with just one attempt. Patient, long-term follow-up enforcement is what makes these measures bite. Sanctioning Iran Air was an important step. Now comes the hard part.

Emanuele Ottolenghi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a non-partisan research foundation based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on national security and foreign policy.

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.
The Oregon DMV admitted on Friday to wrongfully registering at least 306 non-citizens to vote in U.S. elections.

The DMV says the wrongful registrations have occurred since 2021 and were the result of a program that automatically registered anyone who obtained a driver's license or state ID. State officials say they expect to find more wrongful registrations ahead of Election Day.

Oregon has allowed non-citizens to obtain diver's licenses since 2019. Of the 306 people identified, just two have cast ballots in an election since 2021.

Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade says the 306 people "will be notified by mail that they will not receive a ballot unless they demonstrate that they are eligible to vote."

HARRIS REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM TRUMP WANTS TO BAN ABORTION

Griffin-Valade defended the state's automatic voter registration program despite the lapse. Gov. Tina Kotek also argued the discovery will "not impact" the 2024 election.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"While this error is regrettable, the secretary and the Elections Division stand by automatic voter registration and its many benefits," Griffin-Valade said.

CNN COMMENTATOR SCORCHES DEMS BLAMING TRUMP AT DNC: 'SHE'S IN THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW'

"The error in data entry which may have affected the voter eligibility of some Oregonians voter registration was discovered because the Oregon DMV and the secretary of state were doing their due diligence ahead of the 2024 election," Kotek said in another statement. "My office will continue to closely monitor the situation. This situation will not impact the 2024 election in any way."

Gov. Tina Kotek defended her state's automatic voter registration program despite it allowing hundreds of non-citizens to vote.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who has led a purge of illegal voter registration in Ohio throughout the year, told Fox News Digital that so-called automatic voter registration is a problem across the country.

"This is why we have resisted so-called automatic voter registration in Ohio. We have multiple really convenient ways to register in Ohio, but there are people who should not be registered, like non-citizens, and there are people who simply don't want to be registered," LaRose said.

He also highlighted the obstacles state offices face when trying to verify voter rolls. LaRose says Ohio first checks against DMV data, but it often can't determine a registrant's status.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has led a purge of non-citizens from state voter rolls.

The second check is the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, a list of non-citizen data maintained by the Department of Homeland Security. States have to pay $1.50 for each query of the database, however, and finding the information required to properly search the data is cumbersome, LaRose says.

LaRose added that he and other election officials are seeking access to more DHS data that would allow for a more accurate audit of voter rolls, but his requests have so far been refused.

"I don't usually assume people's intentions, but it would seem they don't want us to use that information to identify non-citizens," LaRose told Fox.





Original article source: Oregon DMV admits to wrongfully registering hundreds of non-citizens to vote
Oregon election guide: These 5 ballot measures will be decided in November

Oregon voters will decide five ballot measures in November's general election. Legislators sent three measures to voters to decide and more than 117,000 residents signed enough petitions for two other issues to be voted on.

This is a snapshot look at the five ballot measures that will be decided by Oregon voters on Nov. 5.

Measure 115  Create an impeachment doctrine in Oregon's Constitution

Oregon is the only state without an impeachment doctrine in its state Constitution.

Measure 115 was referred to voters unanimously by the Oregon Legislature during the session shortly after former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigned during an ethics investigation surrounding her acceptance of an employment contract with a private cannabis company at the same time her office was auditing the industry. Lawmakers said a doctrine was necessary to deal with any future scandals involving statewide elected officials.

The measure would amend the Oregon Constitution to give the Oregon House of Representatives the power to impeach statewide elected officials, specifically the governor, secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general and the Bureau of Labor and Industries commissioner.

Under the proposal, if two-thirds of the state representatives voted for impeachment, two thirds of state senators would need to vote in favor for a conviction.

The Oregon House would be able to impeach an official for malfeasance, corrupt conduct in office, willful neglect of constitutional duty or other felony.

A statement in opposition of the measure, penned by the Republican State Senate District 2 candidate Noah Robinson, will appear in the voters pamphlet.

Measure 116  Creation of a compensation commission

This measure asks Oregon voters to establish an independent public service compensation commission, to evaluate and set salaries for the governor, secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general, BOLI commissioner, Supreme Court justices, legislators and district attorneys.

Currently, those salaries are established by the Legislature.

Lobbyists, officers, state employees, and immediate family members of officers, employees or lobbyists would not be allowed to serve on the commission. The exact membership of the commission is to be established by law.

The measure was referred to voters by lawmakers on a 21-4 vote in the Senate and a 47-3 vote in the House of Representatives.

Organizations including labor unions such as the Oregon AFL-CIO, Oregon AFSCME, SEIU Oregon and UFCW 555 say they support the measure.

Robinson has penned a statement in opposition of the measure.

Measure 117  Ranked choice voting

Measure 117 endorses ranked choice voting. If approved, Oregonians would have the option to rank candidates in order of preference instead of selecting one candidate. The option would be available for the nomination and election of president of the United States, U.S. senators and representatives, and Oregons governor, secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general and BOLI commissioner.

The Secretary of States Office would be tasked with setting up a program to educate Oregonians about ranked choice voting.

If passed, the measure would apply to elections in 2028. Local governments that already use ranked choice voting in local elections, such as Corvallis, Benton County and Portland, would be allowed to keep using its system no matter the outcome of the ballot measure.

This measure also was referred to voters by the Oregon Legislature. It passed in the House and Senate along party lines.

Organizations in support of the measure includes the ACLU of Oregon, Coalition of Communities of Color, farmworkers union PCUN and other community advocacy groups.

The Oregon Republican Party and a committee of 16 county clerks in Oregon have said they oppose the measure.

Measure 118  Tax increase on corporations to distribute a 'rebate' to residents

Known as the Oregon Rebate, this measure would increase the minimum tax on corporations with sales in Oregon of more than $25 million a year by 3% and distribute the money to Oregon residents beginning in 2025.

Oregon residents who reside in the state for more than 200 days a year would be eligible for the benefit.

The Oregon Department of Revenue estimated the state would collect an additional $7 billion a year that would translate to an annual rebate of about $1,600 to every Oregonian, including minors.

The chief petitioner is Antonio Gisbert, a former union organizer for the Oregon American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Supporters of the measure include the Oregon Progressive Party and Oregon Working Families Party.

Hundreds of businesses, Gov. Tina Kotek and state legislative leaders oppose the measure.

Measure 119  Cannabis workers allowed to unionize

After the failure of House Bill 3183  sponsored by Reps. Ben Bowman, D-Tigard; Chris Gorseck, D-Gresham; and Dacia Grayber, D-Portland  which would have made it easier for cannabis workers to unionize, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 took their fight to voters with Ballot Measure 119.

If passed, cannabis businesses would be required to submit a signed labor peace agreement to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission with its licensure or renewal application.

The agreement would require the business to remain neutral when labor organizations communicate with employees about collective bargaining rights. According to the ballot summary, failure to have a signed agreement or to follow the agreement could result in penalties, including fines or the denial, suspension or revocation of businesss license.

Supporters of Measure 119 say it would protect workers from safety concerns, toxic chemicals and lack of proper equipment. No formal opposition to the measure has formed.

Reporter Whitney Woodworth contributed to this article.

Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on X @DianneLugo

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Election 2024: 5 ballot measures to be decided in Oregon
State election officials say a data entry error caught late Thursday resulted in 306 noncitizens erroneously being automatically registered to vote. (Getty Images)

The Oregon agency that issues drivers licenses erroneously registered more than 300 non-citizens to vote, though state officials say only two people actually cast ballots.

State Elections Director Molly Woon told the Capital Chronicle that she received a call late Thursday afternoon from the administrator of the Driver and Motor Vehicle Services division of the Oregon Department of Transportation, telling her that DMV staff caught a data entry error that led to the division wrongly classifying some noncitizens as citizens. State election officials spent Friday reviewing that information and working with county clerks to ensure those people wont receive ballots unless and until they prove theyre eligible to vote.

The error is not large enough to impact the outcome of the states elections  more than 3 million people are registered to vote in Oregon, and the 306 cases identified by state officials are 0.01% of the states voters.

Ben Morris, chief of staff to Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, said the DMV is continuing to investigate whether there are any more issues, and there is time to rectify any additional mistakes. Ballots wont be mailed to voters for another month.

We can say that this error will not impact the 2024 election, and I want to emphasize that point as much as possible. This error will not impact the 2024 election, he said.

The error, first reported by Willamette Week, resulted from DMV staff erroneously marking noncitizens who obtained drivers licenses as citizens, such as by miscategorizing foreign birth certificates as U.S. birth certificates and foreign passports as U.S. passports.

Since January 2016, Oregon has automatically registered citizens to vote when they obtain or renew drivers licenses, permits or nonoperating IDs. A 2019 state law, meanwhile, eliminated a requirement that applicants prove theyre citizens or legal residents when obtaining a drivers license.

People applying for drivers licenses need to bring proof of their identity  like a birth certificate, passport, naturalization documents or visa  as well as proof of an Oregon address, such as a utility bill or rental agreement. Only applicants who provide documents that prove citizenship, like a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport or certificate of naturalization, are supposed to be registered to vote.

DMV administrator Amy Joyce said in a statement that the DMV discovered the error while proactively analyzing its system ahead of the 2024 election. The erroneous registrations it identified were based on foreign passports being entered as U.S. passports. The department is continuing to go through registrations tied to birth certificates, and that may take another two weeks, she said.

The DMV added a new prompt on its data entry screen to ensure front desk staff accurately enter citizenship information and has begun daily auditing of all transactions to verify materials are accurate before sending them to the Elections Division, Joyce added.

Woon said the secretary of states office is continuing to look into the two people who were not citizens when they were automatically registered to vote and will forward the issue to the start Department of Justice if it appears they violated the law.

I want to emphasize that these folks were registered by no fault of their own, she said. I think that will certainly be taken into consideration. The first order of business, however, will be to see if the citizenship status of these people has changed. Because these records date from 2021 to today, its possible that their status has changed, and perhaps they are citizens, and thats why they have a voter record. Well need to do a little bit more digging to sort that out first.

Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement that she has been fully briefed on the situation and will continue to closely monitor it. She noted that it would affect 0.01% of the states registered voters and will not impact the 2024 election in any way.

Oregons electoral system is one of the most secure, effective and accessible in the nation, Kotek said. The error in data entry which may have affected the voter eligibility of some Oregonians voter registration was discovered because the Oregon DMV and the secretary of state were doing their due diligence ahead of the 2024 election.

Griffin-Valade said safeguarding the integrity of elections is her top priority, while praising automatic voter registration.

When my office was made aware of this error, we moved quickly to update the voter rolls, she said. I am also personally calling on the DMV to take immediate action to improve its processes to ensure this doesnt happen again. Automatic voter registration has been hugely beneficial for thousands of eligible Oregon voters to ensure access to our democracy. Im confident the DMV is rectifying this error and improving their process, so it doesnt happen again.

Lawmakers call for investigations

Lawmakers and U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, called for further investigations Friday evening.

State Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas and the Democratic nominee for the 5th Congressional District, was the first to issue a statement and called on the Department of Justice to conduct a full-scale investigation.

Any errors in this process are unacceptable, and the office of the Secretary of State must be held responsible for any such lapses. I will relentlessly defend our laws and safeguard the integrity of our elections, she said.

Salinas called the announcement disturbing, while emphasizing that it was not an attempt hurt the election system.

This is total malpractice on the part of the Department of Motor Vehicles and is completely unacceptable, she said. I am calling on the state to act quickly to remove these individuals from the rolls, conduct a full and transparent investigation into how this occurred, and provide concrete steps they are taking to remedy this issue and prevent it from happening again. However, I want to emphasize that this was a bureaucratic error by the Oregon DMV and not a systemic attempt to cheat the system by organizations or individuals.

House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich, who in May publicly questioned the integrity of the states election system over hours-long delays delivering ballots, repeated his complaints that Oregons election laws are too weak.

Republicans warned over and over that Oregons election laws were too relaxed, and Democrats dismissed our concerns, he said. Now, hundreds of noncitizens were found on Oregons voter rolls, and the state cant say how many there are. This threat to election integrity is unacceptable. The Secretary of State must immediately inform the legislature as to the full extent of this problem and what is being done to fix it before ballots go out next month.

Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and X.
Border security, abortion and the economy are key issues as Oregonians fill out ballots to decide who will represent the Beaver State in the U.S. House for the next two years. In the 4th District, Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle is seeking a second term, while relative newcomers nominated by the Republican, Green and Libertarian parties aim to bring their perspectives to Congress.

Here's who will be on the ballot in the general election for U.S. House District OR-4 on Nov. 5.

Oregon's US House District 4

U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Oregon

Val Hoyle is a longtime elected official from the Eugene area, having served as Oregons Labor Commissioner and as a state representative before being elected to Congress in 2022. In those roles, Hoyle worked to expand the Oregon Family Leave Act to allow part-time workers to receive unemployment benefits, oversaw a three-fold increase in settlements for victims of employment discrimination, raise the minimum wage, expand Oregons Clean Fuels program to reduce carbon emissions and expand background check requirements for gun purchases.

Hoyle won the U.S. House seat in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Alek Skarlatos with 51% of the vote. According to her campaign website, in her second term, Hoyle plans to work toward protecting abortion rights and expanding access to reproductive health, while opposing efforts to criminalize it. She also said she aims to move the U.S. toward a 100% Clean Electricity standard and bring clean energy jobs to Oregon.

Val Hoyle speaks at the Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse in a press conference before hundreds gathered to protest the Supreme Court's leaked draft opinion to overturn the nearly 50-year precedent set by Roe v. Wade.

Monique DeSpain

Monique DeSpain is an attorney and veteran from Eugene. DeSpain spent most of her career in the Air Force, where she served as a Judge Advocate and Colonel. She has held leadership roles with the Center for Dialogue & Resolution in Eugene. Since retiring from the military, DeSpain has worked for state Rep. Kevin Mannixs law firm, where she says she fought for crime victims, and for Mannixs think tank, where she focused on developing and improving policies to combat homelessness, addiction and crime.

DeSpain won the Republican nomination in May, defeating Amy Ryan Courser with 58% of the primary vote. According to her campaign website, DeSpain would work to secure the U.S.-Mexico border with physical barriers, technology and increased border patrol agents while reforming immigration to be more efficient and reinstating a "Remain-in-Mexico" policy. She also said she plans to reform the VA benefits system and defund cities that defund police.

Republican congressional candidate Monique DeSpain speaks during an election watch party hosted by DeSpains campaign May 21 at the Inn at the Fifth in Eugene.

Third party candidates

A pair of third-party candidates are also seeking the congressional seat.

Justin Filip, the Green Party nominee, is the Donor Recognition and Reporting program manager for the University of Oregon. He's voiced support for Palestinians and opposition to homeless sweeps.

Dan Bahlen, the Libertarian nominee, is a former Clinician for the San Carlos Apache Department of Health and Human Services. He's voiced priorities of confronting war, economic instability and climate change.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Election 2024: Oregon's US House District 4 candidates
Assyrians in Kirkuk Council: Governor's Decision Threatens "Peaceful Coexistence"

On Sunday, the Assyrian Democratic Movement in Kirkuk expressed its astonishment over new orders stripping the Christian community of the Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs position within the new local government structure.

Recently, Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha appointed five deputies: three from the Arab component, one from the Kurds, and one from the Turkmen, without granting any positions to Christians.

The Kirkuk Provincial Council consists of 16 seats--seven held by Kurds (five by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and two by the Kurdistan Democratic Party), six by Arabs (with 3 seats for the Arab Alliance in Kirkuk, 2 seats for the Leadership, and one seat for the Arabism Alliance), 2 by Turkmen, and one 1 for Christians.

The movement stated, "We call on Kirkuk local government, led by Mr. Taha, to reconsider this unjust decision, to grant justice to our people, and to address the oppression imposed on them."

"Given the sensitive situation in Kirkuk, marginalization and exclusion of any component will cast a shadow on the principle of peaceful coexistence and representation of all components in the political process," the movement warned.

It continued, "We, in the Assyrian Democratic Movement, see this as a deliberate marginalization, which threatens equality and social peace in the governorate."

Notably, several ancient Christian communities, who now number an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people from the 1.5 million, lived in Iraq before the US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Chaldeans constitute the largest portion, comprising up to 80% of Iraq's Christians. Syriacs make up approximately 10%, while Assyrians represent around 5%. About 3% of Iraqi Christians are of Armenian descent, and Arab Christians constitute about 2% of the Christian population in the country.
The News

The US state of Oregon ended its experiment to legalize the possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs this month, after a law that had permitted some possession expired.

The move is in line with a broader global trend, whereby national and local governments are reversing recently liberalized drug policies amid a shift in public opinion and a surge of opioid deaths, many linked to illegal fentanyl. Japan is set to criminalize cannabis use from December due to an apparent increase in young people using the drug, while Thailand, the first Asian country to permit marijuana use, recently reversed that decision; meanwhile, Portugal, which took a radical approach to decriminalization, is also reconsidering the long term merits.

SIGNALS

Decriminalization does not replace larger solutions

Source: Los Angeles Times

Oregons rollback of decriminalization in April, considered a failure by drug reform advocates, is a cautionary tale, that shows how public sentiment can override scientific consensus on the factors that drive homelessness and how best to treat addiction issues, an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times argued. Written by two drug policy researchers, the piece argues that Oregons reversal was perhaps driven more by panic over a perceived uptick in visible drug use and homelessness than hard data. Regardless, the decision shows how even well-intended, science-backed initiatives can backfire amid broader issues, like housing shortages and inadequate health services.

Thailand and Japan move to limit cannabis use, but only in some cases

Sources: Reuters, Time, Nikkei Asia

Thailand and Japan have sought to clearly distinguish medical and recreational use, but both may be putting their nascent and highly lucrative cannabis industries at risk. A June Thai government survey showed 80% of people supported recriminalization, with many citing concerns about youth health, Time reported. Having legalized medical cannabis in 2018 and then recreational use in 2021, Thailand will ban the latter by 2024s end, a blow to the countrys estimated $2.1 billion marijuana industry. The policy shift has sparked protests and legal threats from businesses that invested in cannabis, and the issue has threatened to split the countrys ruling coalition, Nikkei wrote. Meanwhile, in Japan, new THC limits for CBD products could risk undermining its nascent cannabis industry by bolstering the black market.

Portugals radical decriminalization is under scrutiny

Sources: The Guardian, The Washington Post

In 2001, Portugal legalized the use and possession of certain drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, and heroin, pioneering a shift in the treatment of people who take drugs, from criminals to patients. But while the approach was much-praised for lowering overdose rates and reducing criminalization, and became a model for progressive efforts in Oregon and elsewhere, Portugal is now having doubts, The Washington Post wrote in 2023. Overdose rates hit a 12-year high that year, and a rise in visible drug use has spooked many, with 75% of Portuguese perceiving drug use as a problem in their community. Even proponents of decriminalization here admit that something is going wrong, the Post noted.
From investigations into Wikileaks and Scientology, Elizabeth Holmes and the war in Afghanistan, Alex Gibney has made some of the defining documentaries of our time. So it makes sense hed now turn his attention as a producer to one of the defining political figures of our time: long-serving Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In The Bibi Files, Gibney and director Alexis Bloom offer a devastating dissection of the right-wing leader. They build a case against him from never-before-seen leaked interrogation tapes during Netanyahus ongoing corruption trial about alleged gifts in return for political favors.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

The recordings (which include not just Netanyahu but family members and many prominent figures in Israeli society) vividly show how the prime minister thinks and operates  a relevant portrayal as he and far-right members of his coalition continue to prosecute a war in Gaza nearly a year after Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

With their as-yet undistributed film making waves at its world premiere at TIFF 2024 this past week, Gibney and Bloom sat down at a restaurant here to talk with THR about its secretive production. The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

You have some incredible footage here. How did all this come about?

ALEX GIBNEY This whole thing starts with a leak. It was mid-2023. A source sends me this footage totally out of the blue. Right away I knew it was special. But now I had this material and now I need to raise money but I cant tell funders anything. I can only say Ive got something good and its a secret but can you give me money anyway?

Um, how did those conversations go?

GIBNEY They were certainly difficult. But we did get some to say we trust you to go forward and see how you do. And then we had other people come on board and then Alexis came on board.

BLOOM When Alex calls you know you have something so my first reaction was yes even without seeing it. But it was important to keep it confidential for a long time. If you start announcing it then its like hey, come to the office, Mossad. Even anyone who participated  I didnt want to tell them too much because I didnt want to endanger them.

You originally intended to make this film about the Netanyahu governments judicial reform efforts and the massive backlash to them in Israeli society. Then Oct. 7 happened.

BLOOM Even when it was about the prospect of judicial reform it was a big story, since his corruption was well-known. I mean, youre observing the unspooling of human behavior over thousands of hours of footage. But then Oct. 7 happened  I remember calling Alex and saying, Is this the same film? Its so terrible what happened  can we conceive of it in the same way? And Alex, to his credit, just said lets take a pause and see what happens. He encouraged me to go Israel, which I did in November, to talk to people and see what they thought.

What did folks say?

BLOOM Half the people there thought this was even more important because now this morally corrupt man was in charge of running a war. And half the people  mainly men in security forces  said we cant criticize a leader running a war. Maybe to local press you can. But with foreign news outlets there was anxiety. It was clear to me this was still the same story  only now with much higher stakes.

Theres a complex thread youre arguing between the trial and the war. How would you most concisely describe it?

GIBNEY Netanyahu will do whatever he needs to stay in power because then he wont be able to keep delaying his trial as easily. And to stay in power he has to do what [far-right coalition members and government members Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben-Gvir say because otherwise they leave the coalition and he loses power. And they want a war that doesnt end.

And the fact that theyre even in the coalition, you argue in the film, is actually the direct result of the trial.

GIBNEY Exactly. Because after all the corruption allegations came to light, more moderate elements wouldnt have anything to do with Bibi.

I have the sense, especially after the death of the six hostages two weeks ago and the massive protests that followed, that the Israeli people have had enough of Netanyahu. Does anything give you optimism something will change, regime-wise?

GIBNEY Theres a rage underneath and the country is deeply divided but to stay in power hes increasing tension  to stay in Israel hes steering the ship into the reef. Its a little like George Bush and his war on terror  you say you have to keep going until there are no more terrorists, which of course is a recipe for permanent war.

You say deeply divided but the polls consistently show a very large majority of Israelis think Netanyahu and his approach to the war have to go.

BLOOM No question, its very empowering to be in the protests. There are remarkable people who are fighting.

GIBNEY And as Alexis pointed out to me yesterday, its not so simple that when Netanyahu goes everythings fine. But so long as he is in power nothing will change. So its up to the people of Israel to figure out how they need to put the pressure on him to get him out.

It can be a little glib to make comparisons between different political systems and leaders. But Netanyahu and Trump are often compared. Do you see any legitimate parallels?

GIBNEY I think what youre seeing in America now is very similar to Bibi in some crucial ways, where the immediate political solution is the exact of opposite of the long-term solution. If you want to whip up votes in America now you say the immigrants are coming and we need stop them. In Israel you say we cant make a deal [with Hamas] and it does the same thing  it gets you a lot of support in the short term. And it makes long-term solutions less likely.

The populist-outrage model.

GIBNEY Id call it tribalist outrage. You play to tribalist sympathies because of what it gives you in the short term. And it works until people realize that appeal is actually endangering the country long-term. There are political models of authoritarianism evident throughout the world right now and I think this [Netanyahu situation] fits with that pattern.

In his case it comes with an added element of escapability  Netanyahu has figured out how to pull the levers to stay in power for a long time. Your film gives a glimpse into how he does that

BLOOM Watching the tapes what strikes me is Bibis seeming unending ability to deny any and all knowledge of anything going back ten years. Its a level of delusional acrobatics I would find impressive if it wasnt so morally bankrupt.

GIBNEY Theres a line in the film that to be a good liar you have to have a good memory. Bibi solves the problem by just always saying he doesnt remember.

Do you think he actually believes his responses to the police  all the stuff like he didnt notice the champagne bottles arriving by the caseload, for instance, or all the gifted cigars right when hes making calls to help the people who sent them to him?

GIBNEY Having been lied to many times by very powerful people Id say the best liars are the ones who believe in the moment theyre not lying. Hes clearly a great actor but he also needs to construct a belief system that lets him inhabit the role.

Who else stood out to you in these interrogations? I was struck by Sara Netanyahu and how angry she was, and also the cops and how cool they kept it.

BLOOM The cops  I could do a whole cut just on them. The way they keep going, the way they exchange glances. And the way some have not fared well since. As for Sara, her losing her shit is almost a reflex. She doesnt think theres anything wrong with it. Now she might  but only after seeing other peoples reaction to it.

It was striking how much she seems to be driving decisions in that household, even on policy matters.

GIBNEY That was one of the revelations in the film  so much of what Bibi does is provoked by his family. You come to understand that for all of his bluster and aggressive posturing hes a very weak man.

BLOOM Theres a line by Ami Ayalon, the former head of the Shin Bet, that Im desperate to find a place for in (the final cut of) the film. Ayalon said  and remember hes a professional analyst of human behavior  that Netanyahu is the best at detecting threats because hes always afraid. And I think thats how hes survived so long  because hes so good at detecting threats.

GIBNEY So how did he miss 10/7?

BLOOM Because hes so consumed with personal threats.

Finally, Im curious about distribution. I know you cant officially distribute in Israel because theres a privacy law that would put your source in legal jeopardy. But what about everywhere else  given how unpopular Netanyahu is around the world, it wouldnt seem hard to make deals. Then again, the biggest streamers also seem especially afraid to take even modest political risks lately.

GIBNEY I do think theres a calculus of Oh my God, anything having to do with Israel and Gaza is going to raise a ruckus so better not to deal with it. Even though everyone is interested  even though the audience wants it. Now, not all networks are the same, and our hope is theres someone out there with the cojones to say, yes, its important to serve our viewers by giving them dramatic and informative content. So weve got a plan and a backup plan and a backup plan to the backup plan to get this out.

Of course the fear is that if youre not in the top tier of streamers then your reach is more limited.

GIBNEY Thats true but if you look at other periods of media new players always come on board and new distribution mechanisms pop up to deliver audiences the stories they want. And I think audiences want this.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WNCN)  Outer bands from the storm now called Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight are starting to hit the North Carolina coast Sunday afternoon with heavy rain and 40 to 50 mph winds.

From Sunday afternoon through Monday, gusty winds and torrential rains  along with flooding  are expected along beaches, with Brunswick, New Hanover, Carteret, Onslow, and Pender counties under a tropical storm warning.

Even inland in eastern North Carolina, up to six inches of rain is possible with tropical storm-force wind gusts.

By noon Sunday, a 59 mph wind gust was measured at Johnny Mercers Fishing Pier in Wrightsville Beach, according to the National Weather Service.

NC coast braces for 11 ft waves, tropical storm-force winds, flooding

Beach erosion in Emerald Isle on Sunday as high surf began. Image from town of Emerald Isle.

On Sunday at 5 p.m., the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning from Ocracoke Inlet all the way down to the South Carolina line.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight would be Helene if it develops. Although the actual low pressure is south of North Carolina, the storms have developed to the north.

By early Sunday afternoon, heavy rain with high winds was moving into the southern North Carolina islands and beaches, including Wilmington and the Brunswick County coast.

Brunswick County Schools are on a two-hour delay on Monday because of possible flooding.

NC 12 at the Outer Banks on Sunday with high surf causing some flooding. NCDOT image

Regardless of tropical or subtropical development, the low is likely to bring gusty winds, heavy rains with the potential for flash flooding, coastal flooding, and dangerous beach conditions, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

In other areas, a gale watch has been replaced with a gale warning with seas up to 12 feet near shore and even higher off the coast, the weather service said.

A flood watch is now also in effect for areas along the coast and inland until Tuesday morning, including Robeson, Bladen, Columbus, Pender, New Hanover and Brunswick counties.

A high surf advisory is also in effect along much of the North Carolina coast.

High winds at the Frying Pan Tower off the North Carolina coast on Sunday as a low-pressure system moves onto shore. Image courtesy: Frying Pan Tower

The National Weather Service for the Outer Banks said the storms should worsen throughout Sunday.

Conditions begin to deteriorate today with gusty winds, dangerous marine conditions, minor coastal flooding, and strong rip currents, forecasters with the Morehead City office said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
Officials say at least 64 people are missing in the floods [EPA]

More than 100 people have died in flooding and mudslides caused by the remnants of Typhoon Yagi in Myanmar.

Spokesman for the nation's ruling junta, Zaw Min Tun, said in a statement on Sunday that 113 people had been confirmed dead, with a further 64 missing - though regional reports suggest the true death toll may be higher.

Meanwhile, over 320,000 people have been forced to evacuate to temporary shelters, according to the AFP news agency.

Yagi, Asia's most powerful storm this year, has already proved devastating as it swept across Vietnam, Laos, the Chinese island of Hainan and the Philippines.

At least 287 people were thought to have died as a result of the storm before it reached Myanmar.

While the typhoon has been downgraded to a tropical depression since making landfall in northern Vietnam, it has continued to cause deadly landslides across south-east Asia.

In Myanmar, state media reports that nearly 66,000 houses had been destroyed as of Friday evening, along with 375 schools and a monastery. Several miles of road and other infrastructure have been washed away.

Also as of Friday, more than 236,000 people were being accommodated at 187 relief camps.

The impacts of heavy rainfall have centred on the Kayah, Kayin, Mandalay, Mon, and Shan states - which cover the central region of Myanmar.

Some say the number of deaths is already far higher than official estimates.

Radio Free Asia, a US-backed broadcaster, reported that at least 160 people had died in Myanmar - with social media accounts loyal to the ruling junta suggesting 230 people had died in the Mandalay region alone.

Japan's state broadcaster, NHK, reported that more than 120 people had died as of Saturday.

[EPA]

In Kalaw, a hill town in the Shan state, at least 12 people had died as of Saturday, one of whom was eight years old, the privately-owned Eleven Myanmar news website reported.

One man told AFP how he had tried to rescue people with ropes, as floodwaters 4m (15 ft) high surged through the town on 10 September.

"I could see trapped families in the distance standing on the roofs of their houses," he said.

"I heard there were 40 bodies in the hospital."

A woman who runs a company in Kalaw claimed her staff had said 60 people had died in the town, AFP reported.

Myanmar has suffered a three-year civil war since a military junta seized power in 2021. The UN estimates that thousands have been killed and 2.6 million people have been displaced by the conflict.

The Shan state is also home to several armed insurgent groups, some of which have de facto control over some of its territory.

Myanmar's information ministry says emergency and health workers have been deployed to areas affected by floods, and that it has provided funds for food and drinking water for evacuees.

Emergency responders have also begun repairing damaged roads and bridges, state media reports.

Scientists say typhoons and hurricanes are becoming stronger and more frequent with climate change. Warmer ocean waters mean storms pick up more energy, leading to higher wind speeds.

A warmer atmosphere can also hold more moisture, which can lead to more intense rainfall.

Yagi is expected to move away from Myanmar in the coming days. Another tropical depression is forecast to develop in the western Pacific in the coming week.
Buried in Lord Darzis report on the ailing NHS are two alarming statistics. First, the number of children waiting for a diagnosis of autism rose from 6,000 in 2019 to over 70,000 in 2024. Second, the number of children undergoing restrictive interventions in hospitals  such as force-feeding the mentally ill  has quadrupled. Combine this with data suggesting youngsters are out of work because they cant cope or just dont want to do it, and you have the picture of a generation afflicted by Anguish.

How do we account for it? This isnt like flu; you dont catch ADHD or anxiety. Darzi notes that some believe the spike in suspected autism reflects rising awareness as stigma has reduced, while others argue it is the result of self-diagnosis induced by misleading discussion on social media.

So, the challenge either emanates from individuals, i.e. is real, or is a panic encouraged by the community, i.e. is imagined. (In either case, it should be noted that the number of adults requesting an autism diagnosis has risen yet faster, albeit from a lower base).

I admire Darzis frankness. Most politicians avoid discussing Anguish for fear of offending parents. No one wants to suggest a voter might have contributed to their childs problems by being too liberal, too strict, overprotective or absent, and are covering up their mistakes by resorting to therapy or pills.

Conditions such as autism or ADHD most certainly do exist. They run in my own family, and though Im not sure if one can pinpoint the cause, applying a label can help predict challenges and develop strategies to cope.

No, the existence of any given condition shouldnt surprise us in itself. Its the numbers. A spike this seismic  6,000 to 70,000!  points either to a definition of autism that has expanded into meaninglessness or a more concrete social phenomenon.

Another example of the latter might be eating disorders, which jumped in the 1990s  with its heroin chic and obesity panic  and rose again under lockdown (which helps account for force feeding).

When a young person loses agency, as they did during Covid, starving or harming oneself can be perceived as a means to reassert control.

Hence the Anguish  including various tics being presented as autism  is the product of material conditions. We have created a world that screws up its youth and one message of Darzis report is that we cant afford to go on doing it. A struggling NHS can no more handle millions of shut-ins than it can chain smokers.

So, lets do something. Lets commit never again to lockdown children. Lets ban smartphones in school. Lets follow Australia: impose a higher, tougher age limit on social media. Phones are frying undeveloped brains, and its strange that the British government  so keen to control sugar or vaping  has given up on controlling their use. Even odder that so many parents have, too.

Society has made parenting harder by forcing people to work long hours for shrinking pay, or biasing the tax code against single-earner households (addressed in the Tories last Budget). But we also need a frank conversation about how parents are freely making choices that disadvantage their children, from screen time to projecting their neuroses on to others.

Im not supposed to comment on this because I have no kids of my own, but I have noticed one vast difference from how I was raised: children have gone from being part of the family to defining the family. Their actions and moods are treated as if they were meteorological phenomena of a newly discovered planet, around which adults orbit like curious satellites. The tiniest tremor is an earthquake. Every meltdown is catastrophised into a sure sign the child is damaged and will be so for life. So many times Ive had to say to friends, Im sure hell grow out of it  and if at the age of 40, darling Oscar is still screaming in the food aisle of M&S, then we can start to worry.

Why cant adults remember what it was like to be young? The pains and fears, but most importantly that they eventually go away.

It is, for example, perfectly natural for children to question their gender. Its the most essential thing about them and, as they sexually mature, the most frightening. What is not ordinary is to treat doubt as certainty, to put a confused child on puberty blockers. And yet during the 2010s, we saw a surge in girls seeking gender care that smacked of classic cohort behaviour, opening up a pathway to medical intervention.

The lesson of the trans craze is that many professionals are not nearly mature enough to diagnose the mental health of children and some doctors might themselves be insane. Whenever we apply therapeutic language to young peoples symptoms, we risk medicalising the normal experience of growing up  and diverting the patient away from maturity, which necessitates resilience, and towards incapability, as a ward of the NHS.

The way we treat the Anguish might be making it worse, because it is the product of a society that is egocentric, pessimistic, helpless. A depressing culture nurses depressed people.

Darzis report pins the NHSs collapse on austerity. When it comes to funding, hes correct. But the pressures of an ageing population at the top  dementia deaths have doubled  and permanent adolescence at the bottom are the by-products of prosperity. As a friend likes to put it: no ones depressed in Somalia because theyre too busy being poor and hungry.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Who pays for the clothing of world leaders and their spouses?

Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Lady Victoria accepted donations of clothing so they could "look their best" to represent the UK, David Lammy has said.

Asked about the donations, the foreign secretary suggested other countries had generous taxpayer-funded budgets for leaders' clothing.

It came after reports Sir Keir may have broken parliamentary rules in failing to declare clothes bought for his wife by Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli.

Lammy told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: US presidents and first ladies have a huge budget, paid for by the taxpayer, so that they look their best on behalf of the US people."

In fact, the US first lady does not have access to a specific clothing budget - and many have shared frustration at the cost of staying fashionable in the White House.

So what are the rules around clothes for the world stage?

In some countries, taxpayers contribute to living expenses for their leaders - and this can include clothing.

US presidents have an expenses budget of some $50,000 (38,000), which can be used to purchase clothing and other items, on top of an annual salary of $400,000.

But the US presidents spouse - historically, always a first lady - does not receive an annual salary or fixed expenses budget, though they have paid staff and an office.

That's despite the US first ladys fashion choices attracting immense scrutiny and attention.

Notable examples have included Melania Trumps Zara jacket emblazoned with I REALLY DONT CARE, DO U?, on a visit to a migrant detention centre, and the striking scarlet Alexander McQueen dress worn by Michelle Obama while meeting former Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Lady Victoria joined her husband Sir Keir for her first international event in Washington in July [Getty Images]

Melania Trump later said her jacket's slogan was a message for her critics [Getty Images]

First lady Laura Bush faced scrutiny for her fashion choices [Getty Images]

Some first ladies have said that, in general, they were expected to pay for their clothes themselves.

Mrs Bush, the wife of George W Bush, wrote in her 2010 memoir that she was amazed by the sheer number of designer clothes that I was expected to buy to meet the fashion expectations for a first lady.

After our first year in the White House, our accountant said to George, It costs a lot to be president, and he was referring mainly to my clothes, Mrs Bush wrote.

Michelle Obamas press secretary, Joanna Rosholm, told CNBC in 2014: Mrs Obama pays for her clothing.

US first ladies can also accept clothes as gifts, often on behalf of the government.

Some designers welcome the publicity their clothes being worn by the first lady offers them.

With the price tags of designer dresses easily running into the tens of thousands, donations are the only way comparatively less wealthy occupants of the White House could afford to wear star designers.

For official events of public or historic significance, such as a state visit, the first ladys clothes may be given as a gift by a designer and accepted on behalf of the U.S. government, Mrs Rosholm said.

The dress first lady Jill Biden wore at her husband's inauguration was donated to the Smithsonian Museum [Getty Images]

The Smithsonian Museum lists the dress current first lady Jill Biden wore at her husbands 2021 inauguration as a donation of designer Alexandria O'Neil in honour of first lady Jill Biden  an indication the designer lent her the dress.

By contrast, it appears that her predecessor Melania Trump, whose husband's wealth made him the richest president in history, donated her inaugural dress, designed by Herve Pierre, herself. That may be because she paid for it.

In the UK, Sarah Brown, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, has spoken of the difficulties around accepting gifts - including clothing - while in Downing Street.

"As I quickly discover," she wrote in her book. Behind the Black Door, in 2011, "there is no shortage of designers and retailers who will offer you free clothes.

"However, there are many rules that govern what MPs (and spouses) can do with free gifts - not to mention the moral aspect of using your position to grab freebies.

She explained the solution: "No10 advisers and I figure out a way that works for everyone. Any clothes that I want to keep, I can buy.

"Any freely offered clothes or jewellery, I can effectively rent for about 10 per cent of the retail value, then return."

What about other countries?

Spouses of world leaders elsewhere generally appear to rely on donations for their style choices.

France's Brigitte Macron does not have a state-funded budget for clothes and is believed to be lent outfits by Parisian high fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton.

According to the 2019 book Madame La Presidente, her office keeps a record of which clothes have been donated to her and which are her own.

But her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, has been criticised for his own profligate spending. This year, it was revealed that his office reserved a business class seat on a flight from Paris to Brazil solely to transport two of his suits, at a cost of nearly 4,000 (3,380).

In Germany, ministers were criticised for spending 450,000 on hairdressers, makeup artists and photographers in the first six months of 2023, though there does not appear to be a specific fund for clothing.

Asked about Lammy's remarks, a Foreign Office spokesman declined to comment further.

Downing Street said of Sir Keir's declaration of clothing donations: "We sought advice from the authorities on coming to office.

"We believed we had been compliant, however, following further interrogation this month, we have declared further items."
SEATTLE - PCC Community Markets is returning to downtown Seattle, set to reopen its 4th and Union location with a new small format-style store.

Back in January, PCC closed the co-op grocery store in downtown Seattle due to poor sales and low foot traffic. However, PCC says it is contractually obligated to its long-term lease at the downtown location, despite the previous closure.

PCC's leadership team has spent the past eight months visualizing a new look for the store, ultimately deciding on a small format food market with a limited selection of grocery and pantry items.

The new store will be approximately 6,500 square feet, and looks to share a similar shopping experience to other PCC neighborhood stores.

"We continue to hear  from co-op members, our staff, and downtown residents  about a strong need in the city center for the kind of unique shopping and dining experience that only PCC offers. We are thrilled to be able to meet that need by returning with a new concept that promises significantly better economics than a full-service grocery store," said Krish Srinivasan, PCCs President & CEO. "We are also deeply grateful for the collaboration and flexibility of our partners at Wright Runstad, and to everyone at City Hall, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Seattle Association who share our commitment to building a vibrant downtown economy and community."

There was no specified date for when the downtown store would reopen.

Additionally, PCC is moving its office into the space adjacent to the new store, as the cooperative is choosing not to renew the lease of its current office in Belltown.

PCC operates 15 stores in the Puget Sound area, including locations in Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Edmonds, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond and Seattle.

"As a community-owned grocer, our business decisions strive to balance people, planet and profit," said Srinivasan. "We believe that recommitting to good food in Seattles city center while also meaningfully reducing the cost of administrative office overhead is a good example of how, at PCC, purpose and profit are two sides of the same coin."

MORE NEWS FROM FOX SEATTLE

New Boeing CEO buys $4.1M Seattle home amid factory worker strike

Seattle's RapidRide G Line launches just in time for Apple Cup

WA businesses worried about financial impact as Boeing machinists strike

Otter captured, euthanized after attacking child at Bremerton marina

Green River Killer Gary Ridgway transferred out of King County Jail

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle newsletter.
Leaders of the Haitian community held a meeting to address the rumors in Springfield.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the city has attracted national attention over the past week.

TRENDING STORIES:

News Center 7s Malik Patterson talked to Lindsay Aime, a leader of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield, about how everyone is feeling.

Aime said his community is scared and some people are ready to leave.

Theres a lot of people, they already booked tickets. Some of them, they dont know what to do, he said.

Haitian community leaders planned an in-person group discussion on Saturday to figure out how to move forward.

The event was moved online just an hour beforehand out of fear of a possible attack.

We are willing to work together so we could pacify the situation because we need peace, Lindsay Aime said.

Since Thursday morning, Springfield city officials have responded to several bomb threats at government buildings and schools.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is working with the Springfield Police Division to figure out where these threats came from, according to a previous News Center 7 report.

We feel like we have a target because theres too many threats, Lindsay Aime said.

Aime said he wants the rumors to stop.

I never see Haitians eats those type of animals. Never. We dont have that in our country, he said.

The city of Springfield said there are no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused.

Community members told News Center 7 that they want to stand in solidarity with their Haitian neighbors.

Let education set the table for the conversation. I think much of the issues that were finding is based on misinformation, and of course, even being politically motivated, Dayton resident Bakari Lumumba said.

Aime said the Haitian population in Springfield are working class people, who just want a fair chance.

Every single Haitian you see here, most of them, they have a degree. They used to be a lawyer, engineer, whatever. But we needed a little bit respect, please, he said.

Aime said the leaders will be having a meeting to discuss what their next steps are, but for now, theyre willing to sit down and speak peacefully with other in the community.

[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Pedestrian in hospital after hit-and-run in Youngstown

Editors note: A video was removed from this story because it showed a business that was not involved in the incident.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  A man is in the hospital after a hit-and-run on Youngstowns North Side.

It happened in the 1100 block of Fifth Avenue around 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

Officials say the man is in stable condition.

Police are currently searching for the vehicle involved.

Andrew Peterson contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Pennsylvania voters could have their mail-in ballots thrown out if they do not write accurate dates on envelopes they use to return them under a state Supreme Court ruling issued Friday that could impact the presidential race.

The states high court ruled on procedural grounds, saying a lower court that found the mandate unenforceable should not have taken up the case because it did not draw in the election boards in all 67 counties. Counties administer the nuts and bolts of elections in Pennsylvania, but the left-leaning groups that filed the case only sued two of them, Philadelphia and Allegheny counties.

Commonwealth Court two weeks ago had halted enforcement of the handwritten dates on exterior envelopes. The Supreme Courts reversal of that decision raises the prospect that thousands of ballots that arrive in time might get thrown out in a key swing state in what is expected to be a close presidential contest.

Far more Democrats than Republicans vote by mail in the state. In recent elections, older voters have been disproportionately more likely to have had their mail-in ballots invalidated because of exterior envelope date problems.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley in a release called it a major victory for election integrity that will protect commonsense mail ballot safeguards and help voters cast their ballots with confidence.

Lawyers who helped represent the 10 community organizations that sued said in a statement that the decision left open the possibility of more litigation on the topic.

Thousands of voters are at risk of having their ballots rejected in November for making a meaningless mistake, said Mimi McKenzie, legal director of the Public Interest Law Center in Philadelphia. She urged voters to carefully read and follow the instructions for submitting a mail-in ballot to reduce the number of ballots being rejected for trivial paperwork errors.

The justices ruled 4-3, with two Democrats joining both Republicans on the Supreme Court to vacate the Commonwealth Court decision.

The dissent by three other Democratic justices said the high court should have taken up the dispute.

A prompt and definitive ruling on the constitutional question presented in this appeal is of paramount public importance inasmuch as it will affect the counting of ballots in the upcoming general election, wrote Justice David Wecht. He and the two other dissenters would have ruled on the matter based on written briefs.

The lawsuit, brought in May, argued that the mandate was not enforceable under a state constitutional provision that says all elections are free and equal.

Based on recent Pennsylvania elections, more than 10,000 ballots in this years general election might be thrown out over bad or missing envelope dates, which could be enough to swing the presidential race. Pennsylvanias 19 electoral votes make it the largest prize among the seven swing states.

In previous Pennsylvania elections, ballots have been rejected for lacking any date on the envelope or for clearly inaccurate dates, such ones in the future or before mail-in ballots were printed. Although state law requires envelope dates, election officials do not use them to ensure ballots arrive on time. Mail-in ballots are logged in and time-stamped when received, and must arrive at county elections offices before polls close on Election Day.

Pennsylvania voters will also decide this fall whether to replace incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, with Republican challenger Dave McCormick. Also on the ballot are 228 state legislative contests and elections for state treasurer, auditor general and attorney general.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.
Pennsylvanians working in the controversial fracking industry are confident that the sector will endure, whoever wins the White House in November's presidential election.

With an eye firmly on winning over voters in the gas-rich battleground state, both Republican candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris are vowing to support the hydraulic fracturing industry.

But Trump's consistently strong support for the practice  and Harris's past opposition to it  have led some voters in the largely rural Republican county of Washington to conclude that the former president would be better.

"I absolutely adore Trump, but I think he's very contentious," said Jennifer McIntyre, a 47-year-old sales and operations representative for Keystone Clearwater Solutions, which provides water transfer services for the fracking industry.

McIntyre, who is active in the local Washington County Republican party, told AFP she thinks the former president is "incredibly pro-oil and gas," and that Democrats at both the state and national level have put up regulations that make it harder for the industry to succeed.

"I think that sometimes those regulations are not necessarily appropriate," said McIntyre, 47, in an interview at the company's offices in the suburban business park of Southpointe, where many fracking businesses are located.

- More gas than Qatar -

Pennsylvania's embrace of new fracking and drilling techniques in the first decade of the 21st century kicked off a boom in natural gas extraction which has pushed the state's annual production higher than Canada or Qatar.

There are currently more than 2,000 active so-called "unconventional" gas wells in Washington County, and close to 13,000 across the state, according to data from Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection.

At Diversified Energy's site in South Franklin Township in southwestern Pennsylvania, seven 10-year-old wells hum quietly as they extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale thousands of feet below.

The gas is first cleaned, and then sold into a nearby pipeline, generating profits for Diversified, royalties for landowners, and revenues for state and local government.

Together, these seven wells produce more than four million cubic feet of gas per day, on average, (approximately 113,000 cubic meters), Jason John Mounts, the company's director of operations in southern Pennsylvania, told AFP during a tour of the site.

Asked whom he supports in the 2024 presidential election, the 40-year-old, who grew up nearby, said he backs "whoever is going to be driving our business."

"At the end, it'll take care of itself," he said. "Every four years, it always takes care of itself."

Unlike some of the largest players in the fracking sector, Diversified Energy does not do the actual fracking  an expensive and dangerous process in which water, sand, and chemicals are pumped thousands of feet underground at high pressure to create fractures in the bedrock and release the gas trapped inside.

Instead, it buys operating wells from other companies once they are up and running, and then fine-tunes them to increase production.

Diversified expects its existing portfolio of wells across the United States to continue producing gas for the next 50 to 75 years on average, according to the companys vice president of investor relations, Douglas Kris.

"This is going to be part of our economy here for as long as we need it," he told AFP.

- Environmental concerns -

Scientists, environmentalists, and public health experts around the world have called for fracking to be banned, citing the health and climate impacts of the fracking phase of the extraction process, and the long-term environmental damage caused by the continued burning of fossil fuels.

In response to these concerns, governments across Europe  including France and Germany  have either banned or suspended the process, as have several provinces of Canada, and US states that include New York.

But in Pennsylvania, support for fracking has grown over the past decade, with 48 percent in favor and 44 percent opposed, according to a 2022 poll from the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. When asked if fracking was good for the economy, 86 percent said yes.

Across the state, where coal was once the dominant source of energy, fracking supported more than 120,000 jobs in 2022, paying an average of around $97,000, according to a study commissioned by the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), an industry trade group.

"Those jobs are across the spectrum," MSC president David Callahan told AFP in an interview. "Many blue collar jobs. But many white collar jobs as well."

da/sms
Teen dies after being shot outside Red Robin at Citrus Park Town Center

Teen dies after being shot outside Red Robin at Citrus Park Town Center

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A teenager has died after he was shot outside the Red Robin at the Citrus Park Town Center on Saturday night.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, deputies received a call around 7:16 p.m. for reports of shots fired outside the mall.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the individual suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body in the restaurants parking lot. He was taken to St. Josephs Hospital where he later died.

HCSO did not provide any details regarding the victims age but said he was a teenager.

Two people have been detained for questioning. Deputies said its unclear what role they played in the shooting. No one has been arrested at this time.

The sheriffs office said the incident was not an active shooter situation.

This senseless act of violence not only robbed a family of their loved one but caused unnecessary fear and trauma to dozens of people who were just trying to enjoy their Saturday night at the mall, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. Our detectives are using every resource available to hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable.

Deputies said its unclear what led up to the shooting. The investigation is ongoing.

This is a developing story. Stay up to date on the latest from News Channel 8 on-air and on the go with the free WFLA News Channel 8 mobile app.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
A frame grab from handout video footage taken and released on August 31 by the Philippine Coast Guard shows a Chinese coast Guard ship (left) colliding with the Teresa Magbanua (Handout) (Handout/Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/AFP)

A Philippine vessel that spent months anchored at a disputed reef in the South China Sea has left the area, the national maritime council said Sunday.

The Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Teresa Magbanua had been anchored inside Sabina Shoal since April to assert Manila's claims to the area and prevent China from seizing it.

Beijing has continued to press its claims to almost the entire South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Philippine and Chinese vessels have collided at least three times recently near Sabina Shoal, located 140 kilometres (86 miles) from the Philippines' western island of Palawan and 1,200 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island.

The Teresa Magbanua's bridge wing and freeboard were damaged in one of the collisions.

"During her deployment... she challenged an encirclement by a larger flotilla of intruders, battled inclement weather, with her crew surviving on diminished daily provisions," National Maritime Council Chairperson Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement Sunday.

The Teresa Magbanua "carried out her sentinel duties against overwhelming odds", he added.

Last month Chinese vessels blocked a resupply mission to the Filipino sailors on board the ship, leaving them running critically low of food and other provisions.

Earlier this week officials from the Philippines and China held high-level talks on their maritime issues where Beijing reiterated its demand for the withdrawal of the Philippine vessel.

The latest situation has echoes of 2012, when Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal -- another strategic feature about 240 kilometres west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon.

Then, Manila pulled its ships back after a tense two-month maritime standoff.

pam/fox
A frame grab from handout video footage taken and released on August 31 by the Philippine Coast Guard shows a Chinese coast Guard ship (left) colliding with the Teresa Magbanua (Handout) (Handout/Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/AFP)

A Philippine vessel that spent months anchored at a disputed reef in the South China Sea has left the area, the national maritime council said Sunday.

The Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Teresa Magbanua had been anchored inside the Sabina Shoal since April to assert Manila's claims to the area and prevent China from seizing it.

Beijing has continued to press its claims to almost the entire South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Philippine and Chinese vessels have collided at least three times recently near Sabina Shoal, located 140 kilometres (86 miles) from the Philippines' western island of Palawan and 1,200 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island.

The Teresa Magbanua's bridge wing and freeboard were damaged in one of the collisions.

"During her deployment... she challenged an encirclement by a larger flotilla of intruders, battled inclement weather, with her crew surviving on diminished daily provisions," National Maritime Council Chairperson Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement Sunday.

Last month Chinese vessels blocked a resupply mission to the Filipino sailors on board the ship, leaving them running critically low of food and other provisions.

- 'Overwhelming odds' -

The Teresa Magbanua "carried out her sentinel duties against overwhelming odds", Bersamin added.

China's coast guard noted the ship's withdrawal on Sunday, and said Beijing "has indisputable sovereignty over... Xianbin Jiao and its adjacent waters", using the Chinese name for Sabina Shoal.

Manila's actions had "seriously infringed on China's territorial sovereignty... seriously undermining regional peace and stability", spokesperson Liu Dejun said in a statement.

"We sternly warn the Philippines to stop inciting propaganda and risking infringements, and to meet China halfway to safeguard the seriousness and validity of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," Liu said.

Beijing "will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in waters under China's jurisdiction", Liu said.

Philippines National Maritime Council Spokesman Alexander Lopez said the country would "continue to monitor and enforce our rights, exercise our rights, sovereign rights, sovereignty and jurisdiction over the area".

Earlier this week officials from the Philippines and China held high-level talks on their maritime issues where Beijing reiterated its demand for the withdrawal of the Philippine vessel.

The latest situation has echoes of 2012, when Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal -- another strategic feature about 240 kilometres west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon.

Then, Manila pulled its ships back after a tense two-month maritime standoff.

pam-mjw/je/fox
When Jimmie Munoz started his business Passport Destilados, he aimed to distribute craft spirits from Mexican beverage makers in the United States, focusing on showcasing businesses owned by people in minority groups or those who would face challenges growing their businesses.

Passport Destilados was among the local business exhibitors at the Latino Pride Festival in downtown Phoenix on Saturday, an event hosted on the weekend of Mexican Independence aimed at celebrating LGBTQ+ people and Latin culture. The event was organized by the Latino Pride Alliance.

Being a gay man from Phoenix, an event specifically focused on Latino pride lets us see there are other people like us, Munoz said.

In Latin culture, he said, families are very tight, and no one wants to disappoint their families, so coming out and opening oneself up to rejection or judgment can be especially difficult, he said.

I wanted to give local artisans a leg up in the market, he said.

Jovy Ortega and Jimmie Munoz exhibited at the Latino Pride Festival. The two were promoting Ortega's liquor, a sotol from Mexico, and Munoz's distribution company.

One of those beverage makers, Jovy Ortega, the creator of Riablo Sotol, was a classmate of Munoz when the two were studying at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Ortega set out to create and distribute artisan sotol, a liquor from the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, and partnered with Munoz for distribution.

When Ortega was planning to start a business, he wanted to import alcohol. At the time, mezcal, another regional liquor from Mexico, was booming in popularity.

The mezcal boom was happening, and in Chihuahua, we dont have mezcal, but we do have sotol, he said. Sotol is made from a plant with the same name and has more floral notes than tequila.

Johnny Velasquez, owner of MaHeRo Designs, also works as a flight attendant and would draw while he was on flights. People started to take notice and ask to buy his work or order commissioned pieces.

He creates mixed-media art with various materials, including glass, paintings, clay sculptures and other pieces.

Velasquez, who has lived in Phoenix for the past 24 years, said hes taken more of a focus on his art in the recent years.

For him, it is nice to see events targeted at the LGBTQ+ Latino community, to show that there is representation for Latinos in the community.

Johnny Velasquez showcases his art at the Latino Pride Festival in downtown Phoenix.

'We want to make people feel welcome'

Showcasing Latino-owned businesses and LGBTQ+ organizations, and connecting community members with resources, were the goals when creating the Latino Pride Festival, Steve Gallardo, a Maricopa County Supervisor and organizer of the festival said.

In 2016, Gallardo said, there was a lot of concern about increasing cases of HIV/AIDS in communities of color, and while there are many organizations focused on promoting health and awareness, he said some communities seemed like they were left out of the conversation.

He and others wanted to create an event and community that could connect people with resources and create a family-oriented atmosphere to celebrate LGBTQ+ identities. Gallardo, who came out publicly when he was a member of the Arizona State Senate, said he wanted to let people know they are not alone  there are people who will support them.

To him, it is essential to connect with young people, like high school students who may be struggling with their identity.

We want to make people feel welcome, he said.

The 2024 festival was the fourth for the organization, which started hosting it in 2018 but took a pause for the COVID-19 pandemic. Offerings at the festival included food trucks, local vendors, health care providers, political groups and people helping attendees register to vote.

The festival featured DJs, drag performers and musicians. Gallardo said some of the performers prefer a smaller festival where why can showcase their talents than some larger venues where local performers might not get a chance or might get lost in the crowd.

We have folks that want to perform, let them showcase it, he said.

Reach the reporter at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @CorinaVanek.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Latino Pride Festival in Phoenix celebrates culture, LGBT community
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Two cars partially crashed into the Boundary Channel on Saturday, according to the DC Fire and EMS Department (DCFD).

In a post on X at 8:47 p.m., DCFD said fireboats and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) harbor units assisted the Arlington County Fire Department and the United States Park Police with a car accident on George Washington Parkway southbound, near Arlington Boulevard.

According to DCFD, two cars had partially crashed into the channel waters. However, images show one of the cars, a Jeep, submerged in the water underneath the brush.

Small plane with 3 people on board crashes off runway at BWI Airport

DCFD said crews laid booms (floating barriers) to isolate any fuel or fluid spilled.

(Courtesy: @dcfireems)

(Courtesy: @dcfireems)

(Courtesy: @dcfireems)

(Courtesy: @dcfireems)

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 DC News Now | Washington, DC.
DAVIS COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  Four days after the Rudd Creek Fire initially sparked, Utah Fire Info said crews are making impressive progress fighting the blaze.

According to officials with the U.S. Forest Service, the Rudd Creek Fire was estimated at a size of about 24 acres as of Sept. 14 and was 25% contained. The blaze was sparked by lightning on Sept. 10.

PREVIOUS STORY: Lightning sparks multiple wildfires near Farmington Canyon

An undated image of firefighters fighting the Rudd Creek Fire east of Farmington, Utah. (Courtesy: Utah Fire Info)

An undated image of firefighters fighting the Rudd Creek Fire east of Farmington, Utah. (Courtesy: Utah Fire Info)

An undated image of firefighters fighting the Rudd Creek Fire east of Farmington, Utah. (Courtesy: Utah Fire Info)

An undated image of firefighters fighting the Rudd Creek Fire east of Farmington, Utah. (Courtesy: Utah Fire Info)

For the safety of both the public and the firefighters, some closures in the area are still in effect. Specifically, the Rudd Canyon Trail, Farmington Ponds area, and a portion of Fireline Road below Rudd Creek are closed.

Crews are making impressive progress on the Rudd Creek Fire, having secured a large portion of the fire perimeter, Utah Fire Info said in a Sept. 14 update on social media.

Officials said the fire is burning at an elevation of about 6,000 feet just east of Farmington, but firefighting crews are facing challenges because of the steep terrain.

With the assistance of water drops from two helicopters, theyve effectively cooled hot spots to prevent flare-ups along the fires edge, Utah Fire Info explained.

The National Weather Service expects elevated winds through Sunday, after which a southwest flow is expected. Utah Fire Info said firefighters hope the rain  which is expected early next week  will help fight the fire.

About 80 fire personnel have been assigned to fight the Rudd Creek Fire, and crews were expected to continue their efforts to secure the fires edge on Saturday.

Utah Fire Info expressed its gratitude to Farmington City and Davis County.

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 ABC4 Utah.
School metal detectors are long overdue

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The primary way to prevent school shootings is to stop people from bringing guns into the schools. The only way to do that is to structure the buildings so students, employees and visitors must pass through a metal detector before entering the lobby.

If they can do it at Disney World, they can do it at public schools. Downtown Disney has a simple setup that efficiently processes thousands of people every day.

Yes, this would cost money, but what are the costs of the investigations, lawsuits, trials, incarcerations, and medical treatments that follow a shooting?

What is the value of a human life?

Beth Woodbury Hart, Puyallup

Democrats have failed Washington for years

Are you tired of crime, high cost of living and our transportation systems being a mess? The blame goes on the Democrats. They have had control of our state for many years and have ruined it with their high taxes and broken promises. I would like to know where all the tax dollars went that were supposed to fix roads, bridges, ferries, railroads and schools, but things have only gotten worse. Under the Democrats many businesses have closed or moved and people have lost their jobs, homes and have had a rough time getting enough food and gas. We have really good ballot measures to help push back against taxes but have been fighting to get rid of them trying to prevent us from having a say. If you want things to get better we all need to get out and vote for Republicans.

Matthew Ogard, Bremerton

Why Im supporting Keith Swank for sheriff

The choice for a new sheriff comes down to promoting the longest tenured employee of the Pierce County Sheriff Department or giving an experienced outsider a chance to shake things up. Continuing to do things the same old way will not lead to better results. We are burdened by staffing shortages, poor community service, under used facilities and rising lawlessness of all types. I am supporting Keith Swank to deliver change to the Pierce County Sheriff department. Keith is proposing to improve service not by complaining about the chronic shortage of deputies but to relieve the current deputized staff of routine work that could be delegated to well trained non-deputies. A supportive staff could fill in underserved roles as community liaisons and the vastly short staffed civil division for starters. The Sheriff Department should not be a stepping stone to a better retirement by the next senior staffer waiting for their turn.

Dan White, Fox Island
Sarah Gillis, mission specialist, steps out of the manned Polaris Dawn mission's "Dragon" capsule after it splashed down off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida on September 15, 2024. Credit - Polaris ProgramAFP via Getty Images

A billionaire spacewalker returned to Earth with his crew on Sunday, ending a five-day trip that lifted them higher than anyone has traveled since NASAs moonwalkers.

SpaceXs capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas in the predawn darkness, carrying tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, two SpaceX engineers and a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot.

They pulled off the first private spacewalk while orbiting nearly 460 miles (740 kilometers) above Earth, higher than the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope. Their spacecraft hit a peak altitude of 875 miles (1,408 kilometers) following Tuesdays liftoff.

Isaacman became only the 264th person to perform a spacewalk since the former Soviet Union scored the first in 1965, and SpaceXs Sarah Gillis the 265th. Until now, all spacewalks were done by professional astronauts.

We are mission complete, Isaacman radioed as the capsule bobbed in the water, awaiting the recovery team. Within an hour, all four were out of their spacecraft, pumping their fists with joy as they emerged onto the ship's deck.

It was the first time SpaceX aimed for a splashdown near the Dry Tortugas, a cluster of islands 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Key West. To celebrate the new location, SpaceX employees brought a big, green turtle balloon to Mission Control at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The company usually targets closer to the Florida coast, but two weeks of poor weather forecasts prompted SpaceX to look elsewhere.

During Thursday's commercial spacewalk, the Dragon capsules hatch was open barely a half-hour. Isaacman emerged only up to his waist to briefly test SpaceXs brand new spacesuit followed by Gillis, who was knee high as she flexed her arms and legs for several minutes. Gillis, a classically trained violinist, also held a performance in orbit earlier in the week.

The spacewalk lasted less than two hours, considerably shorter than those at the International Space Station. Most of that time was needed to depressurize the entire capsule and then restore the cabin air. Even SpaceX's Anna Menon and Scott Kidd Poteet, who remained strapped in, wore spacesuits.

SpaceX considers the brief exercise a starting point to test spacesuit technology for future, longer missions to Mars.

This was Isaacmans second chartered flight with SpaceX, with two more still ahead under his personally financed space exploration program named Polaris after the North Star. He paid an undisclosed sum for his first spaceflight in 2021, taking along contest winners and a pediatric cancer survivor while raising more than $250 million for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.

For the just completed so-called Polaris Dawn mission, the founder and CEO of the Shift4 credit card-processing company shared the cost with SpaceX. Isaacman wont divulge how much he spent.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Police ask for public's help to solve fatal shooting in central Phoenix in early September

Police requested the public's assistance on Friday in solving the murder of 30-year-old Paul Carrillo, who was shot in early September in central Phoenix.

About 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 5, Phoenix police responded to reports of a shooting near 21st Avenue and Indian School Road. Upon arrival, officers found Carrillo with at least one gunshot wound, according to Sgt. Rob Scherer.

Carrillo was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to Scherer.

Scherer said detectives were investigating the shooting and death of Carrillo as a homicide.

"Additional details related to this incident remain part of the ongoing investigation," Scherer said.

Anyone with information about the shooter's identity was encouraged to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish speakers. Rewards were available for information that led to an arrest.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Here's what we know about the fatal shooting of Paul Carrillo
Cambridgeshire Police closed a home in Peterborough after complaints from people living in the area [Cambridgeshire police]

Police have banned access to a house following concerns about violence, anti-social behaviour and child exploitation.

The Cambridgeshire force served a full closure order on 28 Angus Court in West Town, Peterborough after gaining permission from a court.

It said it had received complaints from the local community and partner agencies about activities at the address.

The order, which is in place until 12 December, states the property is closed to all people at all times, with the exception of emergency services and the landlords.

Failure to comply with the order is a criminal offence which could result in a fine, imprisonment for up to three months or both.

PC Olivia Ciani said the action followed complaints from people living nearby, including concerns about young people and cars being damaged.

She said: "I hope this action gives them the break they need and shows we are listening to their concerns and working hard to make the area a safe and comfortable space for them to live in."

Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Similar stories

Related internet links
A Saturday afternoon welfare check turned into an overnight standoff after a man fired at authorities in rural southwestern Minnesota.

It happened in Clarkfield, a town of about 830 in Yellow Medicine County. According to a news release from the local sheriff's office, deputies were called to conduct a welfare check on the suspect around 3:15 p.m.; however, while responding, deputies learned he had "left the city and now was in a farm field" with a rifle.

While deputies attempted to evacuate people from a neighboring home, the suspect pointed the rifle at them before fleeing into the residence, the sheriff's office says.

The Kandiyohi-Meeker-Willmar SWAT team was brought in after deputies were unable to persuade the man out of the house. According to the release, the suspect fired a "long gun" at the SWAT team, which fired back and struck the suspect in the leg.

After about eight hours on the scene, a second SWAT team relieved the first. Finally, at about 6:17 a.m. Sunday, the suspect "left the residence" and fired again at the SWAT team members, who returned fire and struck the shooter a second time.

Authorities immediately gave the man medical aid; he was then airlifted to Hennepin Healthcare where is said to be in stable condition.

No other injuries were reported. The sheriff's office has requested an investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is standard in law enforcement use-of-force cases.

Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcements latest version of events, and may be subject to change.

Pixabay
Police have released more details of the victims injured when a driver plowed into a crowd of people in downtown Minneapolis in the early hours of Saturday.

A 16-year-old girl died at Hennepin County Medical Center after she was struck by a vehicle driven by a 22-year-old woman who then fled the scene and was later arrested by police.

It followed a fight at the corner of 5th Street North and Hennepin Avenue, with the suspect allegedly getting into a vehicle following the fight, reversing along Hennepin Avenue before driving the wrong way on 5th Street North into the crowd.

Five other people were injured, with police saying among them was a 29-year-old woman who suffered life-threatening injuries.

The others injured include two 14-year-old girls, a 24-year-old man, and a 28-year-old man, all of whose injuries are not life threatening.

In a statement Saturday evening, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara decried the "senseless" incident.

There aren't words to describe how tragic and senseless it is to lose a 16-year-old female over something like this," he said.

"There were at least a dozen people in the immediate path of the vehicle as the suspect drove through the crowd. We are thankful because it's clear we could have had more fatalities, and more people injured. We will continue to investigate this incident, as senseless as it is, and try and determine what the motive for this could possibly be."
Vermont State Police are searching for witnesses to a deadly crash in Swanton.

A 26-year-old person from St. Albans was killed; investigators are withholding their name until family members can be notified. Troopers say Apples Crash Detection feature  included with iPhones and Apple Watches  notified them of a crash off of Highgate Road just before 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Police found that a car had crashed into a series of trees near Bushey Road.

The driver died before first responders arrived. No passengers were in the vehicle, and no one else was injured. VSP is asking anyone who may have been nearby in the overnight hours to call the St. Albans barracks at (802) 524-5993.

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 ABC22 & FOX44.
Police searching for 3 suspects who used counterfeit $100 bill to buy lottery tickets in Auburndale

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Officials say they are searching for three suspects who exchanged counterfeit money for lottery tickets at a Beverage Castle in Auburndale on Friday night.

According to the Auburndale Police Department, a dark gray compact 4-door Honda came in from the front drive-thru bay door at the store located at 605 Charlotte Rd. at 9:30 p.m.

Investigators say there were three unknown people in the car.

Courtesy: Auburndale Police Department

The driver's side rear passenger requested five Gold Rush Legacy lottery tickets valued at a total of $100, according to authorities. The police department says the passenger gave the store a $100 bill folded up as they were handed the tickets.

READ: Man upset about his child's suspension threatened to 'shoot up' Tampa elementary school: Police

Investigators say the store quickly noticed the counterfeit bill and as they attempted to confront the passenger, the car drove away.

One of the suspects is described as a white man with dark facial hair, prescription glasses, and tattoos on both arms and hands. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt with blue shorts.

The driver is described as a white woman with dark hair and sunglasses on top of her head. She was smoking a cigarette and was last seen wearing a black tank top.

Police say the front passenger is unknown.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Patino at 863-965-5555 or by email at Cpatino@Auburndalefl.com.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
Police still searching for leads in 4-year-old double homicide in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Columbus police and Central Ohio Crime Stoppers are searching for suspects wanted in a 4-year-old homicide that occurred on the West Side.

On Sept. 19, 2020, officers responded to reports of a shooting around 3 p.m. at the intersection of Sullivant Avenue and South Wheatland Avenue in the Hilltop. Police found a woman bleeding from her face from a gunshot wound and were advised that there were two other victims inside a residence nearby.

Officers discovered two people, Lionel Adams, 60, and Candace Carr, 41, had been shot and killed inside a home in the 500 block of South Wheatland Avenue. Their bodies were found in separate rooms. The other woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition and expected to recover.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Police were unable to determine a motive, name any suspects, or collect enough evidence to determine a motive for the shooting.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the arrest and/or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this crime. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrime.org and e-mail your tip.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
The Vatican is facing questions over its handling of sexual abuse allegations involving the French priest who founded the Emmaus charity.

For the first time, Pope Francis has addressed the scandal that rocked France after seven women accused the late Abbe Pierre  often hailed as a modern-day saint  of sexual abuse, in a report published this summer.

During an in-flight press conference on his return from Asia, the Pope admitted that the Vatican was aware of allegations that Abbe Pierre was a sexual predator.

The pontiff called the founder of the anti-poverty charity Emmaus a terrible sinner.

What did the Vatican know about Abbe Pierre? I dont know, because I wasnt there at the time, said Pope Francis, who was elected in 2013.

What is certain is that after his death, we knew.

Abbe Pierres humanitarian legacy hid behind a dark past with allegations of sexual abuse - MYCHELE DANIAU/AFP

Abbe Pierre died in 2007 at the age of 94.

During his lifetime, the priest was a beloved national hero and venerated as one of Frances holiest do-gooders and defenders of the poor.

The former resistance fighter and member of parliament topped a popular annual newspaper ranking of Frances favourite people 17 times.

In 2004, he received the countrys highest honour, Le Grand Croix de lOrdre de la Legion dHonneur.

But his legacy of humanitarian work hid a dark past, which Pope Francis said must be condemned.

Pope Francis said: Hes a man who did so much good, but hes also a sinner.

We have to speak clearly about these things, and not hide them. Abuse is, in my judgement, something demonic, because every type of abuse destroys the dignity of the person.

Not trustworthy

Francois Devaux, who founded an association for victims of church paedophiles, had harsh words for the Pope, saying he ignored at least a dozen attempts to reach out to him about incidents of sexual abuse in the church.

Mr Devaux told French news channel France Info: I believe he is not trustworthy. We sent twelve letters to the Pope, at least two of which were hand-delivered to him, and he has never responded to any of our letters.

It is time for us to turn our backs on this institution.

Following the findings of the July report commissioned by Emmaus France, Emmaus International and the Abbe Pierre Foundation, another 17 women came forward earlier this month with accusations ranging from forced kisses, unsolicited touching and forced fellatio, to sexual penetration with an adult woman and sexual contact with a child.

The youngest victim was eight years old at the time.

The victims included Emmaus volunteers, hotel or hospital staff, people he met at public events and members of Abbe Pierres close family.

Growing allegations

One woman reported that she was forced to watch the priest masturbate and then forced to perform fellatio on him in her Paris apartment in 1989.

She also claimed he whipped her with a belt and that he expressed a desire to have a threesome with her and another woman.

Another woman claimed Abbe Pierre touched her breasts, forcibly kissed her with his tongue and asked about the colour of her underpants when she was eight years old.

The alleged incidents took place from the 1950s to 2005 and span France, Morocco, Switzerland and the US. The latest testimonies bring the total number of victims to 24.

In reaction to the Popes comments, the French Bishops Conference pledged to open their archives to researchers.

But Mr Devaux also described the Popes comments calling for a full investigation, as insincere doublespeak.

If the Church were no longer afraid of transparency, it would not open the archives on Abbe Pierre alone, but on all the facts of sexual assault, he said.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Pope Francis expressed his closeness Sunday to relatives of six Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza earlier this month, saying he had met the mother of one of them.

The six were among about 251 hostages taken from southern Israel during Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack, which triggered the ongoing war.

Of them, 97 hostages are still held in the Gaza Strip, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

"I think of the Middle East. So many innocent victims. I think of the mothers who have lost sons to war. How many young lives cut short," Francis said at the end of the Angelus prayer.

"I think of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, found dead in early September with five other hostages in Gaza.

"In November last year, I met his mother, Rachel, whose humanity struck me. I accompany her at this time. I pray for the victims and continue to be close to all the families of the hostages," he added.

Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American national, was 23 when he was abducted from a music festival.

He sent his mother Rachel a text message saying "I love you" followed by another saying "I'm sorry".

A Hamas video from the day showed him being loaded onto a pick-up truck with part of his left arm missing. It had been blown off in the attack.

"Let the conflict in Palestine and Israel cease. Let the violence cease. Let the hatred cease. Let the hostages be released. Let negotiations continue. And may solutions for peace be found," Francis said.

Hamas's October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Israel's offensive has killed at least 40,738 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN rights office says most of the dead are women and children.

The fighting has devastated Gaza, repeatedly displaced most of its 2.4 million people and triggered a humanitarian crisis.

ide/rox
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY)  Looking for some fun fall activities? Stop by Poplar Island Pumpkins, which had its opening day on Saturday!

The location can be found just outside of Fairmont and offers hay rides, a corn maze, a rotating roster of vendors and a pumpkin patch, as well as its new Cryptid Haunted Trail.

Maddy Thompson, the niece of the owner Leslie Delapas, explained that her aunt painted the artwork of the Cryptids along the trail. Thompson remembers when she first saw the trail. I was just like, This is going to be awesome once its all done. And it is, it looks really good.

Limited tickets to see West Virginias only elk herd now on sale

Frankie Delapas, who helps run Poplar Island with his mother Leslie, explained that the farm has been in the family for generations. We always saw an opportunity to give back to the community, and we just want to offer pumpkins.

This is Poplar Islands third season and it will be open every Friday and Saturday until the end of October until 10 p.m. If you stop by and happen to have extra cleaning or pet supplies, be sure to bring them as the location will be collecting donations for Pet Helpers and the Marion County Humane Society all season.

Kids 10 and under can enjoy the activities for $10, while those over 10 can participate for $12. More information on Poplar Island Pumpkins can be found on its Facebook.

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 WBOY.com.
Popular fitness influencer in ICU after being shot during attempted robbery in Los Angeles

The victim of an attempted armed robbery in the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air has been identified as a popular fitness influencer.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the incident occurred at 4:20 p.m. Friday in the 11400 block of Thurston Circle.

Four men approached the victim and demanded property, LAPD Officer Terzes confirmed to KTLA. One of the suspects produced a handgun and fired at the victim, striking him multiple times.

The exact property that the suspects demanded was not immediately known, Officer Terzes noted.

Inland Empire man shoots and kills sister, police say

After the shooting, the four suspects fled the scene in a vehicle; LAPD was unable to provide descriptions of the four or their getaway car, but they did confirm the shooting was not gang related.

A social media post indicates the victim is Miguel Angel Aguilar, the President of Self Made Training Facility, a chain of fitness centers that serves athletes and personal trainers while also providing the latter group with mentorship and resources to maximize their incomes in the industry.

In the post, Self Made Training Facility stated that Miguel was involved in a serious incident on Saturday.

He sustained a gunshot injury and is currently fighting bravely in the intensive care unit, the post read in part.

Aguilar was described in the post as a beloved individual whose strength, leadership, accomplishments and resilience have inspired many. The post received more than 2,000 comments in less than a day from trainers, athletes and even the Temecula Fire Department.

3 dead, 2 hurt after violent 4-car crash in San Bernardino

His Instagram bio indicates he is a father of two girls and has been sober for nine years. His wife, Priscilla Valles, is a celebrity hair extentionist.

KTLA 5s Gene Kang interviewed a man who was working by himself at a construction site across the street; he said that he ran out to help upon hearing gunshots and screaming.

I heard the gunshots, but I thought they were firecrackers since they werent too loud, Jose Moreno said. But then I heard screams, and I looked out the window and saw four guys get in a car and take off.

In addition to having 26 locations across the country  including 20 in California  Self Made Training Facility also sells apparel, supplements, equipment and their own bottled water.

Most of the Golden State locations are here in SoCal; among the 20, only two  Elk Grove and Folsom  are not.

Multiple Self Made Training Facility locations can be found in other states, including Arizona (Gilbert, Phoenix and Scottsdale); Florida (Orange County and Orlando) and Texas (Dallas and Fort Worth).

There are also Self Made Training Facility locations in Las Vegas, Columbus, Ohio and Richmond, Virginia.

Sofia Pop Perez contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
What is populism and how is it touching down in Utah?

(Illustration by Alex Cochran for Utah News Dispatch)

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

It was a standout moment after a bitter Republican primary in the race for Utahs next governor.

In a scrum with reporters after election night results showed hed won handily over his Republican challenger Rep. Phil Lyman, incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox bristled when reporters asked him how attacks from the right impacted him during campaign season.

I want to be clear. Those attacks dont come from the right. Populism is not the right. Populism is not conservatism, Cox said. This is something different.

Lymans primary campaign  now continuing on as a longshot write-in candidate after refusing to accept the primary loss and even a failed attempt to contest the election  largely employs an attack strategy against Cox, painting him as corrupt or out of touch with regular Utahns while accusing him of not being a true conservative.

Cox, who is now competing against Democratic candidate Rep. Brian King and a host of other third-party candidates in a red state that has elected a Republican governor for the past four decades, argued his GOP opponents strategy was not true conservatism.

There is nothing conservative about tearing other people down. There is nothing conservative about destroying the institutions that make us great. There is nothing conservative about treating our fellow Americans with contempt, Cox said. I challenge the notion that we arent the most conservative team in this race. We arent the most populist team, thats for sure. But we are the most conservative team in this race.

There was that term again  populist.

In response to Coxs victory speech, Lyman later posted a 34-minute video on YouTube in which he critiqued Coxs remarks and continued to cast doubt on the election and Coxs qualification via signature gathering. He called Cox a little weasel and criticized the governor for warning against the destruction of trust in institutions and fellow Americans.

Because we all know in America that we better trust the government, Lyman said sarcastically. What could possibly go wrong.

In the video, Lyman didnt address Coxs characterization of his campaign as populist  though he chuckled when Cox took issue with the characterization of attacks from the right.

Somebody struck a nerve, Lyman said, smiling.

It was an illustrative moment of not just a deepening divide within the Republican party, but of the state of politics as a whole in Utah as well as the rest of the nation. Utahs Republican primary was a testing ground for MAGA-style politics in a state thats taken longer than others to come around to Donald Trump  as well as a stage where populist rhetoric reared its head far more than it has in the past in this state.

Coxs victory speech was perhaps the first time hed publicly called it out by name. Lyman, in his video, didnt dispute the label  but he also hasnt fully embraced it. He has run as a Republican, not a populist (though technically hes now an unaffiliated write-in candidate for the remainder of the governors race).

So this begs the question: What is populism? And is it taking root in Utah?

People walk through the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the last night of the legislative session, Friday, March 1, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

What is populism?

Utahs own Brigham Young University has a professor who teaches comparative politics and who co-authored a book about populism, its trends around the world, and the evidence that it played a notable role in Trumps 2016 campaign rhetoric. He also directs Team Populism, a global scholarly network that studies populisms causes and consequences.

In an interview with Utah News Dispatch, Kirk Hawkins explained what populism is  and how to identify it. He said doing so can be tricky because its more of a frame or a political world view rather than a set of specific policy stances. Thats why, he said, populism can appear on both the left and right. For example, he pointed to Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders as having espoused populist rhetoric, and so has Trump

It frames (issues) as part of a struggle between the will of the common people and an evil, conspiring elite, Hawkins said. So what makes something populist is really the way they talk about the issues.

Populism, he said, has been around as long as democracy, though its more apparent in countries in Latin America, where corruption can run deep. If you have a belief in ordinary people deserving to vote and to decide what their government does, he said that comes along with democratic ideals  but populism begins to surface when the political rhetoric stokes a good-versus-evil or Manichaen worldview.

What makes populism special and a little problematic, is that its really kind of a paranoid and extreme form of (politics). Because youre starting to think of your opponents as enemies, as part of some diabolical conspiracy against you.

 Kirk Hawkins, Brigham Young University professor

Populism has cropped up throughout the U.S.s history. There was an actual Populist Party in the 1890s, when William Jennings Bryan ran as a Democratic presidential candidate. At the time, populism surged as the U.S. entered an industrial era, and railroads and banks grew in power. That, along with mechanization in the industrial sector threatened American farmers financial stability  and movements to protect farmers interests helped give rise to the Peoples Party, or the Populist Party.

Compared to other countries, however, the U.S. has not seen as high levels of populism as other countries, even today.

Whatever the populist tenor of the moment is, Hawkins said, you have to understand its not new. But it does come and go. And there are moments we have when its really strong and we have candidates that are speaking it, and its kind of crazy and scary. And then there are other times when nobodys talking that way, so it ebbs and flows.

So what are some factors that cause populism to ebb and flow?

Hawkins pointed to other countries like Ecuador, Venezuela, or even European countries like Italy or Spain recently, where you tend to see more of it. And what we see is that populism resonates with people when they see problems around them  policy failures  they can point to as intentional decisions of their politicians as having created that situation.

What really stokes it, though, Hawkins said, is when there is a lot of corruption in the government.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Though the U.S. ranks low compared to other countries when it comes to corruption, there has been a simmering perception of corruption thats played a part in the countrys politics in recent years. More specifically though, Hawkins said there appears to be two big things pushing populism here, and they both relate to globalization  or how trade and technology has increased connections throughout the world.

Theres an economic side of that, and theres a cultural side of that, Hawkins said. On the economic side when people lose their jobs because factories are getting off-shored to places like Mexico or China or Southeast Asia, theyre going to look around and say, Hey, why is my government not only not helping me with the transition and the problems this is causing, but it looks like their trade policies created it. So Im going to get really angry at them about this.

Frustrations over cultural globalization, Hawkins said, can happen when people who have a perhaps more traditional set of views feel attacked for harboring more conservative stances  such as on LGBTQ+ issues  that can lead them to feel like a more progressive government is working against them.

If I feel like my politicians are saying, Well, youre just a crazy bigot, and were just going to implement these policies that make you feel threatened and violate your sense of what a good community is about, and were going to make fun of you if you oppose those policies, Hawkins said, that can give rise to populist attitudes.

Trumps populist patterns

In 2016, Trumps presidential campaign took advantage of these simmering frustrations and rode the wave into the White House in a way his opponents and pundits didnt see coming.

It was rhetoric that America hadnt really seen in more than a century, Hawkins said. Notably, he said Trumps populism was a little harder to pin down, mostly because its inconsistent. However, he said Trump used its framing most consistently in prepared speeches.

In their book, Hawkins and co-author Levente Littvays introduction includes an exchange from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodwards book, titled Fear: Trump in the White House, between Trump and his then political strategist, Steve Bannon:

I love that. Thats what I am, Trump said, a popularist. He mangled the words.

No no, Bannon said. Its populist.

Yeah, yeah, Trump insisted. A popularist.

The exchange  and the evidence that Trump scored higher for populist rhetoric when he gave prepared speeches, according to Hawkins and Littvays research  indicates Trump was perhaps not as intentionally populist as some members of his campaign were.

Closer analysis of this inconsistency reveals a great deal about his likely sincerity, and we think the picture here partially  but not entirely  confirms the suspicions of his critics who see his populism as incomplete or insincere, Hawkins and Littvay wrote. Our educated guess is that variability in Trumps populism is the product of his speechwriters.

They continued: The fact that his debate scores are low, and that his scores tended more upward after he adopted a new campaign team in May 2016, suggests that Trump himself is not all that populist, and hence receives low scores when speaking extemporaneously. When Trump gives prepared remarks, his speechwriters help fill the gaps of his populist discourse, and he receives higher scores.

However, this does not mean we should write off Trump as an insincere populist, Hawkins and Littvay added. The more accurate label is a half populist. While his off-the-cuff speeches may often lack people-centric references, anti-elite messages are present throughout. They also noted he has always seemed to embrace anti establishment rhetoric, often criticizing elites  Washington, liberals, the global financial establishment  in all his texts.

Trump in his earlier speeches, however, was less likely to mention the American people or describe them as protagonists of their political system. Instead, Trump tended to refer to himself and his team as the ones who would save America and make it great again.

Hawkins and Littvay note in their book, though, that the U.S. in 2016 was not experiencing extremely high levels of populism, and Trump and other candidates were only moderately populist in absolute terms.

While some voters felt enough resentment to fuel a populist uprising, these feelings were not widespread enough to make Americans abandon the Constitution or call for a complete end to the traditional party system.

Is populism hitting home in Utah?

By looking at the tone and tenor of Utahs Republican primary this year, the answer is likely yes, in some ways. Its likely touching down in the same way its been simmering across the U.S., but perhaps not as clearly as other countries. Just like how Trumps populism is erratic, so were Utahs candidates who appeared to mirror his style.

Utahs GOP primary clearly tested Trumps influence in Utah. With Coxs win, it showed many Utahns still balk at brash, MAGA-style rhetoric, but it also showed Republican divides are deepening, with party members that tend to resonate more with populist rhetoric.

Take the governors race for example. While Hawkins noted he hasnt scientifically measured Lymans speeches, he said from what hes observed, I would bet good money that Lyman has been using a fair amount of populist rhetoric.

A cursory scroll of Lymans social media reveals populist themes. Exposing government corruption and bringing light and truth to politics, his bio says on X. The page often uses the hashtag #UtahCorruption, and paints him as a candidate going after Utahs establishment or elite.

Lyman has focused a major crux of his campaign on his failed attempts to challenge Coxs signature gathering qualification for the primary ballot (one of two legal paths to Utahs ballot). Lyman qualified for the GOP primary by winning 67.5% at the Utah Republican Partys state nominating convention  and hes spent much of his campaign catering to Republicans who favor the caucus-convention system and who have long detested the signature gathering path allowed under SB54, a law passed in 2014.

In contrast, Hawkins said researchers have coded Coxs past speeches and he ranks very low for populism. Cox, as part of his role serving as chair of the National Governors Association, even spearheaded a campaign dubbed Disagree Better that attempted to combat populist rhetoric.

He never speaks like that. He takes strong conservative positions, but he tries to be nice about it. He doesnt demonize his opponents, Hawkins said. And Lyman was clearly demonizing his opponents throughout this process. Did he also accompany that with a lot of talk about the will of the people of Utah? I think he did a few times.

That may be a result of candidates here in Utah who resonate with Trump and therefore mimic his style  and it could also be a result of candidates who resonate with populist or populist-leaning worldviews.

Utah Rep. Phil Lyman speaks as he debates with incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox during Utahs gubernatorial GOP primary debate held at the Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (Pool photo by Isaac Hale/Deseret News)

Hawkins said populist rhetoric may be resonating in Utah  perhaps with many of the 45.6% or 194,639 Republicans who voted for Lyman in the primary  as frustrations with cultural globalization. Utah is a deeply conservative state with religion baked into its history and identity, and as the U.S. has progressively embraced LGBTQ+ rights, for example, its troubled conservatives. They may see the LGBTQ+ movement as something that goes against everything they believe in and something that threatens their way of life, Hawkins said.

Then if they see a candidate like Cox who seems to kind of soft pedal it and say, Well, we need to achieve compromises with our friends in the LGBTQ community, we have issues in common, we need to work on those issues, we need to avoid demonizing other people, they would look at that and say, Whose side are you on? Hawkins said. It scares them, it unnerves them.

Whether or not populism and populist rhetoric gains even more traction in the U.S. and Utah is still a lingering question, though it could depend on the results of the 2024 presidential election in November.

Hawkins said he would have thought after Trumps 2020 loss that Republicans may have realized you cant win an election if you keep doing this. But no, he said. Theyve dug in the heels.

But if history tells us anything, its that populist movements fizzle out after a while, Hawkins said. Thats either because the leaders of the movement arent successful and end up pushed aside, or because they come to power and then they just dont do a good job of governing and the people reject them.

How historical populist movements have threatened democracy

Hawkins and Littvay wrote in their book that in general, scholars and pundits often assume populism is bad for all kinds of political and economic outcomes, and some also argue that populism (ironically) leads to corruption.

They note that the evidence of these effects is scanty, but comparative research has clear findings that populism can indeed impact democratic institutions that protect minority rights and prevent tyranny while still ensuring popular participation.

Populist candidates can provide a wake-up call to traditional politicians that reshapes the public agenda and increases political participation, Hawkins and Littvay wrote. However, once in power, populists tend to erode checks and balances, curtail civil liberties, and undermine the fairness of electoral competition.

It can get bad, Hawkins said, pointing to countries like Venezuela or Turkey where populist government leaders have entrenched themselves, thinking theyre the only ones who deserve to run the country and they use that as justification just to get rid of democracy.

Populism also results in polarization, Hawkins said, with rhetoric that can tear communities apart. Here in Utah, and the U.S., polarization is certainly apparent, especially online, but in real life it hasnt taken root to a point where its vastly disrupting daily life.

I dont think most people are really captured by a populist rhetoric. I dont think thats where they are, he said. As polarized as we are, I dont think its as deep as bad as it could be. There a lot of people in the middle.

Thats what Hawkins said gives me hope  though he said Americans and Utahns need to be careful with populism and its polarization.

So where do we go from here?

Yes, populist movements tend to fizzle out, he said. But whats struck me about our current moment is that, thats not whats happening, he said.

I dont see it fizzling out. If it didnt after 2020, what happens now in 2024? he said. If Trump loses again, does anybody sort of step back and learn a lesson? I havent seen that happening yet.  I think the puzzle for us really is still a puzzle. Its still an unknown whether this is going to go away like past populist moments have.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  As Portland leaders consider proposals for new and renovated performing arts venues in different parts of the city, many are left asking: What kind of venue does the city really need?

Well, it depends on who you ask. Over the past few months, Portland has become the center of several big proposals for new concert and performance venues.

Inverted-Y design approved for Burnside Bridge replacement despite public opinion

Just saying, Great. Were going to build a venue. Oh, were going to build another venue. Were going- I think thinking strategically and holistically about What does Portland want to be from a performance perspective? is a piece thats lacking, Music Portland executive director Meara McLoughlin said.

Among these proposals is a city-mandated compromise in the works between the Halprin Landscape Conservancy, which wants to renovate the historic Keller Auditorium, and Portland State University, which wants to build a brand new venue on its campus a few blocks away.

Local concert promoter Monqui Presents also has a proposal for a 4,200-seat concert venue at Lloyd Center in the old Nordstrom space.

Meanwhile, national concert juggernaut Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, wants to build a new 3,500-seat venue on land owned by the citys development arm, Prosper Portland, within the citys inner east side just north of the Hawthorne Bridge.

Many local musicians are concerned about Live Nations migration into Portland as the company faces a lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly killing competition.

They actively predate (sic) on local independent businesses. They close local venues. They put local artists into exclusivity contracts, said Jamie Dunphy, a board member with Music Portland and a candidate for City Council. And in every major city that theyve [bought] into in the last decade, the independent music industry suffers.

Weak and short La Nina coming: How it will impact Oregons winter

This weeks segment of Eye on Northwest Politics was joined by the developers in charge of the proposed Live Nation site: Beam Construction Co-Founder Jonathan Malsin and Andrew Colas of the Colas Development Group.

Malsin and Colas recognize that Portland already has a lot of indoor and outdoor concert venues, but said many residents and city leaders agree it needs something bigger.

Weve been working with Live Nation for two years to develop a really exciting venue program, Malsin said. Live Nation has deep experience booking acts and talent in the city of Portland. They have a local presence, and they have a great track record. Their commitment to local development firms is really powerful and allows us to move a catalytic project forward.

River otter attacks child, mother in rare Washington marina encounter

Although the Monqui proposal at the Lloyd Center is similar to that of Live Nations, Colas said Live Nation is expected to have the most state-of-the-art music venue of this size of its class in the state of Oregon.

Theres nothing like it in this region, Colas said. What its going to do, its going to bring acts  both local, international and throughout the United States  to this region, and people are going to be able to go there and enjoy music.

The venues development depends on the approval of Portland City Council, which is being challenged by Music Portland, but Colas said the team remains optimistic.

Were confident that we have done everything that we need to do to get this project approved, Colas said. Well look forward to presenting to the Portland City Council and, hopefully, getting into the next step of developing this project.

Watch the full interview in the video above.

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 KOIN.com.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Back in June, Portland became the last major city to begin using body cameras, but it wasnt until Tuesday, Sept. 9 that one of those videos was released to the public.

The video was of an incident on Aug. 24, when police shot and wounded 52-year-old Robert D. Seeger, whom they said had been armed with a handgun, a knife, and a hammer.

When to expect fall foliage in the Pacific Northwest in 2024

However, not all of the footage was released pending the ongoing investigation into the incident.

It really does provide a perspective, but its only one perspective, PPB Chief Bob Day said. None of it is meant to be the whole story.

The Portland Police Association represents sworn police officers in the city and is one of the most powerful unions in the state. It often weighs in on issues of public safety  which can mean wading into the political realm.

Sgt. Aaron Schmautz, president of the PPA, has joined Eye on Northwest Politics several times, but returned this week to share the perspective of body cameras for cops on the street.

The benefit of being the last [city to roll out body cameras] is you see where other people have been successful and had struggles, Schmautz said. Im a big fan of transparency and around our country, youve seen people have information and it doent get released quickly. I think its really important for the public to see as quickly as possible.

Weak and short La Nina coming: How it will impact Oregons winter

But body cameras are not the only topic the PPA currently faces. For instance, a U.S. district judge recently approved a tentative plan for a new Community Board for Police Oversight, which was approved by the voters in 2020. However, its not expected to take effect until 2025.

Sgt. Schmautz said he thinks the plan, in regards mitigating police misconduct, could be concerning because it is less of an accountability system and more of a political mechanism.

Accountability matters. It matters that we have community oversight and that the community has some say, Schmautz said. The way this court hearing went I think kind of highlighted our greatest concern, which is that politics can push their way into an accountability system in such a way that it puts its thumb on the scale.

River otter attacks child, mother in rare Washington marina encounter

The PPA also recently released endorsements for the upcoming November election in Portland, after which the city will shift to a completely new form of government. Among their endorsements was mayoral candidate and current Portland City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez.

Schmautz said the union chose Gonzalez over the 15 other possible candidates  including fellow city commissioners Mingus Mapps and Carmen Rubio  because the PPA is focused on a holistic approach to public safety.

We want to make sure that who our electeds [sic] are understand the necessity for public safety and the role law enforcement plays, he said.

Watch the full interview in the video above.

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 KOIN.com.
Labours plans for a data centre building blitz are being put at risk by a power supply crunch at Britains biggest hub.

The electricity grid in the west London cluster, home to the biggest collection of data centres outside of the US, is at full capacity and unable to connect any more sites.

The tech industry now faces a wait of several years until new capacity can be added in the area, with the National Grid still waiting for planning permission to build a new electricity substation.

Fourteen data centre projects are on hold until the extra capacity can be added, the operator has said.

The Government has made relaxing planning rules for data centres a key part of its plans to boost growth and investment as well as embracing technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Last week, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, cheered an 8bn commitment from Amazons cloud computing arm to invest in Britain.

The Government also said it would categorise data centres as critical national infrastructure, meaning they would receive the same protections as energy and water systems.

Angela Rayner, the Housing Secretary, has also reopened two rejected data centre planning applications.

However, data centres have raised concerns over their impact on the grid, especially in dense urban areas.

The property development Segro is understood to be auctioning access to the final site that can currently connect a data centre to the grid in the Slough Availability Zone.

The area is the densest cluster of data centres outside of Ashburn in the US state of Virginia, and is prized because of high speed telecoms connections to Europe and the US.

It is being bidded on by every operator under the sun, including us, said an executive at one data centre.

National Grid has applied for planning permission to build a new substation in the area. Planning documents for the facility say that the existing substation in the area cannot be expanded.

It says that the grid has several signed customer connections associated primarily with data centres but that its existing substation does not have capacity to connect any of the new customers and cannot be expanded.

National Grids website showed that it originally hoped to receive planning permission from Buckinghamshire Council in the spring and that the substation would become operational in late 2027. However, the company is still waiting for approval meaning that the facility, situated in Londons green belt, is unlikely to come online until 2028 at the earliest.

A spokesman said National Grid did not have an updated timetable for the substation and that the company was awaiting planning permission.

Data centre demand has exploded in recent years amid the rise of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, which is extremely energy intensive and has led to concerns about its impact on the grid and the environment.

Google was recently blocked from opening a data centre in Ireland amid fears it would put pressure on the electricity grid. Microsoft is building a gas plant to power one of its data centres there, while Meta has secured permission to use diesel generators at one of its sites.

Tech companies have increasingly looked outside of the West London cluster to build data centres. Microsoft last week secured planning permission to open a data centre on the site of a decommissioned power station in Eggborough, in North Yorkshire.

Last week, a company called DC01 said it had submitted plans for a 3.8bn data centre in Hertfordshire, where Google is also building a 1bn facility. However, concerns have also been raised that investment will go to other European hubs such as Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam.

The National Grid has said that the power used by data centres could grow sixfold in the next decade. The company said it was also improving transmission infrastructure to accommodate electricity demand.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was contacted for comment.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
A physicians assistant in New York City says a trendy bicoastal medspa has been operating under the supervision of an Instagram-famous plastic surgeon whose license remains suspended for malpractice, and claims she was fired after refusing orders to inject a patients face with an unapproved chemotherapy drug being used as a Botox alternative.

Instead of responding to Michelle Abramovs concerns, her supervisor at GoodSkin Clinics shifted the discussion to [her] physical appearance, complaining that she did not wear make-up and stat[ing] that she had bad energy, according to a million-dollar whistleblower lawsuit obtained by The Independent.

A week later, Abramov was deemed a bad fit, and summarily terminated, the lawsuit alleges.

GoodSkin, which is based in Los Angeles, describes itself as [d]riven by innovation, says it is steeped in a holistic European methodology. The medspa offers clients what it calls The Untouched Look, a descriptor trademarked by founder Lisa Goodman, a physician assistant who has been featured in W magazine and The New York Times , and in 2020 battled Kim Kardashian in court over an allegedly similar-looking product GoodSkin was hawking at the time.

GoodSkins signature Untouched Look has the ability to provide lift while retaining contour during expression, which is one of the many reasons why many VIP clients turn to us for their red carpet needs, the chainlet says in its marketing materials.

Goodman did not respond to emails or texts on Saturday, and sent phone inquiries to voicemail. Abramovs attorneys did not return messages seeking comment.

Abramov, also a physician assistant, took a position working for GoodSkins East 4th Street Manhattan location in January 2024, according to her lawsuit, which was filed this week in New York State Supreme Court. The suit says her duties included performing certain skin care procedures, such as injecting fillers and Botox, which state law requires a licensed physician to supervise.

Should an unskilled or untrained individual perform such procedures, this can cause permanent and substantial damage to the clients/patients, the lawsuit goes on.

On May 10, some five months after Abramov took the job at GoodSkin, Goodman  who the lawsuit points out is not a licensed physician  requested that Ms. Abramov inject off-label 5-FU into a clients undereye area, according to the suit.

Abramov refused to do so as she had never done so before, the procedure had significant risks and she did not believe that the drug had not been approved for such use, the suit continues, adding, 5- FU (Fluorouracil) is a chemotherapy drug used to treat cancer and has not been approved for the uses which Goodskin uses it.

However, the client was duly placed on Abramovs schedule for the 5-FU injection, which she once again said she would not do, the lawsuit states.

Digging further into the situation, Abramov demanded to review the practices malpractice policy and soon became aware that Goodskin was in fact treating clients without a qualified physician to supervise the work, according to the suit.

The supervising physician during Abramovs time working at GoodSkin was medical director Leif Rogers, according to the suit. Rogers, who is listed on the clinics website as Dr. Leif Roger, is not currently eligible to practice medicine in the State of New York and has not been so since May 30, 2022, contends the lawsuit, which lists GoodSkin and Goodman as defendants, but not Rogers himself.

According to licensing and disciplinary records, the New York State Department of Health in May 2022 found Rogers, who once gained some notoriety for having implanted wings in the back of a man attempting to transform himself into a Human Ken doll, guilty of professional misconduct over a botched surgery and barred him from practicing medicine for three years.

A year earlier, the State of California revoked Rogers license after bungling a liposuction treatment that allegedly left his patient unable to move her legs. Ultimately, the revocation was stayed and Rogers was placed on a strict five-year term of professional probation that mandated he attend ongoing retraining courses, pass a competency review, and have his work monitored at all times by a physician with a license in good standing. (Rogers, the self-proclaimed  King of Renuva , did not respond to The Independents requests for comment.)

Immediately following such discovery, Ms. Abramov expressed concerns to her immediate supervisor about the lack of such supervising physician, as Dr. Rogers license had been suspended, Abramovs lawsuit says.

Abramovs supervisor retorted that Dr. Rogers license was not suspended, but rather, under review, according to the suit. It says thats when the supervisor launched into a tirade against Abramovs looks and claimed her energy was bad, firing her on May 21.

On information and belief, Lisa Goodman, as owner of Goodskin directed the termination of Plaintiff because of Plaintiffs raising compliance concerns, the lawsuit states.

Abramov was entitled to whistleblower protection under New York State Labor Law, but was instead let go without severance, the suit alleges.

As a result of GoodSkins actions, Plaintiff was unlawfully treated, humiliated, degraded, victimized, embarrassed, and emotionally distressed, the suit argues, saying Abramov has lost income and other job opportunities as a result. Further, it states, she has experienced severe emotional and physical distress due to GoodSkins malicious, willful, [and] outrageous conduct.

Abramov is demanding at least $1 million in compensatory and punitive damages. GoodSkin has not yet filed a formal response to the allegations.
Only now are the full consequences of Labours imposition of VAT on school fees becoming clear. The impact is being felt especially acutely by the Armed Forces. Service families depend heavily on boarding schools, for various well-known practical reasons.

However, the Governments tax raid on private education ignores the military ramifications of the politics of envy.

As is already clear from the failure to carry out an impact assessment for the removal of the winter fuel allowance from pensioners, this Government seems heedless of the damage done by policies driven by ideology. Evidently none of those responsible for its vindictive tax on education made provision for children with special educational needs, let alone for military families. It is difficult not to conclude that they just didnt care enough.

The Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) to which parents in the Services are entitled does not cover the full cost of boarding school fees. Such parents are already expected to find up to 17,000 a year per child from their own resources.

A 20 per cent increase in fees may be unaffordable for military families living on comparatively modest salaries. While independent schools are doing their best to absorb the VAT hike, it is inevitable that some officers will be forced to leave the Armed Forces.

This is a hammer blow to morale at a time when the Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force are facing serious challenges in recruitment and retention. Ensuring stability for families, especially with children of school age, is one of the few ways in which the strains of life in uniform can be mitigated.

A side-effect of penalising those who educate their children privately will be to undermine the ability of our Armed Forces to attract and keep the best possible leadership material. In a dangerous world, this is sheer folly.

Under the Scrooge-like grip of Rachel Reeves, the Treasury is unlikely to countenance an exemption from the new VAT rate for military families. The least the Ministry of Defence should do is to raise the long-frozen CEA. The brave men and women who serve our country deserve no less.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Back around when worms wriggled out of saltwater and into freshwater, they experienced a cataclysmic rearrangement of their genetic material.

This event ripped once functioning genes asunder, including some of those involved in critical cell division processes, leaving earthworms, leeches, and their other clitellate relatives with the most scrambled genomes known.

"Everything broke and then rearranged completely randomly," Rosa Fernandez, from Spain's Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF), told Christie Wilcox at Science. "I made my team repeat the analysis a thousand times."

Three groups of researchers have now independently reached this same conclusion, upending a long held assumption that there's a certain level of genetic stability required for animal species to avoid extinction.

Clitellates include predatory land worms like the leech pictured, freshwater leeches, and earthworms. (demarfa/Canva)

Evolutionary biologist Carlos Vargas-Chavez, also from CSIC-UPF, and colleagues discovered gene loss is about 25 percent higher in the line of worms that became clitellata, compared to their other relatives.

They suspect the worm's genomes scrambled in response to shifts into new habitats, but have yet to determine which came first, the worm's ventures into freshwater and land or their genes' adventures into new positions in their genetic molecules (chromosomes).

"While the timing of this genomic rearrangement remains unclear, we argue that the genomic hallmarks observed in clitellates are highly unlikely to have arisen via rearrangements over time," the researchers explain in their paper.

Instead, the patterns Vargas-Chavez and team observed suggest a "single cellular catastrophe" that essentially shattered a worm's genome across a short time period. They suggest drastic changes in environmental conditions, including sudden exposure to more oxygen or radiation, could trigger this.

The authors liken the worms' staggering genomic changes to processes identified in cancer cells.

Most bilaterians, animals like us that have a mirror image left and right side, were thought to have highly conserved sections of chromosomes. This stability is vital for properly aligning the two strands of DNA that form them, when they're pulled apart and then paired off with one strand from each parent during reproduction.

Genomes from sponges to monkeys have these long ribbons of genes that stay together in a specific order across distantly related species, conserved for hundreds of millions of years.

These ribbons may move around to some extent, but their sequences within these sections remain relatively intact. But not in leeches and earthworms.

"Overall, the ancient bilaterian genome architecture has been completely lost within the clitellates," a second team, led by evolutionary genomicist Thomas Lewin from Taiwan's Biodiversity Research Center, found.

Lewin's team is investigating how such unexpectedly drastic changes in chromosomes have shaped animal evolution.

"Cases of genome structure conservation are exceptionally rare," Lewin and colleagues explain in another study, arguing that, in contrast to previous assumptions they are "the exception rather than the rule".

But while massive genetic reconfigurations may be more common than previously thought, they do come with risks as anticipated. A third team examined the genomes of 2,291 species across all major animal clades, finding drastic chromosomal changes can be associated with major extinction events.

Luckily for us, earthworms survived their genetic cataclysm, as they play a vital role in keeping soils healthy for plants to grow. (baianliang/Canva)

"One outstanding question is how this profound genome reshaping event did not result in extinction," write Vargas-Chavez and colleagues.

They found ancestral marine worm genomes do not seem to be organized in compartments, and so are "much more floppy" than in other animals.

This "may have resulted in a high resilience to the deep genome reshaping occurring after chromosome scrambling," the team concludes. It also suggests such dramatic genetic rearrangements are likely to be ongoing in these species.

This research is available on preprint server bioRxiv, along with two related papers, and another has been published in Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Related News
Prosecutors want six-year jail term for Italys deputy PM over blockade of migrant ship

The 147 migrants had been rescued by Open Arms, the Spanish non-profit human rights organisation - AP/Olmo Calvo

Italian prosecutors have requested a six-year prison sentence for Matteo Salvini, Italys deputy prime minister, for prohibiting rescued migrants from disembarking in an Italian port.

During closing arguments in Palermo, prosecutors argued that Mr Salvini was trying to promote and position himself during a political crisis when he knowingly broke Italian law and international conventions by blocking the migrants from landing.

Six years in prison for having blocked arrivals and defended Italy and Italians? It is madness, responded Mr Salvini, who was not present in court. Defending Italy is not a crime.

The 147 migrants, including 32 minors, had been rescued from rubber dinghies crossing the Mediterranean from Libya by a ship operated by Open Arms, the Spanish non-profit human rights organisation.

As interior minister at the time, Mr Salvini refused to assign a port of safety for the migrants to disembark, even when asked by Giuseppe Conte, then prime minister, whose Five-Star Movement was in a coalition with Mr Salvinis League party.

Prosecutors ordered the ships seizure and evacuation, and later charged Mr Salvini with kidnapping and refusal to execute acts of office. The first trial of a three-stage judicial process is expected to finish this year.

Matteo Salvini: Defending Italy is not a crime - AP/Antonio Calanni

The high-profile 2019 incident off the island of Lampedusa drew international criticism. Richard Gere, Hollywood actor, broke off his Tuscan holiday to fly to Sicily and be ferried out to the ship, where he distributed aid and spoke with traumatised refugees.

Mr Gere later offered to testify about the scene on board, with migrants physical and mental well-being becoming critical as sanitary conditions deteriorated, including an outbreak of scabies.

Between human rights and the protection of state sovereignty, it is human rights that must prevail in our fortunately democratic system, Geri Ferrara, prosecutor, said in his summing up.

Marine Le Pen, French Right-wing leader and Elon Musk, Tesla chief executive, offered support on social media for Mr Salvini, now infrastructure minister in Giorgia Melonis Right-wing coalition government.

Ms Meloni also criticised prosecutors, calling it incredible that a minister of the Italian Republic risks six years in prison for doing his job defending the nations borders.

Ms Meloni is scheduled for talks in Rome on Monday with Sir Keir Starmer, who has expressed interest in learning how the Italian government has tackled illegal immigration through financial deals with northern African nations and an asylum processing scheme offshore in Albania.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Publix spends $67M to buy two west county shopping plazas where it's the anchor store

ROYAL PALM BEACH  Publix Super Markets is continuing to make big investments in Palm Beach County's western communities. It isn't merely opening grocery stores. Now it's buying shopping plazas.

The Lakeland-based chain spent a combined $67 million to purchase Crestwood Plaza in Royal Palm Beach and Woods Walk Plaza near Wellington. Its grocery stores are anchors in both shopping centers.

Will store makeovers follow, similar to those shoppers have seen in Wellington, Westlake and The Crossroads shopping center in Royal Palm Beach? Not at the present time, said Lindsey Willis, a Publix spokesperson.

The two shopping plazas are among seven in South Florida that Publix purchased this month for a combined $223 million. That's in line with the overall mission of Florida's signature retail chain, a Florida International University professor said.

"Publix is really a real estate company that sells groceries," said Suzanne Hollander, an attorney teaching real estate law at FIU.

How west county is growing: Luxury developments bring 'Palm Beach' to once-rural region

Publix is anchor store in two west Palm Beach County plazas it has bought

Publix Super Markets has invested in growing and revamping its presence in western Palm Beach County in recent years, as witnessed by its new stores and its renovated ones. In Westlake, it is building a commercial plaza next to one where it opened the city's first grocery store last year.

The Lakeland-based grocer paid $21 million for the Crestwood Plaza, a 78,000-square-foot shopping center on the northeast corner of Southern and Crestwood boulevards. Besides the 51,400 square-feet Publix outlet, other tenants include a Goodwill Donation Center, a Carvel ice cream shop and a Duffy's Sports Grill.

The grocer also bought for $46 million the Woods Walk Plaza, on the northeast corner of Lake Worth Road and State Road 7. The 88,000 square-foot shopping center features two single-story buildings and is anchored by a slightly smaller Publix of 48,000 square feet and 23 other storefronts that include a RE/MAX Realty office, Brooklyn Water Bagels and Supercuts.

In 2022, Publix also purchased for $56 million the Greenacres River Bridge Centre at Forest Hill Boulevard and Jog Road.

A pickleball 'destination': This Palm Beach County city makes a big bet on the sports' popularity

Grocery store shopping centers thriving post-pandemic, professor says

View of Publix market at Wood Walk Plaza Friday September 13, 2024 in Wellington. Publix is in advance plans to buy the plaza.

Hollander said buying commercial plazas is part of Publix's real estate strategy that allows it to operate its stores rent-free and gives it the power to select its surrounding tenants, all while receiving rent from their leases.

Unlike most traditional shopping malls that are devaluating and struggling to regain foot traffic since the COVID-19 pandemic, shopping plazas anchored by grocery stores are thriving, Hollander said.

She believes Publix's continued real estate investments further solidify the trend of grocer-anchored shopping centers growing in value.

"Those are magnets. People come there every day," Hollander said. "They're going there for their shopping, but they're also coming there for the social experience."

How Westlake is growing: National chains are discovering Palm Beach County's newest city

She added that the Lakeland-based grocer has also made it a focus of the customer's experience by adding services, such as pharmacies, cafes and bakeries as well as online shopping options.

Hollander said Publix has built its real estate portfolio with commercial plazas in South Florida where there is a growing trend to build mixed-use projects that add residences.

"They're really meeting the customer wherever the customer wants to be: in their neighborhood," Holland said. "And that adds value to those neighboring properties and homes."

Sign up for our Post on Wellington weekly newsletter, delivered every Thursday!

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Palm Springs and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

View of Wood Walk Plaza signage Friday September 13, 2024 in Wellington. Publix is in advance plans to buy the plaza.

View of Crestwood Plaza Friday September 13, 2024 in Royal Palm Beach. Publix is in advance plans to buy the plaza.

View of Wood Walk Plaza Friday September 13, 2024 in Wellington. Publix is in advance plans to buy the plaza.

View of Crestwood Plaza signage Friday September 13, 2024 in Royal Palm Beach. Publix is in advance plans to buy the plaza.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Publix buys two Palm Beach County shopping plazas for $67 million
Some were separated from their families during the journey. Others were forced onto buses without knowing their destination. Many more witnessed death firsthand  the bodies of children and adults scattered along perilous routes to the U.S. border.

Of the roughly 200,000 migrants who have arrived in New York City since March 2022, about a third are school aged children. Late spring tallies estimate at least 36,000 have enrolled in the citys public school system.

But experts serving them say the sanctuary citys approach to housing and by extension school placement  which includes new 28- and 60-day shelter limits for some families  is haphazard at best, threatening the safety and stability of children.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

We deal with trauma all the time. We work in homelessness, but what we are experiencing is a whole other level, said Henry Love, vice president of policy and strategy for Women in Need, the largest family shelter provider in New York City and the nation.

WIN is operating several migrant-specific shelters throughout the city, predominantly converted hotels.

Love, who holds a doctorate in developmental psychology, explained migrant children are experiencing compounding traumas: violence or instability in their home countries, death and uncertainty during the journey to the U.S., and housing instability in the city. They are still in survival mode, and many are experiencing PTSD while attempting to find normalcy in schools.

Were not putting the resources into these kids for them to be able to grow and develop in the best way possible, said Love.  Weve been in this for two years, were going to continue to be in emergency mode. At some point, we have to think about whats happening for these kids long term.

Related

Scenes From a NYC School Serving 267 Migrant Children

In conversation with The 74, Love discusses what migrant youth are experiencing in the city today and the failures of the systems serving them, while cautioning against the creation of a separate housing system for migrants.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Thinking about this particular population of newcomers, whats top of mind for you right now?

The kids. I feel like thats been the issue from the onset of this. Im a former educator, I used to teach elementary school. Just knowing what these kids have gone through, and how young so many of them are, and how critical this age is in their development  the majority of the young people that we have who are asylum seekers are under the age of 6 or 7.

My barber, whos from Venezuela, came with his son. Hes 56, telling me the story: Seeing a baby get his head smashed in and dying. Seeing dead bodies on the way up through the Darien Gap. All this stuff. What does that do to a six year old?

This is what Ive heard from every single parent that I have talked to about what theyve gone through to get their kids and their families here. Theres base level trauma of what caused them to leave wherever in the first place. And then theres the trauma on the journey. And then theres a trauma at the border. And then theres the trauma being shipped to New York. And then theres the trauma of being homeless here.

On top of that, now for no reason besides to harass people, [New York City] is gonna do the 60 day eviction rule? Theres no words for just how cruel that is. What does this mean, for a population that specifically needs to be stabilized more than any other population, and were doing one of the things that is the most destabilizing?

How have you seen eviction orders play out?

I feel like its purposely complicated.

Basically, for the purpose of this conversation, well say theres two systems. Agencies that fall under the jurisdiction of the city are having shelters open up underneath them, like Housing Preservation and Development, Emergency Management.

Then theres the Health and Hospitals system  unique because its a quasi-gov agency. Because of that, the right to shelter doesnt apply the same way to them as they do to the rest of the city agencies. [The 60-day rule is under effect for families with children staying in NYC Health and Hospitals shelters and several others.] Thats also why we think that the Mayor is trying to get people into these places.

Most families are in facilities that dont have a 60 day order, but what we are experiencing is horrible. What the city has been doing is sending all of the families out of Department of Homeless Services tier two shelters, which is mostly what we run and specialize in, and into migrant facilities. They are mostly hotels.

Its short notice. Weve had buses just pull up like get on and were like, what? Whats happening?

Same day eviction sort of thing?

Its a same-day eviction. We were like, we need notification. What  you want 30-40 families? We push back on that.

There was also another incident where we got notified within 24 hours. We communicated to the families at this particular [Brooklyn] site. When we first opened this shelter in that space a few years ago, there was so much pushback from community members against the opening of a homeless shelter. Eventually what happened was like some of the community members did a petition and they allowed us to open it. After that, there was a much better relationship with the school.

All that to say that when we had an influx of folks coming into our sites, particularly asylum seekers, all of them went to this one elementary school. Their PTA has just loved all these families. When they heard about this [move] notification, they were like, what the hell? They organized a protest  Its been beautiful to witness.

Theres limited things that we can do. We cant tell them no, we cant stop them. We say, we cant force you all to get on the buses, but eventually DHS police will come. And thatll be really ugly. I dont have words to describe sitting down with the PTA moms who were asylum seekers  theyre begging me to not transfer them.

One of the women took her phone out and had this really heartbreaking story from her 11 year old who was at school and was texting her, Mommy, Im afraid to come home, the police could be there. That is what these folks are experiencing during this.

Im seeing that transferring regularly  from our facilities to another which doesnt have the 60 day rule. But forced transfers like that, that are all of a sudden, are very inhumane. I cant even fathom whats happening for those kids. And some of them are having to do this every 60 days.

Thank you for sharing those stories. You mentioned this was happening pretty regularly, sometimes 30 to 40 families at once. How and when were you able to successfully push back?

I guess [we were sometimes successful] in terms of delaying, but ultimately, the citys argument is, were transferring to the migrant facilities because were gonna provide better services. We know thats just not true. Its unequivocally untrue.

We opened up a migrant facility, took it over from the city. They had minimal services. They didnt have anyone that spoke Spanish on staff. Once we put our staff in who spoke Spanish  we only hired people that did  there was a line out the door.

Theyre like, oh, were providing legal services. No, theyre not. Oh, were providing food. Ive never seen more disgusting food in my life, and I have seen prison foods and all kinds of stuff.

Again, this is in the migrant facilities specifically?

This is in the DHS migrant hotels where most of the families are, but there are still some families in the Health and Hospitals sites. Those are the big ones like Floyd Bennet Field [in southern Brooklyn]. Floyd Bennett is not a place where a child should ever be. Its semi-congregate, its unsafe.

We saw what happened when there was that bad storm a few months ago. Everybody at the last minute was forced to evacuate and sleep on the floor in the gym of some high school down the street.

Are there loopholes youve been seeing used to move families in other shelters?

No, because of the court mandate [of the right to shelter]. But my concern based on how the city is moving is that theyre trying to create two separate and unequal systems.

Every time theyre separate, theyre always unequal because theyre not resourced the same way. This is our history in this country. Their justification is that theyre providing specialized X Y and Z [in migrant shelters], which is the same thing they said for segregated schools in the South.

I think that they will eventually try to ask the courts and the powers that be to apply the 60 day rule to DHS migrant facilities. They havent done that yet.

Its murky. This has always been my question to them, OK, so when does somebody become a New Yorker? Is it two years? A lot of these folks have timed out and are undocumented. Do all of our undocumented families have to go through this system too? Is it 10 years? When do they get to use the New Yorker system?

What have you been hearing and seeing about their needs that you feel like is being ignored right now?

The kids and the trauma  I feel like no ones talking about the kids at a very basic level in all of this. This is arguably one of the biggest issues of the presidential election, and no one is talking about the fact that the majority of these folks are families with kids.

We deal with trauma all the time. We work in homelessness, but what we are experiencing is a whole other level. Were not putting the resources into these kids for them to be able to grow and develop in the best way possible.

Like I said, theyve seen violence where they came from, which is often what made them leave  then they come here and its complete destabilization and chaos. The only rationale for the 60 day rule is to harass people, make them not want to come to New York.

Some Im imagining are experiencing PTSD in your care as well. How are they finding support?

The moms to me was a highlight  how theyre helping families navigate all this, advocating. Yes, I feel some kind of way that Im getting screamed at by this group of angry Park Slope moms. But at the same time, its a beautiful thing that these women are out here all day fighting for each other.

We had a group of kids that went to Central Park and a couple of them freaked out. Im like, why?

Because it reminded them of the jungle.

So for us as an organization, weve been thinking about trauma informed care. What does that look like for kids that have arguably been through some of the most intense trauma on earth?

How we think about our colors, how were interacting with folks, language access. Particularly in our migrant facility in the Bronx, we tried to be able to connect folks into the community. Part of the reason we took the shelter was because of where it was located  we knew we were gonna get lots of people who were gonna be Spanish speaking and this is a Spanish-speaking neighborhood. Just being intentional, because I think so much of what has happened in the past two years has been completely unintentional.

Its in emergency mode. But weve been in this for two years, were going to continue to be in emergency mode. At some point, we have to think about whats happening for these kids long term.

Most places havent really opened Pandoras Box because they havent had the language access, particularly for mental health services. And if they did it all this stuff would come up. Whats happening is that its not, and honestly, in the first six months to year, people are still in shock. But now its coming out. It manifests in these really weird and interesting ways.

Were talking tens and tens of thousands of the kids that need very specialized support. They may not be able to express it in our language, they may not be getting the services that they need and, or their parents may not know or be familiar with how to navigate our systems.

[During forced transfers] the way families were interpreting it is that we were kicking them out and that they had to go back to wherever they came from. Theres just like this overall lack of understanding of all these systems and a perpetual state of terror. I cant even fathom it.

I get my haircut, and [my barber] is speaking to me in English the whole time. I was like, how long have you been here? Five months. Im like, youre fluent. How did you do that? I want to learn English, I want to be here, I want to work. We have not given folks the resources they need to be able to do that.

The wait time for work permits is also exorbitantly long. Can you share about the work that families have been able to find?

Honestly, I havent heard very many people who are recent arrivals, who came after March 2022, who have work authorization and can legally work.

People mostly are working out the books. Everybodys working. And they have to, to survive.

More so for the men is delivery, which has been interesting. There might be someone who has a Doordash account and he might rent his out to like two or three other people. It may look like hes doing 12 or 20 hour shifts, but hes actually doing like, maybe a five hour shift. If you go to any of the migrant facilities, theres just tons and tons of scooters and motorbikes because thats what they do.

For the women, Ive heard a whole host of different things like cleaning. The folks who are vending on the streets and so forth  weve seen that skyrocket, because folks have very limited options.

People find a way, working manual or dangerous jobs that are often exploited.

Weve seen that. We do legal clinics and help them with asylum applications and there was one woman who didnt show up because she was like, I will lose my job. My boss said I would lose my job. Were like, well, you need to come here so you can legally work. They feel, but if I do, I might not have a job at all. They dangle [employment] over their heads.

Often, theyll say, oh, Im gonna pay you next week. And then they dont pay the next week.

Everywhere you turn in New York, you see and feel this population. Recently a 14 year old who was selling fruit with her mother was assaulted by a NYC Parks cop; NYPD have also been cracking down on street vending at large.

Its a cultural thing. People are here and theyre used to doing certain things maybe in Honduras or Sudan and they cant do that here with their kids.

Specifically in shelters, like not being able to leave your 17 year old child at home. You cant leave anyone in the shelter alone under the age of 18. Theres a lot of these situations where its like, if Im a mom and Im struggling and I have my four year old that has to be with me and I cant afford daycare, hes gonna come with me and were gonna sell candy. [That cultural difference] is putting them in really precarious situations.

And then Mayor Adamss administration  were passing out flyers about, dont have your kids street vending. As if that was going to make people stop.

Thats a piece to this conversation, too, that I think people have not thought a lot about. [Families] may have been in a situation where theyve never been under surveillance now theyre under hyper surveillance. Their movement restricted.

For a lot of them, schools become the most stable place in their new lives. Our prior reporting showed some of the relationships jeopardized by the 60 day eviction rule and forced transfers. Can you talk a bit about whether youve seen families successfully enroll and stay in a given school?

My barber was just showing pictures of his son at school, how he was so excited to go learn and have friends, be social and play. It allows them to escape. The one thing that [the city] could not do is to mess up the kids schooling. At least let the kids go to school.

In your experience working with these various city agencies, what has concerned you the most?

They are still thinking the way they did about this in August of 2022. Advocates and everyone had warned them about all this years prior. People knew this was coming.

Its not Governor Abbott  I mean he exacerbated it  but it wasnt just him. This has been happening for a decade, but people have chosen not to pay attention to it.

The thing that keeps me up at night is the election and Trumps immigration plan. Now we have created these systems where basically were going to have tens of thousands of kids [like DHS migrant facilities]. Will immigration buses show up and detain people? What does a mass deportation look like? Thats the thing that worries me the most  what are they thinking, are they planning for this?

The other thing is the way that Adamss administration has gone about advocating for support from the federal government and the state has been deplorable. We need more resources, we need more support. But [their support] has been haphazard, and they are not thinking about this long term. People are in mass migration around the world thats not about to stop any time soon. Its just an utter disregard for reality.

One last question  the youth that were in Central Park and were triggered when reminded of the journey here, what happened that day? How are they?

I dont know what the rest of the story was. I heard about it because at our migrant facility, we created a program called LEAD, which is legal empowerment and assistance for displaced families. We provide legal support but also social emotional services. The director has tons of stories.

The asylum process is horrible. Its the least trauma-informed thing ever  basically tell me about the most messed up thing thats ever happened to you in detail. We had many people breaking down. We were very mindful of who it was happening to, making sure that they were followed up with a clinical social worker to get some support. How do we make sure they have someone with them that they feel can support them? How do we make sure that if theyre couples that we break them up [to talk] because there might be domestic violence? Making sure they have food, making sure they have childcare so the kids arent hearing some of the stuff that may have caused them to leave.

This is all a work in progress and for us, were trying to learn what a longer term model looks like to support families that are going through this level of trauma.

When I was talking to one mom, I was like, look, my hands are really tight. The best thing that you can do is tell your stories. People need to hear this. People need to see the pain, they need to see what youre going through.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Hundreds of runners are lacing up their shoes to honor the life of Rachel Ortman.

She was part of a large running group in town called Sioux Falls Women Run. Running was a big part of her life, Rachels husband Derrick Ortman said.

Rachel is the mother of three children. She passed away in February 2022 from pancreatic cancer, but her light-hearted and optimistic personality is still felt my many.

After she passed away, a couple of the ladies from Sioux Falls Women Run and I chatted about maybe doing something to honor her. We talked about doing like a small 5K. That was where the idea started, Rachels mom Lana Hilgemann said.

Now, the Rachels Race non-profit offers monetary gifts for other families who have lost a parent. Money raised from events like Saturdays go towards that funding. Three families received gifts the morning of the 5K.

SF woman competing for flyweight world title

We just want families to know that we see them, Hilgemann said. Were here for them. Every little bit that we can do and just let them know that were in their corner because we understand.

Before the race, Rachels husband highlighted two phrases that went in hand with the non-profits mission and Rachels legacy: #lovebetter and #milestogo.

If you went through a mile in life, that wasnt what you expected, whether it was good or whether it was bad, you always had the next one coming. And you can change up your strategy, Derrick Ortman said. You can make the next one better. You can work harder. You can do whatever you need to do. And you keep doing that mile after mile until you hit the ultimate finish line.

Shortly after Rachel passed, her running group installed a bench in her honor. Saturday mornings 5K course at Family Park passes that bench, leaving many participants feeling touched by her presence.

A group of us have come every year to remember our amazing friend Rachel, who we grew up with together. Its a really special day for her, Diana Huepenbecker said. Its more about being together and having fun and celebrating a wonderful life and a beautiful person.

It gets to be pretty humbling to see how many people are willing to take time out of their day and come support us, support these families and support the cause, Derrick Ortman said.

This was the third year for the event. A kids dash and a mile and a half walk were also available for participants.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
Conversations between Angela Rayner and Jonathan Reynolds about the length of probation are understood to have been intense - Simon Walker / Deputy Prime Minister's Office

Angela Rayner is facing opposition from the Business Secretary over plans to hand workers full employment rights from day one in a job, amid a growing backlash from bosses.

Whitehall sources said Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds were in disagreement over how far reforms should go, amid concerns that far-reaching changes could put companies off hiring and damage growth.

The disagreement is understood to centre around how probation periods will work under the new system.

Ms Rayner is understood to be pushing to hand staff full-employment rights from day one following a short probation period, including the right to take companies to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal. At the moment, people must be employed for at least two years to qualify for this right.

Mr Reynolds is said to favour shortening the qualification period for full employment rights but still requiring a probation period of almost a year.

Day one rights is proving very difficult, a Whitehall source said. Angela is less keen on a longer probation period, Reynolds thinks nine months is reasonable. Its unclear if an agreement will be reached.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is said to favour reducing probationary periods for new workers to nine months - HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

Conversations about how probationary periods will work under the new system are understood to have been intense, as the frontbenchers try to iron out their differences within Labours first 100 days in government. The self-imposed deadline for employment reform in practice gives them only a fortnight to agree.

A Labour source stressed that the two ministers were close friends and their disagreement was not acrimonious. They are MPs for neighbouring constituencies and have been jointly meeting business leaders to discuss their plans.

Businesses fear the changes as proposed will effectively amount to an axing of probation, which bosses view as crucial for allowing them to properly assess new recruits.

The division follows discontent among some cabinet members over the decision to scrap the winter fuel allowance. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, said he was not remotely happy about the policy.

Labour promised in its manifesto to overhaul workers rights to include basic individual rights from day one for all workers, ending the current arbitrary system that leaves workers waiting up to two years to access basic rights of protection against unfair dismissal, parental leave and sick pay.

The proposals are part of a package meant to strengthen workers rights and make work pay. The reforms are being spearheaded by Ms Rayner.

Other measures designed to boost employee rights also include ending zero-hour contracts, banning fire and rehire practices and increasing the minimum wage. Ministers also want to strengthen workers right to request flexible working and hand them the power to ask for a four-day week.

Ms Rayner and Mr Reynolds have held a series of joint meetings with chief executives, unions and lobby groups meant to reassure them and explain the extent of the reforms and how they will work.

However, executives have repeatedly voiced their concerns. A survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) of its members, which include AstraZeneca, Drax and PwC, found 62pc believed Britain was becoming a less attractive place to do business and invest. Looming jobs market reforms were the most common reason given.

An economic confidence index produced by the Institute of Directors (IoD), which is sometimes nicknamed the bosses union, plunged from a three-year high of +7 in July to -12 in August. The IoD cited newsflow in recent weeks on employment rights as one of the reasons for the slump.

Business leaders are concerned that the proposals as they stand would trigger a wave of costly and time consuming unfair dismissal claims.

This will be a crunch week for discussions about the reforms as the Government gets closer to unveiling its employment rights bill next month. Ministers have promised to put forward the bill within the first 100 days of entering office.

Sources said it was unclear if an agreement on day one workers rights will be reached in time for the bill, with fears in Whitehall that vague plans will really worry people.

Everyone is trying to get to an agreement so that they can consult on something quite clear, a Whitehall source said.

Getting [Chancellor] Rachel Reeves, Jonathan [Reynolds] and Angela [Rayner] in the same place will be the point at which we can close it off.

A government spokesman said: Our number one priority is economic growth and wealth creation which is why our plan for better workers rights is designed to help people into secure work and lead to a more productive workforce.

This is why we are working in close partnership with business and civil society to find the balance between improving workers rights while supporting the brilliant businesses that pay peoples wages.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
It was just past noon on Sept. 7 when Dolores Niebergall and her team of backpackers came to an opening in the trees and saw a large column of smoke, billowing high above the forest and directly in their path.

That was the moment we knew, OK, this is real, said Niebergall, 63, of Beaverton, as the group prepared to evacuate the Three Sisters Wilderness among what ended up being multiple lightning-ignited wildfires.

Their story, of camping through a lightning storm and using satellite technically to escape multiple infernos, is an increasingly relevant tale as wildfires grow faster and more often in Oregon's popular backcountry.

Dolores Niebergall, Sanjana Sachdeva and Emily Swensen were backpacking in the Three Sisters Wilderness when the Linton Creek Fire ignited and spread, forcing them to escape via a different route.

A plan for backpacking, repose and stewardship

The plan was for a backpacking trip that was part relaxation and part stewardship.

Niebergall and two friends, Sanjana Sachdeva and Emily Swensen, both in their 50s, of Portland, planned to backpack five days while cleaning trash and human waste.

They're volunteers for Willamette National Forest through the Cascade Volunteers and had "adopted" Reese, Eileen and Husband lakes, a trio of alpine pools near McKenzie Pass on the west side of the Sisters Wilderness. Those who put in enough hours can earn a free pass to enter the wilderness without a permit the next year.

We had a very leisurely plan, just five to six miles per day, where wed camp and clean up the lakes, said Niebergall, who has backpacked for decades across the Northwest. I was really looking forward to it. Because of health issues and injuries, Ive had to cancel so many backpacking trips this summer. I didnt want to cancel this one.

From left, Emily Swensen, Sanjana Sachdeva and Dolores Nibergall at the beginning of what they had planned to be a 5-day backpacking trip while picking up trash and clearing human waste.

They checked the weather in advance. The forecast was sunny and hot, with a 20% chance of thunderstorms.

We planned for (rain), but didnt think it would be a big deal, Niebergall said.

Eventually a red flag warning was issued for high fire danger, but lightning hadn't originally been a big part of the forecast.

That changed in a hurry.

Thunder rolls in the Three Sisters Wilderness

Dolores Niebergall at the Obsidian Trail, just before heading into the Three Sisters Wilderness.

The group started from Obsidian Trailhead on Sept. 5 and hiked through forest, lava fields and below the towering volcanoes of North and Middle Sister before making camp the first night. They took a leisurely breakfast Friday morning and headed south on the Pacific Crest Trail, headed toward their first adopted lake  Reese Lake.

The weather was hot, the second of a record-setting two-day heatwave in Oregon, but the sky was clear with thin clouds floating above the mountains.

Niebergall recalled a wonderful start to the trip. Great conversations, great views, good coffee and a few snatched huckleberries, she wrote in a social media post.

The group arrived at Reese Lake in the afternoon, but found their first choice for a campsite taken so took extra time in finding a site, located in a circle of trees that were about the same height.

That's when the sky clouded over.

As we set up camp, the thunder started and then the lightning, and we got inside our tents, Niebergall said. We just had to wait it out. The sky really lit up and the lightning was very close, flashing every four seconds, then three seconds, and one second. The storm would seem to roll away and then circle back. Its the longest storm that Ive been in. I wouldnt say we were scared, we just wanted to stay out of it.

We did need to filter water but decided specifically to stay away from the lake.

That was a good move, according to the National Park Services guidance on backcountry lightning risk management.

The agencys map and guide lists places such as ridgetops, lakes and near lone high trees as the least safe places in a lightning storm. In contrast, among trees of similar sizes is listed as the least objectionable alternative.

This graphic, from the National Park Service, shows the best and worst places to be in a lightning storm.

Eventually the storm passed and the group filtered water, made dinner and went to sleep.

Smoke in the night, trash cleanup in the morning

At 2:30 a.m., Niebergall woke up to the smell of thick smoke. It was concentrated and powerful, she said, but they werent sure if it was coming from a new fire start or one of the existing fires in the Central Cascades that perked up with the hot weather.

The trio knew they couldn't leave in the darkness of the night but they did make a plan for potentially evacuating the next day before going back to sleep.

The next morning, Saturday, was clear and beautiful, with little trace of smoke and only slightly hazy skies. Even so, the group used their Garmin Inreach  a satellite messaging system  to text friends at home and check for new wildfires starts near their location.

One of their friends mentioned a hot spot near Linton Creek, a short distance away, but no fires had been reported. The group decided to focus on their task: cleaning up around the lake.

There wasnt a ton of trash  two of our team had actually been there recently. It was more of a human waste issue that we had to take care of, Niebergall said.

Smoke column in the distance

The plan for the next two days was to backpack into Husband and Eileen lakes, camp at one and then work on cleaning them both. And also find time to relax.

The group set off north of Reese Lake, toward the Foley Ridge Trail, when they saw something that at first might have been clouds. Or maybe just a little smoke mixing with clouds.

The beginning of a smoke column, which eventually became the Linton Creek Fire, above the forest seen from the PCT north of Reese Lake.

Then they went up a rise in the trail and there was no mistaking it: a large smoke column rising in the north. The newly-ignited wildfire, which would become the Linton Creek Fire, appeared to be blocking the route to their destination and back to their car.

It was clear we were going to have to abandon our plan and get out, Niebergall said.

But which way to go?

North or south?

Once their situation became clear, the group activated the SOS feature on their Garmin Inreach and were able to maintain text communications with two friends, Lisa Holmes and Jennifer McDaniel, who were connected to two of their devices.

The hikers learned that in addition to the smoke column in the north, there also were fires to the south.

It was a little tricky because we got conflicting information. The dispatch we reached on the SOS recommended going north (toward the plume) because there were multiple fires in the south. They couldnt guarantee our safety (if we went south), Niebergall said. "But we were the ones on the ground and had to make the decision."

With the help of their friends at home, who stayed glued to their computer checking the status of the fires, the three decided to head south instead. The largest southern fires in that area appeared farther away, close to Mount Bachelor and Lava Lake and not in their path.

A view of Linton Creek Fire.

The route north appeared steep and smoky. The route south appeared clearer and with more trail options to navigate around small fires in the area.

Our friends helped us navigate the safest routes, Sachdeva said in a Facebook post. They did not move from their computers or phones and kept all family members updated.

Like a war zone

The team ultimately decided to shoot for Devils Lake Trailhead, just off the Cascade Lakes Highway outside Bend.

The sky clouded with an increasing blanket of smoke while another round of thunderstorms brought the sound of artillery blasts in the sky.

The adrenaline kept us going through the heat and smoke, with eerie-looking skies and thunderstorms adding to the chaotic situation, Sachdeva wrote. It felt like we were in a war zone. We were all surrounded by (numerous) fires in the area.

The group focused on their route.

During the entire process we needed to remain calm," Niebergall wrote. "Calm people survive. We needed clear mental ability to observe, assess, plan, communicate and think. Not easy, but we did it. Digging deep into each of our own centers.

The group made two stops to filter water and one to eat, to keep up their strength.

We are not trail runners, nor are any of us in prime of youth, Niebergall said. I cant deny there was some fear and anxiety. But that adrenaline kept us moving forward.

Dolores Niebergall, Sanjana Sachdeva and Emily Swensen were backpacking in the Three Sisters Wilderness when the Linton Creek Fire ignited and spread, forcing them to escape via a different route.

They were eventually connected with Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center. They were told a a van of search and rescue members would pick them up the team at the Devils Lake Trailhead. If they didnt see the hikers, theyd climb up the trail and start looking for them.

We thought that might be a bit much since we were not injured. But with the fires blowing up, I think they just wanted to get as many people out of there as they could, Niebergall said.

After roughly 12 miles of hiking, the group reached Devils Lake Trailhead just before search and rescue officials arrived to give them a ride back to their car.

There was a ranger at the trailhead and it felt good to see him," Niebergall said. "When he saw us, he asked if we were going in or leaving. And I said, Oh, were leaving.

Search and rescue praises group, shows rapid spread of fire

Danni Harris of Eugene Mountain Rescue, who was evacuating hikers around the Linton Creek Fire the same day, praised the group for their quick thinking amid a fast-spreading fire.

"Looks like you did a great job of making solid choices and taking care of your group," Harris said on social media.

Harris posted two photos that showed how fast the fire was spreading Sept. 7.

The first one, taken earlier in the day, showed the smoke column.

Danni Harris, with Eugene Mountain Rescue, took this photo earlier in the day on Sept. 7, when the Linton Creek Fire had begun to spread in the Three Sisters Wilderness.

The second, taken just an hour and a half later, show the fire looking far larger, illustrating the rapid rate of its spread and the danger is posed to hikers and backpackers in the area.

Danni Harris, with Eugene Mountain Rescue, took this photo showing the Linton Creek Fire far larger than just an hour and a half earlier on Sept. 7 in the Three Sisters Wilderness.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Breanne Schnell said Linn and Lane County search and rescue teams helped sweep the wilderness on closed trails near the fire.

The Willamette National Forest is very grateful for the coordination and swift action with Linn County and Lane County Search and Rescue and California Team 13 for keeping people safe.

Lessons learned

Niebergall said the incident has prompted her to research more into the best places to shelter during lightning storms and the smartest ways to navigate out in an emergency situation.

In a Facebook post, she shared research that shes come across including:

National Park Service: Backcountry lightning risk management

Study: Backcountry Lightning Risk Management

Backpack magazine: Everything Hikers Know About Lightning Safety is Wrong

PCT Association: How to react to wildfires

Self-reflection: positive

Niebergall took away a few key lessons.

On the positive side, she noted the importance of carrying a reliable satellite messaging device.No individual or group of individuals should go out into the wilderness without at least one device, she wrote.

She also noted the group planned ahead, downloaded maps, checked weather forecasts and carried gear for variable weather. "We all carried battery banks to recharge our phones and headlamps and Garmins, if needed," she added

The team stopped to observe and assess, Niebergall said, evaluated the situation and abilities, used technology and available resources, made plans and carried them out.

Things she would do differently

Niebergall said she forgot to carry a paper map, relying instead on the maps on her phone. A paper map would have made it easier to get the big picture rather than constantly scrolling on phones.

Niebergall said she forgot to update the automatic message on her Garmin before leaving home. "This lets my contacts at home know my exact plans and who I am with. I did use tracking options and had my husband and one family tracking us with Earthmate/Garmin. I always do this," she said.

As group leader, "I did not research or know anything about the status of the trails to our west such as Foley Ridge and Separation trials," she said. "We had not planned to be on those trails, but in hindsight that would have been wise (to know their conditions)."

Closures in place for much of Three Sisters Wilderness

The U.S. Forest Service issued a sweeping closure of the McKenzie River and Pass area due to the Linton Creek, Boulder Creek and other wildfires in the region. That includes much of the Three Sisters Wilderness.

Statement on how to respond during a wildfire in the backcountry

In terms of getting out of the wilderness, USFS added: People should hike away from the fire and once you are in a safe spot with cell service, call 9-1-1. If you see other people on the trail, let them know of the situation so that they can turn around. A reminder for visitors to check conditions before they head out to remote areas including wilderness, and to the extent possible, continue to check information sources while they are out there to stay aware of any changing conditions.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon and Hiking Southern Oregon. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon backpackers escape multiple wildfires in Three Sisters
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  A recently divorced man was convicted of First-Degree Burglary and Simple Domestic Violence Thursday after assaulting his ex-wife.

Corey Herman, 44, was found guilty Thursday of First-Degree Burglary and Simple Assault Domestic Violence. Herman refused to leave his ex-wifes house when asked and assaulted her. The two had been divorced just 19 days before the incident took place.

The victim called 911 and a deputy responded to the residence. The deputy testified that he had to force entry into the home, where Herman had barricaded himself in a room with the victim.

Fire in Aberdeen home quickly extinguished

Herman was eventually arrested after being tased after presenting himself as a danger to both the victim and officers.

The victim shared her story with the jury, who subsequently convicted Herman on both counts.

Leaving an abusive relationship is incredibly difficult, and victims face many barriersphysical, emotional, and psychological, said Pennington County Deputy States Attorney Natalie Gronlund in a press release. Gronlund specializes in domestic violence cases. The courage this victim demonstrated, not only in escaping the situation but also in standing before a jury to hold her abuser accountable, is remarkable. We hope her story encourages others facing domestic violence to seek help, she continued.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
(Reuters) - Indian opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday he will resign as chief minister of the Delhi regional government, two days after he was released from prison on bail in a graft case.

Kejriwal was granted bail on Friday by India's Supreme Court and left prison in the evening almost six months after being detained in relation to alleged irregularities in the capital city's liquor policy.

Kejriwal is a fierce critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a former anti-corruption crusader whose decade-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) quickly rose to mainstream politics, although its clout is relatively small compared to older opposition parties.

AAP had expected that Kejriwal's release from prison would allow him to campaign as a chief minister in regional elections next month in the northern state of Haryana, and in Delhi early next year.

Kejriwal, announcing his resignation as chief minister at a meeting with AAP workers, said he would only return to the post if people certify his honesty by voting for him in the upcoming Delhi election. He called on the Election Commission to bring forward the Delhi election to November, from February 2025.

"I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections, I demand the elections be held immediately," Kejriwal said.

He was first taken into custody in March by India's financial crime-fighting agency, weeks before the country's national elections, in relation to Delhi's liquor policy.

Although he was granted bail in that case in July, he remained in detention due to his arrest the previous month by the federal police in another graft case related to the same policy.

Kejriwal, 55, and AAP deny the allegations and say the cases are "politically motivated".

(This story has been corrected to fix the day of release to Friday, not Saturday)

(Reporting by Dhwani Pandya; Editing by Susan Fenton)
Two wars, in Ukraine and Gaza, rage  costing the lives of so many civilians and serving as painful reminders that our world has not yet found a way of resolving differences without killing people. Weve recently lost a man who spent his entire adult life trying to bring an end to the needless fighting. Jerry Pedersen, a man who served for 75 years as an ordained Lutheran pastor, fought to the end of his life to help us all recognize the futility of warfare.

For the past 13 years, working through the UC Davis Hospice Program, I have performed ceremonies to honor and thank men and women who are veterans of the Armed Forces. Ive met and honored over 200 veterans during these 13 years, and Pedersen was one of them. He stands out as a leader and role model.

Opinion

At just 17 years old in 1942, Pedersen enlisted in the Marines during WWII, serving on the USS Missouri and witnessing from his ship the nuclear devastation of Hiroshima in August of that year. He then served as part of Gen. Douglas MacArthurs honor guard when the Japanese surrendered on the deck of the Missouri one month later.

The admonitions of MacArthur in his speech on that day were that we needed to find a new way to resolve conflict without warfare if civilization is to survive. This message resonated clearly and loudly for Pedersen.

At 21 years old, with a strong commitment to a higher purpose for humanity, Pedersen left the Marines and chose to become a Lutheran Pastor to pursue advocacy for peace and social justice within a faith-based context. As a Lutheran minister, he became an unwavering advocate for justice. His work took him to Baldwin Park, San Francisco State University and Mission Viejo in California, as well as Portland State University and the University of East Africa in Tanzania. His ministry supported civil rights, the United Farm Workers grape strike, equal justice rights for all, a Nuclear Freeze initiative and pursuing peaceful solutions to global conflicts.

Over the years of his ministry, Pedersen increasingly embraced deep concern and care of the environment as a Christian responsibility. His dedication to peace and justice was not confined to his congregation  he also served as a founding member of the Orange County Interfaith Peace Council and as board president for the countys new Hospice Organization. Over the course of his 75 years working as a minister and advocate for peace, Pedersen was arrested six times for participating in anti-war protests. His most recent arrest was in 2014, at the age of 89, at Beale Air Force Base, protesting the military application of drones as weapons.

Pedersen walked the talk.

After retiring from his ministry role in 1992, Pedersen remained resolute in his advocacy for peace, drawing on his experiences as a WWII veteran to underscore the importance of nonviolence.

Upon relocating to Sacramento in 1999, he was a frequent visitor at the State Capitol, joining with social justice and anti-war groups to speak out for a living wage and farm worker rights and in opposition to the death penalty, gun violence, increased military funding and the invasion of Iraq.

By 2024, Pedersen was believed to be the last surviving veteran from the 1945 formal Japanese surrender on the Missouri.

From his days as a young Marine, serving in the Pacific during WWII, until the day of his death earlier this year, Pedersen continued on his journey to help transform our world into one where violence has no place in resolving our differences. He was as resolute at the end of his life as he had been as a young man on the importance of developing a non-military, non-violent socially just path to fuller peace. Today, we should celebrate a righteous life well-lived. Pedersen leaves a legacy of love and justice that will echo through the ages.

Its up to us to continue his work to bring greater justice to our world and bring about the end of warfare once and for all.

Randele Kanouse retired after 35 years of working on California water policy. He now works as a hospice volunteer at the UC Davis Medical Center and serves on the board of directors for Joshuas House, a hospice for the homeless program in Sacramento, and Al & Friends, which provides nutritious meals to the Monterey communitys most vulnerable residents.
Rent is eating up a greater share of tenants income in almost every state

An apartment maintenance man changes the lock of an apartment after constables posted an eviction order in Phoenix. In Arizona, low wages, a housing shortage, and short-term rental and vacation homes are eating away at the stock of affordable housing for renters. (John Moore/Getty Images)

There were 21 states where a majority of tenant households spent 30% or more of their incomes on rent and utilities last year, compared with just seven states in 2019.

Nationwide, about 22 million renters are shouldering that percentage. Anyone paying more than 30% is considered cost burdened, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and may struggle to pay for other necessities, such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care.

Three presidential swing states had among the biggest increases in the share of renters who spent that much on housing: Arizona (to 54% from 46.5%), Nevada (to 57.4% from 51.1%) and Georgia (to 53.7% from 48.4%). The numbers are based on a Stateline analysis of American Community Survey data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Florida and Maine also saw large jumps.

In Arizona, low wages, a housing shortage, and short-term rental and vacation homes are eating away at the stock of affordable housing for renters, according to Alison Cook-Davis, associate director for research at Arizona State Universitys Morrison Institute for Public Policy.

Youve got people across the state kind of pulling their hair out, saying I thought Arizona was supposed to be the affordable state, Cook-Davis said.

Rents in Arizona have shot up 40% to 60% in the last two years, she said. And the states eviction filings spiked 43% to 97,000 between 2022 and 2023, she said.

In places such as Arizona and Nevada where the housing bubble of the late 2000s left vacant houses, the construction of apartments and other homes has not caught up with population increases, Cook-Davis added.

A University of Nevada, Las Vegas, data brief reported in May that the Las Vegas area had the highest percentage of cost-burdened renters in the state, at 58.3%, more even than the New York City metro area (52.6%) or San Francisco metro area (48.9%).

Todays newly released census figures showed that in addition to Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, the states with the highest jumps in the share of cost-burdened renters were Florida, which increased to 61.7% from 55.9%, and Maine, at 49.1% from 44%.

That jump left Florida as the state with the highest rate of cost-burdened renters. It was followed by Nevada (57.4%), Hawaii (56.7%), Louisiana (56.2%) and California (56.1%).

Florida isnt the deal it used to be, said Christopher McCarty, director of the University of Floridas Bureau of Economic and Business Research. Florida still has disproportionately lower-paying jobs compared to other states, and rents are increasing compared to other states as well.

The states with the lowest rates of cost-burdened renters as of 2023 were North Dakota (37%), Wyoming (41.2%), South Dakota (41.3%), Kansas (43.5%) and Nebraska (44%).

The share of cost-burdened renters increased since 2019 in every state except Vermont (down to 47.8% from 54%), Wyoming (down to 41.2% from 44%), North Dakota (down to 37% from 38%) and Rhode Island (down to 48.1% from 49%).

Theres hope for the future in Arizona and other states with increased home construction, Cook-Davis said.

If you keep building, eventually this will sort itself out. But that could take years. Its a slow process, she said.

This article was first published by Stateline, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.
The frontman of one of the BBCs most beloved shows has quit his role with one of the Kings charities after he was charged with alleged domestic abuse.

The Repair Shop presenter Jay Blades appeared in court Friday on a coercive behaviour charge, and the BBC rushed to drop all episodes of the show featuring Blades from its TV schedules.

More from Deadline

The show features people bringing treasured possessions to a workshop to be mended by expert craftspeople including Blades, and the presenter was appointed building crafts ambassador for the charity, then called the Princes Foundation, in July 2020.

Now The Sun newspaper reports that Blades has quit his role with the charity, which confirmed yesterday: Jay Blades has informed us of his resignation from the ambassador role.

Blades was given an MBE award in 2021 appeared with King Charles in a special episode of The Repair Shop in 2022.

Blades appeared in court Friday, and a West Mercia Police spokesperson said: 54-year-old Jason Blades of Claverley in Wolverhampton has been charged with controlling and coercive behaviour  The charges follow the launch of an investigation after we were called to an address on 3 May.

In the same month, Blades separated from his wife, Lisa Zbozen, after 18 months of marriage.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Rescued man refuses help, returns to water after being pulled from Columbia River

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A man returned to the water moments after being rescued from the Columbia River, refusing to be helped by Vancouver officials the second time around.

Just before 5 p.m. on Sept. 5, Vancouver police responded to a report that man was brought back to shore after being rescued from the Columbia River by a passerby on a jet ski.

Camas city council member accused of throwing rock, threatening fisherman with gun

When officers and fire crews responded to the scene to evaluate the man, he reportedly started walking back into the water and swam hundreds of yards from the shore.

After officials used a fireboat to reach the man, authorities say he refused help in getting out of the water. But two rescue swimmers managed to safely hoist the man back into the boat.

Authorities say he was nearly hypothermic when he reached the shore and was taken to a hospital for further evaluation.

No further information, including the current condition of the man, has been released at this time.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
The Bible, the Rev. Lori Walke writes, is story after story about relationships at their best and worst, from which we are supposed to learn how to be in right relationship, with God and with one another

Editor's note: As part of our commitment to foster civil conversations in Viewpoints, we're inviting faith leaders to submit edited versions of their homilies that transcend religion, with messages that can appeal to people of all faith traditions.

Micah 6:8 is a popular verse, even for those who dont know it by chapter and verse. Its usually quoted by shorthand: What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly. Its a verse that gives most Christians a warm-and-fuzzy feeling.

But if we read the lines around it, we discover that the verse isnt as cutesy as it seems. The sixth chapter of Micah finds us in the middle of a legal proceeding. God has taken the people to court, metaphorically speaking. The five chapters leading up to it explain why.

The prophet begins by surveying the corrupt political landscape, writes theologian Benjamin Kautzer, a society spiraling toward catastrophe. Wealthy and oppressive land grabbers, intoxicated by power and propagandized by their own false prophets, shamelessly defraud the weak and vulnerable of their inheritance ... the bodies of the poor have become expendable ... like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot.

This litany of despair is what instigates Gods covenant litigation against the people, pointing out that they have broken their covenant, a sacred relationship of mutual trust and responsibility.

More: Think you know the Bible? What Book says not always same as what's taught | Lori Allen Walke

But Israel thinks they have a different arrangement with God, more akin to a contract. In attempt to appease God, they propose several things, including burnt offerings, thousands of rams, ten thousands of rivers of oil and even their firstborn.

But God says no. God is about right relationships. Indeed, the Bible is story after story about relationships at their best and worst, from which we are supposed to learn how to be in right relationship, with God and with one another.

So, what does God want? That which puts us in right relationship: justice, kindness and humility.

To be sure, its not just Israel who fumbled. All too often, we act as if we are in a cosmic swap meet with the Almighty. But doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly is just what we are supposed to do. We are not trading our justice, kindness and humility for something in return. Its simply how faithful people live.

This is really disappointing to some Christians. We tend to be a participation trophy people. Some of us are happy to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly, as long as we get a side of everlasting life. The rest of us want a tax break. That was made evident in the fallout from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Since then, researchers estimate a 16-billion-dollar permanent annual drop in charitable giving. Apparently, our generosity depends on getting a little bit back. But the text says, do justice, love kindness and walk humbly, even if it isnt financially lucrative.

More: Today's Church is possessed by dogma, ideology and privilege. Time for an exorcism | Opinion

There are a hundred different ways we could fill in that last part.

Do justice, if it gets you in trouble with the authorities. Love kindness, even if you never get an apology. Walk humbly, even when are you more right than anyone has ever been in the history of being right.

Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly. Full stop. If we are ever put on trial, may there be enough evidence to prove that we did it.

Rev. Lori Walke. Influential Oklahoma City metro faith leaders, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024.

Rev. Lori Walke is senior minister at Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Oklahoma City

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Importance of following Bible's guidance to be just, kind and humble
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch (far left) speaks at a roundtable on property insurance and climate change in St. Petersburg on Sept. 14, 2024. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)

A property-value crash faces Florida and the rest of the country unless government leaders come to terms with climate change, Rhode Island Democratic U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse warned this weekend in St. Petersburg.

That is the solution to the property insurance crisis gripping Florida (and increasingly more states around the country), Whitehouse said, lest soaring insurance costs spiral into a mortgage crisis and ultimately a property values crash.

That is the word that Freddie Macs chief economist use, Whitehouse said, referring to the government sponsored agency designed to expand the secondary market for mortgages.

Florida is worst and first in what climate change is doing to property insurance rates, but Im from Rhode Island  I know a preview of coming attractions when I see one. This is coming to all coastal areas of the United States.

So, understanding whats going on in Florida is really important to us, he told reporters after concluding an hour-long roundtable at a community center Saturday in Shore Acres, a low-lying section of northeast St. Petersburg that sees excessive flooding when even normal rains hit the Tampa Bay area.

Getting it right in Florida really matters, and the number one lesson is you cant solve your property insurance problem unless you solve the climate problem. And so, when government is in denial about the climate problem, theyre hurting you, and we need to correct that.

Whitehouse also visited Miami and Orlando this weekend to hear from community members, homeowners, and local and state legislators contending with the problem.

The days are hotter, the summers are longer. Often times during the summer, we dont cool off anymore, get below 80 degrees at night, said Tampa Bay area Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor.

But now the scientific data is really backing up our lived experience with more of these flooding events, these more intense tropical storms, and its no wonder that our property insurance is reflecting that increasing risk.

Erase climate change

With its low-lying topography and more than 8,400 miles of shoreline, much of the state and its coastal population are vulnerable to rising sea levels, according to the Florida Climate Center.

Yet just four months ago Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation that erased the words climate change from the Florida Statutes and restructured the states fossil fuel-based energy policy to remove references to climate change as a priority when making energy policy decisions.

DeSantis has supported programs to make Florida more resilient to the effects of climate change, with funding into the billions of dollars to contend with sea level rise and coastal flooding, said Susan Glickman of the CLEO Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing global warming. But she said the states effort is inadequate to the problem, using a metaphor of a sink overflowing with water.

Its the equivalent of walking into your bathroom, she said. You grab the towels off the hook. You mop the floor up, and you never turn off that faucet, she said. Similar, to Gov. DeSantis credit, they have given out $2.5 billion or more in towels, and were doing vulnerability assessments.  But there is no turning that faucet off, and that is because of the outsized influence primarily of the investor-owned utilities [which] cover 75% of the state.

Glickman and Castor noted how disproportionately Floridas power companies rely on natural gas for energy generation. The state gets 75% of its energy from natural gas, which an official with the Florida Electric Power Coordinating Group recently told the Florida Public Service Commission is more than any other state in the nation.

Reality

The reality in Florida isnt that climate change is a thing that we might see. Its a thing that we are living, said Dawn Shirreffs, Florida director at the Environmental Defense Fund, a participant during the roundtable discussion.

And it doesnt just affect our weather, its actually effecting our wallets. She noted that with record summer heat in the past year have come record high electricity rates, along with the escalating property insurance rates. Florida has some of the highest property insurance rates in the country, with homeowners paying an average $3,340, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Shirreffs noted Floridas vulnerability when it comes to Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the states insurer of last resort, originally designed to have around 150,000 policies but which now has over 1.25 million policies.

We have to understand that theres real ethical questions about whether some residents should be subsidizing risk for others who made choices to live in very vulnerable places, she said. There are also residents who dont have any choice but to live in very vulnerable places.  We need to make sure that were really looking at how we put people in places of risk and how everybody pays for that.

In his role as Senate Budget Committee Chair, Whitehouse communicated a couple of times with Citizens CEO Tim Cerio over the past year over concerns about Citizens fiscal viability and whether it might need a federal bailout should a major storm cripple Florida, he said. In response to a question from the Phoenix on Saturday, Whitehouse replied that most of his concerns have been alleviated.

We have been satisfied with their responsiveness, he said. Theyve spent a lot of time with the budget committee staff, they provided documents, so I want to give them kudos to that.

The problem is that theyre in a very, very difficult situation. And there are scenarios in which their capacity to pay claims is exhausted and that forces them to go to statewide assessments that may not come in in time to help homeowners or may become so politically toxic to the rest of Florida, or unaffordable to the rest of Florida, that that mechanism collapses. So, its not a good place that they are in, but I do want to complement them for the responsive the way that they answered our questions.

Climate gentrification

St. Petersburg City Council member Brandi Gabbard, a real estate broker and chair of the Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Coalition, said the region needs help from the feds when it came to flood insurance, specifically what she said were the lack of mitigation credits in Risk Rating 2.0, the National Flood Insurance Programs pricing approach introduced in phases from 2021 to 2023.

Gabbard said that if the city cant provide residents with incentives to lower their rates, homeowners may be compelled to sell to investors as rental units, rendering the homes less affordable for the community.

Were pushing people out of neighborhoods where they have been for generations, she said.

Were talking about thousands and thousands of homes. These are our residents. These are people who have lived here for generations. If we push them out of these neighborhoods, what happens is, then, all thats left is really the center part of our city, and now you have areas that traditionally were affordable, traditionally were low and moderate area income neighborhoods, traditionally areas where there are large numbers of people of color.

And now we are pushing the wealth and those coastal neighborhoods into those areas and causing increased gentrification. It changes our city completely if we dont have the vision for how we protect our coastal neighborhoods.

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and Pinellas area Democratic state lawmakers Lindsay Cross and Darryl Rouson also provided comments during the discussion.
As the chair of the Rhode Island Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4), the most frequently asked question I receive about our climate work is will Rhode Island meet the mandates in the Act on Climate? Great question, right?

Rhode Island greenhouse gas reduction mandates were set through the historic passage of the R.I. Act on Climate, signed by Gov. Dan McKee in 2021. The Act requires decreasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions reaching net zero by 2050. We met the first mandate, a 10% reduction from a 1990 baseline by 2020. Things get tougher as we strive to achieve a 45% reduction by 2030, an 80% reduction by 2040, and a 100% reduction by 2050. Implementation of the Act on Climate is led by the EC4 which is made up of agency directors from 13 departments in state government.

More: The first turbine is up for this huge offshore wind project off RI's coast

Greenhouse gas emissions in Rhode Island come from three major sources: transportation, heating and cooling of buildings, and the generation of electricity. As a result of significant investments, we have major efforts going on in all three sectors.

In the transportation sector, agencies are working to ensure that we have a robust supply of electric vehicles for purchase and the rebates that make them cost competitive. We are installing more electric vehicle chargers so that all Rhode Islanders are comfortable that they will have convenient choices to charge their cars. Our PowerUp RI program is providing rebates for installation of home electric vehicle charging. RIPTA has electrified its busiest bus route, and we are supporting our school districts to convert aging diesel school buses to efficient electric models that will greatly improve air quality.

Cars recharging at public EV chargers installed at the state Department of Transportation park-and-ride in Warwick.

In the heating and cooling sector, we are supporting major efforts in building efficiency through weatherization and electrification of heating systems. OERs CleanHeat RI program provides incentives for the installation of efficient electric heat pumps. Rhode Island and a coalition of other New England states received the second largest federal grant in the nation to accelerate the transition by working with vendors and installers of heat pumps to advance the goals of electrifying homes and other buildings.

More: 'We are not on track': To meet climate goals, RI buildings need cleaner heat. These bills would help.

In the power sector, Rhode Island continues to work with 13 other states on regional approaches to reduce emissions from power plants. The cap-and-invest approach has enabled us to invest millions of dollars into energy efficiency and rate relief, decreasing the need for additional energy infrastructure. Additionally, the state has actively supported the development of renewable energy. Our efforts on offshore wind have been careful and cognizant of the needs and impacts on the commercial fishing industry while providing new, exciting and well-paid jobs for workers. In September 2024, Rhode Island and Massachusetts joined forces to drive the largest offshore wind procurement in New England's history. The energy office has received significant federal funding to promote rooftop solar and we continue to work with solar energy developers to take advantage of this abundant renewable resource.

Returning to the important question of will Rhode Island meet the mandates in the law?, I am optimistic that we will if we wisely implement the programs we have started and use federal and state funds effectively. The EC4 will be launching an aggressive public engagement effort this fall, to support the development of the 2025 Climate Action Strategy, our next requirement under the Act on Climate. I encourage everyone to participate in the development of our climate plan over the next year. We need your input and perspective to make sure this is done in the best way possible, economically and environmentally. For updates on the plan and to provide your comments, visit www.climatechange.ri.gov.

Terry Gray is director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and chairman of the Rhode Island Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4).

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: DEM chief wants public's input in developing a Climate Action Strategy.
Rising flood waters leave man stranded on roof of truck in Courtland

COURTLAND, Ala. (WHNT)  The Lawrence County Sheriffs Office said its Swift Water Rescue team helped rescue a man stranded on his roof in flood waters.

Around 1 a.m. on September 15, the Lawrence County Sheriffs Office said the Swift Water Rescue Team was asked to help the Courtland Fire Department with a man stranded on top of his truck.

LCSO rescues woman from flood waters in Moulton

The sheriffs office said the man was stranded on County Road 150.

The Morgan County Rescue Squads Swift Water Rescue Team was also called to help in the situation. The team brought a rescue boat to the scene to help retrieve the stranded man.

The rescue took a total of five hours and the man was rescued safely with no injuries.

Lawrence County Sheriff Max Sanders said to use caution and to turn around, dont drown as roads were beginning to flood after a lot of rainfall.

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 WHNT.com.
PRAGUE (AP)  The death toll was rising in Central European countries on Sunday after days of heavy rains caused widespread flooding and forced evacuations.

Several Central European nations have already been hit by severe flooding, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania. Slovakia and Hungary might come next as a result of a low pressure system from northern Italy dumping record rainfall in the region since Thursday.

The floods have claimed six lives in Romania and one each in Austria and Poland. In the Czech Republic, four people who were swept away by waters were missing, police said.

It's not over yet

Most parts of the Czech Republic have been affected as authorities declared the highest flood warnings at around 100 places across the country. But the situation was worst in two northeastern regions that recorded the biggest rainfall in recent days, including the Jeseniky mountains near the Polish border.

In the city of Opava, up to 10,000 people out of a population of around 56,000 have been asked to move to higher ground. Rescuers used boats to transport people to safety in a neighborhood flooded by the raging Opava River.

Theres no reason to wait, Mayor Tomas Navratil told Czech public radio. He said that the situation was worse than during the last devastating floods in 1997, known as the flood of the century.

We have to focus on saving lives, Prime Minister Petr Fiala told Czech public television on Sunday. His government was set to meet Monday to assess the damages.

The worst is not behind us yet, the prime minister warned.

President Petr Pavel sounded more optimistic, saying it's obvious we've learned a lesson from the previous crisis.

At least 4 missing and villages cut off

Thousands of others also were evacuated in the towns of Krnov, which was almost completely flooded, and Cesky Tesin. The Oder River that flows to Poland was reaching extreme levels in the city of Ostrava and in Bohumin, prompting evacuations.

Ostrava, the regional capital, is the third-largest Czech city. Mayor Jan Dohnal said the city will face major traffic disruptions in the days to come. Almost no trains were operating in the region.

Towns and villages in the Jeseniky mountains, including the local center of Jesenik, were inundated and isolated by raging waters that turned roads into rivers. The military sent a helicopter to help with evacuations.

Jesenik Mayor Zdenka Blistanova told Czech public television that several houses in her and other nearby towns have been destroyed by the floods. A number of bridges and roads have been badly damaged.

About 260,000 households were without power Sunday morning in the entire country, while traffic was halted on many roads, including the major D1 highway.

A firefighter dies as Lower Austria declared a disaster zone

A firefighter died after slipping on stairs while pumping out a flooded basement in the town of Tulln, the head of the fire department of Lower Austria, Dietmar Fahrafellner, told reporters on Sunday.

Authorities declared the entire state of Lower Austria in the northeastern part of the country a disaster zone, while 10,000 relief forces have so far evacuated 1,100 houses there. Emergency personnel have started setting up accommodation for residents who had to flee their homes due to the flooding.

The municipality of Lilienfeld with about 25,000 residents is cut off from the outside world. Residents were told to boil tap water as a precaution.

The situation is particularly dangerous along the Kamp River, which flows into the Danube. The Ottenstein reservoir on the river functions as a buffer, but exceeding its limits could cause more flooding, experts say.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the situation continues to worsen. He said 2,400 soldiers were ready to support the relief effort in Austria. Of those, 1,000 soldiers will deploy to the disaster zone in Lower Austria, where dams were beginning to burst.

We are experiencing difficult and dramatic hours in Lower Austria. For many people in Lower Austria these will probably be the most difficult hours of their lives, said Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of Lower Austria.

In Vienna, the Wien River overflowed its banks, flooding homes and forcing first evacuations of nearby houses.

Romania reports 2 more flooding victims

Romanian authorities said Sunday that another two people had died in the hard-hit eastern county of Galati after four were reported dead there a day earlier, following unprecedented rain.

Dramatic flooding in Poland

In Poland, one person was presumed dead in floods in the southwest, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sunday.

Tusk said the situation was dramatic around the town of Klodzko, with about 25,000 residents, located in a valley in the Sudetes mountains near the border with the Czech Republic. Helicopters were used to pick up people from roofs in a few cases.

In Glucholazy, rising waters overflowed a river embankment and flooded streets and houses. Mayor Pawe Szymkowicz said, we are drowning, and appealed to residents to evacuate to high ground.

A bridge in the town collapsed under the flood pressure and a police station building was knocked down in Stronie Slaskie, after floodwaters burst through a dam. Submerged cars could be seen in many places in the Kodzko Valley region bordering the Czech Republic, while a new flood wave was expected there.

In the city of Jelenia Gora, which has 75,000 residents, downtown streets were flooded after one of the embankments burst on the Bobr River. City authorities have warned residents they may need to evacuate as more flooding was moving toward the city.

Energy supplies and communications were cut off in some flooded areas, and regions may resort to using the satellite-based Starlink service, Tusk said.

The weather change arrived following a hot start to September in the region. Scientists have documented Earths hottest summer, breaking a record set just a year ago.

A hotter atmosphere, driven by human-caused climate change, can lead to more intense rainfall.

___

Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland, Philipp-Moritz Jenne and Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna, and Stephen McGrath in Sibiu, Romania, contributed to this report.
Risk for severe storms, flooding downpours to be renewed in the Plains this week

Following a relative lull in thunderstorm activity, severe weather and flash flood threats will return to a large swath of the nation's midsection later this week, warn AccuWeather meteorologists.

Storms packing damaging wind gusts and hail, as well as repeated downpours that can overwhelm storm drains but deliver some drought relief, can be expected across part of the Heartland each day through Thursday.

AccuWeather meteorologists say the severe weather threat that began Tuesday will continue into Wednesday and Thursday.

"After a recent quiet period in terms of severe weather, storms will return to portions of the Central states this week and are expected to bring rain, wind and hail," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Gwen Fieweger.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts with Premium+

By Wednesday, the risk will reach east and encompass millions more, including around Omaha.

"Alongside the risk for localized flash flooding, severe wind gusts are also a concern this week, and hail will be a possibility as well on Wednesday," said Fieweger.

The thunderstorms will be most likely each afternoon and evening, as daytime heating will drive their development and strengthening. They will roll to the east, impacting travelers along portions of Interstates 40, 70, 80, 90 and 94.

On Thursday, the threat pushes east once again and a swath of the northern Midwest will have the return of thunderstorms, including around Minneapolis.

It'll be a similar story on Wednesday and Thursday with thunderstorms accompanied by drenching downpours and the risk for damaging wind gusts and hail. However, isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out on Thursday.

Perhaps the greatest and most widespread concern this week will be from heavy rain, which can lead to flash flooding, but also relieve drought conditions, say AccuWeather meteorologists.

"As the week progresses, each successive round of rain tracking over the central and northern Plains will begin to increase the risk for localized flooding issues," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.

In many instances, multiple thunderstorms can track over the same areas in the course of just a few hours' time, leading to several inches of rain and downpours that can overwhelm drainage systems.

The flood risk may come in two waves over the next week-the first coming with the severe weather risk into Wednesday, and another this weekend as another storm emerges from the West.

For those with agricultural interests, the prospects of heavy rain is not all bad news.

"Although there is a risk for flooding from the series of events, the rain will be beneficial for the major rivers in the region and farther downstream, especially across the Mississippi and Missouri River basins," added Buckingham.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor released last Thursday, large swaths of the nation's midsection were abnormally dry or under drought conditions. The most severe drought was located over portions of Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana and the western Dakotas, many of the same areas expected to see rounds of heavy rain this week.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
A child in Washington was pulled off a dock into the water by a river otter before they were rescued by their mom.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement that the incident occurred Sept. 12 around 9:30 a.m. at the Bremerton Marina in Kitsap County.

The mother of the victim reported that when they were walking down the dock at the marina, a river otter pulled her young child into the water. The river otter then dragged the child under the water temporarily, but the child resurfaced after a few moments.

The victims mother was able to get to the child and lift them out of the water. While pulling the child out of the water, the river otter continued to attack the mother and bit her arm. The otter continued to pursue the family as they were leaving the dock, the department said in the statement.

A river otter.

In addition to the river otter biting the mothers arm, the child had scratches and bites on the top of their head, face and legs. They were treated at a hospital in Silverdale, Washington.

We are grateful the victim only sustained minor injuries, due to the mothers quick actions and childs resiliency, Ken Balazs, WDFW sergeant, said in the statement. We would also like to thank the Port of Bremerton for their quick coordination and communication to their marina tenants.

The age of the victim has not been released.

One river otter was trapped at the scene and later taken to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab to be tested for rabies, the department said.

While otters may appear cute and cuddly, they are dangerous wild animals with "strong teeth and a powerful bite," according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The department recommends staying at least 60 feet away from otters if they are spotted on land or at sea.

It's rare for otters to attack humans. According to the WDFW, there have been six human-river otter incidents in Washington documented in the last decade.

In 2023, there were several otter attack incidents in California that reportedly led to injuries.

Succession actor Crystal Finn said she sought medical treatment after she was bitten by otters while swimming in a California river in July 2023.

Finn told The San Francisco Chronicle that she ultimately had to climb onto a rock for safety after she was continuously bit in the legs by the otters.

She was treated for her injuries at a hospital, with doctors telling the publication that they hadnt encountered victims of otter attacks until that summer after two patients came in with similar injuries in July 2023.

Months later, a swimmer was attacked by otters at a California lake in September 2023.

Matt Leffers told KCRA, an NBC affiliate in Sacramento, California, that while he was swimming in the lake, he felt something bite his calf before he experienced another bite seconds later. He was rescued by his wife before he was taken to a hospital.

Due to the incident, his leg was badly cut and was covered in blood, leading to scars that remained for months.

These things were so aggressive that, literally, I felt like they wanted to kill me, Leffers said. It is by far the most terrifying experience Ive ever had in my life. Nothing even comes close.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
New Riverwalk tower on Roosevelt Island is just what doctors ordered

Roosevelt Island is a much more hospitable, fun place than it originally was.

The biggest reason is the large-scale, two-decades endeavor known as Riverwalk, which has brought more than 4,000 new residents to eight new buildings north of the bridge.

The near $1 billion complex developed by a joint venture of Related Companies and Hudson Companies, partners since 1997, will come to completion when the ninth and last tower, Riverwalk Heights, opens to tenants this month.

New tower on Roosevelt Island called Riverwalk Heights opens to tenants this month. Related Companies

The overall development includes more than 2,100 apartments, of which 40% are designated as affordable.

The new tower at 430 Main Street, designed by Handel Architects, brings 357 units into the mix. Of those, 104 are earmarked for employees of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which bought the complexs first building from the developers and has employees at several other buildings.

The new towers amenities include a 5,000 square-foot, panoramic rooftop terrace with dining and screening rooms, a fitness center and other facilities.

Related/Hudson also control 83,000 square feet of retail space across 25 stores on Main Street, which they leased to much-needed services such as Duane Reade, Starbucks and several cafes.

Riverwalk brought much-needed, new residential life to the island north of the 59th Street Bridge and the Tramway, just as the Cornell Tech complex brought science and services to the vacant land between the bridge and Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park at the southern tip.

Related president Bruce Beal noted with a chuckle, I was younger when we started on Roosevelt Island. That was 27 years ago.

Hudson Companies President David Kramer said Riverwalk development has been a pretty successful journey. Hudson

Related Companies President Bruce Beal cheered the partnership with Hudson Companies. Related Companies

The first apartment building opened in 2003. Since then, the partners persevered, and the project grew, through all different real estate cycles, financial crises, and COVID, Beal said.

Hudson president David Kramer recalled that when the companies were brought together by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation to complete the islands master plan, We didnt really know each other. Their sense was that our background was mostly affordable housing, while Related was more known for luxury. They suggested we work together. Its been a pretty successful journey.

Kramer said, We had some concerns at first. Would this turn out to be a quagmire? At the time, Roosevelt Island had no real market-rate housing and the buildings then were in the Brutalist style popular in the 1970s. Would people want to come and live here?

The answer was to be a resounding yes. As Beal put it, Its been a great partnership over 27 years.

New marriage at wedding cake tower

Communications and marketing company Orchestra is the parent of eight different companies scattered around Manhattan. By early 2025, it plans to consolidate them all into a single unified location: the whole 26th floor of 195 Broadway, L&L Holding Companys landmarked wedding cake tower in the heart of Downtown.

The 42,000 square-foot lease will bring under one roof all of Orchestras components: BerlinRosen, BrightMode Talent, Derris, Glen Echo Media Group, Inkhouse, Message Lab, M18 and Onward.

The firms handle industries including consumer, tech, climate, education, healthcare, real estate and travel.

CBRE tristate CEO Mary Ann Tighe, who repped the tenant with Ariel Ball and Zac price, said, Orchestra required well-appointed space with best-in-class infrastructure and a turnkey solution to bring its entire network together.

L&L was repped in-house by Jonathan Tootell, Tanya Grimaldo and Giannina Brancato. The buildings office tenants include Omnicon, HarperCollins, Payoneer and Gucci and restaurant Nobu.

Water Club sinks

The Water Club, a symbol of the citys glory in good times and resiliency in bad times, is officially kaput. Buzzy OKeeffes East River barge restaurant gave the keys back to the city last month, New York Business Journal reported.

We wrote in June that the once-popular dining and celebration venue was on its last legs after it went dark and stopped taking reservations.

Now, the Economic Development Corp. is evaluating the venues physical condition before deciding on what to do with it next, the site reported. OKeeffes beloved River Cafe in Brooklyn remains open.
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO)  The Rockford community came together to pay tribute to a fallen Rockford Police K9 on September 14th.

K9 Nyx was killed in the line of duty during a police pursuit on January 28th. The city has memorialized and honored the K9 since, but this time the event was a little different.

The SM and SF Club with the Rockford Police Department held a memorial ride to honor the K9. The club is a nonprofit as well as a social club known for supporting the community.

An officer said this kind of event allows people to come together no matter their career.

Riding seems to bring a good camaraderie for everybody, all walks of life, lawyers, doctors, factory workers, police officers, firemen, all that stuff, said RPD Officer Matt Williams. It brings them together and you can ride as one and have good conversation amongst people. Then they learn to support veterans and first responders.

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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.
Russia drops more than 800 guided aerial bombs on Ukraine in one week  video

The Russians have used about 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs and almost 300 attack drones against Ukraine during the past week.

Source: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Details: The President released a video of the aftermath of the Russian attacks.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Ukraine needs strong support from its partners in our defence of life against Russian terror, [such as] air defence, long-range [weapons] capability, and support for our soldiers. Everything that will help [us] make Russia end this war.

And I thank everyone in the world who understands this. I thank our partners who help and support us."

Support UP or become our patron!
Russia says it was attacked by 29 Ukrainian drones overnight

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sept. 15 that it was attacked by 29 Ukrainian drones overnight and that all of them were shot down.

The Kyiv Independent was not able to independently verify the statement. The Ukrainian government has not commented on the alleged attack.

According to Russia's Defense Ministry, which posted its statement on Telegram, fifteen of the drones were shot down over Bryansk Oblast, five over Kursk, four over Smolensk, two over Oryol, and one each over Belgorod, Kaluga, and Rostov Oblasts.

In recent months, Kyiv stepped up its number of drone attacks against Russian infrastructure facilities and military installations, hoping to undermine Russian invasion forces in Ukraine.

Earlier in the week, Moscow claimed that Ukraine had attacked overnight with 144 drones, making the attack potentially among the largest strikes throughout the war.

Read also: Moscow claims Ukraine launched massive 144-drone attack on Russia, casualties reported

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russia and Ukraine both announced Saturday that more than 200 people were freed in a prisoner swap between the two countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a statement and video to announce that 82 privates and sergeants, along with 21 officers, were returned from Russian captivity.

It follows the release Friday of 49 Ukrainians and an August swap of more than 100 prisoners.

Zelensky said many of the prisoners have been held by Russia since 2022, as early as the first few months after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Some of the prisoners were part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, border agents, police officers and soldiers from the Defense and Security Forces. They were from Kyiv and Donetsk regions and some were captured in Kharkiv and Kherson.

Some men were in serious condition due to injuries and will receive care, he said.

Thanks to our exchange team for their work. And my deep gratitude to all our brave combat brigades who continue to contribute to the exchange fun for our country, Zelensky said.

He attributed Ukraines recent military operation in Kursk, Russia for the necessary momentum to help the prisoner swap happen.

Russias Defense Ministry also reported that 103 Russian servicemen were released by Ukraine in return.

Currently, all Russian servicemen are in the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are provided with the necessary psychological and medical assistance, as well as the opportunity to contact their relatives, Russia said Saturday.

They will then be transferred and released into Russia.

In August, Ukraine launched a mission into Russias Kursk region. The risky move may not be paying off the way Ukraine had hoped, since it hasnt diverted Russian troops from the front lines of eastern Ukraine to try and reshape the battlefield.

While Russia diverted some troops, it continues to make advances along the 600-mile eastern front line and pound away at Ukraine with destructive strikes.

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.
Russian strike hits apartment block in Ukraines Kharkiv, killing one person and injuring at least 40

A Russian strike on an apartment block in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has killed one person and injured at least 40, with fears others are trapped under the rubble, Ukrainian officials said Sunday.

Three of those who were injured when a guided aerial bomb hit the 12-story building were children, the head of the Kharkiv city military administration Oleh Syniehubov said.

At least 14 people have been hospitalized as a result of the strike and one person has been reported missing.

There may be people under the rubble, Syniehubov said. The search and rescue operation continues.

One of the residents refused to evacuate without his dog, Ukraines Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. Every life is important to our rescuers, so they rescued both the man and his pet from the smoke-filled apartment on the 12th floor, he added.

Video shared online by the minister showed the dog being lifted in the air by one of the emergency cranes before reaching the roof of the building and being received by one of the rescuers.

The strike sparked a fire on the ninth floor. Three apartments were completely destroyed. Dozens of cars have been damaged from the strike, which also left hundreds of windows shattered.

Residents are being evacuated. Specialized, humanitarian, international and Ukrainian organizations are responding to the scene, Syniehubov said.

This is civil infrastructure, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said. Russia massively violates human rights and international humanitarian law. The reaction must be here and now.

An elderly woman is assisted after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. - Andrii Marienko/AP

Firefighters tackle a blaze after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. - Andrii Marienko/AP

Kharkiv lies near the border with Russia and has seen frequent attacks since the full-scale Russian invasion began in 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his call for more military support from allies following the attack.

The world must help us defend ourselves against Russian military aircraft and the dozens of guided aerial bombs that claim Ukrainian lives every day, Zelensky said in a social media post on Sunday.

This terror can be stopped. But to stop it, the fear of making strong, objectively necessary decisions must be overcome. Only decisiveness can bring a just end to this war. It is decisiveness that most effectively protects against terror, he said.

Ukrainian authorities earlier put the toll from Russian strikes over a 24-hour period at nine, including a man and a woman in their 60s killed in Odesa.

Zelensky said that over the past week the Russians have launched around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The Russian targets that could be on Ukraine's long-range missile strike list

In recent weeks, Ukraines hopes have been buoyed that its Western allies will finally allow their long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has been able to attack Ukraine with relative impunity from its positions behind the border, while the U.S. and other suppliers of weapons have forbidden Ukraine from using their supplied weapons to strike back, often citing fears of escalation.

There were signs that the tide was shifting over the past week. The Guardian reported that the U.K. had already decided to allow Ukraine to use its Storm Shadow missiles for strikes in Russia. Politico wrote that the White House reportedly is discussing potential targets Ukraine could strike with its long-range weapons.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy (R) pose with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sep. 11, 2024, amid the Russian invasion on Ukraine. (Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

But hopes of a positive announcement during meetings between President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington on Sept. 13 were dashed, and the decision-making process appears to have been postponed to the UN general assembly in New York later this month.

A day later on Sept. 13 in Kyiv, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said allowing Ukraine to use ATACMS to strike targets deep inside Russia is the subject of "intense consultations."

Ukraine has been eagerly awaiting the potential lifting of restrictions, with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov saying in August that he had presented the U.S. with a list of proposed targets within Russia.

Calling the lifting of restrictions a "game changer is probably too strong a word," Andreas Umland, analyst at the Stockholm Center for Eastern European Studies, told the Kyiv Independent.

"But it would make a big difference of course. That's why the Ukrainians are so eager to get it."

Potential targets

A public list of targets  either those requested by Ukraine or approved by the U.S. or the U.K.  is unlikely for operational reasons.

Western officials have been hesitant to openly talk about policy changes, likely out of concern that Russia will relocate potentially valuable targets out of reach before Ukraine is able to capitalize on its newfound range capabilities.

But matching the ranges of the weapons available to Ukraine, to Russian positions on the other side of the border can shed light on what might be possible should the policy be officially changed.

A report from the Institute for the Study of War last month identified "no fewer than 245 known Russian military and paramilitary sites" within the 300-kilometer range of U.S.-supplied ATACMS, which is currently the furthest range of any Western-supplied missiles available to Ukraine.

A map based on data from an Institute for the Study of War (ISW) report on Aug. 27, 2024, which using open-source data, identified no fewer than 245 known Russian military and paramilitary objects within the 300-kilometer range of U.S.-supplied ATACMS, including air bases, headquarters, and training centers. (Institute for the Study of War/ Nizar Al-Rifai/ The Kyiv Independent)

If placed close to Ukraines front lines, the Western-supplied long-range weapons could potentially put vast swathes of Russian territory in the firing zone. The area includes military bases, airfields, troop concentrations, and ammunition depots.

Numerous population centers would also be in range, including the cities of Rostov-on-Don (population 1.1 million), Voronezh (population 1 million), Krasnodar (population 1.1 million), Lipetsk (population 496,000), Bryansk (population 350,000), Smolensk (population 310,000), as well as the key port city of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea (population 262,000).

This non-exhaustive list does not include cities in occupied Crimea or other parts of Ukraine under Russian control or cities in Russia that have already reportedly come under Ukrainian attack, such as Belgorod.

Any change in policies is likely to come with strings attached and with the understanding that long-range strikes will be conducted in a defensive fashion on military targets.

Some of the possible military targets in this area could include the following:

Lipetsk military air base, struck by drones in August

Shatalovo air base in Smolensk Oblast

Millerovo military airfield in Rostov Oblast, damaged in a drone strike in July

Yeysk military airfield in Krasnodar Krai, damaged in drone strikes in June and April

Logistics and command centers in Rostov-on-Don, which has been the central headquarters of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine

The Primorsko-Akhtarsk airbase in Krasnodar Krai, regularly used by Russia to launch Shahed-type drones at Ukraine

Novorossiysk naval base, where much of Russias Black Sea Fleet has relocated after a series of devastating attacks by Ukraine on its primary base off of occupied Crimea

Missiles  range and uses

Ukraines Western allies have supplied several variants of long-range missiles after initial hesitation at the beginning of the full-scale war  albeit with the caveat that they are used for strikes within Ukraine or in Russian-occupied parts of the country.

HIMARS, whose prowess became a popular motif of internet memes, was a game-changer for Ukraine when they first arrived in the summer of 2022.

Initially supplied with GMLRS rockets with a range of around 70 kilometers, they allowed Ukraine to target Russian forces on the other side of the front line far more accurately than they had previously.

In the fall of 2023, the U.S. began supplying Kyiv with an older model of ATACMS  fired from HIMARS launchers  with a range of around 165 kilometers, greatly increasing the range that Ukraine could strike within.

Read also: Ukrainian drones strike deeper into Russia, aiming to break war machine, sow discontent

The tide began to shift after Russias renewed offensive in Kharkiv Oblast in May, when the U.S. and other Western allies eased restrictions, allowing Ukraine to strike targets with Western weapons in a defensive fashion  inside Russia.

As the West dithered on its policy about long-range strikes, Ukraine has developed its own domestic arsenal of drones to attack targets inside Russia, hitting airbases, ammunition dumps, drone factories, and other military sites as far as 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) beyond the Ukrainian border.

The U.S. began supplying Ukraine with an older model of the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) in the fall of 2023, which have a range of around 165 kilometers. In the spring of 2024, the New York Times reported that the U.S. had shipped around 100 updated versions of ATACMS missiles, which can reach up to 300 kilometers.

Ukraine has put both variants of missiles into effect on the battlefield, striking targets in occupied Crimea and other parts of Ukraine occupied by Russia.

The U.K. began providing Ukraine with its long-range Storm Shadow missiles in May 2023. The missiles have a range of over 250 kilometers. The missiles have been deployed in a number of devastating attacks on Russian targets, such as a strike on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in occupied Crimea that reportedly killed dozens of Russian soldiers and officers.

Although its official list of targets has not been revealed, Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it needs the ability to strike the Russian aircraft that launch mass missile attacks against Ukrainian cities, and the airfields from which they take off.

"The Storm Shadow is best used against heavily protected buildings like bunkers or reinforced ammunition storage sites and headquarters," Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told the Kyiv Independent, adding: "It isnt the best use of it to try and hit aircraft out on a runway, or against an airfield that is easy to repair."

"There are such targets available in Russia, but theyll need to be carefully picked to maximize the impact, ideally timed to coincide with Ukrainian ground operations, destroying supplies that Russian ground units need."

Savill said that the cluster weapon version of ATACMS is ideally suited to striking Russian aircraft at Russian airfields, but added that a recent report that Moscow has already transferred around 90% of its military aircraft to bases outside their reach suggests their effect may now be limited.

"This at least means (Russian aircraft) have to operate from further away, and can fly fewer sorties per day," he said.

"There will be Russian forces still in ATACMS range, but essentially it sounds as if the opportunity to do serious damage to the Russian air force on the ground has been missed, for now."

Despite potential missed opportunities, the lifting of restrictions will still be welcomed in Ukraine.

"It will certainly make a lot of difference in the war, and will help protect Ukrainian cities from these ongoing missile terror attacks," Umland said.

Read also: Russian cities left defenseless as Ukraine ramps up drone attacks

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Several explosions rocked Kharkiv on Saturday evening, and according to early reports, there have been strikes in the Kyivskyi district.

Source: Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv; Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Terekhov: "Several explosions in the city. Early reports indicate they were in the Kyiv district. Experts are investigating the sites of the strikes. No casualties reported so far."

Details: Syniehubov said the emergency services are checking the likely locations of the Russian strikes in the Kyivskyi district.

The Russians used at least two guided aerial bombs in the attack. Some non-residential premises are on fire.

Support UP or become our patron!
Russia's Defence Ministry has claimed that 29 aircraft-type UAVs attacked targets in the country on the night of 14-15 September.

Source: Russia's Defence Ministry

Details: All 19 drones were supposedly shot down.

Of these, 15 were destroyed over Bryansk Oblast, 5 over Kursk Oblast, 4 over Smolensk Oblast, 2 over Oryol Oblast, and 1 over each of Belgorod, Kaluga, and Rostov oblasts.

Support UP or become our patron!
Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Ukraines Defence Intelligence, has said that Russia wants to win the war against Ukraine by the end of 2025 or early 2026, because it will face serious economic problems from summer 2025 onwards and will need to mobilise more troops.

Source: Kyrylo Budanov at the 20th annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) meeting in Kyiv, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine

Quote from Budanov: "2025, late 2025 and early 2026, is a crucial time for them [the Russians  ed.]. So they want to end all this [the war] by then. Because by their own calculations, unless they come out of this war considering themselves the victors, in the long term  within the next 30 years  the Russian Federation will lose the superpower status they aspire to."

Details: According to Budanov, Russia predicts that "all their problems will start in the summer of 2025", as both financial and economic factors and socio-political factors will come together then.

Quote: "They are forecasting that the negative impact on their economy will begin to be very noticeable around the summer of 2025."

Budanov also says that the issue of recruitment to the army is becoming increasingly acute in Russia.

Quote from Budanov: "They will face a dilemma during this period [summer 2025  ed.]: either to announce mobilisation or to somehow reduce the intensity of hostilities, which may ultimately be critical for them."

The intelligence chief added that the public mood in Russia has also been affected by Ukraine's efforts to move the fighting deep into Russian territory.

Referring to Russian documents, Budanov noted that if Russia doesnt win, by the end of 2025 there will only be two superpowers left in the world  the US and China  and there will be no place for Russia.

Quote from Budanov: "They are aware of this. This is a key period for them. So they will do everything possible to win, as they understand it. Otherwise, they will drop out of absolutely all global processes. All they can count on is regional leadership, and they are not happy with that."

Support UP or become our patron!
(FOX40.COM) The Sacramento Police Department is currently investigating a shooting that involved one of its officers.

The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Saturday near Beloit Drive and Bell Avenue. SPD said no one from its force was injured, however, one person was transported to the hospital in an unknown condition. A heavy police presence was still in the area as of 5:51 p.m.

Sacramento police involved in shooting amid suspended vehicle registration investigation

Police did not reveal the persons identity in the hospital, however, they said the incident would be investigated internally.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
Mo Green and Michele Morrow squared off in a candidates forum hosted by Public Schools First and the NC PTA. (Photos: Screengrab from video stream hosted by WRAL)

In a presidential election year, it can be difficult for downballot candidates to get attention. But North Carolinas candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Republican Michele Morrow and Democrat Mo Green, have squared off in two events in the past week, hoping to distinguish themselves as the best person to run the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and administer approximately $11 billion in state and federal funding.

Saturday morning, both Morrow and Green met in person on the NC State campus in an hour-long forum hosted by Public Schools First North Carolina and the North Carolina Parent Teacher Association.

In her opening statement Morrow, a nurse who homeschooled her children, said she believes an outsider is needed to focus on students, not the system.

There was a time when our students knew what it meant to respect authority and to honor their elders, and that they were proud and that they were appreciative for being citizens in the United States of America, said Morrow. But now, ladies and gentlemen, we are in crisis. We are not serving our students, our teachers, our parents, or our administrators well.

Green, a former superintendent of Guilford County Schools and past executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, told the audience this position requires a true champion of public education, especially at a time that North Carolina ranks 48th in school funding.

Per-pupil spending nationally is about $16,000 per student, but in North Carolina that figure is a little more than $11,000 according to Green.

Instead, legislators are funding private school vouchers, that will drain hundreds of millions more from public education.

And then you talk about the way that our public-school educators and our public schools are being disrespected by many, including my very own opponent who has called our public schools, cesspools of evil lies and deception, has called our educators groomers, said Green. I would submit to you that this election is about protecting the very soul of public education.

Morrow, a conservative activist who has drawn national attention for her calls for political violence, acknowledged that too many teachers are leaving the public school system, and the next state superintendent must address that.

They are leaving what they were called to do because they dont feel like they are getting the resources, theyre not getting the support, and they are not able to do what they want to do, which is called to teach, Morrow said. They are having to push an agenda. Im going to advocate for families, for students, for staff, and Im going to ensure that the laws are obeyed in every single one of our 115 districts.

School safety a top concern

On the issue of school safety, Morrow said would push for at least two school resource officers (SROs) in every school.

We need a code of conduct. We need for parents, teachers, and staff to understand what is going to be expected in conduct as well as academic performance, Morrow said.

She faulted two group that received funding from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation that advocated for removing SROs.

If you live here in Wake County, you have seen in the last week, we have had more than five schools on lockdown. That is absolutely irresponsible, Morrow said.

Green said strategies he would employ to make schools safer include building effective relationships with law enforcement, increasing the mental health professionals working with students, and hardening some facilities.

And then finally, character development. I think its important that our children understand how to comport themselves, how to be in a relationship with each other, even when theyre in disagreement with each other.

Raising pay amid a rise in private school vouchers

On the issue of compensation, both candidates agreed that the starting salary for North Carolinas teachers is not enough.

Morrow said she would like to see starting pay for teachers in the $50,000-$55,000 range, with certain educators earning more based on their skills.

Green suggested starting pay be set at $55,000 to $60,000, with no ceiling on what teachers earn.

Green also made clear his opposition the taxpayer-funded private school voucher program recently expanded by the Republican-controlled legislature. The additional funding for vouchers approved just last week totals $5 billion over the next decade.

This is deeply troubling when you think about now the wealthiest of the wealthy, those who can already afford to send their child to a private school already have their child in a private school can now get government assistance. What are we doing?

Morrow said under her administration, NCDPI would do a deep dive into how the money is spent, but healthy competition creates the best product at the best price.

Limiting smartphones in schools

With an increasing number of states implementing bans on cellphones in schools, both candidates agreed there should be limitations.

Im not at a place where Im going to say there should be a total ban on cell phones in all of our schools at all times. But I do think that weve got to figure our ways to limit the access of cell phones in our schools because our students, I believe, are being inundated with all sorts of things that are distracting them from receiving the educational opportunities that they should be receiving in the classroom, Green said.

Morrow took it a step further.

I think its very dangerous to have our kids on a screen. When I talk about it as a nurse and the developmental issues that were seeing in our young people with the frontal lobe, with their ability to maintain impulse control, I think we absolutely need to remove at least the cell phones from the classroom. Id also like to see a severe diminishment, if not removal from our elementary school of handheld devices, she said.

Morrow said its more important for students to have face-to-face time with teachers.

Morrow sharpens her attack, Green questions her fitness to lead NC schools

The polite, hour-long conversation on education policy took an unexpected turn in the candidates closing remarks.

Morrow said the exodus of teachers and families from North Carolina public schools can be tied to a politicized system, with an agenda funded in part by Z. Smith Reynolds, the foundation Green once led.

So he can talk a good game, but I want you to know what is at stake. He talks about grooming, well, let me tell you, Planned Parenthood, go look up, Amaze Jr. and Amaze. They are cartoons that are teaching our four to nine-year-olds how to masturbate.

Theyre telling them that it is fine as a four-year-old to poke and prod one another naked, go watch it. It is being funded, it is being promoted by Planned Parenthood who is one of his biggest supporters, asserted Morrow.

Morrow said white teachers need not apologize for their whiteness.

We should not be telling our teachers that our minority students cannot perform because you have inherent racism. Its time for us to recognize that this social, this politically charged, this racially divisive, and this sexually inappropriate content is destroying our children, its destroying their future, said Morrow in her pledge to make schools a place where children are protected and parental rights respected.

Green for his part reminded the audience that it was Morrow who took her children to the attempted insurrection on January 6th at the U.S. Capitol and even suggested then-President Donald Trump use the military to stay in power.

This is a person whos called for the executions of many, many folks, listing President Biden and Governor Cooper and President Barack Obama, said Green in referencing Morrows prior social media posts. Is this the kind of character we want next to our children?

Voters wont have to wait long to answer that question. Early in-person voting for the General Election begins on October 17th.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

Credit: Jens Schlueter / Getty Images

A new populist force is shaking up German politics, says Ben Knight in Deutsche Welle (Bonn). No, not the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which had such spectacular successes in regional elections in the eastern states of Thuringia and Saxony earlier this month. The force I'm referring to is Sahra Wagenknecht, the glamorous and divisive enigma who has emerged as kingmaker while the mainstream parties try to keep the AfD out of coalition governments there. Wagenknecht is certainly a fascinating figure, said Thomas Fazi on UnHerd. Once an "icon of the German radical Left", she only set up her party, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), in January. Yet it was still able to finish third in both states that held elections: voters rallied behind its unique agenda of "left-conservatism", which mixes socialist-style calls for market regulation and higher welfare payments with fierce criticism of military aid for Ukraine, and calls for strict immigration policies.

Wagenknecht always was something of an outsider, said James Angelos on Politico (Brussels). Born in East Germany in 1969 to a German mother and Iranian father, she was raised by her grandparents after her father returned to Iran when she was three. As a child, she was teased for her black hair and dark eyes; but by age 19, she had become active in the East German Communist Party and she continued to hold the GDR up as a model even after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. She went on to study philosophy, write an MA thesis (later published as a book) on Karl Marx's interpretation of Hegel, and to become a leading member of Die Linke, the party formed by an alliance of leftist parties in 2007. But her tough line on immigration led to her being driven out of the party last year, and she promptly announced plans to set up a party of her own.

It was a decision grounded in her belief that "left-wing parties no longer serve the working class", said Alessio Dell'Anna in Euronews (Brussels), that they have become too liberal on migration and too dogmatic in their pursuit of net zero, which she "vehemently opposes". And it has given her a strong platform from which to express her, often radical, views, said Rainer Zitelmann in Focus (Berlin). She calls for the dissolution of Nato and a security pact with Russia; and has lavished praise on leaders from Stalin and Castro to Jeremy Corbyn.

Wagenknecht's agenda might not sound like a recipe for electoral success; but it appeals to plenty of voters in the former GDR, said Aiko Wagner in Der Spiegel (Hamburg). Many still identify as "Ossis"(easterners), and are more anti-American, more socially conservative and more wary of mass migration than their West German counterparts. And they know that Wagenknecht isn't the dangerous radical she's painted, said Maritta Adam-Tkalec in Berliner Zeitung. On the contrary, she articulates positions many reasonable people support: that we should strive for a ceasefire in Ukraine and exercise better control over our borders. Shouldn't we be glad such voters are backing the BSW, and not the extremist AfD?

Love her or hate her, Wagenknecht is in a powerful position, said Hugo Muller-Vogg in Cicero (Berlin). The conservative CDU (which finished second to the AfD in Thuringia, and scraped to victory in Saxony) is now considering governing in coalition with the BSW in both states. That could damage the reputation of the CDU, the party of Angela Merkel; said Angelika Slavik in Suddeutsche Zeitung (Munich), but it's the right call. We'll only ever know if the BSW is capable of being a constructive partner, if it lands a role in government. The omens aren't encouraging, said The Economist. Wagenknecht wants to play a role in coalition negotiations, despite not having stood as a candidate in either state. But sooner or later, the BSW's exclusive focus on its eponymous leader will become a problem. Wagenknecht views herself as an outsider, a rebel. But "as party leader and kingmaker she will need diplomacy and a talent for compromise, skills she has shown few signs of possessing".
CHICAGO  After nine years of serving up Mexican food in West Town, a Ukrainian Village restaurant is closing its doors for good this month.

The owners of Salsa Picante, located in the 900 block of North Western Avenue, announced Tuesday that they would cease operations on Sunday, Sept. 29.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

We would like to thank our staff, past and present, for being such an integral part of our business and for helping us to provide so many wonderful experiences to our countless guest over the years. Restaurant work is not easy, it takes commitment, thick skin, and really good sense of humor and we are so grateful for everyone that has worked so hard to keep the vision alive, the restaurants owners said in a post on Facebook.

In the post, the owners thanked the community, adding that the decision to close was bittersweet.

Salsa Picante gave us all a place to feel at home. However, as much as we love Salsa Picante and seeing you walk through our doors, this is a bittersweet choice and most difficult decision during these unprecedented times, to say the least, the owners said. We would like to thank our Ukrainian Village community for welcoming and supporting our small family business. It has really been an honor to serve our community and hope the strong sense of community continues and thrives for ever.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

The family-owned restaurant offered an array of authentic Mexican favorites, as well as breakfast and vegetarian options.

According to the owners, the recipes were handed down from generation to generation, dating back to their great-grandparents in Mexico City.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  A man has been apprehended by law enforcement following a standoff at a residence on Howard Street after he stabbed another individual multiple times during the evening of Sept. 14.

During a press conference held at 9:30 p.m., San Angelo Police Department Chief Travis Griffith stated that officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of Howard Street at 4:47 p.m. in reference to a stabbing. Upon their arrival, the officers found a 34-year-old male who had sustained multiple stab wounds.

The San Angelo Fire Department responded to the scene as well and transported the injured male to an area hospital. Griffith stated that the last update he received regarding the victim was that he was treated and is actually going to be getting released.

The SAPDs Criminal Investigations Division and Crime Scene Investigations Unit were activated as well as a SWAT team and a crisis negotiation team.

Through an investigation, law enforcement was able to identify the suspect as 48-year-old Ricardo Rico. According to a press release issued by the police department, Rico barricaded himself in a small shed and refused to comply with officers commands to surrender.

A warrant was obtained for his arrest, and the SWAT team, with the assistance of a drone team and K-9 unit, was able to take him into custody without further incident after a limited amount of chemical munitions was used.

Rico was booked into the Tom Green County Detention Center at 9:55 p.m. with one charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has a posted bond of $50,000.

A SWAT team responded to the 1200 block of Howard Street regarding a stabbing incident on Sept. 14, 2024.

Law enforcement responded to the 1200 block of Howard Street regarding a stabbing incident on Sept. 14, 2024.

SAPD Chief Travis Griffith speaks during a press conference held following a stabbing incident on Howard Street on Sept. 14, 2024.

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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz takes part in the signing of several agreements, including a migration agreement. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday signed a bilateral agreement on migration with Uzbekistan as he travelled to Central Asia for a three-day visit.

The deal was signed in the ancient city of Samarkand and is intended to facilitate the entry of skilled workers from Uzbekistan to Germany, particularly in the care and health sectors.

It will also speed up the repatriation of Uzbeks in Germany without a legal residence permit. Of the 13,700 Uzbeks living in the country, only around 200 people are believed to be eligible for repatriation.

Bilateral agreements a core component of the German coalition government's migration policy, with the latest example coming on Friday in Berlin with the visit of Kenyan President William Ruto.

Scholz's tour of Samarkand - a UNESCO World Heritage List site and a key stop on the Silk Road - began with a walk along the Registan public square ahead of a visit to the 17th-century Tilla Kari Mosque.

He is then due to head to Kazakhstan, the largest country and strongest economy in the region, on Monday and Tuesday.

There, the chancellor is to attend a summit with the region's five former Soviet republics - including Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan - which are all heavily influenced by heavyweights Russia and China.

Scholz is aiming to expand relations with the Central Asian countries and entered into a strategic partnership with them last year, covering the economy, energy, climate and the environment.

In Kazakhstan, his talks are set to focus on oil and gas supplies to Germany and also on sanctions targeting Russia, as Astana has been accused of enabling trade restrictions to be circumvented.

Since the outbreak of Russia's all-out war on Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has sought to diversify its relations in the region, which had previously focused heavily on economic ties to Russia and China.

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a press statement after signing a migration agreement with Uzbekistan. Michael Kappeler/dpa

Nancy Faeser, Germany's Interior Minister, speaks after signing a migration agreement with Uzbekistan. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Scots NHS unsure how many trans patients have taken risk by changing sex on records

Scotlands NHS has admitted it does not know how many transgender patients have altered their sex on medical records, despite any such change posing a clinical risk.

NHS National Services Scotland said it had only begun recording changes in November last year, despite a policy allowing patients to adjust their official sex on request being in place for several years.

A new policy published in August conceded that problems could be created for patients if their biological sex is not known and/or accessible via a historic record as normal test results could differ depending on whether someone was male or female.

The campaign group For Women Scotland has written to John Connaghan, chief executive of Scotlands NHS, raising concerns about the situation.

It highlighted evidence that some patients who identify as transgender were advising each other to lie to doctors about their biological sex and claimed the existing policy was unlawful.

A court ruling issued last year stated that while holders of a gender recognition certificate (GRC) receive the legal protections of their acquired gender, those without one retain the sex in which they were born.

No evidence required

In Scotland, every person is issued with what is known as a CHI number, with the ninth of the 10-digit code always an even number for women and odd for men.

Patients are allowed to change their officially recognised NHS sex simply by making a request to their GP, with staff told that no evidence is required.

In response to a freedom of information request, NHS National Services Scotland said that since November, 343 numbers had been changed from female to male and a further 386 from male to female.

However, it was unable to say how many were to correct errors and how many were because a patient wanted to change gender, or provide any previous figures.

Health-care professionals can no longer trust that CHI data is accurate for any individual or that a patient will be honest about their sex, and time and resources are spent confirming this basic information prior to routine procedures, For Women Scotland claimed.

Self-identification of sex or gender is not law in Scotland and a persons sex can only be changed (for some purposes) once a GRC has been obtained.

It is necessary for NHS Scotland to update its practices in this regard and close down the mechanism which allows for the sex marker to be changed on request and remedy all previous occurrences.

An updated NHS Scotland records management policy, published in August, acknowledged that in some circumstances it was important for clinicians to have access to both biological sex and gender identity of a patient.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: Patient safety is always our highest priority. We recognise the need, regardless of a persons self-identified gender, to ensure that no one risks missing important information or appointments related to their care  including screening appointments, diagnosis, referral or other clinical support that may be appropriate to their biological sex.

The Scottish Government is exploring how the use of community health identifier (CHI) numbers can better reflect peoples protected characteristics, including gender identity, as set out in our non-binary equality action plan.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts sidelined one of the most conservative members of the high court on a pending case just days after his wife seemingly shared support for the Stop the Steal movement, according to a new report.

Roberts had initially asked Justice Samuel Alito to write the majority opinion in Fischer v. United States, a case that alleged the government went too far when it charged Jan. 6 rioters with obstruction of a federal proceeding, according to The New York Times.

Then came the Times May 16 report on his wife Martha-Ann Alitos aggrieved decision to fly an upside-down U.S. flagan emblem of the Stop the Steal movement, and propagated by some Jan. 6 riotersoutside their home in Virginia back in 2021, less than two weeks after the Capitol attack.

Four days later, on May 20, Roberts informed the court that he would write the majority opinion after all, according to the Times.

To switch authors on an opinion without a shift in the decision was unusual, experts told the newspaper. So was Roberts decision to take on yet another case for himself; he had written seven cases during the courts most recent term, five of them among its most consequential rulings.

That 6-3 majority, split mostly along ideological lines, ruled the government must prove a defendant impaired specific elements of an official proceeding and it cannot apply the statute so broadly.

It is unclear if the episodes were linked, and the justices did not respond to the Times questions.

Alito remained on the case and was part of that majority, even as the Times uncovered that an Appeal to Heaven flag (symbolism also co-opted by Jan. 6 rioters) had also been on display at the Alitos beach home in Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

Alito told the Times that the upside-down flag was raised as part of a neighborly dispute between his wife and a neighbor over the latters anti-Trump sign.

In response to congressional leaders calling for his recusal in late May, Alito said he asked his wife to take the flag down but for several days, she refused, and he claimed he was unaware of its significance.

The two incidents you cite do not meet the conditions for recusal, he told Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Sheldon Whitehouse. As I have stated publicly, I had nothing whatsoever to do with the flying of that flag. I was not even aware of the upside-down flag until it was called to my attention.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
The vice presidential candidate stands firm on cat conspiracy theories and reinforces his stance on the federal abortion ban.

Sen. JD Vance says hes "learned [his] lesson" about speaking on behalf of his running mate, former President Donald Trump, regarding abortion policy.

In August, the vice presidential nominee stated that if Trump were elected, he would veto any national abortion ban that crossed his desk.

If youre not supporting it as the president of the United States, you fundamentally have to veto it, he told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker at the time. [Trump] explicitly said that he would.

However, during his Sept. 8 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump clarified that he had never discussed the issue with Vance, saying, I dont mind if he has a certain view, but I think he was speaking for me  but I really didnt [say that].

Vance retracted his earlier remarks in a new interview with Welker on Meet the Press this Sunday, admitting that he and Trump still havent discussed it because a national abortion ban is not realistic.

I think President Trump has been clear: A national abortion ban is not on the table, Vance told Welker in his latest appearance on the Sunday morning news show. He wouldnt support it. He wouldnt sign it. And I think frankly, Kristen, its kind of a ridiculous hypothetical because if a national abortion ban was brought before the United States Senate right now, it would get, at best, 10 senators out of 100.

Vance explained that Trump wants abortion policy to be made by the states because he thinks, look, Alabama is going to make a different decision from California  and thats OK. Were a big country. We can disagree.

When asked again whether Trump would veto such a ban, Vance stood firm.

I think that Ive learned my lesson on speaking for the president before he and I have actually talked about an issue, he said. What he has said at the debate, which is quite explicit, is he doesnt support a national ban. He thinks its ridiculous to talk about vetoing a piece of legislation that isnt going to come before the president in the first place.

Elsewhere in the interview, Vance addressed far-right activist Laura Loomers recent comments about Harris's Indian heritage, which have sparked backlash from both Republicans and Democrats. I dont like those comments, said Vance, whose wife, Usha, is the daughter of Indian immigrants. What Laura said about Kamala Harris is not where our focus should be. We need to concentrate on the policy and the issues.

The Ohio senator also doubled down when asked about pushing an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, allegedly eating pets, rejecting claims that the accusations are baseless. Last week bomb threats to the city resulted in the closure of multiple city, county and school buildings.

"I hear you saying that theyre baseless, but Im not repeating them because I invented them out of thin air," Vance told Welker. "Im repeating them because my constituents are saying these things are happening.

He added, These rumors are out there because constituents are seeing it with their own eyes, before going on to criticize the media for challenging his assertions.

I trust my constituents more than I trust the American media, which has shown no interest in what's going on in Springfield until we started sharing cat memes online, said Vance.

Vance echoed those sentiments in a separate interview on CNNs State of the Union Sunday, claiming to host Dana Bash that he has firsthand accounts from constituents who told him directly that Haitian immigrants are eating their pets.

JD Vance attempts to justify spreading lies about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio:



If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that's what I'm going to do pic.twitter.com/9P5lUaZUJu  philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 15, 2024

The American Media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about a cat meme, he said. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that's what I'm going to do.

Meanwhile, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine defended Haitian immigrants on ABCs This Week Sunday, stressing to host Martha Raddatz that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal and that they came to Springfield to work.

This is a piece of garbage that was simply not true. Theres no evidence of this at all, DeWine said of the conspiracy theory, which first began as a Facebook post.

Ohio's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine defends Haitian immigrants in Springfield from false claims that they are eating neighbors' pets.



This is a piece of garbage that was simply not true. Theres no evidence of this at all. https://t.co/M2kszhCdbY pic.twitter.com/8aRrahDpJb  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) September 15, 2024

Erika Lee, the Springfield resident who initially posted about the false claim, told NBC News on Friday that she had no firsthand knowledge of the alleged incident and now regrets the impact it has caused.

It just exploded into something I didnt mean to happen, she said. I feel for the Haitian community. If I was in the Haitians position, Id be terrified too, worried that somebodys going to come after me because they think Im hurting something that they love and that, again, thats not what I was trying to do.
Charles Sobhraj, the French serial killer accused of murdering at least a dozen western tourists traveling through Asia in the 1970s, is now a free man and sharing his story in a new televised interview.

"If you follow Mr. Sobhraj  that's his modus operandi, he likes to have the attention put on him," Jackie Malton, retired detective chief inspector of the United Kingdom's Metropolitan Police, told Fox News Digital. "He has this narcissistic personality where he truly believes in himself and his own innocence."

The 80-year-old French national is believed to have killed at least 20 people in Afghanistan, India, Thailand, Turkey, Nepal, Iran and Hong Kong during the 1970s.

LONDON ART HEIST: BANKSY'S GIRL WITH BALLOON SWIPED FROM GALLERY, 2 CHARGED

French serial killer Charles Sobhraj (C) is brought to the district court for a hearing on a case related to the murder of Canadian backpacker Laurent Ormond Carriere, in Bhaktapur on May 26, 2014. Sobhraj, a French citizen who was serving a life sentence in Nepal for the murder of an American backbacker in 1975, has been linked with a string of killings across Asia in the 1970s, earning the nickname "bikini killer."

"Back then, I would describe him as extremely ruthless, cold-hearted, lack of any empathy," Malton said.

Sobhraj was sentenced to life in prison, which is only 20 years in Nepal, in 2004 for killing 29-year-old American tourist Connie Jo Bronzich in 1975. A decade later, he was also found guilty of killing Bronzich's Canadian companion, 26-year-old Laurent Carriere.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER

French serial killer Charles Sobhraj is escorted by Nepalese police at a district court for a hearing on a case related to the murder of Canadian backpacker Laurent Ormond Carriere, in Bhaktapur on June 12, 2014.

Sobhraj was released from prison in Nepal in December 2022 and sent back to France after being released 19 years into his life sentence.

The Supreme Court had ordered that Sobhraj be freed from prison because of poor health, noting he has heart disease, as well as for good behavior and having served more than 75% of his sentence.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

His new interview will be featured in Peacock's "World's Most Notorious Killers," streaming Sep. 17.

Sobhraj, who preyed mostly on young backpackers on the "hippie trail" through Asia, often by befriending them before drugging, robbing and murdering them, earned the nickname "Serpent" from the disguises he used to evade police over the years and was known as the "bikini killer" in Thailand.

NEBRASKA MAN WHO POSED AS HIGH SCHOOLER AND COMMITTED SEX CRIMES IS DESCRIBED AS PREDATOR OF THE WORST KIND

Malton, who is featured in Peacock's series, spent much of 2023 working with a large team of criminal profilers, researchers and psychologists to investigate Sobhraj, who gained recognition after Netflix featured him in "The Serpent" in 2021. She sat down with the convicted killer for an interview this year after spending some time getting to know him.

"He wanted to tell the world that he was an innocent man," she said. "We investigated the five murders in Thailand, and we presented quite substantial evidence to him that showed, in my opinion, that he was not quite so innocent as he thought he was."

AFFLUENT VIRGINIA SUBURB ROCKED BY MANSION MURDER MYSTERY AS NANNY FACES TRIAL

GET REAL TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB

The retired detective had a surprising impression of the 80-year-old Sobhraj, who she said was "not the man who was in his 30s who targeted backpackers."

"Mr. Sobhraj is a very, very polite man, he's very respectful," she said. "He's not what anybody would ever consider to be a kind of serial killer in the sense of how we have understood case histories of serial killers. He does not fit into that mold."

After his release from prison, Sobhraj told French newspaper Le Monde, "I've used quite a few stolen passports, but I've never killed anyone, and I'll prove it."





Original article source: 'Serpent' serial killer who murdered American tourist stuns detective with demeanor
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) -The Greenville County Sheriffs Office is asking for help locating a woman who needs medical attention.

Joni Barnes, 44, was last seen on Mush Creek Road in Travelers Rest at around 2 a.m. Sunday. She was last seen wearing a red shirt and black leggings.

Deputies said Barnes is in need of medical attention and anyone who sees her or knows of her whereabouts is asked to call 911.

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 WSPA 7NEWS.
Sheriffs are unique figures in American politics and American society  but not in the way that many people, especially on the far right, would have you believe. The right-wing conception of the "constitutional sheriff" runs up against the fact that the word sheriff appears nowhere in the U.S. Constitution. It's mentioned in many state constitutions, but not all of them: In fact, Connecticut, which dubs itself the "Constitution State, has abolished the office altogether. But the myth endures for a reason, reflecting the fact that county sheriffs, while almost always elected officials, are generally not well integrated into the fabric of government with its multiple paths of checks and balances.

As a result, local sheriffs have often been able to resist various reform efforts over the years, and the most recent wave of criminal justice reforms have not been an exception. The anomalous and isolated status of sheriffs is reflected in media coverage and academic research as well. Individual sheriffs like the notorious Joe Arpaio, former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, may gain significant local or even national attention, but consistent, systemic scrutiny is rare. So "The Power of the Badge: Sheriffs and Inequality in the United States," a new book by political scientists Emily M. Farris and Mirya R. Holman, is long overdue.

It begins with a historical overview, then moves on to examine the county sheriff as an elective office, and how that status differs in practice both from what sheriffs themselves may claim and what democratic theory suggests. American county sheriffs are 98% male, a marked contrast to elected district attorneys, almost one in four of whom are women. That leads into an exploration of the ways sheriffs exercise and expand their authority, which sets the stage for the theme suggested by the book's subtitle: how the sheriff's office perpetuates inequality in a many areas, especially regarding violence against women, traffic enforcement and immigration.

Farris and Holman clearly take a critical view of sheriffs past and present, but they're not rigidly unsympathetic. Although the sheriffs and their practices skew strongly toward white male conservative defenders of existing power structures, there's significant variation to be found, and their discussion is appropriately nuanced. But the big picture is clear: Nationwide, the sheriff's office is long overdue for reform, particularly in light of the right-wing radicalization of many sheriffs in rural areas. The book's final chapter examines the prospects for reform, which are less than promising. Raising awareness of the problem, as this book surely ought to do, is the first step in changing whats possible.

I recently interviewed co-author Mirya Holman, an associate professor at the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs, via Zoom. This transcript has been edited for clarify and length.

Your first chapter looks at the sheriff's office in the larger context of U.S. history. You have sections addressing the era of slavery and Reconstruction, the "Posse Comitatus" movement and the recent phenomenon of the "constitutional sheriff." We could easily spend the whole interview asking about this chapter, since it covers so much ground. Let me start by asking about the main lessons we should learn from that history. What are the important patterns that emerge?

One key takeaway for me is that sheriffs have regularly used social control in communities as a tool to make sure that some groups of people remain in power and other groups of people don't have access to power. If we think about sheriffs' role in slavery, for example, sheriffs were one of the primary offices engaged in enforcing runaway-slave acts, financially benefited from capturing individuals who had fled slavery and regularly engaged in actions to ensure that white people and communities were able to have power and Black people were not able to have power.

If we look at the role that sheriffs play as the U.S. expands westward, they again played a central role in assuring that some groups of people  particularly white people and white people with access to property  have the ability to retain their power. So we see, for example, sheriffs play a role in helping business owners squash union movements or organizing efforts. In Colorado, sheriffs are central actors in making sure that miners don't have the capacity to fight against people who own the land. When we move forward into current-day America, even something as simple as the role sheriffs play in civil asset forfeiture, or the role of sheriffs in enforcing evictions, reinforces this idea that this is a tool used to keep a particular power balance in society.

Your second chapter chips away at one of the major justifications sheriffs rely on, the fact that they are generally elected officials. You find that sheriffs are highly unrepresentative of the population as a whole: More than 90% are white, less than 2% are women, 0.2% are women of color. They're overwhelmingly conservative Republicans, and only 1% identify as liberal. You also look more specifically at sheriffs relative to the specific counties where they're elected. What did you find there?

We find over and over again that the modern-day sheriff is unrepresentative of the county that he serves. I'm going to use "he," because, as you say, most sheriffs are men. We look at this in a couple of different ways. First we say, OK, is it really true that they're unrepresentative? If we look at places where there's electoral competition, are sheriffs more representative? That's not what we find. If we look at ideological representation, again what we see is this rightward skew where sheriffs are reliably more conservative than the counties they serve, which means that counties with liberal residents are regularly not represented by the sheriff's office of sheriffs.

You find that sheriffs tend to have uncompetitive elections, with a shallow field of challengers. Sheriffs tend to serve decades in office and routinely select their successors, effectively creating dynasties of closely controlled power. What are the most important factors involved in preventing elections from being a source of accountability, as they are supposed to be?

Voters have to be able to choose between candidates in order for elections to serve as a way of changing anything. But we often see in sheriff elections that there is only one person on the ballot, or that electoral competition is sometimes in the primary election and in a general election the sheriff will be unopposed.

We argue that there are a couple of factors here. One is that most sheriffs worked in their office before the became sheriffs, as a deputy or a jailer or a staff member. So just imagine: If you wanted your boss' job, how would you interact with that person? And how would your boss treat you if they thought you wanted their job? And if, when you got their job, they would no longer have a job? They're not going to be promoted, because sheriffs are the end of the line in county government. So we find that sheriffs engage in a variety of actions to curate the pool of potential challengers.

They might identify people where they think, "This guy is going to be a good sheriff, so I want to make sure that he's under my wing. When I am finally ready to retire, I'm either going to endorse this guy or I'm going to retire before the end of the term and appoint this person to fill the rest of it, so he's the incumbent when the next election comes around." It's a regular pattern we find, that sheriffs resign before the end of their term so they can hand-pick their successor in the next election. It means there is not really the opportunity for change in elections. Either it's just the same guy running over and over again or it's a slightly different guy, but it's the guy that the previous guy picked. So we have this unbroken chain where we rarely see dramatic changes in who's going to hold the office.

What happens when a challenger does emerge?

One thing we find is that if sheriffs have an internal challenger, meaning that somebody from their office runs against them, and the sheriff wins, they tend to punish the people that work for them. One interesting thing about the office, from the perspective of power, is that sheriffs are both executives  they're elected and they have a lot of control over their office, they can set policy  but are also fundamentally bureaucrats. They manage a large set of employees, they make bureaucratic decisions about how the office is run, how the jail is run. So if a sheriff is mad about somebody challenging them, they punish that person. Sheriffs are regularly accused of retaliation by employees who run against them for the office. We see through data that when sheriffs are challenged internally, they subsequently reduce the pay of people who work for them. They essentially are, like, "Hey, you challenged me, now I'm going to get you back.

Your third chapter is about sheriffs authority as elected officials. If their goal is to get re-elected, you write, "this is achieved by sheriffs increasing their authority and decreasing their accountability." What are the most significant things they do to increase their authority?

There are lots of ways that sheriffs expand what they do. We could call it mission creep. Broadly, sheriffs are county-level law enforcement officers. We might think of that as a very narrow set of tasks, or we might thing of it as extraordinarily broad. Sheriffs, particularly in rural areas of the United States, often think about this as a very broad set of tasks associated with law enforcement.

You and I might think, well, law enforcement, that does not include mosquito control, right? But the sheriff of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, would disagree: They breed fish and have boats to engage in mosquito control in that parish. Or we might think that sheriff's deputies primarily drive cars around, but many sheriffs also have boats to engage in watercraft control, they have airplanes and helicopters, they engage in a wide set of emergency services. You might look at natural disasters as an example where sheriffs radically expand their services, and often don't contract that after the natural disaster. Sheriffs are also recipients of military grants and military equipment.

Also, sheriffs run jails, and there's a lot of service expansion around jail maintenance. If you think about criminal justice reform and you're interested in the quality of life that incarcerated individuals have, one way to improve that is to offer more services: mental health care, education, work release programs. All of those are consistent with reforming our criminal justice system, but also involve expanding the sheriff's authority. So the sheriff goes from running the jail to being the primary mental health care provider in the county, or the primary person that provides job skills. The portfolio of things that office does gets larger and larger.

In Chapter 4, where the themes are inequality, autonomy and authority, you examine the influence of sheriffs attitudes in three arenas where they have significant autonomy: violence against women, traffic enforcement and immigration. What are the main takeaways? Let's start with violence against women.

We use data from two different surveys where we ask sheriffs themselves about their own individual attitudes. For example, what are your attitudes about women's equality? What are your attitudes about the status of women in society? Do you endorse what scholars call domestic violence and rape myths? These are common misconceptions about the sources of violence against women or interpersonal violence. Think about a phrase like, "Women can choose to leave their abusers anytime. They just decided not to." How much do you agree with that statement? Then we ask them about the services they provide to victims of interpersonal violence and sexual assault. One thing that we consistently find in this area, and also in traffic and immigration, is that the sheriff's own attitudes really matter in shaping the kinds of policies that their offices produce.

So in this circumstance, sheriffs who have more negative views about women in society, who endorse these myths, are less likely to say that they offer victims of interpersonal violence services like access to shelters or information at the hospital or transportation away from an abuser. These are really important things for women who are experiencing interpersonal violence, and our findings suggest that it really matters.

How do sheriffs' attitudes translate when it comes to traffic enforcement?

There is this long history of traffic enforcement being used as a tool to engage in disparate enforcement of laws against Black and brown individuals, and we know this is one area where discretion really matters for the police. A law enforcement officer can choose whether or not to pull you over, whether or not to write you a ticket or arrest you. We find sheriffs that have more negative attitudes toward Black people and immigrants are more likely to say that their office doesn't have policies around racial equality and arrest, and are likely to say that they oppose those kinds of interventions. Again, this is a situation where the individual attitudes of the sheriff then influences how their deputies engage in law enforcement in their communities.

What do you find with regard to immigration law enforcement?

This is a really interesting policy venue for sheriffs. In general, Homeland Security and Border Patrol do not have the resources that they would need to actually enforce immigration laws. They're both relatively small agencies. Border control is largely concentrated on the borders themselves, and one evolution of the policy over the last 40 years or so has been this top-down deregulation of immigration authority to local enforcement. Sheriffs are one of the primary tools of that enforcement, via jails and arrests.

So let's say you are in this country without the legal right to be  you overstayed your visa, for example. Most of the time you are not engaged in any action that is going to have your status in the community checked, except when you engage with law enforcement. Here again, discretion plays a role. So we asked sheriffs a variety of questions about their attitudes about immigrants. For example, Do immigrants take away more than they give back to society? And then we ask them about a whole bunch of points of contact between their deputies and the community: At what point do you check the immigration status of individuals? This includes everything from somebody being a witness to a crime to a traffic stop to being booked for a non-felony offense to being booked for a felony to post-trial booking in the jail.

We would expect that this check-in with ICE about whether or not somebody's been flagged would happen when somebody's actually in jail. But we find that sheriffs who have negative attitudes about immigrants say their deputies are much more likely to check the immigration status of witnesses to crimes and people whostopped for traffic issues, as compared to those sheriffs who have more positive attitudes towards immigrants. This has real consequences, if we think about the willingness of members of the community to interact with law enforcement, or to call the police when there's an emergency. If you think your immigration status is going to be checked, you're not going to call the cops to report a crime.

In Chapter 5, on the "radicalization" of county sheriffs, you look at how that has unfolded over the last half-century through right-wing recruitment efforts. You begin in the 1970s with the Posse Comitatus movement, which then led to the "constitutional sheriff" movement. What were the key moments in this development?

In the 1970s, a variety of what we might call modern-day militia movements that emerged. Some emerged in anger over the civil rights movement and are explicitly racist or white supremacist, some are neo-Nazi, some are explicitly focused on the American West. During this time, members of these movements identify the county sheriff as this ideal locally elected official who has a lot of autonomy. This is where the beginning of the idea of the constitutional sheriff emerges, where sheriffs somehow have this unique constitutional power.

Just as a side note, sheriffs don't generally have any unique constitutional powers. Lots of offices have constitutional powers, and sheriffs are sometimes among them and have some designation in the state constitutions. But this is not a unique sheriff thing.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

The founder of the Posse Comitatus movement, among other people, worked to promote this idea that sheriffs are this last line of defense against the overreach of the federal government. We should try to elect people as sheriffs, in their view, who are going to defend their communities against any efforts by the federal government to take guns away, or try to enforce civil rights rules. Eventually, rules about federal land management in the West get wrapped up in this. During that time, I would not call sheriffs active participants in this movement at all. There were quite a few sheriffs saying, "Please stop mentioning my name. Stop talking about this." But over time, that militia movement sort of dies out. With the Oklahoma City bombing and Timothy McVeigh, many militia movements go underground and become less publicly visible, and focus way less on sheriffs.

We see the re-emergence of these ideas during the county rights movements in the 1990s, but we don't see the ideas gain national prominence until the rise of Richard Mack as an intellectual leader of the right after Barack Obama's election as president. Mack himself has said he was inspired by the idea that Obama was going to come in and do all this crazy stuff. So Mack, who was a former county sheriff in Arizona, used the notoriety that he has from being involved in a gun rights case to go on the Tea Party circuit and develop a much broader following of sheriffs, making the argument that sheriffs have this unique responsibility to protect their residents against the overreach of the federal government.

Then we see a lot of effort around the post-Sandy Hook discussion of gun control, with sheriffs emerging as vocal opponents to any kind of federal gun control. This evolves into anti-COVID restrictions, and along with guns and federal overreach that has continued to be a core component of this right-wing movement of sheriffs who have taken up this mantle, claiming, "We're a unique office. We have this unique responsibility."

And you do see that right-wing extremism reflected in many sheriffs' views today.

Sure. If you ask sheriffs in surveys whether or not they believe in statements like "sheriff have a responsibility to interpose against federal overreach," or that the federal government should have to request permission from the sheriff before they go into a county, we see high rates of sheriffs agreeing with these statements. These are also highly correlated with sheriffs saying that they won't enforce gun control measures, or that they oppose mask mandates.

In Chapter 6, you turn to a range of different tools for reform, including elections, civilian review, the appointment of sheriffs, investigations and various state and federal policies, as well as the abolition movement. As you lay these options out, they all have serious limitations, though some incremental changes have been made. What lessons do you draw here?

Change is really hard. There are more than 3,000 sheriffs in the United States, and the tools that seem to be the most effective are also the ones that are most limited in scope. If we think about elections as a tool to shape who sheriffs are and their policies, OK, that's great. We need to encourage more people to run for the office. But that's highly localized, right? It's hard to identify people in 3,000 counties who have the interest, capacity and experience to run for the office. The same goes for something like civilian oversight. It's a tool that might matter, but it has only been rolled out in very few places and sheriffs have been very effective at reducing the implementation of effective civilian oversight.

One common problem seems to be that sheriffs really are outside the networks of accountability that encompass government at different levels, from national to local. It seems as if we need the kind of information you provide to become much more widely known in order to build a movement for accountability. Maybe we need to develop alternative ideas of what we want on the county level, for example, more public health services rather than law enforcement.

Yes, I agree. Sheriffs operate in this unique space in that they don't have horizontal accountability. Think about state legislatures. If we are mad about what a state legislature does, we might think about the governor serving as a form of accountability, or an independent state administration governed by bureaucratic rules, or the judicial system. For sheriffs, there are parallel bodies like county commissions, but they're seen as independent, not as one overseeing the other. County commissions in most states have no power to check the decisions made by the sheriff. So they lack horizontal accountability, and often lack vertical accountability too. Some of that is by their own efforts, by saying to state and federal governments, "You can't tell me what to do." But it's also general public blindness to what happens in this office and the fact that there's no oversight, particularly in rural areas without robust media networks. You might have civilians who are identifying problems and writing blog posts or yelling on Reddit, but there's no way to convert that to any kind of change.

I would support any effort toward stronger institutionalization of services  health services, mental health care, job training, post-incarceration care  separate from the criminal justice system. What we see overwhelmingly is that, particularly in rural America, the county sheriff and the jail has become the primary site for a lot of these services, particularly to vulnerable populations, because there's nobody else to do it.

If you live in a rural area and somebody in your life is in a mental health crisis, the sheriff is the only person to call in most places. They're going to take that person to jail and then they may provide some kind of mental health care, or transport them to a faraway mental health facility. We could interrupt that pattern if we had more robust mental health care in rural America. It's the same thing with interventions around the homeless population. All these things have been shuffled into the jail system. The sheriff provides these services and thus expands his power. If we provided those services separate from from the criminal justice system, that would circumvent that process.

Finally, what's the most important question I didn't ask, and what's the answer?

One thing I think a lot about is: What does a good sheriff look like? One thing I think is important is that sheriffs are willing to give away their power. You see effective and sensible sheriffs who are not just invested in expanding mental health care in the jail, but in interventions that stop people from going to jail entirely. Sheriffs who support alternative services and housing-first policies, policies that are not aimed at, first you get someone to the jail and then you provide services. Those are the kind of sheriffs that people should be interested in supporting.
Shogun: How an Englishman from Kent made an extraordinary journey to become the first western samurai

When Shogun arrived on our screens earlier this year, it did so weighted with expectations as heavy as a samurai in full armour. A sprawling historical drama set in feudal Japans tumultuous Sengoku period, the series epic scope and promise of adventure have drawn comparisons to HBOs mammoth hit Game of Thrones. Months later, it is now the most-nominated show at the 2024 Emmys, with 25 nods.

The story centres on the coming together of two ambitious men from very different worlds, along with a mysterious female samurai. John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) is an English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan. Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) is a shrewd and powerful daimyo  a feudal lord subordinate to the ruling shogun  who seeks advantage over his political rivals. Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai) is an enigmatic and skilled fighter with dishonourable family ties.

Shogun comes with impeccable pedigree. The new FX/Disney+ series, which was created by Top Gun: Maverick writer Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, is adapted from James Clavells novel of the same name  a runaway bestseller when it was published in 1975. The book was then adapted into a hit 1980s miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain, Toshiro Mifune and Yoko Shimada. While the story is fictional, many of the characters are based on real-life figures drawn from Japanese history.

Indeed, Clavell once revealed that his hugely successful novel had been inspired by a single line he read in his daughters textbook: In 1600, an Englishman went to Japan and became a samurai. Heres the true story of how a sailor named William Adams became the first westerner to reach that storied rank.

William Adams was born in Kent in 1564. In later life, he recalled his childhood in a letter, writing: I am a Kentish-man, borne in a Towne called Gillingham, two English miles from Rochester, one mile from Chatham, where the Kings ships lye

This proximity to Britains shipyards would have a defining influence on Adams. At the age of 12, his father died and he was apprenticed to a master shipbuilder in Limehouse. He spent the next dozen years learning shipbuilding, navigation and astronomy before joining the Royal Navy at the age of 24.

That year, 1588, he was the master of a supply ship for the British Navy as they fought the Spanish Armada under the command of Sir Francis Drake. After the Spaniards were defeated, Adams married, had two children, and soon took a job as a ships pilot with trading merchants the Barbary Company.

In 1598, at the age of 34, Adams led an expedition that hoped to reach the East Indies (now Indonesia) by sailing through the Strait of Magellan in Chile. The voyage was beset by sickness and poor weather, but eventually in 1600, after 19 months at sea, Adamss ship laid anchor off the island of Kyushu, Japan. It was the first European ship ever to reach the country.

Adams and the other survivors (numbering just 23 of the 100 sailors who left England) were summoned to Osaka to meet Tokugawa Ieyasu, a powerful local lord who had designs on ruling Japan as shogun  the military governor who controlled the country. When Ieyasu interrogated Adams, he realised he could put the newcomers extensive knowledge of shipbuilding to good use. Instead of executing Adams and his crew as pirates, he instead made the Englishman one of his trusted confidants. Adams continued in this role after Ieyasu became shogun in 1603, and helped Ieyasu build Japans first Western-style sailing ship the following year.

Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne and Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko in Shogun' (Katie Yu/FX)

Although Ieyasu had honoured Adams, at first the sailor asked to be allowed to return to his family in England. When this request was denied, Adams accepted his fate and permanently settled in Japan. The shogun presented Adams with two swords representing the authority of a samurai, and decreed that William Adams the pilot was dead and that Miura Anjin, a samurai, was born in his place. Ieyasu said that by this action he freed Adams to serve the shogunate permanently, while effectively making his wife in England a widow.

As a ruler, Ieyasu was keen to learn from different cultures, and instructed Adams to write to other countries to encourage their traders to visit Japan. He allowed Adams to open the first East India Company trading post in the city of Hirado in 1613, and the Englishman received substantial revenues as well as his own estate. He married a local woman, had two children, and began to travel outside of Japan and resume some of his expeditions. However, after Ieyasu died in 1616, his successor Tokugawa Hidetada pursued an increasingly isolationist path for Japan. Adams found his influence declining, and after falling ill, he died in Hirado in 1620.

Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga in Shogun' (Kurt Iswarienko/FX)

In James Clavells Shogun, the character of John Blackthorne is heavily influenced by the life of William Adams, while Lord Yoshi Toranaga stands in for Tokugawa Ieyasu.

However, while Clavell did deeply research Japanese history and the Sengoku period in which the story is set, the plot itself is a fantasy.

While Shogun may not be strictly historically accurate, the cast of the new adaptation have pointed out theres still much to learn from the story. It is not only rich with detail about life in feudal Japan, but also deals with timeless themes around the struggle for power and the difficulty of bringing peace out of conflict.

Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga and Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado in Shogun (Katie Yu/FX)

Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays Lord Yoshi Toranaga, explained at a press event for Shogun that this resonance is exactly why hes excited to tell this story now. When I received this role, [I thought about] the meaning of making this show for now, he said.

The model of Toranaga is based on the real shogun, Ieyasu, who created the peaceful era after the war period for about 260 years, he explained. Thats why he became a hero, for then and especially for now. Sanada believes audiences will be keen to see the kind of hero on screen who seeks to bring about peace and rule with wisdom. People are waiting to know the story about him, he said. That was the biggest motivation at the beginning for me.

So while Shogun shouldnt be relied on as a history lesson, it does promise to shine a light on a fascinating period of Japans past when a heroic ruler succeeded in forging stability out of chaos  with the help of a sailor from Kent.

Shogun is available on FX in the US and on Disney+ in the UK. Follow live updates from the 2024 Emmys here.
Nine people were injured as they ran to shelters after air raid sirens sounded in central Israel on Sunday morning. A ballistic missile launched from Yemen crossed into Israel, landing in an open field outside Tel Aviv, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who claimed responsibility for the attack, will exact "a heavy price for any attempt to harm us."

"Anyone who attacks us will not escape from our arms," he said at a Cabinet meeting Sunday.

The sirens, the first in the region in months, included Israel's Ben Gurion international airport in Tel Aviv, where local media showed video of people racing to shelters. The airport's website says it has returned to normal operations.

Video seen by NBC News and verified by Reuters showed a fire in a rural area outside Tel Aviv, with smoke billowing from a crater in the ground as firefighters tackled it.

Responders put out a fire in the area of Lod, near Tel Aviv, in central Israel.

Other local news reports showed a man taking cover under a table inside a train and images of what appeared to be fragments landing on an escalator of a train station in the town of Modiin, about 20 miles southeast of Tel Aviv.

The IDF said fallen fragments of interceptors were identified at the station.

There were no reports of deaths or serious damage. Israel's emergency services said the injured people were in "mild condition" and being treated at nearby hospitals.

The IDF originally said a "surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel from the East and fell in an open area."

It later said that the missile was launched from Yemen and that aerial defense systems made "several interception attempts."

Houthi rebels said in statement Sunday that Israel should "expect more strikes." Sunday's missile covered 2,040 kilometers in 11 minutes, the statement said, and it was aimed at a "military target" in Jaffa, in southern Tel Aviv.

The group said it would continue strikes in retaliation for Israel's attack on the Houthi-controlled port city of Al Hudaydah in July and to "force the enemy to stop its aggression against the Palestinian people."

This is the beginning, Houthi leader Nasr Al-Din Amer told Al-Arabi TV on Sunday.

Israel and Houthi rebels have repeatedly fired retaliatory strikes at each other since the start of the nearly yearlong war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

The IDF says initial inquiries indicate the missile most likely fragmented in mid-air. But the fact that the missile made landfall at all, despite Israels robust interceptors, highlights long-standing concerns that the rebels are swiftly advancing their military capabilities through its connections to Iran.

The U.S. and other governments have long accused Iran of arming, training and financing a network of proxies in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, citing recovered weapons manufactured in Iran and the presence of advisers from Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Irans mastery of low-tech warfare has made it a powerful arms dealer, and over the last two years it has ramped up drone production.

In January, a team of Navy SEALs searching a small boat off Somalia found Iranian missile parts bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to the U.S. military.

Irans U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, told NBC News in February that Iran is not providing weapons to Houthi forces in Yemen and does not exert control over the militants or other armed groups in the region.

But at least two Houthi strikes have now made landfall in Israel in three months.

In July, a Houthi drone penetrated Israels air defense system, hitting an apartment building in Tel Aviv, one block from a U.S. Embassy branch office, killing one person and injuring at least 10 other people.

The IDF said the drone was Iranian-made and modified to fly long distances.

The Houthis say the missile launched Sunday was a hypersonic ballistic missile and claim it traveled over 2,000 miles in just over 11 minutes. NBC News was unable to independently verify either claim.

After the July attack, Israel responded with a series of airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The IDF has not said whether it has retaliated after the latest strikes.

But each breach of Israels borders raises fears that its enemies are increasingly well-equipped and risks further escalation in an already unstable region.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Dramatic flooding across Central Europe left at least half a dozen people dead as forecasters warned of more rain to come.

Poland, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Romania were particularly hard hit by Storm Boris in what could be some of the worst flooding in the region for 30 years.

Romania was forced to set up displacement camps and launch volunteer rescue operations, with Klaus Iohannis, the president of Romania, offering his condolences to the victims bereaved families.

We must continue to strengthen our capacity to anticipate extreme weather phenomena he wrote. Five thousand homes were flooded in the east of the country.

Glucholazy, in southern Poland, experienced severe flooding - SERGEI GAPON/GETTY

Flooding submerged a car in Glucholazy, Poland - Sergei Gapon/AFP

Donald Tusk, the prime minister of Poland, confirmed there was one death by drowning in the district of Klodzko, calling on the population to follow evacuation orders and telling reporters that the situation is dramatic in many places.

Officials said 40 per cent of the major city of Wrocaw was underwater, while the mayor of nearby Guchoazy warned: We are drowning.

Rivers were continuing to break their banks on Sunday and town centres were being flooded, with homes swept away.

Some 25,000 residents have been evacuated in a valley in the Sudetes mountains near the border with the Czech Republic.

An elderly man is rescued by locals in the Romanian village of Slobozia Conachi - DANIEL MIHAILESCU/GETTY

50 litres of rainfall per square metre are expected in parts of the country, more than in the historic 1997 flood which killed 100 people across central Europe.

A firefighter died in a rescue operation in a cellar in Austria as the region of Lower Austria declared a state of emergency.

We are experiencing difficult, dramatic hours in Lower Austria, said Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of the region.

For many Lower Austrians, these will be the hardest hours of their lives.

We will do everything we can to stand up to the water to protect the land and its people. A Black Hawk helicopter was deployed to rescue two trapped motorists near Markersdorf.

The river Biala Ladecka in Poland couldnt contain the extreme levels of rainwater - TOMASZ PIETRZYK/REUTERS

The region was declared a catasrophe zone, while motorways and railways were cut off completely

Karl Nehammer, Austrias Chancellor, said: The storm situation has worsened in the last few hoursthe storm situation in the federal states is very serious.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from the eastern Czech region of Moravia, with more than a quarter of a million people without power.

Polish train operator PKP has suspended train services that enter the Czech Republic and more than 180 patients were evacuated from the Brothers of Mercy Hospital in the city of Brno.

Polish rescuers and soldiers evacuate local residents and their dog in the village of Rudawa - Sergei Gapon/AFP

Meteorologists have warned the situation still might get worse as waters in most rivers are rising, the flood wave made its way through the country and more heavy rains could return overnight.

Thousands of others were also evacuated in the towns of Krnov and Cesky Tesin. The Oder River that flows to Poland was expected to reach extreme levels in the city of Ostrava and later in Bohumin.

The clean-up operation begins in a church after flooding receded in Pechea, Romania - Daniel Mihailescu/AFP

Towns and villages in the Jeseniky mountains, including the local centre of Jesenik, were inundated and isolated by raging waters that turned roads into rivers. The military sent a helicopter to help with evacuations.

Four people who were swept away by waters were missing, police said.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The sky did not fall: One year into Illinois historic bail reform, officials reflect, examine the data

During a recent public appearance, Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell recalled the early days of working to pass, defend and then implement Illinois historic bail reform law amid intense furor.

When I got a call from my aunt in North Carolina asking me if I was involved in a law that legalized murder, I knew it was crazy, Mitchell said.

The states sweeping bail reform measure took effect nearly a year ago, eliminating money as a factor in whether a defendant is released from jail while awaiting trial and ushering in broad changes in how pretrial justice is handled.

Its passage and eventual implementation took an arduous path, with controversy over the law reaching a fever pitch and yielding misinformation campaigns as well as legal challenges.

There was so much information, research, data, evidence proof but we were stuck on fake narratives about what was going to happen, Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx said at the same public summit about the Pretrial Fairness Act. We dont need 20 years to talk about what happened with the Pretrial Fairness Act. We dont need 20 years to talk about the use of the term purge  I just feel compelled in my time left in office to say truths that need to be spoken. It was racist. It was racist.

Now that a year has passed since Illinois became the first state to legislatively outlaw bail, state and local officials are taking stock, hoping to leave the politics behind and evaluate the impact guided by data and other evidence.

With the caveat that studying such an impact can take years, researchers say the rate of defendants failing to appear in court has not increased. They point out  without giving it a causal link  that violent crime and property crime did not increase in the months after the laws passage.

The impact on jail populations in Cook County and across the state has also been significant, with daily populations dropping in most places.

Officials have contended with a learning curve throughout the past year while implementing major changes in a massive and slow-to-change criminal justice system. Some particularly rural counties have contended with a shortage of resources to handle the changes. Appeals of detention decisions overwhelmed the appellate courts in the early days before the states high court made changes.

In Cook County, some attorneys and judges cited long court calls, and a need to examine how they are allocating staff and resources.

Even as counties continue to adjust, those who work in the system mostly say that the courts have settled into the new normal.

We were given this big open highway called the PFA, said Cook County Judge Mary Marubio, presiding judge of the pretrial division. Slowly, were all finding where the lanes are and where the guardrails are.

The politics of reform

In a 2022 political ad released by a group supporting then-Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, big white letters set across scenes of violence proclaimed: Chicago violence is coming to the suburbs.

The year before, Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law the sweeping criminal justice reform legislation known as the SAFE-T Act, which included a measure that eliminated cash bail.

The reform bill, and particularly the bail provisions, was lauded by proponents as a vehicle for making the criminal justice system more fair and equitable, but the legislation spurred controversy, particularly taking a prominent role in the governors race between Bailey and Pritzker.

Some stakeholders raised concerns about the ability for judicial discretion, the public safety impact, resources and the implementation and logistics of making massive changes throughout the state.

But the ambitious reform, timed with a contentious election season, also became fodder for misinformation campaigns.

In fall 2022, political mailings designed to look like newspapers were sent to voters around the Chicagoland area. With titles such as the Will County Gazette, photos of mostly Black men were placed with false stories containing misinformation about the law.

Its a scare tactic. Its meant to have people (show) concern for their safety.  Its disgusting. Its a terrible thing to do, Pritzker said at the time.

Reflecting on the pushback, Mitchell said it was difficult to have policy debates, discussions and disagreements about the proposals amid the uproar.

It was well-organized, well-funded and very intentional, he said of the opposition.

On the policy side, officials designated a two-year ramp-up period to allow counties across the state time to prepare to train personnel, work through logistics and decide how to allocate resources. A task force convened by the Illinois Supreme Court led training and preparation efforts.

But on New Years Eve in 2022, one day before the Pretrial Fairness Act was set to take effect, the states high court delayed implementation to allow legal challenges from prosecutors across the state to be resolved.

The court order came after a Kankakee County judge sided with prosecutors in over 60 counties, mostly from downstate, who sued to stop the no-cash bail policy and other provisions of the act. The judge ruled, among other things, that the state legislature violated the separation of powers clause in the Illinois Constitution when it eliminated cash bail and interfered with the judiciarys ability to set bail.

How did we go from the most noble of goals to the most unconstitutional of outcomes? Kankakee County States Attorney James Rowe argued in court in December 2022.

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled against the prosecutors in summer 2023, finding that the cash bail measure was constitutional.

Though the use of money bail has been eliminated or reduced in other jurisdictions, Illinois became the first state to fully outlaw it.

After a nine-month delay, the law took effect Sept. 18, 2023.

Initial findings

With a year in the rearview mirror, researchers are reviewing preliminary data throughout the state to try to answer big questions surrounding the laws effectiveness and impact on public safety.

During a summit earlier this week, David Olson, co-director of Loyola University Chicagos Center for Criminal Justice Research presented findings from approximately the first year, as part of a multiyear endeavor to examine the law.

The results will come into full focus over time, Olson said, and some metrics, particularly on whether a defendant released from jail committed any new crimes while awaiting pretrial, require longer periods of time for accurate findings.

Among the findings so far:

 Since the law took effect, defendants are spending significantly less time in jail while awaiting trial. The number of defendants detained for more than three days after the initial hearing decreased from 31% to 8% in 21 counties examined.

 In 21 counties, during the first nine months following implementation, the elimination of cash bail resulted in $6.7 million in avoided bond costs.

 In 21 counties studied, warrants issued for failure to appear in court decreased slightly from 17% to 15%.

 Pretrial jail populations fell by about 14% in Cook County and other urban counties and more still in rural counties, about 25%.

 Concerns about overuse of electronic monitoring have not materialized at this point in time.

Olson also noted that violent and property crime decreased in the year after the Pretrial Fairness Act took effect when comparing January to June 2023 to the same time period in 2024, though he added that hes not asserting any causal relationship.

Were not saying the Pretrial Fairness Act reduced crime and were also not saying the drop in crime might not have been larger had the law not been in effect, he said. But this is at least to put out there that crime has not gone up.

Some stakeholders pointed out that fears of rampant increases in crime appear thus far unfounded.

The sky did not fall, Marubio said. People are coming to court and communities are keeping more money within the community which was a reason for the reform.

How the law works

During a recent detention hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on the citys Southwest Side, an assistant states attorney described a random crime of opportunity: A nurse leaving a hospital one morning was forced into her vehicle by a masked man holding a knife and made to drive to ATMs to take out cash.

This was a hard-working person, in this case an employee at this hospital, Judge Antara Nath Rivera said as she ordered the man detained while awaiting trial. The defendant poses a threat.

This is an example, most stakeholders say, of what is generally happening  that the most dangerous offenders are being held in jail.

Here, in a nutshell, is what the law does:

Previously, judges usually had the option of detaining a defendant without the option of posting bail, or ordering a monetary bond the defendant would have to post in order to be released.

Now, prosecutors decide on which cases they will ask a judge to hold a defendant before trial, if the defendant is charged with a detainable offense. The law deems some offenses non-detainable meaning prosecutors dont have the option of seeking detention.

The cases for which prosecutors seek detention go to a hearing, which the law designed to be more robust, allowing defense attorneys more of a chance to argue the merits of the case.

All other cases go to an initial appearance hearing, where judges will decide on conditions for release, such as electronic monitoring or other less restrictive conditions.

Proponents of the measure say that this system allows judges to make decisions based on risk to the community, rather than wealth.

I think its a far more thoughtful process now than it was before, Foxx said.

In Cook County, from September of 2023 through August, prosecutors filed detention petitions for about 26% of all felony cases and 2% of misdemeanor cases, according to data from the chief judges office. Judges in turn granted detention for about 60% of the total petitions.

There was a fear on one side that everyone would be detained, and there was a fear on the other side that no one would be detained and the jail doors would open, said Alison Shames, director of The Center for Effective Public Policy. What were seeing is that people are exercising their discretion as they should be doing.

Still, some prosecutors hope for more discretion in which types of cases for which they can seek detention.

Judges have discretion in a lot of cases, but not all and I firmly believe that a judge is in the best position to make that decision on detention in each individual case, DuPage County States Attorney Robert Berlin said, though adding that the law is strong on violent offenses.

Jim Glasgow, Will County states attorney, said his office is functioning very well under the new law though he hopes to work with lawmakers to allow prosecutors to bring detention petitions on some non-detainable offenses. Glasgow, who has been a harsh critic of the law, filed a lawsuit against Pritzker and other top Democrats contesting the measure in September 2022, though he now says most of his concerns have since been addressed.

Public safety is not in jeopardy as long as the states attorney has sufficient funding and staff to comply with the criteria, he said.

On the ground

In DuPage and Will counties, Berlin and Glasgow said their offices added to their headcount to be able to meet the criteria set by the law.

Weve hired, I want to say, an additional 15 attorneys and have the budget to hire more, Berlin said, adding that the increase is in part due to expanded use of body cameras, which requires more evidence review.

As the year progressed, Berlin said, his office also made changes in how it approaches domestic violence cases, filing detention petitions on nearly every such case after a Villa Park man who was released on electronic monitoring after being charged with domestic battery later killed a woman and then himself in April.

Every domestic battery is a ticking time bomb, Berlin said. We made a number of changes after (Villa Park).

The county has set up a system for domestic violence intake in which police officers call prosecutor felony screeners on misdemeanor domestic battery arrests, he said.

I know we are doing a much better job of getting as much information as possible to the judge, he said.

In Cook County throughout the past year, the massive undertaking played out in ways big and small. Judges and staff needed to supply courtrooms with new paperwork. The county reorganized court schedules, adding a new call for detention hearings and removing a former misdemeanor call.

In many ways, the hearings played out similarly to before, just with no mention of money as a factor for release. But court calls were often longer, sometimes straining resources.

I definitely think that the court system now versus the court system a year ago is a little different. We are busier, Marubio said, though she noted that September begins to mark the end of a typically busier summer season.

In preparing for the act, the county removed a court call for misdemeanors because most such cases would result in release from a police station with a summons. But more of those cases than anticipated have still made it through the courthouse doors because defendants who pick up a second misdemeanor will have to make an appearance.

Weve tried to be flexible and grow and adapt but on the front end I would say that was the biggest miscalculation, she said.

Theyll examine how to pivot, whether its to reorganize court calls again, add more staff or other remedies.

Big picture, we did it. We implemented, we adapted, its in effect. That piece is working, Marubio said. The nitty gritty of day-to-day court operations, were always tweaking.
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP)  The Rev. Anthony Navaratnam stood before his congregation and urged them to pray for the women from surrounding states who will flock to the new abortion clinic in town that opened in August.

God is giving us an opportunity to be missionaries in Pittsburg, Kansas, he told those at Flag Church, which hosted a training on how to protest outside of the clinic.

The debate over reproductive rights has landed in this college town of 20,000 in the southeast corner of one of the few states left in the region still allowing abortions. It is near Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas and not terribly far from Texas.

A place this size, especially one in a historically red state, was unlikely to have an abortion clinic before Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Since then, Kansas has become one of five states that people are most likely to travel to in order to get an abortion when they're unable to at home, said Caitlin Myers, an economics professor at Middlebury College who researches abortion policies.

Abortions spiked in Kansas by 152% after Roe, according to a recent analysis by the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. Using Myers' count, six of the clinics in Kansas, Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina and Virginia that have opened or relocated post-Roe are in communities with fewer than 25,000 people. Two others are in communities of fewer than 50,000.

Kansas is really the only one in this region that can provide care to many people in these surrounding states, said Kensey Wright, a member of the board of directors for the Roe Fund in Oklahoma, which supports Kansas abortion clinics through grants.

Without abortion clinics in that state, we would be without hope," Wright said.

Providing abortions for out-of-state people

Housed in a former urology office, Pittsburgs Planned Parenthood clinic sits across the street from a medical clinic run by a Catholic health care system. Behind the clinic are houses.

Clinic manager Logan Rink said her mother used to work in this building as a nurse  a connection thats small-town stuff. She loves this town, and said her neighbors agree the clinic is needed. But she was guarded in her optimism, saying  the reception that we are going to get from the community is going to be favorable in some ways and probably not always.

Experts said smaller-sized clinics can be less overwhelming for women who are coming from rural areas, like those surrounding Pittsburg. But there is no anonymity in these smaller communities, where religious and family ties often run deep. Pittsburg was established in 1876, and settled largely by immigrants from Catholic-leaning countries who came to work at surrounding coal mines. Theres a typical main street and a state university with about 7,400 students.

In a small town, its not just that youll know that person. Your family will know them. You will have known them for 40 years, said Dr. Emily Walters, a supporter of the Pittsburg clinic who works as an anesthesiologist at a hospital in neighboring Missouri. Your stories will be intertwined.

She wondered aloud, How do I see you at a protest and then see you the next day at the grocery store and still be able to be polite and civil with each other?

Walters also chairs the Crawford County Democratic Party in an area that is increasingly Republican and has no Democratic state legislators  a change from 20 years ago when there were six. The county also has become increasingly religious in the same span; it now has twice as many white evangelical Protestants as the national average, and slightly more Catholics, according to the Public Religion Research Institute.

Just five weeks after Roe was overturned in 2022, voters in Kansas had to decide whether to strip the right to an abortion from the state constitution, which could have led to an outright ban. Despite the Republican and religious leanings, 55% of Crawford County voters were part of the 59% of voters statewide who killed the proposal.

It's in line with an Associated Press-NORC poll from 2024 that showed 6 in 10 Americans think their state should generally allow a person to obtain a legal abortion if they dont want to be pregnant for any reason. But the rural counties that surrounded Pittsburg chose otherwise at the ballot box.

I remember people were stealing yard signs, putting up different ones in peoples yards, said Anastin Journot, an 18-year-old from Independence, Kansas, who is majoring in elementary education at Pittsburg State. She said she was alarmed by Roe getting overturned, remembering she thought: "What if Im in a situation where Im needing to get an abortion and its not an option?

Abortion in Kansas is generally legal up until the 22nd week of pregnancy. The clinic's southern location puts it closer to states that have banned abortions instead of sending people to Kansas' larger cities, where hours have been expanded and appointments are still in short supply.

About 60% to 65% of people who call Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas for an abortion appointment are turned away because there isn't enough capacity, said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. Already, Wales said, the bulk of people seeking abortions in Kansas are from out of state  mostly Texas, which is about five hours south. After that, it's Missouri, a few minutes' drive east and Oklahoma, less than an hour away. She said some come from as far away as Louisiana and even Florida, which now prohibits the procedure after six weeks.

Clinics strategically placed near (a state's) border can really help ease the congestion, said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health scientist at the University of California San Francisco who studies abortion.

Most of the area thats 100 miles from the new clinic has been designated as medically underserved for primary care by the federal government, and the number of obstetricians and gynecologists for every 100,000 female residents is less than half of the U.S. average.

For now, though, the focus at the Pittsburg clinic will be on abortion. Wales said Planned Parenthood wants to slowly add more services over the next two to three months, and one future goal for the clinic is to provide gender-affirming care. Neighboring states have restricted that, too.

Pittsburg is going to lift up a whole lot of states in the South and help people get care, Wales said.

But those additions, she added, will come after staff gets used to the patients and the presence of protesters and opposition.

Protesters are at the ready

Donations are up at Vie Medical Clinic, the towns crisis pregnancy center, executive director Megan Newman said. Such centers are typically religiously affiliated and encourage clients to continue their pregnancies.

People opposed to the Planned Parenthood clinic also are picking up pamphlets about Vie so they can hand them out to those seeking abortions. When we got word that Planned Parenthood was coming, you could just kind of feel that in the town, Newman said.

Jeanne Napier, a 68-year-old who attends a local Baptist church, vowed as she shopped at the local mall that she'll be there every day with signs.

Her daughter, Terri Napier, said in a phone interview she believes part of her parents' opposition to the clinic is from watching her struggle about 20 years ago. She was in an abusive relationship with someone who has since died. She got pregnant. The family was fearful of bringing a child into the situation.

She had an abortion, and spiraled into drug use. I was at war with forgiving myself," said the 43-year-old, who is now clean.

Jeanne Napier said she felt like she encouraged the abortion. And I hate that, she said, "because I wish I could take that sin upon myself, so its real personal. I had an active play in terminating a life, and we dont have that right.

Brianna Barnes, a 19-year-old journalism major at Pittsburg State who is from Wichita, has protested and prayed outside of a clinic in her hometown.

If someone made eye contact with us, we just smiled at them, kind of showing that love and care because no one responds well to screaming, yelling, violence no matter what side its on, she said just after arriving on campus for the fall semester. Most of the students the AP talked to voiced support for the clinic.

Her mother, Crystal Barnes, 42, turned to her daughter: Youre going to be the odd man out being a Catholic, and conservative, especially with things like abortion. It is so heated.

The Friday before the clinic opened, crews installed a wooden facade outside, the air filled with the smell of fresh-cut lumber. Walters, the local anesthesiologist, had stopped by to check on the progress.

Walters' support comes from a personal place. When she was 20 and the same number of weeks pregnant, she went to an emergency room, bleeding. She said she was sent home to miscarry instead of having her labor induced or having a procedure to remove the fetus.

That experience  horrific, and wouldnt be considered standard of care, in modern practice, she said  left her with a deep empathy for women in tough positions.

Just before the 2022 vote, an ad backed by 400 Kansas doctors who support abortion rights ran in some of the state's largest papers, including The Kansas City Star. Walters' name was listed first. During that time, her home address appeared online, a frightening prospect in a state where abortion provider Dr. George Tiller was shot dead in 2009 at his Wichita church by an anti-abortion extremist.

It is critical health care for women, she said. It is going to be disruptive to Pittsburg. And that part hurts my heart.

___

Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Bennettsville, S.C. (WSAV) The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) said an inmate started a fire in his cell on Sunday morning at the Evans Correctional Institutions Kiawah Unit.

The SCDC says the unit was evacuated because of the smoke, but fire was quickly contained and there were no injuries.

The inmates have since returned to their cells.

The Bennettsville Fire Department provided assistance in putting the fire out.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.
Southern California man sentenced to 152 years in prison for raping children

A Southern California man was sentenced to 152 years in prison for raping young girls.

Omar Cruz-Hernandez, 39, of Oxnard, was sentenced Friday for raping and sexually abusing multiple children, according to the Ventura County District Attorneys Office.

On June 23, 2023, Oxnard Police detectives investigated a report of child sexual abuse.

The victim told police she had been sexually abused by Cruz-Hernandez since she was 10 years old. A second victim told police she had been sexually abused by the suspect since she was 7 years old.

Investigators learned the man gained access to the young girls through a familial relationship.

On Aug. 2, he was convicted by a jury of seven felony counts of child sexual abuse.

O.C. high school coach arrested; accused of having sex with 14-year-old

Omar Cruz-Hernandez, 39, is seen in a booking photo from the Ventura County District Attorneys Office.

The convictions included:

Engaging in sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child 10 years of age or younger

Continuous sexual abuse

Rape by force, fear, or threats

Lewd or lascivious act: child 14 or 15 years

Lewd or lascivious act: child under 14 years

The jury also found true the allegation that Cruz-Hernandez sexually assaulted multiple victims.

On Sept. 13, he was sentenced to 152 years to life in state prison.

The defendant committed unspeakable acts of sexual abuse against multiple vulnerable children, said Michael Kern, a Ventura County District Attorney who prosecuted the case. While nothing will ever undo the harm that the defendant inflicted, I hope this sentence provides even a small amount of closure to the victims and allows their healing process to continue. This sentence also demonstrates that these crimes will not be tolerated in our community and ensures that the defendant will never harm another child.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Southern California wildfires are being contained, but there is still lots of work to be done

The three wildfires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres this month in Southern California are starting to get under control, but the firefight is far from over.

As of Sunday morning, the Airport, Bridge and Line fires all remained under 40% containment.

Line Fire

The most contained of the three is the Line Fire, which started on Sept. 5 near Base Line Road in Highland.

In an update issued at 6:42 a.m. Sunday, Cal Fire stated that the fire was active as Saturday turned to Sunday due to a dry airmass at higher elevations.

The fire smoldered and crept on the ground in the lower elevations under the marine layer, Cal Fire said in their most recent situation summary. Cool conditions prevail across the fire area, and late Sunday and into Monday, light rain is possible. Firefighters are strengthening control lines and mopping up hot spots.

Details emerge about Southern California man, 34, accused of igniting Line Fire

The Line Fire stands at 38,804 acres with 42% containment as of Sunday evening. Preliminary damage assessments indicate that only four structures have been damaged with one destroyed; three civilian and firefighter injuries have been reported due to the Line Fire, officials confirmed.

The Line Fire slows for the evening after a sudden a late-season monsoon rain storm temporarily halted its 4,000-foot elevation climb up to the edge of mountain communities on September 7, 2024 near Running Springs, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A water dropping helicopter flies into thick smoke to drop water on the approaching Line fire which engulfed a home on Pine Cove Drive Sept. 10, 2024 in Running Springs, California. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

A home destroyed by the Line Fire is seen in Running Springs. (KTLA)

Evacuation orders remain in place for some areas. More information can be found on Cal Fires Line Fire incident page.

Airport Fire

The second most contained of the three fires is the Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties, which has been burning since Sept 9.

On Sunday evening, the Orange County Fire Authority stated that the fire remained at 23,519 acres with 19% containment.

Despite the progress, crews still observed active fire behavior near Modjeska Peak and Sugar Loaf throughout Saturday.

Substantial progress was made toward Bell Canyon through the combined efforts of heavy equipment, hand tools and aerial support, OCFA said in a post to Facebook. Ongoing efforts are focused on preventing further property loss and establishing a containment line to confine the fire within its current boundaries.

Airport Fire victims speak out after losing Southern California home

According to OCFA, favorable weather conditions persisted Saturday and light precipitation in the forecast should aid in the firefight. They did note, however, that despite the break in the heat, the dry vegetation still exhibited active fire behavior, which indicates the continued risk of increased fire activity.

Orange County, California September 10, 2024- A house burns from the Airport Fire in El Cariso Village along Ortega Highway Tuesday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Orange County, California September 10, 2024- A rabbit crosses Ortega Highway as the Airport Fire burns out of control in the Santa Ana Mountains Tuesday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Orange County, California September 10, 2024-Orange County firefighters from engine 126 battle the Airport Fire along Ortega Highway in the Santa Ana Mountains Tuesday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Orange County, California September 10, 2024-Orange County firefighters from engine 126 battle the Airport Fire along Ortega Highway in the Santa Ana Mountains Tuesday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

A firefighter battles the Airport Fire, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A Smokey Bear sign in front of the raging Airport Fire. The Airport Fire originating from Trabuco Canyon, now makes its way through Lake Elsinore on the Ortega Freeway. The fire is now 19,000 acres and has forced evacuations to Lake Elsinore residents. (Photo by Jon Putman/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES  2024/09/11: A Cal Fire bulldozer retreats as there Airport Fire overtakes Ortega highway. The Airport Fire originating from Trabuco Canyon, now makes its way through Lake Elsinore on the Ortega Freeway. The fire is now 19,000 acres and has forced evacuations to Lake Elsinore residents. (Photo by Jon Putman/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

An American flag are seen in front of a house in flames at El Cariso Village in flames as the Airport Fire burns on September 10, 2024 in Lake Elsinore, California. (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images)

Orange County, California September 10, 2024-Fountain Valley firefighters battle a house fire along El Cariso Road as the the Airport Fire burns in the Santa Ana Mountains Tuesday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

As of the latest assessment, 34 structures had been damaged by the Airport Fire, with a further 160 destroyed.

A total of 14 injuries to civilians and firefighters have been reported.

Horses that survived Airport Fire watered by Orange County firefighters

More information on the Airport Fire, including maps of areas still under evacuation orders, can be found here.

Bridge Fire

The Bridge Fire, burning in both Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, is the least contained of the three active SoCal wildfires as of Sunday morning.

Burning since Sept. 8, the Bridge Fire initially remained small before exploding late last week, eventually spanning over 51,000 by Thursday.

Cooler weather over the weekend aided fire crews, but in their latest status update, Cal Fire said that several parts of the blaze remain active.

[On Saturday night,] firefighters continued establishing and strengthening direct containment lines while constructing secondary contingency lines with dozers and hand crews throughout the fire area, Cal Fire stated. Helicopters could not fly last night due to the smoke inversion layer hampering visibility, but despite this, firefighters gained four percent containment on the fires southern flank. To the northeast, the fire has reached drainages on the west side of the North Fork of Lytle Creek; however, firefighters are prioritizing dozer lines and direct attack wherever possible to stop the fires spread.

The east side of the fire is less active, [but it] still presents risks to residents in the Mount Baldy area so evacuation orders remain in effect, Cal Fire continued. On the south side, firefighters are holding their containment line as fire behavior is moderating in this areato the west, in the rugged and steep terrain of the Sheep Mountain wilderness, firefighters will continue constructing dozer and hand lines where gains can be made while aircraft assist them with extinguishing hotspots, especially near Rattlesnake Peak.

Close call: Beloved SoCal ski resort survives Bridge Fire

13 structures have been damaged and 54 have been destroyed as of the latest damage assessment, although Cal Fire noted that upwards of 12,100 structures remain threatened by the fire.

An update issued 10:11 p.m. Sunday by fire officials indicated the blaze stood at 54,658 acres and 9% containment.

Only three injuries have been reported as a result of the Bridge Fire. Click here for the latest updates from Cal Fire, including a map detailing evacuation order zones.

Firefighters watch as the Bridge Fire burns near homes in Wrightwood, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Dozens of homes have been destroyed as the Bridge Fire continues burning in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. (KTLA)

Dozens of homes have been destroyed as the Bridge Fire continues burning in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. (KNN)

Two firefighters look out over the remains of a home destroyed in the Bridge Fire, in Wrightwood, California on September 11, 2024. Out-of-control wildfires surrounding Los Angeles continued to grow on September 10, forcing families to evacuate and blanketing the sky with choking smoke. Three separate blazes have erupted around the United States second-biggest city, fueled by a punishing heat wave and fanned by gusting winds. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

WRIGHTWOOD, CALIFORNIA  SEPTEMBER 11: Firefighters spray down the remnants of a destroyed home near a destroyed vehicle (FOREGROUND) during the Bridge Fire which has now burned more than 47,000 acres in Angeles National Forest on September 11, 2024 in Wrightwood, California. Three large wildfires are currently burning in Southern California after igniting amid an intense heat wave in the region. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

WRIGHTWOOD, CALIFORNIA  SEPTEMBER 11: Firefighters spray down the remnants of a destroyed home near a destroyed vehicle (FOREGROUND) during the Bridge Fire which has now burned more than 47,000 acres in Angeles National Forest on September 11, 2024 in Wrightwood, California. Three large wildfires are currently burning in Southern California after igniting amid an intense heat wave in the region. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Bridge fire is seen racing up the San Gabriel Mountains toward the ski resort community of Wrightwood on Sept. 10, 2024, near Glendora, California. (Getty Images)

As for the causes of the three fires, the Line Fire was allegedly set intentionally by a 34-year-old man from Norco and the Airport Fire started due to a spark from heavy equipment being operated by Orange County Public Works employees, although some have accused the workers of negligence or even accidental arson.

The cause of the Bridge Fire remains under investigation.

According to Cal Fire, there have been 6,126 wildfires in California this year which have scorched over 992,000 acres, destroyed 1,229 structures and led to one civilian death.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
A SpaceX capsule carrying four private citizens splashed down off Florida at 3:36 a.m. ET Sunday, ending a historic mission that included the worlds first all-civilian spacewalk.

Billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Kidd Poteet and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon returned to Earth in a Crew Dragon capsule, splashing down off Dry Tortugas, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico.

Polaris Dawn crew members performing their first private spacewalk.

Polaris Dawn, we are mission complete, operators announced over the crackle of a radio as recovery vessels made their way to the capsule bobbing in the nighttime sea.

A video n X captured the passengers emerging jubilant from the capsule, cheering, waving and hugging staff members as they touched solid ground for the first time in five days.

The Polaris Dawn flight was the fifth private mission for SpaceXs Crew Dragon capsule. It was also the companys most ambitious expedition, as the crew members and their spacecraft executed several risky maneuvers.

Chief among them was the all-civilian spacewalk Thursday. Isaacman and Gillis exited the Dragon capsule on a tether, each spending around 10 minutes out in the vacuum of space. The duo spent the spacewalk conducting mobility tests in their newly designed spacesuits.

The outing was a risky undertaking, because the Dragon capsule does not have a pressurized airlock. That meant that all four members of the Polaris Dawn mission wore spacesuits during the spacewalk and that the entire capsule was depressurized to vacuum conditions.

Completing the spacewalk was a milestone in the history of human spaceflight. Previously, only astronauts from government space agencies had conducted spacewalks to build or upgrade space stations in orbit, repair satellites and complete science experiments.

Earlier in the mission, the Polaris Dawn crew flew to an orbital altitude of 870 miles above Earths surface, the highest humans have reached since the final Apollo moon mission in 1972.

The capsule was distant enough to pass through part of the Van Allen radiation belt, a zone of high-energy radiation particles trapped by Earths magnetosphere. The journey will allow scientists to study the effects of space radiation on the crew members and their spacecraft. SpaceX has said the findings could help with planning missions to the moon and eventually Mars, which would require astronauts to fly through the inner and outer Van Allen belts.

Isaacman is the founder and CEO of the payment processing company Shift4. He was part of the first all-civilian SpaceX mission to orbit in 2021 and funded the Polaris Dawn mission, his second spaceflight, for an undisclosed sum.

The Polaris Dawn flight was designed to test new technologies and procedures for future long-duration missions. It is expected to be the first of three planned spaceflights in the Polaris program, which Isaacman launched together with SpaceX. He has not divulged the cost of the program or when the other missions could launch.





This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.

SpaceXs Polaris Dawn crew is home, capping off a five-day mission to orbit  which included the worlds first commercial spacewalk  by splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts landed off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida, at 3:37 a.m. ET Sunday.

The Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts returns to Earth on September 15 after a five-day mission to orbit. - SpaceX

The Polaris Dawn mission made history as it reached a higher altitude than any human has traveled in five decades. A spacewalk conducted early Thursday morning also marked the first time such an endeavor has been completed by a privately funded and operated mission.

But returning to Earth is among the most dangerous stretches of any space mission.

To safely reach home, the Crew Dragon capsule carried out whats called a de-orbit burn, orienting itself as it prepared to slice through the thickest part of Earths atmosphere.

The western coast of Australia is seen as the Crew Dragon capsule executes its de-orbit burn, during the mission's return September 15 to Earth after a five-day mission to orbit. - SpaceX

The spacecraft then reached extremely hot temperatures  up to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,900 degrees Celsius)  because of the pressure and friction caused by hitting the air while still traveling around 17,000 miles per hour (27,000 kilometers per hour). The crew, however, should have remained at comfortable temperatures, protected by the Crew Dragons heat shield, which is located on the bottom of the 13-foot-wide (4-meter-wide) capsule.

Dragging against the air began to slow the vehicle down before the Crew Dragon deployed parachutes that further decelerated its descent.

Having hit the ocean, the spacecraft briefly bobbed around in the water until rescue crews waiting nearby hauled it out of the ocean and onto a special boat, referred to as the Dragons nest. Final safety checks took place there before the crew disembarked from the capsule and began the journey back to dry land.

Screens inside the Crew Dragon capsule allow its four astronauts to monitor their return to Earth September 15 after a five-day mission to orbit. - SpaceX

A historic flight

The Polaris Dawn crew includes mission commander Jared Isaacman, the billionaire CEO of the finance company Shift4 Payments; his close friend and former US Air Force pilot Scott Kidd Poteet; and SpaceX operations engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis.

The quartet kicked off this mission by breaking an altitude record, reaching an orbit around Earth that extended as high as 870 miles (1,400 kilometers). Thats the highest Earth orbit ever traveled by humans, beating a 1966 record set by NASAs Gemini 11 mission, which reached 853 miles (1,373 kilometers).

The crews apogee  or farthest point from Earth  made Gillis and Menon the first women ever to fly so far from our planet.

The apogee also marked the farthest any human has journeyed since NASAs Apollo Program ended in 1972.

The Crew Dragon capsule then lowered its altitude to carry out the spacewalk.

Polaris Dawn crew member and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis emerges from the Crew Dragon capsule's hatch on Thursday during the first commercial spacewalk. - SpaceX

The high-risk event, also called an extravehicular activity or EVA, saw the Crew Dragon capsule become entirely depressurized before Isaacman opened the hatch, exposing the group to the vacuum of space.

Isaacman and Gillis exited the vehicle for roughly 10 minutes each, carrying out a series of tests to understand the functionality of the EVA suits, before retreating inside the Crew Dragon spacecraft and latching the hatch.

The spacewalk appeared to go off without any major issues. Isaacman reported after taking his first glimpse outside the spacecraft, Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here  looks like a perfect world.

The remainder of the crews time in orbit was spent carrying out nearly 40 science experiments and research, including some that sought to better understand space adaptation syndrome  a type of microgravity-specific motion sickness.

Gillis, a trained violinist, also brought her instrument along for the mission and delivered a rendition of Reys Theme from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Gillis music was sent back to Earth using SpaceXs Starlink as a test of the satellite networks potential to provide in-space connectivity.

Menon also took time to read a book she coauthored  called Kisses From Space  to her family as well as a group of patients from St. Jude Childrens Hospital as part of a fundraiser.

Sundays anticipated return marks the conclusion of the third trip to space for the specific Crew Dragon capsule powering the Polaris Dawn mission.

The spacecraft  named Resilience by the NASA astronauts onboard its first trip to space in November 2020, called Crew-1  flew the 2021 Inspiration 4 mission. That trip, also funded by Isaacman, saw him and three crewmates circle Earth for three days as part of a fundraiser for childhood cancer research.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

The four private Polaris Dawn astronauts wave during a video downlink from their SpaceX Dragon capsule on Sept. 13, 2024. | Credit: Polaris Dawn

After an eventful five days in space, which included the first-ever commercial spacewalk, the private astronaut crew of Polaris Dawn is returning to Earth.

If all goes according to plan, the SpaceX Dragon capsule Resilience  orbital home to the four-person over the past five days  will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida on Sunday, Sept. 15, at about 3:36 a.m. EDT (0736 GMT), SpaceX said in an update. The landing will mark the end of Polaris Dawn, a mission to demonstrate the mobility and functionality of SpaceX's new extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuit, and the completion of history's first spacewalk by a private citizen.

Coverage of Polaris Dawn's return will begin about an hour before landing at 2:36 a.m. EDT (0636 GMT) and will be available on SpaceX's X account page and on the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission page.

Polaris Dawn launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early Tuesday (Sept. 10) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Leading the mission (and funding it) is billionaire philanthropist Jared Isaacman. Isaacman also commanded SpaceX's Inspiration4 in 2021, the first all-civilian flight to space, which also flew on SpaceX's Resilience Dragon capsule. This time, Isaacman was joined by mission pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet, and two SpaceX engineers, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, as mission specialists.

Related: SpaceX Polaris Dawn astronauts perform historic 1st private spacewalk in orbit (video)

As was done with the Inspiration4 mission, Polaris Dawn has been raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Inspiration4 raised over $250 million.

Aboard Resilience, the crew's initial orbits during the mission's first days flew their spacecraft through portions of the Van Allen radiation belt, as far as 870 miles (1,400 km) from Earth  an altitude never before reached by a woman, making Gillis and Menon the farthest-flown female astronauts in history, and farther than any crewed mission since Apollo 17, in 1972.

While in their high, elliptical orbit, the Polaris Dawn crew completed several experiments to study the novel microgravity environment's effects on the human body, before lowering their altitude in preparation for their mission's most critical demonstration  their historic spacewalk.

A spaceman pops out of a spacecraft above earth

The Polaris Dawn spacewalk came on day three of the crew's mission, and lasted about two hours. Floating up through Crew Dragon's top hatch in turns, Isaacman and Gillis performed a series of mobility tests to assess SpaceX's new spacesuits. Using a specially designed mobility handhold structure, dubbed "Skywalker" by SpaceX engineers, Isaacman and Gillis each spent several minutes mostly out of Dragon's hatch, taking in views of the Earth below as they completed their EVA suit checks.

In addition to their spacewalk and other experiments, the Polaris Dawn crew notched another milestone by using SpaceX's Starlink satellite network to send data and content from orbit. Amidst their busy schedule, the crew were able to post to social media, and send videos, photos, tributes and even a musical performance back down to Earth.

On Saturday (Sept. 14), they spoke via a Starlink video connection directly with SpaceX employees and guests during a 40-minute space-to-ground call that appeared to go smoothly, with no connection issues even as their Dragon capsule fired its thrusters 16 times, SpaceX said in a X update.

RELATED STORIES:

 Polaris Dawn mission: Meet the crew taking 1st commercial spacewalk

 SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn astronauts to attempt world's 1st-ever private spacewalk (video)

 How SpaceX modified a Dragon crew capsule for Polaris Dawn's historic private spacewalk

The crew's launch to space was originally scheduled for Aug. 26, but was delayed several days due to weather conditions at the mission's landing zones.

With only limited provisions aboard for their five days on orbit, and no chance of rendezvousing with another vessel to resupply, such as a hub like the International Space Station, favorable conditions at Polaris Dawn's ocean splashdown recovery are mission critical.
These St. Martin, St. Mary schools will be reopening Monday

LOUISIANA (KLFY)  Hurricane Francine caused schools across Acadiana to close last week but many have since reopened. On Monday, more schools in St. Martin and St. Mary parishes will resume classes.

See what schools will be open on Monday:

St. Martin Parish

Stephensville Elementary

St. Mary Parish

All St. Mary Parish School System campuses, except Aucoin Elementary in Amelia

St. Mary Parish Superintendent Buffy Fegenbush said the school system understands that electricity may still be a concern for many families and that school uniforms may not be readily available due to Hurricane Francine.

Students who do not have uniforms readily available can attend school wearing school-appropriate clothing, Fegenbush said.

The St. Martin Parish School System will be working with local organizations to assist families as much as possible during this time. We respect any decisions you may need to make and we are here to support you, Fegenbush said.

Families with questions or need assistance are asked to contact their school site.

Latest News

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 KLFY.com.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN)  Tensions continue to rise in Springfield, and the immigrant community has been looking to their leaders for answers.

The Haitian Community Help and Support Center held a meeting on Saturday, with the goal to talk with residents and ease their minds. 2 NEWS attended, speaking with leaders beforehand and hearing from members of the community during the meeting.

More Springfield schools evacuated; Ohio BMV location closed

After a series of threats over the last several days, the Haitian Community Help and Support Center initially planned to meet in person, but instead met virtually as a safety precaution. Event organizers say they wanted to reach out to the community members to answer any questions they have to help ease their minds.

With the bomb threats and everything that is going on, Haitians are not safe in Springfield anymore, a community member said.

The last few days have been host to a series of threats aimed at the city of Springfield  as well as the immigrant community that lives there.

Haitian residents are uncertain of whats next, and attended the virtual meeting where they could hear questions answered by their leaders to try and clear the air.

We are here to listen to their voice, and bring their concerns wherever they can be heard, so we can stand in solidarity with each other, said Viles Dorsainvil, president of the Haitian Support Center. I am hoping that in the days ahead, this will be behind us.

Haitian leaders spoke with members of the international community as well, in an effort to strengthen the local communitys resolve in the face of these challenges.

And to help them face this growing uncertainty, those in the surrounding area also traveled to Springfield to show support, and to speak about how the American government could be doing more to help the community.

The American government is legally allowing people to come to Ohio, particularly Springfield, then the federal government should be responsible for providing resources and not placing strain on the local municipality, said Dr. Bakari Lumumba, a Columbus resident.

Community leaders hope that with the voices they brought together for this meeting, they can push through these tough times and come out stronger.

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 WDTN.com.
(Bloomberg) -- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has come under fire for failing to declare gifts from millionaire Labour donor Waheed Alli, a breach of parliamentary rules.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Alli  a TV mogul who was named the Labour Partys chair of general election fundraising in 2022  paid for a personal shopper as well as designer garments and alterations for Victoria Starmer, the Sunday Times reported. The prime minister may now face an investigation into the breach, the newspaper said.

The relationship between Alli and Labour has been under scrutiny since the Times revealed the donor had a Downing Street security pass and used it to entertain donors. Bloomberg News also reported earlier this month Alli has been making recommendations for public appointments, prompting party staff to raise concerns over the appearance of a conflict of interest.

The latest report is providing ammunition for opponents of the prime minister, with Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly accusing Starmer  who sought to draw a contrast between his party with the chaos and scandals seen under previous Tory governments  of hypocrisy.

If like Keir Starmer, you have been really aggressive in your criticism of Conservatives for this, then youve got to make sure that you are totally above reproach, and hes failed to do that, Cleverly, whos one of the candidates running for leader of the Conservative Party, said on Sky News Sunday.

Its absolutely legitimate that we point out the hypocrisy of someone who basically got his job by criticizing others for what hes now doing, he added.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy defended the prime minister on Sky News, saying that unlike in the US where tax payer money is allocated for the clothing of presidents and first ladies, British prime ministers, leaders of the opposition and their wives have typically relied on donors to pay for clothes.

Some of Allis gifts were declared, namely 18,685 ($24,500) worth of work clothes as well as several pairs of glasses to the Labour leader over the past year, according to the Times. He also spent 20,000 on accommodation for Starmer during the election.

However, the clothes given to Victoria Starmer had not been previously reported and Downing Street had sought advice about what declarations it may have needed to make in relation to the prime ministers wife, the newspaper said.

This is not a transparency issue, it is actually the prime minister seeking to comply with the rules, Lammy added.

Starmer promised in a speech in January to wage a total crackdown on cronyism if his party got back into government. He has repeatedly pledged to restore confidence in politicians after ousting the Conservatives in the July 4 elections.

The revelations could further hurt Starmers popularity, which has dropped since the elections following a series of painful decisions taken by his administration.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
The deaths of another eight migrants trying to cross the Channel from France is a further tragic demonstration of a worsening crisis. They follow the drowning of 12 people, including children, just a few weeks ago. This year has seen a big increase compared with 2023 in the numbers trying to make the perilous journey crammed on to small boats and dinghies.

It is one of the most difficult problems to confront the country and yet, when in opposition, Labour did its utmost to stymie almost everything the Conservatives did to deal with it. Now in office, Sir Keir Starmer is finding that easy criticism can come back and bite you.

His first action in No 10 was to scrap the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, a policy intended to act as a deterrent. The very act of abandoning this approach emboldened the people traffickers that Labour has pledged to smash. It gave the impression of a lack of serious intent which will not be negated by the appointment of ex-police chief Martin Hewitt to head a new border force.

Indeed, Sir Keir is now so concerned that he is said to be considering sending asylum seekers to Albania  seeking a similar deal to that achieved by Italys premier, Giorgia Meloni, with whom he is holding talks today.

Voters here will ask why sending migrants to Albania is justified while deporting them to Rwanda is so wrong. The purpose of both is to deter them from making the crossings that can lead to disaster. Does Sir Keir think if a policy is promulgated by Labour it is automatically good, whereas a similar plan put forward by the Tories is bad?

The country has already seen through this humbug. Sir Keir likes to lecture about political ethics yet he accepted money to buy clothes for himself and his wife. The issue here is not whether he declared these gifts properly but why he felt it necessary to accept them at all.

Sir Keir has a rapidly deepening credibility problem, appearing uncertain in his handling of foreign policy, changing his mind about net-zero targets for cars, having to field criticism over the early release of prisoners and taking fuel payments from pensioners while agreeing big pay rises for public sector workers.

First impressions matter in all walks of life, not least in politics. It is hard to recover credibility once it is lost and Sir Keir has managed in the space of just two months to throw his away.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
With roads and bridges damaged in Myanmar and phone and internet lines down, information has been limited (Sai Aung MAIN) (Sai Aung MAIN/AFP/AFP)

Volunteers rushed to areas inundated by floods in Myanmar on Sunday as the country's death toll from the Typhoon Yagi deluge surged to 113 and remote areas reported increasing numbers of dead and missing.

Floods and landslides have killed more than 400 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which hit the region last weekend, according to official figures.

However, with roads and bridges damaged in Myanmar and phone and internet lines down, information has been limited.

One man told AFP how he had tried to rescue people with ropes as floodwaters four metres (15 feet) high surged through the hill town of Kalaw in Shan state on September 10.

"The current was very strong and even some buildings were destroyed," he said, describing pieces of furniture being washed through the streets.

"I could see trapped families in the distance standing on the roofs of their houses," said the man, who works for a local non-governmental group.

"I heard there were 40 bodies in the hospital," he said.

A businesswoman in Yangon who runs a company in Kalaw told AFP her staff there had reported nearly 60 people had been killed in the town.

The junta said on Sunday the death toll had jumped to 113 by Saturday night. The previous toll had been put at 74.

It did not specify whether any of those confirmed dead had been killed in Kalaw.

More than 320,000 people had been displaced and moved to "temporary relief camps", junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said.

At Inle Lake, a tourist hotspot about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Kalaw, flood levels had risen on Saturday to the second storey of houses built on stilts above the water, according to one man there helping to evacuate his family.

"Whole villages have been submerged" in some areas near the lake, he told AFP on Sunday, asking to remain anonymous.

"The elders say this is the highest level of flooding they have seen," he said.

Cars and trucks carrying volunteers were streaming north from the commercial hub Yangon to reach affected areas in Taungoo in the Bago region and around the capital Naypyidaw, AFP reporters said.

The vehicles were loaded with pallets of bottled water, bundles of clothes and dried food. Some had boats strapped to their roofs.

"We want to help anyone who needs help at the moment. That is why we arranged to go to the flooding area," said one woman heading for Taungoo.

- More misery -

The floods have added to people's miseries in Myanmar, where millions have already been displaced by more than three years of war since the military seized power in 2021.

Residents of the Yado displacement camp in eastern Karen state were forced to flee their temporary homes after torrents of water ripped through the camp.

Belto, a resident of the camp, said the waters had washed his house away, along with his sister who was inside trying to retrieve their money.

"She was taken by the water... and she got injured," he told AFP on Saturday.

"We are already displaced people from war zones and after the floods, we don't have anything left... But we are not the only ones who face this fate, all families are facing difficulties."

The Sittaung and Bago rivers, which flow through central and southern Myanmar, were both still above dangerous levels, state media said, although water levels were expected to fall in the coming days.

In the east, the Thanlwin river was more than two metres above its danger level in the state capital Hpa-an on Saturday, state media reported.

Thailand's weather office warned Sunday of further heavy rain in provinces along the Mekong river.

Authorities in Vietnam gave an updated toll on Sunday of 281 dead and 67 missing.

- Request for aid -

Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request for foreign aid to deal with the floods, state media said on Saturday.

On Sunday, India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on X that India has sent ten tons of aid including dry rations, clothing and medicine to Myanmar, as well as supplies to Vietnam and Laos.

Myanmar's military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad.

It suspended travel authorisations last year for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha.

The UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs in Myanmar and the International Committee of the Red Cross told AFP on Saturday they could not comment on the junta's request.

Heavy monsoon rains lash Southeast Asia every year but human-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

lmg-hla-rma/dhw
HUXLEY, Iowa  The Story County woman reported missing has been found safe.

Lauren Matthews was last seen September 12, her car was found abandoned September 13. The Story County Sherrifs Office and Huxley Police Department released her photo and information asking for help locating the missing woman.

The Story County Sherrifs Office announced via their Facebook page Saturday afternoon that Lauren has been found safe.

The Story County Sheriffs Office and Huxley Police Department thank everyone for their assistance in sharing the message.

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 who13.com.
Texas National Guard soldiers stand on patrol near banks of the Rio Grande river on April 2, 2024 in El Paso, Texas. Texas continues awaiting a verdict on Senate Bill 4. Attorneys representing the state of Texas are scheduled to return to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on April 3 to continue arguing for the constitutional basis of the bill. Senate Bill 4 allows state law enforcement officials to detain and arrest undocumented immigrants suspected of illegally crossing into the United States. Thus far, all prior attempts to put the Bill into effect have been blocked by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. (Photo by Brandon Bell | Getty Images)

A new study shows that undocumented immigrants paid nearly $100 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue in 2022 while many are shut out of the programs their taxes fund. The findings run counter to anti-immigrant rhetoric that undocumented immigrants are destroying social programs.

In 40 states, undocumented immigrants paid higher tax rates than the top 1% of the income scale in those states, according to a study released Tuesday from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning, nonprofit think tank.

The study, which uses estimates of undocumented immigrants tax contributions as of 2022, shows those totaled $96.7 billion that year. Study authors also found that undocumented immigrants would contribute $40.2 billion more per year in federal, state and local taxes if all of the undocumented population had access to work authorization. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reasoned that this boost would come from higher wages associated with employment authorization and easier compliance with income tax laws.

The report also shed further light on the tax revenue provided by undocumented immigrants on the state and local level. Undocumented immigrants are paying 46% of their state and local tax payments through sales and excise taxes. Six states  New Jersey, New York, California, Florida, Texas, and Illinois  were able to raise more than $1 billion each in tax revenue from undocumented immigrants, the nonprofit said.

Undocumented immigrants pay property taxes and sales taxes, and federal payroll taxes taken from their wages, as well as income tax returns using Individual Taxpayer Identification numbers. Despite those payroll taxes funding Medicare, Social Security, and Unemployment Insurance, undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in and receive regular benefits from these social programs. They can also face barriers to getting tax refunds, including getting scammed by unscrupulous tax preparers who target immigrant communities, said Jackie Vimo, senior analyst of economic justice policy at the National Immigration Law Center in a media call on the report.

There are tons of laws that prevent undocumented workers from getting benefits said Richard C. Auxier, a principal policy associate at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank that was not involved in the study. They get a lot of political attention. At the end of the day, theyre just normal people paying normal taxes.

Alexis Tsoukalas, senior policy analyst at Florida Policy Institute, a nonprofit focused on economic mobility for Floridians, told reporters on Monday that she was struck by how much the state collected from undocumented immigrants in taxes compared to the wealthiest in the state. The current tax rate for undocumented immigrants in Florida is 8% compared to the top 1% of the state at 2.7%.

This means hundreds of thousands of everyday people are contributing more than their share to public services they cannot even access meanwhile those with the most to give and the most to benefit contribute the least, Tsoukalas said.

The study was released in the backdrop of a political climate where states have passed laws to arrest people who they suspect of entering the U.S. illegally, which has been a federal power, the Biden administration announced an executive action to allow for the deportation of many asylum seekers without processing their claims, and the 2024 Republican Party platform promises the largest deportation operation in American history if former President Donald Trump is reelected over presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. Tax policy will also be front and center for Congress and the White House next year as provisions of Trumps tax law, passed in 2017, are set to expire.

Aside from the human cost of deportations on families, policy experts and researchers are making the case that undocumented immigrants are a boon to the economy, making it an economic cost as well. Immigration and economic experts who spoke about the significance of the report on Monday highlighted the Congressional Budget Offices July report on the rise in immigration and its effects on the economy and budget, which found that this increase in immigration would add $1.2 trillion in federal revenue from 2024 to 2034.

Carl Davis, research director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said there are economic ripple effects to consider in the deportation of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. beyond taxes.

If you deported someone and theyre no longer making taxable purchases in their community, that number would reflect a reduction in their sales tax payments to the community but it wouldnt capture that second ripple effect of the business has less profits because they have fewer customers, Davis said in a media call on the study.

Auxier said that researchers have found children in an undocumented immigrant household are receiving education benefits that could be larger than the tax payments of the lower income working adults, but that this is more of an income issue than a specific immigration issue. The other side of that coin, Auxier notes, is that in the future, undocumented households may in fact give back more than they received.

Those same studies tend to note that if the children go to school and they then go get jobs, now the American household is giving more than it got because the parents came here, worked, paid into Social Security, Medicare, and didnt get any benefits, he said. The kid went to school and then they got a job and then they started earning enough money that they were a net contributor.

Policy experts also pointed to a labor shortage  8.1 million job openings and 6.8 million unemployed workers  as a reason to embrace the economic contributions of undocumented immigrants. South Dakota, North Dakota, Maryland, Vermont, Maine, and South Carolina are some of the states facing the greatest labor shortages, according to a Washington Post analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Immigrants are already filling that (labor) gap and if we have mass deportations where millions of immigrants are torn from their family members and the country they have made home, we will not only have the human impact of this but well have a severe effect on the economy and available workforce, said Vimo of the National Immigration Law Center, a group that focuses on racial, economic and social justice for low-income immigrants.
Sunday Morning Matters: Arambula on his vetoed bill to help immigrant homebuyers

Sunday Morning Matters: Arambula on his vetoed bill to help immigrant homebuyers

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE)  As Governor Gavin Newsom considers hundreds of proposals, one Central Valley lawmaker had his bill vetoed.

A.B. 1840, written by Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula, would have clarified language in a California program to help first-time home buyers with financial assistance. The bill sought to determine if undocumented immigrants in California qualified for the program.

Click here for more Sunday Morning Matters

This week on Sunday Morning Matters, Eric Rucker has a one-on-one conversation with Assemblymember Dr. Arambula about his intentions for writing the bill, as well as other proposals he hopes to see signed into law.

The assemblymember also speaks about his election efforts as he is running to keep his office for another term.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE)  The Central Valley and nation come together to commemorate 23 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. We get a look at some of the ceremonies held in the Central Valley to honor and remember the lives lost on that tragic day.

We also get a breakdown of the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. What each candidate had to say about some of the top issues voters are concerned about before casting their ballots in only a few weeks.

Click here for more Sunday Morning Matters

Fresno-area Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula also joins us to discuss his recent bill to clarify language related to whether or not undocumented immigrants in California can participate in a first-time home buyers assistance program. How he plans to move forward after the governor vetoed that bill, and what comes next for his proposals and his campaign to keep his office.

All of that is on this weeks Sunday Morning Matters. Watch it in the video player above.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo.  A bus driver from Sunrise Beach was arrested by Missouri State Highway Patrol in Camden County Friday afternoon after driving a school bus with children inside while he was under the influence.

What military branches do Missourians enlist in the most?

According to the MSHP arrest report, the suspect is charged with 20 counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child along with 20 counts of driving while intoxicated with a passenger under the age of 17.

He is currently being held in Camden County Jail with no bond.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.
Water access at Ocean City and surrounding beaches on the Delmarva Peninsula was restricted Sunday after officials say a significant amount of medical waste, including hypodermic needles, had washed ashore.

Ocean City Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald said the situation was serious in a statement posted Sunday on the towns social media, recommending that beachgoers wear shoes while on the beach and avoid the ocean entirely as the town works with public health authorities to find the source of the medical waste.

The warning from Marylands busiest resort town was joined by similar notices about surrounding beaches, including Fenwick Island in Delaware as well as Assateague State Park and Assateague Island National Seashore. It was not immediately clear what kinds of medical waste had washed ashore, though the Town of Fenwick Island noted that the waste includes needles and advised beachgoers to be aware of their surroundings and wear shoes.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources state parks service said on the social media platform X that ocean access was restricted at Assateague State Park, which it said was experiencing a significant amount of medical waste washing onshore along with other beaches on Marylands coast.

The National Park Service said in an alert on its webpage for Assateague Island National Seashore, which extends into Virginia, that all beaches on the Maryland side are closed to swimming and that the parks north end is closed to all visitation. Visitors to that beach were also encouraged to keep their shoes on.

Ocean Citys notice said that town officials will continue monitoring the beach, removing debris, and updating the public as we gather more information, advising residents and beachgoers to stay updated through the towns social media channels.
Switzerland unveils new supercomputer 'Alps', already ranked sixth in the world

Switzerland has unveiled its new supercomputer 'Alps', one of the most powerful machines of its kind in the world.

In the global supercomputer rankings published by Top 500 in June, 'Alps' came in at number six behind electronic brains from the United States and Japan.

Staff at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre in Lugano (CSCS), where 'Alps' is based, say the computer could rank even higher today as it wasnt completed when the rankings were put together.

The focus of 'Alps' will be on scientific research, solving complex calculations in the fields of medicine, space research and climatology.

The computer is already being used by Switzerland's federal weather bureau to provide up to date mapping of weather systems.

"If you look up the weather forecasts on your mobile phone in the MeteoSwiss app, they come from simulations on 'Alps'," said Thomas Schulthess, the director of CSCS.

The 'Alps' supercomputer at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre in Lugano, September 14, 2024 - Screenshot from EBU video 2024_10258131

Federal Councillor and Economics Minister Guy Parmelin, who attended the inauguration, said 'Alps' was important for Switzerland as an "expression of our vision of a future characterized by knowledge and progress."

"If you don't move forward, you fall behind. And if we want to maintain our leading position and be indispensable, this requires investment," he said.

There is one drawback; high power consumption. CSCS Director Thomas Schulthess estimates it will cost around 15-20 million Swiss francs (15-21 million) just to keep 'Alps' running.

But what it lacks in energy efficiency, it makes up for in speed. Schultess says that a standard laptop would need 40,000 years to perform the calculations 'Alps' can do in a day.
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL)  Members of several Revolutionary War legacy groups gathered at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park on Saturday to commemorate the 244th anniversary of when the Overmountain Men marched to the Battle of Kings Mountain.

The event featured reenactments, a musket volley, memorial wreaths and tents set up showing how people lived during the 1700s. At the end of the days activities, the group marched to the location of the Battle of Kings Mountain.

David Carr of the Kings Mountain chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution said the gathering comes after a threatening letter from the British to area members of the revolution.

Were talking about Scot-Irish people that had always resisted the crown to begin with, so what did that do- it didnt scare them, said Carr. It made them mad, so they asked all the men to gather here on the 25th of September to form an army.

Photo WJHL

Photo WJHL

Photo WJHL

Photo WJHL

Photo WJHL

Photo WJHL

Photo WJHL

Photo WJHL

Photo WJHL

Photo WJHL

The event was hosted by the Tennessee Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
DEKALB COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) issued a Silver Alert Sunday for a man missing out of DeKalb County.

Officials posted the Silver Alert just before 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15 saying, 55-year-old Glen Wilson was last seen near Old Hill Mill Road in the Dowelltown area.

 Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts 

Authorities described Wilson as 5-feet 6-inches tall and 136 pounds with green eyes and brown hair.

The TBI said Wilson had a medical condition that may have impaired his ability to return home safely without assistance.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Then, just before 6:30 p.m., the TBI announced Wilson had been found safe.

No additional details have been released about the circumstances surrounding Wilson s disappearance or his discovery.

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 WKRN News 2.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken posted on X recently condemning recent remarks made against Haitian people.

Mayor TenHaken said that he had been to Haiti many times, calling the Haitian people, beautiful people who live in the harshest conditions and have a joyful spirit when their situation calls for anything but.

Jacks turn back Augustana in Beef Bowl

He went on to condemn the comments made on a national level, saying that they are not dog eaters and savages.

TenHaken continued in a comment to another user.

I align with no one. I align with my values. And I speak up (see above) when those values call me to, TenHaken commented.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
Tennessee is getting away with delaying access to public records, sometimes for years

(This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.)

Late last year, the city of Memphis wrote a $7,419.68 check to reimburse the attorney fees of journalist Marc Perrusquia rather than risk losing a public records lawsuit.

The city folded before the case got before a judge. What was the issue?

For 2 years, the city had sent Perrusquia monthly emails, telling him that it was still working on his public records request and trying to decide whether they could withhold parts or all of the records.

It was like reporting on the Kremlin, so much secrecy, opacity They did not refuse to give it to us. They just kept delaying and delaying, Perrusquia said.

Our argument was justice delayed is justice denied. The continuation of delaying our request was basically a denial.

This kind of delay is not the worst Ive seen in Tennessee, nor is it uncommon.

In Knoxville, WBIR anchor John Becker made a public records request to the University of Tennessee in August 2022. It took almost a year for the university to turn over two of the records he sought. But it continued to withhold others, taking months to tell Becker what laws allowed the university to keep those confidential.

It was like reporting on the Kremlin, so much secrecy, opacity They did not refuse to give it to us. They just kept delaying and delaying.

 Marc Perrusquia, Institute for Public Service Reporting Memphis

Becker eventually filed a public records lawsuit. On the eve of a hearing in May in a Knoxville court, UT caved. Its lawyer told the court that the laws they had thought would allow the university to withhold or redact the records werent applicable after all.

The court hearing occurred anyway, with Becker asking for reimbursed attorney fees.

Consider this: In both cases, if no lawsuit had been filed, two major government institutions would have simply kept delaying and refusing access to public records.

Thats a problem.

In both situations, I do not believe the responses given by the government followed the law.

The public records statute gives government entities three options of how to respond to a public records request and says that response must happen no later than seven days after the request:

Give access to the records.

Deny access to the records, citing the basis for the denial.

Furnish the requester, in writing, the time it will take to produce the record.

Knoxville Chancellor John Weaver noted in court that UT did not do that. It didnt deny access to the records within seven business days citing its legal basis for denial. The university said it needed more time and used that time to come up with potential reasons to withhold the records, not produce them.

Weaver remarked this is not what the statute says. If you ask for more time, youre asking for more time to produce the record, not more time to deny the record. If youre going to deny records, you must do that within seven days.

Tennessee ranked 45th among all states in compliance with public record requests in a study that examined 7,000 requests to state agencies throughout the United States.

The statute also says the government entity is to tell the requester the time it will take to produce the record. It does not say you can tell the requester that youre still working on it, with no end in sight, as in the Memphis case.

Neither Memphis nor UT followed the clear language of the statute. And when it came time for their actions to come under the bright light of court scrutiny, they threw in the towel.

Tennessee ranked 45th among all states in compliance with public record requests in a study that examined 7,000 requests to state agencies throughout the United States.

David Cuillier, who did the study and is director of The Freedom of Information Project with the Brechner Center for the Advancement of the First Amendment, observed that the states with the best compliance had laws that required government entities to pay when they lost a public records lawsuit.

Tennessee does not have mandatory fee shifting. Rather, when the government loses, the judge has to find that the government was willful when it violated the public records law. And even then, the judge has discretion on whether to make the government entity pay the requesters attorney fees.

States that allow judges broad discretion, or impose high burdens of success for litigating requesters, demonstrate worse compliance than states that mandate judges to impose attorney fees. Certainly, agencies might not worry about a $1,000 fine or other slap on the wrist, but it appears they pay attention to pay tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars to a successful plaintiffs attorney, not to mention the bad publicity that would create for the agency Cuillier wrote in his research, Bigger Stick, Better Compliance?

Perrusquia eventually got the records, but he worries that most journalists and citizens would simply give up.

Ive been in the business for 40 years, knowing public records and fighting for them, Perrusquia said. The delays have a chilling effect on asking for public records in the first place, he said.

Perrusquia and Becker both had an attorney with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press taking their case. But most dont have the money or time to press a case through the courts and get the government entity to follow the law.

If citizens and journalists are going to keep government open in Tennessee, we might just need a bigger stick.
(Bloomberg) -- Thames Water has approached North American infrastructure giants Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, Global Infrastructure Partners as well as Stonepeak to participate in a 3.3 billion ($4.3 billion) emergency fundraising to rescue the UKs largest water and sewage provider, The Times reported.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The company, advised by Rothschild, is aiming to assemble potential investors for the equity raise by early November, according to the report. Thames Water, Brookfield and GIP didnt comment to the newspaper.

Thames Water, which serves about a quarter of the UK population, desperately needs to find 3.3 billion in equity before it runs out of money at the end of May 2025. Bloomberg previously reported that a group of creditors holding around 10 billion of the firms debt is drawing up its own plan to address the firms need for new funds and its unsustainable debt pile.

Rescue efforts could be complicated as Ofwat will not rule until December on how much Thames Water is allowed to increase its bills by. In July, the regulator had suggested that Thames could raise bills by 23% over the period, less than the increase the company had asked for.

A potential outcome for the heavily indebted utility is that the equity injection happens alongside the creditors rescue plans, according to the Times.

The funds being approached are large private infrastructure investors. Toronto-based Brookfield manages assets of $191 billion, while New-York headquartered GIP and Stonepeaks AUMs reach $115 billion and $71.2 billion, according to their websites. GIP was bought by Blackrock earlier this year.

Thames investors want to avoid nationalization because a prolonged period under government control could mean they recover less of the money they lent. While some MPs from the recently elected Labour Party have argued the case for bringing water companies into public ownership, business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds has said he wants to see the issue resolved without government involvement.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)  Book lovers from across the state gathered in downtown Jackson for the 10th annual Mississippi Book Festival.

According to officials, more than 40,000 people attended the festival on Saturday, September 14. The downtown area was a hotspot for food trucks, live music, book signings and panel discussions.

This is fantastic. I absolutely love it. Its my first time, and Im getting to meet a lot of new people. I get to see the state of Mississippi, which Ive never been to before, such a well organized event. And everyone here loves books, and so that makes it even more special, said Taryn Souders, an author and panelist from Florida.

Hundreds of contemporary authors were able to connect with fans and new readers in the capital city.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

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 WJTV.
Emergency services carrying out protective measures on the U4 at Pilgramgasse. The men are building a flood protection wall on the tracks. WIENER LINIEN/APA/dpa

Rivers swollen by downpours flooded parts of Central Europe on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of two people in Austria and Poland, forcing thousands to flee their homes, and wreaking havoc on electricity and transport infrastructure.

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the country's first death due to the high waters as he attended an emergency briefing in the small town of Kodzko, not far from the Czech border.

Tusk called the situation in south-western Poland "dramatic" and urged residents to heed local evacuation orders.

The water level of the Nysa Kodzka river in Kodzko was 6.65 metres on Sunday morning. The average water level is 1 metre.

The police said the fatality was a man whose home had flooded in the village of Krosnovice, not far from Kodzko.

Tusk said that 1,600 people in the Kodzko district had been brought to safety so far and that he expected further evacuations.

Parts of the hardest-hit areas have seen disruptions to power supplies and mobile communication networks. Kodzko residents have been told to boil their tap water before drinking it.

Across the border in the Czech Republic, authorities said at least four people were missing.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala called on citizens to follow the instructions of the emergency services, noting that some people are refusing to obey evacuation orders and leave their homes.

"By doing so, they are endangering not only themselves but also those people who will then have to try to rescue them when things get dramatic," he said on public broadcaster CT.

"We have to expect that the worst is not yet behind us," he warned.

In the city of Opava and other border areas near Poland, thousands of people had to be evacuated from their homes as entire communities went under water. A mudslide cut off the mountain village of Mala Upa from the outside world.

More than 250,000 Czech households were left without electricity, the CTK agency reported, citing energy suppliers. Rains had softened the soil, causing numerous trees to fall on overhead power lines and high-voltage lines.

There were tense scenes in Austria, too, where a firefighter died while working in a flood-hit building in the state of Lower Austria, which surrounds the capital Vienna.

"We are experiencing difficult and dramatic hours in Lower Austria," said state Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner.

"For many people in Lower Austria, these will be the hardest hours of their lives," she added. "We will do everything we can to hold back the water and protect the country and its people."

Lower Austria was declared a disaster zone after several rivers in the state rose dramatically.

In some communities north of Vienna, the fire brigade had to rescue people trapped in their houses overnight. One person had to be rescued after driving into the floodwaters of the Pielach river, west of Vienna. The fire brigade is using rubber dinghies in some places.

The water on the Wien river that runs through Vienna was flowing high and fast on Sunday, however in most places the metre-high walls were still holding.

At least four people were killed in eastern Romania, authorities said on Saturday, after the Eastern European country was battered by rainstorms.

Rail services in multiple countries were in disarray on Sunday.

Vienna's underground lines have been hit by disruptions and Austrian rail operator OBB suspended train services on a line south of the Danube.

Cross-border rail connections between Poland and the Czech Republic have also been suspended.

Dam bursts in Poland and the Czech Republic

A dam in south-west Poland, south of the city of Kodzko, burst late Saturday despite efforts to drain water and prevent the surge, exacerbating the flood impact on the area.

The Lower Silesian municipality of Bystrzyca Kodzka said that the dam in Miedzygorze had overflowed.

The Regional Water Management Authority in the city of Wrocaw called the situation critical, prompting evacuations from lower-lying villages.

The dam, built at the beginning of the 20th century in the Kodzko Valley, is 29 metres high. Its flood control reservoir can hold almost a million cubic metres of water.

Since Friday morning, more rain has fallen in south-west Poland than during the so-called millennium flood of 1997, and the alert level has been exceeded at 47 gauging stations across the country.

In the south-west of the Czech Republic, the Husinec dam in the foothills of the Bohemian Forest overflowed due to the flooding. The highest flood alert level was reached in the town Litomerice on the Elbe river.

The fire department drives through a flooded street after heavy rainfall. Oana Jaroslav/CTK/dpa

The Upper Betschwa River overflowed after heavy rain. Gluck Dalibor/CTK/dpa

Sandbags lie in front of the windows of a hotel in the spa town of Rathen in Saxon Switzerland. The first water level on the Elbe in Saxony has reached alarm level 2. In Schona, the corresponding guideline value of 5 meters was exceeded in the early morning, according to data from the State Flood Centre. Robert Michael/dpa
A view of the flooded Vienna River, a tributary of the Danube. The storm-related flooding has now also reached the federal capital. Georg Hochmuth/APA/dpa

Rivers swollen by downpours flooded parts of Central Europe on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of two people in Austria and Poland, forcing thousands to flee their homes, and wreaking havoc on electricity and transport infrastructure.

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the country's first death due to the high waters as he attended an emergency briefing in the small town of Kodzko, not far from the Czech border.

Tusk called the situation in south-western Poland "dramatic" and urged residents to heed local evacuation orders.

The water level of the Nysa Kodzka river in Kodzko was 6.65 metres on Sunday morning. The average water level is 1 metre.

The police said the fatality was a man whose home had flooded in the village of Krosnovice, not far from Kodzko.

Tusk said that 1,600 people in the Kodzko district had been brought to safety so far and that he expected further evacuations.

Parts of the hardest-hit areas have seen disruptions to power supplies and mobile communication networks. Kodzko residents have been told to boil their tap water before drinking it.

Across the border in the Czech Republic, authorities said at least four people were missing.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala called on citizens to follow the instructions of the emergency services, noting that some people are refusing to obey evacuation orders and leave their homes.

"By doing so, they are endangering not only themselves but also those people who will then have to try to rescue them when things get dramatic," he said on public broadcaster CT.

"We have to expect that the worst is not yet behind us," he warned.

In the city of Opava and other border areas near Poland, thousands of people had to be evacuated from their homes as entire communities went under water. A mudslide cut off the mountain village of Mala Upa from the outside world.

More than 250,000 Czech households were left without electricity, the CTK agency reported, citing energy suppliers. Rains had softened the soil, causing numerous trees to fall on overhead power lines and high-voltage lines.

There were tense scenes in Austria, too, where a firefighter died while working in a flood-hit building in the state of Lower Austria, which surrounds the capital Vienna.

"We are experiencing difficult and dramatic hours in Lower Austria," said state Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner.

"For many people in Lower Austria, these will be the hardest hours of their lives," she added. "We will do everything we can to hold back the water and protect the country and its people."

Lower Austria was declared a disaster zone after several rivers in the state rose dramatically.

In some communities north of Vienna, the fire brigade had to rescue people trapped in their houses overnight. One person had to be rescued after driving into the floodwaters of the Pielach river, west of Vienna. The fire brigade is using rubber dinghies in some places.

The water on the Wien river that runs through Vienna was flowing high and fast on Sunday, however in most places the metre-high walls were still holding.

The water level on the river at the Kennedy Bridge in western Vienna rose from 50 centimetres to 2.26 metres in the course of one day, emergency authorities said.

Walking and bicycle paths are flooded, and restaurant terraces on the banks of the river are under water.

In the suburb of Penzing, north-west of Vienna, the Wien river burst its banks in some places. Homes were evacuated while streets and an underground car park were under water.

However, Mayor Michael Ludwig reassured the public, saying: "All in all, we have the situation well under control."

He said he was heartened by the fact that the Danube - main river in Vienna - was stable.

At least four people were killed in eastern Romania, authorities said on Saturday, after the Eastern European country was battered by rainstorms.

Rail services in multiple countries were in disarray on Sunday.

Vienna's underground lines have been hit by disruptions and Austrian rail operator OBB suspended train services on a line south of the Danube.

Cross-border rail connections between Poland and the Czech Republic have also been suspended.

Dams bursts in Poland and the Czech Republic

A second dam has burst in south-western Poland following heavy rains, authorities said on Sunday.

The dam in Stronie Slaski, in the Lower Silesia region, gave way and water on the Biaa Ladecka river is now flowing unimpeded into the Nysa Kodzka catchment area, a metrological network said.

The town of Stronie Slaski is located in the Kodzko Valley on Poland's border with the Czech Republic.

Police have sent a rescue helicopter to the area to bring people stranded by the water to safety. Army soldiers are also on the scene.

On Saturday evening, a dam in the nearby mountain village of Miedzygorze failed.

Since Friday morning, more rain has fallen in south-west Poland than during the so-called millennium flood of 1997, and the alert level has been exceeded at 47 gauging stations across the country.

In the south-west of the Czech Republic, the Husinec dam in the foothills of the Bohemian Forest overflowed due to the flooding. The highest flood alert level was reached in the town Litomerice on the Elbe river.

Emergency services carrying out protective measures on the U4 at Pilgramgasse. The men are building a flood protection wall on the tracks. WIENER LINIEN/APA/dpa

The fire department drives through a flooded street after heavy rainfall. Oana Jaroslav/CTK/dpa

The Upper Betschwa River overflowed after heavy rain. Gluck Dalibor/CTK/dpa

Sandbags lie in front of the windows of a hotel in the spa town of Rathen in Saxon Switzerland. The first water level on the Elbe in Saxony has reached alarm level 2. In Schona, the corresponding guideline value of 5 meters was exceeded in the early morning, according to data from the State Flood Centre. Robert Michael/dpa
Employees of the technical services of the state capital Dresden build sheet piling in Bruehlsche Gasse to protect against the Elbe flood. Robert Michael/dpa

Central Europe was hit by massive flooding on Sunday, as rivers swollen by historic downpours burst their banks in Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic.

The region has seen unprecedented rainfall in recent days, causing serious floods that have claimed a number of lives and major disruptions to power, gas and transport systems.

The eastern Czech town of Krnov, on the border to Poland, is a particular concern, with up to 80% of its territory under water according to Deputy Mayor Miroslav Binar.

Helicopters were deployed to rescue stranded residents in the town, which lies at the confluence of the Opava and Opavice rivers.

The highest flood alert level was in force at more than 120 gauging stations across the country, with dozens reporting once-in-a-century rises in floodwaters.

The situation is considered worse in some areas than during the unprecedented floods of 1997.

The Czech government is set to meet in Prague on Monday to discuss financial aid for those affected. President Petr Pavel called for donations for the victims.

Earlier, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala called on citizens to follow the instructions of the emergency services, noting that some people are refusing to obey evacuation orders and leave their homes.

"By doing so, they are endangering not only themselves but also those people who will then have to try to rescue them when things get dramatic," he said on public broadcaster CT.

"We have to expect that the worst is not yet behind us," he warned.

In the city of Opava and other border areas near Poland, thousands of people had to be evacuated from their homes as entire communities went under water. A mudslide cut off the mountain village of Mala Upa from the outside world.

More than 250,000 Czech households were left without electricity, the CTK agency reported, citing energy suppliers. Rains had softened the soil, causing numerous trees to fall on overhead power lines and high-voltage lines.

'Dramatic' situation in Poland

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the country's first death due to the high waters as he attended an emergency briefing in the small town of Kodzko, not far from the Czech border.

Tusk called the situation in south-western Poland "dramatic" and urged residents to heed local evacuation orders.

The water level of the Nysa Kodzka river in Kodzko was 6.84 metres on Sunday afternoon. The average water level is 1 metre.

The town saw a second wave of flooding on Sunday after a dam burst in the region, mayor Michal Piszko told the PAP news agency.

In some streets, water was 1.5 metres high, the mayor added.

Polish army troops were rescuing residents in boats from the second or third floor of their houses.

The police said the fatality was a man whose home had flooded in the village of Krosnovice, not far from Kodzko.

Tusk said that 1,600 people in the Kodzko district had been brought to safety so far and that he expected further evacuations.

Parts of the hardest-hit areas have seen disruptions to power supplies and mobile communication networks. The water supply has been lost, while gas was also due to be turned off.

Vienna sees flooding as Lower Austria submerged

There were tense scenes in Austria, too, where a firefighter died while working in a flood-hit building in the state of Lower Austria, which surrounds the capital Vienna.

"The situation in Lower Austria continues to worsen," said Chancellor Karl Nehammer after a meeting of the national crisis team on Sunday afternoon.

The state was declared a disaster zone after several rivers rose dramatically.

"We are experiencing difficult and dramatic hours in Lower Austria," said state Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner.

"For many people in Lower Austria, these will be the hardest hours of their lives," she added. "We will do everything we can to hold back the water and protect the country and its people."

The Austrian capital was also hit after days of persistent rain, with two metro lines partially suspended.

The water level on the Wien river at the Kennedy Bridge in western Vienna rose from 50 centimetres to 2.26 metres in the course of one day, emergency authorities said.

Walking and bicycle paths are flooded, and restaurant terraces on the banks of the river are under water.

In the suburb of Penzing, north-west of Vienna, the Wien river burst its banks in some places. Homes were evacuated while streets and an underground car park were under water.

In three districts of Vienna, the power supply was interrupted. The electricity provider promised to restore service as quickly as possible.

The rain eased somewhat as the day went on, allowing Mayor Michael Ludwig to reassure the population: "Overall, we have the situation well under control."

In some communities north of Vienna, the fire brigade had to rescue people trapped in their houses overnight, using rubber dinghies in some places.

Elsewhere, at least five people were killed in eastern Romania, authorities said on Saturday, after the Eastern European country was battered by rainstorms.

Rail services in multiple countries were also in disarray, with Austrian rail operator OBB suspending train services on a line south of the Danube.

Cross-border rail connections between Poland and the Czech Republic have also been suspended.

The flood wave of the river Bela has tipped a car onto its side. Peina Ludik/CTK/dpa

People watch a wiped pier caught by a bridge over the Morava river flowing through the town, following heavy rains in the South Moravian Region. alek Vaclav/CTK/dpa

A parking lot on the Elbe in Pirna in Saxon Switzerland is closed due to flooding. In Schoena, the corresponding guideline value of 5 meters was exceeded in the early morning, according to data from the State Flood Centre. Robert Michael/dpa

Signs are posted near the old town bridge in Goerlitz in the Neisse, which is flooding. Alert level 2 has also been reached on the Neisse in Goerlitz, where the water level is at 4.42 meters. Paul Glaser/dpa

A view of the flooded Vienna River, a tributary of the Danube. The storm-related flooding has now also reached the federal capital. Georg Hochmuth/APA/dpa

Emergency services carrying out protective measures on the U4 at Pilgramgasse. The men are building a flood protection wall on the tracks. WIENER LINIEN/APA/dpa

The fire department drives through a flooded street after heavy rainfall. Oana Jaroslav/CTK/dpa

The Upper Betschwa River overflowed after heavy rain. Gluck Dalibor/CTK/dpa

Sandbags lie in front of the windows of a hotel in the spa town of Rathen in Saxon Switzerland. The first water level on the Elbe in Saxony has reached alarm level 2. In Schona, the corresponding guideline value of 5 meters was exceeded in the early morning, according to data from the State Flood Centre. Robert Michael/dpa
Wittenberg University canceled all Sunday events after receiving a bomb threat targeting members of its Haitian community. The Springfield, Ohio, campus is just one of many institutions, including hospitals and elementary schools, that have been threatened after Donald Trump and J.D. Vance spread lies that Haitian immigrants are eating locals pets.

While the community is on high alert and residents fear for their safety, Trump claimed ignorance when asked to denounce the threats, telling reporters Saturday night, I dont know what happened with the bomb threats. I know that its been taken over by illegal migrants, and thats a terrible thing that happened.

Reporter: Do you denounce the bomb threats in Springfield?



Trump: I don't know what happened with the bomb threats. I know that it's been taken over by illegal migrants, and that's a terrible thing that happened. pic.twitter.com/1PnnSAhujK  Acyn (@Acyn) September 14, 2024

Wittenberg University is currently taking extreme precautions following an email sent Saturday, Sept. 14, that threatened a potential shooting on-campus on Sunday, September 15, 2024, the university said in a campus alert. The message targeted Haitian members of our community.

Another local campus received the same threat, the university said in an update to the initial alert.

Meanwhile, a woman who posted on Facebook one of the first claims that Haitians were eating pets admitted her post was false. It just exploded into something I didnt mean to happen, Springfield resident Erika Lee told NBC News on Friday, acknowledging that she spread the rumor after she heard a third hand account of a missing cat from a neighbor.

Look, theres a lot of garbage on the internet and, you know, this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said Sunday. Theres no evidence of this at all.

Despite these threats that began after Trump made the false, racist accusation against Haitians during Tuesdays presidential debate, both he and Vance continued to spread the lies throughout the week. At least three public schools evacuated students after Springfield Police Division issued a warning. Clark State College in Springfield closed its buildings on Thursday and Friday, and a local Catholic school dismissed students early Friday due to safety threats of nearby locations.

Honestly, I dont feel safe. Its not good right now, Jean-Patrick Louisius, a Haitian who immigrated to Springfield four years ago, told The New York Times.

Another Haitian resident of Springfield, told the paper, We were already worn out from what is happening in Haiti. We didnt come here for this.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone

Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Three Americans, two Spaniards held over alleged plot to 'destabilize' Venezuela

With the support of the military and other institutions, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has managed to cling to power despite international pressure (Yuri CORTEZ) (Yuri CORTEZ/AFP/AFP)

Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen have been detained in Venezuela on suspicion of plotting to destabilize the country, the government said, as the United States and Spain denied Caracas's allegations they were involved.

The arrests come amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and both the United States and Spain over Venezuela's disputed July 28 presidential election, which the country's opposition accuses President Nicolas Maduro of stealing.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Saturday the foreign nationals were being held on suspicion of planning an attack on Maduro and his government.

"We know that the United States government has links to this operation," Cabello asserted.

Cabello said two Spaniards were recently detained in Puerto Ayacucho in the southwest.

He added that three Americans and a Czech national were also arrested and linked the alleged plot to intelligence agencies in the United States and Spain, as well as to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

Maduro has heaped blame for the tide of adversity his country faces on the "imperialist" United States, which he accuses of conspiring with his Venezuelan opponents to overthrow him.

A State Department spokesperson said Saturday that "any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false."

The State Department spokesperson additionally confirmed that a US military member was being held and noted "unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained in Venezuela."

Spain also rejected allegations it was involved.

"Spain denies and categorically rejects any insinuation that it is involved in a political destabilization operation in Venezuela," a foreign ministry source told AFP Sunday.

Cabello said those detained had "contacted French mercenaries, they contacted mercenaries from Eastern Europe and they are in an operation to try to attack our country."

He added that "more than 400 rifles were seized" and accused the detainees of plotting "terrorist acts."

The Czech Republic has yet to react to the sensational claims, which come amid a deepening standoff between Maduro and Western powers.

- Maduro's 'dictatorship' -

Maduro, who succeeded iconic left-wing leader Hugo Chavez on his death in 2013, insists he won a third term but failed to release detailed voting tallies to back his claim.

Tensions between Caracas and former colonial power Spain rose sharply after Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, 75, went into exile in Spain a week ago, after being threatened with arrest.

Caracas on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Madrid for consultations and summoned Spain's envoy to Venezuela for talks after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a "dictatorship."

Venezuela was also angered by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's decision to meet with Gonzalez Urrutia and warned Spain against any "interference" in its affairs.

Caracas has additionally been engaged in a war of words with the United States, which recognized Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner of the election.

Washington announced new sanctions on Thursday against 16 Venezuelan officials, including some from the electoral authority, for impeding "a transparent electoral process" and not publishing accurate results.

Venezuela denounced the measures as a "crime of aggression" and Maduro decorated four military officers among those targeted by the sanctions.

Maduro's claim to have won a third term in office sparked mass opposition protests, which claimed at least 27 lives and left 192 people wounded.

The opposition published polling station-level results that it said showed Gonzalez Urrutia winning by a landslide.

About 2,400 people, including numerous teens, were arrested in the unrest.

Opposition leader Machado called Saturday for more protests on September 28, two months since the election, to demand international recognition for Gonzalez Urrutia as president.

Maduro also claimed victory amid widespread accusations of fraud after Venezuela's previous election in 2018.

With the support of the military and other institutions, he managed to cling to power despite international sanctions.

Maduro's tenure since 2013 has seen GDP drop 80 percent in a decade, prompting more than seven million of the country's 30 million citizens to emigrate.

ba/cb/bfm/acb/mtp/pbt
Bipartisan efforts to ban TikTok nationwide will be scrutinized Monday by a federal appeals court tasked with weighing whether axing the social media giants U.S. presence runs afoul of the First Amendment.

The social media platform and a group of content creators have sued over a new law that could ban the app, placing free speech concerns front and center but also raising a handful of other issues.

On Monday morning, a three-judge federal appeals court panel in the nations capital will hear their challenges and decide whether to block the law from going into effect as scheduled on Jan. 19.

President Biden signed the legislation in April after it quickly passed Congress with bipartisan support, kicking into place the timeline for TikToks China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform or face a ban from U.S. app stores and networks.

ByteDance has contended divestment is practically impossible, meaning that the law effectively amounts to a nationwide ban of the video-sharing platform.

The government asks this Court to bless the most sweeping speech restriction in this countrys history  a law that singles out and shutters a speech platform used by 170 million Americans, the company wrote in court filings.

TikTok was pushed into the political spotlight after lawmakers in both parties raised fears that the app could be used by the Chinese Communist Party to gather information about Americans and spread misinformation.

At the time, FBI Director Christopher Wray also said the agency feared TikTok could be used to collect data for traditional espionage operations, while Brendan Carr, commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, said he too would welcome a ban on TikTok due to the unique threats it poses.

Though few lawmakers sided with the platform, one of its loudest advocates was progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who hosted a press conference with content creators outside the Capitol in March 2023. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) also attended the event in support.

The heightened attention on TikTok led its CEO, Shou Zi Chew, to testify before Congress in a fiery, four-hour hearing last year. Though Chew insisted then that TikTok does not sell data to any data broker, critics said he dodged important questions about how the app uses collected data and its ties to China.

By signing the bill into law, Biden gave ByteDance just 270 days to sell TikTok or see it banned from U.S. app stores and other internet hosting services.

The battle is now headed to a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. By random selection, the appeal will be heard by Judge Sri Srinivasan, appointed by former President Obama; Judge Neomi Rao, appointed by former President Trump; and Judge Douglas Ginsburg, appointed by former President Reagan.

First, the panel will hear from an attorney for TikTok, followed by the creators attorney and the the Justice Department, which is defending the law.

The parties have asked for a decision by Dec. 6 to leave time for the losing side to file an emergency appeal at the Supreme Court before the laws scheduled implementation the following month.

TikTok advances several constitutional arguments against the law, claiming it amounts to an improper taking in violation of the Fifth Amendment, singles out the company for punishment and runs afoul of the First Amendments free speech protections.

The First Amendment requires this Court to examine such an extraordinary speech restriction with the utmost care and most exacting scrutiny, the company wrote in court filings. Yet Congress gave this Court almost nothing to review. Congress enacted no findings, so there is no way to know why majorities of the House and Senate decided to ban TikTok.

The Biden administration dedicated much of its written response defending the law to explain national security concerns about TikTok, though significant portions of the brief were redacted from public view.



Given TikToks broad reach within the United States, the capacity for China to use TikToks features to achieve its overarching objective to undermine American interests creates a national-security threat of immense depth and scale, the Justice Department wrote.

The government contends the First Amendment doesnt apply given the foreign ownership of TikToks parent company. But the government insists its national security concerns would still justify the legislation, even if constitutional protections did extend to the company.

Its defense is bolstered by many conservatives who have filed friend-of-the-court briefs. The list includes Jeff Sessions and Michael Mukasey, who respectively served as attorney general under Trump and former President George W. Bush.

Twenty-one sitting Republican state attorneys general also are backing the law, calling TikTok a unique threat to American consumers.

TikTok asks this Court to declare that the peoples representatives are powerless at all levels of government to stop a hostile foreign power from spying on Americans. TikTok and the Chinese Communist Party cannot hide behind the First Amendment, the coalition wrote in their brief.

First Amendment advocates and Libertarian interests like the Cato Institute, meanwhile, are backing TikTok, urging the appeals court to declare the law unconstitutional.

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of Columbia Universitys Knight First Amendment Institute, said in a statement that government restrictions on access to foreign media have long been a hallmark of repressive regimes.

We should be very wary of letting the practice take root here, Jaffer said. At the very least, the government should be required to demonstrate that the ban is actually necessary. It hasnt done that, and it cant.

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.
Who is The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived? Tim Walz gave that title to Donald Trump  making a play on words straight from Taylor Swifts The Tortured Poets Department  in a speech on Saturday (Sept. 14) ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Heres my life hack for all the guys out there, the Minnesota governor, Kamala Harris VP pick on the Democratic ticket, said an event in Superior, Wisconsin. Hed just voiced his respect for the intelligent women surrounding him, including wife Gwen Walz, whos an English teacher. Surround yourself with smart women and listen to them, and youll do just fine. That includes my fellow cat owner Taylor Swift, too, by the way.



Its really great to have all of these women help us beat the smallest man in the world: Donald Trump, Walz said to cheers, in an apparent nod to Swifts Tortured Poets track called The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.

More from Billboard

Tim Walz: Heres my life hack for all the guys out there: surround yourself with smart women and listen to them and youll do just fine. That includes my fellow cat owner Taylor Swift.



Its really great to have all of these women help us beat the smallest man in the world.. pic.twitter.com/mA9JN2yYG2  Acyn (@Acyn) September 14, 2024

The Harris-Walz campaign pivoted from a brat summer to a Swift era when the pop star endorsed the pair after Harris and Trumps Sept. 10 debate. In Swifts endorsement of the Democratic candidates, she called out Trump posting fake AI images that had falsely suggested she supported the MAGA leader.

It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation, Swift said about the doctored images Trump put up on his Truth Social feed. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.

I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election, she stated.

I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos, Swift wrote of Harris, adding, I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a womans right to her own body for decades.

Swift signed her post as Childless Cat Lady, a zinger aimed at Trumps VP candidate JD Vance, who once used that description to demean Democratic leaders without children.

Swifts endorsement  posted on her 238 million-follower Instagram feed  brought around 400,000 people to the Vote.gov registration website in the following days.

Harris used Swifts The Man at a post-debate appearance, while Walz said hes incredibly grateful to Swift for her public support. I say that as a fellow cat owner, he commented in an interview with MSNBC. That was eloquent and that was clear and thats the type of courage we need in America to stand up.

Harris and Walz swiftly made friendship bracelets spelling Harris-Walz available on their campaigns online store, with proceeds going to the Harris Victory Fund. Ads from the Democratic National Committee, unveiled on billboards in New York, soon read Were In Our Kamala Era! and A New Way Forward Ready For It?

Regarding who did inspire The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived: Swift doesnt identify her actual muses, though the lyrics of the track, and others on the Billboard 200 15-week chart-topper The Tortured Poets Department, offer some hints to those familiar with her public relationships.

Were you sent by someone who wanted me dead? Swift wonders of an ex-lover that ruined a sparkling summer by leaving her. Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed? Were you writing a book? Were you a sleeper cell spy? In 50 years, will all this be declassified?

And youll confess why you did it, she continues in the songs raw bridge. And Ill say good riddance cause it wasnt sexy once it wasnt forbidden. I wouldve died for your sins; instead, I just died inside. And you deserve prison, but you wont get time.

Watch Walzs full speech from Saturday in the video below.

Best of Billboard

Sign up for Billboard's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats vice presidential candidate, will visit two Georgia cities this week in an effort to secure support in a swing state.

Walz, the running mate for current Vice President Kamala Harris, is expected to arrive in Macon Monday night before giving brief remarks in town at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, according to Harris campaign officials. Hell then head to Atlanta later Tuesday for events in the afternoon. After leaving Georgia, hell make a stop in North Carolina.

Walz, who has been Minnesotas governor since 2019, was announced as Harris running mate Aug. 6. It will be his first visit to Macon since he was picked as running mate, but the Harris-Walz campaign has held other events in Middle Georgia.

Friends of the campaign from the Peach State showed up in Bibb County and spoke in support of Harris stance on abortion earlier this month.

Pre-election polling in Georgia between Harris and former President Donald Trump has been close ever since Harris joined the race. An average of six prominent recent polls shows Trump has an advantage of about 1.3% in Georgia. Trump lost Georgia in 2020 by less than 1% and made unverified claims of election fraud in the state afterward, claims he has repeated as recently as last weeks presidential debate.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats vice presidential candidate, will visit two Georgia cities this week in an effort to secure support in a swing state.

Walz, the running mate for current Vice President Kamala Harris, is expected to arrive in Macon Monday night before giving brief remarks in town at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, according to Harris campaign officials. Hell then head to Atlanta later Tuesday for events in the afternoon. After leaving Georgia, hell make a stop in North Carolina.

Walz, who has been Minnesotas governor since 2019, was announced as Harris running mate Aug. 6. It will be his first visit to Macon since he was picked as running mate, but the Harris-Walz campaign has held other events in Middle Georgia.

Friends of the campaign from the Peach State showed up in Bibb County and spoke in support of Harris stance on abortion earlier this month. The campaign has also made visits to other Georgia cities, including Columbus, where local officials and a business owner expressed support for Harris small business plans.

Pre-election polling in Georgia between Harris and former President Donald Trump has been close ever since Harris joined the race. An average of six prominent recent polls shows Trump has an advantage of about 1.3% in Georgia. Trump lost Georgia in 2020 by less than 1% and made unverified claims of election fraud in the state afterward, claims he has repeated as recently as last weeks presidential debate.
A timeline of missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue, discovery of his remains

In February, 3-year-old Elijah Vue vanished from the home of his mother's boyfriend in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, sparking a massive community search that ended in the identification of his remains by police on Friday.

What began as a frantic effort to find a missing child turned into extensive searches by law enforcement and volunteers with details slowly emerging about the boy's final days before he disappeared.

The disappearance of Elijah cast a shadow over the town for months, leaving residents grappling with grief and unanswered questions and dealing with a painful waiting game to find out what had happened to the young boy.

Heres a timeline of key events:

February 12-18: Elijah Vue's mother drops him off with her boyfriend

Elijahs mother, Katrina Baur, 31, dropped Elijah off at her boyfriend Jesse Vangs home in Two Rivers reportedly to address behavioral issues.

February 20: Elijah reported missing, Amber Alert issued

Vang reported Elijah was missing from his apartment in the 3900 block of Mischot Road.

Vang later told police he had last seen Elijah around 8 a.m. that day when he ordered the 3-year-old to stand next to his bed and pray as punishment.

Three hours later, Vang called 911 to report Elijah as missing.

February 23: Katrina Baur and Jesse Vang charged

On Feb. 23, Elijah's mother, Katrina Baur was charged with party-to-a-crime child neglect in Manitowoc County Circuit Court. Jesse Vang was charged with child neglect. Baur was also charged with two counts of obstructing officers.

February 26: Criminal complaint released, FBI offers reward

According to a criminal complaint later filed on Feb. 26, details emerged that Elijah was subjected to severe punishments under Vangs care.

During his time with Elijah, Vang, 39, admitted to using harsh disciplinary methods, including making Elijah stand for hours and giving him a cold shower.

Baur initially denied being in the area but cell phone data showed she was in Two Rivers and not in the Wisconsin Dells as she had initially said. Baur later admitted to the police she had visited Vang and her son.

The investigation revealed abusive behavior and neglect, leading to suspicions of foul play. Cell phone data and text exchanges further implicated both Vang and Baur, indicating they were attempting to discipline the child through fear.

The FBI offered a $15,000 reward for information that leads to Elijah, or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in his disappearance.

March 5: Vehicle of interest identified by police, search continues

In March large scale searches continue, checking neighborhoods, rivers, shores, landfills, Baur's home in the Wisconsin Dells, as well as analyzing video data, using K-9 teams and aerial drone footage. Despite the search efforts across Two Rivers and Wisconsin Dells, no major breakthroughs occur.

On March 5, police identify a vehicle of interest and are looking for footage of a beige 1997 4-door Nissan Altima.

March 7: Baur faced additional faces

Baur faced additional charges as her felony child neglect charge was changed to felony chronic neglect of a child and a second felony child neglect charge involving an unnamed 6-year-old child, according to an amended criminal complaint.

March 18: Elijah's blanket found

Local law enforcement also reported it found Elijah's red-and-white plaid blanket roughly 3.7 miles from the apartment building where he was reportedly last seen.

March 21: Vang received additional charges

Jesse Vang faced an amended chronic child neglect charge in the case related to Elijah's disappearance in Two Rivers.

March 22: Baur pleads not guilty

Elijah's mother pleaded not guilty to child neglect and obstruction charges in relation to her son's disappearance.

April 16: Vang pleads not guilty

Jesse Vang pleaded not guilty to child neglect charges stemming from 3-year-old Elijah Vue's disappearance.

August 25: Community celebrated Elijah's fourth birthday

As the search continued, Elijah's fourth birthday was celebrated at a community event in Appleton.

Two Rivers police shared the event on its Facebook page, saying it wanted to "assure everyone that this is a legitimate event for Elijah."

September 7: Human remains found by deer hunter

A significant turn occurs in early September when a deer hunter discovers skeletal remains in a remote, wooded area about three miles from Vang's home. The hunter was getting his property ready for the hunting season when he discovered the remains and called local law enforcement.

Initially, authorities did not confirm whether the remains belong to Elijah, but forensic testing was expedited.

September 13: Two Rivers police identify remains as Elijah Vue

DNA testing by the state crime lab confirmed that the remains found by the deer hunter belong to Elijah Vue.

Authorities announced that the Amber Alert was canceled, and the case has shifted from a missing person investigation to a death investigation.

Vang and Baur remained in custody on charges of child neglect, although no charges have been filed yet in relation to Elijahs death.

Vang is due in court for a status conference on Sept. 27. Baur's next court date is a status conference on Oct. 22.

Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or at vswales@gannett.com. Follow her on X @Vanessa_Swales.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A timeline of missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue, discovery of his remains
The Titan sub was on a trip to see the wreck of the Titanic [RMS Titanic / Getty]

It was the submersible that promised passengers the trip of a lifetime. A chance to descend 3,800m (12,500ft) to the Atlantic depths to visit the wreck of the Titanic.

But last year, a dive by Oceangates Titan sub went tragically wrong. The vessel suffered a catastrophic failure as it neared the sea floor, killing all five people onboard.

The US Coast Guard is holding a public hearing on 16 September to examine why the disaster happened, from the subs unconventional design to ignored safety warnings and the lack of regulation in the deep.

Titan began its descent beneath the waves on the morning of 18 June 2023.

On board were Oceangates CEO Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, veteran French diver Paul Henri Nargeolet, the British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman.

Later that day, after the craft failed to resurface, the US Coast Guard was notified, sparking a vast search and rescue operation.

The world watched and waited for news of the missing sub. But on 22 June, wreckage was discovered about 500m (1,600ft) from Titanics bow. Titan had imploded just one hour and 45 minutes into the dive.

These are five key questions that still need to be answered.

Clockwise from top left: Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet were all onboard the Titan [Supplied via Reuters / AFP]

Did the passengers know the dive was going wrong?

Those on Titan could stay in contact with the support ship, the Polar Prince, with text messages sent through its onboard communications system. The log of these exchanges could reveal if there were any indications that the sub was failing.

The vessel also had an acoustic monitoring device - essentially mics fixed to the sub listening for signs it was buckling or breaking.

Stockton Rush was convinced that if there was an imminent failure of the submersible, they would get an audio warning on that system, explains Victor Vescovo, a leading deep sea explorer.

But he said he was highly sceptical that this would have provided enough time for the sub to return to the surface. The issue is how quickly would that warning happen?

If there were no apparent problems during the descent and alarms failed to sound, those on board could have been unaware of their imminent fate.

The implosion itself was instantaneous, there would have been no time for the passengers to even register what was happening.

[Reuters]

Which part of the Titan sub failed?

Forensic experts have been examining Titans wreckage to find the root of the failure.

There were several issues with its design.

The viewport window was only rated to a depth of 1,300m (4,300ft) by its manufacturer, but Titan was diving almost three times deeper.

Titans hull was also an unusual shape - cylindrical, rather than spherical. Most deep-sea subs have a spherical hull, so the effect of the crushing pressure of the deep is distributed equally.

[BBC]

The subs hull was also made out of carbon fibre, an unconventional material for a deep-sea vessel.

Metals such as titanium are most commonly used as they are reliable under immense pressures.

Carbon fibre is considered to be a material that is unpredictable [in the deep ocean], explains Patrick Lahey, CEO of Triton Submarines, a leading manufacturer.

Every time Titan went down to the Titanic - and it had made multiple dives - the carbon fibre was compressed and damaged.

It was getting progressively weaker because the fibres were breaking, he said.

The junctions between different materials also gave cause for concern. The carbon fibre was attached to two rings of titanium, creating weak points.

Patrick Lahey said the commercial sub industry had a longstanding, unblemished safety record.

The Oceangate contraption was an aberration, he told BBC News.

Planes and ships spent several days looking for the missing sub [EPA]

Did ocean sounds distract from the search?

Ships, aircraft and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) were scrambled to the Atlantic to try to find Titan.

A couple of days into the search, there were reports of underwater noises picked up by a search planes sonar, raising the possibility they were coming from the sub.

ROVs were sent to locate the source but found nothing.

It is still not clear what the sounds were - the ocean is noisy and even more so during an operation like this.

A more pertinent subsea sound was detected by the US Navys sonar system at the time the sub went missing - an acoustic signal consistent with an implosion. The information was only made public on the day the remains of Titan were found.

It is not known when the US Coast Guard was told of the noise - or whether the families and friends waiting on the subs support ship were informed.

Eventually the deep-sea robots returned to where Titan had gone missing and the wreckage was found.

Rory Golden, who was on the Oceangate expedition when contact was lost, recently told the BBC those on board the surface vessel experienced four days of fear and false hope.

Why were safety concerns ignored by Oceangate?

Many were concerned about Oceangates sub.

Victor Vescovo says he was so worried, he had urged several passengers against diving on Titan - including his friend Hamish Harding, one of the five who died.

I told him, in no uncertain terms, that he should not get in the submersible, he said.

Fears about safety were also brought directly to Oceangate - including by the companys former director of marine operations, David Lochridge, who assessed the sub while it was being developed.

US court documents from 2018 show that Lochridge had identified numerous serious safety concerns and the lack of testing could subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible.

Engineers from the Marine Technology Society also said that Oceangates experimental approach could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic) in a letter shared with Stockton Rush.

In an email exchange shown to BBC News last year, deep-sea specialist Rob McCallum told Rush that the sub should not be used for commercial deep dive operations and was placing passengers in a dangerous dynamic.

In response, Rush said he had grown tired of industry players who try to use a safety argument to stop innovation and dismissed warnings that he would kill someone as baseless.

With the death of Oceangates CEO, we will never be able to ask why he chose not to listen to these concerns. But the public hearings could reveal who else at the company knew about them - and why no action was taken.

Titan sub pictured on a previous dive [Oceangate]

Why did the authorities allow Titan to dive?

Deep-sea submersibles can go through an extensive safety assessment carried out by independent, specialist, marine organisations such as the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) or DNV (a global accreditation organisation based in Norway).

Oceangate chose not to put Titan through this process.

The assessment would have confirmed whether the vessel - from its design through to construction, testing and operations - met certain standards.

Most operators opt to have their deep-sea subs certified - but it is not mandatory.

Rush described his sub as experimental and, in a blog post in 2019, he argued that certification slowed down innovation.

In an email exchange with Rob McCallum, he said he didnt need a piece of paper to show Titan was safe, and that his own protocols and the informed consent of passengers were enough.

The passengers on Titan paid up to $250,000 (191,135) for a place. They all had to sign a liability waiver.

Oisin Fanning (right) went to see the Titanic in 2022, accompanied by Stockton Rush (left) and PH Nargeoloet (centre) [Oisin Fanning]

Irish businessman Oisin Fanning made two dives in Titan in 2022 - the last before the subs fatal disaster.

He said the Oceangate team took safety seriously, with extensive briefings before each descent. But it wasnt made clear to him that Titan had not been certified.

I would be lying if I said I didn't think there had been something like that done already - that it conformed with certain norms, he said.

We all knew that the Titan was experimental. We were very confident, because obviously there'd been a few dives before that, and it seemed to be working well.

The public hearings will last for two weeks. The hope is the answers it provides could prevent a disaster like this from happening again.
Here are the top tech startups disrupting the defense industry  and what they're selling

Rapid advancements in AI and military tech are reshaping global national security.

A new cadre of tech-minded defense companies is securing huge military contracts.

One makes AI drones for $30 million apiece; another a $66 million device that can take them down.

Silicon Valley is going to war.

A new cadre of tech startups is muscling its way into the entrenched defense industry, leveraging rapid advancements in AI and other military technologies to bring warfare into the future and win lucrative military contracts.

Traditional defense powerhouses like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Boeing typically dominate big-dollar American military deals. But tech advancements in the last 20 years, coupled with plenty of investment money to go around, have allowed new players to emerge, threatening the grip the classic defense behemoths once had on the industry.

Investors told Business Insider last year they expected 2024 to be big for defense startups, predicting a defense-tech hype cycle. "It's clearer than ever that democracies face new threats and that the modern battlefield is changing beyond recognition," Nathan Benaich, a founder and general partner at Air Street Capital, a firm that says it invests in AI-first technology, told BI at the time.

A handful of tech companies have already won multiple multimillion-dollar contracts from the US military.

"These awards represent a vital step in warfighter adoption of AI, moving cutting-edge technology from experiment to enterprise production," Shannon Clark, head of defense growth at Palantir, a data analytics company, said earlier this year during an announcement for a lucrative Defense Department contract.

Here's a look at some of the top tech companies working to disrupt the defense industry.

Anduril Industries

The Anduril Long Range Sentry Tower uses AI to provide autonomous surveillance. Anduril

Anduril Industries, founded in 2017 by Oculus founder Palmer Luckey, has already shown it can beat traditional stalwarts like Boeing and Lockheed Martin for military contracts.

In April, the company won a contract from the US Air Force to design and test autonomous fighter jets. The Air Force plans to purchase a thousand of them at $30 million a piece.

The company announced this week it has also developed a new range of cruise missiles called Barracuda that it says can be mass-produced at low cost to help the United States in a near-peer war.

White Stork

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt's company White Stork is working to develop drones for Ukraine. Shahar Azran via Getty Images

White Stork is a startup founded in 2022 by former Google cofounder Eric Schmidt. The company is developing drones that can use AI to identify potential targets.

At a lecture at Stanford University in April, Schmidt said the war in Ukraine had turned him into an "arms dealer."

"Watching the Russians use tanks to destroy apartment buildings with little old ladies and kids just drove me crazy," Schmidt said.

Shield AI

Shield AI's surveillance drone. Shield AI

Shield AI, founded by former Navy SEAL Brandon Tseng in 2015, is a San Diego-based startup developing unmanned, AI-powered drones capable of combat, surveillance, and delivery in conflict zones. Investors recently valued Shield AI at $2.7 billion.

In July, the US Coast Guard awarded the company a $198 million contract for its unmanned V-BAT AI surveillance drones.

Palantir Technologies

The Palantir logo on the New York Stock Exchange. Noam Galai/Getty Images

Palantir was founded in 2003 by a group that included former PayPal CEO Peter Thiel, but the company is still relatively new to the scene by defense industry standards.

Palantir develops software to process massive amounts of data. In May, the Defense Department paid the company $480 million to use its Maven prototype, software that analyzes data to speed up the work of intelligence analysts.

Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition was included in a contract to provide autonomous ground vehicles for the military. NurPhoto/Getty Images

Applied Intuition is a startup recently valued at $6 billion. Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Qasar Younis founded the company in 2017 to develop autonomous AI driving systems for cars and land vehicles.

The US Army chose the company in April  along with other contractors  to create prototype autonomous vehicles like tanks and other large machinery.

Skydio

Skydio is a US drone-maker that has contracts with the US Army. Skydio

Skydio is a drone startup founded in 2012 and backed early on by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. It became the first US drone maker to reach "unicorn" status in 2021.

The Army contracted Skydio in 2022 for $99.8 million to use the company's systems for its Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program. The Army says SRR systems are a "force multiplier" that gives platoon-level soldiers better reconnaissance and target acquisition capabilities.

Skydio announced in January that the contract is entering its final phase, during which it intends to create a round of its Skydio X10D drones for the Army. The small, lightweight drones boast "high-resolution visual and radiometric thermal cameras" to gather "precise, accurate information," the company says.

Epirus

Epirus created a microwave pulse system to send drones and aircraft hurdling back toward the ground. Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images

Torrance, California-based Epirus recently completed a $66 million contract for the US Army to build microwave pulse devices that can disrupt aircraft and cause them to fall from the sky.

The company says it developed the product, called Leonidas, in "unprecedented timeframes for air defense systems, keeping pace with the strategic priorities of the DOD's rapid prototyping efforts."

Hermeus

The US Air Force has invested millions into the development of Hermeus' hypersonic presidential jet. Hermeus

Aerospace engineer AJ Piplica founded Hermeus in 2018. The company raised $100 million in 2022, led by investors like Thiel and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Hermeus is developing a series of hypersonic aircraft that can travel five times the speed of sound. Hermeus says it has tested prototypes that can travel at Mach 5, or about 3,300 mph. In 2020, the US Air Force contracted Hermeus to develop a hypersonic presidential jet.

In 2022, the US Air Force awarded Hermeus another $950 million contract to help develop its Advanced Battle Management System, which is the Air Force's next-generation control and communication system.

Scale AI

Scale AI is working with the Department of Defense on artificial intelligence projects. SOPA Images/Getty Images

Scale AI is a San Francisco-based artificial intelligence startup that was valued at $7 billion in early 2021, but laid off 20% of its staff last year.

In February, the company announced it had partnered with the Defense Department's artificial intelligence office to test and evaluate large language AI models.

The goal is to provide the military with a "framework" to deploy AI safely by measuring performance, creating specialized evaluation sets to test AI military support models, and generating "real-time feedback for warfighters," the company says.

SpaceX

SpaceX received a $1.8 billion contract to create spy satellites for the US government. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In 2022, SpaceX debuted its Starshield satellite, which is similar to its Starlink satellites but is designed for government use and intended to "support national security efforts."

The company has also provided satellite connectivity through Starlink for military forces in Ukraine. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has faced pressure from numerous governments and groups to leverage the Starlink satellite network. One US congressman pressured Musk in February to provide service for military forces in Taiwan.

Reuters reported in May that SpaceX received a $1.8 billion deal from the US government in 2021 to create "millions of spy satellites" that sources said would make it "so no one can hide."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The League of Woman Voters has a policy against sponsoring one-sided events. Unless all candidates agree to participate, there's no forum. (Getty Images)

The League of Women Voters has a history of organizing debates and forums from elections for U.S. president to Kentucky governor to local school boards. But this year Republicans in Kentuckys largest city are not accepting a local chapters invitations to appear on stage with their opponents.

Some of the candidates arent replying to inquiries at all, while others have refused and said they think the League is partisan, according to LWV Louisville leaders.

The League says that out of contested races for 10 state House seats, two state Senate seats and seven spots on Louisville Metro Council, only one Republican  Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell in the 41st House District  has agreed to a candidate forum. Cottrell will appear alongside former Democratic state Rep. Mary Lou Marzian in an Oct. 7 forum.

The Louisville League of Women Voters will host a forum Monday, Sept. 16, about voting called Democracy in Action: Your Voice is Your Vote. Featured speakers include Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams, local election officials and reporters. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the LWV headquarters at 115 South Ewing Avenue and will be livestreamed.

Because of a LWV policy to avoid a one-sided event, both candidates must agree to participate in order for a forum to be scheduled.

Dee Pregliasco, former president of the Louisville LWV, said one candidate accused her personally of partisanship because of a letter to the editor that she had penned. She said the letter had nothing to do with the LWV.

My bottom line to these people is if you want people to accept your view of government, your view of the community, your view of what needs to be done, then you need to engage them, Pregliasco said.

Democratic candidates are willing to do it when contacted about forums, Pregliasco said.

Gail Henson, a co-president of the Louisville chapter, said some Republican candidates responded by saying they prefer to meet constituents one-on-one or that they are busy when a specific date had not yet been offered.

Henson read a response to the Kentucky Lantern from one Republican representative, but did not identify them.

I do not consider the League of Women voters to be nonpartisan, the candidate said. Thank you for thinking of me, but I am not inclined to participate in your event.

The local chapter is part of a national nonpartisan public policy organization founded amid the womens suffrage movement. The statewide chapter is a regular advocate in Frankfort for government transparency and civic engagement.

Ahead of the 2024 legislative session, LWV released a report that found the General Assembly has increasingly fast-tracked bills in a manner that makes citizen participation nearly impossible. That report came up in a floor debate over changing rules in the House to loosen leaderships control.

Henson said two candidates declined to participate because of the LWVs stance against Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment on Novembers ballot that if approved would allow the General Assembly to fund nonpublic schools with tax dollars. Henson said that the League takes positions only if they align with the organizations national guidelines. LWV does not endorse candidates for elected office but under its guidelines may take positions on ballot issues.

Opportunity to stand before voters and compare policies

Cottrell, the GOP candidate in the 41st House District race, said she was looking forward to her forum. She added that while the district is very heavily Democratic, she wanted to offer an opposing viewpoint for voters. Cottrell said she had not been directed to decline participating in the forum bya lawmaker or the Republican Party.

Im excited about it, Cottrell said. I welcome the opportunity to stand in front of voters and people who are interested in the district and compare policies between two candidates.

Democrats are people and Republicans are people ... we need to push back on this sense that because we're so emotionally charged about one issue or another, that it has to turn to some sort of battle.

 Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell, candidate for Kentucky House

Cottrell said she understands why some candidates may choose to not participate in a forum or a survey because of how questions are worded. But she said has attended previous events hosted by the LWV and did not expect there to be any bias. She did say she has pushed back at some of the Leagues stances, including its position on Amendment 2.

Democrats are people and Republicans are people. We have different priorities, and that causes us to take different stances, Cottrell said. She said we need to push back on this sense that because were so emotionally charged about one issue or another, that it has to turn to some sort of battle.

Contested partisan races in Jefferson County

House Districts: 28, 29, 31, 33, 36, 37, 38, 41, 46, 48

Senate Districts: 7, 37

Louisville Metro Council Districts: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24

Pregliasco said the League has encountered difficulties getting candidates to agree to forums the last couple of election cycles. A trend she sees is that once candidates become incumbents, they do not feel they need to participate in forums. However, the winners of any election  whether Metro Council or seats in the General Assembly  represent everyone in that district, she said..

So in that sense, our strong feeling is you have an obligation to be out there and letting the public see you against whomever wants to take your job away from you, Pregliasco said. There needs to be some comparison.

In Lexington last year, the local League sponsored a televised gubernatorial debate between Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and former Republican Attorney General Danield Cameron only to be refused by GOP candidates for lower offices.

The Lexington LWV published an opinion piece in the Lexington Herald-Leader last October addressing the lack of participation from local GOP candidates for its forums.

We firmly believe that the success of our democracy relies on an informed electorate, Lexington LWV said at the time. Therefore, we urge candidates running for office in future elections to participate in our community forums for the benefit of voters.

Jonathan Levin, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Democratic Party, said in a statement that Republicans arent participating in the forums because they do not want to talk about their record because they know its indefensible citing policies from removing a workers right to overtime pay to attacking basic reproductive freedoms.

Voters deserve to know where their representatives in Frankfort stand on the issues that matter most, Levin said. One out of 19 Republicans being willing to talk directly to voters about their positions is sad but not much of a surprise.

Andy Westberry, a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Kentucky, told the Lantern that he cant speak to any specific individuals schedule or whether or not they had prior commitments or scheduling conflicts on the proposed dates and times for the forums. He also said that Democrats frequently decline to participate in legislative forums, so I dont think this is particularly newsworthy or unusual.

The most critical aspect of running a successful campaign is knocking on doors and engaging directly with voters in the district, Westberry said. Regardless of party affiliation, that should be a candidates top priority.

Decline in civic participation

Stephen Voss, a political science professor at the University of Kentucky, said that Republicans suspicion of the League is just one symptom of whats happened as American politics has become more polarized, especially by gender and social class.

In the past, local chapters had members who were usually upper status women, both Republicans and Democrats, Voss said. But by taking positions on various issues, particularly in Kentucky politics, theres no doubt that theyre a progressive organization. In addition to opposing this years Amendment 2, the Kentucky LWV previously opposed an anti-abortion ballot measure in 2022.

In the past, candidates were seen as basically obligated to appear in front of LWV chapters and other neutral organizations, Voss said. However, as Republican voters grow suspicious of such organizations, GOP politicians refusing to speak with them resonates with voters.

Being progressive politically, and therefore opposing conservative issue positions isnt necessarily the same as being partisan, but for a Republican to doubt theyd get a fair shake in front of an organization thats already on record taking positions at odds with their partys positions on a whole range of issues seems like a pretty legitimate excuse to give.

Participation in civic events in general is on the decline, Voss noted.

If you live in a city and you go to a series of political events, its dominated by the same set of retirees, Voss said. These events are rarely an effective way to broaden your exposure to the voters.

Pregliasco said the best times to host candidate forums are from Labor Day to the third week of October, as excused in-person early voting begins Oct. 23. She said the League would be glad to hear from the candidates it hasnt gotten a response from yet as there is time left to schedule forums.

The Louisville LVW has scheduled some forums in nonpartisan races  three Jefferson County Public School board districts and a family court judicial election.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Trees felled by Tropical Storm Bebinca kill six in Philippines

A handout photo taken on September 14 from the Philippine Coast Guard shows rescue workers evacuating residents as heavy rains triggered flooding brought by Tropical Storm Bebinca in Rizal town, Occidental Mindoro province (Handout) (Handout/Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/AFP)

Falling trees killed six people in the Philippines after a fierce tropical storm brought strong winds and floods, officials said Sunday.

Tropical Storm Bebinca slammed into the central and southern Philippines on Friday before leaving the country before dawn on Saturday.

Four children on the way home from school in Malabang municipality in the southern province of Lanao del Sur were killed Friday when a huge tree fell on the motorised tricycle they were riding during the storm, municipal police Christina Obina told AFP.

"The wind was so strong, causing the tree to be uprooted," Obina said.

In Zamboanga Peninsula, at least 200 kilometres away from Lanao del sur, a two-year-old girl and a woman were killed in two separate incidents due to trees falling on their houses, the regional disaster official Angelito Casinillo told AFP.

Bebinca has displaced around 13,000 people and damaged roads and other infrastructure in the Southeast Asian nation.

The national disaster council said the typhoon also left the country with at least 11 injured and two missing.

About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the Philippines or its surrounding waters each year, killing dozens of people.

pam/fox
(NewsNation)  It started in a prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua nearly a decade ago. Now, the gang known as Tren de Aragua (TDA) has expanded into what the Justice Department calls a transnational criminal organization with branches in most of the Western Hemisphere.

TDA figures in more than 100 police investigations around the U.S., including Texas, New York, Colorado and Wisconsin. And, according to reports, its leaders have given members the green light to open fire on U.S. law enforcement.

This TDA is a very special threat, said former New York State Homeland Security adviser Michael Balboni. Theyve created a transnational drug pipeline, he told NewsNation.

The gang has also been called MS-13 on steroids, invoking the name of the notorious gang formed by Salvadoran immigrants in Los Angeles in the 1980s.

Colombian nationals sentenced for car bomb plot to kill US troops

A growing list of TDA-linked crimes

Among its crimes in the U.S. are armed robbery, looting high-end stores and violent clashes with police, including Januarys brutal attack on New York City police officers. At least one of the 14 suspects in that attack has ties to TDA.

Another shocking incident that made national headlines was the murder of University of Georgia student Laken Riley. Authorities believe the suspects, two brothers identified as Diego and Jose Ibarra, have ties to TDA.

In Aurora, Colorado gang members have been linked to violent incidents at several apartment complexes. Surveillance video at those dwellings shows some alleged gang members carrying assault rifles. Local police have responded to numerous cases where residents were victims of armed robberies and home invasions.

In El Paso, Texas, authorities uncovered a human smuggling operation where victims were held against their will. The gang is reportedly using hotels as temporary holding centers for victims before moving them across state lines.

They want to intimidate anybody who works with law enforcement, especially in their own communities. Thats where they prey first because they know that many of them (victims) might not want to go, because of their immigration status, to the police, Balboni said.

Expand the JonBenet DNA search: John Ramsey

Law enforcement responds

Homeland Security Investigations revealed that TDA members are young men, aged 18 to 25, often wearing high-end streetwear like Chicago Bulls jerseys and Michael Jordan sneakers. They also have distinct tattoos featuring Venezuelan flags or gang symbols, making them easier to spot.

Law enforcement is stepping up its efforts to dismantle the gang. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned the group in July, freezing assets and blocking transactions in the U.S.

The State Department has offered a reward of up to $12 million for information leading to the capture of three key leaders who are believed to be orchestrating many of the gangs operations from Venezuela and elsewhere.

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 NewsNation.
Self-described "true-blue Democrat" Gloria Romero is joining the cluster of party members who have left for the GOP, and one other prominent lifelong Democrat's Trump endorsement compelled her to take the leap.

"When I saw RFK [Jr.] say, You know what? I am leaving the party. I am going to support Trump, I said I'm going to join him and support President Trump as well," said Romero, a former DNC delegate, the former Democratic leader of the California State Senate and the former state re-election chair for President Barack Obama's campaign.

"There's a number of issues, but overall, the party left me," she continued. "I don't know what it is anymore. If this is the new way forward for Democrats, good luck. Many of us will be leaving."

ALAN DERSHOWITZ LEAVES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, CITES DNC: I WAS DISGUSTED

Former Democratic leader of the California State Senate, Gloria Romero, said she is now supporting Trump and the GOP.

Speaking to Fox News' Pete Hegseth on Sunday, she spelled out a handful of reasons behind her exit, including the alleged "lawfare" against former President Trump and Democrats' "denial of school opportunities" for low-income children.

In a recent New York Post op-ed, Romero also spelled out her issues with Vice President Kamala Harris, slamming her tenure as California attorney general as "unimpressive" and adding that her "manipulated rise" aligns with the Democratic Party's "giant leap toward authoritarianism and censorship."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"President Ronald Reagan warned that if fascism comes to America it will come as liberalism, and he was right: I have witnessed individual freedoms being trapped, silenced, censored," she wrote in part.

OPINION: FOR LOVE OF COUNTRY: WHY IT'S TIME TO LEAVE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BEHIND

In that same piece, she expressed concern with the inability to define what a woman is and disdain for "abortion till birth."

"It's [the party has] just gone completely woke. It has abandoned key allies such as Israel, for example," she told Hegseth.

"The Democratic Party has just lurched to the extreme left. It's been captured by [what] many call the Hamas caucus of the Democratic Party, in order to win a swing state."

She continued, "Under Donald Trump and the Republican Party, it really has become, I believe, an agenda for an America that we all want to see for ourselves and our children and our future. Keeping us safe, including having a secure border."





Original article source: 'True-blue' California Democrat ditches party and backs Trump: This was the 'final straw'
Chris LaCivita, senior campaign adviser for Donald Trumps 2024 bid, took to social media on Saturday to slam Ted Cruzs team amid the Texas senators push for reelection.

What the hell is wrong with the Senate race in Texas ? I think i know and i think i know his name .time to get some real professionals in to save @tedcruz, LaCivita wrote on X.

The dig comes as a recent poll shows Cruz  a senator for more than a decade  is leading Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) by four percentage points, 47%-43%, with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

What the hell is wrong with the Senate race in Texas ? I think i know and i think i know his name .time to get some real professionals in to save @tedcruz  Chris LaCivita (@LaCivitaC) September 14, 2024

Cruz, a Trump ally in the years since the former president attacked his wife during their 2016 GOP primary rivalry, enthusiastically endorsed Trump earlier this year.

Trump has yet to endorse Cruz, who has held a narrow polling lead, as Allred looks to become Texas first Democratic senator in over three decades. He previously backed Cruz in his 2018 race against Beto ORourke.

LaCivitas comments arrive after Paul Dans, the ex-director of the controversial presidential transition plan Project 2025, recently knocked him and Trump senior campaign adviser Susie Wiles over their push for President Joe Biden to drop out of the race while having no plans for Vice President Kamala Harris.

That is on par with historic campaign malpractice, Dans told The New York Times.

Social media users clowned LaCivita over his remarks about the Cruz campaign.

Chris every night during the campaign pic.twitter.com/sgTc5PzvKO  YS (@NYinLA2121) September 14, 2024

Arent yourunning DJTs race for President of the United States? I mean, Im here for your dooming & dissing on The Odious Ted Cruz*Im right here for it*but in between desecrating Arlington and reviving the KKK in Ohio, how do you find the time?  John Oleske (@JohnOleske) September 14, 2024

I know hes worried about Lewandowski but generally speaking youre not supposed to be openly angling for your next job like this pic.twitter.com/1Ft5QCGB5T  Patrick Dillon (@mpdillon) September 14, 2024

Just wait. Texans are tired of Ted Cruz!  Sky (@skylikeajedi) September 14, 2024

Maybe the problem is that he endorsed a career criminal and bigot named Donald Trump who seems to be a weight on every Republican.  David Jensen (@DAJensen07) September 14, 2024

Related...
Trumps campaign says he is safe after apparent assassination attempt, 1 person detained

Donald Trumps campaign says he is safe after gunshots were reported in his vicinity Sunday afternoon.

The Associated Press reports that U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire after seeing a suspected person with a firearm near his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The FBI said in a statement they are considering the situation what appears to be an attempted assassination.

The Martin County Sheriffs Office said one person was taken into custody after the incident. A black SUV was stopped on I-95 at 714. Reports say that person is being questioned.

Police say the man who the Secret Service shot at while he was in possession of a rifle in the area was 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, reports say.

The AP reports that Routh lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving to Kaaawa, Hawaii in 2018. He operated a company that built sheds with his son. Reports say Routh frequently posted about the war in Ukraine and tried to raise money to recruit people to join Kyiv in fighting Russia.

Routh has shown some support towards Trump, even encouraging him to win reelection in 2020 by prosecuting police misconduct. His views have changed since then, with tweets showing support for Democrats more recently.

He was an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina in 2012 and most recently voted in person during the March 2024 Democratic primary.

During a press briefing, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Routh had a rifle, two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera. They were around 400 to 500 yards away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery.

Photos that show an AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, are displayed during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephany Matat)

Trumps campaign released no other details.

No injuries were reported.

The Secret Service has moved Trump to a safe location as a precaution.

This incident comes two months after a gunman tried to assassinate Trump during his rally in Butler.

>> Trump injured in assassination attempt at rally in Butler; 1 attendee, suspected shooter killed

President Joe Biden issued a statement on the situation saying:

I have been briefed by my team regarding what federal law enforcement is investigating as a possible assassination attempt of former President Trump today. A suspect is in custody, and I commend the work of the Secret Service and their law enforcement partners for their vigilance and their efforts to keep the former President and those around him safe. I am relieved that the former President is unharmed. There is an active investigation into this incident as law enforcement gathers more details about what happened. As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former Presidents continued safety.

Vice President Kamala Harris said she has been briefed on the situation and said she is glad Trump is safe.

I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.  Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 15, 2024

Donald Trumps running mate JD Vance also released a statement after the incident and said that Trump was in good spirits.

I'm glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits.



Still much we don't know, but I'll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude.  JD Vance (@JDVance) September 15, 2024

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

2 people hurt in multi-vehicle crash on Route 30 in North Braddock Former Pittsburgh Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster announces engagement Slow-moving superload scheduled to move through our region next week VIDEO: Local softball community unites to support girl who survived crash that killed father, siblings DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Man tried to assassinate Trump on West Palm golf course; suspect, Ryan Routh, in custody

WEST PALM BEACH  A Secret Service agent fired on a rifle-toting gunman hiding in bushes as former President Donald Trump golfed on his course west of West Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon, averting what authorities called an apparent second assassination attempt on the Republican presidential candidate.

Trump, who was hundreds of yards away at the time, was not hurt, and investigators said it was not clear whether the gunman fired any shots, authorities said.

The man was spotted fleeing and was stopped along Interstate 95 in Martin County near the county line. He was being questioned by investigators Sunday and was expected to be booked into the Palm Beach County Jail.

More: LIVE: FBI investigating new Trump assassination attempt near his golf course; suspect detained

More: Trump's West Palm golf course. It's where he relaxes and plays when he's at Mar-a-Lago

Authorities did not identify the man Sunday evening, but three law-enforcement sources told The Associated Press that his name is Ryan Wesley Routh.

In a news conference Sunday, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the man was hiding in the bushes on the perimeter of Trump International Golf Club when a Secret Service member, who was about a hole ahead of Trump on the course, noticed a barrel of a gun sticking out of the bushes and "engaged" with the man.

He was able to spot this rifle barrel sticking out of the fence and immediately engaged that individual, Bradshaw said.

Palm Beach sheriff's deputies and first responders stand on Gun Club Rd. behind Trump International Golf Club where the FBI is investigating an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump September 15, 2024.

The man then fled. Bradshaw said a witness came forward saying he saw someone flee from the bushes and get into a black Nissan vehicle. The witness apparently took a photo of the car and license plate.

Bradshaw said their "real time" crime center, which monitors government cameras on roads across the county, put the information out to license-plate readers and they identified the car traveling north on I-95 toward Martin County.

The gates of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach are closed Sunday afternoon where the FBI is investigating an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump September 15, 2024.

"We were able to get a hit on that vehicle on I-95 as it was headed into Martin County," he said.

Martin County sheriff's stopped the vehicle and detained the man. Bradshaw said they flew the witness north to positively ID the suspect, who is now in custody and is being taken back to Palm Beach County for processing.

Officials said an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks and a GoPro video camera was found at the area where the man fled.

A Palm Beach sheriffs deputy diverts traffic away from Congress Avenue which leads to the front of Trump International Golf Club on Summit Blvd. in West Palm Beach where the FBI is investigating an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump September 15, 2024.

The incident led to massive traffic closures in heavily transited areas of central county. Long stretches of Southern Boulevard and Summit Boulevard, near the airport, a post office and the county librarys main branch, were shut down Sunday afternoon as investigators scanned the area for evidence and security risks.

Bradshaw said that some areas would remain closed in the days to come, but that the public would be able to access public institutions nearby.

Even though were going to have to secure a couple of areas around the golf course here, the public doesnt need to panic, Bradshaw said. We know that weve got a post office, a library and a school down the street, so well make it convenient for you to get to all the places you need to go.

Trump said afterward that the incident had left him unharmed and unfazed.

"I AM SAFE AND WELL! Nothing will slow me down," he wrote in a statement released by his campaign Sunday. "I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again."

People cheer as former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives on stage for his campaign rally at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on July 09, 2024 in Doral, Florida. Trump continues to campaign across the country.

Trump allies, including U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said they spoke with Trump on Sunday, and the incident will not deter his quest to win the 2024 election.

"He is one of the strongest people Ive ever known," Graham posted on X, noting he'd just spoken with the former president. "Hes in good spirits and he is more resolved than ever to save our country."

As Bradshaw explained at Sunday's news conference, the golf course would have been "surrounded" by law enforcement if Trump were the sitting president, but because he's a candidate that area is much smaller.

Northbound I-95 at 714 is shut down. Based on BOLO information released by Palm Beach County, the Martin County Sheriff'... Posted by Martin County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, September 15, 2024

Some are already saying that needs to change amid a hotly contested election defined by divisive rhetoric.

Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said the Secret Service should change its policy and treat Trump like an incumbent with a larger protective perimeter around him.

"Stop being bureaucratic," he said on X. "Do whats necessary."

Along with the president and vice president, Attorney General Merrick Garland has also been briefed on the security incident at the Trump golf course, the Justice Department said in a statement. He is monitoring the situation and is receiving regular updates.

Media members work in a staging area across the street from Trump International Golf Club on Summit Blvd. in West Palm Beach where the FBI is investigating an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump September 15, 2024.

The man taken into custody was relatively calm when he was apprehended, law enforcement officials said Sunday.

Bradshaw said at the news conference the suspect has not made any statements regarding his involvement in the alleged assassination attempt either.

Trump was back in South Florida after a week of campaigning

Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, was back in his home county following a week of campaigning. On Tuesday, Trump faced off against Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic rival, in a debate in Philadelphia watched by almost 70 million people.

He later held a rally in Arizona, attended a Los Angeles fundraiser and campaigned in Nevada.

Investigators said they discovered a rifle, two backpacks and a GoPro camera in the bushes where a rifle-wielding man was spotted pointing a gun toward a course where former President Donald Trump was golfing Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. They displayed a photo of the discovered items during a news conference later Sunday.

On Sunday, he had been posting on Truth Social, including calling the New York Times a "threat to democracy" and blasting "all rich, job creating people" backing Harris as "STUPID."

He also railed about a pop music megastar who last week said she would cast a vote for Harris.

"I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT," Trump posted in all capital letters.

Just two months ago, the former president was wounded during a mass shooting at his Make America Great Again rally in Pennsylvania. One shot fired by an assailant using an assault-style weapon grazed his right ear, while one attendee was killed and two others seriously injured.

Investigators said they discovered a rifle, two backpacks and a GoPro camera in the bushes where a rifle-wielding man was spotted pointing a gun toward a course where former President Donald Trump was golfing Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. They displayed a photo of the discovered items during a news conference later Sunday.

The assassination attempt took place two days before the start of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

A U.S. Secret Service-directed road closure near Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach was temporarily extended south following the incident. South Ocean Boulevard was closed from the 2000 block of South Ocean Boulevard, or Sloan's Curve, north to the Southern Boulevard traffic circle for about two and a half hours Sunday afternoon, according to town alerts.

The town said the road is now only open to vehicles. Pedestrians are not allowed on Southern Boulevard and the parking lots near Mar-a-Lago are closed, the town said.

The incident led to massive traffic closures in heavily transited areas of the central county. Long stretches of Southern Boulevard and Summit Boulevard, near the airport, a post office and the county librarys main branch, were shut down Sunday afternoon as investigators scanned the area for evidence and security risks.

Bradshaw said that some areas would remain closed in the days to come, but that the public would be able to access public institutions nearby.

Even though were going to have to secure a couple of areas around the golf course here, the public doesnt need to panic, Bradshaw said. We know that weve got a post office, a library and a school down the street, so well make it convenient for you to get to all the places you need to go.

Trump said afterward that the incident had left him unharmed and unfazed.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump assassination attempt in Florida at West Palm Beach golf course
Trump says he will NEVER SURRENDER after reported gunshots

Trump says he will NEVER SURRENDER after reported gunshots

Former President Trump said in a fundraising email Sunday that he will NEVER SURRENDER in the wake of what the FBI described as an apparent assassination attempt.

There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL! the former president said in the email sent Sunday.

Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me, Trump continued.

Trump communications director Steven Cheung said Sunday that President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity.

No further details at this time, Cheung added.

Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesperson, said on X that his agency is working alongside the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office in looking into a protective incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred shortly before 2 p.m.

Vice President Harris said Sunday on X that she has been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe.

Violence has no place in America, Harris added.

In mid-July, Trump faced an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania in which he was struck on one of his ears, with another man being killed in the same shooting.

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.
Trump urges California GOP US Senate candidate Garvey to reach out for endorsement: No chance without MAGA

Former President Trump told reporters on Friday that California Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey "hasnt reached out to MAGA" after the presidential nominee was asked why he hadnt endorsed Democratic Congressman Adam Schiffs opponent.

"I dont know much about Steve Garvey. I think hes made a big mistake because he hasnt reached out to MAGA," Trump said outside his Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes following a press conference where he spoke out against "Comrade Kamala Harris and the communist left."

He said if the former Major League Baseball star Garvey "doesnt have MAGA, he has no chance."

Trump was fundraising in California Thursday and Friday.

EX-MLB STAR CALLS ON SOROS-BACKED DA TO PROSECUTE LA SYNAGOGUE ATTACKERS: UNCONSCIONABLE

Former President Trump said Friday that California Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey made a "big mistake" not reaching out to him for an endorsement.

"Well, I havent spoken to him," Trump added of Garvey. "Im hearing he wants the MAGA endorsement, but hes got to call me. If he had the MAGA endorsement, he could win. If you had an honest election hed win, but you dont have an honest election."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Garvey previously told FOX 11 he voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020.

He told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Since day one, I've ran a different type of campaign, I have not taken or asked for a single political endorsement. The only endorsements I want are from the law enforcement community and first responders. This week, we launched a historic campaign dedicating all of our resources to talk with California's Latino community from now until the election.

"My focus is, and always has been, on the issues that truly matter to Californians  affordability, public safety, securing the border, fixing the homelessness crisis and restoring California's leadership. I'm running a Steve Garvey campaign for all the people of California, not for partisan or special interests. I'm committed to tackling the challenges that families and communities face every day and making sure that California has the voice it deserves in Washington."

Republican Steve Garvey, right, is running against Democrat Adam Schiff, left, in California's U.S. Senate race.

Trump also disparaged Schiff as "one of the sleaziest politicians in history, Crooked Adam Schiff. Hes one of the most disgusting human beings and to think hes going to be a senator. Thats why you need me as president, because this guy is a sleazebag."

He called it "impossible to believe" Schiff could represent the area.

TRUMP ACCEPTS LARGEST POLICE UNION ENDORSEMENT, BLASTS HARRIS AS A DEFUNDER: KAMALAS CRIME WAVE'

The former president has long disliked the Los Angeles-area congressman, who served as the lead impeachment manager in Trump's first Senate trial and was a vocal critic throughout his presidency.

Schiff responded to Trump's comments about him on X, writing, "I dont think he likes me."

"Steve Garveys a nice guy. I dont know him at all," Trump told reporters. "But if he doesnt reach out to MAGA, he has absolutely no chance."

Schiff is heavily favored to win in the deep blue state that hasnt had a Republican senator since John Seymor lost his election in 1992.

The most recent Real Clear Politics polling average has Schiff leading Garvey 57.3% to 33%.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump and Schiff campaigns for comment.





Original article source: Trump urges California GOP US Senate candidate Garvey to reach out for endorsement: No chance without MAGA
Trump's historic Abraham Accords would be bolstered with military 'exchange program' under bipartisan bill

EXCLUSIVE: A bipartisan pair of senators is introducing a new bill on the fourth anniversary of the Abraham Accords to deepen cooperation between U.S. and Middle East partners.

The LINK Act, brought forth by Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., co-chairs of the Abraham Accords Caucus, would establish a "military subject matter exchange program" to deepen cultural ties and strategic cooperation between American troops and allies in the Middle East.

"In the face of emboldened Iranian aggression, Im deepening the historic partnerships created through the Abraham Accords four years ago today," said Ernst.

"More cooperation among our Middle East partners is what Tehran fears. The LINK Act accomplishes this by coordinating military planning and creating a permanent and effective defense alliance. By working hand-in-hand with our partners, the strength and security of our nations grows."

The pair of senators had three of their previous Middle East-related bills signed into law.

The Gulf States of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed a normalization deal with Israel in 2020, brokered by the U.S., known as the Abraham Accords.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

As part of the agreements, UAE and Bahrain recognized Israels sovereignty and established full diplomatic relations. It was the first time Israel had established peace with an Arab country since 1994 with the Israel-Jordan peace treaty.

CHINESE MILITARY COMPANY'S MACHINE IN USE AT TOP SECRET RESEARCH LAB

Sen. Jacky Rosen speaks during a news conference on June 16, 2023, at the East Vegas Library.

In the months that followed, Sudan and Morocco signed deals to normalize relations with Israel.

ARMY OFFICIALS TO FACE HOUSE GRILLLING ON SLIDES THAT DESIGNATE PRO-LIFE GROUPS AS TERRORISTS

The bill comes at a time of sky-high tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Israel and Saudi Arabia had been nearing a deal that included the U.S. and would have normalized relations when Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The U.S. has been bolstering its relations with nations in the Middle East to counter the growing threat of a potential nuclear Iran  even ones with mixed human rights records like Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The Biden administration recently lifted a hold on $320 million in military aid to Egypt that it had frozen in response to human rights concerns, bringing the total amount up to $1.3 billion transferred from Washington to Cairo this year.

Egypt is playing a central role in the talks between Hamas and Israel about a cease-fire agreement.





Original article source: Trump's historic Abraham Accords would be bolstered with military 'exchange program' under bipartisan bill
Two city deals understood to still be at risk

Caoimhe Archibald said she had received confirmation the Derry and Strabane city deal would happen "in black and white" [PA Media]

Two of the four city deals for Northern Ireland are understood to still be at risk after the UK government said funding would be paused.

Stormont's Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald said regeneration funding packages in Londonderry and Belfast were expected to go ahead - leaving Mid South West and Causeway Coast and Glens under threat.

The announcement on city deals came on Friday afternoon, just hours before the government said it was not going to provide funding to redevelop Belfast's Casement Park in time for Euro 2028.

Archibald called for the Westminster government to reflect on its actions, saying: "Maybe we need a bit of a reset on the reset."

This is a new Labour government which has talked a lot about resetting and rebuilding relationships, and their actions over the past couple of days havent really aligned with those words," Archibald told BBC Northern Ireland's Sunday Politics show.

She said the news about Casement Park "slipped out" on Friday evening "as if the calculation was it was a good day for bad news".

The city deals were intended to fund redevelopment, including innovation hubs, museums and a cable car in the Mournes.

Archibald said she had received confirmation the Derry and Strabane city deal would happen "in black and white", and was "hopeful" for the Belfast deal.

What do the city deals mean?

On Friday afternoon, the news broke that the four city deals in Northern Ireland would be paused ahead of the UK government's spending review.

Political ministers and councils responded quickly, with First Minister Michelle O'Neill calling the decision "unacceptable and deplorable".

City deals are regeneration funding packages worth more than 1.5bn, with about 600m coming from central government.

Projects planned as part of the 300m Derry City and Strabane city deal include:

Redevelopment of Strabane town centre

A centre for innovation in data analytics, advanced manufacturing and robotics

A digital programme to tackle connectivity issues across the region

Establishment of a DNA museum in Derry's Ebrington site

Regeneration projects for Derry's riverfront, Strand Road and Walled City areas

Establishment of a School of Medicine and personalised medicine innovation centre

The Belfast deal, which is not limited to the city itself and is expected to fund projects stretching from north County Antrim down to County Armagh, includes funding for:

New film studio at Belfast harbour

Innovation hub in Newtownabbey

Visitor centre in the Mournes with a cable car link from Newcastle

Regeneration of Carrickfergus with upgrades to its castle and town halls

New theatre and conference centre in Newry

Projects in the paused Causeway Coast and Glens deal include:

Centre for food and drug discovery at Ulster University Coleraine

Innovation hub at North West Regional College, Limavady

Dungiven and Bushmills regeneration

Cushendall innovation centre

Coleraine leisure and well-being centre

Portrush to Bushmills greenway

Mid South West have not published an itemised list, but said their projects would focus on skills, innovation, infrastructure and the tourist economy.
Two Russian soldiers predict their own deaths after arguing with commanding officer

The two Russian soldiers warned their countrymen against joining the Russian military

Two Russian soldiers correctly predicted their deaths after being ordered on a suicide mission as punishment for arguing with their commander.

The middle-aged drone operators, who had been ordered to storm Ukrainian positions near Pokrovsk, also warned others against joining the callous Russian army in a posthumously published video.

Im leaving for an attack. If I come back fine, if I dont then well show you and explain to you [the reality], Dmitry Lysakovsky, an experienced drone operator said.

His comments were made in the farewell footage that first appeared on Friday. He is said to have then gone missing during an attack on the village of Lysivka, near one of the most active parts of the eastern front line.

Please, dont serve in the ministry of defence Your task is to die here so that the regiment commander, reporting to higher-ups, looks good. You are his personal serfs.

The soldiers also accused their commander of dealing in drugs, faking battlefield successes, disbanding a high-performing drone unit out of spite and feeding information to a Ukrainian military intelligence spy network.

The video, widely circulated on the Telegram social messaging app, has angered the Russian defence ministry, which is trying to boost army recruitment.

Click here to view this content.

In response, Andrei Belousov, the Russian defence minister, ordered General Valery Gerasimov, the head of the Russian military, to personally investigate the video and the death of the two soldiers.

Z-bloggers, Russian pro-war social media influencers, have also used the death of the two soldiers to criticise the Russian ministry of defence.

Warrior Kitten, which has around 408,000 subscribers, said that the two men were veteran soldiers who had been ordered to their deaths by traitors and swindlers.

This is how our competent and compassionate army sends people to slaughter, the blogger said.

The men knew and felt that they were going to die, and in this address, they reported on the facts of their internal betrayal.

Click here to view this content.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Police are investigating after two people were shot and injured in Grand Rapids early Sunday.

The Grand Rapids Police Department got the call around 2:29 a.m. for a shooting in a parking lot on South Division Avenue near Andre Street SW.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

When officers arrived, there was a large crowd in the area and they found two men with gunshot wounds, GRPD confirmed. The men were transported to the hospital. One man is in critical condition and the other is in serious condition.

The Grand Rapids Police Department said the Major Case Team is investigating this case. Police ask anyone with information to contact GRPD detectives at 616-456-3380 or Silent Observer.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Two taken to hospital after ambulance and car crash

An ambulance was involved in a crash while taking a patient to hospital [Leicester Media]

Two people were taken to hospital after a crash involving an ambulance and another vehicle.

It happened at about 20:30 BST on Saturday on Melton Road, at the junction of A46 and A607 in Leicester, while the ambulance was taking a patient to hospital.

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) said two people in the car suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital for further assessment.

The patient was unhurt and was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary by another ambulance, it added.

No further injuries were reported, the emergency service said.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Leicestershire Police said officers attended the scene to manage traffic and close the road at the junction with Watermead Way, which has since reopened.

Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.

More on this story

Related internet links
A haul truck looms over a crew truck with a full load of copper ore waste at the Rio Tinto Kennecott Copper Mine in Herriman on Feb. 20, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News

A U.S. senator wants to ban the import of essential minerals from Russia with legislation introduced this week targeting eight critical minerals, including copper, zinc and palladium.

The bill by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., was introduced after the announcement by Montanas Stillwater Mine that it is laying off 700 employees.

Daines said the layoffs can be attributed to the Biden-Harris administration allowing imports of critical minerals from Russia rather than relying on Montana mines to provide critical minerals to American markets.

In addition, he said the import of Russian minerals is actively funding Russias war against Ukraine, adding that Montana is home to the only platinum and palladium mine in the United States and a top producer of copper.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris failed to protect Montana jobs. Rather than relying on our own Montana mines to provide palladium, the Biden-Harris administration is allowing critical mineral imports from Russia, which is costing Montana jobs and funding Russias unjust war against Ukraine, Daines said. There is no reason the United States should be importing critical minerals that we can find right here at home. Montana is rich in minerals, and we need to be supporting American mines and American jobs, not Russias.

According to the Montana Free Press, Sibanye Stillwater, the South African company that operates the nations only major palladium mine in south-central Montana, said it plans to lay off about 40% of its Montana workforce as it scales back its operation in an effort to offset losses caused by low metal prices.

The West Stillwater section that the company plans to shelve has been in operation since 1986, according to the media outlet.

The company blamed its financial woes on current palladium prices  now below $1,000 an ounce, versus $2,305 an ounce two years ago  and on Russian dumping. While the U.S. has banned imports of many Russian products as part of economic sanctions levied in protest of Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, it has not banned Russian palladium imports, the paper said.

Daines wants the United States to stop importing from Russia these critical minerals: braggite, copper, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium and zinc. Those minerals would be prohibited for import from Russia until it ends its hostilities with Ukraine, Daines added.

Utah connections to critical minerals

Rio Tintos Bingham Canyon Mine produces modest amounts of platinum and palladium as a byproduct of the precious metal refining process, according to the Utah Geological Survey. The open pit Kennecott operation produces on an annual basis 275,000 tons of copper and is one of the top producing mines in the world.

Copper is always in high demand and alloying copper with nickel, aluminum, silicon, tin and zinc gives copper alloys different conductivity and resistance properties.

Trading Exports reports that the United States imported $14.53 billion worth of copper in 2023. Only a sliver of that came from Russia.

But Daines and others say the Biden administration must cease reliance on Russia imports because it is hurting the U.S. mining industry and its employees and putting money in the coffers of a foreign advisory waging a brutal war in Europe  the likes of which has not been seen since World War II.

The U.S. International Trade Commission reports that approximately two-fifths of the global palladium supply, and over one-third of 2021 U.S. imports, is sourced from Russia. As of 2022, one Russian mining company (MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC, the worlds largest nickel producer) produces about 40% of Russian palladium.

Palladium, a silvery-white metal, is one of the six platinum group elements, alongside platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium, according to First National Bullion. Of these, palladium has seen a surge in demand in recent years, largely driven by its role in reducing harmful emissions from vehicles. Palladiums unique properties make it suitable for catalytic converters, fuel cells and hydrogen storage.

Its not just about the ban, but extraction credits

On Friday, Daines sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, urging Secretary Janet Yellen to include extraction costs in the final regulations for the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit (45X) to ease pressures on the mining industry.

He said the current guidance from the Treasury Department excludes extraction credits.

This very specific and unnecessary omission in the guidance comes at a cost for Montanas and the nations mining jobs and must be corrected. As such, I request that treasury issue guidance for the 45X credit to include extraction costs immediately, he wrote.

The omission of extraction in the 45X credit is just the latest in a long line of absurd economic actions from this administration, he continued. Mining plays the largest role in producing these critical minerals, so the exclusion of extraction costs is not only puzzling, it negates the purpose of the credit itself.
STORRS, Conn. (WTNH)  University of Connecticut Police arrested an Oregon man Friday after months of harassment.

In June, a UConn employee reported to university police that that members of their department had received multiple emails about specific UConn student-athletes. UConn Police reviewed the content and determined that they were authored by Robert Cole Parmalee, a man living in Oregon with no connection to the school.

UConn Police communicated with several law enforcement agencies in Oregon where it was determined that the emails did not meet the criteria for actionable criminal conduct. Oregon and UConn authorities still remained in contact to monitor Parmalees activity.

On August 27th, Connecticut State Police arrested Parmalee in Windsor Locks under an active warrant in Oregon. This arrest was unrelated to the UConn investigation and Parmalee was to be extradited to Oregon.

UConn Police learned that Oregon authorities moved to dismiss the charges against Parmalee and he was to be released. The University served their own warrant and he was taken into custody by UConn Police on Friday.

Parmalee is being held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Monday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
Tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict reached dire levels this week (SAUL LOEB) (SAUL LOEB/AFP/AFP)

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "bluster" Sunday over his warning that letting Ukraine use long-range weapons to strike inside Russia would put NATO "at war" with Moscow.

Tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict reached dire levels this week as US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met at the White House to discuss whether to ease rules on Kyiv's use of western-supplied weaponry.

"I think that what Putin's doing is throwing dust up into the air," Lammy told the BBC.

"There's a lot of bluster. That's his modus operandi. He threatens about tanks, he threatens about missiles, he threatens about nuclear weapons."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been asking for permission to use British Storm Shadow missiles and US-made ATACMS missiles to hit targets deeper inside Russia for months.

Biden and Starmer delayed a decision on the move during their meeting on Friday.

It came after Putin warned that green-lighting use of the weapons "would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia".

"If that's the case, then taking into account the change of nature of the conflict, we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face," he added.

The Russian leader has long warned western countries that they risk provoking a nuclear war over their support for Ukraine.

"We cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist, effectively, that wants to move into countries willy nilly," said Lammy.

"If we let him with Ukraine, believe me, he will not stop there."

Lammy said that talks between Starmer, Biden and Zelensky over the use of the missiles would continue at the United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York later this month.

pdh/rox
By Alistair Smout and Angelo Amante

ROME (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed Italy's efforts to tackle illegal immigration on Monday, saying the two countries would share intelligence and work more closely together to "smash" the people smuggling gangs.

At a joint press conference, Starmer said his talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni would help develop Britain's approach to tackling the irregular arrivals of migrants in small boats.

Starmer said his approach to the issue would be pragmatic and mark a change from the previous government, whose policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda he dismissed as a "gimmick".

"I'm utterly focused on what I think is the most likely deterrent and effective way of dealing with unlawful migration, and that is to take down the gangs that are running this vile trade," he told a joint press conference.

"I am pleased that we are deepening our cooperation here... to share intelligence, share tactics, shut down the smuggling routes and smash the gangs."

Starmer's meeting with Meloni is part of a plan to improve Britain's ties with the European Union and follows trips to Berlin, Paris and Dublin since his election win in July.

Starmer said he was "very interested" in Italy's agreement with Albania to process some asylum claims offshore but would wait to see the results as the deal had yet to become operational.

Instead, he praised Meloni's work "upstream" to prevent migrants from starting their journeys, which he said had gone a long way towards Italy seeing a 60% drop in irregular arrivals by sea.

Earlier he visited the National Coordination Centre for Migration, with Britain's new head of the Border Security Command Martin Hewitt, who will be tasked with tackling people-smuggling gangs.

Meloni said the fact Britain and Italy each needed to tackle such crossings showed it was "clearly a phenomenon that affects the whole European continent".

"We agree with Prime Minister Starmer that the first thing we need to do is to intensify the fight against human trafficking, do it by uniting our efforts much more," she said, adding they needed to "follow the money".

MODEST OBLIGATIONS

Meloni, who came to power two years ago at the head of a right-wing government, has taken a tough line on migration.

The fall in numbers reaching Italy follows an agreement reached last year between the European Union and Tunisia, while the processing camps in Albania for migrants are due to open in the coming weeks.

Italian opposition parties have denounced the Albania plan, and some human rights groups criticised Starmer for expressing interest in it.

"The last thing needed is yet another government pursuing schemes to avoid fulfilling the UKs comparatively modest refugee obligations rather than showing some leadership and taking responsibility," Steve Valdez-Symonds of Amnesty International UK said.

But Starmer - who heads a centre-left government - defended his consultations with Meloni on ways to reduce irregular migration.

"In relation to migration, we have got a common challenge, and I think the more we can collaborate and cooperate with our partners on a shared challenge, the better," he told reporters shortly before leaving Rome.

"I don't think anybody will think it's sensible for us not to continue with that strong bilateral approach on... really important global issues."

(Reporting by Alistair Smout and Angelo Amante in Rome, additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Catarina Demony in London and Crispian Balmer in Rome; Editing by Elizabeth Piper, Ros Russell and Christina Fincher)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine is currently unable to equip even 4 of the 14 needed brigades due to a lack of weapons.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with American journalist Fareed Zakaria, the full version of which was published by the press service of the Office of the Ukrainian President

Quote: "First, its going very slowly [delivery of aid from partners  ed.].

Second, we need 14 brigades to be ready. As of now we do not have that, from this package of brigades we did not equip even 4."

Details: Zelenskyy noted that during the eight-month pause that preceded the US Congress's decision to help Ukraine, all of the countrys reserves were used up.

Quote: "We used all we could. We have moved what we had in reserves, and what we had in storages or in reserve brigades, [because] we need that now. We took all their weapons."

Support UP or become our patron!
The foreign secretary has insisted no single weapon can win a war, as he said the UK was still discussing with allies whether to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russia.

David Lammy told the BBC it was important that countries supporting Ukraine had "a shared strategy to win".

Ukraine already has supplies of long-range missiles from the UK, the United States and France but at the moment it is only allowed to fire them at targets within its own borders.

President Zelensky has been pleading for months for these restrictions to be lifted so Ukraine can use them against targets inside Russia.

There have been strong indications that the US and UK are poised to change their position.

However, no confirmation came after talks between Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden in Washington on Wednesday.

Pressed over whether the delay in lifting restrictions on the use of long-range missiles was emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Lammy told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: "No war is won with any one weapon."

He refused to confirm whether the UK and its allies were planning to allow missiles to be used against targets in Russia.

But he added: "This is under careful discussion with the Ukrainians, as we assess what they need as they head into the winter."

Lammy said the UK and other allies would be meeting President Zelensky at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in less than 12 days' times and suggested the issue would be discussed then.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Ukraine should be allowed to use long-range missiles to attack military bases inside Russia, even if the UK had to act "unilaterally".

Asked whether the UK would "go it alone" and lift restrictions without US support, Lammy told the BBC "its important that as allies supporting Ukraine we have a shared strategy to win going forward".

Gen Sir John McColl, former deputy supreme allied commander Europe of Nato, said he believed Ukraine would eventually be allowed to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia.

But he told the programme Ukraines allies needed to be "firm" and "not signal this kind of dither and dilemma".

"At the end of the weekend President Putin will be encouraged and emboldened and President Zelensky will be disappointed," he said.

However, Sir John said the missiles would have only "a limited effect" on the war as a whole.

A number of former Conservative defence secretaries, including Ben Wallace, have urged the PM to lift restrictions.

On Saturday, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme the delays and wrangling over the decision were only benefitting President Putin.

[BBC]

Earlier this week President Putin warned Western nations against allowing Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russia, saying this would represent "direct participation" by Nato in the war.

Ukraines allies have been reluctant to do anything which could drag them into direct conflict with Moscow.

Lammy accused the Russian president of "throwing dust up into the air" by making such threats.

"Theres a lot of bluster  thats his modus operandi," he said.

"We cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist."

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian cities and front lines have been under regular bombardment.

Many of these missiles are launched by aircraft deep inside Russia and Kyiv says not being allowed to hit the bases from which these attacks are launched hinders its ability to defend itself.

On Sunday, President Zelensky posted a fresh plea on social media, writing: "This week, the Russians have launched around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine.

"Ukraine needs strong support from our partners to defend lives against Russian terror - air defence, long-range capabilities, support for our warriors. Everything that will help force Russia to end this war."
The aftermath of the floods in Poland. Photo: Remiza.pl

On the order of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has offered the help of Ukrainian rescue workers to the European countries affected by floods.

Source: evening address of Zelenskyy

Quote: "There was also a report by Viktor Mykyta, Deputy Head of the Presidents Office for Regional Policy, on the situation in Odesa Oblast due to severe weather. Heavy rains these days, flooding in Odesa Oblast. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine, regional and local authorities are all involved.

Unfortunately, there are also critical situations in our neighbouring countries due to these extreme rains.

On my instructions, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha offered assistance from the SES [State Emergency Service  ed.] of Ukraine to the affected countries in our part of Europe."

Updated: Ukraines Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine has offered to send the State Emergency Service personnel to help with the aftermath of severe weather events in Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Czechia.

Background:

Earlier on 15 September, Jan Lipavsky, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechia, reported that Ukraine had offered Czechia help with the consequences of destructive floods.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been left without electricity, and rising water has begun to destroy houses due to a catastrophic flood and wind in Czechia.

Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) announced that, as a result of floods in Poland and Czechia, railway operators in both countries have temporarily suspended several routes.

In the small Polish town of Stronie Slaskie, located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, floods caused damage to a dam on the Moravka River, leading to widespread flooding that has left much of the town submerged.

In Romania, the flood claimed the lives of four people. In Austria, the entire federal state of Lower Austria has been declared a disaster area, and a firefighter died during flood relief efforts in the region.

Support UP or become our patron!
Ukraine has offered to send its emergency service units to neighboring Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic to help overcome the ongoing floods.

Ukraine's newly appointed Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media that he offered help to the neighbor countries as instructed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, in coordination with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Several European countries are dealing with severe floods caused by the heaviest rainfall in years, according to media reports. The floods had claimed at least seven lives, as thousands of houses were damaged accross Europe, with tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate from the disaster areas.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was moved by Ukraine's offer of help.

"A moment ago, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal sent me expressions of solidarity with Poland and readiness to immediately send a hundred rescuers equipped with specialist equipment to fight the flood. Moving," Tusk said on X.

Czech Republic Foreign affairs minister Jan Lipavsky confirmed the offer in a statement on X (Twitter).

"I will convey the offer at an emergency cabinet meeting," Lipavsky wrote.

Ukraine has also suffered from a major humanitarian disaster caused by flooding after the Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine's south on July 6, 2023, which Zelensky called one of Russia's "most serious crimes against the environment and people."

In the Ukrainian-controlled part of the area flooded after the dam's destruction, emergency service rescuers and volunteers evacuated thousands of locals, even under heavy shelling from Russian forces.

Since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion, Ukraine has sent its emergency service workers on a mission abroad at least once: to help Turkey after a deadly earthquake hit it on Feb. 6, 2023, claiming over 50,000 lives across Turkey and Syria.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
(Reuters) - Ukrainian troops are suffering high losses because Western arms are arriving too slowly to equip the armed forces properly, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told CNN in an interview aired on Sunday.

Russia has been gaining ground in parts of eastern Ukraine including around Pokrovsk. Capture of the transport hub could enable Moscow to open new lines of attack.

Zelenskiy said the situation in the east was "very tough", adding that half of Ukraine's brigades there were not equipped.

"So you lose a lot of people. You lose people because they are not in armed vehicles ... they don't have artillery, they don't have artillery rounds," said Zelenskiy, speaking in English. CNN said the interview had been conducted on Friday.

Zelenskiy said weapons aid packages promised by the United States and European nations were arriving very slowly.

"We need 14 brigades to be ready. Until now ... from these packages we didn't equip even four," he said.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Saturday said Washington was working on a "substantial" new aid package for Ukraine.

Zelenskiy is due to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden this month and will present a plan for ending the war. The main elements are security and diplomatic support, as well as military and economic aid, he said.

The only thing Russian President Vladimir Putin fears is the reaction of his people if the cost of the war makes them suffer, Zelenskiy said. "Make Ukraine strong, and you will see that he will sit and negotiate".

Zelenskiy will also reiterate to Biden demands for Ukraine to be allowed to use U.S. long-range weapons to strike military targets deep into Russia.

Kyiv needs this permission because Russian jets blasting infrastructure had begun operating up to 500 km (310 miles) from the front lines compared with 150 km earlier, he told CNN.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Key developments on Sept. 14, 15:

103 Ukrainian POWs returned from Russian captivity, including 23 Azov fighters

At least 1 killed, 42 injured in Russian strike on apartment building in Kharkiv

Western aid not enough to equip 'even 4 out of 14' underarmed brigades needed on the front, Zelensky says

Zelensky's office denies report that victory plan includes ceasefire along existing lines

Germany won't allow long-range strikes on Russia even if other countries do, Scholz says

ATACMS restrictions subject of 'intense consultations' between Ukraine and allies, Sullivan says

Ukraine launched production of 155-mm artillery shells, official says

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 103 Ukrainian POWs were returned from Russian captivity on Sept. 14.

"Our people are home," he said in a post on social media.

In a separate post, the Azov Angels charity fund said 23 of those released were Azov fighters, returning "after more than two years of captivity."

Azov fighters became a symbol of Ukraine's resistance through their tenacious defense of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol in the first three months of the all-out war.

Russian forces eventually occupied Mariupol in May 2022, capturing the remaining defenders.

Zelensky said the released POWs consisted of 82 privates and sergeants, and 21 officers, adding they were "defenders of Kyiv and Donetsk oblasts, Mariupol and Azovstal, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv oblasts. Warriors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, border guards, and police officers."

"The vast majority of those released are people who had been held (in captivity) since the first days of the war," said Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets in a statement. Lubinets stressed that people who returned need serious rehabilitation, as their health has deteriorated severely during captivity.

Previously, the United Nations commission published several reports describing the torture of Ukrainian POWs as "widespread and systematic," and the conditions of their detention as "shocking." Some Ukrainian POWs died in captivity from causes such as "blunt force trauma".

This is the 57th prisoner exchange since the outbreak of the full-scale war, and the second exchange carried out in the last two days.

Earlier on Sept. 13, 49 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were released from Russian captivity. They included personnel of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the National Police, and border guards.

A total of 3,672 Ukrainians have been brought back from Russian captivity.

Kyiv aims to conduct an all-for-all prisoner exchange, which was one of the subjects at Ukraine's peace summit in Switzerland in mid-June.

At least 1 killed, 42 injured in Russian strike on high-rise in Kharkiv

One woman, 94, was killed, and 42 people were injured in a Russian air strike that hit a 12-story apartment building in Kharkiv and caused a fire, authorities reported on Sept. 15.

Among the injured were three children, the youngest being one year old.

President Volodymyr Zelensky shared photos of the damage on his Telegram channel, saying rescue operations were ongoing and that the fire had spread through the 9th through 12th floors.

Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said three children were among the initial estimated 25 injured. He later raised the toll to 35, and then to 42, and said that at least three were in serious condition. Twelve people were hospitalized, and more people are under the rubble, Syniehubov said.

Police received a report of at least one missing person that could be under the rubble, said Ihor Klymenko, interior affairs minister.

According to him, one of the building's residents refused to evacuate without his dog, so the State Emergency Service workers rescued both the man and his pet from the smoke-filled apartment on the 12th floor.

The police set up an operational headquarters at the scene, with residents filing more than 30 reports of property damage, he said.

At least 1,500 windows and dozens of cars were damaged, according to Syniehubov.

Shortly before the reported strike, the city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, warned that Russia had launched several KABs, or guided bombs.

Read also: Russia launches counteroffensive in Kursk  can it push Ukraine off its own turf?

Western aid not enough to equip 'even 4 out of 14' underarmed brigades needed on the front, Zelensky said

Ukraine hadn't received enough military aid from the foreign partners to equip "even four out of 14" Ukrainian army brigades that the country "needs to be ready," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CNN on Sept. 15.

Zelensky didn't specify what the 14 brigades would be used for, or where they will be dispatched.

Throughout the interview, Zelensky used other examples to underscore that the Western aid sent to Ukraine is not enough to prevent devastating Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and to "be in a strong position for diplomacy." He also emphasized that the aid shipments are slow to follow after partners pledge them.

"During this 8-month pause before the positive decision of the U.S. Congress (to provide the $61-billion aid package last April)  what we did, everybody has to understand: We used everything we could," Zelensky said.

"We moved (to use) what we had in storages, and whatever the reserve brigades had  (those brigades that) we need now (to fight)," he added.

Zelensky also defended the Ukrainian military command's decision to launch the Kursk incursion into Russia in August to divert Russian troops there, rather than keep Ukrainian forces in the eastern Pokrovsk direction, where Russian army was making relatively rapid territorial gains over the past weeks.

Zelensky said that it didn't matter how many brigades were defending the east, if "half of them is not equipped." Specifically, he said they were lacking armored vehicles and artillery shells, as Russian forces fired 12 times more rounds than Ukrainian troops.

Read also: Undistracted by Kursk offensive, Russia cuts deeper toward Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast

In an earlier interview with Bloomberg on July 4, Zelensky said that 14 brigades in Ukraine's Armed forces remain unequipped with necessary weapons that the U.S. Congress already voted to send to Ukraine, but that are slow to come.

He mentioned that these brigades could be used for Ukraine's counteroffensive if they had been properly equipped.

"We have the desire (for a counteroffensive), but the tools have not come," Zelensky told Bloomberg.

In a BBC interview, Zelensky said that Russia launched 4,000 guided aerial bombs per month in the east of Ukraine, and destroyed 80% of the country's energy infrastructure, because the U.S. are hesitant to allow Ukraine to strike the airfields deep in the Russian territory, where the jets launching the bombs are stationed.

"We waited too long," he said, "Russia is beginning to move these jets from 100-150 kms, 300 kms (distance from the Ukraine-controlled territory) to 500 kms."

"After that, I will tell you, now we need more permissions," Zelensky said.

As of now, Ukraine doesn't have the permission from the U.S. to use the West-provided weapons to strike inside Russia, he added

Read also: Russia ramps up offensive on Vuhledar, Ukrainian stronghold in the east

Zelensky's office denies report that victory plan includes ceasefire along existing lines

An advisor for President Volodymyr Zelensky denied a news report suggesting Zelensky's new victory plan will include a partial ceasefire, calling it a "fake."

Zelensky has said he will present the United States with a plan for Ukraine's victory later this month during a meeting with Biden.

Responding on Sept. 15 to an article published by Germany's Bild newspaper, Presidential Communications Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn told Ukrainska Pravda that the claim was untrue.

"Bild spread a fake," Lytvyn said. "Bild has not seen the victory plan, and of the few people who are currently involved by the president in the preparation of the Victory Plan, none of them spoke to Bild."

"Ukraine is against any freezing of the war, and this is said at all levels of the Ukrainian leadership. And it is important for us that the United States supports Ukraine's Victory Plan, not capitulation or freezing," Lytvyn said.

He added that the United States would be the first partner presented with the plan.

Officials have so far been tight-lipped about the plan's details.

Last month, Zelensky said that Ukraine's operations in Kursk were part of his plan for victory.

The other aspects of the plan include Ukraine's participation in the global security infrastructure, pressuring Russia to end the war through diplomatic means, and an economic aspect, Zelensky said without revealing further details.

Ukraine is preparing for a second peace summit, following its inaugural global peace summit in Switzerland in June where Russia was excluded.

Kyiv has said it aims to invite a Russian representative to the second conference.

Kyiv has repeatedly rejected any ceasefire or temporary break in hostilities, saying it would only provide a window of opportunity for Russia to regroup its forces.

Read also: The Russian targets that could be on Ukraines long-range missile strike list

Germany won't allow long-range strikes on Russia even if other countries do, Scholz says

Germany will not allow Ukraine to launch attacks with German weapons far behind the front "even if other countries decide otherwise," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

His statement comes shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stopped short of lifting restrictions on using Western-supplied long-range weapons on Russian territory during their meeting in Washington on Sept. 13, while media continue to report on encouraging signs that the ban might be reversed.

Scholz said during the public talk in Prenzlau, Brandenburg that Germany "will continue to support Ukraine militarily" so that the country "does not collapse," German media Welt reported.

However, Scholz stressed that he would remain opposed to the idea of Ukraine using German long-range weapons to attack targets deep inside Russia.

"I am sticking to my position, even if other countries decide differently," Scholz said.

Commenting on media reports that the U.S. could lift the existing restrictions, he said that not all speculations are correct, according to Welt.

Restrictions on the usage of U.S.-made and provided ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) are "the subject of intense consultation among allies and partners, and will be (discussed) between President (Biden) and President Zelensky," U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sept. 14.

According to earlier media reports on Sept. 11, Biden was said to be finalizing the details of the plan to lift some restrictions, while the U.K. had reportedly privately decided to allow Ukraine to use its British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for long-range strikes, though no public announcement had been made.

Meanwhile, German media Spiegel reported on Sept. 13 that the debate is also ongoing inside the German parliament on whether Ukraine should be provided with German long-range missiles Taurus, with politicians from the FDP and the Greens supporting the decision.

Ukraine has long been urging the West to lift the ban on striking military targets deep inside Russia.

On Sept. 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his speech at the YES conference that without the ability to strike inside Russia, U.S.-provided ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) are "pointless."

ATACMS restrictions subject of 'intense consultations' between Ukraine and allies, Sullivan says

Allowing Ukraine to use ATACMS to strike targets deep inside Russia is the subject of "intense consultations," U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, said on Sept. 14.

Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv, Sullivan reiterated that no decision had yet been made, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer met in Washington to discuss the issue.

Ukraine had been hoping for permission to be granted during the talks to use two Western-supplied long-range missiles  Storm Shadow and ATACMS  to strike military targets such as airfields located deep inside Russian territory.

But Starmer left Washington with no such announcement being made, putting Kyiv's hopes on hold once again.

"I understand Ukraine's perspective on it," Sullivan said, adding: "But rather than me trying to elaborate on the reasoning one way or the other, this is something that I think is the subject of intense consultation among allies and partners, and will be (discussed) between President (Biden) and President Zelensky."

Zelensky is due to travel to New York later this month for the United Nations General Assembly.

Speaking at the same conference a day earlier, Zelensky said the U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles are "pointless" in Ukraine due to their limited quantity and restrictions on strikes deep inside Russia imposed by Western partners.

The U.S. began providing Ukraine with Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which have a range of up to 300 kilometers (190 miles), in the spring.

While these missiles have been used in Russian-occupied Crimea, Washington's restrictions prevent their use on Russian soil.

"ATACMS in the form that we have today (in Ukraine) is pointless if you cannot use it on their (Russian) military bases, airfields with helicopters and airplanes. It's pointless," Zelensky said.

"If ATACMS has a big restriction on the use of missiles because there are few of them... Unfortunately, it doesn't work."

The NYT reported that it's likely a decision will be made about Storm Shadows before one is reached over ATACMS.

While Ukraine has been pleading for permission for months, it's understood the stance of Western nations has changed in light of Iran supplying Russia with ballistic missiles.

"We've now seen this action of Russia acquiring ballistic missiles from Iran, which will further empower their aggression in Ukraine. So if anyone is taking escalatory action, it would appear to be Mr. Putin and Russia," U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, said while visiting Kyiv earlier this week.

Lammy added that Iran supplying ballistic missiles to Russia "clearly changes the debate" around the issue, as it allows the Kremlin to gain "further penetration into Ukraine."

Zelensky is also expected to present Biden with a plan for Ukraine's victory against Russia, which will also be presented to Vice President Kamala Harris and ex-President Donald Trump, the two candidates for the upcoming November presidential election.

"I do think we need a comprehensive strategy for success in this war and that is what President Zelensky says he's bringing," Sullivan said.

"And so we're very much looking forward to sitting down and talking that through, and President Biden is eager for that conversation.

"And it's only right that it be President Zelensky who brings that because it is up to the democratically elected government of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine to set out the course of the war, their path to victory."

Read also: Ukraines long-range missile strike hopes on hold once again but encouraging signs remain

Ukraine launched production of 155-mm artillery shells, official says

Ukraine already produces its own 155 mm artillery ammunition, said Alexander Kamyshin, newly appointed by President Zelensky as external adviser for strategic issues.

Kamyshin, who resigned from his post as Strategic Industries Minister during the biggest wartime government reshuffle on Sept. 4, told Norwegian media Nettavisen that Ukraine's production of defense material doubled under his leadership.

"By the end of the year, it will have tripled. We continue to drive on," Kamyshin added.

Ukraine has long tried to ramp up domestic ammunition production to become more independent from Western partners. In the summer of 2023, Ukroboronprom said that it had already mastered the production of 82 mm mortar mines, 122 mm, and 152 mm artillery rounds, as well as 125 mm tank shells.

Earlier media reports cited Ukrainian officials hoping to begin producing "desperately needed" NATO-standard 155 mm artillery rounds in the 'second half' of 2024 at the earliest.

"This is a very complicated process. This is something that Ukraine has never done before," Kamyshin said, adding that he "can't say much" on the matter.

Despite domestic efforts, the Ukrainian army still mainly depends on supplying 155 mm shells from partners, as European countries join forces to buy the rounds outside Europe.

The U.S. also opened a new factory last May to produce 155 mm munitions for Ukraine and significantly increased production in some existing factories.

Read also: Russian cities left defenseless as Ukraine ramps up drone attacks

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine needs Polish MiG-29s, but the transfer requires the assistance of partners in air patrolling over Poland.

Source: Ukraines Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during a discussion at the 20th Yalta European Strategy (YES) meeting in Kyiv, cited by Interfax-Ukraine

Quote: "We have a clear understanding of what our partners have and what solutions are needed. I am very glad that Radek (Radosaw  ed.) Sikorski is here with us. Specifically, we need the MiGs you have. And in order to deliver the MiGs, we need to increase the capabilities, in particular these of the EU, to patrol the airspace over Poland.

We very much hope that our partners will follow the logic of opening negotiating clusters in parallel, not one after the other. Exactly in parallel. We are very much counting on the support of our EU allies."

Details: Sybiha also emphasised the importance of supporting Ukraine in the energy sector ahead of the "hard winter": The decisions that will be made today will help us minimise possible risks.

He also said that Ukraine expects important decisions during the Polish presidency of the EU, which starts on 1 January 2025.

Background:

Ukraine and Poland's foreign ministers, Andrii Sybiha and Radosaw Sikorski, discussed the progress in establishing the Ukrainian Legion on Polish soil.

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha, the formation of the Ukrainian Legion, as outlined in the bilateral security agreement requires "appropriate practical steps through the ministries of defence".

Support UP or become our patron!
Ukraine's Air Defence Forces have shot down one Kh-59 guided missile and ten attack UAVs as a result of an anti-aircraft operation on the night of 14-15 September.

Source: Ukrainian Air Force

Details: The military reported that air surveillance troops detected and tracked 17 Russian air attack weapons.

The Russians attacked Odesa Oblast with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from occupied Crimea and one Kh-59 aircraft missile launched from the airspace of the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, as well as 14 Shahed attack UAVs from Kursk and Cape Chauda (Crimea).

Ukraines air defence forces were operating in Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Poltava and Mykolaiv oblasts.

Support UP or become our patron!
Ukrainian forces advance in Kursk Oblast and capture several villages  ISW

Ukrainian forces pressed forward in Russia's Kursk Oblast on 14 September, making gains in the Glushkovo district. They advanced to fields south of Tyotkino and north of Sudzha, capturing several villages.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: Footage released on 13 September, verified by geolocation, shows Ukrainian forces operating in Veseloye (southwest of Glushkovo). A Russian military blogger also claimed that Ukrainian forces had captured the village.

Russian sources also claimed that Ukrainian forces had advanced west of Medvezhye (southwest of Glushkovo) and in the fields south of Tyotkino (approximately 25 km southwest of Glushkovo) along the border with Sumy Oblast.

In addition, Russian sources noted that Ukrainian forces continued their offensive near Medvezhye, Veseloye, Obukhovka (immediately south of Veseloye) and Novy Put (south of Veseloye) on 13 and 14 September.

Russian military bloggers reported that units from Russia's 56th Airborne Regiment (7th Airborne Division) and the 106th Division were engaged in repelling attacks by Ukrainian forces in the Glushkovo district.

On 14 September, Ukrainian troops continued their advance north of Sudzha amid ongoing offensive operations across the war zone in Russia's Kursk Oblast. A Russian military blogger claimed that Ukrainian forces had taken control of Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, located north of Sudzha.

Russian forces recently reclaimed territory in Kursk Oblast and continued their counterattacks on 14 September. Geolocation footage from 13 September showed Russian troops entering the western part of Lyubimovka during a company-sized mechanised assault. A Russian blogger also reported that Russian forces had advanced to the southwestern outskirts of Lyubimovka and into fields northwest of Daryino, located south of Lyubimovka.

Geolocation imagery released on 14 September reveals infantry from the Russian 810th Marine Brigade (Black Sea Fleet, Southern Military District) operating in the centre of Borka (southeast of Sudzha), suggesting that Russian troops have recently advanced deeper into the settlement.

To quote the ISW's Key Takeaways on 14 September:

Ukrainian officials and sources indicated that Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast has prompted the Russian authorities to increase the size of the Russian force grouping in Kursk Oblast by upwards of a factor of three.

Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner of war (POW) exchange on 14 September  the third POW exchange since the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast, which appears to have generated the short-term effect of increasing incentives for Russia to engage in POW exchanges.

Some Russian field commanders continue to make decisions that degrade the overall quality of their subordinate forces  prioritising infantry-led frontal assault tactics over cultivating technical specialists who would allow the Russian military to better field technologies and innovations in combat operations.

The Kremlin continues efforts to leverage global informational instruments of influence to develop new capabilities to conduct election interference, destabilisation measures, and sanctions evasion schemes.

Officials of Georgias ruling Georgia Dream party continue to elevate narratives echoing Kremlin information operations justifying Russias occupation of internationally recognised Georgian territories.

Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar, Pokrovsk, and Vuhledar.

Russian forces are reportedly repairing captured Soviet-era Ukrainian equipment to replenish Russian vehicle stocks.

Support UP or become our patron!
Ukrainian defenders struck a Russian pontoon bridge on 14 September.

Source: Ukraine's General Staff

Details: Ukrainian aircraft and Rocket Forces and Artillery units conducted six strikes on clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment, one strike on a command post, and destroyed one artillery system and a pontoon bridge.

The military did not disclose the locations of these attacks.

A total of 164 combat engagements have been observed over the past 24 hours, including 41 on the Pokrovsk front and 39 on the Kurakhove front.

Support UP or become our patron!
Stock photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Ukraine's Armed Forces have received 18 Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems, the production of which was funded by Denmark.

Source: Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen at the Yalta European Strategy (YES) meeting on 14 September; RBC-Ukraine; European Pravda

Details: Denmark has become the first EU country to allocate funds for purchasing weapons and military equipment from Ukrainian manufacturers for Ukraine's Armed Forces.

Poulsen mentioned that this was their first deal and that in July, they had ordered 18 Bohdana artillery systems from Ukrainian manufacturers, which were delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces over the weekend.

He also noted that producing weapons in Ukraine is significantly cheaper than manufacturing or purchasing them in the West, and maintaining their combat capability is also less costly.

Given this advantage, Denmark is urging other European countries to fund weapons production in Ukraine.

For reference: Bohdana is a Ukrainian-made 155-mm self-propelled artillery system, officially introduced into service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2023.

Background:

On 13 June, Ukraine and Denmark signed a memorandum of understanding on the purchase of weapons and equipment from Ukrainian manufacturers.

On 19 August, it became known that Denmark was preparing to allocate US$115 million to purchase weapons for Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
The Ukrainian military has been handed the 18 Ukrainian-made Bohdana self-propelled howitzers financed by Denmark, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen announced.

Mountable on a number of different truck chassis setups, the Bohdana is the first Ukrainian-made artillery piece to be manufactured in the 155mm NATO-standard caliber.

Poulsen made his remarks on Sept. 14 during the 20th annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) meeting in Kyiv, according to the news outlet RBC-Ukraine.

The minister added that producing weapons domestically in Ukraine is cheaper and more efficient than in the West, and called on other European countries to do the same.

Kyiv has sought to convince allied countries to donate arms to Ukraine's military via direct purchases from Ukrainian companies, as Kyiv's defense budget does not match the capacities of domestic weapons production.

A self-propelled howitzer can drive into position, fire off multiple rounds in under a minute, and be out of range of counterfire before the enemy has had time to organize, giving it a speed advantage over artillery units that are towed into place.

In development for years before the outset of the full-scale invasion, the Bohdana was first used in combat in summer 2022, firing upon Russian positions on Snake Island in the Black Sea.

The order for the 18 Bohdana artillery units was placed in July of this year.

In July, the Strategic Industries Ministry said that foreign partners had so far pledged to invest around $675 million in the Ukrainian defense industry to arm Kyiv's forces.

Read also: 18 Bohdana howitzers heading for Ukraines battlefield  heres what they can do

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian servicemen who returned from captivity. Photo: Coordination Centre for the Treatment of Prisoners of War

Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner-of-war swap on 14 September, the third prisoner-of-war exchange since the start of the Ukrainian operation in Kursk Oblast, which appears to have had the short-term effect of increasing incentives for Russia to participate in prisoner-of-war exchanges.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: Ukrainian officials reported that Russia had returned 103 prisoners to Ukraine, including Ukrainian servicemen who defended the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol in early 2022; members of the National Police and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine; members of the State Special Transport Service of Ukraine, and other Ukrainian servicemen.

On 14 September, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced that Ukraine had returned 103 people captured by Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast.

Russian sources suggested that the returned Russian prisoners were conscripts.

The exchange of prisoners-of-war took place the day after a similar exchange on 13 September, during which 49 prisoners were returned from each side.

Quote: "Ukrainian officials have repeatedly emphasised that the Kursk incursion has enhanced Ukraines negotiating power in POW exchanges with Russia, following the Kremlin's consistent rejection of Ukraine's attempt to negotiate exchanges.

The frequency of POW exchanges between Ukraine and Russia has significantly increased since the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast on 6 August, with both sides exchanging a total of 267 POWs each in three separate exchanges.

Russia and Ukraine only conducted three other POW exchanges, encompassing roughly 405 Ukrainian POWs and 423 Russian POWs, between 1 January and 6 August 2024."

Support UP or become our patron!
Undecided voters tell NYT they needed more from Kamala Harris in the debate: 'She still has to impress me'

A group of undecided voters told the New York Times after the debate that they still weren't sold on Vice President Kamala Harris following her performance against Donald Trump.

"It was all disappointing," Sharon Reed, a 77-year-old retired teacher from Pennsylvania, told the outlet.

Harris was widely deemed the winner of the debate, which was hosted by ABC News on Tuesday, according to media pundits, polls and voters.

"She still has to impress me," Samira Ali, 19, a college student in Wisconsin, told the Times. "Im still deciding."

US Vice President Kamala Harris during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.

ABC DEBATE MODERATORS SPARK FURY FOR AGGRESSIVE FACT-CHECKING OF TRUMP, EASY TREATMENT OF HARRIS

"Nothing is clear to me, and I am really trying to follow it," Gerald Meyers, 40, who was hoping to hear more about how both candidates' policies would impact his budget, said. "I want to know how all of this impacts my family financially."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

A Milwaukee voter who has historically voted Democrat told the Times that she felt more inclined to support Trump after the debate.

"Trumps pitch was a little more convincing than hers," Keilah Miller, 34, told the outlet. "I guess Im leaning more on his facts than her vision."

"When Trump was in office  not going to lie  I was living way better," Miller added. "Ive never been so down as in the past four years. Its been so hard for me."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

"Trump had the more commanding presentation," Jason Henderson, a defense contractor and retired soldier from Arizona, said. "There was nothing done by Harris that made me think shes better. In any way."

While some of the voters questioned whether Trump could be taken seriously after the debate, they were still hoping to hear more from Harris on how she would be different from President Biden, according to the outlet.

A 60-year-old from North Carolina said Harris met her expectations and that she would be voting for the vice president.

Voters taking part in a Fox News Digital panel reacting to the debate said on Tuesday that Harris had come away from the event with a victory.

Asked who they thought won the debate, 12 voters on the panel raised their hand for Harris while just five indicated they believed Trump won.

A CNN poll published after the debate also found that a majority of debate watchers believed the vice president won.

The poll found that 63% said Harris came out on top, compared to 37% for Trump.





Original article source: Undecided voters tell NYT they needed more from Kamala Harris in the debate: 'She still has to impress me'
Boeing workers in the Seattle, Washington region went on strike against the company on September 13, 2024 (Jason Redmond) (Jason Redmond/AFP/AFP)

Talks between Boeing and striking US factory workers will resume Tuesday under a federal mediator, the union said, after workers voted overwhelmingly to reject a proposal from the embattled aviation giant.

"On Tuesday, the Union will meet with federal mediators assigned through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) and Boeing to begin discussions," a chapter of the machinists union called IAM-District 751, which represents more than 33,000 union members in the Seattle region, said late Saturday on its website.

Boeing did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

Since the strike began Friday in a dispute over pay, the first walkout at Boeing in 16 years, the company has said it is eager to return to the bargaining table.

Union leaders called for the walkout shortly after hourly workers in the Seattle region in the Pacific Northwest spurned the tentative contract offer with 94.6 percent of the vote, and voted to strike with 96 percent.

The last strike, in 2008, lasted 57 days.

Federal mediators had said Friday evening the talks would resume early next week but did not specify a date.

"Now is the moment to rise -- show Boeing that our voices aren't just loud; they are unstoppable," IAM-District 751 said.

It added: "Let our presence on the picket lines echo across the country and beyond. We are stronger than ever before, and we won't back down."

The strike shuttered two major plane assembly plants for the 737 MAX and 777 in the Puget Sound region, further delaying the financially stressed company's turnaround efforts.

Boeing, led by new CEO Kelly Ortberg, had hoped a 25-percent wage hike over four years and a commitment to invest in the Puget Sound region would be enough.

But rank-and-file workers described it as a slap in the face after more than a decade of nearly stagnant wages.

elm/dw/bbk
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  A group of residents in north Wichita is calling for peace in their neighborhood, holding a unity march on Saturday.

The march was at Evergreen Park, near the intersection of Arkansas and 25th. Its the third one in the city, with two others happening earlier in the summer in District 1 in east Wichita and District 3 in south Wichita.

One of the organizers said the march is a call for peace.

Victims identified in fatal northeast Wichita crash

There is a lot of divide out there, theres a lot of issues that often separate us, Ana Lopez said. But its as simple as coming out here, taking a walk, inviting people to join us. Enjoying some music, enjoying foods.

I would tell them that we need to come together as a community, Lopez said. I think I cant emphasize that enough. Were in a current society where were often siloed in our own worlds and our own houses. Coming together in person, you know, after COVID, was very difficult. But now that were able to come together, I think thats very important.

Wichita City Council member Brandon Johnson and Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan were also in attendance.

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 KSN-TV.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  A way to host entrepreneurship and expect cultural knowledge: the University of New Mexicos Anderson School of Management is bringing students to study business in the United States.

Its like were experiencing it again for the first time, said Professor Rob Del Campo, Senior Executive Director of the UNM Innovation Academy.

Secretary for New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department steps down

UNMs Innovation Academy is back again for its third year, partnering with other universities across the globe giving students a chance to see the United States while also trying to expand their skills in business and the confidence to conduct business pitches in English.

I want them to feel like the family is not only your own family, Kunio Kono, an associate Professor from the Yamanashi Gakuin University in Japan.

This is similar to what we do with our students here at UNM, but to bring in students from somewhere else and have a different perspective and have them doing the same sort of thing and work so hard on these ideas and get exposure to what might be different in these businesses in the United States versus Japan, said Del Campo.

A total of 12 students from the Yamanashi Gakuin University and Osaka Metropolitan University are here.

They have a week to work on their business plan and their pitch, and then, at the end of the week, theyve got to pitch it in English, and theyre not necessarily fluent, but they really do some tremendously hard work and really come up with some great ideas that could really be big things in the future, said Del Campo.

Students are happy to be a part of something that will help them in the future.

The reason why I joined this research class is I want to start up a company overseas in the future. I will study hard and improve my knowledge and also improve my English skills, said one of the students.

Food hall and venue opens in Rio Rancho

Students spend the week also learning about New Mexico culture and explore the area when not in class.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
Protesters march across Budapest's famous Szechenyi Chain Bridge with a sign saying 'We Have Had Enough' during a demonstration against legislative measures introduced by Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban on Jan. 19, 2019. Thousands of Hungarians engaged in protests against Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who rebranded his ruling party Fidesz, once a liberal youth party, as a right-wing Christian nationalist organization. After the partys victory in 2010, Orban moved to remake Hungary as what he termed an 'illiberal state.' (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

The University of Rhode Islands (URI) Fall 2024 Honors Colloquium, which launches Tuesday night, Sept. 17, starts with a premise: Democracy is endangered around the world.

The greatest threat isnt from a military coup or a revolution, suggests one of the organizers of the lecture series that returns to the Kingston campus for its 61st year.

Its from within.

What weve seen really over the last 20 years is more working on the inside, changing the institutional rules, keeping the veneer of democracy, said Professor Marc Hutchison, chair of the URI Department of Political Science, whose work focuses on political tolerance, trust, and participation.

Democracy in Peril, as this years series of seven lectures is titled, reflects the creep of authoritarian rule observed around the world in places that have embraced xenophobic nationalism and attempted to promote individual freedom at the expense of social equality.

When we we thinking about the title, we batted around a lot of different ideas. Democracy in crisis. But peril seemed to capture a little more of the global trends we have been seeing, said Hutchison. Weve seen these movements arise not just in the United States but also across Europe. Weve seen a democratic backslide in countries that were democracies that are now more authoritarian governments. Were talking about places like Hungary and Turkey, and Poland to a certain extent.

Speakers will draw attention to the challenges facing democracy and highlight the importance of democratic values and institutions.

The launch of the series is timely this week with Democracy Day falling on Sunday, Sept. 15, which is also the International Day of Democracy. Democracy Day is a nationwide collaborative involving news organizations covering how democracy works and the threats it faces. The first speaker just so happens to be a journalist.

Vox Senior Correspondent Zack Beauchamp will deliver the first lecture on the rise of populism in the U.S. and abroad. Beauchamps book The Reactionary Spirit, released in July, traces the reactionary antidemocratic views and actions that undermine the power of the people in the U.S. and elsewhere but also offers his ideas for what people can do to protect democracy.

The second speaker on Sept. 24, is Harvard University political scientist Daniel Ziblatt, co-author of the bestselling 2018 book How Democracies Die, which explored the slow, steady weakening of critical institutions, such as the courts and the press, allowing for the gradual erosion of long-standing political norms.

Count misinformation, political indifference, hyperpartisanship and efforts to undermine the elections process among the threats that imperil democracies. Add to that the loss of trust in government.

Approximately two out of 10 Americans say they trust the federal government in Washington to do what is right all or most of the time, according to the Pew Research Center.

We never had political trust in government in the United States as low as it is right now, at least since weve been tracking it, Hutchison said.

This fall, with a presidential election between candidates who each say the other is a threat to democracy, the URI Honors Colloquium offers an opportunity for broad dialogue and understanding. And that just might be the antidote needed to reaffirm democratic values and rebuild trust in each other and in the process.

Learn more about the 2024 Honors Colloquium here.

Speaker schedule

All lectures take place on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in Edwards Hall on the Kingston campus and will be livestreamed.

Sept. 17: Populism and the crisis of democracy at home and abroad, Zack Beauchamp, a senior correspondent at Vox who covers global politics and ideology and author of the book The Reactionary Spirit, published in July 2024.

Sept. 24: How democracies die, Daniel Ziblatt, a Harvard University political science professor who specializes in democracy and historical political economy. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling book How Democracies Die.

Oct. 1: Race and democratic backsliding in the U.S., Andrew Ifedapo Thompson, a University of Pennsylvania political science professor whose work focuses on how attitudes on racial demographic change can shift how Americans think about democracy and can give rise to stronger anti-democratic views.

Oct. 8: Global cases of democratic decline, Jose Cheibub, a political science professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies democratic institutions. His work offers a global, comparative perspective on the emergence and decline of democracies, informing the debate on contemporary democratic challenges.

Oct. 22: Role of militaries in democratic decline, Risa Brooks, a Marquette University political science professor who studies the relationship between military institutions and democratic governance, particularly how militaries can influence or undermine democratic norms.

Oct. 29: Disinformation and the erosion of public faith in government, Naomi Oreskes, the Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University. She is a world-renowned earth scientist, historian, and author whose works examines the role of science in society and how the intentional disinformation campaigns have stymied climate action and eroded the American publics faith in government.

Nov. 12: Repression and the decline of global human rights, Christian Davenport, a University of Michigan political scientist and a founding scholar in the quantitative study of state repression and is known for his work on the connection between human rights and democracy.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The State Department on Sunday denied Venezuela's claim the U.S. was trying to overthrow the government and assassinate President Nicolas Maduro, saying the U.S. seeks a democratic solution to the political crisis.

Venezuela Interior minister Diosdado Cabello alleged Saturday the CIA was leading an operation headed by U.S. Navy member Wilbert Joseph Castaneda Gomez, who was detained in Venezuela with two other Americans and a Czech citizen. Cabello also said 400 U.S. rifles bound for "extremist groups" in his country had been seized.

"We from Venezuela demand that the Unites States government clarify the participation of its agency, that it clarify (its plans) to traffic arms to overthrow a democratically constituted government," Cabello said.

The State Department, in an email to USA TODAY, confirmed the detention of a U.S. military member in Venezuela and said officials were aware of unconfirmed reports that two other Americans were detained. No names were revealed.

"Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false," the email said. "The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela."

U.S. officials are seeking more information and monitoring the events in Venezuela, the email said.

A man holds a placard with images of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro as Venezuelans living in Spain take part in a gathering outside Spanish parliament in support of opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez in Madrid, Spain, September 10, 2024.

Background:

 The U.S. has recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner of the July 28 election  and last week imposed sanctions against 16 Maduro allies accused of obstructing voting.

 Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela since 2013, has said he won and has refused to yield power. His reelection in 2018 also drew international skepticism, and U.S. relations with the Venezuela have been rocky for years.

Spain accused of 'meddling' in Venezuela

Two Spanish nationals detained while taking photographs in the town of Puerto Ayacucho are linked to Spains secret service and were planning the assassination of a mayor, Cabello said.

These citizens have links  we know they will say no, that it is a lie - they have links with the center, Cabello said, referring to Spains intelligence arm. Spain (must decide) if it is going to keep meddling in Venezuelas affairs.

Those arrests come days after Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Spain for consultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to appear at the foreign ministry after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a dictatorship.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US denies claim CIA tried to kill Venezuelan President Maduro
US denies involvement in plot to to overthrow President Maduro after three Americans arrested in Venezuela

The State Department has said any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro were categorically false after the arrests of three Americans, two Spanish citizens, and a Czech citizen on Saturday.

According to the Venezuelan government, the group was detained on suspicion of plotting to destabilize the country through violent actions, adding that hundreds of weapons had been seized.

CBS News reports that the Venezuelan government identified the men detained on Saturday in an online video.

One of them was identified as an American Navy sailor detained in the country earlier this month while visiting for personal reasons.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed the detention of a member of the US military.

The enlisted sailor is a petty officer first class and formerly a Navy SEAL who was assigned to a West Coast team, officials including a senior member of the Defense Department told CBS.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in a press conference that the two Spaniards were allegedly linked to Spains secret service and were planning the assassination of a mayor.

Further, Cabello also accused the detained Americans and the Czech citizen of involvement in terrorist acts, including alleged plans to assassinate Maduro and other officialslinked to intelligence agencies as well as Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

They contacted French mercenaries, they contacted mercenaries from Eastern Europe and they are in an operation to try to attack our country, he said.

In addition to the US State Department, Spanish media reported that Spains government denied the allegations made against its citizens.

There are already substantial tensions with Spain and the US after Venezuelas disputed presidential election in July.

Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia leads a demonstration against the official election results that declared that President Nicolas Maduro won reelection in Caracas, Venezuela, July 30, 2024 (Associated Press)

These groups seek to seize the countrys wealth, and we as a government will respond firmly to any destabilization attempt, Cabello said.

He claimed that about 400 rifles originating in the US had also been seized.

A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information.

The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Spanish nationals were detained while taking photographs in the town of Puerto Ayacucho, Cabello said.

These citizens have links  we know they will say no, that it is a lie  they have links with the center, Cabello said, referring to Spains intelligence unit.

He added: Spain will decide what to do, if it is going to keep meddling in Venezuelas affairs.

Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Spain this week for consultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to appear at the foreign ministry after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a dictatorship, escalating diplomatic tensions following a disputed presidential election.

In this photo provided by the Spanish government in Madrid, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, left greets exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Thursday Sept. 12, 2024. (Fernando Calvo, Spanish Government via AP)

The Maduro regime was also angered by the decision of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to meet with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain last week after being threatened with arrest.

Already tense relations with the US worsened after the Biden administration recognized Gonzalez as the winner of the July 28 election.

In addition, at the beginning of September, a plane belonging to Maduro was seized by the US and brought to Florida. The Justice Department said the jet was exported from Florida in violation of US sanctions.

Maduro, a former bus driver, succeeded iconic left-wing leader Hugo Chavez on his death in 2013. He insists he won a third term but failed to release detailed voting tallies to back his claim.

With reporting from Reuters
US marshals: Man arrested and charged with murder in 2021 South Austin stabbing

Federal agents apprehended a man in connection with a fatal 2021 stabbing in South Austin, the U.S. Marshals Service said in a news release Friday.

Mithovar Christopher Antoine Jr., 22, was arrested Thursday in the 200 block of West Avenue G in Temple, the release said, and charged with murder in connection with the July 23, 2021, death of 23-year-old Nikolas Eugenio Martinez.

Mithovar Christopher Antoine Jr. was arrested Thursday in Temple and charged with the death of Nikolas Eugenio Martinez in 2021.

Martinez called 911 at 10:30 p.m. to report the stabbing after driving himself to a convenience store in the 2000 block of South Interstate 35, north of Oltorf Street, the American-Statesman previously reported. First responders found Martinez outside the Conoco convenience store, where Martinez succumbed to his injuries at 10:47 p.m., the release said.

The Austin Police Department's homicide unit secured an arrest warrant for Antoine on Sept. 11 and requested assistance from the Austin division of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force to find and arrest Antoine in Temple, where he was known to live, the release said.

Antoine was booked into the Bell County Jail and will be extradited to Travis County for judicial proceedings.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Man arrested by federal agents in 2021 South Austin homicide
Faulty equipment delivered to Taiwan - THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN

The United States sent faulty military items to Taiwan including mouldy armour and expired ammunition.

Most military equipment that suffered water damage was delivered from November 2023 through March 2024.

They remained at the aerial port of embarkation for more than three months pending air transport to Taiwan.

The army didnt initiate requests for transportation until the end of 2023, unable to equip sufficient storage capacity. It failed to fully mitigate the exposure of items to adverse weather conditions.

The Department of Defense (DoD) failed to effectively or efficiently implement accountability and quality controls for items delivered to Taiwan using the Presidential Drawdown Authority, according to a report issued on Wednesday.

The DoD provided unserviceable and poorly packaged equipment and munitions to Taiwan.

Photos clearly show damaged pallets and mouldy body armour that arrived in Taiwan in 2023, including more than 3,000 mildewed body armour plates and 500 wet and mouldy tactical vests.

Personnel at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said the equipment was soaking wet and full of mould.

In July 2023, Joe Biden approved $345 million worth of military equipment and services to assist Taiwan - RITCHIE B TONGO/SHUTTERSTOCK

According to the report, Taiwans Ministry of National Defense issued a letter to the AITs security cooperation office in December 2023, stating that Taiwan had received 2.7 million rounds of ammunition.

This included expired, loose, and rounds of ammunition in the wrong packaging, which did not comply with shipping standards.

AIT described the open boxes of ammunition as obviously extra boxes of ammunition that give an impression of the army trying to clear out stuff they didnt want.

Machine guns are also shipped without proper packaging such as serviceability paperwork, labels, wrapping, and cushioning.

The National Defense Authorization Act 2023 authorised the US president to draw down up to $1 billion from existing DoD stock to provide military assistance to Taiwan.

Machine guns were also shipped without proper wrapping and cushioning - RITCHIE B TONGO/SHUTTERSTOCK

In July last year, Joe Biden approved $345 million worth of military equipment and services to provide assistance to Taiwan.

The delivery of faulty military equipment has led to additional costs for Taiwan authorities and weeks of unpacking, drying and inventorying the wet and mouldy items.

The Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command spent $618,894 in labour and materials to clean and dry the body armour, and an additional $113,492 to replace the damaged arms.

The delivery of non-mission-capable items inhibit the DoDs ability to achieve established security cooperation goals and may lead to loss of partner confidence in the United States, the report concluded.

Taiwans Ministry of National Defense told local media that the subject matter is jointly reviewed and addressed by both Taiwan and the US.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The United States is preparing a major package of assistance for Ukraine, which is expected to be announced by the end of September.

Source: Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor, at the 20th annual YES (Yalta European Strategy) meeting in Kyiv, writes Interfax-Ukraine, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Sullivan stated that he meets with his team every day to discuss what tools and strategies should be employed to stabilise the front line and prevent Russia from making any breakthroughs that would lead to strategic benefits.

He recalled that in April of this year, there was widespread worry that the front lines would be broken. However, in the months that followed, Ukraine's defence strengthened in many vital areas, and the country took bold and significant advances forward in the battle.

Sullivan stated that this is not a question of political will, but of resolving challenging and complex logistical and operational difficulties in order to actually deliver the necessary weapons to the front.

Sullivan said the United States is literally pulling 155 mm calibre rounds off the assembly line and delivering them to the battlefield as soon as possible.

As another example of support, the official noted the difficult decision to redirect all the Patriot missiles to Ukraine which were supposed to be delivered to partners and allies over the next year.

Sullivan also said he was glad to see what Ukraine and its allies have accomplished while remembering President Zelenskyy's statements that, given the challenges Ukraine is experiencing, they must do more and better.

During a visit to Kyiv on Wednesday, 11 September, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Ukraine would receive more than US$700 million in humanitarian and other aid.

Sallivan also promised that he would convey the message regarding Ukraine's ongoing request for long-range strikes against Russia to President Biden.

Support UP or become our patron!
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance on Sunday dodged answering whether former President Donald Trump would veto a national abortion ban if he were president.

I think that I've learned my lesson on speaking for the president before he and I have actually talked about an issue, Vance said on NBC.

Trump's "been incredibly clear that he doesn't support a national abortion ban, Vance said in an interview with Kristen Welker on Meet the Press." He wants abortion policy to be made by the states, because he thinks, look, Alabama is going to make a different decision from California, and that's OK. We're a big country. We can disagree.

When pressed on if Trump would veto a national abortion if brought to his desk as president, Vance wouldnt commit to an answer. Instead, Vance said Sunday that Trump thinks it's ridiculous to talk about vetoing a piece of legislation that isn't going to come before the president in the first place.



The discussion comes after Trump dodged answering whether he would veto a national abortion ban during Tuesdays debate. But in August, Vance claimed that Trump would veto a national abortion ban because he does not support it.

I think he would, he said that explicitly, Vance said when Welker asked if Trump would veto a national abortion ban back in August.

I didnt discuss it with JD, Trump said during the debate, adding: I don't mind if he has a certain view but I don't think he was speaking for me.
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance defended throwing Springfield, Ohio, into the national spotlight in a Sunday show sweep, amid bomb threats in the city and pleas from local officials to stop.

I'm still going to keep on talking about what the migrants have done to Springfield, Ohio, and what Kamala Harris open border has done to Springfield, Ohio, Vance said in an interview with host Dana Bash on CNNs State of the Union. I'm talking to my constituents and I'm hearing terrible things about what's going on in Springfield and Kamala Harris' open border policies have caused these problems.

Almost a week after the senator posted unverified claims of Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio  inspiring former President Donald Trump to say theyre eating the dogs during Tuesday nights debate  Vance continued to float the rumors that local and state officials say are false. Across three Sunday shows, Vance reiterated that he continues talking about the Haitian immigrants in Springfield because he said he has received dozens of complaints from constituents.

Local officials have asked politicians to stop demonizing Haitian immigrants in the Ohio city, especially as the national attention has brought bomb threats to local hospitals, schools and city hall, as well as led to the arrival of white supremacists.



Theres a lot of garbage on the internet, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in an interview with ABCs This Week. This is a piece of garbage that was simply not true. Theres no evidence of this at all.

DeWine also stated that the Haitian immigrants in Springfield are there legally.

And on Friday, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue cast the blame for bomb threats on national leaders talking about it: All these federal politicians that have negatively spun our city, they need to know they're hurting our city, and it was their words that did it.

Vance, a key communicator for the Trump-Vance campaign, denied responsibility for the unsought attention on Springfield. He dodged answering whether he regrets repeating this rhetoric about Haitian migrants when asked on CBS Face the Nation. He said he was not responsible for the bomb threats  which he did condemn  when asked about them on CNNs State of the Union.

There was nothing that I have said that has led to threats against these hospitals, Vance said to CNNs Dana Bash, adding that the violence is disgusting. We can condemn the violence on the one hand, but also talk about the terrible consequences of Kamala Harris open border.

When given the opportunity to apologize to a family who asked Vance specifically to not talk about their 11-year-old son who was killed in a bus accident involving a Haitian migrant, Vance offered sympathies, but did not apologize.

Vance also cast the blame on the media for ignoring "this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes," he said. Vance blamed Bash for accusing him of inciting violence when the CNN host asked about Rues comments blaming the senator.

"I noticed that when you have Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, you gave them multiple choice answers to the questions that you asked and you allowed them to answer the questions, Vance said to Bash on CNN. I'm happy to be here to talk about policy. But if you're going to interrupt me every single time that I open my mouth, then why am I even doing this?

Democrats also bashed Vance on Sunday shows for continuing to fuel these rumors and attack the Haitian immigrants that have moved to Springfield. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called Vances comments bonkers.

The governor of Ohio, the mayor of that town in Ohio, has said this is all made up. These are all lies. There's no truth to it, Shapiro said in an interview with Bash on CNNs State of the Union. And the United States senator from Ohio just came on your show and blamed his own constituents for his own lies. This guy's so pathetic, but the thing is, it is dangerous.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) lamented Trump's general attitude about immigration. "Every time he talks about an immigrant, he makes it seem as if they have done something nefarious. And it's not true. Just because they are immigrants, it doesn't mean there is anything illegal about them," she said on MSNBC's "Inside With Jen Psaki."

Vance, though, said the threats and fearmongering about the Springfield immigrants are not the point; the key narrative is that immigration overwhelms American communities.

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do, Vance told Bash. When asked to clarify if he just said he was creating stories, Vance said the accounts are true but him and Trump were able to create an American media focus around the immigration issue.

He added, We created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris policies.
Vance defended the Trump campaign's choice to continue spreading false claims about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio [Getty Images]

Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance has doubled down on false claims that migrants are eating household pets in an Ohio town, as city officials repeatedly debunked the rumours.

The baseless claims have led to several security threats, and on Sunday Wittenberg University in Springfield said it had to cancel events because of a threat targeting members of its Haitian community.

Appearing on Sunday talk shows, Vance defended the false stories, saying "media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes".

"If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then thats what Im going to do," he told CNN.

It comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents. I say that were creating a story, meaning were creating the American media focusing on it."

Vance is a US senator who represents Ohio.

He first brought up the animal-eating claims last week, before Trump amplified them at his first presidential debate against Kamala Harris.

Since then, Springfield city officials have repeatedly debunked the claims.

Mayor Rob Rue told the BBC that the conspiracy theories - and Trump's pledge to "mass deport" migrants from Springfield - were hurting the town.

"People's pets are safe in Springfield, Ohio, " Rue told the BBCs Newshour programme. "We reached out to the JD Vance Campaign to let them know that we do not have any evidence that has happened, and I've made it known in multiple interviews that this is absolutely not true."

"We need folks to understand, especially those that have a microphone that's being listened to around the world, they need to understand the weight of their words and how it can negatively affect communities."

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, on ABC's This Week called the rumours "a piece of garbage that was simply not true".

Springfield had to evacuate three schools and other city buildings last week due to threats, at least one of which made disparaging comments about Haitians.

Police at Wittenberg University said in a campus alert that an email sent on Saturday threatened a shooting the following day.

"The message targeted Haitian members of our community, " police said. "All students, faculty and staff should exercise extreme precaution and be alert to all your surroundings."

Springfield police have also said they received calls on Saturday about members of the Proud Boys marching in the city, after a video circulated on social media with a group of men carrying flags and wearing logos associated with the far-right group.

Vance told CBS News on Sunday that he did not "align himself" with the Proud Boys but said the real problem was Harris's "open borders".

Trump, like Vance, has doubled down on the baseless claims and said the town had been "destroyed" by immigration.

Campaigning Friday in California, Trump vowed there would be "large deportations" from Springfield if elected. He has promised to deport millions of undocumented migrants nationwide.

Springfield, a rust belt city in south-west Ohio, is home to about 60,000 people and has seen thousands of immigrants arrive in recent years.

Many migrants in the town are from Haiti and have legal permission to be in the US under a federal programme for Haitians.

More on US election

[BBC]

[BBC]
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) said it would be very hard for former President Trump and himself to win the general election this fall without a victory in North Carolina.

If you just look at the Electoral College map  its very hard for us to win unless were able to get North Carolina, Vance told reporters from the state on Saturday. I feel very good about it.

Vance noted that he and Trump are likely going to win the states rural areas, but said voters need to show up and we know what we need to do. He criticized Vice President Harris and her policies that have failed North Carolina.

Vances comments come just after The Hills Decision Desk HQ shifted the race in North Carolina to a toss-up.

Once seen as a state that surely would have gone to Trump, the Tar Heel State is now seen as a battleground after the launch of Harriss campaign.

The vice president held two rallies in Charlotte and Greensboro this week, just days before Vances visit. The attention on North Carolina signals how badly each party wants to win the states 16 Electoral College votes.

Harris is leading Trump by 0.1 percentage points in North Carolina, according to an aggregation of polls. A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday declared the race too close to call for either candidate.

Since President Biden stepped aside and Harris took over the ticket, the race has tightened as shes polling better than Biden did in several key swing states.

Just before Biden dropped out of the race, Trump had a 4.9 percentage point lead over Biden in North Carolina.

Ballots will begin being mailed to voters in North Carolina on Sept. 24. Its later than the original Sept. 6 date after independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the race and tried to get his name off the ballot to help Trump in critical states.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, accused Vice President Harris of dismissing concerns from some residents of Springfield, Ohio, while failing to close "her open border."



While making the rounds on CNN, NBC and CBS Sunday morning shows, Vance was confronted about recent controversy in Springfield, where residents have been pointing to an uptick in crime, mayhem and car crashes due to the massive influx of roughly 20,000 Haitian immigrants since the COVID-19 pandemic into a small town of approximately 58,000 people.

Residents at city council meetings have alleged that Haitians are killing and eating ducks and geese in parks, as well as pet cats and dogs, unverified allegations that Vance has referenced on social media and former President Trump repeated during the Philadelphia presidential debate last week.

"I trust my constituents more than I do the American media that has shown no interest in what's happened in Springfield until we started sharing cat memes on the Internet, which is disgraceful that the American media ignored this town," Vance told NBC "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker. "And that's the most important part, Kamala Harris' open border, Kristen, has led to skyrocketing housing costs in Springfield, rising rates of crime, rising rates of communicable diseases. They have dropped 20,000 immigrants into a town of 40,000, and it's caused a host of social problems."

Welker cited officials in Springfield and Dayton, Ohio, as claiming there is "no evidence" of immigrants eating park animals or pets, and noted recent threats of violence forcing closures in Springfield. The NBC host also quoted Vance's past comments from 2016 accusing Trump of making "people I care about" afraid.

CRITICS DEMAND NYT APOLOGIZE FOR 'VIOLENCE INCITING' COLUMN ACCUSING JD VANCE OF 'BLOOD-AND-SOIL NATIONALISM'

"This week in Springfield, buildings were closed because of bomb threats. Haitian immigrants say they are afraid for their lives. Are you not doing the very thing you once called reprehensible, Senator?" Welker asked.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Sen. JD Vance attends Charity Day hosted by the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund at BGC Group on Sept. 11, 2024, in New York City.

"First of all, Kristen, we condemn all acts of violence and all threats of violence. But, Kristen, the reason that I changed my mind on Donald Trump is actually perfectly highlighted by what's going on in Springfield, because the media and the Kamala Harris campaign, they've been calling the residents of Springfield racist," Vance said. "They've been lying about them. They've been saying that they make up these reports of migrants eating geese. And they completely ignored the public health disaster that is unfolding in Springfield at this very minute."

While the Washington Post and some other media outlets have labeled the Vance comments racist, the Harris campaign has steered clear of commenting on the Springfield controversy or calling residents there "racist."

"Donald Trump is the only person who brought Springfield to national attention and is the only president who's going to fight for the residents, not just their right to live safely in their communities, but for their right to complain about what's going on in their own community," Vance added. "I think it's disgraceful that Kamala Harris has heard these complaints, has decided to call people racist instead of actually trying to make their lives better by undoing her open border."

"We don't blame the Haitian migrants for coming to Springfield," he said. "We blame Kamala Harris for opening the American southern border and inviting 20,000 people to get dropped in a small Ohio town."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.

During a heated exchange on CNN's "State of the Union," Vance said he would "fact check" host Dana Bash for failing to clarify how the Haitians were in the United States "legally."

People watch as police investigate at Springfield City Hall after bomb threats were made against buildings earlier in the day on Sept. 12, 2024.

TRUMP TALKS ABC NEWS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, IN FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

"You said that all of these migrants are in the country legally. They are in the country through what's called temporary protective status. That is when Kamala Harris waved a magic amnesty wand, taking people and giving them legal status," Vance said. "That is not to say that they're here legally. That is a terrible indictment of her amnesty policies that have further opened the border."



In June, the Biden-Harris administration announced that about 300,000 Haitians already in the United States will now be eligible for temporary legal status allowing them to remain in the U.S. and work because Homeland Security said conditions in the strife-torn Caribbean nation are considered unsafe for them to return. The decision marks a major expansion of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians who were in the United States on June 3 and will last until Feb. 3, 2026. Anyone arriving after June 3 would not qualify. DHS also extended the Temporary Protected Status of an estimated 200,000 Haitians who already had it.

On CBS' "Face the Nation," Vance also brought up the subject of temporary protected status when asked by host Margaret Brennan if he would work to get Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine federal assistance.

"The most important thing that we can do to assist Gov. DeWine and the whole state of Ohio, and frankly, the whole country, Margaret, is to stop Kamala Harris' open border. And for two years, I've been fighting for policies that do exactly that. You have to ask yourself, why have these 20,000 Haitian migrants been dropped into a small Ohio town in just a few years, Margaret?" Vance said.

"And the answer is because Kamala Harris implemented what's called temporary protective service for over 100,000 Haitian migrants. She basically, with a magic wand, granted amnesty to thousands of people who shouldn't have been in this country, and now a small Ohio town is dealing with the consequences," the senator continued. "And to anybody listening, Margaret, this is what Kamala Harris wants to do to every town in this country. Overwhelm them with migration, stress their municipal budgets, see communicable diseases on the rise. What is happening in Springfield is coming to every town and city in this country if Kamala Harris's open border policies are allowed to continue. We've got to stop this. American citizens are suffering because of what she's done."

EDITORS NOTE: This report has been updated to clarify how Harris has responded to the situation in Springfield.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Original article source: Vance accuses Harris of ignoring Springfield, Ohio, migrant influx, failing to close border
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the GOP vice-presidential nominee, declined to say on Sunday whether former President Trump, if elected, would veto a federal abortion ban, saying, Ive learned my lesson after answering a similar question last week.

Kristen, I think that Ive learned my lesson on speaking for the president before he and I have actually talked about an issue, Vance told Kristen Welker on NBC Newss Meet the Press when asked whether Trump would veto a federal abortion ban.

What he has said at the debate, which is quite explicit, is he doesnt support a national ban, Vance continued. He thinks its ridiculous to talk about vetoing a piece of legislation that isnt going to come before the president in the first place.

Last week, Welker pressed Vance on the same question. Vance told her Trump has been very clear he would not support a federal abortion ban, and that I think that he would veto a bill if it came to his desk.

When asked about Vances remarks on the debate stage this past week, Trump seemed to distance himself from his running mate, saying, I didnt discuss it with JD, in all fairness. And I dont mind if he has a certain view, but I dont think he was speaking for me.

Vance, in his new interview this Sunday, said he still has not discussed the issue with the former president.

Kristen, as you saw the president say, we hadnt discussed it. We still havent discussed it, by the way, because its not realistic, Kristen. I think that was the point that he made during the debate. And hes been incredibly clear that he doesnt support a national abortion ban. He wants abortion policy to be made by the states because he thinks, look, Alabama is going to make a different decision from California, and thats okay. Were a big country. We can disagree, Vance said.

Vance continued to echo the former presidents view that the prospect of a national abortion ban getting to his desk was very low, given the Senates close makeup.

I think President Trump has been clear a national abortion ban is not on the table. He wouldnt support it. He wouldnt; he wouldnt sign it. And I think, frankly, Kristen, its kind of a ridiculous hypothetical because, if a national abortion ban was brought before the United States Senate right now, it would get, at best, 10 senators out of the 100, Vance said.

His point is that its a hypothetical and not a hypothetical that has any chance of actually coming to his desk, 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.
A public transport car with the face of Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro passes through a low-income neighborhood amid an ongoing dispute over July's presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela September 5, 2024. REUTERS/Gaby Oraa

CARACAS, Venezuela  Two Spaniards, three U.S. citizens and a Czech have been arrested in Venezuela on suspicion of links to alleged plans to destabilize the South American country, a top Venezuela official said on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said that a U.S. military member had been detained in Venezuela and that it was aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional U.S. citizens being detained there, but rejected a Venezuelan claim of U.S. involvement in any plot to overthrow the government.

The Venezuelan announcement is likely to deepen the countrys already substantial tensions with Spain and the United States after Venezuelas disputed presidential election in July.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello in a news conference said two Spaniards were allegedly linked to Spains secret service and planning the assassination of a mayor.

Spanish media reported that Spains government denied this claim.

Cabello also accused three U.S. citizens and a Czech of involvement in terrorist acts, including alleged plans to assassinate leftist Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other officials.

FILE PHOTO: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro delivers a speech during a rally to celebrate the results of last month's presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela August 28, 2024. REUTERS/Fausto Torrealba/File Photo

These groups seek to seize the countrys wealth, and we as a government will respond firmly to any destabilization attempt, Cabello said. He added that about 400 rifles originating in the United States had been seized.

The State Department said the U.S. was not involved in an attempt to oust Maduro.

Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false, the spokesperson said. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.

We are seeking additional information. We are closely monitoring the situation, the official added, while declining to provide additional details because of privacy considerations.

A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information.

The Spanish Embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A supporter of Venezuela's presidential opposition candidate in the recent election Edmundo Gonzalez holds a dart board with a picture of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, outside the Torrejon de Ardoz Air Force Base, where Gonzalez is expected to arrive, outside Madrid, Spain, September 8, 2024. The text reads "Murderer of Venezuela". REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

The Spanish nationals were detained while taking photographs in the town of Puerto Ayacucho, Cabello said.

These citizens have links  we know they will say no, that it is a lie  they have links with the center, Cabello said, referring to Spains intelligence arm.

Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Spain this week for consultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to appear at the foreign ministry after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a dictatorship, escalating diplomatic tensions following a disputed presidential election.

Venezuela was also angered by the decision of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to meet with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain last week after being threatened with arrest by Maduros regime.

Caracas also has had fresh tensions with the United States, which recognized opposition candidate Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner of the July 28 election.

Reporting by Deisy Buitrago in Caracas, Graham Keeley in Madrid and David Brunnstrom and Timothy Gardner in Washington.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Venezuela arrests US, Czech, Spain nationals and US military member
The United States has dismissed claims made by Venezuela that the CIA plotted to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro and other top officials.

Three US citizens, two Spaniards and one Czech national have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to destabilise the country, the Venezuelan interior minister said.

Calling the detainees mercenaries, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello claimed that the CIA was "leading the operation and that hundreds of weapons had been seized.

The US rejected the claims, which come after Washington placed 16 senior Venezuelan government officials under sanctions, as "categorically false".

A spokesperson for the State Department said a US military member was being held and noted "unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained in Venezuela".

Cabello responded by saying the detainees had contacted "French mercenaries" from Eastern Europe and were involved in "an operation to try to attack" Venezuela.

He added that "more than 400 rifles were seized" and accused the detainees of plotting "terrorist acts".

The Venezuelan government said the Spaniards detained were linked to Madrid's National Intelligence Centre (CNI).

Spanish government sources have told local media the pair do not belong to the intelligence organisation.

"Spain denies and categorically rejects any insinuation that it is involved in a political destabilisation operation in Venezuela," a source told AFP.

The Czech Republic has yet to react the claims.

In a news conference on Saturday, Cabello said: "The CIA is leading this operation, and that does not surprise us but they, the National Intelligence Centre of Spain, have always maintained a low profile knowing that the CIA operates in this area.

"These two detainees even tell us about a group of mercenaries they are looking for to bring to Venezuela with very clear objectives to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, myself, and another group of comrades who are leading our party and our revolution."

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado disputes the election result [Reuters]

The allegations come amid a feud between the Maduro government and both the US and Spain stemming from Maduros disputed victory in Julys presidential election.

Venezuelas National Electoral Council (CNE), which is closely aligned with the government, declared Maduro the winner of the vote, but has not published detailed voting tallies.

Data published by the opposition suggests its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, was the true winner.

On Thursday, Washington announced sanctions targeting "key officials involved in Maduros fraudulent and illegitimate claims of victory and his brutal crackdown on free expression following the election".

Following the detentions, a state department official said Washington "continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela".

On Friday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil summoned the Spanish ambassador in Caracas after Spains defence minister, Margarita Robles, described the Venezuelan government as a dictatorship.

Gil said the comments were insolent, meddling and rude and indicated a deterioration of relations between the two countries.

It came days after Gonzalez arrived in Spain to claim political asylum, a step that the overall leader of the Venezuelas opposition, Maria Corina Machado, said he had taken "to preserve his freedom, his integrity and his life".

Spanish authorities have request more information about the detentions from Venezuela, and the Spanish embassy has requested access to the detainees.

Additional reporting by Ruth Comerford and Christy Cooney.
FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro addresses government loyalists gathered at the presidential palace in support of his reelection one month after the presidential vote, in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were arrested Saturday after Venezuelan officials accused them of coming to the South American country to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

The arrests were announced on state television by Diosdado Cabello, the nation's powerful interior minister. Cabello said the foreign citizens were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. In the television program, Cabello showed images of rifles that he said were confiscated from some of the plotters of the alleged plan.

The arrest of the American citizens included a member of the Navy, who Cabello identified as Wilbert Joseph Castaneda Gomez. Cabello said that Gomez was a navy seal who had served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Colombia. Spain's embassy in Venezuela did not reply to a request for comment on the arrests of its citizens.

The U.S. State Department late Saturday confirmed the detention of a U.S. military member and said it was aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela.

Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela, the statement said.

The announcement of the arrests comes just two days after the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Maduro who were accused by the U.S. government of obstructing voting during the disputed July 28 Venezuelan presidential election, and carrying out human rights abuses.

Earlier this week, Spain's parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election, angering Maduro allies who called on the Venezuelan government to suspend commercial and diplomatic relations with Spain.

Tensions between Venezuela's government and the U.S. have increased as well following the election, whose result sparked protests within Venezuela in which hundreds of opposition activists were arrested.

Venezuela's Electoral Council, which is closely aligned with the Maduro administration, said Maduro won the election with 52% of the vote, but did not provide a detailed breakdown of the results.

Opposition activists, however, surprised the government by collecting tally sheets from 80% of the nation's voting machines. The tally sheets collected by the opposition were published online, and they indicate that Gonzalez won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.

Despite international condemnation over the election's lack of transparency, Venezuela's supreme court, which has long backed Maduro, confirmed his victory in August. Venezuela's attorney general then filed conspiracy charges against Gonzalez, who fled to Spain last week after it became clear he would be arrested.

Maduro has dismissed requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to provide tally sheets that prove he won the election. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has long claimed the U.S. is trying to overthrow him through sanctions and covert operations.

The Maduro administration has previously used Americans imprisoned in Venezuela to gain concessions from the U.S. government. In a deal conducted last year with the Biden administration, Maduro released 10 Americans and a fugitive wanted by the U.S. government to secure a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally who was held in Florida on money laundering charges. According to U.S. prosecutors, Saab had also helped Maduro to avoid U.S. Treasury sanctions through a complex network of shell companies.
US vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gorvernor Tim Walz arrives to speak at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 6, 2024, on the first day of their "Battleground State Tour". (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

ATLANTA - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, is set to visit Georgia next week as part of the Harris-Walz campaign efforts, the campaign announced on Saturday.

Walz will begin his visit on Sept. 17 with brief remarks at a political event in Macon during the morning. Later that day, he is expected to fly into Atlanta to participate in additional political events, the campaign stated.

Before heading to Georgia, Walz will stop in North Carolina on Sept. 15 where he is scheduled to speak at a Harris-Walz campaign rally in Asheville.

RELATED: JD Vance, Gwen Walz coming to Georgia in support of Trump, Harris

This visit to Georgia comes after Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz campaigned in the state last month. Georgia remains a crucial battleground in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Democrats narrowly won the state four years ago, and it is once again a key focus for both the Democratic and Republican campaigns. Former President Donald Trumps campaign will also make a stop in Georgia this weekend, with a town hall event planned in Savannah on Saturday.

As the race intensifies in the final weeks before the election, both campaigns are making concerted efforts to secure votes in Georgia and other battleground states that could determine the outcome of the 2024 election.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY)  The Virginia Peninsula Chamber will hold its annual Military Recognition Breakfast on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Every year, the chamber recognizes an active-duty service member from each branch who demonstrates outstanding adherence to military core values and superb performance of their primary military duties.

The Peninsula is home to five military installations and 23,000 active-duty service members.

Christopher Newport University President, William G. Kelly will deliver this years keynote address.

The event takes place from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Newport News  Hampton.

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 WAVY.com.
William Robertson casts his vote on Super Tuesday in Denver, March 5, 2024. (Kevin Mohatt for Colorado Newsline)

Two months ahead of the November election, Colorado officials are warning that refusal by local election canvass board members to certify results fuels misinformation and threatens voter trust in the entire election process.

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

Republicans on three local canvass boards voted against certifying the June primary results, according to the secretary of states office. It is a tiny percentage of the 64 three-member boards in each Colorado county, but it occurred in the context of a growing national movement by conservative activists to use the once mundane, administrative task of verifying vote tallies to protest shortcomings they see in how elections are run.

There is harm in allowing these protest votes and by consistently voting against certifying. These officials are sowing distrust. Theyre sowing doubt about the integrity of Colorado elections, and they are signaling that this sort of conduct is OK, Nikhel Sus, the deputy chief counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, told Colorado Newsline.

By getting on the ground level, at the county level, not only are you potentially disrupting the certification process, but youre also creating a foundation (for election deniers) to later dispute the results in Congress on January 6, 2025, he said of the nationwide trend.

The tactic is part of a larger national movement to erode trust in elections through various methods.

CREW identified 35 election officials who voted against certifying results between 2020 and 2023, including three in Colorado: Nancy Pallozzi in Jefferson County, Candice Stutzriem in El Paso County and Theresa Watson in Boulder County. Pallozzi and Stutzriem also refused to certify the June primary, along with Watsons successor, John Barrett, in Boulder County.

Local canvass boards are made up of the county clerk and appointees from the Democratic and Republican parties. Those parties must assign their canvass board members within 24 hours after Election Day. Their primary job is a numbers matching task, checking that there werent more ballots counted than cast in an election and that there werent more ballots cast than registered voters. A majority must vote to certify the results. For a long time, it was an uncontroversial duty that rarely made headlines or bubbled up to the general publics interest.

Since 2020, however, more canvass board members across the country, often Republican, have refused to sign off on their countys election certification.

The CREW report also identified officials who refused to certify election results in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Prior to 2020, this had not been an issue. This only became an issue in connection with former President (Donald) Trumps election denial movement and stop-the-steal movement, Sus said.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Trump falsely claimed that the 2020 election saw widespread voter fraud and was rigged in favor of President Joe Biden. His election denial resulted in a fake elector scheme in seven states, the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021, and continued distrust on the right in the nations election process. Trump is the partys presidential nominee this year and has refused to commit to accepting the election results.

After Donald Trump refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, some extreme Republicans have refused to sign off on elections based solely on conspiracy theories and lies, Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in a statement. I led a new law in 2022 to ensure these tactics cannot slow election administration in Colorado. I will not give election deniers any opportunity to undermine confidence in our elections.

Claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent or compromised have been debunked by elections officials, experts, media investigations, law enforcement, the courts and Trumps own campaign and administration officials.

Members not following responsibilities of canvass

In 2023, former Colorado state lawmaker and unsuccessful Republican congressional candidate Ron Hanks used the official state GOP email to instruct canvass board members to vote against certification of the November 2023 municipal elections.

Nothing has changed since the 2020 elections, he wrote, citing debunked criticisms of voting machines security, messy voter rolls and other concerns over election integrity.

Five Republicans subsequently voted against certifying results.

The immediate risk in Colorado that these election officials could delay or derail the post-election process is low. In the instances where the Republican official refused to certify, the Democratic official and county clerk affirmed the canvass and sent it up to the secretary of state. Colorado also has a legal remedy, created in 2022 through a bill on election security measures, in which the secretary of state can certify the election if the county board refuses to do so.

The real risk is the message that it sends to the public, Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Molly Fitzpatrick, a Democrat, said. The real risk is when you have folks that are responsible for helping conduct the election or certify the election who clearly arent following their responsibilities. What does that say to the voter?

Colorados election code spells out the limited duties for canvass boards as certifying the official abstract of votes, reconciling the number of ballots cast with ballots counted and the number of ballots cast with the number of registered voters, and observing any necessary recounts.

The real risk is when you have folks that are responsible for helping conduct the election or certify the election who clearly aren't following their responsibilities. What does that say to the voter?

 Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Molly Fitzpatrick

The Republican officials who refused to certify, however, cite concerns beyond that narrow scope. Pallozzi, for example, told Colorado Newsline her hesitancy in the last few elections stemmed from issues with the ballot chain of custody and how non-returned ballots were stored.

I still encourage everyone to vote, she said. Its our responsibility, those of us in the background, to watch the process and do what we can to help and make sure it gets done properly.

But Fitzpatrick, who is president of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said county-level certification is not the right venue for process concerns.

Take those grievances to the Colorado Legislature, she said. It is not what were here to do. Were here to certify the election.

Stutzriem wrote in an April column in the Denver Gazette that she did not vote to certify the March presidential primary because of statements made by Griswold after the 14th Amendment lawsuit by Colorado voters seeking to bar Trump from the ballot. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump was ineligible to be on the ballot because of the U.S. Constitutions insurrection clause, but the U.S. Supreme Court reversed that decision. Griswold publicly applauded the state supreme courts ruling.

The secretary was tireless in her ambition to deny millions of voters in Colorado the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice in the presidential primary, Stutzriem wrote. It is impossible to identify, isolate and remove the full impact of Secretary of State Griswolds influence upon the March 5 presidential primary.

Stutzriem signed off on every individual component of the canvass that compared ballot numbers, but not the canvass as a whole. She noted on the actual certification that there were insufficient grounds to certify this election.

Stutzriem and Barrett did not reply to requests for comment.

El Paso County Clerk Steve Schleiker, a Republican, said the canvass process is not an avenue for a political statement.

Theyre taking things out on Jena Griswold, who has zero authority over this process, he said. Theyre bringing in a political aspect that has nothing to do with verifying numbers. You can have any feelings you want against state or local elected officials, but what youre certifying is that the numbers are correct.

Fitzpatrick and Schleiker both said voters should feel confident in Colorados voting system and comfortable asking their local county clerks about how ballots are processed, counted and audited.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU)  We are going to begin with a court ruling that could cost you your vote this November election.

It centers on voters who use mail-in ballots and what they do with the outer envelope.

In a state Supreme Court ruling, Pennsylvania voters could have their mail-in ballots thrown out- if they do not write the accurate dates on the envelope they use to return them.

Voters 28/22 News spoke with feel the ruling is unfair and may rethink how they vote.

Kinda not decided yet, but hopefully I go to the polls, said Marie Ferriero from Laflin.

Ferriero is sure she will vote in the 2024 November election, but how she will vote is what she is not sure of, especially after hearing Fridays Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling.

It would disqualify any mail-in ballot with the wrong date the voter writes on the outer envelope.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at rally in Wilkes-Barre

Being a Democrat in Pennsylvania I dont really like it. If the date is 2024 this election than why wouldnt it count, says Joe Stuccio from Swpyersville.

According to the Associated Press, more Democrats than Republicans vote by mail-in ballot.

Older voters have been disproportionately more likely to have their mail-in ballots invalidated because of problems with the exterior of the envelope.

All of us, I dont care who you are we forget dates most of the time. So I think its crazy. Its not a good thing for the state of Pennsylvania, added Donna Tyson from Exeter.

Political Analyst Dr. David Sosar feels the ruling, decided by two Democrats and two Republicans is fair.

He says it is the Commonwealths way of setting ground rules for both parties and upholding election integrity.

Follow the instructions and there will be no problem. If you dont follow the instructions and you err in casting your vote. Your vote theres no way that we could accept it or do anything about it but throw it out, explained Dr. Sosar.

I think they should allow a grace period. They should have a date it has to be in by this but allow so many day grace period just for error, continued Ferriero.

Dr. Sosar feels theres no room for error and that this election is so close the difference between winner and loser could be as little as 25-30,000 votes.

Yes, Im going to make sure my dates are perfect because I want my vote to count. Its a very important election, mentioned Stuccio.

The last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot is October 29th. The election is November 5th.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
A use-of-force training event for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board was canceled after officials found out it was going to be led by Kim Potter  the former Brooklyn Center police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright during a 2021 traffic stop.

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board called off the training, which was due to be held Sept. 23, after a Seattle Times reporter asked the agency about Potter's involvement, the paper reported Saturday.

Titled "Remorse to Redemption: Lessons Learned," the training program would have seen Potter share her story with officers enforcing Washington's liquor and cannabis laws, with the goal of helping them avoid or de-escalate use-of-force incidents.

In the aftermath of the Wright killing, Potter claimed that she mistook her gun for her Taser and did not intend to shoot the 20-year-old; nonetheless, she was convicted on 1st- and 2nd-degree manslaughter charges. She was sentenced to two years in prison but was released in 2023 after serving 16 months.

The $8,000 contract for the "Remorse to Redemption" training does not name Daunte Wright or mention that Potter killed someone on duty, the Times says. The board canceled the event out of respect for Wright's family.

The program is the brainchild of former Washington County assistant prosecutor Imran Ali, who initially charged Potter in the Wright case and would have led the training alongside her.

Ali, now working for a Twin Cities law firm, told the Star Tribune he knew the program would be controversial, but wanted other officers to learn from Potter's mistakes.

I think that if we continue to silence thoughtful discussion, if we continue to silence training, were going to continue to make the same mistakes, he told the paper. It was apparent to me that what she wanted to do, was to do whatever she could do to effectuate change.

He added that he and Potter would host the training with another agency "if requested."
War in Ukraine should be ended with strength and wisdom  Trump

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump once again promised to end the war in Ukraine if re-elected, saying he will do so with strength and intelligence.

Source: Donald Trump at the 20th annual YES (Yalta European Strategy) meeting in Kyiv, writes Interfax-Ukraine, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Trump recorded his video message aboard a flight en route to a campaign rally in Arizona, at the invitation of former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

He claimed that he knew Kremlin leader Putin and President Zelenskyy well, and that he believed the war must be settled with fortitude and intelligence.

Trump repeated that if he were president, Russia's war against Ukraine would not have occurred.

He also recalled that an election would take place in 53 days, and it would affect everything, even the war in Ukraine.

Earlier, JD Vance, Trumps vice president nominee, proposed a plan that included a ceasefire along the current line of contact, the creation of a "demilitarised zone" on Ukrainian territory, and Ukraine's rejection of NATO membership.

During the YES meeting, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan slammed JD Vance's "peace plan."

Former US Secretary of State in the Trump administration, Mike Pompeo, feels that JD Vance's suggestions are antithetical to US interests.

Support UP or become our patron!
TechCrunch

Venture capital firm NFX laid off four employees in September as the firm looks to "rebalance" its resources from its software and product teams to its investing team, general partner Pete Flint told TechCrunch. The layoffs included one product leader and three engineers, Flint said. About a week ago, Amy Lin, chief product officer since 2017, announced that she had departed the firm on LinkedIn.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) warned of profoundly serious consequences if former President Trump wins the upcoming election.

Warren, in an op-ed published Saturday in The New York Times, criticized Trump for his non-answer to a question about repealing the Affordable Care Act during this weeks presidential debate.

After ducking and weaving, he came up with: I have concepts of a plan. Uh, thats not a plan, Warren wrote.

The Massachusetts senator said plans are important because they test ideas and the people advancing them. Plans reveal what, and who, candidates care about, she argued.

And in a presidential race, if either partys nominee is asked about his or her plans for something as fundamental as health care, voters should get a straight answer, Warren wrote.

Warren said Trumps health care plan has been on full display for years. She detailed how in 2017 Republicans tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act and Trump hosted a party at the White House to celebrate. She said she, then-Senator Harris and other Senate Democrats worried as they voted and felt the weight of peoples lives on the line.

She argued that voters have decided they like what benefits the Affordable Care Act has given them, and that can be seen through the GOPs losses in 2018 and 2020. Republican lawmakers know this and have since smartened up but Trump has not, Warren said.

He seems to realize that his health-care plans are deeply unpopular, so he simply doesnt talk about them, she wrote.

Warren noted that its reasonable for voters to want to know candidates policy stances and plans. Its why Vice President Harris was pressed on her issues and recently released policy stances on her website, Warren argued, adding that Trump should also be held to that same expectation.

As Ms. Harris has pointed out, Mr. Trump is not a serious man, and concepts of a plan is a silly dodge. But, as she also noted, a Trump presidency would have profoundly serious consequences  including life-or-death outcomes for millions of people who could lose access to health care.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Washingtons gun control laws are supposed to protect us. But they are far too weak | Opinion

Gun control laws weaker than you think

School started a few days ago for our Tri-Cities kids. I wonder what goes through their minds when they learn about the shooting at Apalachee High School, in Georgia.

Maybe they think it couldnt happen here. Kids are adept at getting information (and misinformation) on their cell phones, and theyll certainly learn that their state is ranked far higher than Georgia when it comes to the strength of gun laws. Washington ranks 9th; Georgia ranks 46th.

Georgia doesnt even have a red flag law  a law that allows family members or law enforcement to temporarily prevent someone in a mental crisis from accessing guns.

We passed our Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law in 2016, twenty years after a 14 year-old boy shot and killed two students and a teacher, and wounded another student at Frontier Middle School in Moses Lake. It took a citizens initiative, I-1491 to get that law on the ballot, and a citizen-led campaign to get it passed.

Id like to reassure students that our ERPO law will reduce the risk of them experiencing a tragedy like that at Apalachee, or at Frontier, but it wont, because were not enforcing it. Ask your police chief why.

Richard Badalamente, Kennewick

Sesslers being dishonest

Jerrod Sesslers news release regarding debates with Dan Newhouse promulgates a lie regarding an agreement between him and Dan. This evinces the same dishonest character of too many Republican politicians: they lie and bend facts to enlist votes for whatever the GOP, Trump and MAGA want.

These undemocratic antics prove the fact too many Republicans are placing the importance of party power over maintenance of our democratic republic. They are a disease voters need to eradicate to return our national politics to the beneficial bipartisan behavior from which we benefited prior to 2016.

I will continue to vote for Dan Newhouse and other honest Republicans who support the best interests of their constituents. Almost all his words and deeds have benefited the 4th Congressional District of Washington, including his honest and courageous vote to impeach Donald Trump, the nemesis of democracy.

Votes for Sessler, Trump and other dishonest Republicans are votes for maintenance of undemocratic politics. A vote for Newhouse is a vote for democracy and the welfare of all the residents in his district.

Jim Tow, Richland

This should be Trumps song

It seems most pop artists are opposed to the Trump campaign publicly using their songs. Maybe the campaign should consider Sympathy for the Devil as a well known song that speaks to the core of Trumps message. The Rolling Stones might even be OK with it.

Anybody planning to vote in November should first look up Project 2025 for a brief summary of the 900 page document containing a detailed plan to take over American democracy.

Trumps claim that he has nothing to do with it is just another lie. Trumps people are heavily involved in it and hes mentioned throughout. It was created for his presidency.

Greg Carl, Richland

Trumps policies are bonkers

Policies Trump supports:

Deportations of millions of immigrants (including dreamers, longtime residents, unaccompanied children) using the military.

Detention camps, with large-scale use of tents.

Tariffs. Trump doesnt seem to understand that his proposal of tariffs on all imports will only increase consumer prices  companies pass the increases onto consumers; the government doesnt get the money.]

Lower taxes for wealthy individuals and corporations, which, as last time, would increase the deficit and government debt.

Finally, one of his main themes for government, retribution and revenge  against political foes and even journalists.

Many of Trumps policies align with Project 2025 policies.

Joyce Scherpelz, Richland
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Former President Donald Trump arrives in Salt Lake City on Saturday afternoon for a fundraising event.

The event  slated to be held at a private hangar at the Salt Lake City International Airport  was held between a Las Vegas rally on Friday and a Glendale, Arizona, rally on Saturday, according to Robert Axson, Chairman of the Utah Republican Party.

PREVIOUS STORY: Trump fundraiser set for Saturday at Salt Lake City International Airport

ABC4.com covered the event as Trumps private aircraft landed. Watch as the former president arrives for his event in the video player above.

After the event ended, ABC4.com also streamed former president Trump leaving the Salt Lake City International Airport.

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 ABC4 Utah.
Watch: Melania Trump warns FBI raid on her Mar-a-Lago home is a red flag to all Americans

Watch: Melania Trump warns FBI raid on her Mar-a-Lago home is a red flag to all Americans

Melania Trump has said that the FBI raid on her Florida home of Mar-a-Lago was a warning to all Americans in a rare video statement.

The former First Lady broke her silence on the sweeping 2022 search of the private members club, saying: I never imagined my privacy would be invaded by the government.

The video was the second Mrs Trump has put out in the last week to promote her forthcoming book after keeping a low public profile while her husband seeks to reclaim the White House.

The FBI raided my home in Florida and searched through my personal belongings, she said in a narrated video, set to music and accompanied with images of the Trumps sprawling estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

This is not just my story, it serves as a warning to all Americans, a reminder that our freedom and rights must be respected.

The clip closed with an image of her memoir, Melania, which will be released on Oct 1.

Melania felt very violated

It appears to be the first time Mrs Trump has spoken about the August 2022 raid on Mar-a-Lago, during which FBI agents recovered at least 300 classified documents, including US secrets that may have come from spies.

The former president had faced 40 charges over allegedly mishandling classified records and obstructing the governments efforts to seize them.

He called the case against him politically motivated. It was dismissed in July by a federal judge, but that ruling is being appealed.

Trump, 78, said after the raid that his 54-year-old wife felt very violated by the FBI search.

He revealed in 2022 that agents had even searched through the former First Ladys wardrobe.

She felt very violated. I mean, this is a terrible thing, he said at the time.

They go into her closet, they go through her dresses, and who knows what else, he said, adding and it wasnt left the way they found it.

Last week, Mrs Trump also released a video calling into question the official account of the assassination attempt on her husband.

She said we need to uncover the truth about the July 13 shooting which was criticised as a serious failure by the US Secret Service, adding there is definitely more to this story.

Now, the silence around it feels heavy. I cant help but wonder why didnt law enforcement officials arrest the shooter before the speech? There is definitely more to this story. And we need to uncover the truth, she said.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
This is what all of your wealthy adult friends did this summer

Adult-only summer camps have been exploding in popularity.

Camp Social's women-only event sold out in less than 10 minutes and had a 60,000-person waitlist.

Higher-end camps have activities like destination snorkeling and can cost more than $1,200 a day.

Forget Euro summer  travelers want to return to summer camp.

The nostalgic art of sharing bunks and canoeing with new friends is no longer reserved for kids at summer sleepaway camps.

Lately, an increasing number of grown-ups have begun flocking to adult-only summer camps, some for as steep as $1,200 a day.

You can relive your glory days with activities like kayaking, archery, and marshmallows over the campfire. But if you can no longer rough and tough it out as you could in your youth, these adult-oriented getaways also offer comforts like facials, memory foam mattresses, and boozy parties.

Traditional summer camps have been flooded with grown-ups.

Club Getaway's activities and amenities include tye-dyeing and a lake with an inflatable water park. Club Getaway

In Kent, Connecticut, a two-hour drive from New York City, Club Getaway's 300-acre property hosts youth, family, and adult-only camps. The latter  of which there were 13 dates this year  fittingly advertises itself as an "escape for your inner child."

David Schreiber, Club Getaway's owner, told BI that revenue for its adult segment increased 9% in 2024 compared to 2023.

Groups of friends can buy out a cabin, while solo travelers can join a shared one. The average per-person price of a four-person cabin is about $570.

Guests of all ages at Club Getaway can participate in watersports, high-energy group activities, and ziplining.

Club Getaway's Adventure Park has activities like ziplining, climbing, and "SkyCycling." Club Getaway

But the affair becomes a bit boozier when adult camp is in session from Friday to Sunday.

Think mixology classes, pub hikes, paint and sip, and themed parties like "red, white, and brew." (Don't worry, you can burn off the alcohol at one of the workout classes.)

Camp Social also hosted its annual women-only event at a property that typically accommodates youth campers.

Camp Social's three-day camp in late August received about 480 guests. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

The three-day event in late August, which started at $600 per person, was Camp Social's second year in operation. Still, it sold out in less than 10 minutes and accrued a 60,000-person waitlist, Liv Schreiber, the founder, told BI.

Schreiber, a social media influencer, spent her childhood summers at a sleepaway camp in the Poconos.

Now a grown-up, she's done "the bougie stuff," like vacations to Aspen, Colorado, and summers at the Hamptons' Surf Lodge. However fancy, these trips just weren't "filling her cup."

"I just wanted to go back to camp as an adult, and I thought some other people may want to as well," she said.

'Some' turned out to be about 480 attendees in 2024  four times as many guests as in 2023.

The property had 40 shared cabins. The SkinCeuticals team had a dedicated cabin for on-site facials. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

Beyond traditional camp activities, the women spent their weekend taking cold plunges in the lake and getting facials at a SkinCeuticals-branded cabin.

According to Camp Social's founder, most showed up alone. Many left as friends.

"Your needs as an adult are the same as when you're a kid," Schreiber said. "You want to meet new people and relieve yourself of the stress you may have at home. You don't want to feel lonely or left out."

It's a good time to sell social interactions.

Travelers can book Wandawega's accommodations on Airbnb. Wandawega

Us grown-ups feel isolated  30% of adults reported feeling lonely at least once weekly over the last year, according to the American Psychiatric Association's survey of 2,200 people in January 2024.

To combat this, young adults have been attending more face-to-face social events, whether it be running groups, reading clubs, or, in this case, summer camps  even if it means shelling out cash for the potential to make new friends.

"It doesn't matter if you were raised on Park Avenue or a farm town," Tereasa Surratt, the co-owner of resort Wandawega, told BI. "When you show up at camp, you're wearing the same t-shirt and doing the same things.

Surratt's historic lakeside property in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, has cabins, homes, and glamping accommodations to sleep up to 75 people.

Wandawega sees groups of travelers, weddings, and corporate buyouts. Wandawega

Instead of a planned itinerary, Wandawega offers camp-like amenities and activities  like a treehouse, hatchet throwing, watersports, and vintage craft kits  that keep most guests hanging around on-site.

"You never know who's going to be in the cabin next to you," Surratt said. "Unlikely friendships are forged."

There's no age restriction, but Surratt estimates at least 80% of Wandawega's guests are grown-ups, noting a recent influx in adult group bookings.

It's a sentiment that has gone international  and high-end.

Camp Chateau is located a six-hour drive south of Paris, about an hour from Rodez-Marcillac Airport. Camp Chateau

Perched atop a hill in the countryside of southern France, Camp Chateau hosts annual six-day women-only summer camps from July to September.

The mansion-turned-camp welcomes 50 women per session. About 70% show up solo, Philippa Girling, CEO and cofounder of Camp Chateau, told BI.

While the property has shared glamping tents, most "campers" sleep in large five to eight-person bedrooms inside the chateau. Guests can participate in electives like guided foraging, ceramics, jam-making, and "stitch and bitch."

"We want them to give themselves permission to slow down and just be," Girling said. "It's incredibly restorative to be quiet and somewhere beautiful."

Camp Chateau is currently winding down its second season.

Camp Chateau offers activities like kayaking, horseback riding, and foraging. Camp Chateau

Despite its nascency, the company now has a more than 13,000-person waitlist for next year's dates, which start at 2,250 euros, about $2,500, per person.

Its 2025 schedule had been fully booked in five days  15 months in advance.

Girling said her company is now exploring expansion options like more dates or properties.

Even luxury hotel companies are (kind of) turning their rooms into camping accommodations.

The Standard, Miami Beach, held its first Camp Standard in 2016 but didn't resume it as an annual consecutive event until 2023. The Standard, Miami Beach

The Standard in Miami Beach, Florida, and Four Seasons Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, both have annual adult summer camps.

A spokesperson for The Standard, Miami Beach, told BI that "Camp Standard"  a three-night affair in mid-August  saw a 50% growth in attendees from 2023 to 2024. It now plans to expand the program for 2025, which could include more dates or a longer event.

At Camp Standard 2024, guests received astrological life tips, broke a sweat at workout classes, participated in afternoon watersports, and attended a sunset excursion.

Camp Standard's solo travelers paid about $710 per night. Camp Standard

But instead of shared bunks, "campers" stayed in the hotel, paying about $2,120 per person for a solo room or about $1,570 for a double-occupancy one.

The majority of this year's 120 guests went alone.

Chump change, compared to Four Seasons' more than $1,200 a day Camp Verano.

Four Seasons' Los Cabos, Mexico resort offers childcare for adult campers with children. Four Seasons Resort and Residences Los Cabos at Costa Palmas

The luxe five-day event, available from Memorial Day to Labor Day, is as much a wellness retreat as a summer camp.

The full schedule includes a massage, a day trip to go destination snorkeling and diving, a swim at a waterfall, and a hike to a workout class with a view  all starting at $6,000 per person.

A spokesperson for the hotel told BI that the camp has averaged 16 bookings a year  mostly couples and girl groups  since its conception in 2022.

After all, there's nothing more summer camp-like than a Four Seasons hotel.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Firefighters extinguish a flare-up from the Airport fire at a horse corral on Robert Lucas' property off Ortega Highway on Thursday in Lake Elsinore. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Falling temperatures and rising humidity will give firefighters a brief window to gain more ground against three major Southern California wildfires, officials said Sunday.

"It's helping out tremendously," said Capt. Steve Concialdi, acting as public information officer on the Airport fire in Orange and Riverside counties, where overnight humidity levels topped 90% in some areas Saturday.

"It is helping us increase our containment lines and firefighters are able to work longer in these cooler temperatures," Concialdi said. "We're not getting heat-related illnesses."

But there is a mixed blessing in the weather shift.

"We are expecting some fairly strong winds through [Monday] night and also at higher elevations, which could present some issues," said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

Even as a moist blanket of air in the marine layer thickens, rising to 4,500 feet by Sunday, conditions above that remain parched. Upper peaks could see wind gusts of up to 45 mph, Lewis said, spelling fresher air for valley residents but posing a challenge to fire crews. Lewis said the marine layer, with its cool, moist air, could deepen to 6,000 feet by Monday.

In San Bernardino County, the Line fire moved at a crawl over the weekend, but the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said humidity and the chance of light rain late Sunday should give firefighters a chance to douse hot spots and solidify control lines that surround a third of the 36,000-acre blaze. The fire was 36% contained as of Sunday afternoon.

Paul Faulstick, 67, walks among the ruins of his friend, David Mix's, property that was destroyed in the Bridge fire along Bear Canyon Road in Mount Baldy on Thursday. "It was Armageddon-like," said David Mix, 50, about the fire. "This place is like a relative. I had to know if she was gone," Mix concluded. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

The nearby Bridge fire sprawling nearly 55,000 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains of San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties continued to press north and west, but the agency said firefighters are holding lines to the south and east, though the Mount Baldy area remains under evacuation orders. The fire is only 9% contained.

In the Santa Ana Mountains, the Airport fire made no new advances Saturday night, holding under 24,000 acres and giving ground crews a chance to reach hard-to-access areas around Trabuco Canyon and establish fire lines. To date, 115 residences and three businesses have been destroyed, with injuries reported to 12 firefighters and two civilians. The fire is 19% contained.

Firefighting plans called for hot shot crews to be flown in and dropped off in these remote areas, to establish camps from which they will work for several days dousing anything smoldering. "If the wind shifts or the Santa Ana [wind] kicks up, we want to make sure all of those hot spots are extinguished," Concialdi said.

With other ground gains, Riverside County on Saturday downgraded evacuation orders in some areas to warning status.

Dry conditions still dominate at upper elevations. State officials said the Line fire near Big Bear Lake continued to be active on higher ground. In the Airport fire, Modjeska Peak remained dry, and state officials warned that smoldering vegetation above 4,000 feet still had the potential to flare and roll downhill to ignite unburned vegetation.

The high pressure system that locked Southern California in a heat dome last week has been displaced by the passage of a weak and dying cold front. Local weather forecasts called for temperatures slightly below normal, thick night fog and high humidity, and chances for light rain leading into Monday. Light rain returns to the forecast for Wednesday before National Weather Service forecasts call for temperatures to rise again to slightly above normal.

Air quality advisories remained in effect for all four counties, with smoke choking the air with fine-particulate matter. The South Coast Air Quality Management District advised residents to limit outdoor activity.

A firefighting helicopter battles the Airport fire, dropping water near Santiago Peak on Tuesday. The Airport fire has charred more than 9,000 acres. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
WEBB CITY, Mo.  City leaders in Webb City say all options are on the table to address a foul odor plaguing the community.

City Administrator Carl Francis says over the past three weeks, City Hall has received hundreds of complaints about the odor, including dozens just this morning.

Francis says city employees believe a piece of property outside of city limits to the southeast is the source of that smell.

He says the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has advised the city that the land is occupied by a permitted human waste sludge disposal area.

The city hoped that recent legislation restricting land application of solid waste would help solve this problem, but city leaders were disappointed to find out this is a different issue.

There is a statute about an odor coming into a municipality from outside the municipality, and we believe that statute, or ordinance, applies here, so we may be seeking criminal charges in the near future. We are consulting with our city attorney, and we will be doing whatever we have to do to bring this to an end, said Carl Francis, City Administrator for Webb City.

Francis says residents are encouraged to contact City Hall and the DNR if they are impacted by the odor.

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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.
JD Vance didn't originate the rumors about Haitian immigrants in Springfield eating cats and dogs, but he's more responsible than anyone for their rise into the national political discussion.

After a week marked by threats against immigrants in the Ohio town, the senator and vice presidential candidate admitted to "creating a story" around Haitians during an interview with CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday.

When Vance was pinned down by the host over the smears he spread being entirely false, he didn't seem ashamed. He told Bash that he had to create a fiction to bring media attention to the way that his constituents are suffering (read: having to live alongside hard-working, legal immigrants to the United States in a newly revitalized town).

Vance claims he and Trump have to "create stories" about migrants eating cats and dogs "so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people."



There is then some awkward dead air as Bash tries to highlight the absurdity of what he just said pic.twitter.com/IN26ZGYsvE  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 15, 2024

If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do," Vance said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Vance downplayed the recent spate of bomb threats against Springfield's government buildings and hospitals and waved off a march held in the city by the Proud Boys. He also admitted that he hadn't been to the city recently. He met all examples of threats against Vance's constituents by attempting to turn the conversation back to the Biden administration's immigration policy.

"We can condemn the violence on the one hand but also talk about the terrible consequences of Kamala Harris's open border on the other hand," he said.
Western aid not enough to equip 'even 4 out of 14' underarmed brigades needed on the front, Zelensky says

Ukraine hadn't received enough military aid from the foreign partners to equip "even four out of 14" Ukrainian army brigades that the country "needs to be ready," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CNN on Sept. 15.

Zelensky didn't specify what the 14 brigades would be used for, or where they will be dispatched.

Throughout the interview, Zelensky used other examples to underscore that the Western aid sent to Ukraine is not enough to prevent devastating Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and to "be in a strong position for diplomacy." He also emphasized that the aid shipments are slow to follow after partners pledge them.

"During this 8-month pause before the positive decision of the U.S. Congress (to provide the $61-billion aid package last April)  what we did, everybody has to understand: We used everything we could," Zelensky said.

"We moved (to use) what we had in storages, and whatever the reserve brigades had  (those brigades that) we need now (to fight)," he added.

Zelensky also defended the Ukrainian military command's decision to launch the Kursk incursion into Russia in August to divert Russian troops there, rather than keep Ukrainian forces in the eastern Pokrovsk direction, where Russian army was making relatively rapid territorial gains over the past weeks.

Zelensky said that it didn't matter how many brigades were defending the east, if "half of them is not equipped." Specifically, he said they were lacking armored vehicles and artillery shells, as Russian forces fired 12 times more rounds than Ukrainian troops.

Read also: Undistracted by Kursk offensive, Russia cuts deeper toward Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast

In an earlier interview with Bloomberg on July 4, Zelensky said that 14 brigades in Ukraine's Armed forces remain unequipped with necessary weapons that the U.S. Congress already voted to send to Ukraine, but that are slow to come.

He mentioned that these brigades could be used for Ukraine's counteroffensive if they had been properly equipped.

We have the desire (for a counteroffensive), but the tools have not come," Zelensky told Bloomberg.

In a BBC interview, Zelensky said that Russia launched 4,000 guided aerial bombs per month in the east of Ukraine, and destroyed 80% of the country's energy infrastructure, because the U.S. are hesitant to allow Ukraine to strike the airfields deep in the Russian territory, where the jets launching the bombs are stationed.

"We waited too long," he said, "Russia is beginning to move these jets from 100-150 kms, 300 kms (distance from the Ukraine-controlled territory) to 500 kms."

"After that, I will tell you, now we need more permissions," Zelensky said.

As of now, Ukraine doesn't have the permission from the U.S. to use the West-provided weapons to strike inside Russia, he added.

Read also: ATACMS restrictions subject of intense consultations between Ukraine and allies, Sullivan says

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Several GOP senators have not endorsed Trump  and likely won't before the election.

Some of them voted to impeach Trump after January 6 and have sworn him off entirely.

Others are keeping their vote private or have specific reasons for withholding a formal endorsement.

With the 2024 presidential election just around the corner, a solid chunk of the Senate Republican conference still won't get behind former President Donald Trump.

He's not alone in failing to lock up the formal support of the entire group. Four members of the Senate Democratic caucus also haven't endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, including three of the four independents who caucus with Democrats  Sens. Angus King of Maine, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester has also opted to remain neutral, he has said, in order to remain focused on his tough reelection fight in Montana.

But Trump's lack of support among some Republican senators is notable, given that many of the holdouts condemned him in strong terms since he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

In fact, four of the senators who haven't endorsed Trump were among the original 7 Republicans who voted to convict Trump after the January 6 insurrection.

Here's a closer look at each Republican senator who has declined to endorse Trump  and why.

Sen. Bill Cassidy

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

The Louisiana senator, who voted to convict Trump after January 6, has been strikingly coy about who he will vote for this year.

He has been staunchly critical of Trump over the last several years, including declaring a year ago that the former president should drop out of the race.

All the while, he has declined to say who he would eventually vote for in 2024, simply saying it would be "a Republican."

Over the summer, Cassidy said in a statement that he would "commit to working with President Trump if he is the next presidentand it appears he is going to beto make things better for all."

In September, when Business Insider asked Cassidy about who he would vote for this November  including whether he was ruling out voting for Trump  the senator repeated three times that he's "not voting for Harris."

Sen. Susan Collins

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Collins, the Maine senator who's among the most moderate figures in the contemporary GOP, said in July that she will be writing in former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley for President this November.

"I publicly endorsed Nikki Haley, and I wanted her to win. She's still my favorite candidate, and I think she could do a great job," Collins told a local news outlet. "She's my choice, and that's how I'm going to express it."

Collins voted to convict Trump after January 6, and she has never endorsed him. In 2016, she wrote in then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. She has refused to say who she voted for in 2020.

Sen. Jerry Moran

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Moran, a long-serving Republican senator from Kansas, won't say who he's voting for this November and has declined to endorse Trump.

That's not necessarily because he's against Trump.

"I don't endorse candidates," Moran told Axios in July. "Never have."

Moran did not vote to convict Trump after January 6, though he said the former president was "wrong to continue to spread allegations of widespread fraud and not immediately discourage the reprehensible and unpatriotic behavior" at the Capitol that day.

Less than two weeks later, Trump endorsed Moran for reelection in 2022. His campaign touted the endorsement at the time as stemming from "the confidence President Trump has in Sen. Moran to continue to put Kansas and America first."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Much like Collins, Murkowski is a more moderate Republican senator  one who voted to convict Trump after January 6.

Earlier this year, she made clear that she would not vote for Trump in 2024, and seemed to indicate an openness to leaving the GOP. She later clarified that she felt that she's "in the right place" as a Republican.

Murkowski wrote in another name in 2020, declining to say who. She also did not support him in 2016.

Despite her opposition to Trump, she's managed to survive politically in her conservative-leaning home state of Alaska, winning reelection against a Trump-backed candidate in 2022.

Sen. Rand Paul

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Kentucky's libertarian senator isn't endorsing Trump. But that doesn't mean he doesn't support him.

Paul told CNBC in September that there's "no question that Donald Trump is better than Kamala Harris" but that he remains enthusiastic about the former president's candidacy.

"You know, I'm a deficit hawk. The Trump administration added 8 trillion," Paul said on CNBC.

Sen. Mitt Romney

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

The Utah Republican and 2012 presidential candidate, who's retiring from the Senate in January, is perhaps the most anti-Trump GOP voice in the upper chamber.

He voted to convict Trump not once, but twice  for inciting an insurrection in 2021, and for abusing his power in 2020 in connection with his efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden's family.

Romney says he did not vote for Trump in 2020, though he has declined to say who he did vote for. Last year, Romney said that if the 2024 election were to be a rematch between Biden and Trump, he would do the same thing he did in 2016: Write in his wife, Ann.

But this election isn't a rematch after all: It's Harris versus Trump.

When asked if he might endorse Harris in September, he told a reporter that he's "got nothing more on that front," adding "we'll see" if he writes in Ann Romney again.

Sen. Todd Young

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

The Indiana senator is an interesting case: He didn't vote to impeach Trump, but he doesn't seem to be a big fan of the former president either.

In March, he said he would not support Trump during the 2024 GOP presidential primary.

Yet unlike most of the other Republicans on this list, he's largely refused to discuss his vote any further.

In September, he told reporters that he'll "talk to you after the election" when asked about the debate between Harris and Trump.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Why Britain is running out of pilots  and how to become one

Only six per cent of pilots worldwide are female, although operators are keen to alter this - Joe Pepler/PinPep

British pilots are in demand. Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabias fledgling airline, has been accused of poaching our pilots  offering higher salaries and better perks. This, in combination with a post-Covid retirement boom, means that airlines like Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and easyJet are facing a struggle to keep their rosters full. And Riyadh Air isnt the only airline tempting the countrys pilots away from home-grown carriers, with Gulf rivals Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways all expanding in recent years.

It seems theres never been a better time to be a pilot. But how do you actually become one? For those hoping to earn their wings, the process is lengthy  and often costly, comprising examinations, medical tests and many hours of flying practice.

The skills needed

It starts at school. Pilots are required to have good GCSEs in science, maths and English, and usually A-levels, too. A university degree is not necessarily needed, although most employers stress that anything which helps candidates stand out is to be encouraged  some airlines even reference Duke of Edinburgh Awards as desirable.

A medical examination is needed, too. Alongside a questionnaire on family health, would-be pilots have their eyesight, hearing, and lung function tested, plus take echocardiograms and X-rays. Contrary to popular belief, glasses-wearers can get their licence. Other conditions, like angina or heart failure, neurological conditions that require medication, diabetes, chronic lung disease and more may mean a medical certificate isnt issueable.

A critical part of the process, of course, is the number of flying hours youve clocked up. How many? To meet these requirements, applicants usually enrol in a private flying school, with most offering modular courses that allow candidates to reach the requisite number (at least 195 hours). While the length and cost of these training sessions vary, a committed learner could likely complete a course within 18 months.

EasyJets training course sees trainees take their first flight in Phoenix, Arizona - Getty

It isnt easy, however. Brian Smith, a pilot who has flown with multiple operators, says there were days when he didnt want to train. I would pray for cloud cover, because I didnt want to go out. The instructors were not very forgiving, and it was tough.

An alternative option is the airline-run training academy. EasyJet has an 18-22 month course, with trainees taking their first flight in Phoenix, Arizona, and graduating directly to a co-pilot position. Ryanairs Future Flyers scheme operates similarly, as does Virgin Atlantics equivalent (where first flights also take place in Arizona or else New Zealand).

The British Airways Speedbird Pilot Cadet Programme is particularly popular: some 20,000 people applied for just 100 places last year, all vying for their training fees to be covered. Its understandable, as the process can be prohibitively expensive. The career website Prospects recommends budgeting up to 130,000, citing course fees and certification charges.

Its very often funded through the bank of mum and dad, says Smith. Or its young men and women taking out huge loans, and it takes a while to pay it back. And its not the sort of industry where jobs are guaranteed all the time  Covid proved that.

Budding pilots must clock up at least 195 hours flying time before they get their licence - Getty

During this period, would-be pilots also have to take a series of gruelling examinations, in topics like aviation law, aerodynamics, propeller theory and navigation systems. Its a bit like drinking from a fire hose, it can be very intense, says Smith.

Regardless of whether candidates learn to fly independently or with a flying school, they will, eventually, graduate with a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and an Instrumental Rating (IR). Combined, these make a frozen Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL). To become a captain  rather than just a pilot or co-pilot  this needs to be unfrozen, which requires 1,500 hours in the sky plus an additional, more intensive medical exam.

The interview stage

Once pilots have their licence, its through to the interview stage. While airlines are facing a retention crisis in the UK, positions are still oversubscribed, which means demonstrating a willingness to work unsociable hours is often key. For many candidates, the flexibility of short haul is ideal; others prefer the opportunity to travel the world that long haul provides.

Regardless, the hiring process  and the job itself  is difficult. Social media sharing has heightened the scrutiny pilots face, and with incidents of severe turbulence on the rise, diligence is more important than ever.

Aptitude tests

To discern an applicants ability to cope with in-cabin pressures, aptitude tests are often used to reveal intangible characteristics like the use of logic, crisis management and spatial awareness. No standardised testing is used, which means budding captains are subject to the whim of the employer. Nevertheless, online services offer practice sessions that vary from reading comprehension tasks to personality trait quizzes; a typical test shows a series of moving blocks that potential candidates have to quickly record.

Mathematical aptitude also matters. Typically, this means calculating the area of shapes, demonstrating the use of standard algebra formulas, and using percentages. Often, the first few interview stages are outsourced. Only candidates who make it through to the final part will be questioned by airline employees.

Would-be pilots have their eyesight, hearing, and lung function tested - Getty

After this final stage, a capacity test on a flight simulator is used, requiring candidates to complete various in-cockpit tasks across two displays. Complete those, and youll likely be asked more airline-specific questions, including flight routes and the history of the company. The process is extremely arduous but, if a pilot passes every stage, they could be on their way to captaining a plane.

The newly graduated pilot will be on a starting salary of around 40,000. But this has the potential to rise quickly, says Smith, with captains earning up to 150,000 as their responsibilities increase. And while the process is difficult, theres a sense that the modern process produces particularly conscientious pilots. I really admire their resilience, Smith says.

As for the current climate? Smith thinks now is a great time to start the application process. Budding pilots should take a trial flight and speak to other pilots before starting the process, he says. Ive never met anyone who doesnt enjoy it. The sense of satisfaction is immense.

Why are there so few female pilots?

Only six per cent of pilots worldwide are female, although operators are keen to alter this.

Schemes like the Amy Johnson Flying Initiative, run jointly by easyJet and the British Women Pilots Association, aim to encourage women to apply for a licence. The programme offers underwritten loans for six female applicants while working with schools and colleges to encourage women to consider aviation careers.

It seems to be working. Numbers remain small, but the UKs Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reports that between 2019 and 2023, there was a 26 per cent increase in pilot licences issued to women. That includes a 43 per cent increase in the number of licences issued to women for commercial flying.

Research by easyJet shows that twice as many men (32 per cent) have considered becoming a pilot compared to women (15 per cent). Experts cite the prohibitive costs, in addition to cultural preconceptions, as the reasons why the numbers remain low. Schemes like the CAAs STEM programme, aimed at getting women and girls into science and engineering, are looking to change this.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
AVOCA, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  A bomb scare caused a lot of tense moments at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport on Saturday.

28/22 News spoke with an airport official and a passenger who had to rebook his flight because of what officials are calling a bomb threat

Saturday morning around 11:23, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport received a bomb threat causing people to evacuate.

The only information we are available to release at this time is the Joseph McDade Terminal building as well as several other buildings were evacuated of all passengers and personnel, said Eric Mckitish the Director of Marketing, Communications, & Air Service Development.

Officials are still unsure if there was a specific area of the airport the threat was targeting.

At this time, there are no details on the specific nature of the bomb threat from where the threat may have originated, says Mckitish.

Arrest made in Georgia after threats to schools in NEPA

The TSA has some help in trying to get to the bottom of the bomb threat.

Federal and local law-enforcement, as well as the Transportation Security Administration, are involved in the investigation, added Mckitish.

Only one flight was delayed because of the scare.

There was only one departing flight affected because of the incident and that was an American Airlines flight to Charlotte, North Carolina, stated Mckitish.

One passenger 28/22 News spoke with was supposed to fly to Louisiana when the bomb threat was made.

He says he was about to get on the plane when the announcement came to evacuate.

I was getting ready to board in fact we were in pre-boarding stage and the announcement came over, and everybody evacuated, noted Skip Bellus from Flordia.

How this situation makes him feel.

It aggravates me that people have to do this in our world you know why, it doesnt make sense, continued Bellus.

He says this is the first time hes experienced something like this.

Yeah, Ive been traveling Im 65 and been traveling since Im 18 so no its never happened, says Bellus.

Saturdays bomb threat comes one day after police in Georgia arrested a juvenile for making threats on social media Thursday to schools in Lackawanna County.

The airport bomb threat is an ongoing investigation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
The American space agency NASA says it has confirmed the long-suspected existence of an electric field that surrounds Earth.

A rocket named Endurance gathered the information that led to the confirmation. Endurance launched from Norway on May 11, 2022. The launch site was the closest possible to the North Pole.

Endurance reached a top altitude of 768 kilometers. The rocket captured data on the electric field during its 19-minute flight before splashing down in the sea, off the coast of Greenland.

NASA says that since the 1960s, spacecraft flying over Earths poles have recorded collections of particles flowing from the planets atmosphere into space. But the cause of these outflows long remained a mystery. Scientists lacked the technology and tools to confirm an electric field and further explore it.

But the development in recent years of new observation methods and instruments led NASA to plan the Endurance mission. So the agency built the rocket and a new data instrument and planned the launch.

NASA scientist Glyn Collinson, an expert in space instrument design, led the Endurance mission.

Collinson explains in a video that scientists believe the electric field they searched for was one of three energy fields affecting Earth. The others are gravitational and magnetic. Scientists are calling the third energy field the ambipolar electric field.

A NASA statement says scientists believe the ambipolar field is an influential driver of the polar wind. They described the wind as a steady outflow of charged particles into space that occurs above Earths poles. Scientists believe the ambipolar electric field counteracts some of the effects of gravity.

This electric field lifts the charged particles in Earths upper atmosphere to greater heights than they would otherwise reach, NASA said. Scientists had theorized this electric field began at around 250 kilometers high. This is where atoms in our atmosphere break apart into negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions. This activity helps form a part of Earths atmosphere known as the ionosphere.

NASA noted the Endurance mission permitted researchers to successfully identify and measure a planet-wide electric field thought to be as fundamental to Earth as its gravity and magnetic fields. A study describing the teams results recently appeared in the publication Nature.

NASA said studying the ambipolar electric field is important because it may have shaped our planets evolution in ways yet to be explored. In addition, the agency said further study of this field can help scientists better understand other planets and possibly find ones with conditions that may support life.

Leader Collinson said that, during the mission, the instrument on the rocket was able to measure an electrical voltage of 0.55 volts. He said this level is very low, about the same voltage used to power a watch battery. But, he noted that 0.55 volts was just the right amount to explain the outflows of particles driving the polar wind.

Collinson said he finds the results incredibly important because the newly confirmed electric field can counter the effects of gravity and basically lifts the skies up. He described the field as a kind of conveyor belt thats lifting this atmosphere up into space.

Alex Glocer is a project scientist for the Endurance mission and was a co-writer of the study. He said he agrees with those findings. Thats more than enough to counter gravity  in fact, its enough to launch them upwards into space at supersonic speeds, Glocer said. Supersonic describes speeds that are greater than the speed of sound.

The team said the study results suggest the ambipolar electric field also greatly increases the density of the ionosphere at higher atmospheric positions.

Collinson said, Any planet with an atmosphere should have an ambipolar field. Now that weve finally measured it, we can begin learning how its shaped our planet as well as others over time.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from NASA.

Quiz - NASA Rocket Confirms Existence of Earths Hidden Electric Field Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

______________________________________

Words in This Story

pole  n. either part of an axis of a sphere and especially of Earth's axis

counteract  v. the reduce a bad effect of something else

fundamental  adj. relating to the most important or main part of something

evolution  n. a gradual process of change and development

battery  n. an object that provides electricity for things such as radios, toys, cars, etc.

conveyor belt  n. a continuous moving piece of rubber or metal that is used to transport objects from one place to another
WIS-57 shutdown in Sheboygan County starts Monday; what to know

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - Wisconsin Highway 57 will be shut down in Sheboygan County starting Monday, Sept. 16 for railroad work.

The full closure, impacting both northbound and southbound traffic, will be from County Highway PP to Spur Lane. It starts at 4 a.m. Monday and is expected to remain closed until 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

WisDOT said the detour will use Wisconsin Highways 23 and 28, as well as Interstate 43. The full detour is more than 20 miles.

Monitor traffic on the freeway system throughout southeast Wisconsin any time with FOX6's interactive map, powered by Google.
Wisconsin can't afford two school systems. Religious schools should not get public money.

Many understand Wisconsins eventual inability to adequately support two school systems (public and private voucher schools).

I would not oppose vouchers to non-religious private schools that would be required, like public schools, to accept all applicants and to provide for special needs students. Also, required reading and math scores should be made public at the end of each school year, no exceptions.

Im opposed to our tax dollars going to schools that teach that only Christians or any other denomination adherents are saved.

Nancy Moews, Greendale

Scary stuff: Project 2025 spells out second Trump term in alarming detail.

U.S. Education Secretary: Tax dollars that flow to choice schools take away critical funds for public education

Tips for getting your letter to the editor published

Here are some tips to get your views shared with your friends, family, neighbors and across our state:

Please include your name, street address and daytime phone.

Generally, we limit letters to 200 words.

Cite sources of where you found information or the article that prompted your letter.

Be civil and constructive, especially when criticizing.

Avoid ad hominem attacks, take issue with a position, not a person.

We cannot acknowledge receipt of submissions.

We don't publish poetry, anonymous or open letters.

Each writer is limited to one published letter every two months.

All letters are subject to editing.

Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax: (414)-223-5444. E-mail: jsedit@jrn.com or submit using the form that can be found on the on the bottom of this page.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Religious schools should not be eligible for voucher tax funding
Wittenberg University canceled all sporting events and other activities Sunday at its Springfield campus and Clark State College is going to online classes this week at its Springfield and other locations because of threats of violence related to false claims about the city's Haitian immigrants.

They were the latest in a series of threats against government offices, schools, hospitals and other facilities in Springfield since former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, began sharing false information about immigrants in the city 45 miles west of Columbus stealing and eating pets.

"University administrators recognize that the city of Springfield has experienced an increase of threats to local government, businesses and schools in the past week," Wittenberg officials posted to the school's website Sunday. "We take this threat seriously and will provide updates to the campus as we learn more about the situation."

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks of the concerns surrounding an influx of 15,000 Haitian immigrants into Springfield, Ohio on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, af the Ohio Department of Public Safety headquarters, 1980 W. Broad St., Columbus. He is flanked by Col. Charles Jones (left), director of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

The university received a threat Saturday by email of a shooting planned for campus, which prompted the cancellation of events. At 1 p.m. Sunday, another emailed threat warned of a bomb in a red Honda Civic. Police removed a car matching the description from Bill Edwards Drive, which bisects the Wittenberg campus, but said there was nothing suspicious found.

Wittenberg police are working with Springfield police and the FBI to investigate the threats and said they were making increased patrols of the campus Sunday.

The university urged students, faculty and staff to "exercise extreme precaution," be alert to their surroundings and report suspicious activity to Wittenberg police at 937-327-6363. or 937-327-6231. Officials said they might order a lockdown "if we learn more from the ongoing investigation."

Classes on Monday and in the coming week at Wittenberg's Springfield campus were unaffected as of Sunday.

However, Clark State College announced Sunday it will move from in-person classes this coming week Monday through Friday to online virtual classes only at its Springfield and all other locations. Citing "recent events in Springfield," Clark State said it was "taking proactive measures to ensure the well-being of all students, faculty and staff."

In a release, Clark State said the college received an email threat late Saturday via the admissions link on its website which raised concerns about a possible shooting. On Sunday, the college received an emailed bomb threat to the Springfield campus. Both threats are the same that were made to Wittenberg.

Clark State said it took immediate action in contacting Springfield police to ensure the campus was secure and safe. However, "out of an abundance of caution," Clark State said it is closing all campuses from Monday through Friday and will conduct all instruction virtually. Employees should work from home an all activities are canceled, incluing the Rhodes Hall open house.

"We understand the anxiety that such incidents can cause and we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and care," the college said on its website. "As a proactive measure, Springfield police will also increase their security presence on campus, and we are working with our wellness team and partners to provide additional counseling services.

"We remain dedicated to providing strong academic programs and will work to ensure minimal disruption to our educational environment, but we will always prioritize the safety and wellness of our students, employees and community. We appreciate your understanding during this challenging time."

Clark State holds most of its academic programs at its Leffel Lane campus in Springfield, where its student services, bookstore, dining, gym, classrooms and administrative offices are located. However, the college also has fire, EMS, criminal justice and police academy programs at Brinkman Education Center and the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center, both on Limestone Street; and college's Performing Arts Center is located on South Fountain Avenue, all in downtown Springfield.

In addition, Clark State has programs in Beavercreek, Bellefontaine and Xenia.

Threats to Springfield institutions exploded after presidential debate

Trump, in a nationally televised debate Tuesday with his Democratic rival for president, Vice President Kamala Harris, falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are eating cats and dogs. Trump also claimed that about 20,000 Haitians in the city are there illegally, even though a majority came to the United States under the federal government's Temporary Protected Status program because they were fleeing gangs and economic insecurity in their home country.

On Sunday, Vance acknowledged during an interview on CNN that he has been spreading rumors. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that's what I'm going to do, he said.

Gov. Mike DeWine, who pledged at least $2.5 million in state funding last week to help Springfield officials with health care access and road safety, called the threats to public safety over the approximately 15,000 Haitians state officials say are in the city "a very sad thing."

Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck, who said the city has found no credible reports of pets being harmed, injured or abused by members of the Haitian immigrant community, called the spreading of misinformation "disappointing."

The parents of an 11-year-old boy who was killed in a traffic crash last year caused by a Haitian immigrant said last week that an "incessant group of hate-spewing people" was using their son's death for political gain. Haitian immigrants, many of whom were invited to Springfield by employers unable to fill jobs, have said they are experiencing increased threats and harassment.

rvitale@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Clark State going online; Wittenberg U cancels Sun Springfield events
Wittenberg University has canceled all events and activities on Sunday after receiving an email about a potential on-campus shooting threat, according to an alert from the university.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

TRENDING STORIES:

The university said the threat targeted Haitian members of the community. The campus is located in Springfield.

All students, faculty and staff are asked to exercise extreme caution, be alert of all surroundings, and prepare for additional instructions or a lockdown.

The Springfield Police Division will have increased patrols on campus on Sunday.

University administrators recognize that the city of Springfield has experienced an increase of threats to local government, businesses, and schools in the past week. We take this threat seriously and will provide updates to the campus as we learn more about the situation, the university said.

Wittenberg police are working with the Springfield Police Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate this threat.

Anyone who may see suspicious behavior or have any information about the threat is asked to contact the Wittenberg Police Division at (937) 327-6363 or (937) 327-6231.

News Center 7 will continue to follow this story and provide updates.

[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Wittenberg University classes will be online only Monday and all sporting events and other activities are being canceled for a second straight day at its Springfield campus because of threats of violence related to false claims about the city's Haitian immigrants, the university announce Sunday.

Meanwhile, Clark State College is going to online classes this entire week at its Springfield campuses and other locations because of threats of similar threats of violence.

The actions were taken in response to the latest in a series of threats against government offices, schools, hospitals and other facilities in Springfield since former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, began sharing false information about immigrants in the city 45 miles west of Columbus stealing and eating pets.

Wittenberg students with field, clinical, or other off-campus experiences Monday are being told to follow the protocol of the agency where they are placed. Professors will communicate their expectations to their students.Faculty and staff are also expected to work remotely Monday, except for essential employees. All events, athletics, and activities, which were canceled Sunday, will again be canceled Monday.

In addition, all Wittenberg academic facilities will be locked Monday.

"University administrators recognize that the city of Springfield has experienced an increase of threats to local government, businesses and schools in the past week," Wittenberg officials posted to the school's website Sunday. "We take this threat seriously..."

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks of the concerns surrounding an influx of 15,000 Haitian immigrants into Springfield, Ohio on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, af the Ohio Department of Public Safety headquarters, 1980 W. Broad St., Columbus. He is flanked by Col. Charles Jones (left), director of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

The university received a threat Saturday by email of a shooting planned for campus, which prompted the cancellation of all events Sunday. At 1 p.m. Sunday, another emailed threat warned of a bomb in a red Honda Civic. Police removed a car matching the description from Bill Edwards Drive, which bisects the Wittenberg campus, but said there was nothing suspicious found. By late Sunday afternoon, however, Wittenberg decided to hold remote classes only Monday due to the developing situation.

The university urged students, faculty and staff to "exercise extreme precaution," be alert to their surroundings and report suspicious activity to Wittenberg police at 937-327-6363. or 937-327-6231. Officials said they might order a lockdown "if we learn more from the ongoing investigation."

Clark State College announced Sunday it will move from in-person classes Monday through Friday to online virtual classes only at its Springfield and all other locations. Citing "recent events in Springfield," Clark State said it was "taking proactive measures to ensure the well-being of all students, faculty and staff."

March 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Clark State College is a public community college in Springfield, Ohio. It opened in 1962.

In a release, Clark State said the college received an email threat late Saturday via the admissions link on its website which raised concerns about a possible shooting. On Sunday, the college received an emailed bomb threat to the Springfield campus. Both threats are the same that were made to Wittenberg.

Clark State said it took immediate action in contacting Springfield police to ensure the campus was secure and safe. However, "out of an abundance of caution," Clark State said it is closing all campuses from Monday through Friday and will conduct all instruction virtually. Employees should work from home an all activities are canceled, incluing the Rhodes Hall open house.

"We understand the anxiety that such incidents can cause and we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and care," the college said on its website. "As a proactive measure, Springfield police will also increase their security presence on campus, and we are working with our wellness team and partners to provide additional counseling services.

"We remain dedicated to providing strong academic programs and will work to ensure minimal disruption to our educational environment, but we will always prioritize the safety and wellness of our students, employees and community. We appreciate your understanding during this challenging time."

Clark State holds most of its academic programs at its Leffel Lane campus in Springfield, where its student services, bookstore, dining, gym, classrooms and administrative offices are located. However, the college also has fire, EMS, criminal justice and police academy programs at Brinkman Education Center and the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center, both on Limestone Street; and college's Performing Arts Center is located on South Fountain Avenue, all in downtown Springfield.

In addition, Clark State has programs in Beavercreek, Bellefontaine and Xenia.

Threats to Springfield institutions exploded after presidential debate

Trump, in a nationally televised debate Tuesday with his Democratic rival for president, Vice President Kamala Harris, falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are eating cats and dogs. Trump also claimed that about 20,000 Haitians in the city are there illegally, even though a majority came to the United States under the federal government's Temporary Protected Status program because they were fleeing gangs and economic insecurity in their home country.

On Sunday, Vance acknowledged during an interview on CNN that he has been spreading rumors. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that's what I'm going to do, he said.

Gov. Mike DeWine, who pledged at least $2.5 million in state funding last week to help Springfield officials with health care access and road safety, called the threats to public safety over the approximately 15,000 Haitians state officials say are in the city "a very sad thing."

Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck, who said the city has found no credible reports of pets being harmed, injured or abused by members of the Haitian immigrant community, called the spreading of misinformation "disappointing."

The parents of an 11-year-old boy who was killed in a traffic crash last year caused by a Haitian immigrant said last week that an "incessant group of hate-spewing people" was using their son's death for political gain. Haitian immigrants, many of whom were invited to Springfield by employers unable to fill jobs, have said they are experiencing increased threats and harassment.

rvitale@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Clark State, Wittenberg U go online only over Springfield threats
LOS ANGELES - A woman was stabbed to death and another man was injured after an attack in South Los Angeles on Friday night.

It happened around 9 p.m. Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department were called out to the 100 block of 94th Street. When they got there, they found the two people suffering from stab wounds.

According to officers, the man and woman, both 35, were sitting in a car when the suspect walked up to the car. That's when officers said he stabbed the man in the car.

SUGGESTED: Woman sexually assaulted in broad daylight while sunbathing near Santa Monica Pier; suspect arrested

The woman in the car ran off, but the suspect chased her, stabbing her multiple times. Officers said that the woman's son pushed the attacker off her before he ran away.

Paramedics with the Los Angeles Fire Department brought both victims to the hospital. The woman was later pronounced dead; the man is still in the hospital and listed in stable condition.

The attacker from Friday's attack is still on the loose. Police are still searching for him, but didn't offer a detailed description. The LAPD said to FOX 11 that the attack may have been a domestic incident.
A passenger aboard an American Airlines flight is suing the carrier over claims her genitalia was badly burned when a scalding pot of coffee fell off a serving cart and into her lap during turbulence.

Gina Mason, 68, was flying home from Baltimore to Detroit on February 11 when the captain came over the PA system and asked everyone in the cabin to take their seats due to bumpy air up ahead, according to a lawsuit filed August 13 in Wayne County, Michigan Circuit Court and removed to Detroit federal court last week.

The suit says the flight attendants were in the middle of distributing beverages and snacks throughout the cabin when the turbulence began, and one of them parked their cart next to Mason, who was buckled up in seat 29A, then went to sit down.

During the turbulence, the beverage cart was shaking which resulted in the hot coffee pot that was left on top of the cart to fall off into [Masons] lap, causing her to sustain severe 1st and 2nd degree burns over her legs, thighs, and genital area, the complaint states.

Gina Mason says her troubles began when a flight attendant left a beverage cart unattended (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Mason is not the first airline passenger to claim damages in court from a hot beverage fiasco at 30,000 feet. In February, a woman flying Korean Air from New York City to Seoul sued after a flight attendant spilled a cup of boiling hot coffee on [her] lap, causing her to sustain grievous personal injuries near her genital area, according to a civil complaint filed in New York State Supreme Court.

In 2022, a traveler  also aboard Korean Air  sued after she said a flight attendant spilled hot tea onto her lap, causing burns to her legs, both thighs and the area in between, and possible permanent cosmetic deformity and scarring. In 2015, the carrier was hit with a lawsuit by a man claiming similar injuries from a cup of hot coffee a Korean Air flight attendant had allegedly placed on his tray table amidst a bout of rough turbulence. (Earlier this month, Korean Air announced it would no longer offer instant noodles to passengers on long-haul flights, blaming turbulence for an increase in burn accidents.)

A 33-year-old man flying Ryanair from London to Dublin settled out of court with the airline in 2015 over an incident in which he said his genitals and groin were horribly burned when a flight attendant accidentally poured boiling tea onto him. Ronald Furlong, who was forced to disrobe in the aisle of the plane and sit in a temporary seat for the remainder of the flight, was awarded an undisclosed amount for his troubles.

Korean Air said it would no longer serve instant noodles on long-haul flights due to the increased possibility of burns during turbulence (Associated Press)

The following year, a 16-year-old boy sued Virgin Australia over a hot coffee spill he said caused excruciating burns and blistering to his genitals . In 2018, a model flying Asiana business class from South Korea to Paris sued after receiving 3rd-degree burns to her private parts after a flight attendant spilled hot noodle soup on her. The woman said her injuries wound up impacting her relationship with her husband; a court in Seoul awarded her about $130,000 as compensation.

In Masons case, her lawsuit accuses American Airlines of not having used due care and caution in securing their beverage carts during the flight, and says the flight attendant was negligent in failing to remove or secure the hot coffee pot on the beverage cart during extreme turbulence and negligently leaving the beverage cart parked directly next to a passengers seat during extreme turbulence.

On top of the burns, Mason says the incident also caused her anxiety and depression, according to the complaint.

She is asking for money damages, to be determined by a judge, for physical pain and suffering, physical disability, incapacity, denial of everyday social pleasures and enjoyments, diminished quality of life, scarring and disfigurement, mental anguish, emotional distress, fright and shock, [and] embarrassment and humiliation, along with reimbursement for legal fees and medical expenses.

American Airlines officials, and the attorneys defending the carrier against Masons lawsuit, did not respond to The Independents requests for comment on Sunday.
A woman sustained serious injuries this week after falling and tumbling more than 150 feet down an embankment at a Washington state waterfall popular with hikers, authorities said.

The fall at Racehorse Falls near Deming, Washington, on Tuesday afternoon was the fifth one at the attraction this year, Whatcom County Fire District 14 said in a statement Wednesday.

The 25-year-old woman fell 50 to 60 feet initially then tumbled down an additional 100 feet of "slippery rock slope" before reaching bottom, the fire district said.

"Our crews rappelled down, packaged the patient into a litter, and lifted her out of the canyon," the fire district said. "Firefighters then carried her out the 1/3 mile trail using our wheeled litter."

A woman tumbled and fell more than 150 feet down an embankment at Racehorse Falls, Wash., on Tuesday.

A Bellingham Fire Department medic unit rushed her to a hospital, it said. District Assistant Chief David Moe said by email Saturday that the woman was stabilized at a hospital in Bellingham before she was transferred to a facility in Seattle.

Her exact condition was unavailable, he said.

Though the lush waterfall near the U.S.-Canada border and about 100 miles north of Seattle is a draw for hikers, its rainy climate and rocky environment can make for a perilous trek.

The Racehorse Creek area is home to 50-million-year-old leaf fossils, and ancient landslide, and a modern landslide that created a 90-foot scarp in 2009, the state Department of National Resources says in a primer on the area.

The waterfall itself plunges 169 feet, the department says. A warning sign at the attraction warns visitors they are near a cliff's edge with no routine access to the bottom.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Backstage, Kamala Harris pulled aside Jahana Hayes. Shed give the congresswoman her local press boost and photo op, but first, the vice president needed to talk about why she was popping into Connecticut of all places during the final month of her 2022 midterm campaigning: Hayes wasnt raising enough money.

Pick it up, Harris told her. National Democrats wouldnt stick with Hayes if she didnt help herself.

Long before she became the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris had started quietly nurturing a network of next-generation politicians  almost all women of color, many with backgrounds in the law, many who didnt know who else was in the group. Often, that has been through check-in calls offering encouragement and advice, many of these women told CNN, though sometimes Harris will interrogate them on the specifics of campaign strategy or push them on how theyre dealing with labor or other constituencies.

She was on a running text thread with Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley. She counseled longtime friend and former aide Laphonza Butler through the frenetic weekend last fall that ended with Butlers appointment to the Senate. She hosted a collection of Black congresswomen for a dinner at the Naval Observatory, the vice presidents residence.

Tears can flow. Major life-changing decisions get made. Harris always asks about their kids. And along the way, these relationships have become core for Harris herself  as a mission for a politician who takes seriously her mothers admonition to be the first but not the last. Theyre also a comfort for a vice president who remembers well her own loneliness as she worked her way up and serve as a base of support for a politician who until July had seen much of the Democratic establishment turn on her.

She checks in on people that nobody else pays attention to, said Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a first-term congresswoman from Texas who teared up last month recalling the first time the two met  in a photo line during a reception on Crocketts first visit to the Naval Observatory. Harris looked at her and said, Whats wrong?

Crockett said that it wasnt until that moment that she realized how overwhelmed she felt wondering if shed made a mistake running for Congress, on top of the stress of battling with Republicans on the House Oversight Committee in defense of President Joe Biden.

Harris, Crockett said, saw right through me, as she felt only another Black woman who had experienced the same pressures and bruises of politics could.

With Harris within reach of the Oval Office, these women feel the pride of now supporting her, but also of what her win would mean to them, the issues they have connected on and their own careers. Many who had never imagined careers in politics boggle at the idea of a president who might look like them and know them by name.

Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maryland, has started collecting magazines with Harris on the cover, buttons, a T-shirt and other memorabilia. Lateefah Simon, who first met Harris over 20 years ago when the young San Francisco assistant district attorney reached out to Simon as the leader of a group for young girls in trouble, is now all but certain to win an open House seat anchored in Oakland. She broke down sobbing during Maya Harris convention speech when thinking of her own memories of the vice presidents mother.

Simon likes to joke that whenever an unknown caller comes up, its either her student loan company or Harris. When she got one of those calls in March, it was Harris with a congratulations and what Simon says was the most beautiful pep talk that Ive ever had from anybody, hours before the primary polls closed.

If Harris will soon be making those calls from the White House, to Simon that would be the ultimate proof of the biggest lesson she has learned from Harris over the years: That this thing is doable, that we dont need to have legacy or families that are multimillionaires, she said. There is a road to leadership.

Connecticut Rep. Jahana Hayes talks with Harris in New Haven on March 26, 2021. - Susan Walsh/AP

Campaign advice and help crafting bills

Now about a month shy of 60, Harris is not that much older than most of these women, but she is older enough and has been credited enough times for being a first in the offices she has won.

She came into their lives in different ways, at different points. Alsobrooks read an article about Harris restorative justice work as San Francisco district attorney in Essence magazine when she was running to be a county prosecutor in Maryland and started talking about it on the trail. Then, a few days after she won, her phone rang.

Hi, its Kamala Harris, Alsobrooks remembers hearing.

She was shocked.

Can you imagine like youre talking about someone you read about in a magazine? I didnt even know she knew I existed, Alsobrooks told CNN after a recent campaign stop. Not only did she call, but she said, Tell me, how I can help you?

Alsobrooks ended up flying to San Francisco, where Harris set her up with meetings, including with people at Goodwill Industries, who oversaw the workforce development program that had partnered with Harris office, and with a judge who helped guide younger offenders toward the restorative justice program. They hit it off, and years later, Harris invited Alsobrooks back across the country to ride her campaign bus for the final stretch of her 2016 Senate campaign.

Harris joins Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks onstage to speak at a campaign event in Landover on June 7, 2024. - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

For Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, the first time she saw Harris was when the then-district attorney spoke at her 2009 UCLA law school commencement. She was intrigued, went to fundraisers for Harris in Boston and flew to California for her Senate election victory party.

Joy was the theme of the Democratic convention in August, but Alsobrooks and Campbell say that Harris has been stressing the word to them for years. To Campbell, it wasnt just pushing an ephemeral feeling, but encouraging her not to shy away from speaking about the time her father and brothers spent in prison.

Harris always encouraged me, offered love and guidance on how not to be distracted by those who would want to use it against me, Campbell said. Instead, she used that story to pull people into the political fold where they may feel as though politics and government isnt for them.

Harriss advice hits a few consistent beats: None of it is personal, Dont internalize it, Come early and stay late, Stay focused on your why and, perhaps most consistently, If it was easy, everyone would do this.

She wants us to understand the reality of what it means to be a Black woman running for higher office, that there are significant challenges: Its much harder to fundraise. It can be more challenging to break through, including in the media, to cover your race or to cover your story with the thoughtfulness maybe it deserves, Campbell said.

But sometimes the advice is specific.

Malia Cohen, now the California state controller, first met Harris as a volunteer for Gavin Newsoms mayoral campaign in San Francisco, but then she got interested in the young Black woman who was running for district attorney. Cohen switched over to Harris campaign for a few shifts.

When Cohen launched her own campaign years later for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, a man she met with to ask for an endorsement invited her to a Bruce Springsteen concert and offered to buy her drinks.

Cohen remembered telling Harris on a call what happened.

She said, When youre talking to these guys, stick to your guns, talk business, and make it very, very clear that this is not a date, Cohen recalled. And I asked her if she ever experienced that and she said, No. All of these men know that when Im in the room, that Im about business. And that was the end of that.

Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the Nevada Democratic Party chair and the speaker pro tempore of the state Assembly, was at a luncheon in Las Vegas when she met Harris, not long after the Senate win. They started talking about the maternal health legislation Monroe-Moreno was working on.

Kamala said, Ive been working on that myself. Can I help you? And I thought, Sure, OK, you can help me. But shes a senator, right? Shes busy, Monroe-Moreno remembered. But just a few weeks later, I get a call, and its one of her staff, who said, Hey, my boss is Kamala Harris, and she said youre working on a policy, and weve done a lot of research.

Two weeks of collaborating and wrangling with colleagues later, the bill passed. Monroe-Moreno said she doubts the law would have ended up on the books without that help.

Peggy Flanagan, the lieutenant governor of Minnesota, hasnt had as many encounters with Harris, but the ones shes had stick with her. In the spring, backstage at an EMILYs List gala, Flanagan  who is of Native American heritage  was going on about how great it was to see the video the vice presidents office had just put out with the old cast of A Different World about the administrations work on student debt.

Before Harris went out onstage, Flanagan said, She grabbed me by my shoulders and said, I want you to know that I have your back.

From left, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, podcast host Emily Tisch Sussman and Harris speak about reproductive rights at an event in St. Paul on October 22, 2022. - Abbie Parr/AP

I just know what she endured

The loyalty runs both ways. Campbell, seven months pregnant at the time, flew to Iowa to campaign for Harris during her unsuccessful bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. And amid the early Democratic implosion around Bidens candidacy in July, Hayes spoke out in a private meeting of her House colleagues, worried that if the vice president was suddenly asked to take over a doomed campaign, shed get an undue share of the blame.

The afternoon that Biden dropped out and Harris started ticking through dozens of calls, it wasnt just senior leaders and potential rivals who heard from her.

I dont know how I made the cut, Crockett said. It was a call of gratitude, and just, I want to say thank you.

Campbell recalled goosebumps and tears that day. Alsobrooks said the pride she feels in seeing Harris campaign take off in the weeks since is like that for a sister.

As much as theyre rooting for and working toward Harris win, though, these women still havent quite wrapped their heads around the idea that if she does, beyond all the greater meaning politically and culturally, the next president of the United States would be the woman who for so many years has just been Kamala on the other end of the phone.

For women who never saw themselves in elected office, thats an overwhelming thought anyway. But to imagine that the president would be a woman who helped and inspired them get to where they are, its much more.

It is not just like, Id be proud shes president. I just know what she endured, Alsobrooks said. This is a person who, over 30 years, worked hard. So the pride I feel is not that I drank the Kool-Aid. Shed be president, and I would be proud of that. But I am so proud of her.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY)  The Erikson Alumni Center in Morgantown hosted a career day for aspiring veterinary students on Saturday, a field thats not only important for pets, but also to the security of Americas food supply.

During the fair, current and prospective college students were able to get a better understanding of the veterinary field as well as how to complete their degree with a minimal amount of student debt thanks to resources like the Davis-Michael Scholars program and Scholarship.

Dr. George Seiler, a WVU veterinarian and member of the West Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, says that events like this one are a key part of filling the large number of openings in the field of veterinary medicine. Although not all veterinary organizations agree on the severity of these shortages, its a fact that veterinary medicine is important at all levels, whether you live in a rural agricultural area, or more urban areas like Morgantown or Charleston.

The United States is about 15,000 short on the number of veterinarians that we need, in the rural areas especially, Seiler said.

But, however important these positions might be for a town or city, the level of commitment rigorous coursework can be a major hurdle for some students. With enough determination however, these barriers can be overcome by promising students.

Why do people threaten violence against schools? WVU expert weighs in

Start early, learn to study, get experience, and make sure thats what you want to do because its seven to eight years of schooling to become a veterinarian, Seiler said.

If you want to learn more about WVUs veterinary medicine program, you can visit the Davis Michael Scholarship Program website here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.
ChatGPT and other generative AI tools have raised concerns that chatbots will replace many kinds of workers. Writers, editors, and customer service representatives are among the jobs that could be affected.

But some people are suggesting that AI might not reduce jobs as many people fear. Instead, the technology might turn out to be more like the technological developments of the past, such as the steam engine, electricity or the internet.

Supporters reason that AI might destroy some jobs while creating others. They also say that the technology will probably make workers more productive, benefiting themselves, their employers and the economy.

Looking for lessons from history

Nick Bunker is an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, part of a job search website. He said he thinks AI will affect many, many jobs  maybe every job indirectly to some degree.

Bunker added that he does not believe the technology is going to lead to a lot of unemployment. We have seen other big technological events in our history, and those didnt lead to a large rise in unemployment. Technology destroys but also creates. There will be new jobs that come about, he said.

Artificial intelligence gives machines the ability to perform tasks once thought to require human intelligence. The basic technology has existed in early versions for many years.

Some reports say it began with a problem-solving computer program called Logic Theorist. The program was developed in the 1950s at what is now Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. More recent examples include voice assistants like Apples Siri, Amazons Alexa, or IBMs chess-playing computer, Deep Blue, which defeated then-world champion Garry Kasparov in 1997.

Predictions and current evidence

Sam Altman is the chief of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Altman said in a discussion at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in May that he believes, AI is going to eliminate a lot of current jobs, and this is going to change the way that a lot of current jobs function.'

Some people say that AI chatbots are not replacing human workers in a widespread way. Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a company that tracks job cuts, said it has yet to see much evidence of job losses caused by AI.

However, the fear that AI is a threat to some kinds of jobs has a basis in reality.

Suumit Shah is an Indian business owner who announced last year that he had replaced 90 percent of his customer support workers with a chatbot named Lina. Shahs company, Dukaan, helps customers set up e-commerce sites to sell goods online. Shah said the average amount of time it took to answer a customers question shrank from 1 minute, 44 seconds to instant. The chatbot also cut the time needed to resolve problems from more than two hours to just over three minutes.

A 2023 study by researchers at Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania and New York University identified jobs most exposed to AI models. The jobs included telemarketers and teachers of English and foreign languages. But being affected by AI does not necessarily mean losing your job to it. AI can free people to do more creative jobs.

The Swedish company IKEA introduced a customer-service chatbot in 2021 to deal with simple questions. Instead of cutting jobs, IKEA kept 8,500 customer-service workers to advise buyers on interior design and to deal with complex customer calls.

Chatbots can also make workers more efficient. Erik Brynjolfsson of Stanford University, Danielle Li and Lindsey Raymond of MIT studied 5,200 customer-support agents at a large company. The agents used a generative AI-based assistant. The AI tool provided valuable suggestions. It also supplied links to useful company documents.

The researchers found that those who used the chatbot were 14 percent more productive than workers who did not use the chatbot. The workers who used AI took more calls and completed them faster. The biggest productivity gains  34 percent  came from the least-experienced, least-skilled workers.

Alorica is a company in Irvine, California, that runs customer-service centers around the world. The company has introduced an artificial intelligence translation tool that lets its representatives communicate with customers who speak any of 200 different languages and 75 dialects.

The Real-time Voice Language Translation tool also lets customers and Alorica agents speak and hear each other in their own languages.

It allows (Alorica reps) to handle every call they get, said Rene Paiz, a vice president of customer service. Paiz added, I dont have to hire externally" just to find someone who speaks a specific language.

Alorica said it is not cutting jobs. It continues to seek new employees who are comfortable with new technology.

We are still actively hiring, Paiz says. We have a lot that needs to be done out there.

Im John Russell.

And I'm Ashley Thompson.

Paul Wiseman reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

_________________________________________

Words in This Story

generative AI  n. artificial intelligence that is capable of generating new material (such as images or writing)

chatbot  n. a program that is designed to carry out a discussion with human beings

editor n. a person who prepares writing, so it is ready for publication

customer n. a person or group that pays for goods or services

benefit  v. to produce good or helpful results or effects
First responders fight the fire at the scene after a ballistic missile fired at Israel from Yemen was intercepted early on 15 September, the Israeli military said. The surface-to-surface missile came from the east and landed in an open area, the Israeli army reported. Earlier in the morning, warning sirens had sounded in the centre of the country. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia on Sunday claimed a ballistic missile fired at Israel and vowed further attacks.

Houthi military spokesman Yehya Saree said the attack was carried out with a new hypersonic ballistic missile against an Israeli military target in Jaffa.

"It covered an estimated distance of 2,040 kilometres in 11:30 minutes," he said in a televised statement.

"The Israeli enemy should expect more strikes and specific operations," he added.

The Houthis have claimed several attacks against Israel since the eruption of the Gaza war in October last year.

Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military said a ballistic missile fired from Yemen had been intercepted.

The surface-to-surface missile came from the east and landed in an open area, the Israeli army reported. Warning sirens had sounded in the centre of the country.

Explosive sounds heard in the early hours were due to the missile interception, the military said, adding that it was reviewing the outcome.

The Jerusalem Post daily reported that the ballistic missile had been fired towards the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

The Arrow 3 missile defence system had apparently failed to intercept the projectile before it entered the atmosphere. Only on the second attempt did the Arrow 2 defence system manage to hit it over Israeli airspace.

According to media reports, missile fragments landed in various parts of the country, including in the cities of Modiin and Rehovot. Israel has a multi-tiered missile defence system.

Following a fatal drone attack on Tel Aviv by the Houthis earlier this year, the Israeli Air Force attacked the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah in July, leading to a massive fire and six deaths. The Houthi leader subsequently announced a new phase in the fight against Israel.

The Houthi militants have also been attacking ships in the Red Sea and said they want to force an end to the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which follow the unprecedented massacres by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in Israel during the October 7 raid.
New York City Halls chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, resigned from her post in Mayor Eric Adamss administration, City Hall announced late Saturday night.

Zornberg has served as the top lawyer for Adams and City Hall since July 2023.

Neither Adams nor Zornberg provided an explanation for her departure in their respective statements sent by City Hall.

We appreciate all the work Lisa has done for our administration and, more importantly, the city over the past 13 months. These are hard jobs, and we dont expect anyone to stay in them forever. We wish Lisa all the best in her future endeavors, Adams said in his statement.

The other senior members of the counsels team will remain in their roles to ensure the office continues to fully operate without issue, and we expect to name an acting chief counsel in the coming days, he continued.

Zornbergs statement read, I am deeply grateful to Mayor Adams for giving me the opportunity to serve the city, and I strongly support the work he has done and continues to do for New Yorkers.

Zornbergs departure comes as federal investigators appear to be accelerating their probe involving members of Adamss inner circle.

Just days ago, former New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned, nearly a week after the FBI searched his home and seized his devices. The FBI also conducted searches at the homes of three top deputies to Adams.

Other officials whose devices were taken by the FBI last week include First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright; Philip Banks, the deputy mayor for public safety; and Timothy Pearson, a mayoral adviser and former official with the New York Police Department (NYPD), The Associated Press reported last week, citing two individuals who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The U.S. attorneys office in Manhattan is spearheading the probe, whose subject remains unclear. Earlier this month, the NYPD told The Hill that it was aware of and cooperating with an investigation involving members of its service but did not expand on any details of the probe.

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.
Lisa Zornberg did not offer an explanation for her departure [Getty Images]

New York City Mayor Eric Adams' chief counsel resigned late on Saturday night as the federal government's multiple criminal probes into his administration continue.

The departure of Lisa Zornberg comes just two days after New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban stepped down, after officials raided his home and seized his phone.

I am tendering my resignation, effective today, as I have concluded that I can no longer effectively serve in my position," Ms Zornberg said in a statement shared by the mayor's office.

Adams thanked Ms Zornberg for her work but gave no reason for his top counsel's departure.

"These are hard jobs and we don't expect anyone to stay in them forever," the mayor said in a statement.

Adams said the administration would name a replacement "in the coming days".

The chief counsel's resignation comes after several top New York officials appointed by the mayor - who has faced a corruption probe that appears to be unrelated to this case - also saw their homes raided last week.

Mr Caban and his twin brother, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III and Chancellor of New York City Public Schools David C Banks have all had their phones seized as part of the probes.

A former Manhattan prosecutor, Ms Zornberg consulted with the mayor on legal and strategic advice for city hall.

Sitting alongside Adams at weekly news conference, she responded to questions from the media about the federal government's multiple probes into the administration.

In her resignation statement, Ms Zornberg did not offer an explanation for her departure, instead saying she was "deeply grateful to Mayor Adams for giving me the opportunity to serve the city, and I strongly support the work he has done and continues to do for New Yorkers".

Since being sworn in on the first day of 2022, Adams and his colleagues have faced increasing scrutiny from the federal government.

The FBI raided the home of Adams' chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, and other members of his campaign last year as part of a probe believed to be focused on whether he received illegal campaign contributions from the Turkish government and other foreign sources.

A source familiar with the matter told the BBC last week's searches did not seem to be connected to the Turkey investigation.
Youngstown Diocese: No more Scouting activities on church, school grounds

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown announced that Scouting organizations will no longer meet in any of its churches or schools.

Read next: Medical group interested in purchasing Steward hospitals and reopening Northside Hospital

Bishop David Bonnar said in a statement last week that Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and Brownies will no longer meet or hold activities, including recruiting events, on Diocese of Youngstown premises.

He cited insurance coverage and potential liability as reason for the change, as well as changes in Scouting itself.

Bonnar also said that parish and school officials will not serve as charter organizations in their official capacities.

This policy decision will not affect religious activities and awards available to Scouts through the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, he said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
This article was originally published in CT Mirror.

A few years ago, Dr. Steven Rogers, a physician in the emergency department at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center, started a new initiative. He wanted to screen every child age 10 and up who passed through the department for suicide risk. Thats around 15,000 kids a year.

Theres lots of stigma around this question, Rogers said. Id rather be able to identify kids who are low risk and need help versus when theyre an imminent risk or have already made an attempt.

In Connecticut, 11 children have died by suicide so far this year, nine of those in the past few months. To put that in perspective, just six children 17 and younger died by suicide in all of 2023.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

I hope this isnt a canary in the coal mine, said Gov. Ned Lamont in late August at a roundtable event on youth suicide.

There were no clusters of deaths, according to the Office of the Child Advocate, and deaths were distributed across the state, as well as among races and genders. The children were between the ages of 13 and 17.

We have a problem, Sarah Eagan, Connecticuts child advocate, said during the roundtable. She said most children who die by suicide in Connecticut die by asphyxiation, and in recent years, the age of those children is skewing younger.

We have work to do, Eagan said, and that work is not done until no child is bereft and alone, not knowing where to call, and there is no parent who  cant sleep not knowing if theyre doing the right thing for their child.

For Rogers, the summers high numbers were especially hard to take in.

It feels like a failure, especially for somebody who has committed a good part of their career to identifying kids at risk, he said.

Connecticut Childrens effort is just one example of a broadened push to respond to the youth mental health crisis in the state, one that has become increasingly urgent since the COVID pandemic. But even before the pandemic, Rogers was adamant that the screening tool was needed. Suicide is the No. 2 cause of death in children 10 and older, trailing unintentional injuries.

And so, since August 2019, clinicians have been screening children 10 and older in the emergency department at Connecticut Childrens in Hartford, asking them a series of questions to assess their suicide risk, after their parent or caregiver is asked to leave the room. The process takes less than a minute, Rogers said.

Once you screen a kid positive that you didnt suspect would be positive  I dont want to be too dramatic and say its life-changing, but it is an eye-opener.

Kids who do screen positive are directed toward appropriate mental health services. For some high-risk children, that might be an inpatient program. For others who are not in immediate danger of self harm, a counseling session or further evaluation might be scheduled in the comfort of their home.

Of the 75,000 children that the hospital has screened in the past five years, 18% were positive for risk of suicide. Thats nearly 1 in 5 children. Most of those children came to the emergency department for a behavioral health issue in the first place. But an extraordinary number  around 6,000 children  initially came in for a medical issue like an asthma attack or a broken bone and ended up screening positive for suicide risk.

Rogers says he is fighting a perception that simply discussing suicide with children might plant a seed of suicidal ideation. But according to Rogers, this is a misnomer.

It plants the seeds of hope, he said.

In fact, he said, the screening tool can at the very least inform children that there is a place they can go that will ask them if they are considering suicide, a place where they can also get help. Because, he said, all too often, caregivers never have these conversations with children at all.

Rogers often thinks about the story of an 11-year-old girl who came to the hospital for a medical issue. To the clinicians surprise, and to her mothers, she screened positive for suicide risk. The mom asked her daughter  werent they best friends? They were, the girl told her mother. But, the mother said, didnt best friends tell each other everything? And she turned to her mother and just said, Well, you never asked. 
Zelensky laments dearth of weapons and speaks of plan for victory

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a trilateral meeting with Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on the sidelines of the Fourth Crimea Platform Leaders Summit. Leon Neal/PA Wire/dpa

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said Ukraine does not have enough weapons to adequately arm its troops.

Ukraine needs to equip 14 brigades, but can only equip four with the weapons delivered so far by Western allies, Zelensky said in an interview with a US journalist, parts of which were published on the Telegram platform and in Ukrainian media.

Zelensky said Ukraine had used up all its reserves, especially during the period when US arms deliveries were blocked in Congress in Washington for months at the beginning of the year.

These reserve units must now be re-armed, Zelensky stressed.

Zelensky has been pressing Ukraine's allies to make good on promised weapons deliveries.

In the conversation with US journalist Fareed Zakaria, Zelensky said that he would shortly be presenting a plan for victory in Washington.

He said he has prepared several points, four of which he called "fundamental." He mentioned security, Ukraine's geopolitical position and military support, without going into detail.

Zelensky emphasized that the implementation of these points depended exclusively on US President Joe Biden and not at all on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

An exact date for Zelensky's visit to Washington has not been set, but it is expected to take place around the UN General Assembly in late September.
An advisor for President Volodymyr Zelensky denied a news report suggesting Zelensky's new victory plan will include a partial ceasefire, calling it a "fake."

Zelensky has said he will present the United States with a plan for Ukraine's victory later this month during a meeting with Biden.

Responding on Sept. 15 to an article published by Germany's Bild newspaper, Presidential Communications Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn told Ukrainska Pravda, that the claim was untrue.

"Bild spread a fake," Lytvyn said. "Bild has not seen the victory plan, and of the few people who are currently involved by the president in the preparation of the Victory Plan, none of them spoke to Bild."

"Ukraine is against any freezing of the war, and this is said at all levels of the Ukrainian leadership. And it is important for us that the United States supports Ukraine's Victory Plan, not capitulation or freezing," Lytvyn said.

He added that the United States would be the first partner presented with the plan.

Officials have so far been tight-lipped about the plan's details.

Last month, Zelensky said that Ukraine's operations in Kursk were part of his plan for victory.

The other aspects of the plan include Ukraine's participation in the global security infrastructure, pressuring Russia to end the war through diplomatic means, and an economic aspect, Zelensky said without revealing further details.

Ukraine is preparing for a second peace summit, following its inaugural global peace summit in Switzerland in June where Russia was excluded.

Kyiv has said it aims to invite a Russian representative to the second conference.

Kyiv has repeatedly rejected any ceasefire or temporary break in hostilities, saying it would only provide a window of opportunity for Russia to regroup its forces.

Read also: Zelensky to present US with victory plan in September

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Zelenskyy on long-range strikes on Russia: We have waited too long, Russia has pulled out its jets

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine still does not have permission from the United States to launch long-range strikes deep into Russian territory, and Russia has moved its planes to a greater distance.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with American journalist Fareed Zakaria, the full version of which was published by the press service of the Office of the Ukrainian President

Quote: "We had some meetings with [US] officials, and I said: we have waited too long. Now Russia began to move their jets from 100 km, 150 km, 300 to 500.

After that, I will tell you that now we need more permissions."

Details: In response to the journalist's clarifying question whether Ukraine had received permission from the US for long-range strikes on Russian territory, Zelenskyy said: "No, still no."

Background:

On 14 September, the UK news agency Reuters reported that Ukraine initially asked the United States to let it use long-range ATACMS missiles to hit Russian airfields, but now potential targets for Ukraine's long-range strikes include Russian military command centres, fuel and weapons depots and areas where Russian troops are concentrated.

On 31 August, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov confirmed that during a meeting with senior US officials, he had handed over a list of targets that Kyiv wants to hit with US long-range ATACMS missiles.

On 12 September, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin said that allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with Western missiles would mean direct involvement of NATO and European countries in the war in Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
The German newspaper Bild has reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prepared to propose a ceasefire to Russia in part of the war zone, but his adviser has denied the claim.

Source: a story by Bild; Dmytro Lytvyn, Zelenskyy's communications adviser, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda

Details: On the morning of 15 September, Ukrainian and Russian media quoted the Bild story, which mentioned "Zelenskyy's peace plan".

The newspaper reported that Zelenskyy is expected to travel to the United States in the coming weeks to present his strategy to President Joe Biden and presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Bild claims that the strategy includes both a demand to allow Ukraine to conduct long-range strikes deep into Russia with Western-supplied weapons and Kyiv's willingness to agree to a localised ceasefire in certain areas of the war zone, thus a temporary freeze of the hostilities.

In a comment to Ukrainska Pravda, Zelenskyy's adviser emphasised that the report was false and that the German newspaper could not have seen the document.

Quote from Lytvyn: "Bild has spread a fake. Bild has not seen the Victory Plan, and of the few people currently involved in the preparation of the Victory Plan, none of them have spoken to Bild.

Nobody will give the Russians Minsk-3 or any other format. Ukraine opposes any freezing of the war, and this stance is communicated by Ukrainian authorities at all levels. It is essential for us that the United States supports Ukraine's Victory Plan, not surrender or freezing [the military action].

The Victory Plan will be presented to the United States first because the United States can ensure the implementation of its content."

Background: Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that a frozen conflict is essentially a form of war  a slow war, a gradual occupation, or a stalemate between the parties.

Support UP or become our patron!
Billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, long term space rivals could be vying to dominate the skies above Britain

More than 300 miles above the Earth, two Amazon satellites  little more than pinpricks in the night sky  spiralled downwards towards a fiery death.

The planned de-orbiting of the two spacecraft over the summer marked the end of a lengthy period of experimentation and testing for the online retail giant for its secretive Project Kuiper division.

With the pilot mission over, Amazon is now ready to begin its space mission in earnest. The $2 trillion (1.5 trillion) technology business, best known for its online store and Prime service, will next year launch hundreds of small satellites into the sky.

In total, Amazon plans to send up more than 3,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites to provide internet connectivity to people in remote places, with the first rocket mission pencilled in before the end of the year. Meanwhile, at a 172,000 sq ft factory near Seattle, the company is ramping up activity so that it can produce five $2m connectivity satellites each day.

After years of planning, Jeff Bezos, Amazons executive chairman, is finally going toe-to-toe with rival Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX has already launched a 6,000-satellite strong constellation and is valued at a reported $200bn.

The two billionaires, long-term space rivals who have traded barbs in public, could also soon by vying for dominance over the skies of Britain.

Musks business already has 42,000 customers in the UK, as of December last year. But it is seeking to dramatically expand its service. The Telegraph revealed in April that Musks company was looking at a major extension of its UK ground terminals with a view to ultimately launching a satellite service that can connect directly to Britons mobile phones.

Meanwhile, the UKs telecom regulator, Ofcom, disclosed earlier this month it was considering granting a satellite licence to Amazon to bring its service to the UK, subject to a consultation.

Musk has a significant head start over Bezos. Not only does SpaceX have 6,000 satellites in so-called low-Earth orbit, 300 miles high, it also plans to launch hundreds more. Musk controls the vast majority of rocket launch capacity in the form of his SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets and has been launching Starlink satellites since 2019. Can Bezos catch up?

Elon Musk has been launching his Starlink satellites since 2019 from locations such as the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida - Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

[Amazon] are a long way behind SpaceX, says Tim Farrar, founder of Silicon Valley consultancy TMF Associates. It is going to take quite a few years to get this constellation up and running.

Bezos, 60, has long been a space fanatic and is known for his love of the science fiction series Star Trek. He founded his own rocket company, Blue Origin, in 2000, which has the vision of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. Yet Amazon only began work on Kuiper in 2018, almost two decades later.

A rivalry with SpaceX quickly followed. In 2018, Musk sacked seven senior leaders at the company in a row over his typically ambitious deadlines. Several decamped to Amazon.

Musk himself has repeatedly goaded Bezos personally, posting a silver medal emoji in 2021 when he overtook the billionaire as the worlds richest man and calling him a copycat after news emerged that Amazon was working on a Starlink rival.

Meanwhile, lobbyists for both companies have routinely attacked the other over their developments. Bezoss Blue Origin sued Nasa in 2021 over its multibillion-dollar deal with SpaceX to take humans back to the Moon, alleging that the $3bn lunar lander contract had been awarded through an unfair process. Blue Origin ultimately lost the lawsuit.

More recently, Amazon has protested to US regulators about Starlinks plans to expand its network with thousands more satellites. In response to one recent complaint, one of Musks lawyers wrote that Amazon has filed hundreds of pages against SpaceX, concocting elaborate methods to hamstring SpaceXs ability to connect Americans.

Despite its standing start, some industry watchers believe Amazon has the opportunity to challenge Starlink  and certain advantages over Musks rival system.

Unlike SpaceX, Amazon also has a cash hoard expected to swell to $100bn this year that it can use to fund its venture. Musk, by contrast, has to keep raising capital or selling Tesla stock. The billionaire also, ultimately, wants to make a large profit from Starlinks operations. Starlink only makes sense for SpaceX if it generates cash, says Chris Quilty, founder of research firm Quilty Space. He is hoping it will help fund his future gambits in space exploration.

For Amazon, however, a fat profit is less of a concern. There are big potential upsides of owning a global broadband network. It could connect hundreds of millions of people to reliable internet connections for the first time, bringing in subscription revenues and, ultimately, coax them into signing up to Amazon Prime.

They can justify Kuiper based on its ability to sign up more Prime customers, Quilty says. There are a lot of ways Amazon can win.

Amazon also has a substantial consumer hardware business and supply chain, which has produced tens of millions of Echo smart speakers and other gadgets. These need internet connectivity and expanding its reach could help Amazon sell more devices.

When Amazon began developing Kuiper, named for an asteroid belt surrounding Neptune, industry insiders say the company focused heavily on making its consumer terminal  the dishes used to connect its satellites to home broadband  as cheap as possible.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the first two demonstration satellites for Amazons Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation - Paul Hennesy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A Kuiper spokesman said its terminal will cost less than $400 to produce. That compares to thousands of dollars for Starlinks first terminals. Starlink has since said it is no longer losing money on each terminal.

Businesses, meanwhile, could benefit from using Amazons network as a communications backup or get bundled deals with its Amazon Web Services internet infrastructure offering.

It could also provide Amazon new opportunities for US defence work, with the American military machine keen to diversify beyond its reliance on Musks Starlink. No one wants to be beholden to a single vendor  and not one as mercurial as Elon Musk, Quilty adds.

Back on planet Earth, the rivalry between Musk and Bezos could soon be hotting up in the UKs broadband and mobile market. Just a few years ago, using satellites to connect ordinary homes and even smartphones seemed unfeasible. But with thousands of satellites acting as tiny masts in space, it is now being seen as a potential alternative to spending hundreds of millions of pounds digging up miles of road to lay fibre to the most remote areas.

Some in the industry believe this could be more cost-effective than spending money from the Governments delayed 1bn Shared Rural Network programme on connecting homes on remote islands or miles from any other settlement. Mobile networks have already begun testing terminals from SpaceX and its UK-based rival OneWeb for such a purpose.

The Telegraph previously revealed that SpaceX has held talks with EE about using its satellite network to boost rural coverage. It has already signed a deal with Virgin Media O2 to provide mobile backhaul to remote areas, carrying signals to masts in hard-to-reach locations.

Meanwhile, Bezoss Kuiper has a deal with Vodafone for a similar coverage boost, extending its 4G and 5G coverage to remote corners of Europe.

Now, Ofcom, the mobile regulator, is consulting on allowing satellite giants like SpaceX greater access to the UK market, including letting them offer direct-to-mobile phone broadband from space.

However, Amazon actually has to get its satellites into orbit first. It has already repeatedly delayed its initial mission to the final months of this year. A key difficulty is getting enough launch capacity. Russias invasion of Ukraine has cut off its Soyuz programme of launches, while Europes Ariane rockets are not ready and Blue Origins own heavy New Glenn vehicle has yet to conduct a flight.

Musks SpaceX is the dominant US rocket company and Bezos has been forced to turn to his rival for help, signing a launch contract in December last year.

There have been reports that Bezoss Blue Origin could launch a multibillion-dollar approach for another rocket business, ULA, which is backed by Boeing, but this has yet to materialise.

In the meantime, the cost of Kuiper is mounting. Amazon originally said it expected to spend at least $10bn on the programme. Analysts now believe that funding will almost be entirely exhausted by launch costs alone. A report from Quilty puts the likely figure at closer to $20bn. A Kuiper spokesman said it did not comment on speculation.

Even if Bezoes gets his satellite constellation into orbit, it remains unclear how well the service will work compared to Musks Starlink, which has already won 3m customers.

With 3,000 satellites against Starlinks 6,000 Farrar, the space consultant, says: The big question is how much capacity they are going to have and whether that is enough to take on Starlink.

He adds: The biggest issue is how big is the market opportunity. Starlink has 3m customers. Is there room to grow to 10m or 20m?

Musks SpaceX has already been tested with years of trial and error to get Starlink into the place it is today. In the space industry, there is an old refrain: Space is hard. Amazon may be about to learn that first hand.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Fact Check: Yes, a Body Armor Company Did Demonstrate Its 'Stab Protection' Vest on Its CEO

Claim:

A video shared on social media in early September 2024 showed a body armor company demonstrating its stab resistant vest on the organization's CEO.

Rating:

Rating: True

On Sept. 6, 2024, a video was shared to X purportedly showing a body armor company demonstrating its "stab protection" vest on the organization's CEO.

In the footage, the alleged CEO wore one of the company's vests while another individual repeatedly attempted to stab him with a knife. The person delivering the strikes used significant force, aiming directly at the man's torso, but the vest appeared to successfully prevent any injuries. Throughout the demonstration, the person being stabbed remained calm.

Body armor company demonstrates their stab protection on their CEO pic.twitter.com/Zb4AtCY2cw  internet hall of fame (@InternetH0F) September 6, 2024

"He was really going at it like he didnt like the CEO and was hoping it would fail," one X user commented on the video, while another noted: "Bro has oddly fast and accurate stabs."

The video also appeared on other social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

In short, because the video genuinely showed the CEO of a body armor company being stabbed as part of a demonstration, we rated this claim as "True."

The video featured on the website of PPSS Group, a company specializing in high-performance body armor and personal protective equipment (PPE). According to their "About Us" page:

Established in 2009, PPSS Group stands as a global leader in the specialised field of high-performance body armour, personal protective equipment (PPE), clothing, and workwear solutions. Our persistent commitment to innovation and excellence has positioned us as a trusted partner in safeguarding individuals across diverse sectors.

Specifically, the video was included in a section about the company's stab-resistant vests, with a caption stating: "Our CEO Robert Kaiser is demonstrating his real trust in our ground-breaking stab proof vests at many major global security events, such as the International Security Expo in London on 04 December 2019."

Kaiser was also listed as the company's founder and CEO on their website.

The full video was also uploaded on Dec. 19, 2019, to the PPSS Group YouTube channel, titled: "PPSS Group Launch Next Generation Stab Vests at International Security Expo."

For further reading, we once investigated whether a wife "stabbed" her husband with a squirrel.

Sources:

- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq2hkTaeuZs. Accessed 11 Sept. 2024.

"About Us." PPSS Group, https://www.ppss-group.com/about-us/. Accessed 11 Sept. 2024.

Liles, Jordan. "Wife 'Stabbed' Husband with Squirrel?" Snopes, 10 May 2024, https://www.snopes.com//news/2024/05/10/wife-stabs-husband-squirrel/.

"Stab Resistant Vests - Videos." PPSS Group, https://www.ppss-group.com/videos/stab-resistant-vests/. Accessed 11 Sept. 2024.
Your old iPhone could be worth big bucks. Heres what to look for

(NEXSTAR)  The newest iPhone models are currently available for preorder, but its the older ones you might really want.

With Gen Xers and Millennials now beginning to feel pangs of nostalgia for the technology of their younger years, some technophiles are willing to pay big bucks for your earlier iDevices.

The rarity, scarcity, and the collectability of these pieces, its just becoming nostalgic with the 40-to-50-year-old group of consumers, Bobby Eaton, of RR Auctions in New Hampshire, told Nexstar.

New iPhone 16 will have 2 more buttons: Heres what they do

Eaton is talking mostly about iPhones. In recent years, RR Auctions has facilitated the sale of numerous first-generation iPhones, one of which went for over $147,000 in March. Last year, another rare specimen went on the auction block at LCG Auctions in Louisiana, where it sold for a record $190,373.

As we all know, the iPhone change the world, Eaton told Nexstar. So in the last three years, iPhones  specifically sealed iPhones  are going up in value depending on what model they are.

Boxes containing first-generation iPhones are brought to the floor of an Apple store on the day of the products debut on June 29, 2007, in Santa Monica, California. (Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images)

But collectors arent looking for just any old iPhone. Much like video games and VHS tapes, the phones selling for the highest prices are factory sealed, and in mint condition. And right now, only certain models are coveted by collectors  namely, the first-generation 4 GB and 8 GB models which debuted in 2007, including the 8 GB model with an iTunes logo on the cover of the box.

Besides the first-generation products, the market drastically changes, Eaton said. Theres not that collectability yet for [later] models.

The most valuable iPhone of the three mentioned above  far and away  is the 4 GB model, which was discontinued when Apple dropped the price of the 8 GB version only two months after the 4 GB versions debut. (The big sellers mentioned above were both 4 GB models.) But the 8 GB models fetch a pretty penny too, especially if its the earlier version, before an image of the iTunes app was added to the product photo on the outside of the box.

Opened first-generation iPhones might even be worth a few thousand, but they need to be in mint condition, according to Eaton. If they show signs of use or damage, theyre basically worth nothing to a collector, he said.

An 8 GB iPhone model  with a 13th app icon (iTunes) pictured on the box  sits on the checkout counter at a T-Mobile shop in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 9, 2007. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Other than iPhones, first-generation iPods and iPads are also quite valuable to collectors, but, again, only if theyre in great condition, and preferably sealed.

But what if youre in possession of another phone brand, like a Samsung or an Android? Sorry, but the value of early models is not even close to what an Apple enthusiast would pay for an iPhone, according to Eaton.

Probably the only comparable thing that weve sold to the iPhone is  an early Motorola flip phone that was sealed in the box, Eaton said. And it sold for $250.

What was the last movie released on VHS?

Still think youre sitting on an iGoldmine? If you happen to have a more valuable sealed iPhone specimen, first check the serial numbers and IMEI numbers on the box to confirm it was never activated. (Fraudsters have been known to shrink-wrap used iPhones and pass them off as factory-sealed, Eaton explained.) You can try and get it graded by a grading service, too, but Eaton said you could just submit photos straight to auction houses that specialize in vintage technology, to hear their thoughts.

You might want to do that sooner than later, too. While Eaton doesnt believe interest is waning, he cant predict how much collectors in the coming years will be willing to pay for early iPhones, iPods and iPads.

If something is super rare, theres going to always be a market for it, Eaton said. It might not be the prices were getting now, but theyre going to have substantial value.

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.
How the UAE got the US to bless its AI ambitions

The Scoop

ABU DHABI  The US has approved the sale of cutting-edge Nvidia chips to G42, the company at the center of the United Arab Emirates efforts to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

The approval, which came earlier this year but has not been reported, is a major milestone for the ambitions of the UAE and the broader Gulf region. The area is becoming an increasingly important global technology hub  but Biden administration concerns about their ties to China have been obstacles to gaining access to key assets, like cutting-edge chips, which face US export curbs to the region.

G42 is only just beginning to deploy the chips, including a sizable order of Nvidia H100 models, but the effort has been years in the making. Long before ChatGPT captivated the world and global demand for Nvidias most advanced AI chips exploded, the UAE was laying the groundwork to be a serious competitor in the global AI race.

It has made significant, long-term investments in innovations that protect sensitive data, making it exceedingly difficult for anyone but the owner to access. Semafor has learned new details of those efforts, which helped lead US officials to approve the sale of the AI chips.

New data centers in the country are physically locked down and have been built from the ground up with hardware made exclusively by Western nations to avoid the possibility of a Chinese backdoor, people familiar with the matter said.

Older data centers have been stripped of any parts with ties to China, even if those parts are unplugged and not being used.

The compute portion of its data centers, which use military-level FIPS 140-2 encryption, is physically separated from all other systems, from security cameras to cooling. That separation reduces the likelihood that attackers could use vulnerabilities in ancillary hardware to worm their way into the servers.

Customers, workers, and visitors are all screened extensively, and Chinese nationals are not allowed to work at the data centers.

The facilities employ wide-ranging telemetry of everything that happens inside, giving G42 the ability to monitor anomalies in real time, including fluctuations in compute levels that might suggest a customer is building AI models large enough to create national security concerns.

It has also hired US Department of Defense contractors to red team its data center defenses to find any holes that might allow intrusions by the Chinese or others.

And since last year, G42 has been training its advanced AI models in data centers in California and Texas through a commercial partnership with AI chip maker Cerebras, as it builds its infrastructure in the UAE.

In a sign of the regions growing tech importance, Microsoft in April made a $1.5 billion investment in G42, a move that drew some criticism in Washington because of the UAE firms past investments in Chinese AI ventures and whether that could lead to intellectual property and advanced hardware flowing to Americas most powerful rival. Microsoft President Brad Smith joined G42s board of directors.

G42 and Nvidia declined to comment.

Semafor reported earlier this week that a likely approval for Nvidia chips is drawing nearer for Saudi Arabia.

Know More

Behind the scenes, G42 had already been working on building advanced data centers secure enough to satisfy the demands of the most hawkish Department of Defense officials.

In anticipation of US concerns, the company divested from Chinese firms in November 2023 and cut off other business relationships with Chinese firms, effectively betting on the strength of the UAEs alliance with the US and its technology. In January, then-Congressman Mike Gallagher, a China hawk, called for a probe of G42 and its Chinese investments.

The UAE firms effort has its roots in a US law passed in 2018 that forced the Emirates to invest in its own data center muscle. The Cloud Act required cloud companies like Microsoft and Amazon to hand over customer information if subpoenaed in a criminal investigation, even if it is on data centers outside US jurisdiction. China has enacted similar extraterritorial reach in its data laws.

The UAE and other countries viewed the laws as taking away their data sovereignty, giving foreign countries access to sensitive data. For instance, the UAE is building a national DNA database of Emirati nationals that it uses for medical and public health research.

The UAE could build secure data centers, but building robust cloud services just to duplicate the work of companies like Amazon and Microsoft, which had spent decades and billions of dollars perfecting their services, would have been costly.

So G42 instead invested heavily in software that would take advantage of Microsofts new hardware encryption technology. Building that new layer allowed G42 to promise its customers data sovereignty while still using the Azure cloud service. Microsoft would still be required to hand over data if subpoenaed by a US court, but it would be encrypted.

The effort is now a product that G42 offers to other customers, including countries that want to build out cloud computing capacity while retaining sovereignty over their data.

In meetings that began in 2022, Microsoft took notice of G42s work atop the software giants Confidential Computing technology. The technology represented an opportunity for Microsoft to boost sales of Azure.

That ultimately led to Microsofts investment in G42, which could be a valuable conduit for the US company to expand its Azure data center business into new parts of the world.

For G42, the partnership and new chip licenses could help pave the way for the UAE to one day construct massive data centers useful in training and running inference for advanced foundation AI models.

The UAE has invested in a nuclear power plant  and is pouring money into a major expansion  that could be used to power future data centers that many researchers believe will one day be necessary to develop AI with human-level intelligence.

Reeds view

Getting an inside view into the UAEs efforts to convince its American allies that its a safe bet is crucial to understanding the dynamics of the global AI race.

While Washington often frames it as the country needing to pick sides between America and China, the US and the UAEs interests are fairly aligned. There is always a risk of the Chinese breaching any system, including US data centers, which could possibly be even more of a risk compared to ones in the UAE, considering the extensive work G42 has had to do to win over American officials who gave their blessing for Microsofts investment.

The bigger picture is that when the UAE begins building some of the largest data centers in the world, which it can power with nuclear reactors (its already spun up four of them), it will unlock even more of the countrys potential to become a technological powerhouse.

One thing that hasnt been well understood is that G42, with its Microsoft investment and partnership, will effectively help spread US technology in emerging markets, where Chinese companies might otherwise settle in.

Those markets arent usually profitable in the short term for Microsoft. But G42, with help from the UAE, can view those markets as long term bets that are also in the national interest. And G42s layer of software aimed at data sovereignty may also give emerging market customers a little more comfort than if they were working directly with Microsoft, which they might view as a step closer to the reach of the US government.

Room for Disagreement

The UAE-China economic relationship remains close, with the UAE exporting oil and importing Chinese goods from sneakers and road signs to cars and steel. Chinese Premier Li Qiang was in Abu Dhabi this week where he met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and marked 40 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

China and the UAE have maintained close communication and coordination on multilateral platforms, continuously contributing to peace, stability, prosperity, and development of the region and the world at large, Li said.

The volume of non-oil trade between the two countries reached $81 billion in 2023, a 4.2% increase over the previous year, according to Emirates News Agency. This makes China the UAEs top non-oil trading partner.

Notable

Elon Musks xAI supercomputer powered on in Memphis last week. Colossus, stuffed with 100,000 of Nvidias H100 chips, is a controversial test case of the advances  and unintended consequences  of artificial intelligence. NPR looks at how Memphis became the battleground.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Vishwakarma Puja, a significant festival in the Hindu calendar, celebrates Lord Vishwakarma, the divine architect and craftsman. This year, the auspicious occasion falls on September 16, and it holds immense importance for artisans, craftsmen, and industrial workers across India. Vishwakarma Puja not only celebrates the artistry of Lord Vishwakarma but also serves as a reminder of the importance of skilled labor and craftsmanship in our society.

It is a day to express gratitude for the tools and technology that make our lives easier and more efficient. As the puja concludes, devotees carry forward their renewed sense of dedication to their crafts, hoping for a year filled with creativity and success in their endeavors.

Vishwakarma Puja Significance

Vishwakarma Puja is dedicated to Lord Vishwakarma, the divine engineer of the universe. He is believed to have crafted the weapons of the gods and designed their celestial abodes. This day is particularly significant for those involved in the fields of construction, engineering, and craftsmanship, as they pay homage to the deity who symbolizes creativity and innovation.

Vishwakarma Puja Shubh Muhurat

According to the Drik Panchang, Vishwakarma Puja will be celebrated on Monday, September 16, 2024. Vishwakarma Puja Sankranti Moment timing is 07: 53 PM. Performing the worship of Lord Vishwakarma during the Abhijit Muhurat (from 11:51 AM to 12:40 PM) is also considered auspicious.

Vishwakarma Puja Rituals and Celebrations

Cleaning and Decoration: Prior to the puja, devotees clean their workplaces or homes meticulously. The idea is to start afresh and maintain a clean and organized environment.

Crafting Tools: Artisans and craftsmen often create or repair their tools and machinery on this day, seeking Lord Vishwakarma's blessings for skillful workmanship.

Puja Setup: An image or idol of Lord Vishwakarma is placed on a pedestal and adorned with flowers, garlands, and incense. Offerings of sweets, fruits, and other delicacies are arranged.

Invocation and Aarti: The priest or head of the household then performs an invocation and aarti (ceremonial worship) to seek the deity's blessings. The aarti involves the waving of lamps in a circular motion before the idol or image.

Distribution of Prasad: After the puja, devotees distribute prasad (blessed offerings) to all present. It is believed that consuming prasad brings prosperity and good luck.

Community Celebrations: In many industrial areas, factories and workshops hold community pujas where all workers participate together, fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie.

Cultural Programs: Cultural programs, including dance, music, and artistic displays, are organized in various parts of the country to showcase the rich heritage of craftsmanship.



(This article is meant for informational purposes only and must not be considered a substitute for advice provided by qualified medical professionals.)
New Delhi: The GST Council on Sunday constituted a 13-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to suggest GST rate on premiums of various health and life insurance products and submit its report by October 30.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is the convenor of the GoM. The members of the panel include members from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

The 54th GST Council meeting on September 9 decided to set up a GoM to examine and review the present tax structure of GST on life and medical insurance. A final call by the Council on the taxation of insurance premiums is likely to be taken in the next meeting in November based on the GoM report.

Currently, 18 per cent of Goods and Services Tax (GST) is levied on insurance premiums. The Terms of Reference (ToR) of the panel also include suggesting tax rate of health/medical insurance including individual, group, family floater and other medical insurance for various categories like senior citizens, middle class, persons with mental illness. Also, suggest tax rates on life insurance, including term insurance, life insurance with investment plans whether individual or group and re-insurance.

"The GoM is to submit its report by October 30," 2024," said the Office Memorandum issued by the GST Council Secretariat on the Constitution of GoM on Life and Health insurance.

Some opposition-ruled states, including West Bengal, had demanded complete exemption of GST on health and life insurance premiums, while some other states were in favour of lowering the tax to 5 per cent. Even Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had in July written to Finance Miniter Nirmala Sitharaman on the issue saying "levying GST on life insurance premium amounts to levying tax on the uncertainties of life."

In 2023-24, the centre and states collected Rs 8,262.94 crore through GST on health insurance premiums, while Rs 1,484.36 crore was collected on account of GST on health reinsurance premiums. Sitharaman in her reply to a discussion on the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha in August had said that 75 per cent of the GST collected goes to states and the Opposition members should ask their state finance ministers to bring the proposal to the GST Council.
Jammu And Kashmir News: Ajaz Ahmad Guru, brother of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, has said that his brother was victim of a conspiracy. He also said that he will reveal the names of the people behind the conspiracy in his next press conference.

While speaking at a press conference in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore, Ajaz said, My brother Afzal and we were all victims of a conspiracy. He said you are asking to name whose conspiracy it was I will do in the next press conference in Delhi but added his (Afzals) and mine ideologies are different". Earlier this week, Ajaz Guru filed his nomination to contest the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He's running as an independent candidate from the Sopore seat, which is located in the north Kashmir district.

Ajaz, a resident of Baramulla's Delina area, submitted his nomination papers on the last day of filing. Elaborating on the reason behind his decision to contest assembly polls, he said, Youth wants to see peace and prosperity, and that has prompted him to join politics and fight elections.

My father has seen the fight for the pre-53 position; I have seen the Farooq Abdullah regime, and my son had gone through the Hurriyat regime. What the new generation needs is peace, prosperity, and development," Ajaz said. He also stated that he will restore the dignity of Sopore, which has been neglected for the last 50 years and labored as "anti-India..

He further stated, I have seen a lot, and the youth today want peace. If voted to power, I will change Sopore, bringing development and unity, he added.

After filing his papers, Ajaz Guru told reporters that he entered the electoral fray as, like all Kashmiris, he was also a victim of "35 years of hardships."

The last date to withdraw the papers is September 17. Sopore will go to the polls in the third phase of the elections on October 1. Afzal Guru was hanged in Delhi's Tihar jail on February 9, 2013, for plotting the December 2001 attack on Parliament.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday suspended three senior IPS officers following an inquiry into the allegations made by a Mumbai-based actress, Kadambari Jethwani. The state government issued orders suspending P. Sitharama Anjaneyulu, then Director General of Police, Intelligence; Kanthi Rana Tata, the then Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, and Vishal Gunni, then Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada.

She and her parents allegedly faced harassment at the hands of police officers at the instance of a leader of YSR Congress, which was then the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh. The suspensions were issued under Rule 3 (1) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969. Sitharama Anjaneyulu has been suspended on allegations of misuse of power and grave misconduct.

He had allegedly instructed the other two officials to arrest the actress, even before a formal crime had been registered. There are allegations that Kanthi Rana Tata arrested the actress based on oral instructions from his superior on January 31, 2024, before the registration of the FIR on February 2.

He booked flights for officers to Mumbai for the arrest without proper written instructions or due investigation. His actions were deemed to be misconduct and dereliction of duty. According to a separate suspension order, Vishal Gunni failed to properly examine the complaint before proceeding with the arrest.

He too acted on oral instructions and traveled to Mumbai to arrest the actress without written orders or sufficient evidence. Director General of Police Dwarka Tirumala Rao had ordered an inquiry after the actress lodged an online complaint with the Andhra Pradesh police. She recorded the statement before Vijayawada police on August 30.

Home Minister V. Anitha had earlier said that the government had taken the case of alleged harassment seriously. The actress had alleged that the three police officials along with some other lower-rank officials harassed her and her family in connection with a cheating case registered against her on a complaint by YSRCP leader KVR Vidya Sagar.

The actress also alleged that she and her family members threatened to withdraw a case against the YSRCP leader registered at Bandra Kurla Police Station in Mumbai on her complaint. A case of cheating and forgery was registered against the actress and her parents at Ibrahimpatnam Police Station in Andhra Pradesh on a complaint by Vidyasagar.

The YSRCP leader had alleged that she fabricated documents for five acres of land and extorted Rs 5 lakh from him. A police team had gone to Mumbai and arrested her and her parents. They were brought to Vijayawada and remanded before being released on bail. The YSR Congress leader reportedly had a friendship with the actress and allegedly started harassing her after she demanded that he marry her.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is preparing to implement the 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE) policy within its current tenure, according to sources cited by the Press Trust of India (PTI). This significant electoral reform has been a long-standing agenda of the BJP, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated his commitment to it throughout his political campaign.

Government's Confidence in Passing ONOE

Sources indicate that the NDA government, despite not holding an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha this term, is confident that ONOE will be realized during this tenure. The BJP secured 240 seats in the most recent elections, falling short of the 272 needed for a single-party majority. However, with the support of its allies, the government is optimistic that it will garner cross-party backing for the simultaneous polls reform.

The ONOE policy aims to streamline the election process by holding both national and state elections at the same time. Advocates argue that it will reduce the frequent electoral cycles that currently dominate Indian politics and hinder governance.

Prime Minister Modi's Advocacy for ONOE

In his 11th consecutive Independence Day speech on August 15, Prime Minister Modi called for political parties to come together in support of the ONOE initiative. He emphasized that repeated elections at different levels of government are a "hurdle to India's progress." This vision of simultaneous elections was also a key promise in the BJP's election manifesto.

Throughout his campaign for a third term, Modi promised that major reforms would be undertaken, and ONOE is seen as one of the central goals of this government.

The momentum for ONOE gained further traction when a panel led by former President Ram Nath Kovind submitted its report earlier this year. The committee's findings, delivered to President Draupadi Murmu, strongly endorsed the idea of conducting simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections. The report has been pivotal in shaping the discourse around ONOE, lending further credibility to the reform.

Overcoming Political and Legislative Challenges

Despite the NDAs determination, implementing ONOE will require overcoming both political and logistical challenges. As ONOE would necessitate constitutional amendments and modifications to electoral laws, the government will need to ensure support from opposition parties and regional players. However, sources suggest that the government believes there is sufficient political will to push the reform forward during this term.

The BJP-led NDA government has positioned ONOE as a reform that will bring stability and efficiency to Indias electoral system, marking it as a cornerstone of their current administration. With Modis strong endorsement and the backing of key institutional reports, the path toward implementing 'One Nation, One Election' seems to be unfolding within the coming years.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently opened about the time he was offered the Prime Ministers post by one of opposition parties. The minister for transport and national highways said that he simply declined the offer as he had no aspirations for the position.

Speaking at a journalism awards function in Nagpur, Gadkari stated that he had informed the political leader that he stands firm in his ideology and convictions. He noted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has given him opportunities beyond his expectations and that no offer could sway him from his principles. He hinted that a senior leader from the opposition had approached him ahead of the 2024 general elections, when there were concerns that the BJP might not secure an absolute majority and could require support from some opposition parties to form the government.

#WATCH | Nagpur, Maharashtra | Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says, "I do not want to name anyone but a person said to me, if you are going to become a Prime Minister, we will support you. I said, why you should support me, and why I should take your support. To become a Prime pic.twitter.com/yo6QDpqq5b  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

"I remember one incident, I would not name anyone -- that person said, if you are going to become prime minister, we will support you," PTI quoted Gadkari as saying.

He didnt delve into the details, but the BJP stalwart said, "I asked why you should support me, and why should I take your support. To become the prime minister is not the aim in my life. I am loyal to my conviction and my organisation, and I am not going to compromise for any post because my conviction is foremost for me."

Gadkari urged the media to uphold strong convictions in their profession, emphasizing the importance of passing this sense of commitment to the next generation of journalists.

Gadkari voiced concern over the growing presence of "supari" journalists in the media, accusing some of exploiting the Right to Information (RTI) Act for blackmail and personal benefit. He highlighted instances where certain journalists have resorted to unethical practices to acquire luxury goods, such as Mercedes cars.

Although Gadkari refrained from naming anyone specifically, reports suggest that the INDIA bloc attempted to poach the senior BJP leader during the buildup to forming the government at the Centre. It is also reported that the opposition offered Nitish Kumar the Prime Ministerial post during this time.
An encounter is ongoing between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district on Sunday morning. A top commander of a terror group is reportedly among the three militants trapped in the village.

A clash between security forces and terrorists is currently ongoing in the Pathanateer area of the Mendhar sector in Poonch, following gunfire reported last night.

Security forces initiated a cordon and search operation in the village after receiving intelligence on the presence of terrorists, PTI reported, citing an anonymous official. This led to the outbreak of a gunfight.

This is a developing story.
In a significant political development, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) headed by Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer and former members of Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) have come together in a strategic alliance for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. "A joint meeting was held today in which the AIP delegation was led by AIP Supremo and chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, while the JEI delegation was led by Ghulam Qadir Wani. Prominent JEI members participated in the discussions," the AIP said in a statement.

Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir was banned by the Union Home Ministry in 2019. The ban was extended for another five years in February this year. Several influential leaders of Jamaat are contesting assembly polls as independent candidates.

An AIP spokesperson said the two sides agreed to work together in the larger interest of the region's population. The goal is to secure a resounding victory for AIP and JEI candidates, ensuring that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have strong representatives who can articulate their sentiments and aspirations, he said.

"Following comprehensive deliberations, it was agreed that AIP would support JEI-backed candidates in Kulgam and Pulwama Similarly, JEI will throw its support behind AIP candidates across Kashmir," he said.

In areas where both AIP and JEI have fielded candidates, the alliance has agreed to a "friendly contest," particularly in constituencies like Langate, Devsar and Zainapora, he said.

In other constituencies, mutual support will be extended to ensure a unified approach to the elections, the spokesman added.

"Both parties underscored the importance of unity in resolving the Kashmir issue and promoting a lasting and dignified peace in the region.

"They highlighted the rapidly evolving political landscape, both regionally and internationally, and stressed that neither JEI nor AIP can afford to remain passive observers," the spokesman said.

The leadership of both AIP and JEI have called upon their cadres to spread the message of support for each other's candidates, in line with the agreement.

"The goal is to secure a resounding victory for AIP and JEI candidates, ensuring that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have strong representatives who can articulate their sentiments and aspirations," he added.
Chandigarh: Senior BJP leader and former Minister Anil Vij on Sunday said he will stake claim for the chief minister's post if the party returns to power in Haryana after the October 5 Assembly polls.

The six-time MLA's remarks come at a time when the party has already made it clear that Nayab Singh Saini will be the chief minister if the BJP returns to power.

Saini is also the party's chief ministerial face in the polls.

"I never sought anything from the party till today...people from Haryana are coming to meet me. Even in Ambala, people tell me that I am senior-most why I did not become CM. On demand of the people, and on the basis of seniority, this time I will stake claim to become chief minister," Vij said.

Whether the party makes me or not, it is up to them. But if they make me CM, I will change Haryana's 'takdeer and tasveer' (face and destiny of Haryana), the Ambala Cantt MLA said.

When asked to clarify the remarks he made while interacting with reporters in Ambala, Vij later told PTI over phone, "I am the party's senior-most MLA and have won six elections and am contesting my seventh one. I have never sought anything from my party so far.

"But people from across Haryana and people of my own constituency have been meeting me... I will stake claim for the chief minister's post," the 71-year-old Vij said.

"It is up to the party high command to take a call," he said.

When pointed out the Saini has already been declared chief ministerial candidate, Vij said, "There is no bar on staking the claim. I will make my claim, let the party take a call".

Asked about the timing of his decision with polls only a couple of weeks away, Vij said he took the decision after people came to meet him.

Notably, in March, Manohar Lal Khattar was replaced by Saini as chief minister. Polling for the 90 assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the votes will be counted on October 8.
Jammu And Kashmir Elections: As Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are inching closer, political parties are stepping up their poll campaign in the Union Territory. On Sunday, Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who was campaigning in Anantnag, said that there is a silence in Jammu and Kashmir and actual peace would be established when his party will come to power.

Speaking to PTI Videos during poll campaigning in Anantnag, he said, "There is a difference between silence and peace. There is silence here. We have to bring actual peace".

Kumar was campaigning for All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir, who is the party's candidate in the upcoming J&K Assembly polls from the Dooru seat. He said there is "a huge anger against the oppression" that the people of the Union Territory have been subjected to over the last 10 years.

"Our understanding is that this time, the voting percentage in Kashmir will be the highest. This voting will be against oppression, unemployment, the injustices done to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and to get back their right to statehood," he said.

The Congress leader also took a pot shot at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government and accused it of harbouring "ill intentions." He dubbed the independent candidates in the elections "slaves of Union Minister Amit Shah."

"Those who are contesting the polls as independents are actually slaves of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. That is why the election in Jammu and Kashmir this time is a fight between two powerson the one hand, there are those who spread hatred, and on the other, there are those who spread love and fight for the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

Kumar said the election is a battle between two ideologies, with the National Conference-Congress coalition on the one hand and the alliance of all others, "which is essentially the BJP's alliance," on the other.

"This fight is between love and hate, between justice and injustice. It is a fight for giving back the people of Jammu and Kashmir their rights, which were snatched from them. People here have understood that they must not allow a division of votes," he said.

The 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is set to go to polls in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, and the counting of votes will be taken up on October 8.

(With PTI Inputs)
21:07

The Manipur Police on Sunday expressed concern over the use of sophisticated weapons to target security personnel during protests and urged demonstrators to refrain from employing such means to make their point.





Addressing reporters, DIG (Range 1) N Herojit Singh said, "We want to remind the public that the police department's duty is to maintain law and order and to respond to armed attacks by miscreants. We have sustained multiple casualties during these challenging times."





Highlighting the shift in protest tactics, the DIG said, "In recent agitations, traditional forms of protests have been replaced with lethal methods targeting security forces. Demonstrators have engaged in stone pelting, shooting iron pieces from slingshots, firing tear gas shells, and using automatic firearms."





"We have evidence of automatic weapons being fired during protests. At Khabeisoi, firing from automatic weapons injured an officer in-charge of Imphal East Commando and another personnel recently. In Kakwa, Imphal West district, firing from automatic weapons left marks on our vehicles," he claimed.





Requesting for restraint, Singh emphasised, "We want to say that police forces use maximum restraint when dealing with protesters. Although there has been no retaliation from police in response to automatic weapon fire, we have reports of protesters getting injured when we use minimal, non-lethal anti-riot measures."





On the issue of non-local agitators, the DIG said, "During protests, we have detained people from outside the localities. We urge people to use democratic and non-violent methods for their demands. Entering highly sensitive areas and destroying public property will be met with strong measures. Police are part of the community and not the enemy. Protests aimed primarily at targeting and attacking the police should cease immediately."





Singh also advised against live coverage of protests, which can incite others to join.





"Without law and order, society cannot function. If conventional methods to maintain law and order fail and alternative measures are used, it will be unfortunate for everyone," he said.





SP Imphal West Ksh Shivakanta Singh added, "We have seen situations where locals cooperated with the police and persuaded demonstrators to avoid violence. We urge community elders to help restrain those who come to protests under the influence of alcohol and engage in violent behaviour. Cooperation will help us manage the situation more effectively." -- PTI
Kerala, once ridiculed as a hub for gold smuggling, is now working to reshape its image under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. As part of its ongoing crackdown on gold and hawala smuggling, the Kerala Police have seized nearly 150 kg of gold, valued at Rs 81 crore, and registered 337 hawala cases, confiscating around Rs 123 crore over the past five years.

According to reports, CM Pinarayi Vijayan has instructed the state police to take strict action against the network of gold smugglers, and the recoveries and detections are a result of this crackdown.

While there have been large-scale seizures, the Opposition, in contrast, has alleged that CM Vijayan was complicit in smuggling-related offences. The CPI(M) government of Kerala has refuted the Opposition's claims and has repeatedly provided data to back their actions. ADGP Ajith Kumar, who is also facing serious allegations related to gold smuggling cases, said that external forces like gold smuggler mafias are behind the accusations levelled by independent MLA PV Anwar against him and the government.

However, according to Kerala Police data, in the last five years, 188 gold smuggling cases have been registered, leading to the seizure of 147.79 kg of gold. Since 2020, 337 hawala-related cases have been reported, resulting in the confiscation of Rs 122.55 crore.

Last year, authorities at Kozhikode airport seized a total of 298 kilograms of gold, valued at nearly Rs 200 crore. Of this, customs officials confiscated 270 kilograms, while the police seized an additional 28 kilograms.

The largest gold smuggling seizure occurred in 2022, with 80 kg of gold seized across 98 cases. In 2023, this decreased to 61 cases involving 49 kg of gold. So far, in the current year, 18 kg of gold has been seized.

Hawala fund detection peaked in 2023, with 94 cases involving Rs 39 crore uncovered. In the previous year, 67 cases worth Rs 35.5 crore were detected. As of this year, 67 cases amounting to Rs 150 crore have already been detected.
Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: The deadlock between junior doctors and the West Bengal government continued on Saturday after the delegation of 15 junior doctors went to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and returned without any solution.

The junior doctors requested that the meeting be recorded and that they be provided with the recording afterward but the officials did not agree to this request.

On Saturday afternoon, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a surprise visit to Salt Lake to meet with the protesting doctors demanding justice for the junior doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last month.

Here's The Update On The RG Kar Medical College & Hospital Rape-Murder Incident

The protest by doctors outside the state health department headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata continued into its fifth day on Saturday.

CM Mamata Banerjee on Saturday made a surprise visit to meet Junior doctors who have been protesting outside the Swasthya Bhawan at Salt Lake.

#WATCH | RG Kar Medical College & Hospital rape-murder incident | Junior doctors continue their protest for the fifth consecutive night at Swasthya Bhawan, in the Salt Lake area of West Bengal's Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/m3AtnhtkCY  ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024

Dr Aqeeb, who was part of the delegation that went to meet CM Mamata Banerjee, said that we had requested a live streaming of the meeting but they didn't agree to it.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal | Dr Aqeeb, who was part of the delegation that went to meet CM Mamata Banerjee, says, "...We were asked to come for an official dialogue at Kalighat, we went there - when we went there, we even compromised with our demand that the meeting be live pic.twitter.com/0Iivi7vhUK  ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024

Following the arrest of the ormer principal of RG Kar Collage and Hospital Sandip Ghosh, the protesting doctor said that he has been arrested and it shows that our demand was right.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested former RG Kar Medical College Principal Sandip Ghosh in connection with the rape-murder case of a trainee doctor.

The agency also arrested Abhijit Mondal, the officer in charge of Tala Police Station, for his alleged involvement in the rape and murder of an on-duty woman medic at RG Kar Hospital, PTI reported.

"The policeman has been questioned eight times earlier and every time he gave different versions. He has been arrested and will be produced in the court tomorrow," the CBI officer said, according to PTI.
Kerala Lottery Results Sunday 15-09-2024 LIVE: The Kerala Lottery Department, on behalf of the Keralan government, announces the "AKSHAYA AK-669" Lucky Draw Result today Akshaya AK-669, September 15, 2024. The draw will be held at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Lottery Result 2024 for "Akshaya AK-669" will feature 12 series, with changes in series possible each week. A total of 108 lakh tickets are available for purchase weekly. The ticket prices may vary. Check the Akshaya AK-669 results right here to see if youre the first-place winner of 70 Lakhs. Stay tuned to this website for the live update of Kerala Lottery Akshaya AK-669 results today.

Kerala Lottery Result 15-09-2024 September: FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR AKSHAYA AK-669 Draw

LUCKY NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 70 LAKHS IS: To Be Announced

LUCKY NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 5 LAKHS IS: To Be Announced

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 Lakh ARE: To Be Announced

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: To Be Announced

(For The Tickets Ending with The Following Numbers below)

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: To Be Announced

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE: To Be Announced

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: To Be Announced

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: To Be Announced

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: To Be Announced

KERALA LOTTERY RESULT 15-09-2024 September TODAY: AKSHAYA AK-669 LOTTERY PRIZE DETAILS

1st Prize: Rs 70 Lakhs

2nd Prize: Rs. 5 lakhs

3rd Prize: Rs. 1 Lakh

4th Prize: Rs. 5,000

5th Prize: Rs. 2,000

6th Prize: Rs. 1,000

7th Prize: Rs. 500

8th Prize: Rs. 100

Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000

(NOTE: Lottery can be addictive and should be played responsibly. The data provided on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice or encouragement. Zee News does not promote lottery in anyway.)
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Bittu, formerly a member of Congress, referred to Gandhi as the number one terrorist during a fiery address, following controversial remarks made by Gandhi during his visit to the United States.

Bittu Criticizes Rahul Gandhis Remarks Abroad

Bittu accused Gandhi of undermining Indias image on foreign soil. Rahul Gandhi is not an Indian at heart, Bittu claimed, asserting that the Congress leader spends more time outside the country than within it. He went on to allege that Gandhi does not love his country much and misrepresents India when abroad.

People who are most wanted, separatists, and experts in bombs and weapons are the ones applauding what Rahul Gandhi has said, Bittu stated, referencing Gandhis comments regarding the Sikh community during his US tour.

Rahul Gandhis Controversial Comments on Sikhs

During his address in the United States, Rahul Gandhi raised concerns about the freedom of Sikhs to practice their faith in India. The fight is about whether he, as a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear a turban in India; or whether he, as a Sikh, will be allowed to wear a kada; or whether he, as a Sikh, is allowed to go to a Gurudwara, Gandhi said, emphasizing that the issue was not just confined to the Sikh community but extended to religious freedom in general.

His comments sparked outrage from the BJP, who accused him of defaming the country. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri described Gandhis remarks as "sinister" and alleged that he was misleading members of the Sikh community living abroad for political gain.

Political Storm Ahead of Elections

The heated exchange between Bittu and Congress leaders comes at a critical time, with political tensions rising ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The back-and-forth between the two parties highlights the growing polarization in the political landscape, with personal attacks and harsh rhetoric increasingly becoming the norm. Both parties are expected to escalate their attacks in the weeks to come as they battle for electoral supremacy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged-off six Vande Bharat trains on Sunday at Tatanagar Junction Railway Station in Jharkhands Jamshedpur. He virtually launched Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat train.

Modi will lay the foundation stone for and inaugurate various railway projects valued at over Rs. 660 crore, according to the PMO statement. He is scheduled to distribute sanction letters to 20,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) during his visit to Tatanagar, Jharkhand.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the PM will also address a massive rally organised by the BJP in Jamshedpur, while sources said a roadshow is planned, PTI reported citing sources.

Heres All You Need To Know About Six New Vande Bharat Trains:
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwals announcement to step down as Delhi Chief Minister in two days has sparked quick reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with party leaders labeling the move as a 'PR stunt.'

Sonia Gandhi Model

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari has asserted that Arvind Kejriwal is aware that his public image in Delhi no longer reflects that of an honest leader.

This is a PR stunt of Arvind Kejriwal. He has understood that his image among the people of Delhi is not of an honest leader but of a corrupt leader, today Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is known across the country as a corrupt party, ANI quoted Bhandari.

Accusing AAP of applying the Sonia Gandhi model, he added, He wants to restore his image...It is clear that he wants to apply the Sonia Gandhi model, where she made Manmohan Singh a dummy Prime Minister and ran the government from behind the scenes...They want to make someone else a scapegoat."

Compelled By Supreme Court Ruling

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa stated that Arvind Kejriwal has no choice but to resign due to the bail conditions imposed on him by the Supreme Court.

Arvind Kejriwal has declared that he will step down in two days, with plans to return as Chief Minister once he receives a mandate from the people. This is not a sacrifice; the Supreme Courts order explicitly bars him from approaching the CMs office or signing any official documents. Therefore, you have no choiceyour resignation is compelled by the SC's ruling. The people already delivered their verdict three months ago when you posed the question, jail or bail. You lost all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and were subsequently jailed. Sirsa told ANI.

Why To Wait Two days?

Following Arvind Kejriwal's announcement to submit his resignation in two days, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav has raised questions about the reasoning behind the two-day timeline. Yadav said, "Why is he waiting for two days?... If Arvind Kejriwal had tendered his resignation six months ago, the public of Delhi would not have gone through a lot of crisis...This looks like a political drama as the Supreme Court has already imposed restrictions on him...A new Chief Minister should be appointed as soon as possible. The public of Delhi is aware and they will surely give an answer in the Delhi assembly elections," reported ANI.

Kejriwals Sudden Resignation Announcement

In a significant development, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that he will resign from his post in two days, vowing not to return to the Chief Minister's chair until the people of Delhi affirm his integrity.

Speaking to party workers at the AAP office, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that he will resign from his position in two days. "I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict. I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till I get a verdict from the people, Kejriwal declared.

Arvind Kejriwal was released from Tihar Jail on Friday evening, following the Supreme Court's decision to grant him bail in connection with a corruption case linked to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam.
Delhi News: The Delhi Police on Sunday busted a gang of counterfeit visas operating in west Delhi's Tilak Nagar area and arrested at least seven people. Police unearthed a factory where fake visas for several countries were made. It was operated by a man named Manoj Monga. The officials said that a huge quantity of equipment used in manufacturing fake visas has been seized from the house of the main accused. Besides this, police also recovered 14 Nepalese and two Indian passports.

According to the police, the accused have been identified as Manoj Monga (51), the main accused from Tilak Nagar, Shiva Gautam (42), Naveen Rana (25), Balbir Singh (65), Jaswinder Singh (55), Ashif Ali (27) and a passenger, Sandeep.

Speaking on the action against the fake visa gang, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (IGI Airport) Usha Rangnani said that on the night of September 2, Sandeep from Haryana went to the departure immigration counter at Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital with an Indian passport. He intended to depart for Rome in Italy, but during scrutiny of his documents, a fake Swedish visa was found affixed to his passport, and he was arrested, the police official said.

Following the arrest, an FIR was filed and an investigation was launched, she said. Sandeep, who was looking to move abroad, had contacted Ashif Ali, a travel agent, police said. Ali agreed to send Sandeep to a European country in lieu of Rs 10 lakh.

The police further informed that Sandeep paid Rs seven lakh in two bank accounts of the agent and paid Rs 50,000 in cash. Ali and his associatesNaveen Rana and Shiva Gautamarranged tickets and a Swedish visa for Sandeep's journey to Rome, the DCP said.

The revelations made by Sandeep led to the busting of a fake visa racket operating out of the national capital for the last five years. According to an NDTV report, the alleged racket had produced four to five thousand forged visas so far and had made Rs 300 crore doing so.

According to the police, the gang was making 30-60 fake visas of several countries, including those in Europe, every month and could prepare a visa sticker in just 20 minutes. Every fake visa made by the gang was sold for  8-10 lakh, the NDTV report stated. The racket used Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp for communication and had an intricate web of local agents who would connect with people seeking jobs in foreign countries.

Ali, Rana, and Gautam were arrested, which led to the arrest of Balbir Singh and Jaswinder Singh, she said. Following his arrest, Jaswinder Singh disclosed the name of Manoj Monga, who is an expert in the design and preparation of fake stickers, police said. Monga was arrested from his house in Tilak Nagar, where he was running his fake visa business, they said.

According to police, five years ago, Monga came in contact with Jaideep Singh, and they established an illegal factory for manufacturing fake visas at Monga's house. Later, Monga also began providing fake appointment letters to his customers so that their visas looked legitimate, the DCP said.

During the investigation, police said that 30 fake sticker visas issued in the names of different persons, 23 rubber stamps of various countries, three fake Permanent Residency (PR) cards of Italy, three wooden dyes of different embassies, four metal dyes of different countries, 14 original Nepalese passports, two original Indian passports, and many other items were recovered from Monga's house.

Further investigation in the case is underway, and efforts are underway to nab the other associates, police further stated.

(With PTI Inputs)
Patna: Ahead of his party's foundation day on October 2, Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishor vowed on Saturday to end the liquor ban in Bihar immediately if elected to power.

While speaking to ANI, Kishor said, "There is no need for any special preparation for the 2nd. We have been preparing for the last two years... If the Jan Suraj government is formed, we will end the liquor ban within one hour."

When asked about Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav's yatra, he remarked, "My best wishes to him. At least he has come out of the house and is going among the public."

Commenting on the ongoing war of words between the RJD and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, following Tejashwi Yadav's claim that Nitish Kumar had apologised with folded hands for joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Kishor said both leaders have harmed Bihar.

"This issue is between Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav, and it doesn't matter who apologised with folded hands to whom; both have caused damage to Bihar. The people of Bihar have witnessed both of them for 30 years. We are urging them both to leave Bihar," said Prashant Kishor.

Earlier, Kishor launched a scathing attack on Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, questioning his ability to lead the state's development. Addressing a gathering in Bhojpur, Bihar, Kishor said, "If someone could not get educated due to a lack of resources, it is understandable. But if someone's parents were Chief Ministers and he couldn't pass the 10th class, it reflects their approach towards education."

Criticising Tejashwi Yadav's educational background, Kishor highlighted the irony, saying, "A 9th-class dropout is showing the way to Bihar's development. He (Tejashwi Yadav) doesn't know the difference between GDP and GDP growth, yet he claims to know how Bihar will improve." Kishor further questioned Tejashwi Yadav's credentials, pointing out that his only claim to leadership is being the son of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav and a leader in the RJD due to family ties.

Kishor argued that Yadav needs to work hard and prove himself through his actions if he wants to build a reputation beyond being Lalu Yadav's son.
Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter Aaradhya on Saturday reached Dubai to attend the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) 2024. Several visuals from Dubai surfaced online in which the mother-daughter jodi can be seen receiving a warm welcome.

Earlier, on Friday, actor Mrunal Thakur was also spotted arriving in Dubai. SIIMA awards are currently underway.

Many stars including Rana Daggubati and Pranita Subhash have already reached the venue, marking stylish presence on the red carpet.

Have a look at the pictures of the celebrities who attended the SIIMA Awards so far

Wearing a blue gown, Pranitha stole the attention of the paps with her ethereal look.

Rana arrived at the venue donning a teal blue blazer. Simran Choudhary attended the event in a stunning black saree.

The 12th Edition of the South Indian International Movie Awards will take place till September 15.

Telugu film Dasara, Tamil film Jailer, Kannada film Kaatera and the Malayalam film 2018 bagged the most nominations. Srikanth Odela's Dasara, starring Nani and Keerthy Suresh bagged 11 nominations, with Souryuv's Nani, Mrunal Thakur's Hi Nanna following closely with 10. Now it is to be seen who will take the trophies home.
Mumbai: Actress Sharddha Arya and her husband Rahul Nagal on Sunday announced that they are all set to welcome their first bundle of joy.

The actress took to Instagram, where she shared a video of herself and her husband with a positive pregnancy test and a picture of the sonography.

We Are Expecting A Little Miracle!!! #Pregnancy #FutureParents #Blessed, she wrote as the caption.

Shraddha got married to Rahul Nagal, an Indian Navy officer, in November 2021 in the presence of their close ones.

Earlier Shraddha had posted a picture with her best friend Anjum Fakih from their Swiss trip on her birthday.

Its My Most Crazy Besties Birthday!! Thank You For bringing in so much joy and weirdness into my life.. Life would have been so banal without you!!! May You stay this carefree and chirpy always !!! Love You! @nzoomfakih P.s. This song Cuz we were trippin on it throughout our Swiss Trip, she said.

On the work front, Shraddha started her career with Zee TV's talent hunt show "India's Best Cinestars Ki Khoj", in which she became the first runner-up.

She made her acting debut in 2006 with the Tamil movie 'Kalvanin Kadhali' opposite actor-director SJ Surya. The diva made her Bollywood debut in 2007 with 'Nishabd', directed by Ram Gopal Varma, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jiah Khan. Shraddha essayed the lead role in the show 'Main Lakshmi Tere Aangan Ki', alongside Sudeep Sahir.

She has been a part of TV operas like 'Tumhari Paakhi', 'Dream Girl' and 'Kundali Bhagya'.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the state assembly polls are expected to be held in the second week of November and seat-sharing among the ruling allies would be finalised in the next 8 to 10 days.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde offers prayers to Lord Ganesha on the occasion of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in Thane. Photograph: ANI Photo

A two-phase poll would be preferable for the 288-member state assembly, Shinde said in an informal chat with mediapersons at his official residence 'Varsha' in Mumbai.

The Mahayuti government, comprising the Shiv Sena led by Shinde, Bharatiya Janata Party and the Ajit Pawar-headed Nationalist Congress Party, was focusing on development and welfare measures and was getting good response from people, he said.

"Elections are likely in the second week of November. A two-phase election would be preferable. Merit and good strike rate will the criteria for seat-sharing among the Mahayuti allies," the CM said.

The seat-sharing will be finalised in 8 to 10 days, he added.

Shinde said he can see support for the government among women and asserted his was a government of the common man.

"We have struck a balance between development and welfare schemes," he said.

The appointment letters have been given to 1.5 lakh youth for jobs under the skilled training programme for which they will get a stipend from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000. The target is to cover 10 lakh youth, the CM said.

Shinde said 1.6 crore women have so far got financial assistance under the government's Ladki Bahin scheme.

"We plan to reach out to 2.5 crore women," he said.

At present, women beneficiaries of the government's flagship 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana' get Rs 1,500 per month.

Shinde also said his government aims to make Mumbai slum-free and ensure affordable housing for all.

All government agencies, like the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), have been roped-in for the redevelopment of slums, he added.
A key US State Department diplomat arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday to hold discussions with the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, primarily focussing on financial and trade matters.

Donald Lu, the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, is leading a delegation to Dhaka that also has Brandon Lynch, the assistant US trade representative for South and Central Asia, the bdnews24.com news portal reported, citing a press release issued by the foreign ministry.

Apart from meeting Yunus to discuss bilateral issues, the delegation will also meet Finance and Commerce Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed, the release said.

Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain said the discussions will primarily focus on financial and trade matters.

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin told reporters on Thursday, I can only say that the arrival of the US delegation after the formation of the interim government reflects the importance the United States places on its relationship with Bangladesh.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore recently shed light on why Boeing's Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth without them. Initially scheduled for a short eight-day mission, the astronauts had to adapt to a much longer stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) after Starliner experienced technical difficulties.

Starliners Technical Issues Force Empty Return

The Boeing Starliner faced issues that ultimately forced NASA to send the spacecraft back to Earth without its intended crew. Although the spacecraft experienced helium leaks and propulsion concerns, it landed successfully. Wilmore explained, "We could have gotten to the point where we could have returned on Starliner, but we simply ran out of time."

NASA made the decision to return the Starliner empty in early September, prioritizing the need to free up the docking port for other spacecraft. Williams expressed relief at the spacecraft's safe return, saying, "I was so happy it got home with no problems."

The availability of SpaceXs Crew Dragon as an alternative played a crucial role in the decision-making process. Wilmore highlighted this advantage: "Theres many cases in the past where there have not been other options." Both astronauts plan to return to Earth in 2025 aboard the Crew Dragon.

Wilmore said," Obviously, when you have issues like weve had, theres some changes that need to be made. Boeings on board with that. Were all on board with that. Acknowledging the risks inherent in testing new spacecraft, Wilmore said, When you do things with spacecraft that have never been done before, just like Starliner, youre going to find some things. In this case, we found some things that we just could not get comfortable with."



Despite the unexpected length of their stay in space, Williams remains upbeat. "This is my happy place. I love being up here in space. Its just fun," she shared.
Advance, a Philippines-based financial technology company and Cebuana Lhuillier strengthened their partnership with the signing of a P100 million lending deal to empower businesses and individuals across the country.

The strategic move will enable Advance to expand its lending services, providing much-needed financial support to both individual employees and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

- Advertisement -

Advance has been a valued partner of Cebuana Lhuillier since we joined hands in 2022. Through our Cebuana Lhuillier-Advance Salary Loans product, we have seen firsthand how Advance shares Cebuana Lhuilliers vision of enhancing the financial wellness of every Filipino, Cebuana Lhuillier chief finance officer (CFO) Cliff Cabungcal said.

With this signed loan facility agreement solidifying our partnership, we at Cebuana Lhuillier are excited to see how Advance will unlock the growth potential of businesses across industries, he said.

Advance chief executive Jaime de los Angeles said: We deeply admire how Cebuana Lhuillier continues to champion financial inclusion in this country. We are excited to work closely together and expand our coverage to more businesses in need of growth capital through Advances financial programs.

Cebuana Lhuillier teamed up with Advance to launch and introduce its latest serviceCebuana Lhuillier Advance in May 2023.

Cebuana Lhuillier Advance enables employees to access a portion of their salaries as a revolving line of credit whenever they need to. Aside from round-the-clock access to credit, it also boasts of instant disbursement, fast approval and paperless transaction.

It also provides account management; customer support; and flexibility on value added services at very fair charges.

Advance is a regional fintech company operating out of the Philippines and Vietnam.
BEIRUT  Hezbollahs second-in-command has warned an all-out war by Israel aimed at returning 100,000 displaced people to their homes in areas near the Lebanon border would displace hundreds of thousands more.

Naim Qassem, number two in the Iran-backed Lebanese group, was speaking after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was determined to restore security to its northern front.

- Advertisement -

Gallant told Israeli troops last week that we are preparing for anything that may happen in the north.

In a speech in Beirut, Qassem said: We have no intention of going to war, as we consider that this would not be useful.

However, if Israel does unleash a war, we will face up to it  and there will be large losses on both sides, he said.

If they think such a war would allow the 100,000 displaced people to return home  we issue this warning: prepare to deal with hundreds of thousands more displaced.

Hezbollah has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces in support of ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant groups Oct. 7 attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza.

Thousands of people living in the border area of both countries have been displaced by the fighting.

On Saturday evening, the Israeli military said its air force had struck suspected Hezbollah weapons storage facilities at two locations in Lebanons eastern Beqaa Valley, as well as in six locations in the south.

Three children were among four people wounded in an Israeli strike in the northern Beqaas Hermel district, some 140 kilometers from the Israeli border, the Lebanese health ministry said.

A source close to Hezbollah said the strike targeted a farm in the area, a stronghold of the militant group.

A second strike on the village of Serine, near Baalbek, targeted warehouses storing food products, the source added.

The cross-border violence since early October has killed 623 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including at least 142 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, authorities have announced the deaths of at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians.
King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid, and Prince Moulay Ahmed, chaired over a religious ceremony marking Eid Al Mawlid Annabawi at Hassan Mosque in Rabat Sunday evening.

Eid Al Mawlid Annabawi Asharif commemorates the birth of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) which falls on Rabii Al Awal 12 (Islamic Hegira calendar).

This religious ceremony was marked by the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and panegyrics of the Prophet.

During the ceremony, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, made a presentation on the activities of the Supreme Council of Ulema and local Ulema Councils, before handing over to the Sovereign the report relating to these activities.

Afterwards, the King awarded a number of prizes to theology searchers, people who stand out in Koran memorization, psalmody, declamation, and exegesis, as well as to artists who excel in Moroccan Calligraphic Art, Moroccan Decorative Art on Paper, and Arabic Literary Art [Al Horoufia].

The celebration of Eid Al Mawlid Annabawi Asharif by King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, is in line with the tradition observed by his ancestors who have been keen on commemorating the anniversary of the coming to the World of the Messenger of Mercy, Prophet Sidna Mohammed, who spread the high virtues and values of justice and recommended good deeds so that all humans live in peace and understanding.

On the occasion of Eid Al-Mawlid Al-Nabaoui Al-Sharif, a significant religious event in the Muslim world, King Mohammed VI has sent congratulatory messages to the Sovereigns, Presidents and Emirs of Islamic countries.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Limited capacity is keeping Mpox testing coverage low in the DR Congothe epicenter of the international emergencythe World Health Organization said Saturday in its latest situation report.

"Testing coverage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains low, due to limited testing capacity," the UN health agency said in its update.

It said the mpox case fatality ratio in the DRC in 2024 was 0.5 percent among confirmed casesor 25 deaths from 5,160 casesand 3.3 percent among suspected cases, both tested and untestedor 717 deaths among 21,835 cases.

"Due to limited access to laboratory testing in remote areas, only about 40 percent of all suspected cases have been tested in 2024 (up from nine percent in 2023), and among these, around 55 percent tested positive," the WHO said.

It said the three countries reporting the most suspected cases in the year up to September 8 were the DRC, followed by Burundi (1,489 suspected cases, no deaths), and Nigeria (935 suspected cases, no deaths).

There are two clades of mpox, each with a and b subclades.

The WHO said the clades and their subclades were circulating in different geographic areas and were affecting different populationsand therefore needed "tailored and locally-adapted outbreak responses".

The WHO declared an international emergency over mpox on August 14, concerned by the surge in cases of the new Clade 1b strain in the DRC that spread to nearby countries.

In the DRC, Clade 1b has been detected chiefly in the eastern South Kivu and North Kivu provinces, with additional cases in the Kinshasa capital province.

Current sequencing capacity in the DRC "is limited, and clade distribution might be broader than what is currently known" the WHO said.

Clade 1b has also been detected in the DRC's eastern neighbors Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, plus Kenya. Additionally, a single case has been detected in Sweden and another in Thailand.

Looking at global vaccine availability, the WHO said more than 3.6 million doses had been pledged for the global response, including more than 620,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine by European countries, the United States and manufacturer Bavarian Nordic.

Meanwhile Japan has pledged three million doses of the LC16 vaccine.

To date, 265,000 MVA-BN doses have been delivered to Kinshasa, while 10,000 have gone to Nigeria.

 2024 AFP
JSW Energy Ltd on Sunday said that its step-down subsidiary, JSW Renew Energy Two Limited, has successfully completed commissioning for the 300 MW ISTS-connected wind power project awarded by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) located at Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. According to the company's filing with market exchanges, it is the first-ever greenfield wind power plant commissioned by the company for SECI. "The newly commissioned wind power project will contribute significantly to our renewable energy portfolio, supporting our vision of a greener and more sustainable future," the company said in its statement. The company said in the filing that an additional 150 MW of wind capacity awarded under SECI Tranche X located at Dharapuram, Tamil Nadu is also nearing completion with 138 MW already commissioned. "Subsequent to this, total current installed capacity stands at 7,726 MW while the under-construction capacity stands at 2,114 MW, which is expected to be commissioned by the end of FY 2025. The Company's current installed wind capacity stands at 2,152 MW," the company stated in the statement. Reacting to the development, Sharad Mahendra, Joint Managing Director and CEO of JSW Energy said, "Today, JSW Energy proudly commissions its first greenfield wind power plant for SECI, reaffirming our strong execution capabilities and commitment to a greener future for India. This achievement moves us closer to our target of 10 GW installed capacity by FY2025. Additionally, we have a robust pipeline of renewable projects, propelling us towards our goal of 20 GW before 2030. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated team and partners for their unwavering support." According to the filing, the JSW Energy has a total locked-in generation capacity of 18.2 GW comprising of wind, solar, hydro and thermal power plants. The company's current renewable pipeline stands at 8.3 GW with PPAs signed for 2.3 GW. The company also has 4.2 GWh of locked-in energy storage capacity through battery energy storage system and hydro-pumped storage project, as per the filing. Going further, the filing adds that the company aims to reach 20 GW generation capacity and 40 GWh of energy storage capacity before 2030. JSW Energy has set an ambitious target of achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050, according to the filing. JSW Energy Ltd is one of the major Private sector power producers in India and part of the USD 24 billion JSW Group which has a significant presence in sectors such as steel, energy, infrastructure, cement, and sports, among others. The company has established its presence across the value chains of the power sector with diversified assets in power generation, and transmission. With strong operations, robust corporate governance and prudent capital allocation strategies, JSW Energy continues to deliver sustainable growth and create value for all stakeholders. JSW Energy began commercial operations in 2000, with the commissioning of its first 2x130 MW thermal power plants at Vijayanagar, Karnataka. Since then, the company has steadily enhanced its power generation capacity from 260 MW to 7,726 MW having a portfolio of Thermal 3,508 MW, Wind 2,152 MW, Hydel 1,391 MW and Solar 675 MW ensuring diversity in geographic presence, fuel sources and power off-take arrangements, it said. The company is presently constructing various power projects to the tune of 2.1 GW, with a vision to achieve a total power generation capacity of 20 GW before the year 2030, as per the information provided by the company in the exchange filing.(ANI)
A meeting between Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Ram Nath Thakur and Brazil's Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Favaro, took place on September 13, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare stated in a release on Sunday.

During the meeting, both sides discussed cooperation in science and technology, ethanol production, and market access.

Both parties agreed to collaborate in science and technology, expressing hope that the Memorandum of Understanding between ICAR (India) and EMBRAPA (Brazil) would be finalised before the G20 leaders' meeting in November.

India is seeking access to the Brazilian market for its Sorghum, Rapeseed, Cotton, Wheat, Barley, and Onion bulbs, while Brazil is seeking access to the Indian market for Citrus, among other products. Both ministers expressed optimism about resolving the pending issues that are currently obstructing trade.

In June 2024, at the 63rd council meeting of the International Sugar Organisation (ISO), India sought support and cooperation from member countries to adopt more sustainable practices in sugarcane cultivation, sugar and ethanol production, and the better utilisation of by-products.

India is the third-largest ethanol producer globally, following the USA and Brazil.

The ethanol blending percentage in India increased from 5 percent in 2019-20 to 12 percent in 2022-23, while production rose from 173 crore litres to over 500 crore litres during the same period, according to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

Official data shows that in 2022, bilateral trade between India and Brazil grew by 32 percent to USD 15.2 billion (India's exports were USD 8.8 billion, and imports were USD 6.4 billion). In 2023, India's exports stood at USD 6.9 billion, with imports at USD 4.7 billion.

The Indian delegation, led by Ram Nath Thakur, held bilateral meetings with the USA, Brazil, Germany, the UK, Japan, Spain, and the UAE. (ANI)
India held bilateral meetings with several major countries on the sidelines of the G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting on September 12 and 13, 2024, in Cuiaba, Brazil, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said in a statement on Sunday. The Indian delegation led by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Ram Nath Thakur, held bilateral meetings with the USA, Brazil, Germany, the UK, Japan, Spain, and UAE. During the bilateral meeting between Thakur and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan Sakamoto, both sides expressed their commitment to cooperate in mutually beneficial areas, including the use of technology, food processing, cold storage, etc., and the sustainability and productivity of agriculture in India also through private investment. India and Japan discussed the issue of market access, where Indian Minister Thakur asked to expedite the market access of Indian pomegranate and grapes in Japan while Japan Minister Sakamoto raised the market access of Japanese cedar. A bilateral meeting between Thakur and Xochitl Torres Small, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, USA, was also held on September 13. During the meeting, both countries agreed to follow up on the USDA and MA&FW Dialogue initiative. Both sides agreed to take forward the cooperation in areas of climate-smart agriculture, agricultural productivity growth; agricultural innovation; forecasting and production reporting, agriculture and crop risk protection, and agricultural credit, the ministry said in its release. USDA agreed to share learnings through visits in crop insurance sector. Thakur highlighted the market access issues of fruits and vegetables, etc. US requested to expedite market access for Alfalfa hay fodder to India. Both sides agreed to resolve the pending issues related to market access as per agreed strategies. Separately, a bilateral meeting between an Indian delegation headed by Thakur and a delegation headed by Ophelia Nick, Parliamentary State Secretary, Germany, was held on September 13. During the meeting, Nick suggested having the IND-GER working group parallel to the next Aahar food fair in New Delhi. Both sides agreed to progress on agroecology, technical exchanges, and cooperation through triangular development projects, as per the statement. Both sides agreed to collaborate in sectors such as the application of artificial intelligence in farming and support to small farmers, agroecology, and organic farming. Germany extended an invitation to India to participate in the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture and the Agriculture Ministers Conference in Berlin. A bilateral meeting between an Indian delegation headed by Thakur and a delegation headed by Daniel Zeichner, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, UK, was held on 13 September. Both sides expressed their interest in cooperating in the transformation of the agriculture food system into sustainable agriculture, research, and science--precision breeding, gene editing, and extension services. Spain, during the bilateral meeting, thanked the Indian Minister for the approval of a veterinary certificate for dairy products and expressed interest in engaging in such protocols in the future. He also showed interest in resolving the sanitary and veterinary certificate for meat and meat products and expressed hope to get confirmation of the validity of cold storage in transit for oranges. Both sides desired to have cooperation in technology, new genomic techniques, practices, and technology of water use efficiency, climate resilient agriculture, technical and scientific solutions for seeds and plants, and exchange between the research institutions of both countries. During the meeting, India and the UAE discussed ways to enhance trade in the agriculture sector. Both sides agreed to discuss market access related issues by technical teams. UAE showed interest in collaboration in research and technology, sharing experience on vertical farming, and high yield technologies. Both sides also discussed the issues related to sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems. (ANI)
Deepika was recently discharged from the hospital and the couple has brought their newborn home, marking their first public appearance since the joyous event.

Following the birth of their daughter, Deepika Padukone made a heartwarming update on her Instagram bio, reflecting her new role as a mother.

Her bio now reads, "Feed. Burp. Sleep. Repeat," providing fans with a charming glimpse into the daily routine of their new family life.

The announcement of their baby's arrival on September 8, was shared through a touching post on social media, where the couple expressed their delight with the message, "Welcome Baby Girl 8.9.2024. Deepika and Ranveer."

The post quickly garnered a flurry of congratulatory messages from fans and celebrities alike.

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor commented, "Congratulations mommy and daddy from Saifu and Beboo...God bless the little angel," while Ananya Panday expressed her joy with, "Baby girl! Congratulations."

Hollywood actor Will Smith also joined in, writing, "Congratulations Mama and Papa!!"

Prior to their hospital visit, Deepika and Ranveer sought blessings at Mumbai's Shri Siddhivinayak Temple, marking a spiritual beginning to their new chapter.

In terms of their professional lives, Deepika Padukone's last appearance was in the film 'Kalki 2898 Ad.'

Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are set to be seen together next in Rohit Shetty's highly anticipated film 'Singham Again,' scheduled for release during Diwali. (ANI)
Actor Demi Moore talked about her latest film 'The Substance' and also how challenging it is certain times for women to withstand the criteria of "perfect body" as per social norms, reported People. Her film 'The Substance' recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Talking about the expectation for women's bodies in the 90s, she shared that until and unless they are lean and thin, women are not considered appealing and perfect "Self-judgment, chasing perfection, trying to rid ourselves of 'flaws', also feeling rejected and despair, none of this is exclusive to women," said Demi, prior to opening up about scene in the film in which her character, Elisabeth Sparkle, tries to find out flaws in her appearance while looking at the mirror before going for a date. "We've all had moments where you go back and you're trying to fix something, and you're just making it worse to the point where you're incapacitated," she shared, adding, "We're seeing these small things nobody else is looking at, but we're so hyper-focused on all that we're not. All of us, if we start to think our value is only with how we look, then ultimately we're going to be crushed." Moore said that this is time of "great judgement," and in this time "people can anonymously judge one another in cruel ways." "I feel this kind of judgement is a reflection of someone's own unhappiness and/or a way to boost their own sense of self. When those things happen, I have learned to just let it roll. It's what I make it mean about me. If I give it a lot of weight, value and power, it will have it. If I don't, it won't," said Moore. In the film 'The Substance', Moore's character Elisabeth tries to create a young version of herself and for that she uses a black market drug. The film, directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Margaret Qualley, delves with themes such as body image, societal expectations for women, and ageing. It received the best screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The actor shared recently that she is enjoying the phase of her life when she is most independent as her kids are grown up. "To me, this is the most exciting time of my life. I feel like my children are grown, I have the most independence and autonomy to really redefine where I want to go. I don't know what that looks like or where it is, but I'm just excited to be living in it," she said. 'The Substance' releases in theaters on September 20, reported People. (ANI)
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan visited Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's home with his sister Arpita for Ganpati darshan. Eknath Shinde took to his Instagram handle and shared a series of pictures from the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. Some of the pictures featured Salman Khan and his sister Arpita Khan taking part in Ganpati puja. https://www.instagram.com/p/C_7_yQTsthN/? Salman stole everyone's attention with his casual look. Eknath Shinde offered Salman a bouquet of flowers and a colourful shwal. Shinde's son and MP Dr Srikant Shinde and more were also present. This year also, Salman welcomed Lord Ganesha into his home for Ganesh Chaturthi. Earlier, Salman shared a video of the Ganesh Visarjan, where the family bid farewell to Bappa on his Instagram handle. In the video, Salman was seen dancing with his family during the Visarjan, as he fully enjoyed the moment. He also performed the final aarti and whispered prayers into Lord Ganesha's ears, a tradition followed by many devotees. Salman's sister Arpita Khan Sharma and her husband Ayush Sharma were also seen in the video, dancing with their kids with full energy. Other family members, including Sohail Khan's sons Nirvaan and Yohan, Arbaaz Khan's son Arhaan, Alvira Agnihotri, her daughter Alizeh, and her son Ayaan, were also seen joining in the festivities, dancing their hearts out during the Visarjan. Along with the video, the actor also added a caption that read, "Happy Ganesh Chaturthi." On September 7, Salman Khan arrived at the Ambani family's grand residence, Antilia, to join the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities. The actor made a stylish appearance in a dapper brown shirt. Talking about the joyous festival, Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10-day festival that commenced on September 7 and will continue until Anantha Chaturdashi. This festival is also known as Vinayak Chaturthi or Vinayak Chavithi. During Ganesh Chaturthi, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the god of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles. Devotees across India and abroad celebrated Lord Ganesha's wisdom and intelligence. Devotees welcomed Ganesh idols into their homes, offered prayers, and visited the colourful pandals. The streets were filled with the sounds of devotion and joy as people came together to celebrate the festival with enthusiasm and heart. The colourful decorations, lively chants, and the fragrance of sweets added to the festive spirit that could be felt everywhere. Meanwhile, on the work front, Salman will be seen headlining 'Sikandar'. 'Sikandar' marks the reunion of Salman Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala after their previous successful collaborations 'Kick', 'Judwaa', and 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi'. Directed by A.R. Murugadoss, the film is set to release next Eid. Recently, Salman shared a picture from the sets of the 'Sikandar'. In the picture, Salman is wearing a light blue shirt and smiling at a screen nearby. Film producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Murugadoss can be seen sharing a laugh with him. "Looking forward to #Eid2025 with team #Sikandar #SajidNadiadwala's #SikandarDirected by @a.r.murugadoss Releasing in cinemas EID 2025," he captioned the post. In May 2024, the production house officially announced the news on its social media handles that Rashmika Mandanna is part of the film. "Welcoming the fabulous @rashmika_mandanna to star opposite @beingsalmankhan in #Sikandar! Can't wait for their on-screen magic to unfold on EID 2025!," the post read. Rashmika also took to her Instagram Stories to post, "You guys for a long time have been asking me for the next update, and here it is. Surprise!! I'm truly grateful and honoured to be a part of Sikandar." (ANI)
Britney posted several throwback pictures of herself with her sons. In the caption, Spears wrote a special birthday post for them.

"This month is my boys' birthdays !!! Happy BirthdaY..babies and I hope you get all your wishes and more !!!Psss does anyone have any clue why we're all looking up ???," she wrote in the caption.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_6PPDop295/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, stated in June that Preston and Jayden were willing to reconcile with their mother following a promising phone call on Mother's Day.

"Obviously, reconciliation/reunification is a complex and time-consuming process," said Kaplan

"And the phone call was a good sign and a step in the right direction, but it's a process that takes more than just a phone call to accomplish," he added.

Federline and Spears agreed in their divorce settlement that child support for Jayden would continue until he turned 18 or graduated from high school.

In her memoir, 'The Woman in Me', she also opened up about motherhood and her sons. 'The Woman in Me' was published on October 24, 2023. "Being a mom was my dream come true," Spears added.

Preston and Jayden moved to Hawaii with Federline, his wife, Victoria Prince, and their two children in 2023, reported Page Six. (ANI)
He posed for the shutterbugs with a huge smile on his face.

Talking of Govinda's look, he kept it simple as he wore a white shirt, trousers and matching shoes.

A while ago, Eknath Shinde took to his Instagram handle and shared a series of pictures from the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration.

Some of the pictures featured Salman Khan and his sister Arpita Khan taking part in Ganpati puja.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10-day festival that commenced on September 7 and will continue until Anantha Chaturdashi. This festival is also known as Vinayak Chaturthi or Vinayak Chavithi. During Ganesh Chaturthi, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the god of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles. Devotees across India and abroad celebrated Lord Ganesha's wisdom and intelligence.

During Ganesh Chaturthi, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the god of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles. Devotees across India and abroad celebrate Lord Ganesha's wisdom and intelligence.

Homes and pandals are adorned with elaborate decorations, and the air is filled with prayers, music, and festive chants. The streets come alive with vibrant processions and traditional rituals as people prepare delicious offerings and visit the beautifully decorated pandals. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the Ganesh Mahotsav organized by Ganesh Mahotsav Seva Samiti Bharuwala Grant Clementown at Shri Shiv Raghunath Temple in Dehradun on Saturday. Describing the significance of Lord Ganesh, CM Dhami said that our government is constantly trying to promote the Sanatan culture of Devbhoomi and to maintain the original form of Devbhoomi. "In the Sanatan tradition, before doing any auspicious work, it is a ritual to invoke Lord Ganesha first. By the grace of Lord Ganesha, we all remain energetic. Our government is constantly trying to promote the Sanatan culture of Devbhoomi and to maintain the original form of Devbhoomi," Dhami said. Sharing pictures on X, CM wrote, "Participated in the Ganesh Mahotsav organized by Ganesh Mahotsav Seva Samiti in Clemsontown, Dehradun and prayed to Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the giver of Riddhi-Siddhi, and wished for the happiness, prosperity and well-being of the people of the state." Earlier on Saturday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in 'Hindi Diwas Samaroh-2024' organised by Uttarakhand Bhasha Sansthan in Dehradun. During the event held at IRDT Auditorium, the Chief Minister released the book 'Uttarakhand Ki Lok Kathayen' by the Sansthan. Speaking on occasion, CM Dhami highlighted how Hindi has connected society and enriched the civilisation, adding that it is "not just a celebration of a language but an occasion to pride our culture". CM Dhami also highlighted the Prime Minister's efforts to establish Hindi on the global platform and said that it is a collective responsibility "to maintain the pride of Hindi." "Hindi has got global recognition due to his use of Hindi in the 'Mann Ki Baat' program. Many efforts are being made by the state government for the upliftment and promotion of Hindi. It is the collective responsibility of all of us to maintain the pride of Hindi. Today we should take a pledge to respect our mother tongue, Hindi. Adopt it in our daily lives so that Hindi becomes a strong language of the 21st century," CM Dhami said. The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the people who made important contributions to the upliftment and promotion of Hindi. (ANI)
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jharkhand, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that PM Modi is bringing gifts for the state. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Shivraj Singh Chauhan said, "Prime Minister Modi is visiting the state tomorrow, on September 15 and is bringing many gifts for the state." He further highlighted the schemes to be announced by PM Modi during his visit. "On one hand, in Jamshedpur, he will release the first installment of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for building permanent houses for our poor brothers and sisters of Jharkhand... He will issue approval letters for our rural and urban brothers and sisters... 1 lakh 13 thousand houses have also been approved for Jharkhand... The Prime Minister is also going to inaugurate 6 Vande Bharat trains by flagging them off... Jharkhand will get many different gifts," the Union Minister said. Describing the enthusiasm among the people, he said, "Despite heavy rains, there is immense enthusiasm among the people for the visit of the Prime Minister and the people of Jharkhand are going to come tomorrow to meet and listen to the Prime Minister." Notably, PM Modi will visit Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Odisha from September 15 to 17 and will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects. According to the Prime Minister's Office, on September 15, the Prime Minister will travel to Jharkhand and will flag off the Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat train at Tatanagar Junction Railway Station, Jharkhand. In line with his commitment for Housing for All, PM Modi will distribute sanction letters to 20 thousand Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G) beneficiaries from Jharkhand. He will release the 1st instalment of assistance to the beneficiaries. The prime minister will also participate in the Griha Pravesh celebrations of 46 thousand beneficiaries. Meanwhile, on September 16, the Prime Minister will interact with the beneficiaries of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in Gandhinagar. On 17th September, the Prime Minister will travel to Odisha and will interact with the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban. Thereafter he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation various development projects worth more than Rs. 3800 crores in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Further, the Prime Minister will launch the Operational Guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0. (ANI)
Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitin Gadkari said that he turned down an offer for the Prime Minister's position from a political leader, stating that becoming PM was not the aim of his life. Addressing the media fraternity at late Anil Kumar Patrakarita Puraskar Samaroh organised by Vidarbha Gaurav Pratishthan on Saturday, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said that he is loyal to his conviction and organisation, and won't compromise with that. "I do not want to name anyone but a person said to me, if you are going to become a Prime Minister, we will support you. I said, why you should support me, and why I should take your support. To become a Prime Minister is not the aim in my life. I am loyal to my conviction and organisation and I am not going to compromise for any post because my conviction is most important to me. I think that this conviction is the biggest strength of Indian democracy," Gadkari said. He further said, "Democracy will be successful only when all four pillars--the judiciary, executive, legislature and media--follow ethics." During both the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, reportedly Nitin Gadkari's name emerged in discussion as a potential Prime Ministerial candidate. Gadkari, who has won the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat three times, is a prominent figure in the BJP. He is currently serving as Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways. He became the Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Minister of Shipping in May 2014. During the second term of the BJP-led central government in 2019, Gadkari retained the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, while the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation were replaced with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises on May 31, 2019. Gadkari won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Nagpur constituency, defeating his nearest Congress rival by a margin of 1,37,603 votes. However, Gadkari's winning margin went down by 78,397 in this election. In 2019, he had defeated Congress' Nana Patole by 2,16,000 votes. The BJP leader first contested from the constituency in 2014, when he won by 2,84,828 votes. (ANI)
The total number of deaths in the Meerut building collapse has risen to 10, while five individuals are undergoing treatment in the hospital, said a senior police official on Sunday. The police official said that the incident spot has been sealed, however, the search and rescue operation is continuing to ensure "no possibility of any human life in the debris". The five injured individuals have been admitted to the hospital for medical treatment, while the recovered bodies have been sent to the hospital for further medical procedures, including post-mortem. According to the police official, the incident occurred at around 4.30 pm on Saturday in the Zakir colony area of Meerut City. Speaking to ANI, Meerut DM Deepak Meena said, "The incident occurred around 4:30 pm in the Zakir colony area of Meerut. As told by the family and relatives, 15 people were trapped in the debris of the house. All 15 have been rescued, 10 out of which have died and 5 are undergoing treatment. The bodies have been sent to the hospital for further medical procedures including post-mortem. The area has been sealed and debris is being cleared. The rescue operation will go on till we find no possibility of any human life in the debris. Earlier, in the day, the reports said around nine people lost their lives after a three-storey building collapsed in the Zakir Colony area of Meerut city in Uttar Pradesh. NDRF and SDRF teams used sniffer dogs to detect signs of human life under rubble as part of their rescue operation in Zakir Colony of Meerut. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are present at the spot and rescue operations are ongoing amid rain in the area. Currently, 11 districts in Uttar Pradesh are affected by floods. So far, 17 people have died due to floods, as per information by the office of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Earlier, the UP-Chief Minister's office in a post on X, wrote "Relief money of Rs 4 lakh each has been provided to the families of the deceased. So far, relief money has been provided to 30 affected people in connection with the loss of 30 animals. 3,056 houses have been damaged. Relief assistance has been distributed in connection." (ANI)
The firing incident happened on Saturday. The police team rushed to the spot immediately after receiving a word about it.

It was found that the steel counter in front of JM Aggarwal Sweets and the glass of JM Aggarwal Bakery were fired upon. As per CCTV, two assailants on a bike were noticed, said police.

A case has been registered under the Arms Act, police informed.

Further investigation into the matter is underway. More details are awaited. (ANI)
Governor of Andhra Pradesh, S. Abdul Nazeer, on the occasion of Eid Milad-ul-Nabi, extended his warm greetings to the people. "I extend my warm greetings to the Muslim brethren of Andhra Pradesh, on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Mohammad," said the statement. Further, he mentioned that the life of the Prophet Mohammad has been an inspiring saga of love, brotherhood and virtue to mankind. "The life of the Prophet has been an inspiring saga of love, brotherhood and virtue to mankind. The Prophet's mission is fulfilled when we serve our fellow countrymen with faith, trust, care and compassion. The day reminds us of the kindness, compassion and teachings of the Holy Prophet. May the birthday of Prophet Mohammad usher in peace and goodwill amongst us all," said the statement. On September 14, the Maharashtra government rescheduled the Eid-e-Milad holiday in Mumbai from September 16 to September 18. The order was issued by an official notification on Friday. This decision follows requests from Muslim MLAs and organisations, who planned to hold Eid-e-Milad processions on September 18 to avoid conflicts with Ganpati immersion ceremonies. The notification stated, "Among the 24 public holidays notified by the State Government, the Eid-e-Milad holiday is indicated on Monday, September 16, 2024. Eid-e-Milad, a religious festival of Muslims, is widely celebrated by the Muslim community on a large scale. A procession program is organised on this occasion. On Tuesday, September 17th, 2024, since there is the Hindu festival of Anant Chaturdashi, to maintain peace and social harmony between the two communities, the Muslim Community has decided to organise the procession program on Wednesday, 18th September, 2024. Therefore, the public holiday of Eid-e-Milad is being declared on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 instead of Monday, September 16, 2024." The notification also mentioned that outside Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburbs, district collectors will decide whether to maintain the holiday on September 16 or reschedule it to September 18, based on local procession plans. The change was made as per the notification to "maintain peace and social harmony" between the two communities during these overlapping festivals. Muslims celebrate Eid Milad-ul-Nabi by wearing new clothes, offering prayers, and exchanging gifts. (ANI)
Dignitaries including Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, FOCINC, WNC and Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, DGMS (Navy), attended the opening ceremony of the event held on Saturday.

The conference highlighted critical areas in naval medicine, such as submarine, diving, and hyperbaric medicine, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among medical professionals. Officers from the Indian Armed Forces Medical Services and over 450 delegates, including participants from friendly foreign navies, attended in person and online.

Earlier, Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, met Lieutenant Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, Commander of the Brazilian Air Force, and discussed aspects of bilateral defence cooperation and avenues to further enhance existing defence relations between the two countries.

The visit comes as part of a broader agenda to deepen maritime collaboration between the two nations. Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen, the Commander of the Brazilian Navy, paid a five-day official visit to India from August 19 to 24, 2024.

His visit aims to reinforce maritime cooperation and demonstrate the commitment of both navies to address shared maritime security challenges.

During his visit, Olsen met with Adm Tripathi on August 21, 2024. The meeting covered a range of topics, including operational engagements, technical cooperation, and training. The Brazilian Admiral was honoured with a ceremonial Guard of Honour at South Block Lawns.

This visit is a testament to the strong operational interactions and training cooperation between the Indian and Brazilian navies, which are also active participants in multilateral forums such as MILAN and India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime (IBSAMAR).

The meeting between Lt Damasceno and Adm Tripathi underscored a pivotal moment in strengthening bilateral relations. Their discussions pave the way for enhanced defence cooperation and mutual strategic interests. This collaboration highlights the growing partnership between Brazil and India, aiming for greater synergy in addressing regional and global security challenges. (ANI)
An IndiGo flight 6E 1303 scheduled to operate between Mumbai and Doha on Sunday has been cancelled, said a spokesperson of IndiGo. IndiGo Airlines has issued an apology and said that the customers are being provided hotels and are being rebooked as per their final destination. Earlier, the flight was delayed due to technical reasons, however, it was finally called off due to the extended time lag, said a spokesperson of IndiGo. The press statement from IndiGo Airlines reads, "IndiGo flight 6E 1303 operating from Mumbai to Doha was delayed due to a technical reason. Our airport team immediately provided assistance to the affected customers and provided refreshments and necessary arrangements. The aircraft tried to depart for its destination a couple of times but had to finally be called off due to the extended time lag on account of various procedural delays. The customers are being provided hotels and are being rebooked as per their final destination. IndiGo sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused to its customers." Earlier on September 7, IndiGo Airlines issued an apology after passengers aboard the Delhi-Varanasi flight faced difficulties after the aircraft's air conditioning system malfunctioned and led to chaotic conditions in the aircraft. Responding to the entire matter, sources within IndiGo stated that the AC was functioning properly, but a temperature shift caused the cabin to heat up, leading to panic among the passengers. "We extend our apologies for the inconvenience experienced on flight 6E 2235 operating from Delhi to Varanasi on September 5, 2024," read a press statement from the airlines." The discomfort was attributed to fluctuations in cabin temperature, which were adjusted in response to passenger requests. Our cabin crew promptly extended assistance to the affected passenger to address the situation," added the statement. The video of the incident, which took place on Thursday on flight 6E 2235, shows flyers in utter discomfort. Reportedly, several passengers fainted due to intense heat and suffocation, while others were seen using magazines to cool themselves. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday paid tribute to Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury who passed away on September 12 at AIIMS Delhi. Sitaram Yechury was suffering from a respiratory tract infection. "Kudos to Comrade Sitaram Yechury who fought for people's rights all his life. Even after his death, he will always be cherished by the people," CM Stalin said. On Saturday, DMK MP Kanimozhi paid her last respect to Sitaram Yechury, "I am here on behalf of my party and also on a personal level to pay my respects to a very important and great leader of this country. His loss is not just a political one. He was a thinker, a writer, a philosopher, and also a great inspiration to the next generation of politicians. He was one leader who was loved and respected by all across party lines," she said. Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also paid his last respects and said, "In this country, most of all the politicians only think about their benefit and when they would be able to come to power. Only people like Sitaram Yechury gave their lives for other people and not for themselves. He knew he would never come to power." Further, Sibal added, "He was a very dear friend of mine. We have spent time together in politics and the Rajya Sabha. He used to mesmerise the Parliament with his interventions. The breadth of knowledge, the empathy for the ordinary people that he had is present in very less people. His demise is a very big loss for the nation." Sitaram Yechury joined the CPI(M) in 1975. He was arrested during the emergency for his political activities. He was elected to the Central Committee of the Party in 1985 at the 12th Congress and he remained in the Central Committee till now. Yechury was elected to the Central Secretariat in 1989 and to the Polit Bureau in 1992 at the 14th Congress of the Party. He was elected as the General Secretary of the CPI(M) at the 21st Congress in 2015, a position he continued until now. Sitaram Yechury was a member of the Rajya Sabha for two terms from 2005 to 2017. He served as the leader of the CPI(M) group and was an effective parliamentarian. He was given the best parliamentarian award in 2017. (ANI)
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Sunday extended greetings to engineers on the occasion of Engineers Day. In a social media post, CM Saha urged people to honour engineers who transform ideas into reality and significantly contribute to the development process. "My greetings to all engineers on the occasion of Engineers Day. Let's honour the engineers who transform ideas into reality through creativity and contribute a lot to the development process," Saha said on X. https://x.com/DrManikSaha2/status/1835176844452143529 Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his greetings to all engineers and remembered the contributions of Sir M Visvesvaraya on the occasion of Engineers' Day. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Engineers Day greetings to all engineers who are driving progress in every field, innovating and solving critical challenges. Remembering Sir M. Visvesvaraya, whose contribution to engineering is widely known." Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid homage and extended greetings to all technocrats on Engineers Day. Shah also said that engineers are crucial for our nation's growth and innovation, shaping our future through their vital contributions. "Greetings to all the technocrats on Engineers Day. Engineers are the backbone of our nation's growth and innovation, advancing progress and shaping our future through their vital contributions. My homage to visionary engineer Bharat Ratna, Sir M Visvesvaraya Ji, whose enduring legacy will inspire engineers as they forge Bharat's future," Shah said on X. The Father of Indian engineering, Bharat Ratna M Visvesvaraya, was born on September 15, 1861, in Muddenahalli near Chikkaballapur. He was a world-renowned civil engineer and is considered one of the foremost nation-builders, responsible for creating modern marvels upon which modern India was built. (ANI)
Ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Sunday alleged that Independent MP from Baramulla Engineer Rashid is targeting the National Conference. "Engineer Rashid is targeting the National Conference... Everyone is targeting the NC... Forget his (PM's) promises; he should give an account of what he has done in the last 10 years, despite Jammu and Kashmir having a double-engine government," Abdullah said. Earlier, Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah termed the Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid as an "agent" of the BJP a day after he walked out of Tihar Jail on interim bail. On Thursday, Baramulla Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid, after being released on interim bail, said that for him the issue is not Assembly elections but to find a solution to the Kashmir issue. "For me, the issue is not Assembly elections but finding a solution to the Kashmir issue is most important," Rashid said. On Tuesday, a special NIA court in Delhi granted bail to Rashid, an accused in the terror funding case, and allowed him to campaign in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. In 2005, Rashid was arrested by the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Srinagar for allegedly supporting militants. In August 2019, Rashid was again arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). While incarcerated, he filed his nomination for the 2024 parliamentary elections from jail and won by a margin of 204,000 votes, defeating former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting will take place on October 8. These are the first assembly polls to be held in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. There are a total number of 90 Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs. According to the Election Commission of India, Jammu and Kashmir has 88.06 lakh eligible electors. In the previous Assembly elections, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) won 15, and the Congress won 12. (ANI)
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday slammed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his recent remarks on reservations and Sikhs during US visit. Manjhi condemned Rahul Gandhi remarks, saying "No patriot will do this." "He (Rahul Gandhi) goes abroad and says things about India which should not be said. He should speak in the Parliament. No patriot will do this. About Rahul Gandhi, I can say that he is doing the work of a traitor," Manjhi said. Earlier BJP MLA Hardeep Singh Dang came down heavily on Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his recent 'Sikh' remarks in the US and said that the latter should apologise. "It is very painful and condemnable that whenever Rahul Gandhi goes abroad, he returns insulting India. Rahul Gandhi's remark on Sikh community is very painful. I believe there is respect for Sikh community across the globe but if he speaks such things then it is shameful," Dang told ANI. Notably, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, during his interaction with the Indian diaspora in the US said that the fight is about whether a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear a turban in India and would be able to visit a Gurdwara. "First of all, you have to understand what the fight is about. Fight is not about politics. It is superficial. What is your name? The fight is about whether he, as a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India. Or he as a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear a kada in India. Or a Sikh is going to be able to go to Gurdwara. That's what the fight is about, and not just for him, for all religions," he said. Rahul Gandhi, when asked about reservation during his conversation at Georgetown University, said that the Dalits, Adivasis and OBC communities are still not getting participation in the system, adding that India is not a 'fair place'. "If you look at the Indian government, there are 70 bureaucrats who run the Indian government, secretaries to the government of India. These are the people who make almost all the financial decisions...Out of 70 people, there is one tribal, three Dalits, three OBCs and a minority. 90 per cent of India in the government of India has access to less than 10 per cent of the positions that determine how money is going to be spent. When you look at the financial numbers, then Tribals get 10 paise out of Rs 100, Dalits get Rs 5 out of Rs 100, and OBCs get a similar amount," the Congress leader said. (ANI)
In a major move, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that he will resign from the position of Chief Minister after two days and won't sit on the chair of CM, until the public of Delhi declares him "honest." Kejriwal further said that if the public votes for him, it will give him a certificate for his honesty. He also said he would ask for early polls along with the state of Maharashtra. Addressing the party workers at the AAP office, CM Arvind Kejriwal said, "I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict. I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till I get a verdict from the people. I will not sit on the CM post until the public announces its decision. Elections are after a few months. If you think Kejriwal is honest, then vote for me, I will take over as CM after the elections. If you think I am not, don't vote. Your vote will be a certificate for my honesty, then only I will sit on the post of CM." "The elections are supposed to be held in February. I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections... Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the Chief Minister. In the next 2-3 days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next CM will be decided," Kejriwal further said. Kejriwal also accused the central government of adopting a formula of filing cases against CM's of states where the BJP has lost elections. "People ask why Kejriwal did not resign from jail. He did not resign because I wanted to save democracy... They have a new formula now; they file cases against the CM of opposition parties in the states where they lost elections. They have filed cases against Siddaramaiah, and Pinarayi Vijayan... The Supreme Court has asked why the government cannot be run from jail... I appeal to all non-BJP CMs that if there is a case against you, do not resign. If the people of Delhi feel that Kejriwal is dishonest, then I will not remain on the CM post even for a minute. My bank account is empty today...I told the lawyers that I do not want to take the CM post until the case is over. The lawyers said that this will last for more than ten years. Now I am in your court. I ask you whether Kejriwal is honest or dishonest. I will not sit on the CM post until the public announces its decision," Arvind Kejriwal said. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday arrived at the party office in Delhi. Notably, it is his first visit after being released from the Tihar jail on Friday night. Earlier on Saturday, Kejriwal held a meeting with senior party leaders in which discussions were held on various issues, including assembly polls in Haryana and party organisation in the national capital. He was released from Tihar Jail on Friday evening, hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail in a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam. (ANI)
Lalbiakthanga Khiangte, Inspector General of Police(IGP) (Law & Order) of Mizoram police said that the Saitual police on Friday halted one vehicle while conducting a random check at Keifang Dawrkawn.

"On September 13 night, the Saitual Police Station team while conducting random checking at Keifang Dawrkawn halted one vehicle bearing registration number MZ01L-2167 plying from Champhai towards Aizawl," the official said.

Further, the police added that the drug was seized in soap cases from the passenger of the vehicle who has been identified as Ni Lun Dan (41) of the Ngalian village in Myanmar.

"The police team recovered and seized 592.57 grams (50 soap cases) of heroin, estimated value of Rs 17.76 lakh from the possession of one passenger of the vehicle, Ni Dun Lian (41) of the Ngailan Village, Myanmar," Khiangte added.

An FIR Case No.47/2024 dated 13.09.2024 under section 21(C) ND&PS Act r/w 14 Foreigner Act was registered for further legal action and investigation on backward and forward linkages. (ANI)
Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday wrote a congratulatory letter to the All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) on its 40th anniversary and said AIMC has been a fearless voice for justice over the last four decades. The letter from Rahul Gandhi reads, "On the fortieth anniversary of the All India Mahila Congress (AIMC), I would like to congratulate our leaders and members, both past and present, who built this organization brick by brick. AIMC has come a long way since the 1984 Bangalore Convention. Over the last four decades, the AIMC has been a fearless voice for justice and has firmly established itself as most of the most active frontal organizations in the Congress party." Rahul Gandhi further congratulated the All India Mahila Congress on the launch of their nationwide online membership drive for the first time and said he met some of the fiercest and most fearless women voices against injustice. The letter reads, "On this occasion, I would like to congratulate the AIMC on the launch of the nationwide online membership drive for the first time. During the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, I met remarkable women across India determined to make a difference. Many had the passion, perseverance and commitment to drive far reaching changes in society. Some of the fiercest and most fearless voices against injustice were of women. In this day and age, there is no reason whatsoever to deny women meaningful opportunities in public life." Referring to the Women's Reservation Act, Rahul Gandhi said that it is an opportunity for Congress to identify, nurture and support both established and aspiring women leaders. "In a system often stacked against women, it is critical for each one of you to fight for and claim your rightful share of social, economic and political power. I am happy to know that the membership drive will be followed by a pan-India leadership training program. The Women's Reservation Act is an opportunity for the Congress to identify, nurture and support both established and aspiring women leaders. We have witnessed the radical change ushered in by the 73rd and 74th Amendment. This must inspire us to do more. I hope the AIMC continues to work towards ensuring greater political participation of women across caste, class and religious lines. Lastly, I salute your dedication to a cause greater than yourself, and wish the AIMC the very best in its future endeavours," the letter read. Notably, All India Mahila Congress (AIMC), the women's wing of the Indian National Congress, is celebrating its 40th foundation day. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday participated in the inaugural session of the 'Akhil Bharatiya Goshthi' organised by Sanskrit Bharati at Vyas Mandir, Bhupatwala, in Haripurkalan. On the occasion, he offered prayers at Shri Ved Vyas Mandir and wished for peace and happiness in the state, according to a statement. Welcoming attendees from across the country to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister stated that every member of Sanskrit Bharati plays a significant role in promoting the Sanskrit language. "It is a matter of pride for the state that Devvani Sanskrit is the second official language of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. The Sanskrit language is not only a medium of expression but also a key to the holistic development of mankind. Human civilisations have evolved from Sanskrit. The Rigveda was written in Sanskrit, and today, this language has expanded to other fields of literature," he said. Dhami further noted that the state government has taken various steps to preserve and promote Sanskrit. During the assembly session held in Gairsain, the Sanskrit Education Department organised a Sanskrit conversation camp, encouraging ministers, MLAs, and officials to speak the language, as per the release. Under the National Education Policy 2020, Sanskrit schools are being established in the state for classes 1 to 5. Efforts are also being made to display signs at bus stations, railway stations, and airports in both Sanskrit and Hindi. The Chief Minister highlighted that all Vedas, Puranas, and scriptures of Sanatan culture and the Vedic period were composed in Sanskrit. He added that from literature to science, from religion to spirituality, and from astronomy to surgery, texts across various fields have been written in Sanskrit. "Thousands of years ago, Indians had acquired knowledge about the almanac, planets, and constellations due to their vast understanding," he said. Dhami also mentioned that the number of vowels and consonants in Sanskrit is greater than in other languages. "Sanskrit is unique in that the meaning of a sentence does not change, regardless of the order of words. The vocabulary of Sanskrit is also extensive. For instance, the Vishnu Sahasranama contains 1,000 names of Lord Vishnu, and similarly, there are Lalita Sahasranama and Shiva Sahasranama. Only in Sanskrit can a single name have a thousand synonyms," he stated. Additionally, Dhami remarked that many words in European languages appear to be influenced by Sanskrit. He noted that centuries of foreign rule have distanced people from the Sanskrit language. "We must come together to revive our original language, Devvani Sanskrit, and bring it back into the mainstream. This programme will have a positive impact in that direction," he said. Dhami also acknowledged that Sanskrit Bharati is working to promote the language in India and abroad, with the aim of making it a commonly spoken language once again. (ANI)
After Prime Minister Modi flagged off six Vande Bharat trains on Sunday, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took a ride on the Brahmapur-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express and also interacted with the students. He said, "The PM inaugurated three Vande Bharat trains for Odisha today. It was my suggestion that this train from Brahmapur to Tatanagar should be started. This will increase tourism and economic activity in the region. I am very happy to interact with the children today." 150 students of the East Coast Railway Mixed Higher Secondary School, Khurda, boarded the train to take a free ride to the Khurda Junction during its inaugural run. Priyanka Sahoo, a student of Class 10th said that this was her first time in a Vande Bharat train and she was feeling good about travelling in the train. "I am feeling very nice about travelling in the Vande Bharat train. The Prime Minister will be inaugurating the train. Everything is clean on the train, there are cameras and food service. We are excited," she said. "The Vande Bharat trains are very clean, and the washrooms in this train are very good. We are very happy with all the services provided," said another girl. Meanwhile, six more Vande Bharat trains entered the Indian Railways fleet on Sunday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off the trains from Tatanagar in Jharkhand. The trains will improve the connectivity on Tatanagar - Patna, Bhagalpur - Dumka - Howrah, Brahmapur - Tatanagar, Gaya - Howrah, Deoghar -Varanasi, and Rourkela - Howrah routes. These trains will boost religious tourism in the region by providing faster mode of commute to the pilgrimage sites like Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar (Jharkhand), Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Kalighat, Belur Math in Kolkata (West Bengal) etc. Apart from this, coal mine industries in Dhanbad, jute industries in Kolkata, and iron and Steel allied industries in Durgapur will also get a major boost. PM Modi also laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various railway Projects worth more than Rs 660 crores. As an excellent example of the 'Make in India' success story, the Indian Railways launched India's first indigenous semi-high-speed train, the Vande Bharat Express. The first Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off on February 15, 2019, on the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route, running at a speed of 160 kilometres per hour. (ANI)
Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Sunday that the test result of a 24-year-old man who died at a private hospital in Malappuram on Saturday was found positive for the Nipah virus. The samples were tested at the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The Nipah virus was suspected during the death investigation conducted by the medical officer. Available samples with the District Medical Officer were sent to the Kozhikode Medical College immediately for testing. This test result was positive, said the minister. Soon after this, Minister George called an emergency high-level meeting on Saturday. The minister instructed officials to take all the steps as per the protocol. 16 committees were formed yesterday. Apart from this, the samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology. The 24-year-old who died was a student in Bangalore. So far, 151 people are on the primary contact list. The young man has sought treatment in four private hospitals. Apart from this, he travelled to some places with his friends, said the minister. The information of all of them has been collected, and those who came into direct contact have been sent to isolation. After five people in isolation had developed some mild symptoms, samples were sent for testing. Efforts are in the final stages to conduct contact tracing and surveillance of all those who are at risk of infection, even though it is rare. The Minister also informed that the health department has taken measures to detect and treat at the early stage if anyone has been infected and to save lives and to ensure that no one gets infected again, according to a press release from the health minister's office. (ANI)
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his birthday (September 17), will launch the flagship scheme of the Odisha government "Subhadra Yojana". Sharing images on his social media handle on X, Pradhan said that to express their gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, women of the entire state, including Bhubaneswar, took out the "Subhadra Swagat Padyatra" with great joy and enthusiasm. Pradhan said that this scheme was part of BJP's manifesto for the empowerment of women of Odisha. In a social media post on X, Dharmendra Pradhan wrote, "There is tremendous enthusiasm among the women of Odisha regarding the Subhadra Yojana. Today, mothers and sisters in the entire state including Bhubaneswar took out the "Subhadra Swagat Padyatra" with great joy and enthusiasm to express their gratitude to Prime Minister Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a big gift to the women of Odisha on the occasion of his birthday on 17 September. Subhadra Yojana was a part of BJP's manifesto for the empowerment of women of Odisha. We are taking a big step towards fulfilling another promise by launching the scheme with the hands of the Prime Minister." https://x.com/dpradhanbjp/status/1835209221274542430 According to an official statement, on 17th September, the Prime Minister will travel to Odisha, and at around 11:15 AM, he will interact with the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban. Thereafter at around 12 noon, he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation various development projects worth more than Rs. 3800 crores in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Prime Minister will launch 'SUBHADRA', the flagship scheme of the Government of Odisha, in Bhubaneswar. It is the largest, single women-centric scheme and is expected to cover more than 1 crore women. Under the scheme, all eligible beneficiaries between the age of 21-60 years would receive Rs. 50,000/- over a period of 5 years between 2024-25 to 2028-29. An amount of Rs 10,000/- per annum in two equal instalments will be credited directly to the beneficiary's Aadhaar-enabled and DBT-enabled bank account. On this historic occasion, the Prime Minister would initiate the fund transfer into the bank accounts of more than 10 lakh women. Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation Railway Projects worth more than Rs. 2800 crores in Bhubaneswar. These Railway projects will enhance Railway infrastructure in Odisha and improve growth and connectivity in the region. He will also lay the foundation stone of National Highway Projects worth more than Rs. 1000 crores. Prime Minister will release the 1st installment of assistance to nearly 10 lakh beneficiaries under PMAY-G of around 14 states. The Griha Pravesh celebrations for 26 lakh beneficiaries of PMAY (Gramin and Urban) from across the country will be held during the programme. Prime Minister will hand over the keys of their house to PMAY (Gramin and Urban) beneficiaries. He will also launch Awaas+ 2024 App, for survey of additional households for PMAY-G. Further, Prime Minister will launch the Operational Guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0. (ANI)
The death toll from the tragic Meerut building collapse has risen to 10. District Magistrate Deepak Meena announced that financial assistance of Rs. 4 lakh per deceased and Rs. 1.20 lakh for reconstruction is being provided to the victims' families. Deepak Meena stated, "The post-mortem of the deceased is underway, and soon the bodies will be handed over to their families. Financial assistance of Rs. 4 lakh per deceased from the natural calamity fund and Rs. 1.20 lakh for the reconstruction of homes that were completely destroyed is being arranged. Compensation for animals killed in the incident is also being processed." He further explained that on September 14, at around 4:30 pm, a three-storey concrete house in Zakir Colony, under the Lohianagar police station area of Meerut district, suddenly collapsed due to heavy rains. "As soon as the information was received, the District Administration, Police Department, Fire Brigade, Medical Department, and Municipal Corporation began relief and rescue operations to save those trapped under the debris. SDRF teams from Amroha and Saharanpur, as well as the NDRF team from Ghaziabad, were called in for the rescue operation. Family members reported that 15 people were inside the house. Following the rescue efforts, 10 people were confirmed dead, while 5 were found alive," he added. Among the 10 deceased, eight were females and two males. A senior police official confirmed that the building collapse has resulted in 10 deaths, with five individuals currently receiving treatment in hospital. The incident site has been sealed, and search and rescue operations are ongoing to ensure no survivors remain trapped in the debris. The injured are being treated in hospital, and the bodies of the deceased have been sent for further medical procedures, including post-mortem. (ANI)
After Delhi Chief Minister on Sunday announced to resign, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah lauded his decision and said Arvind Kejriwal is "not hungry for power." "He wants that elections should be held in Delhi and he wants to go among the people...He wants to go among the public so that they can decide and it is a good thing. He is not hungry for power," the NC leader said. Meanwhile, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah refused to comment of Kejriwal's announcement and said, "Why is he resigning, will there be elections after his resignation or is he making someone else the Chief Minister, let the news come out and then we will talk about it." Earlier on Sunday, in a major move, Kejriwal said that he will resign from the position of Chief Minister after two days and won't sit on the chair of CM, until the public of Delhi declares him "honest" by voting for him in the next assembly polls due in early next year. He also said he would ask for early polls along with the state of Maharashtra. Addressing the party workers at the AAP office, CM Arvind Kejriwal said, "I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict. I will go to every house and street ...Elections are after a few months. If you think Kejriwal is honest, then vote for me, I will take over as CM after the elections. If you think I am not, don't vote. Your vote will be a certificate for my honesty." Kejriwal was released from Tihar Jail on Friday evening, hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail in a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam. Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah accused People's Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehbooba Mufti of bringing the BJP into JK. "Mehbooba Mufti has brought nothing but destruction and ruin to Jammu and Kashmir. If anyone has played the biggest role in bringing BJP (in J&K) then it is PDP and its leadership...First of all, she should give an account of 2016...She has not apologised for bringing the BJP here. She has not apologised for pushing Jammu and Kashmir towards this destruction. Why is she targeting me?" he said. He further hit out at Mufti for forming the government with an alliance with the BJP in 2016 and asked about the reason to go with the BJP. "What was the compulsion to form an alliance with the BJP in 2016? We were ready to give them the government at that time. The National Conference and the Congress first sent their support to Mufti Sahab and after his death, to Mehbooba Mufti. Why did they reject it? What was their weakness that they had to go with the BJP," the NC Vice President said. In 2016, after the death of then CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and took oath as the first woman chief minister of the state in an alliance with the BJP. (ANI)
After a fire broke out at a shoe factory on Lawrence Road in Delhi, Divisional Fire Officer A.K. Jaiswal stated that all workers were evacuated, and 19 fire tenders were deployed to control the situation. A.K. Jaiswal said, "We received a call at 12:19 pm. This is a shoe factory, and continuous blasts were occurring. There is a 20-litre chemical adhesive involved, which caused the blasts. As a precaution, we have evacuated all the workers. Our officers are currently working to extinguish the fire, and those trapped have been rescued." He further mentioned that due to it being a holiday, the number of workers inside the factory was lower than usual. "The ceiling of the first floor has collapsed, making it difficult to access the interior. Firefighting operations are ongoing. A total of 19 fire tenders have been deployed, with three vehicles working from the rear. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported. Since it was a holiday, fewer workers were present in the factory," he added. Thick smoke was seen billowing from the top floor of the multi-storey factory. No casualties have been reported. (ANI)
After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced his intention to resign, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel held a meeting with him on Sunday evening. Following their meeting, Goel said that Kejriwal is not motivated by a desire to hold onto the Chief Minister's position and described his decision as a positive one. "I met Arvind Kejriwal, and we discussed his proposal to resign as Delhi CM. Arvind Kejriwal is not greedy for the Chief Minister's chair. If the public trusts him and believes he (Arvind Kejriwal) is not dishonest, they will elect him again. This is a very good decision. A Vidhan Sabha session may be called in September," Goel said. On Sunday, Kejriwal announced that he would resign from his position as Chief Minister after two days and would not sit on the chair of CM until the public of Delhi declares him "honest." Kejriwal also mentioned that if the public votes for him, it will serve as a certificate of his honesty. He further added that he would call for early elections, alongside the state of Maharashtra. Addressing the party workers at the AAP office, CM Arvind Kejriwal said, "I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict. I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till I get a verdict from the people. I will not sit on the CM post until the public announces its decision. Elections are after a few months. If you think Kejriwal is honest, then vote for me, I will take over as CM after the elections. If you think I am not, don't vote. Your vote will be a certificate for my honesty, then only I will sit on the post of CM." "The elections are supposed to be held in February. I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections. Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the Chief Minister. In the next 2-3 days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next CM will be decided," Kejriwal further said. Kejriwal also accused the central government of adopting a formula of filing cases against CM's of states where the BJP has lost elections. As soon as Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced his intent to resign as Delhi CM in two days, BJP termed it a "PR stunt" and said he is doing this to restore his image. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday arrived at the party office in Delhi. Notably, it is his first visit after being released from the Tihar jail on Friday night. Earlier on Saturday, Kejriwal held a meeting with senior party leaders in which discussions were held on various issues, including assembly polls in Haryana and party organisation in the national capital. He was released from Tihar Jail on Friday evening, hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail in a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam. (ANI)
Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Bandi Sanjay Kumar launched a scathing attack on Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao, accusing his government of delaying justice in the 2015 Cash for Vote case involving Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. In a social media post in X, Sanjay accused KT Rama Rao of dragging the Central government for "optics and Twitter stardom" and said that he should have transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Enforcement Directorate (ED) if they really wanted justice. "Welcome Home K T Rama Rao garu. Jet Lag & whatever you had seems to be taking toll on you. ACB registered the Cash for Vote case, and your inefficient BRS govt couldn't defend it for years. Since 2015, your incompetent govt has failed to finish the trial. Now, for optics and Twitter stardom, you're dragging the Central Govt. You should have got it transferred to CBI or ED if you really wanted justice. Looks like your compensating Rahul Gandhi's absence by being a dimwit," he said. This came after KT Rama Rao questioned Sanjay on why the cash-for-vote suspects remain free despite years of evidence. "Dear Bandi Sanjay garu! I can understand your over enthusiasm to jail BRS leaders, especially KCR garu But! Pray tell me how the Vote For Note scammer who was caught on camera is still roaming free! No questions asked. May be you should investigate the relationship between Bade Bhai & Chote Bhai a little more? Why is the Chote Bhai not in prison when all evidence is clearly in the open for years! Isn't BJP in the center all these years? What & Who is stopping you?" KT Rama Rao said an X post. According to the petition that was filed in the Supreme Court, Revanth Reddy, who was a former Member of the Telugu Desam Party, won the Legislative Assembly election for the terms 2009-14 and 2014-18 from Kodangal Assembly Constituency. Having been elected as an MLA from the Telugu Desam Party accused No. 1 offered a bribe of Rs. 50 lakh as advance as directed by his former boss N Chandrababu Naidu (former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh) to Elvis Stephenson (complainant) to abstain from casting his vote for the biennial election to be held in June 2015 or to vote in favour of the TDP party. It was alleged that Revanth, along with other accused, committed a cognizable offence in an attempt to sway votes away from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi Party (formerly Telangana Rashtra Samithi Party) to ensure the TDP's victory in the June 2015 biennial election. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged the people to rise against divisive and destructive forces that aim to break society under the guise of unity. Speaking at the Grand Steps of Vidhana Soudha during the inauguration of a historic human chain movement on International Democracy Day, the CM called for celebrating the pluralism upheld by the Constitution in daily lives. He emphasised the need to defeat the conspiracies of divisive forces and strengthen democracy. Siddaramaiah highlighted that India had a form of democracy and parliamentary systems during the times of Buddha and Basavanna, with the "Anubhava Mantapa" being a symbol of early democratic institutions. Referring to Dr B R Ambedkar's speech on November 25, 1949, the CM noted that true political freedom is meaningful only when economic and social democracy is achieved. He added that as long as inequality exists in India, political freedom will lack real significance. The CM stressed the importance of the values enshrined in the Constitution's preamble. He mentioned that efforts are underway to teach and instill these values in schools and colleges across Karnataka. Siddaramaiah also called for a Karnataka and India where peace and equality thrive with no space for discrimination. Until the inequalities in society are eradicated, he argued, the freedom gained by the country remains incomplete. He emphasised that the government is working towards equality by implementing programmes that empower the poor and middle class from all castes and religions. The CM condemned divisive forces that misuse the concept of unity and are enemies of social justice and equality. He called for standing firm against these forces to ensure the rights and opportunities of women, Dalits, and backward communities. He particularly targeted the NDA, accusing them of being against the poor and middle class and obstructing pro-poor programmes. The creation of a human chain with over 2 million participants, the CM said, sends a clear message to destructive forces and aims to strengthen the unity of humanity. The event also saw the participation of democracy ambassadors such as Harekala Hajabba, sanitation workers Nagalakshmi and Manjula, transgender activist Priyanka, and two specially-abled students, who stood beside the CM to symbolise the spirit of Democracy Day. The event was chaired by MLA Rizwan Arshad, and attendees included Basavaraj Horatti, Rudrappa Lamani, ministers H.C. Mahadevappa, Priyank Kharge, K.J. George, Dinesh Gundu Rao, and many other dignitaries. (ANI)
The Punjab Police, in coordination with Central Agencies and Delhi Police, arrested the second perpetrator of the Chandigarh Grenade Blast case within 72 hours. The probe has revealed that USA-based wanted gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, who is working on the behest of Pak-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harvinder Singh alias Rinda and ISI, handled the accused by providing explosives, weapons, and logistical support but reneged on promised rewards to the accused persons. "Following leads generated through various sources, second perpetrator Vishal Masih s/o Sabi Masih resident of village Raimal near Dhyanpur PS Kotli Surat Mallian, #Batala, District #Gurdaspur has been arrested from #Delhi," informed Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav in a post on his X handle (formerly Twitter). On Wednesday evening, two individuals had executed a Grenade blast in Sector 10, Chandigarh. Since the incident strongly indicated a terror crime, Punjab Police and Central Agencies acted expeditiously and nabbed one of the accused Rohan Masih on Friday along with a weapon and ammunition. Rohan Masih is presently on remand with State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the investigation has revealed that Happy Passia provided accused persons with explosives, weapons and logistical support through his local associates in Punjab and also arranged some financial backing for them. After committing the crime, the duo came to Amritsar and subsequently parted their ways, he said, while adding that Vishal first went to J&K and then moved to Delhi, when police teams apprehended him. "The probe also revealed that Happy Passia initially provided funds to entice the individuals involved, with the promise of a substantial payment upon the successful execution of the criminal plan. After completing the task, both the accused persons contacted Happy Passia for promised rewards, only to be met with initial evasion and eventual radio silence," he said. The DGP, while highlighting the exploitative nature of these anti-national elements, urged the youth to beware of these deceitful terrorist handlers who use and discard vulnerable individuals with false promises. Don't fall prey to such elements who will first exploit you by promising big rewards and then abandon you, he added. Notably, this same pattern of betrayal by foreign handlers has been observed in the previous investigations as well, wherein such handlers initially lure the innocent local youth with false promises and later abandon them once the act is done. Sharing more details, AIG SSOC Amritsar Sukhminder Singh Mann said that in-depth investigations in this case are being conducted in coordination with the Chandigarh Police to uncover the entire conspiracy and local network of Happy Passia. Police teams have procured the remand of accused Vishal Masih till September 20, 2024, after producing him in the court, he added. (ANI)
Member of Legislative Council (MLC) and senior YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Botsa Satyanarayana has opposed the privatization of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. (Visakhapatnam Steel Plant), asserting that it should remain under public ownership. Speaking to the media at the Visakhapatnam camp office on Sunday, Botsa emphasized that the issue transcends regional concerns and is a matter of state sentiment. He warned that the party would go to any lengths to save the steel plant, ensuring it remains under public ownership for the benefit of the people. Botsa highlighted that the steel plant was established through the sacrifice of 32 individuals and the efforts of leaders like Tenneti Viswanatham. He reminded that farmers had contributed 32,000 acres of land to set up the plant. In 2008, under the leadership of YS Rajasekhara Reddy and then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the plant was expanded with an investment of Rs 11,000 crore, showing its importance to the state. Botsa recalled that previous attempts to privatise the plant were halted due to strong opposition, including from former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He pointed out that, in the past, the former Chief Minister had visited the plant, met with workers' unions, and wrote to the central government, successfully stopping privatisation efforts. Botsa said, "The current situation is different, as the BJP does not hold a majority in the central government and relies on allied parties for support." He expressed concern over the strategic steps being taken to sell the plant, noting that two furnaces had already been shut down. He demanded that both the central and state governments clarify their stance on VSP's future and urged the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to speak out on the issue. Stating that the steel plant's privatisation would be seen as a betrayal of the people, Botsa warned that the YSRCP is prepared to fight to any extent to protect VSP. He called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state government to take immediate action, emphasising that this issue is about public sentiment and self-respect, not politics. (ANI)
Passengers stranded at different places in the Adi Kailash Yatra route blocked due to landslides in Pithoragarh district were safely rescued through helicopters on Sunday, said an official release. According to an official release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), "Under the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, most of the passengers stranded at different places in the Adi Kailash Yatra route blocked due to landslides in Pithoragarh district have been safely rescued through helicopters. The passengers staying at Narayan Ashram will be rescued by heli service." As per the release, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami himself monitored this rescue operation and was directed to run a warfooting operation to evacuate the passengers safely. The local administration, NDRF, SSB, Uttarakhand Police, and Chipsam Aviation Company conducted a war-footing rescue operation and brought the passengers safely to a safe place. The Chief Minister praised the District Magistrate Pithoragarh, SSP Pithoragarh, as well as the NDRF, SSB, and Civil Aviation teams for the successful conduct of the rescue operation. Chief Minister Dhami said that the safety of the passengers is the top priority of the government, and the government is fully committed to ensuring that passengers from the country and abroad can travel in a safe environment. Meanwhile, Secretary Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Vinod Kumar Suman reached the State Emergency Operations Centre for the third consecutive day and personally monitored the rescue operation. "Recently, passengers from Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Delhi had left for Adi Kailash Darshan. Due to heavy rains on September 13, the Adi Kailash Yatra route was closed due to landslides at Chaitaldhar and some other places near Tawaghat. Due to this, ten passengers from Punjab and one passenger from Delhi got stuck in Khela," stated the release. "At the same time, 30 passengers from Tamil Nadu were stuck in Budi. As soon as Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami got information about the Adi Kailash route being blocked due to landslides and passengers being stranded, he directed the Secretary of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation to run a campaign on a war footing to evacuate the passengers and rescue the passengers by helicopter," it said. Under the instructions of the Chief Minister, Secretary Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman, District Magistrate Pithoragarh launched a campaign for heli-rescue of the passengers. On Sunday, 10 passengers from Khela were taken to the Army helipad in Dharchula through helicopter service. One of the passengers in this group, Swadesh Nandchahal, died due to ill health, whose body was taken to Dharchula. On the other hand, 30 passengers from Tamil Nadu stranded in Budi were safely rescued and taken to the Army helipad in Dharchula. Some people are still staying in Narayanashram, who will be rescued tomorrow through helicopter. According to the local administration, the travel route will be made operational in two to three days. A lot of debris has come due to the landslide in Chaitaldhar. The BRO team is working on a war footing, and the route will be opened soon. (ANI)
Ancient Assyrian Carving Returned to Iraq After 22 Years in London

An ancient Assyrian artefact stolen from one of the world's most significant archaeological sites has been returned to Iraq after 22 years of storage by police in London.

The British Museum played a pivotal role in returning the 9th-century BC carved panel.

Depicting a winged genie, the remarkable stone bas-relief once adorned the magnificent Northwest Palace at Nimrud, the Assyrian Empire's ancient capital, considered a cradle of world civilisation.

The site, on the Tigris river in modern-day Iraq, was repeatedly bulldozed and looted in 2014 by Islamic State terrorists, who denounced pre-Islamic art and architecture as idolatrous.

The panel was excavated at Nimrud in the early 1970s and disappeared in the chaos of the 1990s, after the end of the Gulf War sparked Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.

Ironically, its theft ensured its survival. Other reliefs that remained at the site were destroyed.

Dr St John Simpson, a senior Middle East curator and archaeologist at the British Museum, said: "It's the largest antiquity believed to have been repatriated to Iraq in the past 20 years, and very important as it has a perfect provenance.

"As a sculpture excavated by an Iraqi archaeologist at a capital of Assyria that was badly destroyed by Islamic State, it has added symbolic value."

The relief panel is substantial. Weighing around 52 stone, it is 5ft wide and 4ft long. Excavations in 19th century

The first major excavations at Nimrud took place in the mid-19th century, headed by Austen Henry Layard, an English politician and historian.

Various finds were brought to the British Museum, where they remain on display. Other institutions worldwide also hold items from Nimrud.

Details about the individual who acquired the genie relief in London have not been disclosed.

It was first identified in autumn 2002 and seized by the Metropolitan Police which has held on to it ever since. The reason for the delay in returning it to Iraq is unclear.

With British Museum staff as expert witnesses for the Iraqi government, the relief was handed to the Iraqi Embassy in London last week. The event was attended by the Met Police Art & Antiquity Unit.

The handover ceremony for the panel took place at the Iraqi embassy in London last week.

Speaking at the event, Mohammed Jafar Al-Sadr, Iraq's ambassador to the UK, said the panel's "immense historical significance" had only increased following the destruction of the Nimrud palace site.

He also urged other individuals in possession of Iraqi artefacts to return them to their homeland.
Western Command of the Indian Army celebrated its 78th Raising Day on September 15. To commemorate the Raising Day, Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, and former Army Commanders, paid tribute to the brave soldiers of the Command, who made the supreme sacrifice by laying a wreath at the Veer Smriti War Memorial, Chandimandir, said an official statement from the Indian Army. On the occasion, Lt Gen Katiyar, GOC-in-C Western Command, while conveying his greetings to all ranks and families of Western Command, stressed the need to uphold the virtues of Naam, Namak, and Nishan and said that Western Command remains unwavering in its resolve to safeguard the Western Front and achieve a decisive victory in any future conflict. He further added that as a responsible organisation and citizen, the Command is also actively involved in realising the dream of Sashakt Bharat with its contributions to nation-building. The selfless acts of fallen soldiers are testimony to the fact that the Indian Army and Western Command have been a steadfast pillar in defending national sovereignty and contributing to national well-being. The Command was raised on 15 September 1947 in the crucible of adversity and forged on the anvil of one of the most momentous and heartrending transmigrations of human population in the two new nations of India and Pakistan. The Headquarters of Delhi and East Punjab Command was raised at Delhi and was made responsible for the defence of Delhi and East Punjab areas. Given the situation during partition, it was decided to have a mobile HQ on a train, which is well preserved and is now standing at a museum in Chandimandir. The Command got renamed as Western Command on 20 January 1948 and was directly responsible for controlling the operations in Jammu & Kashmir. Before raising of Northern Command, Western Command Besides Western borders was responsible for the entire Northern Borders of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Western Command has stopped all aggressions into Indian Territory and ensured decisive victories for India. It is for this reason that it is known as 'The Guardian of the Heartland of India' and carries its motto of 'Ever Westwards' with pride. In the course of its journey, full of valour and ultimate sacrifices, the braves of the Command have earned 11 Param Vir Chakras, 01 Ashok Chakra and 143 Maha Vir Chakras. As the Command looks back at its rich history, it is also looking at the future. Modernisation efforts are underway to ensure that the force remains well-equipped to face the current and emerging challenges. The focus is on leveraging new technologies, enhancing training standards, and achieving synergy with other arms and services. On the momentous occasion of Command Raising Day, eleven previous army commanders came together and shared their wisdom and exchange ideas with the present hierarchy. All of them shared their perspective, and the cerebral moments generated suggestions and recommendations for capability development and the path forward. During interaction with soldiers and staff, the previous Army Commanders cemented their old bonds and shared pearls of wisdom with anecdotes from the past. (ANI)
Salman Akram Raja stated that although the administration is certain that eight JUI-F members will vote in their favour, Maulana Fazlur Rehman will not back the constitutional amendment since doing so would be tantamount to betraying the nation.

Raja mentioned that Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is aware of the background information and his perspective, has been consulted about the matter.

He declared that it would be against Pakistan's constitution if the Prime Minister made the decision to name the Chief Justice.

Raja projected that the constitutional change would be finished and then examined by the court, where it might be dismissed if it did not comply with the fundamental framework of the document.

According to ARY News, he emphasised that a party member cannot vote against the party's command in accordance with Article 63A, and he said that the government was attempting to modify the statute, a blatant infringement.

Raja added that members who voted against the party directive cannot have their votes counted by the Speaker. (ANI)
Thousands of demonstrators against the Israeli government have assembled in the heart of Tel Aviv, demanding greater efforts to achieve the release of hostages held captive in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported. The Israeli protesters flocked at army headquarters and other government buildings on Saturday, screaming slogans against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pressuring him to make peace with Hamas in order to secure the release of over one hundred prisoners who are still being held in the war-torn region. Following the recovery of six hostages' bodies from Gaza two weeks ago, there have been widespread demonstrations in Israel once again. The demonstration last weekend was attended by an estimated 750,000 people, according to Al Jazeera. The families of the captives, who attended the march on Saturday, expressed their frustration with the government's ineffective efforts to negotiate the captives' release. Many held Netanyahu responsible for the failure to negotiate a settlement because they thought it would help him hold onto power for the duration of the war. The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages. Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas' infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimise civilian casualties In a recent incident, six staff members of the UN agency were among those killed in Israeli airstrikes at a school-turned-shelter in Gaza, the United Nations said. The six staffers belonged to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the agency that assists Palestine refugees. At least 34 people were killed in the strikes, UN News reported, citing media reports. UNRWA said the shelter manager and other team members were among the victims "Just Tragic. #Gaza Six @UNRWA colleagues killed today when two airstrikes hit a school and its surroundings in Nuseirat in the middle areas," the UNRWA stated in a post on X. The UNRWA school in Nuseirat, located in the Middle Area of the Gaza Strip, was sheltering around 12,000 displaced people, mainly women and children. This marked the fifth time that it had been hit since the conflict began 11 months ago. (ANI)
As a special envoy from Brussels wrapped up a fact-finding mission in Pakistan on Friday, there was a general feeling among diplomats that the visit might have yielded more favourable results for Pakistan if top officials had engaged with the mission as planned, Dawn reported. Frans van Daele, the European Union's Ambassador and Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief, met with several high-ranking officials during his week-long visit. Although Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch were present, other key officials are said to have skipped meetings with the EU diplomat. A diplomatic source was quoted as saying, "The meetings that did not happen... confirmed the impression that certain voices -- which are some of the key voices on these issues -- do not seem ready to engage in the matter." The European Union's visit was intended to collect insights on freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan ahead of the monitoring mission next year. The status of religious freedoms in Pakistan is crucial for maintaining duty-free access to European markets under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) programme. Throughout his visit, the Ambassador engaged with a wide range of federal and provincial officials, parliamentarians, religious leaders, NGOs, civil society organizations, human rights advocates, and local communities. The discussions focused on the state of freedom of religion and belief in Pakistan and aimed to foster respect for religious and belief diversity. Ambassador Daele said that the next GSP+ monitoring mission to Pakistan is expected in 2025. (ANI)
Dubai [UAE], September 15 (ANI/WAM): The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), represented by the "Emirati Goldsmiths" Platform, participated in the 70th Bangkok Gems and Jewellery Fair, held in Bangkok, Thailand, from September 9-13. This participation underscores SCCI's commitment to promoting youth-led ventures and supporting young Emirati talents in the gold and jewellery design industry, offering them opportunities to showcase their products and artistic exhibits in significant events where they are put on track to reach key global markets. Headed by Mona Sultan Al Suwaidi, Director of the Executive Office of the SCCI's Chairman and in charge of the Emirati Goldsmiths Platform, the SCCI's delegation comprised a selection of Emirati women designers, who showcased their latest innovative collections of gold and diamond jewellery at the fair. Their designs have been well-received by both attendees and industry experts, highlighting the high level of excellence of Emirati designers and the UAE's growing influence and distinguished presence in the global jewellery design market. The Emirati women designers also took part in several specialised seminars and craft workshops held during the Bangkok Fair. Led by renowned international experts and designers in the field of gold and jewellery design and manufacturing, these sessions provided valuable insights into industry trends and techniques, further enhancing the skills and expertise of the participants. During the event, Al Suwaidi stressed the strategic value of participating in such international exhibitions, which serve to reinforce the UAE's position as a premier hub for jewellery design and manufacturing. She highlighted the creative contributions of the Emirati designers at the Bangkok Fair, as they showcased innovative pieces inspired by the UAE's rich heritage. This not only underscores the craftsmanship of Emirati artisans but also allows them to engage with contemporary global trends and interact with key industry experts and designers, thereby enhancing their capabilities while opening new horizons in international markets. Al Suwaidi further noted that the Sharjah Chamber's distinguished participation in Bangkok Gems aligns with its commitment to supporting and promoting Emirati talents in the handicraft and jewellery design sectors, providing them with platforms to showcase their work at top-tier international trade shows. This initiative not only supports their integration into the global jewellery industry but also plays a pivotal role in driving national economic growth. By facilitating their access to such crucial platforms, Emirati designers can engage with global industry experts, gain insights into best practices, and enhance their skills. (ANI/WAM)
According to the details, a traveller who arrived on a PIA flight from Jeddah had symptoms that resembled monkeypox.

The traveller was taken away to a government-run isolation ward in Sindh for additional assessment and care.

Earlier this week, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan reported a fifth case of monkeypox.

The 33-year-old victim was a resident of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ARY News reported, citing an official.

The official stated that upon the citizen's September 7 return to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia, the Khyber Teaching Hospital confirmed that he had monkeypox.

According to Qasim Ali Shah, the patient has been placed in isolation at his Lower Dir home.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) sent an urgent alert about an unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox that was hitting several countries amid the growing number of cases of the Mpox virus. (ANI)
A large audience gathered at a local theatre in Vienna on Saturday for the Austrian premiere of 'Amala - The Life and Struggle of the Dalai Lama's Sister,' a movie that chronicles the life of Jetsun Pema, the Dalai Lama's younger sister. The event, organised by the 'Students for a Free Tibet' group and the Tibetan Diaspora in Austria, was a heartfelt tribute to Pema's enduring contributions to Tibetan education and culture. Affectionately known as "Amala," meaning 'mother,' Jetsun Pema is celebrated for her leadership in the Tibetan Children's Village (TCV), a network of schools she established to educate Tibetan refugee children in India. The film captures her personal challenges and triumphs as she took over the Nursery for Tibetan Refugee Children and transformed it into a flourishing institution for displaced Tibetan youth. The premiere took on a deeper resonance as it coincided with growing concerns about the ongoing cultural genocide in Tibet. Following the screening, Tibetan-Canadian activist Chemi Lhamo, a member of the International Tibet Network's Steering Committee, addressed the audience virtually. In her impassioned speech, Lhamo highlighted the Chinese government's systematic efforts to suppress Tibetan identity. She revealed that over one million Tibetan children have been forcibly enrolled in Chinese-run colonial boarding schools, where they are stripped of their language, culture, and traditions. Lhamo's address underscored the urgency of the Tibetan plight, while brochures and flyers detailing human rights violations in Tibet were distributed to ensure attendees left with a deeper understanding of the ongoing struggle. Despite the inclement weather, the event became a powerful moment of solidarity, demonstrating the Tibetan community's resilience in the face of adversity. Events like these, the organisers emphasised, are crucial in keeping the Tibetan cause in the international spotlight and resisting the erasure of their culture and identity. The Tibetan Diaspora in Austria continues its mission to raise awareness, ensuring that the voice of Tibet remains heard across the globe. (ANI)
Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh participated at the inauguration of second Person of Indian Origin (PIO) Day Malaysia celebration at Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. Singh, who is on an official visit to Malaysia, also appreciated the PIO community for their efforts to celebrate their legacy in Malaysia and bring the diverse community together. "Pleased to participate at the Inauguration of the second PIO Day Malaysia celebrations at Kuala Lumpur, organized by @gopiomalaysia. Heartfelt congratulations to @gopiomalaysia and the PIO community in Malaysia for their concerted efforts to celebrate the legacy of PIOs in Malaysia and also in bringing together the diverse PIO community in Malaysia for the PIO-Day celebrations," the MoS for External Affairs stated on X. The Minister also representatives of Global Organisation of Persons of Indian Origin, Malaysia, and GOPIO International to discuss ways and means for enhancing people-to-people ties. "Pleased to meet with representatives of GOPIO (Global Organization of Persons of Indian Origin) Malaysia and GOPIO International and to discuss ways and means for enhancing people to people ties between India and our diaspora abroad and contribution to growth and prosperity of New India in the AmritKaal," he stated. "Commended the immense role of Indian diaspora as living bridge connecting India to the world. Grateful for contributions of Indian diaspora in Malaysia to strengthening bilateral ties," Singh added. The MoS for External Affairs interacted with leading business community in Malaysia and appreciated their support to economic engagement between India and Malaysia. "Delighted to interact with leading Business Community in Malaysia led by @ciim_in, led by Chairman @umangsharmas and Malaysia-India Business Council (MIBC), led by Tan Sri Kuna Sittampalam. CIIM and MIBC together represent the strong and growing business and economic engagement between India and Malaysia," he stated. He also attended the inaugural ceremony of the 15th GOPIO International Convention at Kuala Lumpur. "Delighted to attend the Inaugural Ceremony of the 15th GOPIO International Convention at Kuala Lumpur. Commend the efforts of GOPIO International in bringing together the Persons of Indian Origin from across the world and fostering beneficial exchanges and collaborations," Kirit Vardhan Singh stated. Kirti Vardhan Singh also witnessed the operationalization of the Ayurveda Chair at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, and termed it a significant step in the collaboration for traditional medicine. "Happy to witness the operationalization of the Ayurveda Chair at @UTARnetas an outcome of the MoU between @ItraJamnagar and @utarnet. This is a significant step forward in further strengthening India-Malaysia collaboration in the field of traditional medicine systems especially in the field of Ayurveda," he stated on X. (ANI)
Taiwan detected seven Chinese aircraft, six naval vessels and one official ship operating around its territory from 6 am (local time) on Saturday to 6am (local time) on Sunday. According to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND), two of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern, and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). Taiwan said it has monitored the situation and responded accordingly. "7 PLA aircraft, 6 PLAN vessels and 1 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 2 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," Taiwan's MND stated on X. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1835121357782212693 This latest Chinese military activity adds to a series of similar provocations by Beijing in recent months. China has increased its military activities near Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan's ADIZ and military exercises near the island. Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating near Taiwan, according to a Taiwan News report. According to Taiwan News report, gray zone tactics are considered "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force. Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary. Earlier in July, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te accused the Chinese government of misinterpreting a United Nations resolution to justify its military activities against Taiwan and drawing an inappropriate linkage to its "One China" principle, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported. Beijing claims that the UN resolution confirmed its one-China principle, which implies that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China. (ANI)
Amid worsening human rights situation in Balochistan, another youth was reportedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces in the coastal city of Gwadar, The Balochistan Post reported. Zubair Baloch, son of Umar, was allegedly detained from the Dasht Dhor Kundag area, the report stated, citing local sources. He was taken to an undisclosed location, and his whereabouts remain unknown. This incident adds to the growing number of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. In a similar incident on Thursday, two lawyers in Quetta were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces but were released following protests from the Balochistan Bar Council and other legal bodies. Fida Ahmed Dashti was reportedly taken from his home by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other unidentified masked armed men on Thursday night. Similarly, Advocate Salahuddin, the son of Muhammad Ayub Mengal from the Naag area of Washuk, was allegedly abducted near Goli Mar Chowk in Quetta around midnight, according to Balochistan Post. Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) and the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) have expressed grave concerns over the rising incidents of enforced disappearances across the region. Both the VBMP and BYC have called on international human rights organisations to intervene, urging investigations into the disappearances and efforts to ensure the safe return of those missing. "The state is afraid of the political and national struggle of the Baloch people and under this fear it is using force and violence to crush this movement. But despite all the state oppression and brutality, the Baloch state has failed to defeat the morale of the people. This movement against the Baloch genocide is facing the same oppression that this state is doing in response to the Baloch genocide. There will be an end forever, brutality and pride will be crushed, and the struggle of the Baloch people will be successful," the BYC said in its post on X. Pakistan has a long history of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, many of which have targeted human rights and minority defenders critical of the government and the military, as well as persons suspected or accused of involvement in the opposition, The Balochistan Post reported. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented these abuses, focusing on extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Despite these reports, the Pakistani government continues to deny any involvement, maintaining its stance amid mounting international criticism. The persistence of 'enforced disappearances' in Balochistan remains a critical human rights concern, with substantial evidence indicating widespread and systematic abuse by Pakistani security forces. The people of Balochistan have been demanding urgent international attention and intervention to address these grave human rights violations. (ANI)
China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes U.S. abuse of Section 301 to hike tariffs on some Chinese goods, the Ministry of Commerce said Saturday.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative on Friday announced final modifications concerning the statutory review of the tariff actions toward China under Section 301.

China has repeatedly lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side concerning the Section 301 tariffs, said a spokesperson for the ministry.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has already ruled that the Section 301 tariffs violate WTO rules. However, instead of rectifying its wrongdoings, the U.S. side further increases tariffs on Chinese products, adding one mistake to another, said the spokesperson.

The move is a typical practice of unilateralism and trade protectionism, said the spokesperson, adding that it seriously undermines the international trade order, as well as the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.

Moreover, the move not only fails to solve the United States' own problems concerning trade deficits and industrial competitiveness, but also pushes up prices of U.S. imports and forces U.S. companies and consumers to bear the additional costs.

The 2024 Report on WTO Compliance of the United States, which was released Thursday by the ministry, once again expressed serious concern over the U.S. abuse of Section 301, and pointed out that the United States is a "disrupter of global industrial and supply chains."

The U.S. side had previously sought public opinions on the results of the Section 301 tariff review. The majority of opinions either opposed the imposition of additional tariffs or requested broader tariff exemptions.

"This shows the Section 301 tariffs are unpopular among the U.S. public," said the spokesperson.

The United States should rectify its wrongdoings immediately and remove all additional tariffs on Chinese goods, the spokesperson said, adding that China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the interests of Chinese enterprises.

Also on Saturday, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) said that the unilateral measures, which are clearly against the WTO rules, will seriously undermine the confidence of relevant Chinese and U.S. industries in long-term stable cooperation, and have a negative impact on global industrial and supply chain cooperation.

China's business community strongly opposes such actions, said a CCPIT spokesperson.

The CCPIT and the China Chamber of International Commerce have always advocated for cooperation among business communities around the world. Once again, they called on the United States to respect the laws of the market economy and the principles of fair competition, immediately cease its wrongdoing, and resolutely uphold the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, the spokesperson said.

The business communities of China and the United States should enhance communication and cooperation, and resolve disputes and contradictions through consultation and dialogue, in order to achieve mutually beneficial results and promote the development of the world economy, the spokesperson added.
The family members of two brothers killed in an alleged "fake encounter" by Pakistani security forces in Pakistan's Balochistan province, have come forward with harrowing details, claiming their sons were taken from their home and shot dead nearby, The Balochistan Post reported. Muhammad Ismail, 20, and Muhammad Abbas, 17, were killed by Pakistani forces in the Shesha Daghar area of Kalat on the night of September 7. Earlier, it was claimed by Pak military's public relations wing, ISPR, that two suspected individuals were killed during a "clearance operation" following an intense exchange of fire. However, the victims' family has rejected ISPR's account, describing the incident as a "fake encounter." The mother of the victims recounted how Pakistani forces raided their home at 1 am, forcibly took her two sons, and killed them a short distance away. "They threw a grenade into our house and started shooting," she said, adding that her sons were taken despite they pleading them not to. Muhammad Ismail reportedly suffered from a medical condition that left him partially paralysed without daily medication, while Muhammad Abbas worked long hours in the fields to support his family and pay for his father's medical treatment, as their father is suffering from paralysis, according to The Balochistan Post. "I begged them to take my sons to the police station if they had committed any crime," the mother said. "Instead, they were dragged from my arms and shot dead nearby. Their bodies were dumped in a deserted area." The victim's family said they rushed to the scene after hearing gunfire and found the two lifeless bodies riddled with bullets. They insist that no authority has been held accountable for the killings. However, this account sharply contrasts the statement made by ISPR, which stated that the 'operation' in Kalat had resulted in the killing of two 'suspected individuals' following reports of suspicious activity in the area, The Balochistan Post reported. The incident has heightened concerns in Balochistan, where military operations are often viewed with suspicion. Rights groups and media reports have previously documented cases of staged encounters in the region, with victims frequently being Baloch missing persons who are killed after Pakistani forces suffer losses in attacks by "pro-independence" armed groups. Human rights organizations and advocates have also consistently raised concerns about extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the region. Families of victims have long demanded accountability, transparency, and justice in these cases. (ANI)
Pakistan's ruling coalition has put on hold till Sunday, the proposed constitutional package, which was likely to be tabled in both houses of parliament on Saturday for "strategic reasons" coming from the hurdles in mustering up the two-thirds majority in both houses, Dawn reported. Though no explanation has been given by the government for the delay in the introduction of the set of constitutional amendments, the Pak daily reported, citing an informed source in the coalition, that the delay had "something to do with the numbers game" in the Senate. He explained that the government was short of one member in the Senate, where 64 votes were required for the amendment. The Senate chairman, a PPP member, cannot vote. In the National Assembly, the coalition needs several lawmakers to meet the two-thirds threshold of 224, the source said everything was in order in the lower house, particularly after the oath-taking of PPP's Makhdoom Tahir Rashid from NA-171. "Things have been managed and the [constitutional] package will be passed by both houses on Sunday," the source seemed assured. Being asked why the bill was not tabled in the National Assembly if the government had the required strength, the insider cited "strategic reasons". "We want it to be passed from both houses the same day as a matter of strategy." "A few of them will have to render sacrifices," he said referring to the rule of disqualification for voting against the party lines. The votes, however, will be counted under a proposed amendment, which might have retrospective effect "Things have been managed now and the package will be passed by both the houses on Sunday," he said confidently. Notably, the constitutional package has remained a guarded secret, without any official word on its contents, amid speculations that the government plans to give extension to the top judge. Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday shared parts of the package with the upper house, which included an amendment to Article 63-A of the Constitution, dealing with disqualification of those who cross party line in voting for a constitutional amendment, as reported by Dawn. He explained that under the amendment, the vote of the members against whom a disqualification reference was filed by their party leadership would be counted. Under another amendment, the incumbent chief election commissioner will continue to hold office, till his successor comes in. Dar also said constitutional courts would be established to adjudicate upon constitutional petitions. Reagrding the decision to amend Article 63-A of the Constitution, the Deputy PM claimed that the SC bench headed by the then chief justice Umar Ata Bandial had misinterpreted the article, when he decided that the votes of those who went against the party lines on matters entailing disqualification would not be counted. About the continuation of the chief election commissioner even after completing his five-year term, he recalled how the ECP remained dysfunctional for 17 months in the past. "I am not privy to the entire bill...I am just giving the pulse," the leader of the house said, inviting the opposition to help them bring judicial reforms in the country. He urged there was a need to bring changes in the laws to make court decisions time bound. "We will get nothing by entering into blame game," he remarked. The foreign minister said opposition leader was wrong in saying that the government was hiding the details of its Constitutional Package and added that the major proposals were being discussed in special parliamentary committee recently formed after September 9 arrests of PTI MNAs from Parliament House and the PTI was part of the consultations. "We are not hiding things but every government has its own strategy." The leader of the house indicated that the government was ready to withdraw a proposal of extending the retirement age of judges on the suggestion of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, which was endorsed by other members of the special committees. "In the meeting, I advised the law minister not to extend the age if there is a categorical feeling that this is being done to oblige someone," he said. An informed source, however, claimed that the amendment to increase the retirement age of superior court judges was still part of the package. Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Syed Shibli Faraz, while addressing the house, alleged that the ruling coalition was so far 'hiding' the contours of the proposed constitutional amendments from the lawmakers. "In the normal circumstances, you sell your proposed legislation to the public and the legislators," he observed. He, however, said the proposal to make structural changes in the constitution was kept as a secret as the intent was mala fide. He further alleged that the government lacked a two-thirds majority to get it passed and was forcing the members of PTI to change their loyalties, as reported by Dawn. The opposition leader alleged that the government has added to the "mystery" surrounding the proposed law and questioned the reason behind the summoning of the session on an official holiday. He deplored that PPP, which was a champion of democracy, was also getting itself involved in the process and warned that "it will have to pay a political price" for it. (ANI)
From beginning his third term with a foreign policy push at the G7 Summit in Italy to significant visits to Russia and Ukraine during the conflict and a first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei are the key international engagements of PM Narendra Modi in the first 100 days of Modi 3.0. The 50th G7 Summit was held from June 13-15 in Apulia, Italy. PM Modi held bilateral talks with major world leaders. PM Modi visited Russia on July 8 at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin to hold the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. PM Modi held talks with President Vladimir Putin during which entire gamut of bilateral relations including trade and defence deals were discussed. PM Modi was also awarded the Russia's highest civilian honour, the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, during his visit to the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ukraine on August 23 on the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. PM Modi's visits to Singapore and Brunei in September marked the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister. Prime Minister Modi was on a two-day visit at the invitation of his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei on an official visit on September 3 at the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. It was the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei. The historic visit of Prime Minister coincided with the 40th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Brunei. PM Modi visited Poland on August 21-22 at the invitation of his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk. During his visit, PM Modi held meetings with his Polish counterpart and the President, and also engaged with the Indian community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Austria on July 10. India hosted the third 'Voice of the Global South' Summit on August 18 with over 120 countries participating. For the first time, India hosted the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting. The inauguration of the World Heritage Committee session took place on on July 21 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital. On August 6, President Droupadi Murmu was conferred with 'The Order of Fiji', the country's highest civilian award by President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere of Fiji , the Ministry of External Affairs said. President Murmu was also conferred with the Grand-Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the country's highest civilian award on August 10. (ANI)
"We are in a multi-arena campaign against Iran's evil axis that strives to destroy us," Netanyahu said at the beginning of the weekly Cabinet meeting.

"This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen into our territory. They should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us. Those who need a reminder in this matter are invited to visit the port of Hudaydah."

Israeli air defenses failed in multiple attempts to bring down the missile. Explosions in the sky triggered red alert sirens in numerous communities in central Israel.

Nobody was injured, but shrapnel landed on a train station in Modiin.

Magen David Adom said six people suffered minor injuries while making their way to protected areas.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they fired a hypersonic missile at Tel Aviv.

The attack was the first since July 20, when Israel struck Yemen's Red Sea port of Al Hudaydah in retaliation for a drone attack on Tel Aviv that killed one Israeli and injured seven. Israel's strike destroyed weapons storage facilities, a power generating station and oil refinery and storage site.

Since October, the Houthis have launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel.

The Houthis vowed in early December to target any Israel-bound ship in the Red Sea, regardless of its ownership. They have attacked or harassed numerous ships, hijacked the MV Galaxy Leader in November and are holding its crew of 25 hostage.

From bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have threatened ships in the Red Sea as they traverse the Bab el-Mandeb Straits, a narrow maritime choke point between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The majority of the world's oil passes through the strait from the Indian Ocean towards the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea. (ANI/TPS)
Republican Vice-Presidential candidate and Ohio Senator JD Vance said that the diversion of United States military aid to Ukraine has left it incapable of helping Taiwan repel a Chinese invasion, citing "we sent all our weapons to Ukraine." Vance, who is the running mate of former US president Donald Trump on the Republican ticket, slammed US President Joe Biden's policy to support Kyiv's fight against the Russian invasion. "I think [Washington] has left Taiwan in a really crappy position, because we sent all our weapons to Ukraine," Vance said in a Webcast interview with YouTuber Shawn Ryan on Thursday. "I do not know that [Taiwan] could repel a Chinese invasion right now, and so do the Chinese," he added. Beijing would eventually make a "real military move" on Taiwan "sooner rather than later," Vance said, adding that China has not yet attacked Taiwan for a range of reasons, including a desire to avoid taking heavy casualties and Chinese President Xi Jinping's potentially weakened position. "Even in a relatively weakened position, [invading Taiwan] is not an easy military manoeuvre, so maybe the Chinese do not want to kill a lot of people, especially their own people, that maybe destabilizes them," he said. Xi might not be in as strong a political position as he had been five years ago, but his hand could improve five years from now, Vance said. That makes a Taiwan conflict before 2027 less likely, Vance added. In addition, Beijing might believe it does not need to invade Taiwan to take control when subversion from the outside can be sufficient, he said. Meanwhile, Taiwan continues to report increased Chinese military activity in its territory. Earlier in the day, Taiwan detected seven Chinese aircraft, six naval vessels and one official ship operating around its territory from 6 am (local time) on Saturday to 6am (local time) on Sunday. Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary. Earlier in July, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te accused the Chinese government of misinterpreting a United Nations resolution to justify its military activities against Taiwan and drawing an inappropriate linkage to its "One China" principle, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported. Beijing claims that the UN resolution confirmed its one-China principle, which implies that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China. (ANI)
Around 600 soldiers from the US have arrived in India, and they were brought to Junagarh in groups by bus and taken on a guided tour of the fort. The American soldiers were amazed by the historic Badal Mahal, Ranivas, and artillery.

The army had also arranged for guides to provide historical information to the American soldiers.

Notably, the Indian and US Army personnel have been training together at the Mahajan Field Firing Range since September 9 and will continue till September 22.

The aim of the joint exercise is to enhance the joint military capability of both sides to undertake counterterrorism operations in a subconventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

During the exercise, tactical drills are to be rehearsed, which include joint response to a terrorist action, joint planning, and combined field training exercises that simulate real-world counter-terrorism missions.

The 14-day exercise will see the participation of around 600 troops from a battalion of the RAJPUT Regiment along with personnel from other arms and services, while the US side is being represented by the troops of the 1-24 Battalion of the Alaska-based 11th Airborne Division.

According to the Ministry of Defence, "The 20th edition of India-USA Joint Military Exercise YUDH ABHYAS-2024 commenced at Foreign Training Node in Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan. The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 9th to 22nd September 2024. Exercise YUDH ABHYAS has been held annually since 2004, alternating between India and the USA." (ANI)
A Baloch youth, Hikmatullah Baloch, who was injured due to indiscriminate firing by Pakistani defence forces on protesters in Nushki on July 28, has died in Karachi after approximately 40 days due to a severe injury in his throat. Activists and Baloch rights organizations at Balochistan in Pakistan have raised their voices against the atrocities inflicted by Pakistani defence forces upon the Baloch community. Several incidents in the past have been witnessed where innocent civilians have suffered severe injuries and succumbed to death in open fire incidents orchestrated by the Pakistani defence forces. In a post on X, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) claimed, "On August 2, one youth was martyred and two were seriously injured due to indiscriminate firing by the Frontier Corps (FC) on a sit-in for Baloch Raaji Machi in Nushki. Among the injured was Hikmatullah Baloch, a young man being treated in the intensive care unit for the last forty days due to a bullet wound in his throat. After being admitted to the Quetta Trauma Centre, he was transferred to Karachi for better treatment. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital and was martyred". https://x.com/BalochYakjehtiC/status/1834872923988828645 While lamenting the Pakistani government for its actions during the Baloch Raaji Muchi the BYC stated "To stop the Baloch Raaji Muchi, the state resorted to brutality and oppression in different cities of Balochistan, as a result of which three youths were martyred and around thirty were seriously injured. Hikmatullah Baloch was also among the injured, who were martyred in Karachi on Friday. The participants who were injured in the attacks on the caravans coming to Raaji Muchi and then during the sit-ins are still undergoing treatment in various hospitals among them. The condition of a few of them is still critical, including the Baloch belonging to Mastung." Pakistan is using force and violence to crush this movement. But despite all the state oppression and brutality, they have failed to defeat the morale of the Baloch people, the statement added. (ANI)
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday deployed its C-17 Globemaster aircraft to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in Vietnam (Hanoi) following the severe flooding caused by Typhoon Yagi.

Loading and coordination was carried out by C-17 team at Hindan Air Force Station. 35 tons of aid comprising of water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, solar lanterns for Vietnam.

In a post on X, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar said, "India launches Operation Sadbhav. Demonstrating our solidarity with the people affected by Typhoon Yagi, India is dispatching aid to Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos. 10 tons of aid including dry ration, clothing and medicines left for Myanmar onboard Indian Navy INS Satpura today. @IAF_MCC is carrying 35 tons of aid comprising of water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, solar lanterns for Vietnam. 10 tons of aid comprising genset, water purification items, hygiene supplies, mosquito nets, blankets and sleeping bags for Laos."

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1835286453716131857

These aircraft, known for their large cargo capacity and long-range capabilities, are typically used to transport relief materials, essential supplies, and personnel to disaster-affected areas.

Typhoon Yagi, recognised as Asia's most powerful storm of the year, has caused destruction across southern China and Southeast Asia over the past week, causing multiple deaths.

The storm has been characterised by its intense rainfall and formidable winds, leading to substantial loss of life and extensive damage, CNN reported.

The typhoon first made landfall in the Philippines, where it claimed the lives of over a dozen people. After striking the Philippines, Yagi continued its westward journey, impacting southern China before affecting parts of Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos.

Almost a week after it initially hit, many regions in northern Vietnam and northern Thailand are still underwater. The relentless flooding has caused widespread disruption, and communities are facing severe challenges as they attempt to cope with the aftermath. (ANI)
Yaqiu Wang, the Research Director for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Freedom House, a non-profit organisation based in Washington on Saturday gave a statement testifying on the Chinese government's tactics to suppress political dissent. In a statement presented before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee headed by US Senator Ben Cardin, Wang said that China's authoritarian regime poses one of the biggest threats to American democracy and security. In her statement, Wang said "China's authoritarian regime poses one of the biggest threats to American democracy and security. It is in the fundamental interest of the United States to support the Chinese people's fight for democracy". Wang claimed China, which ranks among the least free countries in the world, has declined significantly since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012. President Xi has consolidated personal power to a degree not seen in the country for decades. Following a multiyear crackdown on all aspects of life and governance, China's civil society now has been largely decimated. Increasingly, the government is deploying laws--including National Security Law (2015), Foreign NGO Law (2017), Counterterrorism Law (2018), and Counterespionage Law (2023)-- to criminalize independent human rights activism and journalism. Referring to several incidents of imprisonment of activists and pro-democracy leaders, she added, "Numerous human rights activists are languishing in jail on bogus national security-related charges as we speak, such as pro-democracy movement pioneer Wang Bingzhang, who has been serving a life sentence for espionage since 2002; human rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong, who is serving a 14-year sentence for subversion of state power; and journalist Huang Xueqin, who is serving a five-year sentence for inciting subversion of state power. Others have been forcibly disappeared on unclear charges. Respected human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng has not been heard from in seven years." Wang in her statement also highlighted the tactics used by China's regime for altering and suppressing the individualistic identities of the ethnic minorities of the country. She in her statement claimed that China's ethnic minorities are facing the worst conditions. Wang gave examples of Rahile Dawut, an Uyghur scholar, who has been serving a life sentence since 2018 for separatism. Another Uyghur scholar, Ilham Tohti served a life sentence under the same charge where the activist's family has not heard from him since 2017. Similarly, Sherab Gyatso, a Tibetan monk and writer, is also serving a 10-year sentence for 'inciting separatism'. She further highlighted that in Hong Kong, over a thousand people have been imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of assembly and expression, many on national security grounds. In 2020, Beijing imposed the National Security Law (NSL) on the city, with broad provisions that criminalize an enormous range of activity both inside and outside Hong Kong. "Prominent political prisoners in Hong Kong include journalist and publisher Jimmy Lai, who is facing up to life imprisonment for sedition and collusion with foreign forces; human rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung, arrested for inciting subversion; and activist Joshua Wong, convicted of conspiracy to commit subversion. These courageous individuals and many others in mainland China and Hong Kong have made extraordinary sacrifices for standing up to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)", she added. (ANI)
Germany's Development Minister Svenja Schulze will be on a three-day visit to Gujarat, a statement by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development stated on Sunday. Schulze will be representing Germany as a partner country at the investor conference dedicated to renewable energy. Schulze is being accompanied by a business delegation of some twenty representatives of the renewables sector. In the margins of the conference, Schulze will discuss closer cooperation on expanding renewable energy sources with the Indian government. India is a key country for the global energy transition and intends to become the second largest solar producer worldwide, the statement said. Development Minister Schulze said, "The Indo-German cooperation on the energy transition is a success story for all sides. The most populous country on Earth is on track for a boom in renewable energy and wants to become the second-largest producer of solar systems after China. First and foremost, this is good for India which can thus provide affordable renewable energy for its people, create millions of new jobs and contribute to clean air and a more stable climate. Germany, too, can benefit from this boom: German companies are investing in India. Associations are setting up exchange programmes for experts and German importers will finally have an alternative to sourcing solar systems from China. But ultimately the entire world will benefit if India accomplishes an energy transition. Climate change can only be stopped if more and more of the 1.4 billion people in India get their power from wind and solar energy." Germany and India are linked by a strategic partnership, the Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership, which was agreed in 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It is in the context of this cooperation that the idea of the RE-INVEST renewable energy investors' conference was born, with Germany being a partner country. RE-INVEST is being organised by the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy It is an expert forum attended by high-level political and entrepreneurial representatives. Prime Minister Modi will open the conference on Monday morning, the statement added. Some 10,000 participants are expected to attend, the majority being business representatives. Minister Schulze is accompanied by a German business delegation representing 20 small and medium-sized German enterprises and business associations from the renewable energy industry. Minister Schulze will be meeting India's Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi at the conference. Together, they will launch the "India-Germany Platform for Investments in Renewable Energy Worldwide". It is aimed at bringing together German and Indian companies in the field of renewable energies and generating investment for the global energy transformation. India and Germany currently have similar generating capacities from renewable energy sources. In future, India can be expected to massively accelerate the expansion of its renewable sector. The world's largest solar park, for instance, is being built in Gujarat. That is also why German companies are focusing more and more on India as a destination for investments in Asia. There are already more than 2,000 German companies with representations in India. Some 200 German companies from the energy sector have trade relations with India, 50 have set up production facilities or subsidiaries in India. India's engagement is also important for Germany's energy security. The country wants to become the second-largest producer of solar systems worldwide and is striving to establish itself as a competitor on the global market, alongside China. Germany and the world will benefit from more competition in the market and if energy supply does no longer depend on a number of specific countries, the statement said. Indo-German sustainability cooperation involves projects with a total volume of roughly 1 billion euros a year, 90 per cent of which is provided in the form of loans, for which KfW bank in Germany raises funds on the capital market. India repays the loans with interest. The exact areas in which India is investing are agreed in the context of government negotiations. These will be held directly after the conference. India itself has a massive interest in climate action because it is increasingly suffering from heat waves with temperatures above 50 degree Celsius. The statement quoted Schulze as saying, "Germany's Development Ministry has been involved for many years in developing the market for renewable energies in India and improving the investment environment. German companies have benefited from this good reputation and from these investments and will continue to benefit. This is evident from the German private sector's big interest in this conference." (ANI)
A drone photo taken on Aug. 22, 2024 shows a view of the container terminal of Rizhao Port in Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

The Chinese economy posted stable growth in August as the country has kept advancing high-quality development, official data showed Saturday.

Last month, a broad range of key indicators maintained steady expansion, with production and demand recovering, and overall employment and prices remaining stable, Liu Aihua, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said at a press conference.

In August, however, China faced a more complex environment at home and abroad, while natural disasters such as high temperatures, heavy rain and floods continued to impact economic activity, she said.

"Despite the challenges, macro policies continued to show significant results," Liu said, adding that with the steady progress of transformation and upgrading and new results achieved in high-quality development, the economic operation continued to develop steadily.

China's value-added industrial output, an important economic indicator, sustained stable growth in August, expanding 4.5 percent year on year, the data showed.

The equipment manufacturing sector contributed 47.9 percent to the entire industrial output growth, Liu said, adding that new growth drivers for the manufacturing sector are being strengthened.

"With the continuous in-depth application of sci-tech innovation achievements and digital technologies, and the upgrading and development of booster industries that specialize in areas including process upgrading, digital empowerment, as well as green and low-carbon technologies, new industrial drivers have continued to grow," the spokesperson noted.

Last month, the output of electronic and communication devices saw double-digit year-on-year increases for the 10th consecutive month. The value-added output of smart unmanned aircraft soared by 54 percent, and the production of new energy vehicles surged by 30.5 percent, Liu said.

Apart from industrial output, China's consumer market has maintained stable recovery with retail sales increasing 2.1 percent year on year in August, the data showed.

Commenting on the data, Liu highlighted the recovery trend of the consumer market, especially in services, new-type consumption and online sales.

The service sector continued to register recovery momentum, with the service production index rising 4.6 percent year on year in August. Driven by summer travel, the growth rate of the accommodation and catering industry accelerated compared with the previous month, she said.

China has rolled out an array of measures to boost consumption this year, including a program that promotes large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins. Recently, the government further stepped up efforts to encourage the purchase of automobiles and home appliances, among others.

While recognizing policy impacts, Liu also said that consumption recovery still faces restraints, prompting authorities to channel even more energy into strengthening consumer sentiment and stimulating domestic demand.

The presence of improved government policies and better products and services on the market, means the potential of consumption will be unleashed at a faster pace and thus the consumer market will have a more solid foundation for recovery, Liu added.

Saturday's data also revealed that the average of surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2 percent in the first eight months of the year, down 0.1 percentage points from the same period last year.

"The urban unemployment rate saw a slight increase in August, primarily due to the influx of college graduates entering the labor market," said Liu.

Meanwhile, boosted by vibrant demand unleashed by China's new round of large-scale equipment upgrades and trade-in of consumer goods, China's fixed-asset investment rose 3.4 percent year on year in the first eight months of 2024, according to the NBS data.
The Indian Navy on Sunday commenced preparations to deploy humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations in response to the devastating flash floods in Myanmar. Several regions across the country have been severely impacted by Typhoon Yagi, originating from the South China Sea, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Sunday. Eastern Naval Command, in co-coordination with Eastern Fleet and other supporting units--Base Victualling Yard (BVY), Material Organization, and INHS Kalyani--has successfully completed the overnight loading of HADR pallets, including HADR gears, drinking water, victualling rations, medicines, etc.--on an Indian naval warship destined from Visakhapatnam for HADR operations in Yangon, the ministry said. This rapid mobilisation comes despite the short notice, showcasing the Navy's ability to swiftly respond to humanitarian crises in the region, it added. Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said that as a part of Operation Sadbhav, the government has dispatched humanitarian aid to Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos. The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday deployed its C-17 Globemaster aircraft to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations in Vietnam (Hanoi) following the severe flooding caused by Typhoon Yagi. Loading and coordination were carried out by the C-17 team at Hindan Air Force Station. 35 tons of aid comprising of water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, and solar lanterns for Vietnam. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1835286453716131857 In a post on X, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar said, "India launches Operation Sadbhav. Demonstrating our solidarity with the people affected by Typhoon Yagi, India is dispatching aid to Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos. 10 tons of aid including dry ration, clothing and medicines left for Myanmar onboard Indian Navy INS Satpura today. @IAF_MCC is carrying 35 tons of aid comprising of water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, solar lanterns for Vietnam. 10 tons of aid comprising genset, water purification items, hygiene supplies, mosquito nets, blankets and sleeping bags for Laos." (ANI)
Zanzibar City [Zanzibar], September 15 (ANI/WAM): In a major step towards realising the UAE's vision and Sharjah's efforts to improve healthcare access in underserved regions worldwide, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) and UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Children, has launched 'The Big Heart Mobile Medical Services' on Unguja Island in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The product of a partnership forged in 2019 between Aster Volunteers and The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), the mobile clinics currently operate in eight countries, including Ethiopia, Sudan, Somaliland, Iraq, Lebanon, and Bangladesh, and have touched the lives of 178,740 beneficiaries through 1,937 medical camps to date. The project has expanded this year to include four countries: Zanzibar, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The technologically advanced mobile clinic will actively engage renowned medical professionals to ensure the delivery of quality healthcare to at least 20,000 beneficiaries each year. TBHF and Aster are committed to running the clinic for at least a 10-year tenure, which will result in uplifting 250,000 lives in Zanzibar, particularly those with limited or no access to basic healthcare, and those residing in remote areas. The mobile clinic, operated in collaboration with local partners, including the Zanzibar Ministry of Health (MoH), Muhimbili National Hospital, and the State University of Zanzibar, will provide vital health services such as blood pressure, blood sugar, BMI, and occasional cholesterol or ECG checks. Health talks will be conducted in multiple languages, addressing various topics, including Basic Life Support (BLS) Awareness. Moreover, the clinic will actively participate in impactful health campaigns organised with regional associates, furthering the commitment to community well-being. Dignitaries who attended the flag-off ceremony with Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi included Nassor Mazrui, Minister of Health of Zanzibar; Alisha Moopen, Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare; Jaleel PA, General Manager and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Aster DM Healthcare; Fatma Kabole, Deputy Director of Preventive Services and Health Education, Zanzibar; Mngereza Mzee Miraji, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health, Zanzibar; and the TBHF team of officials. During a meeting with the Minister of Health of Zanzibar and leading officials and representatives of Aster Healthcare, H.H. Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi emphasised that access to healthcare is a natural and fundamental right for every individual and nation, and it should be provided without barriers, especially for women and children. She noted that the responsibility for achieving this goal goes beyond governments and extends to any entity capable of contributing and driving change. She stressed that the world bears full responsibility if even one child cannot access essential healthcare services. She discussed various healthcare sector issues and services with the Minister of Health, focusing specifically on remote areas, the needs of local communities in those regions, and the effectiveness of mobile clinics: "The launch of the mobile medical clinic in Zanzibar, part of a larger project serving communities across 12 countries, reflects The Big Heart Foundation's commitment to forging partnerships and collaborating with local authorities to create effective solutions for underserved populations. Many in these regions face significant challenges in accessing healthcare due to the lack of nearby clinics and limited means to travel. With this project, we are saying to every person in need: it is our responsibility to reach you, and it is your right to have access to basic healthcare without burden. With the support of Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, we remain dedicated to continuing sustainable humanitarian projects that drive positive change wherever they are needed." The clinics are powered by solar energy, reducing their carbon footprint while delivering high-quality, sustainable healthcare solutions. Each clinic is staffed by medical professionals from Aster Hospitals in the UAE and India, along with volunteer doctors from Medcare Hospitals. Six members of the Zanzibar clinic's medical team, comprising doctors and nurses, were trained by the UAE's Ministry of Health. The clinic will also offer virtual consultations with specialists to ensure advanced care for those in need, connecting patients with comprehensive medical support beyond the immediate region. The mobile clinic will play a key role not only in improving healthcare access but also in supporting Zanzibar's growing economy, particularly its tourism sector, which relies on a strong healthcare infrastructure. Ensuring that both local communities and tourists have access to quality medical services will be critical to sustaining the island's economic growth in the coming years. Following the success of the project, which was initially set to run for five years as per the original Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between TBHF and Aster Healthcare in 2019, the partnership has been updated to a 10-year tenure and expanded to include four more countries. Zanzibar is the first successful outcome of the renewed MoU between the two entities. Clinics in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Nepal are scheduled for launch later in 2024, and plans for Uganda and Rwanda are currently in progress. (ANI/WAM)
Pezeshkian will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Summit from October 22-24 in the Russian city of Kazan, ambassador Kazem Jalali told Iranian state media.

The two may sign a bilateral cooperation agreement, Politico stated, quoting media reports.

The visit comes in the backdrop of intensifying military cooperation between Russia and the US. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that Russia procured ballistic missiles from Iran and was likely to deploy them in Ukraine within weeks, Politico reported.

Blinken added that deepening ties between Russia and Iran was a threat to Europe's security, Politico stated.

As per Politico's report, the US, Germany, Britain and France on last Tuesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, including measures that would hit the country's national airline Iran Air.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that ballistic missiles were delivered to Russia and noted that new sanctions were "not a solution," as per the report.

Russia has imposed a ban on 92 US nationals, including over two dozen journalists, the Russian Foreign ministry said on August 29.

The sanctions have been made in "response to the Biden administration's Russophobic policy with a stated goal of 'inflicting a strategic defeat on Moscow'," state media TASS said.

The list of US citizens includes members of the US government, pro-democracy activists, academics, and leaders of defence contracting firms and financial institutions that supply weapons to Ukraine.

The ban applies to some reporters from the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and the New York Times, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry statement. (ANI)
When school started this year for Mikalay in Belarus, the 15-year-old discovered that his teachers and administrators no longer called him by that name. Instead, they referred to him as Nikolai, its Russian equivalent.

What's more, classes at his school  one of the country's best  are now taught in Russian, not Belarusian, which he has spoken for most of his life.

Belarusians like Mikalay are experiencing a new wave of Russification as Moscow expands its economic, political and cultural dominance to overtake the identity of its neighbour.

This isn't unprecedented. During the czarist and Soviet eras, Russia imposed its language, symbols, and cultural institutions on Belarus. However, after the USSR dissolved in 1991, Belarus began to reclaim its identity. Belarusian briefly became the official language, and the white-red-white national flag replaced the Soviet-era red hammer and sickle.

Related

The situation shifted in 1994 when Alexander Lukashenko, a former Soviet collective farm official, came to power. He made Russian an official language alongside Belarusian and removed the nationalist symbols.

Now, with Lukashenko in power for over three decades, he has permitted Russia to dominate various aspects of life in Belarus, a nation of 9.5 million. Belarusian is rarely heard on the streets of Minsk and other large cities. Official business is conducted in Russian, which also dominates the media. Lukashenko speaks only Russian, and government officials often avoid using Belarusian.

The country relies on Russian loans and cheap energy, forming a political and military alliance with Moscow. This alliance allows President Vladimir Putin to station troops and missiles in Belarus, using it as a staging area for the war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and his Belarus counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, talk at an economic summit in the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, on Dec. 23, 2014. - Maxim Shipenkov/AP

I understand that our Belarus is occupied.  And who is the president there? Not Lukashenko. The president is Putin, said Svetlana Alexievich, the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, who lives in Germany in effective exile. The nation has been humiliated and it will be very difficult for Belarusians to recover from this.

Belarusian cultural figures have faced persecution, and hundreds of nationalist organisations have been shut down. Experts suggest that Moscow aims to implement in Belarus what it intended for Ukraine when the war there began in 2022.

It is obvious that our children are being deliberately deprived of their native language, history, and Belarusian identity, but parents have been strongly advised not to ask questions about Russification, said Anatoly, father of a Belarusian student, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution.

We were informed about the synchronisation of the curriculum with Russia this year and were shown a propaganda film about how the Ukrainian special services are allegedly recruiting our teenagers and forcing them to commit sabotage in Belarus, he added.

Only a few schools have managed to retain some paperwork and courses in Belarusian. In recent years, one of these schools saw dozens of its teachers fired, and the Belarusian-language section of its website disappeared.

Lukashenko derides his native language, stating, Nothing great can be expressed in Belarusian.  There are only two great languages in the world: Russian and English.

Belarus was part of the Russian empire for centuries and became one of the 15 Soviet republics after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Daily use of Belarusian decreased and continued only in the country's west, north, and rural areas.

In 1994, about 40% of students were taught in Belarusian; now, it's under 9%. Speaking Belarusian is seen as opposition to Lukashenko and a declaration of national identity, which played a key role in the mass protests after the disputed 2020 election that gave Lukashenko a sixth term. In the harsh crackdown that followed, half a million people fled the country.

At the same time, more people want to speak Belarusian, which has become one of the symbols of freedom, but they're afraid to do it in public, said Alina Nahornaja, author of Language 404, a book about Belarusians who faced discrimination for speaking their native language.

Like Ukrainians, Belarusians desired closer ties with Europe, accompanying their nationalist sentiment, noted Belarusian analyst Valery Karbalevich. But the Kremlin quickly realised the danger and began the process of creeping Russification in Belarus, he added.

This led to the emergence of pro-Russian organisations, joint educational programmes, and cultural projects, like mushrooms after the rain  against the backdrop of harsh repressions against everything Belarusian, Karbalevich said.

Belarusian athletes carry the countrys flag during celebrations marking Independence Day in Minsk, Belarus, on July 3, 2013. - AP/Copyright 2013 The AP. All rights reserved

Censorship and bans affect not only contemporary Belarusian literature but also its classics. In 2023, the prosecutors office declared extremist the 19th-century poems of Vincent Dunin-Martsinkyevich, who opposed the Russian Empire.

When the Kremlin supported Lukashenko against the anti-government protests in 2020, it ensured his loyalty and received carte blanche in Belarus.

Today, Lukashenko is paying Putin with our sovereignty, said exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Belarusian national identity, cultures, and language are our strongest weapons against the Russian world and Russification.

In February she had posted on X that "being labeled as 'extremist' means loving your country & speaking your language."

Four cities in Belarus now host a Russia House to promote Russian culture and influence, offering seminars, film clubs, exhibitions, and competitions.

The goal is to plant Russian narratives so that as many Belarusians as possible view Russian as their own, said analyst Alexander Friedman. The Kremlin spares no expense and acts on a grand scale, which could be especially effective and dangerous in a situation where Belarus has found itself in information isolation, and there is almost no one left inside the country to resist the Russian world.

Putin published an article denying the existence of an independent Ukraine back in 2021, and even then we understood perfectly well that he was pursuing similar goals in Belarus," Latushka said.
Salva Kiir has been president of South Sudan since independence in 2011 [Getty Images]

The government of South Sudan is holding an emergency cabinet meeting hours after it announced that long-delayed national elections would be postponed by two years.

The polls were due to take place this December.

A 2018 peace deal that ended a civil war allowed president Salva Kiir to remain in charge of a transitional government with his former foe Riek Machar serving as his deputy.

South Sudan, the world's youngest country, has not held national elections since independence in 2011.

The decision to postpone the vote by another two years has not come as a great surprise.

The political leaders of South Sudan have not exactly been racing to get ready for a vote.

This has fuelled suspicion that they are clinging onto power in the oil-rich country.

President Salva Kiir's office says essential tasks like writing a new constitution have to happen before an election.

Officials have also cited logistical and security challenges, which could not be overcome by the end of the year.

Those in charge are the same leaders who plunged the country into a five-year civil war.

Given the current relative peace and the fact that neighbouring Sudan is being destroyed by conflict, South Sudan's politicians may not come under much international pressure.

More BBC stories on South Sudan:

[Getty Images/BBC]

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

BBC Africa podcasts
Alimemby Estimable, 19, talks about being Haitian in Springfield, Ohio, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. He said he graduated from Springfield High School and now works for Amazon. He said he came here four years ago to help his mother. He was with friends in the strip mall on the west side of Springfield.

It is a tale as old as time: Dividing and conquering by using foreigners and outsiders to scare those fearful of change.

It happened during the first century when the Emperor Nero blamed Christians for Rome catching fire, rather the abysmal conditions under which most Romans lived.

It happened at the turn of the 20th century when American nativists viewed Chinese, Irish, Italian and eastern European immigrants, and even Catholics, as unwashed hordes who would sully the nation's culture.

Even Abraham Lincoln, who hated slavery but rejected the idea of social equality, tried to convince Black leaders that emancipated slaves would be better off restarting their lives in Liberia, Africa. But the group made it clear to Lincoln that people who helped to build the only country they've ever known were not about to leave it.

That thread of fearmongering has made its way to Springfield, Ohio, in the form of insidious and unfounded online rumors that "undocumented" Haitian immigrants there are eating people's pets, as well as ducks and geese in the public parks.

Springfield police, local media and city officials investigated and found no evidence, but it hardly matters. The false report has already pinged around the world, pushed by people who have a political interest in it being believed.

It is illustrative of how much trust in public institutions has been deliberately eroded. People who normally demand that we "Back the Blue" now suddenly don't believe the Springfield police because their findings don't jibe with the narrative.

A photo accompanying the story is a perfect example of how such misinformation is being weaponized. The image of a man carrying a dead goose was taken in Columbus, not Springfield, and offers no context, no explanation of why he has the animal.

Online posts about Springfield also have been conflated with an actual incident that occurred in Canton, in which a woman with potential mental illness was arrested after being accused of killing and eating a cat.

Canton, not Springfield: Canton woman accused of killing, eating cat after 'stomping its head'

None of this matters to people who still believe pets are being eaten in Springfield.

The spark was lit after a Haitian immigrant driving on a foreign license struck a school bus in June, killing a boy. That child's family has pleaded with the public to stop using their tragedy as an excuse to demonize others.

The reason the pet-eating posts are being believed is because they tap into the primordial; namely the belief that non-white immigrants and other people of color are savages not fit to live in American society.

It has not helped that the influx of 20,000 Haitians into Springfield, a city of 58,000, has placed a strain on its housing, traffic and public services. The federal government is to blame for not being more strategic in placing them.

But the arrivals, many of whom are working at Honda, Dole and other plants, are filling jobs that were unoccupied and have boosted Springfield's economy. Haitians began arriving in Springfield legally in 2019-2020, but only now has their presence gained the attention of some people who just happen to be running for office in 2024.

Fear of the other is deeply rooted in our popular culture. Ask any Native American who's had to endure the Hollywood stereotype of "murderous savages." Ask any Black person over a certain age about the embarrassment felt over "Tarzan" movies, in which dozens of hapless Africans were portrayed as no match for one beardless Englishman.

In 2015, we saw for ourselves what happened after Donald Trump announced his candidacy by declaring that many Mexican immigrants are criminals and rapists, though some, he conceded, are probably good people.

That should have been the end of his campaign but Trump instinctively understands the American underbelly where fear and loathing lives. The political cowardice exhibited by Republicans who knew better created a moral vacuum that millions of Trump supporters were only too happy to occupy.

Trump's current running mate, Sen. JD Vance; U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, himself an immigrant; and Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene  who live in Texas and Georgia, respectively  all have latched onto the Springfield story on behalf of Trump's campaign with no real regard for the damage being done to Springfield.

The irony is that some of the same people who have swallowed the Springfield story have no compunction in cosplaying and celebrating Vikings, whose savagery is not only documented, it's a selling point.

Doubly ironic has been the absence of outrage and argle-bargle over a neo-Nazi online homeschool in Ohio, and at the spectacle of neo-Nazis and white supremacists marching through the streets of Ohio cities, including Columbus.

They probably are making their way to Springfield, even as we speak.

Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Springfield, Ohio immigrant rumors driven by social media, old hatreds
Despite the ruling by North Carolinas Supreme Court to the contrary, most North Carolinians believe we are entitled to free and fair elections. They oppose any attempts to interfere with peoples right to vote or the accurate counting of those votes. Sadly, there are some willing to undermine our confidence in our election systems and interfere with election outcomes.

Two recent North Carolina examples cause us to raise our eyebrows. The first involves whether or not Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should have his name included on our presidential election ballot. It is comical that Kennedy fought so hard to get his name put on the ballot, then suddenly decided he wanted his name removed.

Democrats had opposed having RFKs name included because they believed that any votes he received would be votes taken away from Joe Biden. But when Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, the political winds suddenly shifted. Kamala Harris immediately changed the election dynamic. And it was Republicans who suddenly believed Kennedy would be stealing votes away from Donald Trump.

It was commonly understood that Kennedys campaign was out of gas. He had not gotten national traction. No polls showed him getting more than 5 to 6 percent of the votes. Even worse, he was out of cash  broke! But Kennedy decided he could be a spoiler, much as Ross Perot was in the 1992 election. In battleground states the margin of difference between Trump and Harris was razor thin, no more than 5 percent. Kennedy decided he could be a kingmaker and went shopping with his 5 percent.

Harris quickly said she wasnt willing to entertain any kind of deal with RFK. Trump, clearly willing to do most anything to win the presidency, welcomed Kennedy and on Aug. 23, the announcement was made that RFK was dropping out and throwing his support to Trump. Both proclaim no deal was made between them, but dont be surprised by a cabinet appointment for RFK should Trump win.

Kennedy asked our State Board of Elections to remove his name from the ballot. Absentee ballots had been printed and were ready to be mailed on Sept. 6. The Board, in a 3-2 partisan vote, declared the request came too late and denied Kennedys request. Elections chair Karen Brinson Bell said it would take weeks go through all the coding, testing and preparations for new ballots to be printed. Haste could result in errors.

RFK  remember he is broke  hired lawyers and took his case to court. A Wake County Superior Court judge agreed with the State Board, but Kennedy appealed. A three-judge panel of judges on the NC Court of Appeals ruled RFKs name should be removed from ballots. We dont know the political affiliation of the three judges, but 11 of the 15 are Republicans. Do the math.

The case was appealed, and the NC Supreme Court ruled 4-3 to remove Kennedys name. Four Republicans voted for the removal, the two Democrats voted against removal, as did one Republican.

The episode is predicted to benefit Republicans and hurt Democrats.

Then theres the lawsuit by North Carolinas Republican Party declaring that the Board of Elections must remove 225,000 registered voters from casting ballots because their drivers license photo or last four digits of their social security number were not included on their registrations. By the way, practically all of our 7.3 million registered voters dont have this information on their registration forms because it wasnt legally required until just recently. There was no evidence presented that any of the 225,000 were ineligible to vote. And federal election laws prohibit any such action so close to the election.

This is clearly nothing more than an attempt to cast doubt about our election integrity. It sets the stage for a potential claim of a stolen election if Republican candidates dont prevail November 5th.

Heres my spin: Perhaps one or both of these two instances are just curious happenstance, but as a doubting Thomas neither passes my smell test. It is a shame that we live in a time when we are skeptical about board and court decisions. It is a shame that there is any question about whether our elections are fair, well administered and accurately counted. It is even more a shame when losers cannot accept defeat gracefully.

But since the 2020 elections our antennas are raised to the possibility that some wantonly try to interfere with election outcomes and cast doubt on election integrity. There already rumors of violence or tampering with this election. Instead of preventing us from voting, these threats should strengthen our resolve that no one can interfere with our vote, regardless of who they are or what party they belong to.

The watchword for the 2024 election is: If you see something, say something to someone who can do something.

Tom Campbell is a Hall of Fame North Carolina broadcaster and columnist who has covered North Carolina public policy issues since 1965. Contact him at tomcamp@carolinabroadcasting.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Tom Campbell asks: Are these NC cases election interference or happenstance?
US says claims of CIA plot to kill Maduro are categorically false after Venezuela arrests six foreigners

The US State Department has rejected claims of CIA involvement in an alleged plot to kill Venezuelas leader Nicolas Maduro, after Venezuelan authorities said they had arrested six foreigners, including a US Navy SEAL.

The State Department called the allegations categorically false, adding in a statement that the United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.

The comments come after Venezuela said it had arrested the six for an alleged plot to destabilize the country that has been in crisis since disputed elections earlier this year.

Interior minister Diosdado Cabello claimed that the alleged plot was led by the CIA, and aimed at assassinating Maduro.

The accusation comes as Venezuelas opposition, multiple Latin American leaders and the United States refuse to recognize Maduros disputed election win, which has been followed by deadly protests during which thousands were arrested.

In a news conference on Saturday, Cabello identified the purported Navy SEAL as Wilbert Castaneda, and claimed he was the leader of the operation. The minister also named two other detained Americans: David Estrella and Aaron Barrett Logan.

CNN earlier this month reported that Castaneda was arrested in Caracas in August. At the time US authorities said he was a sailor who had traveled to Venezuela.

Last week, Venezuelas attorney general Tarek William Saab told CNN the sailor was a Mexican-American citizen who was being investigated for entering the country without proper documentation.

Cabello said that in addition to the Americans, two Spanish citizens  Jose Maria Basoa Valdovinos and Andres Martinez Adasme  and one Czech citizen, Jan Darmovzal, were arrested. Venezuelan authorities have also seized 400 US rifles linked to the alleged plot, he said.

Venezuelan authorities showed images of confiscated rifles they said were part of an alleged plot to "destabilize" the country in a news conference on September 14. - Venezuelan Government TV/Reuters

The CIA is at the forefront of this operation, Cabello said in the news conference, claiming that Spains National Intelligence Center was also involved. That does not surprise us at all, he said.

He alleged that the operation had very clear objectives of assassinating President Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan politicians including himself and the vice president.

The State Department confirmed on Saturday a member of the US military had been arrested in Venezuela, and that the department was aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained in the country.

The department is seeking additional information, the spokesperson said.

A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information.

The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly, the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Czech Republics Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to CNN that a Czech citizen has been detained in Venezuela. They added that the Czech embassy in Bogota is in contact with the family since the country does not have an embassy in Venezuela.

Political crisis

Venezuela is still grappling with the fallout from its presidential election in July, which saw Maduro claim a third term despite global skepticism about the result and outcry from the countrys opposition movement.

The National Electoral Council of Venezuela (CNE) declared Maduro the winner on July 28, a declaration ratified weeks later by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ). However, the CNE still has not published the disaggregated data or any of the vote tally sheets, a measure that many countries consider necessary for the transparency of the electoral process.

The coalition backing opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez insists the vote was stolen, publishing online vote tally sheets which experts say indicate Maduro actually lost the presidency by a significant margin.

The US has acknowledged Gonzalez as the candidate who received the most votes in that election, but has not formally recognized him as president-elect of Venezuela.

The European Union has also expressed skepticism over the election, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday describing the vote as undemocratic and the Maduro regime as dictatorial and authoritarian.

In Venezuela there are more than 2,000 people detained after the elections, the opposition leader has had to flee and the political parties are subject to a thousand limitations on their actions, Borrell told the Spanish channel Telecinco.

Last week, Gonzalez flew to Spain, fleeing Venezuela after an arrest warrant was issued accusing him of terrorism, conspiracy and other crimes.

On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials aligned with Maduro for allegedly obstructing the election.

The US also announced that a Venezuelan plane used by Maduro for international travel was seized in the Dominican Republic; a second plane linked to Maduro is under 24-hour surveillance by authorities in the Dominican Republic, a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN.

Meanwhile inside the country, Maduros government has cracked down on dissent  the harshest crackdown in years, according to Human Rights Watch. Protests have been fiercely repressed, some 2,400 people have been arrested, and many others are now fleeing the country.

CNNs Omar Fajardo and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated with the correct name of the US Navy SEAL.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
KAMAKURA, Sep 15 (News On Japan) - A man in his 20s is unconscious after falling from a horse during Yabusame practice at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in Kamakura.

According to police and other sources, the incident occurred just before 6 a.m. Sunday, when a man in his 20s practicing for the Yabusame ritual at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, fell from his horse.

The man suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he remains unconscious.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu had scheduled the traditional Yabusame ritual, where mounted archers shoot arrows at targets, for tomorrow. However, following this accident, they have announced its cancellation.

Source: TBS
Trump Adviser Alina Habba Tells Michigan Assyrians They Have the Power to Flip Swing State

Attorney Alina Habba speaks to the media on September 6 in New York, after former president Donald Trump appealed a $5 million jury verdict finding him liable of sexual abuse. ( EPA) Donald Trump's senior adviser Alina Habba has told members of Michigan's large Chaldean community that they have the voting power to flip the battleground state in the former president's favour on November 5.

Winning Michigan is crucial for Mr Trump or his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris as they seek the White House, and the Chaldean American vote could help determine the outcome.

Chaldeans are Iraqi Catholics. The Detroit area is home to the largest Chaldean population outside of Iraq, with more than 187,000 living there, according to the Chaldean Community Foundation.

While Chaldeans skew conservative, many in the community felt duped by Mr Trump after voting for him in 2016, when he went on to order the deportations of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals -- many who had been in the US since childhood.

Ms Habba, a Chaldean-American whose parents were born and raised in Baghdad, joined Mr Trump's legal team in September 2021, after having previously worked at a small law firm in New Jersey.

"In Michigan, in particular with the Chaldean community, my community, we can flip this state and we have to do it or we will lose our country," Ms Habba said at the Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield, Michigan, during a reception that was chaired by members of the Chaldean community on Friday.

Michigan's tight-knit Chaldean community is devout and social issues, such as abortion and opposing gay marriage, are important for many during the elections.

"I want to say something to us as Chaldeans, as Christians, as people who truly believe in God, believe in our faith, believe in the importance of family values. You have no option other than president Trump in November if you care about your children and this country, that is the truth," Ms Habba said.

Michigan also has an Arab American population of more than 200,000 people. In previous elections, these voters have favoured the Democrats, but this year many are unmotivated to back either candidate given the Biden administration's support of Israel as it attacks Gaza, and Mr Trump's past Islamophobic policies such as a travel ban on visitors from several Muslim-majority nations.

Ms Habba discussed her faith and roots with members of the community while trying to sway voters.

"We have to represent and re-elect Donald Trump for the 47th president and that is because of the journey that my family took for me to have a life here," she said. "If we do not protect it, we will not have a country any different than the ones we have fled, the ones that we left, where your voices don't matter and voting doesn't matter."

She discussed the Chaldean vote during the last election stating it was not strong enough.

"We have control for once in our lives, unlike where we left, we have a lot of control right now in America, and don't undervalue your vote. It is so critical ... Our voices matter as Chaldeans," she said.

The event was also attended by Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran for US president before dropping out and endorsing Mr Trump.

Chaldeans in Metro Detroit are known for their strong entrepreneurial spirit and contribute more than $18 billion annually to the state's economy.

In a social media post, Mr Ramaswamy described Chaldeans as, "intensely entrepreneurial and wildly successful".

The history of Chaldeans dates back more than 5,000 years to Mesopotamia, which many consider to be the cradle of civilisation.

Most Chaldeans do not identify as Arabs because they are indigenous people of Iraq and speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, which is dying out. Many left Iraq as they faced widespread discrimination and persecution.

From 1.5 million Christians before 2003, there are less than 250,000 Christians in Iraq today. In 2014 alone, 700,000 of the roughly million Assyrian and Chaldeans in Iraq's Nineveh Plains fled their homes as ISIS carved a path through the country.

On Thursday, Ms Habba attended another event nearby with members of the Chaldean community in Farmington Hills, Michigan, at Steven Lelli's Inn On the Green.

Mr Trump will be campaigning in Michigan on Tuesday, where he will hold a town-hall meeting in Flint. Ms Habba promised the community she will be back in the state again. "I will be back, and I am going to drag you all to vote in November, whether you like it or not," she said.
Officials during a forum at this year's China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) on Sept. 13 stressed China's significant contributions to global trade in services. The forum, entitled the Forum on New Trends in the Opening-Up and Development of Trade in Services, focused on the expansion and development of trade in services.

Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen, OECD deputy secretary-general, shared OECD's latest insights saying: "Services continue to be a major driver of trade growth globally. In the first quarter of 2024, trade in services reached 8% growth year over year, largely supported by the recovery of international travel, in particular in Asia."

"China is a major contributor to global trade in services," he added, further highlighting that China has achieved significant progress in liberalizing its service sector and that "there are opportunities to build on this process."

The Digital Trade Development and Cooperation Report 2024 released at the forum shows that in 2023 China's total import and export of digital services reached $366.6 billion, an increase of 3.5% year on year and up 0.3 percentage point from the previous year.

The report indicated that China's digital trade has grown steadily, reaching new heights. In terms of international market share, China's digital service exports accounted for 4.9% of the global total in 2023, an increase of 1.6 percentage points compared to 2019. Regarding trade balance, China has achieved a surplus for five consecutive years starting in 2019, with digital services' net export value reaching $47.4 billion in 2023, an increase of 11.1% year on year.

Reforms that were outlined during the recently concluded third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, in particular, indicate China's commitment to further market opening. The OECD deputy secretary-general denoted China's dedication by expressing that these reforms established compliance mechanisms that are aligned with prevailing international rules as well as the application of a negative list to cross-border trade in services, conveying an important signal in this regard.

Steven Barnett, IMF senior resident representative, also stressed that: "The growth in China's service sector over the past decades has helped boost productivity. Moreover, we see the potential for the service sectorthrough further reform and opening upto contribute even more to GDP growth."

The Chinese government has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering the growth of services trade, emphasizing innovative development and digitalization, said Long Guoqiang, deputy director of the Development Research Center of the State Council.

He continued that in recent months, several policy measures have been introduced to facilitate market access and promote cross-border trade, such as guidelines released at the beginning of this month to promote high-quality development of trade in services with high-standard opening up.

Long emphasized that China's abundant human resources  such as over 10 million university graduates annually  provide a strong foundation for the service industry's continued growth.

You Jun, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, also highlighted the Chinese government's priority on international service trade, focusing on institutional opening up and cross-border resource flow.

He cited Beijing's "two zones" initiativecreating a pilot free trade zone and a national comprehensive demonstration zoneas a model. The city's efforts also include easing market access in research, education, healthcare and culture, removing foreign equity restrictions in value-added telecom services as well as pioneering trade facilitation policies.

Yu Jun, director general of the International Cooperation Department at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said that China's rapid development in service trade not only enhances global economic resilience but also invigorates global economic development.

She went on to stated that, with the Belt and Road Initiative developing, China's international cooperation in service trade has expanded significantly, leading to more frequent exchanges with countries and regions along the route, underlining that China's large market is poised to become a significant opportunity for the world.




OSAKA, Sep 15 (NHK) - Crowds of people crammed the streets of Kishiwada in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, to see a festival featuring massive carts being pulled through the streets at breakneck speed.

The Kishiwada Danjiri festival, which dates back more than 300 years, kicked off on Saturday. It is held to ensure a good harvest.

A total of 34 decorated "danjiri" carts from districts across the city took part. Each stands 4 meters high and weighs about 4 tons.

Teams of men wearing traditional "happi" coats hauled the heavy carts through the streets at high speed. Their shouts were accompanied by the sounds of flutes and drums.

Spectators cheered each time a danjiri cart turned a corner, with a man perched on top shouting a command. The performance is called "yarimawashi."

A man in his 70s who came from Osaka City with his wife says he is attracted to the festival's energizing power, and has been coming to see it for over 20 years.

A man in his 40s who acted as a commander says it feels great when he completes a successful yarimawashi.

He says he wants to put on a good performance and hand down the tradition to many children who want to become commanders.

The festival runs through Sunday.
KANAGAWA, Sep 16 (News On Japan) - A man arrested for disruptive behavior on a Shinkansen train claims he was arrested for giving a speech.

Hiroshi Kawano, a 42-year-old self-proclaimed pianist, was taken into custody on Sunday morning on charges of obstruction of official duties.

According to police, Kawano caused a disturbance inside the Tokaido Shinkansen on the morning of September 14th. When the train made an emergency stop at Odawara Station, he allegedly kicked a police officer and spat in his face.

The incident caused delays for the Shinkansen, affecting approximately 1,900 passengers.

Kawano denies the charges, stating, "I was arrested for giving a speech."

Source: FNN
By Udeze Ekene

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has donated N100 million to the Borno State government for flood victims.

The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate also promised to support the full rebuilding of Maiduguri and other parts of Borno affected by the flood.

Speaking to Governor Babagana Zulum, on Sunday, Atiku said what happened was a monumental disaster that required the assistance of everyone.

He said, The purpose of our visit has already been announced by the Master of Ceremony. I want to let you know that whatever affects Borno, as he said, also affects me. It is in that capacity therefore, the Excellency, that we have come here with my delegation, as mentioned or announced, to commensurate with you, the government and the good people of Borno State.

This is a monumental disaster that has not been witnessed before in the history of this state. Therefore, we want to let you know that you are not alone in this sad event which led to the loss of thousands of lives and to offer our deepest condolences to the door of those who have died.

Of course, it is a time of rebuilding because that is what follows immediately after such disasters. And you are not alone in that. We want to let you know that we are all partners as well as the rebuilding of Maiduguri and Borno State in general.

Therefore, I want to announce my own contribution to the rebuilding of Borno State to the tune of N100 million. And we will appreciate details of where that money can be paid into. And of course, and finally, we pray with repose for the souls of those who have died. In the name of the Almighty Allah, the Great. Eternal rest and peace.

Also, on his X handle, on Sunday evening, Atiku wrote: I commiserate with the government and people of Borno State over the catastrophic flooding that led to the tragic loss of lives, destruction of property, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands from their homes. You are not alone in this difficult time, and I, on behalf of my family, pledge my full support towards the rebuilding efforts.
By Ignatius Igwe

Officials from the United Nations and humanitarian organisations have visited Maiduguri over the devastating floods ravaging the area.

The team, comprising of international and national Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), was led by UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall.

They arrived in the Borno State capital on Saturday on an assessment visit over the Alau Dam flood disaster.

This was disclosed in a press release to journalists on Sunday by the National Information Officer of the UN Information Centre, Oluseyi Soremekun.

Soremekun said the team met with affected residents, government officials, and Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, to assess the damage and outline immediate support measures.

The flood-affected people are facing a crisis within a crisis, as the floods occurred during a severe food insecurity and malnutrition crisis.

I witnessed firsthand the devastation and hardship caused by the flooding, including the destruction of homes, businesses, and infrastructure. I also saw the suffering of the affected communities, Fall stated.

The delegation promised swift action to alleviate the suffering of displaced families, including the provision of food, clean water, sanitation facilities, and shelter.

It stated that many people affected by the floods, reported to be the worst in 30 years, already had humanitarian needs prior to the disaster, having been displaced multiple times by conflict and insecurity, and are now even more vulnerable.

One Million Displaced

Flood waters have displaced more than one million people in and around Maiduguri, which serves as the hub for the responses to the humanitarian crisis in the northeast, in one of the worst ever floods in Africas most populous country.

Thousands of homes were engulfed by rapidly rising waters after a dam burst following a weekend of torrential rain in northeastern Nigeria.

Barkindo Mohammed, the director general of Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), told AFP that the number of people displaced by the flooding could reach one million people.

Mohammed Sheriff, 60, was not so lucky. He too awoke in the middle of the night to rising waters in his home.

Together with his two wives, they carried six of their children, thinking that the two eldest, aged 11 and 13, would be strong enough to fight the current. The two children are still missing.

We havent seen them since and we fear the worst, Sheriff told AFP.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Wednesday that at least 30 people have died in the floods  the worst in 30 years, according to the United Nations refugee agency in Nigeria.

Hunger and disease

NEMAs director general Zubaida Umar said on X on Thursday she was relieved that the flood level in Maiduguri is receding, and normalcy is beginning to return to the metropolis, adding that rescue operations were ongoing in the city flooded up to 40 percent.

Children and families are still trapped in their homes, British charity Save The Children said in a statement on Friday.

The immense damage to water and sanitation services is driving up the risk of cholera and other water- and vector-borne diseases, the NGO said, pointing out that the citys two main hospitals had also been flooded.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said the disaster would increase the risk of food insecurity, particularly in the vulnerable northeast.

At least 259 people have been killed by flooding in Nigeria since the beginning of the rainy season, according to Umar.
By Israel Arogbonlo

Dangote Refinerys Vice President of Oil and Gas, Devakumar Edwin, has announced that 44% of the refinerys petrol (PMS) production can meet Nigerias entire daily requirement.

During a press briefing at the refinery on Sunday, Edwin expressed pride in the commencement of petrol lifting, stating: After 52 years, we have a solution to Nigerias PMS supply problem. Our refinery, constructed by a Nigerian company, will produce PMS from local crude to meet Nigerias needs and export surplus.

He added; If you look at the refinery as a whole, PMS alone, every day, 650,000 barrels of crude if were processing, we can generate more than 54 million litres of PMS. And, of course, the refinery has the capacity to produce various other products too. 44% of the production can meet the entire requirement of the country, 56% of the production has to be exported. So, it is a huge refinery. So, it is not only going to be doing import substitution, but it is also going to make Forex generation through export revenue.

The gantries are actually 86. and it can load 86 trucks at a go.

Recall the Presidential Committee on the Sale of Crude Oil and Refined Product Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, had earlier confirmed that NNPC Limited will be the sole buyer of petrol from Dangote Refinery, while other products like diesel will be available to willing off-takers.

Adedeji also announced that NNPC Limited will commence selling crude oil to Dangote Refinery in Naira from October 1.

However, uncertainty surrounds potential drops in petrol pump prices, as Dangote Refinery and NNPC Limited remain silent on pricing.
The Nigerian Immigration Service initially detained Omoyele Sowore, the convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Sunday immediately after his return to Nigeria.

This occurred on the same day that members of the Take It Back Movement and other activists gathered at the airport in anticipation of his arrival.

Sowore had been in the United States with his family. His flight departed from Washington Dulles International Airport at 6:14 AM EDT and landed in Lagos at approximately 9:43 AM WAT.

When contacted by Vanguard on the telephone, Sowore disclosed that he was detained by the Nigerian Immigration Service and that his passport was seized.

He stated that no reason was given for his detainment, and officials told him they were acting on instructions from higher authorities, needing to call Abuja for further direction on the matter.

Sowore later confirmed his release via his X handle, stating, I have just been released by the Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention and my passport released back to me. #RevolutionNow.

I have just been released by the Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention and my passport released back to me. #RevolutionNow  Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) September 15, 2024
By Kingsley Omonobi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA on Sunday disclosed that its operatives, in Oyo state, arrested an Ibadan-based businesswoman, Mrs. Adewunmi Adebola Dorcas, and an auto parts dealer, Arinze Ora over attempts to export consignments of opioids and cocaine to London, United Kingdom and Congo Brazzaville respectively.

The agency said officers at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos had on Friday 6th September 2024 intercepted a cargo going to the United Kingdom.

A thorough search of the consignment revealed 924 bottles of codeine-based syrup weighing 135.70kg and 5,250 tablets of rohypnol were hidden in cartons of foodstuffs.

The freight agent, Owojori Olanrewaju Sunday who presented the cargo for export was promptly arrested.

Further investigation led to the arrest of another suspect, Adewunmi Akeem Temitope, who claimed that his mother, 58-year-old Mrs. Adewunmi Adebola Dorcas sent the consignment to him from Ibadan to deliver to the agent.

A follow up operation on Saturday 7th September led to the arrest of Mrs. Adewunmi in Ibadan where she deals in foodstuffs and cargo export.

In his statement, the agent Owojori confessed that he has been working for Mrs. Adewunmi to export cargoes to the UK, adding that he was paid N2,411,000.00 for the job, while he was paid N2.1million for a similar consignment handled for the businesswoman earlier.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the same export shed of the Lagos airport on Wednesday 11th September intercepted some cartons of auto spare parts and checkers powder custard going to Congo Brazzaville on Ethiopian Airlines.

A diligent search of the cargo led to the discovery of 300 grams of cocaine concealed in the containers of checkers powder custard packed together with some auto parts.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the sender of the consignment, Arinze Ora, who deals in auto parts at Shop 12, Block 7 Aspanda Trade Fair Auto Parts Wing, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos.

Meanwhile, operatives of a Special Operations Unit of NDLEA on Tuesday 10th September arrested two brothers: Ikechukwu Ikeabba and Ugochukwu Ikeabba who are sponsors of drug traffickers who specialise in exporting drugs by ingestion to Vietnam.

Their arrest followed diligent investigation of an earlier arrest of an Onitsha, Anambra state based-businessman, Ibeanusi Solomon Nosike, who excreted 68 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.282 kilograms after 12 days of excretion observation after he was arrested at the local wing of the Lagos airport by NDLEA operatives.

The 36-year-old Ibeanusi was arrested in the early hours of Thursday 8th August 2024 at the old domestic terminal of the Lagos airport while attempting to board the first flight out of Lagos to Abuja where he was scheduled to join a Qatar Airways flight to Vietnam at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja at about 10am same day.

Another Vietnam-bound businessman, 54-year-old Paul Okwuy Mbadugha had been arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Abuja airport on Monday 12th August 2024 during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Hanoi, Vietnam via Doha after he tested positive to ingestion of cocaine.

After four days under observation, Mbadugha ingested a total of 88 wraps of the illicit drug with a gross weight of 1.710 kilograms.

At the time of the arrest of the two kingpins, the Ikeabba brothers, they were caught with 87 wraps of cocaine dummies used in training intending swallowers.

In Gombe state, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence on Saturday 14th September arrested three suspects: Auwal Abdullahi, Isah Rabiu and Abubakar Dau along Bauchi-Gombe road while travelling in a DAF truck marked GME 552 ZU.

A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of two million four hundred and ninety (2,490,000) pills of tramadol concealed with bags of salt.

A suspect, Idris Adamu, 23, was arrested with 41.5 kilograms of cannabis sativa at Kachia town, Kaduna state on Tuesday on 10th September while two suspects: Godiya Sekyen Jikuk, 36, and Yusuf Umaru,65, were nabbed at Isinbode -Ekiti, Ekiti state with a total of 73.6kg cannabis on Wednesday 11th September.

In Bauchi state, no fewer than 208,920 pills of tramadol and diazepam were seized from a suspect, Chinedu Asadu, 35, on Thursday 13th September while 104kg of cannabis was recovered from two suspects: Abba Abdullahi and Mustapha Yahaya along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Tuesday 10th September by operatives in Lagos state.

Continuing NDLEA said, Not less than 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were discovered by operatives in two containers shipped from India during a joint examination of the containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos on Tuesday 10th September.

The containers were part of those targeted by NDLEA for 100 percent examination.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Government Secondary School, Galamawa and Government Junior Secondary School, Kaci, Dutse, Jigawa state; students of Kukudus Islamic School, Minna, Niger state; nurses and midwives at UBTH School of Nursing, Ugbowo, Benin City, Edo state.

Others are members of Vulcanisers Association of Nigeria in Ibarapa central LGA, Oyo state; Muslim faithful at Central Mosque, Demsa, Adamawa state, and WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Rano, Kano state, Alhaji Muhammad Isah Umaru, among others.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd)

commended the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, MMIA, Tincan, Lagos, Gombe, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Ekiti Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures,

He stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated while urging them to continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Gabonese authorities said the modernization of its sole railway spanning 650 kilometers would amount to 600 million dollars.

A deal was signed with rail operator Setrag to upgrade the railway connecting Port of Owendo to Franceville, local media reported.

The government shall contribute with 220 million dollars with the remaining sum to be offered by international partners.

The Trans-Gabon Railway is expected to be upgraded on a 200km stretch from Milole to Franceville and a 30km section between Ndjole and Alembe.

The project aims to cut operating costs, enhance reliability, and restore track capacity. Last year, the railway transported 10 million tonnes of freight and 230,000 passengers.

Setrag, a subsidiary of French mining group Eramet, has operated the line since 2005 under a concession agreement lasting until 2035.
A Chinese defense spokesperson on Saturday expressed firm opposition to other countries' actions aimed at provoking China or harming China's sovereignty on the pretext of "freedom of navigation."

Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a question about two German warships sailing through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, citing "freedom of navigation."

Naval and air force troops of the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command monitored the warships throughout the transit, Wu said, noting that freedom of navigation does not equal willful trespassing, nor should it be used to provoke China or harm China's sovereignty and security.

The Chinese military remains on high alert and will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, he said.
King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid, and Prince Moulay Ahmed, chaired over a ceremony marking Eid Al Mawlid Annabawi at Hassan Mosque in Rabat Sunday evening.

Eid Al Mawlid Annabawi Asharif commemorates the birth of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) which falls on Rabii Al Awal 12 (Islamic Hegira calendar).

This religious ceremony was marked by the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and panegyrics of the Prophet.

During the ceremony, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, made a presentation on the activities of the Supreme Council of Ulema and local Ulema Councils, before handing over to the Sovereign the report relating to these activities.

In his speech, the Minister indicated that the institution of the Ulema is one of the levers enabling Imarat Al-Mouminine to accomplish its mission in terms of protecting religion, noting that the action of this institution has focused, over the last two decades, on preserving the constants and supervising the exercise of religious worship.

Toufiq also stressed that the Ulema institution, which last year worked to strengthen its communication function Tabligh, has ensured to involve all the stakeholders concerned by this function, notably Ulema and Alimates, Preachers, Imams, Morchidins and Morchidats, and the various players involved in audiovisual religious communication.

This institution also works to adapt the various modes of communication, in particular to preaching courses in mosques, continuing education courses for Imams and the training program of the Mohammed VI Institute of Imams, Morchidins and Morchidats, added the Minister.

He underlined that the Council of Ulema is aware of the importance of strengthening its cooperation, on an international level, with the Moroccan Council of Ulema for Europe and the various sections of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema.

Afterwards, the King awarded the Mohammed VI Award for Islamic Thought and Studies (Prize of Merit and Tribute) to Mohamed Balouali, from the city of Oujda.

This annual prize rewards eminent scientists and encourages them to carry out research in the field of Islamic studies, in accordance with the teachings of the Shariah, which advocates the pursuit of knowledge and urges its proper use.

The King was then greeted by Jamaleddine Abdessalam Zouir, from Libya, to whom he handed the Mohammed VI International Prize for memorization, declamation and exegesis of the Holy Koran.

The Sovereign also presented the Mohammed VI International Award of Quran psalmody with memorization of five Hizbs to Ahmad Salim Mkwewa, from the United Republic of Tanzania.

The King awarded the Mohammed VI Prize for Tribute to Moroccan Calligraphic Art to Faycal Ennasri, from the city of Tiflet, and the Mohammed VI Prize for Excellence in Moroccan Calligraphic Art to Zakaria Msselek, from the city of Sale.

The Mohammed VI Prize for Moroccan Decorative Art on Paper (Tribute Prize) and the Mohammed VI Prize for Moroccan Decorative Art on Paper (Excellence Award) were handed by the Sovereign to Abdelfattah Ait Birkan from Marrakech and to Ismail Lafrihi from Meknes.

The Mohammed VI Tribute and Excellence Prizes for Arabic Literary Art [Al Horoufia] were handed by the Sovereign to El Maati Hassari from Bejaad, and to Mohamed Cherkaoui from Fez.

The King was then greeted by the members of the jury for the Mohammed VI Award for Islamic Thought and Studies, Professors Mohamed Yssef, Mohamed Kettani, Idriss Khalifa, Chahid El Bouchikhi, Ahmed Chaouki Binebine, Ahmed Chahlane, Abdelhamid El Alami, Driss Ben Daouia, Khadija Abou Zaid, Farida Zemrou and Yacine Houhoud (Rapporteur).

The celebration of Eid Al Mawlid Annabawi Asharif by King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, is in line with the tradition observed by his ancestors who have been keen on commemorating the anniversary of the coming to the World of the Messenger of Mercy, Prophet Sidna Mohammed, an anniversary that marks the blossoming of the lights of guidance for Humanity, thanks to the message carried by the Seal of the Prophets, to spread the high virtues and values of justice and recommend good deeds so that all humans live in peace and understanding.

On the occasion of Eid Al-Mawlid Al-Nabaoui Al-Sharif, a significant religious event in the Muslim world, King Mohammed VI has sent congratulatory messages to the Sovereigns, Presidents and Emirs of Islamic countries.
Morocco has strengthened its security forces in the north to prevent potential mass migration attempts following a campaign of incitement to illegal crossings on social media.

Videos shared by local news outlets and social media showed a heavy police deployment near the Spanish-occupied enclave of Ceuta.

Authorities have arrested at least 60 people for their involvement in spreading rumors to encourage the youth to illegally migrate to the enclave.

Local media reported that many candidates to illegal migration have been returned to their hometowns.

The migrants include many Algerians who enter Morocco without visa from airports.

So far this year, Morocco foiled 45,000 migration attempts and last year it aborted 75,000 attempts.
Photo: Courtesy of Isabelle Brourman

A week after a gunman fired a bullet at Donald Trump, grazing his right ear and cementing him among his supporters as a kind of mythic folk hero, Isabelle Brourman asked to paint him. Shed been drawing him  looking at him  for over a year, attending his trial in New York as a court artist. And he looked different, she thought, after the attempt on his life. His eyes looked different, she says. His expression was different. She wanted to document it. The campaign, incredibly, agreed to do a live-portrait session during Olivia Nuzzis recent interview with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, albeit with a caveat: We dont want it to be screwy, they said. Brourman assured them it wouldnt be. This, she told them, is my Mona Lisa.

But Brourman is not an artist that deals in standard  or, for that matter, conventionally flattering  portraiture. A trained fine artist, she began attending high-profile trials in 2022 as a courtroom sketch artist. It quickly became apparent, though, that her work  a combination of pastels, graphite, watercolor, colored markers, and glitter  was something different. Her many subjects, which in addition to Trump include Letitia James, Todd Blanche, and Johnny Depp, are frank, abstracted, their gestures and expressions interwoven into their depictions. Words and phrases often surround the images. A sketch of Trumps head from the day his verdict was read shows his jutting profile surrounded by the word guilty, over and over again.

The final portrait of the former president  painted over the course of two days at Mar-a-Lago  now rests against the wall of Brourmans Downtown Brooklyn studio. For the first sitting, she used acrylic paint. For the second, she used oil. Trumps hands dissolve into willowy brushstrokes, a misty sheet between them. Surrounding his head and across his chest are the blues and pinks and greens of South Florida. His right ear seems to glow. His eyes are black. A lofty three by four feet, it is, arguably, screwy.

In the end, though, that was not a concern of the former president. Is that a double chin? he asked, after the first sitting. I look sad, he said, after the second. And Im not sad. Im a happy guy. While she worked, Brourman tried to keep a steady flow of conversation  it was all information that I could put into the painting, she says. Do you draw? she asked him at one point. He does not. But if Im in a room, he added, after some thought, and I see somethings not where it should be, I know to move it. She eventually added a smile.

Photo: Jacob Holler. Art: Isabelle Brourman.

Despite the fact that Brourman had attended every day of the former presidents civil-fraud and criminal trials, as well as the E. Jean Carroll trial, she wasnt sure if Trump would remember her. He made clear upon her arrival, though, that he did: He was like, Your hair is usually frizzy. In the corner of Trumps Mar-a-Lago parlor, she arranged an easel and a palette, becoming, in her telling, a campy embodiment of an artist. It was really for his benefit, she says.

Brourman first made direct contact with the Trump campaign months earlier. Midway through the criminal trial, while on a photo shoot outside Trump Tower, Brourman bumped into Susie Wiles, Trumps campaign manager, and told her about the court project, hoping to gain longer-term access to the campaign. I drew you the other day, she told Wiles, showing her the sketch. Brourman stressed that she wasnt a traditional sketch artist, which, in the end, worked in her favor. At Trump, we like different, Wiles told her. The campaign eventually invited her to draw the Republican National Convention.

Throughout the second sitting, Trump took meetings without giving a real explanation as to why Brourman was there. He was like, Look how brilliant, this brilliant artist, she says. And they were like, What the fuck is going on? At one point, Matt Gaetz and Stephen Miller stood behind her, puzzling over the picture. Interesting, she heard one of them murmur. Midway through another meeting, Trump called her over, seemingly out of nowhere. Did you get any hors doeuvres? he asked. Come here, get some shrimp.

She asked, eventually, to see the ear. I just got a haircut, he smiled. This is the best access anyones ever gotten. She stood behind him, up close. With his finger, he traced the trajectory of the bullet across his cheek to the outer edge of his ear. So I went and added that into the work, she says, which shows a slash of red on the left side of Trumps face. She sees, in the assassination attempt, a full manifestation of Trumps appeal. The person he is in the hearts of his most fervent believers, she says, it came true in that one moment. She named the painting after Bob Dylans famous Its Alright, Ma (Im Only Bleeding).

Brourman is familiar with cult-personality complexes, herself a victim of sexual assault by a charismatic former University of Michigan professor while she was an undergrad. I have a system in place where I can sense things, she tells me. When I saw him, I was like, Oh, he has it. But, as an artist, shes built up an armor, a distance. She processes through her work. In the portrait, she sees many hidden shapes  the private haunts of Norman Rockwell, and bits of Vegas, and tramp stamps, and women. She sees a smile, though not really; its all redefined in its particular context. Thats what Im trying to do, and thats what I did in court, she says. Its just an interpretation.
What about J.D. Vance and Trumps purported evidence?

Vance continues to be a leading proponent of numerous incendiary claims about the Haitian migrant community in Springfield. He has promoted the pet-eating rumors, even as they were debunked by state and local officials and media organizations, and over the past week he has added his own fuel to the fire  citing purported firsthand reports his office has received from constituents that support the allegations. When pressed to put forward actual evidence, however, he has not. And during an interview with CNNs Dana Bash on Sunday morning, he seemed to admit that he and Trump were creating stories for media attention:

Vance claims he and Trump have to "create stories" about migrants eating cats and dogs "so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people."



There is then some awkward dead air as Bash tries to highlight the absurdity of what he just said pic.twitter.com/IN26ZGYsvE  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 15, 2024

In the same interview, he repeatedly cited reports from constituents as proof and specifically said some of those reports were verifiable  but offered no evidence to back that up:

wow -- Dana Bash with a brutal fact-check of JD Vance after Vance smears *legal* Haitian immigrants in Springfield with debunked claims. Vance responds by calling what she said "disgusting" as Bash looks shocked at him making it personal. pic.twitter.com/gbjDRjS2nF  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 15, 2024

After the interview, Vance said in an X post that it was a dishonest smear to say he admitted creating the stories. I didnt invent constituents complaining about this, he wrote. We did help create the media focus on their complaints.

The Wall Street Journal reported that a Vance staffer reached out to the Springfield local government to determine if the rumors were true, and was told they werent  only for Vance to continue sharing debunked information after the fact:

City Manager Bryan Heck fielded an unusual question at City Hall on the morning of Sept. 9, from a staff member of Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance. The staffer called to ask if there was any truth to bizarre rumors about Haitian immigrants and pets in Springfield.

He asked point-blank, Are the rumors true of pets being taken and eaten? recalled Heck. I told him no. There was no verifiable evidence or reports to show this was true. I told them these claims were baseless.

By then, Vance had already posted about the rumors to his 1.9 million followers on X. Yet he kept the post up, and repeated an even more insistent version of the claim the next morning.

The Journal also fact-checked a story from the Vances team about a woman who claimed her cat was taken by Haitian neighbors. The woman, Anna Kilgore, spoke to the Journal and said the missing cat was later found in her basement. She said she has since apologized to her neighbors with the help of her daughter and a mobile-phone translation app, per the Journal.

Trump, during the September 10 presidential debate, was pressed to provide evidence for the pet-eating rumors in Springfield. He responded that he had seen people on television making the claims, but its not clear whom he was talking about. No purported victims or firsthand witnesses of such incidents have come forward publicly.
I'm shopping for a blue state to live in when I leave Florida in a few years. Vermont seems nice. So does Minnesota. I'm worried about surviving the cold in either state, though. Maryland also seems nice. I'd LOVE to go back to Oregon or live in Washington but I'm not sure I can afford either state.

Reply

Thread

Link

I only lived in Baltimore so I cant speak for anywhere else in Maryland, but I will say that I learned that its south of the Mason Dixon line the hard way (I was called a race traitor when I was holding my husbands hand).

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Were you in the county? Thats weird energy from the city. Considering were majority black with sprinkles of POC here and there.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

That happened to a friend of mine in San Jose. Unfortunately that kind of shit pops up anywhere

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Life long Marylander here -- where were you, babes? I work in Baltimore county and would never expect that here. Definitely not in PG county either where every 4th or 5th couple is an interracial one.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I spent a few years in Minnesota and I honestly don't think the cold is that bad, and I'm from the South. In a place like that, they're built for it. I had an apartment with garage parking, so I only got into a cold car once a day when coming home from work. The roads get cleared of snow and ice quickly. If it did get colder than 20 below, I'd just make sure I had enough groceries and hunker down at home for a few days. I feel like the big key is to have the right clothing. Have a jacket that keeps you warm up to 20 below or something like that, have good boots, gloves and hats. What is hard is spending less time outside in the winter because it is so cold, but the warmer weather feels that much better that everyone and their mother just lives outside in those months.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

invest in the proper wardrobe and you'll be fine! in my experience people from warm climates get turned off from cold locations because they visit wearing h&m jackets or whatever fast fashion equivalent winter gear and they might as well just wear a bikini. having the right gear makes a world of difference, i work outside in below zero temps all winter and my seasonal wardrobe is expensive but the quality means i'm comfortable and i very rarely have to replace anything even with years of heavy use

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I love it, but Maryland is expensive in the blue areas, and the red areas are cheap for a reason. Minnesota and Vermont would definitely be more expensive if it werent for the weather. Delaware is a good option for affordable blue state with not-extreme weather. The northern part is basically a suburb of Philly, plus you have beaches.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

People are mentioning proper Winter clothes & supplies for your home, but didn't mention stuff for the car. Have a blanket, snacks, water, an ice scraper for the windows, a shovel to dig out the car if it gets stuck, cat litter to put under the wheels for traction. Google "What to have in your car for the Winter" for other suggestions.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I moved from Tennessee to Michigan, and the weather was definitely something to get used to. But it's worth it to actually experience four seasons. Invest in a warm wardrobe. Layers are important. Also, get some good snow boots. If you're renting at a complex, they should handle the snow plowing. But you'll need to clear your own car. Even a broom works in a pinch. But get a snow remover with a long handle. If you're buying a house, consider a snow blower or a snow pusher on wheels. Keep an emergency kit in your car - blankets, gloves, granola bars, hand warmers, etc.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Take care in rural areas in blue states (aka the affordable areas). Confederate flags, Trump support, and racism can be very visible / overt.



Edited at 2024-09-16 12:43 am (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Yes when you list those states all I hear in my head is cold, and also cold.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

vermont is very expensive too sadly

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Washington is beautiful but it's very gray and wet and that can get to you.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I moved from Cali to WA and lived there for years before I moved back. I hated it. The constant rain and clouds and the people and bad food were all too much.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Illinois is goodwell, Chicago and surrounding. Im from Oregon and want to move back soon, but none of my family or friends have homes that they own since my mom had to sell hers to get divorced. Its ridiculously expensive in Eugene, cant imagine Portland or the surrounding areas.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I would love to move to Vermont but my Florida-born husband would die from the cold. He would die.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Off the grid in a $7 million house.

Reply

Thread

Link

Does it only count if she lives in a shack in the woods, lol. Also, to be fair to Ana, she said she feels off the grid, not is off the grid.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Hey, I give them credit for having sense. These families that move off the grid and have no idea what that means and can't figure out how to have potable water and keep wildlife from eating their dog... I sort of hate watch Homestead Rescue because the level of romanticism and ignorance people take with them to live "off the grid" is ridiculous.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Wait theres a show called Homestead rescue?? I mean of course there is, theres a reality show for everything but this sounds so much like something Id love to (hate) watch!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I dont blame her, tbh.

Reply

Thread

Link

the best thing about not living in LA anymore, for me, is having real seasons. granted now i have 8 months of extreme winter and like, a few weeks of everything else, but i get a good couple days of colorful trees.

Reply

Thread

Link

Makes sense. You have to be a particular type of person (read: slightly unhinged) to enjoy being constant tabloid fodder. I would totally go to ground if not promoting a project.

Reply

Thread

Link

Yeah you can tell which celeb mean it when they don't enjoy the public attention vs the ones who clearly do.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I think even in Los Angeles you can go to ground, hide in plain sight. It might be easier for celebs who were born in the LA area to figure it out versus someone who moves as an adult when their career is in motion. For example are the paps hanging out in Alhambra?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Yeah, I think Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes live in LA and they are very low key. I'm sure the ~LA scene~ was just not for her.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I feel like the only reason to live in LA would be for the huge dating pool. But I've heard LA dating is trash anyway so.

Reply

Thread

Link

6 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms is a "little cocoon"?

Reply

Thread

Link

And somehow "off the grid"?? lol what.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

there's just peasants cranking generators 24/7, lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I don't understand places that have more bathrooms than bedrooms.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Good for her. Mental health means a lot. Im jealous

Reply

Thread

Link

Meanwhile in poor... *hides in the bathroom for quiet time*

Reply

Thread

Link

i don't blame her but it is easy when you're living with a tech nerd billionaire, girl, so you do you

Reply

Thread

Link

Vermont is beautiful, I bet their house is MASSIVE. They better be paying their taxes. But I have also heard stories of rich people being assholes in Vermont, separate from the asshole leaf peppers during fall and the rich assholes who do skiing in the winter

Reply

Thread

Link

vermont is awesome, i'm jealous

Reply

Thread

Link

she's gorgeous and that property looks beautiful. i'd love to live in the country though not too off grid lol somewhere within an hour of a big city would be ideal.

Reply

Thread

Link

I want a $7 million estate in Vermont and people to take care of it for me

Reply

Thread

Link

Genuinely surprised she didn't work out with Chris Evans given his similar reclusive lifestyle

Reply

Thread

Link

After seeing Ghosted, she had negative chemistry with him.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Did they actually film that movie together? Because it definitely did not look like it from the trailer

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link
As the use of solar technology expands, the rollout of solar-powered water pumps is expected to significantly enhance the availability of safe drinking water around the world. Groundwater  the water stored in between rocks underground  contributes almost 99 percent of the unfrozen fresh water found on Earth. In Africa, where many do not have access to clean drinking water, there is thought to be around 20 times more groundwater than that in lakes and reservoirs. And yet many countries across the continent experience severe water scarcity, with many communities lacking the equipment needed to access the water located just a few metres underground.

Around half of the worlds population currently relies on groundwater for drinking, demonstrating the huge potential of tapping into this supply in other regions. It is much more reliable than surface water during times of drought, making it a critical water source on a warming planet.

Scientists have long discussed the potential of rolling out solar-powered water pumps in areas that lack access to clean water to support community needs, including providing access to drinking water and water for crop irrigation. Solar water pumps are accompanied by a set of solar panels that convert the suns rays into electricity to operate the pump. Pipes then transport water from the source to wherever it needs to go, such as a purification system or holding tank. Installing solar water pumps in rural, arid regions can help communities gain access to lifesaving drinking water, as well as expand agricultural activities to grow food.

Projects of this nature are attracting increasing interest as there is great potential to change the lives of millions using new clean technologies. Projects are gaining traction at a time when mapping groundwater across the African continent is easier than ever. This is a topic that is set to be discussed at the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) World Groundwater Congress in Davos, Switzerland this week.

However, scientists are concerned about the potential downfalls that could come with the rollout of solar pumps, which must be mitigated to ensure projects are successful. One challenge is the potential overexploitation of the solar system, which could lead to the depletion of already scarce water sources. This is of particular concern in arid locations in parts of Asia, the Middle East and the U.S. In addition, this technology cannot be used in all regions of Africa, particularly in rural communities situated on top of ancient rocks where water is harder to access.

To avoid overexploitation, scientists suggest that handpumps and low-yielding solar-powered pumps should continue to be used alongside large solar pumps. This equipment can help communities gain access to drinking water while avoiding the depletion of the water source. Meanwhile, low-yield solar-powered pumps can be used in locations where water yields are low, allowing the water to be pumped throughout the day and stored for use as needed.

Professor Alan MacDonald, the head of groundwater at the British Geological Survey explained, I would invite everyone to see this solar groundwater pumping revolution in terms of equity. Through that lens, we have the chance to ensure that this precious resource is sustainably and fairly unlocked to all those who are still waiting for a safe and reliable water supply.

In India, solar-powered water access is already a reality for many. By 2026, an estimated three million or more farmers will be using solar pumps for irrigation purposes. This is expected to transform the lives of farmers across the country. However, scientists worry that water depletion could become a very real issue soon. Rajasthan, a desert state in India, has the greatest number of solar pumps of any state. The government has been offering subsidised solar pumps for around a decade, providing these pumps to nearly 100,000 farmersin the state. This equipment provides irrigation water for over a million acres, increasing the water for agricultural use by over a quarter. However, as the state gets little rain, these water sources are rapidly depleting and not being replenished fast enough.

Many pumps across the region no longer have access to water, as the underground rocks are dry down to 400 feet below ground, further than the pumps can reach. This has led to many pumps being abandoned and farmers once again facing water scarcity. Some farmers have purchased more powerful pumps, leaving poorer farmers to go without water or having to buy it from rich neighbours.

While there are major challenges to address when considering the widespread rollout of solar-powered water pumps in arid areas of the world, they could provide the green infrastructure needed to ensure millions of people have access to clean drinking water. Greater investigation into how to limit the output of these pumps or use them alongside other technologies could support the deployment of such equipment.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
The current climate financing mechanism is flawed, offering loans at market rates instead of grants and failing to address the high cost of retiring coal plants.

Indonesia is the worlds biggest producer of coal, and the worlds 5th largest consumer of the dirtiest fossil fuel. Since 2001, according to figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA), coal production in Indonesia has climbed by 558%, domestic coal consumption has risen 494%, and coal exports have skyrocketed by a whopping 608%. Weaning Indonesia off of coal is therefore not only of integral importance to the Southeast Asian nations own climate goals, it is critical to combating catastrophic climate change the whole world over.

The Indonesian government has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2060, but achieving this target will be extremely difficult and will require a concerted and coordinated effort from the national government, industry, financial institutions and communities. Despite these ambitious targets, however, only a limited number of coal-powered plants have been planned for early retirement, East Asia Forum reports. This is due to the need for more political will, stringent criteria, and financial support from financial institutions and donors.

In addition to fostering stronger domestic governance, weaning Indonesia off of coal will require a whole lot of cold hard cash. Reuters reports that Indonesia will need $94.6 billion by 2030 to adequately build out clean power transmission and production infrastructure to be able to phase down its prodigious coal power production and consumption rates.

It has been widely recognized that meeting the international goals set out in the 2016 Paris Agreement will require richer countries, who have spent decades developing their economies with indiscriminate fossil fuel consumption, to channel funds to poorer countries to help them move away from cheaper and more accessible fossil fuels and develop sufficient clean energy alternatives without derailing their own economic development trajectories. This approach is known as climate finance and has received broad support  in theory.

In practice, climate finance has been characterized by years of delays and broken promises. Back in 2009, at the COP15 United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen, rich nations made a promise to send US$100 billion per year to less wealthy nations by 2020 as part of the global imperative to lower greenhouse gas emissions. They never made good on that promise.

Today, Indonesia is plagued with a continued failures of the climate finance system. The Southeast Asian nation of more than 275 million had been promised $20 billion in funds as part of the G7's Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), unveiled in 2022, Reuters reported earlier this week, but very little money has been disbursed.

According to a senior minister overseeing mining in Indonesia, Luhut Pandjaitan, the current climate financing mechanism has major pitfalls which have led to its inefficiency and inefficacy. Namely, he says that it does not include any grants, and did not fix pressing issues such as the high cost of retiring existing coal plants.

"If you push us to retire our coal plants early, how do we finance it? The interest on the finance needs to be attractive," Luhut was quoted at the Coaltrans Asia conference, which took place in Bali this week. "If they give a commercial (rate of) interest, what's the point?"

A broader Reuters analysis has found that climate financing mechanisms around the world have been marred with similar flaws. The report found that a program meant to help developing nations fight climate change is funneling billions of dollars back to rich countries, including Japan, France, Germany, the United States and other wealthy nations. Instead of offering low- or no-interest loans, as initially promised at COP15, these nations are offering market-rate interest for their own financial gains, ultimately deepening the disparities between the developed and developing world and pushing progress on climate change action farther down the timeline while the clock is running out.

In the words of Septian Hario Seto, an Indonesian deputy minister for investment affairs, "Too many promises, nothing delivered.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
Japans listed companies, many of which operate in the energy sector, have earned the equivalent of $57 billion from divestitures over the last three years as they look to boost their capital efficiency and stock valuations.

Many of Japans largest listed firms are conglomerates that include diverse businesses. But their market value is below the value of the separate businesses, the so-called conglomerate discount, as Nikkei Asia reports.

The drive to boost market value and return on investment has led to a shift in strategies among Japanese firms in recent years.

In addition, the Tokyo Stock Exchange has introduced new regulations aiming to improve capital efficiency, shareholder value, overseas investment, and accountability for management.

As a result of these regulatory changes and a shift in corporate mindset, Japanese conglomerates have been selling off subsidiaries, affiliates, and stakes in projects to divest from less profitable and non-strategic assets.

Over the past three years, these divestments have earned Japanese listed firms $56.8 billion (8 trillion Japanese yen), according to cash flow statements compiled by Nikkei.

Related: Does OPEC Still Hold Sway Over U.S. Oil Markets?

Some of these asset and unit sales have taken place in the energy metals and mining industries.

Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd, for example, completed earlier this year the sale of its interests in a portfolio of Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects to MidOcean Energy. The buyer is formed and managed by EIG, an institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors. Last year, Saudi oil giant Aramco entered the international LNG market by signing definitive agreements to buy a strategic minority stake in MidOcean Energy for $500 million.

Eneos Holdings, a Japanese energy group, said in June that its subsidiary JX Advanced Metals Corporation will sell 19% of its 49% ownership in copper miner SCM Minera Lumina Copper Chile to LMC Caserones SpA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lundin Mining Corporation.

Mitsubishi could be considering a sale, among other options, for Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, the conglomerate said earlier this week in response to media speculation.

We are continuously reviewing the ideal business portfolio of the entire group for all of our businesses, including the Pharma business, and are promoting portfolio reform with all options, including divestiture, in mind, Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation said.

These divestitures are part of a wave of asset sales as Japanese firms look to bolster their market valuations and improve capital efficiency, which is now part of a name and shame list of companies undertaking capital efficiency measures. The list is published monthly by the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) as of the beginning of this year.

Although companies are not obliged to disclose such measures and dont face any penalties if they do not, many firms are selling off assets, including in the energy sector.

The regulatory changes, led by the Tokyo Stock Exchange, could lead to improved stock prices for companies that make governance changes, such as improving board independence, Morgan Stanley said in a June report on the turnaround and rebound in the Japanese economy and stock market.

Following three decades of stagnation, Japan is now set for strong nominal GDP growth this year, at 3.1%, which would put it on track for the strongest two-year period of growth since 1991, the investment banks analysts said.

Japans corporate governance reforms have helped to improve return on equity, which gauges a companys profitability.

Japans economy is undergoing a significant transformation with the end of deflation, the return of steady growth and a renewed corporate dynamism, which could set up a compelling opportunity for global investors, Morgan Stanley said.

Japanese stocks remain the banks top picks in Asia and are preferred compared to emerging markets overall.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
(Hyakuna. Photo by David Krigbaum)

Okinawa abounds with legends and myths, surprises where least expected and rare animals that cant be seen anywhere else. The island is dense with sacred places and scattered tombs that can be found by wandering off an unmarked side trail or going a little farther afield from a popular tourist spot. These arent particularly spectacular in and of themselves but the stories they tell can walk the line between myth and history, sharing the fate of kings, heroes, villains, and even follow the path of a goddess, making the everyday just a little bit more exciting and interesting without having to stand in line or pay admission (which can suck the wonder out of anything).

Over the four years Ive lived here, Ive kept a running journal of visits, lore and creatures. The more Ive learned through traveling the island, the easier its become to add to that understanding and appreciate the island around me. Between all the special places to stumble across and the stories, theres a fantastic quality that makes it feel more like the fiction of an open-world game like Skyrim than a common duty station.

A goddess ruins Nanjo City is a treasure trove for early Okinawa history as the islands mythic origin tale takes place here. On Hyakuna Beach, its said Amamikyo, the creator goddess, first came to her creation. The beach itself attracts a mix of visitors like beachcombers, yoga enthusiasts and family but it seems the legend isnt the best known reason for visiting. Despite this, theres a sacred place just in the rocks behind the beach with a stream running through it; this is Hamagaa-utaki, where she spent her first night before moving on. Short drives away are Amamikyos Tamagusuku Castle, multiple other castle ruins, and Sefa Utaki, the islands most sacred site. The castle ruins are all free to explore and while not maintained as well as the famous UNESCO castles, each has a special personality and aura. Nanjo has a tourism map with these places on it, but you can also easily wander from point to point and just find something

Near the beachs backside are Okinawas original rice field, miifuda, and the sacred springs that feed it. These are marked on said map. But taking the stairs between them to a marked path leading to the top of the hill, I noticed a trace to the side. It was unmarked but clearly something had trample a narrow path. Following it in a low crouch through the tunnel of trees and brush, I first saw a small altar standing alone, which led to a striking sight: a rocky tomb under a cliff with a single large tree hanging off it. A friend translated the memorial stone as Lord Tenbu. Looking it up, I learned he was the ancestor of rice planting and his quiet resting place overlooks that original field.

The ogres tomb At Katsuren Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, they tell the story of Amawari, a proud and noble lord who brought prosperity to his people and led a failed insurrection against the Ryukyu Kingdom. His wife, a princess, fled her husband with the help of her servant Ufugusuku Uni; uni is the dialect term for oni or ogre. A massive man skilled in martial artists, he helped whisk her away and would return for Amawaris head leading a royal army. For his reward he married the widowed princess and was given rule over Chibana.

Today, Amawari is celebrated and his Katsuren Castle treasured; but not far from Camp Shields and Kadena Air Base are the least impressive castle ruins in Okinawa, as nothing remains and even the park itself feels half forgotten. Following an overgrown and unmaintained trail around to the back side leads to maintained tomb, that of Uni Ufugusuku, the great ogre who defended the kingdom. When the first Sho dynasty ended he fell from favor and either was killed or took his life here.

Also, like a good Skyrim dungeon, theres an immediate exit so no backtracking is required, theres stairs leading down to a dirt parking lot and a residential neighborhood. Yeah, I could have started there but no signs lead to the tomb.

Kuina spotting! Northern Okinawas biodiversity is so full of unique flora, fauna, and creatures that its now part of a UNESCO world heritage site. The colorful Yanbaru Kuina, or Okinawa Rail, has become symbolic of these elusive animals. The rails bright orange break and legs, olive body and black and white belly make for a striking sight which even Okinawans may go their whole lives without seeing except in photos, warning signs, and on merchandise. Its Japans only flightless bird but it runs fast. Its existence was first officially catalogued in 1981, so its both rare and somewhat mysterious as even researching those in captivity can only tell so much about the endangered species.

Once my wife and I were visiting locations used in the recent asadora, Chimudondon. It led us to the Churashima Nature School, an old elementary school that has been repurposed to support the growth of baby sea turtles born in an aquarium so that they can be released once theyre big enough. Visiting the little turtles was free and they were very cute, like hungry baby birds. Striking up a conversation with the staff, she told us that shed seen many Yanbaru Kuina in the wild and that we were almost guaranteed to see them along a certain stretch of road but only if we arrived prior to 8:30 a.m. After that, the increase in road traffic would scare them off.

A few weeks later we followed her instructions and as soon as we got to the stretch of road, my wife threw on the brakes. A kuina darted across the road and into the bushes! Within an hour we had seen two more, including an even rarer baby kuina whose legs and beak had yet to turn orange. By the end of the day between there and pure luck in a few other spots, wed seen six kuina (and a wild boar). Id tell you where the road is, but it wouldnt be much of a quest if you didnt have to talk to someone and receive it first, would it?

If you want a guaranteed kuina encounter, visit the Okinawa Rail Learning Center. So far theres no Kuina in local zoos, though that may change, but you can watch their rail, Kuta-kun, in his large terrarium and learn all about his species. Hes quite friendly and loves showing off.

Hyakuna Beach (Yaharadukasa) Plus Code 4QQW+QP Nanjo, Okinawa

Hamagaa Utaki Plus Code 4QRW+3H Nanjo, Okinawa

Chibana Castle Ruins 5 Chome-12 Chibana, Okinawa, 904-2143 Plus Code 9R76+58 Okinawa

Katsuren Castle and Amawari Park 3807-2 Katsurenhaebaru, Uruma, Okinawa 904-2311 Plus Code 8VJJ+V3 Uruma, Okinawa Website

Churashima Nature School 41 Kayo, Nago, Okinawa 905-2262 Plus Code H425+89 Nago, Okinawa Website

Okinawa Rail Learning Center (Kuina Forest) 1477-35 Ada, Kunigami, Kunigami District, Okinawa 905-1503 Plus Code P7RW+C9 Kunigami, Okinawa Website
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

President Xi Jinping emphasized continuous efforts to uphold, improve and run the system of people's congresses, China's fundamental political system, to good effect at a meeting held in Beijing on Saturday to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the need to further firm up confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics in developing whole-process people's democracy.

Addressing the meeting, attended by about 3,000 people, Xi said that the system of people's congresses is the outcome of the Chinese people's arduous exploration and long-term struggle under the leadership of the CPC.

He called the system "an entirely new political system that has grown from Chinese soil," hailing it as a great invention in the evolution of political institutions in human history.

The NPC is China's highest organ of state power. The first session of the first NPC was convened In September 1954.

The establishment of this system marked a profound transformation in China's political landscape, signifying a shift from a system where the power was concentrated in the hands of a few while the majority faced oppression and exploitation, to one that empowers the people to govern the country as its masters under the Party's leadership, Xi said.

Over the past 70 years, the system of people's congresses has demonstrated its clear political strength, providing an important institutional guarantee for creating miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, Xi noted.

It is a sound system that embodies the country's socialist nature, he said.

Noting that the system of people's congresses is an important institutional vehicle for realizing whole-process people's democracy in China, Xi said it is imperative to uphold the CPC's leadership and adhere to using institutions to ensure that the country is run by the people.

He stressed the need to give full play to the role of people's congresses in ensuring full and effective implementation of the Constitution and laws.

Efforts must be made to ensure people's congresses play a leading role in legislation, Xi said, calling for more legislation in key, emerging and foreign-related fields.

He emphasized the key role of people's congresses in the oversight of both the Party and the country to ensure that all state organs exercise their powers in accordance with the law and that the legitimate rights and interests of the people are safeguarded and realized.

People's congresses should play an exemplary role in maintaining close ties with the people and serve as the bridge that links the Party and the state with the people, he said.

Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice President Han Zheng, attended the meeting.

The meeting was presided over by Zhao Leji, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.
ICANs annual 7x7x7 event, in partnership with the Creighton University Heider College of Business, returns to Omaha Oct. 1 to convene local business leaders who will share their unique passions and ideas.

During the event at Creightons Harper Center Auditorium at 602 N. 20th St., attendees will hear from seven local speakers for seven minutes each on seven topics in which they hold an informed and inspired position.

Attendees learn something thought-provoking and inspiring from the speakers  often providing insight into an industry or community feature new to them  then gather in small groups and connect over drinks and appetizers to discuss their takeaways.

The goal is to educate, enlighten and spark new thinking and dynamic conversation on topics relevant to business leadership. The Institute for Career Advancement Needs expects more than 250 participants at the event, which runs from 4 to 7 p.m.

The speaker lineup:

Roger Garcia, Douglas County Commissioners, chair

Megan Belcher, Kohler, chief legal officer

George Achola, Burlington Capital, vice president & general counsel of real estate

Diane Mendenhall, Omaha Supernovas, president

Emily Mwaja, Kiewit Luminarium, vice president of experience

Brian OMalley. Metropolitan Community College, chef and associate dean of the Institute for the Culinary Arts

Elizabeth Durham-Ruiz, United States Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, chief information officer and director of command, control, communications and computer systems

A limited number of $57 tickets are still available for purchase at icanleaders.org/events/7x7x7. Registration will close Sept. 20, if the event is not sold out before then. Drinks and appetizers are included with the purchase of a ticket.

Dog Gone Problems opens dog daycare

Dog Gone Problems will be hosting an open house Friday and Saturday to celebrate the grand opening of its new dog daycare facility: a low-volume, high-quality daycare club for dogs.

Dog Gone Problems is calling it a dog play care club that will be members-only. There are no membership fees, but dogs will go through a thorough evaluation and orientation to ensure they are a good fit. A priority is to make sure the dogs are safe and enjoy being around other dogs. Only dog-friendly dogs will be considered for membership.

I wanted to offer dog owners a premium dog daycare experience that was safe, founder David Codr said. Most daycares take in an almost unlimited number of dogs. But having 30, 40 or 50 dogs running for seven to eight hours in a room isnt great for their physical or mental health. I wanted to create a daycare focused on positive socialization that was fun and enriching.

One of the ways Dog Gone Problems day care club, at 13483 W. Center Road, will reach that goal is by limiting each room to a maximum of 15 dogs. By having a small group of dogs who know one another, its easier to achieve a safe, enriching and fun experience, Codr said.

Dog owners can opt to add in additional services such as cuddle time, sniff walks or even training while at daycare. The facility also features two drive-through lanes that will be used for drop-off and pick-up service.

The open house is Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is open to people and dogs who are dog and human friendly. The staff will be offering VIP tours, refreshments, free dog training and door prizes.

For more information, visit doggoneproblems.com.

CSM to hold lecture about artificial intelligence

The College of Saint Mary philosophy department will host a lecture exploring the challenges and opportunities of maintaining human identity and values in the rapidly advancing age of artificial intelligence.

Guest lecturer Joe Vukov, associate professor of philosophy at Loyola University and author of Staying Human in an Era of Artificial Intelligence, will discuss this issue from 4 to 5:15 p.m. Sept. 23 in Hill-Macaluso Hall, Room 21. This lecture is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

This event is part of the Philosophy Program Ethics Lecture series.

United Insurance Agencies earns volunteer award

Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance have awarded United Insurance Agencies a 2024 Make More Happen Award for its volunteerism with the Christopher Bremer Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating connectedness and fostering resources for mental health and the prevention of suicide.

The award includes an initial donation of $5,000 for the Christopher Bremer Foundation, which can be doubled to $10,000 just by having community supporters vote online.

Through Oct. 4, the United Insurance Agencies and the Christopher Bremer Foundation community story will be highlighted on the official Make More Happen microsite at agentgiving.com/United-Insurance-Agencies, where supporters can vote to help the team reach their donation goal. If the featured story receives at least 500 votes, the $5,000 donation will be raised to $10,000.

With the rise in mental health needs and an increase in suicide among people as young as 10 years old, the Christopher Bremer Foundation will use the $10,000 to provide free therapy and counseling services in a community walk-in mental health clinic and also expand donations of therapy tools in local area schools.

We are honored and incredibly grateful for being awarded the 2024 Make More Happen Award so we can continue to help our community, said Garrett Svoboda, president of United Insurance Agencies. The Christopher Bremer Foundation has had a significant impact in the Omaha region, and we are thrilled to double the donation with community support.

Crane Trust spots vulnerable bumble bees

On bumble bee surveys this summer, the Crane Trust science team found four species, including two vulnerable ones: the American bumble bee and the Southern Plains bumble bee.

The Southern Plains bumble bee is being reviewed for listing as a federally endangered species. This means it could have the same population status as whooping cranes.

We havent yet conducted a habitat suitability analysis on our data, but we found seemingly robust colonies of Southern Plains bumble bees in wet meadow habitat, a very similar habitat type to what whooping cranes use in the spring and fall, wildlife biologist Bethany Ostrom said. This highlights the critical work we do to protect not only crane habitat, but entire ecosystems of critical species such as native bumble bees.

On 36 surveys at 15 locations on Crane Trust land, the team found:

Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis)

Common Eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens)

American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus)

Southern Plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus)

Gretna Girl Scout Troop earns Silver Award

Girl Scout Troop 48902 in Gretna recently earned the Silver Award after hosting an event, Red Courage: Period Supply Packing and Trivia, at the Girl Scout DreamLab.

Participants had the chance to help pack three-month period supply kits for girls in the Omaha area who may not have access to supplies. The team collected 8,055 individual items.

The event supported Access Period, an organization dedicated to providing free period products to Nebraskans.

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the second-highest award in Girl Scouting. Requirements include finding an issue that the participants care about, building a team, identifying community resources, choosing a project that will lead to lasting change, then developing a project and putting the plan into motion.

The girls will be invited to an official statewide ceremony recognizing their Silver Award in May 2025.

Leader Gina Wiitanen said Abby Wiitanen, Avonlea Grothe, Madelynn Smith and Natalie Oles worked for more than 50 hours identifying an important concern in the community, then partnering with Access Period and NeighborGood pantry in Papillion to provide accessibility of resources needed by girls within Omaha and in Sarpy County.

When deciding on a project, it was important to the girls to tackle something that made a real impact in the community. Wiitanen said. As middle schoolers they realize there can be a stigma surrounding menstruation, and it was a topic they wanted to address so that girls in their area may feel comfortable asking for help when supplies are needed.

This will be the first partnership in Sarpy County to consistently provide access to period products for those who may not have this resource readily available. The partnership between Access Period and NeighborGood will be ongoing.

Kingman will be focus of Joslyn Castle art show

Joslyn Castle will hold a special art show showcasing the paintings and graphic works of Eugene Kingman on Oct. 18 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Kingman was an American painter, muralist, teacher, cartographer and museum director. He was director of the Joslyn Art Museum from 1946 until 1968.

Kingman won multiple commissions from the United States Treasury Art Project during the New Deal era to create murals across the United States. A special mural, which he painted in 1948, was displayed in the lobby of the New York Times for more than 40 years.

After his service in WWII as a strategic military cartographer, Kingman moved to Omaha and became the director at the Joslyn Art Museum. During this time, Kingman also served as a consultant to the Smithsonian Institution.

Go to the Calendar of Events at joslyncastle.com for more information.

Sign up to be a master naturalist

People interested in becoming a Nebraska Master Naturalist still have time to sign up for the October training session at the Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center in Wood River.

The workshop, designated as a Core 24 training session, allows participants to learn about Nebraskas natural resources and achieve Master Naturalist In-Training status.

It is 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 11 and 18, and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 12 and 19. All sessions must be attended. Apply online at NEMasterNaturalist.org/apply-now.

Short Takes is a compilation of lightly edited press releases from various organizations. If youd like to have your information included, send it to ducey@owh.com at least 10 days before the item needs to run. Photos are welcomed.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2024
LINCOLN  Stanger Enterprises, the Valley-based company that did business as Premier Pools, has been stripped of its business license, following a recent court ruling in Lincoln.

The Nebraska Attorney Generals Office in November sued the company for deceptive trade practices, alleging the company took large sums of money from homeowners and left them with dangerous, ugly unfinished pits in their yards.

On its website, Premier Pools says it has built thousands of high-quality pools in Nebraska and Iowa since starting in business in 2009.

But many of the promotional pictures of finished pools on its website have watermarks denoting the images belong to the pool manufacturer, which the state said were misleading.

The Attorney Generals Office said the company also unlawfully sought to suppress bad reviews and complaints through a gag clause in their agreements with customers.

Stanger Enterprises failed to file an answer to the amended complaint within 10 days, as required.

The allegations in the amended complaint ... are therefore admitted, Lancaster County District Judge Ryan Post wrote in his order last week.

Post said the allegations support a finding of liability against Stanger Enterprises on each of the counts in the complaint alleging violations of the Consumer Protection Act, Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Consumer Review Fairness Act.

And he granted the states request to bar Stanger Enterprises from engaging in business activities involving the construction of pools and any other business activities involving unfair, deceptive or unconscionable acts.

Post reserved judgment regarding the matter of the refund of money, civil penalties and attorney fees pending a full resolution of the lawsuit.
On Sept. 14, 1986, longtime Omaha civil rights activist Charles B. Washington was honored as the North Branch Library was renamed for him.

In 1968, Washington accused the Omaha Public Library Board of not being genuine in its concern for North Omaha because it did not ask the City Council for funds to help build a new library there. A few years later, in 1972, a new library building was constructed in North Omaha.

About 300 people, including many Black community leaders, Mayor Mike Boyle and actor and Nebraska Attorney General Robert Spire attended the rededication at the library at 2868 Ames Ave.

Washington, a reporter for the Omaha Star for 48 years, was remembered by several speakers at the rededication as a champion of the young and a believer in education.

Mildred Brown, owner and publisher of the Omaha Star, praised Washingtons intellect, adding that naming a library after him was fitting.

Mr. Washington was a reader, she said. There was very little he couldnt tell you. He inspired all of us. Omaha will never forget him, and I dont think anyone who ever met him will forget him.

In his work as a writer for the Omaha Star and as a television host, Washington frequently focused on the struggle for minority rights. A number of young athletes in the Black community treated him as a mentor. He encouraged youths to stay in school and study hard. His was a familiar face at City Hall, where he sometimes spoke and sometimes picketed and where, after he died in April 1986, Mayor Boyle ordered city flags to be flown at half-staff in his honor, saying to the city council at the time, This is the first time, as far as I can recall, where flags have been ordered flown half-staff for a civilian.

R. Jerry Hargitt, a member of the Omaha Public Library Board of Trustees, said at the 1986 ceremony that not only the Black community but also the White community should rededicate itself to what Washington stood for.

He was after racial equality, he said.

Washington displayed his dedication to minority rights and better race relations in corporate boardrooms, government offices and even in his own home, where Black people and White people met to talk about easing tensions during periods of racial unrest in Omaha in the 1960s.

Lets reminisce on a leader, an activist and a fighter who championed the cause of Black people, young people, the poor, and the elderly.
In the mid-1850s, Bloomington found itself hurtling into the machine age. The first railroads arrived in May and October of 1853 (the Illinois Central and what would become the Chicago & Alton respectively). In January of the following year, the city received its first telegraph message.

Although the transforming effect of the railroad is self-evident (even in todays automobile-dominated age), it is difficult for us to appreciate the earth-shattering impact of the telegraph on mid-nineteenth-century society.

The telegraph was a landmark human development from which there could be no retreat, noted Maury Klein, historian of American business. For the first time messages could routinely travel great distances faster than man or beast could carry them.

In many ways, telegraphy was the first Internet, remaking everything before it, such as the newsgathering business, politics, transportation, financial markets and even warfare.

Although the idea of transmitting information via electricity dated to the mid-1700s, it took advances in electromagnetism and other areas to make the telegraph a practical tool for communication. Working with inventors on both sides of the Atlantic, American Samuel Morse made important refinements, though none greater than the creation of a simple-to-learn alphabet of short and long electrical pulses sent through a wire.

Morses system of long pulses (dashes) and short pulses (dots) became known as Morse Code. It was a breakthrough of startling simplicity  the letter A represented by a dot followed by a dash; the letter B by a dash followed by three dots; and so on  though one with monumental consequences on a global scale.

On May 24, 1844, Morse sent the first communication over a U.S. intercity line, from the Supreme Court chamber in Washington, D.C., to Baltimore. He taped out a message appropriate to the occasion: What hath God wrought?

A little more than nine years later, in August 1853, John D. Caton came to Bloomington. Caton, president of the Illinois and Mississippi Telegraph Company and one of the early movers and shakers of the industry, called on city leaders to pony up $1,000 in stock to make certain Bloomington would be a point on the line between Springfield and Chicago.

We may reasonably expect soon to be in electrical connection with the rest of mankind, enthused Merrimans newspaper.

The Bloomington telegraph office opened on Jan. 24, 1854. Four days later, the editor of the Springfield Illinois Journal newspaper addressed the first message to Merriman: May the new communication by telegraph, so auspiciously opened, continue for ages.

The Pantagraph (which had succeeded The Intelligencer as Bloomingtons leading newspaper) could now receive same-day news from as far away as New York.

Just as important, local businesses and residents could now send a wire to the wider world.

A way of life was at an end. In the 1840s, Abraham Lincoln and other lawyers of the 8th Judicial Circuit traveled Central Illinois from county seat to county seat on horseback or horse-drawn buggy, corresponding with clients and family by handwritten letter. A decade later, Lincoln and his peers were traveling by passenger train and making expert use of the telegraph.

Bloomingtons first telegraph operator was Matthew L. Steele, and the first office was in Majors Hall on Front Street, where the Lincoln parking deck now stands. In 1866, Steele left to become telegraph operator and dispatcher for the Chicago and Alton (C&A) Railroad, where he remained for some 25 years.

Not only did the main telegraph lines often parallel railroad right-a-ways, but telegraphy also proved indispensable in the management of passenger and freight traffic.

By 1879, there were some 20 full-time telegraph operators in Bloomington, most working for the C&A, then the citys largest employer.

In the summer of 1883, a strike by Western Union telegraphers forced many local businessmen to turn to the new technology of the telephone.

The recent disturbances, the local press noted, has ably demonstrated the value of the telephone to commercial men.

Although voice communication held obvious advantages over messages sent via Morse Code, long distance phone calls were technologically tricky and prohibitively expense compared to the telegraph. By 1901, the volume of telegraph traffic was such that there were more than 40 wires strung along the main line paralleling the C&A from St. Louis to Chicago.

The telegraph remained a viable means of communication well into the 20th century for grain brokers, the railroads, and many other business interests. Back in 1969 or 1970, Bill Dunbar, who worked for the Alton and then the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad, sent the last train order via telegraph from Bloomington.

In 1858, The Pantagraph published the poem The Telegraph, by John Greenleaf Whittier. One stanza in particular addressed the remade world of the telegraph:

From clime to clime, from shore to shore, Shall thrill the magic thread; The new Prometheus steals once more The fire that wakes the dead.

Honoring Icons: Photos from the 2024 History Makers Gala Steve Dobski, 2024 Honorees Bob and Julie Dobski, Laura and Michael OConnor Larry and Chris Mertes, Mary Penn, 2024 Honoree John Penn Tom Smith, 2024 History Maker Honoree Jan Lancaster, Thom Rakestraw Vicki Tilton, Pam Eaton, Tim Tilton 2022 History Makers Dee Frautschi, Al Bedell Michael Williams, Steve Dobski, Jon and Ed Voegele, Bob Dobski, Rod Spadinger Maryn Michael, Michael Williams Dan and Tommy Brady Jan Lancaster 2021 History Makers Carole and Jerry Ringer Brock and Katie Porter Cindy Ross-Ringer, Pat Grogg Angie and Frank Hoffman, Vickie and Steve Mahrt Frank and Alice Sanders Women of Sunrise Rotary: Tracy Patkunas, 2024 History Maker Honoree Julie Dobski, Ann Harding, Kim Schoenbein, Pat Messinger 2023 Honorees Mary and Hank Campbell Laura and Michael OConnor Jeanie and Clete Winkelmann, Kent King-Nobles Eric Hansen, Cody Hendricks, Noah Tang, Emily McCusker, Museum Director Julie Emig Jan Wilson, Mike Matejka, Patty Kernes Marlene Gregor, Jan Holder Jennifer Armstrong, David Morris Dudley Burgess, Albert Beaver, Courtney Greenlee Tom Lamonica, Drs. Tom Nielsen and Kathy Bohn, ISU President and first lady Aondover and Rose Tarhule 2024 Honoree Julie Dobski (center) with nominators Dee Frautschi and Al Bedell 2015 Honoree Sonja Reece, 2019 Honoree Judy Buchanan, Kaye Andrews Friends of Honorees Bob and Julie Dobski Ann Harding, Leanna Bordner, Pat Messinger, Jeff Stevens Micaela Harris, Barb Dirmontaite Nate Thomas, Robert Howard Friends and Family of 2024 Honoree Jan Lancaster Jan Lancaster, Laura OConnor Arlene Hosea, Chef Phillip Cade Museum Board President Carolyn Yockey Illinois Voices Theatre Honorees Julie and Bob Dobski, Dee Frautschi Honorees Julie and Bob Dobski, Steve Dobski Duane Yockey, Jana Edge, Honorees Bob and Barb Hathway Bob Hathway Dave Bentlin, Honoree Jan Lancaster Shawn Eiker, Tim Ryan, Honoree John Penn John Penn, Tim Ryan, Shawn Eiker Museum Board President Carolyn Yockey Friends and family of Honorees Julie and Bob Dobski Tony and Karen DeAngelis Musuem Board chair Carolyn Yockey, ISU President Emeritus Larry Dietz Josh Barnett, Sonja Reece Cindy and Mark Segobiano McLean County Museum of History Staff Honorees Julie and Bob Dobski Dave and Barb Selzer Cindy and Don Myers Jonell Kehias, Tom Smith, Thom Rakestraw Anina Engelhorn, Carol and Roger Elliott Chemberly Harris, Jeanne Morris Museum Director Julie Emig Jan Lancaster, Dave Bentlin Tom Smith, Thom Rakestraw
The Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) distributed 21,552 male condoms free of charge in Cape Coast during the Fetu Afahye period.



Indeed, the Fetu Afahye 2024 was successful by all indications. With thousands of people trooping to Cape Coast for the festival. There was a lot of socialization, and funfair was massive in the city.



New places of fun activities sprang up and the city bustled with thousands of people both young and old.



There was a lot to eat and drink and it was therefore expected that many would be careless sexually.



Therefore, in a collaborative effort to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, unintended pregnancies and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) during the Cape Coast Festival, the PPAG Cape Coast Clinic, in partnership with the Cape Coast Youth Action Movement (YAM) branch and other key stakeholders, organised a series of activities both prior to and during the festival to help keep people "safe.



Also, 722 people were screened for HIV, with two people testing positive.



Six hundred and two other people were also screened for Hepatitis B, with five positive cases identified.



Pre-festival activities



In the weeks leading to the festival, the team conducted educational outreach across 13 communities within Cape Coast, including Idan, Ekon, Nkanfoa, Kwapraw, Akotokyir, Abura, Pedu, Brabedzie, Amamoma, Kakumdo, Akanful Fie and Nyinasin.



These sessions included one-on-one counselling, small group discussions and community centre education.



According to a programme officer with the PPAG in Cape Coast, Michael Tagoe, the rationale was to raise awareness of safe sex practices, prevention of STIs including HIV, and SGBV prevention.



He said during these pre-festival activities, the team successfully reached more than 600 people including 486 young people aged 10 to 24 and 146 individuals over the age of 25.



The focus he said, was to equip participants with accurate knowledge and access to services that could help them make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.



Mr Tagoe said during the festival, the PPAG Cape Coast Clinic staff, together with dedicated volunteers, with support from the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) and the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) set up a four-day service stand at the Central Region Expo 2024 held at the Adisadel Park.



Services offered



He said services provided at the stand included HIV testing, Hepatitis B screening, family planning (FP) counselling and service provision



He said the efforts of the volunteers played a significant role in bringing clients to the stand, which contributed to the success of the initiative.



On Friday morning, the Carnival day, he said the team moved to the Abura market, again in collaboration with GAC and CCMA, to conduct further education, HIV testing, and condom distribution. This outreach, he said, extended the programme's impact to a new group, ensuring the message and services reached a broad audience.



He said the volunteers also joined the vibrant "Orange Friday" street carnival, distributing condom packs as part of the celebration.



Mr Tagoe said while they could not prevent people from having fun, they could help them take the necessary precautions.



"Its a trend we have observed. Many would come in a few weeks with pregnancies and give strange names as being responsible for such pregnancies," he stated



He said he was hopeful that the activities that were held would prevent some sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies.



The Department of Gender also used the period to organise educational programmes on sexual and reproductive health and safe sexual behaviours for adolescents and also distributed condoms.



The city has since the end of the festival returned to its usual calm self.



Health practitioners and professionals hope they have managed to control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies.



If you came for afahye and you were not careful and cautious, you might have an "afahye baby" waiting for you the next time you come.

Source: graphiconline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Keta Nursing and Midwifery Training College has expressed profound appreciation to the Vice President and flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for his timely and generous support to the school.



The auditorium of the College was ripped off recently by heavy rainstorm and Vice President Bawumia responded to their plight by personally fixing it.



In a letter of appreciation, the College thanked Dr. Bawumia for enabling them to resume school.



"I write on behalf of the Advisory Board, Principal, Stakeholders Association/PTA, Management, staff, the SRC and entire student body of the Nursing and Midwifery Training College-Keta to express our profound gratitude to you for your immerse support in re-roofing the auditorium of the Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Keta which was ripped-off by heavy rainstorm on 23 rd April, 2024."



"The College has benefitted a lot from the current government but your generosity and prompt attention given to the College when in dire need cannot be overemphazed."



"We believe that your generosity and having wellbeing of Ghanaians at heart will pave a way for you to continue the good works you have started."



"Indeed your single-handed support in re-roofing and refurbishing the College auditorium on time before the first semester of the 2024/2025 academic year begins in September, 2024 is really recognized with gratitude. You will forever remain in the history of the Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Keta", the College Principal wrote.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
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:

Veterinarian Pollyanna Motinha (R) and a colleague treat Itapira, a young female jaguar whose paws were burned in wildfires in the Pantanal.

At a shelter for big cats in Brazil, a vet gingerly dresses wounds on a jaguar that was caught in wildfires raging in the world's largest tropical wetland.

While the animal is expected to heal, her home in the Pantanal continues to burn.

The Pantanal, south of the Amazon in Mato Grosso do Sul state, has the world's highest density of jaguars. It is also home to millions of caimans, parrots and giant otters.

Brazil has been parched by a historic drought that experts link to climate change and which has sparked what authorities have called a "fire pandemic." So far this year, some 6.7 million hectares (16.6 million acres) have burned in the Brazilian Amazon, amounting to 1.6 percent of the rainforest.

The fires are also ripping through the Pantanal, a UN World Heritage site which has recorded 1,452 fire outbreaks so far in Septemberalmost four times the number recorded in September 2023, according to the National Institute for Space Research.

Pollyanna Motinha, a vet at the Nex NoExtinction shelter on the outskirts of Brasilia, says she is increasingly seeing animals "at the top of the food chain, like jaguars" being injured in wildfires.

"It's not something that happened often in the past," she told AFP.

In the wild, the burns on the jaguar's paws would have prevented her from using her claws to hunt caimans and capybaras.

The jaguar, the largest feline in the Americas, is listed as a "near threatened" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The Pantanal jaguar, which is found along the banks of the Paraguay River, weighs on average 100 kilograms (220 pounds).

It is estimated that there are fewer than 2,000 left in the region.

The jaguar named Itapira was found hiding in a drainpipe near the town of Miranda, an area badly hit by flames. All four of her paws had been burned.

Despite her injuries the two-year-old, 57-kilogram cat must be approached with caution.

Before being treated, she is sedated with anesthetic darts.

Motinha, her husband and fellow vet Thiago Luczinski and two students then clean her wounds and wrap her paws in bags to apply ozone, which acts as a disinfectant, as well as a healing agent.

Veterinarian Thiago Luczinski (C), his wife Pollyanna Motinha (L) and collagues treat Itapira, a young female jaguar, at the Nex NoExtinction Institute in Corumba de Goias, Brazil.

After a month of almost daily care, Itapira's condition has improved.

In the wild, the burns prevented her from using her claws to hunt caimans and capybarasa large semi-aquatic rodent native to South America.

"If she had not been brought here, if she had remained in the wild, she would probably no longer be alive or would be in a deplorable state," Luczinski said.

But the caregivers worry about the jaguar's future.

"This animal is safe today but she is going to return to a region that is still burning," he said.

Another female jaguar who suffered burns in a previous major wave of fires in the Pantanal in 2020 was unable to return home from Brasilia.

Her legs were so badly burned she lost the tendons that move her claws, Silvano Gianni, co-founder of Nex NoExtinction, explained.

She went on to have two cubs in captivityone of whom will be reintroduced to the wild.

 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:

Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually fierce rains.

One person has drowned in Poland and four people are missing in the Czech Republic, authorities said Sunday, as Storm Boris lashed central and eastern Europe with torrential rains and flooding.

Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually fierce rains.

The storm has already caused the death of four people in Romania, and thousands have been evacuated from their homes across the continent.

"We have the first confirmed death by drowning, in the Klodzko region" on the Polish-Czech border, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sunday morning.

Tusk was traveling through the southwest of the country, which has been hit hardest by the floods.

Around 1,600 people have been evacuated in Klodzko, and Polish authorities have called in the army to support firefighters on the scene.

On Saturday, Polish authorities shut the Golkowice border crossing with the Czech Republic after a river flooded its banks, as well as closing several roads and halting trains on the line linking the towns of Prudnik and Nysa.

In the nearby village of Glucholazy, Zofia Owsiaka watched with fear as the fast-flowing waters of the swollen Biala river surged past.

"Water is the most powerful force of nature. Everyone is scared," Owsiaka, 65, told AFP.

In the Czech Republic, police reported four people were missing Sunday.

Three were in a car that was swept into a river in the northeastern town of Lipova-Lazne, and another man was missing after being swept away by floods in the southeast.

A dam in the south of the country burst its banks, flooding towns and villages downstream.

On Saturday, four people died in floods in southeastern Romania.

Romanian deaths

On Saturday, four people died in floods in southeastern Romania, with the bodies found in the worst affected region, Galati in the southeast, where 5,000 homes were damaged.

"We are again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present on the European continent, with dramatic consequences," Romania's President Klaus Iohannis said.

Hundreds of people have been rescued across 19 parts of the country, emergency services said, releasing a video of flooded homes in a village by the Danube river.

"This is a catastrophe of epic proportions," said Emil Dragomir, mayor of Slobozia Conachi, a village in Galati, where he said 700 homes had been flooded.

Parts of northeast Austria have been declared a natural disaster area.

Some areas of the Tyrol were blanketed by up to a meter (three feet) of snowan exceptional situation for mid-September, which saw temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) last week.

Rail services were suspended in the country's east early Sunday and several metro lines were shut down in the capital Vienna, where the Wien river was threatening to overflow its banks, according to the APA news agency.

Emergency services had made nearly 5,000 interventions overnight in the state of Lower Austria, where flooding had trapped many residents in their homes.

Firefighters have intervened around 150 times in Vienna since Friday to clear roads blocked by storm debris and pump water from cellars, local media reported.

Neighboring Slovakia has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bratislava.

Heavy rains are expected to continue until at least Monday in the Czech Republic and Poland.

 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

New research co-led by Cornell University examines thousands of years of Arctic sled dog ancestry and reveals when and how Siberian and Alaskan sled dogs' DNA mixed.

"There was a real concern from Siberian breederswho were mostly racing their dogsthat they were sending out their dogs' DNA samples for analysis, more for the context of health traits, and they were getting breed ancestry information back that said their dog was not 100% Siberian husky," said Heather Huson, a former sled dog racer who is now associate professor of animal science at Cornell. "Many (ancestry tests) were saying the Siberian huskies were a certain percentage Alaskan husky or Alaskan sled dog.

The massive genomic survey of the Siberian husky has revealed that sled dogs descended from two distinct lineages of Arctic canids and originated in the northeastern Siberian Arctic generations earlier than previously thought. The study also showed that approximately half of all Siberian huskies bred for racing have introgression with European breeds.

Huson is co-corresponding author of "Comparative Population Genomics of Arctic Sled Dogs Reveals a Deep and Complex History," which is under embargo until Sept. 14 in Genome Biology and Evolution. The other corresponding author is Tracy Smith, senior lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Huson said her team's findings on genomic history are an important tool in the effort to sustain ancient lineages, such as the Siberian husky, and their unique evolutionary identity.

"It was thought that there was this one Arctic lineage," Huson said, "but what we identified was that there are these two. One leads to our modern Siberian huskysmaller body size and statureand the other one leads to this larger body size and to what we see now as Greenland sled dogs, and potentially the Alaskan malamutes."

Understanding the genomic history is essential, the authors wrote, for developing effective policies and best practices for breed management.

"The more genetic diversity you have, generally the better your genetic health," Huson said. "The slightly admixed racing Siberian huskies bring this genetic diversity to the population yet confound the original Arctic lineage which produced early Siberian huskies."

For their research, researchers collected and analyzed DNA samples (or genomic data) from 344 dogsmostly registered Siberian huskies but also Alaskan malamutes, Alaskan sled dogs, Chukotka sled dogs and one each of German shepherd, golden retriever, German shorthaired pointer, Samoyed and Saluki.

The researchers found that at least two distinct lineages of Arctic dogs existed in ancient Eurasia at the end of the Pleistocene era, which ended approximately 11,700 years ago. This finding pushes back significantly the origin of sled dogs in the northeast Siberian Arctic, "with humans likely intentionally selecting dogs to perform different functions," the authors wrote. That kept concurrent breeding populations relatively reproductively isolated.

More information: Tracy A Smith et al, Comparative population genomics of Arctic sled dogs reveals a deep and complex history, Genome Biology and Evolution (2024). DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae190 Journal information: Genome Biology and Evolution
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:

This image made from SpaceX video shows its capsule, center, carrying tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman with his crew after it reached the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas early Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Credit: SpaceX via AP

A billionaire spacewalker returned to Earth with his crew on Sunday, ending a five-day trip that lifted them higher than anyone has traveled since NASA's moonwalkers.

SpaceX's capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas in the predawn darkness, carrying tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, two SpaceX engineers and a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot.

They pulled off the first private spacewalk while orbiting nearly 460 miles (740 kilometers) above Earth, higher than the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope. Their spacecraft hit a peak altitude of 875 miles (1,408 kilometers) following Tuesday's liftoff.

Isaacman became only the 264th person to perform a spacewalk since the former Soviet Union scored the first in 1965, and SpaceX's Sarah Gillis the 265th. Until now, all spacewalks were done by professional astronauts.

"We are mission complete," Isaacman radioed as the capsule bobbed in the water, awaiting the recovery team. Within an hour, all four were out of their spacecraft, pumping their fists with joy as they emerged onto the ship's deck.

It was the first time SpaceX aimed for a splashdown near the Dry Tortugas, a cluster of islands 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Key West. To celebrate the new location, SpaceX employees brought a big, green turtle balloon to Mission Control at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The company usually targets closer to the Florida coast, but two weeks of poor weather forecasts prompted SpaceX to look elsewhere.

This image made from SpaceX video shows the four-member crew including tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, third left, seated in its capsule as they wait to get off the capsule after it landed in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas early Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Credit: SpaceX via AP

This black and white, thermal image made from SpaceX video shows its capsule, center, carrying tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman with his crew after it reached the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas early Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Credit: SpaceX via AP

This black and white, thermal image made from SpaceX video shows its capsule, center bottom, carrying tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman with his crew minutes before it reached the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas early Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Credit: SpaceX via AP

This image made from a SpaceX video shows the start of the first private spacewalk led by tech billionaire Jared Isaacman Thursday Sept. 12, 2024. Credit: SpaceX via AP

During Thursday's commercial spacewalk, the Dragon capsule's hatch was open barely a half-hour. Isaacman emerged only up to his waist to briefly test SpaceX's brand new spacesuit followed by Gillis, who was knee high as she flexed her arms and legs for several minutes. Gillis, a classically trained violinist, also held a performance in orbit earlier in the week.

The spacewalk lasted less than two hours, considerably shorter than those at the International Space Station. Most of that time was needed to depressurize the entire capsule and then restore the cabin air. Even SpaceX's Anna Menon and Scott "Kidd" Poteet, who remained strapped in, wore spacesuits.

SpaceX considers the brief exercise a starting point to test spacesuit technology for future, longer missions to Mars.

This was Isaacman's second chartered flight with SpaceX, with two more still ahead under his personally financed space exploration program named Polaris after the North Star. He paid an undisclosed sum for his first spaceflight in 2021, taking along contest winners and a pediatric cancer survivor while raising more than $250 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

For the just completed so-called Polaris Dawn mission, the founder and CEO of the Shift4 credit card-processing company shared the cost with SpaceX. Isaacman won't divulge how much he spent.

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ATLANTIC CITY  The Circus Maximus Theater inside Caesars Hotel & Casino was like a gay snowstorm of all things glitter, gold, glamour and drag, TV personality and Carson Kressley said Saturday.

The casino hosted the annual Missd America Pageant, which has become a city staple event, with Kressley serving as master of ceremonies.

Quentin Reynolds, a professional drag artist from Chicago whose stage name is Aria B. Cassadine, was crowned Missd America 2025.

Reynolds wowed the judges in a creative swimsuit that embodied the dramatic moment Medusa was cursed by the goddess Minerva, a duet with the voice of Nat King Cole that he performs regularly at the restaurant/cabaret he works at called Lips, and wearing royal blue evening gown, complete with rhinestones, big hair and a boa.

What I love about drag is that its not specific. You get to do whatever you want to do to live out your greatest fantasies, Reynolds said. It does not have a gender, it does not have a type, it doesnt have a size, theres no time to it, its just timeless and everchanging.

And I just love that I get to wake up every day with no plan, and it just works out for me. Theres no reason or rhyme to it, its just about doing it, doing what I love.

Reynolds and the other contestants put on a show that delighted the crowd.

Weve been coming for years with our contingent of friends, said Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, resident Heidi Cabibbo, who has attended for the past four or five years. We hang out with all our friends and support the LGBTQ+ community. The fashion, the shows, the talent  its just amazing. No, actually, its fabulous.

Nine contestants showcased their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent in front of thousands of attendees for a chance to win a sash, crown, $5,000 and the responsibility of attending multiple events representing the Missd America Pageant.

Kressley came from Lisbon, Portugal, to emcee the pageant, as hes done yearly.

Through swimsuit, talent, evening gown and question segments, the drag artists were judged by a panel of nine.

The judges included Judah Dorrington, the citys LGBTQIA+ liaisons person, Karen Wormen, the senior vice president and general manager for Caesars Atlantic City, Alexia Love, the winner of the first Missd America in 1994, and Dorothy Benham, Miss America 1977  the one without the D, Kressley said.

Missd America 2024 Freeda Kulo performed her last walk before handing over the crown to another contestant.

To top it off, plenty of muscular dancers performed in golden gladiators outfits, leather pants and, at one point, white thongs with rhinestones that could be seen from the last row of the theater on their crotches.

I actually came last year as an attendee, and I just loved the production value aspect of it, said first-time contestant Brent Ries, who goes by the stage name Truly Scrumptious, inspired by a character in the 1968 movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Ries, from Palm Springs, California, said he would like to see more contestants from other parts of the country and even the world competing in the decades-old pageant in the future.

It helps by just being here and standing in my truth, Ries added.

Taglined as the pageant with the D by the organization, the event began as a spoof of the Miss America Pageant in 1994, with the joke being that the drag performers missed getting into the real pageant at Boardwalk Hall.

Philanthropists and club owners John Schultz and Gary Hill started it to raise funds for local charities.

To date, the pageant has raised more than $400,000 for local organizations such as the South Jersey AIDS Alliance, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS in New York, the Human Rights Campaign and more since its inception.

Were older now. Thirty three years ago, we were all younger. I want to thank all you for coming tonight, but most of all, Id like to thank all the people who are involved with Missd America for all these years. Theyre also all getting old, said Schultz, 82, about the volunteers who help organize it each year.

Plaques were given to Larry Sieg, the president and CEO of Visit Atlantic City, for his volunteer work for the pageant and to Richard Helfant, executive director of Lucy the Elephant in Margate.

PHOTOS Miss'd America Pageant
How did the debate impact your impression of the candidates? What surprised you?

Lack of genuine dialog harms America

In the latest presidential debate, it was widely expected that Kamala Harris would deliver the stronger performance, and she did so convincingly. However, my concern is that both camps remain entrenched in their ideological positions supported by self-imposed media and peer bubbles.

This lack of a genuine dialogue of ideas harms America, as the debate seemed to me more about personality clashes and fearmongering than presenting creative solutions for our future. The world is rapidly changing, and the nation faces critical challenges ranging from the economy to immigration, education, housing and climate change that demand bold, innovative ideas. Intensifying this is the shifting demographic landscape in the U.S. as minority groups become the new majority while AI, automation, and globalization increasingly impact every aspect of our lives.

It is crucial that our political discourse reflects these burgeoning realities, embracing diversity and inclusivity as not just elements, but as the very essence of the American Dream and future American competitiveness and economic growth. - David Cumberbatch

Trump, at least, talked about his accomplishments

The debate didn't impact my impression of either candidate.

I was surprised the debate actually happened. With this being the only presidential debate, I felt like different questions should have been asked/topics discussed. I dont care about unnecessary comments previously made, I care about truth, policy, and transparency, and I dont think there was enough of that by the moderators or Harris.

At least Trump provided substance to his answers of what he has accomplished with his time in office while Harris didnt even talk about her accomplishments in the three and one-half years as vice president. I still dont know what Harris plan is besides flip flopping on things like banning fracking and taking guns away. - Kaelyn Hagens

Harris had a message of unity, which we need

I found the debate to be more entertaining than enlightening when it came to understanding the candidates' positions. Kamala Harris skillfully baited Donald Trump, and he took the bait every time. Im particularly concerned about Trumps rationality, given his unfounded claims about immigrants eating American pets, and Harris allegedly advocating for "transgender operations on illegal aliens in prison."

What struck me most was Trumps use of Hungarian President Viktor Orban as a symbol of international support. Orban, known for his anti-LGBTQ stances and suppression of press freedoms, is hardly a figure Trump should be boasting about having on his side. While Harris could have placed greater emphasis on the Biden-Harris administrations policies, her message of unity was more compelling and focused on bringing Americans together which is what the country needs during this divisive time. - Laura Meloy

Harris misstated positions; Trump rambled through tangents

My opinion about the candidates suffered no exceptional shifts during the course of the debate, though I was surprised at the low energy of the engagement. Former President Trump rather rambled through tangents that weakened his attempts to define the vice president, while VP Harris obfuscated her positions and frequently reanimated desiccated canards concerning the Charlottesville protest, the January 6th riot, abortion and Russian collusion.

She repeatedly and provably misstated her prior positions on such matters as fracking, mandatory gun buy-backs, universal healthcare, and defunding the police, and Donald Trump chased rabbit trails relitigating the 2020 election and disputing about their respective rallies. All of this was more or less predictable, as was the conduct of the moderators. If either candidate receives a polling boost from this debate, it will be the only surprise. - Jonathan Talbot

Both candidates needed to talk more about economy

The debate on Sept. 10 was day and night different from the previous one. It went very quickly, and the candidates made some good points. I think Kamala brought some much-needed clarity and tenacity to her platform. I dont think either candidate spoke enough about the economy and the struggles of the working poor and middle class.

There's a limited amount of time to debate so many complex issues; I'd be anxious for more debates with time to focus deeper on the top concerns for Americans with details regarding policy plans. The Sept. 10 debate regardless of who people think "won," didnt change peoples minds. I was surprised by Kamala's ability to keep Donald on the defensive instead of succumbing to his usual attack style. I was also very pleasantly surprised to see the moderators fact checking in real time, which has always been an issue if candidates are blatantly lying. - Paula del Fabro

Harris was only candidate who looked presidential

The first debate unfolded the way I thought it would if Trump came into the night unprepared and overly confident. He was on both counts, and he got his head handed to him on a platter. It surprised me that he made it so easy for Vice President Harris.

It wasnt a secret that she was preparing for the debate like a trial  working on strategy, and tactics, anticipating countermoves. I believe he underestimated her because shes a woman, and he thought he could bully her. Because, when you are a star you can do anything you want. Old playbook with the wrong person at the wrong time.

The presidency, at least in part, requires judgment and discipline in order to make the one or two big decisions that come along during their tenure. Both candidates knew this was a test of sorts for those later moments. While Harris still has positions to fill out and voters to win over, she was the only person on that stage who looked like a president and understood the job. - Tim Wynes

Questions were slanted, moderators were biased

I found nothing about Tuesday's presidential debate surprising.

ABC and their moderators treated the participants precisely as the network's positive/negative coverage percentage would predict.

Donald Trump was exactly who he is: a brash, abrasive New York real-estate developer turned TV celebrity, turned president. He didn't have to be "goaded" or "trapped" into being Trump. He IS Trump, 24/7/365. Four years ago, 75,000,000 Americans voted for that Donald Trump.

Kamala Harris was exactly what she is. A chameleon. A vessel for a newly found dogma replacing a decades-long record. A self-proclaimed bystander to the last four years, watching while the world and White House whirled around her, any successes hers, all failures Biden's (or Trump's).

Knowing she's lied to my face about President Biden's cognitive "condition" I'm loath to believe a word she says.

The debate was 90 minutes of slanted questions, biased moderators, name-calling, out-of-context cheap-shots, half-truths and dogs for dinner. Nothing out of the ordinary. - Eugene Mattecheck Jr.

Opinion of Harris boosted, appreciated fact-checking

Tuesdays debate boosted my opinion of Harris and reaffirmed my opinion of Trump. Many voters want to learn more about Kamala Harris, her character, and her policies. She had a weak start, but gained confidence as the debate went on. Harris managed to outline more policies than Trump, who, by the middle of the debate, was fully engaged in defensive rhetoric and launching personal attacks. While I had wondered if things might go differently, this was a side of Trump weve seen all too often.

The moderators surprised me by working in real-time fact checking. While they could have gone further, it was very encouraging. I think it makes sense to correct statements that could be harmful or very misleading during the debate. Candidates still have a role to fact-check each other, however, relying on the candidates alone is bound to lack credibility and be prone to missing things in a political environment where false information can spread so easily. - Mathew Townsley

Trump had to debate Harris and moderators

Nothing surprised me in this debate. Trump was Trump. He resorted to his typical exaggerations and fell for the bait dangled by Harris. He couldnt stay on topic. He was fact-checked by the moderators, who at one point engaged him so he was debating three people.

Harris spent her time lying about her positions, evading and avoiding questions, baiting Trump, and putting him on trial as promised. Her statements were not fact checked by the moderators. This is exactly why the American people have lost faith in the media. The only policy stance she articulated was her willingness to tax billionaires and redistribute their wealth through small business freebies, free money down payment programs, and increasing the child tax credit.

Harris has been in office for three years and has done nothing to make life better for Americans. We know what another four years of a Trump Presidency looks like. Americans have a tough choice to make. - Jessica Hurd

Harris stood up to Trump's bullying ways

Vice President Harris looked a little nervous in her opening remarks but once she settled in, it was disastrous for the former president.

Neither candidate answered every question they were asked.

Harris avoided her flip on fracking and never answered about how she would have done things differently in the Afghan withdrawal. But she did answer specifically on more than one occasion.

Trump never answered anything directly. When asked about ending the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, if he had any regrets from January 6 (he blamed Pelosi and the mayor of DC), and on his healthcare plan he simply expounded on immigration or how Biden was the worst ever at everything.

The bottom line is she baited him constantly and he responded in his tired fashion. She stood up to his bullying ways, used his own words and past actions against him, belittled his rallies and basically cleaned his clock.

Oh, and, by the way, he never once called her by name. - Matt Mooney
The race for control of Congress is as close as ever, with barely two dozen House seats and a handful in the Senate likely to determine the majority this November and whether a single party sweeps to power with the White House.

Many of the highest-profile races are underway in Montana, New York, California and beyond, far from the presidential battleground states contested by Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.

New poll shows Republicans are more likely to trust Trump than official election results Republicans are more likely to trust Donald Trump and his campaign over government certified election results, according to a new survey.

"Buckle up," said Jack Pandol, communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Upended by the summer shake-up that replaced President Joe Biden with Harris atop the Democratic ticket, the down-ballot campaigns enter this fall stretch at a virtual toss-up, where every single seat won or lost could make the difference in party control.

What's changed is not so much the fundamentals of the individual races, but which side has the energy and enthusiasm to make sure its voters actually show up and cast their ballots, strategists said.

Money, volunteers and voter enthusiasm are flowing to the Democratic campaigns since Harris replaced Biden. That's challenging Republicans who entered the election cycle favored for gains and buoyed by Trump's comeback bid, despite the criminal charges hanging over him.

Trump and Republicans are working feverishly to regain the momentum they enjoyed from the GOP convention in Milwaukee and from the July Supreme Court decision giving former presidents broad immunity from prosecution, including for some acts related to his effort to overturn the 2020 election and for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump's campaign staff recently held a private conference call with House Republicans, assuring them that the movement is shifting to Trump as they game out strategies, according to a Republican who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed conversation.

"There's a lot of handwringing going on and a lot of anxiousness about where this election is headed," said Montana Sen. Steve Daines, a Trump ally who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm.

Speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas, Daines played up GOP Senate candidates as warriors and predicted that enthusiasm from rural voters who will "crawl over broken glass" to vote for Trump will help Republicans such as Sam Brown, who is challenging Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.

Still, the fundraising gap Republicans now find themselves facing with Democrats is a problem, say GOP strategists on both ends of the Capitol, leaving them without money to keep pace with advertising and on-the-ground organizing.

"We have a lot of work to do," Daines said.

Long gone are the days of supermajorities in the House and Senate, replaced by a new era of razor-thin margins that leave little room for errors in political campaigns  or actual governing.

Senate heads toward 50-50 split

Democrats are almost certain to see their narrow majority slip to at least a 50-50 split with Republicans with the retirement of independent Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. His departure is making way for Republican Gov. Jim Justice to handily win that seat.

Trump is wildly popular in Montana, where Senate Republicans see their best chance to go on offense as they challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. But Tester is also a popular figure in the Big Sky state, where a whopping $238 million-plus is being spent on ads.

Senate Republicans had the advantage this this cycle, with few incumbents to protect, allowing them to challenge Democrats with handpicked, often wealthy recruits in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin. Democrats have only more recently gone on offense in long-shot races against Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida.

Incumbents often bring longevity and name recognition to the race, making them tough to topple, as is the case in Pennsylvania, where Democrat Sen. Bob Casey is being challenged by Republican Dave McCormick, and in Ohio, where Sen. Sherrod Brown is running a playful cookie-eating television ad as he faces Republican Bernie Moreno.

For the open seat in Democratic-heavy Maryland, the state's popular former Republican governor, Larry Hogan, who was courted to run by Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is in a tough matchup against county executive Angela Alsobrooks. She would make history as one of the few Black women elected to the Senate.

Which congressional campaigns are drawing the most donations from wealthy donors this election? Windfall analyzed FEC data to show states where wealthy donors are making the largest contributions to congressional campaigns this election cycle.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., predicted Democrats will keep their majority. In a Senate split, majority control goes to the party in the White House because the vice president can cast deciding votes.

"Democrats have never been in a stronger position to defend our Senate majority," said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who leads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

House majority a toss-up

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., crisscrossed the country this summer in some 20 states as what he calls an "ambassador of hope" in his party's quest to save its razor-thin majority in his chamber.

The Republicans are trying to protect 18 Republicans in Democratic-heavy congressional districts where Biden won, particularly in coastal New York and California, and going on offense to challenge Democrats elsewhere.

House Democrats  whose campaign chairwoman, Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, was among those who spoke privately to Biden about the potential down-ballot drag as he weighed his decision to exit the race  are benefiting from the Harris momentum.

Democrats are working to protect their own most embattled House lawmakers, a handful of pragmatic legislators including Marcy Kaptur in Ohio, Matt Cartwright in Pennsylvania and a trio of younger lawmakers who lead the centrist Blue Dog coalition: Mary Peltola of Alaska, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state and Jared Golden of Maine.

Each faces a notable Republican: Nick Begich from an Alaskan political family; Washington's Trump-endorsed Joe Kent; and former NASCAR driver Austin Theriault in Maine.

Republicans went to great lengths to diversify their own ranks of what just a few years ago remained a party of mostly white men and few women. The 2018 election, for example, left about a about a dozen Republican women and no Black Republicans in the House.

Debate takeaways: A Taylor Swift endorsement and tense clashes on abortion, race and more Harris opened Tuesday's debate with a power move, marching across the stage to shake Trump's hand. The exchange set the tone for the next 90 minutes. Here are some takeaways.

GOP Rep. Richard Hudson, chairman of the NRCC, said House Republicans are "right where we expected to be," acknowledging it's a "trench warfare" fight.

Campaigning beyond the swing states

Because many of the House races are contested so far from the presidential battlegrounds, candidates are forced to stand up their own operations along with the congressional committees to turn out the vote.

House Democrats saw an organic flow of volunteers mobilized, knocking on more than 377,000 doors and making more than 845,000 phone calls in August  greater than in the prior three months combined, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said.

House Republicans propped up dozens of "Battle Stations" for voter outreach and get-out-the-vote efforts, particularly areas without Trump's campaign infrastructure, and also report crowds of enthusiastic voters at events as Johnson traveled the country in the contested regions.

Money woes for Republicans

Fundraising remains imbalanced as Democrats outpace Republicans with Harris atop the ticket, and Republicans sounding alarms to their own donors to get off the sidelines.

"We are on track to flip the Senate," said Jason Thielman, executive director of the NRSC. But he said the Democrats' "massive cash advantage is a real problem. The biggest thing preventing Senate Republicans from having a great night in November is the cash crunch."

Both the DSCC and DSCC posted record online fundraising in the days after Harris' campaign announcement and her team sent $25 million to down-ballot races, including $10 million each in a recent week to the House and Senate committees.

DCCC Spokesperson Viet Shelton said grassroots enthusiasm to elect a Democratic House majority is "at an all-time high." He said voters want to elect "get-stuff-done incumbents" not a "rag-tag group" of Republican candidates aligned with Trump.
 Flash

At least three people were killed and 49 others injured on Saturday in a two-train collision in Sharqiya Province north of the Egyptian capital Cairo, according to Egypt's Ministry of Health.

The health conditions of 44 injured individuals were stable, and were anticipated to be discharged from the hospitals in the coming hours, said the ministry in a statement, noting that five other individuals with unstable conditions required further monitoring.

The ministry said earlier that 39 ambulances were dispatched to the scene of the accident in Zagazig City of Sharqiya to evacuate the injured.

Meanwhile, Hazem al-Ashmouny, governor of Sharqiya Province, told Egypt's local Extra News TV channel that all passengers were evacuated from the two trains, and efforts are underway to restore train traffic on the railway line.

Egypt's National Railway Authority said in a statement that a committee of railway specialists was formed to determine the technical causes that led to the accident.
Virginia is a people state, not red, blue or, as Ive previously described it, purple.

America is founded on the principle that the just powers of governments are derived from the consent of the governed. This consent is visibly given when those who are exercising these powers cast their votes. The powers are spread when those so elected appoint others, thus widening the sphere of authority.

There are many instances of the growth of government and the exercise of power without the consent of the governed. When I was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 1969, the salary of a legislator was $1,500 a year. We did not have personal secretaries or legislative assistants. We met for 60 days every two years with an intervening 30-day budget session to correct or adjust the proposed budget. I cite these facts not to suggest that we return to those days  as change just for the sake of change is not justified. Many of the changes of those times were necessary. I reference this because there were not that many people who could afford to run for office.

Elections should be about more than just determining who will hold an office. Issues of accountability to the people should always be the primary purpose of elections. I have on many occasions said that my one-word definition of politics is money. I have challenged students to identify a single issue in government that does not relate to that simple reference. The real question at election time, whether national, state or local, must address how the peoples money will be allocated.

I invite you to join a symposium arranged by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, Elections 2024: The Importance of Listening to the People.

Susan T. Gooden, dean of the Wilder School, has invited me to join her in focusing on the vital importance of elections in todays world. We have been fortunate in securing the analyses of political experts Bob Holsworth, managing partner of DecideSmart, and Larry Sabato, director and founder of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, to moderate the discussion, which will also feature Robyn McDougle, associate dean of research and outreach. We will elicit audience participation, as well as pose questions encompassing national and state elections.

Just a stones throw across the Potomac from our nations capital, and home away from home for many serving in the U.S. Congress, we will discuss the importance of these topics to all Americans on Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m., on the VCU campus in Richmond at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave.

We will further discuss the power and authority imposed in other positions of leadership, though unelected, with appointed boards or agencies playing such increasingly important roles in decisions at all levels directly affecting the people. Though money has always been a necessary evil in politics, we will discuss what some consider the overwhelming impact it has relative to the basic decision-making process.

The nationally recognized Commonwealth Poll conducted by our team of experts has revealed results that will be examined and discussed. For nearly three decades, the VCU Wilder School Commonwealth Poll within the Center for Public Policy has served as an important bellwether for policymakers in Virginia and beyond, covering a range of topics, including voting intentions, economic and workforce development, education, housing, public health, public safety and racial equity. The Commonwealth Poll was a featured 2020 Presidential Election Poll by CNN, approved after a rigorous review of methodologies and assumptions to ensure that CNN-cited polling entities adhere to the gold standard in public opinion research. I am of the belief that Virginia is a leading state as a voice of the people.

Education, being a cornerstone of democracy, is always an issue. We will discuss what is needed to address historical inadequacies in K-12 and higher education.

Public safety in our homes and communities requires the commitment of those elected to lead by example. We will discuss the need for elected officials and law enforcement to work together to reduce crime, violence and restore confidence in leadership.

An informed polity is the most productive, and we aim to help in that undertaking. We hope to discuss the historical lack of fairness and inequality, as a part of our nations beginning, so as not to be confused with sound bites. History should never be confused with being so concrete that it is not subject to constant examination and revision.

A quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson, eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, inspired me to want to improve upon what was, to make it what it should be. We cannot afford to rest on any past achievements or laurels. As has been stated heretofore, we must re-dig the wells our fathers have dug. And we must continue to demand what is right and criticize what is wrong. I strongly believe that when the thing is right, the time is right. I introduced legislation and enlisted public support for adequate housing, second-chance education and voter education. Getting a one-gun-a-month law passed was not easy, but we got it done.

I did not think Virginia should help South Africa in its apartheid policies by purchasing their bonds for investment, and we got it done. A number of states followed Virginias action.

Though it took eight years to get Virginia to declare a legislative state holiday for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., we were able to accomplish this with bipartisan support. Some of those who opposed it in the beginning would eventually become patrons.

A question I always ask of those seeking election is, Why you? What have you done? Partisan divide should not result in a people divide. A no vote today could result in a yes vote tomorrow if the course is chartered to reflect the will of the people. This is a two-way street; the people must be informed about the issues to let the leaders know what they demand of them.

I look forward to an exciting and informative discussion with the fullest participation.

From the archives: In 1990, L. Douglas Wilder was inaugurated as Virginia's first elected African-American governor
AMPI Cancun concerned about how judicial reform will affect real estate investments

Cancun, Q.R.  The Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals (AMPI) of Cancun say they too, are concerned about the judicial reform. The reform, which will change how legal professionals are hired in Mexico, has been a concern for many.

Patricia Mora Vallejo, President of AMPI (Asociacion Mexicana de Profesionales Inmobiliarios) Cancun says city real estate projects have not stopped. She says they are hoping to finish the year on a positive note.

According to Vallejo, investors are concerned about the recently approved reform.

We dont know exactly what will happen, who will represent us in the judicial field, what capacity and knowledge they will have, she said referring to the new voting-in system of both federal and local legal professionals. We have to be prepared, she said.

Vallejo says she has heard from some investors who have already said they will wait for the official outcome of the secondary laws of the reform, which will help restore certainty, in particular, to U.S. investors, their largest market, to the local real estate market.

They continue to look at Cancun but not with the movement we expected. The elections in Mexico, the elections in the U.S. and then the reform of the Judicial Branch made developers a little nervous, but we have to wait for calm to arrive, to have everything that is going to happen broken down since it is important, she explained.

Patricia Mora Vallejo, President of AMPI Cancun.

Vallejo said investment projects that have already started in Cancun have not stopped since there are also investors from Mazatlan, Monterrey and abroad, however, AMPI is hoping to close the year on a positive note despite the reform.

Jesus Almaguer Salazar, President of the Association of Hotels of Cancun, Puerto Morelos and the Continental Zone of Isla Mujeres, said although the reform was necessary, it should have been done in a more intelligent way.

He says the outcome remains uncertain and is generating fear among investors and businessmen.

It will not only affect investors but also citizens. We do not know what characteristics the candidates for judges must meet, who will pay for the campaigns. Personally, I think it is not good for the country. Let us hope that the secondary laws are well nuanced, he said.
Cancun continues to be a safe place for tourists authorities report

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  Cancun continues to be a safe place for tourists looking for a sun and sand getaway. The state of Quintana Roo is a safe destination for travelers and was part of a recent overall advisory issued for Mexico, which is considered protocol.

In their published advisory, the U.S. Department of State recommended increased caution due to crime when traveling to Quintana Roo. The U.S. Consul General out of Merida, Justin A. Thomas, says he considers the state a safe place for American travelers.

The September 6 travel advisory by the U.S. Department of State covered 30 of Mexicos states. For Quintana Roo, the Department said criminal activity and violence may occur in any location, at any time, including in popular tourist destinations.

While not directed at tourists, shootings between rival gangs have injured and killed innocent bystanders, including U.S. citizens. Violent crime, including homicides and assaults, has increased in Tulum.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Quintana Roo state. Exercise increased caution after dark in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum and remain in well-lit pedestrian streets and tourist zones.

Consul General Thomas says Mexico receives more than 12 million American travelers each year and they consider the state of Quintana Roo one of their favorite vacation spots.

I believe that security strategies can always be strengthened since our goal is for tourists who travel to Quintana Roo to enjoy an excellent experience, not only in terms of security, but in every sense.

For us, Quintana Roo is primarily a safe destination for the more than 12 million Americans who travel every year, so security is essential and we see that work is being done in that direction.

The alerts are only protocols that must be followed and not necessarily to stop people from traveling, he explained.

According to Thomas, as far as his government is concerned, Quintana Roo has correctly addressed security problems that have risen. He says the objective is to continue collaborating with the state administration to maintain and even strengthen the alliances between the American government through the embassy in Mexico and the government of Quintana Roo.

Justin Thomas and Mara Lezama. Photo: U.S. Consulate September 4, 2024.

There are strong and close relations between the United States and the state. I believe that the government of Governor Mara Lezama has been phenomenal in terms of collaboration.

She has an excellent relationship with our ambassador and I want to maintain that good relationship as Consul here in the Yucatan Peninsula because she has an impressive development plan for Quintana Roo and on issues of womens empowerment, the environment, which is very important for my government as well.

I believe that her vision will be important for the experience of North Americans who come to visit or live here in the state, he said.
State tourism authorities working to reverse disappointing summer figures

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  Efforts will be increased to promote state tourism after a disappointing summer. Authorities say the hotel industry around the state will increase promotional efforts in hopes of a better winter.

Jesus Almaguer, President of the Hotel Association of Cancun, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres, said they are currently reviewing winter 2024-2025 hotel reservation figures.

The review was called after a slow summer tourist season left many hotels with a lower-than-expected occupany rate. Many hotels reported around 60 perent occupancy rates, a figure they hope to increase for the upcoming winter travel season.

While some state authorities blamed the low travel figures on cancelations due to Tulum protests, others say it is the ongoing problems with power outages and Maya Train work, which has created months of congested traffic in some areas.

Raul Andrade Angulo, President of the Hotel Association of Central and Southern Quintana Roo, said the 2024 summer travel season saw a high number of cancellations due to Maya Train work and Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) power outages.

Raul Andrade Angulo

He said with an average occupancy rate of 60 percent, the organized hotel industry in the southern area of Quintana Roo was barely able to survive the summer holidays due to the increase in operating expenses and decreased occupancy rates.

He reported that unfortunately, traffic jams caused by the Maya Train industrial work vehicles did affect us. We received many cancellations because the news spread through the networks that it was very complicated to travel between Chetumal and Bacalar.

To the above, we must add the problem with the CFE power outages, which have been a constant.

Congested highway traffic in the south affected tourism in Bacalar and Chetumal. Photo: June 2024.

He explained in general terms, we were able to cope with it although each destination must be analyzed according to its peculiarities since, for example, in the case of Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Chetumal, since work on the Maya Train began we have had hotels in both low and medium occupancy rate ranges which have been occupied by workers and executives on a seasonal basis.

Once the project is complete, those occupancy rates will disappear, he said.

However, State Tourism Secretariat, Bernardo Cueto Riestra denied that there was a collapse in the arrival of visitors. According to Riestra, the low number of tourists, which resulted in low hotel occupancy rates, was not due to a collapse in tourism but to the accelerated growth of hotel infrastructure, especially in the increase in rooms and Airbnb units.

Hotel occupancy rates have hovered around 60 percent this summer. Photo: Riviera Maya News

Riestra says the summer vacation season registered a general occupancy rate of approximately 70 percent. If we dont count the hotel rooms and Airbnb units newly created this year, the percentage would have exceeded 90 percent, he said.

Riestra explained that the state has 133,000 hotel rooms that need to be filled, when in past seasons there was less than 110,000. He explained that not only are more tourists coming to Quintana Roo, but they are also spending almost 20 percent more.

He says to measure Quintana Roos success in terms of tourism, Airbnb units must also be considered since they too receive millions of tourists.

According to a recent report by STARC (Sustainable Tourism Advanced Research Center) in Cancun, the city recorded a 13.6 percent drop in international traffic during August.

However, Cancun was not Mexicos only tourist hot spot to record a decline in international travel. According to STARC, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, both major attractors of international tourism, also saw a decrease in travelers.

Flights into the state have also recorded a decrease in figures.

According to STARC, only in the first quarter of this year did international passenger traffic report growth at the Cancun International Airport. By April, it showed a slight decline and from there, the subsequent months reflected a loss of 13.6 percent, resulting in a disappointing summer season.

For Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos, March was the last month they reported growth in international tourism.

While tourism figures remain in the positive due to a 4.7 boost in the first quarter, the summer drop will change the perspective in the second half of the year. In Quintana Roo alone, at least 100 fewer flights are being seen compared to the same period last year. This, despite the new air terminal in full operation in Tulum.

Occupancy indicators are pointing to political decisions in Mexico effecting the Colombia and Brazil markets, the latter due to the lack of electronic visas, which has resulted in a significant decline in travelers.

Riestra admitted the decline in flights but stressed that it is only a temporary adjustment since the planes were returned to their respective headquarters for scheduled maintenance, although they hope that they will be reactivated soon.

Several restaurants in Isla Mujeres have shut completely for a month-long vacation during the ulta low tourist season.

Photos: September 14, 2024.

He also mentioned that they have a series of international events scheduled to bring in travelers during the low season. In Cancun, in the following days we have scheduled the arrival of 5,000 visitors for an international event, while for Tulum and Playa del Carmen, similar numbers.

There are many and varied events and conventions that will help maintain economic activity in the state and thus avoid the so-called solidarity layoffs that affect workers in this sector every year, he said.

Rebeca Bravo, the Director of Promotion of the Asociacion de Hoteles de Cancun, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres, says they are working to promote more than 30 events that will reinforce the Fall season.

Events are being organized to draw tourism during the low season. Photo: CGC 2024.

The events include promotional caravans and meetings with travel agents, tour operators and partners in cities such as Guadalajara, Monterrey, Mexico City, Veracruz, Puebla and others, as well as in cities in the United States.

The bet is on an immediate reaction to generate tourist flow this Fall, where she said, promotions are not sacrificing the price of the room, but providing additional bonuses to encourage tourist arrival.
A reported assault prompted Virginia Tech to issue an alert early Saturday warning people to stay away from the section of campus near the Moss Arts Center.

The university said that the incident was thought to be an altercation between two people, with no wider continuing threat. Officers continue to look for a suspect.

Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski wrote in an email that at about 1:58 a.m., Tech police received a report of an assault in progress near the arts center. The assault possibly included the brandishing of a knife, Owczarski wrote.

The university issued a secure in place alert, which means to avoid the area, Owczarski wrote. This lasted until police could secure the area.

The incident apparently started off campus on Blacksburgs South Main Street and the victim retreated from the suspect onto campus where he was able to escape, Owczarskis email said.

Tech police were assisted by Blacksburg police and the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office in responding to the assault report. The suspect was not found, and Tech police continue to investigate, Owczarskis email said.

Police are seeking a Hispanic man who is about 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds, with a stocky build, short black hair, and wearing light-colored striped polo short and shorts.

Investigators ask anyone who witnessed the incident or has other information to call the Tech police department at (540) 382-4343 and ask to speak to an officer, or to relay information anonymously at police.vt.edu/anonymous.

The university advised that everyone maintain awareness of surroundings, trust instincts, and immediately report suspicious people or circumstances.
SALIX, Iowa  Business is buzzing for Aaron Mallett.

The 31-year-old owner of Mallett Bees is wrapping up his ninth season in the business. It has grown from what he called a hobbyist level to a full-time business. He sells to three Sioux City Hy-Vee locations, and Fareway stores in Sergeant Bluff and Sioux City. His products are also stocked at five coffee shops in Sioux City, Sloan, Onawa and North Sioux City.

He has 350-400 bee colonies headquartered on his parents farm in Salix, but the colonies are scattered around Woodbury and Monona counties.

The weather made for a challenging 2024, but the hot late summer helped turn it around.

The Journal spoke with Aaron Mallett about how he got into the bee business, and what he sees as its future. Questions and answers have been lightly edited for clarity and style.

How did you get started in the bee business and why?

"My mom worked at Sue Bee Honey for over 30 years, and they always encourage their employees to have hives. She had the bees, but I took more of an interest in it than she did. I kind of just took it and ran basically. She was talking about maybe getting rid of them at one point. It was hard to keep them alive. I was fascinated with them. It just kind of snowballed from there."

How has the bee season been in Salix?

"Its been up and down. It was a cool wet spring and then summer too. It was really wet as everybody knows. We got hot and dry in late July and into August. The honey flow just turned on. We kind of made-up ground. It became more of an average year. I am still extracting honey."

What do you enjoy about the business?

"Obviously, I love beekeeping. Thats why I do it. The hive is mind-blowing. The little things that they (the bees) do just to go about their day. The marketing side is half the love of it. I get to meet so many amazing people at the Farmers Market. Our products are sold at Fareway and Hy-Vee now. Ive learned so much about other fields, too. At the coffee shops, Ive learned so much about coffee and grown an appreciation for it. I have a lot of pride in what I do. I take a lot of care in dealing with the bee honey that they worked so hard to gather. In my mind to ruin that would be a crime. So, I try to keep it as pure and raw as possible."

What are the various products you produce?

"Mostly just raw honey. I also started doing some more specialty stuff like creamed honey. Weve started expanding out the flavors. We started doing cinnamon cream on top of just the regular. That was a hit, now we do raspberry strawberry and blueberry. Weve been messing with doing a lemon lavender. Its hard to source some of those things."

What do see as the future of the business?

"I think Ive maximized what I can do on a a local retail scale. I am leaning towards two options. Option one is to sell to a packer like Sue Bee on top of what I already do. I have a surplus of honey. Another option is to start selling it to Fareway, Hy-Vee on a larger scale. I want to try to keep it local. I want to keep that appreciation for a local product."
SIOUX CITY  The Sioux City Council will be asked Monday to adopt plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost for the construction of a "high strength waste receiving facility" and related work that could total $20 million.

It's one of of two items on the council agenda related to the Sioux City Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The project, which city documents give a construction schedule of 455 working days, would be located at the plant, 3100 S. Lewis Blvd. Work would involve the building of the high strength waste receiving facility as well as replacing four air units, converting two anaerobic digesters (which break down organic matter) and various pumping, piping, valve and control work. The plans and specifications were completed by Donohue & Associates of St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

The effort would be funded by Iowa State Revolving Funds (meant for investments in safe and clean water) and American Rescue Plan Act funds. A public hearing on the matter is set for Oct. 14, 2024.

In July, the Sioux City Council rejected a bid for work that would add anaerobic digestion capacity to the wastewater treatment plant because the price came in nearly double the city engineer's estimate. That same month, Sioux City Council rejected bids for a short-term improvement project at the plant after both came in much higher than the engineer's estimate. The project included the work on the plant's north primary clarifiers (which separate heavy solids and grease from wastewater), cleaning and sludge removal and concrete repair for structural integrity.

The other wastewater treatment plant agenda item the council is considering is the awarding and approving of a contract to Innovative Masonry Restoration LLC (Prior Lake, Minnesota) for the repair work previously rejected. Innovative Masonry Restoration LLC's base bid came in at $3.544 million which was about $266,000 less than the next closest bidder. The bid is below the engineer's estimate of $3.9 million, according to city documents. Funding is coming from American Rescue Plan Act funds.

In 2023, the council approved a residential, commercial and industrial sewer rate hike to fund a phased rebuild of the plant which would cost $275 million for stage one and between $175 million and $200 million for stage two.

Knife River relocation

The Sioux City Council is also scheduled to give third and final consideration to a rezoning effort for a 30-acre tract of land at 3700 Jefferson St. so that Knife River can relocate there from 2220 Hawkeye Drive and perform heavy industrial work, including making asphalt and ready-mix concrete.

Sioux City businessman Dolf Ivener made the request which has angered some Leeds neighborhood residents who are worried about an impact on quality of life, noise and dust.

New utilities field office building

The Sioux City Council is also being asked to conduct a public hearing and approve plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost of construction for a new utilities field office building that would be located at the intersection of 18th Street and Steuben Street.

The city has said a new office is needed because the current building at 1723 18th Street has foundation issues. The city engineer's opinion of probable construction cost for the work is $10,324,084. The site work estimate is $1,968,137, the administrative office estimate is $3,257,607 and vehicle storage work is estimated to total $5,098,340, according to city documents.

Those documents also state the project currently has an available balance of $6,518,074.32 "The amount of $2,200,000.00 is being requested in FY2026; the amount of $1,000,000.00 is being requested in FY2027; the amount of $1,000,000.00 is being requested in FY2028," documents stated.

A bid letting would take place on Sept. 24 and the completion date is pegged for Oct. 1, 2026.

Knife River proposed site Knife River wants to relocate its operations to a site at 3700 Jefferson St. in the Leeds neighborhood.

Inclusion Board addition

Since the suspension and subsequent firing of Sioux City's first community inclusion liaison, Semehar Ghebrekidan, multiple members of the Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee have resigned: LaShawna Moyle, Jim Jung, Ricardo Osorio and Margarite Reiner.

The Sioux City Council is being asked to appoint Sandra Bass to complete the balance of a four-year term (expiring Dec. 31, 2026) to replace Jung.

A related agenda item requests that the council interview Nissan Brown and Erin Cron to potentially fill two other vacancies. Brown presently serves as a member of the Sioux City Seniors Advisory Committee while Cron has not served on any Sioux City Council appointed boards, commissions or committees.
Slovnaft refinery to continue purchasing Russian oil amid geopolitical tensions.

The endpoint of the Druzhba pipeline at the Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava. (Source: TASR)

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share

Bratislavas Slovnaft refinery will continue purchasing Russian oil from the Lukoil company, with supplies continuing to flow through the Druzhba pipeline. This pipeline, which passes through Belarus and Ukraine, remains the main conduit for oil from Russia to Slovakia, a crucial resource for Slovnafts operations.

The flow of Russian oil to Slovakia ceased earlier this year after Ukraine imposed sanctions on Lukoil ahead of the summer, leaving Slovnaft without its key supplier. The Slovak government called the disruption of supplies through Ukraine a violation of the association agreement with the European Union. However, the European Commission assured Slovakia and Hungary that an energy crisis was not imminent, pointing to alternative supply routes such as the Adria pipeline. Additionally, other Russian companies continued to supply oil through the Druzhba pipeline without interruption.

Slovakia and Hungary remain the only EU countries reliant on Russian oil, but several other EU countries are still one of the largest purchasers of Russian raw materials.

MOL assumes responsibility for oil transportation

The Hungary-based MOL Group, which owns the Bratislava refinery, has since reached an agreement with the pipeline operators. However, the deal comes with a stipulation: MOL must take ownership of the oil while it is still on Belarusian territory, assuming responsibility for its transportation from Belarus through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.
Lore regarding St Medard among the most famous in Slovakia.

St Medard is similar to St Swithun in England in that if it rains on June 8, it will then rain for the following 40 days, until July 17. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubco)

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share

One of the most well-known pieces of weather lore in Slovakia is about Medard, which goes like this: Medard's drop will be dropping for 40 days (Medardova kvapka 40 dni kvapka). It refers to a phenomenon where wet Atlantic ocean air brings precipitation to Slovakia, combined with a decrease in temperature.

Is it still valid, though? That is the question that hydrologist Michal Danko from the Institute of Hydrology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences recently posed, and he has come up with an interesting piece of scientific information.

"The general public often mentions this weather lore, and since we have fairly accurate rainfall data, I wanted to see how accurate it is in reality," Danko told The Slovak Spectator.

Related article

Related article Climatologist: Slovakia's summer has been a record-breaker, and not in a good way Read more

To stay up to date with what scientists in Slovakia or Slovak scientists around the world are doing, subscribe to the Slovak Science newsletter, which will be sent to readers free of charge four times a year.

Where does the lore come from?

According to the hydrologist, the weather lore probably comes from France, where Medard (456-545), the bishop of Noyon, lived. He is the patron saint of farmers, shepherds, wine makers and good harvests.

According to legend, he was caught in a storm as a boy, an eagle swooping down and protecting him from the rain with its wings. This is why he became associated with rainy weather, especially at the time of hay drying. Medard's feast day is celebrated on June 8, in a period that was crucial for harvesting.

St Medard is similar to St Swithun in England in that if it rains on June 8, it will rain for the following 40 days, until July 17.

The validity of this is what Danko set out to investigate. Since he works at the institute's Liptovsky Mikulas branch office, which handles detailed hydrological research and has kept their own records and measurements for the last 35 years, it allowed him to evaluate the weather lore. There is no similar data for other areas of Slovakia.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240915/firsthand-witness-us-journalist-on-ukraine-conflict-western-lies-roots-of-russian-invincibility-1120146304.html

Firsthand Witness: US Journalist on Ukraine Conflict, Western Lies, Roots of Russian Invincibility

Firsthand Witness: US Journalist on Ukraine Conflict, Western Lies, Roots of Russian Invincibility

Sputnik International

American journalist Tofurious Maximus Crane travelled to Russia in 2023 to witness events firsthand, as the Western media is keeping people in the dark about the Ukraine conflict. He sat down with Sputnik to discuss his Donbass experience, views on traditional values, and conversion to Orthodoxy.

2024-09-15T12:00+0000

2024-09-15T12:00+0000

2024-09-15T12:00+0000

world

russia

ukraine

americans

nazis

nato

us

opinion

europe

european union (eu)

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/0f/1120159356_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_48f0a1d12bb75b7be320a643211e93ba.jpg

On his arrival in Russia's Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), American journalist Tofurious Maximus Crane, together with other war correspondents, came under Ukrainian fire at a local cafe.According to Crane, that incident showed him how resilient everybody was. He has travelled a lot around the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and other Russian regions, and what struck him the most was the high morale and patriotism of people living there.The US corporate press still keeps on the hush facts about Ukrainian neo-Nazis, downplays or altogether ignores the significance of the Donbass referendums, and claims that the ongoing conflict was "unprovoked" and the Russians have no right to be there, according to the journalist.In the wake of the beginning of the special military operation, Russian media, including Sputnik and RT, were banned in the EU and labeled as "disinformation" on US social media. On September 4, the US stepped up sanctions against the Rossiya Segodnya media group. Crane says he has never seen any falsehoods come out of Russian media. In contrast, the Western press usually quotes anonymous sources that can't be corroborated."Western media is just about control and deception," he said.West Hasn't Learned Lessons of Napoleon and Nazis DefeatsWhile in Moscow, Crane attended the Russian Defense Ministry's exhibition of NATO weapons and equipment captured from the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the special military operation at Poklonnaya Hill.The West has not learned the lessons of the French and Nazi German invasions of Russia in 1812 and 1941, respectively, according to Crane. The French and Nazis also thought that they were invincible and could take on Russia, he said.History is repeating itself, and now NATO-trained Ukrainian troops and Western mercenaries are being obliterated in the special military operation. Vaunted US-made Abrams tanks, destroyed by the Russian military and put on display at Poklonnaya Hill, are a symbol of the West's arrogance and enormous waste of money, the journalist pointed out.'Russia is Largest Country Still Embracing Traditional Values'The ongoing conflict hasn't made the Russian people callous, and they treat Ukrainian prisoners of war (PoW) humanely, Crane said, referring to interviews with Ukrainian captives. The Russians are eager to forgive if one really repents of the malicious things one has done, per the journalist. According to Crane, that attitude stems from the traditional Orthodox Christian values shared by many Russians.Russia is a "beacon of hope" and a "lifeboat" for conservatives in the US and Europe, the pundit continued, expressing hope that they will settle in Russia one day.But thats not all: the US-born journalist feels a special spiritual connection to Russian Orthodoxy.According to Crane, the interest in Orthodoxy is on the rise among Western conservatives as their governments peddle a neo-liberal and sometimes overtly "satanic" agenda.Russia is Large, Diverse, and Worth ExploringCrane plans to stay in Russia and obtain Russian citizenship. He also informs other foreigners how to move to the country.President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on August 19 providing foreigners who share Russia's spiritual and moral values, and who seek to escape the West's destructive neo-liberal ideals, with a temporary residence permit in the country.Crane is looking forward to exploring Russia, the biggest country on the planet.Many Americans dont realize how big, beautiful, and diverse Russia is, Crane says, adding that his next mission will be to travel around the country and show the rest of the world what its like.*banned for extremism in Russia

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240710/zelensky-admits-abrams-tanks-toothless-on-battlefield-seeks-scores-of-f-16s--1119322003.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240207/russia-may-forge-partnerships-with-asia-and-mideast-to-explore-arctic--expert-1116646347.html

russia

ukraine

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

2024

Ekaterina Blinova

Ekaterina Blinova

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

Tofurius Maximus Crane Sputnik International Tofurius Maximus Crane 2024-09-15T12:00+0000 true PT1M58S

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

Ekaterina Blinova

tofurious maximus crane, donetsk, ukraine war, ukraine conflict, russia, orthodox, west decline
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240915/hillary-clinton-derides-palestinians-college-students-in-leaked-excerpts-from-new-book-1120157439.html

Hillary Clinton Derides Palestinians, College Students in Leaked Excerpts From New Book

Hillary Clinton Derides Palestinians, College Students in Leaked Excerpts From New Book

Sputnik International

Former US Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sparked controversy this week when leaked excerpts from her upcoming book criticized pro-Palestine campus protesters and Palestinian political leadership.

2024-09-15T04:13+0000

2024-09-15T04:13+0000

2024-09-15T04:29+0000

americas

us

hillary clinton

yasser arafat

bill clinton

israel

camp david

palestine

israel defense forces (idf)

msnbc

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/0f/1120157768_0:0:3000:1688_1920x0_80_0_0_618a920379fd0a9827cc84912f04a374.jpg

Former US Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sparked controversy this week when leaked excerpts from her upcoming book criticized pro-Palestine campus protesters and Palestinian political leadership.Clinton described a Columbia University campus tense with shock and grief after Hamass October 7 attack on Israel last year. The former first lady has lectured on the Ivy League campus since January 2023 and described seeking advice from the universitys School of International and Public Affairs Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo, who grew up in Israel and served as an intelligence officer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).Clinton also described a tense environment during classes after the event, claiming she was troubled by a student who asked why Hamas is considered a terrorist organization but the IDF is not. The IDF has killed an estimated 41,118 Palestinians amid its military operation in Gaza and traces its roots to self-avowed Zionist terrorist groups such as Lehi, Irgun, and Haganah.The former secretary of state also claimed campus protesters lacked an understanding of the history of the region, an attack she made earlier this year on liberal cable television channel MSNBC.A group of students walked out of Clintons class at Columbia in November to protest the schools response to pro-Palestine activism on campus, while earlier this year demonstrators disrupted her appearance at her alma mater Wellesley College.Opinion surveys show a significant age divide on perceptions of the Palestine-Israel conflict in the United States, with younger Americans  increasingly including young Jews  more likely to express sympathy for the Palestinian cause. Some 48% of people from 18 to 29 years old say Israel is intentionally killing civilians, while 55% oppose further US aid to Israel. There is broad support among the age group for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.Clinton also took the opportunity in her new book to repeat a common line of attack against former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, whom she blames for the failure of peace talks organized by her husband former President Bill Clinton at Camp David in 2000. But Arafat had warned Clinton that the two sides were not ready before finally agreeing to take part in the discussions after the former president assured him he would not be blamed if talks failed.Clinton put enormous pressure on Arafat to come [to the peace talks], recalled international relations scholar John Mearsheimer of the discussions. Arafat said, I'll go to Camp David, but I want to be clear that I don't think this is going to work out, and if it doesn't work out, I don't want you to blame me. In other words, I don't want you to stab me in the back.If you talk to most supporters of Israel in the United States today, theyll tell you that story every time. It's a story that's constantly repeated. And Hillary now repeating it will just give more ammunition to Israel's supporters to make the argument that 'we'd all be living happily ever after had it not been for Arafat,' which is another way of saying 'if it hadn't been for those evil Palestinians.'

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240427/jewish-student-protester-shatters-myth-of-antisemitic-campus-demonstrations-1118133061.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240310/with-us-backing-israel-is-starving-22-million-palestinians-in-gaza-1117237324.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240428/world-central-kitchen-to-resume-work-in-gaza-as-hunger-malnutrition-still-stalk-enclave-1118167268.html

americas

israel

camp david

palestine

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

hillary clinton new book, hillary clinton palestine protests, hillary clinton columbia protests, hillary clinton yassar arafat, yassar arafat, genocide, campus protests, clinto on gaza, gaza war, iraeli war, israeli genocide, clinton hypocrisy
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240915/idf-admits-potential-guilt-in-killing-3-israeli-hostages-in-gaza-strip-in-november-2023-1120160877.html

IDF Admits Potential Guilt in Killing 3 Israeli Hostages In Gaza Strip in November 2023

IDF Admits Potential Guilt in Killing 3 Israeli Hostages In Gaza Strip in November 2023

Sputnik International

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday it finalized the probe into the circumstances of killing three hostages in the Gaza Strip in November 2023, adding they most probably had died due to an Israeli air strike.

2024-09-15T15:44+0000

2024-09-15T15:44+0000

2024-09-15T15:44+0000

world

middle east

gaza strip

israel

israel defense forces (idf)

hamas

palestine-israel conflict

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/1e/1116500566_0:101:3072:1829_1920x0_80_0_0_c33d3b1253fe08612b49b891f200c6a7.jpg

Earlier in September, Israeli media reported that three Israeli hostages found in the Gaza Strip in December 2023 had died due to the Israeli airstrike on Palestinian fighters in the enclave. Later, the Jewish state rejected media accusations concerning covering up data of the IDF involvement in hostage deaths. The findings of the investigation suggest a high probability that the three were killed as a result of a byproduct of an IDF airstrike, during the elimination of the Hamas Northern Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November 10th, 2023. This is a high-probability assessment based on all of the available information, but it is not possible to definitively determine the circumstances of their deaths, the IDF said in a statement. The conclusions were made based on all the data including the location of where the bodies were found, forensic experts' conclusions, research into the effectiveness of the ammunition used, among the others, the military officials said. The investigation indicates that the three hostages were held in the tunnel complex from which Ghandour operated. At the time of the strike, the IDF did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound. Furthermore, there was information suggesting that they were located elsewhere, and thus the area was not designated as one with suspected presence of hostages, the statement read. The Israeli data shows there are still 101 hostages held by Hamas, including those considered dead. Through a number of operations and humanitarian efforts, Over 150 people were returned from Hamas captivity.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240913/two-state-solution-not-on-the-table-idf-assault-continues-israel-will-not-leave-lebanon-alone-1120128472.html

gaza strip

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

the israel defense forces (idf) said on sunday it finalized the probe into the circumstances of killing three hostages in the gaza strip in november 2023, adding they most probably had died due to an israeli air strike.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240915/russian-electronic-warfare-makes-gps-useless-for-ukraines-guided-missiles---reports-1120158739.html

Russian Electronic Warfare Makes GPS Useless for Ukraine's Guided Missiles

Russian Electronic Warfare Makes GPS Useless for Ukraine's Guided Missiles

Sputnik International

Electronic warfare (EW) used by the Russian army has made Ukraine's attempts to use the GPS system to guide missiles useless, the Times reported on Sunday, citing a British military source.

2024-09-15T07:04+0000

2024-09-15T07:04+0000

2024-09-15T10:24+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukraine

russia

sergey lavrov

us arms for ukraine

electronic warfare

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/1d/1118674175_0:321:3072:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_6486ecfcb2130d91f6ec5e69b6656551.jpg

"You could absolutely fire it unilaterally, but it probably wouldnt survive in the contested, electronically jammed environment that the Russians have," the source told the newspaper. "Russian electronic warfare has rendered GPS useless. They jam it. So it has to use another type of data set instead, which is American owned." Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the settlement, directly involve NATO countries in the conflict and are "playing with fire."Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. According to Lavrov, the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries.The Kremlin stated that pumping weapons into Ukraine by the West did not contribute to negotiations and would have a negative effect.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240529/western-media-unanimous-in-praise-for-russias-electronic-warfare-tech-1118674030.html

ukraine

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

russian electronic warfare, can ukraine use gps for missiles, russian army warfare
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240915/uk-pm-allegedly-failed-to-disclose-gifts-given-to-wife-from-wealthy-donor---report-1120156908.html

UK PM Allegedly Failed to Disclose Gifts Given to Wife From Wealthy Donor - Report

UK PM Allegedly Failed to Disclose Gifts Given to Wife From Wealthy Donor - Report

Sputnik International

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under fire after he allegedly broke a parliamentary rule, in which he failed to declare gifts of clothing for his wife from multimillionaire Labor Party donor Waheed Alli.

2024-09-15T03:03+0000

2024-09-15T03:03+0000

2024-09-15T03:03+0000

world

keir starmer

united kingdom (uk)

financial times

the sunday times

corruption

cronyism

gifts

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/0f/1120157205_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_e888cadc695abe2c91c4c69382a97177.jpg

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under fire after he allegedly broke a parliamentary rule, in which he failed to declare gifts of clothing for his wife from multimillionaire Labor Party donor Waheed Alli. The former investment banker and donor purportedly paid for a personal shopper for Victoria Starmer, 50, the former solicitor and wife of the UKs new PM.According to reports, the prime minister did not declare his wifes gifts in the register of the MPs interests. The 62-year-old sought out parliamentary authorities on Tuesday and made a late declaration after he was given updated advice on what he needed to register, The Sunday Times reported.According to the report, Starmer, 62, now faces an investigation after he neglected to disclose the gifts his wife had received. Alli is the former chairman of Asos, an online fast-fashion retailer, and his wealth is estimated to stand at 200 million, the report details.Alli previously caused controversy when he somehow managed to acquire a No 10 security pass, shortly after Starmer was elected, and used it to host about 50 donors and other guests at a party there. The entrepreneur, who co-created the television series Survivor, has given nearly 1 million to the Labor party over the past two decades. The party's headquarters were also involved in helping organize the delivery of Mrs. Starmers luxurious gifts.The fashion mogul reportedly gifted the Labor leader nearly 19,000 worth of work clothes and glasses, and spent 20,000 on accommodation for the new prime minister while he was running for office, as well as roughly the same amount on private office costs. All of these gifts were disclosed by Starmer, apart from the gifts his wife received.Mrs. Starmer has since rejected free products that were offered to her including clothes, jewelry and make-up, the report said. Meanwhile, Starmers completed register of interests is scheduled to be published some time next month.Starmers misstep is a poor reflection of the principles he ran on, including his promise to clean up UK politics by cutting out cronyism; the prime minister made consistent attacks against former Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his reliance on donors.In 2021, Sputnik reported that Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister of the UK and Secretary of State for Housing, received four times as many donations as her Conservative MPs whom she had accused of political sleaze. At the time, when she was Labor deputy leader, one of her donors was reported to be Alli, amongst other big ticket donors.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20210519/labour-deputy-leader-gets-four-times-donations-of-tories-she-accuses-of-sleaze-1082938325.html

united kingdom (uk)

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

keir starmer, uk, labor party, political donors, corruption, cronyism, british corruption, corrupted starmer, corrupted pm, corrupted starmer, starmer's wife, gifts for wife
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240915/ukraine-loses-up-to-765-soldiers-in-battles-with-russias-battlegroup-yug---russian-ministry-1120159746.html

Ukraine Loses Up to 765 Soldiers in Battles With Russia's Battlegroup Yug - Russian Ministry

Ukraine Loses Up to 765 Soldiers in Battles With Russia's Battlegroup Yug - Russian Ministry

Sputnik International

Ukraine has lost up to 765 soldiers in battles with Russia's Battlegroup Yug, while the latter has repelled three counterattacks in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

2024-09-15T10:40+0000

2024-09-15T10:40+0000

2024-09-15T10:40+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

russia

ukraine

russian defense ministry

ukrainian conflict

ukrainian crisis

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/05/1120034933_0:180:3005:1870_1920x0_80_0_0_6ba351ce5b06ecf3b85c0575c5eba992.jpg

Russia's Zapad Battlegroup has also repelled three Ukrainian counterattacks while Kiev has lost up to 570 soldiers in battles with the Russian military over the past 24 hours, the ministry added. Russian forces have defeated the Ukrainian troops in the Kharkov (also known as Kharkiv) Region, the ministry said, adding that Ukraine has lost up to 150 servicemen there, five combat armored vehicles, four cars, a French-made 155-mm Caesar howitzer, a US-made 155-mm M114 howitzer, among the others.Meanwhile, Russia's Tsentr Battlegroup has repelled 10 Ukrainian counterattacks over the past 24 hours while Kiev lost up to 545 soldiers, the ministry said. Over the past 24 hours, the Russian Aerospace Forces have shut down two Su-27 fighters of the Ukrainian air forces, while air defense systems shot down a MiG-29 fighter of the Ukrainian air forces, the ministry said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/ukraine-loses-over-13100-soldiers-during-operation-in-kursk-region---mod-1120150935.html

russia

ukraine

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 special operations, russian defense ministry, russia's battlegroup yug, ukraine has lost soldiers
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240915/west-cannot-impose-its-will-on-iran-through-sanctions---foreign-minister-1120158924.html

West Cannot Impose Its Will on Iran Through Sanctions - Foreign Minister

West Cannot Impose Its Will on Iran Through Sanctions - Foreign Minister

Sputnik International

Western countries are unable to impose their will on Iran by using sanctions, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said.

2024-09-15T10:06+0000

2024-09-15T10:06+0000

2024-09-15T10:06+0000

world

iran

sanctions

us sanctions

sanctions list

new sanctions

western sanctions

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/06/1110959090_0:146:3072:1874_1920x0_80_0_0_d62da8cbd0753630aa8cd3a125c72f24.jpg

Western countries should know, and it is surprising that they don't already know this, that sanctions are a failed tool and they cannot impose their will on Iran by sanctions, both on the nuclear issue and on other issues. Araghchi said, as quoted by the Fars news agency.The top Iranian diplomat also called on the Western countries to change their course, adding that Tehran is ready to engage in dialogue based on mutual respect, rather than threats and pressure.In a joint statement on Tuesday, Germany, the United Kingdom and France threatened Iran with new sanctions, including cancellation of bilateral air service agreements, over Tehran's alleged deliveries of short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use in combat operations in Ukraine. Iran has denied the accusations of providing military support to Russia, saying it is not involved in the conflict in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has admitted that he had no evidence of Iran transferring ballistic missiles to Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/russia-iran-ties-not-affect-third-countries-security-us-should-not-interfere---russias-deputy-fm-1120149568.html

iran

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

iran, western sanctions, sanctions against iran
Twin B Joe Fresh completed the sweep of Woodbine Mohawk Park's marquee pacing mare events for 2024 with a victory in Saturdays $205,000 Milton Stakes.

A winner of the $305,000 Roses Are Red Stakes in June, Twin B Joe Fresh had all eyes on her as the 1-9 favourite against five of the sports finest mares in her return to Mohawk.

Leaving from the inside post, Twin B Joe Fresh scooted out to get away second behind rival Sylvia Hanover (Bob McClure), who led through a :27.1 opening panel. Driver and co-owner Dexter Dunn moved Twin B Joe Fresh to the lead in the second quarter and posted a reasonable half of :56.

With the ball in her court, Twin B Joe Fresh kicked things up on the far turn with a :27.2 third quarter before unleashing as easy of a :25.4 final quarter as possible to win in 1:49.1.

Not to be forgotten, Sylvia Hanover finished very strong right behind the winner to edge Silver Label (Doug McNair) for the place position. Her stablemate Prohibition Legal (Louis-Philippe Roy) finished fourth.

She felt great; post parade tonight was probably the best she felt all year, said Dunn of Twin B Joe Fresh. Shes extremely bright at the moment, shes feeling good and I was really happy with her going to the gate.

A four-year-old daughter of Roll With Joe and Fresh Breeze bred by Brittany Farms, Twin B Joe Fresh is trained by Chris Ryder, who shares ownership with Dunn, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak.

The sport's top ranked Standardbred has won eight straight stakes in nine starts this season to earn nearly $700,000. Saturdays win was the 27th career score for Twin B Joe Fresh to take her over $2.1 million in lifetime earnings.

A $2 win ticket on Twin B Joe Fresh paid $2.20.

To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(With files from Woodbine)
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

A map included in the new strategy, showing places in Australia best suited to green hydrogen production. Credit: Geosciences Australia

Producing hydrogen remains vital to Australia's prosperity through the net-zero transition, according to a major strategy that lays a national pathway to becoming a global leader in low-emissions technology.

The new National Hydrogen Strategy, released today by Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, aims to ensure Australia produces green hydrogen at a competitive cost. It's also designed to guide investment and signal Australia's bold ambitions for the world.

The document updates the first national hydrogen strategy, released in 2019 by then Chief Scientist Alan Finkel. I helped devise that strategy in my previous job as a federal public servant. I was also part of a panel convened to advise the government on the strategy released today (although it was up to the government whether the advice was accepted).

In my view, this new version of the hydrogen strategy improves on the old one, and responds to changing circumstances. But much remains unclear, including how the strategy interacts with existing policies, and whether taxpayer money will be used to fund hydrogen projects doomed to fail.

What is hydrogen?

Hydrogen is the smallest, lightest and most abundant element in the universe. It's usually found as a gas, or bonded to other elements.

The element is used to make products such as fertilizers, explosives and plastics. In the future, it may also be a zero-emissions replacement for fossil fuels in industries such as steel and chemical manufacturing.

Hydrogen can also store electricityso it may one day be used to shore up domestic electricity supplies, or be transported in liquid form to countries less able to produce renewable energy.

Australia currently makes very low volumes of hydrogen using natural gas, which produces greenhouse gas emissions.

We are well-placed to produce "green" or zero-emissions hydrogen, through a process powered by renewable energy which releases hydrogen from water.

But creating a large green hydrogen industry won't be easy. Today's strategyled by the federal government in collaboration with the states and territoriesseeks to find a path through.

Aiming for a new target

The cost of producing green hydrogen is currently higher than what most buyers are willing to pay. The new strategy seeks to overcome this by scaling up production.

It sets production targets: 500,000 metric tons of green hydrogen a year by 2030, and 15 million metric tons a year by 2050.

The strategy also sets more ambitious "stretch targets" of 1.5 million metric tons by 2030 and 30 million metric tons by 2050. Achieving this will require finding new customers for the hydrogen we produce.

The new strategy dispenses with a previous target set by the Coalition government in 2020, to produce hydrogen for less than $2 a kilogram.

As I've written before, that target did not account for the high costs of moving and storing hydrogen, and switching to new technology that can use it.

Production and price targets can both be effective, if they are realistic. But whether those targets are achieved comes down to governments' policy choices.

Time to prioritize

The strategy identifies three industriesiron, alumina and ammoniawhere hydrogen could best be used to build new export industries. It also identifies three areas where hydrogen shows promise in cutting emissions: aviation and shipping, electricity storage and freight trucks.

A graph showing the strategys targets for green hydrogen production out to 2050. Credit: National Hydrogen Strategy 2024

These priorities show governments are coming to grips with hydrogen's limitations, in a technical and economic sense. For example, in passenger vehicles, hydrogen has lost out to electric cars. And using hydrogen to replace natural gas in homes is far more expensive than simply going electric.

What's not clear is how the new priorities will guide government decisions. For example, will priority sectors get first dibs on funding or infrastructure assistance? And will governments stop funding hydrogen projects once it becomes clear they are not competitive?

Without guidance on these and other questions, investors may find it hard to decide where to put their money.

A nuanced view of exports

The 2019 strategy was squarely focused on exporting liquid hydrogen to prospective buyers in Japan and South Korea.

Now, the likely big buyers are in Europe. In fact, Bowen today announced Australia and Germany are working towards a A$660 million deal, funded equally by the two nations, to guarantee European buyers for Australia's green hydrogen.

Importantly, however, hydrogen is very difficult and expensive to transport. As my colleagues and I have written, Australia should instead focus on using hydrogen to produce green iron from iron ore.

The new strategy treads a fine line on the question of exports. It identifies priority sectors and aims to develop those new industries in Australia. But it doesn't rule out liquid hydrogen exports.

Getting communities on board

The 2019 strategy emphasized the need for community acceptance of hydrogen technologiesparticularly in relation to safety. Overseas experience showed communities feared the risk of explosions and fires from this volatile gas.

Safety remains a meaningful concern in the strategy. But the new version also emphasizes community benefits, such as jobs and more diverse regional economies.

In particular, the document seeks to ensure proper consultation with First Nations people and to manage impacts on water.

Cart before the horse?

This strategy interacts with two measures the Albanese government announced in recent months: the $2 billion Hydrogen Headstart grants program, and a tax credit for hydrogen producers.

The credits are only available for ten years, and there's nothing in their design to ensure they help the priority sectors. It would be a shame if they were taken up by producers pursuing hydrogen technology that will never work.

More broadly, it's not clear whether these measures were calibrated to achieve the strategy's production and export targets. It's also unclear whether governments would pull the plug on support for technologies that turn out to be less promising than first thought.

Where to next

The hydrogen strategy will be reviewed again in 2029. Its success can be measured by watching for the following developments:

large hydrogen projects attracting finance and starting construction

hydrogen suppliers signing multi-year contracts with users, possibly including exports

the building of hydrogen storage facilities, and wind and solar farms to supply electricity for hydrogen production

commitments and timelines from domestic heavy industry to replace fossil fuels with hydrogen.

If these signs don't emerge in the next decade, Australia may need to adjust its hydrogen strategy, and global ambitions, accordingly.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. (NYSE:EGF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 28,400 shares, a growth of 184.0% from the August 15th total of 10,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 6,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.7 days.

Institutional Trading of BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wolverine Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund by 42.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 23,624 shares of the companys stock worth $221,000 after buying an additional 7,027 shares during the period. Accuvest Global Advisors bought a new position in BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund in the 4th quarter worth approximately $114,000. Finally, Melfa Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund by 51.6% in the 2nd quarter. Melfa Wealth Management Inc. now owns 17,822 shares of the companys stock worth $166,000 after buying an additional 6,066 shares during the period.

Get BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund alerts:

BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EGF traded down $0.13 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $10.02. The company had a trading volume of 1,400 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,968. BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund has a one year low of $9.02 and a one year high of $11.51. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $9.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $9.47.

BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund Dividend Announcement

About BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.041 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $0.49 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.91%.

(Get Free Report)

BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets. It primarily invests in a portfolio of United States government and government agency securities, including the U.S.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ  Get Free Report) (TSE:CNQ) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 111,500,000 shares, an increase of 174.0% from the August 15th total of 40,700,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,900,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 22.8 days. Approximately 5.5% of the companys stock are short sold.

Canadian Natural Resources Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of Canadian Natural Resources stock traded down $0.28 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $31.97. 11,851,069 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,560,250. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company has a 50 day moving average of $35.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $36.48. The stock has a market cap of $67.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 1.51. Canadian Natural Resources has a fifty-two week low of $29.45 and a fifty-two week high of $41.29.

Get Canadian Natural Resources alerts:

Canadian Natural Resources (NYSE:CNQ  Get Free Report) (TSE:CNQ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $7.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. Canadian Natural Resources had a return on equity of 22.09% and a net margin of 18.05%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Canadian Natural Resources will post 2.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Canadian Natural Resources Cuts Dividend

Institutional Trading of Canadian Natural Resources

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a $0.384 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.80%. Canadian Natural Resourcess payout ratio is presently 61.35%.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Park Place Capital Corp increased its stake in Canadian Natural Resources by 100.0% in the second quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 716 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 358 shares during the last quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC raised its position in Canadian Natural Resources by 98.3% during the 2nd quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC now owns 710 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Canadian Natural Resources by 100.0% in the second quarter. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC now owns 728 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 364 shares during the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC raised its stake in Canadian Natural Resources by 91.6% during the second quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 868 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 415 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Canadian Natural Resources by 104.7% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 874 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 447 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.03% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on CNQ shares. Raymond James upgraded shares of Canadian Natural Resources to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, May 28th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Canadian Natural Resources in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued a peer perform rating for the company. StockNews.com cut shares of Canadian Natural Resources from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Finally, Scotiabank restated a sector perform rating on shares of Canadian Natural Resources in a research note on Tuesday, June 11th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $49.50.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on CNQ

About Canadian Natural Resources

(Get Free Report)

Canadian Natural Resources Limited acquires, explores for, develops, produces, markets, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The company offers light and medium crude oil, primary heavy crude oil, Pelican Lake heavy crude oil, bitumen (thermal oil), and synthetic crude oil (SCO).

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Natural Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Natural Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
CLP Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:CLPHY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 35,200 shares, a decline of 72.8% from the August 15th total of 129,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 94,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.4 days.

CLP Stock Down 0.2 %

OTCMKTS:CLPHY traded down $0.02 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $8.93. The stock had a trading volume of 40,512 shares, compared to its average volume of 105,218. CLP has a one year low of $7.03 and a one year high of $9.40. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $8.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $8.38.

Get CLP alerts:

CLP Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 4th will be paid a $0.0729 dividend. This is a positive change from CLPs previous dividend of $0.07. This represents a yield of 4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd.

CLP Company Profile

CLP Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Hong Kong, Mainland China, India Thailand, Taiwan, and Australia. The company generates electricity through coal, gas, nuclear, and renewable resources, such as wind, hydro, and solar.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for CLP Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CLP and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E. (OTCMKTS:CIBEY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 17,200 shares, a decrease of 34.8% from the August 15th total of 26,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 18,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.9 days.

Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E. Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:CIBEY remained flat at $1.64 during trading on Friday. 2,972 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 167,573. Commercial International Bank has a 52 week low of $1.04 and a 52 week high of $1.81. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $1.61 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1.58.

Get Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E. alerts:

Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E. Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Featured Stories

Commercial International Bank (Egypt) SAE. provides financial products and services in Egypt. The company operates in four segments: Corporate Banking, Investment, Retail Banking, and Assets and Liabilities Management. It offers current and saving accounts, business accounts, time deposits, and certificates of deposit; car, personal, travel, solar, education, and overdraft loans; fund investment management; mortgages services; and insurance products.

Receive News & Ratings for Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd grew its position in shares of AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV  Free Report) by 0.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 152,737 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 859 shares during the quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltds holdings in AbbVie were worth $26,197,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ABBV. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AbbVie during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Ridgewood Investments LLC purchased a new stake in AbbVie in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Able Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in AbbVie during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. IFS Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of AbbVie during the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of AbbVie by 4,140.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 212 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 207 shares during the last quarter. 70.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get AbbVie alerts:

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on ABBV. Piper Sandler increased their target price on AbbVie from $196.00 to $209.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. HSBC raised shares of AbbVie from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $185.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of AbbVie from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of AbbVie from $180.00 to $214.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $210.00 target price (up from $195.00) on shares of AbbVie in a report on Friday, July 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $191.64.

Insider Transactions at AbbVie

In related news, Chairman Richard A. Gonzalez sold 282,845 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total transaction of $49,497,875.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 513,099 shares of the companys stock, valued at $89,792,325. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, Chairman Richard A. Gonzalez sold 282,845 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total transaction of $49,497,875.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 513,099 shares of the companys stock, valued at $89,792,325. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Richard A. Gonzalez sold 66,500 shares of AbbVie stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $186.52, for a total transaction of $12,403,580.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 446,599 shares of the companys stock, valued at $83,299,645.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.25% of the companys stock.

AbbVie Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of ABBV opened at $194.18 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $186.83 and its 200 day moving average is $175.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.51. AbbVie Inc. has a 12-month low of $135.85 and a 12-month high of $199.95. The company has a market capitalization of $342.99 billion, a PE ratio of 57.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.64.

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.57 by $0.08. AbbVie had a net margin of 9.71% and a return on equity of 203.66%. The firm had revenue of $14.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $14.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.91 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that AbbVie Inc. will post 10.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AbbVie Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 15th will be given a dividend of $1.55 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a $6.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.19%. AbbVies payout ratio is 183.98%.

About AbbVie

(Free Report)

AbbVie Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Humira, an injection for autoimmune and intestinal Behcet's diseases, and pyoderma gangrenosum; Skyrizi to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic disease, and Crohn's disease; Rinvoq to treat rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, atopic dermatitis, axial spondyloarthropathy, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease; Imbruvica for the treatment of adult patients with blood cancers; Epkinly to treat lymphoma; Elahere to treat cancer; and Venclexta/Venclyxto to treat blood cancers.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for AbbVie Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AbbVie and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
EDP  Energias de Portugal, S.A. (OTCMKTS:EDPFY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,500 shares, a growth of 240.9% from the August 15th total of 2,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 33,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days.

EDP  Energias de Portugal Stock Performance

EDP  Energias de Portugal stock traded up $0.29 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $45.72. The stock had a trading volume of 9,466 shares, compared to its average volume of 40,048. EDP  Energias de Portugal has a 12 month low of $37.21 and a 12 month high of $51.02. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $41.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $40.12.

Get EDP - Energias de Portugal alerts:

EDP  Energias de Portugal Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

See Also

EDP  Energias de Portugal, SA engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity in Portugal, Spain, France, Poland, Romania, Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Greece, Colombia, Brazil, North America, and internationally. It operates through Renewables, Networks, and Client Solutions & Energy Management segments.

Receive News & Ratings for EDP - Energias de Portugal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EDP - Energias de Portugal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NOM  Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,400 shares, an increase of 469.2% from the August 15th total of 1,300 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 7,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.0 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NOM. Matisse Capital bought a new position in shares of Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund in the 4th quarter valued at about $271,000. Alexander Labrunerie & CO. Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund in the first quarter valued at approximately $176,000. Krilogy Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund by 57.2% in the second quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 54,993 shares of the companys stock valued at $569,000 after purchasing an additional 20,000 shares during the last quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund by 260.3% in the second quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,639 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 2,629 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whitebox Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund during the second quarter worth $122,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 14.77% of the companys stock.

Get Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund alerts:

Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund stock traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $10.84. 12,119 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,455. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $10.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $10.29. Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund has a fifty-two week low of $8.52 and a fifty-two week high of $11.01.

Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund Announces Dividend

About Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a $0.0675 dividend. This represents a $0.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th.

(Get Free Report)

Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of Missouri. The fund invests in undervalued municipal securities and other related investments the income from which is exempt from regular federal and Missouri income taxes.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Nordea Bank Abp (OTCMKTS:NRDBY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 43,800 shares, an increase of 468.8% from the August 15th total of 7,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 232,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.2 days.

Nordea Bank Abp Trading Down 0.2 %

OTCMKTS NRDBY traded down $0.02 on Friday, hitting $11.52. 80,149 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 141,625. The companys 50-day moving average price is $11.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $11.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.78, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 1.31. Nordea Bank Abp has a 52-week low of $10.42 and a 52-week high of $12.90. The company has a market capitalization of $40.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.43, a P/E/G ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.94.

Get Nordea Bank Abp alerts:

Nordea Bank Abp (OTCMKTS:NRDBY  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 15th. The company reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.25 billion. Nordea Bank Abp had a return on equity of 16.82% and a net margin of 19.60%. Research analysts predict that Nordea Bank Abp will post 1.52 EPS for the current year.

Nordea Bank Abp Company Profile

Nordea Bank Abp offers banking products and services in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and internationally. It operates through Personal Banking, Business Banking, Large Corporates & Institutions, and Asset & Wealth Management segments. The Personal Banking segment provides various financial services to customers through mobile banking, over the phone, online meetings, and branch offices.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Nordea Bank Abp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nordea Bank Abp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Abitibi Royalties Inc. (CVE:RZZ  Get Free Report) were down 0.6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$26.80 and last traded at C$27.00. Approximately 4,551 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 22% from the average daily volume of 3,730 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$27.15.

Abitibi Royalties Price Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of C$27.00 and a 200 day moving average of C$27.00. The company has a market capitalization of C$336.50 million and a PE ratio of -168.75.

About Abitibi Royalties

(Get Free Report)

Abitibi Royalties Inc engages in exploring, evaluating, and promoting mineral properties and other projects in Canada. Its flagship royalty is 3% net smelter return royalty located on the eastern portion of the Canadian Malartic mine that includes the East Malartic, Odyssey, Sladen, Sheehan, Jeffrey, Barnat Extension, Gouldie Zone, and the Charlie Zone.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Abitibi Royalties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abitibi Royalties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Almaden Minerals Ltd. (TSE:AMM  Get Free Report) (NYSEMKT:AAU)s share price traded down 16.7% on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$0.05 and last traded at C$0.05. 110,872 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 67% from the average session volume of 66,211 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.06.

Almaden Minerals Trading Down 16.7 %

The company has a market cap of C$6.86 million, a P/E ratio of -0.11 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 23.78, a current ratio of 7.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 131.70. The firms 50 day moving average is C$0.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$0.12.

Get Almaden Minerals alerts:

Almaden Minerals (TSE:AMM  Get Free Report) (NYSEMKT:AAU) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported C($0.01) EPS for the quarter.

About Almaden Minerals

Almaden Minerals Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, evaluation, and development of mineral properties in Mexico. The company's principal asset comprises 100% interests in the Ixtaca gold-silver project located in Puebla State, Mexico. Almaden Minerals Ltd.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Almaden Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Almaden Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Auckland International Airport Limited (ASX:AIA  Get Free Report) declared a final dividend on Friday, September 13th, MarketIndexAU reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 3rd will be paid a dividend of 0.059 per share on Thursday, October 3rd. This represents a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 17th. This is an increase from Auckland International Airports previous final dividend of $0.04.

Auckland International Airport Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 31.46, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a current ratio of 0.54.

Get Auckland International Airport alerts:

Auckland International Airport Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Further Reading

Auckland International Airport Limited provides airport facilities, supporting infrastructure, and aeronautical services in Auckland and New Zealand. The company operates through three segments: Aeronautical, Retail, and Property. The Aeronautical segment provides services that facilitate the movement of aircraft, passengers, and cargo, as well as utility services, which support the airport; and leases space for facilities, such as terminals.

Receive News & Ratings for Auckland International Airport Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Auckland International Airport and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
General Mills (NYSE:GIS  Free Report) had its price objective upped by Bank of America from $68.00 to $75.00 in a report published on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on GIS. Mizuho lowered their price objective on General Mills from $70.00 to $62.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of General Mills from $76.00 to $72.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 28th. Argus reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of General Mills in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Barclays cut their target price on General Mills from $72.00 to $67.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, June 28th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on General Mills from $77.00 to $70.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating and three 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 $70.07.

Get General Mills alerts:

Get Our Latest Analysis on General Mills

General Mills Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GIS opened at $73.71 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $41.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.86 and a beta of 0.10. The stocks 50-day moving average is $68.73 and its 200 day moving average is $68.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. General Mills has a 1-year low of $60.33 and a 1-year high of $75.90.

General Mills (NYSE:GIS  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, June 26th. The company reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.85 billion. General Mills had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 26.56%. The companys revenue was down 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.12 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that General Mills will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

General Mills Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 10th were issued a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 10th. This is a boost from General Millss previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. General Millss dividend payout ratio is 55.68%.

Institutional Trading of General Mills

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in General Mills by 16.3% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 60,298,880 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,219,113,000 after buying an additional 8,444,312 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of General Mills by 22.3% in the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,650,388 shares of the companys stock worth $955,118,000 after purchasing an additional 2,488,341 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of General Mills by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,074,884 shares of the companys stock worth $460,858,000 after purchasing an additional 501,717 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in General Mills in the 4th quarter worth about $377,205,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc grew its position in General Mills by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 5,629,943 shares of the companys stock valued at $356,151,000 after purchasing an additional 323,090 shares during the last quarter. 75.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About General Mills

(Get Free Report)

General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates through four segments: North America Retail; International; Pet; and North America Foodservice. It offers grain, ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and savory snacks, ice cream and frozen desserts, unbaked and fully baked frozen dough products, frozen hot snacks, ethnic meals, side dish mixes, frozen breakfast and entrees, nutrition bars, and frozen and shelf-stable vegetables.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for General Mills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Mills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
NiSource (NYSE:NI  Free Report) had its price target lifted by BMO Capital Markets from $34.00 to $36.00 in a research note published on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the utilities providers stock.

NI has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Mizuho started coverage on NiSource in a report on Thursday, July 11th. They set an outperform rating and a $33.00 target price for the company. Barclays raised their price target on shares of NiSource from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of NiSource from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $32.43.

Get NiSource alerts:

Read Our Latest Report on NI

NiSource Stock Performance

Shares of NI stock opened at $34.06 on Thursday. NiSource has a 52 week low of $22.86 and a 52 week high of $34.14. The company has a market capitalization of $15.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.26, a PEG ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $29.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.78.

NiSource (NYSE:NI  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.16 billion. NiSource had a return on equity of 9.15% and a net margin of 14.76%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.11 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that NiSource will post 1.72 earnings per share for the current year.

NiSource Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 31st will be paid a $0.265 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 31st. This represents a $1.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.11%. NiSources dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.28%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NiSource

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of NI. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of NiSource by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 54,946,594 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,519,823,000 after buying an additional 991,336 shares during the last quarter. Zimmer Partners LP boosted its stake in shares of NiSource by 146.2% in the 1st quarter. Zimmer Partners LP now owns 8,907,743 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $246,388,000 after purchasing an additional 5,290,322 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of NiSource by 27.3% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,525,528 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $226,353,000 after purchasing an additional 1,826,202 shares during the last quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. increased its position in NiSource by 6.6% during the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 7,272,420 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $193,083,000 after purchasing an additional 450,818 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in NiSource by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 6,374,053 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $183,636,000 after purchasing an additional 44,598 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.64% of the companys stock.

About NiSource

(Get Free Report)

NiSource Inc, an energy holding company, operates as a regulated natural gas and electric utility company in the United States. It operates in two segments, Gas Distribution Operations and Electric Operations. The company distributes natural gas to approximately 3.3 million customers through approximately 55,000 miles of distribution main pipeline and the associated individual customer service lines; and 1,000 miles of transmission main pipeline in northern Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for NiSource Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NiSource and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:BCAUY  Get Free Report)s stock price traded up 2.2% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $4.80 and last traded at $4.60. 2,100 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 64% from the average session volume of 5,787 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.50.

Brilliance China Automotive Price Performance

The stocks 50 day moving average price is $4.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $4.60.

Brilliance China Automotive Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures and sells BMW vehicles and automotive components in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company offers minibuses under the JinBei, Renault, Haise, Grand Haise, and Granse brands, as well as multi-purpose vehicles under the Huasong brand.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Brilliance China Automotive Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brilliance China Automotive and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR  Free Report) (NYSE:CNI) had its target price reduced by Desjardins from C$192.00 to C$181.00 in a research note released on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. Desjardins currently has a buy rating on the stock. Desjardins also issued estimates for Canadian National Railways Q3 2024 earnings at $1.71 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $2.11 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $7.32 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $8.32 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $9.18 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $10.01 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $11.02 EPS.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$180.00 to C$176.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. ATB Capital reduced their price objective on Canadian National Railway from C$180.00 to C$177.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on Canadian National Railway from C$188.00 to C$182.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Stephens raised Canadian National Railway to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on Canadian National Railway from C$202.00 to C$189.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$174.93.

Get Canadian National Railway alerts:

Read Our Latest Analysis on CNR

Canadian National Railway Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of CNR opened at C$161.44 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of C$101.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.17, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.62, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Canadian National Railway has a one year low of C$143.13 and a one year high of C$181.34. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is C$158.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$167.41.

Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR  Get Free Report) (NYSE:CNI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported C$1.84 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$1.93 by C($0.09). The business had revenue of C$4.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$4.40 billion. Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 27.41% and a net margin of 32.02%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Canadian National Railway will post 8.8716518 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Canadian National Railway Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th will be given a $0.845 dividend. This represents a $3.38 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. Canadian National Railways dividend payout ratio is currently 40.14%.

Insider Activity at Canadian National Railway

In other news, Director Josephine Ann Marie Depass Olsovsky acquired 2,610 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 26th. The stock was acquired at an average price of C$115.29 per share, for a total transaction of C$300,906.90. In other news, Director Shauneen Elizabeth Bruder bought 544 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 25th. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$160.21 per share, for a total transaction of C$87,156.42. Also, Director Josephine Ann Marie Depass Olsovsky bought 2,610 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$115.29 per share, with a total value of C$300,906.90. 1.69% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Canadian National Railway Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and marine transportation and logistics business in Canada and the United States. The company provides rail services, which include equipment, custom brokerage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services, such as temperature controlled cargo, port partnerships, and logistics parks.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Canadian National Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of CC Japan Income & Growth (LON:CCJI  Get Free Report) passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 190.50 ($2.49) and traded as low as GBX 184.86 ($2.42). CC Japan Income & Growth shares last traded at GBX 185.50 ($2.43), with a volume of 101,713 shares trading hands.

CC Japan Income & Growth Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of 249.92 million and a P/E ratio of 2,061.11. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 190.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 192.32.

Get CC Japan Income & Growth alerts:

CC Japan Income & Growth Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 4th were paid a GBX 1.60 ($0.02) dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 4th. This represents a yield of 0.86%. CC Japan Income & Growths dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5,555.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CC Japan Income & Growth

About CC Japan Income & Growth

In related news, insider June Aitken purchased 365 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 184 ($2.41) per share, for a total transaction of 671.60 ($878.25). Company insiders own 9.30% of the companys stock.

(Get Free Report)

CC Japan Income & Growth Trust plc is an equity mutual fund launched and managed by Coupland Cardiff Asset Management LLP. It invests in the equity markets of Japan. The fund invests in stocks of companies operating across the diversified sectors. CC Japan Income & Growth Trust plc was formed in 2013 and is domiciled in the United Kingdom.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for CC Japan Income & Growth Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CC Japan Income & Growth and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (OTCMKTS:CMWAY  Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 8,700 shares, a decline of 35.6% from the August 15th total of 13,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 26,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, UBS Group raised Commonwealth Bank of Australia to a strong sell rating in a research note on Monday, June 24th.

Get Commonwealth Bank of Australia alerts:

Get Our Latest Research Report on Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Commonwealth Bank of Australia Stock Down 0.6 %

Commonwealth Bank of Australia Increases Dividend

Commonwealth Bank of Australia stock traded down $0.54 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $96.12. 7,013 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 19,168. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $90.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $83.00. Commonwealth Bank of Australia has a 52 week low of $59.95 and a 52 week high of $99.39.

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 7th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th will be paid a dividend of $1.6378 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 26th. This is an increase from Commonwealth Bank of Australias previous dividend of $1.37.

About Commonwealth Bank of Australia

(Get Free Report)

Commonwealth Bank of Australia provides financial services in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. It operates through Retail Banking Services, Business Banking, Institutional Banking and Markets, and New Zealand segments. The company offers transaction, savings, and foreign currency accounts; term deposits; personal and business loans; overdrafts; equipment finance; credit cards; international payment and trade; and private banking services, as well as home and car loans.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Commonwealth Bank of Australia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Commonwealth Bank of Australia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Core Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:CLB  Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of Reduce from the four research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and two have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $18.50.

CLB has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on Core Laboratories from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Core Laboratories from $18.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com raised shares of Core Laboratories from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Core Laboratories from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 15th.

Get Core Laboratories alerts:

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Core Laboratories

Core Laboratories Price Performance

Shares of CLB stock opened at $17.00 on Tuesday. Core Laboratories has a fifty-two week low of $13.82 and a fifty-two week high of $25.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $797.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.32, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 2.37. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $20.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $18.50.

Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.01. Core Laboratories had a net margin of 5.44% and a return on equity of 15.20%. The business had revenue of $130.58 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $132.85 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.23 EPS. Core Laboratoriess revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Core Laboratories will post 0.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Core Laboratories Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 5th were issued a dividend of $0.01 per share. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.24%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 5th. Core Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.55%.

Institutional Trading of Core Laboratories

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its holdings in Core Laboratories by 9.0% in the first quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 639,071 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $10,915,000 after buying an additional 52,639 shares in the last quarter. Gendell Jeffrey L raised its holdings in Core Laboratories by 35.1% in the 4th quarter. Gendell Jeffrey L now owns 162,093 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $2,863,000 after purchasing an additional 42,140 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Core Laboratories by 0.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,392,034 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $92,096,000 after purchasing an additional 27,701 shares in the last quarter. Congress Wealth Management LLC DE grew its holdings in Core Laboratories by 40.8% in the first quarter. Congress Wealth Management LLC DE now owns 183,282 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $3,130,000 after purchasing an additional 53,090 shares during the period. Finally, Congress Asset Management Co. MA increased its position in shares of Core Laboratories by 17.6% in the first quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 1,606,745 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $27,443,000 after buying an additional 240,989 shares in the last quarter. 97.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Core Laboratories

(Get Free Report

Core Laboratories Inc provides reservoir description and production enhancement services and products to the oil and gas industry in the United States, and internationally. It operates through Reservoir Description and Production Enhancement segments. The Reservoir Description segment includes the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock and reservoir fluid samples to enhance production and improve recovery of crude oil and gas from its clients' reservoirs.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Core Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Core Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Crane (NYSE:CR  Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the eight ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $155.00.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on CR shares. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Crane from $140.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Crane from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Crane from $157.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th.

Get Crane alerts:

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Crane

Crane Price Performance

CR stock opened at $152.92 on Tuesday. Crane has a 52 week low of $82.57 and a 52 week high of $162.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $150.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $142.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.77.

Crane (NYSE:CR  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 29th. The conglomerate reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.06. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. The business had revenue of $581.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $568.33 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. Cranes quarterly revenue was up 14.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Crane Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th were paid a $0.205 dividend. This represents a $0.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.54%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Cranes dividend payout ratio is presently 21.98%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Crane by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,894,887 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $578,282,000 after purchasing an additional 16,167 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its position in Crane by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 2,095,540 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $247,567,000 after purchasing an additional 79,710 shares during the period. Capital International Investors increased its position in Crane by 103.3% during the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,348,451 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $182,216,000 after purchasing an additional 685,230 shares during the period. Congress Asset Management Co. MA increased its position in Crane by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 1,322,850 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $156,282,000 after purchasing an additional 6,605 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Crane by 10.0% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 771,709 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $111,882,000 after purchasing an additional 70,297 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the companys stock.

Crane Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Crane Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crane and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:CIK  Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 216,900 shares, a growth of 121.6% from the August 15th total of 97,900 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 269,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.8 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. IMS Capital Management boosted its position in Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund by 63.3% during the 2nd quarter. IMS Capital Management now owns 194,581 shares of the companys stock valued at $597,000 after buying an additional 75,404 shares during the period. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund by 14.2% during the second quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 26,905 shares of the companys stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 3,337 shares during the period. Melfa Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund in the second quarter worth about $128,000. Finally, Beacon Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund during the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. 29.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund alerts:

Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund Stock Performance

CIK stock opened at $3.07 on Friday. Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund has a one year low of $2.50 and a one year high of $3.19.

Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund Company Profile

Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund, Inc is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It primarily invests in high yield corporate debt such as bonds and debentures that are rated Baa or lower by Moody's or BBB or lower by S&P.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
International Seaways, Inc. (NYSE:INSW  Get Free Report) SVP Derek G. Solon sold 1,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.75, for a total value of $49,750.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 46,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,332,628.25. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

International Seaways Stock Up 0.4 %

NYSE:INSW opened at $49.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 3.87 and a current ratio of 3.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.61 and a beta of -0.07. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $52.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $55.38. International Seaways, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $40.68 and a fifty-two week high of $65.94.

Get International Seaways alerts:

International Seaways (NYSE:INSW  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The transportation company reported $2.37 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.50 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $257.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $256.13 million. International Seaways had a net margin of 50.70% and a return on equity of 26.55%. International Seawayss revenue was down 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.12 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that International Seaways, Inc. will post 9.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Seaways Cuts Dividend

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Seaways

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 11th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.97%. International Seawayss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.49%.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new position in shares of International Seaways during the second quarter valued at about $742,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its position in International Seaways by 75.5% during the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 8,600 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $509,000 after purchasing an additional 3,700 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its position in International Seaways by 408.0% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,453 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $86,000 after purchasing an additional 1,167 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning purchased a new position in shares of International Seaways in the second quarter worth $313,000. Finally, Algert Global LLC lifted its stake in shares of International Seaways by 919.8% during the second quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 60,269 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $3,564,000 after buying an additional 54,359 shares during the period. 67.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a buy rating and set a $66.00 target price on shares of International Seaways in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of International Seaways from $68.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of International Seaways from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $64.75.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on INSW

International Seaways Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

International Seaways, Inc owns and operates a fleet of oceangoing vessels for the transportation of crude oil and petroleum products in the international flag trade. It operates in two segments: Crude Tankers and Product Carriers. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned a fleet of 73 vessels. It serves independent and state-owned oil companies, oil traders, refinery operators, and international government entities.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for International Seaways Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Seaways and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Diversify Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 38,994 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock, valued at approximately $2,834,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of UBER. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 2.2% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 171,253,318 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $13,184,793,000 after acquiring an additional 3,623,951 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in Uber Technologies by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 40,610,127 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $2,500,366,000 after purchasing an additional 283,802 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its stake in Uber Technologies by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 39,947,547 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $3,075,562,000 after purchasing an additional 3,019,431 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in Uber Technologies by 37.8% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 36,425,981 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $2,804,437,000 after buying an additional 9,996,508 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in Uber Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,415,778,000. 80.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Get Uber Technologies alerts:

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on UBER shares. Roth Mkm lifted their target price on Uber Technologies from $89.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Uber Technologies from $96.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $80.00 target price on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Melius Research started coverage on Uber Technologies in a report on Monday, July 22nd. They set a hold rating and a $77.00 target price for the company. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $88.00 target price on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Friday, September 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirty-one have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $87.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 500,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.91, for a total value of $35,955,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,266,114 shares of the companys stock, valued at $91,046,257.74. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 3.84% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Uber Technologies Price Performance

Shares of Uber Technologies stock opened at $72.48 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The company has a market cap of $152.28 billion, a PE ratio of 116.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.33. The business has a 50 day moving average of $69.41 and a 200 day moving average of $70.94. Uber Technologies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $40.09 and a 52 week high of $82.14.

Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The ride-sharing company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $10.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.57 billion. Uber Technologies had a return on equity of 17.06% and a net margin of 5.02%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.18 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Uber Technologies, Inc. will post 1.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Uber Technologies Profile

(Free Report)

Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UBER? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Uber Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uber Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Diversify Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PRG  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 253,566 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,794,000. PROG comprises approximately 1.0% of Diversify Wealth Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Diversify Wealth Management LLC owned about 0.59% of PROG at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. increased its position in PROG by 83.6% during the 1st quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. now owns 260,713 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,979,000 after purchasing an additional 118,698 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp raised its stake in PROG by 45.2% in the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 63,994 shares of the companys stock worth $2,199,000 after buying an additional 19,924 shares in the last quarter. Keeley Teton Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in PROG by 35.3% in the first quarter. Keeley Teton Advisors LLC now owns 49,574 shares of the companys stock worth $1,707,000 after buying an additional 12,928 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. bought a new stake in PROG during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $815,000. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its position in PROG by 218.2% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 66,542 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,057,000 after acquiring an additional 45,631 shares in the last quarter. 97.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get PROG alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PRG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Loop Capital upgraded PROG from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the company from $41.00 to $55.00 in a research note on Monday, August 19th. KeyCorp raised their price objective on PROG from $46.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of PROG in a report on Friday, June 7th. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of PROG from $40.00 to $47.00 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 hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PROG has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $47.20.

PROG Stock Up 2.9 %

Shares of NYSE:PRG opened at $46.35 on Friday. PROG Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $26.39 and a 12-month high of $47.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.92 and a beta of 2.11. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $41.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.76. The company has a current ratio of 3.87, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

PROG (NYSE:PRG  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $0.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $592.16 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $573.23 million. PROG had a net margin of 4.57% and a return on equity of 26.30%. PROGs revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.92 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that PROG Holdings, Inc. will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PROG Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 20th were issued a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 20th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. PROGs payout ratio is currently 19.59%.

About PROG

(Free Report)

PROG Holdings, Inc (NYSE:PRG) is a financial technology holding company based in Salt Lake City, Utah with three business segments: Progressive Leasing, which offers lease-to-own transactions primarily to credit-challenged consumers through e-commerce and point-of-sale retail partners, via online, mobile, and in-store solutions; Vive Financial, which provides consumers who may not qualify for traditional prime lending with a variety of second-look, revolving credit products through private label and branded credit cards; and Four Technologies, which provides consumers of all credit backgrounds Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options through four interest-free installments via its platform, Four.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for PROG Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PROG and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Edison International (NYSE:EIX  Free Report) had its price target increased by Argus from $82.00 to $97.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the utilities providers stock.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on EIX. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Edison International from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. UBS Group upped their target price on Edison International from $86.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Edison International from $62.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Mizuho upped their target price on Edison International from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 17th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on Edison International from $82.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $84.67.

Get Edison International alerts:

Get Our Latest Stock Report on EIX

Edison International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE EIX opened at $85.42 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $81.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $74.89. The company has a market cap of $32.99 billion, a PE ratio of 37.47 and a beta of 0.91. Edison International has a 12-month low of $58.82 and a 12-month high of $88.77.

Edison International (NYSE:EIX  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The utilities provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $4.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.12 billion. Edison International had a return on equity of 13.01% and a net margin of 6.60%. The businesss revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.01 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Edison International will post 4.96 EPS for the current year.

Edison International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 8th were issued a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 8th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.65%. Edison Internationals dividend payout ratio is currently 136.84%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Edison International

In other Edison International news, CEO J Andrew Murphy sold 23,896 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.45, for a total transaction of $2,041,913.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,850 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,696,182.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other Edison International news, VP Natalie K. Schilling sold 2,341 shares of Edison International stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total transaction of $187,280.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 6,338 shares in the company, valued at approximately $507,040. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO J Andrew Murphy sold 23,896 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.45, for a total transaction of $2,041,913.20. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,850 shares in the company, valued at $1,696,182.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 89,099 shares of company stock valued at $7,223,342. Corporate insiders own 1.03% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EIX. Able Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Edison International in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Edison International in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Edison International during the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. Country Trust Bank purchased a new position in Edison International during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. increased its stake in Edison International by 53.8% in the 2nd quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 400 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.
Element Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Amcor plc (NYSE:AMCR  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 15,590 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $152,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Amcor in the first quarter worth $28,000. Quent Capital LLC increased its stake in Amcor by 51.8% in the 2nd quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 3,638 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 1,241 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Amcor by 132.8% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,416 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 2,519 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of Amcor by 38.7% during the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 4,656 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,299 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ORG Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Amcor during the second quarter worth about $47,000. 45.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Amcor alerts:

Amcor Stock Performance

Amcor stock opened at $10.99 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $10.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $9.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. Amcor plc has a twelve month low of $8.45 and a twelve month high of $11.45. The company has a market capitalization of $15.88 billion, a PE ratio of 24.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.85.

Amcor Dividend Announcement

Amcor ( NYSE:AMCR Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.21. The company had revenue of $3.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. Amcor had a return on equity of 25.45% and a net margin of 5.35%. Amcors revenue for the quarter was down 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.19 EPS. Research analysts expect that Amcor plc will post 0.75 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.55%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. Amcors dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 111.11%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Amcor from $10.00 to $11.10 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Amcor in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. They set a hold rating and a $10.80 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Amcor from $9.80 to $10.50 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Citigroup raised their price target on Amcor from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Amcor from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $10.73.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Amcor

About Amcor

(Free Report)

Amcor plc develops, produces, and sells packaging products in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and the Asia Pacific regions. The company operates through two segments, Flexibles and Rigid Packaging. The Flexibles segment provides flexible and film packaging products in the food and beverage, medical and pharmaceutical, fresh produce, snack food, personal care, and other industries.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMCR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Amcor plc (NYSE:AMCR  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Amcor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amcor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Free Report) by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,093,902 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after purchasing an additional 85,530 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned 0.36% of EOG Resources worth $263,559,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wright Investors Service Inc. lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 0.8% during the first quarter. Wright Investors Service Inc. now owns 10,163 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,299,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 11.0% during the second quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 820 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Bailard Inc. lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 0.4% during the second quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 19,899 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $2,505,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Field & Main Bank lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 1.4% during the first quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 6,163 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $788,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PDS Planning Inc lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 4.1% during the first quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 2,152 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $275,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. 89.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get EOG Resources alerts:

EOG Resources Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of EOG Resources stock opened at $119.37 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $67.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 52-week low of $108.94 and a 52-week high of $139.67. The company has a 50 day moving average of $125.93 and a 200 day moving average of $126.25.

EOG Resources Dividend Announcement

EOG Resources ( NYSE:EOG Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The energy exploration company reported $3.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.98 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.07 billion. EOG Resources had a net margin of 30.33% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The companys revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.49 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 12.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 17th will be issued a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 17th. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.05%. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is 28.75%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on EOG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $143.00 to $135.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $136.00 to $130.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $139.00 to $125.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Susquehanna decreased their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $159.00 to $158.00 and set a positive rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a $147.00 price objective on shares of EOG Resources in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $143.63.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on EOG Resources

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Charles R. Crisp sold 6,500 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.60, for a total value of $816,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 60,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,648,035.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Charles R. Crisp sold 6,500 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.60, for a total value of $816,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 60,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,648,035.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael P. Donaldson sold 11,037 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.50, for a total transaction of $1,429,291.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 74,250 shares in the company, valued at $9,615,375. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 21,537 shares of company stock valued at $2,751,612 in the last ninety days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

EOG Resources Company Profile

(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.

Recommended Stories

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.
StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Gold Resource (NYSE:GORO  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Saturday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the stock.

Separately, HC Wainwright increased their target price on Gold Resource from $1.50 to $1.75 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th.

Get Gold Resource alerts:

View Our Latest Stock Report on Gold Resource

Gold Resource Price Performance

Shares of GORO opened at $0.35 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $0.40. The stock has a market cap of $32.74 million, a PE ratio of -1.67 and a beta of 1.45. Gold Resource has a 1-year low of $0.22 and a 1-year high of $0.71.

Gold Resource (NYSE:GORO  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.11) earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $20.78 million during the quarter. Gold Resource had a negative return on equity of 27.52% and a negative net margin of 51.93%. Equities analysts anticipate that Gold Resource will post -0.38 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gold Resource

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in Gold Resource by 14.7% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,441,384 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,050,000 after purchasing an additional 312,765 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Gold Resource during the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Gold Resource by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,496,390 shares of the companys stock valued at $559,000 after acquiring an additional 95,300 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.38% of the companys stock.

Gold Resource Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Gold Resource Corporation engages in the exploration, development, and production of gold and silver projects in Mexico and the United States. The company also explores for copper, lead, and zinc deposits. Its principal assets are the 100% owned Don David gold mine and Back Forty project covering approximately 1,304 hectares located in Menominee county, Michigan.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Gold Resource Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gold Resource and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Guyana Goldstrike Inc. (CVE:GYA  Get Free Report)s stock price was up 25% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as C$0.13 and last traded at C$0.13. Approximately 48,500 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 63% from the average daily volume of 29,839 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.10.

Guyana Goldstrike Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of C$4.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.56 and a beta of 1.53. The firms 50-day simple moving average is C$0.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$0.12.

Guyana Goldstrike Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Guyana Goldstrike Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral resource properties. The company holds an option agreement to acquire an interest in the Jupiter Copper Project. The company was formerly known as Swift Resources Inc and changed its name to Guyana Goldstrike Inc in March 2017.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Guyana Goldstrike Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Guyana Goldstrike and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM  Free Report) had its price objective increased by Evercore ISI from $215.00 to $240.00 in a research report released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the technology companys stock.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They issued a buy rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Hsbc Global Res raised International Business Machines to a moderate sell rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on International Business Machines from $200.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. UBS Group increased their price target on International Business Machines from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $188.60.

Get International Business Machines alerts:

Get Our Latest Research Report on IBM

International Business Machines Stock Up 1.5 %

International Business Machines stock opened at $214.79 on Wednesday. International Business Machines has a 52 week low of $135.87 and a 52 week high of $216.09. The stock has a market cap of $197.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.33, a PEG ratio of 4.67 and a beta of 0.70. The companys 50-day moving average price is $192.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $183.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.20.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The technology company reported $2.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.27. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.59% and a net margin of 13.52%. The company had revenue of $15.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.62 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.18 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that International Business Machines will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.11%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. International Business Machiness dividend payout ratio is presently 75.65%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of IBM. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,468,000. Lazari Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in International Business Machines by 9.7% during the second quarter. Lazari Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,973 shares of the technology companys stock worth $341,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines during the second quarter valued at approximately $40,068,000. Creekside Partners acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the second quarter worth $584,000. Finally, Farmers National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter. Farmers National Bank now owns 22,715 shares of the technology companys stock worth $3,929,000 after buying an additional 2,247 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

International Business Machines Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

International Business Machines Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company operates through Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing segments. The Software segment offers a hybrid cloud and AI platforms that allows clients to realize their digital and AI transformations across the applications, data, and environments in which they operate.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for International Business Machines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Business Machines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners grew its holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG  Free Report) by 75.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,195 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 6,125 shares during the period. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF were worth $1,378,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of AGG. Vawter Financial Ltd. grew its stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Vawter Financial Ltd. now owns 11,001 shares of the companys stock worth $1,068,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Bank Hapoalim BM grew its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 1.2% during the second quarter. Bank Hapoalim BM now owns 8,782 shares of the companys stock worth $852,000 after buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. CGN Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 0.4% during the first quarter. CGN Advisors LLC now owns 25,898 shares of the companys stock worth $2,536,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the period. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 44.8% in the first quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 346 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 1.7% in the second quarter. Cambridge Advisors Inc. now owns 6,458 shares of the companys stock valued at $627,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.63% of the companys stock.

Get iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF alerts:

iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSEARCA AGG opened at $101.74 on Friday. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF has a 52 week low of $91.58 and a 52 week high of $101.85. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $99.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $97.82.

About iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account.

Recommended Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AGG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF (BATS:PICK  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $38.45 and last traded at $38.23, with a volume of 126511 shares. The stock had previously closed at $37.62.

iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.40 and a beta of 1.12. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $38.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.10.

Get iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF alerts:

Hedge Funds Weigh In On iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PICK. OLD Mission Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF by 814.4% during the 1st quarter. OLD Mission Capital LLC now owns 500,139 shares of the companys stock worth $20,856,000 after acquiring an additional 445,441 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Advocates LLC lifted its position in iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF by 13.3% during the second quarter. Strategic Advocates LLC now owns 33,762 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,379,000 after purchasing an additional 3,951 shares during the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF by 11.9% in the 2nd quarter. Family Firm Inc. now owns 32,041 shares of the companys stock worth $1,308,000 after buying an additional 3,413 shares in the last quarter. Heritage Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $1,094,000. Finally, Leuthold Group LLC raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Leuthold Group LLC now owns 14,531 shares of the companys stock valued at $606,000 after buying an additional 555 shares in the last quarter.

iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF (PICK) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in materials equity. The fund tracks a market-cap-weighted index of global metals mining, extraction or production firms, excluding gold and silver mining firms. PICK was launched on Jan 31, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Clear Investment Research LLC trimmed its stake in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IVW  Free Report) by 2.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,756 shares of the companys stock after selling 292 shares during the quarter. iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF comprises 1.5% of Clear Investment Research LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Clear Investment Research LLCs holdings in iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF were worth $1,180,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd. increased its position in iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 45.5% in the first quarter. CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd. now owns 400 shares of the companys stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF during the second quarter valued at $34,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF during the second quarter worth about $35,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 91.3% in the 2nd quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 417 shares of the companys stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares during the period. Finally, Avondale Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 56.1% in the 2nd quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 434 shares of the companys stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the period.

Get iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF alerts:

iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF Stock Up 0.5 %

iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF stock opened at $93.40 on Friday. iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF has a 52-week low of $65.53 and a 52-week high of $97.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.52 and a beta of 1.14. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $91.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $88.06.

iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF Profile

iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF, formerly iShares S&P 500 Growth Index Fund (the Growth Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500/Citigroup Growth Index (the Growth Index). The Growth Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization growth sector of the United States equity market.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IVW  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. increased its position in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Free Report) by 1.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 27,644 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 359 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc.s holdings in Southern were worth $2,144,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Chronos Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Southern by 0.6% during the second quarter. Chronos Wealth Management LLC now owns 84,426 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $6,549,000 after buying an additional 483 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Southern by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,542,113 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $197,192,000 after acquiring an additional 51,751 shares in the last quarter. Stolper Co increased its holdings in shares of Southern by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Stolper Co now owns 24,717 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,917,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the period. Wealthspire Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Southern by 2.9% in the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 19,707 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,529,000 after purchasing an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 79.6% during the second quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC now owns 10,301 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $799,000 after purchasing an additional 4,565 shares during the period. 64.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Southern alerts:

Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE SO opened at $89.44 on Friday. The Southern Company has a 12 month low of $61.56 and a 12 month high of $90.34. The company has a market cap of $97.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.11, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.52. The businesss 50 day moving average is $85.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66.

Southern Announces Dividend

Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $6.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.10 billion. Southern had a net margin of 17.67% and a return on equity of 12.88%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 12.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.79 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that The Southern Company will post 4.02 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were issued a $0.72 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.22%. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 74.42%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Sterling A. Jr. Spainhour sold 2,380 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.99, for a total value of $211,796.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,500 shares in the company, valued at $1,112,375. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Sterling A. Jr. Spainhour sold 2,380 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.99, for a total value of $211,796.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,500 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,112,375. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Bryan D. Anderson sold 6,565 shares of Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.54, for a total value of $587,830.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,467 shares in the company, valued at $3,981,575.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 27,845 shares of company stock worth $2,266,455. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Southern from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Southern from $83.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Wolfe Research downgraded Southern from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Southern from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Southern from $77.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $83.71.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Southern

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.

See Also

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.
JAPAN POST BANK Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:JPSTF  Get Free Report)s stock price fell 5% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $9.26 and last traded at $9.26. 3,075 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 149% from the average session volume of 1,237 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.75.

JAPAN POST BANK Price Performance

The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $9.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $9.71.

JAPAN POST BANK Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

JAPAN POST BANK Co, Ltd. provides various banking products and services to retail and corporate clients in Japan and internationally. The company offers liquid deposits, including transfer deposits, savings deposits, ordinary deposits, etc.; fixed-term deposits, such as time deposits, TEIGAKU deposits, etc.; and other deposits, as well as negotiable certificates of deposit.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for JAPAN POST BANK Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for JAPAN POST BANK and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
High-speed rail showcasing China's rapid modernization

15:25, September 14, 2024 By Liu Zhiqiang, Li Xinping ( People's Daily

China's railway sector has achieved leapfrog development over the past decades, as evidenced by a range of impressive statistics.

In an hour, the Fuxing bullet train travels 350 kilometers, making it the fastest train service in the world. Besides, China is developing a new high-speed train model CR450, which will be able to operate at speeds of 400 kilometers per hour, showing strong innovation dynamism.

Primary school students watch models of high-speed trains in a railway museum in Qingdao, east China's Shandong province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Haibin)

In a single day, China's railway network transports over 10 million passengers, making it the busiest rail system globally. These bustling services demonstrate China's vitality, with the railway network reaching 99 percent of cities across the country, each with a population of over 200,000, and the high-speed rail network covering 96 percent of cities, each with a population surpassing 500,000.

In a year, China's modern railway network expands by about 3,600 kilometers, marking the most significant growth worldwide. China has built the most modern railway system and the most advanced high-speed rail network in the world. The operating mileage of China's railway network is expected to surpass 160,000 kilometers, and the total length of China's operating high-speed rail tracks is set to approach 46,000 kilometers, the longest in the world.

In front of the archive of the China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited (CARS), there is a 100-meter-long railway track made up of different types of sleepers.

"Each kind of sleepers used in China's railway, starting from wood and cement to integral track beds, marks significant milestones in the country's railway modernization," said Li Xuefeng, general manager of CARS.

"The goal of building 160,000 kilometers of railway, a vision proposed over a century ago, is now becoming a reality in the new era, said Fu Meisheng, deputy head of the China Railway Museum.

The newly launched high-speed railways in China are equipped with state-of-the-art heavy-duty tracks to accommodate the speed of 350 kilometers per hour, with each track spanning 100 meters.

A passenger train runs on the China-Laos Railway in Hongjing, southwest China's Yunnan province. (People's Daily Online/Zheng Yi)

"If you want the trains to be fast and steady, it is necessary to use 100-meter heavy-duty tracks and reduce the number of welding lines on the tracks," said Zeng Xianhai, head of the department of track, communication & signaling and power supply of China Railway.

To extend 25-meter steel rails to 100-meter heavy-duty tracks, Chinese enterprises, universities and research institutes have collaborated extensively, achieving more than 100 technology patents in China and around the world.

For instance, to overcome the challenge, the CARS performed extensive tests to find the best technical parameters for the tracks. Leading steel companies in China have collaborated on research and development and conducted trial production at the same time.

Today, China's high-speed heavy-duty rails boast world-leading performance, with a straightness deviation of no more than the thickness of three A4 sheets per meter.

A high-speed train running at 350 kilometers per hour consists of approximately 40,000 parts, with the network control system considered the train's "brain." China used to rely on foreign technology in this regard, which limited the technological iteration and advancement of the trains.

To tackle the technological challenge, China Railway managed to develop the testing platform and produce network chips independently. From technical documents to system architecture, from diverse hardware specifications to component testing and code debugging, it took five years for the company to break through key technologies of this network control system.

A purple bullet train runs on a bridge in Hengdian township, Dongyang, east China's Zhejiang province. (People's Daily Online/Jin Sicheng)

Today, this advanced, independently developed "brain" boasts a data transmission speed 60 times higher than existing products, with a transmission capacity 100 times greater. It is reported that of the 254 important standards adopted by the Fuxing bullet train, 84 percent are Chinese standards.

Innovation knows no bounds. The prototype of the next-generation Fuxing bullet train CR450 is being manufactured on the production lines of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation's Changchun and Qingdao bases. It will roll off the assembly line later this year, expected to break new ground in several areas of high-speed railway technology.

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway marks the first time that all systems, all elements, and the entire industrial chain of China's high-speed railway are landed overseas. It also serves as a vivid example of China's openness and inclusiveness.

During the railway's construction, over 75 percent of services and procurement are local to Indonesia, creating 51,000 jobs for local communities. During the operation, China provided on-site training for over 160 local drivers and technicians. The project has significantly boosted the development of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway economic belt, serving as the path to prosperity and happiness for local communities.

Chinese railway technology is rapidly advancing on a global level, contributing Chinese wisdom to the global modernization. For instance, China-Europe freight trains have reached 223 cities in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. The China-Laos Railway has transported over 4.3 million tons of cargo since it was put into operation in 2021.

So far, China's high-speed railway network has handled a total of over 20 billion passenger trips. More than 8,700 Fuxing bullet trains are in operation every day in China. Known for its exceptional safety performance, China's high-speed railway network is widely recognized as the safest railway system worldwide.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Contango Ore, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:CTGO  Get Free Report) Director Joseph S. Compofelice sold 7,460 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.14, for a total value of $157,704.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 148,498 shares in the company, valued at $3,139,247.72. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Contango Ore Stock Performance

CTGO opened at $21.26 on Friday. Contango Ore, Inc. has a 52 week low of $14.03 and a 52 week high of $25.32.

Get Contango Ore alerts:

Contango Ore (NYSEAMERICAN:CTGO  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported ($1.90) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($1.40) by ($0.50). Equities research analysts expect that Contango Ore, Inc. will post -2.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Roth Mkm lowered their price target on Contango Ore from $38.00 to $33.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th.

Get Our Latest Research Report on CTGO

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Contango Ore by 4.5% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 22,652 shares of the companys stock worth $409,000 after acquiring an additional 966 shares in the last quarter. Sprott Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Contango Ore by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Sprott Inc. now owns 480,234 shares of the companys stock worth $8,697,000 after purchasing an additional 1,384 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in shares of Contango Ore during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in Contango Ore by 55.1% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 9,565 shares of the companys stock valued at $173,000 after buying an additional 3,397 shares during the period. Finally, Wittenberg Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Contango Ore by 21.5% in the first quarter. Wittenberg Investment Management Inc. now owns 29,550 shares of the companys stock worth $587,000 after buying an additional 5,227 shares during the last quarter. 19.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Contango Ore Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Contango Ore, Inc, an exploration stage company, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Alaska, the United States. It primarily explores for gold, silver, and copper ores. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Contango Ore Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Contango Ore and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Lyell Wealth Management LP bought a new position in Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 124,642 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock, valued at approximately $9,059,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of UBER. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies by 222.7% during the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 355 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies by 111.6% during the first quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 383 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies by 563.9% during the second quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 405 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 344 shares during the last quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Uber Technologies during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies by 1,038.5% during the second quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.24% of the companys stock.

Get Uber Technologies alerts:

Uber Technologies Trading Up 6.4 %

Uber Technologies stock opened at $72.48 on Friday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $69.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Uber Technologies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $40.09 and a 12 month high of $82.14. The stock has a market cap of $152.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 116.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.33.

Insider Activity

Uber Technologies ( NYSE:UBER Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The ride-sharing company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.16. Uber Technologies had a net margin of 5.02% and a return on equity of 17.06%. The business had revenue of $10.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.57 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.18 EPS. Uber Technologiess revenue was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Uber Technologies, Inc. will post 1.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 500,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.91, for a total transaction of $35,955,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,266,114 shares in the company, valued at approximately $91,046,257.74. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 3.84% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on UBER. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an overweight rating and set a $97.00 target price on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Friday. Citigroup boosted their target price on Uber Technologies from $96.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Truist Financial reissued a buy rating and set a $88.00 target price on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Friday, September 6th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Uber Technologies from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on Uber Technologies in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. They set an outperform rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirty-one have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $87.60.

Check Out Our Latest Report on UBER

About Uber Technologies

(Free Report)

Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UBER? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Uber Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uber Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Magna International Inc. (NYSE:MGA  Get Free Report) (TSE:MG) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,820,000 shares, a decrease of 31.6% from the August 15th total of 14,360,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,590,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 6.2 days. Currently, 3.7% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of Magna International from $52.00 to $50.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Magna International from $60.00 to $55.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Raymond James lowered their target price on Magna International from $57.00 to $53.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Magna International from $60.00 to $55.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded Magna International from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, July 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $51.06.

Get Magna International alerts:

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Magna International

Institutional Trading of Magna International

Magna International Stock Up 2.0 %

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd grew its stake in shares of Magna International by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter. JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd now owns 7,148,236 shares of the companys stock worth $299,543,000 after acquiring an additional 395,745 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank grew its position in Magna International by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 1,609,223 shares of the companys stock worth $67,426,000 after purchasing an additional 30,361 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Magna International by 35.5% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,102,786 shares of the companys stock valued at $60,118,000 after buying an additional 289,105 shares during the last quarter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Magna International by 39.4% during the 4th quarter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC now owns 189,810 shares of the companys stock worth $11,214,000 after buying an additional 53,695 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Magna International by 135.5% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 162,739 shares of the companys stock worth $6,818,000 after buying an additional 93,637 shares in the last quarter. 67.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MGA stock traded up $0.78 during trading on Friday, reaching $40.20. 1,247,224 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,624,007. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Magna International has a twelve month low of $38.01 and a twelve month high of $60.32. The firms 50 day moving average is $41.78 and its 200 day moving average is $46.05. The firm has a market cap of $11.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.59.

Magna International (NYSE:MGA  Get Free Report) (TSE:MG) last issued its earnings results on Friday, August 2nd. The company reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.46 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $10.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.01 billion. Magna International had a return on equity of 12.53% and a net margin of 2.29%. Magna Internationals revenue for the quarter was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.50 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Magna International will post 5.58 EPS for the current year.

Magna International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th were paid a dividend of $0.475 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 16th. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.73%. Magna Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.98%.

About Magna International

(Get Free Report)

Magna International Inc designs, engineers, and manufactures components, assemblies, systems, subsystems, and modules for original equipment manufacturers of vehicles and light trucks worldwide. It operates through four segments: Body Exteriors & Structures, Power & Vision, Seating Systems, and Complete Vehicles.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Magna International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Magna International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
MFS Government Markets Income Trust (NYSE:MGF  Get Free Report) declared a monthly dividend on Tuesday, September 3rd, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 17th will be paid a dividend of 0.0202 per share on Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 17th. This is an increase from MFS Government Markets Income Trusts previous monthly dividend of $0.02.

MFS Government Markets Income Trust has raised its dividend by an average of 4.3% annually over the last three years.

Get MFS Government Markets Income Trust alerts:

MFS Government Markets Income Trust Price Performance

MFS Government Markets Income Trust stock opened at $3.27 on Friday. The companys fifty day moving average price is $3.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $3.12. MFS Government Markets Income Trust has a 1 year low of $2.91 and a 1 year high of $3.28.

MFS Government Markets Income Trust Company Profile

MFS Government Markets Income Trust is a close ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Massachusetts Financial Services Company. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of United States. It primarily invests in investment grade debt instruments. The fund also invests in mortgage backed, U.S.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for MFS Government Markets Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MFS Government Markets Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Mystic Asset Management Inc. cut its position in Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED  Free Report) by 2.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,985 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 200 shares during the quarter. Mystic Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Consolidated Edison were worth $803,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Syon Capital LLC increased its position in Consolidated Edison by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 5,954 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $542,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. G&S Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Consolidated Edison by 1.6% in the first quarter. G&S Capital LLC now owns 8,747 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $794,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC raised its position in Consolidated Edison by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 5,627 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $503,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Center For Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Center For Asset Management LLC now owns 4,358 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $390,000 after buying an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pinnacle West Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Pinnacle West Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,075 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $280,000 after buying an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 66.29% of the companys stock.

Get Consolidated Edison alerts:

Consolidated Edison Stock Up 1.1 %

Consolidated Edison stock opened at $104.56 on Friday. Consolidated Edison, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $80.46 and a fifty-two week high of $105.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.19 billion, a PE ratio of 20.07, a P/E/G ratio of 3.50 and a beta of 0.36. The companys 50-day moving average is $98.73 and its 200-day moving average is $94.10.

Consolidated Edison Announces Dividend

Consolidated Edison ( NYSE:ED Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $3.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.08 billion. Consolidated Edison had a return on equity of 8.67% and a net margin of 12.03%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.61 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Consolidated Edison, Inc. will post 5.31 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 14th will be paid a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 14th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.18%. Consolidated Edisons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.72%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ED shares. Mizuho boosted their target price on Consolidated Edison from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 28th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Consolidated Edison from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Consolidated Edison from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a sector underperform rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Consolidated Edison from $75.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Consolidated Edison from $97.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $92.65.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on ED

Consolidated Edison Profile

(Free Report)

Consolidated Edison, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.7 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,530 customers in parts of Manhattan.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ED? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Consolidated Edison Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Consolidated Edison and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Nomura Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:NMR  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,150,000 shares, an increase of 24.3% from the August 15th total of 1,730,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 786,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.7 days. Currently, 0.1% of the companys stock are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Nomura in a report on Thursday, August 29th. They set a neutral rating on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Nomura from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, September 5th.

Get Nomura alerts:

View Our Latest Stock Report on NMR

Nomura Price Performance

Nomura stock opened at $5.43 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $16.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.68 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $5.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $5.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.24. Nomura has a 12-month low of $3.75 and a 12-month high of $6.62.

Nomura (NYSE:NMR  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Nomura had a return on equity of 6.09% and a net margin of 5.61%. The business had revenue of $7.81 billion during the quarter.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nomura

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NMR. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Nomura by 21.3% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 3,933,656 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $17,741,000 after buying an additional 689,849 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new stake in Nomura in the second quarter valued at $4,608,000. Leuthold Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nomura during the second quarter worth about $4,344,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Nomura by 98.7% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 427,944 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,474,000 after purchasing an additional 212,599 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Creative Planning lifted its holdings in shares of Nomura by 7.3% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 418,202 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,417,000 after purchasing an additional 28,585 shares during the last quarter. 15.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Nomura Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Nomura Holdings, Inc provides various financial services to individuals, corporations, financial institutions, governments, and governmental agencies worldwide. It operates through three segments: Retail, Investment Management, and Wholesale. The Retail segment offers various financial products and investment consultation services.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Nomura Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nomura and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Nia Impact Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Free Report) by 5.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 23,329 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 1,145 shares during the quarter. Novo Nordisk A/S comprises about 1.2% of Nia Impact Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Nia Impact Advisors LLCs holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $3,330,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of NVO. GQG Partners LLC increased its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 654.6% during the 1st quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 3,633,064 shares of the companys stock worth $466,485,000 after purchasing an additional 3,151,584 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 22.3% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 7,114,931 shares of the companys stock worth $736,121,000 after purchasing an additional 1,297,536 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 1,300.8% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,244,128 shares of the companys stock valued at $159,703,000 after buying an additional 1,155,313 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 10.6% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 8,589,222 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,102,857,000 after buying an additional 823,036 shares during the period. Finally, Norden Group LLC boosted its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 2,456.0% during the first quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 658,856 shares of the companys stock worth $84,597,000 after acquiring an additional 633,079 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 11.54% of the companys stock.

Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts:

Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Performance

Novo Nordisk A/S stock opened at $137.00 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $614.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.42. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 12 month low of $86.96 and a 12 month high of $148.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The stocks 50-day moving average is $134.03 and its 200-day moving average is $132.94.

Novo Nordisk A/S Cuts Dividend

Novo Nordisk A/S ( NYSE:NVO Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.71 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $9.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.91 billion. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 34.86% and a return on equity of 87.43%. Equities analysts anticipate that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 26th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th were given a dividend of $0.5126 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 16th. This represents a yield of 0.7%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.83%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on NVO. Argus boosted their price target on Novo Nordisk A/S from $125.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 10th. StockNews.com lowered Novo Nordisk A/S from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on Novo Nordisk A/S from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $156.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an overweight rating and issued a $160.00 target price on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Monday, September 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $145.17.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on NVO

Novo Nordisk A/S Company Profile

(Free Report)

Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Free Report).

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.
Petards Group plc (LON:PEG  Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 8.50 ($0.11) and last traded at GBX 8.50 ($0.11), with a volume of 20012 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 8 ($0.10).

Petards Group Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.17. The firm has a 50 day moving average of GBX 7.33 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 7.28. The firm has a market cap of 4.86 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -400.00 and a beta of 0.81.

Petards Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Petards Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, supplies, and maintains technologies used in advanced security, surveillance, and ruggedized electronic applications in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. It offers rail technology solutions, such as eyeTrain, a solution for digital on-train surveillance subsystem; and RTS, a solution that provides safety for railway infrastructures by supporting rail companies and sub-contractors with resources, assets, safety, and failure management software.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Petards Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Petards Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Pinion Investment Advisors LLC decreased its stake in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET  Free Report) by 24.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,120 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,343 shares during the period. Pinion Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in MetLife were worth $289,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MET. Forum Financial Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of MetLife by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 13,729 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $964,000 after buying an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in MetLife by 3.5% during the second quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,217 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $296,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Hills Bank & Trust Co grew its holdings in MetLife by 8.3% in the second quarter. Hills Bank & Trust Co now owns 1,855 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $130,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. CNB Bank increased its stake in MetLife by 9.3% in the first quarter. CNB Bank now owns 1,735 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $129,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marcum Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of MetLife by 4.7% during the first quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 3,436 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $255,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. 89.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get MetLife alerts:

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on MET. Bank of America decreased their target price on MetLife from $99.00 to $96.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on MetLife from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 8th. StockNews.com cut MetLife from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of MetLife from $85.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of MetLife from $83.00 to $89.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $84.54.

MetLife Stock Up 1.0 %

MET stock opened at $76.19 on Friday. MetLife, Inc. has a 1-year low of $57.91 and a 1-year high of $79.34. The stock has a market cap of $54.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.18, a P/E/G ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.04. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $73.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $72.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

MetLife (NYSE:MET  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The financial services provider reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.13 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $17.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.57 billion. MetLife had a net margin of 4.23% and a return on equity of 21.41%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.94 earnings per share. Analysts expect that MetLife, Inc. will post 8.67 EPS for the current year.

MetLife Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 6th were issued a $0.545 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 6th. This represents a $2.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.86%. MetLifes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 74.91%.

About MetLife

(Free Report)

MetLife, Inc, a financial services company, provides insurance, annuities, employee benefits, and asset management services worldwide. It operates through six segments: Retirement and Income Solutions; Group Benefits; Asia; Latin America; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and MetLife Holdings. The company offers life, dental, group short-and long-term disability, individual disability, pet insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, vision, and accident and health coverages, as well as prepaid legal plans; administrative services-only arrangements to employers; and general and separate account, and synthetic guaranteed interest contracts, as well as private floating rate funding agreements.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for MetLife Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MetLife and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Plato Investment Management Ltd boosted its position in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI  Free Report) by 4.7% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 8,553 shares of the communications equipment providers stock after buying an additional 383 shares during the quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltds holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $3,302,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 34.6% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 388,537 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $149,995,000 after purchasing an additional 99,785 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 19.4% during the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,265 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $3,577,000 after buying an additional 1,507 shares in the last quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC boosted its position in Motorola Solutions by 6.7% in the 2nd quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 874 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $337,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Motorola Solutions in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,512,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 3.5% during the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,463 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $951,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.17% of the companys stock.

Get Motorola Solutions alerts:

Insider Buying and Selling at Motorola Solutions

In other news, COO John P. Molloy sold 23,985 shares of the companys 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 completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 46,821 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,079,557.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Motorola Solutions Trading Up 0.7 %

MSI opened at $441.76 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $413.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $377.40. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 52 week low of $269.64 and a 52 week high of $448.98. The firm has a market cap of $73.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.03.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.23. Motorola Solutions had a return on equity of 337.36% and a net margin of 14.04%. The firm had revenue of $2.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.41 earnings per share. Motorola Solutionss quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 12.22 EPS for the current year.

Motorola Solutions Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.89%. Motorola Solutionss dividend payout ratio is currently 48.45%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSI has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Motorola Solutions from $460.00 to $510.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Motorola Solutions from $385.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Motorola Solutions from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, August 30th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Motorola Solutions from $370.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Motorola Solutions from $436.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $466.17.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Motorola Solutions

About Motorola Solutions

(Free Report)

Motorola Solutions, Inc provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI  Free Report).

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.
BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese military is ready to work with its counterparts in other countries to make new and greater contributions to ensuring regional stability and world peace, senior Chinese military official Zhang Youxia said Thursday.

Zhang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a welcoming banquet for the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which runs from Sept. 12 to 14.

Zhang called on all forum participants to enhance mutual understanding and trust through dialogue and exchanges, and to pool more wisdom for world peace and security.

On the same day, China's Minister of National Defense Dong Jun respectively met with defense ministers of Chile, Madagascar, Mauritania, Maldives, Tajikistan, Belarus and Armenia as well as deputy defense minister of Russia, who are in Beijing for the forum.

Dong said China is willing to work with other militaries to maintain close communication, continue mutual learning, consolidate existing cooperation achievements, and push military cooperation to new levels. 
Poehling Capital Management INC. increased its holdings in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras (NYSE:PBR  Free Report) by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 173,665 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock after purchasing an additional 12,799 shares during the quarter. Poehling Capital Management INC.s holdings in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras were worth $2,516,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras by 460.2% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,787 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 1,468 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras in the second quarter worth $30,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. bought a new stake in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd bought a new position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras in the 2nd quarter worth $45,000.

Get Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras alerts:

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras Stock Performance

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras stock opened at $14.53 on Friday. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras has a twelve month low of $12.90 and a twelve month high of $17.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stocks 50 day moving average is $14.74 and its 200 day moving average is $15.19.

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras Increases Dividend

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras ( NYSE:PBR Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.47. The firm had revenue of $23.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $24.22 billion. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras had a return on equity of 28.42% and a net margin of 16.17%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras will post 3.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a Variable dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.165 per share. This is a boost from Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobrass previous Variable dividend of $0.03. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 23rd. This represents a dividend yield of 15.4%. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobrass dividend payout ratio is presently 25.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America raised shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their target price for the company from $16.80 to $17.90 in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their target price for the stock from $18.00 to $20.00 in a report on Monday, August 26th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras from $19.40 to $18.10 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras from $19.30 to $16.70 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $18.07.

Read Our Latest Research Report on PBR

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras Profile

(Free Report)

Petroleo Brasileiro SA  Petrobras explores, produces, and sells oil and gas in Brazil and internationally. The company operates through Exploration and Production; Refining, Transportation and Marketing; and Gas and Power. It also engages in prospecting, drilling, refining, processing, trading, and transporting crude oil from producing onshore and offshore oil fields, and shale or other rocks, as well as oil products, natural gas, and other liquid hydrocarbons.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PBR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  Petrobras (NYSE:PBR  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Prosperity Consulting Group LLC bought a new stake in Onto Innovation Inc. (NYSE:ONTO  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 1,773 shares of the semiconductor companys stock, valued at approximately $389,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Onto Innovation by 2.7% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,935 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $425,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Shaker Investments LLC OH grew its position in shares of Onto Innovation by 1.7% in the second quarter. Shaker Investments LLC OH now owns 3,928 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $862,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of Onto Innovation by 40.2% in the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 293 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $64,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Onto Innovation by 41.1% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 292 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its stake in shares of Onto Innovation by 8.9% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,106 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $243,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.35% of the companys stock.

Get Onto Innovation alerts:

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ONTO. Needham & Company LLC upgraded Onto Innovation from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. B. Riley boosted their price target on Onto Innovation from $250.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Onto Innovation from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a buy rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Onto Innovation in a research note on Friday, August 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $259.00.

Onto Innovation Price Performance

NYSE ONTO opened at $197.82 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $200.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $201.61. Onto Innovation Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $108.98 and a fifty-two week high of $238.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.77 billion, a PE ratio of 70.40 and a beta of 1.37.

Onto Innovation (NYSE:ONTO  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The semiconductor company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.12. Onto Innovation had a return on equity of 12.71% and a net margin of 18.50%. The firm had revenue of $242.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $235.43 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.79 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 27.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Onto Innovation Inc. will post 5.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Onto Innovation

In other news, SVP Srinivas Vedula sold 1,275 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.24, for a total transaction of $264,231.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 16,050 shares in the company, valued at $3,326,202. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.72% of the companys stock.

About Onto Innovation

(Free Report)

Onto Innovation Inc engages in the design, development, manufacture, and support of process control tools that performs optical metrology. The company offers lithography systems and process control analytical software. It also offers process and yield management solutions, and device packaging and test facilities through standalone systems for optical metrology, macro-defect inspection, packaging lithography, and transparent and opaque thin film measurements.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Onto Innovation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Onto Innovation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Berenberg Bank reissued their buy rating on shares of Ricardo (LON:RCDO  Free Report) in a report published on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat reports. Berenberg Bank currently has a GBX 730 ($9.55) target price on the stock.

Ricardo Stock Performance

Shares of LON RCDO opened at GBX 475 ($6.21) on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of 295.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -47,500.00 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 78.74. Ricardo has a 1-year low of GBX 394.01 ($5.15) and a 1-year high of GBX 536.22 ($7.01). The stocks 50-day moving average is GBX 500.60 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 477.72.

Get Ricardo alerts:

Ricardo Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 22nd. Investors of record on Thursday, October 31st will be issued a dividend of GBX 8.90 ($0.12) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.72%. This is a boost from Ricardos previous dividend of $3.80. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 31st. Ricardos dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -120,000.00%.

About Ricardo

Ricardo plc provides environmental, technical, and strategic consultancy services in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, China, rest of Asia, Australia, and internationally. It operates through Energy and Environment (EE), Rail, Automotive and Industrial (A&I) Emerging, Automotive and Industrial (A&I) Established, Defense, and Performance Products (PP).

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Ricardo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ricardo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Rock Point Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP  Free Report) by 0.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 443,006 shares of the banks stock after selling 4,230 shares during the quarter. First BanCorp. comprises about 2.4% of Rock Point Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Rock Point Advisors LLC owned about 0.27% of First BanCorp. worth $8,103,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in FBP. Westover Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First BanCorp. during the second quarter worth about $616,000. Vest Financial LLC raised its holdings in First BanCorp. by 24.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 62,772 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,148,000 after acquiring an additional 12,455 shares during the last quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp lifted its stake in shares of First BanCorp. by 41.9% during the 2nd quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 209,088 shares of the banks stock worth $3,824,000 after purchasing an additional 61,701 shares during the period. Choreo LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First BanCorp. during the second quarter worth $207,000. Finally, X Square Capital LLC grew its position in shares of First BanCorp. by 45.2% in the second quarter. X Square Capital LLC now owns 351,170 shares of the banks stock valued at $6,423,000 after purchasing an additional 109,340 shares during the period. 97.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get First BanCorp. alerts:

First BanCorp. Price Performance

First BanCorp. stock opened at $20.24 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $20.44 and a 200-day moving average of $18.48. First BanCorp. has a 52-week low of $12.72 and a 52-week high of $22.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.57, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.10.

First BanCorp. Announces Dividend

First BanCorp. ( NYSE:FBP Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The bank reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.05. First BanCorp. had a return on equity of 21.86% and a net margin of 25.91%. The company had revenue of $304.28 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $230.26 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.37 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that First BanCorp. will post 1.76 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 29th were issued a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 29th. First BanCorp.s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.57%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Raymond James assumed coverage on First BanCorp. in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. They set an outperform rating and a $21.00 target price on the stock. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of First BanCorp. in a research report on Monday, August 26th. They issued a neutral rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. Hovde Group upped their price target on shares of First BanCorp. from $21.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of First BanCorp. from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $20.83.

View Our Latest Analysis on FBP

Insider Buying and Selling at First BanCorp.

In other news, EVP Michael Mcdonald sold 1,944 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.51, for a total value of $41,815.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 87,476 shares in the company, valued at $1,881,608.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Michael Mcdonald sold 1,944 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.51, for a total value of $41,815.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 87,476 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,881,608.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO Donald Kafka sold 50,000 shares of First BanCorp. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.81, for a total value of $1,090,500.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 174,589 shares in the company, valued at $3,807,786.09. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 82,452 shares of company stock valued at $1,790,066 over the last 90 days. 2.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

First BanCorp. Company Profile

(Free Report)

First BanCorp. operates as a bank holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico that provides a range of financial products and services to consumers and commercial customers. The company operates through six segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Mortgage Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for First BanCorp. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First BanCorp. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Seven Mile Advisory purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Free Report) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 6,006 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $274,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Scarborough Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 18.5% during the 2nd quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC now owns 1,283 shares of the companys stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. SP Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. SP Asset Management LLC now owns 8,211 shares of the companys stock valued at $374,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Certuity LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the second quarter. Certuity LLC now owns 13,664 shares of the companys stock valued at $622,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 2.0% in the second quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 11,269 shares of the companys stock valued at $513,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the period. Finally, Conning Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 9,794 shares of the companys stock worth $446,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the companys stock.

Get Altria Group alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, May 31st. Barclays upped their target price on Altria Group from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Monday, September 9th. StockNews.com upgraded Altria Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 28th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Altria Group from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a research report on Monday, September 9th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $49.67.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $52.96 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $50.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $90.36 billion, a PE ratio of 11.08, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.65. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $39.06 and a fifty-two week high of $54.95.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.35 by ($0.04). Altria Group had a net margin of 42.25% and a negative return on equity of 232.55%. The company had revenue of $6.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.39 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.31 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 14.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.11 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 10th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th will be given a dividend of $1.02 per share. This is a positive change from Altria Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.98. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.70%. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 82.01%.

Altria Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand.

Recommended Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Seven Mile Advisory acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF (BATS:INDA  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 4,020 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $224,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in INDA. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 22.1% during the second quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 11,249 shares of the companys stock worth $627,000 after purchasing an additional 2,033 shares during the last quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC raised its position in iShares MSCI India ETF by 9.2% during the 2nd quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 27,934 shares of the companys stock worth $1,558,000 after buying an additional 2,350 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 90.6% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 127,593 shares of the companys stock worth $7,117,000 after acquiring an additional 60,634 shares during the period. Abbrea Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 133.9% in the second quarter. Abbrea Capital LLC now owns 62,271 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,473,000 after acquiring an additional 35,646 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 35.7% during the second quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 52,483 shares of the companys stock worth $2,928,000 after acquiring an additional 13,799 shares during the period.

Get iShares MSCI India ETF alerts:

iShares MSCI India ETF Stock Up 0.2 %

BATS INDA opened at $57.85 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.95 and a beta of 0.51. iShares MSCI India ETF has a 52-week low of $30.57 and a 52-week high of $38.21. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $56.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $54.12.

iShares MSCI India ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI India index, a market-cap-weighted index of the top 85% of firms in the Indian securities market. INDA was launched on Feb 2, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding INDA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI India ETF (BATS:INDA  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI India ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI India ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
ARIAKE JAPAN Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:AKEJF  Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 16,800 shares, a decline of 41.3% from the August 15th total of 28,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently  days.

ARIAKE JAPAN Stock Performance

OTCMKTS AKEJF opened at 33.41 on Friday. ARIAKE JAPAN has a 52 week low of 33.41 and a 52 week high of 34.41. The business has a 50 day moving average price of 33.41 and a 200-day moving average price of 33.80.

Get ARIAKE JAPAN alerts:

About ARIAKE JAPAN

(Get Free Report)

See Also

ARIAKE JAPAN Co, Ltd. manufactures, processes, and sells natural seasoning products with extracts from chicken, pork, beef, and other fresh livestock ingredients. It provides chicken bone base soups, ramen soups, chanpon soups, bouillon and consomme products, sauce bases, and Japanese bouillon products; and livestock meat, including beef, pork, and chicken, as well as shrimps, garlic, and seasoning oils.

Receive News & Ratings for ARIAKE JAPAN Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ARIAKE JAPAN and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com lowered shares of Primerica (NYSE:PRI  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on PRI. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Primerica in a report on Friday, August 30th. They set a neutral rating and a $283.00 price target for the company. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Primerica from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Primerica from $239.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Primerica from $255.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Primerica from $257.00 to $269.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $275.20.

Get Primerica alerts:

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on PRI

Primerica Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of PRI stock opened at $254.62 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $8.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.50 and a beta of 1.09. Primerica has a 1 year low of $184.76 and a 1 year high of $265.27. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $252.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $239.65.

Primerica (NYSE:PRI  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $4.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.47 by $0.24. Primerica had a return on equity of 27.81% and a net margin of 14.85%. The company had revenue of $803.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $748.88 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.99 earnings per share. Primericas revenue was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Primerica will post 17.94 EPS for the current year.

Primerica Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 21st were given a $0.90 dividend. This is a positive change from Primericas previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.41%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 21st. Primericas dividend payout ratio is presently 21.91%.

Insider Transactions at Primerica

In related news, Director John A. Jr. Addison sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.85, for a total transaction of $507,700.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 15,151 shares in the company, valued at $3,846,081.35. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Glenn J. Williams sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.55, for a total transaction of $757,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 45,322 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,446,071.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director John A. Jr. Addison sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.85, for a total transaction of $507,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 15,151 shares in the company, valued at $3,846,081.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 6,500 shares of company stock worth $1,657,015 in the last quarter. 0.85% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Primerica

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PRI. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Primerica during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,098,000. Dana Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Primerica by 13.1% in the second quarter. Dana Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 3,462 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $819,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp grew its holdings in Primerica by 8.5% during the second quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 8,004 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,894,000 after purchasing an additional 630 shares during the period. Creative Planning increased its position in Primerica by 2.8% in the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 6,043 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,430,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Algert Global LLC raised its stake in shares of Primerica by 24.5% in the second quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 17,818 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,215,000 after buying an additional 3,509 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the companys stock.

Primerica Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Primerica, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services to middle-income households in the United States and Canada. The company operates in four segments: Term Life Insurance; Investment and Savings Products; Senior Health; and Corporate and Other Distributed Products.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Primerica Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Primerica and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA  Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the nine ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $18.89.

Several brokerages recently weighed in on TEVA. UBS Group lifted their price target on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Bank of America lifted their price target on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. StockNews.com upgraded Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, August 3rd. Barclays lifted their price target on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Argus upgraded Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th.

Get Teva Pharmaceutical Industries alerts:

Read Our Latest Report on TEVA

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Trading Up 2.2 %

Shares of NYSE:TEVA opened at $18.41 on Tuesday. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has a 52-week low of $8.06 and a 52-week high of $19.08. The stock has a market cap of $20.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -44.90, a PEG ratio of 1.26 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 business has a 50-day moving average price of $17.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.93.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:TEVA  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.03. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries had a positive return on equity of 39.66% and a negative net margin of 2.73%. The firm had revenue of $4.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.99 billion. Equities analysts predict that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will post 2.33 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

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 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Eric A. Hughes sold 24,537 shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.25, for a total value of $423,263.25. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 45,060 shares of the companys stock, valued at $777,285. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Roberto Mignone sold 519,000 shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.03, for a total value of $8,838,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 981,000 shares in the company, valued at $16,706,430. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.55% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. acquired a new position in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the first quarter worth $28,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new position in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the first quarter worth $30,000. Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA acquired a new position in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the second quarter worth $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. acquired a new position in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the first quarter worth $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.05% of the companys stock.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Company Profile

(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.

Read More

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.
The European Smaller Companies Trust PLC (LON:ESCT  Get Free Report) shares traded up 0.7% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 173.85 ($2.27) and last traded at GBX 173 ($2.26). 430,681 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 22% from the average session volume of 550,164 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 171.80 ($2.25).

The European Smaller Companies Trust Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of 692.55 million, a PE ratio of 865.00 and a beta of 1.28. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 180.17 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 176.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.29, a quick ratio of 0.04 and a current ratio of 0.04.

The European Smaller Companies Trust Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

TR European Growth 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 Europe. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for The European Smaller Companies Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The European Smaller Companies Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait's Interior Ministry on Saturday said it had dismantled a secret factory manufacturing illegal prescription drugs and arrested the individual operating it.

In a statement carried by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the ministry said its Drug Control Directorate had seized 30,000 "Lyrica" capsules, 6 kilograms of raw "Lyrica" powder, and other controlled substances.

Authorities also confiscated a significant amount of empty capsules and equipment used in the production and packaging of the pills. The suspect and the confiscated items have been handed over to the public prosecution for legal action.

This latest operation follows the ministry's announcement in late August that it had busted an international drug trafficking network and seized 60 kg of marijuana and hashish. 
Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC boosted its holdings in Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI  Free Report) by 322.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 301,359 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 230,039 shares during the period. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC owned about 0.07% of Crown Castle worth $29,443,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Crown Castle by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,609,569 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $5,990,991,000 after buying an additional 673,243 shares during the last quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. boosted its stake in Crown Castle by 7.9% during the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 11,375,567 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,310,559,000 after acquiring an additional 834,198 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Crown Castle by 11.1% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 11,260,932 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,297,147,000 after acquiring an additional 1,126,394 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Crown Castle during the 4th quarter worth $581,503,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Crown Castle by 16.2% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 4,547,032 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $523,773,000 after purchasing an additional 632,398 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.77% of the companys stock.

Get Crown Castle alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on CCI shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Crown Castle from $103.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Crown Castle in a research report on Monday, July 1st. They issued a neutral rating and a $104.00 target price for the company. Raymond James reissued an outperform rating and set a $126.00 price target (up from $124.00) on shares of Crown Castle in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Crown Castle from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Crown Castle from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Twelve 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, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $113.53.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Crown Castle news, COO Michael Joseph Kavanagh sold 10,883 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.72, for a total value of $1,128,784.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 75,127 shares in the company, valued at $7,792,172.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.39% of the companys stock.

Crown Castle Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:CCI opened at $118.85 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.14 and a beta of 0.85. Crown Castle Inc. has a 1-year low of $84.72 and a 1-year high of $120.31. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $109.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $103.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.04, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.43.

Crown Castle (NYSE:CCI  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 17th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.62 billion. Crown Castle had a return on equity of 19.20% and a net margin of 17.98%. The companys revenue was down 12.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.05 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Crown Castle Inc. will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Crown Castle Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.565 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $6.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.27%. Crown Castles payout ratio is presently 195.63%.

Crown Castle Profile

(Free Report)

Crown Castle owns, operates and leases more than 40,000 cell towers and approximately 90,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber solutions across every major U.S. market. This nationwide portfolio of communications infrastructure connects cities and communities to essential data, technology and wireless service  bringing information, ideas and innovations to the people and businesses that need them.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Crown Castle Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crown Castle and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC increased its stake in shares of RTX Co. (NYSE:RTX  Free Report) by 33.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,370 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 4,070 shares during the period. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLCs holdings in RTX were worth $1,643,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Briaud Financial Planning Inc increased its stake in shares of RTX by 64.1% in the 2nd quarter. Briaud Financial Planning Inc now owns 256 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new stake in RTX in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in RTX in the second quarter worth $32,000. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp bought a new position in shares of RTX during the first quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Stephens Consulting LLC grew its holdings in shares of RTX by 34.1% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 448 shares of the companys stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 114 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.50% of the companys stock.

Get RTX alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on RTX from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Bank of America upgraded RTX from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $110.00 to $140.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Alembic Global Advisors raised RTX from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and set a $134.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of RTX from $102.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of RTX from $115.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $157.31.

RTX Stock Down 0.8 %

RTX stock opened at $119.12 on Friday. RTX Co. has a twelve month low of $68.56 and a twelve month high of $123.70. The company has a market cap of $158.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $114.11 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.36.

RTX (NYSE:RTX  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $19.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.29 billion. RTX had a net margin of 3.12% and a return on equity of 11.37%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.29 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that RTX Co. will post 5.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at RTX

In other RTX news, EVP Dantaya M. Williams sold 17,570 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.87, for a total value of $2,018,265.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 38,855 shares in the company, valued at $4,463,273.85. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, VP Kevin G. Dasilva sold 8,166 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.96, for a total value of $938,763.36. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 45,208 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,197,111.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Dantaya M. Williams sold 17,570 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.87, for a total transaction of $2,018,265.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 38,855 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,463,273.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 178,333 shares of company stock worth $20,861,880. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

RTX Profile

(Free Report)

RTX Corporation, an aerospace and defense company, provides systems and services for the commercial, military, and government customers in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. The Collins Aerospace Systems segment offers aerospace and defense products, and aftermarket service solutions for civil and military aircraft manufacturers and commercial airlines, as well as regional, business, and general aviation, defense, and commercial space operations.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for RTX Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RTX and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Penumbra, Inc. (NYSE:PEN  Free Report) by 4.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,728 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 489 shares during the quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLCs holdings in Penumbra were worth $1,930,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of PEN. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Penumbra by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC now owns 1,680 shares of the companys stock valued at $375,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI lifted its position in Penumbra by 7.9% during the second quarter. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI now owns 1,006 shares of the companys stock worth $181,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama lifted its holdings in shares of Penumbra by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 48,467 shares of the companys stock worth $10,817,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Penumbra in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, 17 Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Penumbra by 11.7% in the second quarter. 17 Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,431 shares of the companys stock valued at $258,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. 88.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Penumbra alerts:

Insider Activity at Penumbra

In related news, CEO Adam Elsesser sold 15,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.52, for a total transaction of $3,037,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 927,582 shares of the companys stock, valued at $187,853,906.64. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CEO Adam Elsesser sold 15,000 shares of Penumbra stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.52, for a total transaction of $3,037,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 927,582 shares of the companys stock, valued at $187,853,906.64. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Don W. Kassing sold 170 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.99, for a total transaction of $30,598.30. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,005 shares in the company, valued at approximately $180,889.95. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 19,372 shares of company stock worth $3,888,852. 5.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on PEN. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on Penumbra from $260.00 to $200.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Truist Financial reissued a buy rating and issued a $200.00 price objective (down from $230.00) on shares of Penumbra in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Leerink Partners started coverage on shares of Penumbra in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued an outperform rating and a $263.00 price target on the stock. Leerink Partnrs raised Penumbra to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Finally, BTIG Research boosted their target price on shares of Penumbra from $187.00 to $224.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $205.27.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Penumbra

Penumbra Price Performance

NYSE:PEN opened at $186.94 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $189.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $200.69. The firm has a market cap of $7.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 78.88, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a quick ratio of 3.77, a current ratio of 6.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. Penumbra, Inc. has a 52-week low of $148.00 and a 52-week high of $282.11.

Penumbra (NYSE:PEN  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $299.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $298.24 million. Penumbra had a return on equity of 8.39% and a net margin of 1.26%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Penumbra, Inc. will post 2.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Penumbra

(Free Report)

Penumbra, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices in the United States and internationally. The company offers peripheral products, including the Indigo System for power aspiration of thrombus in the body; Lightning Flash, a mechanical thrombectomy system; Lightning Bolt 7, an arterial thrombectomy system; and CAT RX.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PEN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Penumbra, Inc. (NYSE:PEN  Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Penumbra Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Penumbra and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Toho Gas Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:THOGF  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 91,400 shares, a decline of 24.9% from the August 15th total of 121,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently  days.

Toho Gas Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS THOGF remained flat at C$18.75 during trading on Friday. The stock had a trading volume of 800 shares, compared to its average volume of 150. The businesss 50-day moving average is C$18.75 and its 200-day moving average is C$18.75. Toho Gas has a 52-week low of C$18.75 and a 52-week high of C$18.75.

Get Toho Gas alerts:

Toho Gas Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Read More

Toho Gas Co, Ltd. engages in the gas, LPG/other energy, electric power, and other businesses in Japan and internationally. It is also involved in the development, purchase, and sale of natural gas and other energy resources; production, transportation, and sale of high-pressure gases, including LNG, LPG, and liquefied carbon dioxide; sale of coke, tar, and crude oil products; and production and sale of chemical industrial products, such as methanol and plasticizers.

Receive News & Ratings for Toho Gas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toho Gas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE:TNL  Get Free Report) insider Amandine Robin-Caplan sold 3,246 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.84, for a total transaction of $135,812.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 24,491 shares in the company, valued at $1,024,703.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Travel + Leisure Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE TNL opened at $42.43 on Friday. Travel + Leisure Co. has a twelve month low of $32.10 and a twelve month high of $49.91. The companys fifty day moving average is $44.14 and its 200-day moving average is $44.76. The stock has a market cap of $2.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.81, a P/E/G ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.62.

Get Travel + Leisure alerts:

Travel + Leisure (NYSE:TNL  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.13. Travel + Leisure had a net margin of 11.35% and a negative return on equity of 46.63%. The business had revenue of $985.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $987.20 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.33 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Travel + Leisure Co. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Travel + Leisure Announces Dividend

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Travel + Leisure

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.71%. Travel + Leisures payout ratio is 36.83%.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Travel + Leisure during the second quarter worth $27,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in Travel + Leisure by 2,759.1% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 629 shares of the companys stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 607 shares during the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new stake in Travel + Leisure in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Travel + Leisure in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new stake in Travel + Leisure in the 2nd quarter valued at $38,000. 87.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Travel + Leisure from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. Tigress Financial raised their price objective on shares of Travel + Leisure from $54.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on shares of Travel + Leisure from $65.00 to $62.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Travel + Leisure from $53.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $56.63.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on TNL

About Travel + Leisure

(Get Free Report)

Travel + Leisure Co, together with its subsidiaries, provides hospitality services and travel products in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Vacation Ownership; and Travel and Membership. The Vacation Ownership segment develops, markets, and sells vacation ownership interests (VOIs) to individual consumers, as well as provides consumer financing in connection with the sale of VOIs; and property management services at resorts.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Travel + Leisure Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Travel + Leisure and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 36,580,000 shares, an increase of 23.7% from the August 15th total of 29,570,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 17,320,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.1 days. Currently, 1.1% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. John W. Brooker & Co. CPAs increased its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 2.5% in the second quarter. John W. Brooker & Co. CPAs now owns 7,075 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $420,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. McAdam LLC increased its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. McAdam LLC now owns 5,609 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $333,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Prentice Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Prentice Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,426 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $560,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the period. Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 13.0% during the first quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 1,617 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 3.4% during the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 5,897 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $350,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.90% of the companys stock.

Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts:

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Up 2.3 %

Wells Fargo & Company stock traded up $1.21 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $52.78. The stock had a trading volume of 24,762,027 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,010,568. The firm has a market capitalization of $179.65 billion, a PE ratio of 10.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.16. Wells Fargo & Company has a fifty-two week low of $38.38 and a fifty-two week high of $62.55. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $56.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $57.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.86.

Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend

Wells Fargo & Company ( NYSE:WFC Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 12th. The financial services provider reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.04. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 15.17% and a return on equity of 12.30%. The firm had revenue of $20.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.29 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.25 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This is a positive change from Wells Fargo & Companys previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on WFC. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $68.00 to $65.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $64.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $65.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $62.00 to $61.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 6th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Wells Fargo & Company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $60.29.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo & Company Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Wells Fargo & Company, a financial services company, provides diversified banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Co. (NYSE:WAB  Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $172.00 and last traded at $171.89, with a volume of 234051 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $167.73.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WAB has been the subject of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies from $160.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies from $183.00 to $184.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $163.90.

Get Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies alerts:

Get Our Latest Analysis on WAB

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Stock Up 0.7 %

The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $161.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $157.63. The company has a market cap of $29.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (NYSE:WAB  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The transportation company reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.88 by $0.08. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies had a net margin of 9.94% and a return on equity of 12.05%. The firm had revenue of $2.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.41 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Co. will post 7.46 EPS for the current year.

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 14th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 14th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.47%. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologiess dividend payout ratio is currently 15.63%.

Insider Activity at Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies

In other Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies news, insider Alicia Hammersmith sold 4,169 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.54, for a total value of $690,136.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 5,606 shares in the company, valued at approximately $928,017.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CTO Eric Gebhardt sold 7,422 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.32, for a total transaction of $1,160,207.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 22,411 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,503,287.52. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Alicia Hammersmith sold 4,169 shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.54, for a total transaction of $690,136.26. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 5,606 shares in the company, valued at approximately $928,017.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 17,392 shares of company stock valued at $2,754,390. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 36.8% during the 1st quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 2,624 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $382,000 after acquiring an additional 706 shares during the period. Forsta AP Fonden raised its position in shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 64.5% in the first quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 53,300 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $7,765,000 after purchasing an additional 20,900 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 107.8% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 170,248 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $24,802,000 after purchasing an additional 88,325 shares during the period. First Hawaiian Bank boosted its holdings in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 3,699 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $539,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the period. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers grew its stake in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 335,483 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $53,023,000 after buying an additional 7,012 shares in the last quarter. 91.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies

(Get Free Report)

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides technology-based locomotives, equipment, systems, and services for the freight rail and passenger transit industries worldwide. It offers diesel-electric, battery, and liquid natural gas-powered locomotives; engines, electric motors, and propulsion systems; and marine and mining products.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
BAMBERG  The Bamberg County Sheriffs Office has launched a program to ensure the elderly, sick or disabled have an extra layer of protection.

It's a program that's designed to benefit the elderly citizens here in Bamberg County. Not only just the elderly, but you have a lot of people that are out there that may have some limitations, disabilities, sicknesses, illnesses or just something that puts their health at risk, Bamberg County Sheriff Kenneth Bamberg said.

Bamberg discussed the program Monday during the Bamberg County Council meeting.

Through the R U OK program, members of the sheriff's office staff, or volunteers, contact registered participants once a week to check on them. The sheriffs office maintains a record of when the participants were called, and notes any questions they may have asked.

If a registered participant is not reached after three call attempts, their emergency contact will be notified. In the event the emergency contact cannot physically check on the individual, a deputy will be dispatched to the residence.

Bamberg introduced council to several of the sheriff's office employees who assist with the program.

Id like to introduce you to your community that's out there. This is a portion of your Bamberg County Sheriff's Office. I wanted to thank the administrator and thank the council for yalls support in putting the sheriff's office in the position so that we can do the things that we're doing, the sheriff said.

These are going to be the faces of the program. This is not an I thing, this is a we thing. ... All of the deputies that you see here and the ones that are not here  and ... our administrative staff also  everyone is buying into this program because it is something that is needed. We think that its very beneficial for the community, Bamberg said.

Bamberg said four individuals are currently enrolled in the program and he would love to see more.

We're just thankful and I'm just happy that some people in the community can see this as something that is beneficial, he said.

Individuals can sign up for the program by filling out an application online at the Bamberg County website at www.bambergcountysc.gov or on the sheriff's office website at www.bambergcountysc.gov/sheriffs-office.

They can also stop by the sheriff's office at 509 North St., Suite 110, Bamberg, and pick up an application, or call Valaree Bennett at 803-245-3018 or program manager Shauntina Benson at 803-596-7392.

We will gladly come to wherever you are and drop off that application to you. If you need help to fill it out, we'll do what we can, Bamberg said.

The sheriff said there are some seniors who may live alone and need to be checked on.

Their kids or families are out of state somewhere else, and this is just an added layer of protection. This program is not designed to absolve or relieve any personal responsibilities that some of them would have with a participant in this program, Bamberg said.

This is just an added layer of peace of mind for them, he said.

Councilman Phil Myers said, "I want to thank Sheriff Bamberg for getting his program going. I think its a wonderful idea and a wonderful thing. We have a lot of elderly people in this community that nobody ever checks on. Ive seen a lot of that."

Myers continued, "Im on the fire department and work a lot of EMS calls and seen a lot of it. Nobodys checking on them. Thats a great thing and if you got family members, you need to check on them. Not just the sheriff, but you need to check on them."
Bahrain's Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning has affirmed that the criteria for submitting housing applications remain unchanged, including the standard for calculating the monthly income of applicants for the housing unit service.

The ministry noted that the mechanism for determining the maximum income for applicants, set at BD900 at the time of application and BD1,200 at the time of allocation, remains in effect without any alterations and has been in place since the issuance of Ministerial Decision (909) of 2015, said a Bahrain News Agency report.

The ministry also said that Decision (900) of 2024, which amends certain provisions of Decision (909) of 2015 concerning the housing system, pertains to the mechanism for updating and verifying housing application criteria before the issuance of nomination certificates for housing units.

The nomination certificate will now be considered a final and approved step for the citizen to benefit from one of the ownership services, with no further criteria verification required once the housing unit is ready for handover.

The ministry emphasised that all measures taken during the past period are part of the ongoing development of housing legislation and services, aimed at simplifying procedures and providing the necessary flexibility for citizens applying for the ministry's services, whether ownership or financing services.

The ministry also affirmed that all communication channels, including the hotline 80008001 and the National Complaints and Suggestions System "Tawasul," are available to respond to inquiries related to this matter or other housing-related issues.
Dubai-based Delta Coatings International has announced its strategic expansion into Vietnam and the wider Southeast Asia region this year as part of its five-year growth strategy.

To lead this initiative, the company has appointed industry expert, Tien Mai, as regional director for Southeast Asia, who will be based in Vietnam and brings over 15 years experience in the high-performance coatings and waterproofing sector.

Mai will be responsible for developing Delta Coatings business across the region, supporting new and existing clients as well as applicators with product and technical assistance, including spray applicator training and support.

Vietnam construction market

This expansion comes at a time of rapid growth for the Vietnam construction market, which is estimated at $69.2 billion in 2024 and expected to reach $102.2 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.1%, according to a recent research report.

With Vietnams transformation into a key growth hub, the countrys economic reforms have propelled it to become one of the worlds fastest-growing economies, with a rising population set to boost further expansion.

Paul Symons, Sales Director of Delta Coatings, said: With increased awareness and growing demand for our polyurea-based coating and waterproofing products globally, we are thrilled to have Tien join our growing international team as we expand into this vibrant region. His extensive local knowledge and experience in high-performance coatings and waterproofing will be invaluable as we position ourselves to meet the demands of Vietnams booming construction market.

The growth opportunities in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia are immense, and were confident Tiens leadership will help us capitalise on this dynamic market, while providing world-class products and expert technical support to our valued clients.

Delta Coatings manufactures a range of world-class liquid applied coating solutions backed by multi-year warranties for a range of global clients.--TradeArabia News Service
Dubai has created the Mada Media Company to manage and operate advertising sites in the emirate.

For this, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, in his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai, issued law No (20) of 2024 creating Mada Media Company as a private joint-stock company (PJSC), a WAM report said.

According to the law, the newly launched company is tasked with managing, developing, and operating advertising sites, in addition to investing in advertising technologies, and conducting related research, while also ensuring regulatory compliance.

Allows partnerships

It also allows the company to form partnerships, own assets and sign contracts with third parties to achieve its objectives within and outside the emirate.

The law designates the Commissioner General for the Infrastructure, Urban Planning, and Well-Being Pillar to oversee the companys operations and ensure it meets its objectives, with the Articles of Association defining his responsibilities and powers.

Furthermore, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, issued Decision No (79) of 2024 approving the Articles of Association of Mada Media (PJSC), including its rules and provisions.

Sheikh Hamdan also issued Decision No (80) of 2024 forming the Board of Directors of Mada Media, chaired by Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, with Hussein Mohammed Al Banna serving as Vice Chairman. Members of the Board include: Wissam AlAbbas Hussain Lootah, Mariam Obaid Al Muhairi, Mohammed Yousef Al Mudharreb, Ahmad Hassan Mahboub, Moaza Saeed Al Marri, Shehab Hamad Bu Shehab, and Saeed Mohammed Al Marri.

This decision is effective from the date of its issuance and will be published in the Official Gazette.

Delegation of functions

As per the law, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Municipality, under the concession agreement, are empowered to delegate all or part of their advertising-related functions and permit issuance to Mada Media, as outlined in the law. The delegation of such functions aims to support the company in fulfilling its set objectives.

Furthermore, RTA and Dubai Municipality, in coordination with the Dubai Investment Fund and other relevant entities, will transfer their advertising-related assets, rights, and obligations to the company, including system access. Government entities will facilitate the transfer and registration of these assets to the company or its subsidiaries in accordance with the concession agreement and applicable provisions.

The law also outlines the mechanisms for subscription and ownership of the companys shares, the powers of its Board of Directors, and the human and financial resources it may draw upon.

The companys shares may be offered for public subscription in ratios set by the Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.--TradeArabia News Service
Southwest Airlines Chairman Gary Kelly is one of seven board members leaving. Billy Calzada / Staff photographer

Southwest Airlines is changing its board of directors as the Dallas-based airline faces pressure from an activist investor and the need to be profitable for its shareholders.

Last week, Southwest announced its executive Chairman Gary Kelly would not run for reelection in 2025 and six board members would resign after a quarterly board meeting in November. The changes come after Elliott Investment Management, which disclosed an 11% stake in Southwest in June, pushed the Dallas-based airline to make operational and financial changes to become more profitable.

Seven directors from the board will leave: Kelly, David Biegler, Veronica Biggins, Roy Blunt, William Cunningham, Thomas Gilligan and Jill Soltau.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Kelly, 69, is executive chairman of Southwest and was CEO for 18 years from 2004 through January 2022. He began his career at Southwest in 1986 as controller, moving to chief financial officer and vice president of finance, then executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2001, before being promoted to CEO and vice chairman. He championed major initiatives in Southwests history, such as the acquisition of AirTran Airways, the repeal of the Wright Amendment, the launch of international destinations, the installment of a new reservation system and the launch of service to Hawaii in 2019. Hes been a member of the board since 2004. Kelly brought in $9 million in 2023, trailing behind Southwest CEO Bob Jordan who made $9.3 million that same year.

Biegler, 78, is an energy veteran in Texas who served as president, chairman and CEO of Southcross Energy and a retired vice chairman of Irving-based electricity retailer TXU Energy. Hes been a member of the board since 2006 and was compensation committee chairman. In 2023, Biegler earned $311,312 in cash and stock awards.

Biggins, 77, is a managing partner of executive recruiting firm Diversified Search Group. She was an advanced leadership fellow at Harvard University. Shes been a member of the board since 2011 and was nominated and corporate governance committee chair. In 2023, Biggins earned $300,038 in cash and stock awards.

Blunt, 74, is the chairman of Leadership Strategies Advisory Services Group and a former U.S. senator who represented Missouri for 12 years as a Republican. Hes been a member of the board since 2023. In 2023, Blunt earned $222,102 in cash and stock awards.

Cunningham, 80, is the boards lead independent director. He is a professor of marketing and the James L. Bayless Chair for Free Enterprise at the University of Texas. He also has served as business school dean, president of UT and chancellor of the UT System. Hes been a member of the board since 2000. In 2023, Cunningham earned $327,538 in cash and stock awards.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Gilligan, 70, has served as director of the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University. He was also the business school dean at UT from 2008 to 2015. Gilligan holds degrees from the University of Oklahoma and Washington University. Hes been a board director since 2000 and was audit committee chairman. In 2023, Gilligan earned $282,538 in cash and stock awards.

Soltau, 57, is the former CEO of JCPenney and former president and CEO of JoAnn Stores. Shes been a member of the board since 2023. In 2023, Soltau earned $309,175 in cash and stock awards.

In August, Elliott confirmed intentions to call a special shareholders meeting and elect 10 new directors to the board at Southwest.

With last weeks announcement, Southwest said it will reduce the number of board members to 12 by next spring when Kelly leaves. And Southwest said it will appoint four new board members and consider up to three of Elliotts candidates.

Elliotts 10 candidates are:

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

 Michael Cawley, former deputy CEO, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Ryanair

 David Cush, former CEO of Virgin America

 Sarah Feinberg, former senior official at the Department of Transportation and former head of the Federal Railroad Administration

 Josh Gotbaum, a longtime advisor to companies and labor groups and former chapter 11 trustee of Hawaiian Airlines

 Dave Grissen, former group president of Marriott International

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

 Nancy Killefer, former McKinsey senior partner in consumer and retailing practice and current board member of Meta

 Robert Milton, former CEO of Air Canada and ACE Aviation Holdings and former chairman of United Airlines

 Gregg Saretsky, former CEO of WestJet

 Eash Sundaram, former chief digital and technology officer of JetBlue

 Patty Watson, executive vice president and chief information & technology officer at NCR Atleos.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Some analysts and industry followers have said the candidates are encouraging.

Bill Swelbar, chief industry analyst at The Swelbar-Zhong Consultancy, a commercial aviation economic analysis and research firm pointed to Saretsky, Milton and Sundaram as names that immediately jumped out on the list as good candidates.

However, Swelbar said he hopes union voices may have a spot at the table, in particular, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association.

Rob Britton is an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown Universitys McDonough School of Business and also spent 25 years at Fort Worth-based American Airlines. He believes the changes to the board are a positive for the company.

Im not sure that new board members will make much of a difference, but Southwest absolutely needs to commit to doing some things differently and some things better, Britton said.

Britton said he knows Saretsky and Cush very well and thinks they would be great additions to the board. However, he thinks theres still work to be done.
UNESCO Global Geoparks Council has endorsed the nomination of two key geological sites in Saudi Arabia for inclusion in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, representing international recognition of the kingdoms geological heritage, and its efforts at promoting sustainable development, a report said.

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development & Combating Desertification (NCVC) and the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, announced the UNESCO endorsement of North Riyadh Geopark and Salma Geopark, at the ninth session of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council, held in Vietnam from September 8-9, Saudi Press Agency, SPA, said.

The two sites were selected on the basis of rigorous criteria, such as the comprehensive management of geologically significant areas of global importance, by integrating protection, education, and sustainable development. A key element of this approach is the engagement of local communities.

During the ninth session of the council, 21 candidate sites were evaluated, and 15 received approval. The UNESCO said that if the new nominations are granted final approval, the number of UNESCO Global Geoparks will reach 228 in 49 countries.

The final decision is expected to be announced at the UNESCO General Conference in March 2025. If selected, it will mark Saudi Arabias first inclusion in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.

NCVC Chief Executive Officer Dr Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Abdulkader attributed the significant achievement to the kingdoms efforts at preserving the unique natural environment and vegetation.

He said that these efforts contribute directly to achieving the goals of the Kingdoms Vision 2030 Sustainable Development Program through the concept of geoparks.

Secretary-General of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Alblihed said the nomination is bound to raise global awareness about the kingdoms geological heritage and strengthen its leading role in protecting natural sites and fostering the development of local communities.

It further strengthens Saudi Arabia's position as a key player in global geo-tourism, he said.

North Riyadh Geopark and Salma Geopark are globally significant geological sites, boasting a unique geological diversity that combines ancient formations and breathtaking natural landscapes, reflecting a geological history that spans millions of years.
The Saudi Air Connectivity Program (ACP), in cooperation with key stakeholders in the aviation sector, welcomed Qatar Airways' expanded presence in Saudi Arabia through the relaunch of services to Abha, the capital city of Aseer Province in the kingdom, a report said.

ACP said Qatar Airways will operate two weekly flights to Abha International Airport, from January 2, 2025. Moreover, the frequency of flights to NEOM will double from two to four weekly flights throughout the winter season, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said.

ACP CEO Majid Khan said: "We are thrilled that World's Best Airline, voted by Skytrax, will commence direct scheduled flights to Saudi Arabia's beautiful Aseer region and the city of Abha and increase frequencies to Neom.

Tourists will fly with Qatar Airways' large network from 170 destinations globally to Abha and Neom via Doha Hub. This new route supports our tourism strategy to bring Saudi Arabia's untouched tourism potential closer to the World."

Cluster 2 Airports Company CEO Eng Ali Masrahi said partnering with Qatar Airways for direct flights to Abha and Neom, aligns with their goals under the National Aviation Strategy and the ACP and enhances their global network.

Acting CEO of the Aseer Development Authority Hashim Al Dabbagh stated that the region aims to become a year-round global destination focused on tourism.

Al Dabbagh highlighted that the current airport can handle 1.1 million passengers, while the new Abha International Airport will accommodate 13 million annually, boosting tourism in the area.
San Antonio Police said they are investigating an alleged murder-suicide after finding a man and woman dead at a Stone Oak-area apartment complex. Brooke Park San Antonio Police said they attempted to make contact with a man for several hours before entering the Stone Oak-area apartment. They found a man and woman dead. Police were trying to contact the man because of a "high-risk welfare check." Courtesy of Claire Wunderlich

San Antonio police are investigating the deaths of a man and woman whose bodies were discovered Sunday at an apartment in Stone Oak as a murder-suicide.

Officers were asked to make a "high-risk welfare check," which means someone "could have weapons and someone was in danger," around 9 a.m. Sunday in the 7900 block of Jones Maltsberger. But the man wasn't at that address, Ximena Alvarez, a San Antonio police spokesperson, said.

Investigators later determined the man was at the Dwell at Legacy apartment complex, located at 1810 East Sonterra. Officers knocked at the door and there was no answer.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Because of the circumstances of the initial 911 call, officers called SWAT, according to a police report released Monday.

San Antonio police officers and a SWAT unit attempted to contact the man for several hours before entering the unit. SWAT officers heard a gunshot from inside the apartment. They found the man and a woman dead, Alvarez said. The man was in his 30s, and the woman was in her 20s.

Police are still investigating, but they said they believe the man killed the woman before taking his own life. Their relationship is not yet known, Alvarez said.

SAPD did not identify the deceased or provide information about the welfare check.

A resident of the apartment complex said she heard multiple gunshots at around noon Sunday.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

"This is not what I was expecting when I decided to get up this morning," said Claire Wunderlich, who has lived at the apartment complex for six years.

This case marks the third murder-suicide in the San Antonio area in one month.

There were two alleged murder-suicides in the San Antonio area in August.

On Aug. 18, a prominent San Antonio attorney and his wife died in a murder-suicide in their $1.3 million Shavano Park home. Jerry Hernandez, 61, was killed as a result of multiple gunshot wounds. Sonia Hernandez, 52, killed herself, Shavano Park police said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

On August 14, Bexar County Sheriff's Office officials responded to a murder-suicide in Converse. Yeqin Huang, 62, and Qing Xing, 59, were found dead inside a home on Saturday in the 7100 block of Quarter Moon following 911 reports about loud noises inside the residence.

The investigation is ongoing.

Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson contributed to this report.
Hyatt farse and outta place. The audacity of them. Saying that in this country they are not 
We found something that made no sense 30 years ago and makes even less sense now

The MTV Video Music Awards were this week. If you watched them and saw a performance featuring an astronaut kissing an alien, you surely thought about the time that Neil Armstrong flew to Ecuador and found himself searching for ancient aliens. And if you saw the performance of knights fighting in front of a flaming castle, you surely thought about the time Charles VI threw a costume party and caught on fire.

Clearly, we assume you spend all your time thinking about trivia facts. So, here are a few more for you

15 Stupid Cupid In 1596, Cardinal Raffaele Riario bought a sculpture of Cupid that had supposedly been made in ancient times. He later discovered that it was a forgery, made just a year before by some insignificant artist named Michelangelo.

14 The Atlantic Anomaly Theres a spot above South America where the Earths magnetic field is only one-third as strong as elsewhere. When spacecraft travel through it, onboard computers crash.

13 Legitimate Protest A man tried to hijack a plane using six sticks of dynamite in 1987. He said his motive in all this was to take hostages and force the release of Fijis old prime minister. This was a fine start to the career of this hijacker, who went on to be elected to Fijis parliament.

12 Second Sight If the brains visual cortex is damaged, youre blind. But patients who are blind that way are still able to respond to photographs of smiling people. Thats because the eyes send signals to other parts of the brain, letting you see whats happening even though you dont consciously perceive anything. Advertisement Advertisement

11 Red Scare For 10 years, starting in 1976, there were no red M&Ms. People were scared about the health effects of Red Dye No. 2, so the company thought it best to phase reds out. Red M&Ms never used Red Dye No. 2, but people panicked over them all the same. Mars It was the second-dumbest M&M panic ever.

10 Mandatory Fun Stalin held dinner parties, and turning down the invite wasnt an option. One party involved a drinking game, where everyone guessed the rooms temperature, and for each degree they were off by, they had to drink one shot of vodka. Some guests hid in the bathroom out of fear, and the secret police entered to force them out. Advertisement Advertisement

9 Fist of the Sender Back when people communicated using Morse Code, youd learn to recognize who you were talking to on the telegraph by the unique pace theyd use to tap out dots and dashes. It was like a voiceprint, and people referred to it as the persons fist.

8 Easy Living Billie Holiday wore handcuffs on her deathbed. DEA agents arrested her for heroin possession while she was in the hospital being treated for (among other things) her heroin addiction. Advertisement Advertisement

7 Ad Block The mute button was one of the first features included on remote controls, before they even got around to adding numbers. The idea came from a supervisor at Zenith who really hated commercials and wanted a way to block them.

6 White Glove Treatment Despite what youve seen in movies, experts dont wear gloves when handling delicate books or art. They instead protect the treasures from their skins grease by washing their hands. Wearing cotton gloves would increase the chance of damaging the paper. University of Reading Maybe you should wear gloves made of skin. Advertisement Advertisement

5 Litter Menace In Japan, you might have trouble finding garbage cans outdoors, even though convenience stores and vending machines sell lots of stuff with disposable packaging. This is a lingering response to a 1995 terrorist attack, in which sarin gas in the subways convinced everyone that trash bins are a security threat.

4 Balance to the Force When you close your eyes, or when youre in total darkness, you dont see black. You see a shade of gray called eigengrau. In the absence of light, you cannot see total black, because we perceive black as a contrast to other light that we currently see. Advertisement Advertisement

3 Not-So-Secret Service In 1994, someone passing by the White House stuck a rifle through the fence and fired, trying to kill President Bill Clinton. The man he saw turned out not to be Clinton, just a lookalike, and the shooter was taken down by random pedestrians.

2 Tectonic Shift The idea that the continents drift over time isnt so old. No one formally theorized this until the 20th century. Scientists didnt agree the theory was valid until the end of the 1960s. Advertisement Advertisement
A man who police say died of suicide Saturday during a short pursuit in which he fired at an officer has been linked to the killing of an accomplice in a Tucson armed robbery, police say.

Police had been looking for Alejandro Ray Gamez, 26, since he was implicated in the killing of Angel Reyes Martinez, 35, whose body was found Tuesday at Manuel Herrera Jr. Park, near South Liberty Avenue and West Drexel Road, Tucson police said in a news release.

It was during the investigation of the killing of Martinez that police say they linked him and Gamez to an armed robbery hours earlier at a smoke shop in the 1700 block of East Speedway.

In that incident, two gunmen assaulted an employee after demanding money from the store register.

One of the gunmen also shot at the worker, who was not struck, police said in the news release. The worker did, however, sustain sharp-force trauma from the assault, the release said.

The shop owner previously told Star columnist Tim Steller the worker fought the the robbers, a violation of store policy. The worker was treated at the hospital for his injuries.

Detectives believe that hours after the robbery, Gamez fatally shot Martinez at the park. They also linked Gamez to other recent armed robberies, the release said.

About 5 a.m. Saturday, police spotted Gamez in a car that stopped at an apartment complex in the 3900 block of North Stone Avenue.

As he got out of the car, police say Gamez shot at a sergeant who had pulled into the complex, striking the patrol car.

Gamez then ran through the courtyard, hid in a stairwell and fatally shot himself, the release said.

The investigation continues. Anyone with information is asked to call 88-CRIME, the anonymous tips line.
Direct democracy.

That description of the statewide initiative process is apt. And, like democracy writ large, the ballot initiative process is under concerted attack nationwide.

Arizona has the unfortunate distinction of leading the assault.

For years, Republican legislators in our state have been irritated with pesky voters who have used ballot measures to do things like raise tax revenue for funding schools, health care and childhood development programs. They managed to get a resolution requiring 60 percent approval for initiatives proposing new or higher taxes approved by voters, so now our state is one of only four to require citizen initiatives to be approved by more than a simple majority.

But thats not enough for our anti-direct-democracy crowd. On the ballot in November will be Proposition 134, which would require that any group circulating initiative petitions get a certain percentage of their signatures from all 30 legislative districts, which would make it much, much harder to get an initiative on the ballot.

J.D. Mesnard, a Republican from Chandler who crafted the ballot measure, says it ensures that those in rural areas have a say in what goes on the ballot. Mesnard was backed in his effort by the Goldwater Institute and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.

As state Sen. Priya Sundareshan, a Tucson Democrat, pointed out in a story by Capitol Media Services Howard Fischer, Prop. 134 would give residents of any single area of the state veto power over what Arizonans from everywhere else in the state might favor.

She observed that many of the 30 legislative districts in the state are drawn to give one party or the other an overwhelming majority. And therefore its not hard to imagine that voters in a single district could strongly oppose an initiative that might find wide support elsewhere.

According to recent reporting by the Brennan Center for Justice, the geographic-requirement stratagem to hamstring initiatives is being tried in many states, including an effort in the Ohio Legislature last year which unsuccessfully tried to derail an abortion-rights initiative in the same manner. Voters rejected that attempt to silence their voices.

Other methods to water down voters ability to make or change laws in recent years have included increasing the total number of signatures required; increasing necessary approval percentage; setting prohibitively high filing fees for initiatives; single-subject requirements for initiatives; legislatures passing measures before an initiative can go on the ballot, then later amending them to change their meaning and effect; and state attorneys general attacking passed initiatives they dislike on technical grounds.

Almost all of these have been employed in Arizona.

We find plenty to dislike in Arizonas list of initiatives this year. But the process of initiative deserves protection.

Its bad enough to try to obfuscate the meaning of initiatives by using tortured syntax in ballot language. But we find it particularly repugnant for legislators and special-interest groups to try to use the initiative process to effectively eat itself.

The initiative process in Arizona has a proud and productive history, starting with the approval of womens suffrage in 1912. It remains an effective and essential tool for bypassing a Legislature that has frequently been out of step with the states voters.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

In the old days, pundits often offered their sage analysis while puffing on pipes until they discovered that while educating listeners, they were killing themselves.

Walter Cronkite was the archetype of that model, an admired World War II correspondent who went on to become the face of CBS news in an era when three television networks shared more than 90% of the American audience. A month after the surprise Tet Offensive by the North Vietnamese, Cronkite returned from a trip to the battlefield and suggested the US was mired in a stalemate. So powerful was the newscasters reach that his concerns lit a fire under the growing anti-war movement that led to LBJ exiting his reelection race in 1968. He spoke truth and with it, exercised power.

The pundits of today who dress for Vogue covers and wear thousand-dollar suits have far less influence on the splintered media audience. And few share the gravitas of CNNs Fareed Zakaria on Foreign affairs or the Washington Posts Greg Jaffe who reports on the lives of struggling Americans by being there. Yet neither of these modern-day Cronkites had any role in convincing President Biden to step down. That power went to rich donors and a new tribe of humans known as influencers who spend their lives making fusses and spreading half-truths on social media. Analogies are mistakenly drawn to the LBJ exit: Joe Biden was a brilliant President who simply grew too old. The issues that are top-of-mind to most are not foreign wars, but a fierce battle at home between the forces of democracy and Fascism.

In Florida, our fourth-largest state, MAGA Governor Ron DeSantis offers an early look at what life in America will be like if the anti-democracy forces take control. In his campaign to keep a pro-abortion referendum off the ballot, he is sending his election policy police to the front doors of signers to check their legal status. This may be a desperate act in thug warfare, but if the right wing wins the 2024 election, voter intimidation will become a widespread practice.

Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance is employing another tool from the Fascist playbook  dehumanization. He is spreading the word that immigrants will eat your house pets, a disgraceful claim he picked up from a nuts Facebook post. This is the one-two punch employed by every tyrant since Caligula. Lies and threats have always been the meal that sustains authoritarianism.

Former President Trump recently doubled down on the intimidation served up by the governor he trashed and the vice-presidential candidate he chose. Trump has issued a warning to politicians, journalists, and plain voters who criticize him that they will fill our jails once he is elected. As if words are not sufficient to make his point, he has ventured into digital art to portray a long list of Democratic opponents in orange jumpsuits, the favored fashion of penitentiaries. Not all Trump followers in front of a mirror understand they are looking at a potential citizen of a Nazi state.

Not all by himself did the 45th President place America at this crossroads. There were two other major contributors. First is the underground right-wing culture which has been slowly and cleverly rebuilding its power in the courts and state legislatures ever since the devastating defeat of Barry Goldwater in 1964. The Goldwater debacle not only lost the presidency but also Congress by wide enough margins to bring passage of voting rights, Medicare and Medicaid, federal aid to education, environmental reforms, and much more  the very progressive programs the right seeks in Project 2025 to destroy today. Donald Trump was not the instigator but the beneficiary of this decades long effort.

And second, my own Democratic Partys programs have failed to solve the pressing problems that have contributed to a populist uprising. Surely there have been advances that the Democratic Party can claim. But as historian Thomas Frank laments in his classics Listen, Liberal and Whats the Matter with Kansas, the party of the people abandoned its base as it rushed into the arms of Ivy League professionals for new leadership. It made deals like NAFTA which further enriched the wealthy while breaking unions.

Kamala Harris has a chance to make this right, but only if like the Cronkite generation, she exercises power with truth.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

There is a story I heard recently that speaks to the heart of what it means to be a citizen of this country. A Mexican immigrant, after years of struggle and sacrifice, said, After having children, the biggest gift God ever gave me was becoming a U.S. citizen. Imagine that. The profound gratitude and pride in those words reflect something far greater than citizenship alonethey reflect the promise of America, the hope for a better future, and the belief in what this country represents.

And thats something we often forget. Whether were natural-born citizens or those whove fought hard to earn that title, we sometimes lose sight of the privilege it is to belong to this country. But its moments like this that remind us of the courage, the determination, and the unwavering belief in something better that drives people to risk their lives for a shot at the American dream. Its a powerful reflection of what this nation has always been about.

From the earliest days of our founding, this country has been a beacon of hope, a place where the people  not kings or monarchs  hold the power to shape the future. Our Founding Fathers didnt promise us a perfect union. They gave us something far more dynamic  an ever-evolving democracy that would require the work, the passion, and the commitment of each generation to improve and perfect. And they entrusted us, We the People, with the most fundamental of all powers: the vote.

But lets be honest, democracy doesnt sustain itself. It demands our participation. Its a responsibility, and like those who risk everything to come to this country in search of a better life, we too must show that same courage and determination to keep this great experiment alive. That starts by voting  not just as an obligation, but as a reflection of our belief in the future, in the possibility of something greater.

Think about the journey this country has taken to expand voting rights to all its citizens. Women fought for the right to vote, marching and enduring hardships to ensure their voices would be heard. Civil rights leaders, at great personal risk, demanded equality and fought for the right to vote without discrimination. Today, people around the world still look to America as a symbol of freedom, and many strive for years  sometimes risking their lives  to earn the privilege of calling themselves U.S. citizens. And yet, here we are, with many of us taking that right for granted.

When we hear stories like that of the immigrant mother who treasures her citizenship as a gift from God, it should serve as a reminder. A reminder of the sacrifices made, the obstacles overcome, and the hope that lives in the hearts of those who see this country as a land of opportunity. We should carry that same pride and determination, remembering that voting is how we honor the past, shape the present, and build the future.

At a time when democracy feels fragile, both here and abroad, exercising our right to vote is more important than ever. Voting isnt just about politics; its about defending the values this country stands for. Its about standing up for those who fought to give us this right and ensuring that future generations inherit a democracy that is strong, inclusive, and just.

Whether its addressing climate change, building a fair economy, or securing equal rights, these issues will only be solved if we step up and make our voices heard.

So today, Im calling on each of us to remember the gift weve been given  the right to vote  and to use it. To take inspiration from the courage of those who fought for the chance to belong here and to recognize that our democracy is only as strong as the people who participate in it. Lets not take it for granted. Lets not sit back and watch as others shape the future. Lets honor the legacy of those who came before us by doing our part.

This is our moment to rise to the occasion. To embrace the responsibility passed down through generations. To show the same pride, the same gratitude, the same belief in this country that has driven so many to become a part of it. When we vote, were not just fulfilling a duty  were making history, building a future, and keeping the promise of America alive for generations to come.
A generic view of police tape Dave Thompson - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

A woman walking across multiple lanes of Loop 410 was struck and killed by a pickup truck early Saturday, San Antonio police said.

Around 5:45 a.m., patrol officers were directed to the 2200 block of Northwest Loop 410 East for a major accident involving a pedestrian.

A preliminary police report stated an unidentified woman was attempting to cross the main lanes of the highway when she was struck by a blue pickup truck.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Initially, the Castle Hills Police Department made the scene to help assist the injured woman. She was taken to an area hospital where she later died from her injuries.

The driver of the pickup truck took off shortly after the accident, the report states.

As officers began investigating the scene, they received a call from a 61-year-old man who wanted to file a crash report for his vehicle. The vehicle description matched the description of the pickup that struck the woman, police said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The man, who was not identified in the report, was interviewed and then arrested in connection to the womans death. He has been charged with failure to stop and render aid resulting in a death, police said.
Sustainability and environmental health have been my passion since childhood.

My work as a climate change scientist started on fishing boats in Alaska, then with sea turtles in Texas, and now as a coral reef researcher and scientific communicator in Oklahoma (yes, I am a marine biologist in OK!).

I relocated to Tulsa in 2000 as part of the opening team for the Oklahoma Aquarium.

After living in Washington, D.C., and then Seattle, I was accustomed to sustainability being a part of the conversation  a conversation that was not happening in Oklahoma.

I met Corey Williams and was introduced to Sustainable Tulsa, now the Sustainability Alliance, in 2018.

I was thrilled to discover the amazing work that they were doing and how they brought the sustainability conversation to Tulsa.

The Oklahoma Aquarium immediately joined the Scor3card verification program, tracking our sustainability actions, discovering how to be more sustainable, and engaging our stakeholders in the sustainability conversation.

The Scor3card program is a wonderful tool to help companies support their people, increase their profits and protect the planet.

I am proud that the aquarium has been a part of the program for five years and is verified gold.

Corey invited me to join the board of directors in 2020, along with representatives from some of the largest organizations in the region including PSO, Williams, ONEOK, Tulsa Zoo, AAON, Spirit Airlines and the Muscogee Nation.

The alliance works to always meet people where they are at in their journey, never to alienate people or organizations but to work together to reach sustainability goals.

I am now in my second year on the executive council and even more impressed with the trajectory of the Sustainability Alliance.

The alliance has initiated two new programs since my involvement began.

The First Steps program was created to cater to community-based organizations like schools, nonprofits and faith-based organizations that may not have the resources to complete the more extensive Scor3card program.

The Sustainability Alliance also designed and created the TerraScore app for individuals to track their actions to promote well-being and sustainability in their daily lives.

The app also offers challenges that organizations and individuals can participate in to foster community and engagement around sustainability. It is a powerful tool for people to take action toward sustainability.

The Oklahoma Aquariums sustainability campaign, Think Blue to Go Green, addresses climate issues and their impact on the planet and populations.

We have partnered with the alliance to include a QR code to the TerraScore app on all Think Blue to Go Green graphics throughout the aquarium.

The TerraScore app allows us to provide a tool with actionable items to deal with the issues presented on the graphics.

I encourage all organizations and individuals to visit the Sustainability Alliance website to begin or continue their sustainability journey.

We are so lucky to have these incredible resources at our fingertips.

My hope is that more people become engaged in sustainability and the Sustainability Alliance to help continue and grow the sustainability conversation.

The Tulsa World is where your story lives
The Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, part of the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications, has requested that two foreign companies, which violated Vietnams advertising laws, comply with the countrys regulations on cross-border advertising.

The two companies, RTB from Singapore and Dailymotion from France, has displayed the advertisements for P/S toothpaste and Clear and Tresemme hair care products from Unilever Vietnam International Company Limited, and Coca-Cola soft drinks from Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Ltd. Co. on cross-border platforms like Nguoi-Viet.com and Dailymotion.com.

The placement of these ads is in violation of Vietnamese advertising laws.

The authorities stated that such violations undermine brand safety and the reputation of the businesses owning these trademarks.

Consequently, the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information has demanded that the two companies cease these violations immediately and implement effective management measures to prevent recurrence.

They must also adhere to Vietnamese regulations when providing cross-border advertising services in Vietnam.

The companies are required to proactively prevent and remove advertisements that breach Vietnamese laws and ensure that all ads are not placed on unlawful content.

They must also enhance their inspection, monitoring, and filtering processes to uphold legal standards.

Additionally, the authority recommends that RTB and Dailymotion refer to the white and black content lists to safeguard brand integrity in Vietnam.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
VISNOVA, Czech Republic -- At least four people died and thousands of homes were damaged by flooding in eastern Romania on Saturday, officials said, as surging river levels put authorities on alert in much of central and eastern Europe following days of torrential rain.

Tens of thousands of households were left without power in Romania and the Czech Republic, where more rainfall is forecast in the coming days. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, southern Germany and parts of Austria are also expected to see more heavy rain.

Residents of some towns along the Czech-Polish border were evacuated as rivers rose past alert levels while the Czech capital, Prague, which suffered catastrophic floods in 2002, put preventative anti-flood measures in place.

In Romania, flooding affected eight counties, the country's emergency unit said, and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu visited hard-hit Galati county, where the four people were found dead, about 5,000 homes were damaged and 25,000 were without power.

Television images from the area showed streets flooded with muddy water, silt and debris as rescuers led residents to safety.

"The priority is obviously to save lives. At this moment we have all the necessary logistics to intervene quickly," Ciolacu said.

Slobozia Conachi, Galati country, Romania, September 14, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Evacuations, blackouts

In the Czech Republic, northern and northeastern areas bore the brunt of the deluge and 51,000 households had their electricity supply cut off, the CTK news agency said.

Forecasters warned that some parts of the country could see more than a third of average annual rainfall by Sunday, with Environment Minister Petr Hladik urging people in the worst-hit areas to prepare to leave their homes.

In the village of Visnova, 140 km (87 miles) north of Prague, local resident Roman Christof said his cottage had escaped damage because it was built on higher land. Others were less fortunate, he added.

"I feel sorry for the neighbours," he said as he surveyed the floodwaters.

In Prague, a city of more than 1.3 million people that sits on the banks of the Vltava river spanned by the picturesque 14th century Charles Bridge, flood barriers were put in place.

The city heavily invested into preventive measures after the 2002 floods, which swept into the subway system and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes.

Prague Zoo, which is located along the Vltava, was closed to visitors and Czech Railways said services on dozens of routes were disrupted. In the country's second-biggest city, Brno, a hospital evacuated patients as a precaution.

Flood water covers an area, after heavy rain triggered flooding in Slobozia Conachi, Galati country, Romania, September 14, 2024. Photo: Reuters

'Critical night' ahead

In Glucholazy, a historic town in southwestern Poland near the Czech border, firefighters piled hundreds of sandbags alongside a swollen river and some residents were evacuated.

Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said weather forecasts looked unfavourable, with very heavy rainfall to fall around the Czech border area over the next 24 hours, feeding rivers into Poland.

"We are facing a critical night, full mobilisation is required," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on the X platform.

Pechea, Galati county, Romania, September 14, 2024. Galati Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. Photo: Reuters

Officials in neighbouring Slovakia warned of the threat of flooding in the capital, Bratislava, from the swollen Danube, while Hungary expects the river to near record-high levels in the coming days.

In Austria, emergency services were working with district governors and municipalities to prepare for evacuations.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer said all federal states were affected and the situation was deteriorating, particularly in the northeastern state of Lower Austria.

"The coming days will still be extremely difficult and challenging for the affected population and the emergency services," Nehammer said on X.
A batch of emergency relief from Japan landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Sunday morning, one day earlier than scheduled, in support of Vietnams efforts to cope with the destruction of typhoon Yagi, the third storm to hit the Southeast Asian nation this year.

Vu Xuan Thanh, deputy head of the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, received the humanitarian aid from Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki and Sugano Yuichi, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency office in Vietnam.

The emergency supplies, including 40 water purifiers and 200 plastic tarpaulins valued at US$124,096, will be transported to Yen Bai Province, northern Vietnam on Sunday to support flood-hit households.

The relief shipment had previously been scheduled to arrive in Vietnam on Monday or Tuesday next week.

The earlier arrival of the Japanese aid demonstrated that Japan actively helped Vietnam speed up the post-typhoon recovery.

A friend in need is a friend indeed, Ito said at a ceremony to hand over the relief.

We hope the emergency relief will soon be delivered to typhoon-stricken areas to share the hardship with residents affected by the extreme disaster."

Japan pledged to continue joining hands with Vietnam to restore natural disaster-hit areas.

I realize that Vietnams northern region is prone to landslides and flash floods. Therefore, it is vital to consider providing the region with medium- and long-term support to minimize damage by sharing its experience in fighting calamities, Ito stated.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki speaks at a ceremony to hand over emergency relief to Vietnam, September 15, 2024. Photo: Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority

Switzerland dispatches experts to Vietnam

A Swiss expert team, along with Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass, held their first working session with the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority in Hanoi on Saturday.

Ambassador Gass expressed his condolences and sympathy to the government and people of Vietnam for the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yagi, which began impacting the northern region on September 7.

He reaffirmed Switzerlands commitment to supporting Vietnam during this challenging time.

The Swiss expert team, comprising eight members, aims to assist Vietnam by conducting surveys and in-depth research on the needs of Yen Bai Province, in order to propose suitable solutions for recovery efforts in the aftermath of the typhoon.

The team is set to start a survey next week.

Besides, Switzerland has sent over 25 metric tons of relief supplies worth 361,140 Swiss francs ($425,390) to Vietnam.

The aid shipment, including family tents and water distribution systems, will arrive in Hanoi on Monday.

A working session between Swiss experts and Vietnamese officials on September 14, 2024. Photo: Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and the U.S. has expanded across all key areas over the past year, bringing benefits to both countries, according to the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam.

On September 10 last year, late General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and U.S. President Joe Biden announced the elevation of the Vietnam - U.S. relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Biden's state visit to Vietnam.

Multiple exchanges of high-level delegations between Vietnam and the U.S. have taken place in the year since the lifting of the relations.

Both nations continue to engage on key issues in the bilateral relationship through new dialogues, including the U.S. - Vietnam Economic Dialogue and the U.S. - Vietnam Law Enforcement and Security Dialogue.

The U.S. Embassy stated that the Vietnam - U.S. economic relationship remains strong, forward-looking, and positive.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Alexis Taylor led the largest-ever agricultural trade delegation to Vietnam earlier this week, bringing representatives from 50 U.S. businesses and nine states departments of agriculture to mark the first anniversary of the Vietnam - U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

In August, Vietnam approved the import of California nectarines and peaches to the country.

In June, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper headed a record-breaking delegation of 65 Vietnamese businesses to the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C..

The first Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Economic Dialogue, which is a new forum to discuss economic and policy cooperation, was also held in June.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Alexis Taylor (R, 3rd) and CEO of MM Mega Market Vietnam Bruno Jousselin. Photo: N.Binh / Tuoi Tre

The U.S. Mission to Vietnam, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is supporting Vietnams growing digital economy, through a memorandum of understanding signed with the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade for a US$3.2-million new program focused on digital trade.

Efforts are underway to enhance technical skills training and workforce development at every level through expanded Vietnam - U.S. institutional and public-private partnerships.

These efforts include expanded English language training for STEM students, new exchange programs dedicated to workforce development, new Fulbright scholarship opportunities for STEM students and experts, and the September 11 launch of the new $4-million ITSI-CHIPS Workforce Accelerator Program in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to build capacity in the semiconductor industry.

USAID also launched a $15.5-million Higher Education Development Support project.

As for cooperation on national defense and security, the first U.S.-Vietnam Law Enforcement and Security Dialogue was held in July.

The U.S. Department of Justice and Vietnamese counterparts have launched new efforts to counter illegal timber trafficking.

In July, the U.S. Navys USS Blue Ridge and the U.S. Coast Guards cutter Waesche made a port call to Cam Ranh Port for community relations and cultural events in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam.

The U.S. remains committed to addressing the legacies of war, having pledged more than $26 million in grants to non-profit institutions to improve the safety in communities affected by unexploded ordnance over the last year.

USAID also completed successful pilot testing of the dioxin treatment process to be used at Bien Hoa Airbase in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam.

In multiple ceremonies held over the past year, the U.S. returned personal artifacts to more than ten families of Vietnamese military veterans as part of the Vietnam Wartime Accounting Initiative.

Through the Mekong Delta Coastal Habitat Conservation project, the U.S. is also building resilience of coastal mangrove ecosystems and increasing its partnership with Vietnam in the Mekong Delta region.

Washington continues to advance cooperation under the Just Energy Transition Partnership ahead of the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The U.S. Embassy highlighted that USAID and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been actively collaborating on health projects in Vietnam.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Catch up on the news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- The UK government has announced 1 million (US$1.3 million) of humanitarian assistance to Vietnam to support the initial phase of the response to the impact of Typhoon Yagi. The vital assistance will be allocated to humanitarian partners and will reach individuals directly through providing emergency supplies, cash assistance and critical services, such as health, water and sanitation.

Society

-- Up to eight storms and tropical depressions might form in the East Vietnam Sea for the rest of the year, with three or four of them forecast to directly affect Vietnam, according to the national weather center.

-- Police in Ho Chi Minh City questioned two men who provided self-balancing scooter renting services on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City for allegedly overcharging streamer IshowSpeed, an official told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday night.

-- Ho Chi Minh City plans to equip public charging stations at its major bus stations in the coming time in preparation for its shift to e-buses, according to the municipal Department of Transport.

-- Agencies, organizations and individuals nationwide had donated over VND1 trillion ($40.8 million) to support residents affected by the devastating typhoon Yagi and the ongoing floods in northern Vietnam as of 5:00 pm on Saturday, in response to the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Fronts call.

-- More than 4,000 locations along numerous roads and highways in northern Vietnam had been damaged by landslides and floods triggered by typhoon Yagi as of Saturday afternoon, causing a huge loss of over VND2 trillion ($81.6 million).

-- Moderate to heavy rains, coupled with thunderstorms, are forecast to lash the southern and Central Highlands regions on Sunday and Monday next week, according to the national weather center.

-- The Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications has required two foreign companies, including Singapores RTB and Frances Dailymotion, to comply with Vietnamese regulations on cross-border advertising activities.

Sports

-- Over 100 coaches from 17 countries will attend the ITF Asian Regional Coaches Conference 2024 in Da Nang City from September 27 to 29.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Health authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have put together 12 rapid response teams to implement control and prevention measures against measles following reports of cases in several schools.

Data from the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) showed that five elementary schools in four districts have been hit by measles outbreaks, with each reporting at least two confirmed cases just after the first week of the new school year, which formally started on September 5, highlighting the need for timely detection and quick response.

Aside from efforts to enhance the measles vaccination coverage, the formation of rapid response teams is aimed at effectively containing measles outbreaks in schools where large groups of students could increase the risk of transmission.

According to the citys Department of Health, each rapid response team is composed of 2-3 members from HCDC and one member from major hospitals like the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Childrens Hospital 1, Childrens Hospital 2, or Ho Chi Minh City Childrens Hospital.

The teams will be responsible for monitoring disease progression and issuing guidelines for schools and local medical stations to implement preventive measures.

The health department urged strict adherence to measles prevention and control protocols across educational facilities to protect public health.

A schools health staff must immediately report any case of probable or confirmed measles to the head of the medical station in their place after detection.

The medical station leader will then assess the report and dispatch healthcare workers to the school for investigation and response.

If a measles outbreak is detected in the school, a rapid response team will be deployed to the affected school where the team will coordinate with local health workers to curb the spread of the disease.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has provided more than 16,000 family medical kits for households in a series of northern provinces that had been hard hit by typhoon Yagi and the resulting floods and landslides.

This provision is meant to protect the health of the victims in the wake of the super storm.

By Saturday evening, a total of 16,134 family medical kits had been delivered by air to the health departments of Lao Cai, Lang Son, Phu Tho, Cao Bang, Yen Bai, Thai Nguyen, Bac Kan, and Thai Binh Provinces, the Ho Chi Minh City health department reported on Sunday.

Over 10,000 more medical kits will also be sent within Sunday to the northern part to help local families prevent diseases amid flooding as a result of the typhoon, which hit the region on September 7, the agency stated.

A kit includes pain relievers, fever reducers, probiotics, anti-diarrheal medications, skin antiseptics, rehydration solutions, and medicines for allergic rhinitis, hives, itching, as well as for treating stuffy and runny noses, among other essential medications.

The kit also includes personal care items such as adhesive bandages, gauzes, medicated oils, and antiseptic solutions.

These kits are part of the 'Family Medical Kit' program, initiated by the department to donate 30,000 medical kits to 10 northern provinces and cities severely affected by the typhoon.

Many public and private hospitals, medical facilities, and private pharmaceutical companies have actively participated in the program, contributing to disease prevention and control efforts in these flood-hit areas.

Health experts warn that during and after floods, people may face an increased risk of epidemic outbreaks, especially skin, respiratory, eye, digestive, and hand-foot-and- mouth diseases.

The department has extended its recognition and thanks to all medical and pharmaceutical facilities for their significant contributions to the program.

Among the hospitals joining the program are Hung Vuong, Nguyen Tri Phuong, An Binh, Binh Thanh, and Pham Ngoc Thach, along with the citys Heart Institute, Dermatology Hospital, and others.

The department said 49 hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City stand ready to second health workers to its counterparts in the northern provinces impacted by the typhoon.

By 6:00 am on Sunday, typhoon Yagi and the subsequent floods and landslides had taken 281 lives, injured 1,921 people, and caused 67 others to go missing, according to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Estimated economic losses due to the natural calamities had reached about VND31.6 trillion (US$1.29 billion), the agency said.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A pregnant woman from Lao Cai, a typhoon Yagi-hit province in northern Vietnam, and her husband walked 40 kilometers throughout forest roads in 14 hours to reach a hospital to give birth this week.

The general hospital in Bac Ha District, Lao Cai on Saturday shared the story of S.T.S., a 22-year-old woman, visiting the medical station in Tan Tien Commune, located in the province's Bao Yen District, on Thursday for a prenatal examination after showing signs of labor.

On account of her health conditions, S. was unable to deliver vaginally, and with local roads damaged by heavy downpours and floods, she and her husband made the difficult decision to walk to the general hospital in Bac Ha District to give birth.

They walked for 14 hours from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm on Thursday, covering 40 kilometers of treacherous and slippery forest roads.

S. said many road sections were eroded, but the strong will of a mother helped her overcome all adversaries.

Each step was a challenge, but she tried to walk the distance with her husband.

By the time S. reached the hospital, she was exhausted, her legs covered in scratches and mud.

Doctors at Bac Ha District General Hospital immediately performed a cesarean section.

Within 30 minutes, a healthy three-kilogram baby was born, filling the surgical team, as well as S. and her husband, with overwhelming happiness.

S. held her child in her arms and burst into tears. Many people have shown their admiration for her bravery.

Doctor Sung Thi Sach from the hospital said S.s story was not only about the aftermath of typhoon Yagi, which made landfall in northern Vietnam on September 7, but also the great courage of a mother.

Typhoon Yagi, the third storm to hit Vietnam this year and the most powerful storm to have struck the East Vietnam Sea over the past three decades, and subsequent floods and landslides had taken 281 lives, injured 1,921 people, and caused 67 others to go missing by 6:00 am on Sunday, according to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Yagi has also blown off the roofs of over 230,000 houses, schools, and medical centers, while flooding 70,000 houses and 190,000 hectares of rice.

Lao Cai Province is currently the worst-hit locality with 113 people dead and 59 others missing.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
After a brief fling with fall weather earlier this month, you could say Texas is now experiencing its second summer.

Temperatures last weekend had been slightly cooler than our climate-normal high of 90 degrees. However, over the past few days, temperatures have rebounded to the middle and upper 90s, and this trend is expected to continue into the workweek. Brace yourself for a return of summer-like heat, with potential temperatures approaching or even matching daily records.

Sunday temps would have to beat the record high for Sept. 15 of 98 degrees set in 1988. On Monday, the record high for Sept. 16 is 99 degrees set in 1954. The record high for Sept. 17 on Tuesday is 98 degrees set in 1997.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

San Antonio on Sunday can expect a mostly cloudy morning that gradually becomes sunny, with temperatures peaking at 98 degrees. But humidity could make the air feel as hot as 103 degrees. As southerly winds pick up in the afternoon, the balmy air will stay warm. At night, temperatures will stay above 74 degrees.

High temperatures on Sunday will be above average and close to daily records for San Antonio and Del Rio. Pivotal

Currently, high atmospheric pressure is dominating Texas. In a high pressure system, air circulates downward, and when it compresses close to the ground, temperatures get warmer. High pressure also keeps warm air, which is carrying water vapor, from rising high enough to build into storm clouds.

However, the forecast has some good news for our rain-starved region. Forecast models are indicating a good chance of rain for the Rio Grande Plains and South Texas.

The leftover moisture and energy from Tropical Storm Ileana in the Pacific Ocean will move across Baja California and northern Mexico before heading into Texas on Sunday and Monday. The chance of rain remains low for San Antonio at only 20%, but a few areas could receive up to a quarter-inch of rain, especially to the south and west of the city.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Remnants of Tropical Storm Ilena will drift into South Texas bringing a small rain chance to area south and west of San Antonio early next week. Pivotal

Next week, Texas will be situated between two rain-friendly troughs of low atmospheric pressure. One will move into the western United States and remain stationary for a couple of days, while the other is a broad low pressure system that will move from the southeastern United States into the mid-Atlantic region.

Forecast models also are anticipating the emergence of an Atlantic tropical disturbance offshore from the Carolinas that will then move inland through the Ohio Valley and into the Great Lakes region.

Back in South Texas, the upcoming week will bring hot and dry weather because of a weak ridge of high pressure. The National Weather Services Climate Prediction Center gives our region and the rest of the state a 60% to 70% chance of above-normal temperatures through Sept. 26.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The National Weather Services Climate Prediction Center highlights a third of the United States, giving it a high probability of above-average temperatures through the next two weeks. Pivotal

While we passed the historical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season on Sept. 10, we are still monitoring storms forming in the Atlantic. Currently, our focus is on Tropical Storm Gordon, which was meandering in the middle of the Atlantic. Its rotating center was at least 1,000 miles away from the nearest land and expected to curve north this week. Gordon so far is not posing a threat to the United States as it remains out at sea.
A man who provides hoverboard renting services on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City apologized American online streamer and YouTuber IshowSpeed and reimbursed him on Sunday after ripping him off the day before.

The service supplier made the moves after he was summoned by police officers on Saturday.

Officers in Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 ordered two men to come to a police station for questioning on Saturday night after a video showing them allegedly overcharging the rapper went viral on social media.

The two men were then identified as V.P.Q.M., 23, who lives in District 4, and N.M.H., a 53-year-old dweller in District 1.

They admitted that M. charged IshowSpeed VND1 million (US$40.8) to rent a hoverboard at around 5:30 pm on Saturday, while H. acted as an interpreter.

At 6:35 pm the same day, the two men were summoned to the police station for questioning over their act of fleecing the foreigner.

On Sunday morning, Ben Nghe Ward police fined M. VND10 million ($408.2) for "illegally using roadbeds and sidewalks for self-balancing board rentals and for leasing goods without clear origins."

A representative (R) of IshowSpeed accepts an apology from a man who overcharged the rapper for a hoverboard service on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Dan Thuan / Tuoi Tre

Officers also confiscated his hoverboards and ordered M. not to repeat his violations.

As H. was identified as M.'s friend and not directly leasing hoverboards, he was not penalized.

The duo came to a hotel where IshowSpeed is staying to offer an apology to the streamer.

A representative of the well-known American rapper accepted the apology and happily got the money back.

IshowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., live-streamed his visit to Ho Chi Minh City, including an incident where he was fleeced when renting a hoverboard on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street, on Saturday.

During the live video, which had 169,000 viewers, a man initially quoted him $100, but later charged him VND1 million when he went to pay to use the service for a few minutes only.

The rental of a hoverboard in Ho Chi Minh City ranges from VND30,000 ($1.22) to VND50,000 ($2.04) per hour.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Police in Ho Chi Minh City questioned two men who provide hoverboard renting services on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City for allegedly overcharging American content creator and YouTuber IshowSpeed, an official told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday night.

Officers in Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 summoned the two men to a police station for questioning a few hours after a video showing them overcharging the rapper went viral on social media.

IshowSpeed live-streamed his visit in Ho Chi Minh City, including his experience of being fleeced on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street, on Facebook.

The live video was attracting 169,000 viewers when the renowned streamer was ovecharged for renting a self-balancing board on the walking street.

The video showed a man quoting the foreigner US$100 for renting the hoverboard.

Though the streamer paused for a moment, he then agreed and signed for his staff to give him money to pay.

While he was holding cash to make the payment, another man reduced the fee and charged him VND1 million ($40.8) for a hoverboard.

As a result, the 19-year-old rapper rented the self-balancing board at VND1 million for a few minutes.

The two mens act of ripping off the foreigner sparked outrage on social media.

Users expressed concern that such behavior tarnishes the image of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and its people, while also potentially harming the city's tourism industry.

IshowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., is well known as an American YouTuber, online streamer, and rapper.

Le Duc Thanh, chairman of the District 1 Peoples Committee, announced on Saturday night that the administration had instructed the Ben Nghe Ward Peoples Committee to reach out to IshowSpeed to apologize for the incident and reimburse him for being overcharged on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Many students in Vietnam have donated their hard-earned savings from performing arts, collecting scrap, and selling sandwiches to support people affected by typhoon Yagi, which made landfall in northern Vietnam on September 7 and has caused huge human and property losses.

Members of Thu Duc Kids, an art team of the Thu Duc Children's House in Ho Chi Minh City, have donated their funds to help children in the storm-hit areas.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thuy, manager of the team, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that many members of the team and their parents had asked her if they could do anything amid the serious floods and landslides in the north.

Thuy later asked the teams members and their parents for their opinions on a donation of VND2 million (US$82) sourced from Thu Duc Kids fund for those affected by typhoon Yagi and got the support from most of the adults.

To have the amount, the Thu Duc Kids members had performed at many places.

Instead of using the money for parties, they agreed to give it away to those hit by the natural disaster in the north.

They also added VND1 million ($40.8) to the donation.

Some of them told Thuy that they would donate the VND50,000 ($2) pay each of them received after performing at a program to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is due next Tuesday.

Huynh Nguyen Ngoc Diep, an eighth-grade member of Thu Duc Kids, said she received VND50,000 ($2) after a show on Saturday. She would donate the amount plus her pocket money to children in the flooded areas in the northern region.

Diep said that after witnessing the significant property damage and human losses suffered by the northern residents on television, she felt compelled to make a small contribution to help them rebuild their lives.

Nguyen Minh Dang Duong donated VND500,000 ($20) to people in flooded areas in northern Vietnam. Photo: Supplied

Nguyen Minh Dang Duong, an eighth grader at Nam Trung Yen Middle School in Hanoi, donated VND500,000 ($20) from the profit he made selling sandwiches during the summer to support those affected by Typhoon Yagi.

Duong shared that he sold sandwiches in the lobby of his apartment building over the summer to cover the cost of books, notebooks, and stationery for the 2024-25 school year, which formally began on September 5.

He got up at 5:00 am every day to prepare sandwiches and sold them until 9:00 am.

He sold the dish for 27 days and got the support of residents in his apartment building.

As he knew that people in the flooded-areas were facing a shortage of food and difficulties in travel, he decided to donate part of his proceeds.

His mother snapped a photo of him as he was putting the money into an envelope, but Duong refused to let her post it on social media, explaining that there was no need to boast about charity work.

'During the summer, I collected and sold empty beer cans and won prizes in swimming competitions. I donate this amount of money to friends in the north. I wish them happiness,' Vo Xuan Nghi, a fourth grader of Le Lai Elementary School in central Da Nang City, wrote in a piece of paper attached with VND360,000 ($14.7) in small change given away to children in flooded areas in northern Vietnam. Photo: Supplied

Meanwhile, Vo Xuan Nghi, a fourth grader at Le Lai Elementary School in Da Nang, moved local netizens by donating VND360,000 ($14.7) in small change to those affected by the floods.

Nghi explained that she earned the money by collecting scrap  mainly empty beer cans and cardboard boxes  and by winning two third-place prizes, each worth VND100,000 ($4.1), in swimming competitions.

I cherish this money; no one can touch it. I used part of it to buy school supplies, and I decided to give away the rest to students in the flood-hit areas, Nghi said.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
WIN TV mogul Bruce Gordon is suing TVSN, after the shopping channel signed a new broadcasting deal with Seven network.

The Australian Financial Review reports a case was lodged with the NSW Supreme Court last month over an alleged breach of contract.

In mid-2021, WIN signed a three-year licensing deal with TVSN, owned by CPE Capital-backed Direct Group, to broadcast the channel, according to court documents.

Court documents reveal the contract between WIN and TVSN included a clause that the two companies would meet nine months before the end of their deal on June 30, 2024, with a view to exploring, in good faith, opportunities to extend their co-operation.

But WIN alleges that TVSN deliberately ignored attempts to organise a meeting because it was negotiating a new deal with a rival broadcaster behind its back.

In December TVSNs lawyers Holding Redlich sent WIN a letter saying there was no point in having a meeting because it would be impossible for your client to provide the Australian-wide coverage required by our client.

In January TVSN announced a new broadcast deal with the Seven Network, which took effect in July.

WIN is seeking damages and says it lost the ability to negotiate a new deal because TVSN declined to engage.

A TVSN spokeswoman said it did not comment on matters before court. WIN declined to comment.
Mohammad Aatif Ammad Kanth, TwoCircles.net

In 1996, when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed rejoined the Congress, he was assigned the task of fielding candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. Though he successfully identified candidates for most constituencies, no one was willing to contest the Bijbehara seat on a Congress ticket due to its reputation as a militant stronghold in South Kashmir.

Support TwoCircles



Determined to ensure his birthplace was not left uncontested, he ultimately followed the advice of his political workers and persuaded his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti, to run for the seat. She accepted the challenge and won, securing one of only two Congress victories in the Valley. Since then, candidates supported by the Mufti family have never lost in Bijbehara.

In 1996, the stakes for the Mufti family in Bijbehara were relatively modest, primarily focusing on ensuring the seat was not left uncontested. Nearly three decades later, however, the stakes have risen significantly for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP  a political outfit founded by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 1999) as it fields the youngest Mufti politician, Iltija Mufti, in the same constituency.

Iltija gained prominence after the abrogation of Article 370 when she began speaking out against the move and the subsequent shutdown in Kashmir on national TV debates and social media. This marked the beginning of her ascent in the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. She garnered public sympathy and admiration for her vocal advocacy of Kashmiri civil liberties, even from those with differing political views. Subsequently, she was appointed as her mothers media advisor.

Mohammad Rafiq, 65, from Bijbehara, remarked, Though I am not affiliated with any political party, I admire Iltija for the courage she has shown in the past few years. When everyone was silent, she openly challenged (Prime Minister Narendra) Modis Kashmir policy. It felt like she wasnt a politician but one of us. If I vote, it would be for her  not because she belongs to the Mufti family, but because of the bravery she has demonstrated by speaking for Kashmiris during a very tough period. I believe she will continue to speak for the people.

Reviving the Sinking PDP

In 2014, the PDP experienced an unprecedented surge across the Kashmir Valley, securing 28 seats, the highest in its history. However, the coalition with the BJP, the 2016 unrest and the abrogation of Article 370 (which many believe the BJP used the PDP to achieve) severely damaged the partys image. After Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded to a Union Territory in 2019, the party faced Centres strong-arm tactics, resulting in 18 of its 28 MLAs quitting and weakening the party further. In the current elections, the PDP is only considered a frontrunner in a few constituencies.

Many believe that Iltija Mufti, with her positive public image, has been entrusted with the task of reviving the party and reactivating its cadres. She acknowledges, however, that she cannot achieve this alone and requires the support of party workers.

Talking to TwoCircles.net, Iltija said, While the PDPs image has not deteriorated as much as people think, we do recognise that there has been some damage. I believe, together, we can elevate the PDP once again. I dont think I can revive the party on my own  it is only possible if all workers unite. Over the past five years, we have seen a mass exodus of PDP workers, largely orchestrated by New Delhi, but thankfully, I sense our cadres are reconnecting. Especially when I visit South Kashmir, many of our old workers, who were with my grandfather in the Congress and the DNC, are reestablishing ties.

Beyond reviving the party and preventing its further decline, Iltija faces the formidable challenge of retaining the Bijbehara seat, which could be at risk due to anti-incumbency, with National Conference candidate Bashir Ahmed Veeri gaining traction. Veeri has been drawing crowds not seen for NC candidates in Bijbehara since the 1990s. Past elections have seen upsets, such as Omar Abdullah losing the Sonwar seat, a traditional NC stronghold.

Abdul Rehman, 66, from Bijbehara, commented, The PDP has been here a long time, and I think many people want change. While Iltija Mufti may be a Mufti family member, Bashir Ahmed Veeri is a strong candidate, and he is drawing big crowds. So, it is not a one-sided contest like before.

Strong Media Presence

Although several key female political figures are contesting in this election, Iltija stands out for her strong media presence. After the abrogation of Article 370, she began appearing on TV debates, openly opposing Prime Minister Modis Kashmir policy and advocating for civil liberties and political rights in Jammu and Kashmir on TV and social media. Her consistent outspokenness against perceived injustices has earned her widespread admiration, with many praising her courage.

Iltija said, I am Mehbooba Muftis daughter, and I accept that this privilege gave me a political launch. But for people to accept me long-term, they need to feel a connection. Despite some resentment toward the party, people have liked me because they have seen me speak consistently in the media over the last five years, especially when no one else spoke after the abrogation of Article 370.

Nepotism Tag

While many view her as someone who has made a name for herself by speaking out against the central governments Kashmir policy, especially after 2019, others see her as merely another product of nepotism. This year, several politicians have paved the way for their children in politics, sparking frustration in Kashmir. From Omar Abdullahs sons campaigning for candidates to Hilal Lone, son of former MP Akbar Lone, running for office, and Salman Sagar, son of the National Conference secretary, contesting in Khanyar, many believe family rule continues. Iltija is also seen as a political bigwig entering the race for the first time.

Mohammad Sayar (name changed), 29, from Srigufwara, expressed, I do not understand why political parties keep giving tickets to politicians children. Cant they find new faces? Iltija is getting a ticket only because she is the daughter of a former chief minister, and the PDP is her familys party. She does not qualify to represent us. These politicians just want their families to rule us, nothing more.
Tauseef Ahmad, TwoCircles.net

Srinagar: As mainstream parties gear up for campaigns ahead of the long-awaited assembly elections in Kashmir that is scheduled to be held from September 18 to October in three phases after five years of Centres rule through the lieutenant governor (L-G), a notable shift is emerging in the political landscape of the Valley, with several new independent female candidates entering the fray, despite having no prior political background.

Kashmirs political arena historically has been male-dominated, with few women in politics, mostly from established political families. However, this influx of new female candidates is seen as a fresh beginning following the abrogation of Article 370.

These emerging female leaders aim to address critical issues faced by women, including unemployment, healthcare and gender-based violence  issues long neglected by mainstream politics. Their participation not only challenges the status quo but also introduces fresh perspectives, marking a significant shift towards greater gender inclusivity and advocacy for womens rights in the Valley.

An Advocate Turns Politician

Advocate Murseleen, a noted lawyer and social activist, is among the three women contesting for the Sopore assembly seat.

Talking to TwoCircles.net, she said, After the abrogation of Article 370, our rights have been snatched and our resources exploited. We have the right to vote but not to raise our voices. This motivated me to participate in the election and amplify the voices of women who remain unheard.

She also highlighted the restriction of women in politics by mainstream parties, noting that only a few women from political families have been involved in politics in the Valley.

In Kashmir, political power has long been concentrated in the hands of a few families, perpetuating a cycle of dynasty rule for decades. This dominance has marginalised individuals from poorer backgrounds, particularly women, who have been excluded from meaningful participation in the political process, she lamented. They are used as voters and then forgotten until the next election.

Murseleen pledged to address the issues faced by Kashmiri women, stating, Common women are still struggling with inadequate education, employment and healthcare. The slogans of women empowerment remain unfulfilled at the ground level.

Change is necessary. We need to move past the false promises of traditional political parties. Women today are doctors and engineers, so why not politicians? We should give these women candidates a chance to represent us, said Tabinda, a first-time voter and B.Sc. student.

Focus on Peace and Brotherhood

Aarti Nehru, the only Kashmiri Pandit candidate in the Sopore assembly elections since the communitys exodus in 1990, aims to shift the perception of Kashmir from one associated with terrorism to a place of peace.

I spent my childhood here and have many memories of this place. Now, after around 30 years, my Kashmiri Muslim brothers and sisters have welcomed me. This is my home, and I will work for its development, she told TwoCircles.net after filing her nomination papers as an independent candidate for the Sopore constituency in north Kashmir.

She emphasised her priorities: ending years of turmoil and restoring peace and brotherhood. My priority will be to appeal to the government to release youths detained during past unrest, as the situation has changed, she said. I urge people of all religions to participate in the election and choose a candidate who truly meets their expectations.

Aarti is among 23 candidates contesting the Sopore assembly seat, with elections scheduled for October 1. She pledged to create employment opportunities for youths in the private sector if elected and expressed hope that people will support her efforts to beautify her hometown.

From Medical Service to Political Aspiration

Dr. Bilquees, a former chief medical officer, is the only female candidate among 19 contesting from the Bandipora constituency.

For me, politics is a way to reach and serve more people. As a doctor, I provided relief to individuals, and I wish to continue doing so in this new role, she said.

During her campaign, she pledged to donate her entire salary to the poor and needy of Bandipora if elected. I aim to serve the underprivileged who lack basic facilities and guide the youth on the right path. I hope people will choose me and give me the chance to serve them.

For the first and second phases of the assembly polls in Kashmir, which will see voting on September 18 and 25 respectively, only 13 women are contesting among 327 candidates, noted one of the women. She emphasised that this figure highlights the limited political rights afforded to women in Kashmir and sees the participation of these new candidates as a bold step that will inspire others.
Zimbabwe will cull 200 elephants as it faces an unprecedented drought that has led to food shortages, a move that will also allow it to tackle a ballooning population of the animals, the country's wildlife authority said this week.

The country has "more elephants than it needed", Zimbabwe's environment minister said in parliament on Wednesday, adding that the government had instructed the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) to begin the culling process.

The 200 elephants will be hunted in areas where they have clashed with humans, including Hwange, home of Zimbabwe's largest natural reserve, ZimParks director general Fulton Mangwanya told French news agency AFP.

Zimbabwe is home to an estimated 100,000 elephants, and has the second-biggest elephant population in the world after Botswana.

Thanks to conservation efforts, Hwange is home to 65,000 of the animals, more than four times its capacity, according to ZimParks. Zimbabwe last culled elephants in 1988.

Neighbouring countries carry out cull

Neighbouring Namibia said this month that it had already killed 160 wildlife in a planned cull of more than 700 animals, including 83 elephants, to cope with its worst drought in decades.

Zimbabwe and Namibia are among a swathe of countries in southern Africa that have declared a state of emergency because of drought.

About 42 percent of Zimbabweans live in poverty, according to UN estimates, and authorities say about six million will require food assistance during the November to March lean season, when food is scarcest.

"Those species matter as much as elephants."



Read more on RFI English



Read also:

Endangered elephants eavesdrop on poachers in Republic of the Congo

Kenyan farmers test 'smart' fences to curb elephant invasions

Nearly 68 million suffering from drought in southern Africa, says regional bloc
Meaning of Love for Prophet Muhammad (SAWS)

It is clear from the various verses of Glorious Quraan and numerous Hadiths that a Muslim should love Allah the Exalted, Sayyiduna Muhammadur Rasulullah (Sallallahu Aleihi Wa Sallam) and Islam more than all loveable objects.

Sunday September 15, 2024 2:03 PM , Khursheed Alam Dawood Qasmi

It is clear from the various verses of Glorious Quraan and numerous Hadiths that a Muslim should love Allah the Exalted, Sayyiduna Muhammadur Rasulullah (Sallallahu Aleihi Wa Sallam) and Islam more than all loveable objects.

In fact, all these are connected with each other. It cant happen that a person loves Allah but he/she does not love His/Her beloved Messenger Muhammad (SAWS) or Islam, or he/she loves Allahs Messenger (SAWS) and doesnt love Allah and Islam. A person will have to love all of them altogether. Actually, the perfection of Imaan (faith) depends on loving Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) more than everyone and everything.

The second thing is that along with Muhammad (SAWS) being a Prophet and a Messenger, Allah the Almighty created him (SAWS) as such perfect human being who was free from all kinds of shortcoming and defect. He (SAWS) received such an abundant share of beauty, magnificence, perfection, kindness, generosity etc. from Allah that none else had access to it except him (SAWS).

What a great personality he was! He (SAWS) was the most perfect person and the best human being on the surface of the earth. He (SAWS), therefore, deserved to be loved more than all creatures and loveable objects!

Sense of Love

Allamah Nawawi (631-676 AH) writes about love:

"The essence of love is that (the heart) inclines towards something which is loving and desirable. Then (the heart) inclines sometimes towards something in which a person feels pleasure and he considers it beautiful, like good looks and food etc. And (the heart's) inclination is sometimes towards something whose pleasure is known by his wisdom and intellect on the basis of inner reasons, such as the absolute love for pious people, scholars and the virtuous folks. And sometimes the inclination of the heart is towards a person due to his favour and removing something which is painful and undesirable. (Al-Minhaaj Sharh Sahih Muslim Ibn Al-Hajjaj 2/14)

Allama Aeini (1361-1451) defines love:

"The connection and inclination of the heart towards something, with the idea that there is some perfection, quality and excellence in it, by the way that the person expresses his inclination and desire in that thing, which brings him closer to it." (Umadah al-Qari 1/142)

"Al-Hubb" and "Al-Mahabbah", both the words of Arabic language, convey a meaning that is related to the heart, which has a wide meaning in itself in comparison to other attributes. And according to its effectiveness, it is the greatest; because there is an inclination of the heart in it and an attraction towards the beloved one. It creates such a consciousness and a spirit of behavior in the nature of a human being that sometimes it happens that the lover sacrifices his everything to get the pleasure of his loved one; rather, in the love of his beloved one, he becomes alienated from himself and leaves his attributes and adopts the attributes of the beloved." (Mahabbate Rasul Sallallahu Aleihi Wa Sallam Imaan Men Se Hai, P.: 10)

Love for The Prophet (SAWS) in Quraan

Allah the Almighty says in Glorious Quraan:

The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves. (Ahzab: 6)

Mufti Muhammad Shafi (1897-1976) writes under the commentary of this verse:

The Prophet (SAWS) has more relation to the believers than themselves. Because the self of a person sometimes causes him a benefit and sometimes causes him a loss. Because if the soul is good, it moves towards good deeds; then it benefits the person and if it starts going towards bad deeds, then one's own soul becomes a trouble for himself, unlike the Messenger of Allah (SAWS), whose teaching is only beneficial and only good. "And even if one's soul is good and moves towards goodness, still its benefit cannot be equal to the benefit from the Messenger of Allah (SAWS); because one's soul can mistake about good and bad, expediency and harm, and it does not even have full knowledge of benefits and harm, unlike the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). "There is no danger of any fallacy in his teachings, and when the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) is closer than our lives and our souls, so his right over us is more than our lives and that right is that we should obey him in every work and we should respect and honour him more than all creatures." (Ma'arif al-Qur'an, Vo.: 7, pp.: 85-86)

Allah The Almighty says at another place in Glorious Quraan:

Say, if your fathers and your sons and your brothers and your spouses and your clan and the wealth you have earned and the trade you apprehend will recede and the homes you like are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and Jihad in His way, then, wait until Allah comes with His command. Allah does not lead the sinning people to the right path. (Al-Taubah: 24)

Under this verse, Maulana Muhammad Manzoor Nomani (1905-1997) writes:

It is distinctly stated in these verses, the love of the Believer for Allah, the Prophet (SAWS) and the Islamic Faith must be stronger than for all the loveable objects in the world. Without it countenance of Allah cannot be gained, nor His special guidance obtained, nor can faith acquire perfection.

He further writes:

Once this stage is reached, it will not only be easy for anyone to observe the duties of Islam and to carry out the commands of Allah and the Prophet (SAWS); but he will also derive the pleasure even from lying down his life for the sake of Faith. "Conversely, a person in whose heart the love for Allah and His Messenger is not entrenched firmly will find it most difficult to keep to the everyday Islamic injunctions and to obey the common religious percept. "At best, it will become routine affair, a tediously automatic procedure. Hence, it has been said that unless the love for Allah and the Prophet (SAWS) governs and has control of all other attachments and affections the true station of love cannot be attained not its sweetness perceived. (Maariful Hadith: 1/135)

Perfection of Imaan

Several Hadiths guide that a Muslim must love Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) more than any loveable object. If one doesnt love him (SAWS) more than everything, his Imaan is not perfect. Now, some Hadiths are being mentioned here:

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (RA) reports that the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: By Him in Whose Hands my life is, none of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father (Parents) and his children. (Sahih Bukhari: 14)

Sayyiduna Anas (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: None of you will have (perfect) faith till he loves me more than his father (Parents), his children and all mankind. (Sahih Bukhari: 15)

Also Read | Prophet Muhammad: A Brief Biography

Sayyiduna Anas (RA) relates that the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: None of you has believed, until I am dearer to him than his family, his wealth and all the people. (Sunan Nasai: 5014)

Sayyiduna Anas (RA) reports that the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of Imaan: (1) The one to whom Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad SAWS) become dearer than anything else. (2) Who loves a person and he loves him only for the sake of Allah. (3) Who hates to revert to atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the fire. (Sahih Bukhari: 16)

The outcome of these verses and Hadiths is that a believer should love Allah the Almighty, His Messenger (SAWS) and Islam more than his family, wealth, relatives and all other worldly things. If he loves someone else, then even that love should be for the sake of Allah. None can be a perfect believer unless he loves Allah, His Messenger (SAWS) and Islam more than everything.

From the aforementioned Hadiths, it is understood that A persons faith cannot be perfect until the Prophet (SAWS) is the more beloved to him than everything; while naturally sometimes, a man's hearts attachment and its inclination is more towards his parents, wife, children, relatives, wealth etc. So, apparently it means that no Muslim is a perfect believer. The scholars of Hadith have answered to this question explaining that there are three types of love:

Natural Love

It is an involuntary love. The love that one has for parents, relatives, wife and children is a natural love that is involuntary. This "natural love" is not meant in the Hadith.

Spiritual Love

This is an optional love. The gist of this love is that the nature refuses to do a thing; but faith requires it that this work is the commandment of the Shariah; therefore, we have to do it.

Rational Love

It is also an optional love. This means that sometimes the nature is not inclined towards the fulfillment of a task or order; but the wisdom guides that it is beneficial for us to fulfill this order; therefore, we do it.

The love that is mentioned in the Hadith, it is the same love that is optional, i.e. the spiritual love and the rational love; so our intellect persuades us to love the Prophet (SAWS) the most; because he is our great benefactor in this world and great intercessor in the hereafter.

Allama Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (1372-1448) writes: And the meaning of love here is an optional love, not a natural love. (Fath al-Bari: 1/59)

Causes of Love

Generally, a person loves someone for one or more than one of the three reasons. Those reasons are beauty or handsomeness, perfection or excellence and favour. All these reasons are found in the blessed personality of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) on the highest level. They are explained below:

Beauty or handsomeness: A person loves someone because of his/her outward beauty or handsomeness, as Zuleikha loved Sayyiduna Yusuf (Peace be upon him!), because of his handsomeness. Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) was the most handsome person in the world. Many companions (May Allah be pleased with them!) have testified the handsomeness of the Prophet (SAWS). Some Ahaadeeth are quoted here:

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah (RA) said: I saw the Prophet (SAWS) on a clear night, so I looked at the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) and at the moon, and he was wearing a red dress. He (SAWS) looked better than the moon to me. (Sunan Tirmidhi: 2811)

The above narration has been mentioned in Shamail Tirmidhi as follows: "Once I saw the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) on the night of a full moon. He (SAWS) wore red clothing on that night. At times I looked at the full moon and at times at the Messenger of Allah (SAWS). Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that he (SAWS) was more handsome and more radiant than the full moon." (Shamail Tirmidhi: 9)

Also Read | Prophet Muhammad: Life exemplifies the Status

Hind bin Abi Haalah (RA) reports: The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) had great qualities and attributes in him, others also held him in high esteem. His face glittered like the full moon. (Shobul Imaan: 1362)

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (RA) reports: "Allahs Messenger (SAWS) was of a medium stature, he was neither very tall nor very short. He was very handsome, of medium built and his hair was neither very curly nor very straight (but was slightly wavy). He had a wheat coloured complexion. When he walked, he leaned forward slightly". (Shamail Tirmidhi: 02)

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (RA) says: "I didnt see anyone more handsome as Allahs Messenger (SAWS). It was as if the brightness of the sun had shone from his auspicious face. I didnt see anyone walking faster than him, as if the earth folded for him. A few moments ago, he (SAWS) would be here, and then there. We found it difficult to keep pace, when we walked with him (SAWS), and he (SAWS) walked at his normal pace." (Shamail Tirmidhi: 116)

Perfection or Excellence

One of the reasons for loving someone is his/her inner perfection and excellence, such as knowledge, grace, ability, virtue etc. The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) was granted hundreds of excellences and perfections. The prophet-hood ended on him and he (SAWS) was the final prophet. He (SAWS) said:

"The prophet-hood has ended on me and no prophet will come after me." (Al-Mujam Al-Awsat: 3274)

Allah the Almighty honoured him (SAWS) with the knowledge of the first and the last. Then all the perfections and excellences which are found in the creatures are due to him (SAWS), because he is the distributer. Allahs Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said:

I am just a distributor, but the grant is from Allah. (Sahihul Bukhari: 71)

Favour and Generosity

A person loves someone because of his/her favour and generosity. The attribute of favour and generosity was also found in the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) on the highest level. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (RA) says:

The Prophet (SAWS) was the most generous person, and he used to become more so (generous) particularly in the month of Ramadan, because Jibril (AS) used to meet him every night of the month of Ramadan till it elapsed. Allah's Messenger (SAWS) used to recite the Qur'an for him. When Jibril met him, he (SAWS) used to become more generous than the fair winds sent (by Allah) with glad tidings (of rain in doing good). (Sahihul Bukhari: 4997)

In another narration, Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Abbas (RA) says:

"When the month of Ramadan arrives, the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) would set free every prisoner and fulfill the wishes of every questioner." (Mushkaat: 1966)

Allamah Nawawi (631-676 AH), after describing the reasons of love, says:

"All these reasons are present in the personality of the Prophet (SAWS), because he is a composite of external and internal beauty, perfection, excellence and all kinds of virtues, and especially he (SAWS) made a great favour by guiding Muslims towards the straight path, eternal bliss and by instructing them to stay away from the hell. (Al-Minhaj Sharah Sahih Muslim Bin Al-Hajjaj: 2 / 14)

Requisites of Love for the Prophet (SAWS)

It is not enough to just say with our tongue that we love Allah Ta'ala and Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) from our heart and soul, on the contrary, the requisites of love for the Prophet (SAWS) are that we fulfill the commandments of Allah the Almighty which He has commanded and stop from those things which Allah Almighty has forbidden.

Follow the guidance given in the Holy Quraan. Abide by the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAWS). Make his life a model and do everything as he (SAWS) did. Study the biography of the Prophet (SAWS). Send the Salaah and Salaam abundantly upon him (SAWS). In short, a Muslim should consider his success only in following his Sunnah and his life style. Allah the Almighty says:

Say (O Prophet): if you really love Allah, then follow me, and Allah shall love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful. (Aal Imran: 31)

Conclusion

It is heartfelt desire of each and every Muslim to die in the state of Faith (Imaan) and after leaving this mortal world, they should be resurrected with the prophets, messengers, companions, martyrs and pious people.

For this desire, it is necessary that we love these people, we love them from the bottom of our hearts and we must follow their instructions and injunctions. Then we will be resurrected with these great personalities, In Shaa Allah.

Here is a Hadith of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWS). He (SAWS) says:

Everyone will be with those whom he loves." (Sahih Bukhari: 6168) That is, a person's resurrection will be with a person he loves. This Hadith also guides us that if we want our fate with the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Aleihi Wa Sallam), we must love him from the bottom of our hearts.

[The writer, Khursheed Alam Dawood Qasmi, is associated with Moon Rays Trust School, Zambia, Africa. Reach him via qasmikhursheed@yahoo.co.in.]

Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates.

Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
Watch: Minister evades question if Ambanis Antilia is built on Waqf land

Amid the accusations that one of the aims to amend the Waqf Act is to help PM Modis corporate friends, Abdul Sattar, Minister of Minority Development and Aukaf (Maharashtra), refused to respond to a question about the status of Antilia, Mukesh Ambanis residence in Mumbai

Sunday September 15, 2024 10:53 PM , ummid.com Staff Reporter

[Former Maharashtra Waqf Board CEO Moin Tashildar (L) with Maharahtra Minister Abdul Sattar in a file photo. (Image Moin Tashildar/Facebook)]

Mumbai: Amid the accusations that one of the aims to amend the Waqf Act is to help PM Modis corporate friends, Abdul Sattar, Minister of Minority Development and Aukaf (Maharashtra), refused to respond to a question about the status of Antilia, Mukesh Ambanis residence in Mumbai.

In a video which is widely shared amidst the unrest over Narendra Modi governments plan to amend the Waqf Act 1995 a reporter asked Abdul Sattar about the status of Mukesh Ambanis residence Antilia.

Do you believe Antilia is (built on) Waqf land? the reporter asked the Maharashtra Minister of Minority Development and Auqaf.

The Minister did not respond.

Do you agree that Antilia is a Waqf Land? the reporter repeated his question.

The Minister did not respond even now.

Sattar Saheb Sattar Saheb. Do you believe Antilia is a Waqf Land? the reporter asked for a third time.

Abdul Sattar refused to respond to the question. Instead, he accused the reporter of behaving like a child.

Watch Video

However, responding to a question if the government of Maharashtra has taken any cognizance of the report submitted by Moin Tashildar, Deputy Secretary to Government of Maharashtra and Former Chief Executive Officer at CEO, Maharashtra State Board of Waqfs, Abdul Sattar said, I have asked for Moin Tashildars report. Whatever action is required will be taken once that report comes to my table.

To the allegations that there are attempts by the government to change the status of the Waqf Land on which Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani has built his residence, Antilia, Adbul Sattar said, The government cant do this. Its the job of Waqf Board.

Moin Tashildar Report on Waqf

Moin Tashildar, a deputy secretary rank officer, was in May 2024 replaced as Maharashtra Waqf Board CEO by Juned Syed, a desk officer.

Considered an upright officer, Moin Tashildar during his tenure as Waqf Board CEO, made efforts in pitching for transparency and accountability in the overall affairs of the waqf.

Tashildar is credited with issuing few thousand notices in connection with irregularities detected in the functioning of waqf institutions and immovable assets, apart from registering FIRs in cases involving illegal transfer of waqf properties, according to The Times of India.

According to ETV Bharat, Tashildar has also submitted a report wherein he said the land on which Antilia is built is a Waqf Land. Tashildar in his report also questioned the legality of its sale to Ambani, ETV Bharat said based on the copy of the report in its possession.

Is Antilia a Waqf Land?

Antilia - named after a mythical island in the Atlantic, has been rated as the world's "most outrageously expensive property" by Forbes magazine .

The 27-storey, 400,000-square-foot skyscraper includes six stories of underground parking, three helicopter pads, and reportedly requires a staff of 600 to keep it running. The construction costs for Antilia have been reported at a range of $1 billion to $2 billion.

The land in Mumbais upmarket Altamount Road on which Mukesh Ambani built his super luxurious residence, was under the possession of Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Orphanage Trust where the trust used to run an orphanage for 'providing maintenance and education of poor and destitute children belonging to the Khoja community.'

The land was sold to Ambani's company Antilia Commercial Private Limited (ACPL) in 2002, after the orphanage trust sought permission from charity commissioner to do so on August 27, 2002. No permission from the Waqf board was taken.

The then Waqf minister Nawab Malik had opposed the land sale and so did the revenue department of the Government of Maharashtra. A stay order was consequently issued on the sale of the land in 2003.

Also in 2003, the Waqf board initially opposed the deal and filed a PIL in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the trust. The Supreme Court however dismissed the petition and asked the Waqf board to approach the Bombay High court.

In an affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court in 2017 , Sandesh C Tadvi, Joint Secretary, Minority Development Department and acting CEO of State Board of Wakf, has said that mischief was committed by the then Chairman and CEO of the State Board of Waqf in passing a resolution dated March 9, 2005, ratifying the sale of land.

The affidavit came over 10 years after Abdul Mateen, a teacher and journalist from Jalna district of Maharashtra, filed a petition against the sale of the Waqf land to Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani.

Earlier in a letter written to Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in 2014, a Mumbai based NGO asked the government to initiate a high-level enquiry by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Ambani and others involved in the case asserting that Reliance Industries Chief Mukesh Ambani grabbed Waqf land by fraudulent means.

"In Antilia matter, the CBI should launch FIR against the accused Mukesh Ambani, against the officials of Maharashtra Waqf Board and against the Minister of Waqf from 2003 till date for facilitating the accused Mukesh Ambani to encroach upon a Waqf Property and hatching a conspiracy to grab waqf property by adopting fraud", President of the NGO Muslim-e-Hind, Ameen Idrisi, said.

Cost of the land

In a statement released to the media in 2014, Idrisi said that Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Yateemkhana (Orphanage), a Public Charitable Trust, sold the land allocated for the purpose of education of underprivileged Khoja children to Antilia Commercial Private Limited - alleged to be an entity controlled by Mukesh Ambani in July 2002 for 210.5 million (US$3.4 million). The prevailing market value of the land at the time was at least Rupees 105 Crore Rupees (10.5 billion) which comes to around US$24 million.

Anees Ahmed, former Minister of Minority Development and Aukaf (Maharashtra), however, claimed that the market value of the land is even higher, and accused that it was sold to Ambani on a throwaway price.

Mukesh Ambani bought the land, which cost more than 500 Crore Rupees, for just 21 Crore Rupees, Anees Ahmed alleged.

He also said a land donated as waqf is always a waqf land, and cannot be sold or its purpose changed.

Talking on the matter, former Minority Department Minister of Maharashtra, Jitendra Awhad, also reiterated his stand that, Whether it is Antilia or whatever. Once a Waqf is always a Waqf. It cant be changed at any cost.

Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024

The matter of Antilia is again in the limelight ever since the Narendra Modi governmen introduced The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 on August 08 in the Lok Sabha.

The Bill seeks to make as many as 44 amendments in the existing Waqf Act 1995. Indian Muslims are of a firm belief that "once waqf is always waqf" and that its status can't be changed.

However, besides other things, the Bill also proposes to change the status of the Waqf land under the centre and state possession, and gives sole power to district collectors for the purpose.

After a strong protest by the opposition parties, including some government allies, the Bill has been referred to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) .

Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates.

Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
China said Friday it would gradually raise its statutory retirement age, as the country grapples with a looming demographic crisis and an ageing population.

Hundreds of millions of people in China are set to enter old age in the coming decades while the birth rate dwindles dramatically.

The national population fell in 2023 for the second year in a row, with policymakers and experts warning of severe impacts on the economy, healthcare and social welfare systems if action is not taken.

China's retirement age had not been raised for decades and had been among the lowest in the world.

State news agency Xinhua said top officials in Beijing had decided that "the statutory retirement age for male workers will be gradually extended from the original 60 years to 63 years".

For women workers the retirement age will be extended "from the original 50 or 55 years to 55 and 58 years, respectively", depending on the type of job, Xinhua reported.

It said the retirement age would be gradually raised over 15 years from 2025, adding that from 2030, workers would need to make a minimum of 20 years of basic pension contributions instead of the current 15.

The new rules will allow Chinese people "to postpone retirement to an even later date if they reach an agreement with employers", Xinhua said.

They will take effect from January 1, 2025.

State media said the move was based on a "comprehensive assessment of the average life expectancy, health conditions, the population structure, the level of education and workforce supply".

China's current retirement age was set at a time of widespread scarcity and impoverishment, well before market reforms brought comparative wealth and rapid improvements in nutrition, health and living conditions.

But in recent years the world's second-largest economy has had to contend with slowing growth, while a fast-greying population and a baby bust pile pressure onto its pension and public health systems.

An expert told AFP that "demographic change" was likely the key factor behind the decision.

"The central government first proposed changing the retirement age in 2013, and there has been a lot of social discussion in the decade since," said Li Changan, a labour economist at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

"I think many people are mentally prepared for the announcement."

Prior to Friday's news, state media had published articles touting the proposed retirement age.

One of them in the Communist Party-run People's Daily said this week that the hike would "adapt to the objective situation of our country's widespread increase in life expectancy and years of education".

It quoted Mo Rong, director of the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security, as saying the move was "an inevitable choice for our country to adapt to the new normal of population development".

But He Yafu, an independent population expert, told AFP the plan "cannot fundamentally deal with the negative impacts of population ageing and shrinkage on the economy, society, and technology".

"The fundamental measure to deal with the ageing problem is to increase the fertility rate," he said.

Recent statistics make grim reading for policymakers hoping for a reversal in the country's demographic destiny.

People over 60 are expected to make up nearly a third of China's population by 2035, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, a research group.

Meanwhile, the country's fertility rate has fallen far below the level required to keep the population stable, despite recent relaxations of the notorious "one-child" policy and official efforts to stimulate births.

Many young people already feel disillusioned by an economic system that they say fetes intense study and long working hours for increasingly scant reward.

"I'm worried that we modern people now are so competitive and distressed that our health may not see us through to that (new retirement) age," a marketing professional who gave her name as Xinzi told AFP on Friday.

"My first reaction is, so when can I get my pension?" the 30-year-old said.

Chinese internet users flocked to social media following the announcement, though there were signs government censors were scrubbing many posts from the platforms -- a common occurrence in a country where open discussion of national policies can be sensitive.

Most of the remaining comments merely acknowledged the change, though some hinted obliquely at dismay at the extension to working life.

"As long as we still get to choose whether or not we actually retire, I have no objections," one user wrote.
Welcome Guest! You are here: Home

Two-day exhibition on Life of Prophet Mohammad at AMU

The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is hosting a two-day exhibition showcasing books, manuscripts, artefacts, and pictures of holy places related to the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Sunday September 15, 2024 1:07 PM , ummid.com News Network

Aligarh Muslim University: The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is hosting a two-day exhibition showcasing books, manuscripts, artefacts, and pictures of holy places related to the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The exhibition scheduled on September 16 and 17, 2024 will be held at the Central Hall of the Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

"The exhibition will feature over a thousand books on Seerah (Biography of Prophet Mohammad SAW) in multiple languages, rare illuminated copies of Holy Quran, and examples of Quranic calligraphy, including a copy inscribed by Hazrat Ali, the fourth caliph of Islam", Prof. Nishat Fatima, University Librarian, said.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by AMU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Naima Khatoon, on September 16 at 10:30 AM. It will conclude on September 17 at 5:00 PM, with the manuscripts display limited to September 16.

Also Read | When Romanian Diplomat decided to write Biography of Prophet Muhammad

The exhibition coincides with the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in the month of the ongoing Islamic month of Rabi al-Awwal.

According to the historical records, Prophet Mohammed was born in 570 CE - 53 years before Hijrah.

But, there are differences among the historians and Muslim scholars about the exact date of his birth. Some are of the view that the Prophet (SAWS) was born on 9th of Rabi al-Awwal whereas some others go with the date 12th Rabi al-Awwal.

Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates.

Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said a political leader once offered to support him if he were to enter the race for the prime minister's post, but he declined the offer stating he did not nurse such an ambition.

IMAGE: Nitin Gadkari meets Narendra D Modi after taking oath as a Union minister during the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan, June 9, 2024. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo

The senior BJP leader was speaking at a journalism awards function in Maharashtra's Nagpur city on Saturday.

"I remember one incident -- I would not name anyone -- that person said 'if you are going to become prime minister, we will support you'," Gadkari said, without specifying when the conversation took place.

"But, I asked why you should support me, and why should I take your support? To become the prime minister is not the aim in my life. I am loyal to my conviction and my organisation, and I am not going to compromise for any post because my conviction is foremost for me," he said.

In his speech, the minister underlined the importance of ethics in both journalism and politics.

Recalling a meeting with a senior CPI functionary, Gadkari said he told the communist leader that late AB Bardhan was among the tallest politicians from Nagpur and Vidarbha.

When the leader expressed surprise saying Bardhan was an opponent of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Gadkari said honest opposition should be respected.

"I said one should respect a person who opposes with honesty, because there is honesty in his opposition...one who opposes with dishonesty deserves no respect," the BJP leader said.

Comrade Bardhan was faithful to his ideology, and politics as well as journalism now lack such people, he said.

Democracy will be successful only when all the four pillars -- judiciary, executive, legislature and media -- follow ethics, Gadkari added.
KHANH HOA - Khanh Hoa Province will soon celebrate achieving its target of receiving nine million tourists this year, according to its Department of Tourism.

A event will be held at Cam Ranh International Airport on October 1 to welcome the nine millionth visitor.

On October 13 there will be a function at April 2nd Square in its popular beach resort city of Nha Trang to mark this achievement.

Authorities will recognise and honour businesses, the media and other parties who have contributed to the tourism industry.

Businesses are being encouraged to sponsor prizes for visitors.

To mark the achievement, the Khanh Hoa tourism industry will launch a promotion campaign involving hotels and other tourism services in the last three months of the year.

By early September the province had already received around 8.2 million overnight visitors, including more than three million foreigners.

Korea, China, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Malaysia have been among the main sources of foreign visitors.

Last year there had been around seven million visitors. - VNS
BANGKOK  The 13th joint meeting between the Viet Nam-Thailand Friendship Association (VTFA) and the Thailand-Viet Nam Friendship Association (TVFA) took place in the eastern province of Chonburi, Thailand on September 13, highlighting the importance of people-to-people diplomacy for fostering the bilateral relations.

The annual meeting aimed to assess the results of cooperation since the previous meeting, as well as to discuss and set forth long-term cooperation orientations and specific collaborative activities between the two associations in the coming time.

Addressing the meeting, TVFA President Sanan Angubolkul expressed his sympathy over losses and difficulties caused by super Typhoon Yagi to many areas in Viet Nam. He affirmed that people-to-people diplomacy will contribute to strengthening the bilateral relations between Viet Nam and Thailand, and making the relationship between the two associations a model example of people-to-people diplomacy.

Sen. Lieut. Gen. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh, President of the VTFA, expressed his pleasure at the flourishing development of the bilateral relations across fields such trade, tourism and culture, especially the inauguration of the first Vietnamese street in Thailand and the establishment of two centres for Viet Nam studies at Royal Udon Thani University in Udon Thani Province and the College of Asian Scholars in Khon Kaen.

He thanked leaders and people of Thailand for their sympathy towards the difficulties Viet Nam faced due to Typhoon Yagi. He also extended his condolences and solidarity to Thailand and its people for the damage caused by severe floods currently affecting several north and northeast provinces.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung thanked leaders of the two associations for implementing practical and effective people-to-people diplomatic activities for the prosperous development of both countries, affirming that the embassy will continue to support activities of the two associations in the coming time, especially in preparation for the 50th anniversary of the Viet Nam-Thailand diplomatic relations.

The two sides agreed to enhance several collaborative activities, including donating an ultrasound machine to Nam an District's medical centre in the central province of Nghe An of Viet Nam; cooperating in human resources training; a ceremony to commemorate the 135th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh held by the Association of Thai-Vietnamese in Nakhon Phanom Province; setting up twin relationship between the two nations' localities; and organising the 14th joint meeting of the two associations in Viet Nam in 2025, among others.

As part of their working trip, the VTFA delegation attended a seminar on "Three connectivities" strategy between Viet Nam and Thailand. Highlighting the importance of implementing this strategy, the Thai side affirmed that it will prioritise resources and leverage existing advantages between the two countries, particularly the special peope-to-people bond, to connect the Viet Nam-Thailand sustainable development strategy for prosperous development of the two nations and the region.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese in many countries around the world continue to make donations to support typhoon victims in the homeland, in response to the appeal of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia launched a donation campaign on September 13, raising more than US$30,000 in just a few hours.

In Cambodia, the Vietnamese embassy has received nearly $40,000 contributed by organisations and individuals following the launch of the donation campaign on September 13.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka, Japan, reported that Vietnamese organisations and individuals in Japan contributed around VN850 million (over $34,600) right at the ceremony to launch the donation campaign.

The campaign to raise funds to support typhoon victims in Viet Nam will continue in the coming days.

The number of dead and missing victims due to Typhoon Yagi and subsequent flooding rose to 345 as of 8am September 14, including 262 fatalities.  VNS
YEN BAI  A total of 40 water purifiers and 200 multi-purpose plastic tarpaulins, with a total value of more than VN3 billion (US$124,096), have been delivered to Yen Bai northern mountainous province.

Vu Xuan Thanh, deputy director of the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), on Sunday received aid from the Embassy of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at the Noi Bai International Airport in Ha Noi.

The goods were transferred to Yen Bai Province on the same day to be delivered to people affected by Typhoon Yagi.

At the handover ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Ito Naoki expressed his sympathy and encouragement to the families affected by the typhoon.

He recognised the need to support Viet Nam with medium and long-term solutions to minimise damage caused by landslides and flash floods.

With our experience in disaster prevention, Japan pledges to continue cooperating with Viet Nam towards early recovery and reconstruction of disaster-hit areas, he said.

Previously, Iain Frew, British Ambassador to Viet Nam, confirmed that the British Government will provide one million pounds in humanitarian aid to help Viet Nam overcome the consequences of natural disasters.

To date, MARD has received support from ten embassies and 16 international organisations with a commitment to supply 160 tonnes of goods by air.

The goods arriving at the Noi Bai Airport were immediately transported to Yen Bai, Lao Cai and Cao Bang provinces.

From last Wednesday to Saturday, the MARD received one aid shipment from the Australian Government and three shipments from the ASEAN Regional Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management and then transferred to Yen Bai and Lao Cai provinces.

The Department of International Cooperation under the MARD informed that emergency aid goods from India arrived at the international airport on Sunday afternoon.

The aid from India was worth about $1 million and included 1,200 water purifiers, 1,000 water tanks with valves, ten water tanks with a capacity of 500 litres, 5,000 blankets and 5,000 mosquito nets and 1,200 solar-powered lamps.  VNS
HCM CITY  HCM City health sector has established 12 rapid response teams to address measles outbreaks in schools amid rising cases and slow vaccination coverage among children.

Speaking at a meeting on Saturday, Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, deputy director of the city Health Department, said each team comprises two to three members from the local disease control centre and one representative from various childrens hospitals.

The teams will be responsible for monitoring outbreaks, implementing necessary response measures and providing guidance to schools and local health stations regarding preventive actions.

In instances where a measles case is suspected, school health personnel are required to inform the local health station.

The head of the station will evaluate the situation and coordinate an appropriate response, activating the rapid response team if an outbreak is confirmed.

The formation of the response teams follows reports of measles outbreaks in five elementary schools across four districts shortly after the commencement of the new academic year.

Experts have cautioned that additional outbreaks are possible.

Le Hong Nga, deputy director of HCM City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC), said local schools have been facing measles outbreaks since the beginning of the new academic year.

The majority of the affected students had not received the full dosage of the measles vaccine, she said.

The city has officially declared a measles outbreak, prompting authorities to assess vaccination coverage.

Despite a vaccination campaign that began on August 31, only 16,900 of the 200,000 children aged one to five in the city have been vaccinated.

Currently, 74 per cent of measles cases involve unvaccinated children. The city has had nearly 600 cases of measles this year, including three deaths.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can spread rapidly following an incubation period of seven to 21 days.

Medical experts caution in addition to it possibly leading to death, it can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, otitis media, keratitis and diarrhoea.

Measles can only be effectively managed when the community immunity rate reaches 95 per cent and each individual has received two doses of a vaccine.  VNS
MOSCOW  A delegation of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) led by Deputy General Director oan Thi Tuyet Nhung has attended a ceremony marking the 120th founding anniversary of the Russian News Agency TASS and the BRICS Media Summit in Moscow.

The celebration of the 120th founding anniversary of TASS (September 1, 1904 - 2024) took place on September 14, attracting a large number of representatives from news agencies and media outlets of Russia and other countries.

On this occasion, Nhung had a meeting with TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov to extend greetings and deliver a congratulatory letter from VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.

In her letter, Trang lauded the unceasing development of TASS, which has excellently fulfilled its role as the official organ of the former Soviet Union and todays Russia. She also stated that the all-round and fruitful cooperation between the VNA and TASS for the last nearly seven decades has contributed to the comprehensive strategic partnership between Viet Nam and Russia.

Talking to Kondrashov, Nhung appreciated TASSs precious, substantive, and effective assistance for the VNA, including its bureau in Moscow, since they set up cooperative ties.

The VNA is working to become a key multimedia agency, and during that process, it wishes to learn from experiences of international media partners, including TASS, she noted, suggesting the two sides enhance cooperation and share experiences in journalism activities in the digital era, especially the application of modern technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to the production of news and the diversification of news distribution channels, along with experiences in coping with fake news.

She also conveyed the VNA General Directors invitation to Kondrashov to visit the VNA in the near future.

Describing the VNA as a big friend of TASS, Kondrashov affirmed the readiness to share his agencys experiences through cooperation activities between the two sides.

On September 14 - 15, the VNA delegation also participated in the BRICS Media Summit in Moscow.

The event, drawing representatives of 62 leading media agencies from 45 countries, discussed measures for boosting dialogue among media agencies of the BRIC Plus countries and fostering the common values of BRICS in the field of communications in the digital era, thus helping develop this organisation as a mechanism for promoting the idea of a multipolar world.

Granting an interview to TASS on this occasion, the VNA Deputy General Director stressed that the summit is a chance to strengthen connections in communications, share experience among BRICS and non-BRICS news agencies, and work out measures for improving the role of news agencies in the digital era, fueling the development of the press amid the fierce competition with social media, coordinating in fighting fake news, and effectively applying new technologies and AI to journalism and communication activities.

Attending the summit, the VNA hopes to stay updated with new trends of the global media while reinforcing collaboration with traditional partners and expanding relations with new ones. It also wishes to learn from other news and media agencies experiences in producing multimedia news, improving competitiveness on digital platforms, combating fake news, and expanding news distribution channels to further access the public in Viet Nam and the world, thereby contributing to mutual understanding and cooperation with countries in and outside BRICS, the official added.  VNS
FPT on September 6 announced the opening of its first office in Stockholm, Sweden, marking its Nordic footprint expansion. This strategic move is driven by the country's increasing demand for digital services and high-quality IT professionals in its critical areas, including healthcare, automotive, banking and finance, and green transformation.

The inauguration ceremony took place during the Vietnam-Sweden Business Forum in Stockholm, Sweden.

Located in Lindholmen Science Park, Gothenburg, Sweden's leading innovation hub, with a vibrant ecosystem of over 375 leading companies, FPT's new office positions the company closer to industry giants, particularly those in the automotive, energy, and manufacturing domains, such as Volvo Group, Ericsson, Telia, SAAB, IBM, and Semcon. This strategic location thereby allows FPT to enhance its ability to expand its local presence, delivery capabilities, and consulting services across Nordic and the wider European region.

Sweden, renowned for its leadership in digital transformation, boasts a robust innovation ecosystem and a comprehensive AI-focused strategy for cross-sector collaboration and investment. The Swedish government's proactive measures to address the digital skills shortage, including attracting foreign tech players and utilising international talent, create an ideal environment for FPT to establish its presence and capitalise on the country's growth opportunities. The IT firm also plans to build a workforce of 1,000 professionals globally in the next three years, dedicated to serving the dynamic European market.

The office inauguration occurred during the Vietnam-Sweden Business Forum on September 9, which celebrated 55 years of diplomatic relations and highlighted the shared vision of both nations to advance economic and trade ties. Hosted by the Embassy of Vietnam in Sweden and FPT, the event featured discussions on enhancing Vietnam-Sweden cooperation in digital transformation, innovation, automotive, and energy transition. It was attended by Tran Van Tuan, Ambassador of Vietnam to Sweden; Mdm. Camilla Mellander, director-general for Trade Policy at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, alongside representatives from 50 government agencies and organisations, including Volvo Cars, Swedbank, Swedfund, Syre, and Vilja Solutions.

Sweden was the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam, and our longstanding partnership is built on mutual respect and a shared vision for growth and innovation. As a leading Vietnamese corporation, FPT is committed to deepening this relationship by leveraging Vietnam's highly skilled and resourceful IT workforce to advance technological collaborations, especially in AI, semiconductor, automotive, and green transformation. Our new office will act as a vital bridge, connecting businesses on both sides and enabling Nordic customers to innovate and grow with cutting-edge technologies, comprehensive solutions, and access to a world-class talent pool," stated Dr. Truong Gia Binh, FPT Corporation founder and chairman.

Tran Van Tuan, Ambassador of Vietnam to Sweden said,The Embassy of Vietnam in Sweden believes that FPT's opening of an office in Sweden marks a positive step forward in cooperation in the fields of science and technology between the two countries. FPT's activities in Sweden will help local businesses gain more understanding not only about FPT but also about Vietnamese businesses in general, becoming a bridge for other cooperation activities between the two nations. This is also a meaningful event contributing to the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Sweden.

FPT first entered the European market in 2008 and has since established a strong presence in nine countries, driving digital transformation for over 150 leading businesses across industries. The tech firm has also actively expanded its local footprint through strategic partnerships and acquisitions, including the acquisition of RWE IT Slovakia, a subsidiary of European energy giant RWE, in 2014, and French IT consulting firm AOSIS in 2023.

Vietnam's sole representative awarded SAP's Best Partner of the Year At the SAP Southeast Asia Partner Success Summit 2024, FPT IS was the only Vietnamese company honoured with three prestigious awards: Best Rise Partner, Best Midmarket Partner, and Best Partner of the Year.

FPT IS cooperates with Oxford University Press to pioneer gamification in English language learning FPT IS, a subsidiary of tech giant FPT Corporation, has joined hands with Oxford University Press (OUP)  one of the largest university publishers in the world.

GELEX and FPT sign MoU on digital transformation A new deal between GELEX Group and FPT Corporation is expected to advance comprehensive digital transformation and both parties' business operations, while further driving the countrys development.
Sedona SkyRun 2024 is a vertical race, with the route spanning from the 1st to the 42nd floor of Saigon Centre, attracting runners of all levels.

Sedona SkyRun 2024 is a celebration of fitness and community spirit, encouraging individuals to embrace an active lifestyle while contributing to a great cause.

Proceeds from bib sales will be donated to local charities, reinforcing Sedona SkyRun's commitment to being a significant community event.

Sedona SkyRun 2024 is a celebration of fitness and community spirit, welcoming participants of all skill levels

Sharing the significance of the event, Albert Lafuente, general manager at Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City, said, More than just a race, this is an opportunity to bring the community together through fitness, challenge, and charity.

This event aligns with our commitment to fostering a wellbeing lifestyle while giving back to those in need, Lafuente added.

Alongside the race, participants had the exclusive opportunity to attend a talk show featuring Quang Tran and Nhon Trong, two of Vietnams top trail runners. These athletes have poured their hearts and souls into their training, diligently preparing for the renowned Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.

Runners Quang Tran and Nhon Trong shared their inspiring stories during the talk show

During the talk show, Quang and Nhon shared their remarkable journeys of perseverance and triumph, offering a glimpse into how they have conquered personal and physical hurdles. Their inspiring stories were expected to motivate others to challenge their own limits and fully embrace the races adventurous spirit.

The home away from home experience at Sedona Suites Albert Lafuente, acting general manager of Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City, shared with VIRs Nhat Ha his inside experiences in managing and operating premier serviced residences in the south of the country.

Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City: Living it up in the heart of Vietnam Artfully designed by award-winning architectural and design firm NBBJ, Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City was created to evoke both luxury and comfort with clean contemporary lines utilising high-quality fixtures and materials.

Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City creates ultimate venue for business and leisure Standing as the city's foremost serviced residences in the heart of a vibrant metropolis, Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City offers an exceptional blend of luxury and convenience.
"Shogun" is tipped to become the first ever non-English-language winner of the Emmy for best drama -- the most prestigious prize at the small-screen equivalent of the Oscars -- at a glitzy ceremony on Sunday.

The epic series about feuding dynasties in the intricate and deadly royal courts of 17th-century Japan is expected to make history with wins for its cast, including veteran leading man Hiroyuki Sanada, at the gala in downtown Los Angeles.

"Shogun" hit the ground running at the Creative Arts Emmys this past weekend, notching a record-breaking 14 wins in technical and smaller categories, which are handed out ahead of the gala.

Sunday's other big winners could include "The Bear," a dark comedy set in the Chicago restaurant scene that returned for an experimental second season, and Netflix's controversial limited series "Baby Reindeer."

Father-and-son acting duo Eugene and Daniel Levy will host the ceremony, from 5:00 pm (0400 GMT Monday).

Here are four things to look out for:

Based on James Clavell's historical fiction novel, "Shogun" led the nominations with 25 overall.

Though produced by Disney-owned FX, and shot in Canada, it features Japanese cast and subtitled dialogue, making it only the second non-English-language show to earn a best drama nomination, after South Korea's "Squid Game" two years ago.

In addition to the night's biggest prize, for best drama series, wins are predicted for stars Sanada and Anna Sawai. And supporting actor Tadanobu Asano could ride the "Shogun" wave to victory for his villainous turn as the brutal Kashigi Yabushige.

With its wins in the minor categories, "Shogun" has already eclipsed the previous record of 12 set by "Game of Thrones" for number of Emmys for a drama in a single season. It is nearly certain to tack on a few more on Sunday.

Its biggest rival this year is former drama winner "The Crown." The final season of Netflix's British royal saga drew a lukewarm response from critics, but Elizabeth Debicki is tipped for best supporting actress as princess Diana.

In the comedy sections, "The Bear" and its foodie chefs played by Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach look primed for more Emmys glory.

The show's intense debut season dominated the last Emmys, and its even more acclaimed and ambitious second season is eligible this time around.

It scooped up seven prizes in minor categories, including a best guest actress award for Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis.

If there is any suspense, it may be over whether the show should even be considered a comedy. Jokes are few and far between in a series dealing with hard-hitting issues from death and mourning to betrayal and emotional abuse.

HBO's "Hacks" is expected to limit the "Bear" rampage, with Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder looking like frontrunners for their roles as a diva comedienne and her dysfunctional millennial assistant.

Based on a relatively unknown Scottish comedian's harrowing one-man show about sexual abuse, "Baby Reindeer" became a huge word-of-mouth hit for Netflix this year.

Part of the attention stemmed from the show's claim to be "a true story" -- an insistence that earned the streamer a $170 million lawsuit from a British woman who claims she was the inspiration for its obsessive and violent stalker.

But controversy aside, pundits predict Emmy voters will choose "Baby Reindeer" as best limited series, and its creator Richard Gadd goes head-to-head with Andrew Scott ("Ripley") and Jon Hamm ("Fargo") for best actor.

The limited series section, for shows that end in a single season, always draws A-list Hollywood stars, and this year is no exception.

Jodie Foster is a best actress favorite for her turn as an Alaskan cop in "True Detective: Night Country," up against fellow Oscar winner Brie Larson, as a pioneering female chemist in "Lessons in Chemistry."

Unusually, the 76th Emmy Awards will be the second Emmys gala held this year, after the previous edition was shunted to January due to last summer's Hollywood strikes.

That months-long walkout by actors and writers also crimped the pipeline of new shows that could be released in time for this edition, meaning submissions dropped by a third year-on-year.

With several bigger series skipping this year -- and others such as "Succession" having ended their runs -- could this be an opportunity for new titles like "Fallout" and "Mr and Mrs Smith" to shine?

Potentially. But even "Shogun" is a remake of sorts. A previous miniseries based on the same novel, which aired way back in 1980, won three Emmys.
 Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation

(15 September 2024)

Part I (see Part II)

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

The Sever Group of Forces In Liptsy and Volchansk directions inflicted damage on formations of 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade of the AFU, 36th Marine Brigade, 113th and 127th territorial defence brigades near Liptsy and Volchansk (Kharkov region).

The AFU sustained losses amounted to up to 150 troops, five armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, a French-made 155-mm Ceaser howitzer, a 152-mm D-20 gun, three 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and a UK-made 105-mm L-119 gun.

The Zapad Group of Forces improved tactical situation, engaged manpower and military hardware of 44th, 54th, 60th, 63rd mechanised brigades, 3rd Assault Brigade of the AFU, 1st National Guard Brigade near Berestovoye, Kovsharovka, Peski-Radkovskiye, Novoyegorovka (Kharkov region), Krasny Liman (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Serebryansky forestry.

The Russian units repelled three counter-attacks of 63rd Mechanised Brigade and 3rd Assault Brigade of the AFU. The enemy lost up to 570 troops, seven motor vehicles, a U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, a UK-made 155-mm FH-70 towed howitzer, a U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, a 155-mm Msta-B howitzer, two UK-made L-119 howitzers, and a U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar. Four AFU field ammunition depots were eliminated.

The Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. It also inflicted damage on formations of 28th and 30th mechanised brigades, 92nd and 95th air assault brigades, 5th Assault Brigade of the AFU, 114th, 241st territorial defence brigades near Fyodorovka, Seversk, Zvanovka, Stupochki, and Predtechino (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The Russian units repelled three counter-attacks of 30th, 33rd mechanised brigades of the AFU and the Aydar Assault Battalion.

The AFU lost up to 765 troops, ten motor vehicles, a 152-mm D-20 gun, a 152-mm Msta-B gun, a 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, two UK-made 105-mm L-119 howitzers, a U.S.-made M119 gun, and five field ammunition depots.

The Tsentr Group of Forces continues to advance into the enemys defence. The Group struck formations of 1st Tank Brigade, 32nd, 47th, 72nd mechanised brigades, 95th Air Assault Brigade of the AFU, and 109th Territorial Defence Brigade near Katerinovka, Nelepovka, Novoekonomicheskoye, Druzhba, Rozovka, and Konstantinovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The Russian units repelled ten counter-attacks of 32nd, 53rd mechanised brigades, 68th Jaeger Brigade, 142nd Infantry Brigade, and 25th Air Assault Brigade of the AFU as well as of the 3rd and 12th national guard brigades. The enemy suffered losses of up to 545 troops, three pickups, a U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, two 152-mm Msta-B howitzers, a 122-mm D-30 howitzer, a 100-mm Rapira gun.

 Russian Defence Ministry

 Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation

(15 September 2024)

Part II (see Part I)

The Vostok Group of Forces of took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of 72nd Mechanised Brigade, 5th Tank Brigade of the AFU, 18th, 116th territorial defence brigades, and 21st National Guard Brigade near Ugledar, Novoukrainka, Dobrovolye, and Oktyabr (Donetsk Peoples Republic). One counter-attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade was repelled.

The enemy losses are up to 110 troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, two armoured fighting vehicles, and three motor vehicles.

The Dnepr Group of forces engaged a cluster of manpower and materiel of 118th Mechanised Brigade, 141st Infantry Brigade, and 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the AFU, 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade near Pyatikhatki, Zherebyanka, Novodanilovka (Zaporozhye region), and Novoraisk (Kherson region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 75 troops, two tanks, five motor vehicles.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces hit a railway train with foreign-made weaponry, an artillery and missile armament depot, stocks of uncrewed surface vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, a warehouse producing components for operational-tactical missiles, and clusters of manpower and materiel in 148 areas.

The Russian Aerospace Forces have downed two Su-27 fighter jets of the Ukrainian Air Force during the past 24 hours.

Air defence units shot down one MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force and intercepted a U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectile, four French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, and 55 unmanned aerial vehicles, including 22 outside the special military operation zone.

 In total, 645 airplanes and 283 helicopters, 31,609 unmanned aerial vehicles, 579 air defence missile systems, 18,144 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,454 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 14,622 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 26,102 units of support motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.

 Russian Defence Ministry

WtR
China's outbound travel to see a boom during upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day holidays

People's Daily Online) 15:39, September 14, 2024

China's outbound tourism has been on the rise this year. Information from many travel agencies and online travel platforms indicates a strong demand for travel products during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays. Short-haul destinations like Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, and Japan remain top choices, while long-haul destinations such as New Zealand and the U.S. are also in high demand.

Chinese tourists go sightseeing in Irkutsk, Russia. (Photo courtesy of UTour Group Co., Ltd.)

The visa-free destinations in the Caucasus region - Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan - are gaining popularity among Chinese tourists. The search volume for travel guides in these three countries has increased by 112 percent in the past week.

With international flights resuming, the demand for long-haul outbound travel during the holiday season has surged, resulting in a sharp increase in bookings. A representative from Spring-Tour.com noted that there is a growing trend towards long-haul journeys to Europe, with travel packages linked to Oktoberfest, the Munich Beer Festival, which overlaps with the National Day holiday, already fully booked.

Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand have become favored visa-free travel routes for many Chinese tourists. Data from online travel agency LY.com shows a significant increase in hotel and flight bookings for Singapore compared to the previous year.

Chinese tourists go sightseeing in Cambridge, the U.K. (Photo courtesy of UTour Group Co., Ltd.)

During an event on outbound and inbound travel in the summer of 2024, Yang Jinsong, director of the International Institute at the China Tourism Academy, highlighted the rapid recovery of outbound travel, particularly in the short-haul market.

Malaysia reported a 190 percent year-on-year increase in Chinese tourists visiting the country from January to June, reaching 93 percent of the level during the same period in 2019, according to Zhao Gang, marketing executive of the Beijing office of Tourism Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture of Malaysia.

Ling Hui Toh, Area Director of Northern China (Beijing) at Singapore Tourism Board, noted that Singapore saw 1.86 million Chinese tourist visits from January to July this year, representing 84 percent of the level during the same period in 2019.

Chinese tourists go sightseeing in Surabaya, Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of UTour Group Co., Ltd.)

Yang noted that independent travelers are playing an increasingly significant role in outbound tourism. They plan their trips based on their interests, time, and budget, seeking more personalized travel experiences. This raises the bar for travel service providers, resource suppliers, and destination hospitality services.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
For Pennsylvania farmer George Wherry, 85, fracking for natural gas under his otherwise bucolic fields means greater economic "freedom" -- one of the many reasons he'll be voting for Donald Trump in November.

Hydraulic fracturing is a controversial but highly effective technique for unlocking fossil fuels deep underground. With Pennsylvania both rich in natural gas and a vital swing state in presidential elections, Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris are going out of their way to express support.

Unfortunately for Harris, who supported a ban on the practice during her first run for president in 2019, many voters in prime fracking country say they trust Trump to be a better steward of the industry.

Wherry and his 56-year-old daughter Diana Petrie, who recently returned to the family sheep farm after 30 years in Colorado, say they will go for the Republican.

"I'm hoping that it's definitely Trump," Petrie told AFP, standing next to her father at the gravel-covered fracking pad, which sits on a flattened hilltop a short buggy ride from the family home in nearby Scenery Hill.

"You know what you're going to get," she said. "And that's what I wholeheartedly believe in."

Their 360-acre farm lies in Pennsylvania's southwestern county of Washington, a largely rural corner where Trump won more than 60 percent of the vote in both 2016 and 2020.

They have a flock of more than 500 sheep and a small herd of beef cattle for personal consumption, along with what's known as a fracking pad: three deep wells extending thousands of feet beneath the earth's surface to reach the abundant natural gas trapped in the Marcellus Shale formation.

The royalties allow Wherry to invest in new technology that makes sheep farming "easier" and more cost-effective, he says. "It's allowed me a little more freedom."

Once a Democratic stronghold with a strong union presence, Washington County has voted Republican in every presidential election since 2008.

Trump's strong support for fracking has helped him here - as it has across the Appalachia region, where a controversial shale gas boom since 2008 minted millionaires almost overnight and created rare, well-paying blue-collar jobs in an area undergoing deindustrialization.

Harris's past support for a fracking ban - which she has reversed in her current presidential run- has left many in Washington County skeptical.

"I believe that your word is your bond," former coal mine manager Jason White told AFP in an interview, adding that Harris's "about-face" on fracking had not convinced him.

A registered Republican, the 37-year-old runs Wild Acres Farms, a 400-acre site in Deemston Borough Township dotted with small, shallow fracking wells, which also hosts hunting and fishing trips.

He plans to vote for Trump in November.

Environmentalists, scientists, and public health experts have raised repeated concerns about the health and climate impacts of the fracking process, which involves pumping water, sand, and a proprietary blend of chemicals thousands of feet underground at high pressure to create fractures in the bedrock and release the gas trapped inside.

But even as countries across Europe, including France, Britain, and Germany, have paused or banned fracking on environmental and health grounds, many Pennsylvanians have grown more enthusiastic.

According to a 2022 poll from the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, Pennsylvanians are "highly divided" on the impact of natural gas extraction in the state, with 48 percent in favor of fracking - up nine percentage points from a decade earlier - and 44 percent opposed.

But when asked if they thought natural gas was important for Pennsylvania's economy, more than 85 percent of respondents said yes.

"Fracking has been positive, I would say, all around," said August Michel, a long-time Republican voter who runs a lemonade business at farmers markets across Washington County.

"So to be anti-fracking is kind of like being anti-farmer, right?" the 53-year-old told AFP at his stall in the Monongahela farmers' market. "You can't really get rid of the farmer now that fracking has worked as well as it has."

Michel, 53, voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, and plans to do so again in November.

A few stalls away, Laura Jean Kahl, who sells fresh produce from her family farm, told AFP that she will be voting for Harris in November for one simple reason: "She's not Donald Trump."

"We got a woman of color here. She's young, she's got her wits about her," said Kahl, 40. "That's at least a little more inspiring."

Kahl said she does not think the short-term financial gain from fracking is worth its long-term environmental impact. But she does not hold out much hope that Harris's election would put a stop to it.

"There's too much money and momentum behind fracking as an industry." she said. "It's bought and sold already. The deals are done."
A former Alabama news anchor who worked at stations in Huntsville and Birmingham has died after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

Melissa Riopka died Saturday, according to an announcement from WHNT 19 in Huntsville. She was 48.

This week, I was driving through Cullman and thought about my old friend. I wondered how she was doing, thought about some of the time we spent together over the years, and never once thought that by Saturday she would be gone, Jason Simpson, who worked with Riopka in Huntsville and is now chief meteorologist at WVTM 13 in Birmingham, wrote in a Facebook post. Melissa was a light. Theres no doubt about that. She was always an encourager even when she was discouraged in herself. She poured herself out for her family that she loved dearly, and now she can rest.

A Cullman native, Riopka attended the University of Alabama and worked at stations in Chattanooga and Birmingham before coming to Huntsville. In 2013, she joined News 19 in Huntsville as a morning reporter before being promoted in 2015 to co-anchor of the 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. weekday newscasts where she worked with long-time News 19 anchor Jerry Hayes. She later worked with News 19s Steve Johnson on the morning newscast.

According to News 19, she worked with numerous community groups including the Better Business Bureau and Make-a-Wish.

Riopka left the station in March 22. She is survived by her husband and two children.
A national home improvement chain has reversed course on a plan to close all its locations after a last-minute reprieve from the founders private equity firm.

LL Flooring announced earlier this month it was filing bankruptcy, would sell off its assets, and close all 400 of its stores. Instead, it will be sold to F9 Investments, revert to its former name, Lumber Liquidators, and keep roughly half its stores open. The deal is expected to be complete by the end of September.

We are pleased to have reached this agreement with F9 Investments for a going-concern sale following significant efforts by our team and advisors to preserve the business and maintain ongoing operations, Charles Tyson, President and Chief Executive Officer of LL Flooring, said in a press release.

As we move through the court-supervised process toward the approval and completion of this transaction, we remain committed to continuing to serve our valued customers and working closely with our vendors and partners. I continue to be appreciative of the ongoing focus and efforts of our associates to provide the best experience for our customers, he added.

Going-out-of-business sales are currently going on at 211 locations, including stores in Birmingham, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa. The companys website no longer shows locations in Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile or Pelham as closing.

LL Flooring began as Lumber Liquidators about 30 years ago with a focus on buying and selling excess inventory from other suppliers. It changed its name from Lumber Liquidators to LL Flooring in 2018 after controversies and lawsuits involving some of its products.
World-renowned artist, Nall Hollis, of Troy, passed away according to social media posts from friends. According to his foundation, he was 76 years old.

Hollis, known professionally only as Nall, was best renowned for his works in etchings, graphite, oil paint, watercolor, textile, sterling silver, porcelain, found objects and wood. His works have been seen all over the world, but most recently in exhibits at the Mobile Museum of Art, Miami Dade College, Menton Museum of Art, France, The Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy, and The National Arts Club, New York City.

Hollis was a graduate of the University of Alabama, and left the United States in 1971 to further his studies of the arts at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He eventually returned to Alabama to teach at UA and served two semesters as artist-in-residence at Troy University, where he was later awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the university.

Troy University has also named a museum after Hollis where the collections of his most important work are on permanent display. Alice in Wonderland, and MossaNall Dialogues are available for view at the NALL Museum in the International Arts Center on the campus of Troy University.

Troy Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. described Hollis as a treasure, not only for Alabama, but for the world around us.

He had the ability to see things that were not  yet he had the artistic talent to transform his ideas into works of art which made the world more beautiful. We loved him and he was an integral member of the Troy University family, and, on a personal level, our family. Nall will be remembered as one of Americas greatest artists, Hawkins said.

READ MORE: Ringo Starr and artist Nall: Longtime friendship forged in France continues in Fairhope, Alabama

Hollis gained international acclaim in 1997 after a party he hosted in Vence, France was covered by CNN and The Associated Press and made the front page of Nice Matin. The celebration was to honor the opening of the NALL Art Association (Nature Art and Life League) in the French Riviera. Celebrities like Ringo Starr, Prince Albert of Monaco, and actress Candice Bergen attended the event.

Nall was also an Alabama Humanities Fellow, honored in 2018 with the highest humanities honor in the state bestowed by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Hollis won numerous accolades and was named Alabamas Distinguished Artist of the Year in 2007. In 2016, Hollis was inducted into the Alabama Center for the Arts Hall of Fame, along with the late Mildred Nungester Wolfe and the Gees Bend Quiltmakers. At the time of his death, Hollis operated the Nall Studio Museum in Fairhope.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
This is a guest opinion

As we approach the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, it is worth reflecting on the latters historical significance and on the impact the subsequent Israel-Palestine war has had on Americans at home, including here in Birmingham.

The Hamas attack shook Israeli society deeply. Hamas fighters ability to slip past Israels security systems, kill close to 1,200 people (mostly civilians) and take some 240 hostages of diverse nationalities shocked Israelis out of a comforting belief in their nations invulnerability. Israel is, after all, the Middle Easts premier military power, its sole nuclear state and a well-known exporter of modern surveillance technologywhat author Anthony Lowenstein calls the technology of occupation. The deadly ambush by a Third World guerilla army that, however resourceful, could never confront Israels massive conventional forces, sparked outrage and anger toward the Netanyahu government, especially among hostages families. Almost a year later, despite a brief November 2023 truce allowing for the release of 24 hostages in exchange for 39 Palestinian political prisoners, Netanyahu has yet to make a deal to bring home the remaining hostage. As he pursues an all-out war on the Gaza Strip, a small (140-square mile) Israeli-controlled Palestinian territory where Hamas won free elections in 2006, he seems unwilling to do so.

Hamass surprise attack also brought renewed attention to the plight of the Palestinian people especially residents of besieged Gaza. Since the 1948 founding of Israeland, expulsion of some 750, 000 of the countrys native, majority-Arab population (known as the Nakba)Palestinians in general have been virtual strangers in the land of their fathers. They have lived for decades under a largely illegal rule: a military occupation that limits their political autonomy and freedom of movement. The occupation regime deepened after Israels victory in the preemptive Six Day War (1967) in which the Israeli Army seized and occupied territory of its Arab neighbors including the predominantly Palestinian Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem. Deaf to international condemnation of its landgrabs, Israel has tightened its control over these areas. Its army governs all major roads and public spaces; it protects ever-expanding illegal settlements displacing centuries-old Palestinian communities. Not least, its ubiquitous presence underscores a Zionist colonial project that represses and whenever convenient, eliminates Palestinians in the name of a Greater Israela cause that echoes the nineteenth-century U.S. notion of Manifest Destiny used to justify the dispossession of Americas native peoples.

Fast-forward to todays war in Gaza, a place that has been compared to an open-air prison thanks to the blockade Israel first imposed on it in 2007. The war is less about Israeli self-defense, as some politicians proclaim, than about collective punishment payback not just for Hamas attack but for the Palestinians stubborn efforts to resist Israels long-time military occupation. By all accounts, the people of Gaza now face a war of extermination. The war is financed by U.S. taxpayers with over 12 billion dollars in military support for Israel, allowing it unrestricted access to U.S.-made weapons; these include 2,000-lb bombs that have leveled whole city blocks. Defying the International Court of Justices warning of possible genocide, ignoring repeated international calls by myriad organizations for a ceasefire and restoration of humanitarian aid, Israel is slaughtering civilians en masse. Beyond bombing homes, schools, hospitals, churches and all facilities needed for human existence, it starves them through deliberate obstruction of aid convoys trying to enter Gaza. Officially estimated at around 40,000, the Palestinian death count is likely much greater; as per some expert observers, it may be as high as 300,000.

What can Americans do? First, we must recognize that while the Biden administration continues to feed Israels bloodlust violating not only international law but U.S. law, e.g. the 1976 Arms Export Control Actthe great majority of us favor an immediate, permanent ceasefire and halt to further military support for Israel. This is reflected in nationwide polls, petitions from religious and human rights organizations and mass protests like the uprisings on college campuses this past year. It is reflected in the shifting tide of opinion in Birmingham where rallies in solidarity with the people of Gaza have been organized since last Fall by groups such as Birminghams DSA, Young Palestinians of Birmingham, etc.. And, where the City Council, under pressure from local solidarity activistsincluding members of the citys newly-formed JVP (Jewish Voice for Peace)--passed a resolution condemning indiscriminate violence against civilians and calling for peace and a restoration of humanitarian aid.

Birminghamians, like other Americans, have been moved and mobilized by the post-October 7 war in Gaza. They have begun rejecting the hollow Zionist narrative that justifies a new genocide in deed, if not in nameand, on the U.S. taxpayers dime, They also increasingly see that the Palestinian struggle for freedom, equal rights and dignity resembles freedom struggles elsewhere including that which fell the apartheid system of South Africa in the 1980s and our own African-American civil rights struggle.

Pamela S. Murray is Professor Emerita in the UAB Department of History
Vice President Kamala Harris has Taylor Swift's vote. AP Foto/Steven Senne and Jamaal Ellis

Taylor Swifts endorsement of Kamala Harris garnered a lot of public attention  possibly enough to influence even those who don't count themselves among her self-described megafans, known as Swifties.

That is, as long as they don't live in Texas, it seems.

Although hashtags such as #SwiftiesForKamala, #TaylorForKamla, #Swifties4Kamala and #SwiftiesForHarris spread across social media platforms after the presidential debate, Texans were quiet on the excitement.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

A map tracking geotagged data from Tuesdays debate looked at the prevalence of Kamala Harris and Taylor Swift themed hashtags and tweets on X across the country. Put together by BetOnline, a privately held online gambling company, the map found that Swifts endorsement of Harris had the least influence on Texas among all 50 states. The endorsement had the most potential influence in Northeastern states, with Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine topping the list.

But the Swifties for Kamala campaign started long before Tuesdays debate. Since Biden announced his dropping out of the race, a season of rallying identity-based zoom calls have raised big sums for Harris. Last month, Win With Black Women, 44,000 join Win With Black Women call to mobilize for Kamala Harris campaign (19thnews.org) got 44,000 black women on a zoom call and raised $1.6 million in just three hours.

At the end of August, another identity joined the train: Swifties. A zoom call of 26,000 fans got visits from Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Ed Markey and Carole King.

Although the pop-culture movement is relatively small, Swift is known for her large base of young fans, which could translate into influence over young voters. And Swifts ability to sway fans into civic action has been noted. After her endorsement post on Tuesday, over 330,000 people clicked the link to Vote.gov from Swifts Instagram, CNN reported.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Donald Trump currently has the lead over Kamala among Texas voters with 49% to 44%, respectively, but a recent spike in enthusiasm among Democratic voters could signal a shift, according to a Sept. 6 University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll. The recent poll found that 79% of democrats were either extremely excited or excited about voting in the 2024 election, which represented an 18% increase from June. With an election anticipated to come down to splitting hairs, little gestures could pack a big punch.
If life were more serious, wed be paying attention to the administration and the UKs latest efforts to start World War III which strikes me as the best overriding reason to vote for Trump.

There is no other way to interpret it: Washington and its client NATO members are declaring war on Russia. That is the direct meaning of the forthcoming visit of Zelensky to Washington where the parties will agree on targets inside Russia. To say this is an insane, reckless move is understatement. This is the most dangerous step possible for the US and NATO and it will lead to World War III. Don't believe any garbage "justifying" the use of long-range missiles on Russia. Putin has pointed out that while Ukraine will host the missiles, they will be fired by NATO personnel who will also insert the targeting data coming from overhead satellites covering Russian territory. Those satellites are American. The upcoming Zelensky-Biden meeting should also include Harris, so she takes full responsibility for starting a war. No one can presume what the outcome will be. Will Russia unleash nuclear weapons and bring a definitive end to the Ukraine war? Will it shoot down American satellites? Will Russia send rockets to hit supply depots in Europe, especially in Poland, which is the jumping off point for military supplies to Ukraine? There are many other possibilities open to Russia. Russia could transfer nuclear weapons to Iran, for example, or to Syria. The truth is Washington wants to take up Zelensky's proposals for deep strikes on Russian territory because Ukraine is losing the war and could be defeated even before the Presidential elections in November. The Biden-Harris team will have to explain why they kept backing a loser, causing tens of thousands of casualties, instead of seeking a diplomatic settlement that was easily within their grasp. Here again Washington stopped a deal in the making between Ukraine and Russia, and Biden and Harris are directly responsible for that. Zelensky's strategy is easy to grasp. He knows everything is falling apart and Ukraine won't be able to fight anymore by winter, as the infrastructure of the country, especially electrical power, but also fuel, dries up. Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski says that Ukraines electrical power has been degraded by 70%, perhaps more. So Zelensky's strategy is to bring NATO directly into the war. And, stupidly and arrogantly, Washington is playing the same game.

Instead, we are focused on what is laughably called a presidential debate, in which once again the Democrat candidate seems to have had advance knowledge of the questions and the moderators used Candy Crowley-like false fact checks to attack her opponent. (We could have anticipated this, considering one of the moderators, Linsey Davis, is Harriss sorority sister, and the network biggie, Dana Walden, is a close friend of Harris who introduced her to her husband.) We have been promised this weekend, probably today, the release of an affidavit from an ABC whistleblower who asserts of personal knowledge that pre-debate Harris was given sample questions virtually identical to those posed the candidates and a promise that the moderators would fact check Trump, but not her.

Former Clinton advisor Mark Penn said ABC must hire an outside firm to investigate whether there was collusion.

"I don't know what they told the Harris campaign. I think the day after, suspicion here is really quite high, and I think a review of all their internal texts and emails really should be done by an independent party to find out to what extent they were planning on, in effect, you know, fact-checking just one candidate and in effect, rigging the outcome of this debate. I think the situation demands nothing less than that..."

In any event, the moderators performance was so bad, I think, that more than ABC will pay the consequences -- we are likely in the future to be spared another one of these ridiculous non-debate debates.

If youve paid any attention at all to Harriss speaking abilities, you know that but for debate night, she is incoherent. Indeed, days later she finally consented to a solo interview by a friendly ABC reporter, Brian Taff, and she bombed as always.

You neednt bother watching the entire thing -- this example is a fair representation:

TAFF: Talk about bringing down prices and making life more affordable for people. What are one or two specific things you have in mind for that? HARRIS: Well, I'll start with this. I grew up a middle-class kid. My mother raised my sister and me. She worked very hard. She was able to finally save up enough money to buy our first house when I was a teenager. I grew up in a community of hardworking people. You know, construction workers and nurses and teachers. I try to explain to some people who might not have had the same experience, but a lot of people will relate to this. You know, I grew up in a neighborhood of people who were really proud of their lawn, you know, and I was raised to believe and to know that all people deserve dignity and that we as Americans have a beautiful character. You know, we have ambitions and aspirations and dreams, but not everyone necessarily has access to the resources that can help them fuel those dreams and ambitions. So, when I talk about building an opportunity economy, it is very much with the mind of investing in the ambitions and aspirations and the incredible work ethic of the American people and creating opportunity for people, for example, to start a small business.

Almost 100 years ago U.S. presidential campaigns were satirized in a Gershwin Brothers musical Of Thee I Sing which was reprised more recently. There the theme of candidate Wintergreens campaign is love (compare to Harriss theme joy). He chooses not to marry the winner of a beauty contest who, it turns out, is the illegitimate daughter of an illegitimate son of an illegitimate nephew of Napoleon, causing a diplomatic dustup with France and an effort to impeach him for breach of promise. It all works out in the end because the nice woman he chose to marry just gave birth to twins and love is sweeping the country. The satire, of course, is the preposterous things upon which elections turn.

For all the obvious ambushing of Trump in the debate, I think he won it. Like Scott Adams:

[T]he only thing I recall about the debate today is Theyre eating the dogs. Visual. Scary. Viral. Memorable. Repeatable. And directionally correct in terms of unchecked immigration risk. Its the strongest play of the election. Trump won the debate. I gotta stop underestimating his game. Trump had no base hits in the debate but his long ball is still rising. Incredible.

(All week, the internet was flooded with cat and dog memes. This ones my favorite.)

The Haitian immigrants who swamped the small town of Springfield, Ohio, are slaughtering animals, overwhelming city services, causing traffic incidents, and there is videographic evidence of skinned cats being barbecued by immigrants in the nearby neighborhoods of Dayton, Ohio.

There is a legitimate debate to be had about migration and culture. All immigrants bring with them a particular tradition, which, in the case of countries such as Haiti and the Congo, can include practices that many Americans find disturbing. This cultural divide causes understandable consternation for non-migrants living in the rougher parts of places like Dayton and Springfield. They dont enjoy the luxury of many in the establishment media, who can maintain a safe distance, condescending to those who raise the alarm while not even bothering to investigate anything themselves. These revelations do not mean that assimilation is impossible, but the establishment will need to engage in a more honest debate, rather than simply smearing critics as racists and conspiracy theorists. One can make the case for migration, but one cannot, at the same time, deny that it comes with costs -- which, in this case, seem to include a pair of flayed cats on a blue barbeque in Dayton, Ohio.

The crazy notion that we could bring in millions of third-world immigrants to the West without serious economic, social and political consequences is now facing substantial multinational pushback.

In the Netherlands, Geert wilders has succeeded in forming a coalition set to enact serious restrictions on immigration.

The Netherlands will deter new arrivals, the incoming government says, by having the strictest admission rules in Europe, by housing arrivals in the most austere facilities possible, and by immediately deporting migrants found trying to cross the border without permission or without papers back to the other side. Administratively, the law would flip the present burden of proof required when deciding migration applications, so asylum seekers have to prove they have a right to be in the country, rather than the expectation being the state having to prove that they dont. The appeals process will be truncated, and rules changed to deport nuisance makers, criminal aliens, and undesirable migrants more quickly. There will be strict action against violence and nuisance by asylum seekers who act against women, LGBT individuals, and Christians, they said.

Hungary and Poland are defying the EU by banning third-world immigration, and Sweden has announced a go-home policy -- saving itself decades of social-welfare expenses, it will offer migrants who havent integrated into Swedish society $35,000 per person to return to their home countries.

Here, for failing to respond to the issues involving the Haitian immigrants, a petition is underway to replace the entire Springfield city commission, and the governor has suddenly decided to send manpower and money to deal with the problems Trump highlighted. Ohio attorney general Dave Yost says the influx of migrants has strained the states social services and the federal government has been of no assistance.

So, on the one hand, even in the course of a preposterously managed debate, Trump has highlighted a significant problem: He tipped over the preset chess board. Compare this with Harris, who wants to provide extravagantly costly services to illegals, including gender transition surgeries to those illegals in prison.

Image: AT via Magic Studio
It is incredibly ironic that the Biden/Harris administration and its State Department were tasked with overseeing the election integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) recently. The same Biden/Harris administration that was strong-arming Mark Zuckerberg to publish only Biden-affirming material on Facebook, which allowed election laws to be illegally changed in the wake of COVID, and which oversaw the shutting down of vote counts in the middle of the night in swing states is now being asked to validate and defend free elections in the DRC.

This is the same Democrat party that thinks voter ID is racist. Of course, the Democrats and the ruling powers of the DRC have a lot in common. For one thing, they think a free and fair election means their guy wins.

And they love a dystopia!

Thats why Biden oversaw their elections. You remember Joe Biden, dont you? Hes the guy who got 81M votes but won only 17% of U.S. counties (the lowest county wins in history). Trump won 2,547 counties, and Biden walked away with 81M votes from a mere 509.

In January 2024, Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in as the new president of the DRC. Nineteen candidates ran for the executive office. According to the election commission, Tshisekedi got 70% of the vote, but the results were questioned almost at once. Voter turnout was low at 40%, many polling stations were closed on Election Day, and two thirds of all polling places that did open on Election Day did not operate normal hours. The Biden administration affirmed that Tshisekedi was the clear winner in a pristine election. They dismissed all accusations of fraud as baseless allegations.

This is Tshisekedis second term. He won his first term under circumstances so sketchy that even the Catholic Church challenged the election results. (When was the last time that the Church saw election violations so grievous that it had to invoke divine authority to set things right?) Tshisekedi was alleged to have worked a deal with outgoing president Joseph Kabila, that he would be the next president, circumventing the popular Martin Fayulu. Fayulu has challenged the election and demanded a new one.

Biden has all but accused Fayulu of being Hitler. The journal Foreign Policy chastised Biden in this regard, calling the recent election another stolen election in the DRC and criticizing Biden for driving yet another stake through the heart of another democracy.

So why did the Biden/Harris administration applaud the ascension of Tshisekedi after promising to assure election integrity in the Congo?

Biden and the DRC define election integrity the same way  their guy wins.

They promise everything and deliver nothing, but when you call them on it, they blame somebody else. In the case of Biden/Harris, they blame Trump. Tshisekedi blames Rwanda.

The DRC has a leaky border, just like the Biden/Harris southern border. Theirs is on the east, and it lets in enough Rwandans that failures in public policy can be blamed on those rebel Rwandans.

Biden has always liked the DRC because it uses a lot of U.S.-taxpayer-purchased vaccines. Nobody loves vaccines like Big Pharma and the Democrats (but I repeat myself). The DRC seems willing to accept them. During COVID, the U.S. bought and shipped 63M doses of the Moderna jab to the DRC, and the Biden/Harris regime is now preparing to send monkeypox vaccines.

Its the Democrat dystopian dream! Taxpayers buy vaccines from Big Pharma, the usual people skim off their usual percentages, and the shots are given to Africans who have little say over their own bodily autonomy. Informed consent, like democracy, is not part of the dystopian vision.

If you want to see what Kamala envisions for our future, we just have to look right now at what Biden/Harris gave the DRC.

Most Americans dont know anything about the DRC. It is somewhat forgivable, because the DRC changes its name more often than a drag queen. Its been the Congo Free State, the Belgian Congo, the Republic of the Congo-Leopoldville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zaire, and then it went back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In terms of land mass, the DRC is the eleventh largest nation on Earth. Its bigger than Greenland. With a population of 108M, it has about a third the population of the United States. Although many dialects are spoken, its official language is French, and it is the largest French-speaking nation on earth, four times larger than France.

It also has vast and valuable natural resources, particularly cobalt, which is used in making rechargeable batteries. Right now, China owns most of those mines in the DRC, and they are being worked by the poorest of the poor and their children, using what is euphemistically called artisanal mining. That means they are scraping the cobalt up out of the earth with their fingers and sticks and pieces of rebar or occasionally a shovel (if they are lucky). The market for cobalt is large and growing, since it is necessary for smartphones, computers, and electric vehicles. When it comes to the blue mineral, Congo has over half of the global reserves  its just that China controls most of it. And as long as China has money and there are DRC politicians to be bribed, China will keep on controlling it.

Its just how Democrats would like to run the United States: sell it off, piece by piece, to China, and let China pay starvation wages to workers while bribing those in power. Theyre doing it right now in the United States with American farmland. If we had all that cobalt, Biden would have sold it to China, too.

Almost no Americans have heard of the Great War of Africa (1996 to 1999, sometimes broken up into the First and Second Congo Wars, but they sort of run together). It resulted in 5.4M deaths and involved the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda. No other war in history has cost so many lives except World War II. Why does no one report on this? Its amazing that our army of paunchy and disreputable journalists have been able to sweep well over 5M deaths under the rug. It just goes to show that both the DRC and the Democrats like a fourth estate that knows which news to report and which news to ignore.

Way back in 1960, a man named Patrice Lumumba became the president of the DRC with the pledge to take back the nations mineral resources for the benefit of the people. He survived just six months before he was assassinated.

In 2009 (the Obama era), then-president of the DRC Joseph Kabila signed a deal with China. China would give developmental aid to the DRC, and in exchange, China would get some mining rights. China was supposed to build roads, hospitals, and schools. It did not take long before China had the deeds to the cobalt and copper mines of the DRC. Not sure what happened to the infrastructure  theyre working on a Buttigieg-like schedule.

Again, its the Democrat playbook.

Although the U.S. Department of State under Biden congratulated Tshisekedi on his election win, it did acknowledge significant delays and barriers on Election Day and asks that the DRC review its election processes. But Biden is glad that Tshisekedi beat out his chief rival, Moise Katumbi. Katumbi is a businessman (sound familiar?) who wants to promote the interests of his country and not the interests of China. Katumbi might be the DRC version of MAGA.

Despite Bidens warm election-day wishes, these were not minor election glitches. Two thirds of the polling places opened late; one third of the voting machines were not working. The election was illegally extended.

So if you want to see the full picture of where Democrats want to take us, just look at the DRC. Its a dystopian tragedy, whats going on there, and Biden/Harris (and the Democrats) are applauding and hoping to bring it to a town near you.

Ricochet Cafe has more on Substack.

Image via Pixnio.
The most career-destroying, toxic heresy in todays hypersensitive world is attributing highly valued traits such as intelligence to a persons genes and then saying that these and other biologically hard-wired traits were unevenly distributed across population groups.

To say, for example, that the Chinese disproportionately succeed academically due to their genes, not unearned privilege, luck, or any other environmental factor, violates this taboo.

The opposite is the blank slate theory of human nature. Here everything is environmentally determined and according to Steven Pinker, the blank slate view of human nature dominates todays intellectual life.

Those rejecting this blank slate ideology will be punished regardless of evidence or expertise. James Watson, the Nobel Prize winning co-discover of DNA was fired from his position and widely excoriated for speculating sub-Saharan African economic dysfunction might reflect their lower and genetically determined IQs.

Meanwhile, countless scientists anxious to remain employed will twist themselves into knots to avoid even hinting of biological differences across population groups to explain unequal outcomes in educational attainment, crime, health and elsewhere.

In principle, this taboo is entirely amenable to scientific inquiry. We are not in the 15th century where contrarian views on impossible-to-prove religious dogma such as free will vs. determinism, might get you burned at the stake. In fact, thousands of scientists do study the role genes play and publish their findings, though nearly all of this research focuses on plants and animals, not humans.

Why the fear of documenting the impact of genetics on human behavior?

Ironically, biological explanations have historically dominated. Victorians frequently explained the criminality of the poor by their defective genes while innumeracy among women resulted from their smaller brains.

Plausibly, banishing genetic explanations reduces unfair discrimination, so, for example, if women were thought be genetically inclined to being innumerate, they would be excluded from jobs requiring math.

Or perhaps, viewing negative traits as biologically hard-wired is judged offensive or might discourage people from even trying to advance economically.

Huge risks exist when misapplying the blank slate vs. genetic explanations.

Between 1928 and 1940, millions of Russian peasants were uprooted from their farms and re-located to collective farms.

Soviet leaders, as per the Marxism they practiced that presumes total human malleability, believed that the re-located peasants would happily boost Soviet agricultural production, thanks to industrialization.

The result was disastrous, as grain production fell and farmers neglected the collective farms crops and grew what they needed on tiny private plots while selling that surplus to hungry city folk. Livestock production similarly collapsed. Despite escalating coercion, Russian peasants by their innate nature refused to be converted into communists and million died of starvation.

On the other hand, women were once thought biologically unsuited for business due their emotional temperament and lack of mental toughness.

Today, however, women constitute 43% of all those enrolled in MBA programs and are expected to soon reach parity with males.

The question of aligning visions of human nature and goals is an empirical one to be decided by research. Mother Nature took a dim view of Soviet collectivization but looked more kindly on American women entering MBA programs. Unfortunately, ideological fanaticism, not scientific evidence, pushes the blank-slated, especially on the campus, and the outcome is totalitarian creep.

On todays academy, this belief in human malleability takes the form of advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DIE). It is axiomatic that everyone regardless of race, gender or other human traits has the same potential to excel academically.

Unfortunately, reality says otherwise, and despite massive spending and countless remedial programs, schools must still lower their standards to admit blacks and Hispanics. Moreover, this lingering inequality cannot be hidden. Just look at who majors in demanding subjects versus who just scrapes by in gut courses. The gap was made crystal clear when black enrollment suddenly fell after a recent Supreme Court decision largely banned racial preferences in college admissions.

What can be done? One option is to confess failure, admit that Mother Nature gave dissimilar populations different abilities, and restore the merit principle.

Alas, the blank slate ideology is tenacious and contemporary college administrators, like past Soviet commissars, often use deception and coercion to create the appearance that everything is going according to plan. As the defunct Soviet Union once fooled millions by claiming to be a workers paradise, American universities can be brilliant at providing the illusion of success.

A particularly common deception is to admit less qualified blacks and Hispanics but nevertheless assert that they are highly qualified. Then further create special programs such as Black Studies for those struggling academically or tolerate inflating grades to boost graduation rates. Then add support services like extra tutoring, segregated housing, and huge Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) bureaucracies to rescue those overwhelmed academically.

A more draconian measure is to eliminate dissent by recruiting only faculty who embrace the diversity is our strength mantra and further insist that all professors, even those in the hard sciences and engineering, sign DIE pledges and submit statements explaining how their course promotes the schools diversity mission.

Meanwhile party line adherents are rewarded with large salary increases and extra research funding.

Particularly onerous, a throwback to deadly wars of religion, is to criminalize bad thinking apart from actual behavior. Now, professors who believe that minority students are not academically competitive might be fired for hate. Tellingly, it makes no difference how these hateful professors treat their minority students. Thinking, by itself, is the crime.

The campus orthodoxy is further sustained by refusing to invite non-believers to lecture or disrupting the talks of those like Charles Murray who do manage invitations.

Then add speech codes to silence skeptics who might utter hateful statements, e.g., racial preferences are illegal. Student bias response teams will then inform the administration on those privately uttering offensive remarks. If a professor assigns The Bell Curve, bring him up on charges of creating a hostile leaning environment that triggers students of color. If the offending professor refuses to cooperate, remove him or her from the classroom under the guise of helping struggling minority students debilitated by this alleged pseudoscience.

Then add Orwellian language to distort reality  being colorblind is racist, silence is violence  and award academic credit for left-wing political activism. If that is insufficient, require mandatory implicit bias training and compulsory lectures on white privilege, the impact of systemic racism, and how even the most innocuous remarks to protected minorities will academically incapacitate them. For professors who run afoul of the woke mob, publicly harass them in ways reminiscent of Chinese communist struggle sessions.

The correct diagnosis for many of the ills plaguing todays college campus is that school functionaries mistakenly embrace the blank slate theory of human nature where everybody is equal intellectually. That this is a demonstrable fantasy hardly matters. In principle, this is the same error that plagued the Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union, however, by the 1980s, reality set in and Marxism collapsed.

It is ironic that genetic determinism, the great bogeyman of todays liberals and often falsely associated with Naziism, may in practice deter tyranny by discouraging doomed-to-fail social engineering. Campus administrators might benefit from a mandatory course called Failed Social Engineering.

The wisdom of the Roman lyric poet Horace (65 B.C. - 8 B.C.) is worth heeding: You may throw out nature with a pitchfork, but she keeps on coming back."

We can only wonder when todays universities will face this reality.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
Earlier this year, West Point's superintendent announced that West Point would modify its mission statement to drop Duty, Honor, and Country in favor of "the Army Values," a reference to a broader set of seven attributes that serve as the Army's ethos. This shift has rightly raised concerns about the woke  i.e., unpatriotic  direction being taken throughout our military and throughout many of our educational institutions.

The elimination of these three transcendent values is a reminder that we have begun to take steps beyond liberalism into a new universe of social and political disintegration. The disintegration of male/female identity as a sine qua non for a healthy society, the ethnic balkanization of our society that has gone on for a few decades, and green obsession with overpopulation and with getting rid of fossil fuels and natural gas are the backdrop of the decline of transcendent values. The transcendent values are the values that bring us together, and those values are undergirded by English-speaking legal values and Protestant theological values (which include Old Testament moral values to some degree).

It can be a little hard to get a sense of this slipping away because it is a slippage that starts at the level of ones general values. Its part of the conceptual basis of our lives that is slipping away, which, though of utmost importance, is not typically part of our everyday consciousness or discourse because of the demands and pressures of more practical matters.

I saw this clearly in the recent presidential debate between former president Trump and Cackmala, the Democommie candidate (I have no bias!). She is so upset that some states have enacted abortion laws that are too strict that she advances the need for a federal law that will not hamstring pregnant women or their doctors as those new laws presently do. Yearning for a one-size-fits-all federal abortion law or abortion policy shows that she cannot grasp the central premise of the Supreme Courts elimination of Roe v. Wade. The basic point is that abortion, like drivers licenses, speed limits, and education and all matters governed by state and local law, does not come under the purview of federal law. It is not, even indirectly implied as a subject suitable for federal legislation or national policy.

In short, Roe v. Wade is unconstitutional because of the transcendent principle of federalism (checks and balances obtained between the states and federal government as well as among the specific three branches), which is crucial in our system of government. If you are obsessed with one-size-fits-all policies as the proper basis for unity and responsible government, as the socialists and the communists are, then you cant appreciate the freedom and hope engendered by a more open, decentralized system.

The rigid leftist mindset finds itself thinking that some people living in some states will not be treated as well as they believe other people in other states are being treated. Then they ask themselves, Is that right? Is that fair? and then answer, No  we need one size fits all! But the founders understood that freedom to accommodate different views is essential. They understood that absolute power corrupts absolutely. If you feel that in some important respect(s) you are living in a state that is a despotism, you can move. We see that as Jim Crow laws corrupted the harmony and hope of the blacks living in the South at the beginning of the twentieth century, there was a great migration of approximately six million blacks from the South to northern, midwestern, and western states during the period 19101970. Freedom was the key to hope for millions, not one-size-fits-all fiats from top-down political hornets nests.

The left with its one-size-fits-all mindset presses forward with its totalitarian ways, pressing and insisting that one health care system is best, one energy (maybe two or three, like battery or windmill) is best, and one way of requiting wrongs is always being put forward  not law and order, but therapy. Crime for the left is increasingly not crime, but merely a misplaced sense of frustration and confusion. Universal values such as there being two genders or marriage between a man and a woman or drag queens as perverts (not entertainers) are rejected by the godless left as too simplistic despite almost worldwide assent and thousands of years of agreement among varying cultures or all continents with the conservative vision.

On 9/11/2001, I was teaching at one of the better academic high schools in NYC. After seeing from my departments sixth-floor office the first WTC tower pancake down, I seriously considered transferring to teaching at a high school on a Marine or Army base as part of a commitment to directly support our efforts against terrorism. The enemy was obvious! However, when I researched the social studies curricula being taught in the military schools, I saw that there were separate required courses in African-American history in the U.S. and Hispanic-American history in the U.S. as well as regular U.S. history! Yet our Pledge of Allegiance declares that we are one nation, indivisible. The disconnect between the Pledge and the military curricula was obvious. Even the liberal-left NYC public high schools had not yet taken this path. The term woke was not in fashion then, but clearly our military was on a path of multicultural fragmentation  tribalism detracting from a struggle for greater unity with diversity.

Eliminating Duty, Honor, Country is another giant step away from an intense, patriotic unity, which we need. The left completely misunderstands the relationship between and among unchanging values, the role of freedom in a context of unchanging values, the brilliant formulation of American constitutional structure and principles, faith in God as a powerful motivation in the establishment of our country, and the importance of a legal system based on natural law and not upon critical theory or Marxist principles.

Image: JSMed via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Theres a report of rampaging seagulls in Scotland. It resonates with me, so Im sharing it with you. Its a reminder that part of climate change madness stems from the fact that city dwellers (the ones who most fanatically embrace all leftist shibboleths) are completely removed from anything but curated nature or they truly hate humans.

So, heres the story from the Daily Mail:

Seagulls are menacing coastal communities and major cities alike, sparking hundreds of complaints to councils the length and breadth of Scotland. As the birds travel to new areas - increasingly inland - in search of food, we can reveal that nearly 700 complaints have been raised this year already, with the number surpassing last years total of around 600. They include horrifying accounts of children left bloodied by the birds swooping on people and household pets and, while coastal communities are severely affected, complaints also include scores of revolting tales of the gulls feasting on rats in Scotlands biggest city. The birds, which are coming further inland to feed than ever before due to reducing fish numbers, are protected under law in Scotland, although special applications can be made to remove them if they pose a serious risk. (Emphasis mine.)

The story plays into my biases because I despise seagulls. I grew up in San Francisco, and my junior high school was two miles from the Pacific Ocean, as the seagull flies. Many kids littered the schoolyard at lunchtime, so the seagulls would brutally harass us for an hour, seizing our food and pecking at and pooping on us. Bats have been described as rats with wings, but so are seagulls.

Im not stupid. I recognize that seagulls are incredibly graceful flyers and have an important role in the natural ecosystem. But I still dislike them intensely, and I feel for their Scottish victims.

The storys also important because it highlights a few things about leftists.

For all of their climate madness, leftists reject the core survival idea that we must be stewards of nature. Overfishing the oceans will leave us without food. The aggressive seagulls, as they fly further inland, are harbingers of that problem.

Being a steward of nature doesnt mean being a crazy climate changista. Indeed, its the opposite because it sees nature serving man and not vice versa.

Speaking of overfishing the oceans, its important to note that the worst practitioners of this are almost certainly Tim Walzs beloved Chinese. If youre familiar with the Tragedy of the Commons, it is they who are so greedy in the first instance that, soon, nothing will be left for anyone.

Resource depletion is a serious problem and needs to be addressed without the garbage of climate change floating around to impede the real issue.

The seagulls aggressiveness should also remind us that nature is red of tooth, claw, and beak. Yes, we can despoil one area (or species) or another, but nature will always reach out to compensate.

I first had this thought during a long-ago visit to Cartagena, Columbia. I found it a grim place because the people lacked the energy and resources to push back against the encroaching jungle. This taught me that containing nature to create habitable communities that favor people requires energy and money, something America once used to have.

I still have that thought daily now that I live in the Southeastern part of the U.S., a place with abundant rain and sunshine. The effort to keep water, plants, and animals from destroying my home never stops and is quite expensive.

Dont get me started on my travails with squirrels, which are rats with fuzzy tails. I also keep a wary eye out for the ubiquitous alligators in my community. We dont get the huge ones here, but theyre big enough to do damage to those who arent careful with themselves, their children, or their pets. Here, nature is part of the regions charm, but its not friendly.

For those who live in Americas or Europes cities, nature is so distant that they have no idea just how unfriendly it is. As leftist cities decay, theyre becoming aware of the scourge of rats, and cockroaches are just a fact of life, but urban leftists have created gauzy, Disney-esque fantasies about the larger predatorse.g., coyotes, bears, lions, boars, wolves, etc. In communities that have started protecting these animals or stop pushing back against them, people are no longer safe:

We are having to relearn the same lessons our ancestors always knew: Wild animals and people cannot share the same spaces. Its a zero-sum game.

When it comes to urban-dwelling leftists, they either dont understand that its a zero-sum game, so they believe in some Arcadian fantasy of co-existence, or theyve been so brainwashed with hatred against humankind that they want the advantage to go to the animals, with the humans sent to the abattoir. Just look at Kamala Harriss climate director. Shes explained that she thinks its probably unethical to have children because of the climate. Shes not alone.

That seagull story touches on all of it. Instead of focusing on increasing our resources, leftists focus on the chimera of climate change, which allows them to redistribute wealth. Meanwhile, people who are naive (or worse) insist that bears, boars, seagulls, and other beasties should have preference over humans, all in service of a fantasy about coexistence or because they really hate people (except for themselves, of course).

Leftist Arcadia by AI.
Theres a wonderful expression that conservatives need to master: The perfect is the enemy of the good. It means that people who are obsessed with perfection, which is seldom achievable, become incapable of achieving good things. We saw that immediately after the debate, when many conservative pundits, as well as ordinary people, collapsed in a heap, thinking all was lost. Well, it wasnt lost. Trump scored a real victory that keeps paying dividendsand we conservatives need to start projecting that we are, in fact, victorious.

Last week, I wrote about how Ben Shapiro came up with an awesome list of topics Trump should discuss at the debate. Had Shapiro, not Trump, been debating Kamala, he would have nailed every one of those things and left Kamala and all the Democrats broken. Thats because Ben Shapiro has a superb analytical brain.

But Ben Shapiro is not Donald Trump, nor is he the Republican presidential candidate in the coming election.

Instead, Trump is Trump, and he is the candidate (and thats true whether you like it or not). And being uniquely Trump, Donald Trump has a unique skill set: Trump crystallized things in accessible images the issues that resonate with the American people.

I remember Scott Adams saying this back in 2016. Then, as now, Trump was certainly an unconventional debater. His speaking style was eccentric. Trump also used sarcasm as a weapon in typical New Yorker fashion, which delighted his supporters. Opponents either didnt recognize the humor, or they intentionally ignored it so that they could claim that he meant literally those obviously sarcastic phrases.

But what Scott Adams and the American people picked up is Trumps unique knack for taking complex and abstract issues and making them straightforward and even concrete. In 2015/16, Americans were already bewildered, overwhelmed, and angered by the unending influx of illegal aliens, something that Obama, like his shadow, Biden, had encouraged.

Americans saw their manufacturing jobs shipped overseas, and the last remnants of their cities and towns then handed over to illegal aliens:

You do realize that the people responsible for killing Springfield's economy by exporting our industrial base to build the middle class in other countries are the same people telling us it's good to import people from other countries to supplant what's left of our middle class?  Abe Froman (@WerIstDeinPa) September 13, 2024

(See also James Mullins post about the neo-colonialism that Democrats are practicing against Americans.)

Recognizing what Americansmany with roots going back centuries and all having lived here and paid into the system their whole livesfaced and feared, Donald Trump came up with both a plan and an image: Build a wall. People understand walls. People know how walls work (and they do work), so that wall summed it all up: Their concerns, their needs, and what their government can do. And Trump won.

Trump campaigned just as well in 2020, and I still think he won. However, systemic problems (mail-in ballots, drop boxes, ballot harvesting, illegal actions) all combined to give Biden, a corrupt fossil, the White House.

And now, here we are in 2024, and Trump is still being Trump and still crystalizing profound problems in concrete ways. Yes, he missed all sorts of opportunities in the debate, but he went in for the real kill, bypassing sophisticated language and deep arguments. Instead, he stated simply. In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in. They're eating the cats.

And for large numbers of Americans, that said it all. The media and the political class frantically tried to cover it up, which The Unpolled Conservative nicely satirizes here:

Still, the truth kept leaking out. Moreover, those dogs and cats became a metaphor for all the huge problems when a towns population increases by 30% in 3.5 years thanks to shipping in people with no ties whatsoever to America or to American values (or even to Western values). (See, e.g., here and here.)

The story also exposed the fact that the governments focus is no longer on American well-being. Its somewhere else entirely:

Our government hates us. https://t.co/IXp71hydtl  Andrea Widburg (@Bookwormroom) September 14, 2024

And if you want to know how much the story resonated, just look at the meme explosion. We noted some of the early memes here, but whats interesting is that they havent stopped. Instead, theyre escalating in sophistication and reach. One of my favorite musicians, David Scott (aka The Kiffness), created this mesmerizing gem:

The Kiffness x Donald Trump - Eating the Cats  Stream / Buy: https://t.co/r9KxcnOn4n pic.twitter.com/bZpytKBEdO  The Kiffness (@TheKiffness) September 13, 2024

The whole thing is becoming a huge trend (queued to start at 1:58):

And whats really funny is that hardcore leftists have no idea how to respond. I found this poster on a leftist page and couldnt stop laughing. No, its not Trump doing the eating, you dingbat!

Likewise, I think Hank Azaria, a Hollywood liberal, was trying to attack Trump with this video but all he did was to reinforce Trumps messageand could anything be more perfect than the fact that the whole thing arose in a real Springfield?

Chief Wiggum, Springfield PD, here theyre doing WHAT? pic.twitter.com/KiK3srkb0i  Hank Azaria (@HankAzaria) September 12, 2024

Scott Adams, of course, quickly figured out what was going on:

Im revising my debate scoring. My first impression was a tie, which I called a Harris victory.



But the only thing I recall about the debate today is Theyre eating the dogs.



Visual. Scary. Viral. Memorable. Repeatable. And directionally correct in terms of unchecked  Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) September 13, 2024

My point is that, with a few words, Trump won the debate by dominating all post-debate discourse with a powerful image that completely overwhelms everything else. This is a win, and we need to take it.

Remember that victory is a state of mind. We create the world others see. And no, Im not saying that were going to turn into Baghdad Bob, assuring us Iraq was winning, even as American tanks were creeping into the shot.

However, in a fluid situation, you act like a winner, and you tell people what theyre seeing. You dont win elections by telling people that you think youre a loser. You win by telling people that youre a winner.

Funnily enough, this is a self-defense technique.

If someone is in my face (too close, yelling at me, etc.) to the point at which I feel threatened enough to punch that person, witnesses will say, Andrea started it because she threw the first punch.

However, in the same situationand this is human psychologyif I put my hands in the air in the surrender position while saying, I dont want to fight, and then elbow the person in the face using my conveniently already-upraised elbow, witnesses will say that the other person started the fight. Ive framed what they see and how they respond.

We conservatives must start looking at the psychology of victory, something were utterly failing to do. So, while we might long for Trump to have turned into Ben Shapiro on the debate stage, he didntbut he still won.

He made the most important, viral point, he managed to land blows about the economy and Kamalas ties to Biden, and he stood valiantly against a three-on-one pile-on and a cascade of political lies and defamatory claims. That, my friends, is a victory, and it behooves us to remind the American people of that fact.
With Kamala Harris giving her fawning media interviewers stale, programmatic talking points that tell voters nothing, the Trump side of the equation is brimming with new ideas -- from draining the swamp, to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again, a fresh, welcome addition to the Make America Great Again agenda.

Old established ideas that nobody likes but nobody thinks about either are now being challenged, and that's giving the Trump campaign its dynamism.

Here's another one that can fit right into the Make America Great restoration: Requiring unions to recertify with the workers they purport to represent.

Sean Higgins, a former colleague at Investor's Business Daily, now at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, has a great new piece on just how badly this cleanup is needed.

He begins it this way:

Imagine if you lived in a country where a vote held decades previous determined which party held control of the government and people had little to no say over who ran the party. Thats the situation many workers must deal with if theyre unionized. There are 7.4 million unionized private sector workers according to the Labor Department. Just under 5 percent of those workers voted in favor of the union that represents them according to an analysis of department data by the nonprofit Institute for the American Worker, a free market think tank. The vast majority of those workers joined workplaces that were already organized and have had to accept the union to keep their job. The workers almost never get a chance to weigh in themselves. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the federal law covering union activity, does not require that a union ever have to reaffirm that it has the workers support once it is recognized. This is true even if none of the workers who originally voted for the union are still around. Unions are only getting progressively less democratic. When the Institute for the American Worker ran the same survey back in 2016, the number of private sector workers who had voted for their union was 6 percent, a full point higher than it is currently.

So, if you're stuck in a union, the odds are you probably didn't vote for that union to be there -- someone employed by the company years ago voted for them based on different circumstances, but you have to live with the consequences as an employee of a company with a union stuck onto them like a barnacle.

Only five percent of workers throughout the entire private sector voted for the union that supposedly represents them. Everyone else is their hostage, paying the extorted union dues whether they like or not, as a sort of ransom, yet never, ever, getting released.

Higgins describes how corrupt they have gotten, running off with workers' union dues, and paying themselves lavish salaries and benefits for sure. Think of the United Auto Workers and say no more.

What's more, it may not have been all workers years ago that voted for the union that's there. If even a small fraction of workers voted for a union over a smaller fraction that said 'no,' the union would be certified as a 'majority' of workers calling for it, even if most workers didn't vote at all.

That isn't enough for ravenous and greedy unions, though -- Higgins describes their continuous push for 'card check,' which gives workers even fewer rights than they have already. And if god forbid, a worker tries to decertify a union, they can do so only if ... the union as judge and jury ... agrees to it.

Higgins didn't bring this up, but union dues, handed over involuntarily by workers, are one of the biggest sources of campaign cash for Democrats. Very little of this money ever makes its way to Republican coffers, but Democrats live and breathe union cash, handed over by the unwilling workers.

Democracy? You decide.

Higgins points out that there are moves in Congress to require unions to stand for recertification that ought to get passed:

The fact that so many workers have so little say is wrong. Congress should pass the Employee Rights Act, which would mandate periodic recertification votes, to give those workers a say in who represents them. Unions should exist to serve their members, not vice versa.

I can't think of any better way to either force the unions to defend the workers they claim they are defending, or just shut their extortion rackets down. Joining a union shouldn't be a roach motel act for all workers who come after. Workers should be able to get rid of bad unions and keep the money they earn.

Hat tip: Issues & Insights

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
A venerable military axiom is: amateurs discuss tactics; professionals discuss logistics. Not only is it essential a military safely gets troops where they need to be, rested and on time with the right weapons, but more importantly, there must a supply chain that ensures they have all the ammunition theyre going to need, all the food, and other technology and supplies to ensure they can prevail. Correct, innovative tactics are necessary. Correct logistics are everything.

Donald Trump tells us he rebuilt our military. Hes right. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have all but destroyed it. They imposed racism against whites, DEI, Wokeness and every other Democrat/socialist/communist (D/s/c) philosophy with predictable results. Higher ranking officers, and others lacking honor and fidelity to the Constitution embraced the lunacy, knowing if they didnt, they wouldnt be promoted, or would be drummed out of the military on fake charges. That was the fate of patriots who tried to stand up to the steady destruction of our forces.

It took awhile, but so obvious were their tactics, the traditional source of our all-volunteer force, midwestern and southern white males, who have done the majority of fighting and dying for America, decided they were done, and recruitment dramatically dropped. Even our merchant marine is forced to sideline 17 ships vital to the resupply of our Navy due to a lack of personnel. The only service that thus far hasnt seen terrible recruiting problems is the Marines, who have apparently resisted the insanity somewhat better than the other services.

Graphic: 155mm cannon. Department of Defense. Public Domain.

Our enemies have taken notice. Theyve also taken notice that the wars in Ukraine and Israel have badly drained our reserves of basic munitions, things like Tomahawk cruise missiles, Hellfire missiles, and even 155mm cannon rounds, the backbone of our artillery.

The military is semi-wisely not saying exactly how bad things have become, but our entire defense establishment, as well as the Congress and federal bureaucracies are salted with Chinese spies, and so are state governments, so there are really no secrets. Ukraine alone has been firing up to 8000 155mm rounds a day. Thats 240,000 a month and nearly a million in four months, to say nothing about all the other munitions, down to 9mm rounds in issued handguns.

America, during WWII and beyond, was known as the Arsenal of Democracy. No longer. Not for a long time. We no longer have the industrial capacity to produce enough of the munitions we need, and restoring it will take years. In 155mm rounds alone, we supply our allies and ourselves:

In the United States, the Army is looking to significantly ramp up 155mm production, with a stated goal of producing 100,000 rounds per month by 2025. As of February, the Army was manufacturing 30,000 155mm rounds per month, doubling its previous output of 14,000 rounds prior to the conflict, according to a service release. Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said the Army is now on a path to producing 70,000 to 80,000 rounds per month by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

If thats true, thats going to barely supply Ukraines needs, leaving nothing to replenish our supplies and provide adequate supplies for our other allies and for training. South Korea and Germany are also producing 155mm rounds, but not up to the numbers we eventually hope to maintain. There is an additional problem: cost.

[Morten] Brandtzaeg said Nammo [Norwegian defense company] has estimated that just to supply Ukraine with enough 155mm shells will require 3.5 billion euros in investments, which is just the mechanical work that needs to be done. It doesnt include the raw materials. Replenishing the European nations 155mm stocks would be another 3.5 billion euros. On top of that, there needs to be more investment into the supply chain for explosive chemicals. This is totally outside of the range of what this industry can pay for, he said.

In other words, government is going to be footing a lot of the cost, and where NATO is concerned, that means America is going to foot most of it, particularly under Kamala Harris, if she allows replenishment at all.

It comes down to deterrence. Our enemies know were low on munitions and manpower. They know the Harris/Biden Administration is weak and anti-American. They also know a Harris/Walz Administration would be even weaker and would further deprive our military of the funds and gear it needs to deter, and if necessary, defeat aggression. Theyre determined to replace American voters with foreigners. Thats expensive, particularly for the brokest nation in history.

This tooAmerican and world security--is on the ballot in November. The shortage of 155mm ammunition is only one, worrying danger.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
I enjoyed Matt Walshs movie, as did the audience in the theater where I saw it. He skewers DIE mythology very effectively, showing with example after example that a good deal of whats going on here is just plain money-grubbing opportunism. Also coming through loud and clear is the foolishness of whites who take DIE nonsense seriously. The self-flagellation scene (no kidding) had me howling with laughter.

Because a movie is not the place for academic analysis, Walsh could not very well include an interview with someone, such as a philosopher specializing in moral theory, who is qualified to explain that racism isnt just a dangerously loaded term; it has multiple meanings that should be distinguished carefully. Failing to do so will guarantee that the logical fallacy of equivocation is committed.

A good person for Walsh to have interviewed on the subject of racism is Thomas L. Carson, who taught philosophy at Loyola University Chicago for many years, now retired. Among Carsons several books is Lincolns Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 2015), to which I contributed comments in draft  Tom and I went to Brown together.

Eight concepts of racism can be extracted from definitions Carson presented in a chapter titled Was Lincoln a Racist? Carson says (p. 338) that his definitions draw on important work in contemporary philosophy.

Racism-1 : Believing that members of a group with certain racial characteristics are morally or intellectually inferior to members of groups that lack those racial characteristics.

It is racist-1 to believe that blacks are morally or intellectually inferior to whites or Asians (for example).

Id venture to say a comparatively small number of people hold racism-1 beliefs.

The left throws racism-1 accusations at Republicans without a shred of evidence.

Racism-2 : Believing that discrimination against members of a group with certain racial characteristics is justified.

Civil rights laws were enacted in large part to combat discrimination against blacks.

College admission quotas that discriminate against whites are racist-2.

Racism-3 : Members of superior groups believing that they are justified in exploiting or using members of the inferior group for their benefit.

The slave trade exemplified racism-3 beliefs, which were also quite common in the antebellum (Democrat) South and persisted into the 20th century well after slavery was abolished. See below.

Racism-4 : Members of superior groups believing that they are justified in hatred or ill will toward members of inferior groups.

Racism-5 : Believing that indifference to the welfare of members of a group with racial characteristics considered inferior is justified.

Racism-6 : Believing that inadequate concern for the welfare of members of a group with racial characteristics considered inferior is justified.

Racism-7 : Believing that disrespect toward members of a group with racial characteristics considered inferior is justified.

Racism-8 : Believing that inadequate respect toward members of a group with racial characteristics considered inferior is justified.

The Democrat party in the antebellum South was racist by all eight criteria listed above and used several to justify slavery. Segregationist policies were in force during the Wilson administration as well as FDRs. Democrats would like Americans to forget that their party created the Klan (and its lynch mobs) and that Democrat politicians at one time fought tooth and nail against civil rights laws. A Republican president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, used federal troops to make sure black students could enter Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, who were blocked on order of Democrat governor Orval Faubus. Democrats managed to get away with brazen rebranding (lying) thanks to consistent help from media toadies. Though we havent let the Nazis off the hook, Stalin and Mao, who murdered millions more, are heroes for the left. Bernie Sanders thinks socialism is just grand and insists that he can do it right. Kamala Harris is a Marxist.

Finally, leftists have been known to charge anyone with racism who:

Utters a word of criticism against Vice-President Harris.

Considers affirmative action immoral.

Blames violent crime in Chicago on African-Americans.

Believes that welfare is a huge waste of money.

Voted for Donald Trump.

Is a Republican or supports GOP candidates.

Finds statistics linking I.Q. to scholastic achievement credible.

Believes that slavery reparations would punish innocent people.

Wears a MAGA hat.

Disagrees with New York Times editorials on race.

Is a member of the National Rifle Association.

Thinks George Floyd was largely responsible for his own death.

These are phony charges according to the eight criteria presented in this article. Anyone who thinks other criteria merit consideration is welcome to formulate them.

A frequent contributor to American Thinker, Arnold Cusmariu is the author of Logic for Kids. His academic articles can be read at ResearchGate.com. Also a sculptor, Arnold is currently making pieces that redefine Surrealism.

Image: stevepb via Pixabay, Pixabay license.
Cats in Ohio are in the news these days. But the really big cat is the Cat-5 storm that will descend upon this nation on November 6, the day after Trumps third election.

November 6 is the day the excrement is really going to hit the fan as the lefties let loose the demonic howl of their inner banshee.

And on that very day, November 6, 2024, and from that day forward, Trump is really going to need all of us. For on that day, the left and all their governmental and institutional running dogs will heighten to the max all their attacks on Trump to a fever pitch in a last-ditch effort to forestall his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

Over the past 3 or 4 years, it has become apparent even to those of us who are unwashed and lacking Ivy League credentials that there really is an American deep state and there really is a global elite (the WEF, the Schwabs, the Gates, etc.) that fully intends to reduce us all to serfdom. And we know that, notwithstanding whatever reservations some of us might have about some hue, tone, or tint in the Trump personality, only the Trump agenda can save us and our constitutional republic from the destruction plotted by the left.

We greatly err if we think Trump can survive this raging Cat-5 tempest without our help.

In the preface to his 2023 book Americas Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything, Christopher Rufo explains how, today, the left has conquered every American institution, including federal, state, and local government, schools, universities, and corporations. Rufo also explains that there really is a Vichy America, which serves the American deep state and plots the destruction of the American economy as a major step to the seizure of America by the Global deep state. (This, too, explains the war on our economy.)

Following Trumps election, this Vichy America will remain in place, attacking and impeding Trump and his agenda at every turn, terrified that Trump will do unto them as they have done unto him, and pursuing the Marxist takeover of the nation and working hand-in-glove with the global elite.

In the final chapter of his book, entitled The counter-revolution to come, Rufo details the rise of a counter-revolution waged by an American underground that will resist the left and restore the traditional American civilization.

Trumps election will not change the Democrats grip on institutions (it may even exacerbate it), so there will be a need as never before for an American underground to resist and nullify Vichy America.

Of what shall this American underground consist? It must consist of an association of all who desire the resurgence of all the best features of our traditional America. Every career, trade, and professional group, from teachers and plumbers to door-dashers, must organize its own approach to waging the counter-cultural-revolution (CCR) to come.

Teachers who want to cease the propagandizing, put away the students phones, close the door, and teach must organize the other teachers to make that possible.

Office workers who want to stop the madness must encourage each other to ignore the DEI and its demands.

Students lying flat must come to the aid of their teachers.

Lawyers must assist in adopting a Ron Paulian liberty platform.

Every sector of society must form its own resistance units to counter through all lawful means possible the American Vichy and the collaborators with the global elite.

The conservative voice shall be sounded in every county and city council meeting, in every school district meeting, and in every other taxing district meeting.

Now is the time for all true American constitution lovers to ride to the sound of liberty.

Image by AI.
Caroline Wilburn is a breaking news reporter for the Houston Chronicle.

A May graduate of Texas A&M University, Caroline worked as an election stringer for the Associated Press and as a breaking news fellow at the Texas Tribune. At the Tribune, she got a crash course in interpreting data, distilling complicated policy and following statewide trends on a tight deadline. Shes also a skilled video editor and podcast producer.

She won a first-place award for audio news production at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.
Amber Haigh, Robert Geeves and their child. The Geeveses have pleaded not guilty to Haighs murder and have maintained they never harmed her and have no knowledge about her disappearance. Photograph: ODPP NSW

The enduring mystery of the disappearance of Amber Haigh faces a key reckoning on Monday morning, with judgment in a trial for her murder.

Haigh, who had an intellectual disability, vanished without trace from the New South Wales Riverina in June 2002, leaving behind her five-month-old son.

In the years since, her disappearance has been the subject of two police strikeforces, a coronial inquiry, million-dollar government rewards and multiple media investigations. None have yielded resolutions.

Now, more than 20 years since Haigh was last seen, the father of her child, Robert Geeves, and his wife, Anne Geeves, both 64, have faced trial for her alleged murder.

They have pleaded not guilty and have consistently maintained they never harmed Haigh and have no knowledge about her disappearance.

Related: The struggle to tell rural Australian stories has never been harder  or more essential | Gabrielle Chan

Prosecutors alleged the Geeveses used Haigh as a surrogate to have another baby before they removed her from the equation by killing her.

Haigh gave birth to her son in January of 2002. She would disappear five months later.

The last independent sighting of the teenager was on 3 June 2002, when she was seen in the company of Robert Geeves in the town of Young.

The Geeveses have consistently maintained they last saw Haigh two days later on the evening of 5 June 2002, when they drove her from their home in Kingsvale to Campbelltown railway station, where she intended to catch a train to visit her dying father. They told police Haigh willingly left her young son in their care. Haigh never arrived at the nearby Mt Druitt hospital to see her father.

The Geeveses say she has never contacted them. They did not report her missing for a fortnight, registering her as a missing person with police on 19 June, by which time critical CCTV footage and other potential forensic evidence had been erased or lost.

The nine-week trial, held in the supreme court in Wagga Wagga, heard allegations the Geeveses wanted another baby after several miscarriages and a stillbirth following the birth of their son.

The crown alleged the Geeveses manipulated the naive Haigh into bearing Robert Geevess baby, and then, wanting to keep the baby for themselves, killed her.

It was always the intention of the Geeveses to assume the custody and care of [the child] from Amber, crown prosecutor Paul Kerr said. But they knew that to do that, Amber had to be removed from the equation  so, the crown asserts, they killed her.

The court heard evidence of previous charges of violence against Robert Geeves, including a charge of murder over the shooting death of a former girlfriend  of which he was ultimately acquitted. But police witnesses alleged Anne Geeves was the mastermind of Haighs murder.

However, defence counsel for the Geeveses argued the case against the couple  now more than two decades old  was deeply flawed, arguing that community distaste at Robert Geeves relationship with a much younger woman with intellectual disabilities had fuelled gossip and innuendo.

Everything they did was viewed through a haze of mistrust and suspicion, the court was told.

Michael King, acting for Anne Geeves, told the court nothing in the trial linked the Geeveses to the death of the teenager, arguing the prosecution case was inconsistent, confused, and unsupported by any evidence.

The only rational verdict, your honour, is not guilty, he said.

Neither Robert Geeves nor Anne Geeves chose to give evidence in their defence, as is their legal right. The defence called no witnesses.

The onus of proof rests with the crown to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that Haigh was murdered by either or both of Robert and Anne Geeves.

Justice Julia Lonergan, who has heard this trial judge-alone  without a jury  at the application of the defendants, will deliver her judgment in Darlinghurst, in Sydney, at 11am Monday.
At Curlew Dairy in Wensley, North Yorkshire, cheesemakers Samantha and Ben Spence use a 100-year-old local recipe. Photograph: Richard Saker/the Observer

The hidden irony of A Grand Day Out, the animation that launched Wallace and Gromit, is that a 1950s Yorkshireman in search of a cracking wensleydale might just as well have looked for it on the moon.

Wensleydale, like most British cheeses other than cheddar and stilton, was almost destroyed in the postwar drive towards mass production. Fortunately, some of the centuries-old recipes for those lost cheeses were preserved, and a growing number of artisans are starting to make them again, from Wensleydale to Lancashire and Bangor to Ceredigion.

Carrie Rimess Caws Chwaral, or quarry cheese, is based on cheeses made in north Wales farmhouses  a Caerphilly recipe that is nothing like the crumbly white cheese normally associated with the name.

Nobody was making anything like this, said Rimes, who set up Cosyn Cymru after learning cheesemaking in France. Here in the north-west it would appear that it was largely subsistence farming, producing cheese for the family.

Cheese was traditionally a way for farmers to preserve leftover milk, especially for the winter months. Britain once had thousands of farmhouse cheeses, but they dwindled first when the acts of enclosure pushed smallholders off the land, then when the Industrial Revolution encouraged producers to ditch long-maturing cheeses in favour of quick ones.

But it was the second world war that led to the most existential crisis for small cheesemakers. During rationing, milk was reserved in greater amounts for drinking, and cheese could be imported.

In 1939, there were about 220 raw-milk Lancashire makers, said Angus Birditt, author of A Portrait of British Cheese. Until last year, there was only one  Kirkhams.

Since March there has been another: Lowfields, a creamy Lancashire cheese by Roger Cowgill, from his herd of 12 Dairy Shorthorns.

Kirkhams kept it going, he said. Were the second and the newest for a very long time. The recipe is from a 1930s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Maf) booklet. It gives cheeses from all the regions of Britain and a recipe and a bit of a write-up. Weve made little tweaks for it to work in our dairy and with our milk.

The growth of artisans like Cowgill means Britain is regaining something the French never lost  a terroir of cheese where the same recipe will produce different flavours due to the breed of cows, the pasture they graze and the cellars the cheese is matured in.

Wensleydale Creamery kept the cheese alive when raw milk was deemed too risky to use, but now there are three artisan cheesemakers in the dales making recipes that had long been forgotten: Yoredale by Samantha and Ben Spence, Fellstone by Clare and Tom Noblet, and Stonebeck by Sally and Andrew Hattan.

We have 50 acres that are recognised as species rich, said Sally Hattan. Weve got 80 different species of wildflower plus grasses  and it really does come through in the flavour, the texture, the colour. We can even tell as we move the cows from one pasture to another.

The Hattans used a combination of old Maf literature and work by Marie Hartley and Joan Ingilby, who went round the Yorkshire Dales in the 1950s trying to document some of the traditional crafts that were being lost.

They make six tonnes of Stonebeck a year now, their fifth year of production, but only from when it is in season  starting in the spring after the cows have calved and stopping in October when they let the herd go dry for the winter.

The cows are Northern Dairy Shorthorns  a rare breed, but native to here, Hattan said. Theres about 250 breeding females now, and we probably have about 10% of the population. People had just kept them going, but there wasnt an established milking herd until we brought them together.

In the early days of Stonebeck, Sally Hattan found one of the few surviving cheesemakers who remembered the original tastes, a farmer called Mabel Peacock, who died in 2018 aged 103. She was thrilled to see pictures of our cows, she said. She remembered making cheese with her mum in Richmond  they had the same breed.

All the cheesemakers credit Randolph Hodgson for laying the groundwork by founding Neals Yard Dairy in London in 1979. His shop and others, including the Courtyard Dairy near Settle in Yorkshire and La Fromagerie in London, have championed new cheesemakers.

Patricia Michelson said she had seen cheeses come and go since founding La Fromagerie 33 years ago. My reasoning was always to make your region, your place where you are making cheese, unique by the herd you are rearing, she said. Little by little, with encouragement, cheesemakers will find themselves in very specific regionality when it comes to making cheese, much like France, Italy and Spain.

Related: Stronger, stinkier, softer: how Britain fell in love with cheese beyond cheddar

John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, said: Ultimately ancient recipes give a cheesemaker a story and give their cheese a personality  and this leads into a broader point: food lovers are more interested in where their food has come from, who has made it, and want to engage in the personality behind the cheese.

There are still plenty of recipes in the archives that remain untested, such as Suffolk bang, from about the 17th century, said Jonny Crickmore of Fen Farm Dairy and the Specialist Cheesemakers Association.

It was made from skimmed milk, he said. It was so hard you could roll a cannon on it  the Royal Navy used to buy it because it was the only cheese the weevils couldnt get into.

The government actually asked the Suffolk farmers to stop producing it because it was giving British cheese a bad name. No ones revived it yet.

 This article was amended on 15 September 2024 because an earlier version located Settle as being in Lancashire whereas it is in Yorkshire.
Real estate agents say realestate.com prices for inner-city listings in some areas approach $4,000 per property. Photograph: Russell Freeman/AAP

Australians are paying the most expensive advertising fees in the world to sell their homes online as a result of the market dominance of realestate.com.au and Domain, with the cost rising to as much as $4,000 for an inner-city listing.

The dominance of the News Corp-controlled realestate.com.au has prompted more than a dozen complaints to Australias competition watchdog, the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission, over the past decade from agents and industry disruptors, Guardian Australia can reveal.

Related: A terrace house is for sale in Sydney for $22m. The grotesquely unfair capital gains discount is partly to blame | Greg Jericho

REA Group is now a $27bn company and posted a net annual profit of $460.5m in August, driven by a 23% increase in revenues to $1.5bn.

This was partly due to average price hikes of 13% in the past year.

Mike DelPrete, a US-based industry expert, said the portal was seen as a leader globally, with operating cashflow per capita 16 times that of US-based property portal Zillow and almost three times that of its closest rival, Rightmove in the UK.

Australia is one of only about three markets globally where the home seller pays for the advertising costs.

REA is the best in the world at this, REA is the most profitable real estate portal in the world  and organisations in every country around the world look to them for best practice  they are masters at this, DelPrete said. They are just printing money.

In most other markets, the cost of advertising a property is negligible and is usually covered by the agents selling fee.

In the US, most home sellers do not pay to advertise their properties. Agents upload listings to geographically based, industry-owned databases called a multiple listing service, which are then accessed by consumer-facing search portals.

In the UK, agents cover the cost of advertising fees from commission fees, with the dominant databases costing an agent about 1,400 (A$2,700) a month for all of its listings.

In Australia, many agents sign up to premiere all advertising packages, which bind home vendors into buying the most expensive listing  close to $4,000 a property in inner-city Melbourne and Sydney.

Agents say this price is more than 50 times what it was 15 years ago for a top-tier listing.

Real estate agents are also raising the alarm about the companys move into other areas of the property industry as the company seeks to cement its market dominance.

They [REA Group] are getting deeper into the transaction rather than sticking with just advertising, and working hard to increase agents reliance on their services, the Real Estate Institute of Australias president, Leanne Pilkington, said.

The growing dominance of the property portal also comes despite agents warnings in a 2016 application to the regulator that the market will worsen without intervention.

Related: Why are the Murdochs trying to buy UK property site Rightmove?

A spokesperson for REA Group said real estate agents could choose from a range of differently priced advertising packages, with a standard advertisement as low as $200. REAs per listing costs are priced to reflect the additional value delivered to vendors and agents in digital prime experiences, they said.

Our pricing structure reflects our focus on investment in new products, services, and features which support the consumer experience and drive consumer engagement.

However, agents say the pricing structure pushes them into upgraded subscriptions, which are then passed on to home sellers.

A spokesperson for the ACCC said the regulator did not comment on complaints or potential investigations into individual companies.

Generally speaking, restrictions on access to platforms such as realestate.com.au will only raise concerns under the Competition and Consumer Act where those restrictions lead to a substantial lessening of competition, the spokesperson said.

 Do you know more? Email sarah.martin@theguardian.com
Joe Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Phoenix Awards dinner in Washington. Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris spoke on Saturday at the Congressional Black Caucuss Phoenix Awards dinner, bringing a message that its members were in a battle for the soul of the nation.

Biden highlighted his relationship with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and Black voters.

In 2020, I ran for president to redeem the soul of America, to restore decency and dignity to the office of the president, he said. I ran to rebuild the backbone of America, the middle class. And I ran to unite the country and remind ourselves when were together theres not a damn thing we cant do.

Related: More bomb threats hit Springfield, Ohio, after Trump elevates false claims about Haitians

The spectre of Trump, Maga Republicans and the threat Democrats say they pose to the country loomed over Bidens remarks, and his call to action for those CBC members gathered.

The old ghosts in new garments [are] trying to seize your power and extremists coming for your freedom making it harder for you to vote and have your vote counted, closing doors of opportunity, attacking affirmative action, he said. My predecessor calls the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on January 6 patriots, but when peaceful protesters marched for justice for George Floyd, Trump wanted to send in the military, but they wouldnt go.

Biden continued by pointing to the juxtaposition between his and Harriss tenure in the White House and that of their predecessors. On the theme of unity, Biden once again condemned Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps running mate, JD Vance, who, in recent weeks, has led a rallying cry of baseless, racist accusations toward Haitian-American immigrants in Ohio.

Its wrong. Its got to stop, he said. Any president should reject hate in America and not incite it. Folks, to win this battle for the soul of the nation, we have to preserve our democracy and speak out against lies and hate.

Towards the end of his remarks, Biden spoke about his time in Congress, during which he served with Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for president.

CBC attenders were jubilant when Harris, also the Democratic candidate for president, walked on to the stage to Beyonces Freedom after the president introduced her as Kamala Harris, for the people.

Members of Harriss sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha gleefully greeted her with their trademarked Skee-Wee call.

Harris began by highlighting the importance of the caucus. For a November win, she said, the support of the CBC was necessary.

Related: Trump ally Laura Loomer called herself white advocate, audio reveals

The Congressional Black Caucus has served as the conscience of the Congress and of our nation, and as a proud former CBC member, I know first-hand America relies on the leaders in this room, not only for a conscience, but for a vision, Harris said.

Harris said the CBCs vision for the future was under profound threat and went on to point out the differences between her and Trump while also reiterating her platform, including reproductive rights, building an opportunity economy, healthcare and not going back.

We actually have a plan for healthcare, not just concepts of a plan, she said, referencing Trumps comments during Tuesday nights debate.

Towards the end of her speech, Harris returned to joy and hard work, two of her campaign themes.

Now the baton is in our hands, she said. I truly believe that America is ready to turn the page on the politics of division and hate, and to do it, our nation is counting on the leadership in this room.

Harris called on and thanked members of the CBC for their work registering voters and mobilising people to vote. She and Biden spoke during the 53rd Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) or, CBC week in Washington, during which Black political and social leaders convene on public policy. The Harris campaign has been working to increase the enthusiasm of Black voters, particularly in key battleground states.

We know what we stand for, and thats why we know what we fight for, Harris said. And when the CBC fights, we win.
Thomas Bull took the quad bike out after returning home from school - DAVID HARTLEY FUNERAL SERVICES/SWNS

A 10-year-old boy was crushed to death by a quad bike he took without his parents permission, an inquest has heard.

Thomas Bull died in hospital after the vehicle tipped over and trapped him, on his familys farm in Paythorne, Lancashire.

An inquest at Accrington Town Hall was told that Thomas knew he was not allowed to take the quad bike out on his own. But on June 7 this year he did so, without his parents knowledge.

Jo and Chris Bull became concerned when Thomas did not return home. Mr Bull said he could see something black in the corner of a field  and realised it was the quad bike on its side.

Mr Bull found the bike overturned and Thomas trapped underneath, still conscious and able to communicate.

Emergency services were called and two helicopters from Yorkshire Air Ambulance attended. Thomas was taken to Leeds General Infirmary.

Dozens of tractors followed his coffin so he could have one last tractor run - KELVIN LISTER-STUTTARD/SWNS

When he arrived at the hospital, doctors seemed optimistic, but Thomass condition deteriorated over the following days.

He died on June 10. The medical cause of his death was given as multiple organ failure caused by crush injuries.

No investigation

The Health and Safety Executive attended the farm and determined it would not pursue any further investigation.

The inquest found Thomas was not wearing a helmet at the time, but he had no recorded head injuries.

The risk of serious injury was increased when the quad bike overturned because of the weight of the vehicle. Thomas was not strong enough to lift it off.

Richard Taylor, the coroner, recorded a conclusion of accidental death.

An aerial shot of the tractor procession for Thomas Bull - KELVIN LISTER-STUTTARD/SWNS

A spokesman for David Hartley Family Funeral Service, which organised Thomass funeral, said: Thomas was a typical farmers son and loved being on the farm.

He [had] a passion for John Deere tractors as well as steam trains, engines and tractors.

Since Thomas death, more than 36,000 has been raised for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in his memory.

Earlier this year, dozens of tractors joined Thomass funeral procession so he could have one last tractor run.
A pensioner struggles to keep warm at home. Photograph: Studio Romantic/Shutterstock

Groups representing disabled people are demanding urgent meetings with ministers after it was revealed that 1.6 million pensioners with disabilities will lose their winter fuel payments because of government cuts.

The figures were released by the Department for Work and Pensions on Friday evening, in answer to a freedom of information request, despite the government having said it had done no official impact assessment on the policy. The internal DWP analysis also suggested that nine in 10 pensioners aged between 66 and 79, and eight out of 10 over-80s would lose their allowance.

Since those over 80 receive a higher payment  300 as opposed to 200  they would take the greatest financial hit, the document said.

The analysis revealed that although people with disabilities were more likely to retain the payment, 71%  1.6 million  would still lose their entitlement, despite their greater dependence on heating their homes.

The analysis also estimated that of the 880,000 pensioners entitled to pension credit but who do not claim the benefit, only 100,000 are expected to sign up to it as a result of a government campaign now under way, meaning about 780,000 pensioners on low incomes would continue to miss out.

Scope, the charity for disabled people, said it would be taking its case to Labours conference in Liverpool, opening next weekend, and would be looking for urgent meetings with relevant cabinet ministers.

James Taylor, Scopes executive director of strategy and social change, said: We are concerned by the Governments decision on the winter fuel payment. We know it will make life harder for older disabled people. Its true some disabled pensioners receive pension credit but there are an alarming number who will miss out this winter.

Life already costs more when youre disabled. Higher electricity bills because of medical equipment to power. Higher heating bills because of health conditions affected by the cold.

Since the cost of living crisis, Scopes helpline has heard from disabled people who are cutting back on everything they can. Going without heating, forgoing medical treatment. Sacrifices that put their health at risk.

The prime minister and the chancellor have refused to back down after announcing that winter fuel payments would be restricted to the poorest pensioners, those on pension credit. But the issue is unlikely to go away with the conference season approaching before winter sets in.

On Sunday, as the Liberal Democrat conference opened in Brighton, work and pensions spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain renewed pressure on the government, saying: Pensioners across the country are terrified that during a cost of living crisis, the government is set to strip desperately needed support away from the most vulnerable.

Related: We did not do impact assessment of winter fuel payment cut, No 10 admits

For the Conservatives, Laura Trott, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said: The publication of these analyses is a damning indictment of this entire Labour government.

Not only do these reports confirm that thousands of pensioners will suffer this winter as a result of chancellor Rachel Reevess cold-hearted decision, but they were also hidden until after Labour forced their MPs to vote through this cut. It is a downright disgrace.

The government said: While it is not routine to publish advice as part of the development of policy, we have published the equality analysis on winter fuel payment eligibility.

Our focus is on ensuring that those who should be claiming this support are receiving it alongside the wider support for vulnerable households, including the warm homes discount, worth 150, and household support fund to help people with the cost of living and energy bills.

Over a million pensioners will continue to receive winter fuel payments and through our commitment to protect the triple lock those on the full new state pension will receive an extra 400  twice the average winter fuel payment.
Citizen's jury in favour of assisted dying criticised over impartiality

A citizens jury that found in favour of assisted dying has been criticised as flawed.

The randomly selected group of 28 members of the public deliberated for eight weeks before voting in favour of legalising assisted dying by 20 votes to seven, with one person undecided.

But its findings have been criticised as not impartial and balanced by campaigners who oppose assisted dying.

The citizens jury was commissioned by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) and was said to be a broadly representative sample of Englands population.

The jurors were given information on assisted dying including written material, videos and presentations from experts on both sides of the debate.

A majority of the jurors voted in favour of assisted dying, with the most popular reasons being to stop pain and to give people the option to end their own life.

The NCOB said jury members believed that those wanting assisted dying should be able to do so if they had a terminal condition and the capacity to make an independent decision.

A majority also supported legalising voluntary euthanasia. Elsewhere, a number of votes were cast in favour of legalising assisted dying for under-18s, but no consensus was reached by the jury on this.

Prof Anne Kerr, the chairman of the NCOBs assisted dying advisory board, said the broad support for a change in the law was a significant finding.

But Right to Life UK, which opposes assisted dying, criticised the methodology of the project and the fact that just 28 people voted.

Danielle Hamm, the NCOBs director, is a former director of Compassion in Dying, a charity which aims to improve dying in the UK by relieving suffering and advancing education into end of life issues.

The jurys advisory board also had to remove Berenice Golding, one of its members, early in the project after it emerged she had publicly supported assisted dying.

The project was funded by a grant from the A B Charitable Trust, whose accounts show it gave a 13,000 grant to the British Humanist Association in 2014 towards work on legalising assisted dying.

Elsewhere, none of the four individuals in a content group advising the project on the balance, accuracy and accessibility of information presented to the jury were completely opposed to assisted dying.

Catherine Robinson, a spokesman for Right to Life UK, said the project was flawed from the outset.

It was inconceivable that a project funded by a charity that has made grants in support of legalising assisted suicide and commissioned by a charity whose director worked for a leading pro-assisted suicide charity could reach conclusions that the public could confidently trust to be impartial and balanced, she said.

Sir Edward Leigh, Parliaments longest-serving MP, said citizens juries were unreliable indicators of public opinion.

The UK is a parliamentary democracy with laws made by elected representatives in Westminster, he said. Whenever the UK Parliament has considered legalising assisted suicide in depth and objectively examined the risks, it has decisively rejected such proposals.

A spokesman for NCOB said its independence and expertise meant it was well-placed to conduct the citizens jury, which it defended as a recognised and credible tool for engaging citizens on a wide range of issues.

The spokesman added that it had taken swift action to remove Berenice Golding from the project and that the A B Charitable Trust had no influence in the process, methodology, outputs, or findings of the jury.

The jury members were presented with a vast array of information and heard from a wide range of experts with varying views, the spokesman said.

This was encompassing of those both for and against the legalisation of assisted dying in England.

A Bill, which would allow terminally ill adults with six months or fewer to live to get medical help to end their own lives, was introduced in the Lords by Lord Falconer, the former Labour justice secretary, in July.

Jake Richards, a backbench Labour MP, said earlier this month that he may bring forward a Private Members Bill in the Commons to legalise it.

Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, suggested last week the state of end-of-life care in Britain means the country is not ready for assisted dying.

A survey of 2,000 adults last month revealed widespread public fears about the potential legalisation of assisted dying.

More than four in 10 members of the public (43 per cent) said it could incentivise health professionals to encourage some patients to take their lives given the pressures on the NHS. Some 37 per cent believed it would not.

The public also feared, by 56 per cent, that it could lead to a culture where suicide became more normalised.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly described Compassion in Dying as campaigning to legalise assisted dying. In fact, the charity seeks to improve the experience of dying in the UK. We are happy to correct the record.
Fizz the season. John Lewis has released its 2024 wine advent calendar

Grown-up advent calendars are becoming a Christmas hit, data revealed, with demand soaring for versions filled with alcoholic spirits and high-end make-up.

Last year, there was a 31 per cent increase in the sales of advent calendars containing gin, according to data from Clearpay, a buy now, pay later provider.

Demand for advent calendars aimed at women increased by 240 per cent, and there was a 463 per cent uplift in sales of Christmas Eve boxes for adults filled with festive delicacies, the firm said.

Clearpay compared its search and sales data from October to December 2023 with the same period in 2022, finding the surge in demand for expensive iterations of the chocolate calendars, typically aimed at children.

Virgin Wines has released its calendar for 140

In the run up to Christmas in 2023, Fortnum & Mason offered an advent calendar filled with spirits priced at 250, The Whisky Exchange sold its calendar for 145 and Fever Tree sold a gin and tonic version for 65.

Virgin Wines, John Lewis and Laithwaites Wine all offered seasonal calendars filled with 24 miniature bottles of wine priced at up to 140. Brewdog, the craft beer and pub chain, also offered a beer-filled advent calendar for 55.

This year, Jo Malone, Liberty London, SpaceNK and Bobby Brown are tapping into the demand with the brands selling beauty product filled calendars priced at 360, 260, 250 and 160 respectively.

An estimated 16.5 million advent calendars are sold in Britain every year, with retailers increasingly branching out into ever more elaborate variations. Ann Summers, the retailer specialising in sex toys, sells several calendars, which include toys and oils, whereas spirit brand, Drinks by the Dram, also sold a specialist whisky calendar which retailed for 9,999 last year.

CW Sellors, the jewellers, has a unique box, styled as an exquisitely detailed miniature Chatsworth House, of 24 jewellery drawers containing jewellery and gifts retailing for 21,995.

CW Sellors has designed its advent calendar on Chatsworth House

Inside the miniature Chatsworth is 24 boxes each containing expensive products

The growth in demand for the decadent calendars has been criticised by a Christian leader as vacuously destructive to the religion.

Dr Gavin Ashenden, the former chaplain to Elizabeth II, previously told The Telegraph that the growing indulgence of advent calendars was a sign of societys spiritual illiteracy.

Dr Ashenden, who converted to Catholicism after accusing the Church of England of having swallowed political correctness wholesale, said: The job of advent is to clear the clutter of our lives away, so that we have some space to welcome Christ when we celebrate the feast of the incarnation.

But instead of decluttering and opening up room for God, we are filling up every possible hole with money and excess.

Its like going to the doctor to get a prescription for a weight loss drug, and instead you get permission to gorge more. Its a sign of spiritual illiteracy in our culture that it hasnt noticed that thats what advent is about.

Brewdogs advent calendar is on sale for 55

Advent calendars have roots in the 19th century, when German Lutherans started taking creative steps to mark the days leading up to the birth of Christ.

They have become a staple of festivities around the world. Although often aimed at children, YouGov polling from 2021 found that one in three (34 per cent) UK adults said they had an advent calendar.

The first chocolate-filled variants appeared in the 1950s, and while they continue to dominate the market, high-end calendars containing everything from cosmetics and jewellery to cheese and Lego have become increasingly popular.

Clearpay also found more than half (52 per cent) of adults give a festive stocking to their partner.

The most popular stocking fillers include sweet treats, socks, perfume and aftershave, accessories, and make-up and beauty products, according to the research released ahead of the 100-day countdown to Christmas from Monday.
People in Balloch, on the southern shore of Loch Lomond, where the resort would be built. Photograph: Katherine Anne Rose/The Observer

If Flamingo Lands proposal to build on the shores of Loch Lomond is rejected in a vote on Monday, that decision should spell the end of the plan, the Scottish Greens have said.

The Yorkshire-based theme park owner is behind the Lomond Banks proposal, under which two hotels and more than 100 self-catering lodges would be built along with a water park and other amenities.

The Scottish Green party has led a campaign against the project on the southern shore of the loch at Balloch, and a decision on the proposal is due to be made by the Loch Lomond and Trossachs national park authority.

The party said that if the authority voted to reject the plan  which would be the second time Lomond Banks has been unsuccessful in the past five years  it should mark the end of attempts to go ahead with the development.

The Green MSP Ross Greer said: For Flamingo Land to scar it with this garish resort would be the worst kind of cultural and environmental vandalism.

He added: It is staggering that Flamingo Land has pushed things this far. Over 150,000 people and many respected organisations have made clear that their daft plans are not welcome, but they have refused to listen.

The local community and people across Scotland have made their feelings known. I hope that at long last, today will mark the end of the road for Flamingo Land and a destructive proposal that Loch Lomond neither wants or needs.

Related: On Loch Lomonds banks, anger grows at 30m resort plan

In 2018 the company behind the project, Flamingo Land Limited, submitted proposals for a tourist development at Loch Lomond that included a hotel, craft brewery and leisure centre. It met with strong opposition.

The company withdrew its original plans in 2019 but returned in 2020 with an updated 40m proposal featuring a water park, monorail, swimming pool, hotel and restaurants.

The authoritys decision on the project will be made at a public meeting at Lomond parish church.

Jim Paterson, the development director for Lomond Banks, said it had worked incredibly hard over the past two years to create something that the local area could be hugely proud of.

We have been deeply encouraged by the number of supporters who have contacted us ahead of todays [Mondays] meeting, he said. We hope for a fair hearing, where our proposals will be considered on the facts presented and not the false information that has been spread by others.

Flamingo Land is a theme park, zoo and resort located in the village of Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire. It opened in 1959.
A 300-acre wildfire has erupted on the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, according to the Brazoria County Fire Marshal's Office. Houston Chronicle

Two people were killed and at least nine others were injured in a shooting at a large block party in northeast Houston early Saturday.

Representatives from the Houston Police Department said the shooting occurred around 2:23 a.m. when a white truck drove up to the block party near a convenience store in the 4900 block of Laura Koppe Road and at least one occupant fired several shots into the crowd, according to published reports.

Kyle Heaverlo, a Houston police detective, told KHOU 11 people had been shot, including two men in their early 20s who were fatally shot. The nine injured have been transported to local hospitals where some had their conditions stabilized and others were being treated for critical injuries, Heaverlo said. The names of the victims have not been released, but their families have been notified.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

At this time, we dont have a lot of information because it all happened so fast, and it was so chaotic, Heaverlo said. Unfortunately, the video surveillance from the scene is not the highest and best quality, so its kind of hard to make out a model.

Heaverlo said he and Sgt. A. Dudley planned to speak with nearby residents and local business owners for more information.
Authorities by a wreckage on the beach after the failed attempt to cross the English Channel - BERNARD BARRON/AFP

A 10-month-old baby has been rushed to hospital and eight people have died trying to cross the Channel after a migrant boat ran aground on the north French coast.

The migrants were declared dead after the dinghy carrying about 55 people ran aground near a boat ramp off the coast near Ambleteuse at around 1.15am on Sunday.

Jacques Billant, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, told a press conference that six people were taken to hospital in relative emergency, including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia.

Survivors of the accident came from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran, he added.

The tragedy comes less than two weeks after the deaths of at least 12 people, including a pregnant woman and six children, when their dinghy broke up in the sea.

The latest deaths mean at least 45 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year, compared with 12 for the whole of 2023. The worst previous incident was in November 2021 when 27 people died after their inflatable dinghy capsized.

It comes ahead of a visit to Italy on Sunday and Monday by Sir Keir Starmer to learn how Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, has more than halved illegal crossings of the Mediterranean.

Gendarmes patrol the beach at Ambleteuse, where eight people died in a failed attempt to cross the Channel - Gonzalo Fuentes/REUTERS

Some 801 migrants crossed the Channel to the UK on Saturday, according to provisional Home Office figures, the second highest daily total this year.

The migrants crammed into 14 boats, an average of 57 per craft. The only day this year which saw a higher number of crossings was June 18, when 882 people made the journey.

Saturdays arrivals take the total in 2024 to 23,241, with 9,667 since Sir Keir became Prime Minister.

French gendarme use a tractor to pull a damaged migrant boat near the beach of Ambleteuse in northern France - BERNARD BARRON/AFP

French authorities rescued 200 people off the coast of Calais over a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday night. The French authorities said they monitored 18 attempts to launch boats across the Channel on Saturday.

Sixty-one migrants were picked up off the coast of La Becque dHardelot, 48 people were recovered near a lighthouse and at the end of the day 36 people were rescued, French authorities said. All of those rescued were brought back to land.

People smugglers are cramming more people into dinghies as the supply of boats and equipment have been limited because of a crackdown by border agencies and law enforcement. The average number of migrants per boat is now around 60, triple the rate when the first dinghies started crossing in 2018.

Dame Angela Eagle, the border security minister, has previously warned of a worrying trend where the small boats are being filled with more migrants than in the past. She said the quality was also deteriorating, which meant these crossings are getting more and more dangerous as time goes on.

Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: It would be unforgivable to treat this frequency and scale of loss of life with a sense that it is inevitable. It is not. Effective and humane pathways for those seeking refuge is what will help undermine the smugglers business model.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, of Amnesty International, said: The Governments smash the gangs slogan and its security-heavy approach is contributing to the death toll because the refusal to establish safe asylum routes means these flimsy vessels controlled by people smugglers are the only real option for desperate people fleeing persecution.

Until UK ministers and their counterparts in France start sharing responsibility over the need for safe routes, we should expect this weekends tragedy to keep repeating itself time and time again.

Interest in Albania option

Speaking on BBC TV, David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said the further loss of life was awful. He said ministers were working with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Border Force to smash the people smugglers in cooperation with other European countries.

Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, said: Criminal gangs are making millions of pounds from putting lives at risk in this terrible way and they have been getting away with it for far too long.

I have offered our full support to the French authorities in the pursuit of the gangs behind this latest tragedy.

We are determined to drive a major increase in law enforcement cooperation to strengthen our border security and pursue these dangerous criminals.

Ahead of Sir Keirs visit to Italy, he said the UK was interested in discussing with Italy their scheme for processing asylum claims offshore in Albania and its success in working with Libya and Tunisia to more than halve arrivals of illegal migrants from north Africa.

A UK Government spokesman confirmed the Channel crossing incident and said French authorities were leading the response and investigation.
A woolly mammoth. The conventional school of thought is that climate change led to the animals extinction 4,000 years ago - Daniel Eskridge

Hay fever may have led to the extinction of woolly mammoths, a study claims.

Plant pollen has been found in the remains of four mammoths, with scientists also discovering the first evidence of the animal having allergies.

Scientists believe that the ancestors of elephants may have suffered from allergies to plant pollen that damaged their sense of smell and ability to find a mate and reproduce.

This hay fever, researchers suggest, could have led to a prolonged decline in birth rates, culminating in the extinction of the species around 4,000 years ago.

The last ice age ended around 10,000 years ago and led to a period of rapid climate change which saw trees and plants flourish.

Scientists from private companies in Israel partnered with academics in Italy and at the Russian Academy of Sciences to analyse tissue samples from four mammoth corpses now in a museum that were dug up from the permafrost in north-eastern Siberia.

Scientists analysed tissue samples from four mammoth corpses - KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP

A new technology was used to extract and analyse immunoglobulins, chemicals made by the immune system in response to a foreign body and also known as antibodies, in the specimens.

This was the first study where fragments of immunoglobulins were found in remains tens of thousands of years old, study first author Gleb Zilberstein, co-founder at Spectrophon, told The Telegraph.

In parallel, fragments of proteins of highly allergenic plants and their pollen were found in these remains.

We found evidence in mammoth samples of allergies and they may have gone extinct because mammoths developed allergies to pollen during the breeding season which stopped them being able to find each other to reproduce.

Climate change theory

The conventional school of thought is that climate change led to the extinction of the woolly mammoths 4,000 years ago, after millennia of increased isolation and population decline following the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago.

A 2021 study by Cambridge University scientists concluded that rapid climate change was the final nail in the coffin for the species which could grow up to 12ft tall and weigh eight tons.

The warmer climate saw trees and wetland plants replace the preferred grassland habitat of the woolly mammoth, the decade-long project found. The loss of vegetation has been blamed as a key reason for mammoth extinction.

But humans have also been blamed for the demise of the mammoth, with studies suggesting over-hunting by early tribes fatally lowered herd numbers.

Early cavemen are known to have painted mammoths on the side of caves, as well as using their giant bones to make shelters and tusks to make weapons.

First theory pointing to disease

But the latest study, published in the new Elsevier journal Earth History and Biodiversity proposes a new evolutionary mechanism for the extinction of mammoths.

A new hypothesis and mechanism for the extinction of mammoths is proposed based on a decrease in the likelihood of mating due to allergies and decreased sensitivity to odours, the scientists write.

Mr Zilberstein added: Our theory of the extinction of mammoths is the first one that pointed to markers of diseases  allergies to plants.

It showed that the extinction was a slow process of decreasing the mammoth population due to the destruction of chemical communication (recognition by smell) between animals during the breeding season.
Sue Gray caused huge controversy when she jumped ship to join Labour last year - PA/Stefan Rousseau

Most stories about No 10 chief of staff Sue Gray are wildly wrong, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Ms Gray, the former senior civil servant who wrote the report into Downing Street parties during Boris Johnsons premiership, caused huge controversy when she jumped ship to join Labour last year.

She was appointed Sir Keirs Downing Street chief of staff when Labour won the election, and is said to have extraordinary control over access to the Prime Minister.

She is said to be at loggerheads with Morgan McSweeney, who masterminded Labours general election victory, and one Whitehall source told the Mail on Sunday last month that she thinks she runs the country.

The Conservatives have previously claimed she is to blame for a cronyism row engulfing the Government by allegedly blocking a number of appointments.

Labour has faced heavy criticism over the appointment of Ian Corfield, who has advised the party on business and donated to Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, as a Treasury director.

Sue Gray is said to have extraordinary control over access to the Prime Minister - Zuma/Tayfun Salci

Ms Gray has also been accused of promoting plans for a 310 million bailout of a derelict stadium in Belfast.

On Friday night it emerged that Sir Keir had abandoned the proposals.

Ms Gray was present at the table when Sir Keir held talks with president Biden in the White House last week.

The Prime Minister was asked during the trip whether he was concerned that she had become the subject of so many negative briefings and was becoming the story.

He replied: Im not going to talk behind her back and Im not going to talk about individual members of staff, whether its Sue Gray or any other member of staff.

All I can say about the stories is most of them are wildly wrong.
Placards outside Bankstown public school on Saturday. Photograph: Steven Markham/AAP

Local council elections never have just one story  in each local council, different issues, candidates and parties dominate the debate. But there is no doubt that this years council elections in New South Wales have been hard for the Liberal party, with failing nominations and loss of support in various large councils.

The Liberal partys failure to correctly submit nomination forms for almost a third of their candidates has been the biggest story of the campaign  and it continued into the results. Indeed, it will shape local government for the next four years in the most-affected areas.

The partys nomination stuff-up spiral affected more than 50 winnable seats, and 41 seats won by Liberal candidates in 2021 went to others on Saturday night solely because of nomination problems.

Related: Clover Moore claims historic sixth term as Sydney lord mayor

While the administrative bungle didnt impact Liberals in all areas, even where candidates were nominated, there were few bright spots.

The party won a majority on Ryde council, easily winning the first direct mayoral election in that councils history. They also returned to Parramatta but largely did so by displacing other rightwing councillors without making a dent in the progressive majority first elected in 2021.

In Liverpool, the Liberal mayor, Ned Mannoun, looks likely to be re-elected after the council came close to being sacked immediately before the election. He will still face a public inquiry but with a fresh mandate from local voters. This likely wasnt the good news story the Liberal party hoped for.

The party also looks likely to lose its majority in Sutherland, after deselecting the mayor and deputy mayor, which led to them running as independents.

Labor had a few big wins. It has taken a majority in Wollongong after the independent lord mayor Gordon Bradberys retirement. They have also won a majority in Penrith entirely thanks to the failure of any other candidate to nominate in the East Ward. Labor will also return to power in Campbelltown after being locked out of the mayoralty in 2021.

The ALP will be less happy with their results in other councils. In Newcastle, the lord mayor, Nuatali Nelmes, is in serious danger of losing her job  and the Labor majority. The party has also lost its majority in Cumberland and Canterbury-Bankstown.

Labor did win a handful of extra council seats thanks to the Liberal nomination bungle but it made a bigger difference for others.

The Libertarian party, particularly, benefited. The rightwing minor party ran more candidates than any other party outside of Labor, Liberal and the Greens  and in wards where no Liberal was standing the Libertarian appears to have gained most of the Liberal vote.

They will have seats in Camden, Penrith, Canterbury-Bankstown and the MidCoast  none of which are places they would have likely won in normal circumstances.

Indeed, on the MidCoast Council  which covers regional centres like Forster-Tuncurry and Gloucester  the Libertarian party has won three seats and is the largest grouping on the council.

The Greens also had good results in suburbs outside of their inner-city heartland. The Greens appear to have won their first seats in Blacktown and Cumberland and won more seats than ever before in Bayside, Campbelltown, Parramatta and Wollongong.

But the Greens performance was less impressive in the Inner West, where Labor has maintained their council majority despite the Liberal party returning to the area.

Related: The Liberal partys local government elections nomination fiasco is a boon to the left but bad for democracy | Ben Raue

Finally, the City of Sydney has returned Clover Moore for a sixth term after 20 years in power, but less emphatically than her past five victories.

Moore is polling under 37% on the lord mayoral ballot, down from 43% in 2021 and 58% in 2016. But with no one else exceeding 20%, she shouldnt have trouble staying ahead.

Her party has lost support on the council ballot and will only win three seats in addition to Moores mayoral seat. Her party has won four or five seats at every election since she first won in 2004, but with just three she wont control a majority around the council table and will need to work with other parties more than in the past.

Voters have sent a signal to Moore and her allies  they arent throwing her out of power yet but she doesnt have the broad and deep support she once did and her team will need to turn their mind to a successor in this next term.
GP

More people than ever are waiting at least four weeks to see a GP, analysis shows.

There were 10.3 million people waiting for a GP appointment for at least 28 days in the first seven months of this year.

According to research by the Liberal Democrats, this represents an increase of a fifth from the equivalent period in 2023.

A record 17.6 million waits for appointments were recorded last year, with Sir Ed Daveys party forecasting that the final total for this year will be even greater.

Tories broke NHS so badly

The Liberal Democrat leader said: Everyone should be able to see a doctor when they need one, but the Conservative Party broke the NHS so badly that millions of people are waiting weeks for an appointment.

Fixing the GP crisis is critical to saving our NHS. If people can get seen quicker, fewer will end up in hospital in the first place.

Thats better for them, better for the NHS and better for taxpayers.

The Liberal Democrats want everyone to have a right to see a GP within seven days, or 24 hours if it is urgent.

They are also pressuring Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, to inject more money into the NHS at the Budget next month in order to fund more appointments and fix social care.

Prof Kamila Hawthorne, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said that family doctors worked incredibly hard and delivered almost 32 million appointments in July.

The reality is that we dont have enough GPs to deliver care to the increasing numbers of patients who need it, especially as they have increasingly complex health needs, she said.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey takes questions on the second day of the party conference

However, Prof Hawthorne criticised the Lib Dem proposals to introduce arbitrary targets, claiming this would only worsen the situation in practice.

Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation, said the wait times data showed her sector was under enormous pressure.

Echoing Liberal Democrat calls for more cash, she said: Ahead of winter, the Government must address the estimated gap between what the NHS is committed to do this year and what funding services have to deliver it.

A failure to do that will lead to a crisis and make it more difficult for people to be seen in primary care.

In her speech at the annual Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton on Monday, Daisy Cooper, the partys health spokesman, will insist that the NHS is their top priority.

Ms Cooper is expected to say: As liberals, we dont blindly defend the NHS as an institution. We defend it because its an idea, and because of its founding principles

The NHS was a liberal idea, driven forward by Labour. So Wes [Streeting], if youre listening  take up our ideas, and put forward your own, and if we support them well back you.

But if you dont act with the right level of ambition, well hold your feet to the fire.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Ms Cooper said Andrew Lansleys NHS reforms, which her party introduced while in coalition with the Conservatives, were a mistake.

The changes overseen by Mr Lansley, a former Tory health secretary, created NHS England to run the health service and replaced primary care trusts with GP-led clinical groups.

At the time, the Liberal Democrats were fighting tooth and nail within the coalition to protect the day-to-day spending on health and education on a real-terms basis, Ms Cooper said.

She accused the Conservatives of pushing the NHS on to its knees during their time in office, citing nurses wearing bin bags as personal protective equipment during the pandemic.

Committed to extra 1,000 GPs

A Department of Health spokesman said: The NHS is broken. These findings show how much general practice has been neglected.

This government will fix this by shifting the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community.

We have committed to hiring an extra 1,000 GPs into the NHS by the end of this year.

In addition, we have provided a further 311 million towards GP contract funding in 2024-25  an uplift of 7.4 per cent.

We will also ensure that GPs have the resources they need to offer patients the highest quality care.

Government sources said more than 1,000 newly-qualified GPs will be recruited by cutting red tape that prevents surgeries hiring doctors.
An Israeli police bomb disposal unit examines the scene of a missile hit near Kfar Daniel in central Israel. Photograph: Abir Sultan/EPA

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned Yemens Houthi rebels will pay a heavy price after the group claimed its first ballistic missile strike on Israel and its leader warned of bigger attacks to come.

The missile  claimed by the Houthis as an advanced surface-to-surface hypersonic missile  triggered air sirens across the country at about 6.30am, and local media aired footage of people racing to shelters at Ben Gurion international airport south-east of Tel Aviv. According to reports, it hit an open area in the Ben Shemen forest, causing a fire near Kfar Daniel. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

The Israeli military is investigating whether the fire was the result of falling fragments caused by the interceptor missiles launched at the projectile, or if it successfully penetrated Israeli air defences as the Houthis have claimed.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that interceptors from Israels Iron Dome and Arrow air defence systems were deployed but said it had not yet determined whether any had been successful. It said an initial inquiry indicates the missile most likely fragmented in mid-air [after] several interception attempts, adding that the entire incident is under review.

Netanyahu hinted at a military response in a statement released at the start of a cabinet meeting on Sunday. This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen into our territory. They should have known by now that we charge a heavy price for any attempt to harm us, he said.

Those who need a reminder in this matter are invited to visit the port of Hodeidah, he added, referring to Yemens Red Sea city, which Israeli warplanes bombed in July after the Houthis claimed a drone strike that killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.

The Houthi leader, Abdul-Malek al-Houthi, warned on Sunday of further attacks on Israel. The operation our forces carried out today with an advanced Yemeni missile is part of the fifth stage of the escalation. What is to come will be greater, he said in a speech.

Nasruddin Amer, the deputy head of the Houthi media office, described the attack as the beginning, claiming in a post on X that a Yemeni missile had reached Israel after 20 missiles failed to intercept. A Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said a new hypersonic ballistic missile had been aimed towards an Israeli military target, which crossed 1,270 miles in 11 minutes and which the IDF failed to intercept, while another senior Houthi official, Hezam al-Asad, posted a taunting message in Hebrew on X.

Israeli media reports suggested the missile had been detected at a very late stage.The warhead of this missile is separate from the body, and with the help of wings and jam-proof navigation systems it zigzags its way towards the target, which can make interception systems very difficult, said a report on the Ynet newspaper website.

The Houthis, who, like Hezbollah, are aligned with Iran, have repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea. They have also repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in what they portray as a blockade against Israel in support of the Palestinians, although most of the targeted vessels have no connection to Israel.

If Sundays strike is confirmed, it would mark the first instance of a missile launched from Yemen landing on Israeli soil.

In July, an Iranian-made drone sent by Yemens rebels struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding at least 10. At the time, the drone appeared to have crossed much of the country through the multilayered air defences that have intercepted almost all Houthi drones and rockets since the war in Gaza began.

The incident will raise concerns across Israel about the ability of the countrys anti-ballistic missiles systems to defend it from attacks that could come simultaneously from Gaza, Iran, Lebanon and Yemen.

The ballistic missile launched from Yemen was anticipated, with the Houthi foreign minister issuing an early warning the previous day.

A senior Biden administration official told CNN in June that Israels air defences risked being overwhelmed by multiple attacks.

On Sunday morning, the Israeli military also reported that approximately 40 projectiles had been launched from Lebanon, with the majority being intercepted or landing in uninhabited regions.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border, and Netanyahu said on Sunday that the current situation was not sustainable.

The existing situation will not continue. We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes, he said. We are in a multi-arena campaign against Irans evil axis that strives to destroy us.

Tensions are also high in the West Bank, where Israeli military operations have been going on for weeks and violence has reached unprecedented levels, posing a significant threat to local communities. A UN worker was fatally shot by a sniper while on the roof of his home in the northern West Bank on Saturday.

Sufyan Jaber Abed Jawwad, who worked as a sanitation worker with Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, became the first employee of the agency to be killed in the West Bank in more than a decade.

The incident came as mourners gathered in Turkey to lay to rest a US-Turkish activist who was killed by the Israeli military during a protest in the West Bank this month.

In a separate development on Sunday evening, an Israeli border police officer was lightly wounded in a stabbing attack at the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalems Old City, police said.

The assailant attacked the officer with a sharp object before attempting to flee into the Old City, according to authorities. A police spokesperson said the attacker was shot and neutralised.

Ten months into Israels war on Gaza, the death toll has passed 41,000, according to health authorities there. Most of the dead are civilians and the total represents nearly 2% of Gazas prewar population, or one in every 50 residents. The conflict was triggered by Hamass attack on 7 October in which 1,200 people died and about 250 were taken hostage.
The facade of the prestigious Marlborough College - ALLAN BAXTER/THE IMAGE BANK UNRELEASED

A public school music teacher bought vapes for a pupil and hinted that he would stab a colleague, a tribunal has heard.

Dale Wills, 42, taught at Marlborough College in Wiltshire, which counts the Princess of Wales among its alumni, from 2019 until he quit two years later.

He engaged in inappropriate behaviour and comments as he failed to maintain professional boundaries, a Teaching Regulation Agency misconduct panel heard.

Mr Wills was found to have ingrained himself into pupils lives at the school, the fees of which are 51,000 a year.

More than 7,000 Microsoft Teams messages between the 42-year-old teacher and two pupils known as B and H were exchanged, the tribunal was told.

Mr Wills also bought vapes for one pupil and allowed another to place his head on his lap.

In one message, Mr Wills hinted that he would stab a colleague who gave a pupil negative feedback.

Mr Wills told the panel this was not a legitimate threat and he had meant the comment in jest, adding that he did accept doing something wrong and stated there was no suggestion that any real threat was intended or received, and he was just trying to support Pupil B by making a joke.

He also completed assignments for a pupil and made inappropriate comments such as Love you and Do I need to phone Childline, the hearing was told.

The panel said messages exchanged between Mr Wills and students contained swear words, discussions of alcohol and drug use and committing violence against staff members.

It also said he was a dedicated, talented and passionate music teacher.

Three-year ban

Wills has been banned for at least the next three years from teaching because of his unacceptable professional conduct involving three pupils.

The tribunal judgment said: The panel was of the view that prohibition was both proportionate and appropriate. The panel decided that the public interest considerations outweighed the interests of Mr Wills.

Mr Willss apparent lack of insight and remorse, and understanding of the safeguarding concerns that had been raised, were significant factors in forming that opinion.

Accordingly, the panel made a recommendation to the Secretary of State that a prohibition order should be imposed with immediate effect.

The school, which also counts Pippa Middleton, Princess Eugenie and Ghislaine Maxwell among its former pupils, said: The regulatory process led by the TRA has delivered a strong and definitive outcome.

The panel found that Mr Willss conduct was professionally unacceptable and that it clearly breached our staff code of conduct.

As soon as the college was made aware of the concerns we suspended Mr Wills for gross misconduct and launched a thorough investigation which has led to this TRA hearing.

We are committed to ensuring the wellbeing and welfare of all members of our school community and have been supporting those who have been affected by Mr Willss actions.
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is one of the worst affected sites for coral bleaching. Photograph: WaterFrame/Alamy

It is one of the least understood processes in nature. How do two very different species learn to live with each other and create a bond, known as symbiosis, which can give them a powerful evolutionary advantage?

Coral reefs are the most spectacular manifestations of symbiosis  and understanding the mechanics of this mutual endeavour has become an urgent task as global warming has triggered the widespread collapse of reefs across the planet.

In a bid to halt this destruction, an international group of researchers led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute is working together on the Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics (ASG) project. Powerful DNA sequencers are now unravelling the genetic secrets of coral, data that could be vital in saving the worlds reefs, and understanding the mysterious processes that drive symbiosis.

Coral reefs are called the rainforests of the seas for a good reason, said Michael Sweet, of the University of Derby, and leader of the project. They provide homes for a vast array of sealife and have an estimated global worth of around 6tn a year because of the fishing, tourism industries and coastal protection they support.

However, widespread bleaching of reefs from global warming is now causing worldwide devastation. Sometimes a reef recovers but as bleaching events become increasingly frequent, they lose their ability to bounce back to good health. Some of the worst affected sites include the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Coral Reef Watch revealed this year that 54% of oceans containing reefs had experienced heat stress high enough to cause destructive bleaching.

At the current rate of bleaching, about 90% of the worlds coral reefs will be functionally extinct by 2030 and will no longer be able to support life, added Sweet. It is extremely worrying.

Understanding the exact relationship between coral and its symbiotic partner, algae, is now a key focus of scientific attention. Coral provides protection for algae, which in turn converts the suns energy into food for the coral. This gives the coral the energy to grow, reproduce, and build its skeleton. The algae also give coral its colour.

However, there is a great deal that we still do not know about symbiosis, said Mark Blaxter, another research leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. What happens to species when they go into symbiosis, what changes inside them and makes them different, and how do the two species collaborate?

These are crucial questions that we need to answer quickly otherwise coral reefs are going to be destroyed in less than a decade.

As part of the ASG project, which is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Sanger Institute,, thousands of samples of coral DNA are now being studied and their genomes sequenced. A key goal will be to pinpoint symbiotic partners that make coral best able to resist the impact of rising sea temperatures as well as diseases that are associated with increased heat.

However, to sequence coral genomes, project scientists have had to develop new methods for extracting DNA from their stony skeletons and also for separating the genome of the coral animal from the symbiotic algae. In doing so, they have already made several crucial discoveries. For example, some common coral species collected by the team turn out to be made up of several distinct species.

This is important, added Sweet. It means that some widespread corals thought not to be at risk may be made up of local species, each of which could be vulnerable to climate change in different ways. This is the kind of data we need to collect.

In addition, scientists have discovered that although the coral animal is the major partner in the symbiosis, the genomes of the algae often turn out to be twice the size of those of coral. This complexity probably reflects the difficulty involved in turning the suns energy into sugars to feed the whole coral partnership.

Once a coral with a promising genome is isolated, scientists hope they will then be able to breed colonies from a sample, or use gene-editing to manipulate the DNA of a different type of coral  one that grows quickly, for example  so that it acquires a desired characteristic such as thermal tolerance or disease resistance.

In this way, you can combine sets of characteristics so you can create a type of super-coral, said Sweet.
The Duke is understood to have spent the day with the Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at home in California, before heading to a gathering with friends in the mountains

The Prince and Princess of Wales have publicly wished the Duke of Sussex a happy birthday for the first time in three years.

The social media post, complete with a picture of a smiling Duke and an emoji of a birthday cake, said: Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!

The post had quoted an earlier message from the Royal familys official account, again the first in three years, which said: Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!

Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex! https://t.co/ZKJbYDmV6L  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 15, 2024

The Duke is understood to have spent the day with the Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at home in California, before reportedly attending a gathering with friends in the mountains.

Reflecting on a milestone birthday, the Duke told the BBC: I was anxious about 30, Im excited about 40. He described how fatherhood had given him a renewed sense of purpose to make this world a better place.

He added: Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work.

The past decade has been unsettling for the Duke, as his familial relationships frayed when he relinquished his royal duties in January 2020.

The Duke maintains a strained relationship with the King. Upon hearing about his cancer diagnosis in February, the Duke rushed from America to see him but only stayed for 45 minutes.

The Duke has a strained relationship with the King - Samir Hussein/WireImage

While the Duke reportedly has ambitions of patching up his relationship with his father and brother, the Prince of Wales is said to have remained apparently steadfast in his estrangement, in the aftermath of the Dukes public airing of personal grievances.

In the Dukes 416-page book, Spare, he claims his brother physically attacked him during an argument about the Duchess of Sussex.

He claims the Prince of Wales called the Duchess difficult, rude, and abrasive before grabbing the Duke by the collar and throwing him to the floor, landing on a dog bowl and breaking a necklace in the process.

Elsewhere in the book, the Duke pinned the blame for the fancy dress Nazi uniform on the Prince and Princess of Wales and spoke of a row between his wife and the Princess of Wales, which left the former in tears.

He referred to the Prince as his beloved brother and archnemesis.

Prince William and the Duke of Sussex have had a difficult relationship since the Duke stepped back from royal duties in January 2020 - MARTIN MEISSNER/AP

The brothers are understood to have had no communication during the ongoing rift. The funeral of their uncle, Lord Fellowes, placed them in the same room for the first time this year, it has been reported. But one witness at St Marys Church in Snettisham, Norfolk, reported that the pair gave each other a wide berth.

After a flurry of multimedia appearances on which he aired grievances, the Duke has softened his rhetoric towards the Royal family. The Duke is thought to have privately reached out to the Princess of Wales following news of her cancer diagnosis.

The Duke has also deflected the cause for the familys collapse, telling the ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial that his various media lawsuits were the central piece to the family split.

He said that it would have been nice if they could have done it together, adding: I think everything thats played out has shown people what the truth of the matter is. For me, the mission continues, but it has yes. Its caused part of a rift.

Asked at the Winter Invictus Games in February this year whether illness in the family could have a reunifying effect for the Royals, he told Good Morning America: Im sure. Throughout all these families, I see it all on a day to day basis. The strength of the family unit coming together.
A Russian glide bomb hit a residential apartment block in Kharkiv, destroying the top four floors and injuring at least 35 people.

The attack left flames fanning out of windows on the ninth floor of the 12-storey building. Debris and rubble littered the leafy car park area below where bloodied civilians rushed for cover.

Three children are reported to have been injured in the attack, although not seriously.

Thirty-five people have so far been reported as injured in the attack

Emergency services scramble to rescue those injured in the blaze - GEORGE IVANCHENKO/ANADOLU

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said that the attack showed that the West needed to allow Ukraine to fire missiles at airfields and other strategically important sites in Russia to stop the Kremlin having free reign to bomb Ukrainian cities.

The world must help protect us from Russian military aircraft, and the dozens of guided aerial bombs that take the lives of Ukrainians every day. This terror can be stopped. But to stop terror, you need to stop the fear of strong decisions that are objectively necessary, he said.

Two firefighters help an elderly woman - GEORGE IVANCHENKO/GETTY IMAGES

The Russian glide bomb destroyed the apartment building leaving debris and rubble covering the ground outside - UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE

Video showed rescue workers helping injured people, including the elderly, away from the bombed-out zone as thick black smoke poured from an apartment. Some people were lying on the ground, injured. All the windows in the apartment block had been shattered.

Mr Zelensky claimed four glide bombs were fired in the attack. One hit the apartment block in Kharkiv city and the other three hit nearby villages.

There were also glide bomb attacks on the Sumy region and across the front line in the Donbas region.

There are no fewer than a hundred airstrikes of this kind every day. Just in the past 24 hours, 128 guided aerial bombs were used. The only way to counter this terror is with a systemic solution, and that solution is long-range capabilities  enabling us to destroy Russian military aircraft at their bases, he said.

Click here to view this content.

Russia fires modified bombs fitted with basic fins and guiding systems at Ukrainian cities. Its warplanes take off from Russian airfields and fire the glide bombs 25 miles away from their target.

Joe Biden is under increasing pressure to allow Ukraine to fire West-built long-range missiles at targets in Russia but the US is worried that this may escalate the war. Boris Johnson and five former Conservative defence ministers have lobbied Sir Keir Starmer to unilaterally allow Ukraine to fire British-made Storm Shadow missiles at Russia.

Officials in Kharkiv said that the Russian warplane had taken off from the neighbouring Russian region of Belgorod and then deliberately targeted the residential apartment block in the attack.

Volodymyr Tymoshko, the head of the Kharkiv regional police, said: The approach was made by tactical aviation from the Belgorod region, so far one hit on a multi-story building has been recorded in the city.

Click here to view this content.
Jessica Catrett sat cross-legged on the grass beside Sophie Grace-Rojas, a Project Chrysalis Middle School student, with bundles of yarn on a breezy Sunday morning outside the Houston Federation of Teachers' office.

Alright, so now youre going to yarn over and pull it through those two, Catrett said, pointing to mimic the movement above Grace-Rojas' gold crochet hook.

You got it, Catrett said, as the sixth grader slowly pulled the pink section of her rainbow yarn to tack on another stitch. It just takes some practice to get the mechanics of it down. But yeah, definitely if you make your first row kind of loose, it does help," Catrett explained with a nod from Grace-Rojas. "And then you can get a little tighter as you go further.

Sisters Nicole and Kenya Torres attach crochet patterns to PVC piping to display work as members of the group Houston Stitching Together meet to assemble on protest signs against Houston ISD, Sept. 8, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

About eight adults and nine children gathered, the youngest enjoying Popsicles, to create signs protesting Houston ISD's state-appointed leadership. Grace-Rojas was one of several children who learned how to stitch or crochet. Colorful signs of yarn declaring NO BOND UNDER MILES and SAVE HISD lay unfurled on the grass, ready to be propped up for display with PVC pipes outside the teachers union's office.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Houstonians might recognize these signs that are sprinkled around the city in front yards and at location such as Antidote Coffee in the Heights, Black Hole Coffee in Montrose, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services in the East End, and CLASS Bookstore near Texas Southern University. The group Houston Stitching Together protests HISD leadership and an upcoming $4.4 billion bond on the November ballot, which some people say they will not vote for without improved transparency from district leadership. The collectives meetings have become a space for people of any skill level to craft, learn to craft, and get to know one another.

A sign that reads No Trust! No Bond! is seen as members of the group Houston Stitching Together meet to work on protest signs against Houston ISD, Sept. 8, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

The effort is a cathartic way for people to talk about the takeovers effects, parent Jae Park said. An avid crafter, she joined the initiative early.

HISD community members responded online to photos of their signs and felt supported, she said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

And then I think that feedback encouraged us to just kind of keep going and create, Park said.

Kathy Danas and Melissa Yarborough hang a crochet sign that reads No More Harm as members of the group Houston Stitching Together meet to work on protest signs against Houston ISD, Sept. 8, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

For Catrett, crocheting started with a hat and scarf that her then fifth-grade son attending Crockett Elementary School wanted to make in January. Her son lost interest in that idea, but she ended up learning the craft because of it.

After she found out Crockett, which HISDs unofficial calculations labeled a D-rated school in 2023 and B-rated in 2024, would be added to Superintendent Mike Miles New Education System (NES), she became sad and angry. Her son and other Crockett children received opportunities that would likely not be afforded to the school's future children under NES, with its rigid lesson plans, she described.

Everything that we hear is just constant attack on creativity, creative thinking, Catrett said. Our teachers arent allowed to use their professional expertise to make creative lessons.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Jessi Heiner, right, teaches sisters Alexa, Nicole and Kenya Torres how to attach crochet patterns to PVC piping to display work as members of the group Houston Stitching Together meet to assemble on protest signs against Houston ISD, Sept. 8, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Parents who are part of a group called Houston Stitching Together hold a crocheted sign as they protested outside Gary L. Herod Elementary School in the in the Maplewood/Meyerland West area in Southwest Houston, TX on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Parents say their principal and several teachers are being being forced out. Sharon Steinmann

While brainstorming ideas to protest the districts absorbing the First Ward fine arts magnet into its rigid reform system in March, a parent suggested tying red ribbons on trees near schools.

I was like, 'Well, that's kind of a fun idea. But hey, have you heard of yarn bombing?' she recounted. Montrose residents had also wrapped knitted and crocheted art around mature oak trees to protest the trees removal in February. Colorfully yarn bombing seemed like an apt form of protest to Miles' attacks on creativity, in Catrett's view.

Crochet patterns are seen as members of the group Houston Stitching Together meet to work on protest signs against Houston ISD, Sept. 8, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

The first meeting began with four people, including Catrett and her son. Their creations started out with a focus on red, tied to that initial red ribbon idea, but people started adding different colors. A visit to a Hardy and Nance Studios art show inspired Catrett and her son to bring in neon-colored yarns and blacklight for eye-catching displays at night.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

"Pretty quickly, we had a bunch of other people join, and everyone's kind of put their own ideas and spin on it. And it has evolved into this, basically," Catrett said, adding the group has a wide range of community members, including teachers and students.

Jessi Heiner, right, teaches sisters Alexa, Nicole and Kenya Torres how to attach crochet patterns to PVC piping to display work as members of the group Houston Stitching Together meet to assemble on protest signs against Houston ISD, Sept. 8, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

QR codes beside displayed signs link to the website for Community Voices for Public Education, a group dedicated to advocating for equitable schools and opposing the takeover and bond.

Houston Federation of Teachers digital organizer Jessi Heiner, who crochets for the group, said not everyone has the capacity or ability to attend school board meetings.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

"Even at board meetings, you don't really get to talk to each other," Heiner said. "You don't really get to connect, necessarily, unless you stay after or unless you're in the lobby or whatever. This is a good way (to participate) for people who are maybe nervous to come to the board meetings."

PRINCIPAL TRACKER: A look at schools with leadership turnover since Mike Miles became superintendent

Jessica Campos, left, and Jessi Heiner work on attaching PVC piping to crocket works they and other members of the group Houston Stitching Together meet to work on protest signs against Houston ISD, Sept. 8, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

For Lesly Lopez, a Pasadena 10th-grader aspiring to become a veterinarian, stitching colorful squares together was calming, she said.



Parent Sarah Fischer, with a sophomore attending a magnet high school, is a self-ascribed beginner at crochet. She sat in a camp chair on a recent Sunday under a tree's shade and concentrated on the orange yarn on her lap. Creating for the group felt like something small she could do in her spare time, she said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

And I thought, any little bit helps, Fischer said, adding, I feel better that we're doing something, because I'm feeling very worried about whats happening in our school district.
Skin cancer treatment help patients live 10 years after diagnosis, study finds

A new skin cancer treatment has been found to help patients live more than 10 years after diagnosis, a study shows.

A combination of two drugs allows patients with advanced melanoma to live an average of 10 years post-diagnosis, data show.

Only one in 20 patients with the stage four condition would survive for five years just 15 years ago, with many dying less than a year after being diagnosed.

Around 20,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma every year in the UK, with cases rising as a result of increased UV exposure and cases in older people.

A decade-long study investigated two immunotherapy drugs, ipilimumab and nivolumab, which work by stopping the patients immune system from attacking healthy tissues.

Almost 1,000 patients at more than 130 sites worldwide were recruited for the study, which was presented at the annual congress presented at the European Society of Molecular Oncology.

One third received the double-drug cocktail, another third had only ipilimumab and the final third received only nivolumab.

More than a third of the patients on the two-drug protocol were alive at the end of the study 10 years later, and many patients in the study died from causes that were not melanoma.

The melanoma-specific survival rate for patients on both drugs was 52 per cent, data show, compared to 44 per cent with nivolumab, and 23 per cent with ipilimumab.

The researchers said in the paper: These 10-year data underscore how immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has helped to change the long-term prognosis for patients with advanced melanoma and highlight the potential for a cure in patients who have a response to this type of treatment.

Click here to view this content.

James Larkin, a consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS foundation trust and a professor at the Institute of Cancer Research, told The Guardian: The definition of cure is to return someone to their normal life expectancy for their age and state of health.

Having treated a lot of these patients over the past 10 years it seems that some are cured: theyre back to their normal lives, theyre getting on with things.

Dr Sam Godfrey, the science engagement lead at Cancer Research UK, said: Over the last decade, there have been big improvements in survival for people with advanced melanoma skin cancer, partially because of the introduction of a group of immunotherapy drugs called checkpoint inhibitors.

This study indicates that combining two of these checkpoint inhibitors led to more people surviving their disease for 10 years or more.

Promising results like this show how vital ongoing research into cancer is, to help people live longer, better lives.

The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Fergus Ewing fears for the future of the SNP as long the funds investigation fails to come up with answers - Ken Jack/Getty

The SNP will remain stuck in a rut until it convincingly explains where a missing 600,000 has gone or why the party bought a luxury campervan, a party grandee has claimed.

Fergus Ewing, the former cabinet minister who is the son of leading nationalist Winnie Ewing, said his party had not answered simple but serious questions at the centre of a long-running police investigation.

The criminal investigation has seen Peter Murrell, Nicola Sturgeons husband who is the former SNP chief executive, charged with embezzlement and the former first minister, who denies any wrongdoing, arrested.

Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell have been questioned by police. Mr Murrell has been charged with embezzlement while Ms Sturgeon denies any wrongdoing - Ken Jack/Alamy

The scandal began after questions were raised over where around 600,000 in donations, supposedly earmarked for a future referendum campaign, had been spent.

It later emerged that the SNP had purchased a luxury campervan that was seized by detectives from the driveway of Mr Murrells mother.

In an article for the Scottish Mail on Sunday, Mr Ewing said the investigation had been a major factor behind the SNPs catastrophic collapse at the general election, when its tally of MPs fell from 48 to nine.

Major simple but serious questions have not been answered or answered credibly, Mr Ewing said. For example, what happened to the 600,000 referendum war chest?

Where has it gone? Why did a political party need a campervan  never mind a top of the range one?

Until these questions are answered, the party is stuck in a rut.

Who, for example, in business will donate money to a party which is under investigation for alleged financial fraud?

Virtually no one  as the past 18 months have already proven.

Mr Ewing spoke out as the 10th anniversary of the independence referendum is marked on Wednesday.

He claimed his party had wasted 10 years of huge electoral success and that the public sector was now more bloated than an overinflated Zeppelin.

Police outside the home of Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell last April - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

However, he said his party remained in denial about the reasons for the loss in support.

A pathetic illustration of the Scottish Governments warped focus came just last week, he said.

When the catastrophic news broke that the Grangemouth refinery, vital to our economy, is set to close, what did we announce?

That kids would no longer need to wear school blazers. Its hard to conceive just how far removed now the SNP priorities are from those of the Scottish public.

He added: Its as though the Scottish Government is a patient in intensive care, but pretending he just has a nose bleed.

No one in the SNP leadership will quite spit it out, but there is no chance of a second independence referendum following the landslide Labour victory.

Ms Sturgeon has strenuously denied any wrongdoing but remains under police investigation.

Earlier this month, police sought fresh guidance from prosecutors over their next steps in their investigation, named Operation Branchform.

The SNP was approached for comment.
The handover ceremony for the panel took place at the Iraqi embassy in London last week

An ancient Assyrian artefact stolen from one of the worlds most significant archaeological sites has been returned to Iraq after 22 years of storage by police in London.

The British Museum played a pivotal role in returning the 9th-century BC carved panel.

Depicting a winged genie, the remarkable stone bas-relief once adorned the magnificent Northwest Palace at Nimrud, the Assyrian Empires ancient capital, considered a cradle of world civilisation.

The site, on the Tigris river in modern-day Iraq, was repeatedly bulldozed and looted in 2014 by Islamic State terrorists, who denounced pre-Islamic art and architecture as idolatrous.

The panel was excavated at Nimrud in the early 1970s and disappeared in the chaos of the 1990s, after the end of the Gulf War sparked Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait.

Ironically, its theft ensured its survival. Other reliefs that remained at the site were destroyed.

The bas-relief panel shows a winged genie and was carved in the 9th century

Dr St John Simpson, a senior Middle East curator and archaeologist at the British Museum, said: Its the largest antiquity believed to have been repatriated to Iraq in the past 20 years, and very important as it has a perfect provenance.

As a sculpture excavated by an Iraqi archaeologist at a capital of Assyria that was badly destroyed by Islamic State, it has added symbolic value.

The relief panel is substantial. Weighing around 52 stone, it is 5ft wide and 4ft long.

Excavations in 19th century

The first major excavations at Nimrud took place in the mid-19th century, headed by Austen Henry Layard, an English politician and historian.

Various finds were brought to the British Museum, where they remain on display. Other institutions worldwide also hold items from Nimrud.

Details about the individual who acquired the genie relief in London have not been disclosed.

It was first identified in autumn 2002 and seized by the Metropolitan Police which has held on to it ever since. The reason for the delay in returning it to Iraq is unclear.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: The delay arose from a protracted dispute over ownership between an individual and the Iraqi Government.

With British Museum staff as expert witnesses for the Iraqi government, the relief was handed to the Iraqi Embassy in London last week. The event was attended by the Met Police Art & Antiques Unit.

Speaking at the event, Mohammed Jafar Al-Sadr, Iraqs ambassador to the UK, said the panels immense historical significance had only increased following the destruction of the Nimrud palace site.

He also urged other individuals in possession of Iraqi artefacts to return them to their homeland.
Dimitri Chrisis says since taking over the sales process for his house in Marrickville, he has found buyers are happy not to be dealing with a real estate agent. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Dimitri Chrisis decided to ditch his real estate agent halfway through the campaign to sell his three-bedroom house in Marrickville in Sydneys inner west.

I had the property on the market, they had quoted me a price prior to signing the agency agreement, and then two weeks in he rings me and says you need to reconsider your expectations.

He wanted me to drop my pants half a million dollars  that put a sour taste in my mouth.

Related: Australians pay more than anyone in the world to sell their homes online

Chrisis is now selling his property privately, but from the outset he realised he was being put at a disadvantage by the dominant property portal realestate.com.au.

The website does not allow private sellers to advertise directly  instead, these vendors have to use a registered private sales agent who advertises on their behalf.

The cost to list his house on the site through a real estate agency was $3,200 for a premiere listing, but to sell privately using a private sales agent the cost was $6,200.

It is shocking  how can they be charging people [who want to buy a one-off premiere listing] double the price? It is very unfair.

Australian consumers are paying the most expensive advertising fees in the world to sell their homes online as a result of the market dominance of realestate.com.au and its smaller competitor, Domain.

Given its market-leading reach, realestate.com.au has become almost obligatory for consumers advertising their homes for sale online. But industry sources say prices for a premium listing have increased up to 50-fold over the past 15 years, delivering massive profits to its listed parent company REA Group, which is majority owned by News Corp.

In most other markets, the cost of advertising a property is negligible and usually covered by the agents selling fee.

In the US, most home sellers do not pay to advertise their properties, with agents uploading listings to geographically based industry-owned databases called a Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which are then accessed by consumer-facing search portals.

In the UK, agents cover the cost of advertising fees from commission fees, with the dominant databases costing an agent about 1,400 (A$2,750) a month for all of its listings.

Related: Dodgy real estate agents slapped with $1m in fines for underquoting property sale prices in Victoria

But in Australia if you are using an agency, the cost of advertising a property in metropolitan Sydney and Melbourne is now up to $4,000 for a single premiere listing on realestate.com.au, with a similar advertising fee for Domain. These costs are passed on to the vendor in most areas.

Both websites charge a different amount depending on the location, varying by state and by suburb.

They are very monopolistic in behaviour, they are hard to disrupt and they can fundamentally charge whatever they want Mike DelPrete

A spokesperson for REA Group said the websites pricing varied depending on the products our customers choose and the region they operate in.

Our pricing structure reflects our focus on investment in new products, services and features which support the consumer experience and drive consumer engagement. Our focus is on delivering customers and vendors the greatest return on their investment.

She said a customer  in reference to a real estate agent  could choose a less expensive advertisement, suggesting an ad could be as low as $200 in a suburb such as Surry Hills in Sydney.

However, many agents are locked into the higher-priced contracts, meaning the house seller is not given an option.

They are just printing money

Mike DelPrete, a US-based real estate technology strategist, said Australia was one of only around three markets globally  along with New Zealand and Sweden  where the home seller footed the bill for advertising a property.

DelPrete said REA Group, which owns realestate.com.au, was seen as a global leader in the portal industry and boasted the highest profits.

REA is the best in the world at this. REA is the most profitable real estate portal in the world  and organisations in every country around the world look to them for best practice  they are masters at this.

They are just printing money.

DelPrete, who is also a scholar-in-residence at the University of Colorado in Boulder, said the company had derived more than 86% of its revenue growth from so-called depth revenue since 2017. Depth revenue is that which comes from consumers paying for more expensive advertising products.

This accounted for $403m extra coming from their listing revenues from consumers in the period 2017 to 2023.

They have incredible power, they benefit from network effects which is the same thing that has benefited social [media] networks, they are very monopolistic in behaviour, they are hard to disrupt and they can fundamentally charge whatever they want, and they do keep charging whatever they want.

They are goldmines, absolute goldmines, because you can raise prices everywhere, and agents may pay a little bit more, but if the vendors are paying for it, you can charge whatever you want.

Andrew Blachut, the owner of PropertyNow, which offers a private selling model for the residential property market, said attempts to disrupt the industry had been thwarted by realestate.com.aus dominance.

Why is it so hard to disrupt real estate in Australia? I will give you the single biggest reason right now: realestate.com.au, Blachut said.

The single most powerful element controlling Australian real estate is realestate.com.au; it is a $27bn company, its majority owned by News [Corp], so now you have Australias largest media group controlling Australias largest real estate website, which controls Australias largest industry.

No one else has more power to influence how Australians buy and sell property than realestate.com.au.

Blachut said the pricing structure and policies of realestate.com.au effectively penalised the model that cut out agent fees.

For example, Blachut said his organisation could not afford to opt in to a premiere all package as most sellers who did not use an agent did not want to spend thousands of dollars on advertising fees. This was despite his organisation having more listings on the site than most agencies.

However, if someone did want to upgrade and pay for a premiere listing, the price would be more than double that paid by an agency on a subscription package  as Chrisis had experienced.

Whether by design or by choice, realestate.com.au massively disadvantages companies like PropertyNow, Blachut said.

They have done everything they can to damage the potential disruption that we can provide that could benefit consumers.

Blachut said he was also not allowed to include private seller contact details on advertisements, and was forced to hold real estate licences in every state, even though this was not a regulator requirement.

He said he had made about six complaints to the regulator in the past 19 years but was frustrated by the response.

The REA Group spokesperson said the company had allowed for sale by owner sites to list properties on realestate.com.au since 2011. She said private-assisted sales agents could access all the same products and price points as a traditional agent.

While some private-assisted sales agencies choose a standard subscription to access the most affordable rate to list on realestate.com.au, many others hold upgraded subscriptions with discount rates on various listing types.

Related: Helicopter rides and a wealthy contact list: inside Australias luxury real estate market of $60m-plus homes

Blachut said while this was technically correct, he would be out of business overnight if he paid for an upgraded subscription, and there was no consideration given to the different business model of private-assisted sales agents.

A spokesperson for the ACCC said it did not comment on individual complaints.

Businesses are generally free to choose who they deal with, he said. While this may have an impact on businesses and consumers, refusing to supply goods or services to other businesses will only raise concerns under the Competition and Consumer Act when that refusal has the purpose, effect or likely effect of substantially lessening competition in a market.

A symbiotic relationship

In 2010, REA Group attempted to remove listings from agent-assisted private sales.

But after a complaint to the regulator, the company changed its decision, saying it recognised that its policy was out of step with the market and industry regulatory practices.

A 2012 letter from then ACCC commissioner Sarah Court sent to REA Group at the time said the regulator had met the company to discuss its concerns about REA policy of not allowing private individuals and other non-licensed entities to advertise properties on real estate.com.au.

Court wrote she had concerns about the anticompetitive effect of REAs licensing requirements and the potential consequence of stifling the development of businesses that may offer an alternative to traditional licensed real estate agents.

The ACCC continues to receive regular complaints from private individuals who wish to sell their property privately but are unable to gain direct access to realestate.com.au, she said.

The ACCC therefore encourages REA to move towards allowing access to individuals and non-licensed entities who wish to list on realestate.com.au  

Blachut has also lodged complaints with the ACCC about price hikes and changes to pricing structures at the property portals that he says disproportionately disadvantage private sellers.

When Domain and REA Group flagged such changes around 2017, Blachut complained that his business would lose up to $100,000 a year.

Related: A terrace house is for sale in Sydney for $22m. The grotesquely unfair capital gains discount is partly to blame | Greg Jericho

Domain did not end up going ahead with the change, but last year the Nine-owned portal attempted to quadruple fees for private selling companies such as PropertyNow from $2,500 a month to $10,000.

After another complaint was lodged with the regulator by PropertyNow and several other agent-assisted private sales companies, Domain reduced its proposed increase to a doubling of monthly fees to $5,000.

Domain declined to respond to questions from Guardian Australia about the pricing changes.

In his 2017 complaint about REA Groups pricing changes, Blachut said he feared the policy would eliminate competition for mainstream agents.

He accused the portal of threatening to eventually wipe out the entire no-commission sales model so that REA can have its desired outcome of servicing commissionable sales agencies and thus excluding the public from its monopoly portal.

Blachut said there was no change to the REA Groups policy. The ACCC did not take any action in response to his complaints.

He believes more Australians would seek to sell their properties privately if they knew how straightforward it was.

But the agents and the portals that support the agents are in a symbiotic relationship and they all benefit by making you think this is hard.

How the model breaks competitors

Another private seller, who did not want to be named, said realestate.com.au had the power to make or break potential competitors to the mainstream real estate industry.

He also said the industry itself attempted to block new players coming into the market, either by trolling social media advertisements or by trying to take listings that were advertised for private sale.

Once [buyers] hear they are dealing directly with the vendor there is a massive sense of relief on both ends Dimitri Chrisis

The trolling on social media by traditional real estate agents became so bad that his company decided to pull its advertisements and now operates predominantly by word of mouth.

Advertising through Google was also expensive  sometimes as much as $10 a click  and so attempting to cut through the traditional agent model of selling was challenging.

The biggest thing is people dont know that they can [sell privately], the company owner said.

A lot of people think they have to sell through a traditional agent  that is the biggest thing that holds the sell your own industry back. You are trying to crack a culture that has been embedded in Australia for 50-plus years.

Chrisis said since taking over the sales process for his house, he had found that buyers were happy not to be dealing with a real estate agent.

Now I am dealing with the actual people myself, what I am finding is once they hear they are dealing directly with the vendor there is a massive sense of relief on both ends.

It is as transparent as can be; you are talking to the owner, we can negotiate a deal accordingly, you are getting the truth out of me and there is no one in the middle.

For Sydney homeowner Sam Ryan, however, selling her house through an agent was the preferred option because she had no interest in doing the wheeling and dealing of a property agent.

I didnt want the stress of having to deal with potential purchasers and I dont have the experience, she said.

She was also comfortable with the cost of advertising, saying she had decided to opt for advertising on Domain and realestate.com.au as part of a marketing campaign worth about $9,000.

For what it cost over a four-week campaign it seemed sensible to cover all bases, to be everywhere to have the best chance, she said.

A psychological barrier

Matthew Driscoll, who launched one of the first real estate disruptors in Australia, BuyMyPlace, said he initially faced some barriers when trying to list his properties on realestate.com.au.

But he believes the main reason disruptors had only made limited inroads into the property market in Australia were cultural.

I am the type of person who could easily sell my house, but the problem is when you own the house, you love the house, you get punters in, and they might bag their property, or bag the kitchen, and a lot of people dont like that, so they prefer to pay $12,000 or $20,000 to an agent to do all that.

DelPrete also pointed to psychological reasons for the entrenchment of real estate agents in the Australian and many other western markets. In the US, private sales account for about 10% of the market, compared with about 1-2% in Australia.

I think the biggest impediment to change is human psychology, he said.

Real estate is the largest transaction someone is going to make in their lifetime  it is what they are going to do with all their money, it is where their kids are going to sleep at night.

You want the best, and it is not so much the price [as] it is about the quality of service.

 Do you know more? Email sarah.martin@theguardian.com
Juliana Prosper of Leabank. Nicholas Prosper, 18, has been charged with murder and firearm offences. Photograph: X

Tributes have been paid after the devastating loss of a mother and two of her teenage children who were found dead at a flat in Luton.

Bedfordshire police said it believed the victims to be Juliana Prosper, 48, Kyle Prosper, 16, and Giselle Prosper, 13, all of Leabank, although formal identification has yet to take place.

Nicholas Prosper, 18, also of Leabank, has been charged with murder and a number of firearm offences over the incident on Friday. He is due to appear at Luton magistrates court on Monday.

In statements from the childrens schools, Giselle was described as a beautiful soul and a model pupil, while Kyles school called the tragedy devastating.

Jess Pather, the headteacher at Lea Manor high school in the town, wrote on X: We are deeply shocked  by the tragic incident that occurred on Friday in our local community and devastated by the loss of our pupil, Giselle Prosper.

Giselle was a beautiful soul and a model pupil, she excelled in all her subjects and will be sorely missed, particularly by her friends in Year 9.

Lea Manor high school will be open as usual on Monday and specialist bereavement counsellors will be available to provide additional support to our students and staff during this difficult time.

It will take us all time to process what has happened and our thoughts go out to everyone in our community and neighbouring schools who have been affected.

A statement issued by Cardinal Newman Catholic school in Luton said it was shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of Kyle.

This is devastating news to all those who knew and loved Kyle and it will take some time to come to terms with the profound sense of loss, it said.

We have already sent important information to parents and carers that outlines the support we have in place for students when they return to school on Monday.

We know this will be a difficult time for students and staff and we will do all we can to support them with love and compassion.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Kyles family on their immeasurable loss, to his friends and to all those in neighbouring schools who are coming to terms with their own loss. We pray for all those who have died in this tragic incident.
Covert surveillance and other undercover tactics will be used to try to track down and stop the people-smugglers - Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Undercover tactics are to be used by the Governments new Border Security Commander to tackle people-smuggling gangs.

Martin Hewitt, the former Scotland Yard chief who led the police response to the Covid pandemic, has been appointed by Sir Keir Starmer to take charge of hundreds of investigators trying to stop the gangs behind the Channel crossings.

It is understood the former head of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) clinched the job after presenting a detailed plan to boost the use of undercover tactics and covert surveillance to track down and stop the people-smugglers.

Mr Hewitts appointment came as eight migrants died trying to cross the Channel when their dinghy ran aground and sank off the coast of northern France. It brings the total number of deaths this year to 45, compared with just 12 last year. A 10-month-old baby with hypothermia was among six others taken to hospital for treatment.

The wreckage of the boat that sank off the coast of northern France, leading to the deaths of eight migrants - BERNARD BARRON/AFP

Sir Keir will meet Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, in Rome on Monday to see how the UK could emulate her success in more than halving migrant crossings of the Mediterranean. Her tactics have included crackdowns on the gangs, striking new returns agreements with source countries and fast-tracking deportations of failed asylum seekers.

The Prime Minister pledged Mr Hewitt would lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system.

Mr Hewitt, 58, who is accompanying Sir Keir to Italy, said: I am honoured and excited to lead this new and groundbreaking command. I am under no illusions of the challenges that lie ahead, but I am determined to face them head-on.

For too long, the criminal gangs who smuggle people through Europe have abused our borders in the name of profit, and they are responsible for the deaths of scores of vulnerable, innocent people. We will dismantle them, bring them to justice and prevent them from using exploitation and deceit to fill their pockets.

It is great to see that progress has been made in recent weeks, and we will build on this to forge deeper relationships with all of the organisations within Border Security Command, as well as our friends and partners across the world.

During his time in the Metropolitan Police, Mr Hewitt was seen as a troubleshooter. As well as being responsible for gangs, organised crime and frontline policing, he was tasked to devise a strategy to reverse low rape conviction rates. After seeing the carnage caused by zombie knives, he was one of the first police officers to call for new laws on them in 2018.

At the NPCC, he led the national policing response after the murder of Sarah Everard. During the pandemic, he was not afraid to be critical of badly drafted guidance and laws around lockdown.

Martin Hewitt, the new Border Security Commander, has enjoyed a reputation as a troubleshooter - Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe

Mr Hewitt is understood to have been one of 11 candidates long-listed by officials for the job. The final four had fireside chats with Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, before the final decision was taken.

Sources said he was chosen for three key attributes: a track record of overseeing complex operations involving multiple agencies; his understanding of the machinery of Government and its interaction with agencies; and expertise on organised crime networks and how to target the kingpins.

As head of the Border Security Command, Mr Hewitt will lead hundreds of investigators, police officers and prosecutors from the National Crime Agency (NCA), MI5, Border Force and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), who will get new powers to treat people-smugglers like terrorists.

He has an understanding of how organised crime works and has plans to enhance covert capabilities with practical steps we can take to increase the capacity of the NCA to disrupt illicit finance routes or intercept communications through social media, said a source.

In Italy, Sir Keir and Mr Hewitt will visit the national co-ordination centre for migration, from which it runs its operations against trafficking rings and illicit finance.

Ms Meloni has extended organised crime penalties to those who finance people-smuggling after courts used them to seize assets worth 1.9 billion from Mafia and gang bosses in 2021.

Sir Keir Starmer hopes to emulate the success of Giorgia Meloni in halting the flow of migrants - Carl Court / POOL / AFP

Sir Keir has said he is interested in Ms Melonis plans to send migrants to Albania to process their asylum claims, although government sources played down the prospect of Labour adopting a similar scheme.

Instead, they said it was an example of the fast-track processing of asylum claims to allow the rapid deportation of illegal migrants back to safe countries that Britain aimed to emulate.

Italy has negotiated a bespoke returns agreement with Tunisia to transfer thousands of migrants back to the north African state and the UK Government is seeking to increase the number of similar returns deals.

Unlike the UKs agreement with France, the deals Italy has made with Libya and Tunisia allow for their border force vessels to intercept migrants at sea and return them from whence they came.

In an article for The Telegraph, Tony Smith, the former Border Force director general, said the EUs backing for such turn backs at sea was inconsistent and at worst disingenuous when it refused to allow British vessels to take the same approach with dinghies in the Channel.

The EU should stop pretending returns of UK-bound migrant boats to France is not an option. Rather, they should enter into immediate negotiations with us on joint patrols in the Channel  and the immediate safe return of all the migrants to France, regardless of who rescues them and where, he said.
Women who were key to exposing the disgraced Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein have told of their frustration at the decision by UK prosecutors to discontinue two indecent assault charges against him.

Zelda Perkins, a former personal assistant to Weinstein who broke a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to help expose him as a rapist, said the decision called into question the justice systems attitude towards sexual assault and rape.

Its about how the Crown Prosecution Service balances what its going to cost them in terms of resources and the likelihood of a conviction, she said.

The CPS announced this month that it was discontinuing the charges of indecent assault against a woman in London in 1996 after a review of evidence found there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.

Perkins, who said she had asked the police to return pieces of evidence including diaries and tapes relating Weinstein, said she believed the UK developments were partly influenced by recent events in the US, where Weinsteins 2020 conviction for sex crimes was overturned by a New York appeals court. He is due to be retried and now also faces new charges there.

What happened in the US is not about his guilt, she said. There was a legal technicality and all that does is highlight, yet again, that this is about the disparity of power. If you are wealthy, you can afford lawyers, you will continue looking for smaller and smaller and smaller legal loopholes.

I dont think that was the sole reason but it fed into the decision here. There is a huge issue with the British justice system and the ability of the CPS to deal with rape and sexual assault and where they consider its worth spending money pursuing cases.

Rowena Chiu, who was also an assistant to Weinstein and who publicly accused him of attempting to rape her in Venice in 1998, said it had been her understanding that British prosecutors were waiting to see how the trials in the US would go.

But it does appear the case that the logistics and the cost and the barriers to getting very powerful, wealthy men convicted remains a deterrent, she said.

It is disheartening that the balance of power is so tipped against survivors, who have to jump through what seems to be an extraordinary set of hoops in order to get a conviction and to get a conviction to stick.

Legal reform is needed to shift that balance. But I also take an optimistic view. [The New York case] is not over and there are other brave women willing to come forward. Im constantly impressed by the conviction of people who will not give up and I hope that that is a signal to the world at large that this is a reckoning. This is a new moment. Its an answer to everyone who said that #MeToo will be flash in the pan. Its a decade later. Were still here.

The CPS decision would be hugely disheartening to victims of sexual assault, said Perkins, the co-founder of Cant Buy My Silence, an organisation campaigning against the use of NDAs.

But she added: The root of this issue is much broader than weak mens proclivity for sexual assault. It has to do with the system that enables those in power to abuse and buy justice. That is far more problematic on a global scale in terms of the integrity of law. Weinstein is going to die in prison, and the headlines always follow how its about him not being brought to justice. But I think its also more about systemic weakness.

Weinstein, 72  who is recovering from emergency heart surgery  was indicted last week on additional sex crime charges before a retrial in New York.

He was convicted in 2020 after a jury found him guilty of a criminal sex act in the first degree and rape in the third degree. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

A Los Angeles jury in 2022 found him guilty in a separate case on three counts of rape and sexual assault and he was sentenced in 2023 to an additional 16 years. He denies wrongdoing.
This is hardly the justice we were promised, says Michael Griffin, a victim of the unlawful robodebt scheme. Photograph: David Kelly/The Guardian

Victims of the unlawful robodebt program say they feel embarrassed to have believed justice would be delivered after a royal commission into the scheme, suggesting they could put all this into a Monty Python movie.

Twelve officials, including former department heads Kathryn Campbell and Renee Leon, breached the public service code of conduct 97 times during their involvement in robodebt, an Australian Public Service Commission taskforce found on Friday.

But Campbell and Leon will not face sanctions, as they no longer work for the public service. Campbell on the weekend claimed she was unfairly scapegoated and defended her decisions. She accused the government services minister, Bill Shorten, of politicising the issue.

Related: Inquiry into robodebt issues sanctions against four of 12 staff: why so few and what happens next

Campbell was found to have breached the code of conduct 12 times in the APSCs report. It found Campbell did not sufficiently respond to public criticism and created and allowed a culture that prevented criticisms from being considered.

Hardly the justice we were promised

Michael Griffin received a letter from Centrelink before Christmas in 2016. It wrongly informed him he owed a debt of $3,197, based on an unlawful income averaging that compared tax office earnings data with social payments hed received.

Almost eight years after receiving that letter, Griffin said there has been little accountability.

Its almost zero punishment, almost zero repercussions, and this is hardly the justice we were promised, he said on Sunday. I feel kind of almost embarrassed that I ever believed there would be any sort of justice.

The public service commissioner, Gordon de Brouwer, said on Friday that naming Campbell and Leon  who collectively breached the code of conduct 25 times  was a big thing.

De Brouwer said the commission did not have the power to do anything more than require the eight former bureaucrats to disclose the findings, if asked, over the next five years should they try to return to the public service. Four other officials are still employed and facing sanctions.

Griffin said naming those with misconduct findings would not amount to accountability in any other situation.

Jenny Miller, the mother of Rhys Cauzzo, who took his own life in January 2017 while facing Centrelink debts of about $17,000, said the response to the royal commission findings had been a slap on the wrist to date.

The commissions report in July 2023 labelled the scheme crude and cruel, neither fair nor legal and a costly failure of public administration.

In a sealed section, the royal commissioner, Catherine Holmes, referred those involved to other bodies for civil action or criminal prosecution. The names of those in the sealed section remain unpublished.

Beyond the APSCs report, no other post-royal commission findings or determinations have been made.

Honestly, you know, they could put all this into a Monty Python movie  the rate its going, Miller said on Sunday. Theres been no real compensation and these people have just been able to walk away. Every one of them.

But, Miller hopes lessons will be learned. She wants the sealed section made public but isnt convinced that would achieve justice and accountability alone.

If we dont keep [robodebt] out there, people have short memories and they forget. I do believe, in the long run, we will get justice.

Related: Platitudes and false words: mother of robodebt victim who took own life tells inquiry of government stonewalling

Campbell on the weekend rejected the six substantiated allegations made against her by the APSC taskforce, describing herself as a scapegoat.

Campbell told the Australian it was another departments responsibility to determine the schemes legality and she relied on that advice when criticisms were first raised. She said it was up to the ministers to stop the scheme, not her.

In a statement on Friday, Leon, now the vice-chancellor of Charles Sturt University, said she was disappointed by the APSCs report, noting she had been sacked as secretary for directing the scheme cease.

When ministers delayed, I directed it be stopped. Two weeks later, my role as secretary was terminated by a government that did not welcome frank and fearless advice, Leon said in her statement.

Im lost for words.

Colleen Taylor, a former Centrelink compliance officer, blew the whistle internally about robodebt in 2017, writing an email directly to Campbell, then the secretary of the Department of Human Services, warning her she was being misled about robodebt and providing forensic detail about the failings of the scheme and its impact on vulnerable Australians.

Taylor was shocked by Campbells comments on Saturday.

I just thought, they still dont understand what theyve done. They really believe there was nothing wrong with this, she said.

Im lost for words. Do you still not get it? And I dont think they do. This blaming other people  its very disheartening.

Taylor, who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to public administration, disputes her attempt to blow the whistle was dealt with appropriately.

She said much of the schemes harm was caused by the implementation  something that was within Campbells remit. That included the flawed use of raw ATO data to attempt to identify welfare debts, causing the duplication of employer details and the use of gross income.

It wasnt just [income] averaging  it was the fact that you were using the raw ATO data when all of it is corrupt for our purposes, she said.

In June, the National Anti-Corruption Commission announced it would not pursue any investigation into six individuals referred over their role in robodebt.

On Friday, the Nacc said it was reviewing the APSCs taskforces findings and considering the implications.

It is open to the APSC to refer matters to the commission if it believes there is serious or systemic corrupt conduct. The commission is not aware of any such referral, a spokesperson said.
The police chief who oversaw the UKs enforcement of lockdown laws during the Covid-19 pandemic has been appointed the head of the Governments new Border Security Command.

Martin Hewitt, the former chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), will be in charge of co-ordinating Sir Keir Starmers plans to curb small boat crossings in the Channel and crack down on people-smuggling gangs.

The announcement comes ahead of the Prime Ministers visit to Rome, where he will meet his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni as part of his wider bid to reset Britains post-Brexit relationship with its European neighbours.

Irregular migration will be at the top of the agenda, with the two leaders set to discuss the Italian governments approach to border control after the country saw a 60% drop in arrivals by sea over the past year.

Sir Keir, who announced he was axing the previous Tory administrations Rwanda deportation policy as one of his first moves in office, declared there would be no more gimmicks to curb migration ahead of the visit.

This Government will tackle the smuggling gangs who trade the lives of men, women and children across borders, he said.

Martin Hewitts unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system.

Mr Hewitt previously co-ordinated all of Britains police forces as they enforced controversial new rules governing lockdowns introduced by then-prime minister Boris Johnsons administration.

The emergency legislation was criticised by some as rushed and inconsistently applied while the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed some people had been wrongfully charged under the laws.

Mr Hewitt will now be in charge of joining up law enforcement and intelligence agencies to lead joint investigations with European counterparts to address organised immigration crime, No 10 said.

The former officer, who also helped shape national responses to major security threats including terrorism in his role as NPCC chairman, said he was under no illusions of the challenges that lie ahead and determined to face them head-on.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the new border unit would allow the Government to go much further in taking action against people-smuggling gangs.

With the Border Security Command we can go much further  building new law enforcement partnerships across Europe and getting new powers into place, to go after the gangs, tackle dangerous boat crossings and save lives, she said.

It comes after eight migrants died while trying to cross the Channel overnight as some 801 migrants made the journey on Saturday  the second highest daily total so far this year, according to provisional Home Office figures.

Both Sir Keir and Mr Hewitt are expected to visit Italys National Co-ordination Centre during his trip, where they will be briefed on their response to irregular migration.

Sir Keir announced he was axing the previous Tory administrations Rwanda deportation policy as one of his first moves in office (PA)

The Prime Minister is also set to sign a joint communique outlining further co-operation with Rome on migration, growth and defence.

Sir Keir has signalled he is open to pursuing an arrangement similar to Italys migration deal with Albania, whereby asylum seekers will be held in the Balkan state while their claims are processed.

The scheme has been criticised by human rights campaigners as unworkable but the Italian government argues it is necessary to reduce migrant arrivals by sea.

Unlike the Rwanda policy, asylum seekers whose applications are successful would be able to enter Italy under the plans.
Recent anti-immigration riots felt like a return of the fear that East and Southeast Asians (ESEA) in the UK felt during the pandemic, an ESEA advocacy group said.

Britains East and Southeast Asian Network (Besean) is an advocacy group spreading awareness about ESEA communities, which promotes cross community solidarity with other ethnic minority groups and created ESEA Heritage Month (ESEAHM), an event throughout September which aims to highlight culture and heritage.

It fears the anti-immigration protests following the deaths of three children in Southport in July have fuelled a returned fear among ESEA communities reminiscent of anti-Asian hate crimes experienced during the pandemic.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a nearly 70% increase in anti-ESEA hate crimes recorded by police in 2020 compared with 2019, according to a study by Voice ESEA, a non-profit organisation aiming to dispel discrimination against ESEAs.

Besean offers active bystander training workshops teaching people of all backgrounds, including those from black, Muslim and ESEA communities, about how to react and help those involved in a hate crime, which the group hopes will empower anyone who feels unsafe or worried.

The British East and Southeast Asian Network (Besean) is an advocacy group raising awareness about East and Southeast Asian culture and heritage (Tony McAteer/PA)

Amy Phung, 39, co-founder of Besean, believes ESEA communities continue to feel a heightened sense of anxiety following the riots.

Its almost like a return of that fear that many people experienced during the pandemic, when there was lots of anti-ESEA racism, Ms Phung, from Putney in west London, told the PA news agency.

Its that same kind of thing where its I am now a moving target, and theres a heightened sense of anxiety, so thats been really scary.

She hopes the bystander training will help ESEA communities and other ethnic minority groups to feel empowered.

Its helping us to tackle this scary moment and to actually help people feel empowered to do something, she said.

I think that the message we want to send right now is that people shouldnt have to feel like they are contributing or useful or valuable to society in order to exist, to live.

Just being human is enough for you to not deserve to experience violence.

The team at Besean aims to spread joy and celebrate ESEA communities and this year they have started a new grant in memory of their friend and colleague, Peiwen Tian, who died from bowel cancer aged 29.

The Peiwen Tian grant, a new addition this year, will remain a permanent feature for every ESEAHM, and has been distributed to more than 10 grassroots organisations with each receiving 300.

She was a member of Besean who sadly passed away this year from bowel cancer, Ms Phung said.

She was a climate and social justice advocate and we wanted to continue her memory and legacy.

We began this grant, this initiative, which we now have awarded to over 10 organisations to help them do that work, to continue her legacy and her name.

She hopes the grant will help provide this sense of collective care for grassroots organisations so they can showcase their work during ESEAHM.

Peiwen Tian, a friend and colleague of Amy Phung, whose memory and legacy lives on through a new grant named after her (Tony McAteer/PA)

Peiwen wasnt just a member of our team, she became our friend and a huge function of Besean is that we are not just an organisation, we are a group of friends who are there to care about each other, she said.

It was really important for us to share the success that we have had with other grassroots organisations and in memory of Peiwen, who would have wanted exactly this.

She added the success of other heritage months, including South Asian Heritage Month and Black History Month are connected and shared with ESEAHM.

I think all of our movements are connected, she said.

With our theme this year, which is changing seasons, we want to encourage more the sense of cross-community solidarity. For us, the success of Black History Month and South Asian Heritage Month is a shared success.

We feel a part of that, because its important that they exist and that they are pushing for the same message.
Roberto Villalpando is the Texas weather science editor for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. He can be reached at roberto.villalpando@houstonchronicle.com.

He supervises a weather coverage team that includes three newsroom meteorologists who provide expert forecasts for the states two largest cities.

Working out of Austin, Roberto joined the Chronicle in 2023 and has more than 25 years of experience covering Texas as a breaking news editor, multimedia producer, graphic artist, copy editor and reporter.
Several migrants have died while trying to cross the English Channel, it has been reported.

According to French media, eight people are believed to have died after a boat got into difficulty off the coast of Ambleteuse in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France overnight.

About 50 people had reportedly been on board.

It comes less than two weeks after 12 migrants died when their boat sank trying to cross the Channel.

One of the vessels from the French Gendarmerie Nationale in the port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer after the rescue operation earlier in September (Nicolas Garriga/AP)

A pregnant woman and six children were among those killed in the incident on September 3, with up to 65 people rescued off the coast of Cap Gris-Nez.

More than 30 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year.

Before this month, the French coastguard had recorded at least 19 Channel crossing deaths in 2024, including nine since the start of July. Last year, 12 migrants are thought to have died or were recorded as missing.

Responding to reports of the latest deaths, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: Its awful. Its a further loss of life.

He told the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme he had been to the National Crime Agency and seen the awful sort of rubber dinghies that people are coming across the Channel with, many of them, of course, not able to make it in these contraptions.

(PA Graphics)

The Government has been discussing how we go after those gangs, in co-operation upstream with other European partners.

Sir Keir Starmer will be in Italy on Monday for talks with counterpart Giorgia Meloni about her efforts to tackle the problem and the work they have done, particularly, with Albania.

The Prime Minister has said he is interested in the rollout of the policy, under which Tirana will accept asylum seekers on Italys behalf while their claims are processed.

On Saturday, French maritime authorities said more than 200 people were rescued in the Channel in a 24-hour period from Friday to Saturday.

Some 22,440 people have crossed the Channel so far this year, with nearly 9,000 having made the crossing since the general election.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and leader of the Conservative Party Rishi Sunak attended the annual Battle of Britain service at Westminster Abbey on Sunday.

The event, which was held between 11am and 12pm, marked the 84th anniversary of the victory by Royal Air Force pilots and aircrew during the Battle of Britain in 1940.

It was the first decisive battle in history fought entirely in the air, and was a dramatic turning point in the Second World War.

Sir Keir and Mr Sunak both met Venerable Dr Giles Legood, Chaplain-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force, and watched the carrying of the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, second left, attended the annual Battle of Britain service at Westminster Abbey (Lucy North/PA)

The pair also stood together during a Second World War-era flypast over Westminster Abbey featuring a Lancaster Bomber.

The service included readings from Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, Dr Legood and Sergeant Angela Luddington. Members of the Royal Air Force also sang hymns throughout the ceremony.
There is a strong case for most employees to receive money from their employer into a workplace pension, even if they do not pay into it themselves, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

This would particularly benefit women, part-time workers, young adults and lower earners, it was suggested.

The institute proposed that employees should receive an employer pension contribution of at least 3% of total pay, irrespective of whether they also contribute.

This could benefit the 22% of private sector employees who either opt out of their pension scheme or are not automatically enrolled due to their earnings being too low.

The IFS said that while there is a risk this leads to more employees opting out of contributing themselves, there could be a trial approach prior to implementation.

The age range targeted by automatic enrolment should also be widened from 22 to state pension age to 16 to 74, to help even more people in paid work save for later life, the IFS said.

It also said increased default employee contributions should be targeted at people on average incomes and above to help some middle and higher earners better supplement their state pension.

For example, there could be a 12% default total contribution rate for the portion of earnings above 35,000 (around median full-time earnings), with the additional contributions coming from employee contributions, the IFS said.

Less than half of private sector employees who save into a workplace pension contribute more than 8% of their earnings, researchers said.

The research was carried out as part of the Pensions Review, led by the IFS in partnership with the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust.

The IFS found that around 30% to 40% of private sector employees (five to seven million people) saving in defined contribution (DC) pension schemes are on course to have individual incomes that fall short of standard benchmarks in retirement, though prospects look better when partners pensions and potential future inheritances are factored in.

Employees who face higher default pension contributions under the suggestions should still be given the choice to opt down to the minimum pension contribution rates currently in operation, the IFS said.

Laurence OBrien, a research economist at IFS and an author of the report, said: Too many private sector employees appear on course to end up on a low  or disappointing  retirement income. While there is often concern about savers not saving enough, an additional problem is that despite automatic enrolment boosting workplace pension membership, more than one in five private sector employees are still not saving in a pension.

David Sturrock, a senior research economist at the IFS and another author of the report, said: There is a strong case for almost all employees to receive an employer pension contribution, irrespective of whether they make a contribution themselves.

Mubin Haq, chief executive of the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, said: Guaranteeing 3% from the employer regardless of whether an employee makes a contribution could boost employer pension contributions by 4 billion per year. This would particularly benefit women, those working part-time, young adults and the low paid.

Tim Gosling, head of policy at Peoples Partnership, provider of the Peoples Pension, said: The IFSs focus on mitigating concerns about the affordability of increased pension saving for lower earners is very welcome. Workplace pension policy has to work at all points in the earnings distribution.

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesperson said: We will ensure the pensioners of tomorrow have the dignity and security they deserve in retirement as we carry out our landmark pensions review to boost investment, increase pension pots and tackle waste in the pension system.

More than 15 million savers could benefit from our new Pension Schemes Bill  with the potential for an average earner to have 11,000 more in their defined contribution pot by retirement.
Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for the UK and US to give permission for Ukraine to use western missiles to strike Russian targets as Vladimir Putins forces carried out another bombing raid.

The Ukrainian president called for decisiveness as he urged leaders to overcome the fear of making the choice.

Sir Keir Starmer and Joe Biden met in Washington on Friday for talks on giving Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles to target Russian airfields and military bases, but no decision was reached.

The issue is likely to come up again when Sir Keir, Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky all attend the UN General Assembly in New York later this month.

Bur Mr Zelensky indicated he wanted a quicker outcome, saying decisiveness most effectively protects against terror.

Western concerns include the risk of escalating the conflict, although Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the allies would not be cowed by Mr Putins threat of all-out war with Nato if missiles such as the UKs Storm Shadow are used to hit Russia.

The Ukrainian president said a residential building in Kharkiv had been hit on Sunday with 35 people injured, including three children.

Mr Zelensky said: The world must help us defend ourselves against Russian military aircraft and the dozens of guided aerial bombs that claim Ukrainian lives every day.

This terror can be stopped. But to stop it, the fear of making strong, objectively necessary decisions must be overcome.

Only decisiveness can bring a just end to this war. It is decisiveness that most effectively protects against terror.

Rescue operations are still underway in Kharkiv following a Russian airstrike on a residential building. Its just an ordinary 12-story building. There was a fire, and the floors collapsed. There are people trapped under the rubble. As of now, 35 people have been injured, pic.twitter.com/2CTXpROfSI  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) September 15, 2024

He added: The only way to counter this terror is through a systemic solution  long-range capabilities to destroy Russian military aviation at its bases. This is an obvious, logical solution.

We have already explained to all our partners why Ukraine truly needs sufficient long-range capabilities.

Every Russian strike, every act of terror  like todays attack on the city of Kharkiv, and the Sumy and Donetsk regions  proves that we need this capability, and we need it in full.

We are waiting for the relevant decisions, especially from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy  everyone whose decisiveness can help save lives.

Mr Zelenskys comments, in a series of social media posts written in English, are designed to put pressure on his allies to allow him to strike back.

Another barbaric Russian strike on a residential building in Kharkiv. At least 30 injured, including children. We need partners to lift all restrictions on the use of weapons so that Ukraine can destroy Russian airfields, bombers, and launch sites. Let Ukraine strike back. pic.twitter.com/xLpSG9KLFv  Andrii Sybiha  (@andrii_sybiha) September 15, 2024

Senior Ukrainian figures have complained they are currently having to fight with their hands tied because they are unable to hit the Russian airbases used to launch the raids against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure facilities.

Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said: We need partners to lift all restrictions on the use of weapons so that Ukraine can destroy Russian airfields, bombers, and launch sites.

Let Ukraine strike back.

Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy has been part of the intensive UK-US diplomatic talks in Kyiv and Washington in the past week which have so far failed to produce a decision.

Russian president Mr Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the allies would not be cowed by Vladimir Putins threat of all-out war with Nato (Lucy North/PA)

But Mr Lammy told Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: Putin said dont send tanks. We sent them.

Putin said dont send any missiles. We sent them.

Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons.

What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.

Mr Lammy said there was a lot of bluster from Mr Putin but we cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist who wants to move into countries willy-nilly.

On the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, the Foreign Secretary said talks would continue with Sir Keir, Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky at the United Nations in New York later this month.

Its important that as allies supporting Ukraine, we have a shared strategy to win going forward.

Now weve been discussing this with the United States and with other key allies, but of course, we head to the UN General Assembly, where we will all meet with Zelensky in just under 12 days time.

Mr Lammy said no war is won with any one weapon, but added: Its important that we support the Ukrainians to continue to repel Russia in the Black Sea, its important that they can deal with the huge challenges in the air that are being mounted by Russia and of course that we support them  and we have  with training of their own men and women on the front line.

We want to put Ukraine in the strongest position going forward.

I cant tell you operationally, on air, what we will or wont do, and I particularly wont do that at a time when Russia is buying ballistic missiles from Iran and escalating further.

But please understand this is under careful discussion with the Ukrainians as we assess what they need as they head into that winter.

A British military intelligence update suggested Russia was continuing a high tempo of offensive operations in multiple areas of the frontline in the conflict.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine  15 September 2024. Russia has continued a high tempo of offensive operations across multiple areas of the frontline.#StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/Vv3Rvv2Gmw  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) September 15, 2024

A counter-offensive has been launched by airborne and naval infantry units in Kursk, the area of Russia invaded by Ukrainian forces, and they have highly likely retaken several villages.

In eastern Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence intelligence update said Mr Putins troops were making gradual advances around Vuhledar and to the southeast of the important logistics hub Pokrovsk.

Senior Tories have pushed for the UK to give Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia with Storm Shadow missiles even without US agreement.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson and ex-defence secretaries Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox have pushed for the change, the Sunday Times reported.

Former foreign secretary and Tory leadership hopeful James Cleverly told Sky News: I think its disappointing that Keir Starmer and David Lammy have failed to secure international agreement for Ukraine to use these missiles in their self-defence against the launch sites of those weapons that are currently hitting civilian infrastructure, energy infrastructure.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also backed Kyivs right to strike at targets in Russia, adding: If we have to do it unilaterally I think we should.
At least eight people have died after some of the heaviest rain in years hit central and eastern Europe, causing flooding and widespread disruption.

A slow-moving low pressure system dubbed Storm Boris dumped months worth of rain onto several of Europes historic capitals, including Vienna, Bratislava and Prague, over just a few days.

On Monday, heavy rainfall continued to pummel the region with red alerts, the highest-level warning, still in effect for portions of Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia.

In Poland on Sunday, one person drowned in Klodzko county and authorities advised residents of Moszczanka and Laka Prudnicka to evacuate after a dam at risk of collapse breached. In Austria the same day, a firefighter died in action, the fire department told CNN.

In Romania, two more people were confirmed to have died from flooding on Sunday, following four deaths on Saturday.

Rescuers have been working hard to rescue hundreds of people left stranded by heavy rainfall there. The effects were most critical in seven localities, Romanias Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu told Antena 3. Although teams managed to save 95 people trapped in their homes, the bodies of the dead were found in either their houses or yards, Predoiu added.

Around 5,400 houses have been damaged in the southeastern region of Galati which has been hardest hit by the flooding, Antena 3 reported.

Residents in one of the regions villages, Pechea, recounted their shock at the devastation wrought by the flooding. I have nothing left, social worker Sofia Basalic told AFP, describing how the gushes of water had entered the house and tore down the walls, destroying her kitchen appliances and killing her farm animals.

Factory worker Gica Stan, whose entire house was also flooded, said he didnt even have a needle left and was now relying on donated clothes.

Rescue services have been launched in hard-hit counties as authorities warn that they have recorded the heaviest rainfall in 100 years over the past 24 hours.

While rainfall is expected to gradually ease for some of the hardest hit areas as Storm Boris slowly heads south towards the Mediterranean, flooding could persist in already waterlogged areas.

Garages and a house flooded in the town of Kodzko, in Poland's southwest, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, after days of unusually heavy rain. - Krzysztof Zatycki/AP

Rising water along the Wien River during heavy rain on September 15, 2024, in Vienna, Austria. - Christian Bruna/Getty Images

Rivers have burst their banks in Poland and the Czech Republic. In southwest Poland, 1,600 people were evacuated in Klodzko county as local rivers reached record high water levels and broke their banks. Klodzko, a town of 25,000, was left partially submerged in water on Sunday.

Polands Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters Sunday: We have the first confirmed death by drowning, here in the Klodzko County.

The situation is still very dramatic in many place, he added. Unfortunately, these situations are repeating themselves in many places but some residents sometimes underestimate the level of threat and refuse to evacuate.

In a post on X, Tusk said the government would announce a state of disaster and seek aid from the European Union.

In the Czech Republic, authorities have been grappling with torrential rainfall across the breadth of the country. Czech President Petr Pavel warned reporters on Sunday that the flooding was still far from over with the countrys poorest regions likely to suffer the greatest damage in the coming days.

In the northeast, up to 80% of the city of Krnov is submerged under water, CNN affiliate CNN Prima reported on Sunday.

Since the beginning of the extreme rains, more than 10,500 people have been evacuated in the Czech Republic, General Director of the Fire Rescue Service Vladimir Vlcek told CNN Prima News

Water is flowing over the whole of Krnov. We estimate that 70-80% of the town is under water. The water is almost at the town hall. The square is two-thirds flooded, the towns deputy mayor, Miroslav Binar said.

A flooded house on September 15, 2024, in Jesenik, Czech Republic. - Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images

A destroyed car under a tree that fell due to strong winds at the Ruinov estate in Bratislava, Slovakia, on September 15, 2024. - Tomas Benedikovic/AFP/Getty Images

The swollen Biala River in Glucholazy, southern Poland. - Sergei Gapon/AFP/Getty Images

In the southern municipality of Benesove nad Cernou, authorities released footage on Saturday showing two women being rescued by boat from a flooded street after failing to heed mandatory evacuation orders.

In Germany, southern and eastern states in particular are preparing for flooding. Flood warnings have been issued for rivers in the state of Saxony.

In neighboring Austria, heavy rainfall has caused water levels to rise in several rivers and rescue services have been called out to parts of the country. Many municipalities in Lower Austria have declared a state of emergency as heavy rainfall continued into Sunday.

European Union chiefs have also offered to assist countries dealing with the downpours.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed her heartfelt solidarity to EU countries impacted by the flooding, also paying condolences to flooding victims and their families in a social media post.

CNN meteorologists Taylor Ward, Allison Chinchar, and Elliana Hebert contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Four Alaska Airlines flight attendants mysteriously became ill and were sent to the hospital, diverting a plane flying to Seattle from Hawaii, according to the airline.

At 11 p.m. local time Thursday, Alaska Airlines Flight 810 left Kauai, Hawaii, and headed for Seattle. Shortly after the plane took off, it was diverted to Honolulu when four flight attendants became sick after an unknown odor was detected in the cabin, according to a statement emailed to USA TODAY by a spokesperson for the airline.

The flight attendants were taken to the hospital to be evaluated.

FILE PHOTO: An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900ER airplane prepares to land at Vancouver's international airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, February 5, 2019. REUTERS/Ben Nelms/File Photo

What happened to the plane?

The plane, which carried 119 passengers and six crew members, was flown back to Seattle without passengers aboard for an additional inspection, according to the spokesperson.

The airline was able to accommodate the affected passengers. None of the passengers or pilots reported feeling ill.

Calling all passengers: Sign up for USA TODAY's Travel newsletter.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alaska Airlines flight diverted after flight attendants became ill
Crypto mining racks of a supercomputer mining cryptocurrency. DANIEL DUARTE/Getty Images

Americans lost $5.6 billion to cryptocurrency scams in 2023, a 45% increase from 2022.

The FBI's 2023 cryptocurrency fraud report highlights the rise in crypto investment scams.

People over 60 reported the highest losses, with $1.6 billion lost to crypto fraud last year.

Americans are losing more money than ever to cryptocurrency scams, according to the FBI.

The FBI's 2023 cryptocurrency fraud report, released earlier this week, found that Americans lost $5.6 billion to crypto scammers last year. The massive figure represents a 45% increase from the previous year.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement that the best way to fight crypto scammers is to report potential crimes to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, even if no financial loss is involved. The center received more than 69,000 complaints regarding cybercrime and financial fraud related to cryptocurrency last year, the report says.

Wray said scams targeting investors using cryptocurrency are "skyrocketing in severity and complexity." Crypto scams related to investment fraud made up most of the complaints submitted to the center, with 32,094 reports. The second-highest reported category was tech support scams, with 8,719, according to the report.

The report says investment crypto scams also reported the highest losses, with Americans losing over $3.9 billion in crypto investment fraud in 2023. Personal data breach scams took second place, with more than $490 million in losses.

People over 60 reported the most instances of crypto fraud and the highest losses, with more than 16,000 reports totaling more than $1.6 billion in total losses among the age group, according to the FBI.

A recent report by the Better Business Bureau found that Gen Z loses the most money to online scams, but people aged 55 to 64 are more susceptible to online investment scams, the report says.

The vast majority of people who reported losing money to crypto fraud involving a kiosk  or a crypto ATM  were over 60, according to the FBI. People in that age group lost more than $124 million to scams using a crypto ATM, while ages 50 to 59 had the second highest losses with more than $11 million.

Some tips the FBI recommends to avoid crypto scams are to make sure calls are coming from a phone number registered to the company reaching out to you and to look for inconsistencies in fake website domain names and emails.

The FBI also says no legitimate law enforcement or government agency will ever demand payment through a cryptocurrency kiosk, and if an investment seems too good to be true, it probably is.

"Investment involves risk," the FBI says. "Individuals should invest based on their financial objectives and financial resources and, if in any doubt, should seek advice from a licensed financial advisor."

Read the original article on Business Insider
A convicted rapist was sentenced to at least 10 years behind bars Thursday for the 1980 murder of his neighbor  closing the book on Kansas oldest cold case.

Steven L. Hanks, 70, was brought to justice 44 years after gunning down Mary Robin Walter, 23, in her Great Bend trailer home.

It bothers me that many of the people who were so affected by this tragic crime have since passed away prior to bringing the suspect to justice, Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir

.

Steven L. Hanks was sentenced to prison for murdering his neighbor in 1980. Barton County Sheriff's Office

I consider myself fortunate that I had the resources and the diligent personnel to close this case. The credit for solving this homicide goes to the dedicated officers that had the tenacity to bring it to a conviction.

Walter was a wife, mother and nursing school student when she was shot multiple times on Jan. 24, 1980. Police found a .22-caliber handgun at the scene and confirmed it was the murder weapon.

Hanks, who was 25 at the time, was considered a suspect, but the case went cold just two years into the investigation when detectives failed to find anything that tied him to the killing.

The case remained untouched until 2022 when a detective persuaded Bellendir to reopen it and use new technology and techniques that werent available at the time.

Mary Robin Walter was a 23-year-old mother and nursing student when she was killed. Barton County Sheriff's Office

Detectives re-interviewed Hanks, who by that time had spent a decade in prison for rape, battery, robbery and burglary.

He admitted to killing Walter, but authorities did not reveal his motive.

He formally pleaded guilty in August as part of a plea agreement that called for a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 25 years.

The district court judge, however, raised the minimum to 10 years during the sentencing hearing Thursday.

The murder was considered Kansas oldest cold case. Barton County Sheriff's Office

Hanks, a neighbor of Walter, was considered a suspect early in the investigation. Barton County Sheriff's Office

The sheriff said they believe it is the oldest cold case in Kansas to be solved and result in a conviction.

Robins killer was finally brought to justice because of their dedication and commitment to this cold case, Associate Deputy Attorney General Jessica Domme said in the statement.
Rawf8/Istockphoto

Living in a neighborhood with a high concentration of trees could significantly lower levels of inflammation and, importantly, decrease the risk of heart disease, new research from Green Heart Louisvilles first wave of clinical research from its HEAL study shows.





Aruni Bhatnagar, the medical professor and cardiology researcher at the University of Louisville who is spearheading the project, told The Washington Post that he wanted to do something about the air pollution plaguing the city. His solution was to plant thousands of trees in Louisville neighborhoods and methodically study health data from participating residents to see the effect they had on health.





We are trying to see if we can decrease the rates of heart disease in a community, Bhatnagar told NBC.

Living in a neighborhood with a high concentration of trees could significantly lower levels of inflammation and, importantly, decrease the risk of heart disease, new research from Green Heart Louisvilles first wave of clinical research from its HEAL study shows.





Aruni Bhatnagar, the medical professor and cardiology researcher at the University of Louisville who is spearheading the project, told The Washington Post that he wanted to do something about the air pollution plaguing the city. His solution was to plant thousands of trees in Louisville neighborhoods and methodically study health data from participating residents to see the effect they had on health.

We are trying to see if we can decrease the rates of heart disease in a community, Bhatnagar told NBC.





The results showed a significant decrease in levels of hs-CRP, an important marker for inflammation, in areas where tree and shrub counts were more than doubled. In excess, inflammation is known to contribute to a laundry list of diseases and illnesses, including cancer, Alzheimers disease, diabetes, obesity, and as the study points out, heart disease.





I wouldnt have expected such a strong biomarker response, Peter James, director of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, told NBC. And that speaks to maybe something truly is causal here with how trees impact health.





Bhatnagar is leading dozens of researchers who are monitoring the health data from more than 750 participants, who range from 25 to 75 years old. The participants are part of a middle-income neighborhood, which tend to have both fewer trees and worse health outcomes compared to affluent neighborhoods.

University of Louisville

Some previous research has shown that people living in greener spaces tend to have better health outcomes, but the fact that most of those greener spaces happened to be in wealthy areas raises some questions. Namely, whether living in green areas can truly lead to improved health, or whether there were other factors to consider, like socioeconomic-related differences in levels of elevated stress  which has also been shown to lead to inflammation  or access to healthcare.





We cant just go, Oh, look, this is [a] greener place and people are happier because most places that are greener are richer, etc., Bhatnagar told The Washington Post. He also mentioned his interest in the Bradford Hill criteria of causation, a group of nine scientific principles to determine whether there is a true causal  or cause and effect  relationship between two correlated things, or if the correlation is merely coincidental.





Although several previous studies have found an association between living in areas of high surrounding greenness and health, this is the first study to show that a deliberate increase in greenness in the neighborhood can improve health, Bhatnagar told Medical Xpress. With these results and additional studies that we hope to report soon, we are closer to understanding the impact of local tree cover on residents health. This finding will bolster the push to increase urban greenspaces.







This article originally appeared on Ecowatch.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org



More from MediaFeed:

10 Ways to Stand Out on Airbnb for the Right Reasons & Get More Bookings
A young boy sets up a stall selling cake, candy and lemonade to his neighbors, 1955. Photograph: Lambert/Getty Images

Would you eat ice-cream or cookies baked in some kids kitchen? Or drink a cup of lemonade made and poured by a first-grader? I dont even feel safe eating at a Chipotle nowadays let alone consuming products made by six-year-olds with grubby hands and boogers on their fingers.

So why is everyone so shocked by the countless tales of lemonade stands  like the ones in Texas, Alabama, Virginia, Colorado and Wyoming, all run by children  that were shut down out of health violation concerns? Or maybe the snow-shoveling business in New Jersey run by two teenagers that was forced to cease because it wasnt deemed safe? Or the nine-year-old who was selling cookies baked at home that raised red flags with safety inspectors?

People seemed generally outraged when they read these things. And lawmakers  like the ones in Texas and 13 other states  have passed legislation that, in some cases, allows children to do this stuff. I dont like it. Shut em all down. Why?

Related: Harris plans to help small businesses  but shes targeting the wrong ones

I like to write about small business. I get inspired by entrepreneurs. But when it comes to child entrepreneurs? No thank you. This isnt the middle ages. Our society has made great strides in food safety. Why would we want to go back in time and risk our health just to help fund a kids purchase of that Lululemon belt bag or Mega Cyborg Hydro Blaster?

Also, lets all be honest: we know why the kids really doing this. Its not to learn about entrepreneurship. Its just an activity to keep them busy during those long summer days when school is out and when mom and dad want some peace and quiet. But how about a family trip to the park? Or a game together? Parents: your kids are going to grow up and move out of the house before you know it. Dont have them waste time selling warm liquids on your street.

Im also not a fan of the prepubescent-industrial complex that has risen to meet the new generation of youth entrepreneurs. I see organizations like Biz Kids, Kid Everest, E-Seedling and Beta Camp and Im sure they do a great job and have helped many young people. These organizations  and dozens of others  provide education and resources to teach kids how to manage money, receive mentorship from peers and even participate in crowdfunding opportunities. Yes, crowdfunding opportunities. Do you not wonder how many of these groups are actually for-profit (most are) and charge fees for the services they provide (most do)? So whos really the entrepreneur here?

All of this isnt the way to educate kids about business. Learning how to make something for $1 and sell it for $3 isnt that hard. Its basic math. Theres plenty of time to understand the nuances of finance, marketing and sales. My most successful clients have learned these things on their own. But they also know a lot more. They have a deeper understanding of human nature and they use this knowledge to manage teams and engage with their customers. Business is about trust. And experience. And relationships.

You dont learn these skills as a child. You learn them when youre older. Yes, some are innate and some develop over time. But I see too many high school (and even middle school) students losing their summers to activities that will look good on a college application. And now this type of behavior is trickling down to even younger kids who are encouraged by their parents to spend their days doing things that kids dont need to be doing. Please stop selling lemonade. Go and play. Theres plenty of time to earn a living. Have a childhood first.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine offered one of the most vociferous defenses of Haitian immigrants in Springfield yet from a Republican as their presence in the city becomes a chief point of criticism from former President Donald Trump.

Speaking to "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz, DeWine repeatedly noted that the immigrants are in Ohio legally and praised their work ethic, stridently swatting away claims that they are eating neighbors' pets -- unsubstantiated conspiracy theories promoted by Trump and his allies.

"I think it's unfortunate that this came up. Let me tell you what we do know, though. What we know is that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal. They came to Springfield to work. Ohio is on the move, and Springfield has really made a great resurgence with a lot of companies coming in. These Haitians came in to work for these companies," DeWine said.

PHOTO: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Haitian immigrants on 'This Week.' (ABC News)

"What the companies tell us is that they are very good workers. They're very happy to have them there, and frankly, that's helped the economy. Now, are there problems connected? Well, sure. When you go from a population of 58,000 and add 15,000 people onto that, you're going to have some challenges and some problems. And we're addressing those," he added.

MORE: Trump vows mass deportation of protected migrants in Springfield, dismisses threats to town

Conspiracy theories about the immigrants spread online have made their way to national politics, breaking through when Trump claimed in his debate with Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday that Haitians in Springfield were eating neighbors' dogs and cats.

Look, theres a lot of garbage on the internet and, you know, this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true. Theres no evidence of this at all, DeWine said on This Week.

The fallout spread beyond politics over the past week as bomb threats and other threats of violence were reported in Springfield -- prompting a strong rebuke from DeWine.

"There are hate groups coming into Springfield. We don't need these hate groups. I saw a piece of literature yesterday that the mayor told me about from purportedly the KKK. Look, Springfield is a good city. They are good people. They are welcoming people. We have challenges every day. We are working on those challenges," DeWine said.

"This idea that we have hate groups coming in, this discussion just has to stop. We need to focus on moving forward and not dogs and cats being eaten. It's just ridiculous," he added.

DeWine last week announced the state would send more resources to Springfield. His office said local primary caregivers have been impacted due to an increased number of patients and lack of translation services. DeWine has authorized $2.5 million to go toward expanding primary care access for the city of Springfield, while calling for more federal help.

When pressed by Raddatz on how to square his defense of immigrants in Springfield with Trump's comments about them, on top of recent incorrect claims at the debate that he in fact won the 2020 election, the Ohio governor said Americans trust Trump on the economy and other issues.

MORE: Harris seen as debate winner while maintaining slight lead over Trump: POLL

"I've said before we knew who the nominee was going to be, I would support the Republican nominee for president. I am a Republican. I think if you look at the economy, these are issues that I think the American people are most concerned about. I think that Donald Trump is the best choice," he said.

"Look, there's these are legitimate problems that we have on the border. I'm not minimizing that at all. And those are legitimate arguments where the vast majority the American people agree with Donald Trump, and not the vice president, [Kamala Harris]," he added. "But what's going on in Springfield is just fundamentally different. These people are here legally. They came to work."

GOP Gov. DeWine defends Haitian immigrants: 'They came to Springfield to work' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Vans with the logo of Russia's state-controlled Russia Today (RT) television network in front of St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin next to Red Square in Moscow in 2018.

The Biden administration accused Russias global TV network RT on Friday of carrying out covert information warfare operations around the world as an arm of Moscows spy agencies, including raising funds to buy weapons for Russian forces waging war against Ukraine.

Citing declassified intelligence, U.S. officials announced new sanctions against Russian state media and said the administration was launching a diplomatic effort to inform foreign partners about RT, the state-funded outlet that they said had secretly pushed out propaganda through media sites in South America, Europe and Africa while hiding the Kremlins fingerprints.

RT wants its new covert intelligence capabilities, like its longstanding propaganda and disinformation efforts, to remain hidden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters. Our most powerful antidote to Russias lies is the truth. Its shining a bright light on what the Kremlin is trying to do under the cover of darkness, he said.

Last week, the administration focused on Russias alleged efforts to meddle in the U.S. election and undermine support for Ukraine, unveiling indictments, sanctions and other measures to counter what it called Moscows aggressive campaign to shape politics and sow divisions in America. On Friday, State Department officials sought to highlight Russias information operations around the world.

James Rubin, coordinator for the State Departments Global Engagement Center, said RT was much more than a state-funded media outlet  a fully fledged member of the intelligence apparatus and operation of the Russian government for the war in Ukraine.

RT now has a cyberintelligence unit embedded in the organization with ties to Russian spy services and has used a crowdfunding platform to secure weaponry and other support for Russian forces waging war against Ukraine, Rubin and other officials said.

A large online crowdfunding platform operating within the quasi-intelligence, state-funded RT and through social media channels is providing material support and weaponry to Russias military units in Ukraine, including sniper rifles, body armor night-vision goggles, drones, radio gear and diesel generators, the State Department said in a statement. Some of the equipment came from China, including reconnaissance drones, it said.

Through proxy media outlets that purport to be independent, Russia is disseminating information to back its invasion of Ukraine, officials said. Using front companies and other intelligence tactics, RT covertly recruits and pays social media personalities to churn out content that hides Russias involvement, officials said.

RTs propaganda and disinformation has helped undercut international support for Ukraine, Rubin said.

One of the reasons, not the only reason, but one of the reasons why so much of the world has not been as fully supportive of Ukraine as you would think they would be, given that Russia has invaded Ukraine and violated rule number one of the international system, its because of the broad scope and reach of RT, where propaganda, disinformation and lies are spread to millions, if not billions of people around the world.

In Africa, RT allegedly is behind an online platform called African Stream but hides its role, officials said. In Germany, RT secretly runs a Berlin-based English-language site known as Red and in France, RT hired a journalist in Paris to carry out influence projects aimed at a French-speaking audience, according to U.S. officials.

In Argentina, the U.S. accused Russia of being engaged in operations meant to destabilize the government of Argentina and escalate tensions between Argentina and its neighbors, the State Department statement said.

The Biden administration is imposing sanctions on a state-funded broadcaster that oversees the RT outlet, TV-Novosti, another state media company, Rossiya Segodnya, and its director Dmitry Kiselyov, officials said.

The state media groups Segodnya and Novosti, working with the Russian government, allegedly have planned to foment unrest in Moldova and interfere in that countrys upcoming presidential election, officials said.

Russian state-funded media was also targeted for sanctions for allegedly funneling money into Moldova under the guise of humanitarian aid to buy votes to influence the upcoming Moldovan elections, officials said.

Russia has previously denied running information operations to interfere in Americas elections or in other countrys politics.

Russias embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Caoimhe Archibald said a deal signing will hopefully take place this week [Getty Images]

The Derry and Strabane City and Growth Deal will go ahead, the Finance Minister has confirmed.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Caoimhe Archibald said a deal signing will "hopefully take place as planned this week".

City Deals are regeneration funding packages worth more than 1.5bn with about 600m coming from central government.

The Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, posted on X that he "looks forward to signing the financial terms of the Derry City and Strabane Deal - in the coming days."

The UK government had paused funding for the deals ahead of the UK spending review which provoked outrage among NI leaders, including First Minister Michelle O'Neill describing it as "deplorable".

Game changers - Archibald

Caoimhe Archibald confirmed the deal would go ahead on Saturday evening [PA Media]

There are four deals in Northern Ireland: the Belfast City region, Derry City and Strabane, Mid South West region, and Causeway Coast and Glens.

Archibald said she is "continuing to press for the other deals", which she described as "game changers for regions across the north, creating jobs and boosting local economies".

O'Neill said she has spoken with the secretary of state and urged that the same approach be taken with the other City Deals and projects like Casement Park.

"These will be major economic boosters for our local economy and should go ahead," she said on X, formerly Twitter.

A UK Government spokesperson said: We understand the importance of the Derry City and Strabane Deal, which is at a very advanced stage.

"The UK government is committed to continuing to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on this deal, to enable it to deliver growth and opportunity.

More work to do - Eastwood

In a statement Foyle MP Colum Eastwood, from the SDLP, said he had been engaging with senior Cabinet minister in the Treasury and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO).

"I am glad that we have made progress over the last 24 hours and have received confirmation that the Derry City Deal will continue as planned.

"This is a good start and we have more work to do," he added.

More on this story
Critics have offered a fact-check on Vice President Kamala Harris claim that the U.S. has "not one member of the United States military who is on active duty" in a combat zone "for the first time this century," indicating that the statement is misleading.

Harris made the claim in Tuesday's debate with former President Trump. While her phrasing left room for interpretation, it is clear that there are U.S. troops in harm's way around the globe.

"As of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is on active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century," Harris said during the Presidential Debate on ABC.

The Pentagon told Fox News Digital service that members are stationed in various dangerous locations but noted that those deployments are made by the Executive Branch and not due to wars declared by Congress.

"An aspect of military service includes serving in locations where hostile actions may occur," a Defense Official said. "Those locations are designated by executive order and/or the Secretary of Defense."

I BELIEVE PENNSYLVANIA WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN 2024 ELECTION: REP: MADELEINE DEAN

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"However, its important to note that just because a service member is in one of these locations does not mean they are engaged in war," the official added. "The U.S. is not currently engaged in a war and does not have troops fighting in active war zones anywhere in the world."

Vice President Kamala Harris went viral with her response to a question about how she would bring down prices, in an interview with Philadelphia's 6 ABC anchor Brian Taff.

Mark Montgomery, a retired rear admiral and senior director for the Center on Cyber and Tech Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracy, told Fox News Digital that the U.S. has "quietly shut down designations of war zones over the past few years."

"I would ask: Is anyone getting combat-related hazardous duty pay?" Montgomery added. "The answer is yes," and noted Syria as an example.

JESUS MARQUEZ ON TRUMP'S CHANCES IN BATTLEGROUND STATE: ABSOLUTELY WE CAN TAKE NEVADA

The Pentagon did not comment on whether troops in countries such as Syria, Jordan or Iraq or on other bases around the Middle East have received hazardous duty pay over the past 10 months as Iran has backed proxies including the Houthis and Hezbollah.

A transfer case is unloaded during the dignified transfer ceremony of the remains of three U.S. service members killed in the drone attack on the U.S. military outpost in Jordan, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, on February 2, 2024.

Hazardous Duty Pay is distributed at a monthly rate of $225 and is payable to a member who is subjected to hostile fire, explosion of hostile mines or other hostile action while performing duty in a hostile fire area, exposed to a hostile fire event or killed, injured or wounded by hostile fire or explosion, according to Military.com.

Military members serving in Lebanon have been eligible for hazardous duty pay since 1983, while those in Syria have been eligible since 2003 and 2014 for land and air combat, respectively. Iraq has remained an eligible region since 1990.

Robert Greenway, combat veteran of the U.S. Special Forces and former senior director for the National Security Council (NSC) during the Trump administration, noted that the U.S. has "continuously" deployed troops to combat zones since the 1991 Gulf War.

HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: GOP CHAIR VOWS WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO WIN IN NOVEMBER

"The assertion is especially egregious, as she is the current VP and should know that we recently conducted a raid in Syria killing a senior ISIS commander, several U.S. troops had to be medically evacuated after another raid against ISIS in Syria," Greenway told Fox News Digital. "Several servicemembers were wounded in Iraq when Al Asad Airbase was attacked by Iranian sponsored terrorists less than a month ago, and our ships are under near-daily attack in the Red Sea."

This picture taken on January 4, 2024, shows a view of the headquarters of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) paramilitaries in Baghdad, which was targeted on the same day by a U.S. strike.

"A current VP unaware of our military operations in combat overseas is a dereliction of duty," Greenway added.

The U.S. has roughly 2,500 troops in Iraq alone, although Iraqi officials this week revealed that they have worked out a tentative plan for the U.S. to withdraw most of its troops by 2025 and leave a residual force, The Washington Post reported.

"The first phase will begin this year and continue until 2025, while the second phase will conclude in 2026," Iraqi Defense Minister Thabit al-Abbasi said during an appearance on television.





Original article source: Military experts reject Harris' claim of 'no US soldiers in combat zones' as misleading
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's spy chief said on Saturday that Russia's increased production of guided bombs as well as artillery ammunition deliveries from North Korea present major problems for Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.

The head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency GUR, Kyrylo Budanov, said North Korean military aid to Russia presented the biggest concern compared to support provided by Moscow's other allies.

"They supply huge amounts of artillery ammunition, which is critical for Russia," he said, pointing to the ramp up in the battlefield hostilities following such deliveries.

Ukraine and the United States, among other countries and independent analysts, say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is helping Russia in the war against Ukraine by supplying missiles and ammunition in return for economic and other military assistance from Moscow.

Russia's boost in the production of guided bombs also presented a "huge problem for the frontline", Budanov said at the Yalta European Strategy conference organised by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in Kyiv.

Ukraine's forces are stretched thin more than 30 months into the full-scale invasion, working to stave off Russian advance toward key towns in the country's east. Ukrainian forces have also made an incursion into the western Russian region of Kursk.

A ramp up in the production of the Iskander-type missiles has resulted in Russia's "massive use" of weapons to attack Ukraine, Budanov said.

This year's strikes on Ukraine's critical infrastructure have caused significant damage to the country's power grid, leading to power cuts. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has renewed pleas for air defence support from Ukraine's allies.

Budanov said Russian internal planning showed that Moscow will face a recruitment crunch in the middle of next year.

"During this period (summer 2025) they will face a dilemma: either to declare mobilisation or to somehow reduce the intensity of hostilities, which may ultimately be critical for them," Budanov said.

(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Ros Russell)
GLENDALE, Ariz.  Former Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard blasted their one-time party as warmongers and the party of censorship while stumping for Donald Trump in Arizona Saturday.

Today its become the party of war, its become the party of surveillance, its become the party of censorship, Kennedy, 70, told the crowd at Arizona Christian University in Glendale.

Its no longer the party that I recognized.

Former Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard blasted their one-time party as warmongers and the party of censorship. Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

His remarks came less than a month after the Democratic dynasty heir suspended his independent presidential bid and endorsed Republican Trump, 78, at a Glendale rally, and he continues to face court battles to get his name off the ballot in critical swing states.

Trumps going to end the chronic disease epidemic  and Make America Healthy Again, Kennedy said to applause.

We need to bring America together, he added.

If we want to Make America Healthy Again, if we want to Make America Great Again, we need to unify this country.

Gabbard, a veteran and former Hawaii rep who sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, frequently noted in her remarks that foreign policy was behind her decision to leave the party in 2022 and back Trump this election.

Gabbard sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 as Kennedy recently suspended his independent presidential bid and endorsed Trump. Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kennedy claims Trump is going to end the chronic disease epidemic. Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How could I [] align with a party that stands for tyranny and war? she said, before referring to Democrats as an elite cabal with warmongers.

Gabbard, 43, said the goal of the event and the Reclaim America Tour is to point out the truth that this is not about Democrats versus Republicans. This is about our country.

This is about we the people standing up for freedom. This is about we the people standing up for peace.

Some Arizonans believe Kennedy could help Trumps chances in the state and nationwide. Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some Arizonans believe Kennedy could help Trumps chances in the state and nationwide.

I think there will be some Democrats that will come over Trumps side, Peggy, a retiree from Peoria, told The Post at the event.

Meanwhile, the Republicans for Harris coalition continues to be a key point for the Democratic campaign in the Grand Canyon State, including holding a debate watch party.

During the debate, I was asked what I expected Donald Trump to do that night. I said the American people saw him for who he is, which is an unstable, morally reprehensible fearmonger, said event host Olivia Troye, a former official in his administration.

I think that the best way forward for the Republican Party is weve got to defeat this man, and weve got to defeat this movement.

Trump and Harris are deadlocked in the battle for Arizonas 11 electoral votes. AP

Trump and Harris, who duked it out on ABC News on Tuesday night, are deadlocked in the battle for Arizonas 11 electoral votes. The RealClearPolling average indicated a 1.6% lead for Trump, and FiveThirtyEight also suggests a 0.7% lead for him. It could be the aisle-crossing voters who ultimately decide the election in the state.

The Republican and second gentleman Doug Emhoff held dueling events in Tucson on Thursday, and Harris running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, addressed a Mesa, Ariz., audience before the debate on Tuesday.

Republican veep hopeful JD Vance visited the Phoenix area earlier this month.
Chad Daybells home in Fremont, Idaho hit the market this summer, and it was quickly snapped up despite it being the site where the doomsday cult leader killed his wife and buried the dead children of his new lover Lori Vallow (Realtor.com)

When the Idaho home of convicted killer Chad Daybell hit the market this summer, it was quickly snapped up despite it being the site where the doomsday cult leader killed his wife and buried the dead children of his new lover Lori Vallow.

Eerie photos of childrens toys neatly tucked away in empty bedrooms were posted in the listing, revealing an inside look into the home at the center of the deeply disturbing saga.

Just weeks before the sale, Chad Daybell, 55, was sentenced to death in June for the murders of his wife Tammy Daybell and Lori Vallows children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua JJ Vallow, 7.

The twisted tale of murder and apocalyptic cult beliefs has captured the nations attention for years  including the propertys new owners, who followed the case closely.

A local Idaho couple, who wish to remain anonymous and did not identify themselves to The Independent, created the nonprofit organization SJ Healing Crossroads to buy Daybells simple, ranch-style house in Fremont County.

Eerie photos of childrens toys neatly tucked away in empty bedrooms were posted in the housing listing when it was put up for sale this summer (Realtor.com)

Its not about who we are, its about making this property a better place than it is now, they told The Independent via email.

Such a horrible tragedy happened there. This is all about respecting the victims.

But JJs grandmother, Kay Woodcock, who was a constant at both Daybell and Vallows trials, has other thoughts.

We never hoped for anything at THAT location where they perpetrated their evil. ANYWHERE except for there, she wrote after news broke of the sale and plans to convert the property.

Theories of what the buyers would do with the property ranged from a playground to murder-themed accommodation but the new owners said they are committed to providing community support for individuals affected by trauma and loss.

We never hoped for anything at THAT location where they perpetrated their evil. ANYWHERE except for there.  Kay Woodcock (@woodcockkay1) September 7, 2024

We did worry about true crime fans trying to turn it into a shrine or something, its one of the reasons we bought it right away, they said, adding that they were aware of the murder Airbnb rumors but say they bought it to prevent exactly that.

We just didnt want someone with bad intentions to end up with the property, they wrote.

With the plans we have there is hope that the tourists will eventually move on, they added.

Tammy was killed inside the house on October 19, 2019, and the children were found buried behind it in June 2020, nine months after they went missing.

Chad Daybell was convicted of killing his wife Tammy (pictured together) in 2019 (Facebook)

In 2021, after Daybell was arrested at the home on murder charges, his attorney, John Prior, became owner of the four-bedroom, 3.75 acre property.

Daybells daughter and her family lived on the property, but have since moved and No Trespassing signs have been erected.

On June 24, the house was put up for sale with an asking price of $350,000. With a brick facade, large windows and sprawling 3.75 acre grassy lot, the agent boasted that it had lots of potential.

But many knew that the unassuming home harbored a dark secret, which was vaguely mentioned in the listing.

There is a very tragic situation with this home, the Realtor.com listing for the property continued in block capitals. Please have your realtor investigate for you.

JJ and Tyle were found buried in shallow graves (pictured) in the backyard on Chad Daybells Idaho property (Post Register no sales no mags)

When asked whether theyve spoken to the victims families, the new owners told The Independent: Right now we are in the planning stages. The house and outbuildings will be removed around the first of October with everything hauled off the property.

After that is finished, the owners said that they plan to talk things over with the victims families before moving forward, and said they have already been in touch with some of them.

We want to take time to make sure that this is the perfect idea for everyone from the victims, to the families, to the members of the community who have to drive by there each day.

This photo of Tylee Ryan and her brother Joshua JJ Vallow with their uncle Alex Cox was taken days before they were killed (Handout)

There are definitely a lot of obsessed fans with opinions but we are hoping they will see the good we are trying to do, said the new owners.

Kay Woodcock said that the new owners had not asked for thoughts or endorsements from her family or the families of Tylee and Tammy before first going public with their plans.

Buried like animals. its gross! Perhaps if it happened to their loved ones they would feel differently! I dont wish this nightmare on anyone! she posted on X.

One woman suggested burning it to the ground and abandoning the property.

Agree 1000%, JJs grandmother wrote in response.
Jamelle Bouie; Donald Trump standing next to JD Vance

The Trump-Vance campaign and its supporters tore into The New York Times Saturday for ascribing a Nazi slogan to the Republican vice presidential candidate in a headline.

JD Vances Blood-and-Soil Nationalism Finds Its Target, blared the headline for the online newsletter by Opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie, in a characterization of the Ohio senators political ideology that used the phrase made popular in Nazi Germany.

In his piece, Bouie lashed out at Vance for his claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets and wildlife, a notion Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump brought up during Tuesdays presidential debate.

Jamelle Bouie lashed out at Vance in his column for spreading rumors that that Haitian immigrants were eating pets and wildlife. CBS via Getty Images

Trump operatives and allies, however, decried the Gray Lady as spewing its own hate  and the potential for an escalation to violence against the Vance.

The @nytimes has now stooped to essentially calling @JDVance a Nazi, wrote Republican strategist Andrew Surabian over the use of the slogan blood and soil. Truly vile stuff from the supposed paper of record.

Alex Bruesewitz, a Trump campaign advisor, laid into The Times for potentialy stoking real-world harm.

Its disgusting that the media is now pushing these ridiculous, violence inciting claims about

@JDVance just two months after @realDonaldTrump was nearly assassinated, he wrote.

In his column, Bouie blamed the Ohio senators speculative comments for a slew of bomb threats made against elementary schools, city hall and other buildings in Springfield.

GOP vice presidential nominee has reposted another story about cats allegedly being barbecued in Dayton, Ohio  a week after President Trump claimed that migrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. AP

He also noted that, in light of Vances statements regarding Springfields Haitian immigrants, the Republican veep appeared to have embraced blood-and-soil nationalism, which he characterized as some people not being welcomed into the national community owing to their origins elsewhere.

What matters to Vance is who they are, where they come from and what they look like, Bouie wrote. They dont belong to this soil, he might say, and therefore they dont belong.

Vance campaign spokeswoman Taylor Van Kirk called on The Times to come to it senses and retract its disgusting headline.

Many Trump and Vance supporters slammed The Times for publishing such inflammatory rhetoric just months after the assassination attempt on the former president. Jim Ruymen/UPI/Shutterstock

With an assassination attempt on President Trumps life only two months ago, its abhorrent the New York Times would spew such disgusting bile  against a father of three biracial children nonetheless, Van Kirk told The Post.

With headlines like these, its no wonder why countless people are asking if the purpose was to incite violence against Senator Vance.

Following the backlash, The Times quietly replaced the headline with Shouldnt JD Vance Represent All of Ohio?

Bouie and a spokesperson for The Times did not respond to requests for comment.
The U.S.-Iraq joint military operation in Western Iraq killed four ISIS leaders last month, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed in a statement on Friday.

The partnered raid, which took place on Aug. 29, left 14 ISIS operatives dead, including four ISIS leaders: Ahmad Hamid Husayn Abd-al-Jalil al-Ithawi, Abu Hammam, Abu-Ali al-Tunisi and Shakir Abud Ahmad al-Issawi.

The operation left seven U.S. troops hurt. Five troops were injured in the raid while two suffered injuries from falls that happened during the operation.

This operation targeted ISIS leaders and served to disrupt and degrade ISIS ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond, CENTCOM said in a statement.

Following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, threats from terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State, have gone up. ISIS has claimed responsibility for an array of attacks around the world, ranging from Iran, Turkey and Russia. ISIS-affiliated actors took responsibility for astabbing attack in Germany last month and also threatened to kill thousands of people at a Taylor Swift concert.

During a raid in 2022, the U.S. military killed Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, then-leader of ISIS. The terrorist group was previously led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who was killed in 2019.

CENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS, who continues to threaten the United States, our allies and partners, and regional stability, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander, U.S. Central Command, said in a statement.

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.
Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, and Mitt Romney are among the Republican senators who haven't endorsed Trump. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Several GOP senators have not endorsed Trump  and likely won't before the election.

Some of them voted to impeach Trump after January 6 and have sworn him off entirely.

Others are keeping their vote private or have specific reasons for withholding a formal endorsement.

With the 2024 presidential election just around the corner, a solid chunk of the Senate Republican conference still won't get behind former President Donald Trump.

He's not alone in failing to lock up the formal support of the entire group. Four members of the Senate Democratic caucus also haven't endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, including three of the four independents who caucus with Democrats  Sens. Angus King of Maine, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester has also opted to remain neutral, he has said, in order to remain focused on his tough reelection fight in Montana.

But Trump's lack of support among some Republican senators is notable, given that many of the holdouts condemned him in strong terms since he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

In fact, four of the senators who haven't endorsed Trump were among the original 7 Republicans who voted to convict Trump after the January 6 insurrection.

Here's a closer look at each Republican senator who has declined to endorse Trump  and why.

Sen. Bill Cassidy

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

The Louisiana senator, who voted to convict Trump after January 6, has been strikingly coy about who he will vote for this year.

He has been staunchly critical of Trump over the last several years, including declaring a year ago that the former president should drop out of the race.

All the while, he has declined to say who he would eventually vote for in 2024, simply saying it would be "a Republican."

Over the summer, Cassidy said in a statement that he would "commit to working with President Trump if he is the next presidentand it appears he is going to beto make things better for all."

In September, when Business Insider asked Cassidy about who he would vote for this November  including whether he was ruling out voting for Trump  the senator repeated three times that he's "not voting for Harris."

Sen. Susan Collins

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Collins, the Maine senator who's among the most moderate figures in the contemporary GOP, said in July that she will be writing in former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley for President this November.

"I publicly endorsed Nikki Haley, and I wanted her to win. She's still my favorite candidate, and I think she could do a great job," Collins told a local news outlet. "She's my choice, and that's how I'm going to express it."

Collins voted to convict Trump after January 6, and she has never endorsed him. In 2016, she wrote in then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. She has refused to say who she voted for in 2020.

Sen. Jerry Moran

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Moran, a long-serving Republican senator from Kansas, won't say who he's voting for this November and has declined to endorse Trump.

That's not necessarily because he's against Trump.

"I don't endorse candidates," Moran told Axios in July. "Never have."

Moran did not vote to convict Trump after January 6, though he said the former president was "wrong to continue to spread allegations of widespread fraud and not immediately discourage the reprehensible and unpatriotic behavior" at the Capitol that day.

Less than two weeks later, Trump endorsed Moran for reelection in 2022. His campaign touted the endorsement at the time as stemming from "the confidence President Trump has in Sen. Moran to continue to put Kansas and America first."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Much like Collins, Murkowski is a more moderate Republican senator  one who voted to convict Trump after January 6.

Earlier this year, she made clear that she would not vote for Trump in 2024, and seemed to indicate an openness to leaving the GOP. She later clarified that she felt that she's "in the right place" as a Republican.

Murkowski wrote in another name in 2020, declining to say who. She also did not support him in 2016.

Despite her opposition to Trump, she's managed to survive politically in her conservative-leaning home state of Alaska, winning reelection against a Trump-backed candidate in 2022.

Sen. Rand Paul

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Kentucky's libertarian senator isn't endorsing Trump. But that doesn't mean he doesn't support him.

Paul told CNBC in September that there's "no question that Donald Trump is better than Kamala Harris" but that he remains enthusiastic about the former president's candidacy.

"You know, I'm a deficit hawk. The Trump administration added 8 trillion," Paul said on CNBC.

Sen. Mitt Romney

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

The Utah Republican and 2012 presidential candidate, who's retiring from the Senate in January, is perhaps the most anti-Trump GOP voice in the upper chamber.

He voted to convict Trump not once, but twice  for inciting an insurrection in 2021, and for abusing his power in 2020 in connection with his efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden's family.

Romney says he did not vote for Trump in 2020, though he has declined to say who he did vote for. Last year, Romney said that if the 2024 election were to be a rematch between Biden and Trump, he would do the same thing he did in 2016: Write in his wife, Ann.

But this election isn't a rematch after all: It's Harris versus Trump.

When asked if he might endorse Harris in September, he told a reporter that he's "got nothing more on that front," adding "we'll see" if he writes in Ann Romney again.

Sen. Todd Young

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

The Indiana senator is an interesting case: He didn't vote to impeach Trump, but he doesn't seem to be a big fan of the former president either.

In March, he said he would not support Trump during the 2024 GOP presidential primary.

Yet unlike most of the other Republicans on this list, he's largely refused to discuss his vote any further.

In September, he told reporters that he'll "talk to you after the election" when asked about the debate between Harris and Trump.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A woman sustained serious injuries this week after falling and tumbling more than 150 feet down an embankment at a Washington state waterfall popular with hikers, authorities said.

The fall at Racehorse Falls near Deming, Washington, on Tuesday afternoon was the fifth one at the attraction this year, Whatcom County Fire District 14 said in a statement Wednesday.

The 25-year-old woman fell 50 to 60 feet initially then tumbled down an additional 100 feet of "slippery rock slope" before reaching bottom, the fire district said.

"Our crews rappelled down, packaged the patient into a litter, and lifted her out of the canyon," the fire district said. "Firefighters then carried her out the 1/3 mile trail using our wheeled litter."

A woman tumbled and fell more than 150 feet down an embankment at Racehorse Falls, Wash., on Tuesday.

A Bellingham Fire Department medic unit rushed her to a hospital, it said. District Assistant Chief David Moe said by email Saturday that the woman was stabilized at a hospital in Bellingham before she was transferred to a facility in Seattle.

Her exact condition was unavailable, he said.

Though the lush waterfall near the U.S.-Canada border and about 100 miles north of Seattle is a draw for hikers, its rainy climate and rocky environment can make for a perilous trek.

The Racehorse Creek area is home to 50-million-year-old leaf fossils, and ancient landslide, and a modern landslide that created a 90-foot scarp in 2009, the state Department of National Resources says in a primer on the area.

The waterfall itself plunges 169 feet, the department says. A warning sign at the attraction warns visitors they are near a cliff's edge with no routine access to the bottom.
At the Angelus, the pontiff expressed his closeness to the people affected by Typhoon Yagi and the families of Israeli hostages found killed in Gaza a few days ago. Francis mentioned meeting the mother of one of them. [L]et the negotiations continue, and let peaceful solutions be found! he said. He also urged the faithful to ask, Who is Jesus for you?

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the people in Asia mourning after the devastation brought by Typhoon Yagi as well as the mothers weeping for their children killed by war and violence, starting with those of Israeli hostages found dead earlier this month in a Gaza tunnel, eleven months after their abduction by Hamas.

Francis looked out from his window on St Peter's Square to embrace the wounds of the world in the usual Sunday appointment with the Angelus prayer.

Following his apostolic journey to Asia and Oceania of almost two weeks, the pontiff drew attention at the end of the Marian prayer to the thousands of people suffering in the East from a recent natural catastrophe that hit several countries causing hundreds of deaths.

I express my closeness to the populations of Vietnam and Myanmar, who are suffering as a result of the floods caused by a violent typhoon, Francis said. I pray for the deceased, the injured and the displaced. May God sustain those who have lost their loved ones and their home, and bless those who are coming to their aid.

As he does regularly every week, the pope urged the faithful not to forget that wars continue to stain the world with blood: Ukraine, Myanmar, the Middle East. How many innocent victims. I think of the mothers who have lost their sons in war. How many young lives cut short!

Francis cited one, that of Hersh Goldman-Polin, a young Israeli-American kidnapped on 7 October by Palestinian militiamen along with dozens of other people and found dead at the start of September along with five other hostages in Gaza.

In November last year, I met his mother, Rachel, who impressed me with her humanity, the pontiff said. I accompany her in this moment. May the conflict in Palestine and Israel cease! May the violence cease! May hatred cease! Let the hostages be released, let the negotiations continue, and let peaceful solutions be found!

Before the Angelus, speaking about the Gospel passage in todays liturgy, Francis urged the faithful to ask the question: "Who is Jesus for you?

[P]erhaps, we respond well to the question, he said, with some formula we learned at catechism. But are we sure that this means really knowing Jesus? In reality, to know the Lord, it is not enough to know something about Him, but rather to follow Him, to let oneself be touched and changed by His Gospel.

Unfortunately, Francis noted, many people no longer pose themselves this question and remain unbothered, slumbering, even far from God. Instead, it is important to ask ourselves: do I let myself be bothered, do I ask who Jesus is for me, and what place does He occupy in my life?
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)
15 September 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

For the past few days the prospect of launching the Zangezur Corridor has reemerged as a key issue in regional discussions, stirring debates among major South Caucasus players. Certainly, Iranian officials and experts have been particularly vocal, raising concerns about the proposed transport route.

As we have previously reported, on September 2, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed worry about "potential geopolitical changes in the South Caucasus." Mojtaba Demirchilu, head of the Eurasian Department at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with Russian Ambassador to Tehran Alexey Dedov to discuss the "inadmissibility of altering internationally recognized borders in the region." Tehran has voiced its dissatisfaction with Moscow's support for the corridor project, which aims to connect Azerbaijan's western regions with Nakhchivan through Armenian territory.

As much as Iran's concerns can founded as a political or Tehran's says 'perceived as a challenge to her traditional Caucasus policy', this issue also needs to be rated from economic perspectives as well. Indeed as it's stated, for Iran, the Zangezur Corridor, which connects mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan via Armenian territory, is seen as a potential threat to its geopolitical position. Note that the corridor is set to become a crucial link in the global transport network, bridging the East and West, and opening new trade opportunities between China, Turkiye, Europe, and the Caucasus.

So what makes Tehran so concerned about?

One primary concern for Iran is the potential loss of transit revenues. The volume of transit goods passing through Iran has increased by 30% compared to the previous year. From March 2023 to January 2024, 14.2 million tons of cargo transited Iran, generating approximately $1 billion in revenue during these ten months.

Given Iran's ongoing economic distress exacerbated by sanctions since change of regime in 1979, this income is vital. TThe increasing number and scope of sanctions have severely impacted Iran's economic prospects, making transit revenue a critical lifeline. Even by checking the reports in US Department's official website, we can easily say how much nation is deprived in terms profitable gains. For Iran, which is experiencing such economic and political distress, earning income as a transit country is the last resort.

Additionally, Turkiye's foreign trade strategy has increasingly prioritized Central Asia. In general, the realization of the principles of the "United Turkic World" has seriously increased the development trends towards Asia in Turkiye's foreign economic policy. By the end of 2023, trade turnover between Turkiye and Kazakhstan reached a record $6.4 billion, with Uzbekistan also showing significant growth with whopping 3 billion dollars and with a prospect of reaching 5 billion dollars in the upcoming years. Turkiye is one of the five main trading partners of the Central Asian countries, and Turkiye has become the number one exporter for Turkmenistan in recent years, surpassing China. Therefore, if there is no Zangezur Corridor, Turkiye's increased trade turnover in Central Asia will mean an opportunity for Iran to obtain excellent transit revenues, and an additional obstacle and more costs for Turkiye itself. We all know that, as Moscow preoccupied with the conflict in Ukraine and redirecting its focus away from the South Caucasus, Tehran is eager to assert its influence in the region.

However, Iran might benefit from re-evaluating its stance. Strengthening cooperation with Azerbaijan and Turkiye could open new opportunities for Iran. Amid growing Western isolation and increasingly stringent sanctions, Iran could leverage the Zangezur Corridor to enhance its position in international trade.

Future initiatives: A win - win situation for all the countries

In his recent interview with Azerbaijani channel Real TV, spokesperson of Azerbaijans Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aykhan Hajizada said Azerbaijan is working on building communication lines through Iran. Given the context, as it was before the Zangezur Corridor is still keeping its relevancy, and it is more than just a transport route; it represents a significant element of the new geopolitical reality in the South Caucasus. Its launch poses no threat to Iran and, as mentioned earlier, does not aim to alter the border between Iran and Armenia. Therefore, instead of viewing the Zangezur Corridor with hostility, Tehran should consider it as an opportunity to enhance its economic and political position in the region. Also adding the fact that as mentioned abovem, corridor is set to become a crucial link in the global transport network, bridging the East and West, and opening new trade opportunities between China, Turkiye, Europe, and the Caucasus, so it is indeed a win-win situation for all the parties.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 September 2024 15:40 (UTC+04:00)

On September 16, Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Perviz Shahbazov will participate in the 4th meeting of energy ministers from member and observer states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, Azernews reports.

According to the Ministry of Energy, the meeting will focus on discussions regarding mutual cooperation in the energy sector among TSO member and observer countries, as well as the "OTS Energy Cooperation Program (2023-2027)."

During the visit, Minister Shahbazov is also expected to hold bilateral meetings.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 September 2024 10:35 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan convened for another meeting on Saturday, chaired by Mazahir Panahov, Azernews reports.

The session began with the approval of the protocol from the September 12 meeting.

The commission then reviewed appeals related to the snap parliamentary elections held on September 1, 2024.

Decisions were made on the appeals in accordance with legal timeframes and procedures, following a transparent, objective, and comprehensive investigation of the applications and information received. The CEC annulled the election results at several polling stations due to irregularities that prevented the accurate determination of voter intent and contravened the Election Code requirements.

Media representatives attended the meeting, which also included extensive discussions on other current issues.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 September 2024 14:41 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

September 15 marks the anniversary of the liberation of Azerbaijans capital, Baku, from Armenian-Dashnak-Bolshevik forces. 106 years ago, when the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was declared on May 28, 1918, Baku was under the occupation of the Bolshevik-Armenian armed forces of the Baku Soviet led by Stepan Shaumyan. As a result, the national government temporarily relocated to Ganja. On June 10, 1918, the Bolshevik-Dashnak army of the Baku Soviet launched an offensive towards Ganja with the aim of permanently ending the activities of the Azerbaijani government.

During the military operations, the Muslim population in the affected areas suffered plundering and genocide. On June 23, the Azerbaijani government declared martial law. At this time, the Caucasus Islamic Army, commanded by Nuri Pasha, turned the tide of the war in the battles around Goychay. The advance of the Baku Soviet troops towards Ganja was halted, and the Caucasus Islamic Army began a counteroffensive towards Baku.

The Caucasus Islamic Army and the Azerbaijani Democratic Republics national army liberated Baku from the "Central Caspian Dictatorship" governments Esers and Menshevik military units and the British expeditionary force. Subsequently, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, declared on May 28, 1918, moved its government from Ganja to Baku.

Historical records indicate that nearly a thousand Turkish soldiers and officers and over five thousand Azerbaijani citizens perished in the battles for Bakus liberation. This event represents a crucial period in Azerbaijan's struggle for independence.

The sacrifices made by Azerbaijani and Turkish fighters during the battle reflect the deeply rooted friendship and brotherhood between the two peoples. The leaders and participants of this battle, as well as the Turkish soldiers, gave their lives for Azerbaijans independence and freedom.

It should be noted that the Azerbaijan-Turkiye relationship was further strengthened by this historical event. The affirmation of the phrase one nation, two states, based on national, historical, and logical grounds, is reflected today in the joint activities, unshakable brotherhood, and alliance of Azerbaijan and Turkiye.

Recall that just three years before the September 15 events, Azerbaijani soldiers had come to the aid of their Turkish brothers at Gallipoli and attained martyrdom on that land.

These memories, inherited by Turkiye and Azerbaijan, enriched the concept of brotherhood with new content in subsequent years and played a significant role in the destiny of one nation, two states. The joint struggle for independence and historical friendship of Azerbaijan and Turkiye demonstrate that their unity remains a great force and that this brotherhood will continue indefinitely. September 15 serves as a symbol of these historical bonds and shared heroism, further strengthening the brotherhood between the two peoples.

In September 1919, a grand monument was laid at the present Martyrs Lane to immortalize the memory of Turkish martyrs. However, the fall of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in April 1920 prevented the completion of this monument. Nevertheless, the Azerbaijani people have always honored the heroism and sacrifices made by the Turkish army in liberating Baku.

After Azerbaijan restored its state independence, a monument was erected in 1999 at Martyrs Lane in honor of the Caucasus Islamic Army.

The liberation of Baku on September 15, 1918, remains one of the glorious chapters in the history of Azerbaijan-Turkiye friendship and brotherhood.

On this occasion, the leaders and citizens of both countries honor the heroes who sacrificed their lives for Baku's liberation and reaffirm the everlasting nature of the Azerbaijan-Turkiye brotherhood.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 September 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

Algerias President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has won a second term with 84.3 percent of the vote in last weeks election, final results announced Saturday showed, down from an initial count contested by rivals, Azernews reports citing Arab News.

The preliminary results issued by the North African countrys electoral authority ANIE on Sunday gave Tebboune nearly 95 percent support, prompting other candidates to challenge the results in appeals to the Constitutional Court.

The courts president, Omar Belhadj, announced on Saturday the official count, with Tebboune far ahead of his only two challengers.

We announce that Mr.Abdelmadjid Tebboune is elected for a second term, and will assume his responsibilities when he swears in, Belhadj said in remarks broadcast live on national TV and radio stations.

The 78-year-old incumbent had been widely expected to breeze through the election and was focused instead on securing a high turnout, which according to Belhadj stood at 46.1 percent in the September 7 ballot.

More than 24 million Algerians were registered to vote in this election.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 September 2024 23:50 (UTC+04:00)

Eight migrants have died attempting to cross from France to Britain via the English Channel, Azernews reports.

A boat carrying 50 people began to sink shortly after leaving the shore.

It is worth noting that on September 3, a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of France, resulting in the deaths of 12 people, including six children and one pregnant woman.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Another Goonies Sequel Rumor? N. Oregon Coast's Astoria Not Holding Its Breath

Published 9/09/24 at 10:25 p.m.

By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection





(Astoria, Oregon)  Another year, another Goonies rumor. Two new major posts are making the rounds that has some around the world buzzing that there may be  finally  a sequel to The Goonies.

Very doubtful, say Oregon officials and many, many reporters looking into the most recent blurbs. The movie that turned the north Oregon coast town of Astoria into a pilgrimage site is not getting a sequel with the full cast  that's a definite no. One passed away in recent years.

The most controversial of the posts comes from The Sun, which claims an unnamed source saying a full sequel is in the works. As The Direct points out, that publication has been way off on Hollywood reporting before, and at least one Oregon official is saying no, there's no sequel in the works.

The Sun  though a sensationalist tabloid - is not wrong all the time, however. There is a vague possibility.

Still, Tim Williams, Executive Director of Oregon Film (the state's official film office) is extremely doubtful.

The Sun article has not been verified and a 'poster' that was created from that post was confirmed as 'fan created' - so I don't actually think it is accurate information, Williams told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. The studio that controls the rights to The Goonies, Warner Bros., has not confirmed the announcement.



Courtesy Warner Bros.

The original The Goonies was partially filmed in Astoria and Cannon Beach in '84 and '85, and finished up in a whirlwind with just weeks to spare before release. Filming The Goonies on N. Oregon Coast: at Astoria, Cannon Beach

It's by far and away not the first time The Goonies has come up in the press with a possible sequel on the way. In 2014, original director Richard Donner himself was quoted as saying it was in the works, with Steven Spielberg once more writing the story. That got a little more traction before it died off.

This is not the only persistent rumor regarding The Goonies and the Oregon coast. Though no evidence ever really existed in the film's first 20 years, somewhere since the early 2000s people starting claiming the movie was inspired by a shipwreck outside of Manzanita, about 36 miles south of Astoria. See Part II, Manzanita 300-Yr-Old Spanish Galleon Find: Historic Surprises for Oregon Coast

Since the late 1900s, those around the Nehalem Bay area had been finding beeswax with mysterious markings on them, and various chatter persisted over 100 years or so that either a pirate ship had come ashore in the area and left treasure on Neahkahnie Mountain or some shipwreck had occurred that left the beeswax in the area.

None of that had even been vaguely sorted out until long after the movie was written and released. Then, in 2022, when a discovery of the 17th century's Santo Cristo de Buros wreck was made, a media storm tried to tie it to Goonies. Not so.





The story was written by Steven Spielberg before the location of Astoria had been set, and then writer Chris Columbus wrote the final script somewhere early on. Indeed, the movie was originally set in an unnamed East Coast town.

Astoria itself is part of the famed graveyard of the Pacific, with hundreds of shipwrecks between Rockaway Beach and south Washington's coast, so it's minutely possible something from that area's past was written into the script later, but that's flimsy. The legends from Manzanita were really nebulous and rather localized in '84. Astoria Shipwrecks and the Graveyard of the Pacific on N. Oregon Coast

There was never really written evidence before the 2022 find that shipwreck legends of Manzanita had anything to do with the movie. Indeed, Oregon Coast Beach Connection has sizable evidence to the contrary (not to mention look to DVD commentary).



Courtesy Clatsop County Historical Society

On the day of The Goonies' release, June 7, 1985, Salem's The Statesman-Journal ran an interview with Harvey Bernhard, one of the producers. Ron Cowan wrote: The film was originally to have been set in some anonymous East Coast seaport town, Bernhard told him. He had a second home in Washington and relatives in Oregon back in the early '80s.

I always wanted to shoot a picture in the Northwest and I fought for it" he told Cowan." I said I know this funky seaport town.

Cowan writes Bernhard said Donner came up to Oregon and fell in love with it.

Hotels in Astoria - Where to eat - Astoria Maps and Virtual Tours







MORE PHOTOS BELOW













More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright  Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
Aurora Sights This A.M. in Seattle, Portland: Decent Chance for Washington, Oregon, Coast This Weekend

Published 9/13/24 at 8:05 p.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff





(Portland, Oregon)  The headline from one regional astronomer was CME Impact Sparks Widespread Red Auroras, and that said a lot. (Photo from Sueberry Sueberry of Seattle: Discovery Park early Thursday morn).

A space weather surprise showed up on a night when you'd least expect it, what with all those cloudy conditions and such. Yet there it was in Portland just before 3 a.m., looming large behind a truly sizable break in the clouds: a faint pink glow. The telltale sign of the aurora borealis was indeed there. (Seattle's Sueberry Sueberry sent this sensational shot of Discovery Park and the Seattle area's northern lights from this a.m. to Oregon Coast Beach Connection.)

Oregon Coast Beach Connection featured a story on this possibility just the other day. A large solar flare on September 8 brought the possibility of northern lights for September 10 - 12, and it did exactly that - even for the Pacific Northwest. Reports came into Oregon Coast Beach Connection from the Bellingham, Seattle and Port Angeles areas as well.

Now, tonight (Thursday night) and for the next two nights, there's more northern lights possible for areas like Seattle, Portland, Ashland, Salem, Yakima and areas on the Oregon coast or Washington coast such as Ocean Shores, Seaside, Port Orford and Pacific City. There's another solar winds storm watch throughout the upper U.S. and Canada for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The gist of it: if you've got clear skies where you are, go out and take a look. If you get some periodic cloud breaks in the north, it's a good idea to take a peek as well. You could be surprised. See the 30-minute forecast before you head out.

Thursday morning's gush of pink colors was a rather strong storm, coming from that coronal mass ejection (CME) a few days ago. And there's more on the way.



In Port Orford in August - courtesy Discover Port Orford

Jim Todd, astronomy expert with Portland's OMSI confirmed what Oregon Coast Beach Connection saw in Portland at 2:45 a.m. He confirmed what we saw: it was primarily red light.

See Washington Coast Weather - Oregon Coast Weather - Inland Oregon Weather

A CME hit Earth's magnetic field today, sparking a strong geomagnetic storm with red auroras in the United States as far south as California, Todd said. Two more CMEs are coming, which means a repeat display is possible this weekend.

Last night's activity ended up rather strong at a G3 category storm.

The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Colorado has two northern lights watches up.



Photo from Yachats on the central Oregon coast in August - .Jacklyn Larsen Photography

G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels are likely on 13 Sep (UTC day) due to CME influences from an eruption that occurred early on 10 Sep, the SWPC said. Stay in the loop with https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/forecast-discussion for evolving forecasts and analysis of this event.

UTC time is 8 hours ahead of Oregon and Washington, so you can read that timing as the middle of the night along the coastlines and inland parts of both states.

There will likely be more of these in the coming months as the sun is going through a considerably large period of CME activity, part of its normal cycle.

Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours







MORE PHOTOS BELOW















Bandon in May, courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright  Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
Grand New Mural Fills Part of Sky at Central Oregon Coast's Lincoln City

Published 9/07/24 at 9:25 p.m.

By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection





(Lincoln City, Oregon)  The central Oregon coast now has something new in its skies. Explore Lincoln City recently revealed its latest artistic gem: a whimsical mural titled The Magic of the Lincoln City Kite Festival.

This captivating artwork received an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, September 6, and now graces the Oregon Mural Trail - a collaborative effort with Travel Oregon, marking the trails 10th installation.

The mural features a snapshot from the enchanting Oregon, Only Slightly Exaggerated campaign, masterfully crafted by the acclaimed creative agency Wieden + Kennedy in 2021. Positioned just half a mile from the Lincoln City Kite Festival grounds at D River State Recreation Site, this mural becomes an integral part of the Lincoln City Art Trail in the central Oregon coast town.

The ribbon-cutting celebration was the starting bell for Lincoln Citys Fall Kite Festival, September 7-8, 2024, from 10 am to 4 pm.

Oregon artists Jeremy Nichols and Blaine Fontana collaborated on this vibrant mural, adorning the exterior walls of Lincoln Citys City Hall and McKays Market along Highway 101 (801 SW Highway 101, Lincoln City, OR). Notably, Fontana also contributed to The Dalles mural, while Nichols lent his talent to both similar projects at Yachats and Pendleton.

Kim Cooper Findling, Explore Lincoln City Director, said this Oregon coast town is the 10th such destination on the statewide Oregon Mural Trail, and she was thrilled to see such imagination involved.

See what happened up north of the Oregon coast that disturbed many: Hawaii Man Charged in Killing of Two Dozen Gulls on Washington Coast - Charged with animal cruelty and reckless driving.

Public art is a priority for us, and were honored for the opportunity to showcase our region through this enchanting medium to both visitors and local residents, she said.

The mural is based on a still from the animated Oregon, Still Only Slightly Exaggerated video campaign, which departed from the typical scenic imagery commonly used in tourism marketing. Instead, Wieden + Kennedy utilized delightful, technicolor animation to evoke what photography sometimes cannot - the magical feeling of being in Oregon. The 90-second animated video employs a range of animation and illustration styles, and features an original score from Emmy-winning composer Jim Dooley, performed by the Oregon Symphony. MORE LINCOLN CITY BELOW

Hotels in Lincoln City - Where to eat - Lincoln City Maps and Virtual Tours







MORE PHOTOS BELOW



















More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright  Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
Is S. W. Snowden Pre-K through 8 School on the Chopping Block?

September 5, 2024

By Ray Leary, Chairman, Beaufort County Conservative Club Education Committee

Aurora NC  New Growth Unlimited Ministries Church

Bishop Dr. Stuart Ham, New Growth Unlimited Ministries, facilitated a community town hall meeting at the Aurora, North Carolina New Growth Ministries church on Thursday, September 5, 2024. The topic of discussion was the current situation and the potential future of the S. W. Snowden Pre-K  8th grade school in Aurora, NC.

Dr. Patricia Horton, principal at the S. W. Snowden school and Charles Hickman, Beaufort County School Board member from District 2 led the presentation and discussion.

Bishop Dr. Stuart Ham opened the meeting with an invocation and comments on the reason for calling this meeting.

There were 90+ attendees from the local community and other eastern NC citizens.

The recent action by the Beaufort County School Board that eliminated the Pre-K class for the 2024  2025 school year at the school prompted the call for this meeting.

Dr. Horton explained that the Pre-Kindergarten class is a federally funded program with strict application and screening processes that must be adhered to in order to be accepted as a student in this class. Parents or guardians cannot show up on the first day of school with their Pre-K child and be admitted on the same day. The Pre-K class and teacher were eliminated by the board due to less than eight students having timely applied for the 2024-2025 school year. Although there were more total applications, with some turned in late or incomplete which resulted in the elimination of the Pre-K class for the 2024-2025 school year. Many attending the meeting were concerned this move was the first step toward closing the S. W. Snowden community school leading to consolidation with other schools on the south side of the Pamlico River  South Side High School and/or Chocowinity Primary School.

Dr. Horton explained the elimination of the Pre-K class is a federal and state school board policy which allowed no exceptions if too few students timely applied. She said she expected to have Pre-K back next year. She left the Pre-K registration instructions with the attendees and encouraged them to work with parents of prospective Pre-K students to gather all the required registration documents prior to the cut-off date in 2025.

Also, she explained that two classrooms are typically required to be dedicated to the Pre-K classes. The school board has allowed one classroom Pre-K at Snowden due to the lower overall attendance at Snowden and that there are only two categories of students attending Snowden  majority minority and economically disadvantaged. The current enrollment at Snowden is 130  140 students. The enrollment was reported to be 122 students just after school started in August, but this was attendance recorded prior to the Labor Day holiday. The lower enrollment number coupled with the difficulty in maintaining a full staff of certified teachers and the designation as a low performing school created a ripple of concern related to the future S. W. Snowden. This meeting was called to bring clarity to the rumors of a possible closing of the school.

Principal Horton said there have been no discussions related to the closing of the S. W. Snowden school with the school administration officials.

The NC Department of Public Instruction presents a number and letter grade to all public schools each year in September for the preceding school year. For the school year ending in 2023, the Snowden scores were D with a corresponding 44 number grade. The 2024 school year the scores are D with a corresponding 47 number grade. To achieve a C grade, the numerical score must be 55  69. Schools with a D or F grade are designated as low performing schools, requiring school improvement plans to be forwarded to the NC DPI. These proficiency scores are calculations based upon end-of-course and end-of-grade scores on standardized tests.

Dr. Horton lamented that with tests being administered on computer tablets and chrome books many students just check an answer with very little attention or deliberation on the questions. This results in low scores on these tests that make up the overall school proficiency scores. She reported some parents expressed dismay that their child scored low on reading and math tests while explaining the students perform well on these subjects on homework. She told the attendees that parents must be supportive of their students and explaining these state DPI scores affects the schools standing in the community.

Charles Hickman, school board member, explained he was one of nine board members and could not speak for the board or superintendent. He told the attendees of the difficulty of attracting certified teachers to Aurora. This is not a problem isolated to Aurora. It exists in every county and school district in eastern North Carolina. Many of the teachers at Snowden do not live in Aurora. Some teachers must travel up to two hours every day to work in the Aurora school.

An audience member asked about teacher certification. Principal Horton explained that all teachers have BA degrees. Certified teachers have attained this designation through additional training and education in the discipline they desire to teach.

Board member Hickman told the attendees of the importance of communicating and interacting with the school board during the board meetings, which are typically held twice per month in Washington, NC. When asked how to interact with the board, Mister Hickman explained the public comment session at the regular monthly meetings during which four presenters are allowed to speak for three minutes each on the same subject during the meeting. He also told the group they could request to be placed on the agenda for longer presentations. Such requests can be made through him or directly to the board chairman.

Pastor Barry Squires encouraged attendees to get more involved in supporting the staff at Snowden. Principal Horton relayed several opportunities available through her office to interact with the school administration. Any interaction directly with students requires a background check and other administrative processes.

There were many questions from the attendees to Dr. Horton and board member Hickman to which they responded.

Thank you to Bishop Ham and New Growth Ministries for facilitating this community town hall meeting, Snowden principal Dr. Horton, and board member Hickman for attending.

The video below are excerpts from the two+ hour meeting.

Click here to view the video:
Fake asylum claims have long been the main excuse of globalist governments on both sides of the Atlantic for letting swarms of Third World migrants into western countries. The Biden-Harris open border policies are geared around that fraud. Never mind that the majority of those who claim asylum never even bother to turn up for the asylum hearings and of those who do, most of them have their claims, usually ficticioius to begin with, denied.

They are economic migrants, not true asylum seekers, and even UN agencies admit that. Edonomic migrants are supposed to apply properly for legal immigration, but many of them would rather flount the law knowing globalist politicians will let them get away with it.

Now the Biden-Harris regime seems to have even dropped the pretext of the migrants being asylum seekers. Recently, they seem to have dropped even asking the asylum questions. Breitbart News just interviewed a Venezuelan who had just crossed the border using the Biden-Harris "CBP One" mobile app for admission and still had the whole process on his phone and was willing to share it. He was not asked a single question related to asylum according to a review of the online process he went through.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2024/09/14/exclusive-cbp-one-app-migrants-released-into-u-s-no-asylum-questions-asked/

This is an invasion, and we have leaders who have gone over to the invaders. Thanks to the SCOTUS, Biden cannot be prosecuted for this outrage, but there are a lot of others starting with Mayorkas who ought to be. One also wonders how much of their human smugglling profits the Mexican crime cartels are laundering back to the Harris campaign?
The band created an invite-only ballot for their additional September 2025 shows at Wembley Stadium (Zak Hussein/PA)

Oasis fans needing accessible tickets to the bands additional London shows have claimed the ballot process was pure and utter discrimination.

The Britpop band, which reformed with brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher last month, created an invite-only ballot for their extra 2025 shows on September 27 and 28 at Wembley Stadium, with tickets going on sale on Saturday.

Fans who were sent a ballot code were able to access the sale, with the Manchester band previously saying that people signed in to (their) Ticketmaster UK account during the original sale on August 31, but did not get a ticket, may be eligible to take part.

But some disabled fans have questioned how they could obtain tickets during Saturdays sale process because they were advised to call a direct phone number for Wembley during last months general sale and had therefore not needed to use Ticketmaster.

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

Married couple Olivia Hilliard, 49, and Ian Harris, 55, from Ruislip, west London, said they had called Wembley on its accessibility phone line more than 1,000 times during the original sale in an attempt to purchase tickets but missed out.

They also tried to buy tickets through Wembley on Saturday for the additional September shows but were unsuccessful.

Mrs Hilliard, who has a spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis (MS) and cannot stand for long periods, said she was at a loss as to why they needed to provide Wembley with a ballot code to purchase accessible tickets.

Liam Gallagher (left) and Noel Gallagher reunited as Oasis (Simon Emmett/Fear PR/PA)

The ballot code shouldnt be in place for the people who are disabled because we werent logged into Ticketmaster on August 31, because we were calling Wembley on the accessible line, Mrs Hilliard, who works for a spinal cord injury charity, told the PA news agency.

Im at a loss as to why we had to have a ballot code because we werent entered into the ballot because we werent logged into Ticketmaster.

That to me is where the problem is, and Ive said to Wembley this is pure and utter discrimination against disabled people.

Mrs Hilliard added: They need to be fair and to treat us the same, thats all any people who need accessible tickets ask for  to be treated the same as everybody else and to be given a fair chance at tickets.

We were excited; were of that age, so to be able to go back and reminisce on the music of our youth, we were looking forward to it but its not to be.

Jack, a 23-year-old solicitor apprentice from Norwich, who did not wish to share his surname, said he tried to secure accessible tickets on August 31 during the general sale.

Jack, who has cerebral palsy, said he rang Wembley over 1,200 times but was later informed tickets had sold out.

During the sale of the additional London shows on Saturday, Jack said he contacted Ticketmaster but was directed to Wembley and when he phoned the stadium, he was told he needed a code to proceed, which he did not have.

Me and other people wouldnt have been able to get a ballot code or even entry into the ballot by just calling Wembley, because people may not have necessarily logged into Ticketmaster  and thats the part I take issue with, Jack told PA.

Its not the fact I didnt get tickets, because lots of people arent going to get tickets, its the fact of how the ballot system was run.

Its unfair and I would argue its discriminatory against disabled people.

It just makes me feel like they dont understand disabled people.

Jack said he has been listening to the band since 2018, and had long said he wanted to see them perform if they reunited.

It would be great to see them but this whole process has been disappointing, he said.

The communication from Ticketmaster and Wembley in trying to pass me from pillar to post has been disgusting.

Its not about being being unable to get tickets, its about being unable to access the sale  I havent had the opportunity to buy these tickets.

Wembley Stadium said it was not involved in the ballot process and that fans who signed into Ticketmaster during the general sale and were able to provide a code were allocated accessible tickets when they called the stadium.

Fans without a code were advised to register their interest via the website and if any accessible tickets were remaining, the team would contact each person directly to accommodate them where possible.

Ticketmaster said all accessible tickets for the London shows were sold by Wembley and while they sold all other ticket types, they did not determine the ballot as this was organised directly by the artists team.

The bands representatives have been contacted for comment.
Xi urges running people's congresses to good effect as political system's 70th anniversary celebrated

Xinhua) 09:40, September 15, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping emphasized continuous efforts to uphold, improve and run the system of people's congresses, China's fundamental political system, to good effect at a meeting held here on Saturday to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the need to further firm up confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics in developing whole-process people's democracy.

Addressing the meeting, attended by about 3,000 people, Xi said that the system of people's congresses is the outcome of the Chinese people's arduous exploration and long-term struggle under the leadership of the CPC.

He called the system "an entirely new political system that has grown from Chinese soil," hailing it as a great invention in the evolution of political institutions in human history.

The NPC is China's highest organ of state power. The first session of the first NPC was convened In September 1954.

The establishment of this system marked a profound transformation in China's political landscape, signifying a shift from a system where the power was concentrated in the hands of a few while the majority faced oppression and exploitation, to one that empowers the people to govern the country as its masters under the Party's leadership, Xi said.

Over the past 70 years, the system of people's congresses has demonstrated its clear political strength, providing an important institutional guarantee for creating miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, Xi noted.

It is a sound system that embodies the country's socialist nature, he said.

Noting that the system of people's congresses is an important institutional vehicle for realizing whole-process people's democracy in China, Xi said it is imperative to uphold the CPC's leadership and adhere to using institutions to ensure that the country is run by the people.

He stressed the need to give full play to the role of people's congresses in ensuring full and effective implementation of the Constitution and laws.

Efforts must be made to ensure people's congresses play a leading role in legislation, Xi said, calling for more legislation in key, emerging and foreign-related fields.

He emphasized the key role of people's congresses in the oversight of both the Party and the country to ensure that all state organs exercise their powers in accordance with the law and that the legitimate rights and interests of the people are safeguarded and realized.

People's congresses should play an exemplary role in maintaining close ties with the people and serve as the bridge that links the Party and the state with the people, he said.

Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice President Han Zheng, attended the meeting.

The meeting was presided over by Zhao Leji, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attend a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

A meeting is held to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun)
San Francisco software engineer Sophia Tung, shown with her cat, Curry. gained attention when she livestreamed Waymo robotaxis honking outside her apartment in the middle of the night. Now her feed has become a global community. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle Thousands of online visitors have tuned in to a livestream to watch Waymo vehicles maneuver in their parking lot at 77 Dow Place in San Francisco. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Sophia Tung stood at her living room window in San Franciscos SoMa neighborhood, gazing down at the parking lot she has livestreamed for more than a month.

There, far below her 13th floor condo, lives a fleet of Waymo electric robotaxis. Since they first arrived in late July, neighbors like Tung have enjoyed watching the boxy white cars shuttle themselves on and off Second Street. But for a 2-week stretch last month, the Waymos became a tech nightmare, honking at each other for hours every night.

The future showed up where I live, Tung said. It wasnt always fun.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Since then, what started as an attempt to make light of the frustrating situation  dozens of noisy Waymos waking up Tung and her South of Market neighbors in the wee hours  has become something much bigger. Three-plus weeks after Tungs viral livestream helped pressure Waymo into getting its vehicles to stop their infernal racket, thousands of people spanning the globe still visit her 24/7 feed daily to watch the autonomous cars maneuver.

A livestream that started as an attempt to make light of the frustrating situation  dozens of honking Waymos waking up Sophia Tung and her South of Market neighbors in the wee hours  has become something much bigger. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

At any given moment, that livestream might have spectators from three or four continents vibing out to soft hip-hop beats while they chat about artificial intelligence, the future of self-driving cars and the feeds funniest Waymo moments. In a sense, Tungs livestream offers visitors a birds-eye view of modern techs growing pains.

Perhaps more importantly, Tung, 28, has fostered an online community for robotaxi enthusiasts who dont have the luxury of seeing Waymos white Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in person. Fifteen years after it was first conceived as the Google Self-Driving Car Project, Waymo provides commercial ride-hailing service in only three cities: San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In San Francisco, were used to seeing the driverless vehicles, said Randol White, who lives in the building next to Tungs. For the vast number of people that live in this country and abroad, this livestream is a window into these driverless cars.

The livestreams popularity also speaks to Tungs diligence. A former software engineer at Twitter (now X), she has become borderline obsessive about improving her parking lot feed.

San Francisco resident Sophia Tungs livestream shows that all the Waymos that park overnight at 77 Dow Place in San Francisco were on duty at 3:34 p.m. on Sept. 5. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Earlier this month, Tung smiled as she showed a reporter the state-of-the-art setup in her living room: two surveillance cameras given to her by a security company and a 55-inch digital whiteboard displaying her livestream and its visitor data. Several moderators monitor the online discussion, dispelling misinformation and quashing any contentious political debates.

In recent weeks, Tung has earned some extra cash charging people $10 apiece to name their own Waymo vehicles. Tung and her team maintain a detailed spreadsheet with those names, activity in the lot, notable screenshots of the livestream, and ideas to make the experience even more entertaining.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Do you see that? Tung asked, pointing toward animation in the bottom right corner of the livestream of a goose stealing toilet paper from a portable toilet. One of my moderators came up with that, and it plays every hour. Its just fun, you know?

Such features offer a stark contrast to the livestreams modest beginnings.

Sophia Tungs setup to monitor a Waymo parking lot now includes two surveillance cameras gifted to her by a security company and a 55-inch digital whiteboard that displays her livestream and visitor data. Moderators monitor the online discussion to keep things civil. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

On the morning of July 28, Tung awoke to find Waymo had taken over the parking lot in front of her condo near the corner of Second and Harrison streets. Every day around 2 a.m., dozens of Waymos white sedans jolted to life and tried to exit the lot at the same time. As they became gridlocked, they started honking their horns to angle for position. A similar scene unfolded around 4 a.m. when the taxis returned.

In early August, after waking several nights in a row to the cacophony, Tung knew she needed to do something. With only a small webcam, an old mini PC and a cereal box to help limit glare, she assembled a 24-hour YouTube feed of the Waymo lot.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In addition to setting the livestream to chill hip-hop beats, she gave it a humorously cumbersome name: LoFi Waymo Hip Hop Radio Self Driving Taxi Depot Shenanigans to Relax/Study To. Even if no one else watched it, Tung told herself, at least she would have something to put on in the background when she couldnt sleep.

Tung was hardly the only SoMa resident desperate for Waymo to end the nightly nuisance. But her next-door neighbor, a former community organizer named Chris Cherry, knew that companies often dont respond to complaints until the issue gets media attention.

Waymo took over the parking lot in front of Sophia Tungs condo in San Francisco on July 28. Every day at about 2 a.m., dozens of the companys white sedans jolted to life and tried to exit the lot at the same time, then honked their horns when they became gridlocked. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

His first TikTok video of the parking lots chaotic 4 a.m. scene quickly gained millions of views. The Verge, a tech media site, soon posted a story about Tungs livestream, which rippled through the blogosphere and prompted a prominent German outlet also to cover it. Within a few days, Tung had done interviews with Good Morning America, the New York Times and numerous other big-time media.

Thats when Waymo really seemed to take action. Its director of product and operations, Vishay Nihalani, paid a visit to Tungs livestream to explain the honking issue  the cars werent programmed to recognize other Waymos  and apologize to the parking lots neighbors. Days later, after a software update finally ended the late-night honking, Waymo threw an ice-cream party in front of Tungs building to celebrate.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

More than anything, I think its a story about community action, Cherry said. With my TikTok going viral and Sophias livestream going viral, we were able to put pressure on this big company.

Tungs YouTube subscribers have multiplied 30-fold  from about 120 to more than 3,500  since her feed went live. At the livestreams peak last month, it often boasted more than 400 viewers at any given time, many from as far away as France and Japan.

Sophia Tungs YouTube subscribers have multiplied 30-fold since her video feed of a Waymo parking lot went live. At the livestreams peak last month, it often boasted more than 400 viewers at any given time, many from as far away as France and Japan. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

It wasnt hard to see what was hooking them. Lured by the kind of humans-vs.-robots story thats tailor-made for social media, visitors to Tungs livestream found near-constant reminders that AI remains in its relative infancy.

Even with the honking problem now resolved, those SoMa robotaxis often seem clumsy as they negotiate their movements. The mere sight of a nearby Waymo vehicle could send one of the fleets cars awkwardly shuffling backward.

Regular visitors to Tungs livestream have compared the mesmerizing interplay between self-driving taxis to watching a fish tank or a Roomba vacuum. Viewers are lulled into an almost-meditative state, their eyes transfixed as the vehicles decipher patterns and navigate obstacles under the direction of their software algorithms.

Theres something kind of relaxing about it, White said.

As Tung sat at her dining table on a recent Thursday afternoon, she leaned back in her chair and stared at her Google Jamboard. There, in the screens top right corner, was that days number of unique visitors: 2,953.

After her livestream of a Waymo parking lot in San Francisco showing the cars honking at each other went viral, Sophia Tung did interviews with Good Morning America, the New York Times and other big media. Then an executive from Waymo got in touch to explain the honking problem and apologize. A few days later, it was fixed. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Many users keep going back for the community Tung has built, not the robotaxis. After Mauricio Teixeira  a cloud engineer in Raleigh, N.C., and one of Tungs moderators  discovered the livestream last month, he often spent four hours a day chatting with visitors on other continents.

Its really interesting to learn about how all of this stuff is perceived in Europe and other parts of the world, Teixeira said. Its so much better than reading online articles because you can ask people, What is the feeling on the street? What is the feeling of the community over there?

Phil Koopman, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University and autonomous vehicles expert, said he isnt surprised to see that Tungs livestream has generated so much discussion. Waymos official tagline  Most Experienced Driver  sets such a high standard that the company is ripe for criticism whenever it endures even minor setbacks, such as late-night honking symphonies.

Though Waymo now completes more than 100,000 rides each week in its three test cities, Koopman estimated the company will probably need at least an additional five years before customers can truly gauge the safety of its cars. In the meantime, he said, Every time theres a headline or photo of a robotaxi acting stupid, it undercuts their marketing strategy.

Regular visitors to Sophia Tungs livestream of a Waymo parking lot in San Francisco say that watching the robotaxis is mesmerizing. Many now come for the community, discussing artificial intelligence and the future of self-driving cars with other enthusiasts from around the world. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Almost every movement in the SoMa lot is logged in Tungs spreadsheet, which could make Waymo executives nervous. Another viral robotaxi moment is only one gaffe away.
We were not always as sensitive to the dangers posed to children by paedophiles as we are now
London ignoring call for discussion over disappointing funding decisions, Stormont Finance Minister claims

Caoimhe Archibald dismayed over unanswered calls over Casement Park and city deals, but Taoiseach says Irish funding for GAA stadium remains in place

Sinn Fein's Caoimhe Archibald arriving at Stormont Castle in Belfast, to meet the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Jayne Brady. Picture date: Thursday June 29, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story ULSTER Stormont. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Mark Bain Sun 15 Sep 2024 at 16:17







Taoiseach Simon Harris has said a 50 million (42m) pledge from the Irish Government to rebuild Casement Park remains in place.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said he shares disappointment that Casement Park will not be built for Euro 2028 (Gareth Chaney/PA)

A 50 million euro (42 million) pledge from the Irish Government to rebuild Casement Park remains in place, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

The Irish premier said while he shares the disappointment that the stadium will not be built in time for Euro 2028, the opportunity to have a top-class sporting facility in Belfast must not be lost.

Mr Harris said he will meet with the GAA as well as engaging with Northern Irelands First and deputy First Ministers, Michelle ONeill and Emma Little-Pengelly.

On Friday, the UK Government announced it will not fund the redevelopment of the west Belfast GAA stadium in time for the Euros.

It cited concerns over cost as well as doubts that the stadium could be constructed in time for test events to be carried out in advance of the tournament.

Casement Park had been earmarked to stage five matches at Euro 2028, which is being co-hosted by Ireland and the UK.

Mr Harris said: This weekends announcement that the British Government is not in a position to complete the development of Casement Park in time for Euro 2028 has been met with understandable disappointment.

The overriding factor is the doubt around Casement being ready in time for the tournament and its test events.

Casement Park stadium in west Belfast is currently derelict (Niall Carson/PA)

I share the disappointment that Euro 2028 games will not be played at a redeveloped Casement, but we must not lose sight of the opportunity to have another top-class sporting facility in a city that thrives on sport.

I will meet with the GAA in the coming week, and I have already confirmed to Prime Minister (Sir Keir) Starmer that the 50 million euro the Irish Government pledged to the project will remain in place, regardless of the decision around Euro 2028.

Mr Harris said how to proceed with the Casement project is now a matter for the Stormont Executive and the UK Government.

He added: I will engage with the First and deputy First Ministers on how we can help.

It is essential the positive effects of Ireland and the UK co-hosting Euro 2028 is felt in all parts of these islands.

We will work closely with the UK and all stakeholders to achieve this.
Martin Hewit is the former chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council (PA)

The police chief who oversaw the UKs enforcement of lockdown laws during the Covid-19 pandemic has been appointed the head of the Governments new Border Security Command.

Martin Hewitt, the former chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), will be in charge of co-ordinating Sir Keir Starmers plans to curb small boat crossings in the Channel and crack down on people-smuggling gangs.

The announcement comes ahead of the Prime Ministers visit to Rome, where he will meet his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni as part of his wider bid to reset Britains post-Brexit relationship with its European neighbours.

Irregular migration will be at the top of the agenda, with the two leaders set to discuss the Italian governments approach to border control after the country saw a 60% drop in arrivals by sea over the past year.

Sir Keir, who announced he was axing the previous Tory administrations Rwanda deportation policy as one of his first moves in office, declared there would be no more gimmicks to curb migration ahead of the visit.

This Government will tackle the smuggling gangs who trade the lives of men, women and children across borders, he said.

Martin Hewitts unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system.

Mr Hewitt previously co-ordinated all of Britains police forces as they enforced controversial new rules governing lockdowns introduced by then-prime minister Boris Johnsons administration.

The emergency legislation was criticised by some as rushed and inconsistently applied while the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed some people had been wrongfully charged under the laws.

Mr Hewitt will now be in charge of joining up law enforcement and intelligence agencies to lead joint investigations with European counterparts to address organised immigration crime, No 10 said.

The former officer, who also helped shape national responses to major security threats including terrorism in his role as NPCC chairman, said he was under no illusions of the challenges that lie ahead and determined to face them head-on.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the new border unit would allow the Government to go much further in taking action against people-smuggling gangs.

With the Border Security Command we can go much further  building new law enforcement partnerships across Europe and getting new powers into place, to go after the gangs, tackle dangerous boat crossings and save lives, she said.

It comes after eight migrants died while trying to cross the Channel overnight as some 801 migrants made the journey on Saturday  the second highest daily total so far this year, according to provisional Home Office figures.

Both Sir Keir and Mr Hewitt are expected to visit Italys National Co-ordination Centre during his trip, where they will be briefed on their response to irregular migration.

Sir Keir announced he was axing the previous Tory administrations Rwanda deportation policy as one of his first moves in office (PA)

The Prime Minister is also set to sign a joint communique outlining further co-operation with Rome on migration, growth and defence.

Sir Keir has signalled he is open to pursuing an arrangement similar to Italys migration deal with Albania, whereby asylum seekers will be held in the Balkan state while their claims are processed.

The scheme has been criticised by human rights campaigners as unworkable but the Italian government argues it is necessary to reduce migrant arrivals by sea.

Unlike the Rwanda policy, asylum seekers whose applications are successful would be able to enter Italy under the plans.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during their bilateral Downing Street meeting in July (PA)

Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for the UK and US to give permission for Ukraine to use western missiles to strike Russian targets as Vladimir Putins forces carried out another bombing raid.

The Ukrainian president called for decisiveness as he urged leaders to overcome the fear of making the choice.

Sir Keir Starmer and Joe Biden met in Washington on Friday for talks on giving Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles to target Russian airfields and military bases, but no decision was reached.

The issue is likely to come up again when Sir Keir, Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky all attend the UN General Assembly in New York later this month.

Bur Mr Zelensky indicated he wanted a quicker outcome, saying decisiveness most effectively protects against terror.

Western concerns include the risk of escalating the conflict, although Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the allies would not be cowed by Mr Putins threat of all-out war with Nato if missiles such as the UKs Storm Shadow are used to hit Russia.

The Ukrainian president said a residential building in Kharkiv had been hit on Sunday with 35 people injured, including three children.

Mr Zelensky said: The world must help us defend ourselves against Russian military aircraft and the dozens of guided aerial bombs that claim Ukrainian lives every day.

This terror can be stopped. But to stop it, the fear of making strong, objectively necessary decisions must be overcome.

Only decisiveness can bring a just end to this war. It is decisiveness that most effectively protects against terror.

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 added: The only way to counter this terror is through a systemic solution  long-range capabilities to destroy Russian military aviation at its bases. This is an obvious, logical solution.

We have already explained to all our partners why Ukraine truly needs sufficient long-range capabilities.

Every Russian strike, every act of terror  like todays attack on the city of Kharkiv, and the Sumy and Donetsk regions  proves that we need this capability, and we need it in full.

We are waiting for the relevant decisions, especially from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy  everyone whose decisiveness can help save lives.

Mr Zelenskys comments, in a series of social media posts written in English, are designed to put pressure on his allies to allow him to strike back.

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

Senior Ukrainian figures have complained they are currently having to fight with their hands tied because they are unable to hit the Russian airbases used to launch the raids against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure facilities.

Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said: We need partners to lift all restrictions on the use of weapons so that Ukraine can destroy Russian airfields, bombers, and launch sites.

Let Ukraine strike back.

Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy has been part of the intensive UK-US diplomatic talks in Kyiv and Washington in the past week which have so far failed to produce a decision.

Russian president Mr Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the allies would not be cowed by Vladimir Putins threat of all-out war with Nato (Lucy North/PA)

But Mr Lammy told Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: Putin said dont send tanks. We sent them.

Putin said dont send any missiles. We sent them.

Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons.

What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.

Mr Lammy said there was a lot of bluster from Mr Putin but we cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist who wants to move into countries willy-nilly.

On the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, the Foreign Secretary said talks would continue with Sir Keir, Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky at the United Nations in New York later this month.

Its important that as allies supporting Ukraine, we have a shared strategy to win going forward.

Now weve been discussing this with the United States and with other key allies, but of course, we head to the UN General Assembly, where we will all meet with Zelensky in just under 12 days time.

Mr Lammy said no war is won with any one weapon, but added: Its important that we support the Ukrainians to continue to repel Russia in the Black Sea, its important that they can deal with the huge challenges in the air that are being mounted by Russia and of course that we support them  and we have  with training of their own men and women on the front line.

We want to put Ukraine in the strongest position going forward.

I cant tell you operationally, on air, what we will or wont do, and I particularly wont do that at a time when Russia is buying ballistic missiles from Iran and escalating further.

But please understand this is under careful discussion with the Ukrainians as we assess what they need as they head into that winter.

A British military intelligence update suggested Russia was continuing a high tempo of offensive operations in multiple areas of the frontline in the conflict.

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

A counter-offensive has been launched by airborne and naval infantry units in Kursk, the area of Russia invaded by Ukrainian forces, and they have highly likely retaken several villages.

In eastern Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence intelligence update said Mr Putins troops were making gradual advances around Vuhledar and to the southeast of the important logistics hub Pokrovsk.

Senior Tories have pushed for the UK to give Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia with Storm Shadow missiles even without US agreement.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson and ex-defence secretaries Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox have pushed for the change, the Sunday Times reported.

Former foreign secretary and Tory leadership hopeful James Cleverly told Sky News: I think its disappointing that Keir Starmer and David Lammy have failed to secure international agreement for Ukraine to use these missiles in their self-defence against the launch sites of those weapons that are currently hitting civilian infrastructure, energy infrastructure.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also backed Kyivs right to strike at targets in Russia, adding: If we have to do it unilaterally I think we should.
Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were arrested on Saturday after Venezuelan officials accused them of coming to the South American country to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

The arrests were announced on state television by Diosdado Cabello, the nations powerful interior minister.

Mr Cabello said the foreign citizens were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. In the television programme, Mr Cabello showed images of rifles he said were confiscated from some of the plotters of the alleged plan.

The American citizens included a member of the Navy, who Mr Cabello identified as Wilbert Joseph Castaneda Gomez. Mr Cabello said Mr Gomez was a former navy seal who had served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Colombia.

Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro addresses government loyalists gathered at the presidential palace (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

Spains embassy in Venezuela did not reply to a request for comment on the arrests of its citizens.

The US State Department confirmed the detention of a US military member and said it was aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained in Venezuela.

Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela, the statement said.

The announcement of the arrests comes just two days after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Mr Maduro, who were accused by the US government of obstructing voting during the disputed July 28 Venezuelan presidential election and carrying out human rights abuses.

Earlier this week, Spains parliament recognised opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election, angering Mr Maduros allies who called on the Venezuelan government to suspend commercial and diplomatic relations with Spain.

Tensions between Venezuelas government and the US have increased following the election, whose result sparked protests in which hundreds of opposition activists were arrested.

Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez waves to supporters during a political event (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

Venezuelas Electoral Council, which is closely aligned with the Maduro administration, said the president won the election with 52% of the vote, but did not provide a detailed breakdown of the results.

Opposition activists surprised the government by collecting tally sheets from 80% of the nations voting machines. The tally sheets collected by the opposition were published online and indicate Mr Gonzalez won the election with twice as many votes as Mr Maduro.

Despite international condemnation over the elections lack of transparency, Venezuelas supreme court, which has long backed Mr Maduro, confirmed his victory in August. Venezuelas attorney general then filed conspiracy charges against Mr Gonzalez, who fled to Spain last week after it became clear he would be arrested.

Mr Maduro has dismissed requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to provide tally sheets that prove he won the election.

Mr Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has long claimed the US is trying to overthrow him through sanctions and covert operations.

The Maduro administration has previously used Americans imprisoned in Venezuela to gain concessions from the US government.

In a deal conducted last year with the Biden administration, Mr Maduro released 10 Americans and a fugitive wanted by the US government to secure a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close Mr Maduro ally who was held in Florida on money laundering charges.

According to US prosecutors, Mr Saab had also helped Mr Maduro to avoid US Treasury sanctions through a complex network of shell companies.
The Last Dinner Party to be served up in Belfast

We take a look at the gigs across NI for the week ahead

(L-R) Lizzie Mayland, Abigail Morris and Georgia Davies of The Last Dinner Party perform on the main stage during day three of Leeds Festival 2024

John McGurk Sun 15 Sep 2024 at 11:00







The latest course in the remarkable rise to success of baroque indie pop rockers, The Last Dinner Party is set to be served up in Northern Ireland later this week.
World

North Koreas Kim again threatens to use nuclear weapons against South Korea, US
Exclusive | Veteran UDA boss breaks 36-year silence to deny role in murder of Patrick Kieltys father

Veteran loyalist rubbishes claims by British Army agent that he killed dad of Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty

Matt Kincaid

Ciaran Barnes Sun 15 Sep 2024 at 08:08

A veteran UDA leader has denied involvement in the plot to murder TV star Patrick Kieltys father Jack Kielty.
Natalie Schwartz, carrying 3-month-old Ava Schwartz on her chest, dances with 2-year-old Zoe Schwartz at Pacific Primarys 50th anniversary block party Saturday on Grove Street in San Francisco. Minh Connors/The Chronicle Children paint on a live mural during the block party for Pacific Primary, which opened in San Francisco in 1974. Minh Connors/The Chronicle Children write on the street with chalk during the block party for Pacific Primary, whose students range in age from 2 to 6. Minh Connors/The Chronicle Max Hilton, 6, sits in a tree while listening to live music at Pacific Primarys celebration in San Francisco on Saturday. Minh Connors/The Chronicle A band plays classic hits during Pacific Primarys 50th anniversary celebration in San Francisco on Saturday. Minh Connors/The Chronicle Amos Peattie, 3, jousts with brother Theo Peattie with sword-shaped balloons during the block party for Pacific Primary in San Francisco on Saturday. Minh Connors/The Chronicle

A San Francisco preschool that has inspired thousands of developing minds with a mix of tradition and reinvention celebrated its 50th anniversary Saturday with a block party reuniting alumni, parents and educators.

Teachers at Pacific Primary, which opened in 1974 at Grove and Baker streets, use art and music to inspire their young students, who range in age from 2 to 6. Many former students have been so inspired that they have become teachers there.

Saturdays party featured performances by current and former music teachers, who are seen as rock stars, as well as a live muralist, custom-made T-shirts and food donated by local restaurants, said Ilsa Miller, who is entering her third year as executive director of the school.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Pacific Primary emphasizes emergent curriculum, creating meaningful learning experiences by responding to childrens interests and needs, Miller said.

A crowd gathers on Grove Street in San Francisco for the block party celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pacific Primary, which seeks to create meaningful learning experiences for children. Minh Connors/The Chronicle

Every group of children is different, so emergent curriculum really fits the need of what you have in front of you at the moment, she said.

The school reflects San Franciscos diversity, with 59% students of color and 12% of its households identifying as LGBTQ, single-parent or adoptive families, Miller said.

Our mission and values remain trend-proof through play-based and anti-bias education that honors where each child is at, she said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Teachers at the school emphasize collaboration, helping children to understand that every problem is solvable if they first pinpoint a challenge on their own, then work together for a solution.

Tiffany McLain dances with daughter Marlow Jones, 3, during the block party for Pacific Primary, a staple in the lives of many San Francisco families for generations. Minh Connors/The Chronicle

I want children to understand why they should advocate for themselves, then apply that to larger communities, Miller said.

Pacific Primary, which enrolls 155 students in two buildings per session, has served about 5,280 children in its half-century. The ratio of students to teachers is low, with 16 children in the younger classes and 22 in the older ones  all supervised by three teachers, plus assistants, Miller said.

Teachers are compensated well and remain devoted to the school, with most staying for more than 10 years and many for decades, she said. The staff forms deep bonds with the students and their families, frequently attending graduations, weddings and funerals. The school holds a weekly Friday folk dance that attracts parents and alumni who want to stay connected.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Theres never a day when its not worth it, said Eric Wilson, who has been teaching at the school for 23 years  through the 9/11 attacks and so much craziness. These kids get it much more than we can.

Five-year-old Esther Hunt, left, and Joan Hunt, 2, contribute to the live mural as their father, Jonathan Hunt, spots a familiar face during the block party for Pacific Primary in San Francisco. Minh Connors/The Chronicle

Wilson, who teaches the youngest students, said he appreciates that the school has one male teacher in every class because thats how the world is. Wilson said he had enrolled his son and daughter  now 21 and 25, respectively  in the school and believes in its mission of social and emotional growth, making the students more competent adults than we are.

Every year we have more and more parents who used to go here as kids and now send their kids here, he said. Fifty years of community and family are crucial to why the school is doing so well.

Cameron Shaw, a student at Pacific Primary from 1986 through 1988, went on to become a helper as a teenager and a substitute teacher as an adult. Now shes in her 10th year on the staff.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Shaws aunt and uncle were among the founders of the school, and shes the aunt of two former students.

Levi, 3, gets his face painted during the block party for Pacific Primary, which seeks to inspire children through art and music. Minh Connors/The Chronicle

She has fond memories of her teachers, a chef who cooked really amazing food, digging holes in the playground, and field trips out of town for San Francisco kids who dont get a lot of it during the summer.

Shaw appreciates the schools devotion to working families, its emphasis on racial and financial diversity, and its reliance on personal interaction rather than technology to foster creativity.

Being here in this neighborhood and not moving to a fancier location really reflects the schools values, she said of the schools North of the Panhandle site. Building that sense of community is why children want to come back as teenagers.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Pacific Primary students often have questions about real-world issues, and teachers respond at a level appropriate to their development  answering just what they ask, Miller said. Students have asked about the unhoused people in the neighborhood, for example, and teachers use exercises such as puppet shows to help them understand.

Magnus Piccirilli, 4, runs down the sidewalk during Pacific Primarys 50th anniversary block party in San Francisco on Saturday. Minh Connors/The Chronicle

The school, which was one of the first to reopen after the pandemic, sustains itself through tuition and fundraising. It offers tuition assistance to almost one-fourth of the families it serves, Miller said.
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.

PAWLET  Vermont State Police is investigating the possible homicide of three family members at their home on Vermont 133 in Pawlet on Sunday.

Police said the names of the victims were being withheld pending notification of next of kin in the suspected domestic incident.

Investigators are dealing with a person of interest, believed to be a family member.

An emergency 911 call was received about 3:45 a.m. for the shooting along the Vermont-New York border  about 25 miles southwest of Rutland City.

New York State Police  which has 24-hour on-duty patrol coverage  was first to arrive on the scene in the rural community that borders Granville, N.Y., officials said.

The initial call reported a possibly suspicious person, but as Vermont State Police investigators were called out, they found a bloody scene with three bodies in the rural community of about 1,400 residents, a spokesman said.

Emergency First Responders from the area also were summoned to offer help, police said.

The office of Rutland County State's Attorney Ian Sullivan is working closely with state police.

Officials said the investigation is in its preliminary stages and involves members of the Vermont State Police uniform division, the Major Crime Unit, the detective bureau, the Crime Scene Search Team and victim services.

After the crime scene is processed by the Crime Scene Search Team, the victims bodies will be brought to the Chief Medical Examiners Office in Burlington for autopsies to determine the cause and manner of death, state police spokesman Adam Silverman said.

He said the initial theory by detectives indicates the crime is an isolated event with no identified threat to the community.

Authorities have set up a command post at the Pawlet Volunteer Fire Station.

Anyone with information that could assist investigators in this case should call the Vermont State Police in Rutland at 802-773-9101.
Stay up to date on Berkshires news with Berkshires in Brief, our free daily newsletter

NORTH ADAMS  Between Oct. 4 and 14, the circus is in town.

Thats because husband and wife duo Carlo Pellegrini and Hilary Sweeney are putting on the Mill Town Circus, which will tell a historic story of North Adams under the big tent.

Performers from Cirque du Soleil, from Big Apple Circus, from Ringling Brothers  all at the top of their career, will not just perform their acts  but act as a company, Pellegrini told The Eagle Saturday. We will create a story of a typical mill town, with all the ups and downs. Its a story of hope and reinvention, as evidenced by [the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art]."

The production will contain historical references to landmarks like the Eclipse Mill. Sweeney said it will be set in the early 1900s in costuming and feel, like a snapshot in time.

We hope people like it, Sweeney said. Its a gift from the heart to the city that gives back to us, and the place we can now call home.

RINGMASTER AND AERIALIST

The couple moved to the town of Florida in 2019 and have since been laying the groundwork to bring one of their productions to North County. They forged a partnership with the city and Discover North Adams, and their show will coincide with the Fall Foliage Parade.This years theme for the parade is Berk du Soleil  The Greatest Show in North Berkshire.

They run Westchester Circus Arts in New York, which hosts camps for kids teaching them different circus-related skills such as acrobatics. They produce dozens of shows every year, whether its pop-up circuses, school assemblies or other events.

Per the circus' website, their show will bring to life the sights and sounds of North Adams heyday with dazzling acrobatics, mesmerizing aerial acts, and breathtaking stunts, all set against a backdrop that echoes the citys former industrial grandeur.

Pellegrini, 72, has had a decorated career in the circus, joining it over 50 years ago as a juggler, comic and dancer.

I joined the circus when I was 19 out of college and never looked back, Pellegrini said. It was not a popular decision with my family.

Pellegrinis experience in show business is varied  he acted as Swifty the short-order cook in the 1980 movie Popeye, starring Robin Williams. In 1980, he took on the role as ringmaster and lead clown for the Big Apple Circus in New York City.

He later stepped away from the circus world for more than a decade, trading his life in the spotlight for a career in advertising, before eventually returning to the field.

Sweeney, 43, began her career has a ballet dancer, before later taking those skills and applying them to aerial performing. She worked a corporate job for Pepsi in her 20s before escaping from her golden handcuffs, and running away to join the circus.

About doing what we love, and making the choice: When youre that passionate about something, its almost not a choice, Sweeney said. You have to follow it because you cant do anything else.

As far as her calling of the circus, There are a lot of ups and downs, theres a lot of uncertainty, Sweeney said. But I would recommend it to anyone who has a passion, give it a go, give it 100 percent, see where it takes you. Were making our living off of this, so it could work.

Pellegrini and Sweeney met when the latter was 29, once she bolted for the circus. Sweeney called it a classic aerialist and ringmaster love story.

Carlo would call me the queen of the circus stratosphere when hed announce me, she said.

UNDER THE BIG TENT

Essential to the October production is a big circus tent coming to Noel Field that will seat about 240 people, with no one more than 45 feet away from the ring. Pellegrini says it will be both awe-inspiring and intimate. While he will be performing as ringmaster and narrator, Sweeney is focusing on producing.

The tent will arrive on a tractor-trailer, and will take two days for a crew of six to eight people to set up. The show involves six performers, as well as volunteer ushers and people running concessions.

Putting up the tent by hand with stakes reminds me how much grit there is in the circus, Sweeney said. Theres grit to a factory mill community too. Im excited to see those two worlds merge creatively.

Tickets will go for $15 in the grandstand and $25 ringside. Dates and showtimes vary each day and can be found at tinyurl.com/mv4k75vw. The show will run on Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 6 p.m., as well as Oct. 6 at 4 p.m., Oct. 13 at 2 and 6 p.m. and Oct. 14 at 2 p.m.

Sweeney is from Worcester County, and she says she has a soft spot for towns with a blue-collar history.

I feel like theres a pride deep down in my roots that I want to bring out in this town through our show, she said. Thats why we call it Mill Town Circus.
BOSTON  Fifty years to the day since yellow school buses first rolled Boston toward a desegregated future, some of the players from the era's historic events returned to the scene and reminisced about how busing came to be.

Ira Jackson, chief of staff to former Boston Mayor Kevin White, said he was in South Boston on Sept. 12, 1974, as enforcement began of U.S. District Court Judge W. Arthur Garrity Jr.'s order to forcibly end de-facto segregation in the city's public schools.

"Witnessing young Black children having bricks thrown at the windows of their school buses," Jackson told the News Service, "and I was there when they returned at the end of school. They were on the floor of the school buses with glass shards in their hair. It was as ugly an experience as Boston has ever seen. It was our Selma, it was our Little Rock. And it was a day of shame."

Jackson was one of several special guests participating in a seven-stop walk-and-ride tour hosted by the Boston Desegregation and Busing Initiative. The group's 45-member committee has a series of events planned during this 50th anniversary year.

Thursday's media tour previewed a program that will open to the general public on Saturday at 10 a.m.

The commemorations have brought some people back together. Vernita Weller is the daughter of the Rev. Vernon Carter, a chief proponent of the state Racial Imbalance Act, and she remembers the Rev. Nannene Gowdy protesting with her father in front of the Boston School Department. The two didn't see each other for decades.

"And we have just been reunited in the last few months," Weller said.

The walking portion of the tour started on the sidewalk near 15 Beacon St., which 50 years ago was the headquarters of the Boston School Committee. Now, it's the XV Beacon luxury hotel  "a different scene," as longtime community organizer Lew Finfer put it.

Finfer pointed up at the hotel, where in September 1963 a two-day sit-in was led by Tom Atkins, who later became Boston's first Black city councilor.

"And people sat in overnight, and they blocked their supporters from bringing them food, so people lifted the food up. Lifted the food up to them in the higher windows," Finfer said.

The tour's stops at 15 Beacon St. and the nearby Statehouse were intended to show a long road that led up to enforcement of Judge Garrity's ruling. Finfer said it's a misconception that Garrity touched off the entire busing era.

Attorney Eric Van Loon, who represented Black schoolparents in the federal lawsuit that led to Garrity's order, said that "even if Judge Garrity had never been involved, there was an order from the Massachusetts state Supreme Court for the School Committee to implement the plan that was implemented that year."

"And the violence, the problems, the everything  regrettably would seem to have happened nonetheless," he said.

The tour also visited the Statehouse where the Legislature heard from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1965, and where the General Court ultimately passed the Racial Imbalance Act that August.

Carter decided to don a placard and walk back and forth in front of 15 Beacon St. until lawmakers passed the bill, his daughter Weller said.

"And he did that, for 114 days and five hours, until Aug. 18," she said Thursday. "And during that time, people from all over Boston joined him. There were, at times, a thousand people out here joining him. ... People gave him food, they gave him water, they brought him coffee, he took showers at the Paulist Center. He had a van that was given to him by the local NAACP that was right over by where the restaurant Mooo.... is  he slept there."

Weller, then a young girl, remembered visiting the protest line and taking naps in the van, next to what is now an expensive steakhouse.

"Reporters asked him, 'Are you going to stay here all winter?' And he said, 'If that's what it takes, that's what I'm going to do,'" she recalled.

In a statement at the end of the vigil, Carter recorded his thanks to former Republican Gov. John Volpe for "being the first governor in the United States to propose that racial imbalance be outlawed by legislation." Carter was handed the first pen that Volpe used to sign the bill, his daughter said.

The new law outlawed racial imbalance in the state's public schools, but the journey was far from over. It was the Boston School Committee's noncompliance that resulted in the federal lawsuit and Garrity's busing order.

The "racist School Committee put all the resources where the white kids were," Van Loon said at the Statehouse steps, leaving decrepit school buildings and insufficient textbooks and teaching staff in Black neighborhoods.

Other stops on the walk-and-ride tour route included the JFK Federal Building, Boston City Hall, the federal courthouse in Post Office Square where Garrity's courtroom was located, Excel High School in South Boston and Freedom House in Dorchester.

"As ugly as busing was," Jackson said, "and as disappointed as we are today in the performance of the Boston Public Schools, I think this was Boston's crucible moment  when we confronted racism and intolerance and division. And look at us now. We're a city that's welcoming, diverse and entirely different."
BillOReilly.com is not available in this country.



We apologize for any inconvenience.
A pivotal step towards establishing Indias self-sufficiency in clinical development

In a significant stride towards strengthening Indias clinical research ecosystem, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has formalised Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) with multiple sponsors under its network of Phase 1 clinical trials.

The agreements mark a ground-breaking entry into first-in-human clinical trials for four promising molecules. These include collaborative research over a small molecule for multiple myeloma with Aurigene Oncology , partnering for Zika vaccine development with Indian Immunologicals, coordinating seasonal influenza virus vaccine trial with Mynvax, and CAR-T cell therapy advancement study for a new indication of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with ImmunoACT. This initiative is a crucial step towards establishing India as a leader in the clinical development of pharmaceutical agents.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research & Director General, ICMR, said, Establishing Phase 1 clinical trial infrastructure is a key component in fostering the development of indigenous molecules and cutting-edge treatments. Our vision is to expand this network further, ensuring that India continues to lead in the development of innovative and affordable healthcare solutions.

The ICMR Network for Phase 1 Clinical Trials comprises four strategically located institutions across India- King Edward Memorial Hospital & Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College (KEMH & GSMC), Mumbai; The Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Navi Mumbai; SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCH&RC), Kattankulathur; and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, supported by a Central Coordinating Unit at ICMR Headquarters in New Delhi. This network is designed to build and enhance Indias capacity to conduct early-phase clinical trials, supported by robust infrastructure and dedicated manpower at each trial site, ensuring smooth and effective operations.
Roscoe, a retired Vacaville police dog, was put down after he was diagnosed with cancer. Vacaville Police Department Roscoe, a Dutch shepherd, had earned several awards during his time with the Vacaville Police Department. Vacaville Police Department Roscoe spent more than five years with the Vacaville Police Department. Vacaville Police Department Roscoe, a retired Vacaville police dog, was put down after he was diagnosed with cancer. Vacaville Police Department Roscoe served for more than five years on the Vacaville Police Department with Lt. Frank Piro, who became his owner when the Dutch shepherd retired. Vacaville Police Department

A retired Vacaville police K-9 has been put down after being diagnosed with cancer.

Roscoe was put down shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer in late August, the Vacaville Police Department announced Friday on Facebook. His owner, Lt. Frank Piro, took him to a vet after he noticed Roscoe was not acting like his normal rambunctious self, the post said.

The Dutch shepherd became a K-9 for Vacaville police in 2014 and served for more than five years with Piro.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Together, they visited community events, schools and local childrens lemonade stands. In 2015, the duo competed in the Western States Police Canine Association Trial season, where Roscoe was awarded Top K-9 of the year and Top Competitor, authorities said.

This team gave back to the community not only by taking a bite out of crime but also by connecting with its people, the Facebook post said.

Roscoe enjoyed playing in the pool during his retirement. Vacaville Police Department

Roscoe was retired from the police department at the time of his death. It was not immediately clear when he retired. Police said Roscoe spent his well-deserved retirement by playing in the pool and with his toys and spending time with his family.

Thank you K-9 Roscoe, for all you did for Lt. Piro, your family, our department and our community. May you rest easy, police said.
A man has been attacked and injured by several strangers in Reinach BL. (archive picture) Keystone

A 42-year-old man was attacked and injured by several strangers in Reinach BL on Saturday evening. He had to be taken to hospital by the ambulance service.

SDA

An uninvolved third party reported the attack to the police shortly before 10.30 p.m., as the Basel cantonal police announced on Sunday. When the emergency services arrived, the unknown perpetrators had already fled in an unknown direction. According to the victim, the perpetrators were a group of young men aged between 16 and 20.

SDA
A Dublin-based Chinese businessman has been accused of money laundering connected to an international 9.7 million "zombie" iPhone fraud.

Chengwen Guo, 41, of Ivy Exchange, Parnell Street, Dublin 1, was arrested at his home on Wednesday following a three-year investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation into an illegal counterfeit Apple phone trade.

Advertisement

He was taken to Kevin Street Garda station in the city centre and charged with three offences under section seven of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 for possessing crime proceeds totalling 170,460, following searches at three locations in Dublin in January 2022.

The offence carries a maximum 14-year sentence.

The father of four, who was believed to be running a chain of phone shops since moving to Ireland in 2012, allegedly had 143,245 at his home, 20,700 at Murray Mobile, 15 Main Street, Dundrum, D14, and 6,515 in a 2019-reg Audi Q2 car at Shanowen Road, D9.

The court heard fake Chinese Apple phones were dispatched to Ireland and swapped for genuine iPhones sent to China.

Advertisement

He was refused bail when he appeared before Judge David McHugh on Saturday at Dublin District Court, which heard gardai believed he was a "central figure in the complex deception that was undertaken to defraud Apple".

Detective Garda Conor Cadogan said Mr Guo "made no reply" to the charges, and the officer objected to bail, citing flight risk and witness interference fears.

The contested bail hearing was told that the GNBCI probe opened in December 2021 following a report from tech giant Apple about product warranty fraud.

"It was suspected that an international organised crime gang (OCG) are involved in procuring counterfeit products and sending them to members of the OCG in Ireland for processing," Detective Garda Cadogan said.

Advertisement

He claimed that in July 2021, Customs officers intercepted a package "full with counterfeit items and Apple products" destined for the Murray Mobile phone company at 15 Main Street Dundrum.

The court heard a different name was on the package, but it also had the same address and mobile phone number as the accused.

Gardai believed the accused controlled eight Murray Mobile stores in Dublin and Kildare.

10 searches under warrant were carried out on January 10, 2022, and gardai found the cash at the three locations named in court and on the charges.

Advertisement

Detective Garda Cadogan said the investigation team froze 14 bank accounts connected to Murray Mobile, the accused, and his wife. He told Judge McHugh there was a total of 168,902 in them.

The officer explained that the probe focused on genuine and unique IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers applied to counterfeit Apple phones.

Known as "zombie phones", the court heard, they were allegedly supplied to Mr Guo and subsequently used to defraud Apple.

This activity involved the phones being brought to a specific phone repair shop.

Advertisement

Some 10,685 were submitted for repair from 2019 to 2021, and 9,761 of them have been allegedly confirmed to be counterfeit zombie phones.

It was estimated that the accused and his associates made approximately 9.7 million from executing this fraud.

Detective Garda Cadogan said he was satisfied that it involved members of the international gang in China and Ireland.

The court heard that it was believed the fake devices were shipped to Ireland, where genuine IMEI numbers were applied to them.

The accused allegedly brought them to the phone repair shop to be processed, and he received genuine replacement iPhones, which were sent to Asia and sold to the benefit of the organised crime gang.

Mr Guo's phone was seized in January 2021 and allegedly contained evidence that he was a "central figure in the complex deception that was undertaken to defraud Apple".

The detective believed the accused was a "major flight risk", adding that he was a person of considerable means with connections. He contended that it would be easy for Mr Guo to flee the jurisdiction to evade justice if granted bail.

Judge McHugh heard that the investigation team would recommend that the Director of Public Prosecutions bring further serious charges under organised crime legislation and for trademark, money laundering and theft offences.

The court heard that Mr Guo had a Chinese passport, and Ireland did not have an extradition agreement with China.

The detective said 57 witness statements had been taken, and he feared there could be interference with witnesses, which could jeopardise the trial process.

Questioned by defence solicitor Conor Ruane, the officer agreed that Mr Guo was arrested on Wednesday at his home, which had been searched in January 2022.

Mr Ruane stressed that his client continued to work and live here, despite knowing of the ongoing investigation.

Family members were in court. Mr Ruane said his client's wife was an Irish citizen, and his ties to the country were solid.

The detective said the businessman travelled to China numerous times a year and had family and friends there, but agreed with the solicitor that the majority of his accounts have now been frozen.

Pleading for bail, Mr Ruane said his client would surrender his passport, which is currently in the UK embassy, because he had applied for a visa to visit his adult daughter, who is studying in the UK.

The detective said he had recently learned about that, and it strengthened the case to object to bail. Furthermore, he did not know if gardai had jurisdiction to seize the passport from the embassy.

The defence solicitor said there was a 9,000 bail offer from his client's wife, but the Garda would not agree to any terms being set.

Mr Ruane said the accused has the presumption of innocence, the wait for further charges would increase his client's time in custody more than normal, and he was entitled to bail with terms.

The court heard he spoke very good English, and he also had the assistance of an interpreter. However, he did not address the court or indicate a plea.

Judge McHugh said he was satisfied Mr Guo was a flight risk and refused bail. The accused was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday.
A 50 million pledge from the Irish Government to rebuild Casement Park remains in place, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

The Taoiseach said while he shares the disappointment that the stadium will not be built in time for Euro 2028, the opportunity to have a top-class sporting facility in Belfast must not be lost.

Advertisement

Mr Harris said he will meet with the GAA as well as engaging with Northern Irelands First and deputy First Ministers, Michelle ONeill and Emma Little-Pengelly.

Advertisement

On Friday, the UK government announced it will not fund the redevelopment of the west Belfast GAA stadium in time for the Euros.

It cited concerns over cost as well as doubts that the stadium could be constructed in time for test events to be carried out in advance of the tournament.

Casement Park had been earmarked to stage five matches at Euro 2028, which is being co-hosted by Ireland and the UK.

Mr Harris said: This weekends announcement that the British Government is not in a position to complete the development of Casement Park in time for Euro 2028 has been met with understandable disappointment.

Advertisement

The overriding factor is the doubt around Casement being ready in time for the tournament and its test events.

Casement Park stadium in west Belfast is currently derelict (Niall Carson/PA)

I share the disappointment that Euro 2028 games will not be played at a redeveloped Casement, but we must not lose sight of the opportunity to have another top-class sporting facility in a city that thrives on sport.

Advertisement

I will meet with the GAA in the coming week, and I have already confirmed to Prime Minister (Sir Keir) Starmer that the 50 million euro the Irish Government pledged to the project will remain in place, regardless of the decision around Euro 2028.

Mr Harris said how to proceed with the Casement project is now a matter for the Stormont Executive and the UK government.

He added: I will engage with the First and deputy First Ministers on how we can help.

It is essential the positive effects of Ireland and the UK co-hosting Euro 2028 is felt in all parts of these islands.

Advertisement

We will work closely with the UK and all stakeholders to achieve this.
Eight migrants have died while trying to cross the English Channel overnight.

The French maritime prefecture for the English Channel and the North Sea said 53 migrants were on board a boat which got into difficulty off the coast of Ambleteuse in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France.

Advertisement

A rescue operation was launched but eight people were confirmed dead, the prefecture said in a statement.

Jacques Billant, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, told French media on Sunday that six people were taken to hospital in relative emergency, including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia.

Advertisement

Survivors of the accident come from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran, he added.

A UK government spokesperson said French authorities are leading the investigation.

We can confirm there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters, the spokesperson said.

Advertisement

French authorities are leading the response and investigation. We will not be commenting further at this stage.

British Red Cross said the deaths were tragic, as the charity organisation called for more safe crossing routes for migrants.

Nobody risks their life travelling across the Channel in a small boat unless they feel they have no other choice, the director for refugee support, Alex Fraser, said.

More safe routes are urgently needed to help prevent people from taking dangerous journeys to reach the UK.

Advertisement

(PA Graphics)

It comes less than two weeks after 12 migrants died when their boat sank trying to cross the Channel.

A pregnant woman and six children were among those killed in the incident on September 3rd, with up to 65 people rescued off the coast of Cap Gris-Nez.

Advertisement

More than 30 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year.

Before this month, the French coastguard had recorded at least 19 Channel crossing deaths in 2024, including nine since the start of July. Last year, 12 migrants are thought to have died or were recorded as missing.

Responding to reports of the deaths, UK foreign secretary David Lammy said: Its awful. Its a further loss of life.

British foreign secretary David Lammy said the UK government is continuing work on how we go after the people-smuggling gangs (Lucy North/PA)

He told the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme he had been to the National Crime Agency and seen the awful sort of rubber dinghies that people are coming across the Channel with, many of them, of course, not able to make it in these contraptions.

The UK government has been discussing how we go after those gangs, in co-operation upstream with other European partners, he added.

Sir Keir Starmer will be in Italy on Monday for talks with counterpart Giorgia Meloni about her efforts to tackle the problem and the work they have done, particularly, with Albania.

The UK prime minister has said he is interested in the rollout of the policy, under which Tirana will accept asylum seekers on Italys behalf while their claims are processed.

On Saturday, French maritime authorities said more than 200 people were rescued in the Channel in a 24-hour period from Friday to Saturday.

Some 22,440 people have crossed the Channel so far this year, with nearly 9,000 having made the crossing since the general election.
A long-range missile fired from Yemen has landed in an open area in central Israel, the military has said.

The attack early on Sunday triggered air raid sirens, including at Ben Gurion International Airport, where local media aired footage of people racing to shelters. There were no reports of casualties or damage, and the airport authority said operations resumed as normal shortly afterwards.

Advertisement

A fire could be seen in a rural area of central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be a fragment from a missile or interceptor that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin. The military said the sound of explosions in the area came from interceptors.

Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel since the start of the nearly year-long war between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the rebels, said on Sunday they fired a ballistic missile targeting a military target in the area of Tel Aviv.

Hashim Sharaf al-Din, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run government, said Yemenis will celebrate the birthday of Islams Prophet Muhammad while the Israelis will have to be in shelters. Another senior Houthi official, Hezam al-Asad, posted a taunting message in Hebrew on the social media platform X.

Advertisement



A firefighter works in the area around a fire after the Israeli military fired interceptors at a missile launched from Yemen (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)

In July, an Iranian-made drone launched by the Houthis struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and injuring 10 others. Israel responded with a wave of air strikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen, including the port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a similar response in remarks at a cabinet meeting after Sundays attack.

Advertisement

The Houthis should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us, he said. Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah.

The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, in what the rebels portray as a blockade on Israel in support of the Palestinians. Most of the targeted ships have no connection to Israel.

The war in Gaza, which began with Hamass October 7 attack into southern Israel, has rippled across the region, with Iran and allied militant groups attacking Israeli and US targets and drawing retaliatory strikes from Israel and its Western allies. On several occasions, the strikes and counter-strikes have threatened to trigger a wider conflict.

Iran supports militant groups across the region, including Hamas, the Houthis and Lebanons Hezbollah, its most powerful ally, which has traded fire with Israel on a near-daily basis since the war in Gaza began. Iran and its allies say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Advertisement

The Israeli military said around 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon early on Sunday, with most intercepted or falling in open areas.

The strikes along the Israel-Lebanon border have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides. Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a wider military operation against Hezbollah to ensure its citizens can return to their homes.
A police dog that was injured during violent disorder in Southport has been retired from service.

The dog, named Zoe, required stitches after she suffered a laceration to her leg during disorder involving hundreds of people on July 30th.

Advertisement

Mersey Police Dogs said Zoe was now fit and well, but added that it would never ask our dogs to do something they no longer want to do.

The violent unrest in Southport came a day after three girls were killed in a knife attack in the town, with more than 50 police officers injured during the disorder.

Advertisement

On Friday evening, Mersey Police Dogs posted on its X account: We are sad to announce that following the violent disorder in Southport, PD (Police Dog) Zoe is to retire from service.

Zoe is fit and well but we will never ask our dogs to do something they no longer want to do.

Thank you for your bravery and service, we wish you all the happiness in retirement.

Advertisement

Following the disorder, Merseyside Police said a dog named Ike was recovering after sustaining a cut mouth and swelling to his front leg and another, named Quga, had suffered burns to her back leg.

A fourth police dog, named Repo, was spared injury after its handler kicked petrol away.

Mersey Police Dogs said it had no words for how our officers and dogs were targeted during the disorder, adding our police dogs demonstrated extreme bravery and did all they could to assist colleagues under a sustained and violent attack.

In an update on September 3rd, the dogs section said Quga had finally been reunited with her handler after a slow recovery.

Advertisement

In a post on social media, Mersey Police Dogs added: Following a trip to the vets she has been given the all clear and will hopefully be back fighting crime and hunting down criminals soon.
Rangoli, a colorful form of Indian folk art, marks the sidewalk of Bishop Ranch City Center in San Ramon. Indian Americans are helping fuel the growth of San Ramon and other Tri-Valley cities. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2020

The number of Asian Indians in California rose by more than 300,000 from 2013 to 2023, reflecting one of the fastest growths of any ethnic group.

California had an estimated 925,000 Indians and Indian Americans in 2023, a nearly 50% increase from the 620,000 estimated in 2013, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Californias overall population increased by just 2% over the same period.

During the same decade, Californias Chinese American population  while much larger than its Indian population  increased at a slower rate, 21%. Most other Asian populations in the Census Bureaus American Community Survey, including people identifying as Korean or Vietnamese, saw single-digit growth rates.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Those figures reflect estimates of residents who identify with a single ethnicity, a subgroup that has driven much of the growth among Californias South Asian population.

The statewide surge of the Indian population mirrors a similar nationwide trend, with the number of people identifying as Indian in the United States rising from 3.2 million in 2013 to 4.7 million in 2023, a 48% increase. In 2020, Asian Indians became the largest Asian group identifying with a single ethnicity, surpassing the number of Chinese people.

Indian communities in counties near and within the Bay Area grew particularly quickly, with the estimated number of Indian people in San Joaquin County  where the overall population has swelled in recent years  nearly tripling over the decade. The Indian population in San Francisco more than doubled, while Contra Costa, Alameda and San Mateo counties also saw substantial increases.

Californias tech and biotech jobs tend to attract Indian immigrants entering the country through employer-based visas, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a researcher at UC Berkeley and founder of AAPI Data. But Indian American workers from other U.S. states are coming to California in search of jobs as well, he added.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Births are another factor, Ramakrishnan explained, though he said that international migration  including by those who have student or family visas  remains the primary driver of the rising Indian population in California.

In the Bay Area, Indian residents are helping fuel the growth of several cities in the Tri-Valley region such as Dublin and San Ramon, whose overall populations rose rapidly from 2010 to 2020. The proximity of those cities to much of the rest of the Bay Area  especially Silicon Valley and local universities  makes them especially appealing for Indian and Indian American workers, said Raj Desai, a board member for the India Community Center in Milpitas. Others come to launch their own startups, he added.

This is just kind of a no-brainer, Desai said. People that wish to come to (Silicon Valley) get the appropriate funding and find and acquire talent.

Desai explained that the Indian community has grown in the Tri-Valley largely because homes there are relatively affordable. The areas reputation for good schools and safe neighborhoods has also drawn Indian families, he added. The India Community Center is considering expanding its programs  which include providing meals to seniors, hosting Bollywood dances and organizing a robotics club  to other cities in the Tri-Valley.

The first South Asian immigrants arrived in California around the beginning of the 20th century, often through San Franciscos Angel Island, with many hired to work agricultural and manufacturing jobs after the Chinese Exclusion Act banned most Chinese workers from entering the country.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

While the work was backbreaking and South Asians often faced intense discrimination from their employers, they also built important cultural and religious organizations to support each other, Harvard University historian Erika Lee wrote in her 2015 book, The Making of Asian America. The Pacific Coast Khalsa Diwan Society, founded in the early 1900s in Stockton, established the first Sikh temple in the United States, according to Yee.
Another night of torrential rain across central Europe has forced massive evacuations in the hardest hit areas in the Czech Republic, where floods reached extreme levels on Sunday.

Meteorologists have warned the situation might get worse yet as waters in most rivers are rising, the flood wave makes its way through the country, and more heavy rain could return overnight.

Advertisement

Authorities declared the highest flood warnings in almost 90 places across the country and in two north-eastern regions that recorded the biggest rainfall in recent days, including the Jeseniky mountains near the Polish border.

In the city of Opava, up to 10,000 people out of a population of some 56,000 have been asked to leave their homes for higher ground. Rescuers used boats to transport people to safety in a neighbourhood flooded by the raging Opava River.



The Czech town of Jesenik has been inundated by floodwater (Petr David Josek/AP)

Advertisement

Theres no reason to wait, Mayor Tomas Navratil told Czech public radio. He said the situation is worse than during the last devastating floods in 1997, known as the flood of the century.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the focus is on saving lives, and his government will meet on Monday to assess the damage.

Towns and villages in the Jeseniky mountains, including the local centre of Jesenik, have been inundated and isolated by raging waters that turned roads into rivers. The military has sent a helicopter to help with evacuations.

Four people who were swept away by waters are missing, police said.

Advertisement

About 260,000 households were without power on Sunday morning in the entire country while traffic was halted on many roads, including the major D1 highway.

Meanwhile in Austria, a firefighter died after slipping on stairs while pumping out a flooded basement in the town of Tulln.



The flooded city centre of Jesenik, Czech Republic (Petr David Josek/AP)

Advertisement

Authorities declared the entire state of Lower Austria a disaster zone. The situation remains tense, especially at the reservoir of Ottenstein, which is expected to reach its maximum capacity on Sunday.

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Sunday that one person is presumed dead in floods in the south-west.

He said the situation is dramatic around the town of Klodzko, with some 25,000 residents, located in a valley in the Sudetes mountains near the border with the Czech Republic.

In Glucholazy, rising waters overflowed a river embankment and flooded streets and houses. Mayor Pawel Szymkowicz said we are drowning, and he urged residents to evacuate to high ground.

Advertisement

Several other central European nations have been hit by severe flooding, including Romania, where four people have died, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary, as a result of a low-pressure system from northern Italy dumping heavy rain in the wide region.

The weather change arrived following a hot start to September in the region, including in Romania.
Chad Cory & Zacardi Cortez - My First Love" | DREAM Label Group

Los Angeles, CA (September 13th, 2024) - Atlanta gospel artist Chad Cory and Texas gospel artist Zacardi Cortez team up to release My First Love. Available on all streaming providers via DREAM Gospel, My First Love was produced by Joseph Williams and written by Chadrick Wood. The four-minute songs message is a beautiful reminder that no matter what the circumstances, that Gods love is eternal.

"Jesus says in Revelation 2:4: But I have this against you, that you have left your first love! Our relationship with Christ matters. The time we spend with Him matters! You may have walked away or given up, but you can always come back home!" - Chad Cory

Listen or Buy My First Love here
It was delivering on the story of soaring  and profitable  growth as cashed-up pandemic consumers grew comfortable buying luxury fashion online. But its Cinderella story contrasted starkly with failing rivals such as FarFetch in a sector surviving on low profit margins. The success story came under significant pressure early this year when reports started questioning how Cettire was actually making money. Cettires reclusive founder, Dean Mintz is buying shares again, but at a fraction of the prices he recently sold. Duty arbitrage was nominated as a culprit for its success. Selling online  and mostly outside the European Union  means Cettire can exploit loopholes in trade regulations that would otherwise require it to pay value-added tax (VAT) in the EU, or duty on goods delivered to the US, which is its largest source of business.

But controversy raged over reported discrepancies in what duties it charged customers and how much of this was actually paid to the authorities  especially in the US, its major market. Was Cettire making money by charging customers duties that were then pocketed? In its response to the allegations, Cettire said: All applicable duties and other import charges are paid to the relevant authorities at the point of customs clearance. It denied it was overcharging customers. But Cettire made a key change in no longer separating out what it charged customers for duties. A shock downgrade in June, which halved Cettires share price, confirmed that the retailer was no longer defying gravity in a market flooded with discounting by the groups rivals on one side  and softening consumer demand on the other.

It didnt help that this coincided with scrutiny of its duty payments, raising doubts as to which was to blame. Then came last months financial results. Its shares plunged back to multi-year lows after it failed to get its financial accounts audited due to revenue recognition issues. It barely made money for the June quarter and conditions were expected to remain tough into the current quarter. Shares that were worth $4.90 as recently as February plunged to a low of $1.01 within days, with tough market conditions forecast to continue into this financial year. Reclusive founder and chief executive Dean Mintz wants investors to believe that its worst financial challenge is one of fashion victim  as luxury brands such as Acne Studio and Victoria Beckham discount directly to customers  the latter offering discounts of up to 60 per cent.

Cettire shares have plunged as questions have grown about how it actually makes money. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer Some of the particularly unusual things that we saw in spring/summer 24 was brands themselves doing heavy discounting on their own websites, Mintz told analysts and investors on the groups conference call. But he held out the potential for the brutal end of the spring/summer sales season would give way to a more sober winter  a hint that this is temporary and Cettires normal trajectory will resume with a balance of significant profitable growth. But as twitchy investors are aware, the truth could be far worse. Lets get back to the unaudited accounts. Cettire said last month that the audit was progressing, with accounting firm Grant Thornton reviewing whether the company should not recognise all the money it received from customers as revenue. The argument is that it acts as an agent for the fashion distributors  who do the physical handling of the sale  and Cettire should not include their cut of the proceeds.

It would mean its reported revenue would drop, but no other significant financial indicators, it told the ASX. It would not impact reported earnings nor cash flows nor represent a change in the legal basis for the Groups contractual relationships with suppliers and customers, Cettire said. It invites the obvious question: if it makes no substantive difference, why hold up the audit on this point? Cettire did not provide an explanation, but others have. Critics like the blogger, known as TaxLoss, have speculated that it could mean Cettire will have to offer more detail in its financial accounts - like how much money it generates from product returns and more importantly, duties.

This would clarify whether Cettire is reliant on duties arbitrage, and returns fees, for its bottom line, as claimed by short sellers and other critics. Cettire certainly did nothing to clarify the issue when RBC analyst Wei-Weng Chen tried to address the elephant in the room and asked about the duties issue directly with Cettire at its earnings conference call. His query was simple: did Cettire automatically passed on all duties charges it raised from customers to the relevant authorities. Cettires chief financial officer Tim Hume made the distinction between charges like GST and VAT - where there is an obligation to remit the money raised to the relevant authorities. Duty, by nature, is a bit different, he responded.

Loading It created a field day for the short sellers who profit from any fall in a companys share price. They were well prepared for a disastrous financial result with around 10 per cent of Cettires shares sold short in the lead up to the announcement. To give an idea of how much this has enraged Cettires management, the retailer revealed in its accounts that it had spent more than $900,000 on short campaign costs in a matter of months to combat the short sellers. While the effectiveness of this campaign is questionable, Mintz played his own trump card as the stock threatened to drop below $1. Mintz, who has quickly extracted more than $330 million from the business via share sales - including as recently as February this year when he sold $172 million worth of stock at $4.63 - started buying shares.

He ended up spending just $15.8 million, but sent the stock soaring as he paid as much as $1.66 a share. It was a classic short squeeze. Any short sellers would have been forced to buy the soaring stock to cover their positions or risk making a loss on the trade thanks to the share price spike. It might be keeping Cettires shares buoyant in the near-term, but it will do little to convince the sceptics like Ron Shamgar, head of Australian Equity Strategies at TAMIM, who sees so many red flags with its business model, auditor issues and massive insider selling. He has no financial interest in Cettire, but he posted a tweet last week putting Cettire in the same basket as stock market failures like Big Un and iSignthis. My gut feel is Cettire $CTT is eventually a zero, he tweeted. My prediction is ASX suspends stock next 12 months or much sooner.
A spokesperson for the Clean Energy Regulator defended its independence, culture and strong approach to managing conflicts of interest that includes compulsory annual declarations and training for new employees. It said 16 of the audits 17 recommendations had been implemented, with the final recommendation almost complete. We have a robust internal audit function, including governance through an Audit Committee, aimed at improving and providing assurance over the agencys control environment, the spokesperson said. Research by ANU law professor Andrew Macintosh found the majority of carbon projects were fraudulent. Credit: Vikky Wilkes Correspondence released under a separate freedom of information request reveals a senior CER employee was accused of intimidating and having robust conversations with scientists making submissions to the 2023 Chubb review into carbon credits. The review was launched after bombshell research by former Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee Chair Andrew Macintosh in 2022 found the majority of carbon projects were fraudulent, a massive waste of taxpayer funds and failing to abate emissions.

The review ultimately found the system was broadly sound and an important policy for Australia to reach its net zero by 2050 target. The federal government then introduced a revamped safeguard mechanism  the flagship policy to reduce industrial emissions  that applies to the countrys top polluters. Under this, all emissions reductions can be achieved by purchasing offsets, delivering a windfall to carbon companies and minor cost (0.1 per cent) to major oil and gas profits. Correspondence obtained by this masthead reveals Professor Ian Chubb, who led the review, alerted Clean Energy Regulator chief executive David Parker to several attempts by senior staff at the regulator to influence scientists making policy submissions. I have been informed by multiple individuals that the Clean Energy Regulator has contacted at least one party that has made a submission to the ACCU review and sought to intimidate them and get them to retract or otherwise amend their submission, Chubb wrote to Parker in October 2022. Id be grateful if you can look into the matter.

Five days later, Chubb contacted Parker with further allegations of CER staff making unauthorised approaches to the countrys top scientists. After our email exchanges last week were concluded, I was told that a member of the CER reached out to CSIRO, allegedly to seek to influence their submission that was then being finalised. Professor Ian Chubb. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Parker later confirmed that a CER staff member had contacted the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists about factually incorrect information in their submissions to the inquiry. The Wentworth group did not change their submission and Parker denied the staff member influenced the submission. He said the contact with Wentworth scientists occurred over several conversations and described aspects of those conversions as robust.

The CER staff member apologised to the [scientist] about that aspect of the conversations. The officer concerned has indicated that they did not seek or intend to intimidate. Loading A spokesperson said these approaches were made by a former senior CER employee and pointed to public comments made by Parker in 2022 about communication with the Wentworth Group. He said scientists were culturally inclined to criticise and contest  thats how scientific knowledge is advanced but did not mention the CSIRO. The Chubb review recommended splitting up the responsibilities of the CER  which was established in 2012 and tasked with funding lowest cost abatement  to avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest after finding a serious downside to its expanding roles.

The multiple roles of the CER, developing methods, regulating projects, and issuing ACCUs, and administering government purchase of [carbon credits], results in potential conflicts of interest and risks reduced confidence in scheme arrangements and governance, it found. Interviews with more than one dozen current and former staff within the Clean Energy Regulator, who could not be named because they were discussing internal matters, described change-averse leadership and a workplace culture that was cosy with the private sector. The staff questioned the regulators relationship with the carbon companies and industry lobby group, the Carbon Market Institute (CMI), which counts fossil fuel producers among its members. One employee said the regulator was overly reliant on the carbon companies and described the dynamic as regulatory capture.

If youre mates, friendly, been with them on the journey, does that pose a risk for how well youre going to run compliance and be a regulator? said one employee who left in mid-2023. There was definitely that concern, that uneasiness. Loading Another employee described the client base as changing from Aussie battlers getting carbon credits to large carbon companies, which were easier to work with but reflected the increasingly corporate nature of the scheme. Some people in the agency would see it as a departure from the spiritual intent of the scheme. But practically speaking, you want to work with them  theyre submitting paperwork on time. When youre working with that complexity, why wouldnt you? Analysis of the governments tender portal shows the CER has given around $1.5 million to the CMI over the past decade for a range of work including policy development, training, marketing and events sponsorship.

Australian National University academic Don Butler said the government and regulator were captured by vested interests that was failing to deliver appropriate climate policy. People see this as a rort thats big enough and useful enough to government that its unlikely to be unwound, Butler said. The response that were seeing from people like the ... Carbon Market Institute and the regulator is really just about maintaining the confusion and just continually clouding the issue, rather than actually engaging with it. A spokesperson for the CMI said the carbon industry was heavily regulation and still evolving with continual improvements including significant reforms being implemented now after recent reviews. It is entirely appropriate and not uncommon for a regulator to work with the regulated industry. CMI works with the CER on good governance, best practice and ensuring regulatory reforms are well understood and support substantial high integrity investments. Slow to change

The global carbon offsets market is now valued at of hundreds of billions of dollars and has been the subject of rolling controversies due to problems with ensuring carbon projects deliver real abatement. On Sunday, this masthead revealed allegations that some carbon companies had signed up Indigenous communities to unfair, long-term deals over the credits they generate through traditional burning. Butler said carving up the CER was positive but overall, the Chubb review was profoundly disappointing. They did a job for the government, which was to give it a clean bill of health. And enable the safeguard to get passed, Butler said. It was a tick. Butler said this structure exposed the CER to conflicts of interest. If theyre always looking for ways of unlocking cheap supply, this means cutting corners on integrity. He added that the relationship between the CER and CMI gives him the jitters.

Weve seen several instances where the CMI and CER are making announcements and putting out press releases that are clearly orchestrated and come out in synchrony, Butler said. Theres that kind of ridiculous lack of distance with the regulator, who is really the only sheriff in town. A CER spokesperson said all tenders went through a competitive process and the CMI was selected to deliver the best value for money. Loading She said the CMI was a key stakeholder in the carbon market and one of many relationships the regulator has with industry bodies. In addition, the CMI administers a carbon industry code of conduct, including a complaints process, and we see voluntary self-regulation arrangements as positive to prevent bad behaviour or to deal with the same early, the spokesperson said.

Staff though describe the CER workplace culture as really worried about public backlash, risk-averse and slow to change with a lack of leadership. Employees said the regulator often commissioned reviews only to ignore findings. It was slow and steady wins the race. But it wasnt winning any races, said one employee. Reviews became shelfware. Nothing was done about recommendations, said another employee who left in July. Top-level leadership was really poor and that trickled through the rest of the organisation, said another former employee who left last December.

The CER spokesperson said it aimed to be a practical, grounded, quick and commercially savvy regulator and the culture was positive and innovative. The spokesperson pointed to a staff survey that found 83 per cent of respondents believed the agency has a good culture and 70 per cent said the agency encourages innovation. However, claims of unresponsiveness were supported by a separate report completed by the CER in February 2022, obtained by this masthead under freedom of information, that found inadequate use of lessons learnt process. Infrequent project retrospectives may result in learnings not being identified and applied to the project, it found.
We have a tendency to think of sex as an action, says Esther Perel, a couples therapist and author who is launching a new online course about desire. But she reframes it for her clients and audiences. Sex isnt something that you do, Perel tells them. Sex is a place where you go. Loading She often asks questions such as What do you want to experience there? Is this an experience, for you, of transcendence? Of spiritual union? Of deep connection? Or Is it an experience where you can be mischievous and for once not a good citizen? Acknowledging that a joint orgasm isnt the only destination during sex can help couples become unstuck, Perel finds. Candice Nicole Hargons, an associate professor at Emory University and author of the forthcoming book Good Sex, encourages her clients to think about the idea of a sexual menu.

Most of us get this really unseasoned sexual menu kind of handed to us when were kids, she says. The types of sex on our menu may be influenced by media, sex education classes and what we pick up socially. But she encourages her sex therapy clients to create a more flavourful, personalised menu  to say for themselves what their yeses are, what their noes are, what their maybe-sos are. The only nonnegotiable? Pleasure should be the main course. Youd be surprised by how many people I talk to on a day-to-day basis who dont understand that sex isnt supposed to be painful, says Jessica Ross, a sex therapist based in Michigan. Orgasm? Optional. But pleasure is mandatory. There is more than one type of desire

Sexual desire, as its portrayed in TV, movies and pornography, is invariably spontaneous  a sudden, overwhelming urge to have sex. But there is another, equally valid type of desire, known as responsive desire. It emerges in response to deliberate pleasure or erotic stimuli, says Lauren Fogel Mersy, a psychologist and sex therapist based in Minnesota and an author of Desire. People who tend to experience responsive desire should feel reassured that there is nothing wrong with them, she says. Theyre not broken. They might simply need to put in a bit more work to understand what kind of erotic stimulation helps them feel open to the possibility of intimacy, such as touch, for instance. Also, couples need to let go of the expectation that they should be aligned in how and when they experience desire. Desire discrepancy is the norm rather than the exception, Fogel Mersy says. Never underestimate the power of the clitoris The clitoris is the powerhouse of the female orgasm, and the vast majority of the sensitive nerve endings that contribute to pleasure are located on the surface of the vulva, not inside the vagina, says Ian Kerner, a sex therapist based in New York City and author of She Comes First.

Most intercourse positions dont provide a lot of clitoral stimulation, he says, which is a major contributor to the pleasure gap among heterosexual couples. In taking a more clitoral approach to sex, activities that are typically thought of as foreplay, including manual and oral stimulation, are not just a precursor to something else. They are the main event, Kerner says. That said, there are women who can orgasm during intercourse, says Debby Herbenick, a professor at the Indiana University School of Public Health and author of Yes, Your Kid: What Parents Need to Know About Todays Teens and Sex, whose research suggests 18 per cent of women orgasm from penetration alone. For women who do want to have an orgasm during vaginal penetration or intercourse, its OK to want that  and there are ways to try, she says. Intimacy can be just as important as sex. Credit: Getty Images Men are not light switches

There are many cliches about male sexuality: among them, that all men think about sex constantly, and that all it takes is a strong breeze for a guy to get an erection, Kerner says. What gets lost is the bigger truth that male sexuality is as complex and variable as female sexuality, Kerner says. Desire discrepancy is the number one issue he sees in his practice, and men are just as likely to be the low-desire partner as women, he says. Often, his male clients feel a lot of shame and embarrassment that they are not initiating sex the way theyre supposed to. Men are not light switches when it comes to sex, Kerner says. They dont just turn on and off. Intimacy should be on the calendar, not just sex Putting sex on the calendar is well-worn sex therapy advice, but Tanner believes it can backfire. The pressure of having to keep a sexual appointment can actually decrease sexual desire, she said. Rather than putting sex on your calendar, schedule an activity that opens the door for intimacy.

Loading What that means will vary from couple to couple, says Jessa Zimmerman, a sex therapist in private practice in Seattle, who offers the same advice to her clients. Perhaps its a date night. Perhaps you get into bed a bit earlier than usual and see what happens. Its so different than OK, were going to have sex every Sunday night. Because, oh, my gosh, its not too long before the lower-desire person is starting to avoid that or dread that, she says. Its possible to overthink good sex Sara Nasserzadeh, a social psychologist and author of Love by Design, who works with clients around the world, said she sees a tendency among some of her North American clients to feel as if they must talk about sex ad nauseam.

Its ridiculous to me, because sex is something that involves the bodies, she says. It involves the somatic. That doesnt mean her motto is Just Do It, but sometimes you have to let your bodies connect and talk for you, Nasserzadeh says. Put another way: sex should momentarily rob you of your intelligence, says Dr Stephen Snyder, a sex therapist based in New York City and author of Love Worth Making. It should make you a bit selfish and maybe even regress a bit, he says. Good sex makes you dumber, he says with a chuckle. And great sex makes you really, really stupid. The New York Times
A man was found dead early on Sunday as stretched paramedics arrived four hours after a neighbour first heard him calling for help and phoned triple zero.

The Victorian Ambulance Union said 50 ambulance crews were dropped overnight because of high levels of sick leave. That meant only 90 ambulances were operating, instead of the 120 usually working night shifts, causing a shortfall across Victoria, the union said.

Ambulance Victoria has been under strain for months. Credit: Paul Rovere

It has been years since weve seen this sheer volume of crews dropped in one night, Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill said.

The members rarely get breaks, almost never finish on time, and they are exhausted and burnt out. So, this is the reality we are facing.
NSW Labor strategists have warned that the partys local government results in key south-western Sydney councils spell trouble for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ahead of next years federal election, as the war in Gaza became a flashpoint for voters.

However, the Minns Labor government was spared a major backlash to its signature housing density push, helped by a depleted Liberal Party, which failed to nominate 140 candidates in 16 councils.

There was a mix of themes that emerged in Saturdays local government elections, which included the Greens going backwards in Sydneys eastern suburbs, where the party has traditionally been strong. Its vote remained strong in Byron Bay, while it made gains in areas such as Blacktown.

Clover Moore at Wimbo Park on Sunday after securing her sixth term as Sydney lord mayor. Credit: Oscar Colman

In the City of Sydney, Lord Mayor Clover Moore will spend the next four years succession planning after conceding on Sunday this would be her last term leading the city.
You might think you already understand the glory of churros. Theyre deep-fried sticks of dough, rolled in sugar and dipped in thick, hot chocolate. It doesnt get much better, right? But you havent even heard the best part. See, you can eat these things for breakfast. Guilt-free. Like youre being totally normal. Youre in Spain, you get out of bed at 9am or so, you wander downstairs to your nearest purveyor of delicious things, and you tuck into a massive plate of churros.

Why arent we all living like this? Why do the rest of us have to wait until dessert 12 hours later? The Spanish have really got things sorted. And theres even another churros-eating window on the Iberian Peninsula, from about 4pm to 6pm, when everyone has another sweet treat for a meal called merienda.

First serve

But wait! We have controversy. Are churros even Spanish? Were these delectable deep-fried rolls even invented in Iberia? No one knows for sure, though there is a theory these snacks are actually Chinese in origin. Portuguese traders returned from China in the time of the Ming dynasty (around the 15th century) and tweaked the youtiao bread sticks they had seen in Asia into a sweet snack, which eventually crossed the border into Spain. Most Spaniards, meanwhile, will tell you that churros were invented around the same time by local shepherds in need of fresh bread, who named them in honour of a Spanish sheep breed, the churra.

Order there

In Seville, theres a classic churreria called Bar el Comercio that has been around for more than a century and is still the citys most popular breakfast spot (Calle Lineros 9, Casco Antiguo).
At the Malaita markets, amid the low murmur of mammas, the pungent scent of freshly netted tuna, and plump coconuts plucked straight from the tree, shell necklaces are coiled like king cobras.

I am ambling among the colours and characters of the central market on this remote Solomon island, 50 kilometres northwest of the capital Honiara, where tradition is etched as deeply as tribal tattoos, and ancient shell money holds more value than any paper or plastic.

Dusk on the Langa Langa Lagoon. Credit: Getty Images

Later, onboard a rustic red banana boat, I cruise through Ambu passage and into the tongue twisty Langa Langa Lagoon framed by sugar palm leaf shacks.

To my left, shards of light tussle with stabbing showers over the 900-metre-high Mount Alasaa  the largest mountain in Malaita, the most populous Solomon island and home of the annual Shell Money Festival.
Federal prosecutors say five members of a Salinas-based gang were sentenced to prison for carrying out hunts on people they believed to be members of a rival gang. Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press 2023

Five members of a Salinas-based gang were sentenced to prison for carrying out hunts in which they fatally shot nearly a dozen people and injured several others whom they believed to be members of a rival gang, prosecutors said.

The shootings were carried out by members of the self-proclaimed Murder Squad of the Norteno gang from 2015 to 2018 in Salinas, the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Northern District of California said Wednesday in a news release. During that time, they killed 11 people and shot 17 others, who survived.

The hunts were coordinated shootings in which the crew tracked and shot people whom they assumed were members of a rival gang for reasons as vague as (being) Hispanic, bald or wearing blue, prosecutors said. Most of the victims were not members of a rival gang, and some were just shot in the crossfire despite not being an intended target, prosecutors said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The squad used military-style tactics to shoot the victims by traveling in a convoy of vehicles with a designated shooter car and a security/spotter vehicle, which could roam the streets to find potential targets, prosecutors said. When a target was spotted, the gunmen in the shooter vehicle would drive to the location, exit the car and shoot the victim until their magazines were empty and then flee, prosecutors said.

The security/spotter vehicle would act as a distraction while the shooter vehicle escaped.

Prosecutors said the crew members carried out some of the shootings as a way to commemorate the death of a loved one.

The Murder Squad killed for sport, terrorizing the city of Salinas and forever altering the lives of so many innocent members of our community, U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey said in a statement. Thanks to the strong collaboration between federal and state law enforcement over the course of many years, these men will rightfully spend the next few decades of their lives in prison.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Should I tip in a restaurant? Loading When it comes to restaurants, 12.5 per cent is largely the standard across the UK and Europe, with the exceptions being Belgium (around 15 per cent) and Monaco (the same amount, on what is likely to be an expensive bill to start with). As in the UK, service charges are increasingly added onto the bill itself, regardless of the quality of the meal, the graciousness of the waitressing, or how disruptive the music being piped through the speakers is. Theres a wider argument to be had for not simply assuming the guest enjoyed the service; inevitably, theres going to be a forgotten side dish or a shaky table in even the smoothest of restaurants.

In France, however, you neednt worry. By law, waiting staff must be paid a fair wage that isnt reliant on a culture of tipping. The bill should list a service charge of 15 per cent, which essentially means their salary neednt be topped up by the customer. Of course, you could leave a few extra euros  a pourboire, or for a drink  but there really is no expectation. From this year, those tips are no longer taxed, either, so staff will keep every centime. Should I tip in a hotel? That custom of tipping hotel staff is often embarrassing for the Australian traveller  the performance of it feels rather patrician. Youll be spared the ordeal in Northern Europe and Oceania. In Croatia, slide your bellboy something equating to $4. Slightly more will do in Cyprus and North America. Tipping in the USA

In the US, 20 per cent gratuity is the eye-watering standard. Here, the extra dollars given to staff are not really a reward for an experience, but rather a top-up for meagre wages. Waiters and hotel staff are paid less in anticipation of tips, which are then taxed. Loading It may not seem natural to the Australian traveller, but etiquette expert Laura Windsor says theres a sense that tipping in North America should be seen as an acquiescence to the culture youre travelling in  essentially, practice in being polite (or not being outwardly begrudging). In the US, tipping is almost compulsory. Its just one of those things  when travelling, you have to respect the culture, rules and customs of the country youre in. That means leaving behind a wedge of dollars for that rather unimpressive burger, unfortunately. Tipping in Asia

The contrast in China and Japan is stark. Here, its essentially frowned upon to include anything extra. In Japan, in fact, you really shouldnt tip anything more. Vanessa Villalobos, who runs a Japanese tutoring agency, thinks that this makes travel easier for the tourist. Tipping is not part of the culture at all, which means you just dont need to think about it, she says. In Japan, there is a feeling that money is dirty or vulgar. If you tried to leave a tip, staff would just think that youd forgotten your change and would call you back to get it. If you were to press it on them it would be offensive. How to show gratitude without tipping There are, however, other ways of showing gratitude. Omotenashi, or hospitality culture, means that guests will typically have exceptional service. Even in McDonalds youll get a bow.

Instead of feeling a bit uncomfortable, Villalobos recommends meeting that politeness with an equal amount of sincerity. Learn a few words of thanks, dont make a mess, and be openly grateful. Good old-fashioned gift-giving doesnt go amiss, either: tiny souvenirs, like a postcard or a badge, would be valued. Loading Caution in other parts of Asia is advised, too. Tips were once seen as a bribe in China, so if youre staying at a hotel there, you might want to write a thank you note to the hotel manager instead. A rather quaint way to avoid claims of impropriety, but valuable to know nonetheless. Finally, dont overthink it. Its all, essentially, a bonus, and staff in most destinations will largely be appreciative. Youre making someone a little happier than they would otherwise be, by recognising their service, says Windsor. It may seem as if youre saying they are lower in status, but really they are just doing a job. And if you look at it like that, then you shouldnt really feel awkward, says Windsor.
The following month, Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI, quit his post at Google, telling this newspaper that he regretted his lifes work. It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things, he warned.

Over the last few years we have become accustomed to hare-eyed messengers returning from AIs frontiers with apocalyptic warnings. And yet, real action in the form of hard regulation has been little in evidence. Last years executive order on AI was, as one commentator put it, directional and aspirational  a shrewdly damning piece of faint praise.

Meanwhile, stock prices for the tech sector continue to soar while the industry mutters familiar platitudes: The benefits outweigh the risks; the genie is already out of the bottle; if we dont do it, our enemies will.

Yuval Noah Harari has no time for these excuses. In 2011, he published Sapiens, an elegant and sometimes profound history of our species. It was a phenomenon, selling over 25 million copies worldwide. Harari followed it up by turning his gaze forward with Homo Deus, in which he considered our future. At this point, Harari, an academic historian, became saddled with a new professional identity and a new circle of influence: AI expert, invited into the rarefied echelons of scientists, entrepreneurs and world leaders. Nexus, in essence, is Hararis report from this world.

First, it must be said that the subtitle  A Brief History of Information Networks From the Stone Age to AI  is misleading. Really, what we have is two separate books, neither brief. The first 200 pages are indeed historical in their way. Unfortunately, this is a dizzying, all-in version of history that swerves unsatisfyingly from Assyrian clay tablets to a 19th-century cholera outbreak to an adaptation of the Ramayana on Indian TV to the Peasants Revolt in medieval England to the Holocaust in Romania, and so on. It doesnt feel controlled, or even particularly expert  and the effect is a little like a flight where the person sitting next to you is well-read, hyper-caffeinated and determined to tell you his Theory of Everything.

In a nutshell, Hararis thesis is that the difference between democracies and dictatorships lies in how they handle information. Dictatorships are more concerned with controlling data than with testing its truth value; democracies, by contrast, are transparent information networks in which citizens are able to evaluate and, if necessary, correct bad data.

All of this is sort of obvious-interesting, while also being too vague  too open to objection and counterexample  to constitute a useful theory of information. After a lot of time, we have arrived at a loose proof of what we hopefully felt already: Systems that are self-correcting  because they promote conversation and mutuality  are preferable to those that offer only blind, disenfranchised subservience.

In the end, however, this doesnt really matter, because the second half of the book is where the action is. The meat of Nexus is essentially an extended policy brief on AI: What are its risks, and what can be done? (We dont hear much about the potential benefits because, as Harari points out, the entrepreneurs leading the AI revolution already bombard the public with enough rosy predictions about them.) It has taken too long to get here, but once we arrive Harari offers a useful, well-informed primer.

The threats AI poses are not the ones that filmmakers visualise: Kubricks HAL trapping us in the airlock; a fascist RoboCop marching down the sidewalk. They are more insidious, harder to see coming, but potentially existential. They include the catastrophic polarising of discourse when social media algorithms designed to monopolise our attention feed us extreme, hateful material. Or the outsourcing of human judgment  legal, financial or military decision-making  to an AI whose complexity becomes impenetrable to our own understanding.

Echoing Churchill, Harari warns of a silicon curtain descending between us and the algorithms we have created, shutting us out of our own conversations  how we want to act, or interact, or govern ourselves.

None of these scenarios, however, is a given. Harari points to the problem of email spam, which used to clog up our inboxes and waste millions of hours of productivity every day. And then, suddenly, it didnt. In 2015, Google was able to claim that its Gmail algorithm had a 99.9 percent success rate in blocking genuine spam. When the tech giants set their hearts on designing better algorithms, writes Harari, they can usually do it.

Even in its second half, not all of Nexus feels original. If you pay attention to the news, you will recognise some of the stories Harari tells. But, at its best, his book summarises the current state of affairs with a memorable clarity.

Parts of Nexus are wise and bold. They remind us that democratic societies still have the facilities to prevent AIs most dangerous excesses, and that it must not be left to tech companies and their billionaire owners to regulate themselves.

That may just sound like common sense, but it is valuable when said by a global intellectual with Hararis reach. It is only frustrating that he could not have done so more concisely.



The reviewer is the author of Index, A History of the

2024 The New York Times News Service
In its press release, the companies noted that the 5 GW solar capacity award is the world's largest since 2020, bolstering AGEL's leadership in India | (Photo: Shutterstock)

Adani group entities - Adani Green Energy (AGEL) and Adani Power (APL) - announced on Sunday that they will sign a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Maharashtras largest electricity distribution utility to supply the state with a 6.6 gigawatt (GW) of combined solar and thermal power.

The two companies said in a statement they secured the 6,600 MW (6.6 GW) contract through a competitive bidding process initiated by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

"The terms of the tender permit APL to bid for thermal power capacity along with solar power capacity, which can be supplied by a group company. APL accordingly also bid for 5000 MW solar capacity on behalf of AGEL, thereby leveraging

the two entities respective competitive advantages and strengths in the thermal and solar power sectors," the statement said.

According to industry sources, three other bidders participated in the process.

The companies said, AGEL will sign a PPA with MSEDCL under the Letter of Intent (LOI) for the supply of 5 GW solar power.

The solar capacity has been allocated at a flat tariff of Rs 2.70 per kWh for the supply of power for 25 years. In terms of timeline, the solar projects are to be developed in a staggered manner over three years from the execution of the PPAs.

AGEL intends to supply this power from its renewable energy park being developed at Khavda in Kutch District of Gujarat.

APL will sign a long-term Power Supply Agreement (PSA) with MSEDCL for the supply of 1496 MW (net) thermal power to the state. It will supply the thermal power to Maharashtra from a new 1,600 MW ultra-supercritical thermal power project. The thermal capacity has been awarded on a Design, Build, Finance, Own and Operate (DBFOO) basis with the sourcing of fuel from coal linkages allocated under Para B (iv) of the SHAKTI Policy, the company said.

APL will enter into a 25-year Power Supply Agreement (PSA) with MSEDCL and supply will commence three and a half years after the appointed date.

In a press release, the companies noted, that the solar capacity award of 5 GW is the worlds largest such award since 2020, bolstering AGELs leadership in India and as one of the largest renewable energy portfolios globally. Similarly, the thermal capacity award is the largest in India in recent years to be awarded to the private sector.

Analysts with Emkay noted, "We view Rs2.7/kWh flat rate for the PPA term of 25 years positively... Khavda, with 30 GW, would enjoy significant economies of scale." The analysts further said, "

Combined bidding provide synergies, (with) AGEL already supplying to Mumbai."

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh criticised the development, describing it as a rigged deal".

"Even as the Mahayuti Government in Maharashtra totters towards a landslide defeat, this is what they choose to do with their last few days in power. Yet another Modani enterprise undoubtedly!" Ramesh wrote in a post on X.
Bhopal-based SOM Distilleries and Breweries has entered the Karnataka market with Woodpecker premium beer, Indias first twist cap beer.

The listed alcobev company targets sales of Rs 1,600 crore by financial year 2025, it told Business Standard. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

SOM Distilleries launched two Woodpecker beer variants in the state: Woodpecker Glide, a premium mild beer, and Woodpecker Crest, a strong, bold brew.

Both are available in bottles (650 milliliters, 330 milliliters), cans (500 milliliters, 330 milliliters), and draught (50 liters, 30 liters). Bottles are priced at about Rs 240, while cans will cost Rs 180 (depending on the variant and litres).

We are proud to introduce Indias first-ever twist cap beer, Woodpecker, to the Karnataka market. This innovation underscores our commitment to quality and innovation. Weve already been making waves in Karnataka with our products over the past three years, said JK Arora, Chairman and MD of SOM Distilleries and Breweries Limited.

Now, with Glide and Crest, were taking our presence to the next level. The introduction of the twist cap is a great revolution in beer drinking, offering a new and effortless way to enjoy it, Arora said.

SOM Distilleries said its beer was crafted from imported two-row barley, Indian malts, and German hops from the Rainier region, making it Indias first cross-malt beer by blending two malts. The Woodpecker is brewed within 30 days, with one batch brewed per month to ensure unmatched consistency and flavour.

The beer maker told Business Standard it planned to build a new manufacturing plant in either of the states of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, or Tamil Nadu by the end of FY25.

The new plant can be built on greenfield, brownfield, or through manufacturing tie-ups. The company is looking to invest about 400 crore, including working capital.

SOM Distilleries also plans to introduce a new portfolio of Indian single-malt to tap into the growing demand amongst consumers. It eyes a 15 per cent market share in FY25.




Maggie Angst covers homelessness, addiction and mental health for the San Francisco Chronicle's city hall team.

Before joining the Chronicle in late 2023, she reported on California state politics for the Sacramento Bee. Maggie previously wrote for the Mercury News and East Bay Times, where she covered San Jose City Hall, reported from the front lines of California wildfires and exposed systemic deficiencies within an East Bay child welfare agency. She was awarded first place in local government reporting from the California News Publishers Association in 2021.

Maggie was born and raised outside of Chicago and earned a bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
For around three months, there were multiple cross-contamination events at the facility, it said | Photo: X@ZydusUniverse

The US health regulator has pulled up Zydus Lifesciences for manufacturing lapses at its Gujarat-based plant. In a warning letter to company's Managing Director Sharvil Patel, the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) noted that the drug maker failed to investigate contamination identified in drug products at its Jarod-based plant in Vadodara district. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The USFDA said it inspected the manufacturing facility from April 15 to 23, 2024. "This warning letter summarises significant violations of current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations for finished pharmaceuticals," it added. It further said: "Because your methods, facilities, or controls for manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding do not conform to CGMP, your drug products are adulterated."



A warning letter is issued when the US health regulator finds that a manufacturer has significantly violated its regulations.

Elaborating on the manufacturing issues at the facility, USFDA noted: "Your firm failed to thoroughly investigate any unexplained discrepancy or failure of a batch or any of its components to meet any of its specifications, whether or not the batch has already been distributed."



For around three months, there were multiple cross-contamination events at the facility, it said.

"Your investigation failed to consider all impacted batches, all manufacturing equipment involved, and the adequacy of your testing methods used to release contaminated drug products," USFDA noted.

The US health regulator also pointed out that the company failed to adequately investigate and determine the root cause of glass particulate contamination in multiple batches of Cyanocobalamin Injection (USP 1000mcg/mL, 1mL).

"Your firm failed to establish and follow appropriate written procedures that are designed to prevent microbiological contamination of drug products purporting to be sterile, and that include validation of all aseptic and sterilisation processes," it added.

USFDA sought a detailed remediation plan from the drug firm with timelines to address the findings of the contamination hazards risk assessment.

"Based upon the nature of the violations we identified at your firm, you should engage a consultant... to assist your firm in meeting CGMP requirements," it added.

USFDA may withhold approval of new applications or supplements listing the company as a drug manufacturer until deviations are completely addressed and it confirms compliance with CGMP.

"We may re-inspect to verify that you have completed corrective actions to any deviations," USFDA said.

It further stated: "After you receive this letter, respond to this office in writing within 15 working days. Specify what you have done to address any deviations and to prevent their recurrence."



The warning letter issued by the USFDA usually identifies the violation, such as poor manufacturing practices, problems with claims for what a product can do, or incorrect directions for use.

The letter also makes clear that the company must correct the problem and provide directions and a timeframe of its plans for correction.

FDA then checks to ensure that the company's corrections are adequate.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's announcement of resignation shows he is not hungry for power and wants to go back to people "who will either make or break him". "He wants fresh elections in Delhi so that he goes back to the people and it is the people who will either make or break him," Abdullah told reporters here. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The National Conference (NC) president said the charges have not been proved against Kejriwal in the liquor scam and so he wants people to decide.

"They have not been able to prove charges on him, that is why he wants to go to public so that the people decide. It is a very good thing that he is not hungry for power, he has left the chair even as there was still time. He wants to gain the faith of the people and it is a huge thing in a democracy," he added.

Meanwhile, when asked about many independent candidates contesting the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, Abdullah said it was for the people to decide whether they like someone or not.

"Let 4,000 come, let them contest. It is a democracy, let them go to the people and tell the people what they want to do. It is the people who will decide whom to like or not," he said.

When asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's jibe on Abdullahs, Muftis and Gandhis, he questioned the former on his statements made during the Lok Sabha elections campaign.

"Let the PM answer. He keeps on saying 'sabka saath', I want to ask him whether the 22 crore Muslims are not Indians? Did they not say they are intruders? Did he not say that if you have two cows or houses, one will be given to Muslims?" said Abdullah.

"He stated mangalsutras will be snatched and given to the Muslims. Is that the language of a PM? Where is 'sabka saath' and he is levelling charges against us. If the PM says 22 crore Muslims are intruders, then I think the PM himself is an intruder," he charged.

To a question about Baramulla Lok Sabha MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer, who was earlier this week released on an interim bail from Delhi's Tihar Jail where he was under custody on terror charges, Abdullah accused him of being an agent of the Centre.

"It (his attacks) is good. I want to ask him and the government of India that how was he released for 20 days when he faces grave charges? Why was he released only at the time of the election?" asked Abdullah.

"He is their man (agent). He is taking money from them and then indulges in propaganda against us and Kashmiris. He is not a friend of Kashmiris," he said.

"Where are his slogans of Pakistan, plebiscite and Shariah rule? Ask him. Today he has become their agent and questions us. God willing, my son will accompany him when he is taken to Tihar," the senior Abdullah said, referring to Omar Abdullah's remarks that he was ready to accompany Rashid to Tihar Jail.

Rashid had said if Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti would accompany him to Tihar, then he would withdraw his candidates. Omar had responded, saying he was ready.
He said Mufti used to say that time that they would bring more confidence building measures (CBMs) from Delhi because of the alliance with the BJP, but "one after the other, all our CBMs were stopped". (Photo: PTI)

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Sunday hit out at People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, saying she has brought nothing but destruction to Jammu and Kashmir. On Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's announcement of resignation, the NC leader said it remains to be seen what will be his next steps. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp "Mehbooba Mufti has brought nothing but destruction to Jammu and Kashmir. If anyone has played the biggest role in bringing BJP (in J&K) then it is PDP and its leadership," Abdullah told reporters in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.

Referring to the violent street protests after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016 that left over 90 civilians dead, Abdullah said Mufti should give an account of 2016 before pointing fingers at him.

"She talked about milk and toffee...she has not yet apologised for that. She has not yet apologised for bringing the BJP here. She has not apologised for pushing Jammu and Kashmir towards this destruction. Why is she targeting me? Let her clear her own record first," the NC leader added.

The former chief minister asked what compulsion did the PDP have to form an alliance with the BJP in 2015?



"We were ready to give them the government at that time. The NC and the Congress first sent a message of their support to Mufti Sahab and after his death, to Mehbooba Mufti. Why did they reject it? What was their weakness that they had to go with the BJP?" he asked.

He said Mufti used to say that time that they would bring more confidence building measures (CBMs) from Delhi because of the alliance with the BJP, but "one after the other, all our CBMs were stopped".

Asked about Kejriwal's announcement, Abdullah said, "I have just heard about it. Why is he resigning, will there be elections after his resignation or is he making someone else the chief minister. Let the information come, then we will talk about it.
The Group of Ministers on reworking the nomenclature for GST compensation cess is likely to be convened by Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and include members from states, an official has said. The official further said the Terms of Reference (ToR) and the members of the GoM are in the process of getting finalised. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp "The GoM will have to suggest how the cess collected on demerit and luxury goods will be apportioned between Centre and states and suggest the legal changes that would be required to enforce the change," the official said.

The members of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on GST compensation cess are in the process of being decided. But, since the issue is with regard to cess, which is collected by the Centre, and its apportionment, the GoM would have a member from the Centre as well, the official explained.

Generally, the senior-most member of the GoM is made its convenor. So, the Union Minister of State for Finance is likely to be the convenor of the GoM on GST compensation cess, the official told PTI.

The GST Council, in its meeting last week, had decided to set up a panel of ministers to suggest to the Council how to go about the GST compensation cess, which is levied on luxury, sin and demerit goods after the loans taken to meet the shortfall in revenue of states during Covid-affected years are repaid.

The government had borrowed Rs 2.69 lakh crore in fiscals 2021 and 2022 to make good states' revenue loss, and the GST Council had then decided to extend the compensation cess levy till March 2026 to repay the loan and interest.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last week said the loan and interest are expected to be repaid as early as December 2025 or January 2026.

The GoM will decide on the future of the levy, how it would be apportioned between the Centre and states, and changes required in law as it cannot be called compensation cess any more.

Since the government may be able to repay the Rs 2.69 lakh crore borrowings done in fiscals 2021 and 2022 to compensate states for GST revenue loss by January 2026, about four months ahead of the scheduled March 2026, the GoM would suggest how the cess amount would be apportioned beyond January 2026.

As per estimates, the collections from GST compensation cess in February and March 2026 are expected to be about Rs 40,000 crore.

A compensation cess was initially brought in for 5 years to make good the revenue shortfall of states, following the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The compensation cess expired in June 2022, but the amount collected through the levy is being used to repay the interest and principal of the Rs 2.69 lakh crore that the Centre had borrowed during COVID-19.

To meet the resource gap of the states due to the short release of compensation, the Centre borrowed and released Rs 1.1 lakh crore in 2020-21 and Rs 1.59 lakh crore in 2021-22 as back-to-back loans to meet a part of the shortfall in cess collection.

In June 2022, the Centre extended the levy of compensation cess till March 2026 to repay borrowings done in FY21 and FY22 to compensate states for revenue loss.

GST was introduced on July 1, 2017, and states were assured of compensation for the revenue loss till June 2022 arising on account of the GST rollout.

Though states' protected revenues were growing at 14 per cent compounded growth post-GST, the cess collection did not increase in the same proportion.
The CEO of three East Bay internet companies was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for defrauding investors out of more than $8 million, prosecutors said. Lars Stenman/Getty Images

The CEO of three East Bay internet companies was sentenced to more than seven years in prison Friday for defrauding investors out of more than $8 million, prosecutors said.

Alan Anderson, 61, of Walnut Creek pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in January, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

From 2010 to 2018, Anderson was the CEO and majority shareholder of three California-based companies: Fanlala and Fruit Punch, both marketed as providing music streaming services for children, and Imbee.com, marketed as a child-friendly social media platform.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Starting in September 2011, Anderson lied to investors about his companies profitability to attract investments, prosecutors said. For many years, Anderson sent investors false contracts and purchase orders, claiming that his companies were being acquired by or expanding partnerships with other, well-established corporations. Over the course of the scheme, Anderson defrauded investors out of approximately $8.825 million, prosecutors said.

In addition to 88 months in prison, Anderson was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution, with the amount to be determined at an October hearing. His prison term will begin Jan. 6, 2025.

Anderson was previously charged with securities fraud in 2002 after federal prosecutors alleged that he forged documents and falsified transactions to boost the financial results of Quintus, a software company he led. Quintus was liquidated through bankruptcy proceedings in 2001.
"The only thing that the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are doing full time is creating a fake narrative by constantly spreading fake news," Thorat claimed in a post on X and asked whether they were running "fake news factories". (Photo: PTI)

Congress Legislature Party leader in Maharashtra Balasaheb Thorat on Sunday accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis of creating religious discord by spreading "fake news". Thorat's comments came a day after CM Shinde said the Congress government in Karnataka was trying to shut down Ganesh festival celebrations. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Shinde on Saturday also said the opposition targeted his government over the collapse of a statue of Shivaji Maharaj (in Sindhudurg), but remains silent about police in Congress-ruled Karnataka putting a Ganesh idol in a police van. Videos purportedly showing Karnataka police taking away a Ganesh idol from protestors and putting it in a police van have gone viral on social media.

"The only thing that the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are doing full time is creating a fake narrative by constantly spreading fake news," Thorat claimed in a post on X and asked whether they were running "fake news factories".

Earlier, they protested against a statement of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding reservation, which he did not make, Thorat said.

"And now an attempt is being made to create religious discord in the state by spreading fake news about what did not happen in Karnataka," he claimed.

"The people of the state are wise and along with your fake narrative, your government will also be uprooted," Thorat said.
Video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, shows several of the suspected thieves  as many as nine  walking out while holding bags and wearing backpacks. Several were wearing hoodies and face masks. On their way out, a few picked up items that were strewn across the entrance. A man holding a cellphone near the entrance lightly kicked some of the items into the store, according to the video.
Companies will need time to comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) whose rules are to be released, according to VINAYAK GODSE, chief executive officer of Data Security Council of India (DSCI). Its a non-profit non-profit organisation set up by NASSCOM and works in cybersecurity and privacy. Companies will need to overhaul processes and adjust operations, he said in an interview with Ashutosh Mishra in New Delhi. Edited excerpts:

The DPDP rules are expected this month but a recent report shows that 60 per cent of Indian companies aren't meeting basic compliance. How is compliance with
The day before Elon Musk spoke at a celebration for Teslas futuristic Cybertruck pickup in November, a Florida man, Paul Overeem, was arrested near the companys Austin, Texas, factory and accused by the authorities of planning a mass casualty event there.

The incident later made headlines. What went less noticed is what happened at Teslas event, which went ahead at the Austin factory.

Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Security had been alerted to Overeems threats and was fully activated, according to two people with knowledge of the arrangements and documents viewed by The New York Times. The list of invitees was carefully curated, with each person screened well ahead of time. More than three dozen Tesla security officials were then stationed throughout the room when Musk, who runs the carmaker, took the stage. He also had bodyguards from his private security firm, Foundation Security, on hand.



Musk, 53, has long cultivated a devil-may-care persona, travelling the world, hanging out with moguls, world leaders and celebrities, and smoking weed in public. But in private, he has increasingly barricaded himself behind a growing phalanx of armed bodyguards as he has become more wealthy, more famous and more outspoken  and as the threats against him have evolved.



The worlds richest man, with a net worth of more than $240 billion now regularly deals with stalkers and death threats, according to police documents and internal Tesla records. While many high-profile people face threats, Musk has transformed his own protection in recent years to deal with the change, expanding an already robust personal security beyond that of other billionaires. Musk and his companies Tesla and SpaceX have paid millions of dollars a year for his security.



His security team now operates like a mini-Secret Service, and he is guarded more like a head of state than a business executive, security experts said. Musk, who was once flanked by two bodyguards, travels with as many as 20 security professionals who show up to research escape routes or to clear a room before he enters. They often carry guns and have a medical professional in tow for Musk, who has been code-named Voyager by his security team.



The way Musk lives now is different from others who are ultrawealthy. Warren E. Buffett, who is worth more than $145 billion, employed just one personal bodyguard for many years. (It is unclear how many bodyguards he has now; his spokeswoman said Berkshire Hathaway, Buffetts company, used several security firms.)


Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas' infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimise civilian casualties | Credit: Bloomberg

Thousands of demonstrators against the Israeli government have assembled in the heart of Tel Aviv, demanding greater efforts to achieve the release of hostages held captive in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported. The Israeli protesters flocked at army headquarters and other government buildings on Saturday, screaming slogans against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pressuring him to make peace with Hamas in order to secure the release of over one hundred prisoners who are still being held in the war-torn region. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Following the recovery of six hostages' bodies from Gaza two weeks ago, there have been widespread demonstrations in Israel once again. The demonstration last weekend was attended by an estimated 750,000 people, according to Al Jazeera.

The families of the captives, who attended the march on Saturday, expressed their frustration with the government's ineffective efforts to negotiate the captives' release. Many held Netanyahu responsible for the failure to negotiate a settlement because they thought it would help him hold onto power for the duration of the war.

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.

Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas' infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimise civilian casualties

In a recent incident, six staff members of the UN agency were among those killed in Israeli airstrikes at a school-turned-shelter in Gaza, the United Nations said.

The six staffers belonged to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the agency that assists Palestine refugees.

At least 34 people were killed in the strikes, UN News reported, citing media reports. UNRWA said the shelter manager and other team members were among the victims

"Just Tragic. #Gaza Six @UNRWA colleagues killed today when two airstrikes hit a school and its surroundings in Nuseirat in the middle areas," the UNRWA stated in a post on X.

The UNRWA school in Nuseirat, located in the Middle Area of the Gaza Strip, was sheltering around 12,000 displaced people, mainly women and children. This marked the fifth time that it had been hit since the conflict began 11 months ago.
Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony have released live recordings via the Apple Music Classical app. Brandon Patoc

Igor Stravinskys The Firebird was made available Friday, June 21. It was to be followed by Sergei Prokofievs Music From Romeo and Juliet on July 26, and Hector Berliozs Symphonie Fantastique on Sept. 23, produced through SFS Media, the Symphonys audio/video label.

Of note, in reference to the orchestras second release, Conductors often mix and match selections from the three Romeo and Juliet suites to make their own compilations. Esa-Pekka Salonens version for this concert recording is especially substantial, pulling together 11 numbers that trace most of Shakespeares play, the Symphony said in a statement.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

These releases provide an opportunity for Salonen and the Symphony to refocus on the music amid ongoing organizational turmoil. The live recordings will be available exclusively on the Apple Music Classical app.

San Francisco Symphony in crisis: Leaders discuss finances and search for a new conductor

The San Francisco Symphony first teamed up with Apple Music Classical during the apps launch in March 2023. The symphony has since released eight spatial audio recordings, featuring compositions by Anders Hillborg, Gyorgy Ligeti, Elizabeth Ogonek and Ottorino Respighi.

The orchestras rendition of Stravinskys The Rite of Spring earned a Grammy Award nomination in 2024 for best orchestral performance, while Ligetis Lux Aeterna was recognized in the best choral performance category.

Apple Music Classical offers enhanced functionalities such as optimized search, high audio quality, immersive Spatial Audio, curated playlists and detailed artist biographies. The app is accessible at no additional cost to most Apple Music subscribers.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The production team for the new releases credits Jason OConnell as producer and editor, Jon Johannsen as recording engineer and Mark Willsher as mastering and mixing engineer.
Military leaders from the US and China met in Beijing for routine talks that only resumed in January after being suspended for two years as ties between the two countries soured. The meetings ended on Sunday and officials discussed ongoing issues such as Taiwan, the Russia-Ukraine war and clashes in the South China Sea. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Michael Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defence for China, Taiwan and Mongolia led a delegation to engage in the bilateral Defence Policy Coordination Talks, which were last held in January. While the talks weren't expected to resolve long-standing differences in stances over issues ranging from South China Sea claims to Taiwan, the US has continued to push for the discussions as a way to avoid conflict.

The meetings were held after Chase attended the Xiangshan forum in Beijing, a defence forum that is China's answer to the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Communication between the two militaries broke off in 2021, as US-China tensions ratcheted up over widening differences on issues such as Taiwan's sovereignty, the origin of COVID-19 and economic issues.

Beijing has ignored US requests to engage in the past, especially over intercepts between US and Chinese aircraft and ships. While communications resumed after US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in San Francisco last November, it is unclear whether the talks could continue as the US is poised for a presidential election.

In the bilateral talks, the two sides discussed China's support for Russia during the ongoing Ukraine war, as well as China's actions in the South China Sea, said a US senior defence official briefing reporters on the meetings. On Sunday, the Philippine ship at a disputed shoal, BRP Teresa Magbanua, had left in order to resupply and provide medical care to its crew members. The defence official said that they were watching further developments there very closely.

China's claims over the South China Sea have become increasingly assertive, with increasing clashes with the Philippine coast guard. In August, both sides accused each other over a collision between their ships which left gaping holes in the Philippine ships.

The maritime claims have meant clashes at sea, such as at the Sabina Shoal, which both China and the Philippines claim. China had blocked attempts to resupply the BRP Teresa Magbanua, in August, with a force of 40 ships.

The Philippines said it would replace the ship immediately, but the departure of the ship raises questions of whether China would seize the shoal. Filipino scientists had previously found submerged piles of crushed corals in its shallows, leading to concern that China may be preparing to build a structure to stake its claim.

China confirmed the departure of the ship, which it said infringed on China's territorial sovereignty.

During this period, China had taken control measures against the ship in accordance with the law and multiple attempts by the Philippine side to forcibly resupply the ship had failed, China Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun said in a statement.
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

There is anger in the GAA over a UK government decision not to hold a public inquiry into the murder of Sean Brown 27 years ago, Jarlath Burns has said.

GAA president Mr Burns said there were so many unanswered questions remaining around the killing.

GAA official Sean Brown, 61, was abducted and killed by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Club in Co Derry in May 1997.

GAA president Jarlath Burns said there were many unanswered questions over Sean Browns murder. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA.

No-one has ever been convicted of his murder.

Earlier this year, a coroner said his ability to examine the death of Mr Brown had been compromised by the extent of confidential state material being excluded from the proceedings on national security grounds.

Preliminary inquest proceedings had already heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.

It had also been alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.

Coroner Mr Justice Kinney said he would write to the Northern Ireland Secretary to call on the Government to establish a public inquiry into the loyalist murder.

On Friday, it emerged that Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn had written to the Brown family to inform them a public inquiry was not the best way to proceed.

Mr Burns told the BBC Sunday Politics programme: If there was disappointment in the GAA about the Casement (Park) decision, there was quite a lot of anger about this.

Something that we thought was a random sectarian murder, whenever the coroners court began investigating it, discovered that there were 25 people involved, there were many government agents, one of the agents, the surveillance on him was dropped the night before the murder.

There are so many unanswered questions.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said he had enormous sympathy with the Brown family. Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA.

He added: It was the coroner who said the only way to find out the truth of what happened to a GAA chairman in Bellaghy was by a public inquiry.

Mr Benn said he had enormous sympathy with the Brown family but encouraged them to contact the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) about investigating the death.

Last week, Mr Benn announced that a public inquiry would be established into the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane, who was shot dead in front of his family at their Belfast home in 1989.

The attack, carried out by the Ulster Defence Association, was found by a series of investigations to have involved collusion with the state.

Mr Benn said he based the decision on the exceptional reason that a UK government had committed  more than 20 years ago  to hold an inquiry into Mr Finucanes murder, which had remained unfulfilled.
Tom Tuite

A Dublin-based Chinese businessman has been accused of money laundering connected to an international 9.7 million "zombie" iPhone fraud.

Chengwen Guo, 41, of Ivy Exchange, Parnell Street, Dublin 1, was arrested at his home on Wednesday following a three-year investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation into an illegal counterfeit Apple phone trade.

He was taken to Kevin Street Garda station in the city centre and charged with three offences under section seven of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 for possessing crime proceeds totalling 170,460, following searches at three locations in Dublin in January 2022.

The offence carries a maximum 14-year sentence.

The father of four, who was believed to be running a chain of phone shops since moving to Ireland in 2012, allegedly had 143,245 at his home, 20,700 at Murray Mobile, 15 Main Street, Dundrum, D14, and 6,515 in a 2019-reg Audi Q2 car at Shanowen Road, D9.

The court heard fake Chinese Apple phones were dispatched to Ireland and swapped for genuine iPhones sent to China.

He was refused bail when he appeared before Judge David McHugh on Saturday at Dublin District Court, which heard gardai believed he was a "central figure in the complex deception that was undertaken to defraud Apple".

Detective Garda Conor Cadogan said Mr Guo "made no reply" to the charges, and the officer objected to bail, citing flight risk and witness interference fears.

The contested bail hearing was told that the GNBCI probe opened in December 2021 following a report from tech giant Apple about product warranty fraud.

"It was suspected that an international organised crime gang (OCG) are involved in procuring counterfeit products and sending them to members of the OCG in Ireland for processing," Detective Garda Cadogan said.

He claimed that in July 2021, Customs officers intercepted a package "full with counterfeit items and Apple products" destined for the Murray Mobile phone company at 15 Main Street Dundrum.

The court heard a different name was on the package, but it also had the same address and mobile phone number as the accused.

Gardai believed the accused controlled eight Murray Mobile stores in Dublin and Kildare.

10 searches under warrant were carried out on January 10, 2022, and gardai found the cash at the three locations named in court and on the charges.

Detective Garda Cadogan said the investigation team froze 14 bank accounts connected to Murray Mobile, the accused, and his wife. He told Judge McHugh there was a total of 168,902 in them.

The officer explained that the probe focused on genuine and unique IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers applied to counterfeit Apple phones.

Known as "zombie phones", the court heard, they were allegedly supplied to Mr Guo and subsequently used to defraud Apple.

This activity involved the phones being brought to a specific phone repair shop.

Some 10,685 were submitted for repair from 2019 to 2021, and 9,761 of them have been allegedly confirmed to be counterfeit zombie phones.

It was estimated that the accused and his associates made approximately 9.7 million from executing this fraud.

Detective Garda Cadogan said he was satisfied that it involved members of the international gang in China and Ireland.

The court heard that it was believed the fake devices were shipped to Ireland, where genuine IMEI numbers were applied to them.

The accused allegedly brought them to the phone repair shop to be processed, and he received genuine replacement iPhones, which were sent to Asia and sold to the benefit of the organised crime gang.

Mr Guo's phone was seized in January 2021 and allegedly contained evidence that he was a "central figure in the complex deception that was undertaken to defraud Apple".

The detective believed the accused was a "major flight risk", adding that he was a person of considerable means with connections. He contended that it would be easy for Mr Guo to flee the jurisdiction to evade justice if granted bail.

Judge McHugh heard that the investigation team would recommend that the Director of Public Prosecutions bring further serious charges under organised crime legislation and for trademark, money laundering and theft offences.

The court heard that Mr Guo had a Chinese passport, and Ireland did not have an extradition agreement with China.

The detective said 57 witness statements had been taken, and he feared there could be interference with witnesses, which could jeopardise the trial process.

Questioned by defence solicitor Conor Ruane, the officer agreed that Mr Guo was arrested on Wednesday at his home, which had been searched in January 2022.

Mr Ruane stressed that his client continued to work and live here, despite knowing of the ongoing investigation.

Family members were in court. Mr Ruane said his client's wife was an Irish citizen, and his ties to the country were solid.

The detective said the businessman travelled to China numerous times a year and had family and friends there, but agreed with the solicitor that the majority of his accounts have now been frozen.

Pleading for bail, Mr Ruane said his client would surrender his passport, which is currently in the UK embassy, because he had applied for a visa to visit his adult daughter, who is studying in the UK.

The detective said he had recently learned about that, and it strengthened the case to object to bail. Furthermore, he did not know if gardai had jurisdiction to seize the passport from the embassy.

The defence solicitor said there was a 9,000 bail offer from his client's wife, but the Garda would not agree to any terms being set.

Mr Ruane said the accused has the presumption of innocence, the wait for further charges would increase his client's time in custody more than normal, and he was entitled to bail with terms.

The court heard he spoke very good English, and he also had the assistance of an interpreter. However, he did not address the court or indicate a plea.

Judge McHugh said he was satisfied Mr Guo was a flight risk and refused bail. The accused was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday.
The San Mateo Heritage Alliance is explicitly seeking a historic district in the Baywood neighborhood to thwart state housing laws. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle 2023

History is created by the victors, goes the old adage. But in California, history is created by a nine-member nonelected body called the State Historical Resources Commission.

And in recent years, that body has become at risk of turning into the newest tool of NIMBY activists to block new homes in wealthy neighborhoods.

The commission is a gubernatorially appointed body responsible for reviewing applications to create new listings of historic resources, which can refer to individual homes, collections of properties or entire neighborhoods. If approved, a historic resource is then listed on the national register.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Anyone can submit an application to list a historic resource for any property or neighborhood whether or not they own or live in it  if they can afford to.

Applicants must hire a professional consultant, typically for tens of thousands of dollars, to draft a nomination and submit it to the Office of Historic Preservation for review. No vote or city approval is required to submit such a nomination.

The office's staff then work with the applicants consultant to revise the application until deemed complete, at which point the commission can approve the nomination at a public meeting and submit it to the national register.

Once listed, historic resources must adhere to strict rules under the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, which limits changes to the exterior of homes. Historic resources must undergo CEQA review to add a garage, expand a home or even change windows. The associated costs can be prohibitive for many. One couple in San Francisco had to pay over $40,000 just to add more energy-efficient windows. Most approval processes that go through CEQA are arduous endeavors and, even if successful, often involve significant extra costs and delays.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In theory, a majority of property owners can prevent their homes from being listed on the national register if they object. However, the State Historical Resources Commission can still deem a property or district eligible for listing over an owners objections. The commission regularly does. At its most recent meeting, for example, the commission deemed a church in Montebello (Los Angeles County) eligible for listing. The church has plans to build low-income housing and objected to being listed. A lawyer for the church at the commission meeting noted that they were never consulted or even informed of the nomination. That didnt seem to bother the commission, which unanimously voted to deem the church as eligible for listing.

Why does it matter if a property or neighborhood is deemed eligible for listing? Because once it is, it must also follow the same cost-prohibitive CEQA process and requirements as listed properties, making it a distinction without a difference.

During the past seven years, Californias legislators have passed several housing laws intended to incentivize development throughout the state. SB9 in 2021, for example, allows duplexes in many single-family neighborhoods without needing city council approval; SB35, passed in 2017, enables some housing proposals within preexisting cities to bypass CEQA. But many of these laws, including SB9 and SB35, exempt historic districts, where some worry new development could impact the character of the neighborhoods.

NIMBYs have noticed.

By unlikely coincidence, the rate of applications to create new historic districts in wealthy single-family neighborhoods has increased rapidly since the introduction of SB9, which intends to create new housing opportunities in historically high-cost single-family areas. Based on a review of publicly available information available on the State Historical Resources Commission website, it approved just four applications for historic districts in single-family neighborhoods during the decade before the introduction of SB9 in 2021. Since SB9s introduction, the commission has approved at least 10.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Of course, not all applications to create historic districts intend to block housing, but some applicants have been quite explicit about their intent.

In the Baywood neighborhood of San Mateo  where the median home value is $2.7 million  the San Mateo Heritage Alliance is explicitly seeking a historic district to thwart state housing laws. As the groups website says, Recently enacted state law strikes at the very core of Baywoods character, desirability and integrity.

What character is the alliance seeking to preserve? An exclusionary one: Homes in Baywood were built with racial covenants banning anyone not wholly of the Caucasian race from buying homes there. While the alliance is not explicitly attempting to keep people of color out, attempting to block additional housing will likely have the same effect.

One of the biggest issues with the historical commissions approval process is that it can be highly subjective. The commission website lists four criteria  ranging from being associated with the cultural heritage of the state to representing the work of a master with high artistic values or having the potential to yield information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California or the nation.

Not exactly objective.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Consider just one application, approved at the commissions last meeting to create a district covering 92 parcels in San Diegos Bankers Hill neighborhood. The application argues that buildings are set back from the street at relatively consistent depths; that it has an eclectic, yet compatible melange of styles; that evinces a strong sense of time and place.

That description could apply to many suburban neighborhoods in California.

NIMBYs see the commissions subjectivity as an opportunity, which is why so many who are eager to establish a historic district often bypass local processes that could be more rigorous and go straight to the state. In the San Diego case, applicants did just that, pursuing approval from the city Historic Review Board only after the state commission had already scheduled a hearing to consider their application. As Tim Hutter, chair of San Diegos Historic Review Board said at a recent meeting, Theres a 100% success rate if you go to the state.

Later in that meeting, Hutter stated the problem clearly: I think the process is broken.  it is intended to be an effort to preserve a particular subset of homes for a particularly smaller group of homeowners who have the means to hire outside consultants and go around our process.

Hes right.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Legislators are trying to curb the abuse of historic districts to block housing. AB2580, a bill awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsoms signature, would require cities to report historic districts in their housing elements, local plans for new housing required of every city and county by state law. As of now, there is no single database of all historic resources statewide.

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

But the state can do more than collect data. Legislators could remove the exemptions for historic districts in SB9 and SB35. More powerfully, they could remove properties and districts deemed eligible to be listed on the national register from CEQA protections, ensuring that property owners objections actually mean something. Even without legislation, Newsom could influence his appointees on the State Historical Resources Commission to stop rubber stamping every application they receive.
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

A 50 million pledge from the Irish Government to rebuild Casement Park remains in place, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

The Taoiseach said while he shares the disappointment that the stadium will not be built in time for Euro 2028, the opportunity to have a top-class sporting facility in Belfast must not be lost.

Mr Harris said he will meet with the GAA as well as engaging with Northern Irelands First and deputy First Ministers, Michelle ONeill and Emma Little-Pengelly.

On Friday, the UK government announced it will not fund the redevelopment of the west Belfast GAA stadium in time for the Euros.

It cited concerns over cost as well as doubts that the stadium could be constructed in time for test events to be carried out in advance of the tournament.

Casement Park had been earmarked to stage five matches at Euro 2028, which is being co-hosted by Ireland and the UK.

Mr Harris said: This weekends announcement that the British Government is not in a position to complete the development of Casement Park in time for Euro 2028 has been met with understandable disappointment.

The overriding factor is the doubt around Casement being ready in time for the tournament and its test events.

Casement Park stadium in west Belfast is currently derelict (Niall Carson/PA)

I share the disappointment that Euro 2028 games will not be played at a redeveloped Casement, but we must not lose sight of the opportunity to have another top-class sporting facility in a city that thrives on sport.

I will meet with the GAA in the coming week, and I have already confirmed to Prime Minister (Sir Keir) Starmer that the 50 million euro the Irish Government pledged to the project will remain in place, regardless of the decision around Euro 2028.

Mr Harris said how to proceed with the Casement project is now a matter for the Stormont Executive and the UK government.

He added: I will engage with the First and deputy First Ministers on how we can help.

It is essential the positive effects of Ireland and the UK co-hosting Euro 2028 is felt in all parts of these islands.

We will work closely with the UK and all stakeholders to achieve this.
AT LAST, a Commission of Investigation will examine historical sexual abuse claims in day- and boarding schools between the 1960s and 90s.

This comes on foot of a scoping enquiry published last week containing almost 2,400 allegations of historical sexual abuse recorded in 308 schools run by religious orders across Ireland. The 700-page report revealed that claims were made against 884 alleged abusers in schools run by 42 religious orders.

Lets be clear  no stone should be left unturned to bring those responsible for destroying the lives of children to justice. Age or infirmity should not be used as an excuse to allow those responsible to escape justice.

There is no excuse for what these people did. None. I dont care that Ireland was a completely different country back then, and views and opinions varied greatly from what they are today. Only those guilty of committing such heinous crimes use such excuses, because there is no excuse or justification for the pain and suffering these people inflicted on vulnerable young children.

Over the years, I have had the sad role of interviewing some survivors of child sexual abuse. They were adults when I spoked to them, but the pain in their eyes was obvious for anyone to see.

It didnt matter that the abuse had been committed 20, 30 or 40 years previously  they relived the pain each and every day of their lives. Some were barely getting through the day, others were not. And no amount of financial compensation was enough to make up for what they lost.

I refer to financial retribution because thats what everyone who was not abused calls for. The religious orders responsible should pay up, and the government should pay up, too, because it failed these young people. But money was way down the list of priorities for all of the people I interviewed.

What they wanted most was recognition that the Church and state had done them wrong. They wanted someone to listen to them, someone who would not judge them. But most of all, they wanted to look their abusers in the eye and ask them why they did what they did, even though many of the victims knew that after all these years they probably would not be strong enough to go into court and pose those questions.

We all have nightmares and can still remember some of those we experienced as a child. But they were only nightmares that came every so often. Can you just imagine the torment these victims endured 24 hours a day, each and every day of their young lives, and the trauma they had to carry, even when they got free of the clutches of such vile and evil people.

When this scandal began to unfold many years ago, I still remember the haste with which various religious orders sought legal protection. If only the same could have happened for their victims. But as we all know, there are times  far too many  when it appears the perpetrators of crime enjoy more protection from the law than the victims.

Thankfully, now that a Commission of Investigation is to be established, there will be no place for religious orders to hide. They will have to hand over whatever documentation they have and will not be able to cherry pick what they think is all anyone is entitled to know about that sorry chapter in Irish life.

As I previously stated, there is no justification for what was done to these children. However, I am not one of those who believes there should be a complete separation between Church and state when it comes to education.

Last week, many people were calling for the Church to have absolutely no role in the education of children in this country. I dont agree. I am a product of such an education system. The nuns first taught me  kept late on a Friday for extra tuition in reading and spelling  then I went to The Brothers (the Christian Brothers) and was later taught by priests and non-cleric teachers.

I know I am one of the lucky ones. While there were times when I experienced the firm hand of a teacher, I can honestly say that none went too far  and while I was also a boarder where late-night supervision was carried out by priests, none ever acted in an inappropriate manner towards me or anyone else that I could see.

I dont agree with blanket bans. Yes, I did experience a firm hand, but to this day I can remember seeing one fellow student get the living daylights bet out of him  and it wasnt by a member of the clergy.

Schools today are completely different from back in my day, and rightly so. They are places of learning, where the children actually enjoy going to. They have become a safe place for little people  sometimes the only safe place they enjoy.

There are still many things wrong in Irish society. And while it is necessary to go after those who ruined the lives of others, it is also important to remember that not every member of a religious order back then, or today, is the enemy.
A standing room only crowd attended the workshop of the Rhea County Commission for a discussion on a continuing item, Our Fathers House.

The item had been put on the workshop agenda by Vice Chairman Leo Stephens of the Fourth District where Our Fathers House would be located on Landfill Road,

Commissioner Stephens said, I am not against this. We need to slow down and make sure that we see that it is done right. I am not against anyone. I want this to be here for a long time. Not just for a year.

Fourteen of the audience signed up to speak and Commission Chairman Jim Reed changed the rules to allow all of them two minutes to speak.

The majority of those speaking showed their support for what the county was doing in trying to create a rehabilitation center on Landfill Road in the county. There were members of the audience who had attended previous meetings and spoke in opposition to placing the house near their subdivision and houses.



During the comments, two of the people who had signed the petition to stop the development of Our Fathers House spoke in support of the idea.

Kirk Vincent was one of those who spoke saying, I live in the area and signed the petition to stop this. I will say that I was impressed with the testimony that I have heard tonight from some of these people. I would do anything to help. I am 100 percent for this.

Mr. Vincent did have one question as far as volunteer staff versus a paid staff. This is something of an issue. How are we going to rely on volunteers to supervise 12 men.

Among those who spoke, County Executive Jim Vincent had invited several members of the State Opioid Committee to speak to the commissioners. One of the first ones to speak was Jennifer Tourville, executive director of The Substance Misuse and Addiction Resource for Tennessee Initiative for the State of Tennessee through the University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Services.

Ms. Tourville explained what CTAS had been doing when they formed SMART in 2020, implementing evidence-based, cost-effective strategies that mitigate damage from substance use disorder and the opioid epidemic. SMART also oversees the various counties and how they are implementing the Opioid Abatement funds that they are receiving.

She said that they have several examples of how to create a community supported program and there already is a one in McMinn County that is a faith-based program that is doing quite well.

Also from the State was Lucy Crider, vocational rehabilitation counselor through the Department of Human Services. Ms. Crider said her part of the programs is getting people ready to go back into the workforce. Many of these persons have gone through a mental disorder of sorts. We get these people evaluated and counsel and give them guidance. We use community resources to help them into halfway houses to help them get ready for industrial jobs. We follow these people for 90 days to make sure they are doing well and are employed. We do follow up with them just after this. If after the 90 days they need further help, we take them back in and help with more training.

David Harris, who is with a private, faith-based initiative who works with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health, came up next to speak and discussed how he follows clients for 90 days to make sure they are improving.

There are 25 different homes right now in the state and there will never be enough to help people, he said.

After the public comment, Chairman Reed said, I would like to thank everyone who is here to discuss this matter. This means the world to me as a county official to have this many people come out. It is so important to have community input in what we do. You do not know what to expect when people show up. You have been good citizens and been respectful to all sides on this.

The issue of Our Fathers House will be discussed at the regular monthly meeting of the Commission on Tuesday starting at 6 p.m. in the Courthouse Annex.
A teacher's journey, which begins as a student, is transformative. Colleges of Education play a pivotal and urgent role in this journey, equipping aspiring educators with the skills, knowledge, and experiences to build successful careers and positively impact the world. This noble pursuit demands dedication and commitment, which deserves our respect, appreciation, and unwavering support.

Some have criticized Colleges of Education, and some state leaders have neglected them. Former Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn never tried to engage Colleges of Education. She had her agenda regarding teacher recruitment, and it was not built around strengthening Colleges of Education. It was also concerning that Governor Bill Lee did not address or defend the state's 80,000 teachers or teacher training programs after Hillsdale President Larry Arnn's derogatory remarks to mock teachers with education degrees.

The lack of respect for teachers cannot be tolerated. As someone who served my country in the United States Marine Corps and used the money I saved, along with veterans benefits, to attend college, I was offended on numerous levels. Like Veterans, being a teacher is more than just a job; it is a calling. Adults working to educate children are the backbone of any school or system.

Coupled with wanting to serve my community using my skills as an educator, I was one of the people targeted directly by Larry Arnn's vile comments. I could have chosen many professions, but I have never regretted teaching. As a former history and special ed teacher, academics have never taken a back seat. To their credit, many state leaders across both sides of the political aisle did rebuke Larry Arnns self-serving comments.

It's crucial to prioritize the pipeline for teachers and school leaders. In Tennessee, there is a pressing need for qualified professionals amid a national shortage in the education sector. A focused effort must be made to support the creation and retention of our educational workforce. The insufficient support provided to Colleges of Education is a concern we must urgently address.

Colleges of Education are crucial in empowering teachers and leaders to improve student outcomes. They play a foundational role in developing educators, addressing the national shortage of qualified professionals, and shaping the next generation of education leaders. Additionally, they promote innovative teaching methods and prepare students to be lifelong learners and active community members.

Colleges of Education must not just provide academic experiences but unique, rigorous, and learner-centered ones. This approach values students' potential and empowers them to achieve their fullest potential as lifelong learners, professionals, and engaged citizens.

There will always be detractors, specifically people who do not understand the mission and those who exploit the goals of Colleges of Education. They are, in fact, valid criticisms of Colleges of Education, from low graduation rates to political involvement. We need to examine teacher preparation regularly. EdTPA seems impersonal, costly, and subjective; it's a drain of time and doesn't predict good teaching. Our Praxis exams must be aligned with Tennessee Standards and cannot create barriers that prevent people from receiving their teaching licenses. Those may be issues in the next Tennessee General Assembly.

There is no denying that education continues to be the most powerful engine of economic opportunity and mobility. Education is needed for economic growth. Teachers are the most crucial classroom factor in a child's learning achievement, and colleges of Education prepare those teachers. So, Colleges of Education matter. That is something even a politician can understand.

JC Bowman

Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee
Xi Story: Cultivating the sweet fruit of rural revitalization

Xinhua) 09:45, September 15, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local apple production base to learn about the development of the modern specialty fruit industry in mountainous areas in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

LANZHOU, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- In September, the air in Tianshui City in Gansu Province, northwest China, is filled with the scent of ripening apples, and farmers like Dong Guihong are busy gathering the early autumn harvest. This year, Dong was joined in the orchard she worked in by a special visitor: President Xi Jinping.

When Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended his hand to Dong, she was momentarily stunned by the gesture, but quickly removed her gloves to shake hands, marking a memorable encounter in the local apple production base.

This was Xi's first inspection tour outside Beijing after the conclusion of the reform-themed third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in July.

In the orchard, which is part of the production base, Xi spoke with Dong as well as other apple growers and agricultural technicians amid trees laden with ruby-like Huaniu apples, a specialty fruit of Tianshui. He asked details of the quality and characteristics of Huaniu apples, including the planting techniques, market sales and the daily lives and work of the local farmers.

Responding to Xi's queries, Dong said that since the beginning of spring this year, she has been busy with all kinds of work, such as tending apple trees, bagging apples, and laying weed barriers.

"With a daily pay of 110 yuan (about 15.49 U.S. dollars), I can earn up to more than 30,000 yuan a year," said Dong, whose village is not very far from the orchard.

After being briefed by local officials on how the base has ensured the quality and yield of apples by implementing refined management methods, Xi encouraged the locals to aim for greater success in developing the apple industry and live happier lives.

In Tianshui, Huaniu apple cultivation began as early as 1925. With favorable conditions like moderate rainfall, abundant sunshine and mild temperatures, the apple has developed into a high-quality product and Tianshui's signature agricultural export over the decades.

The apple production base visited by Xi boasts about 10,000 hectares of apple orchards, which produced 220,000 tonnes of fruit in 2023, with a total value of about 600 million yuan. Across the 25 villages involved, the per capita income from the fruit industry has reached over 8,000 yuan in the year.

Tianshui's agricultural success is a prime example of how specialty industries have driven China's rural revitalization, an area of great importance to Xi.

Xi has emphasized the importance of developing such industries on multiple occasions, including his domestic inspection trips. He visited apple orchards during inspection tours of Shaanxi, a neighboring province of Gansu in 2015 and 2022.

In 2015, Xi traveled up a steep, winding mountain road to visit an orchard located on the upper reaches of Liangjiahe Village in Yan'an City. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, this very village was where a young Xi spent seven years working and studying as an "educated youth" -- urban youth sent to remote rural areas to "learn from farmers."

There, the president congratulated the orchard's owner, Zhang Weipang, on his successful business, saying: "Weipang, you are a rich man now!" He also encouraged locals to stay committed to developing the apple industry.

Like Tianshui, Yan'an has a long history of apple cultivation spanning decades. Today, apples are a signature product of the city's rural areas, and played a crucial role in lifting Yan'an out of absolute poverty in 2019.

In October 2022, Xi visited the city again, shortly after the closing of the 20th CPC National Congress. This time, when touring an orchard in Nangou Village, he praised local apple growers for their use of drip irrigation and refined management practices.

"This is agricultural modernization," said Xi. "You have found an industry development direction that suits you best."

In recent years, many rural areas across China have identified industries well-suited to their local conditions, effectively "planting the seeds" of rural revitalization through industrial development.

Beyond apples from Tianshui and Yan'an, oranges from Ganzhou in Jiangxi Province, strawberries from Dandong in Liaoning Province, and numerous other specialty products have gained prominence in the market, significantly contributing to local social and economic development.

As Xi emphasized during his visit to the apple orchard on Sept. 11, rural revitalization hinges on the development of local industries, and each region should harness its unique strengths and forge a path toward revitalization that aligns with its specific conditions.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun)
September 14, 2024: In July 2024 Ukraine carried out a surprise electronic attack on Russian internet access. This was accomplished by using the largest DDOS distributed denial of service attack ever. The attack disrupted all major Russian internet systems, including financial institutions, government networks and internet-based communications. This included messaging apps and social networks.

These attacks are usually carried out by first using a computer virus, often delivered as an email attachment that installs a secret Trojan horse type program that allows someone else to take over that computer remotely and turn it into a zombie for spamming, stealing, monitoring, or DDOS attacks to shut down another site. There are millions of zombie PCs out there and these can be rented, either for spamming or launching DDOS attacks. You can equip a web site to resist, or even brush off, a DDOS attack but the Ukrainian attack was so massive and well planned that Russian DDoS defenses were of no use.

It took about three weeks to get the Russian internet back to normal, although some systems were so heavily damaged that it will take months to get them running again. Major commercial, government and military systems were damaged or offline for weeks while repairs were made. The Ukrainian attacks were so massive, hitting internet targets throughout Russia, that there were not enough Russian internet engineers to repair all that damage immediately. That means systems that are not critical will be offline for weeks or months.

Russians fear the Ukrainians will launch a similar attack before all the damage from the recent one is repaired. Russia has long been a leader in such attacks, but the Ukrainians prepared for that before the Russian 2022 invasion and upgraded their internet defenses. Russia was not as well prepared and was vulnerable. Some Russian internet engineers warned their government of the vulnerability but not enough was done.

Attacks like these are more common now but have been for over two decades. One example occurred in 2011 there was an odd incident in South Korea, where a widely distributed computer game appeared to be infected with malware. What caught the attention of South Korean military intelligence was the fact that the malware was hidden in every copy of this game and, at one point, many of the 100,000 infected PCs tried to shut down the air traffic control system at a major South Korean airport.

Further investigation revealed that the airport attack was part of a growing Cyber War campaign by North Korea against government and military websites in South Korea. One of the most disruptive North Korean Cyber War weapons was DDOS attacks. You can equip a website to resist, or even brush off, a DDOS attack and some of those attacks are prepared. But others were not. The South Korean airport was disrupted for several hours. The Russians suffered even greater damage in 2024. North Korea has launched DDOS attacks and attempted to hack into South Korean networks for over twenty years. This is a continuing problem for South Korea and Japan, which have had to construct large scale internet defenses to provide some protection from further North Korea attacks via the internet. Most North Korean attacks are for financial gain. North Korea is perpetually broke and always in need of more cash. North Korean hackers have turned many foreign internet systems they have hacked into their own private ATM.
Roll On Echo River written by Robert Thatcher of Signal Mountain and Tom Brown of Dalton, was selected as Best in the Americana/Bluegrass Category in the WWALS Watershead Coalition Songwriting Competition. Finals were held at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Ga. They also won best in the Americana/Bluegrass Category in 2023 with This Ol River.

Since June 2012, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity working for a healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water. The organization advocates for conservation and stewardship of the surface waters and groundwater of the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary, in south Georgia and north Florida, among them the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, Santa Fe, and Suwannee River watersheds, through education, awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.



Robert Thatcher and Tom Brown began co-writing in 2017. Since that time, their collaborations have resulted in them placing three times in the John Hartford Songwriting Challenge, third place in the 2018 American Songwriter Contest, third place in the 2018 Woody Guthrie Songwriting Competition, runner up in the Podunk Bluegrass Festival, and numerous honorable mentions. Tom is also known for co-writing the bluegrass musical comedy Fat Shirleys: A Trailer Park Opera which has been staged at numerous theaters in the southeast and in the United Kingdom.
Home News Pope Francis' claim all religions are a path to God rebuked by clergy

During a three-day visit to Singapore, Pope Francis declared that all religions are a path to God, sparking backlash among religious leaders in the U.S.

The statement was made at an interreligious meeting with young people at a Catholic junior college shortly before his departure back to Rome.

Departing from his prepared remarks, Francis spoke off the cuff, stating that different religions are like different languages to reach God.

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

If you start to fight, my religion is more important than yours, mine is true and yours isnt, where will that lead us? he asked, according to Crux Now. Theres only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Some are Sheik, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and they are different paths [to God].

Reacting to the pontiff's comments, Bishop Joseph Strickland, who oversaw the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Texas, until his dismissal by the Vatican last year, said in a post on X, "Please pray for Pope Francis to clearly state that Jesus Christ is the only Way. To deny this is to deny Him. If we deny Christ, He will deny us, He cannot deny Himself."

Strickland was ousted for disagreeing with Francis on the issue of banning pro-abortion Catholic politicians from receiving communion and over the degree to which outreach to the LGBT community is acceptable in the Catholic Church. A petition created in defense of Strickland last year said he was ousted because he "publicly corrected several heterodox statements from Pope Francis.

Francis, referring to the universal nature of God, claimed, Since God is God for all, then we are all children of God.

In Singapore, Catholics constitute about 3.5% of the population, with Christians at 19%, Buddhists at 31%, Muslims at 15% and significant Hindu and Sikh minorities.

Francis also encouraged young people to engage in and sustain interfaith dialogue. For interreligious dialogue among young people, it takes courage, because youth is the time of courage in our lives, he said.

Fr. Calvin Robinson, who recently moved from England to lead a church in western Michigan, also rebuked the pope's statement in a post on X: "This is a counter-scriptural statement from Pope Francis. The Scriptures teach us the opposite. The gate to [H]eaven is narrow.

Robinson added, "In Christs own words: 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

The popes remarks come amid reactions from conservative Catholic quarters, reminiscent of past controversies.

Francis previously faced criticism and accusations of heresy on social media back in May for claiming the human heart is fundamentally good during a 60 Minutes interview.

When asked by interviewer Norah ODonnell what gives him hope about the world, the pope responded with everything, citing acts of goodness by people as proof of humanitys inherent goodness.

You see tragedies, but you also see so many beautiful things, he said. You see heroic mothers, heroic men, men who have hopes and dreams, women who look to the future. That gives me a lot of hope. People want to live. People forge ahead. And people are fundamentally good. We are all fundamentally good. Yes, there are some rogues and sinners, but the heart itself is good.

At the time, many commenters on X criticized Francis for his remarks, with some accusing him of failing to grasp the basic teaching of the Gospel. Others quoted portions of Scripture that teach God alone is good and that humanity has a sinful nature.

Some X users noted that Francis comment appeared to be an example of Pelagianism, a fifth century heresy that denied original sin and taught the essential goodness of humanity.

During his 2022 trip to Kazakhstan, he made similar statements. Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, a frequent critic, had then commented on the risk of creating a supermarket of religions.
Home News Seattle pastor arrested for reading the Bible receives monetary damages in court victory

Pastor Matthew Meinecke has won a significant legal battle with First Liberty securing a consent order on his behalf against the city of Seattle, providing him complete relief from wrongful arrests in the summer of 2022.

The legal agreement allows the pastor the freedom to share the Gospel in Seattle without the threat of arrest, coupled with monetary compensation for past grievances and attorneys' fees.

Meineckes confrontations with the law originated at a pro-abortion rally in Seattle, where his attempts to read the Bible and distribute religious literature were met with hostility, leading to his arrest on two separate occasions.

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 consent order now conclusively addresses these incidents, acknowledging the undue suppression of his speech and providing a platform for unhindered religious expression.

According to the consent order, the arrests occurred under circumstances where Meinecke was merely exercising his First Amendment rights by vocalizing his religious beliefs, which, despite being peaceful, were met with aggressive reactions from some attendees, including violent Antifa activists.

The subsequent police intervention did not favor Meinecke. Rather than receiving protection, he was instructed to leave the area, culminating in his arrest upon his refusal to leave.

A similar incident unfolded two days later at Seattle Center during the Seattle PrideFest. Despite facing verbal and physical mistreatment, Meineckes attempt to engage with the crowd resulted in another arrest when he chose not to leave the public park.

These events led to a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in April, which sided with Meinecke, denouncing the citys actions as unconstitutional hecklers vetoes. The court held that such restrictions on speech based on audience reaction violate fundamental rights, stating that a loss of First Amendment freedoms constitutes an irreparable injury.

Nate Kellum, senior counsel at First Liberty, remarked, The government should never silence the speech of a citizen just because an audience dislikes what its hearing. Pastor Meinecke is thrilled to put this case behind him and get back to sharing the Gospel on the streets of Seattle.

In a similar case in Reading, Pennsylvania, in June 2023, a street preacher, Damon Atkins, was arrested for preaching from the Bible during an LGBT pride month rally, which also involved a heated exchange with local law enforcement about the public nature of his activities.

Video from the event showed a couple of protesters standing on the opposite side of the street as marchers held LGBT-themed flags while Reading police officers looked on.

Another U.S. street preacher and activist, Rich Penkoski, earlier claimed he was locked out of his Cash App account because the mobile payment service didn't approve of his protests against LGBT events. Penkoski founded the online organization Warriors for Christ and travels the country to protest drag queen and LGBT pride events.
Home News Women with disabilities facing pressure to choose assisted suicide in Canada, Evangelical body warns

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada has urged Canadian authorities to repeal euthanasia laws for mental illness, highlighting a negative effect on women with disabilities, and to create a new anti-human trafficking strategy  in a nine-page submission to the United Nations.

The brief was written for the 89th session of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the U.N. General Assembly. It's part of a review of Canadas contribution in eliminating discrimination against women.

Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) was legalized for those with disabilities or chronic illnesses in Canada in 2021. However, the EFC stated that since the expansion of assisted dying laws, there have been many instances of people seeking MAiD because of a lack of medical or social support, poverty or housing insecurity, or intolerable conditions in long term care.

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

Many have had MAiD suggested to them by medical professionals, sometimes repeatedly, stated the EFC. Eligibility on the basis of disability endangers and devalues the lives of disabled Canadians.

The EFC pointed out that although the overall number of MAiD deaths were equal between sexes, with Canadian Government figures from 2022 showing 51.4% men and 48.6% women, the ratio of women to men among people with mental disorders is significantly skewed.

Fifty-nine percent of these deaths were women and 41% men. This suggests a discrimination against people with disabilities, which is experienced acutely by women with disability or chronic illness.

The EFC also expressed concerns that a Canadian National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking is due to end this year, with no replacement.

About 94% of trafficking victims in the country are women and girls, the EFC said, adding: It is essential that Canada enact a permanent, responsive strategy with stable funding to effectively fight human trafficking. Time limited strategies can result in gaps in funding, policy and response.

An inextricable link between human trafficking and prostitution was also expressed in the report, resulting in paid sex derived from the commercial sexual exploitation of women and children.

We know from other jurisdictions that when prostitution is legalized or decriminalized, the sex industry expands, and so does trafficking, wrote the EFC.

The EFC called on the Canadian government to enact a permanent anti-trafficking strategy, to include a survivor advisory committee, funding for victim services and legal training for those involved in combating human trafficking.

Measures should also be enforced to reduce demands for paid sex, the EFC stated, implementing the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA).

The system of prostitution must not be normalized or legitimized. Canada must do better than accept prostitution as a solution to female poverty, racism and a range of other underlying social issues.

Furthermore, the EFC supported the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, as previously reported by Christian Daily International, recognizing prostitution as a system of exploitation and violence.

Finally, this framing of prostitution must be maintained and reflected in all U.N. protocols and treaties, including CEDAW, the EFC stated.

Originally published at Christian Daily International
Home News University of Louisville professor wins in court after getting fired for questioning gender ideology

A former professor at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, who alleges he was harassed and fired for voicing his opinions about gender dysphoria, is headed back to district court for trial after achieving victory in an appeals court last week.

A three-judge panel for the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday in favor of Allan M. Josephson, who claimed he was demoted and essentially ousted by the University of Louisville in 2017 after sharing his opinions about how best to treat young people suffering from gender dysphoria during a panel at the Washington, D.C.-based conservative think tank Heritage Foundation.

"The defendants argue that they are entitled to Eleventh Amendment immunity and

qualified immunity. The district court disagreed, and so do we," the 6th Circuit decision written by Biden appointee Judge Andre Mathis states.

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

Josephson, who had taught since 2003 in the psychology department at the University of Louisville, appeared with Michelle Cretella, a pediatrician with the American College of Pediatricians, and Paul Hruz, a professor of endocrinology at Washington University (Saint Louis) Medical School at the October 2017 Heritage panel.

During the panel, the three questioned the idea of gender identity and the efficacy of administering cross-sex hormones to children confused about their sex.

Following the discussion, Josephson alleged he was subsequently demoted from his position at the university and told that his contract would not be renewed.

His attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom argued before the court in July to allow the professor's case to proceed to trial after a federal court had earlier ruled it could, as noted in a statement from the nonprofit.

"Public universities have no business punishing professors simply because they hold different views than a few colleagues or administrators," ADF Senior Counsel Travis Barham, who argued before the court, said in a statement provided to The Christian Post.

"The court's decision affirms that basic truth. Dr. Josephson had a long and distinguished career at the University of Louisville, leading and rebuilding its child psychiatry program."

"On his own time, he spoke about treatments for children struggling with their sex, and the university punished him for expressing his opinion. That's exactly what the First Amendment prohibits, and when public universities disregard our nation's highest law, they must be held accountable," Barham continued.

"We look forward to continuing to protect Dr. Josephson's clearly established right to free speech and reminding all public universities that they are marketplaces of ideas," he added.

Writing on his blog in 2019, when news of Josephson's situation first broke, theologian and Boyce College professor Denny Burk noted that what the professor faced is typical when resisting the goals of LGBT activists.

"Any doctor who dares speak up against this anti-science propaganda risks losing his job and livelihood. This is how LGBT activists win. They silence and intimidate all opposition to their ideology. That is what they have done to Dr. Josephson, and that is what they are doing everywhere they can," he said.

"It's hard to believe that this is where we are, but it's true."

The Christian Post reached out to the director of media relations at the University of Louisville, but the call was sent to voicemail.
Home News Ohio school district sued for not bussing students to private schools

An Ohio school district facing a lawsuit over its refusal to provide transportation to more than 1,000 students who attend non-public schools insists it's not breaking the law, though a legal complaint says otherwise.

On Tuesday, the American Center for Law and Justice filed a complaint with the Ohio Supreme Court, seeking an order requiring the Columbus City School District in Ohio to resume the provision of transportation for private and charter school students living within its boundaries.

While the school district is required to provide transportation for non-public school students, it can decline to do so only in cases where the transportation is deemed impractical for a variety of reasons.

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

Students may only be determined ineligible for transportation in certain circumstances and if the School Board complies with the prescribed process, such as properly determining whether the transportation would require more than thirty minutes of direct travel time as measured by travel between the traditional public school to which the student would have been assigned and the private or community school the student has chosen to attend, the lawsuit states.

As explained in the legal document, the school district issued a resolution declaring the impracticality of transportation to 1,380 students who attend private or charter schools ahead of the 2024-25 school year.

In many cases, the resolutions were issued within two weeks of the start of the new school year. This violates Ohio state law, which states that such resolutions must be issued no later than 30 calendar days before the first day of school.

Ohio state law also requires school districts to offer to provide payment in lieu of transportation and give parents the option to engage in mediation, contesting a decision to exclude them from transportation. Marissa Siebold, named as a relator in the lawsuit, received a notice of the determination made concerning her child one day after the school year had already begun. While the notice contained an offer, it did not specify an exact amount.

Siebold requested mediation but had not heard back from the school district at the time of the lawsuits filing. State law requires the school district to provide interim transportation for students whose parents seek to contest the decision about their childs transportation, but the complaint maintains that the Columbus City School District has failed to offer that option to Siebold.

The complaint highlights the negative repercussions Siebold has faced as a result of the school district not providing her child with transportation to Tree of Life Christian Schools Middle School.

She has been forced to take time off work to provide the transportation to school in the morning and home from school in the afternoon, reducing her income and jeopardizing her employment status, the lawsuit explains.

In particular, she has had to reduce her regular work hours from approximately 55 to 45 hours a week as a result of the increased time having to be spent driving her children to and from school, the petition declares. Relator is paid an hourly wage; accordingly, this lost work time imposes a direct financial burden on her and significantly reduces her income and her ability to provide for her family.

The document also cites wear and tear on her vehicle and gas expenses as well as an hour and a half to two hours of lost time driving her children to school as hardships endured by Siebold.

The lawsuit asks the Ohio Supreme Court to issue a writ of mandamus compelling the Respondent Columbus City Schools Board of Education to provide transportation to and from private or community schools to Relators child and for each student on whose behalf mediation has been requested or will be requested as a result of an Impracticality Resolution, which transportation must begin immediately and continue until the matter has been resolved.

Columbus City School District defended its decision to halt transportation for the private and charter school students.

In a letter to the office of Ohios Republican Attorney General Dave Yost attached as an exhibit in the complaint, counsel for the school district wrote CCS believes its actions are consistent with the laws promulgated by the General Assembly and is complying with its legal obligations to transport students.

CCS staff is working with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) and families daily regarding CCSs determinations, the letter added. The school districts correspondence with Yost, dated Sept. 5, follows news that Yost was considering filing a lawsuit of his own over the transportation of non-public school students.

According to the school district counsel, R.C. 3327.01, which is commonly known as the 30-minute rule, specifically permits CCS, and all Ohio public school districts, to determine that a student is ineligible for public school transport if such transportation would require more than thirty minutes of direct travel time as measured by school bus from the public school building to which the pupils would be assigned if attending the public school designated by district of residence.

CCS has no legal obligation to transport ineligible students under R.C. 3327.01 or 3327.02, and students deemed ineligible for transportation are not entitled to mediation and/or payment in lieu of transportation. Instead, either CCS or the students parent and/or guardian can request an official timing to determine eligibility for CCS transportation. CCS and ODEW have coordinated a time schedule to conduct official timings upon request.

The school district counsel noted that an impractical to transport review is conducted if an official timing, conducted by ODEW, determines that the afore-mentioned distance is under 30 minutes. The letter described Yosts threat to file a lawsuit as an attempt to usurp and circumvent the authority of the General Assembly.
Home News Travel: In Europe, 3 places to visit this fall

As the calendar ushers in fall, now is the perfect time to visit Europe.

Thats because the weather is still pleasant, and crowds are noticeably thinner.

The following three places are listed in no particular order.

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

Ramsgate, England

Ramsgate was one of the earliest English tourism destinations in the 1800s, when the modern-day vacation was in its infancy.

In recent decades this seaside town has lost its mass-market appeal as Brits seeking sun and sand are more likely to choose a resort somewhere in Portugal and Spain. Their loss is everyone elses gain.

While the surrounding county of Kent is chock-full of history, including the spot where St. Augustine landed in 597 on his mission to bring Christianity to England, the draw for readers of this column is Gothic revival architecture.

Nineteenth century architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, whose works included the iconic Palace of Westminster in London, called Ramsgate home. It was Pugin who made Gothic revival with its telltale pointed-arch virtually synonymous with churches. His home, The Grange, sits right next to the Pugin-designed Roman Catholic parish church, which has been designated as the Shrine of St. Augustine and the National Pugin Centre. The shrine church also houses a small relic of Augustine.

Stay at The Grange, an upscale vacation rental that can be booked through the Landmark Trust.

Reichenau Island, Germany

Located in the southwest German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, this island in Lake Constance has had a Christian presence since the year 724, when a Benedictine monastery was founded by itinerant Bishop and later St. Pirmin.

What Pirmin founded became the Imperial Abbey of Reichenau within the Holy Roman Empire. Visitors to the abbey, which is commemorating its 1,300th anniversary all year, can see two relics: the bones of St. Mark the Evangelist and a pitcher from the wedding at Cana.

Also on Reichenau Island, which some might know for its wine-producing vineyards, is St. Georges Church. The Romanesque church was built by the archbishop-elector of Mainz after he received the skull of St. George from the pope in 896. Inside, one finds a nave lined with wall paintings. Dating to 1000, the eight paintings depict biblical miracles performed by Jesus.

In nearby Constance, which sits on Germanys border with Switzerland, a special exhibition on the 1,300th anniversary runs through Oct. 20 at the Baden-Wurttemberg State Archaeological Museum. Also in Constance is Constance Minster, which hosted the Council of Constance. The pre-Reformation council, held from 1414 until 1418, was presided over by the Holy Roman emperor and, among other things, settled the schism that resulted in competing papal claimants, affirmed papal supremacy and condemned early Reformer Jan Hus to death by burning at the stake.

Stay at Hotel St. Elizabeth, a hotel on the grounds of a modern-day monastery belonging to the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross, a Roman Catholic religious order.

Paris, France

One never needs an excuse to visit Paris.

Skip the Louvre Museum, as its too much to see during a short visit. Plus, the crowds can be awful  even during the fall shoulder season. Instead, visit the City Museum of Fine Arts at the Petit Palais. The building, an incredible example of beaux-arts architecture, was purpose-built for the 1900 Paris Exposition. Admission is free.

Then theres the Cluny Museum and City Museum of Architecture and Heritage. The Clunys collection includes medieval religious art while the City is notable for full-scale plaster casts of facades and other architectural details from centuries-old churches and cathedrals across France.

Be sure to visit the grave of the Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the American Revolution. He is buried at Picpus Cemetery. Through 2025, the bicentennial of Lafayettes return to America in 1824 and 1825 is being celebrated across the United States.

On a side note, one of the biggest events in Paris this year is the December reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. The medieval Gothic landmark has been closed for extensive restorations since the 2019 fire.

Stay at The Presbytery Hotel (Hotel Le Presbytere), which occupies the former presbytery or parsonage belonging to the parish Church of St. Merri.

Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.
Abortion and Kamala Harris' statement on faith

In the first 2024 presidential debate, Vice-President Kamala Harris said she would "proudly" sign a bill into law that restored the federal right to an abortion. She went on to say, "One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government and Donald Trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body," Harris said.

So, Harris is arguing that Jesus is for or allows abortion under the authority of the government as a "righteous and holy right."

She can hold whatever view she wants to hold as a government official, but when she becomes an expert and an authority on what the Bible says, then that is a different conversation from my perspective as a pastor and follower of Jesus Christ.

Romans 13 tells us why government exists. It exists to represent God's views to the people. Government officials are not to be a terror to good behaviour but to bad. The Apostle Paul tells us that government is established by God as His agent for our good.

Kamala Harris says that she is for all Americans. She made this statement numerous times during the first presidential debate. And every time she said it, I uttered out loud, "Except for the unborn Americans." We now live in a country that doesn't want to protect the life of the unborn innocent child. Former President Donald Trump stood to fight for the right of the unborn child, the one who can't speak for themselves. This took great courage and regardless of what you think of him as a human being or a person, it is important that God's people support God's Biblical principles.

I realize many God-fearing Christians are really struggling with Trump's character, personality, and lack of discretion and wisdom in how he communicates and interacts with others. These are very valid concerns and things that people like Rev Franklin Graham continue to address with him.

The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 6 that there are six things the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him. The third one in this list is "shedding innocent blood." That is the definition of an abortion. It is the shedding of innocent DNA. I realize in these debates that the focus quickly turns to abortion rights for the sake of incest, rape, and the protection of the life of the mother. But abortion in America has become a means of birth control. It has become the means of irresponsible reproduction. It has become the means to seemingly eliminate the consequences of irresponsible sexuality and it has come at the cost of the unborn baby and sadly the mental health of the woman getting the abortion.

Life Network clinics around the United States are committed to helping scared and fearful mums and dads put together a plan for protecting their mental health and the life of the unborn child. Yes, it involves sacrifice which our nation and our society no longer understands. It involves faith, conviction, and selflessness. It involves obedience to God. It involves allowing someone else to walk you through a very scary process of keeping the baby or giving the baby up for adoption.

Life Network clinics want to help save the life of the unborn child and care for the mum and dad of the child, but even if the parents get an abortion, Life Network clinics are there to minister and care for the parents who aborted their child. They don't abandon them, ridicule them, or condemn them; they serve them. This is a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ's love for people amid their sin. I applaud Life Network clinics and personally support them as a pastor of Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs, and as an individual who gives money to them to support their ministry efforts.

Currently in Colorado, our state through legislation has fallen in love with the killing of innocent babies. Rich Bennett, a dear friend of mine, and the President/CEO of the Colorado Springs Life Network sent out an email informing those who care about the life of the unborn baby that legislation is currently in the Colorado Congress, called Amendment 79. This is a radical pro-abortion amendment that seeks to permanently enshrine the "right" to unrestricted abortion until birth in Colorado's Constitution. This reckless and extreme initiative will appear on Colorado ballots as Amendment 79-Right to Abortion.

This Amendment 79 will provide all Coloradians abortion on demand for healthy mothers and babies up to the final day of the pregnancy. It will dismantle parental rights and permit minors to have abortions without parental consent and it will allow for taxpayer money to fund abortions in Colorado including for those coming from out of state.

This is a human rights issue and more importantly, since Vice-President Kamala Harris said it, it is a faith issue. All human life is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). It begins at conception (Psalm 139:11-16). Each baby is designed for a unique purpose (Jeremiah 1:5) and belongs to the Lord. Ezekiel 18:4 says, "Know that all lives are mine (this is God speaking); the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine."

Jesus said in Luke 17:1, "Temptations to sin[a] are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin."

Vice-Present Kamala, please know you can't be faithful to the truths of God's Word and be supportive of the shedding of blood of innocent life. The road you are preparing for people of faith is a road of destruction. I implore you: turn back, repent, and protect the life of the unborn before God corrects you Himself.
Christian groups warn against 'dangers' of assisted suicide after 'citizens jury' backs changes

A Christian advocacy group has cautioned against proposals to legalise assisted suicide and called instead for society to prioritise suicide prevention and "life-affirming care".

The warning came as the results of a "citizens jury" on assisted suicide were announced.

The jury, which does not have any legal authority, was set up by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and comprised 28 people.

It concluded that assisted suicide should be legal for people with the mental capacity to choose for themselves.

Dr Gordon Macdonald, CEO for Care Not Killing, questioned the impartiality of the citizens jury.

"Disappointingly, we note that the Director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics was formerly Director of Compassion in Dying, the charitable arm of Dignity in Dying which campaigns for assisted suicide. Additionally, a leading Council member was previously chair of Compassion in Dying, and the project was funded by a group which has also funded another leading pro-assisted suicide campaign organisation," he said.

"That's before we get to the selection criteria. A jury in a court of law must be rigorously impartial with no strong views about the case they are judging.

"This does not appear to be the case with this exercise, indeed, from the methodology ... two thirds of the panel (65 per cent) were either in favour or strongly in favour of changing the law on assisted suicide and euthanasia before taking any evidence.

"So, what could have been a serious contribution to this important debate seemingly fails the impartiality test."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer supports a change to the law. In Scotland, Holyrood is soon to debate Liam McArthur's Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, and Jersey and the Isle of Man have backed legalising the practice.

Recent polling of just over 2,000 adults by Whitestone Insight found that a majority (60%) support legalising assisted suicide.

However, even among those who support it, a majority (56%) do not believe that it can be safely implemented, while the same proportion fear it would lead to a culture where suicide is normalised.

Young people were least likely to support a change to the law, with fewer than half of 18 to 24 year olds (44%) saying they agreed with it.

Dr Macdonald concluded: "At a time when we see how quickly the safeguards in countries like Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands have been eroded so disabled people and those with mental health problems, even eating disorders are now being euthanised, I would strongly urge the Government to focus on fixing our broken palliative care system that sees up to one in four Brits who would benefit from this type of care being unable to access it, rather than discussing again this dangerous and ideological policy.

"With suicides in the UK being at record levels, financial worries and the NHS in crisis, now is not the time to encourage or facilitate more suicides by legalising assisted suicide and euthanasia."

Ross Hendry, CEO of Christian advocacy group CARE, said the findings of the poll challenge campaigners' claims of widespread support. He said that legalising assisted suicide would send the message that "some lives are not worth living - that some people are not worth protecting".

"The dangers of legislating for this idea are clear, and have been underlined repeatedly," he said.

"Assisted suicide puts vulnerable groups at huge risk of abuse. People currently protected from harm by the state would end their lives because they feel like a burden on others or the NHS, or because they lack proper support. The just and compassionate response to suffering is life-affirming care. This means proper investment in services that meet people's physical, mental and spiritual needs.

"The UK has huge work to do in this area. We'd also emphasise the need to enhance suicide prevention, and work towards a society where all lives are considered precious."
September 14, 2024: For over a decade the United States has observed China putting more Remote Sensing satellites into orbit. Currently there are over 300 of them up there. A few dozen of these satellites would be sufficient for commercial use. China has spent billions to put a much larger number of satellites in orbit so that it has an assured network of surveillance satellites that could survive a major attack. China continues to maintain a larger number of these satellites in orbit, must frequently replace ones which become disabled or wear out, and also periodically replaces existing satellites with improved ones with more capabilities and longer use lives. China requires such a large and survivable satellite network to keep an eye on potential naval threats. Its not just the U.S. Navy, but naval forces from South Korea, Japan, Australia, Taiwan and most other countries bordering the Western Pacific.

The U.S. government does not want to pay for an equally robust and comprehensive satellite system that can survive a Chinese attack. China has been smart about their threatening satellite network by not talking about it and, when pressed, insisting that all those satellites are for commercial uses, to assist Chinese fishing trawlers and China commercial shipping industry. China is currently the largest shipbuilder in the world, building over half the commercial ships produced each year.

The threat to the United States and its allies is real and for over a decade the U.S. Navy has been developing countermeasures. While the U.S. Navy has been quiet about how it plans to defend its ships against Chinese ship-killer ballistic missiles, they have not been idle. The navy has quietly expanded its layered air defense system with the addition of new electronic defenses. The navy is particularly quiet about any efforts to conduct realistic tests of its defenses against Chinese ballistic missiles.

After two decades of effort, the Chinese Navy has developed and tested its DF-21D ballistic missile equipped to hit warships at sea and over a thousand kilometers distant. The basic DF-21 is a 15 ton, two stage, solid fuel missile that is 10.7 meters long and 140cm in diameter. Range varies from 1,700-3,000 kilometers depending on model. The DF-21D is believed to have a range of 1,500-2,000 kilometers. While the 500-2,000 kg warhead usually contains a nuclear weapon, there are also several types of conventional warheads, including one designed for use against warships. Some of these conventional warheads are for use against targets in Taiwan. This is because the DF-21, as a longer-range ballistic missile that comes down on the target faster than the 1,200 shorter-range ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan, is more difficult to intercept. The DF-21D warheads were too fast for the American Patriot Pac-3 BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense) missiles Taiwan was installing around crucial installations a decade ago. BMDs have improved since then, but so has the Chinese ballistic missile arsenal.

In 2020 China tested the DF-26B, a longer-range version of the DF-21D. The 20-ton DF-26B has a max range of 4,000 kilometers. This is a larger 14-meter long, 140cm diameter, missile that entered service in 2016 as the conventional DF-26. By this time the DF-21D had been tested and proved that it could work. Why not a larger version that could hit enemy warships, especially aircraft carriers, even farther away? Five years later the DF-26B was tested and in service. By 2022 China had the smaller YJ-21 missile that could be carried by bombers or large (destroyers or cruisers) warships and use the same target detection tech as the DF-21D and DF-26B to hit distant ships.

Until 2013 there was no evidence that the complete DF-21D system had been tested. But then satellite photos showed a 200-meter-long white rectangle in western Chinas Gobi Desert with two large craters in it. This would appear to be a target for testing the DF-21D, and two of the inert practice warheads appear to have hit the target. American carriers are over 300 meters long, although the smaller carriers, especially amphibious ships with helicopter decks, are closer to 200 meters long. It appears China is planning on using the DF-21D against smaller warships, or perhaps they just wanted to see exactly how accurate the missile could be.

Over the last decade several similar missile testing sites were discovered in the vast desert areas of western China. Some of these test targets portrayed air bases or even larger targets like naval or army supply depots as well as harbors where American warships are regularly found. China was seeking a way to carry out another Pearl Harbor type attack and they appear to have found it.

Out in the desert China also found ways to improve the accuracy and reliability of their remote-sensing satellite. Back in 2011 an odd, geometric pattern was spotted in a Chinese desert that was used to calibrate satellite sensors, including those used to locate and identify targets for DF-21D type missiles.

Between 2011 and 2013 various components of the DF-21D were tested, but until these satellite photos showed up there was no evidence that there had been any tests of the complete system against a carrier size target, especially a carrier accompanied by escorting destroyers and frigates. So many ships in a carrier task force make it more difficult for a missile to hit the carrier. Since 2012 there have been photos of DF-21Ds on TELs (transporter erector launcher vehicles), and announcements of the first units activated were made in 2019. By 2013 there was evidence of the successful tests. What has not been tested, apparently, is a dress rehearsal test against a large ship (an old tanker or container ship would do) at sea and moving. Another problem China has not yet solved is hitting these targets when they are moving at over 50 kilometers an hour. That might yet happen and it could be detected and monitored by Americans satellites.

Before the 2013 tests China put three remote sensing satellites in orbit, moving in formation at an altitude of 600 kilometers across the Pacific. Equipped with either radar (SAR or synthetic aperture radar) or digital cameras, these three birds can scan the ocean for ships, even though the Chinese say their purpose is purely scientific. A typical SAR can produce photo quality images at different resolutions. At medium, 3 meters resolution the radar covers an area of 40x40 kilometers. Low 20 meters resolution covers 100x100 kilometers. This three satellite Chinese posse looks suspiciously like a military ocean surveillance system. This is the missing link for the Chinese ballistic missile system designed to attack American aircraft carriers.

China has been developing the DF-21D since about 2002. Most of the development effort was devoted to targeting systems that would enable them to seek out and find aircraft carriers. On the DF-21D warhead itself, sensors would use infrared heat seeking technology for their final approach. This sort of thing had been discussed for decades, but China appears to have put together tactics, sensors, and missile systems that can make this all happen. The key was having multiple sensor systems which would include satellites, submarines, or maritime patrol aircraft that could find the general location of the carrier before launching the ballistic missile. Those sensors were eventually revealed as operational, as was the DF-21D itself.

Meanwhile the U.S. Navy has quietly upgraded its ABM defenses that use short range RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) and long-range SM-2 missiles that have proved very effective against ballistic missiles and, in one case, a space satellite. The navy is more secretive when it comes to its electronic defenses, which involve lasers and other light-based devices as well as a growing assortment of electronic devices that apparently concentrate on disabling or diminishing the terminal guidance systems of the ballistic missiles that make them accurate enough to hit individual ships. The navy and air force are apparently also developing techniques for disabling Chinas remote sensing satellites. Developing multiple attacks on Chinese satellites and ballistic missile sensors is what the layered defenses are all about. This adds a degree of uncertainty about the usefulness of the Chinese anti-ship ballistic missiles. Uncertainty is a goal here and one of the more important aspects of layered defense systems. The Chinese can collect some details about the new American electronic defenses by following announcements in the trade journals, where new features are mentioned, although not always with links to any specific navy system being upgraded. A lot of Chinese espionage, using human agents or hacking, is devoted to sorting out specific new capabilities the Americans have introduced and for what piece of equipment.
North Korea flagrantly disregarding international human and religious rights standards - report

A new report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide has condemned North Korea's ongoing repression of civil and religious liberties.

The report, titled 'North Korea: We cannot look away', was published to mark the 10th anniversary of a landmark report by the UN Commission of Inquiry into extensive human rights violations in the hermit communist country.

The UN report condemned the "gravity, scale and nature" of human rights abuses being committed in the country and said at the time that North Korea "does not have any parallel in the contemporary world".

In its anniversary report, CSW said that 10 years on, Christianity is especially targeted in the ongoing suppression of beliefs, although those who express an opinion challenging the Kim regime can also face severe punishment.

"No steps" have been taken by the Kim regime to uphold international human rights standards, CSW said, adding that the human rights situation in North Korea remains virtually unchanged and may even have deteriorated as a result of a number of factors including the pandemic and the forced repatriation of North Korean refugees from China.

Penalties for expressing opinions or beliefs deemed to challenge the Kim regime include torture, detention in political prison camps, or even execution. North Koreans suspected of using religious materials, including the Bible, can expect the same fate.

The report draws on interviews with six North Korean escapees and 17 experts on the country, and was launched in Seoul, South Korea.

CSW's CEO Scot Bower said that a decade on from the UN's landmark report, the Kim regime "remains committed to being a pariah on the international stage and acting with hostility towards global standards for human rights".

"We hope that this report generates further conversation and innovative thinking among researchers, policymakers, civil society and funders on how to address one of the worst human rights and humanitarian crises in the world," he said.

"Our vision remains one of a North Korea in which everyone is free to exercise their rights and freedoms, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, and today we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that this vision becomes a reality."

In a new UN report into human rights abuses in North Korea, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says that North Korea and its leaders must be held to account.

The repression of freedom of thought and expression increased significantly between July 2023 to May 2024, and the regime has been cracking down on "reactionary" content, according to the report.

"Given the inaction of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it is imperative that accountability be pursued elsewhere. The General Assembly ... called upon the Security Council and Member States to take further steps to ensure criminal accountability, including through referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court," said Guterres.

Timothy Cho, a North Korean who escaped the country and now works for the religious persecution charity Open Doors, said, "It's only right that the people who have consigned hundreds of thousands to prison and starvation should answer for their crimes.

"However, with China, and now Russia standing with the North Korean regime, it's only a distant dream."

Open Doors coordinator for ministry among North Koreans, Simon Lee (name changed for security reasons), said that North Korea's Law on Rejecting Reactionary Thought and Culture has not only targeted South Korean culture and foreign news, but also Christians and religious material including the Bible.

Although the official text does not mention Christianity or religion, it speaks of "superstitious materials".

"Every North Korean knows what is meant with that phrase," he said.
Dr. Elizabeth (Ebeth) Sawchuk is associate curator of human evolution at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Dr. Sawchuk is a bioarchaeologist who studies ancient human remains in their archaeological contexts to reconstruct modern human evolution and population history in Africa over the past 50,000 years.

Every person on the planet today is descended from hunter-gatherers in Africa. Our species, Homo sapiens, evolved on that continent about 300,000 years ago and only successfully spread around the world in the last 60,000 years.

As a result, we all share a deep connection to Africa: The continent preserves the story of us and how we came to be.

While many of us are captivated by the study of human evolution in Africa, its important to remember this field is relatively young.

About a century ago, an ancient human skull blown out of a limestone quarry in Zambia marked the birth of paleoanthropology -- the study of ancient humans -- on the continent.

Human evolution research can be dusty work. Here, Dr. Elizabeth (Ebeth) Sawchuk poses in front of a crevice in Nakuru, Kenya.Photo Courtesy of Steven Goldstein

The (un)lucky fossil, now known as Kabwe 1, represents a turning point at a time when Africa was considered peripheral to the story of human evolution.

A century later, its widely accepted that the earliest hominins (members of the human family tree) evolved in Africa. Some famous fossils -- like Lucy, Ardi and Turkana Boy -- are even household names.

However, the many African scientists and workers who contributed to these discoveries are not.

Africa and other parts of the Global South have a long history of helicopter research: Nonlocal scholars drop in to collect data and samples, then leave without engaging in meaningful collaboration or capacity building.

This approach points to a fundamental problem in paleoanthropology. Much of our research occurs in Africa, yet African scientists remain largely excluded.

Instead, most work is conducted by scholars from places like North America and Europe, because most of the funding and training opportunities are concentrated in those regions.

Fortunately, this situation is changing. It used to be commonplace to export African fossils and artifacts to museums abroad for study. However, in recent decades it has become standard practice for scientists to partner with African museums to keep all finds within their country of origin and work with local collaborators.

As associate curator of human evolution at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, I travel to Kenya every summer to conduct research, engage with my community partners and train African students.

But there is more work to do, especially as breakthroughs push science in exciting new directions.

Just 10 years ago, the thought of studying ancient DNA from Africa seemed impossible. Today, around 200 ancient African genomes have been published, from individuals going back 20,000 years.

In the past five years alone, my collaborators and I have published ancient DNA studies that have profoundly reshaped our understanding of Stone Age networks, the spread of food production and the rise of complex societies.

Yet, once again, the lack of labs and training opportunities on the continent limits the participation of African scholars.

This issue inspired my colleagues and me to organize the first population historyfocused DNA and ancient DNA workshop in Africa last year.

Hosted by the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi, DNAirobi brought together scholars from across Africa and around the world to discuss building a more ethical and equitable future for this kind of research.

Our recommendations, recently published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, call for much greater investment in African science and scientists, and for improved scientific literacy for all.

Closing the opportunity gap for African scholars requires investing in entire societies and the next generation -- work that will take decades and have far-ranging impact. And the only way were going to get there is through collective action and support for equitable science.

How we do research matters just as much as what we do. Understanding something as complex as human evolution in Africa requires many different people with different perspectives to get the story right.

While we cant predict the next big discovery in human evolution, we all stand to benefit from research that is equitable, inclusive and grounded on the continent that gave rise to us all.

Readers are invited to submit Opinion page essays on topics of regional or general interest. Send your 500-word essay for consideration to Ann Norman at anorman@cleveland.com. Essays must include a brief bio and headshot of the writer. Essays rebutting todays topics are also welcome.
September 15, 2024: Since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the HUR Ukrainian military intelligence service has grown in size and activities. Most of the activities are in the open, like attacks on Russian military or intelligence overseas. These often involve the use of foreign airlines and railroads by unidentified Ukrainian HUR operatives passing themselves off as Ukrainian or Russian civilians. Because the Ukrainian and Russian languages closely resemble each other, its easy for a Ukrainian to speak unaccented Russian, but not so easy when a Russian tries it. Many intelligence operatives speak several languages, especially English. The international language airline flight control is English because early in the history of commercial flying most of the aircraft were American. During World War II, the largest air force the world has ever known was American. That continued for many decades after the war and is still generally true in 2024. In other words, if you want to be an intelligence agency field operative, you must speak English, even if it is heavily accented. The United States is a large country that includes Alaska and Hawaii. These two areas contain a lot of people who still speak Inuit Alaskan languages and Hawaiian native languages that never died out. America is the land of many different accents.

Which gets us back to the Ukrainian HUR intelligence field operatives in Syria, where the Khimik detachment got into the country unobserved and then infiltrated the Russian Kuweires airbase and destroyed a mobile electronic warfare system Russia had been using to protect the base from drone attacks. As soon as the electronic warfare system was out of action, numerous drones attacked the unprotected base and did significant damage.

Why would Ukrainian intelligence undertake such a mission so far from Ukraine? It was because this base was also used to train Russian mercenaries to fight in Ukraine. The training was specialized and the students caused problems for the Ukrainian forces fighting the Russian invaders.

Russian forces originally appeared in Syria after the Six-Day War, then left sometime after the Yom Kippur War, and returned in 2015 to assist the beleaguered ruler Bashar Al Assad. Hafez al-Assad, the father of Bashar, had ruled Syria from 1971 to 2000. Hafez sided with the Soviet Union during the Cold War and was a longtime ally of Russia until he died in 2000. His son Bashar took over and was even more efficient, and vicious, than his father. The relationship with Russia increased as Russia used the Syrian port of Targus for their tiny Mediterranean Fleet and a nearby airbase for military and commercial aircraft. This airbase was also used to support the activities of Russian ally Iran in Syria.

There are a lot of Russians operating in Syria, especially since 2015. Russia thought it was safe to train operatives for their war against Ukraine. HUR found out about that and did something to disrupt the Russian operation. This is not the first time HUR has gone after Russian operations in third countries. What was unique about the Syrian operation was that HUR involvement became known, something HUR prefers to avoid. HUR did achieve their objective in Syria, so the overall operation was a success.

It wont be known for years or decades how many overseas HUR operations there were and how many foreign countries HUR operated in to defeat Russian operations. For example, Russian paramilitary operatives have been very active in Africa, especially Congo, where Russia wants to assure their access to rare minerals that are mined there. They must compete with China and several Western countries. HUR has apparently been causing problems for Russia in Congo as well and has managed to conceal their involvement. HUR may be operating against Russian interests in other parts of the world, including South America. HUR prefers to keep their presence hidden, even from allies like the United States.
Andy Ginther, mayor of Columbus, Ohio, pictured at a White House event in 2023, was not giving the public the full picture after a recent ransomware attack, according to a dark web researcher who investigated, and has since been sued by the city.

Ransomware has long been plaguing American municipalities. It appeared to be another typical ransomware attack that impacted the city of Columbus, Ohio, this past July. The city's response to the hack, however, was not, and it has cybersecurity and legal experts across the country questioning its motives.

Connor Goodwolf (legal name is David Leroy Ross) is an IT consultant who plumbs the dark web as part of his job. "I track dark web-type crimes, criminal organizations, and stuff like what the Telegram CEO has been arrested for," Goodwolf said.

So when word got out that the city of Columbus, his hometown, had been breached, Goodwolf did what he does: he poked around online. It didn't take him long to discover what the hackers had in their possession.

"It wasn't the biggest, but it was one of the most impactful breaches I have seen," Goodwolf said.

In some ways, he described it as a routine breach, with personal identifiable information, protected health information, Social Security numbers and driver's license photos exposed. However, because multiple databases were breached, it was more encompassing than other attacks. According to Goodwolf, the hackers had breached multiple databases from the city, the police, and the prosecutor's office. There were arrest records and sensitive information about minors and domestic violence victims. Some of the breached databases, he says, went back to 1999.

Goodwolf found over three terabytes of data that took over 8 hours to download.

"The first thing I see is the prosecutor's database, and I'm like 'holy sh-t' these are domestic violence victims. When it comes to domestic violence victims, we need to protect them the most because they have already been victimized once, and now they are again by having their information exposed," he said.

Goodwolf's first action was to contact the city to let them know how serious the breach was, because what he saw contradicted official statements. At a press conference on August 13, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said: "The personal data that the threat actor published to the dark web was either encrypted or corrupted, so the majority of the data came by the threat actor is unusable."

But what Goodwolf was finding didn't support that view. "I tried to reach out to the city multiple times to multiple departments and was blown off," he said.

Google-owned Mandiant, as well as many other top cybersecurity firms, have been tracking a continued increase in ransomware attacks, both in prevalence and severity, and the rise of the Rhysida Group behind the Columbus hack, which has come into prominence within the last year.

The Rhysida Group claimed responsibility for the hack. While not much is known about the cyber gang, Goodwolf and other security experts say they appear to be state-sponsored and based in Eastern Europe, possibly linked to Russia. Goodwolf says these ransomware gangs are "professional operations" with a staff, paid vacation, and PR people.

"They have ramped up the attacks and targets since last autumn," he said.

The U.S. government's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a bulletin about Rhysida last November.

Goodwolf said that because no one from the city responded to him he went to the local media and shared data with journalists to get the word out about the seriousness of the breach. And that is when he heard from the city of Columbus, in the form of a lawsuit and a temporary restraining order preventing him from disseminating additional information.

The city defended its response in a statement to CNBC:

"The City initially moved to obtain this order, which was granted by the Court, to prevent the dissemination of sensitive and confidential information, potentially including the identities of undercover police officers, that threatens public safety and criminal investigations."

The city's temporary 14-day restraining order against Goodwolf has since expired, and now it has a preliminary injunction and an agreement with Goodwolf not to release more data.

"It should be noted that the Court order does not prohibit the defendant from discussing the data breach or even describing what kind of data was exposed," the city's statement added. "It simply prohibits the individual from disseminating the stolen data posted on the dark web. The City remains engaged with federal authorities and cyber security experts to respond to this cyber intrusion."

Meanwhile, the mayor did have to perform a mea culpa at a subsequent press conference, saying his initial statements were based on the information he had at the time. "It was the best information we had at the time. Clearly, we discovered that that was inaccurate information and I have to accept responsibility for that."

Realizing the exposure to residents was greater than first thought, the city is offering two years of free credit monitoring from Experian. This includes anyone who has had contact with the city of Columbus via an arrest or other business. Columbus is also working with Legal Aid to see what additional protections are needed for domestic violence victims who may have been compromised or need help with civil protection orders.

To date, the city has not paid the hackers, who were demanding $2 million in ransom.

'He's Not Edward Snowden'

Those who study cybersecurity law and work within the realm expressed surprise at Columbus filing a civil lawsuit against the researcher.

"Lawsuits against data security researchers are rare," said Raymond Ku, professor of law at Case Western Reserve University. On the rare occasion they do happen, he said, it is usually when the researcher is alleged to have disclosed how a flaw was or can be exploited, which would then allow others to take advantage of the flaw as well.

"He wasn't Edward Snowden," said Kyle Hanslovan, CEO of cybersecurity company Huntress, who described himself as troubled by the city of Columbus's response and what it could mean for future breaches. Snowden was a government contract employee who leaked classified information and faced criminal charges, but considered himself a whistleblower. Goodwolf, Hanslovan says, is a Good Samaritan who independently found the breached data.

"In this case, it appears we have just silenced someone who, as far as I can tell, appears to be a security researcher who did the bare minimum and confirmed the official statements made were not true. This can't possibly be an appropriate use of the courts," Hanslovan said, predicting the case will be quickly overturned.

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said during a September press conference that the case was "not about freedom of speech or whistleblowing. This is about downloading and disclosure of stolen criminal investigatory records."

Hanslovan worries about the ripple effect where cybersecurity consultants and researchers are afraid to do their jobs for fear of being sued. "The bigger story here is are we seeing the emergence of a new playbook" for hacking response in which individuals are silenced, and that should not be welcomed, he said. "Silencing any opinion, even for 14 days, could be enough to prevent something credible from coming to light, and that terrifies me," Hanslovan said. "That voice needs to be heard. As we see bigger cybersecurity incidents come up, I am worried that folks will be more concerned bringing them to light."

Scott Dylan, founder of United Kingdom-based venture capital firm NexaTech Ventures, also thinks the actions of the city of Columbus could induce a chilling effect on the field of cybersecurity.

"As the field of cyberlaw continues to mature, this case is likely to be referenced in future discussions about the role of researchers in the aftermath of data breaches," Dylan said.

He says legal frameworks must evolve to keep pace with the sophistication of both cyberattacks and the ethical dilemmas they generate, and the approach taken by Columbus is a mistake.

Meanwhile, the legal process will grind on for Goodwolf. Despite Columbus and Goodwolf reaching an agreement last week on the dissemination of information, the city is still suing him for damages in a civil suit that could reach $25,000 or higher. Goodwolf is representing himself in his talks with the city, though says that he has a lawyer on standby, if needed.

Some residents have filed a class-action lawsuit against the city. Goodwolf says that 55% of the information breached has been sold onto the dark web, while 45% is available for anyone with the skills to access it.

Dylan thinks the city is taking a big risk, even if its actions may be legally defensible, by creating the appearance of an attempt to silence discourse rather than encourage transparency. "It's a strategy that could backfire, both in terms of public trust and future litigation," he said.

"I am hoping the city realizes the mistake of filing a civil suit and the implications not just on security," Goodwolf said, noting that Intel is spending billions, with significant federal government support, to build chipmaking facilities in a Columbus suburb. In recent years, the city has been positioning itself as a new tech hub in the Midwest's "Silicon Heartland," and attacking white hats and cybersecurity researchers, he said, could cause some in the tech sector to rethink it as a location.
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio on Sunday rebuked the false conspiracy theories that have been amplified by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating people's pets in Springfield, Ohio.

"This is a piece of garbage that is simply not true. There's no evidence of this at all," DeWine said on ABC's "This Week." "Discussion about Haitians eating dogs is just not helpful. And, again, these people are here legally. They're here legally, and they want to work, and they are, in fact, working."

Trump and Vance have both tripled down on spreading the false rumors, despite growing pleas from Ohio governing officials for them to stop the misinformation. The Springfield mayor has repeatedly said there is no evidence to back the conspiracy.

"This discussion just has to stop," DeWine said. "We need to focus on moving forward and not dogs and cats being eaten. It's just ridiculous."

The Trump campaign is organizing a visit to Springfield, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News on Sunday. Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, now a surrogate for the Trump campaign, also announced Sunday that he would host a town hall in Springfield on Thursday.

Trump boosted the conspiracies most widely on the debate stage against Vice President Kamala Harris last Tuesday. And Vance has continued to defend the talking point.
If youre Jimmy Fallon or Horatio Sanz, Saturday Night Live screwups are a dime a dozen. But forget not being able to keep a straight face. When youre doing live television, other things can  and do  go wrong, from uncontrollable animals to high-flying theatrics gone haywire.

Here are five times that SNL sketches went sideways  and there wasnt a damn thing anyone could do about it

1 Massive Head Wound Harry Play When W.C. Fields said, Never work with children or animals, he was somehow predicting Massive Head Wound Harry, a sketch in which a dog decides to take comedy into its own paws. The plan was always for the pooch to lick Harrys unfortunate wound, but it wasnt supposed to devour Dana Carveys head. The dog was so ravenous for the fake injury that Carvey got into a tug-of-war to keep it attached to his noggin. They put more of the Gerbers meat baby food on the prosthetic, and they didnt feed the dog for dinner, Carvey told Rachel Dratch on the Fly on the Wall podcast. The reason? Blame Rob Schneider, who really wanted the dog to go crazy on the air. Mission accomplished, Rob.

2 Inside the Beltway Aidy Bryant was the straight man in this sketch, not a punchline in the bunch, she told Jimmy Fallon. But she got the biggest laugh when a crew member appeared in the sketch mid-scene. Basically, we were doing this sketch where it was like flashbacks to old clips, she said. But instead of playing actual clips, we would do it live. So they would play a little package. We would change our jackets, change our hair as fast as we could, and our dressers would come in and change us. Advertisement Advertisement The sketch got rewritten between dress rehearsal and the actual show so its hard to point fingers when Aidys dresser walked in while the camera was on me. And I was looking in the monitor being like, Thats Audrey. (Check out the mishap at the 4:40 mark.)

3 Bennett Brauer Chris Farleys character was a semi-regular on Weekend Update, calling attention to his own faults through an extensive use of air-quotes. Advertisement Advertisement The big payoff on this March 1994 installment was supposed to be Brauer soaring above the stage like Peter Pan. Im flying, Im flying, exclaimed Brauer. But Im hovering, Im hovering would have been more accurate dialogue  Farleys wires got tangled in the lighting rig. Kevin Nealon rushed to the rescue, working to untangle the wires that left Farley dangling on live television. Several pairs of hands appear on the edge of the Weekend Update backdrop, frantically trying to free Farley as he ad-libbed a frustrated I have a weight problem, Kevin! It took a village, but Farley finally took off into the wild blue yonder with an ecstatic What the hell! Once the audience finished applauding, Nealon used his own air-quotes to observe, Maybe the cables didnt clear the lights, ladies and gentlemen. Advertisement

4 Extremely Stupid While Candice Bergen broke character during this sketch with Gilda Radner, it wasnt because it was so funny. It was because she forgot who she was, calling Gilda Fern even though that was the name of her own character. She finally called Radner whatever your name was supposed to be. The irony: Bergen, the alleged smart one in the sketch, was accusing Fern of not being too bright. Advertisement Advertisement Gilda, of course, handled it beautifully, Bergen says in SNL oral history Live From New York. In fact, Radner made a meal of Bergens mistake. You know, Gilda ad-libbed with a wicked grin, we cant all be brainy like Fern here. Bergen practically fell off the couch in hysterics.
No matter what the weird buzzkills say, most of us wont, in fact, die alone. The vast majority will be put in a hole in a huge field full of people-holes or scattered into a sea full of untold life or at least (much to the consternation of employees) onto the floor of Disneys Haunted Mansion. Almost none of us will be singled out to be put on display, archived in a governments historical collection or secreted away in a box in someones office. Almost.

5 Galileos Middle Finger Considering he was so misunderstood, it feels appropriate that Galileo Galilei is flipping us off for all eternity, his middle finger having been displayed at Florences Galileo Museum since 1927. Its just a hilarious coincidence, though. Several of his fingers were removed by admirers in 1737, almost 100 years after his death, and the museum just happened to come across the most profane one before finding the rest in 2009. And you thought stan culture was bad now. 4 Einsteins Brain Possibly the most famous organ in history is Albert Einsteins brain, which was stolen by pathologist Thomas Harvey almost as soon as the physicists body hit his autopsy table in 1955. Harvey intended to earn his own place in the history books by finding out what made Einstein so smart, but things started to get awkward as the years dragged on and he didnt find anything special about the brain. In 1978, a journalist found what was left of Einsteins thoroughly dissected brain in two mason jars in Harveys office. After Harveys death, it was donated to a handful of museums, who display samples of it on slides. Yeah, it was that dissected.

3 Booths Vertebrae For some reason, the government didnt care much for most of John Wilkes Booths body. They just kinda threw it in storage for a few years before releasing it to his family for burial in the Booth cemetery plot. They did want their bullet back, though, so they removed the three vertebrae it hit and then kept them as souvenirs. The family has petitioned for access to these bones for DNA testing, to settle bets that Booth actually escaped and a patsy was shot in his place, but they were denied due to the need to preserve these bones for future generations. In other words, our trophy, cant have it.

2 Chopins Heart When Frederic Chopin died in Paris in 1849, he requested that his heart be taken back to his native Poland, so his doctor plopped it into a jar of cognac and his sister took it on a fun little multi-border road trip. A century later, it was stolen by Nazis from Warsaws Church of the Holy Cross but eventually returned by an S.S. commander in search of an image rehab. Academically speaking, we call that too little, too late.
Lets be honest with ourselves and confront the harsh realities of the modern job market - job security!

The importance of job security is undeniably crucial for every employee, providing a sense of stability, financial security and the ability to plan for the future. Unfortunately, in this country, we have witnessed a growing tendency among employers to prefer offering renewable contracts for employees instead of permanent positions, a practice that has severely jeopardised job security. The trend of a number of companies, including the countrys government, shifting away from offering permanent contracts to most of their employees and opting instead for renewable contracts is a grave concern that continues to raise many questions among the workforce, as well as the general public.

Why are some companies, and the government itself, choosing to embrace this deeply unsettling shift? What are the implications of this practice specifically for employees, whose livelihoods and long-term financial stability are now at the mercy of potentially short-term, renewable contracts? Is there a sinister agenda, unknown to the public, which is driving this practice?

Exploitative

Are there any plausible reasons, beyond mere financial gain for employers, for this obviously unfair and seemingly exploitative practice? Is there collusion between government and companies in deliberately frustrating the futures of the workforce, specifically contract workers, for reasons that remain obscure? To be brutally honest with the truth, are there elements of exploitation involved in offering workers employment on renewable contracts, perhaps driven by the desire for financial gains and cost-cutting measures? Is there a tacit approval of this practice by the powers that be, a silent complicity that leaves the workforce at the mercy of a system that appears to value profits over the well-being and long-term job security of its employees?

These are the uncomfortable questions that we must confront as we grapple with the growing trend of renewable contracts and the erosion of job security in our country. The future of our workforce, and the economic stability of our society as a whole, hangs in the balance, and it is our collective responsibility to demand answers and seek solutions to this deeply troubling issue. It is crucial that all key stakeholders vigorously discuss this issue and find a lasting solution. This article will explore the possible reasons why companies prefer to offer renewable contracts instead of permanent ones; and the disadvantages for employees, including what policymakers and other stakeholders can do to solve this problem and find a solution that benefits all parties involved.

Based on my investigation, one possible key reason for the transition from permanent to renewable employment contracts is the changing nature of the business world. Firms are operating in highly dynamic, cutthroat and competitive settings, where being adaptable and flexible is vital for success. By offering renewable contracts, companies supposedly gain the ability to adjust their workforce according to evolving business demands. This, it is argued, enables them to effectively manage expenses and react swiftly to market changes without the limitations of permanent employment arrangements.

Another factor I unearthed from my research driving this shift towards renewable contracts is the possible desire for cost control and risk mitigation on the part of employers. Permanent contracts often come with significant financial implications, including severance packages, retirement benefits and other long-term commitments that can be a substantial burden on a companys balance sheet. By offering renewable contracts instead of permanent employment, companies are able to minimise these fixed financial obligations and allocate resources more flexibly and efficiently. Additionally, those who opt for renewable contracts argue that these practices grant employers greater workforce management control, as they can selectively renew or terminate contracts based on performance and business requirements.

However, it is essential to acknowledge the potential disadvantages and challenges associated with this shift towards renewable contracts, particularly from the perspective of employees. Lets not deceive ourselves, employees are the drivers of the business environment - and the economy. Their welfare, job security and reasonable remuneration, including long-term benefits, is very crucial. One significant downside of contract employment is the impact on employee morale and as mentioned above, including job security. We need to understand that non-permanent employment, while offering flexibility to employers, often places undue burden and uncertainty on workers. Employees on these renewable contracts face instability and a lack of long-term job prospects, which can be highly stressful and detrimental to their well-being.

The lack of stability and benefits associated with renewable contracts can also make it challenging for employees to maintain a sense of belonging and commitment to the organisation. Without the security of a long-term position, workers may feel detached from the company and less inclined to invest their time and energy into the organisations success. This can have a direct impact on productivity, as employees may be less motivated to go the extra mile or to take on additional responsibilities. Overall, the precarious nature of employment without permanent contracts can have far-reaching consequences for both workers and employers.

Addressing this issue and providing more stability and security for employees should be a priority for organisations and policymakers alike, as it can lead to improved financial security, better mental health outcomes and increased employee engagement and retention. Furthermore, the lack of long-term job security and benefits associated with renewable contracts raises concerns about labour rights and fair employment practices, potentially contributing to wider social and economic issues such as income inequality.

Addressing these challenges will require a balanced approach that prioritises employee well-being while maintaining organisational flexibility, through measures such as effective support systems, training programmes and clear communication strategies. The increasing shift to employment of contract workers with low pay poses significant challenges. Contract workers often receive lower compensation than their full-time counterparts, despite performing similar tasks, undermining their financial stability and contributing to broader economic issues. Low pay limits the spending power of contract workers, constraining overall consumer demand and hindering economic growth.

Exacerbate

Additionally, the disparity in financial circumstances between contract workers and full-time employees can exacerbate social inequalities. Addressing these challenges requires a collaborative approach, involving policymakers, employers and stakeholders, to ensure equitable remuneration and enhanced benefits and protections for contract workers. Lest I forget, we have, in my opinion and on paper, a legislative institution, which is, in simpler terms, a Parliamentary institution. Even though the general public has somewhat lost confidence in it, I believe it can play a crucial role in addressing the issue of contract employment. Im positive that they are reading this article.

The legislature can play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges posed by employers opting for renewable contracts. One potential intervention could involve enacting legislation that sets clear guidelines and limitations on the use of renewable contracts. Establishing criteria for when renewable contracts are appropriate and ensuring that employees are not unfairly disadvantaged by this arrangement would be a step in the right direction. Moreover, legislative action can focus on enhancing the rights and protection of workers employed under renewable contracts. This could include provisions for severance pay or additional benefits for employees whose contracts are not renewed, as well as measures to prevent discrimination against workers on renewable contracts.

One institution that continues to persistently violate the basic rights and employment conditions of its workers is, perhaps not surprisingly, government itself. This is a deeply concerning issue, as one would expect government, as the leading institution in society, to set a positive example when it comes to fair and equitable labour practices. However, the reality paints a very different picture. Consider the problem of employing teachers on short-term, precarious contracts by the administration. This has been an ongoing issue for many years, despite relentless efforts by unions and advocacy groups to address this injustice. These dedicated professionals, who play a vital role in shaping the minds and futures of our children, are subjected to a severe lack of job security and stability, which inevitably takes a toll on their well-being and ability to effectively carry out their duties.

Despite some sporadic attempts to convert a handful of contract teachers to permanent positions, government has failed to demonstrate a genuine, sustained commitment to resolving this issue once and for all. The challenges faced by these hapless professionals are both numerous and deeply distressing. One teacher, whom we shall refer to as Jane, shared with yours truly a painfully vivid account of the struggles she and her colleagues in the teaching fraternity endure on a daily basis. Janes contract began in February 2018, and is typically a two-year arrangement, but it is often renewed late, sometimes as late as March or April.

Since the inception of her contract-based employment, Jane has had to grapple with a multitude of challenges, including the lack of government-provided housing. As a result, she is forced to pay a staggering rent of E750 per month out of her own pocket, a substantial financial burden that inevitably takes a toll on her quality of life and ability to save for the future.

Moreover, the workload at Janes school has increased significantly after the departure of a number of teachers, who were never replaced. This has led to an untenable situation where the remaining teachers, including Jane, are expected to shoulder an excessive amount of work, often without adequate compensation or support.

The emotional and physical strain of this situation is immense, as they strive to maintain a high level of educational quality for their students, while navigating the uncertainty and instability of their own employment. This alarming state of affairs within governments own workforce raises serious questions about the institutions commitment to upholding the rights and well-being of its employees. If government, the very entity entrusted with safeguarding the welfare of its citizens, fails to lead by example in this regard, it sends a troubling message about the overall state of labour rights and protections in the country.

Urgent and comprehensive action is needed to address this pressing issue and ensure that all workers, including those employed by government, are afforded the basic dignity, security and fair treatment they deserve. A former union leader I spoke to decried the practice of employing workers on renewable contracts This practice, he pointed out, was initially designed for expatriate professionals and those in the higher income brackets. He questioned why those at the lower end of the employment spectrum are being offered such precarious work arrangements. These contract employees have families to support and financial obligations to meet, yet the nature of their employment poses numerous challenges for them.

Another former union representative I interviewed implored workers to take a more proactive stance, peacefully protest and challenge the prevalence of contract employment. He emphasised the inherent disadvantages of this system, highlighting how it compromises the ability of contract employees to effectively advocate for their rights. Unfortunately in this country, engaging in labour protests poses a significant danger of being beaten to a pulp by law enforcement agencies that do not recognise the fundamental rights of citizens. He also drew my attention to the fact that business executives in influential positions in government, he argued, may be reluctant to address the challenges faced by these contract workers, as it

Unionist

The role of the administration in addressing this issue was also raised. A former trade unionist I spoke to pointed out that the problem of contract employment often gets overlooked when one administration transitions to the next. He noted that the concerns of the job market, including the plight of contract workers, tend to fall through the cracks during these periods of political change, with incoming administrations failing to prioritise the unresolved issues left behind by their predecessors. The stories and perspectives shared in this passage underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive review of the employment practices in the employment industry. The experiences of teachers and workers struggling with the uncertainty and financial instability of contract work highlight the human toll of these policies.

Addressing this issue will require a concerted effort from policymakers, union leaders and the broader community to ensure that all workers, regardless of their employment status, are treated with dignity and provided with the stability and support they deserve. Without any shadow of doubt, the employment sector is a crucial component of any thriving economy, as it provides individuals with the means to earn a livelihood and contribute to the overall economic growth of a country. By comprehending the intricacies and significance of the employment sector, individuals, businesses and policymakers can collaborate to cultivate a vibrant and inclusive economic environment that serves the interests of both workers and employers. Peace! Shalom!
I am writing from the Greek island of Syros on my last week of a long holiday. After a recent operation for colon cancer, my stomach looks like a game of noughts and crosses, marked with a large number of deep purple scars left by my excellent surgeon.

So I had thought that this year, though no one loves a bikini more than me, I would have to give way to a one-piece and avoid inflicting my lattice tummy on the rest of the world. But within days of being by the pool in the sun, on went the bikini.

I can't say that even my greatest fans could regard my belly as a pretty sight  not only are there the scars but two months of 'taking it easy', while giving up smoking, have not done my tummy any favours. Yet, to be honest, if how I looked was ever the guiding consideration in my choice of swimwear, I would probably be shrouded in a Nigella-style burkini.

Instead, I take my lead from the Med's elderly ladies, who never seem the slightest bit bothered as they pad along the waterline with grandchildren in tow and several tyres of bronzed fat.

No, it's not how I look but how I feel that is the driving force and, after a lifetime of wearing bikinis, these colourful two-pieces simply make me feel me. Which is perhaps why getting back into a bikini has done wonders for my sense of post-op wellbeing.

I am writing from the Greek island of Syros on my last week of a long holiday

Within days of being by the pool in the sun, on went the bikini

And, of course, this summer I have had the excuse of the operation to account for the inflated balloon of a belly (once referred to by my fellow Mail columnist colleague Amanda Platell as my 'wobbly bits') that, even in the normal course of events, has never been familiar with the word 'flat'.

How nudists left themselves exposed

The house where I'm staying is positioned above a nudist beach. Walking down to the sea involves strolling past sunbathing characters of all ages and sizes, sprawled naked on towels.

Our host, a supremely elegant and formidable Greek woman, told us how she used to take her dog Billy every day to the beach, playing with it some distance from the sunbathers.

One day, a man marched up to her, waggling in his naked state and told her it was illegal to have a dog on the beach and she should leave.

Not one to be bossed around by anyone, she turned back to the house and, in a rage, phoned her lawyer, who told her it was indeed illegal to have a dog on the beach if anyone objected.

Undeterred, she came up with a solution.

The next day she went back with her dog and the same man confronted her. She sharply informed him that if he wanted to speak to her he must put on a pair of underpants. Didn't he know that it was illegal for anyone to harass a woman exposing themselves in this way? It was the last she heard from him.

Burberry misses the best of Britain

It's an irony that a week after Burberry, previously Britain's most successful fashion brand, was relegated from the FTSE100, it was revealed that Sarah Burton, one of our most talented designers, is leaving British fashion.

Burton, formerly creative director of Alexander McQueen, is taking the helm at the prestigious French house Givenchy. What a pity she isn't going to Burberry. Ever since the dream team of Christopher Bailey and CEO Angela Ahrendts departed in 2018 and 2014 respectively, Burberry has floundered.

During its glory years, the pair had a clear vision, with Bailey rooting his collections in ideas of British culture  from the Bloomsbury Group to David Hockney, David Bowie and Henry Moore.

Model Cara Delevingne at a Burberry show in February

Bailey was followed by Riccardo Tisci, the Italian who layered on a dark gothic identity that sat uncomfortably with the brand. And now, the current designer, Daniel Lee, though a Yorkshireman like Bailey, doesn't seem to know where he is going.

It's quite possible that at some point Burton might have been approached by Burberry, but didn't want the job, as her heart lies in the skills used in exquisite couture, but it would have been exciting to see what a brilliant female designer would do with that ubiquitous trenchcoat.

Unsung heroes I can't praise enough

The Princess of Wales may well have been nervous breaking the news, by video, that she had finished her course of chemotherapy. No doubt she felt under pressure to give a public update, but sounding in any way optimistic can be difficult, for cancer is a wily creature and you never know what it might have in store next.

Catherine made it very clear she still has a long way to go, and for those of us who have been through the whole cancer process, this stage is where we are so fortunate to have charities such as Macmillan nurses and Maggie's centres.

I was hugely helped by Katherine, my dedicated Macmillan nurse, who made me feel there was an individual who I could contact in the complex and vast maze of the NHS. (Incidentally, I don't think they are any less valuable if you are treated privately.) She even wrote letters to help me reclaim money for missed flights and gave me test results that I would otherwise have been waiting weeks for.

No doubt the Princess doesn't find herself frustrated by encountering recorded messages on NHS hospital answer phones but even so, this new point in her recovery, where there is likely still a lot of treatment required, is a tricky one.

The balance between optimism and realism is difficult and, for the rest of us, those charities offer very competent, knowledgeable and excellent shoulders to lean on.

Take a bow in the style stakes, Kamala

I am delighted to have increased the sum of my fashion knowledge by discovering that the blouse Kamala Harris wore for her television debate with Donald Trump could be described as a Lavalliere style. So much more distinguished than the common pussy bow.
Three years ago, as a new peer, I listened in wonder to a debate on assisted dying. I am no great fan of how the House of Lords is composed but, on occasions like this, it comes into its own.

Perhaps a hundred peers contributed, and all had some particular experience or expertise. There were judges and coppers, physicians and scientists, humanists and Muslims, disability campaigners and bishops. I found myself changing my mind back and forth as they spoke.

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, a professor of palliative medicine and vice-president of Hospice UK, told us of cases where assisted deaths had been slow and painful.

The Archbishop of Canterbury reminded us that 'no safeguards can perfect the human heart'.

I am a qualified supporter of easing the rules surrounding assisted dying  as are some 80 per cent of people, according to opinion polls. But, the deeper I delve into the subject, the more finely balanced it seems.

The Archbishop of Canterbury (pictured) reminded us that 'no safeguards can perfect the human heart'

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (pictured), a professor of palliative medicine and vice-president of Hospice UK, told us of cases where assisted deaths had been slow and painful

Keir Starmer is privately paving the way for a vote before Christmas  much sooner than expected  which could usher in one of the greatest social changes in the UK since the Abortion Act 1967

Campaigners outside Parliament ahead of a debate in the House of Commons on assisted dying on April 29, 2024

Group of pro-assisted dying campaigners gathering outside the Houses of Parliament on April 29

Ever since that debate, I have been convinced that we should take things slowly and carefully, trying to carry both sides as far as is possible.

The only wrong attitude, it seems to me, is glibness. That is why I'm disturbed by the news in The Mail on Sunday that the Prime Minister is looking to fast-track a vote on the issue.

We might draw a parallel with other great social changes determined by free votes in Parliament, such as the abolition of capital punishment or the legalisation of abortion. Few people, these days, would reverse either of those decisions. But that does not mean that opponents of change were completely wrong.

Supporters of the death penalty argued that, whatever the assurances, life sentences would not in practice be for life. They were right.

Opponents of abortion argued that, whatever guarantees the law laid down, we would end up with abortion on demand. They, too, were right.

To be clear, I don't want to bring back hanging or ban abortions. My point is simply that legislative safeguards can never be 100 per cent reliable. On balance, I think a change in the assisted dying laws is coming, and that it is the right thing to do. It seems anomalous that the only people prevented from taking control over their own deaths are those who, at the end, need physical help.

But criminal laws are not like the laws of mathematics, immutable and inexorable. They are interpreted by human beings. In practice, it is rare for someone to be jailed for assisting the suicide of a terminally ill spouse.

And dignity works both ways. Yes, we want to die painlessly. But suppose we asked our family for help and then had second thoughts. There would be nothing dignified about that.

Modern people rarely think about death.

We tuck it away in hospitals and care homes, we euphemise it in a hundred ways, we rarely see a corpse. But this is not a debate we can avoid.

Some opponents of change have fixed religious objections, but others have practical concerns that might, if addressed in the right way, be met. We must take our time to get this right.

Lord Hannan is president of the Institute for Free Trade
The family apothecary in New York City's Greenwich Village area is a true staple

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy used to buy her hair accessories at C.O. Bigelow

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was known for her chic and effortless style, and 25 years after her death she's still regarded as the ultimate 'It girl' - right down to her iconic hair accessories, which can still be bought in New York City today.

Although July marked the 25th anniversary of the socialite's death, her legacy lives on at C.O. Bigelow, a quiet apothecary where she would buy hair accessories and other goods in the '90s.

The famous apothecary, nestled in New York City's Greenwich Village, is widely regarded as the oldest one in America.

Now, the legendary shop has a new generation of fans with Gen Z women desperate to get their hands on the famous tortoiseshell headband, after few eagle-eyed users on TikTok realized the exact hair accessories could be bought at the famed drugstore.

'People were just texting us about it,' Alec Ginsberg, who runs the family-owned store with his father Ian, told the DailyMail.com.

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy has become a Gen-Z style icon over the past few years, especially for one accessory in particular: her headbands

'It went viral - having nothing to do with us - but it's exciting,' he added.

Alec explained the store never did any marketing or advertising for the Bessette-Kennedy-approved hair accessories, and they were taken by surprise when it first went viral, calling it 'nuts.'

Alec said hair accessory sales at C.O. Bigelow have gone up exponentially since 2023.

The wide headbands are made by French company Charles Wahba, another family-run business, keep customers coming back for more.

In fact, when the DailyMail.com visited they had sold out - and Emmanuel, a beauty salesperson behind the counter, said they put new ones out 'every half hour.'

He recalled that just the other day, a customer came all the way from Canada just to buy the famed headband.

'They're a staple and easy to wear with anything,' Emmanuel explained. 'I feel like headbands are having a moment right now.'

Much of the popularity is due to Bessette-Kennedy, who was snapped all over New York City wearing the understated, elegant headbands in the '90s, often paired with her iconic black Selima Optique sunglasses.

Bessette-Kennedy, who was married to John F. Kennedy in 1996, was snapped all over The City wearing the understated, elegant headbands

Her legacy lives on at C.O. Bigelow apothecary in New York City's Greenwich Village, where Bessette-Kennedy bought her headbands all those years ago

Bessette-Kennedy married her husband, John F. Kennedy Jr., in an intimate ceremony in September of 1996, and the two lived in New York City's TriBeCa neighborhood

This past July marked the 25th anniversary of Bessette-Kennedy's tragic death at 33, as she is pictured here with her husband, John F. Kennedy Jr.

A salesperson at the apothecary named Emmanuel said that they have to put out new headbands every half hour - thanks to the iconic Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, above with John F. Kennedy Jr.

The apothecary wants their customers to be able to trust them - after all, their motto is, 'Honest. Genuine. Trustworthy.'

Even though the photos are from decades ago, Gen Z has been inspired by her chic style.

Bessette-Kennedy has even become a fashion icon to those who were born after her untimely death.

On TikTok, there are now countless videos made about how you can emulate her smart and streamlined looks, and articles focused on how you can replicate her style today. And of course, one way is by wearing her famous headbands.

Although new to the younger audiences, native New Yorkers have long known about C.O. Bigelow.

The apothecary is widely regarded as the oldest one in America, founded in 1838 by Physician Dr. Galen Hunter. William B. Ginsberg bought the store in 1939, and it has been in the family ever since.

The unique pharmacy, currently run by a third and fourth-generation father and son, has not only seen Bessette-Kennedy walk through their doors, but many other stars, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Justin Theroux, Diane von Furstenberg and Marc Jacobs.

C.O. Bigelow never did any specific marketing or promotions for the Bessette-Kennedy headbands, but after one eagle-eyed social media user found out that they were sold at the apothecary, news spread like wildfire

The headbands are made by the French brand Charles Wahba, another family-owned business

Bessette-Kennedy is now a major Gen Z fashion icon after fans on TikTok embraced her timeless style

There are many of Bessette-Kennedy's original headbands for customers to try on in the famous apothecary

The famous apothecary is widely regarded as the oldest one in America, founded in 1838

Run by fourth-generation father and son duo Ian (left) and Alec Ginsberg (right). Alec graduated received his Doctorate in Pharmacy from UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in 2016

Ian Ginsberg, seen here with his father, Jerry Ginsberg, graduated from The Pharmacy College of Long Island University in 1985, joining the business full-time and later acquiring it in 1996

Alec Ginsberg said himself that the apothecary has things you simply don't see anywhere else

In 2024, the family-owned apothecary is still thriving, with tons of customers coming in and out of the door each day

Walking into the store, customers are met with glass displays showcasing rows and rows of hair clips, pins, and other accessories in different colors, finishes and designs, in addition to Bessette-Kennedy's original headbands.

The unique hair pieces are sourced by their longtime employee Chrissy, who travels around the country to find the best of the best.

Even designer Marc Jacobs is a fan of their hair clip selection, Ian said. During the pandemic, the creative was putting all kinds of sparkly clips in his hair, coming to C.O. Bigelow to get them and later post on Instagram.

For Alec, one of his favorite things about the virality of the Bessette-Kennedy accessory has been watching people come in for the headband, only to unearth more of what the apothecary has to offer.

At every turn, there is a new treasure to discover - whether it's a small claw clip adorned with hearts, a cinnamon toothpaste from Italy, elderflower-flavored pastilles from Switzerland or a new lip balm from beauty brand Westman Atelier.

The pharmacist said himself that the apothecary has things you simply don't see anywhere else and they pride themselves on their honest reviews and recommendations - as per their motto: 'Honest. Genuine. Trustworthy.'

'I would say our philosophy is we like trends, we like things that are hot and new, but we don't like to go in and out of things very quickly,' Alec explained.

At the end of the day, what really makes C.O. Bigelow so significant is the tight-knit community.

On TikTok, there are now countless videos made about how you can emulate Bessette-Kennedy's smart and streamlined looks

Many aspects from the apothecary's early days are still present today, including some of their tiling and moldings

The classic, chic headbands keep customers coming back for more, as well as the signature line of body products and cosmetics

The unique shop has not only seen Bessette-Kennedy walk through their doors, but many other stars like Sarah Jessica Parker, Justin Theroux, Diane Von Furstenberg and Marc Jacobs

Designer Marc Jacobs is a fan of their hair clip selection, Ian said - the designer seen here wearing clips from their apothecary

Their fold-out chairs in the waiting area are covered in old Louis Vuitton and Fendi canvas and were made by one of their customers

Alec's office is right on the balcony of the store, and he says he is always listening to what people in the store are talking about

'After Covid, there aren't that many things, unfortunately, left that are extremely, uniquely New York,' Alec Ginsberg told DailyMail.com

Alec described customers coming into the store to update Emmanuel on a date they just went on, as he had helped them pick out their makeup for the occasion, or someone coming in just to talk about the score of the latest Yankees game.

Even the fold-out chairs in the waiting area are covered in old Louis Vuitton and Fendi canvas and were made by one of their customers, showing the true sense of community.

'After Covid, there aren't that many things, unfortunately, left that are extremely, uniquely New York,' Alec Ginsberg told DailyMail.com.

'The heart of New York are the places where you walk in and you know everybody's name who works there, everybody knows you, whether its your bodega, the coffee place that's on your block that you go to multiple times per week, this is one of those,' he continued.

'That's what's special about this place.'
New Delhi, Sep 15 (UNI) Less than 48 hours after being released from jail on bail, Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that he will resign as Delhi Chief Minister within the next two days and demanded the Union Territory's Assembly polls be preponed to November.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor, who has been prohibited from going to the Chief Ministers office or the Delhi Secretariat by the Supreme Court as part of bail conditions imposed, appealed to the electors to vote for him in large numbers in the next Assembly polls if they thought he was honest.

"We will go to the court of people to prove our innocence. Some people say that we will not be able to work because of restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court. Even they did not leave any stone unturned in imposing restrictions on us," Kejriwal said during an address to the AAP workers at the party headquarters here.

Kejriwal, who walked out from Tihar jail on Friday evening after the top court granted him bail in a corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, said he would return as Chief Minister only on being re-elected to power.



Appealing to the Delhi electors, he said: "If you think I am honest, vote for me in large numbers. I will sit on the CM's chair only after being elected".

He demanded that the Delhi Assembly polls, likely to be held in February next year, be advanced to November and announced that in the next two to three days his party MLAs would elect someone else as the chief minister till the next election took place.

"The elections are supposed to be held in February. I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections... Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the chief minister. In the next 2-3 days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next CM will be elected, he added.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested the AAP supremo in a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy on March 10. After he spent 50 days in jail, the apex court gave him interim bail till June 1 to campaign in the Lok Sabha election. On June 2, Kejriwal returned to jail.

On June 26, when Kejriwal was in judicial custody, the CBI arrested him in the graft case linked to the excise policy, Though he was granted bail on July 12 by the Supreme Court in the money laundering case registered by the ED, he had to remain in jail till September 13 when he secured bail from the highest court of the country in the CBI case.

UNI AKS SSP
A bride who discovered a stained wedding dress for only $25 at a thrift store told DailyMail.com how she made it the gown she always wanted.

Adrian Bradley, 26, who married husband Ryan Jennings, also 26, in June 2024, found a vintage gown rolled up in a ball, and she painstakingly worked with a seamstress to transform the secondhand frock into the dress of her dreams.

Adrian documented the process on TikTok, where she stunned followers with the transformation, taking the gown from an off-the-shoulder '90s dress lined with rosettes to a more formfitting offering with a modern pearl pin.

She told DailyMail.com, 'I've always loved things with character and a vintage and regal feel,' and explained, 'the vision I had of my wedding dress was no different!'

Adrian wanted a one-of-a-kind wedding gown and told FEMAIL, 'One of the biggest obstacles was my budget.'

Adrian Bradley who married husband Ryan Jennings in June 2024, found a vintage gown and she worked with a seamstress to transform the secondhand frock

Adrian ended up finding her off-the-shoulder silk ballgown rolled up in a plastic bag at the thrift store after looking for gowns at boutiques in California

Adrian went thrifting with her sister-in-law while visiting her family in Dallas, Texas, at one of her favorite places to buy home decor

'It was one of those moments when you put something on and you don't want to take it off,' Adrian said

While Adrian saw dresses from designers she loved, since she and fiance Ryan were paying for the wedding themselves she felt they couldn't justify paying more than $10,000 for a dress for one day.

Adrian met her now-husband when they were in middle school and she dated Ryan's friend, and they later reunited when they both went to the University of Arkansas.

Now the college sweethearts, who got engaged in December 2022, live in Berkeley, California.

Adrian first started her bridal search at boutiques, but couldn't find the right dress, despite trying on 60 dresses during her visits and even flying to Los Angeles to meet with a designer.

Adrian went thrifting with her sister-in-law while visiting her family in Dallas, Texas, at one of her favorite places to buy home decor.

'I asked my sister-in-law to meet me there as she had just gotten engaged and was getting married within two months of her engagement,' Adrian explained.

'I had already decided on a dress for my wedding but had yet to send over the payment because I had this odd feeling that I should just wait a little longer. I had no intention of looking for or finding a dress.'

She ended up finding her off-the-shoulder silk ballgown rolled up in a plastic bag in a corner. Her sister-in-law made her try it on, although there were no fitting rooms, so they put their dresses on in the back of the thrift store.

'It was one of those moments when you put something on and you don't want to take it off,' Adrian admitted.

Unfortunately, the dress was stained and yellow under the armpits and after she got it professionally cleaned, the flowers on the neckline were damaged

Adrian had the bodice covered in a new fabric by a seamstress she started working with, which fit the vibe more fully and covered the staining

'Even the cashier looked at me funny when I said this was going to be my wedding dress but I knew it needed to be a part of another beautiful story,' Adrian said, with the finished product above

Adrian had the bodice covered in a new fabric by a seamstress she started working with, which fit the vibe more fully and covered the staining

Unfortunately, there was one small problem. 'I immediately FaceTimed my mom [and] she was not as excited as I was,' Adrian said.

'The dress had a lot of damage and the floral design across the top had frayed edges and discoloration. She thought I was crazy.'

'Even the cashier looked at me funny when I said this was going to be my wedding dress but I knew it needed to be a part of another beautiful story.'

The dress was stained and yellow under the armpits and, after she got it professionally cleaned, the flowers on the neckline were damaged.

'I didn't realize how bad the staining was until I sent it off to get cleaned and got back the photos,' Adrian told FEMAIL. 'Pretty much everything came out but the underarm yellowing would not lift.'

Adrian had the bodice covered in a new fabric by a seamstress she started working with, which fit the vibe more fully and covered the staining.

She also bought a veil on Etsy which was hand-dyed to match the dress.

Adrian bought fabric for $75 and added detachable sleeves to the dress, spending $3,330 in total on the dress after buying a pearl pin and altering the gown, which still came in under her $4,000 budget.

Adrian bought fabric for $75 and added detachable sleeves to the dress, spending $3,330 in total on the dress after buying a pearl pin and altering the gown

The pearl pin she placed on the front of the dress matched the buttons down the back of her vintage wedding gown

Adrian believes two other women wore this dress first and that it was potentially handmade, as it looks like boning and flowers were added over time

After sharing the transformation on TikTok, one viewer said they thought it was a Jessica McClintock pattern, although she wasn't able to find the pattern online

Adrian believes two other women wore the gown before her and then added boning and the flowers over time.

She's considering donating it again for another bride to find, but said, 'Right now I am just enjoying looking at it and cherishing the life it lived to get to me.'

After sharing the transformation on TikTok, one viewer said they thought it was a Jessica McClintock pattern, although she wasn't able to find the pattern online.

Viewers following along loved the sustainable journey, calling the gown 'beautiful, classic and timeless' and comparing it to the dress Aurora wore in Sleeping Beauty.

There wasn't a tag on the garment bag, but Adrian would love to find the original owner and said, 'Knowing the journey it took to get to me would only make it that much more special.'
As a TV star-turned-Duchess, Meghan Markle knows all too well that when she steps out of her Montecito home, the world is watching.

On Saturday night, the Duchess of Sussex attended a book event hosted by Oprah Winfrey at the new Godmothers bookstore in Summerland.

For the occasion, the mother-of-two looked suitably sophisticated in a 315 black collared jumpsuit by the Canadian fashion brand Club Monaco.

The brand has been a staple for Meghan over the years - after the Duchess developed a penchant for their pieces back when she was still starring in Suits.

During her time as a working royal, Meghan wore their dresses regularly - including her only Christmas at Sandringham and during her royal tour of South Africa - which led to them flying out of stock online.

Pictured: Meghan Markle wore a 315 Club Monaco jumpsuit to attend a book event in Summland over the weekend

As such, Meghan's recent endorsement will no doubt come as a lifeline to the brand, which had had a challenging few years before Covid even struck.

After being sold by Ralph Lauren in 2021, Club Monaco is in the midst of a challenging rebrand and now trying to reposition itself as a more affordable alternative to The Row and Toteme.

Here FEMAIL delves into how Meghan is using her star power to salvage one of most beloved brands.

Struggling in competitive market

Club Monaco was founded by Canadian designers Joe Mimran and Alfred Sung in 1985 - and the pair set about creating 'better basis' for their customers.

The brand's first store was in Toronto - where Meghan lived for six years while filming Suits - before expanding to the US, Europe and Asia when it was purchased by Ralph Lauren Corporation in 1999.

The following year, the brand launched their own homeware brand Caban, which lasted only six years before Ralph Lauren pulled the plug.

In the 2010s, the brand played around with different kinds of shopping experiences to drive sales to their struggling retail spaces.

In 2013, the company were one of the first to convert a section of their store into a coffee shop to entice customers through the door.

Pictured: Meghan Markle wore this $329 Club Monaco Sinthea dress for a Suits script reading in 2017

Five years later, they collaborated with Hamptons hotel Ruschmeyer on a pop-up - and former CEO Francis Pierrel told Fast Company that their e-commerce sales were up 20 per cent.

Sudden sale by Ralph Lauren after 'losing tons of money'

However, in-store sales were already starting to wane and so the brand decided to combine menswear and womenswear in their stores.

After refusing to give sale stats, Francis insisted: 'This has increased the productivity of the stores.'

According to Business of Fashion, insiders claimed Club Monaco had been struggling in the years leading up to the pandemic and 'was not well-positioned to weather' lockdown.

Pictured: a shuttered Club Monaco store in New York in April 2020 following the outbreak of Covid-19

Pictured: Meghan Markle wore a red velvet dress (underneath her tan coat) to attend her only Christmas at Sandringham in 2017

In May 2021, Ralph Lauren Corporation suddenly announced Club Monaco had been sold to the private equity firm Regent for an undisclosed amount.

Patrice Louvet - the CEO and President of Ralph Lauren Corporation - said in a statement: 'For the past twenty-two years, Club Monaco has been an important and valued part of the Ralph Lauren family, and we are grateful for the many contributions the brand and its team have made to our Company.

'As we increase our focus on our core namesake brands, we want to ensure the Club Monaco brand is also well-positioned for long-term success.

'We are confident that Regent is the right home for Club Monaco to realize its full potential, as they will be able to leverage their strategic and operational expertise to continue Club Monacos growth.'

'The designs are like something you'd see in grotty casual corner'

Pictured: Meghan Markle seen wearing Club Monaco's $220 Sallyet dress and Daylina coat in London in November 2018

Following the sudden sale, Courtney OConnor - who is Club Monaco's new Chief Merchandising Officer - hinted at the dire state of the brand's finances in recent years.

Speaking to Women's Wear Daily, she explained: 'For [Regent], the first year was about stabilizing the business  they wanted to make it profitable again.

'Club Monaco was losing a ton of money under Ralph Lauren. They wanted to turn a profit within a year.'

That same year, the business closed the Vancouver flagship store after 25 years. According to Style Democracy, the yearly rent was a staggering $361,000-a-year.

However, the Club Monaco team have had their work cut out for them - after 'confusing' customers for years.

Pictured: Meghan Markle seen wore their 400 Shoanah dress to the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee - prompting it to sell out in hours

Neil Saunders - the managing director of GlobalData Retail told Business of Fashion: 'The brand is confused. One minute its high-end and the next its something you see in a grotty casual corner.'

In their recent rebrand, Club Monaco has tried to hark back to its golden era of elevated basics in the 90s.

But in March this year, Jessica Ramirez - senior research analyst at Jane Hali and Associates - says the brand is still as lost as ever.

The expert said: 'It was a very beautiful brand when we knew there was quality, we knew that there was design, we knew it was on-trend, and the price was very right for where it stood in the market.

'After the sale from Ralph Lauren, it just lost its way. The design element isnt necessarily there anymore. The quality isnt there.'

Meghan also wore the brand's Dremah dress for her South Africa tour in September 2019 - where she introduced baby son Archie to Desmond Tutu

However, Courtney O'Connor says the brand is now putting a new emphasis on sourcing quality materials to compete with the likes of Toteme and The Row.

Experts have also noticed that the brand seems to be drawing inspiration from 1990s 'It Girl' Carolyn Bessette Kennedy - who also seems to have had an influence over Meghan Markle's style.

As the brand tries to find its way back to their core customers, Meghan's recent appearance in their 315 jumpsuit will no doubt be a welcome endorsement.

Finding out about the sales boost the brand received as a result of her wearing one of its items 'changed everything in terms of how [Meghan] then looked at putting an outfit together'.

She explained to the NYT that when she knows there will be a 'global spotlight' on what she is wearing, she will 'support designers that [she has] really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that havent gotten the attention that they should be getting'.

Following Meghan's appearance at the bookstore, the jumpsuit has sold out completely online.

In August 2018, the Duchess wore their 400 Shoanah dress to the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee - prompting it to sell out in hours.

At the time, the brand proudly wrote on Instagram: 'The stunning Meghan Markle in our Shoanah dress at a wedding in Surrey, England today - which also happens to be her birthday. Wishing her love and plenty of cake!'

Meghan also wore the brand's Dremah dress for her South Africa tour in September 2019 - where she introduced baby son Archie to Desmond Tutu.
Journalist Samantha Rea tried eight risque tops from different retailors

'Mind the gap!' No, I'm not on the London Underground, I'm trying on a top that's rather open-fronted.

Known as a 'Copenhagen blouse' it ties at the front, in a row of bows. However, it's impossible to make the fabric fully meet, in the way a zip-front or a button-up blouse would.

Instead, it reveals an alley of flesh from my collar bone to my navel - via my cleavage.

So who would wear this Copenhagen blouse? Well, you may imagine it was custom made for the costume department of an obscure Danish sex show, but actually it's all over the UK high street, and mainstream brands offering a version of this 'front-tie' blouse include H&M, New Look, Warehouse, Stradivarius, ASOS and Anthropologie.

Given that it's pretty much impossible to wear with a bra, it's astonishing that such an impractical style is so popular. So what happened?

Known as a 'Copenhagen blouse' the top ties at the front, in a row of bows. Pictured, Samantha trying on a selection

It all started with one blouse by the clothing brand Ganni which launched in Denmark in 2000.

By 2016 Ganni had conquered the UK, having been snapped up by stockists including Net-a-Porter, Selfridges and Liberty.

Fast forward to 2024 and Ganni has been seen on celebrities including Beyonce, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Alexa Chung, Rose Byrne, Selena Gomez, Dakota Johnson, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

The brand is now sold in Harrods and Harvey Nichols, and the hashtag #GanniGirls has 113,000 posts on Instagram.

It's likely then that this heavyweight celebrity and social media influence is the force behind Ganni's Copenhagen blouse going viral - and spawning a tsunami of look-a-like versions on the high street.

But is anyone actually buying it? It might look amazing on a model in a magazine, but the average British woman is a size 16 with a 36DD bust.

So what does this typical high street shopper think about a style that involves flashing their unsupported boobs and belly?

Reading fashion features about this tricky trend, I checked out some of the reader comments, to gauge the reaction.

'It looks like an organic soap shop assistant's overall' said one.

Samantha says the Copenhagen blouse it reveals an alley of flesh from her collar bone to her navel - her my cleavage

'Good Lord, you'd have to be insane to wear these things, which is just as well since it looks like a straitjacket,' said another, who also likened the row of bows to a bondage outfit.

'At its best it looks like a bed jacket - something to throw around your shoulders while reading,' declared another, while someone else asked: 'Is anyone else disturbed by women wearing clothes that only a five year old would like?'

'The item is ugly, unflattering and an invitation to unwanted attention' said one, while another described the style as: 'An invitation to sexual harassment.'

Other comments included:

'It looks like an oversized child's blouse'

'Puff sleeves shouldn't be seen on any female above the age of six'

'Looks as if it's on back to front'

'Not a good look for anyone with a large chest'

'You would need to be wary of the gaps in public'

Perhaps predominantly, there was widespread concern about the puff sleeves making it difficult to get a cardigan on over it.

So there was certainly a lot of fearmongering about this Danish fashion delicacy - but had any of those commenting tried on a Copenhagen blouse themselves?

Perhaps not! And so, armed with optimism that all this worry would turn out to be unwarranted, I decided to try out a selection of Copenhagen blouses for myself. Here's how I got on

New Look Cream Polka Dot Ruffle Tie Front Blouse

Samantha is wearing the New Look Cream Polka Dot Ruffle Tie Front Blouse as the design has taken over the High Street

Samantha - pictured - says the New Look blouse would 'leave you topless in Tesco' with just two tugs

COST: 31.99

This cream coloured blouse with grey polka dots, ties at the front with two thin bows. It's a loose blouse with long loose sleeves, elasticated wrists and a ruffle, that flares slightly from the waist.

Overall it brings to mind Stevie Nicks in her Fleetwood Mac heyday, or Kate Bush warbling about Wuthering Heights.

VERDICT: Just two quick tugs could leave you topless in Tesco. Unless you're planning to pick up a man with your mangoes, wear it with a vest.

SHEIN Striped Print Tie Front Puff Sleeve Peplum Blouse

Samantha is wearing the SHEIN Striped Print Tie Front Puff Sleeve Peplum Blouse - and had mixed feelings about it

Samantha says the pink SHEIN blouse makes it look as though she is pregnant from certain angles

COST: 7.99

Like a very pretty stick of rock, this pink and white striped blouse has elbow length puff sleeves, a peplum flare and three front ties.

Unfortunately, the peplum flare gives the impression that my stomach is as prominent as my bust, so from certain angles I look pregnant or very recently post-partum.

VERDICT: This top is so pretty on the hanger. However, on me, braless, it passes for an easy access breast-feeding blouse and I fear I may be followed around by men with a fetish for lactating ladies.

KITRI Carmel Pistachio Pointelle Knit Cardigan

Samantha is wearing the KITRI Carmel Pistachio Pointelle Knit Cardigan - which has buttons rather than ties

Samantha says the green KITRI cardigan appears to be demure but is actually saucy upon closer inspection

COST: 145

This pretty green cardigan has a white trim and a round neck. Unlike the other Copenhagen style tops, it fastens with pearl-look buttons, rather than bows. However, the 'gap' effect is similar because the buttons go through loops that extend beyond the fabric, so the two sides of the cardigan don't quite meet.

In addition to the exposed strip of flesh at the front, the pointelle knit (ie the tiny holes that are part of the pattern) means that nipples may be visible.

VERDICT: A seemingly demure 1950s style cardigan that on closer inspection is surprisingly saucy. Wear it with a vest or risk being marched out of M&S for indecent exposure.

PrettyLittleThing Black Puff Sleeve Bow Tie Top

Samantha, pictured, is wearing the PrettyLittleThing Black Puff Sleeve Bow Tie Top - but says it was a touch too small on her

Samantha says it's best to wear the PrettyLittleThing black top with a bra, or a vest underneath it

COST: 10

I loved the look of this black puff sleeved blouse with three thick bows. However, when I tried it on, I found it was slightly too small for me. Unable to pull the two sides close together, I was left revealing a vast expanse of bare chest at boob level.

VERDICT: Check that you've bought the right size, and even if you have, you're probably still best with a vest. Unless, of course, you want to attract attention to your cleavage. In which case, wear it to parties and chortle inside while other women give you evils.

SHEIN Plaid Contrast Color Bow Tie Loose Puff Sleeve

Samantha is wearing the SHEIN Plaid Contrast Color Bow Tie Loose Puff Sleeve - and says it is 'slightly gaped'

Samantha says the SHEIN top slightly gaped, and from certain angles offered an unobstructed view of her breasts

COST: 3.99

A black and white gingham blouse, with puff sleeves, a peplum flare and three thin bows. Despite seeming roomy, it somehow slightly gaped, and from certain angles it offered an unobstructed view of my breasts.

VERDICT: If you're aiming for sex in the stationary cupboard with your office crush, and your other, more subtle, hints have gone unheeded, pull out the big guns by wearing this to work with nothing underneath. Would probably also work well for pay rise meetings and disciplinaries.

KITRI Evie Ivory Crochet Knit Cardigan

Samantha is wearing the KITRI Evie Ivory Crochet Knit Cardigan which she says definitely demanded a bra

Samantha says wearing the KITRI Evie cardigan without a bra makes her feel like a Free the Nipple campaigner cosplaying a 1970s librarian

COST: 60

A cream coloured crochet knit cardigan with a large collar and a turquoise trim, it ties at the front with three thin bows. Wearing this without a bra, I feel like a Free the Nipple campaigner cosplaying a 1970s librarian who indulges in 'free love' behind the book shelves.

VERDICT: Worried about library closures? Wear this, braless, when you campaign to keep your local library open, for a 600% increase in signatures from men whose interest in reading extends to thumbing through the Viz annual they keep by the toilet.

PrettyLittleThing Pink Gingham Tie Front Puff Sleeve Blouse

Samantha is wearing the PrettyLittleThing Pink Gingham Tie Front Puff Sleeve Blouse - which she said had a 50s charm to it

Samantha says thankfully the pink PrettyLittleThing blouse has no peplum so she could tuck it in

COST: 20

This peach and white gingham blouse has puff sleeves and three thick bows. Thankfully there is no peplum, so I am actually able to tuck it in, revealing that I do indeed possess a waist rather than a baby bump.

When I post a behind-the-scenes pic on on social media, someone writes: 'You look like you've baked an apple pie and just let it cool on the windowsill and have a martini made for your husband when he gets in from working at an ad company.'

I love the idea of swanning about at home sipping martinis while my husband's working, so I resolve to post this picture on my dating profile (#manifesting).

VERDICT: Indulge your husband's Don Draper fantasies by wearing this to his office when you're meeting him for lunch. Wait until he clocks that you're not wearing a bra, then whisper that you haven't got any knickers on either. Now steer him towards Tiffany's while he's feeling generous.

George at ASDA: Blue Striped Tie Front Puff Sleeve Blouse

Samantha is wearing the George at ASDA: Blue Striped Tie Front Puff Sleeve Blouse - which can be worn with a bra

Samantha says the Asda blouse is the one that anyone can wear 'without their boobs spilling out'

COST: 16

This loose fitting blue blouse has thin black and white stripes and elbow length puff sleeves. It ties at the front with three slim bows and with no peplum, it looks great tucked into a waist band.

Most significantly it has a panel of fabric behind the bows. This means that - thank the Lord! - the blouse can be worn with a bra, like any normal blouse, as there's no alley of flesh on show.

VERDICT: Winner! The Copenhagen blouse that anyone can wear without worrying about their boobs spilling out.

CONCLUSION

Still unsure whether to wear a vest under your Copenhagen blouse? Let me share a few words of wisdom from an ex.

He was rather uncouth, but I believe that on this occasion his advice is apt and it may prove useful as a rule of thumb.

So, as he was fond of saying: 'When in doubt, get your tits out.'
If BYO used to be a way to outwit the restaurant wine mark-up - often around 75 per cent but anywhere up to 300 per cent - then not any more, we may well have reached peak corkage fee, with one West London eatery commanding the princely fee of 150.

Many fine dining restaurants are more open than ever to guests turning up with a bottle or two of a vino they've sourced themselves, but they're increasingly likely to punish you with an eye-watering bill for the pleasure of opening and serving it to you.

The average fee, reports a new study by trade publication The Drinks Business, is 13.50 but there are some soaring exceptions.

At Notting Hill restaurant Dorian, a West London celebrity favourite, corkage now costs 100, and must be bought alongside at least one bottle from the wine list, the cheapest of which is 50 - so taking your own plonk could easily tip you over the 200 mark.

Wine merchants Lea & Sandeman lists the corkage costs that some of the capital's top restaurants charge, with their selection throwing up plenty of surprises.

At London dining hot spots Noble Rot Soho, there's a 25 fee, while Quo Vadis charges 35, and Ledbury in Notting Hill, which has three Michelin stars, commands 75 - but it could still be very worth your while to soak up a corkage fee.

At Ledbury, a bottle of 2010 Nyetimber 1086 Brut costs 295 on the wine list, but is around 130 to buy a bottle from an online merchant. Even with the corkage, it's still 90 cheaper.

At the more bargainous end of the corkage spectrum, dine on Sundays at one Michelin-starred Elystan Street in Chelsea, and you can have your bottle uncorked for free.

Upmarket steak house chain Hawksmoor has a similar incentive to get punters through the door on you'll pay just 5 if you dine on Mondays.

Corkage is rising according to trade publication The Drinks Business, with restaurants asking diners to pay between 12 and 15 if they want to bring their own bottle

An early in the week dinner could see you enjoy a bottle of Pol Roger Vintage Brut, 2008 - which is sold in the Liverpool branch for 275.00 for a fraction of the cost if you took your own bottle that you'd bought online.

This French Champagne retails at 120 from Hard to Find Wines - add in delivery 4.99, and the 5 corkage and you're still roughly 145 in the red.

However, what about if you're celebrating a special occasion that deserves a once-in-a-lifetime vintage?

Could it still be better to shop around, find the best deal on the wine you want to drink with your meal and then simply swallow the corkage fee along with your luxe tipple?

Here's a selection of swish restaurants where paying big to BYO still equals a saving:

DORIAN, NOTTING HILL

BYO gets luxe - many fine dining restaurants charge a significant amount to uncork and serve a bottle you bring...but it could still be worth your while if you can get a cut-price bottle of expensive plonk

If you order a bottle of the Dom Peringnon Rose, currently listed on the wine menu at 1,295, you'll pay 150 corkage.

However, there's plenty of wine merchants offering the same bottle online - some even with additional savings. We found a bottle for 301.

BYO 301 + 150 corkage = 451

SAVING: 844

FALLOW, ST JAMES'S

Order a bottle of Chateau Margaux, Margaux 2006 at your table and you'll pay a cool 920 at this contemporary central London restaurant. However, online, you can pick up a 750ml bottle of the same wine for 470 with Frazier's Wine Merchants - even when you've paid 50 corkage, you're still 400 up.

BYO 470 + 50 corkage

SAVING: 400

QUO VADIS, SOHO

Soho favourite Quo Vadis keeps a pared down wine list but there's still plenty of savings to be had.

Order a bottle of 2103 Charles Heidsieck Brut and you'll pay 180 for the pleasure in this London institution, but we found the same wine online - and reduced - for just 62, making the corkage fee easier to digest.

BYO 62 + 50 corkage = 112

SAVING: 68

THE LEDBURY, PORTOBELLO

When you have three Michelin stars above your door, you can mark up wine to princely sums. There is a BYO policy at this West London eatery though, meaning you can enjoy a bottle of 2010 Nyetimber 1086 Brut, which costs 295 from the wine list, for around 90 less if you shop around online and bring your own.

BYO 130 + 75 corkage = 205

SAVING: 90
Fashion week, now in full swing, has turned my mind to what's in and what's out trend-wise.

Obviously, a style needs to suit you to be worth pursuing. But, a tweak here, a refresh there, keeps midlifers looking current. Plus it's a lot of fun.

First, what to ditch? Matte foundation is feeling old. I've called time on any bases that feel remotely flat or 'full-coverage'. Ditto non-luminous, or tinted powder. Radiant 'skin-minimalism' is what it's about: make-up/skincare hybrids that resemble a genuine, beautifully maintained complexion.

Blush is so much the thing I'd pack in bronzer too, unless you think you need a light dusting to feel human.

Bold brow pencils should go; ditto any eyeliner older than six months (three if your eyes feel sensitive).

As for purchases, I can suggest:

1. Cleanser

If you've been lax about make-up removal over summer, now is the time to boost your routine.

I've fallen for Skin Rocks The Gel Cleanser (39, skinrocks.com) from online beauty star Caroline Hirons. It's a gel-to-oil-to-milk, fortified by a barrier-boosting, six-oil fusion. Skin feels clean and cosseted in its wake.

If funds won't run to this, try The Body Shop Camomile Jelly One-Step Cleanser (12, thebodyshop.com).

2. Lipstick

There are two starry new reds I'm yet to lay eyes or lips on.

Celine's first beauty product will be a classic Parisian scarlet  Celine Beaute Rouge Triomphe  doubtless fantastically expensive.

Dolly Parton has launched Dolly Beauty, and a ruby bullet called  what else?  Jolene.

Red is closely followed by cranberry and oxblood shades, worn with a hint of mascara (see below.)

3. Eyeliner

New kohl is allowed for hygiene reasons, also because goth glamour is an autumn craze.

Im enjoying Kosass Soulgazer Intensifying Gel Eyeliner (20, space.nk.com), richly-pigmented colour in seven terrific shades.

4. Brow pencil

Lighten up your brow act with Ilia In Full Micro-tip Brow Pencil (24, iliabeauty.com), or Glossier Boy Brow Arch (24, uk.glossier.com). Both have a soft, real-hair look.

5. Base layer

My new-season foundation obsessions are two-fold. First, Bobbi Brown Weightless Skin Foundation SPF 15 (now 33, boots.com) is a real skin, no-make-up make-up wonder.

Its incredible, managing to look even better at the end of a long day than at the start.

I use a tiny amount of Weightless on my T-zone (nose, chin and forehead), for slightly more coverage, then a few strokes of Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint (43, boots.com) along my cheeks for sheen.

Alternatively, thin your foundation with moisturiser, then a dab of Rare Beautys Silky Touch Highlighter (24, spacenk.com) above the cheekbones, on the tip of your nose, and above your Cupids bow.

6. Blusher

You dont need new rouge for autumn, just wear what you have, more generously.

7. New tricks

Tweak your techniques. Base only where you need it, is a start. The no or minimal-mascara trend looks gloriously fresh.

While Lisa Eldridges YouTube exhortation to swap a big brush for a small one has made my translucent/setting powder game far more refined. As Bowie once sang: ch-ch-ch-changes.

Head to Lisa Eldridge's website or London emporium to invest in an absolute cracker (from 27, lisaeldridge.com).

Actress Eva Longoria, 49

My icon of the week

Eva Longoria

Only Murders in the Building actress, Eva, 49, cleanses with Bliss Mighty Biome Cleansing Balm (16.71, blissworld.com), and Kiehls Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil (40, boots.com). She loves LOreal Revitalift skincare (from 19.99) and uses the Facify Beauty Wand (328, facifybeauty.com) and Lyma Laser (from 1,999, lyma.life).

Cosmetic craving

Miaroma Patchouli Pure Essential Oil (now 6, hollandandbarrett.com)

With autumn in the air, I allowed myself a budget-friendly, change-of-season treat, Miaroma Patchouli Pure Essential Oil (now 6, hollandandbarrett.com).

Given Holland & Barretts three-for-two deal, I bought a trio of them, plus three Pine Oils (now 5.25) for when I require something more bracing.

For just under 30, I now have scent I can add to baths and budget body lotion, then sprinkle on my pillow to see me through until spring.

Your choice might be lavender (4.87) and lemongrass (4.50), or ylang ylang (7.50) and ginger (6.37).

Cedarwood (4.87) and clove (4.12) are also heaven in the bath tub.

Either way, theyre all a steal and an exquisite everyday luxury.

Five hot nail shades

Essie Nail Lacquer in Fishnet Stockings (8.99, superdrug.com) and Dior Vernis in Black Rivoli (29, dior.com).

Essie Nail Lacquer in Fishnet Stockings (8.99, superdrug.com).

This dark, spicy scarlet is film-noir perfection.

Dior Vernis in Black Rivoli (29, dior.com).

A blackened, gel-effect berry with a subtle burgundy sparkle.

Kiko Smart Nail Lacquer in Metallic Chocolate (3.99, kikocosmetics.com) and Nailberry Oxygenated Nail Lacquer in Blue Moon (16.50, spacenk.com).

Kiko Smart Nail Lacquer in Metallic Chocolate (3.99, kikocosmetics.com).

Chocolate shades are the new neutral.

Nailberry Oxygenated Nail Lacquer in Blue Moon (16.50, spacenk.com).

Sapphire hues abound from classic navy to this dazzling, metallic blue.

Chanel Le Vernis in Phenomene (29, chanel.com).

Chanel Le Vernis in Phenomene (29, chanel.com).

Black is big for autumn. This metallic, purple-green is an elegant, soft, off-black.
Tanya-lee Holmes went to sleep with a sore neck and woke up paralysed on one side of her body - but the shock ordeal was preceded by weeks of 'strange' symptoms.

The mum went on to experience several traumatic months fraught with hospital visits, scans, and surgeries - to eventually end up an incomplete quadriplegic who can no longer walk unassisted.

Tanya-lee's symptoms lead to two cervical spinal nerves spontaneously shattering and changing her life forever.

In May 2016, the then 39-year-old spent six weeks with unexplained neck pain her doctor believed was simply a kinked neck.

'We treated it with painkillers, acupuncture, I changed my pillows - I tried absolutely everything,' Tanya-lee, from Bathurst, New South Wales, told FEMAIL. 'We did X-rays and CT scans and everything.

'Then, suddenly, I started feeling pins and needles in my left hand.'

The mum went back to her doctor and got an MRI done - but the test came up clean once again, with no discernible damage to her cervical spine.

'We assumed it was a pinched nerve but there isn't much you can do with that. Just rest, use heat packs, and give it time to settle.'

Tanya-lee Holmes went to sleep with a sore neck and woke up paralysed on one side of her body - but the 'shock' event was preceded by weeks of 'strange' unexplainable symptoms

Three days later, Tanya-lee woke up and felt a jolt of pain go down her body.

'I stood up and it was like someone plugged me into a powerpoint,' she recalled. 'I got an electric shock up my spine and automatically started vomiting.'

Despite her condition, Tanya-lee still had to take her children to school and perform her duties as a parent.

'We lived out of town so I had to drive my 17-year-old son 15 minutes to the bus stop. I had to drive across town with a bucket between my legs because I was still vomiting the whole time.'

Tanya-lee went on to experience several traumatic months fraught with hospital visits, scans, and surgeries

Tanya-lee's younger son was only nine and went to school down the road, so by the time she got back home from dropping him off she had a 'devastating' migraine.

The mum had a migraine that caused a mini stroke in 2010 so she's always aware of the symptoms - which include neck pain and nausea.

'I tried to sleep it off. I just assumed it was a migraine so I took some Panadol and went to bed.

'Two hours later, I woke up to the most excruciating pain I've ever felt in my life. The pain was so bad I didn't realise until I tried to get out of bed that I couldn't move or feel my half of my body.

'I fell to the floor because the left side of my body just wouldn't work. I dragged myself up the hallway of our house, and I rang an ambulance.'

After several tests at the hospital, doctors discovered Tanya-lee's C4 and C5 - the cervical nerves in her spine - had spontaneously shattered.

'There was absolutely no reason, it just kind of happened,' the mum said. 'I had scans a few days prior that showed my cervical spine was intact, no bulging discs, so it was strange.'

Tanya-lee's symptoms lead to two cervical spinal nerves spontaneously shattering and changing her life forever

The mum had a migraine that caused a mini stroke in 2010 so she's always aware of the symptoms - which include neck pain and nausea

The hospital wanted to fly Tanya-lee out in a helicopter but the poor weather meant she had to take the seven hour journey to Sydney by road.

Tanya-lee recalled being 'horrified' and 'furious' her doctors asked her family to say goodbye to her because they weren't sure if she was going to make it through the night.

'I didn't let my husband come down with me because I wanted my kids to have a sense of normalcy back home. I did it all by myself,' she said.

'I wouldn't even let him tell my friends. It sounds ridiculous to me now, because I really needed people. But I chose to do it on my own, because I didn't want to put anyone else through that.'

Her oldest son was in the middle of his HSC and Tanya-lee felt he shouldn't have to worry about his mother in the hospital on top of the stress.

'I think I went into fight or flight mode. Two of my kids have cerebral palsy and have a lot of PTSD surrounding hospitals. I felt like I needed to push myself through it and I didn't need anybody's help.

'I was so worried about dying - but I didn't want their last memory to be of me in the hospital like that.'

'I didn't let my husband come down with me because I wanted my kids to have a sense of normalcy back home. I did it all by myself,' she said

Tanya-lee now has a titanium plate stabilising her cervical spine, and said the recovery time was a few weeks.

'I was walking unassisted within two weeks of the surgery - but there was still weakness and numbness down the left side of my body.

'Three months after that, I suddenly regressed and the paralysis to my left side got worse and I eventually couldn't stand by myself and couldn't walk unassisted at all. Doctors still have no idea why this happened.'

Now, Tanya-lee is in constant pain because of her nerve damage. The mum cannot walk without using a wheelchair or walking stick.

'It's like my skin is on fire,' she explained. 'It feels like I have green ants swarming around my skin at all times.

'The pain has gotten so severe that sometimes I rip the skin off my thighs from scratching because it's the only relief.'

The mum explained how her skin is sensitive to touch and feel - and that her husband accidentally brushing an arm against her can 'set her off' and feel like an 'electric shock'.

Tanya-lee now has a titanium plate stabilising her cervical spine, and said the recovery time was a few weeks - but her condition regressed for mysterious reasons

The mum has had a difficult time finding work with many potential employers calling her a 'liability' to her face

One of the most difficult aspects of Tanya-lee's 'new normal' is how people treat her.

'Acquiring a disability is so much harder than being born with one because you just don't know. My kids have never known better, that's just how they were born, and that's how they live.

'Whereas when you acquire a disability, the first thing you're looking at is all the things you planned for the future that will never happen.

'My husband and I had our kids young because we wanted to grow up with them, we wanted to go out and have our own adventures afterwards. But now it's like - are we going to be able to do that? What am I going to be capable of?'

The mum also shared how she's had a difficult time finding work with many potential employers calling her a 'liability' to her face.

'I'd always been an independent person, I was the carer. I didn't want to be cared for. But now I'm a liability because I can't stand for too long and I can't sit for too long.

'If I sit for too long I get spinal migraines, it's a build up of pressure in the base of my skull. And then I'm out for days. They're quite debilitating. No one really wanted to give me a go.'

Tanya-lee now runs a successful baking business where she also provides disability advocacy and helps other businesses with inclusive environments

Despite it all, Tanya-lee found a ray of light among the dark times.

'I've always used baking as a tool to deal with my anxiety so I started doing it more for my sanity.

'Now, I run a successful baking business and I get to provide disability advocacy and inclusion, and I help other businesses with their inclusive environments for their employees with disabilities.'

'I really hated my life for the first few years because it wasn't what I had planned,' Tanya-lee said.

'If you asked me eight years ago how I felt about having a spinal cord injury, I would have give you a lot of expletives, because that's how I felt at the time.

'But now I can actually say I'm proud to have a disability, and I'm proud of the person it has made me become.'
The family of a man who died after he was forced to email his GP surgery for an urgent appointment  and the practice failed to respond for three days  have called for an immediate crackdown on the escalating trend.

Last night they asked: How many more lives have already been lost? The Mail on Sunday revealed last month that some practices had told patients they could only book appointments by filling out an online form, raising fears that the old and vulnerable could be denied access to vital healthcare.

But the growing scale of the problem has now been laid bare in shocking detail by the scores of readers across the country who have contacted this newspaper to complain that their own surgeries have implemented similar controversial policies.

Heartbreakingly, some elderly readers, who say they have no IT skills or access to the internet, have simply accepted that they cannot see a GP any more, while others are avoiding contacting their local practices until their health conditions worsen.

Allan Hamilton, 51, who had breathing problems died at home after he was forced to email his GP surgery for an urgent appointment and the practice failed to respond for three days

Others expressed huge concern about the implications of the new policies for their loved ones  especially those who have adult children with learning difficulties.

Vicki Doyle, whose brother, keen runner Allan Hamilton, 51, died at home of pneumonia and ischemic heart disease after emailing his surgery in Mossley, Greater Manchester, about breathing problems, has now issued a heartfelt plea for the Government to force GPs to end the harmful policy, which is in breach of GPs contracts with the NHS.

She is joined by politicians and campaigners such as shadow health minister Saqib Bhatti, who hit out at the deeply concerning treatment of patients.

Ms Doyle, 56, told The Mail on Sunday: How many other people like Allan have also died because they couldnt get hold of a doctor? How many cases like his have not been recognised?

Allan was intelligent and IT-savvy, but it still backfired on him because he couldnt speak to a human being. Nothing can replace that human contact. It shouldnt be a battle to get access to your GP.

So many people have no choice. They wait and their condition escalates. Thats the sad part. More will die unless we make sure everyone can access their GP when they need them, by whatever method.

Mr Bhatti said: These cases are truly heartbreaking and deeply concerning. NHS organisations, including GP surgeries, have a duty to ensure patients can access services  and this includes making sure people can ring their GPs in time of need, particularly those more at risk or vulnerable.

These cases should be investigated and any breaches of contracts dealt with. We will always stand up for patients and hold this Government to account to ensure this right of access is maintained.

Readers from as far afield as Lancashire, Essex and Devon have told The Mail on Sunday that their GPs have issued blanket instructions forcing them to make appointments using online forms that are then triaged by doctors.

In theory, this is intended to save time and ensure that those most in need can be seen most urgently. It also avoids the unpopular 8am rush to book appointments on surgery phone lines.

But it should not be the only way to get an appointment.

An NHS spokesperson said last week that GP surgeries were contractually required to offer equal access to patients regardless of how they contact a practice, whether thats online, by phone or walk-in to make sure no patients are excluded.

Allan, who died of pneumonia and ischemic heart disease, was a keen runner. His sister, Vicki Doyle, says he was IT-savvy, but it still backfired on him because he couldnt speak to a human being

Yet it is clear from readers that this is not followed everywhere.

One sent a text they recently received from their GP in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. It read: Dear patient, as a reminder, reception cannot book appointments with the GP or minor-illness nurse. Please fill out the online questionnaire which opens at 7.30am Monday to Friday and your request will be triaged by the GP.

Some readers said they, their loved ones or friends had given up trying to see a doctor because they could not access the online systems or work out how to use them.

One is veterinary surgeon Dr Martin Lowe, 69, of Totnes, Devon, who said that despite numerous health issues he avoided contacting his practice at all  raising fears that many other patients are opting to endure unpleasant symptoms until they can stand it no longer. However, in the process they may be storing up more serious concerns. Dr Lowe wrote: My GP insists that appointments are made through the filling-in of an online questionnaire. If a patient walks into the surgery, they are directed to a screen to do it!

My experience of this is that it can take several days to get a response. As someone with numerous health issues I find that the form often makes it impossible for me to address the problem I am getting in touch about.

As a result I find I dont make contact and simply wait and see. Am I being cynical in thinking that is what the GPs want, hoping patients will simply get better without their assistance? GP practices that dont take phone calls are putting patients lives at risk.

In one example, Joy Reid, 60, from Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, wrote that her disabled 85-year-old mother was refused help by her GP surgery when she could not book online. She went in and was turned away, they refused to help when she phoned and ignored her desperate pleas for help by letter (she ended up in hospital on some occasions), Mrs Reid wrote.

I had to ring and insist she was seen, threatening them with media exposure and [referral to the local care board]. Eventually they gave in and she saw a locum who has finally sorted out her tablets. But Mrs Reid is now being forced to go online at her own GP surgery, which she is very unhappy about.It is not just the elderly at risk. Debi Kirk, 57, a learning-disability nurse from Lancashire, says she sees these issues all the time among those she cares for.

But she also has first-hand experience because her 29-year-old son has autism and dyslexia. He has been told he must complete online forms and can no longer ring or walk in to book an appointment, she wrote.

I have emailed to explain his needs to the GP and received no reply. This resulted in my son having such a severe ear infection his eardrum perforated.

This system is so wrong. As a nurse who has practiced for 30 years I no longer recognise or respect our caring profession.

What happened? Its a disgrace.

One reader described seeing a GP receptionist turn away a mother with an unwell child.

Shadow health minister Saqib Bhatti says: NHS organisations, including GP surgeries, have a duty to ensure patients can access services, and this includes making sure people can ring their GPs in time of need, particularly those more at risk or vulnerable

Dennis Reed, from Silver Voices, a campaign group for the elderly, said: This is the tip of the iceberg and it wouldnt be surprising if there were more cases like Allan Hamiltons which go unnoticed.

We know patients are going straight to A&E because they cant get through their GPs systems, and contacting private doctors if they can afford it.

They dont want to complain in case theyre punished by surgeries and thrown off the list. NHS England is failing to clamp down on GPs who are in breach, and must do more to stamp this out.

It was the NHS itself that encouraged doctors to reduce walk-in requests during Covid in 2020 by adopting a system called total triage. This allowed patients to provide information about their problem to the practice before booking an appointment.

It reduced the workload for receptionists and GPs by discouraging people from booking needless appointments and ensuring those most in need had priority.

But post-pandemic the system continues to be used because it was found to have other benefits.

Patients who need to see a nurse or a physiotherapist rather than a GP can be referred directly, while test results and sick notes can also be sent digitally rather than wasting an appointment

This is all needed to relieve pressure on GPs. There are 27,000 full-time family doctors in England  nearly 2,000 fewer than a decade ago  while the number of NHS patients has risen by six million in the same period. Last month, GPs decided to take industrial action  including limiting their hours  over a contract dispute which, in part, relates to this increasing workload.

Little wonder, then, that public satisfaction with GPs is at an all-time low, with many saying theyve given up trying to see their doctor altogether, according to the GP Patient Survey.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said practices should offer patients a range of ways to book an appointment  but also called for proper investment in the workforce and IT to ensure safe, timely and accessible care.

There is clearly a place for technology in healthcare, but when it is introduced it is essential it is done so safely and in a way that helps patients to access our care and services as well as supporting practices to ensure patients are receiving timely and appropriate care, Prof Hawthorne said.

One reader described seeing a GP receptionist turn away a mother with an unwell child

Many patients find online booking convenient and easy, but this is not the case for everyone  especially those who struggle with new or changing technology, or who may have limited access to a computer or the internet.

As many patients told the MoS, while they have largely welcomed moves to free up GPs with technology, the latest development is  as one put it  a step too far.

One 75-year-old said she supported the technology to manage GP workloads and that online requests for repeat prescriptions appear to work effectively. But she added: Employing total triage technology under the guise of improving the service for patients to access a GP appointment will put more patients at risk of delayed treatment.

An NHS spokesperson encouraged patients to complain about access problems to GPs and local Integrated Care Boards, and said there was support for practices that were struggling to offer appropriate access.

The Department of Health and Social Care said: Every patient should be able to easily reach their GP, book an appointment or be directed to emergency services.

Who has it helped? This is why A&E is clogged up

My surgery doesnt allow patients to make appointments by phone or in person. Patients have to go online, using a system called PATCHS, and complete a form and wait for a reply. You also have to register to use this system  even if you are already a registered patient at the surgery.

John James, 70, The Wirral

To make an appointment at my GP surgery, we have to complete a PATCHS online form before 7.30am, detailing your query and symptoms  and then wait for a reply.

I tried to make an appointment by going into the surgery, but was directed to PATCHS.

I tried telephoning the surgery, but was again directed to PATCHS.

I mentioned to the receptionist that GPs were contractually obliged to make appointments via the phone or in person, but the receptionist just dismissed me.

Janet McKenna, 69, Merseyside

My GP practice is now insisting that patients fill in a form to access appointments and that receptionists can no longer make them.

Generally, I think my practice offers a pretty good service, but find this very off-putting.

I have known for some time that there is always a doctor daily operating a triage system, but this now feels a bridge too far.

I worry that this is a deliberate attempt to put patients off seeing a doctor, knowing they darent complain for fear of being banned from their list.

Jane Harper, 76, Cheadle, Greater Manchester

I am a computer-literate woman. However, when I was discharged from hospital this spring after six weeks in ICU with pneumonia and sepsis, I became very unwell.

I could not cope cognitively with anything at that stage  reading or using my smartphone, for example. My husband tried calling the surgery to speak to a GP on my behalf, but was not allowed. Instead I had to answer all the questions, despite being extremely ill, including: How worried are you about your condition, on a scale of one to five.

Who has it helped? The GPs and the practice staff, NOT the patients. This is why A&E is clogged up.

My fear is that if theres a campaign to pressure GPs to allow phone calls and walk-ins for appointments, as we have a Labour government the GPs will strike and get exactly what they want  the Government will amend their contracts.

Anna Cox, 69, Twyford, Berkshire

My doctor introduced online booking. I tried phoning. After being on hold for over an hour, was told to book online.

When online, I thought I would see a list of appointments available. No  you have to say why you need to see a doctor, then someone checks to see if you can get appointment.

I then received a text saying my appointment was three days later.

Alison Hynds, by email

My practice has been using PATCHS online system for at least a year.

Appointments must be requested on this system for the request to be triaged.

At the moment I am elderly and fit and fully able to use technology, but I worry about when I cant  and there are many already in that situation.

Robin Adams, 75, Chester

I am 86, not very bright in using the computer. I can no longer phone or walk into my surgery to make an appointment.

Fortunately my very kind son-in-law took it over for me. Now if I need to see the doctor I have to tell my son-in-law the problem so he can request an appointment online for me. A friend at the same surgery just gave up and accepted she couldnt see a doctor.

Margaret Gale, 86, Beckenham, Kent
A highly effective drug for a debilitating lung disease is set to become the first new treatment for the condition in more than a decade.

The medicine  dupilumab  has been shown to significantly improve the lives of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD.

Research published this year concluded that dupilumab patients saw uncomfortable symptoms like breathlessness and chest infections slashed by a third, compared to taking existing treatments.

Last week, UK drug safety officials approved dupilumab for use  meaning it will now be available privately  and experts predict the NHS will also give it the green light within a year.

Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock in Star Trek, was one of the three million who die globally from the disease each year

In my more than 20 years of practice, there have been limited advancements for patients struggling with the effects of uncontrolled COPD, says Professor Surya Bhatt, a lung specialist from the University of Alabama.

Dupilumab reduced symptoms by a magnitude never seen before.

UK charities hail the drug as a major advance. It is incredibly positive that new treatments are being developed and undergoing clinical trials, and could soon be made available for people in the UK, says Dr Andrew Whittamore, who is the clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK.

Around 1.4million people in the UK have COPD. The condition occurs when the lungs and airways become damaged and inflamed.

Its usually associated with smoking or long-term exposure to certain types of harmful industrial chemicals or dust. However, in some cases, patients can get COPD for no clear reason.

The first symptoms are a persistent cough, excessive mucus production and shortness of breath, which can disrupt sleep.

Over time, COPD increases the risk of life-threatening chest infections. NHS patients are usually offered specialised inhalers that lower inflammation.

Lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, regular exercise and keeping up to date with vaccines are also recommended.

However, studies show these measures only marginally slow the diseases progression.

There is no cure and patients will see their symptoms get progressively worse. Around half of COPD patients will not survive more than five years after their diagnosis.

One in five people wait more than a year to be diagnosed with chronic lung conditions, new research from Asthma + Lung UK revealed

Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock in Star Trek, was one of the three million who die globally from the disease each year.

He passed away in 2015 aged 83, a year after being diagnosed, having given up smoking 30 years earlier.

What is COPD? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) describes a group of lung conditions that cause the airways to narrow and become inflamed. Examples include bronchitis, which affects the airways, and emphysema, which impacts the air sacs. This makes it harder to move air in and out as you breathe. Around 1.2million people in the UK are diagnosed with COPD, British Lung Foundation statistics show. And in the US, 16million people suffer from COPD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It usually develops due to long-term damage to the lungs from smoking or air pollution. Jobs where people are exposed to fumes, dust and chemicals also raise the risk. COPD also seems to run in families. And a rare genetic condition called alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency makes people susceptible at a very young age. Symptoms include: In severe cases, sufferers lose their appetite, have swollen ankles, lose weight and may even cough up blood. COPD is incurable and the damage to the lungs cannot be reversed. However, treatments can help make breathing easier. Patients should also quit smoking and maintain a healthy weight. Advertisement

In the UK, 30,000 people die as a result of COPD every year.

Dupilumab is given intravenously every two weeks in hospital for a year in combination with three different inhalers.

The drug works by blocking two proteins in the body, interleukin-4 and interleukin-13, which are linked to harmful inflammation.

Research presented last week at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Austria found that as well as reducing severe symptoms, dupilumab improved lung function overall and quality of life.

While it is too early for researchers to know exactly how much longer COPD patients on dupilumab live, experts say it is almost certain that, due to the reduction in dangerous infections, the effect is significant.

Dupilumab for COPD is under review by the NHS spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, with a decision expected within the next year. It is already available on the Health Service for treating several inflammatory conditions including severe asthma and eczema.

Experts say the drug is a major breakthrough in cutting the endless cycles of serious symptoms.

I did not expect the results we found in the trial. It is incredible compared with what is already on the market, says Dr Christian Gessner, a lung expert from the University of Leipzig who led the landmark study.

It is really significant because as well as working for people with uncontrolled COPD, dupilumab also works as an add-on therapy alongside medicines that are already helping patients, reducing those symptoms, improving lung function and boosting quality of life.

One patient who stands to benefit from dupilumab is Felicity Payne, 67, from Eastbourne, Sussex. The former teacher and gran was diagnosed with COPD eight years ago, as a non-smoker, after feeling short of breath all the time and suffering repeated infections.

Doctors have been unable to find Felicity an effective treatment.

She has also been left with long-term side-effects from a steroid- based inhaler.

After trying five different drugs, she says: Im looking forward to the new treatments. The developments are definitely promising.

It is great that there is going to be a new way of doing things as nothing I have tried has been effective. I know one person on the trial for dupilumab and it was remarkable. It has given him his life back, so I cant wait.
A new 'stronger' Covid variant is spreading across Europe and the world, as experts warn it is 'just getting started'.

The XEC strain was first detected in Germany in June and has been identified in 15 countries across three continents.

According to experts, the strain could become the dominant variant within months when the weather gets cold.

Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California Eric Topol said XEC is 'just getting started now around the world and here'.

Speaking to the LA Times, he added: 'And that's going to take many weeks, a couple months, before it really takes hold and starts to cause a wave.

The XEC strain was first detected in Germany in June and has been identified in 15 countries across three continents. (Stock photo)

The XEC strain could become dominant within weeks or months when the weather gets colder

'XEC is definitely taking charge. That does appear to be the next variant.

'But it's months off from getting into high levels.'

Regional chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California Dr Elizabeth Hudson said health experts will continue to monitor the variant in the coming weeks.

Dr Hudson said that XEC has been reported in western Europe including Germany and the Netherlands and it is spreading quickly.

XEC has shown up in the US but its prevalence is low so far.

The strain, which is a combination of the KS.1.1 and KP.3.3 variants, causes symptoms that are similar to those you experience with common illnesses such as flu and colds.

Most people will get better within a few weeks, but for others it could take longer to recover and some may even require hospitalisation.

Usual symptoms include a high temperature, continuous cough, loss of sense of taste or smell, shortness of breath and feeling tired or exhausted.

Also, usual cold-like symptoms such as a headache, a sore throat, a blocked or runny nose are common as well as a loss of appetite, diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick

Usual symptoms include a high temperature, continuous cough, loss of sense of taste or smell. (Stock photo)

The XEC strain comes after health experts were warning about the FLiRT variant sweeping the UK

The arrival of XEC comes after warnings of the FLiRT variant sweeping across the UK in spring and summer this year.

FLiRT was used to describe a family of variants, KP.2, KP.3, JN.1.7, JN.1.1, and KP.1.1 which were all descendants of the JN.1 variant.

The UK's latest figures show there has been a 4.3 per cent uptick in Covid cases week-on-week.

England also reported 102 deaths linked to Covid up until August 30.

During the same period, hospitals noted 1,465 Covid admissions.

But the UK Health Agency has not yet provided detailed data about the XEC variant.
A father-of-two was left '2mm from paralysis' after his neck snapped and he ignored warning signs of a rare blood cancer, writing them off as signs of ageing.

Simon Cummings, 53, first noticed a 'loss of strength' in his right arm but suspected he had trapped a nerve in his shoulder. The father then developed yellowing in his eyes and skin in early 2020.

'I thought something definitely wasn't right,' the IT specialist said: 'But I had put it down to simply getting on in life.'

But when Mr Cummings was cutting wood, 'a piece flicked off' and hit him square in the face. He whipped his head back as a reaction and heard a loud crack in his neck.

'I didn't think too much of it,' he said. 'Until I was crying on the floor in agony a few hours later.

Simon Cummings, 53, first noticed a 'loss of strength' in his right arm but suspected he had trapped a nerve in his shoulder. He then developed yellowing in his eyes and skin in early 2020

When cutting wood, a piece flew at Simon's face, causing him to whip his head backwards as a reaction. That was when he heard a loud crack

Recalling the sheer pain, Mr Cummings said: 'Had I not gone to the hospital when I did, I would've at the very least been completely paralysed. Or worse, I may have still not been here at all.'

Mr Cummings was rushed to hospital to undergo emergency surgery where doctors worked to stabilise his broken neck.

Medics then broke the news to Mr Cummings and his wife Lisa, 47, that he was a mere '2mm away' from being paralysed.

He said: 'I couldn't really comprehend the severity of it at the time.'

Doctors did not know the cause of his various symptoms or his broken neck. Mr Cummings claims his symptoms persisted for up to nine months before he got an official diagnosis.

He said: 'All I knew was I had a broken neck, which was very scary - but as I didn't feel like I had a broken neck, I suppose I didn't give the "what ifs" much of a thought.

'It's when you start discussing it with loved ones that you start to think about those things.

'I started to worry about not being able to provide for my family, spending time with Lisa, playing with our son and our plans to have a sibling for him.'

Simon was rushed to hospital to undergo emergency surgery to stabilise his broken neck

Doctors told Simon he was a mere '2mm away' from being paralysed

Doctors did not know the cause of Simon's various symptoms or broken neck

While waiting for an official diagnosis, Simon worried about whether he would be able to provide for his son (pictured together) and their family

Simon and his wife had plans to have another child and give his son (pictured) a younger sibling

In September 2020, Mr Cummings was finally told he had myeloma - an incurable form of blood cancer that develops in bone marrow.

Mr Cummings would need to undergo intensive chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in order to survive.

In a whirlwind of a health journey, Mr Cummings was declared cancer-free in April 2021. He started looking toward the future with his family, including sons Charlie, five and Leo, one.

He said: 'I just want to see my kids grow up and make sure that everything we've worked for over the last 30 years doesn't get spoiled by cancer. I want to enjoy our children together.'

But the cancer came back in May 2024 and the father-of-two is going through chemotherapy again - although he has just been informed that he is in remission.

As myelomais incurable, he will inevitably face relapses for the rest of his life.

Mr Cummings hopes to share his story to raise awareness, as the symptoms of myeloma often go unnoticed.

He said: 'Anything that can avoid anyone else going through this, like I did, would be such an improvement.

'Always get your symptoms checked out if you're worried and trust your gut instinct.

'Identifying it early could help reduce the impact of myeloma before it's too late.'

'There are people out there working to keep me alive and having that advocacy from Myeloma UK is invaluable. It puts my mind at rest.'

Simon was diagnosed with myeloma in September 2020 - an incurable form of blood cancer

With his wife Lisa and their two sons by his side, Simon underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in order to survive

After being declared cancer-free in April 2021, Simon was told the cancer had come back in May 2024. The father-of-two will likely face relapses for the rest of his life

Simon poses with his family. He hopes to share his story and raise awareness about blood cancer

Simon advises: 'Always get your symptoms checked out if you're worried and trust your gut instinct'

The brave father wants people to know that a myeloma diagnosis is 'not the be all and end all'.

He said: 'There's every chance it could kill you, but you've got to get over the initial shock of the Big C.

'Every cancer is different and you never heard about the good stuff, or the things that can get better.'

Mr Cummings added: 'It was difficult, but you can get through it - don't let it spoil your plans, control your decisions, or impact your future.'
London, Sep 15 (UNI) UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces investigation over undeclared clothing purchases for his wife Victoria from a financial donor, media reports said.

The prime minister broke parliamentary rules by failing to declare the fact that a multimillionaire businessman and donor to his party bought expensive clothes for his wife, according to the newspaper.

A member of the House of Lords, Waheed Alli, covered Starmer's wife's expenses, including for a personal shopping consultant and clothes, both before and after Starmer became the prime minister, the publication said.

Starmer's office refused to tell the newspaper the total cost of the gifts made to Starmer's wife, as well as the period during which Victoria Starmer received them. A source told the newspaper that this information would be published later.

The newspaper pointed out that Alli, who previously chaired the board of directors of clothing store Asos, was Starmer's largest personal donor. This year, he gave the British prime minister clothes and glasses worth more than 18,000 British pounds (about $24,500), and also spent 20,000 British pounds (more than $26,000) on Starmer's housing during the election period and the same amount on the prime minister's office expenses.

The publication emphasized that since Starmer came to power, Alli has acquired wide influence in the British ruling circles, which most ministers do not have. Over 20 years, he has donated almost one million British pounds (about $1.3 million) to the Labour Party, of which 500,000 since 2020. According to the newspaper, politicians and businessmen regularly gather at his house. UNI/SPUTNIK AKS
A tiny one-bedroom flat is on sale for an eye-watering 525k - but estate agents are lauding it as 'spacious' home offering a 'unique opportunity'.

The loft-style apartment in Canada Water, south east London is situated in a transformed Victorian warehouse with high ceilings.

However, despite the small size of the property, an estate agent claims it could turn into a money-spinner for its new owners.

The listing, by Purple Bricks, describes the home as a 'spacious' and informs potential buyers this is a 'rare opportunity' to buy a 'unique loft-style terraced house' in 'prestigious' development.

A tiny one-bedroom flat in south-east London on sale for 525,000 has been described as 'spacious' by an estate agent despite its size

The loft-style flat is located in Canada Water and is situated in a Victorian warehouse with high ceilings

A short walk from Canada Water station - which is served by the Jubilee Line and the London Overground - the property is part of a development of converted houses that used to belong to the London Hydraulic Power Company's Victorian buildings, having been constructed in 1902

They claim that adding a second mezzanine - giving buyers the opportunity to in fact turn it into a two-bedroom flat - could add 250k to its value.

A short walk from Canada Water station - which is served by the Jubilee Line and the London Overground - the property is part of a development of converted houses known as The Pump House.

These are based in the buildings that used to belong to the London Hydraulic Power Company's Victorian buildings, having been constructed in 1902.

Due to ceilings that are eight metres high, the flat features electric curtains and a mezzanine bedroom over the living area.

According to the listing on Purplebricks, the flat features a brand new kitchen complete with a dishwasher, new washing machine and fridge-freezer.

The estate agent also labels the property as a 'unique opportunity to buy something a bit different to cookie cutter newbuilds'.

They say that there is 'scope to further increase value by adding an additional bedroom and bathroom'.

Despite the small size of the abode, an estate agent has explained that up to 250,000 could be added to the value of the property

The estate agent also labels the property as a 'unique opportunity to buy something a bit different to cookie cutter newbuilds'

A Purplebricks spokesman said: 'This remarkable Victorian property, steeped in history, may appear snug but is anything but'

A Purplebricks spokesman said: 'This remarkable Victorian property, steeped in history, may appear snug but is anything but.

'It's 48 square metres of floor space may compare unfavourably to a sprawling country pad, but does in in fact offer two square metres more room than the average one-bed new-build home in the UK.'

It comes after another tiny London studio flat was listed for 1,750 a month in March - despite coming without a toilet and with only a curtain between the shower and kitchen.

The prospective tenant can enjoy showering, cooking and sleeping - all in the same room, while the advert for the flat says it benefits from 'natural light'.

It comes after another tiny London studio flat was listed for 1,750 a month in March - despite coming without a toilet and with only a curtain between the shower and kitchen

The prospective tenant can enjoy showering, cooking and sleeping - all in the same room, while the advert for the flat says it benefits from 'natural light'.

Situated in the Zone 2 spot of West Kensington, it also contains a balcony and has all bills included as part of the price

Situated in the Zone 2 spot of West Kensington, it also contains a balcony and has all bills included as part of the price.

In addition to the lack of a toilet, the property - which was listed by is available OIG Real Estate - contains no oven or washing machine.

Under the 1985 Landlord and Tenant Act, landlords must provide tenants with running water and sanitation facilities.

The Tenants Voice group website reads: 'You need to have a working toilet and a shower or a bathroom.

'You need to have at least one sink where you can do dishes and wash up. These facilities can come in unconventional interior layout, but they must be present or your landlord breaks the law.'

However, it is unclear if this building has communal toilet facilities.
I was looking to renew my car insurance this week on a price comparison website and found the cheapest quote by far was from a company called Nutshell, which I had not heard of before.

In fact, several of the cheapest quotes were from insurers I was not familiar with, and I am unsure about it.

I went with Nutshell in the end, as car insurance is generally so expensive now and I was in a rush to get it all sorted.

But should I be concerned about going with insurers that are not household names, just to save money?

Insurer queries: If you haven't heard of a car insurer, does that mean not to trust them?

Sam Barker of This is Money replies: In short, you have nothing to worry about here.

Nutshell are a 100 per cent reputable company, and are subject to the same rules about consumer protection as any other insurance firm.

I will go into more detail, but I think your question sums up something very interesting about the often confusing nature of buying insurance through price comparison websites.

Nutshell is actually a broker, not an insurer, and so its job is to arrange your cover with one of the insurers on its panel, and help out with any claims. It was only launched in December 2022.

In turn, Nutshell is a trading name of BISL Limited. You may not have heard of BISL Limited, but you may have heard of some of its other trading names - Budget and Bennetts.

BISL Limited in turn is owned by a larger broker, BGL Group, which is owned by another larger broker, Markerstudy Insurance Services, the seventh-largest broker in the UK. That in turn is part of a large insurance conglomerate called Markerstudy Group.

Nutshell was the brainchild of BGL and an insurer, Covea Insurance, which was formed after buying Provident Insurance, MMA Insurance and Gateway Insurance.

As I say, this is confusing. There are around 200 car insurers in the UK, but the vast number of trading names and waves of buyouts means there are only 10 or so parent companies.

This can mean that, when using a price comparison website, most of the cheapest quotes might actually be from the same overall company, just via a number of different sub-brands.

One could argue there is a question about a lack of competition with how the UK car insurance market now works, though the industry would argue it is a) competitive and b) often loses money on this sort of insurance. But for you as an individual driver, that doesn't matter in terms of how trustworthy Nutshell is.

It is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

That means it has to stick to some pretty strict rules about how it operates, and in the unlikely event it should go bust your money is protected.

The main thing to beware of with car insurance is buying something that doesn't meet your needs, such as not covering something you really need covered.

This can easily happen accidentally, due to another recent car insurance trend - insurers and brokers hollowing out policies in order to make them cheaper, and therefore appear higher up price comparison websites, which tend to rank policies by price.

The other thing to watch out for is buying 'car insurance' from a firm that is not regulated, perhaps advertising through social media. These firms do exist, often preying on drivers bewildered by the high cost of car insurance and looking for a bargain.

Many drivers end up conned into buying what they think is car insurance, but is actually a worthless bit of paper. That means they are paying premiums for nothing, have no cover if they do need to make a claim and could even be prosecuted for unwittingly driving uninsured.

If you are ever in any doubt about whether to trust a car insurer or broker, there is simple research you can do to put your mind at ease.

Check if the firm is registered with the FCA, using the online FCA register. This will tell you if it is a legitimate firm, or one to be avoided.

But in a nutshell (sorry), you have nothing to worry about with picking Nutshell for your car insurance.
Many British businesses feel they have no choice but to exploit slack business expensing rules, with the practice having saved firms 11.5billion in the last year alone.

As many as 78 per cent of small and medium-sized firms said they are willing to chalk up non-work spending as expenses in order to reduce their tax liability, data from Xeinadin reveals.

These businesses saved a median of 2,670 each over the past year, the accountancy firm said, with a quarter of firms having increased their corner cutting practices in order to cope with current financial strains.

Overinflating: Some small business owners feel they have no choice but to claim expensive for personal costs

This trend was particularly pronounced among businesses with between 150 and 249 employees, where 41 per cent have increased their bending of the rules.

In many cases, this could involve purchasing equipment that is actually for personal use, overstating home utility and broadband costs or paying for family meals under the guise that they are business related.

Xeinadin said 46 per cent of business owners bending the rules admitted claiming personal expenses, while 45 per cent said they claimed for travel expenses, such as claiming mileage on personal trips.

Tim Halford, Chief Commercial Officer at Xeinadin, says: 'Small businesses in the UK face significant challenges amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis and gaps in government support.

'Our survey highlights a concerning trend where a majority of SMEs are using loopholes, underscoring the need for policymakers to overhaul government incentives. This would support SMEs and alleviate pressures that lead to such practices.

Concerningly, while 19 per cent said they took advantage of tax loopholes because it was easy to do so, 49 per cent of businesses said they did so because of the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis, and 30 per cent said they felt they were being over-taxed.

Halford said: 'Although laws are in place for good reason, the data shows that business owners are using loopholes where the short-term, and small financial gain, most likely outweighs the risk of being caught in their minds. We should remember that owners rely on their business' success for their livelihood, retirement plans, or as a safeguard for their families future.'

Further tightening the purse strings, 38 per cent of business owners said they didn't benefit from any Government incentives in the past year, rising to 72 per cent of sole traders.

Meanwhile, 40 per cent of business owners willing to work outside of the rules said they were taking cash payments in order to avoid tax. Some business owners also use payment in kind.

Businesses have little choice

One business owner, Wasim Riley, who runs Afrikana Kitchen in Manchester, told This is Money that businesses are having to resort to new ways of saving money in order to stay afloat.

Sympathy: Business owner Wasim Riley said he can understand why business feel they need to cut corners

He said: 'The last decade has been brutal for businesses, especially SMEs, with over-taxation, relentless red tape, and the fallout from Brexit.

'The cost of living crisis has only worsened things, driving up the price of goods and leaving many businesses running on fumes.

'The cost of goods hasn't dropped since it spiked.

'Combine that with a lack of support from the government, small businesses are running at breakeven where they have no choice but to look at other avenues for cash.

'It's not about willingly breaking the rules, but rather about trying to protect the investment and the livelihoods tied to it.'

He added: 'I sympathise with those who feel the need to bend the rules. I understand why it's happening - when businesses don't get the support they need, they have to find ways to survive.'

While many practices are illegal, businesses are also employing ways of reducing their tax bill via legal tax loopholes.

For example, some 22 per cent said they make use of dividend distributions to supplement a lower income that they take from their business.

Riley told This is Money: 'Saving on taxes or extracting money from the business through alternative methods such as negotiating more favourable contracts, delaying payments to ease cash flow, or working out flexible lease agreements with landlords are practices that aren't illegal, but they represent the lengths to which businesses will go to stay afloat.'

'It's hard to see how businesses will survive without taking even more drastic measures. I wouldn't be surprised if more businesses start finding ways to hold on to their money. It's a harsh reality, but for many, a matter of survival.'
Residents of Santa Fe, New Mexico - less than a half-hour drive from the birthplace of the atomic bomb - are drinking from a water supply with alarming traces of plutonium, scientists have found.

The shocking samples were taken from Los Alamos's soil just 24 miles from Santa Fe, which has roughly 90,000 residents.

Experts warned have since warned that the discovery could mean a rehabilitation project is necessary to save the city's drinking water.

The contaminated soil can be found right on the cusp of Los Alamos, in the area's appropriately named Acid Canyon, where radioactive waste seeped into the land from 1943 to 1964.

'We need to permanently protect precious, irreplaceable groundwater and the Rio Grande while providing high-paying cleanup jobs for decades,' said Jay Coghlan, executive director of Nuclear Watch, in an email to Santa Fe New Mexican this past spring.

Residents of Santa Fe, New Mexico (pictured) are drinking from a water supply with alarming traces of plutonium, scientists have found

Los Alamos, a town considered to be the birthplace of the atomic bomb, is still contaminated by high levels of plutonium, experts warned

Pointing to maps showing the contaminated spots across an area of land, Coghlan asserted that there was proof a 'genuine cleanup' is needed.

While the water in Santa Fe is still drinkable with its current levels of plutonium, Coghlan said the radioactive drinking water 'should be of great concern to Northern New Mexicans'.

In Santa Fe County, up to 3 picocuries per liter of plutonium were recorded in the water supply - twice the guideline set by the New Mexico Administrative Code, according to the outlet.

Nuclear Watch also compiled data plutonium contamination below the soil from 1992 and 2023 through plot points on a map.

Huge hot spots were found at dump sites of an old lab used for experiments.

This, of course, was at Los Alamos' National Laboratory, located a little more than a mile out of town, and one of 16 research and development sites used and owned by the United States Department of Energy.

Samples seized from Los Alamos's soil laid bare the pollutants, which was also found in the Rio Grande as far Cochiti Lake 30 miles away

This July 21, 2024 photo shows vegetation from Acid Canyon and lower Los Alamos Canyon near Los Alamos, N.M., after being milled as part of a radiation testing and sampling project

Contamination in surface water like streams and rivers has been traced back to places including the hiking trail Acid Canyon, where the lab discarded waste from 1943 to 1964.

Its past pollution could now be migrating down to the area's unseen aquifer underground - likely bringing the pollutants across San Ildefonso Pueblo land and into the Rio Grande, Coghlan warned.

The river feeds into the Buckman Direct Diversion Project, a system of integrated infrastructure used to divert as much as 2.8 billion gallons of surface water to Santa Fe annually.

That water serves as nearly half of Santa Fe's public drinking supply - a cause for concern, according to Coghlan.

Over the past 40 years, Santa Fe has seen its population almost double to roughly 90,000, leading it to earn the distinction of 'boom town' in a 2019 national survey.

In the years since, the city added roughly 5,000 residents, for an increase of about 6 percent as occupied homes and per capita income have also grown.

The lake itself is 30 miles west of Santa Fe, which has roughly 90,000 residents. A cleanup may be necessary save the city's drinking water

The news of Acid Canyon's contamination comes almost 20 years after the Department of Energy and the University of California - the lab's previous operator - made an agreement with the New Mexico Environment Department to clean up the contamination.

Spread out over decades, the efforts have so far been unsuccessful in remediating the fallout, data from Nuclear Watch shows - as the NMED seeks a full cleanup at one of the dump sites at a cost of over $800 million to protect Santa Fe's drinking water.

As it stands, radiation levels are not high enough to hurt those walking the Acid Canyon trail, but Coghlan pointed out another danger that would happen if a fire broke out.

'Were Acid Canyon to burn in a wildfire, and we know that threat is all too real, that could be dangerous in the form of respirable plutonium that is released to the air through wildfire,' he said.

Warning the smoke inhaled could lead to lung cancer, Coghlan had his concerns echoed by the Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University, Dr. Michael Ketterer.

'I'm just trying to show New Mexicans what the truth is here,' he said after collecting and analyzing plutonium samples from trailheads at Acid Canyon. 'I see a lot of things to be concerned about here.'

Major General Leslie Groves (right), Chief of Manhattan Engineering District in which the first Atomic Bomb was developed, and Dr. J.R. Oppenheimer, Director of top secret project discussing the secret program that led to the plutonium pollution still present on site today

'We can't really predict where it's going to go and how bad it's going to be,' he continued, of the possibility of a fire creating deadly conditions in the area.

Surrounding communities could be at risk as well, including historic Santa Fe, as the shocking contamination data saw Ketterer question whether official warnings should be posted across the trail.

'I've never seen anything quite like it in the United States,' Ketterer. 'This is an unrestricted area.'

He went on to compare radiation levels seen at the popular park to those at the site of the Soviet Union's Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Above, a bucolic winter image surveying Los Alamos, New Mexico on the left and center, the Omega Bridge in the middle and the Los Alamos National Laboratories on the right

This July 22, 2024, image provided by biochemist Michael Ketterer shows jars of water samples from Acid Canyon in Los Alamos, New Mexico

'It's just an extreme example of very high concentrations of plutonium in soils and sediments,' the biochemist said. 'It's hiding in plain sight.'

The biochemist also noted that high concentrations of plutonium in the canyon's water posed wider environmental risks to communities and habitats downstream.

'Under monsoon storm flow conditions, Pu [plutonium] laden water and sediment flow through Acid Canyon and into Los Alamos Canyon and ultimately, the Rio Grande,' he noted in a presentation for Nuclear Watch New Mexico.

Radioactive plutonium in ground water, Ketterer noted, can also be absorbed by plants where it enter the food chain via local veggie-eating herbivores, or spread as airborne ash following increasingly common wildfires.

'This is one of the most shocking things I've ever stumbled across in my life,' the biochemist recently told The Guardian of the unsettling find.

Meanwhile, the cleanup of the lab's Cold War sites is only half complete, the DOE reports.

Should the department's plans be finalized, all pits and shafts would be excavated and radioactive waste interred at Carlsbad's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
An American woman living in Britain has revealed the 'mortifying' mistake she made while visiting a coffee shop.

Posting to her account on TikTok, Kristen Howell revealed the embarrassing error she made while attending a study group session during her time at university, when someone asked to 'borrow a rubber'.

While asking for a rubber during a study session at university would not seem out of the ordinary to Brits, the same cannot be said for Americans, who use the word as a slang term for condoms.

Kristen said: 'This girl came over and asked me if she could borrow a rubber. I initially thought, 'You know what, get it girl. 10am in a coffee shop, not really my vibe but here you go'. And I gave her one.

'It wasn't until a few weeks later when I was talking to someone completely different that I found out that in the UK, a rubber means an eraser. Not a condom.

'I gave this girl what I thought was a rubber, which was a condom, and this girl had just asked for an eraser.'

Another dramatic turn of events followed when the girl Kirsten handed the condom to did not even question why she had done so - proceeding to take it and walk away with explaining why.

Reacting to the story in the comments, other users were tickled by Kristen's unfortunate incident, posting: 'I held my breath waiting to laugh'.

Posting to her account on TikTok, Kristen Howell revealed the embarrassing error she made while attending a study group session during her time at university, when someone asked to 'borrow a rubber'

Another said: 'That's English politeness for you!'.

One person wrote: 'As a Brit who has worked in both countries the subtle differences can be very entertaining.'

Another said: 'Aww bless she was way better than me!'

One shared: 'This is great but I love how sound you were about it and not judging her!'

A follower wrote: 'More to the point is why are you carry rubbers to a coffee shop at 10am'.

Another said: 'That's so funny. Bet she's still dining out on that tale'.
Twenty-two thousand British service personnel were stationed in the South Pacific when Britain tested its first atomic bomb on October 3, 1952.

Many were teenagers on national service, promised a better life abroad than was available in the ruins of post-war Britain.

As a huge mushroom cloud swallowed up the sea and bloomed out across the sky, the United Kingdom became the world's third nuclear power.

But more than 70 years later, families are still reeling from the effects of the bomb on bystanders who were left to watch on without proper protective gear or training.

Veterans were told to turn away from the blast and cover their eyes, but saw an 'X-ray' of the bones in their hands and the spine of the man in front as radiation passed through them from the blast.

Today, victims believe the trajectories of their lives were forever changed in those moments, recording a host of diseases, deformities and birth defects carried through their families - and left feeling 'forgotten' and 'frustrated' by the government's inaction.

While the Labour party in opposition vowed to stand by the servicemen affected by the scandal, the British Government remains the only country to have tested nuclear weapons and not accept responsibility for the effects on victims.

As such, the veterans who gave their lives to Britain's protection, and their descendants, go on not knowing how the tests have affected their lives, nor the risks they may face having children. This is Britain's atomic bomb scandal.

British and Australian navies witnessed the blast from just a few miles away during a top secret exercise codenamed Operation Hurricane on October 3, 1952

HMS Plym was the site of the detonation of the first British atomic bomb test on October 3

The full body clothing that had to be donned by British troops and Press alike at the detonation of nuclear bombs

A mauve cloud climbed 10,000ft above sea level as the plutonium bomb detonated

'That lethal cloud marks the achievement of British science and industry in the development of atomic power,' a narrator reads over archive footage of the first tests.

'Here are the spectators and there is the fantastic flash. A silence settles once more over Maralinga.'

The first bomb contained around 15lb plutonium, stored inside the hold of HMS Plym, a 1,450-ton Navy frigate off Trimouille Island, near Australia.

At 9:30am local time on October 3, 1952, the bomb was detonated. A 600mph blast wave rippled through the environment. A mauve cloud climbed 10,000ft above sea level.

Operation Hurricane was a success. Britain joined the United States and the Soviet Union as a nuclear power.

At the scene, servicemen aboard the guard ship HMS Zeebrugge could only cover their eyes and brace as the shockwave travelled through the air.

'Observers here did not feel a ground shock, but a heavy air-pressure pulse hit the mainland four minutes and 15 seconds after the flash of the explosion, which occurred on the tick of eight o'clock,' The West Australian reported on October 4.

'At the same time pressmen heard a report like a clap of thunder, followed by a prolonged rumble like that of a train going through a tunnel.

'The air and ground shocks were sufficiently intense to cause slight pain in the ears. The immediate flash resembled the top quarter of a setting sun.'

During the Cold War, the British government issued warnings to civilians about the dangers of nuclear radiation, urging people to take strict preventative measures to shield themselves.

But during the nuclear tests through the 1950s and 1960s, teenagers sitting some ten miles from ground zero were only given light protective equipment and told to cover their eyes.

'They ordered us to muster on deck and turn our backs,' former Royal Engineer Derek Hickman later recounted.

'We put our hands over our eyes and they counted down over the tannoy.

'There was a sharp flash, and I could see the bones in my hands like an X-ray. Then the sound and the wind, and they told us to turn and face it.'

When they uncovered their eyes and looked out across the water, they saw that all that was left of the warship were 'a few fist-sized pieces of metal that fell like rain, and the shape of the frigate scorched on the sea bed'.

The towering mushroom cloud would linger for another half-hour before becoming 'deformed', with the 'heavy explosion' heard as far as 13 miles away.

The effects of nuclear weapons were still largely unknown. Officials had given 'consideration' to the biological effects of gamma rays and beta particles on the human body.

But official documents acknowledged at the time: 'This aspect was not fully understood and there was no operational evidence regarding the protective value of relatively light clothing against beta particles.'

Ships were placed in positions 'at least ten miles south of ground zero', and a 'Health ship' was directed to survey the effects of contamination immediately after the explosion. Health escorts were later provided for 'all re-entry teams', and 'personal monitoring devices' handed out to monitor individuals nearby.

But while information on the radiation dosages that 'participants' could be exposed to was requested, there were no regulations in place at the time to control this, a later report noted.

'The British scientists planning the trial knew that uniform dose rates would not occur during Operation Hurricane,' the 1984-5 McClelland Royal Commission report assessed.

'Immediately after the burst, there would be very high dose rates which would drop quite rapidly.' Some tasks, authorities would have known, 'could not be accomplished without exposing a few men to doses higher than those recommended by the [regulatory body]'.

Veterans, who were ordered to observe the nuclear blasts, began to realise the extent of the effects in later life when their children were born with severe deformities including spinal deformities, heart defects and sterility

The Ministry of Defence has repeatedly denied that the Atomic Weapons Establishment holds any evidence that blood samples were taken at nuclear tests. Pictured: The crew of the HMS Narvik watch the smoke rise after a British atomic test in 1956

A photography team sets up during the British nuclear test in the Montebello Islands, 3/10/52

Some 22,000 service personnel and many local communities were still nearby during the test

Setting up the equipment of the photography team during Operation Hurricane

Britain conducted 45 nuclear tests in total between 1952 and 1991 - in Australia, Kiritimati and Christmas Island, and in joint tests in the US.

All had their own horrors. Peter Lambourne, witness to a test at Christmas Island, said he could see the spine of the man in front of him as the bomb exploded in bright light.

Even today, veterans who stood by to witness Britain's first atomic tests do not know how the exposure to radiation may have affected their lives.

Numerous calls have been made for the government to release the information collected at the time, but many still say they have been repeatedly denied access to their medical records.

The Ministry of Defence has repeatedly denied that the Atomic Weapons Establishment holds any evidence that blood samples were taken at nuclear tests.

In 2022, the Mirror revealed a cache of 150 documents discussing blood tests that had been withheld.

Since March of this year, veterans have pursued legal action to access their records, but details remain scarce.

Many campaigned for a medal, awarded in 2022, simply to acknowledge that they had attended - in the absence of any recognition of the pain they say they suffered.

Shelley Grigg, the daughter of Roy Grigg, a nuclear veteran who witnessed Operation Grapple at Christmas Island in 1958, told MailOnline the medals became a 'Marmite' issue within the community.

'Many of them wanted the medal,' she said. 'They wanted something to prove that they had been there, that they had done the job.

'Others very much didn't want that. You know, how was that going to help them? And their families, so many of them want compensation.'

Shelley said that the veterans still alive today feel 'forgotten'.

'They've done their job and, you know, to stand there and watch a nuclear bomb... There's not many people can say they've done that. But they've just been ignored.

'It's heartbreaking. So many of them died so young.'

In the 70 years since, veterans and their descendants have sought the confirmation to acknowledge the effects they believe exposure had on the trajectories of their lives.

Shelley disclosed that she had chosen not to have children, having grown up with health conditions she fears could have been passed on.

'I am heading towards 60 this year and it's going to be a very lonely old age on my own with no family. And I do quite often think about it.

'What if I had had children, you know?

'So many of the descendants... I'm friends with so many of them and they, they've had families - but their families have had health issues and they worry about their children every day.

'What do you do for the best? It's a difficult, emotional thing to talk about for a woman.'

In 2011, Shelley was involved in setting up a group for descendants to share their experiences with each other online.

She says there are many like her who felt lonely without any support from the government, without people around them who understand their challenges.

'It's not just the ill health. It's the emotional support.'

'When we've all lost our dads so young, there's something that we felt was so wrong. Why was it me? Why was it my dad? Why did it have to happen to my dad?'

Shelley Grigg set up a group for other descendants who feel 'forgotten' by their government

The explosion sent a 600mph blast rippling as smoke plumed in the sky

A mushroom cloud rises over the Pacific moments after the detonation of Britain's second Hydrogen bomb offshore of Malden Island, Kiribati on May 31, 1957

The harmful effects of ionising radiation was known from the turn of the 20th century through advances in medicine.

But the understanding to control them through decontamination was still new territory.

When the bombs fell on Japan, locals removed the top layer of soil, harnessed sandblasting and used pressure washing to considerable effect, removing as much as 60 per cent of radiation doses in some areas.

British documents from the tests note they were limited in the 'promising' methods used in Japan due to the 'conditions' of the 1952 experiment.

But due to the difficulty of removing contamination from some surfaces, the report outlined a 'permissible' level of radioactivity to be left behind.

Servicemen operating in a contaminated area were given 'basic protective clothing' to shield them from the blast.

This included a vest, pants, 'special overalls', a 'sweat rag', rubber gloves, Wellington boots and a jungle hat.

Ships were equipped with radiation detectors to 'protect personnel from unexpected radiation hazards due to an anomalous fallout'.

But these often did not work in the heat or cold, and falsely recorded nil doses - and they did not record Alpha particles, severely damaging if inhaled.

'It was a plutonium bomb, and they're the dirtiest,' Mr Hickman recalled of his experience.

'A few years later I got sent to the doctor for something minor. I mentioned Monte Bello.

'He asked me if I was married and when I said 'yes' he replied 'my advice is never to have children'. He wouldn't be drawn on why.'

Mr Hickman said he walked away from his marriage in the end, as his wife wanted children.

Years later, veterans would receive diagnoses of cancer and sterility, and report severe birth defects or high mortality rates in their children.

Their wives were three times as likely to have a miscarriage.

Susie Boniface, a journalist who has fought for some 20 years to get justice for the victims, told the Imperial War Museum: 'I had one widow once, I think she's passed away now, but her husband was a cloud sampler.

'I... asked her how many children she had lost and she said I think in all I lost 12 babies and she just burst into tears.'

'Someone [else] sent me a memo which was about the blood counts taken of a squadron leader called Terry Gledhill.

'He had the same kind of blood problem that you'd expect to see in a cancer patient who was receiving radiotherapy.'

Many doctors reportedly brushed aside any connection linking the conditions to radiation poisoning.

Under Thatcher, a board was set up to investigate as newspapers began to report on the cases and plead for the release of medical information for veterans.

A link was found between cancer and fallout, but in 1993 the National Radiological Protection Board concluded that there was no connection.

Veteran Peter Lambourne was just 16 when he began training at sea. He was later moved to Naval Party 5555, eventually travelling to Christmas Island to witness the nuclear tests. Years later his son and granddaughter developed problems with their thyroids

A mushroom cloud after the test on Christmas Island on May 15, 1957

Servicemen conduct a radiation test near a concrete block after the Christmas Island test,1957

A radio antenna is set up ahead of the nuclear tests

There were three tests conducted by the British on the Montebello Islands between 1952 and 1956. Tests continued on Christmas Island when Australia urged Britain to move elsewhere.

Nearly 30 years later, scrutiny began to fall on the International Commission on Radiological Protection, a body among other things outlining the means for safety precautions.

The McClelland Royal Commission report into the Montebello tests judged that recommendations about limiting exposure was 'probably based on a feeling of uncertainty about the magnitude of the 'threshold dose'.'

In 2022, a study found a radiation risk remained at Montebello 70 years on.

Concerns emerged that not enough had been done to protect those nearest to the tests of this devastating new technology.

They also note the limited knowledge at the time, suggesting: 'At the maximum permissible dose (MPD) levels recommended, there was not thought to be an appreciable risk of genetic effects and they did not constitute the limiting factor.'

But Britain has not taken responsibility for the effects on the victims.

America, China, France and Russia have accepted responsibility for the damage the tests may have caused veterans attending the experiments.

But the Ministry of Defence still 'does not accept that participants at the UK atmospheric nuclear test and weapons experiments were, as a result, exposed to ionising radiation that adversely affected their health'.

Labour has vowed to rectify this. In 2021, Keir Starmer, then leader of the opposition, said: 'The country owes a huge debt of honour to these veteransLabour will continue to support their campaign every step of the way.'

John Healey, now Defence Secretary, added a year later: 'There is no good reason, no good moral reason, no good military reason, for withholding the recognition and compensation that other countries have had.

'Your campaign is our campaign. We go into the next election with a pledge to right this injustice.'

'I would like to think that Keir Starmer would be good to his word,' Shelley told MailOnline.

Help for descendants If you are a descendant of the British Nuclear Tests, support is available. Fallout is a support group and website for those affected. Shelley invites descendants to get in touch via their Facebook group, or by email at fallout@bntva.com. Advertisement

'He was good enough to cover meetings with the victims and descendants. And I would like him to follow through.'

Descendants today seek clarification over the question marks that have lingered their lives unanswered, and hope the government will release the medical data needed to prove the link between their health issues and Britain's nuclear tests.

Channel 4 will explore the effects of the testing on victims in an upcoming documentary, speaking to veterans and family members affected.

Britain's Atomic Bomb Scandal Airs 9pm on Sunday 15 September on Channel 4.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told MailOnline: 'We recognise the huge contribution that Nuclear Test Veterans have made to national security.

'This new government is committed to working with veterans and listening to their concerns. We have already pledged to reconsider the criteria for the commemorative Nuclear Test Medal  a key component of our recognition of their service.

'Ministers are looking hard at the issue - including the question of records. They will continue to engage with the individuals and families affected, and part of this engagement, the Minister of Veterans and People, Alistair Carns has already met with parliamentarians and a Nuclear Test Veteran campaign group to discuss their concerns further.
Driving northwest from Philadelphia, one cannot shake it off that they have entered Trump country.

The highway is lined with homemade Donald Trump signs as an electric billboard flashes the Republican presidential nominee's name.

But head into Reading and Wyomissing, Pennsylvania and suddenly Kamala Harris signs start popping up across town.

There are neighbors with dueling yard signs, supporters of the vice president living right alongside those backing the former Republican president with their political leanings on full display.

The state is considered the biggest battleground of 2024 with 19 electoral votes up for grabs, and Berks County could be on the line as well. It also just so happens to be the hometown of superstar Taylor Swift.

The 34-year-old megastar was born in West Reading and lived in the county throughout her childhood, first moving to Wyomissing before heading to Tennessee as a teenager to pursue her music career.

Swift's upbringing in eastern Pennsylvania has been inspiration for or referenced in some of her biggest hits. Now her hometown could could play a significant role deciding the future of the country come November.

Taylor Swift's hometown is shaping up to be a battleground in the 2024 presidential election. She was born in West Reading, PA and lived in Wyomissing before moving to Tennessee to pursue music

Berks County has been trending red in presidential elections for several cycles, but the entire election potentially coming down to Pennsylvania is nothing new.

President Obama won Berks County in 2008 by nearly 16,000 votes, before it became trouble for Democrats.

It went for Trump in 2020 by more than 16,000 votes, a slightly smaller gap than the nearly 18,000 votes he won the county by in 2016. Mitt Romney won it by less than 1,000 votes in 2012.

But in the midterms, voters there were willing to split their tickets to elect Democrat Josh Shapiro as governor by roughly 6,500 votes while Republican candidate Mehmet Oz held the county in Senate race by 6,600 votes, sparking some to believe everything has changed and the county is more maroon.

Now that August slipped away and the campaign season has entered high gear, DailyMail.com found people in Swift's hometown are paying close attention considering the swing state's reputation.

A 'Berks is Kamala Country' sign in Wyomissing, PA with less than 60 days to go before the 2024 election

A home right next door to the Kamala Harris supporter's home had a Donald Trump sign out front in Wyomissing, PA. DailyMail.com found neighborhoods town with both Harris and Trump signs

The home in Berks County where Taylor Swift's family lived before they moved to Tennessee

Multiple voters said they are trying not to cause bad blood with those around them and have shied away from talking politics all together.

One woman told DailyMail.com that she's the only Democrat in her red precinct, and it has made her uncomfortable to speak about her support for Harris.

But she also admitted Pennsylvania rejecting Trump is her wildest dream.

But others there were fearless in sharing their thoughts on the delicate subject of politics on a gorgeous fall afternoon, where all one needed was a favorite old cardigan to stay warm.

Tanja Carlisle from Reading is a Democrat who will be voting for Harris come November.

She likes what the vice president has said about tackling rising grocery prices, helping first time home buyers, border security, negotiating Medicare drug pricing and women making their own choices 'when it comes to their own bodies.'

Carlisle said she believes people in the community are closely paying attention now more than ever with Democracy on the line.

'I just think that Kamala would be the best candidate for 2024,' Carlisle said.

Harris and Trump have both campaigned heavily in Pennsylvania as polls show them neck-and-neck in the swing state

Renee Riddle agreed. She said she does not want to see the U.S. ever getting back together with Trump.

'I just think he's all about the rich and doesn't really care about what's going to happen to the rest,' Riddle explained.

For her, the most important issues are women's rights and protecting health insurance benefits.

But Republican James Van Buren of Wyomissing said the ex-president is his man.

'I think Donald Trump has a good track record for what he's done and what he stands for,' he told DailyMail.com.

'I don't know as though I've heard a whole lot of any of what Kamala Harris is going to be for and what she's really done while she's been there as vice president,' he added.

For Van Buren, the most important issues are the economy and immigration.

'I don't believe that they've done anything that they're legally required to do in controlling our border,' he said of the Biden administration.

Berks County is in the southeastern part of the state just over an hour outside Philadelphia. Its neighboring counties to the southeast were blue in 2020 while Republicans have won it since President Obama did in 2008

While polling shows just a moment in time, the latest numbers reveal neither candidate is out of the woods in the Keystone State. The Real Clear Politics average has each candidate tied at 47 percent.

No Democrat has won the White House without Pennsylvania since Harry Truman in 1948.

Ad spending shows both campaigns know all too well it's going to be a cruel final sprint in the state.

Democrats have $75 million already in ad reservations in Pennsylvania for the final two months before November 5.

Republicans have $68 million in reservations, according to tracking by AdImpact. The state has the most ad spending of any swing state.

But while the voters in Berks County may disagree on who should be elected at the top of the ticket this fall, they do agree on one thing: Swift is untouchable even as she makes an endorsement in the highly contentious presidential race.

The songstress announced on on social media Tuesday that she would be backing the vice president for president.

'I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,' she wrote.

She noted 'Ive done my research, and Ive made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make.'

Swift signed her post 'Childless Cat Lady.'
A parole board member has revealed the sickening questions he has to ask paedophiles when they want to be released from prison.

Since 2012, Rob McKeon has helped decide the fate of more than 5,000 prisoners during his career, including one person who told him he 'liked strangling people'.

As a member of the Parole Board for England & Wales, he decides whether prisoners serving sentences for horrendous crimes are safe to be released.

Among the inmates to be assessed by Mr McKeon are child abusers and sex offenders.

It is during their parole board hearing that he is forced to ask questions that members of the public would find particularly distressing.

A parole board officer has revealed the sickening things he had to ask paedophiles when they wanted to be released from prison (stock image)

Roughly 0.5% of prisoners who are released on parole go on to commit further offences (stock image)

In one particular circumstance, he recalled having to ask a child sex offender 'how often does he masturbate in prison, and what does he think about?'

But Mr McKeon said he is forced to put the nature of the offence to one side and focus solely on whether they were still a risk to the public.

He said: 'I think everybody deserves an opportunity to show whether they can reform or not. It's not for me to decide sentencing.'

Last year, more than 4,000 prisoners were released from prison, with 11,300 remaining in jail.

Out of the prisoners McKeon released, only three were accused of serious offences, while in total roughly 0.5% of prisoners released on parole go on to commit further offences.

Speaking to the Guardian, McKeon also explained how some cases were straightforward, such as with the man who admitted he 'liked strangling people', but others were much more complex.

Discussing the potential for a criminal he allowed to be released to then reoffend, the former parole officer said he does not lose sleep over the decision, explaining: 'I will be fairly certain as to what I think the right decision is.'

McKeon went on to say how the whole point of parole is to give people the opportunity to change.

'People do awful things, but some of those people won't do it again, and it's about being able to identify those people,' he said.

'Sometimes I worry that kneejerk reactions are "lock them up and throw away the key". There are some crimes where life should absolutely mean life, and we see that with whole-life orders. In others, there is the opportunity to change.'

Last year, Mr McKeon sat on the panel for notorious prisoner Charles Salvador, known as Charles Bronson, whose parole was refused.

Throughout his career he has had to deal with manipulators and liars. Explaining how he deals with this, he said: 'Go where the evidence tells you, because making decisions based on gut feeling is a terrible way to do things, and you'll get it wrong.

'There are two sides to every story and you always need to have proof. Don't just take anybody's word for it.'

Last year, more than 4,000 prisoners were released from prison, with 11,300 remaining in jail (stock image)

Parole board member Rob McKeon said: 'There are some crimes where life should absolutely mean life, and we see that with whole-life orders. In others, there is the opportunity to change' (stock image)

'I'm not influenced by the front pages of any newspapers, or what politicians may say, or what government views may be at any particular point, or what the public may be outraged by on social media. I make decisions based on risk.'

At the beginning of this month it was revealed that domestic abusers are set to be released from behind bars under Labour's new early release scheme.

The governments 'SDS40' scheme, could see prisoners automatically freed after serving between 40 to 45 per cent of their prison time, as ministers attempt to tackle the overcrowding crisis in UK prisons.

Among the 1,700 set to walk free are a man who told his partner he was 'enjoying' attacking her and another who strangled his partner and broke her jaw, The Times reports.

Under Sir Keir's Starmer's new scheme, Connor Shaw will only serve 13 months of his prison sentence after subjecting his partner to years of mental and physical abuse.

He was originally sentenced 32 months behind bars after breaking her jaw, strangling her, and threatening to throw acid in her face.

Another abuser who will be granted freedom after serving barely half of his prison sentence is Shane Riley.

The then 44-year-old said he was 'enjoying' assaulting his partner as he punched, kicked ,and headbutted the victim in her Soham home when she broke off their relationship on June 8, 2020.

He was sentenced to 23 months for causing actual bodily harm, common assault, making threats to kill, and criminal damage. He will serve less than nine months.
An assistant brain surgeon making six figures a year has opened up about why she ditched the operating theatre to work in an Amazon warehouse.

Helen Xu, 31, from Brisbane's south, started working as an assistant surgeon at a hospital in Queensland in 2018.

But when Covid hit in 2020, Ms Xu was working tirelessly almost every day, with shifts lasting as long as 30 hours.

As she didn't have children or elderly relatives at home to risk spreading the disease to, Ms Xu said she was one of the staff relied upon heavily to pick up extra shifts.

Exhausted and unable to spend any quality time with friends and family, Ms Xu eventually left her career in medicine in September 2021.

In desperate need of change, Ms Xu said Amazon bizarrely came into the picture as an option because she was always impressed with how fast they delivered her packages during lockdown.

She saw an ad hiring for the company and by October 2021, she was stacking shelves for the delivery giant.

'For the last couple of months working in the hospital I just wasn't sure when I'd get enough rest,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Helen Xu, 31, from Brisbane 's south, started working as an assistant surgeon at a hospital in Queensland in 2018. She joined the team at Amazon in September, 2021

She said that during Covid, exceptional circumstances at her hospital meant that she was on call every day.

'There was a lot of pressure on those who didn't have kids or elderly people at home to come in,' she said.

'I also didn't want to take any potential contact I'd had with sick people to my friends and family so I didn't have much of a social life.'

Ms Xu said work was so demanding that she was called in nearly every day, with sometimes just half a day off as rest between back-to-back shifts.

After starting her role as an Amazon casual warehouse associate, the 31-year-old found herself preparing customers' orders, loading boxes onto trucks and stacking shelves.

Ms Xu had never worked in a place like Amazon before but said her previous job gave her no social life or even enough time to get a decent rest

In the years since, Ms Xu has managed to climb the ladder at Amazon and is now a full-time operations shift manager.

'I'd never worked in anything like that before but I was frequently ordering things off Amazon and thought ''why do they deliver so much faster than other companies?'',' she said.

Entry level assistant surgeon jobs have a base salary of $113,792, according to Salary Expert.

The hourly rate for an Amazon warehouse associate is about $32, with Ms Xu working four to five shifts per week when she first started.

'I guess when you look at medicine, the pay is on the higher end and definitely there's going to be pay discrepancies between now and then but in terms of how much time I (now) have for myself, it works out,' she said.

Ms Xu rents in Brisbane and said she is able to financially support herself in her new career path.

She added the culture at Amazon was worlds apart from the high-pressure environment she experienced at the hospital.

'It's very different and is part of the reason why I ended up staying because the work culture is super inclusive,' she said.

'There's no judgement of what your background is or experience. People are from all different walks of life, some have backgrounds in law and education while others own their own businesses.

'It's really opened my mind as to how inclusive the environment is.'

As for her time as a surgical assistant, Ms Xu said she doesn't have any plans to return to the hospital any time soon.

It comes amid a mass hiring spree for Amazon, with 600 seasonal positions up for grabs ahead of the Christmas rush.

Applications open in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Gosford and Geelong.
'When did the sex begin?'

I never actually said those five words to Bob Hawke and Blanche d'Alpuget as snappily as they went to air, but more about that later.

My introduction to the pitfalls of prime-time commercial television dates back to the mid-90s and this 60 Minutes interview with the recently separated former prime minister and his bride-to-be.

Me: 'Blanche, tell me about the first time you met him.'

D'Alpuget: 'It was at a party in Jakarta. I had been living outside Australia for a long time and didn't know who he was. But I was most impressed because that night we had lots of fun and the party went on until four in the morning.'

Me: 'Bob, how do you remember first meeting Blanche?'

Hawke: 'It was 1970. I was visiting Indonesia and having drinks in the Australian embassy when this young lady walked around the corner. I remember her white dress and being struck by her physical attractiveness and by her vivacity as well.'

Twenty long years passed. The couple remained in different orbits, but the remorseless gravity of planetary attraction somehow predestined them to eventually become worlds in collision.

Charles Wooley was a 60 Minutes reporter when he asked recently separated former prime minister Bob Hawke and his bride-to-be Blanche d'Alpuget, 'When did the sex begin?' (above)

Neither Hawke nor d'Alpuget answered Wooley's question about when they first had sex. 'What mattered was the publicity furore those five words generated,' Wooley says

And $200,000 of Kerry Packer's money gave me exclusive access to the fireworks when the passion exploded.

I had always been reticent about joining 60 Minutes because of what, in my high-minded youth at the ABC, I considered to be the popular show's tabloid prurience.

But 'prurience' was not a word in the dictionary of the legendary Peter Meakin, Channel Nine's master of rat-baggery and ratings.

He re-assured me, 'Mate travel the world up the front of the plane. Enjoy the money and remember, you can always take a shower after the show.'

'Oh s**t,' I said to my producer. 'Do I really have to ask them when they first started to have sex?

'I know we are paying but Bob will just tell me to get stuffed and you can't blame him. God, sometimes I hate this job.'

'Don't go all ABC on me,' she replied. 'You are in the commercial world now. We don't make "television programs", we sell Toyotas.'

'I was ordered not to 'get all ABC' on my superiors by refusing to ask the former PM the sex question,' Wooley says. Above, Hawke and D'Alpuget at Sussex Inlet, on the NSW South Coast, in December 1994

I was learning that in the world of commercial television producers, as so often in nature, the female is the more deadly of the species.

We had sequestered the amorous couple at a hideaway on Scotland Island in Sydney's Pittwater, far from the prying lenses of all the other envious media whom we had outbid for our exclusive interview.

Slowly and sensuously, Blanche was rubbing suntan lotion onto Bob's body. She got the giggles and collapsed.

Bob, besotted in his budgie smugglers told our camera: 'She's mad of course, quite mad.'

They hugged, kissed, stroked and laughed. Clearly they were in love. But for me there was a massive dark cloud in the warm clear air.

Blanche D'Apluget tenderly applies lotion to Hawke, above, during the segment in question

The toxic question I had to ask was whether the physical relationship had started before Bob left his wife Hazel, a woman much beloved by the Australian public and by our viewers.

My deadly producer was firm. 'Every woman in Australia wants to know. Don't wimp out.'

Then, not entirely insensitive to my agitation she relented. 'Look just ask the question. It doesn't matter how they answer it. What we paid for is those pictures of Blanche rubbing Ambre Soleil between Bob's legs.'

So, I asked the most circumlocutory question in the history of un-edited television involving rambling phrases such as 'look it's open speculation in Australia' and 'shouldn't it be clarified' and 'I will be accused of pussyfooting' (unfortunate choice of words) 'but what most people want to know and I have to ask' and 'did you fall in love and you know, if you can tell us when, at what stage in your relationship did um you get to the physical stage of love, when did the sex begin?'

Wooley had always been reticent about joining 60 Minutes. Left to right are past and present 60 Minutes reporters Richard Carleton, Tracey Curro, Wooley and Jeff McMullen

Out of that mess my producer and her editor crafted the snappy five-word distillation of my embarrassed ramble.

Mark Day, a wise veteran columnist at the time wrote sympathetically that I would have been fired if I hadn't asked it.

He said, 'when did the sex begin'? would be 'the question of the year' and I might have to 'live the rest of my life in its shadow.'

For the record neither Bob nor Blanche answered the question. But my producer was right.

What mattered was the publicity furore those five words generated.

Looking back, it was an innocent time. These days on morning television the incumbent prime minister is asked if he takes his clothes off in front of his dog. There is no fuss because hardly anyone watches commercial television anymore.

I wonder why that is.

Charles Wooley has spent a lifetime travelling the world. After 25 years and more than 100 countries during the heyday of 60 Minutes he now lives and writes in Tasmania. He is the deputy mayor of the seaside Shire of Sorell and a keen fly fisherman.
The iconic Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the American Civil War were fired, may have survived the famous 19th century battery, but experts warned it could now disappear under the waves outside Charlestown.

Nestled off the coast of South Carolina, this historic landmark - which once withstood a barrage of cannon fire - is crumbling in the face of destructive waves, fierce storms and rising sea levels.

'It is one of the defining moments in our nation's past,' Dawn Davis of the National Park Service told Yale Climate Connections.

But the fort that is located outside the bay city is now among the fastest-sinking metros in the US, according to a concerning new study.

It is currently subsiding at an average rate of about 4 millimeters per year, which is equal to roughly an inch every six to seven years, Woodwell Climate reported.

In the following year, there is a 99 percent chance the city will experience flooding over two feet, it added.

Sea levels are projected to rise 1.21 ft by 2050 in Charleston and 2.46 ft by 2080, according to Woodwell Climate

The iconic Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the American Civil War played out, is now facing a relentless new battle - Mother Nature

 Slide me  A shot of Fort Sumter, April 1861, next to a photo of Fort Sumter's damage after Tropical Storm

In the long-term, the rising water levels will provide even more catastrophic flooding to the quaint streets and avenues that make up the beautiful Southern metro.

Sea levels are projected to rise 1.21 ft by 2050 in Charleston and 2.46 ft by 2080, according to Woodwell Climate.

By 2050, northern parts of Charlestown's French Quarter and south Harleston Village are predicted to be below the annual flood level.

By 2100, those waters are set to creep further inland, with more than half of the city being affected.

For Fort Sumter's fate, Davis exposed the alarming extent of the erosion.

Walls are failing as waves crash into the historic structure, while large rocks meant to protect the site are now grinding against the fort's original brick and mortar.

With sea levels continuously rising and storms growing more extreme by the day, the very foundation of American history is quite literally washing away before citizens' eyes.

Pictured: The land projected to be below the annual flood level in 2050

Davis told Yale Climate Connections of the critical importance of preserving such historic sites for future generations.

'These structures, these places, are the iconic reminders of where we've been,' she says.

The fort was closed for nearly a month after being inundated with water in the wake of Tropical Storm Irma in 2017.

Davis was among the first to inspect the damage and painted a vivid picture of the aftermath.

The fort's interior was flooded - forcing staff to wear tall boots to navigate the flooded areas.

'The water had receded but not all the way,' she told the Post Courier. 'We definitely needed to wear tall boots to get around in places inside the fort.'

Nestled off the coast of South Carolina, this historic landmark - which once withstood a barrage of cannon fire - is now crumbling in the face of destructive waves and fierce storms (Pictured: Pictures of Fort Sumter's damage after Tropical Storm Irma)

The fort is located in Charleston, which is among the fastest-sinking cities in the US - subsiding at an average rate of about 4 millimeters per year, which equals roughly an inch every six to seven years

Davis emphasized the critical importance of the tour boat dock, which serves as the gateway for thousands of visitors each year.

The railing and electrical lines of the boat dock were damaged, she revealed.

The storm's surge had engulfed some of the historic cannons used to defend the fort, so they needed to be washed off, she told the outlet.

But Davis said the fort's 19th-century structure, which withstood the opening of the Civil War, appeared to have emerged largely unscathed.

While the museum portion of the fort escaped unharmed, other modern amenities such as the public restrooms weren't so lucky.

Davis admitted that the agency was feeling the strain as it juggled repair efforts across multiple national parks in Florida and Georgia.

With sea levels continuously rising and storms growing more extreme with the day, the very foundation of American history is quite literally washing away before our eyes

Despite the flooding risks, the historic Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park have emerged as unexpected economic powerhouses - pumping a staggering $35.9 million into the local economy in 2023, according to a new report from the National Park Service.

Nearly 412,000 history buffs and curious travelers flocked to these iconic Civil War sites in that year alone.

'When visitors come to visit their national parks, they're not just visiting the National Park Service, they are visiting the local shops and restaurants that we have in the area,' National Park Service's Chief of Interpretation Brett Spaulding told Live5news.

Visitors spent a whopping $27 million in nearby communities, creating a financial ripple effect in the area.

This also led to a staggering 355 jobs in the local area.

'Everybody benefits from this,' he said. 'Then word gets out as they return home, and we have new visitors coming in, which increases our visitation from year to year.'

The fort, which fell victim to Tropical Storm Irma's fury in 2017, was closed for nearly a month after being inundated with water

But Davis said that the fort's 19th-century structure, which withstood the opening of the Civil War, appears to have emerged largely unscathed

The storm's surge had engulfed some of the historic cannons used to defend the fort, so they are 'going to need to be washed off,' Davis told the outlet

The fort's interior was flooded - forcing staff to wear tall boots to navigate the flooded areas

'Every year, the visitation has been increasing and impacting the local economies,' Spaulding said.

'I think it's important that people come out to the park so that they can learn about their local history or national history, which were part of the Civil War and Revolutionary War,' Spaulding said.

Earlier this month, Hurricane Debby ravaged the Carolinas and Georgia, with officials warning of unprecedented flooding as streets turned to rivers.

Charleston and Savannah were deluged, with Charleston imposing a curfew in its downtown peninsula that lasted 32 hours before it was lifted.

Dozens of roads were also closed due to flooding similar to what the city now sees several times a year because of rising sea levels.
Oasis stars Noel and Liam Gallagher have a secret sister who grew up just a few streets along from them - but they refuse to ever even meet her.

Emma Davies, 51, was born just months after Liam in the same hospital - but the multi-millionaire rockstars have resisted every one of her attempts to make contact.

Emma's estrangement from the pair is so complete that her son was forced to enter the public ballot to try to get a ticket to one of the Oasis reunion concerts - and failed as he could not afford the inflated price.

She was conceived after the brothers' wayward father Tommy - despite being married to the Gallaghers' mother Peggy - had a long running affair with her mother, June.

But despite growing up in the same Manchester suburb as the pair, it would be nearly 23 more years after she was born before she discovered the truth.

For 23 years Emma Davies grew up not knowing who her biological father was. It wasn't until she went to the shop in 1995 to buy 'What's The Story?' that her mother June sat her down and told her the truth - that she shared the same father as Liam and Noel Gallagher

Noel Gallagher is famously close to his mother Peggy (pictured) - but hasn't spoken to his wayward, womansing father Tommy for years, despite his dad's efforts to make amends

Despite squabbling with his brother Noel for years, Liam is close to his mother Peggy (pictured together). Peggy is said to have asked Liam to bury the hatchet with Noel when he treated her to a spa day for her 80th birthday which led to the recent Oasis reunion

Liam and Noel are both estranged from their father Tommy (pictured). Despite being married to the brothers' mother Peggy, Tommy, who was a notorious womaniser and drinker, and had a long-running affair with Emma Davies' mother June when he met her at a disco in Manchester

Noel and Liam Gallagher grew up in Burnage, Manchester, during the 1970s unaware that a few streets along from their family home their father had a secret daughter by another woman

Emma first met her father Tommy when she was 32 in 2006. Their reunion was emotional and they kept in touch. But Emma admits that they haven't spoken to each other for 18 years

She found out after she bought the band's 1995 hit album (What's The Story) Morning Glory - which prompted her mother to finally tell her about her secret second family.

Now, in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Emma, a mother-of-two, told how she still hopes that the brothers will finally agree to meet her after going public with her story.

She said: 'I would like to meet them. Obviously you're going to want to meet your brothers.

'I've got no bad feelings about anything - it would be great if they got in touch.

'I think most people who had found out they had a brother or sister they didn't know about after many years would want to know a bit more about them.

'But it's hard to predict what the Gallaghers are thinking - they are famous people with loads of money and they probably think I'm nobody.'

Despite her fears, Emma said she hoped a get-together could be arranged particularly for the sake of her son Jake, 31 - a mad-keen Oasis and Manchester City fan who she described as 'a 6ft 4ins Liam Gallagher'.

She said: 'All the hype surrounding the reunion has brought a lot of it back.

'I thought it would be another chance to meet them - I would say more for Jake now than anything because he does look like them a lot and he's massively into them.'

Emma - who also bears a striking resemblance to the brothers - was born in August 1973 at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester - where Liam's mother Peggy had given birth to him 11 months earlier.

Her mother had met Tommy at a local disco and had no idea he was already married and had three young sons at the time - baby Liam, Noel and eldest brother Paul.

June, now 76, is said to have been 'charmed' by Tommy and even took him home to meet her parents during their relationship.

Emma said of her childhood: 'I was born a few months after Liam - so I was being cooked as he was coming out.

'All my mother had told me was that she didn't know he was married. He had charmed her and they had this bit of a relationship.

'Every time they saw each other he took her back to a friend's flat which he claimed was his place. It was all based on lies.

Tommy Gallagher and his wife Peggy are pictured together on their wedding day. But their marriage wasn't a happy one and they separated when their three sons were young

The family lived in this house in Burnage, Manchester during the 1970s. The brothers didn't know that their father Tommy had a secret family with a woman who lived a few streets along

Tommy Gallagher eventually lost the famous siblings' childhood home in this Manchester street in 2021 when he alleges a family friend of 20 years stole it from under him in a mortgage scam. He ended up being made homeless and is living in sheltered accommodation

The Gallagher brothers have spent their lives feuding and only recently announced their comeback 15 years after the band split in Paris just before going on after a fight backstage

'The last memory I had of my dad was as a very young kid when my mum took him to court to get child maintenance off him.

'I remember sitting in court and seeing him.

'After that there was no contact. There was nothing as far as I knew. I was kept very hidden from anything that was going on.

'As I was growing up, I knew I had a dad who had other children and I just accepted that. You don't think about it do you?'

Emma grew up with her mother in Burnage, south Manchester attending a different school from the Gallaghers.

She only finally met her father Tommy again when she was aged 32 in 2006 - before his erratic behaviour quickly caused them to become estranged a second time.

Emma - who also has a daughter Isobel, 28 - began a family of her own and became a huge Oasis fan as the band's careers took off in the mid 1990's

The truth about her family emerged in 1996 on the fateful day she visited her mother's house with her new CD.

Emma said: 'Oasis were very big at the time. When I went round and she saw the CD she said 'I think you'd better sit down I've got something to tell you'.

Emma told MailOnline that she has tried repeatedly to make contact with her famous brothers - but has been met with silence

'She said 'You know I told you your dad had children - these are the children.

'I was completely flabbergasted. I was so taken aback. I could hardly believe it at first.

'Jake was only little and I was having Isobel. There was me. eight months pregnant, having to take on board all this information.

'I was a fan of Oasis - that's why I bought the CD. Up until the age of 12, I grew up in Burnage and we lived a few streets away from the Gallaghers but I didn't know.

'They went to the Catholic school which was a different one from the one I went to.

'Our paths could have crossed for all I know and they probably did. It's very bizarre.

'I thought about getting in touch but I couldn't see how I was going to go about it. I didn't have the confidence. I didn't know how to approach it.

'It had come as a huge shock. There were lots of different emotions - there would have been even if they hadn't been such famous people.

'I had always wanted to find out about my family regardless of who they turned out to be but I didn't know how to go about it.'

Bizarrely, it was shortly after the revelation that Emma came closest to meeting Liam, who is also 51.

She was working as a chambermaid at the Mottram Hall Hotel near Prestbury, Cheshire, when Liam and his then girlfriend Patsy Kensit checked in as guests.

Emma said: 'Of all the time to find out - and there he was. I thought it must be fate.

'But then I thought 'What would I say?' I knew he was my brother but you can't knock on the door and say 'I'm your sister'. It would sound really weird.

'At the time I was pregnant with Isobel so he was probably going to think it was a lunatic or some hormonal pregnant woman.

'After Liam and Patsy had checked out, a chambermaid friend who I'd confided in had to clean their room.

'Liam had left behind a Sgt Pepper t-shirt and a Beatles CD so she gave it to me. I still have them. I've got the CD in a drawer somewhere.'

Emma - who also bears a striking resemblance to the brothers - was born in August 1973 at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester - just 11 months after Liam was born in the same hospital

Emma grew up with her mother in Burnage, Manchester attending a different school from the Gallaghers, who went to a local Catholic school. Emma says their paths would have crossed

The Gallagher matriarch Peggy is pictured here with her eldest son Paul (middle) and Noel (left) with little hell raiser Liam (right)

It was 10 years later, in 2006, that Emma finally got to meet Tommy, now 80, after they were put in touch by a newspaper.

Emma said: 'I went over to Ireland and we met up.

'It was OK at first but then the cracks started to appear with his personality and the person he was. It was odd.

'We kept in touch a bit. He stayed at our house when the kids were little.

'I saw him no more than three or four times altogether but then I didn't really think he was a good influence on me or my kids.

'There was one time he was going to take Jake fishing time he was ranting and raving on the phone trying to get directions to get to me.

'I was thinking 'I'm not sending my son off with this raging lunatic.

'I kind of knew he wasn't going to be a straightforward person from things I had heard.

'Then one day he wanted to take me to Blackpool and said 'Don't call me dad'. I was thinking why would you say that? I was not comfortable with that at all.

'That was the end of it for me - we didn't speak again after that. I just thought 'I've got this far in life without you. I'm not sure if this is going to work'.

'I didn't hear anything more about him. He must be getting on a bit now. I just don't know.

'I think it was after that I read the other brother Paul's book about their childhood and that made me feel sick as Tommy was so abusive towards them.

'Their upbringing was quite horrific. He was obviously a big drinker. He was violent. I had a lucky escape from that upbringing.

'I remember getting quite upset thinking 'This is the guy he is. He's not going to change because of me'.

At the time Emma first met Tommy, efforts were made to get in touch with Liam, who is now also 51, and Noel, 57 - but to no avail.

Emma said: 'I tried to do it properly to set it up to meet the dad and meet the brothers but it didn't happen with them.

'They just ignored me. I felt quite rejected. There was not even a Liam kind of comment or anything.

'There were attempts made to make contact through their management but they weren't interested. It was a complete blank.

Emma, now a mother-of-two who lives in Cheshire as a healthcare worker, says that when she realised that she was Liam and Noel's secret sister, she tried to contact the brothers - to no avail. 'It was a complete blank,' she says. 'They just ignored me. I felt quite rejected.'

Emma says that after her reunion with the Gallagher brothers' father Tommy, their relationship quickly broke down after he stayed with her three or four times. She claimed that his erratic behaviour made it difficult to form a bond with him and that she didn't want him in her life

'When you find out after so long that you've got a brother or sister that you never knew about there's always going to be intrigue.

'That would be the case whoever they are and I thought they would have felt the same.

'I would like to meet Paul as well to see what he's like and what he feels about it all.'

Despite the setback, Emma quietly got on with her life and now lives with her long-term partner Darren in a three-story townhouse in Congleton, Cheshire.

She said: 'I'm quite a quiet person now - I tend to sort of sit in the background.

'I'm just a normal average person that gets on with life - an average Joe.

'As you get older you get more happy with your quiet little life.

'I work with diagnostic ultrasound as a healthcare assistant. I run the clinics and I help them and sort patients out.

'I worked for a long time in care and then got this job on the back of that. I've been doing this now for about nine years. It's really good.

'I work in the community so we go all over the place.

'I don't have any musical talent. I'm completely talentless in that respect. I've never written a song. I don't play an instrument but Jake plays the drums and I've had a go on them.

'When I'm not working we walk a bit. We go to a lot of music gigs in Manchester and festivals.

'We've seen a hell of a lot of bands. We've probably been to well over 150 gigs in our time. We've all seen all sorts of things. It could be from dance to indie - but we haven't seen Oasis.

'I was quite shocked when I heard they were getting back together. I never thought it would happen.

'You can understand why they're doing it. You've got to do it while you can.

'I didn't try to get any tickets because I knew it was going to be crazy.

'I think the ticket prices are shocking. I would not pay the sort of money people are paying - but I wouldn't pay 350 to see anybody. It's crazy.'

Whatever the future holds, Emma wished her famous siblings all the best with their reunion.

She said: 'I'm not going to devote my life to being obsessed with Oasis - whether I'm the sister or not.

'I wish them the best of luck with the tour - good on them I say. I will be watching in the background to see how they're doing.'
It was the kind of brutal incident that should have appalled anyone who cared about democracy and freedom.

During widespread civil unrest against the despotic regime of President Nursultan Nazarbayev in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, the security forces shot dead 15 protesters on December 2011.

The massacre of the demonstrators, seeking higher wages, provoked international outrage, though it hardly came as a surprise given Nazarbayev's autocratic record of violent repression, personal corruption and abuse of power.

While many in the West condemned the brutality of Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, one man notably maintained contact with the tyrant: Tony Blair

Far from denouncing Nazarbayev, the former prime minister provided the dictator with strategic advice  in return for vast piles of cash. Without shame, Blair's consultancy firm offered his tyrannical client support

Just weeks before the atrocity, Nazarbayev had been re-elected president in an election in which opposition parties did not field a candidate.

While many in the West condemned the brutality of Nazarbayev's regime, one man notably maintained contact with the tyrant: Tony Blair. In fact, far from denouncing him, the former prime minister provided the dictator with strategic advice  in return for vast piles of cash.

Without shame, Blair's consultancy firm  Tony Blair Associates  offered his tyrannical client support, including guidance on how to spin a public relations response to the shooting of protesters. Only a politician without a moral compass could have could have indulged in such disreputable conduct.

Blair, the master manipulator, who had misled British people for many years, urged the Kazakh president not only to stress 'the enormous progress' his country had made since gaining independence from the Soviet Union, but also to argue that further reform would 'take time', due to the need for 'stability'.

Casey Michel writes in his book, Foreign Agents, that well-connected operators in the West badly undermine our democracy by their willingness to assist in whitewashing vicious rulers, as well as facilitating access to governments in Europe and the US

Blair urged the Kazakh president (pictured) not only to stress 'the enormous progress' his country had made since gaining independence from the Soviet Union, but also to argue that further reform would 'take time', due to the need for 'stability'

With Nazarbayev due to make a speech at Cambridge University, some of Blair's suggested passages were incorporated, like this PR puffery: 'By all means make your points and I assure you we're listening. But give us credit for the huge change of a positive nature that we've brought about.'

I felt angry about Blair's extraordinary, cynical alliance partly because I had lived in Kazakhstan for a time as a volunteer with the US Peace Corps, so I saw the impact of the government's authoritarianism and corruption.

Indeed, this experience led to my professional interest in researching the global web of malignant influences whereby western lobbyists sustain dictatorships, oligarchs and kleptocrats in power.

I address this subject in my book, Foreign Agents, which shows that well-connected operators in the West badly undermine our democracy by their willingness to assist in whitewashing vicious rulers, as well as facilitating access to governments in Europe and the US.

Blair is at the forefront of this ugly band  and his involvement has exposed two repellent things.

One is his contempt for honesty, a trait displayed during the Iraq War in 2003, by the notorious 'dodgy dossier' on Saddam Hussein's non-existent arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.

The other is Blair's obsession with making money, something bizarre in a politician who led an ostensibly socialist party.

For his Kazakh services, he is said to have been paid $13million, though that is just a small part of the fortune he has built up since leaving No10. At times, it almost seems he regards cash as a virility symbol, an indicator of his potency on the global stage. But the sad truth is that Blair struck a Faustian bargain when he embarked on the path of colluding with tyranny.

He has gained riches far beyond the dreams of most British politicians, but he has sold his soul.

He might not feel any shame, despite his Christian faith, but I fear he brings disrepute to Britain with his subservience to these enemies of liberty.

His descent into the mire accelerated after 2011 as he widened his client base, which now includes illiberal regimes such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Vietnam.

Aged 71, the energy he displays in the cause of accumulating wealth is remarkable. He is said to spend 70 per cent of his time abroad, while the Tony Blair Institute  which evolved from his consultancy  employs more than 800 people, with a turnover of $81million in 2021, paying for his vast property empire.

Others in his circle have done equally well. In 2011, wife Cherie's legal firm was paid 493,000 by the Albanian government for advice in a dispute with a British company. Her firm is also said to have been paid 400,000 for six months' work in Kazakhstan reviewing its 'bilateral investment treaties.'

In 2011, Cherie Blair's legal firm was paid 493,000 by the Albanian government for advice in a dispute with a British company

But we don't even know how far Blair's financial tentacles reach, because so much in the lobbying world is hidden and financial records are particularly opaque.

Nor is Freedom of Information legislation  passed, ironically, by Blair's government  very strong.

Blair's current work is a far cry from the moral stance his government adopted when it came to power in 1997, with his foreign secretary, Robin Cook, grandly declaring Labour would pursue 'an ethical foreign policy'. His government also passed the Human Rights Act in 1998, incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights into British law.

But such policy  if it ever existed  died in sands of Iraq and the hills of Afghanistan. While consideration for human rights seems now to count for little compared with the fees available for advising countries with questionable human rights records.

Blair's shamelessness as a lobbyist makes it all the more disgraceful that he has been rehabilitated by today's Labour party.

We are told that, behind the scenes, he is offering extensive advice to Sir Keir Starmer, as are some of his key allies from the past, such as Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson.

Blair's rehabilitation is a blight on his party, just as his venture into the world of international lobbying has been a smack in the face for those who are trying to fight global corruption.

Once, British prime ministers retired gracefully. But not Blair. In his eagerness to open doors for tyrants and kleptocrats, there's the risk other ex-politicians will feel encouraged to do the same.

Blair's government was instrumental in establishing the International Criminal Court in the Hague. Some people tell pollsters they would like to see him in the dock. I cannot say I disagree.

Casey Michel is director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Foundation and author of Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists And Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World.
A doctor who was mauled to death by a crocodile let go of his wife's hand as she tried to save him so she wouldn't be dragged into the water with him.

Dave Hogbin, 40, was walking along the Annan River, south of Cooktown in Far North Queensland, with his wife, Jane, and their three children Isaac, 7, Max, 5, and Joey, 3, on August 2 when the bank collapsed.

Mr Hogbin was sent tumbling into the river and a nearby crocodile attacked.

Ms Hogbin heard a splash and rushed down the bank to try and pull her husband from the water.

However, the bank was so steep and slippery she was only able to grab his arm and risked falling into the water herself.

Amid the horrific attack and rescue attempt, Mr Hogbin said his final words to his wife: 'Stop, you're falling in too.'

'It's all still so surreal, kind of the position that he was in,' Ms Hogbin told the Courier Mail on Sunday.

'The danger that I was in and that one of us got to walk away from it.'

Dave Hogbin (pictured) was mauled to death by a crocodile after falling from a riverbank in Far North Queensland

Mr Hogbin's wife, Jane (pictured together with their three sons), revealed he released her hand while she tried to pull him away from the crocodile, saving her life

The family-of-five had set out from Newcastle, in Newcastle, and were on a month-long holiday caravanning around the Sunshine State when the attack unfolded.

Isaac, Max and Joey were with their parents when their father fell down the river bank but were shielded from the attack by their aunt and uncle.

Ms Hogbin and their three sons two weeks ago faced their first Father's Day without Mr Hogbin.

He had been a dedicated adventurer and amazing father, Ms Hogbin recalled.

The family had routinely gone on caravanning trips every fortnight, which Mr Hogbin loved to meticulously plan and prepare.

It had been his dream to travel to Far North Queensland.

Ms Hogbin has decided to keep all the family's caravanning and camping equipment, but hasn't been able to bring herself to go on a trip without her husband.

The couple were married for 10 years and together for 13.

They met after Ms Hogbin moved into his parent's Central Coast home for university accommodation.

Both later laughed about the fact Ms Hogbin had lived with Mr Hogbin's sister and parents 'before (she) even met him'.

Ms Hogbin described her sons as resilient as they work to find the 'new normal' since their father's death.

The more than $160,000 raised for the family has allowed Ms Hogbin to support their children through the death of their father (pictured, a crocodile being fed near the attack site shortly after Mr Hogbin's death)

While Father's Day was a difficult time for them, the boys had the full support of their extended family with their uncles attending school events with them.

Ms Hogbin is still working towards bringing herself to look at photos of Mr Hogbin.

'What really devastates me is that he was such a wonderful father and his boys absolutely worshipped him, and I'm so heartbroken for them that they won't have much memory of who their dad was to them,' she said.

Ms Hogbin is extremely grateful for the more than $160,000 raised through a GoFundMe campaign for her family.

It has given her the flexibility to take time off work while her family works through their grief.

'I know the boys have certainly appreciated that... If they're having a bad day at school I can just pick them up straight away and we can be together,' she said.
The parents of a baby who died at a family daycare centre have revealed the one toy they bought for him hoping he would play with when he grew up.

Riley Ma, 1, was found unresponsive at the facility in Wakerley, in Brisbane's east, around 3.30pm on September 2 and rushed to hospital.

The one-year-old is understood to have suffered a medical episode and tragically could not be revived.

Riley's mother, Ying Song, and father, Ning Ma, have since revealed their heartbreak just days after he would have turned 13-months-old.

Ms Song said the whole family was devastated after her 'healthy, adorable, intelligent' son's sudden death.

The parents had bought the young boy toys for when he started to stand and walk on his own.

'I'd heard that all little boys love to dig in the sand at the beach, so we bought him a whole set of sand toys early on thinking that, once he could walk, we might take him to the beach,' Ms Song told 7News.

'Sadly, that opportunity will never come.'

The parents of a one-year-old boy who died at daycare on September 2, Riley Ma (pictured), had bought him toys to play in the sand for when he could walk on his own

Riley had just started to learn how to walk and would hold onto the coffee table - a sight that filled his parents with happiness.

The one-year-old appeared to be in a happy mood when he was dropped off at the daycare centre at about 7.30am on the day he died.

Just hours later, Riley's father received the devastating phone call that the boy could not be saved, despite the best efforts of paramedics.

The couple had been ready to have a child since 2015, but waited until they were granted permanent residency in Australia for stability.

After waiting for almost a decade, Ms Song said Riley was born with 'love and hope and was growing up in a loving environment'.

She said he had just started to smile and interact with strangers, believing Riley would 'grow to have a bright and cheerful personality'.

Mr Ma remembered his son's 'delight' when finding Ms Song in their many games of hide-and-seek.

'These are memories we want to keep in our hearts forever,' he said.

Riley (pictured) is understood to have suffered a suspected medical episode at the Wakerley daycare and tragically could not be revived

Generous Aussies have raised over $22,000 on a GoFundMe started by close friend and neighbour, Yang Zhao.

'I cant thank you enough for your kindness and generosity,' Ms Zhao wrote in an update to the fundraising page on September 7.

'Rileys grandparents have arrived in Australia, and are looking after Rileys parents.

'They managed to sleep a bit with all the love from all of you. They would like me to pass their deep appreciation.'
EXCLUSIVE

A grandmother has been left with horrific 'shark-attack' like injuries after she was brutally mauled by a Pitbull while trying to save her dogs' lives.

Sue Scammell, 77, was walking her two pooches, Poodle Bella and Cavoodle Ollie, in Gladesville, in Sydney's Lower North Shore, on Monday when they were set upon by the unleashed dog.

Ms Scammell was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital with bites and broken ribs, while the dog and the man walking it allegedly fled the scene.

She underwent two operations for her injuries and is now recovering in the cardiac ward after suffering a heart attack due to the trauma.

'When I saw it coming at us I screamed and shielded my little dog,' she said.

'The dog jumped and knocked me to the footpath and savaged my arm.

'The police said they have never seen a worse dog attack. It looks like a dry shark attack.'

Sue Scammell, 77, is pictured with her dogs Ollie and Bella

Ms Scammell suffered a massive wound that resembled a shark bite across her left forearm

The dog was found and collected by Hunters Hill Council two days later and Daily Mail Australia understands it has since been put down.

Ms Scammell said she is so grateful that she, Bella and Ollie survived the attack.

While her pooches are 'traumatised', she said they are being well looked after while she remains in hospital.

While she was relieved the dog had been captured, Ms Scammell said she was saddened to hear it had been euthanised.

'I cried [when I found out],' she said.

A NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the matter is currently under investigation after being reported to authorities on Wednesday.

'The 77-year-old woman was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene before being taken to Royal North Shore Hospital, where she has undergone surgery for injuries to her arm,' he said.

Pictured: The dog Ms Scammell claimed was involved in the attack

'The dog was later seized by council rangers on Wednesday with the assistance of police.

'Inquiries are ongoing.'

A Hunters Hill Council spokesperson confirmed the dog was impounded on Wednesday and dealt with under the Companion Animals Act 1998 procedures for dangerous dogs.
Wildlife officials in Ohio have revealed that a viral picture of a man walking down the street while holding two geese was actually taken after the birds were hit by a car.

The image of the man has been used to fuel claims that migrants in the state have been eating wild animals and pets.

Despite the wild claims, the Ohio Division of Wildlife confirmed to TMZ that the man in the image was picking the geese up after being hit by a car in Columbus.

The outlet was informed by authorities that there is no evidence to suggest the man is either an immigrant, Haitian or had plans to eat the birds.

Donald Trump and fellow conservatives have been claiming that migrants in the city of Springfield, Ohio, have been gobbling up local wildlife and pets.

The image of the man has been used to fuel claims that migrants in the state have been eating wild animals and pets

Donald Trump and fellow conservatives have been claiming that migrants in the city of Springfield, Ohio, have been gobbling up local wildlife and pets

The snap was originally posted to a Columbus reddit page in July and weeks later a Springfield resident called 911 after spotting Haitian migrants snatching geese in a park.

The former president went on to reference the incident during a rally in Arizona earlier this week to back up his claims.

He told the crowd: 'A recording of 911 calls show that residents are reporting that the migrants are walking off with the towns geese.

'Theyre taking the geese. You know where the geese are? In the park, in the lake. And even walking off with their pets.'

The original photographer of the man holding the animals told NBC4: 'I was just driving down the street, saw a guy walking down the street with a goose.

'Thought it was kind of crazy, you know, not something you see every day. I was gonna talk to him.

'He did not speak English as much as I can tell. He was not Haitian, Ive heard Haitian people before.'

The anonymous photographer said he took the picture to document something weird he saw and was shocked when it was repurposed for misinformation.

The town of Springfield, Ohio (pictured) has become a flashpoint in the presidential race, with the baseless rumor even making it into the hands of JD Vance and Donald Trump

He added: 'I dont remember anybody commenting anything about race, or immigration status or anything else at the time that I posted the picture.

'I hate that picture that I took is being used as a weapon. I kind of hate that I even took the picture.'

Lee, seen here, admitted that she heard the rumor of Haitian migrants eating cats in her town through her neighbor who heard it from the alleged cat owner

The rumors concerning pets being eaten in Springfield were originally sparked by local woman Erika Lee, 35.

Lee warned locals on Facebook that her neighbor informed her that her daughter's friend lost her cat before finding it strung up outside the home of a Haitian family.

She has now came forward and admitted that she had no firsthand knowledge of the claims and that her neighbor did either.

She told NBC News: 'It just exploded into something I didn't mean to happen', with Trump referencing it during his debate with Kamala Harris.

Her post sparked panic after she warned Haitian migrants were hanging cats 'from a branch like you'd do a deer for butchering, and they were carving it up to eat.'

'I've been told they are doing this to dogs, they have been doing it at Snyder Park with the ducks and geese,' she added, claiming authorities told her so.

The post caught the eye of conservatives, with many also seizing upon footage of an American woman who allegedly stomped on a cat's head before eating the anima.

Despite the claims being unconfirmed, Ohio senator and VP candidate JD Vance has repeated rumors that Haitian migrants have been eating people's pets

The wild video that has been shared online was falsely attributed to the Haitian migrant community.

Despite Ohio authorities stressing that there are no reports for them to even investigate, the rumor circulated widely enough that both men at the top of the Republican ticket echoed it.

JD Vance mentioned the rumor on his X account, writing: 'Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio.

'Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country. Where is our border czar?'

A day later, Trump would reiterated similar statements during the debate, which was broadcasted to 67 million Americans.

He said: 'Theyre eating the dogs. Theyre eating the cats. Theyre eating the pets of the people that live there.'

Lee now says she never expected her post to 'get past Springfield', and has since deleted the post as she did not anticipate it sparking a national rumor.
An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to turn around before reaching its destination after four attendants fell sick due to an 'unknown smell on the aircraft'.

A Seattle-bound plane from Lihue, Kauai made a landing in Honolulu after four members of staff had to be treated by paramedics and taken to hospital.

Honolulu EMS later said that the attendants had shown symptoms of nausea and disturbed coordination.

In a statement, Alaska Airlines confirmed that none of the other crew members or 119 passengers fell ill.

A Seattle-bound Alaska Airlines plane from Lihue, Kauai made a landing in Honolulu after four members of staff had to be treated by paramedics and taken to hospital

After the emergency stopover, the plane was flown to Seattle without any of the passengers for inspection.

The Airlines confirmed that it is working to re-accommodate passengers on other flights to Seattle.

It remains unclear whether the attendants are still in the hospital and what caused them to be ill.

This comes months after another Alaska Airlines flight destined for Phoenix returned to Portland International Airport in Oregon after fumes were detected in the cabin.

Honolulu EMS later said that the attendants had shown symptoms of nausea and disturbed coordination. (Stock image)

In a statement, Alaska Airlines confirmed that none of the other crew members or 119 passengers fell ill

In March, the crew of Flight 646 declared an emergency yesterday after passengers in the rear of the plane reported smelling 'some fumes or an odor'.

Seven people including passengers and crew requested medical evaluations.

Fire crews investigated but couldn't determine the cause of the smell. No-one was taken to the hospital and the plane landed safely.

'Guests deplaned and boarded a different aircraft to continue on their way to Phoenix,' the airline said.

'The aircraft in question is being inspected by our maintenance team. We apologize to our guests for the inconvenience.'
A Royal servant who was present when a female colleague was caught shoplifting has complained to his union of being 'sidelined' since the incident.

The Mail on Sunday revealed last November that a trusted royal aide 'stole a bracelet' from luxury department store Fortnum & Mason in London's Piccadilly.

The male servant was not involved in the theft but believes his knowledge of the incident has held him back at work. Duties he expected to carry out for senior members of the Royal Family were entrusted to others, he claims, and he has consulted his union for guidance.

His colleague escaped police and disciplinary action and was allowed to continue in the same role.

Before the incident last September, the servant and his colleague shared a drink in the store's basement wine bar. At the time, the aide was being 'monitored' by Fortnum staff  who were aware of her royal connection  because she allegedly helped herself to make-up samples during a previous visit.

Fortnum and Mason department store. A Royal servant who was present when a female colleague was caught shoplifting from the store has complained to his union of being 'sidelined' since the incident

A bracelet on sale at Fortnum and Mason. The Mail on Sunday revealed last November that a trusted royal aide 'stole a bracelet' from the luxury department store (stock image)

The Queen Elizabeth II with Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales in Fortnum and Mason in 2012. Known as the late Queen's favourite store, 316-year-old Fortnum & Mason has a long and close relationship with the Royal Family

On this occasion, the aide was observed visiting the store's 'Georgian-inspired beauty floor' by security staff wearing body cameras.

It is understood she left and walked down a flight of stairs, heading for a side exit.

Unaware of the theft, the servant was shocked when security guards intercepted the woman as she tried to leave the store.

The bracelet was hidden in her handbag. Instead of alerting police, Fortnum staff warned she would be ejected if she set foot in the store again.

When apprehended, the aide is said to have claimed there had been a misunderstanding, but was told the theft was captured on film.

Sources said the bracelet's white security tag had been removed.

Asked about the incident at the time, Fortnum & Mason and Buckingham Palace both declined to comment.

The woman concerned is described by colleagues as 'utterly faithful' to the Royal Family.

According to sources, the incident caused 'surprise and disappointment' within the Royal Household.

Known as the late Queen's favourite store, 316-year-old Fortnum & Mason has a long and close relationship with the Royal Family.

Britain's shoplifting epidemic was highlighted last year by a Mail on Sunday campaign calling for much tougher with offenders.

In 2022, it was reported that Fortnum's had lost faith in police to catch shoplifters, instead using private detectives. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
A leading international expert has condemned a school's messaging over the suicide of a 12-year-old student in the same area.

Following the death of the Year 7 student from Santa Sabina College in western Sydney the nearby Presbyterian Ladies College advised parents of the same year to not talk about the tragedy to their daughters unless they 'raised it with you'.

However, internationally renowned mental health authority Professor Ian Hickie said it was 'not very helpful' to downplay such tragedies.

Prof Hickie, who is co-director of health and policy at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre, said it was counter-productive to ignore what happened or pretend it hadn't.

'Parents, school and teachers have to be up for the conversation and have to be in these networks that are close to those affected,' he told the Daily Telegraph.

'While it's fine to also emphasise positive aspects of life it's not that helpful to just attempt to pass over it or gloss over it.'

Presbyterian Ladies College, which is only a couple of suburbs away from Santa Sabina College in Strathfield, advised in a letter to parents of girls in Year 7 that there would 'undoubtedly' be social connections between the two schools.

'At this stage, we do not plan to speak to our Year 7 students,' the letter said.

A 12-year-old Year 7 student attending Sydney's Santa Sabina College (uniforms pictured) has taken her own life

'I ask, however, that you keep an eye on your daughters as they may hear news via friends or on social media.

'With exams coming up, we really want the girls to be settled and focused on their learning.

'Saying that, if your daughter has been impacted by this news, please contact me as we want to support her.'

The school said it planned to take a 'positive approach with the girls, focusing on finding joy, hope and happiness in their lives by making positive connections and doing the things they love'.

Santa Sabina have been offering counselling this week to students, parents and the broader community.

Following the tragedy Presbyterian Ladies College sent a letter to the parents of its Year 7 students saying they should not talk about what happened unless their daughters raised it

They have opened their chapel doors to all.

Students have the opportunity to write messages and bring flowers over the next few days.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Presbyterian Ladies College for comment.
Coal-to-green transition redefining China's west-to-east power transmission

09:52, September 15, 2024 By Yao Yuan, Xu Jinyu, Ren Wei and Su Xing ( Xinhua

* China's west-to-east power transmission system, which channels the surplus electricity in the west to the power-hungry east, is switching to clean energy amid the country's low-carbon drive.

* Ningxia, a region in northwest China, epitomizes this green transition with its installed capacity for new energy having overtaken that of coal power.

* Energy storage facilities and green certificates are contributing to the success of the clean-energy industry in western China.

YINCHUAN, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- In northwest China's Gobi Desert, two neighboring power plants testify to an ongoing clean energy transition in the country's west-to-east power transmission system.

Yuanyanghu, one of China's largest thermal power stations, stands out with its 200-meter-high cooling towers. A railway goes directly into the plant, supplying more than 20,000 tonnes of coal a day. Its vast expanse of coal storage looks like undulating hills.

Last year, the plant in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region generated 16.8 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), which traveled more than 1,000 km to power up manufacturing plants in the eastern provinces of Shandong and Zhejiang.

Now, about 10 minutes' drive from the thermal behemoth, a new photovoltaic power station has emerged to herald the low-carbon and high-tech future of this power relay.

The Ningdong photovoltaic base is maintained by fewer than 100 people and a fleet of automatic-inspection drones, which helped reduce the facility's environmental impact. Built on a coal-mining subsidence area, it is also equipped with a smart system to monitor subsidence, the legacy of underground mining, so as to timely draft maintenance plans.

The plant exports 3.6 billion kWh of solar power every year through west-to-east power transmission. Though the output is not on par with its coal-fired neighbor, similar solar stations are popping up in the area in greater numbers.

"It sets an example for revitalizing coal mining subsidence area for new-energy production," said Shu Maolong, an engineer with the Ningxia branch of CHN Energy Investment Group (CHN Energy), the constructor of the base.

This aerial drone photo taken on May 12, 2024 shows a drone conducting intelligent inspection at the Ningdong photovoltaic base in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Xu Jinyu)

Over a decade since it joined the national project of channeling the surplus electricity in the west to the power-hungry east, the coal-rich Ningxia is switching to clean energy amid the country's drive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.

Boasting the ninth largest coal reserve in the nation, Ningxia has supplied 650 billion kWh of thermal power to other parts of the country since 2011 through two cable networks. Its power exports helped satisfy east China's appetite for affordable electricity, while generating more than 60,000 jobs and revenue of 160 billion yuan (about 22.5 billion U.S. dollars) locally.

In recent years, Ningxia has leveraged its abundant wind and solar resources to build a clean-energy industry. By June, the installed new-energy capacity had reached 37 million kW to account for over half of the regional total.

The rise of new energy has redefined the power transmission to the east. In the first half of this year, Ningxia exported 43 billion kWh of power, including nearly 10.6 billion kWh of new energy. Representing a year-on-year increase of 120 percent, the export of new energy is equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 8.91 million tonnes, according to Ningxia's electricity transaction center.

Ningxia is now building its third cable network to export solar and wind energy to central Hunan Province. Its completion, scheduled for next year, is expected to further raise the region's installed new-energy capacity to 60 million kW.

This undated aerial drone photo shows a view of a photovoltaic base, part of a west-to-east power transmission system, on a coal-mining subsidence area in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)

POWERING UP THE GREEN TRANSITION

According to this year's government work report, in 2023, China's installed renewable energy capacity surpassed its thermal power capacity for the first time in history, and China accounted for over half of newly installed renewable energy capacity worldwide.

Like Ningxia, the clean-energy industry is taking off in China's less-developed west, where the total installed capacity of new energy has surpassed 400 million kW and is continuing to rise.

In Qinghai, a vast plateau province to the west of Ningxia, the installed capacity of renewable energy had reached about 51.1 million kW by the end of 2023, accounting for 93 percent of the province's total installed capacity.

This successful switch to green energy is significant for western China, especially considering the doubts once clouding the development of wind and solar power, which relies heavily on weather conditions and can cause damaging fluctuations when connecting to the grid on a massive scale.

Both Qinghai and Ningxia are building energy storage facilities to solve this problem. In Ningxia, the grid's smooth operation is supported by 37 energy storage plants, which work like a power bank, storing excess electricity during production peaks and delivering it during off-peak hours.

At the Muhe No.1 energy storage plant in city of Zhongwei, container-shaped battery packs can absorb 400,000 kWh in two hours.

"Since entering operation a year ago, our plant has stored 190 million kWh of electricity, which would have been wasted otherwise," said Jiang Fei, head of the plant.

This aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 21, 2024 shows part of the power transmission lines of the west-to-east power transmission system in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Xu Jinyu)

The brisk trade of green certificates is also facilitating the region's green transition. Representing electricity generated from renewable energy, the government-issued certificates can be traded to heavy emitters that are aiming to reduce their carbon footprint.

This means extra profits for new-energy producers in the western provinces. The Ningdong photovoltaic base, for instance, produces over 2 million green certificates a year, which can be traded for 20 million yuan, according to Gao Xu with the CHN Energy's Ningxia branch.

"The green certificate sector is still in its nascent stage and has unstable prices, but as China pushes ahead with carbon reduction, the certificates may bring us more surprises in the future," Gao said.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Liang Jun)
A father has been left infuriated after a bus driver didn't let his daughter on because she wasn't wasn't in a pram.

Graham Cooke was taking his two-year-old daughter Katie to childcare from their home in Newtown, in Sydney's Inner West, before starting work on Wednesday.

The pair had no issue riding the 370 bus for the better part of the past year until the driver asked how young the toddler was.

Mr Cooke claimed the driver told him that Katie wouldn't be allowed onto the bus because it was against the rules for a toddler to be on board without a stroller.

He continued by claiming that the rule was for all children under the age of three, and that he wouldn't be driving the bus with them.

The driver then told the pair they were holding the rest of the commuters up and to get off and find another way of getting to childcare.

However, the upset dad checked the rules for riding with toddlers on Transport NSW's website and found nothing requiring him to put Katie in a stroller.

Mr Cooke could do nothing to convince the driver though and the pair were forced off the bus and to wait for the next one - having no issues getting on board.

Sydneysider Graham Cooke has been left infuriated after a bus driver refused him and his two-year-old daughter Katie (both pictured) from getting on a bus because of a fake rule

The infuriated dad said it was a 'really unpleasant experience' which left his daughter 'upset' and needling a cuddle to calm her down.

'She loves saying hello to bus drivers. She tends to kind of charm everybody around and make it a pretty lovely experience,' Mr Cooke told Yahoo.

'So it was a very unpleasant start to the day, and he was very aggressive and dogmatic about his view.'

Mr Cooke reached out to Transport NSW for clarity on the rule and the driver's behaviour, only to receive an apology from the department.

He said it appeared that the driver's claim was 'completely not a rule' enforced by Transport NSW, adding it would be inconvenient for parents.

Mr Cooke noted a lot of daycares don't allow parents to bring a stroller and leave it there, meaning they would have to take it back home with them on public transport.

He warned other parents to know their rights while travelling on public transport with their young kids.

'You can't be kicked off a bus just because you don't have a stroller, if you're happy enough carrying or holding your toddler,' Mr Cooke said.

The driver of the 370 (stock image) said any children under the age of three-years-old have to be strapped into a stroller, which does not appear on Transport NSW's website

A Transport NSW spokesman said passengers can choose whether to sit with their children on a seat, on their lap or strapped into a pram if there is space.

'All of our accessible buses have specific areas for prams and wheelchairs near the front of the bus, which will allow children to remain in the pram while on board if required,' he said.

'In that case, the front of the pram must be facing towards the back of the bus and be in firm contact with the panel, or bar behind it.

'You'll need to fold your pram or stroller and store it in the luggage rack if there is not enough space on board the bus to safely park the pram, or if the driver asks you to.

'In that case, you'll need to seat the children in your care with you as it is not safe to stand and carry a child while a bus is moving.'
A 44-year-old cold case was finally resolved after a man was sentenced on Thursday for the murder of a nursing student who was gunned down in her Kansas home.

Mary Robin Walter, 23, was shot multiple times inside her trailer in Great Bend on January 24, 1980.

At the time, police found a .22-caliber handgun at the scene and confirmed it was the murder weapon that killed the young mother and wife. They also conducted multiple interviews, including one with her killer.

Steven L. Hanks, 70, a neighbor of Walter, was officially identified as the man who murdered Walter when he was 25, the Barton County Sheriff's Office announced Friday.

Over the years authorities revisited the case 'to no avail,' but in 2022, an affidavit was presented to the District Court, along with a warrant for Hanks' arrest after he confessed to the murder in a recent interview.

Mary Robin Walter, 23, was shot multiple times inside her trailer in Great Bend on January 24, 1980. Her case went untouched until 2022

Steven L. Hanks, 70, a neighbor of Walter, was officially identified as the man who murdered Walter when he was 25. He was arrested on December 8, 2022 and officially sentenced on Thursday

At the time, Hanks was considered a suspect, but he was never arrested or prosecuted because 'no conclusive evidence was discovered,' Sheriff Brian J. Bellendir said.

Bellendir explained that he was convinced to take another look at the cold case after Detective Sgt. Adam Hales mentioned revisiting it 'using new techniques and technology' that weren't around at the time of the gruesome murder.

Although he was reluctant to re-open the case at first, Bellendir allowed Hales, Lt. David Paden and Detectives Travis Doze and Brian Volkel to 'look at it with new eyes.'

They started by compiling all of the documents related to Walter's case, getting evidence DNA tested, and conducting a new series of interviews.

Unfortunately, no DNA came back from the evidence and a lot of the people they wanted to interview had died.

At the time, police found a .22-caliber handgun at the scene and confirmed it was the murder weapon that killed the young mother and wife

But, police were able to get a hold of Hanks, who had gone on to spend a decade in prison for rape, battery, robbery and burglary.

'Sgt. Detective Adam Hales and Lt. David Paden re-interviewed Hanks.... In his interviews, Hanks admitted to killing Walter,' the Kansas Attorney General's Office said.

Later that year, an affidavit was presented with an arrest warrant for Hanks, leading to his arrest on December 8, 2022. He was charged with second-degree murder.

By April 15 of that year, a judge ordered that Hanks go to trial for his charge in a preliminary hearing.

After a plea agreement was reached on August 8, 2024, Hanks was sentenced for killing the nursing student.

Bellendir explained that because Hanks committed the crime so long ago, he was sentenced under the state law in effect at the time which called for a five to 25 years sentence.

Barton County District Judge Steven Johnson 'departed' from Hanks' plea agreement and sentenced Hanks to 10- 25 years in prison for killing Walter.

Pamela Cooper, the daughter of Walter, previously told NBC News that even though he wasn't convicted of her mother's murder at the time, 'we knew who did it.'

Pamela Cooper, the daughter of Walter, previously told NBC News that even though he wasn't convicted of her mother's murder at the time, 'we knew who did it'

Sheriff Brian J. Bellendir decided to re-open the case that he 'remembered well' after Detective Sgt. Adam Hales mentioned revisiting it 'using new techniques and technology' that weren't around at the time of the gruesome murder

'We knew it was Steven Hanks, the neighbor,' she added.

Cooper, who was just five-years-old at the time of her mother's death, told the outlet that her father had found her after being shot by Hanks.

'I just hope that he is sorry for what he's done, that he's remorseful, but even if he's not, he can't change my heart as I forgave him a long time ago,' Copper said.

Bellendir, who was 18 when the murder happened, said he 'remembered it well.'

He found the end of the unsolved case bittersweet because many people connected to Walter's tragic death aren't around to see her get justice.

'It bothers me that many of the people who were so affected by this tragic crime have since passed away prior to bringing the suspect to justice.

'I consider myself fortunate that I had the resources and the diligent personnel to close this case. The credit for solving this homicide goes to the dedicated officers that had the tenacity to bring it to a conviction,' he added.

The Sheriff noted that the department believes this to be the oldest cold case to be solved and result in conviction in the state.
The billionaire mother of Olympic gold medallist Laura Tomlinson faces a 200,000 lawsuit after one of her horses allegedly kicked an aspiring dressage rider in the face, shattering his dreams of becoming an Olympic equestrian.

German-born billionaire and heiress Ursula Bechtolsheimer, 72, is being sued by George Day, who claims he was forced to give up his equestrian career after enduring serious facial injuries as well as a traumatic brain injury following the accident in March 2021.

Mr Day said he was working at Mrs Bechtolsheimer's horse breeding stable, which she runs at Eastington House in the Cotswolds, at the time of his injury.

Mrs Bechtolsheimer is the mother of Laura Tomlinson, who won a gold for Great Britain in the London 2012 Olympics in the team dressage alongside Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin. Laura is married to polo player Mark Tomlinson - whose 2013 wedding was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke of Sussex.

As reported by The Telegraph, High Court documents claimed that Mr Day had been hand-grazing a young horse when he was suddenly kicked in the face, causing him to lose consciousness.

Ursula Bechtolsheimer (right) pictured with husband Wilfred, daughter Laura Tomlinson and son in law Mark Tomlinson. Mrs Bechtolsheimer runs a horse breeding stable in the Cotswolds. She is being sued by a former employee who was kicked in the face by one of her horses

Mrs Bechtolsheimer's daughter Laura Tomlinson is an Olympic dressage rider

Laura Tomlinson won two medals in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London

The man was rushed to the Great Western hospital in Swindon with severe facial injuries, including fractured facial bones and eye sockets and a shattered nose and even had to undergo surgery for his injuries.

Mr Day claims that he has been left suffering from neurological symptoms since the accident, including headaches, dizziness and burred vision, as well as reduced sensation in his face, The Telegraph reported.

He has also suffered from tinnitus and finds it difficult to eat tough foods, it is claimed.

Mr Day reportedly tried to return to Mrs Bechtolsheimer's yard but was unable to work and found he had become uncomfortable around horses, meaning he can no longer ride professionally nor continue his equestrian career.

He is now seeking compensation, claiming that he has been left with few job prospects.

Mrs Bechtolsheimer has admitted some liability for the tragic accident, but wants Mr Day to prove his injuries, according to The Telegraph. She also wants him to prove that he was a skilled rider who had been riding professionally at the time of the accident. This includes proving that his career path included the possibility of competing at Grand Prix dressage.

Mr Day's claim was issued by law firm Irwin Mitchell, while the defence was filed by Keoghs. MailOnline has reached out to both Mr Day and Mrs Bechtolsheimer's legal representatives for comment.

A spokesman for Bechtolsheimer yard told The Telegraph: 'Mrs Bechtolsheimer and her team extend their sincere sympathies to George for the injuries he suffered, and wish him all the best for his treatment and recovery.

This is the latest incident to hit the world of equestrian dressage, after Team GB rider Charlotte Dujardin was sensationally banned from the Paris 2024 Olympics after distressing footage emerged of her repeatedly whipping a horse

'The matter is in the hands of the insurance company for the purpose of determining the amount of damages that he is to receive. Liability has been admitted not on the basis that the accident was caused by negligence but by virtue of the fact that the Animals Act 1971 imposes strict liability in circumstances such as those in which George sustained his injuries.

'Neither Mrs Bechtolsheimer nor her daughter were involved with the management of the yard at the time of the accident.'

This is the latest incident to hit the world of equestrian dressage, after Team GB rider Charlotte Dujardin was sensationally banned from the Paris 2024 Olympics just days before the sporting event was due to start after distressing footage emerged of her repeatedly whipping a horse.

In a statement of apology, Dujardin claimed she was 'deeply ashamed' and 'devastated' at her actions, calling what happened in the video 'an error of judgement'.
An award-winning auctioneer has clapped back at the stereotypes his industry faces, including accusations real estate agents are only 'in it for themselves'.

Haesley Cush, 46, has worked at Ray White New Farm, central Brisbane, since he was 18 years old.

After spending almost 30 years in the industry, he has heard plenty of nasty stereotypes about realtors.

'There are agents who match the stereotype - they're in it for themselves, not their client,' Mr Cush told the Courier Mail.

'They don't ask, "what's the best thing to do here?" - they want an easy buck.

'But like most industries, people who match the stereotype won't survive, or they change brands all the time because they have to hide from their mistakes and run from the past.'

Mr Cush's Ray White offices in New Farm, Bulimba, Clayfield and Toowong, which he owns with childhood friend Matt Lancashire, won the Number One Multi-Business Network Internationally after collecting more than $1billion of annual sales.

He noted he gives back to his community by auctioneering for charity events and raising money for his local community - traits property market critics would find hard to believe.

'For Matt, my work husband, and myself, our biggest challenge is accepting that people give real estate agents a bad rap, so we do a lot to fight the stereotype,' Mr Cush said.

Award-winning auctioneer Haesley Cush (pictured with his partner) slammed critics of the real estate industry

Mr Cush (pictured) disagreed with accusations real estate agents are only 'in it for themselves' and described the wellbeing programs he has for his workers that 'help them deal with the fact people are going to call them overpaid wanker real estate agents'

He described the negative effect the industry's stereotypes had on his business partner, who he's known since he was four years old.

'When Matt came to work with me in 2006 at New Farm, I realised he was process-focused too. Over time, although he was painted with a brush like the rest of us, I knew if things went bad I could really back him,' Mr Cush said.

The pair began running their series of Ray White offices in 2017 and offer their 160 employees access to an ice bath, sauna, personal trainer and marriage counsellor.

'All of this is to help them deal with the fact people are going to call them overpaid wanker real estate agents,' Mr Cush said.

'My life is infinitely better for accepting that most industries carry a stereotype and I can either be it or not be it - and I choose not to be it.'

Mr Cush is the latest real estate agent to defend his industry colleagues following auctioneer Justin Nickerson, director of Australia-wide Apollo Auctions.

Mr Nickerson argued the much-maligned property industry is actually staffed with caring and hard-working people.

'I know how generally the public feels about real estate people, but I think they are just the same as every other occupation,' he told Daily Mail Australia in July.

Justin Nickerson (pictured), director of Australia-wide Apollo Auctions, argued that the much-maligned property industry is actually staffed with caring and hard-working people

In Australia, real estate agents typically charge a commission of around between 2 and 2.5 per cent of the propertys total sale price.

For instance, if youre selling a home for $1million, youd pay approximately $20,000 - $25,000 to the agent responsible for the sale.

Mr. Nickerson responded to critics who believe that agents don't do enough to justify their high fees for selling a home.

'Within the occupation there's some fantastic and hard-working people but there's also other people that don't do the right thing, just the same as any other job.

'I think the biggest misconception is just that the people don't care, that they are just soulless in how they go about their job.'

Mr Nickerson has been an independent auctioneer for 15 years and has worked with thousands of different real estate agents.

'The the vast, vast majority of those people are hard-working and committed professionals, the same as most other people are in their day-to-day roles,' he said.

Mr Nickerson encouraged potential sellers to take the time to do research and find a good agent who can secure the best price for their home.

Real estate agents are often stereotyped as being selfish and untrustworthy in the Australian market

'The difference of choosing someone good at what they do and someone that that isn't good at what they do in this case can can literally be thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars in your pocket,' he said.

'You want to do the research to make sure that you go with someone that you feel is the best possible chance to represent your home because they're your ambassador to the market.

'And then once you do that, you do have to trust that person. I know using the word "trust" with real estate agents kind of flies in the face of stereotypical thinking which says that they're they're sleazy, and they're just trying to get a deal.

'But you do have to trust what they say because they are your eyes and ears to the market.'
A breakaway church vicar has been fired for preaching 'anti-woke' gospel after he branded female priests as 'witches'.

Earlier this year, Clergymen Brett Murphy did not face punishment after calling a trans archdeacon a 'bloke' when discussing the appointment of Rachel Mann to his 14,000 YouTube subscribers last year.

He said the Church of England's first trans woman archdeacon was 'in fact, bioligically, a bloke, who identifies and lives as a woman', and also labelled her as a 'fella'.

Now, Rev Murphy has been dismissed by breakaway Anglican denomination, the Free Church of England (FCE), after ruling that the 'nature and tone' of his videos which he posted online brought the church 'into disrepute'.

Particularly, the FCE took issue with the vicar using the term 'witch' to refer to female priests, the Telegraph report.

Clergyman Brett Murphy, pictured with fellow former FCE cleric Calvin Robinson, has been fired for preaching 'anti-woke' gospel

Earlier this year, Clergymen Brett Murphy did not face punishment after calling a trans Church of England archdeacon a 'bloke'

The vicar claimed that his comments were only 'tongue in cheek' and he has a 'right to free speech' despite opposing the ordination of women. But the Church ruled ihe was harming their reputation.

In a statement by the Church, it said: 'The Free Church of England acknowledges the concerns and questions raised regarding developments related to the Rev'd Brett Murphy.

'We understand that silence can be frustrating, but please know that this is not due to avoidance or fear of transparency. Rather, it is out of respect for the confidentiality of an ongoing process, that is being handled with the utmost care and diligence.

'We are committed to ensuring that matters of Church discipline are addressed appropriately, and we believe that such matters should not be judged by public opinion or debated on social media. Our priority is to uphold the integrity of this process for all involved.

'While there have been personal attacks and misinformation circulating, particularly towards the Bishop Primus, we choose not to engage in public disputes, as doing so would compromise the trust placed in us to handle this situation responsibly.

'When it is possible, a fuller statement will be made. In the meantime, we ask for your prayers, support, and continued trust in this process.'

Rev Murphy uses his channel to comment on news 'from a conservative Christian standpoint'.

Rev Murphy has been dismissed by breakaway Anglican denomination, the Free Church of England (FCE)

The father-of-two left the Church of England to join the FCE last year - but after only 13 months as vicar of Emmanuel, he was 'sacked by email' following a disciplinary hearing brought against him by the FCE.

'It has been one of the most traumatic experiences of our lives,' he told The Telegraph. 'I think I've got pretty thick skin because I've been through a lot as a minister.

'Enduring a kangaroo court and the injustice of that was pretty unpleasant. The cold and callous disregard about caring for my pregnant wife and two children has been a concern to us.'

He has since received more than 140,000 in online donations, however, to help him fund the purchase of a home.

Fellow cleric Calvin Robinson, who quit the CofE for the FCE in 2022 but left the following year, has been among Rev Murphy's backers.

He has been posting messages of support on X, formerly Twitter, tonight about the case, as well as a video interview between the pair.

MailOnline has contacted Rev Murphy for comment.
Billionaire Elon Musk has hit back at the Australian prime minister and doubled down on the 'fascist' label in reference to a planned misinformation crackdown.

Opposition communications spokesman David Coleman also took aim at the federal government's proposed misinformation bill on Sunday.

Under the changes, Labor wants to bolster the communications watchdog's powers to monitor and regulate content on digital platforms.

Social media companies could be fined up to five per cent of their annual turnover under the Commonwealth's proposed laws.

Musk, who owns social media platform X, responded to a post about Australia's measures with the word 'fascists'.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said social media companies had social responsibility.

'If Mr Musk doesn't understand that, that says more about him than it does about my government,' he said on Saturday.

The billionaire doubled down on his comments over the weekend in another post, captioned: 'Far left fascists love censorship'.

X ower Elon Musk has doubled down on calling the Albanese government fascists over proposed misinformation laws

Mr Musk took the shot at Anthony Albanese as the war of words between the two men intensified

Defending the laws, assistant treasurer Stephen Jones said they were about 'sovereignty'.

'The Australian government like every other democratic country in the world asserts its right to make Australians safe,' he said.

Mr Coleman took aim at the federal government's proposed misinformation bill, but steered clear of the term 'fascist'.

'I wouldn't use those words, would say grossly incompetent, I would say contemptuous of free speech,' he told Sky News.

Mr Coleman said there were many 'problems' with the bill and he was concerned the communications minister could personally order misinformation investigation and public hearings.

Another issue was that only some people could be guilty of spreading 'misinformation'.

'If you're an academic something you say basically can't be misinformation but if you are an ordinary Australian who disagrees with an academic it can be misinformation,' Mr Coleman said.

Mr Albanese said that Mr Musk had to understand his platform had a 'social responsibility'

He noted this included opinions, where the deference would be to the expert, 'but experts are always necessarily right'.

Mr Coleman also used the opportunity to take a swipe at the Greens.

'One of the kinds of harm is that is not allowed is something that might cause imminent harm to the economy or stock market and that's basically every economic policy that the Greens have ever announced,' he said.
Four strangers have chosen to sit in a 2024 Nissan Sentra for 10 days at the Oklahoma State Fair in hopes to win a brand new car.

Brian Richmond, Chris Deschner, Christy Myers and Shaun began participating in the contest on September 12 with great enthusiasm.

'I was late-night scrolling on Facebook and figured, 'Why not? I'll give it a shot,' said Deschner, who travelled from Arkansas.

According to the contest rules, whoever of the three three Oklahomans or Arkansan can last inside the vehicle the longest wins.

Four strangers have chosen to sit in a 2024 Nissan Sentra for 10 days at the Oklahoma State Fair in hopes to win a brand new car

To further intensify the competition, Oklahoma State Fair spokesperson Scott Munz explained that all of the trash, including food, remains in the car for the entire duration.

'Anything that is brought to them to eat in the car has to stay in the car. So, if you eat half a corn dog and throw the rest in the back, that corn dog stays in there,' he toldKOCO.

'If you eat a turkey leg, you gnaw on the meat and the bone, all that stuff stays in the car.'

Those who are interested in watching the duration of the contest can livestream the event.

Christy Myers, Chris Deschner, Shaun and Brian Richmond began participating in the contest on September 12 with great enthusiasm

'I was late-night scrolling on Facebook and figured, 'Why not? I'll give it a shot,' Arkansas ' Deschner said.

The contestants get a bathroom break every three hours but other than that, they cannot leave the car.

They are also are allowed one backpack or similarly sized bag containing personal needs or any other items necessary in the car with them

Smoking and consuming alcohol is also prohibited.

Shaun noted: 'I have a backpack with me. Same thing. We're not going to let too much out in the open in the first couple hours. Maybe day three we'll start getting devious around here.'

As of now, Richmond and Deschner are the only ones remaining in the 'stinkin' Sentra.

As of now, Richmond and Deschner are the only ones remaining in the 'stinkin' Sentra

'Got a little few strategies going on here, so we'll see what happens,' Richmond said.

Myers was eliminated on the first day while Shaun left the contest on yesterday.

If both Richmond and Deschner manage to remain in the car by the end, another contest will ensue, according to the official rules.

The Stinkin' Sentra Giveaway 2024 is a flashback to the 1990s version of the State Fair where the event was a can't-miss.
A beloved high school janitor got the surprise of a lifetime after a group of students gifted him a Jeep Wrangler - his dream car.

Francis Apraku, a custodian at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia, was left speechless after students banded together to give him a birthday gift on Monday.

The group of freshman fundraised for months on GoFundMe and ended up exceeding expectations after raising more than $20,000 for Apraku. They also got support from a local car dealer, Andy, who helped them pick out his dream vehicle.

Apraku, who dropped to the ground in complete shock, expressed how grateful he was to God and the students for the gift.

With tears in his eyes, the custodian told Fox5: 'I will give thanks to Almighty God for making today for me. I hope today is a great day for me.'

Francis Apraku, a custodian (center) at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia , was left speechless after students banded together to give him a birthday gift on Monday

The students raised more than $20,000 to guy Apraku his dream car - a Jeep Wrangler with a tire on the back

He turned around to face the boys and said: 'And also, I thank my junior brothers around me - through them this dream has come true.'

'May God richly bless them and make all their dreams come true in their life.

Video captured the moment Apraku walked out to the school parking lot and spotted the Jeep.

He soon started to realize that it was his and instantly fell to the floor and rolled over with a huge smile on his face as the boys walked over to embrace him.

They then picked him up and walked him to his car as he held his face in his hands and cried.

Apraku then checked out his new car before stumbling on the back tire that he dreamed of for so long.

Apraku, who dropped to the ground in complete shock, expressed how grateful he was to God and the students for the gift (left). He then rolls on the ground in excitement (right).

'Ever since we met Francis he has been super kind and friendly and sometimes even says prayers for us,' the boys said on the donation page

He wrapped his arms around the tire and smiled with tears in his eyes as one of the boys patted him on the back.

The janitor then stood there for a moment and looked down as he continued to cry while a crowd of onlookers gathered around him.

He then held his keys in his hands, raised his arms up to the sky and closed his eyes in prayer.

Apraku hoped in his new ride, fit with a big red bow on the hood, as everyone cheered him on.

He recalled telling them his favorite car was a Jeep Wrangler 'with a tire in the back of the car.'

'When I said that, the guys were looking at me, and I didn't know the reason they were looking at me like that.'

Apraku expressed how grateful he was to God and the students for the gift

He is seen wrapping his arms around the giant tire as one of the boys pats him on the back

Apraku also recalled feeling confused when three of the students asked him for his email address prior to the big day.

'I don't know much about the phone, I don't know much about the email,' he said.

One of the students, Bennett, told the outlet that the group 'never thought it would come this far' and revealed that they collected $5,000 the first day.

Another student, Logan, said they received $19,000 in about three months and after six months they collected more than $20,000 for the custodian.

'Ever since we met Francis he has been super kind and friendly and sometimes even says prayers for us,' the boys said on the donation page.

Apraku said he will never forget the day the students made his dreams come true.

'I feel happy, happy, happy, and I don't know how to describe it,' he said.

After the amazing surprise Apraku and the students gathered at a local restaurant, Vienna Inn, and commemorated the joyous day together.
A young mother was shot and killed by her former partner while she was throwing a birthday party for their 6-year-old.

25-year-old Jalen Easterling was gunned down on Thursday evening at a home in Houston, with her family saying it was her estranged ex who fatally shot her.

Officers in the Texan city say that Easterling and her new boyfriend were throwing a party for her child when the father showed up and an argument broke out.

Those at the party said that shots were fired following this, with Easterling being gunned down in front of her children and her boyfriend. She died at the scene.

One neighbor told KHOU that they were left ducking for cover after the shooting started.

25-year-old Jalen Easterling was gunned down on Thursday evening at a home in Houston, with her family saying it was her estranged ex who fatally shot her

Officers in the Texan city say that Easterling and her new boyfriend were throwing a party for her child when the father showed up and an argument broke out

Felicia Adams told the outlet: 'My heart dropped. I was terrified. It was loud and it sounded like it was going into my house.'

According to Adams she heard shouting before the shooting started, saying: 'He was angry. He was shouting and screaming.

'It was scary. My kids, they were terrified. I have a five-year-old and she wouldn't stop crying.'

Houston Police said they had responded to child custody calls at the address previously.

The shooter, who has not yet been formally identified and is still on the run, was spotted leaving the scene in a white Chevrolet Tahoe.

Adams added: 'I know they know who he is and I hope I can identify him correctly and we can start bringing this to justice.'

Anyone with information relating to the shooting is urged to contact Houston Police Department or Crime Stoppers.

Lt. R. Willkens told reporters: 'Our suspect showed up and shots were fired from the door, we don't know if it was random or at individuals.

Houston Police said they had responded to child custody calls at the address previously

According to neighbor Felicia Adams, seen here, she heard shouting before the shooting started

The shooter, who has not yet been formally identified and is still on the run, was spotted leaving the scene in a white Chevrolet Tahoe

'The female was struck, upper extremities. She went down and was deceased here. I feel confident we are going to find this individual.'

He added: 'If he's smart he'll turn himself in and tell him why exactly he did what he did, maybe there is other things that went on.'

Since news of her passing was announced by family, social media has been flooded with tributes made to the mother-of-two.

Her aunt Summer Rosziia posted: 'Its been a quiet day for me and my thoughts and the pain I feel is immeasurable. My niece Jalen Easterling's life was taken last night.

'My heart is broken shattered and with the loss of my father Sept 11th 2022 and the fact that it still hurts.

'I never imagine for this to happen to my dear sweet niece. My God please be with my brother, her mom, my sister and everyone who loved Jalen. This is so hard. Justice will be served.

Another person said: 'She was real hustler, a real mother and a real friend. I hate the way you was taking away from us. Ill forever appreciate all the talks and laughs we had.

'Im praying for your family and most of all your daughters. Ill see you in the afterlife twin. I love you dearly.'
NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams have revealed that they rejected a rescue plan on Boeing's Starliner due to a 'lack of time'.

The pair has been stuck on the International Space Station since Starliner brought them there on June 6.

While Starliner has returned back to Earth without a crew on September 7, the duo continue to wait for SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, which will pick them up at the ISS and bring them home no earlier than February 2025.

An option to have the astronauts return on the Starliner was considered but ultimately NASA decided that there were high risks associated and may cause their death.

In a recent press briefing, Wilmore said that they ran out of time to fully test the spacecraft's systems in order to make a decision on how to return.

NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams have revealed that they rejected a rescue plan on Boeing's Starliner due to a 'lack of time'

The father-of-two explained they were unable to complete tests on the Starliner's onboard systems in time to avoid disrupting the ISS schedule for other spacecraft due to arrive in the coming months.

'There were things that we just could not get comfortable with. The data could have gotten there. We just simply ran out of time,' he said.

Wilmore acknowledged the series of mishaps, saying that there have been 'some trying times' since the start of their mission, and it was difficult to see Starliner return home without them.

Their extended stay has proven challenging for their families back on Earth as well. Wilmore and his wife have two daughters, one who is a senior in high school and another who is in college.

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.

In a recent press briefing, Wilmore said that they ran out of time to fully test the spacecraft's systems in order to make a decision on how to return

Wilmore said that the delayed return mission will cause him to miss out on most of his youngest daughter's senior year, and that he didn't get to spend the summer with his eldest before she went back to college.

But he hopes his absence will make them stronger. 'They're gonna learn from this, and they're gonna grow from this,' he said.

Sunita left her husband and two dogs back at home when Starliner lifted off over three months ago.

She said she misses taking her dogs out for a walk in the morning and hearing sounds of the day starting on Earth, like birds chirping.

But being able to watch her home planet go by out of the ISS window 'takes you to a different place, it's very peaceful up here,' she said.

Starliner launched on June 5 with the intention of docking at the ISS for about a week before returning Wilmore and Williams safely to Earth.

The father-of-two explained they were unable to complete tests on the Starliner's onboard systems in time to avoid disrupting the ISS schedule for other spacecraft due to arrive in the coming months

Williams and Wilmore will remain on the ISS for another six months after NASA decided that risking a return flight on Starliner could cost their lives

But the mission was already off to a rocky start. In the weeks before, the launch was delayed several times due to technical issues with the spacecraft.

Even on the day of liftoff, Starliner experienced minor helium leaks that engineers determined were not severe enough to delay the launch again.

It was all downhill from there. By the time Starliner reached the ISS, it had sprung more helium leaks and five of its 18 thrusters failed.

Williams said that because she and Wilmore used to work in the Navy, they're familiar with last-minute logistical changes like this.

'We're not surprised when deployments get changed,' she said, adding that their families understand.

'It's risky and that's how it goes in the business,' she said.
An escaped Mississippi inmate and a prison employee who allegedly helped him break out have both been arrested.

Ryan Burks, 39, managed to escape from the Carroll County Regional Correctional Facility on Wednesday.

Carroll County deputies said the facility went into lockdown and began emergency procedures after Burks made his escape.

Officials at the prison then discovered that kitchen employee Leslie Nichole McNeil, 44, had also left the property with Bucks in her car.

The two were then traced with authorities moving in to try and stop the vehicle, with the pair disobeying commands.

Ryan Burks, 39, managed to escape from the Carroll County Regional Correctional Facility on Wednesday

Officials at the prison then discovered that kitchen employee Leslie Nichole McNeil, 44, had also left the property with Bucks in her car

Officials said that the car was eventually wrecked after a traffic stop, with both occupants being arrested shortly after.

Burks was handed over to the sheriff's office before being transferred into the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

While McNeal was taken to a local hospital for treatment and then charged with felony aiding and abetting. She is currently being held in Lafayette County Jail.

Burks was arrested for felony fleeing in a motor vehicle and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

He had been serving time for two counts of sexual battery and burglary when he made his botched escape attempt having been sentenced in January 2006.

In July of those year two inmates of a Mississippi jail in Claiborne County were captured after breaking free for over 24 hours.

Tyrekennel Collins, 24, and Dezarrious Johnson, 18, were both captured at an abandoned residence after escaping a detention center.

Burks was arrested for felony fleeing in a motor vehicle and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon

The two inmates were considered dangerous by authorities and were being held on murder charges at the time of their escape.

Due to the fumbled escape, they were then hit with an additional charge of escape, which comes with a further five years in prison.

According to figures from 2000 to 2019, the number of escapees from state and federal prisons has dropped significantly.

In 2019, 2,231 inmates escaped from state or federal prisons, which was a decreased from the previous year when 2,351 prisoners escaped from facilities.

The most recent numbers are current less than half of what was counted in 2000, with 5,168 escapes across state and federal jails.
A woman has died after a tree branch fell on her while wild weather batters Sydney.

Emergency services were alerted to the incident on Castlereagh Street in Liverpool, in the city's southwest, about 1pm on Sunday.

The woman, aged in her 60s, died at the scene despite the best efforts of paramedics. She is yet to be identified.

NSW Police confirmed officers have commenced inquiries and will prepare a report for the coroner.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned of gale force winds as fast as 75km/h for swathes of New South Wales' coastline on Sunday.

'Conditions about the coast could bring down trees and cause localised damage and possible coastal erosion,' a post to the bureau's social media reads.

Police and paramedics could be seen battling with the winds as they tried to hold a tarpaulin to obstruct the view of locals.

More to come.
A man is fighting for life after being stabbed at a popular nightclub where staff desperately tried to stop his bleeding with tea towels and tissues.

The incident happened on the dancefloor of the Revolver Upstairs on Chapel Street, at Prahran, at about 4.30am on Sunday.

The 31-year-old was set upon by two attackers and it is believed a machete was used to inflict serious wounds to his upper body.

An ambulance rushed the man with life-threatening injuries to hospital, while the two offenders fled the scene and were last seen running along Macquarie Street.

Police were called and are reviewing CCTV footage from inside and around the venue as they attempt to catch the assailants.

On Sunday morning the pavement near the back entrance to the club showed what appeared to be a blood splatters.

Bits of police tape were also stuck to the rear bins, with the area appearing washed down.

A bloodied leather jacket was left nearby under fencing.

A man has been left fighting for his life after being stabbed in the early hours of Sunday at popular Melbourne nightclub Revolver Upstairs

However, detectives fetched the clothing item at around 9.30am on Sunday morning, putting it in an evidence bag and taking photos of the scene.

The nightclub posted a sign on its door at around midday on Sunday informing patrons the venue was closed for the day and night.

'We are heartbroken by the violent incident that took place at Revolver Upstairs this morning,' the sign read.

'Our thoughts are with all those affected by this terrible event.

'Our highest priority has always been the safety of our patrons, artists and staff.

'Revolver has always been committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all.'

An unnamed bartender working on the night told the Herald Sun that he heard screams and then 'everything went silent' inside the normally exuberant club.

Some staff and patrons attended to the wounded man while others called police or attempted to get out of the club.

The 31-year-old stabbing victim was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries while police are hunting two offenders

Others inside the club provided harrowing accounts of the night.

'There were people sitting in the gutter in tears, crying and everything,' one unnamed patron said.

He said police and nightclub staff scanned everyone's ID before they were allowed to leave the club meaning people had to queue for an over an hour to exit.

Another patron, Josh, said he had been enjoying his night when he heard a man had been stabbed.

'We were just having a good time and then next minute five police rocked up,' he said.

Another unnamed patron said Melbourne's club scene had become 'polluted and violent'.

'It's not what Melbourne's nightlife is about,' he said.

DJ sets, including by popular electronic duo Bag Raiders, have been rescheduled for when Revolver reopens.
A teenager who was hit by trailer being towed by a ute and later died has been remembered by her heartbroken dad as a talented artist who dreamed of visiting Japan.

Emergency services were called to the Bruxner Highway at East Lismore in northern NSW last Wednesday afternoon, following reports a pedestrian had been hit by a trailer.

Bystanders and passing motorists stopped and gave first aid to Alysha Martin, 16, until paramedics arrived.

She was rushed to Lismore Base Hospital where she later died.

'Alysha was such a beautiful girl and has touched the lives of so many people,' her shattered father Kye Martin told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday night.

'She was a natural magnet for people. She was a great artist and going to Japan was her dream.'

Family friend Hilde Thurgate has set up a GoFundMe to help Alysha's grieving family with funeral arrangements and cover living expenses while they grieve and adjust to life without her.

'Life can change in a split second,' she wrote.

A teenage girl who was hit by a vehicle and later died in northern New South Wales on Wednesday has been identified as Alysha Martin (pictured)

'This has absolutely destroyed her family and so many in our community who knew and loved her,' Ms Thurgate said.

'All our love is behind her family, her parents, siblings and her friends.'

More than $7,200 has been raised within a few days.

Rachel June revealed on a community social media page that Alysha was the daughter of her colleague and friend Mr Martin.

'Kye is a single dad who has raised his two girls alone for many years, has worked hard as a single dad to build a life for his girls,' she wrote.

'He works in the community sector supporting and sustaining housing for the community's most vulnerable.'

She described her colleague as 'a ray of sunlight, a truly amazing man and the most devoted father'.

Ms June added that the community is 'absolutely gutted ... by this senseless loss and at a loss of how to support him'.

Northern Rivers Shukokai Karate Dojo club also shared a heartfelt tribute

'Kye now faces the formidable task of being the sole provider for his family whilst navigating the trauma that is the loss of a child,' she said.

She asked that people consider donating to the fundraiser if they could 'as there has never been a cause more deserving'.

Mr Martin said he is looking to find 'a good street artist that can do a memorial piece for my daughter'.

He wrote on Facebook that Alysha 'loved art and it was her biggest passion in life, she loved Japanese anime'.

The teen was also remembered by the Northern Rivers Shukokai Karate Dojo club.

In a Facebook post, the club said it had 'received the devastating news that Alysha, a former student and big sister of Nahla, a current student, was tragically killed Wednesday night.

Emergency services were called to the Bruxner Highway (pictured) in East Lismore last Wednesday, following reports a pedestrian had been hit by a ute trailer

'Our hearts go out to dad Kye and sister Nahla.'

The male ute driver, 42, was taken to Lismore Base Hospital for mandatory testing on Wednesday.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Police investigations continue.
The Labour-supporting millionaire boss of the Iceland food chain has launched a scathing attack on its 'doom-laden' economic prophesies for Britain.

Richard Walker switched his backing from the Tories earlier this year saying Sir Keir Starmer's party was 'the right choice' for his customers.

And he happily posed with both Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves outside his stores during the election campaign.

But he today warned against introducing a swathe of business tax increases in the Budget next month, warning UK PLC is 'not a lemon that can keep being squeezed without any adverse impact on employment or consumers'.

Both Sir Keir and Ms Reeves have made repeated speeches and remarks about the poor state of the nation's economy, with critics suggesting they are fattening the public up to accept tax rises.

But writing in the Sun on Sunday Mr Walker warned that 'the doom-laden warnings ... set a rather different tone from Labour's pre-election pledges to be unashamedly pro-business and pro-growth'.

Richard Walker switched his backing from the Tories earlier this year saying Sir Keir Starmer's party was 'the right choice' for his customers.

Both Sir Keir and Ms Reeves have made repeated speeches and remarks about the poor state of the nation's economy, with critics suggesting they are fattening the public up to accept tax rises.

'A positive and optimistic Budget next month could set us on the path to future prosperity by leveraging the power of the state to invest in long-term projects and people skills that will drive economic growth, which will in turn stimulate increased investment bythe private sector, he said.

'There is everything to play for. But the Tories have already imposed the highest tax burden the UK has ever seen, and Government must recognise that business is already bearing heavy costs.'

Mr Walker, the executive chairman of the supermarket and a former Tory donor, quit the Conservative party last October in a blow to Rishi Sunak.

He switched his support to Labour in January, accusing the Tories of having 'failed the nation'.

Writing in The Guardian, he said: 'Labour is the right choice for the communities across the country where Iceland operates  and the right choice for everyone in business who wants to see this country grow and prosper.' Mr Walker, who had previously sought to become a Tory parliamentary candidate, said it was the Conservative party rather than him that had changed.

He used the Guardian article to praise Sir Keir for having 'transformed' his party in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership and said the Labour leader understands pressures facing households.

Sir Keir and Ms Reeves have been making clear there is more pain to come in the Budget on October 30, with inheritance tax, capital gains and tax breaks on pensions in the crosshairs.

Last week Labour's attempts to blame the Tories for the dire debt outlook were slapped down by the fiscal watchdog yesterday.

The Office for Budget Responsibility warned Sir Keir Starmer's Government that simply hiking taxes would not fix the public finances.

In a new forecast, the OBR said debt was on course to 'blow up' as it balloons to a staggering 274 per cent of the size of the economy over the next 50 years. An ageing population is expected to drive the increase by pushing up spending on the health service and pensions  while climate change is also a factor.

Unexpected global shocks comparable to the Covid-19 pandemic could lift the debt even further, to more than 300 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2074, the report warned.

Labour sought to blame the Tories, and use the figures as more ammunition to pile on the pain with 'tough choices' in next month's Budget.

The OBR cautioned that within drastic action pressures will push spending to over 60 per cent of GDP by the 2070s

Failure to boost productivity significantly would mean the problem being even more dramatic

The slapdown is embarrassing for Labour at a time when Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to toughen the OBR's role in scrutinising the public finances, claiming the Tories left her with a 22 billion 'black hole' when she took office in July.

UK debt stands at 2.75 trillion, or 99.4 per cent of GDP  the highest level since the early 1960s. The OBR forecasts major long-term pressures coming from higher health spending  nearly doubling from 7.6 per cent to 14.5 per cent of GDP  and the state pension bill rising from 5.2 per cent to 7.9 per cent.

And the cost of servicing the surging debt pile will quadruple from 2.8 per cent of GDP to 11.3 per cent. Added to that will be the price of climate change  including the cost of Net Zero and coping with the damage caused by severe weather.

OBR board member David Miles said: 'With unchanged policies and growth mediocre to poor... something's got to give.'

The government is also facing accusations of trying to hide from the 'horrific' impact of the decision to strip winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.

More than 80 per cent of people aged 80 and over will lose out, as will more than 70 per cent of pensioners.

Even among those who should still receive the payments, worth up to 300, an estimated 780,000 will miss out because they have not claimed pension credit.

The figures were quietly slipped out on Friday night, which shadow Treasury chief secretary Laura Trott said was a 'downright disgrace'.

Downing Street has said that a full impact assessment of the change, coming into effect this year, has not been carried out.

The Department for Work and Pensions released figures, published in response to a freedom of information request, are based on 'equality analyses' which 'are not impact assessments and not routinely published alongside secondary legislation'.

From this winter, only people on pension credit or certain other benefits will receive the payments, while about 10 million others are set to be stripped of the allowance.

The Government has insisted the move is necessary to help fill a '22 billion black hole' in the public finances inherited from the Tory government.

Around 71 per cent of those with a disability and 83 per cent of those aged 80 or over will now miss out on the payment.

However, in its FOI response, the DWP said that while those with a disability will be disproportionately likely to retain the payment, 'around 71 per cent  1.6 million  of people with a disability will still lose entitlement'.

And about 880,000 people currently set to lose the benefit this year are pensioners entitled to pension credit who have not claimed it, according to the analysis.

The assessment assumes a five percentage point 'loss aversion' increase in pension credit take-up, which the DWP said then cuts the number of eligible pensioners failing to claim to about 780,000.
Russia is feared to have handed over nuclear bomb secrets to Iran in return for missiles to blast Ukraine as concerns rise in the West that the world may be on the brink of WWIII.

The terrifying prospect was discussed during a meeting between US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday at the White House.

If it is confirmed, such a deal would cause major concern with Tehran advancing its programme of uranium enrichment in a step towards developing a nuclear weapon.

British sources indicated that alarm bells were sounded over Iran's trade for nuclear technology - in what is feared to be part of a deepening alliance between Tehran and Moscow.

Last week the US and UK declassified crucial intelligence that revealed Russian President Vladimir Putin had accepted a shipment of Fath-360 ballistic missiles from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tyrant Russian President Vladimir Putin is feared to have handed Iran nuclear weapon secrets in return for missiles to blast Ukraine

The terrifying prospect was discussed during a meeting between US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday at the White House

Putin had accepted a shipment of Fath-360 ballistic missiles from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (pictured)

Following the delivery, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, shared a chilling warning during a visit to London with his British counterpart, David Lammy.

'For its part, Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks  this is a two-way street  including on nuclear issues as well as some space information,' Blinken said, suggesting that Russia and Iran are engaged in destabilising activities with global implications.

As a result of the missile shipment, Iran Air has been banned from flying over or landing in Britain and Russian shipping companies have been hit with sanctions for their role in transporting the weapons.

The White House summit hosted talks on allowing Ukraine to use UK-made Storm Shadow missiles to blitz military targets on Russian soil - but no final decision has been announced.

No announcement will likely be made on the approval for strikes until 'the first missile lands', one Western official told PBS on condition of anonymity.

While Britain, France, and Germany have warned Tehran has built up its supply of uranium, it is not cleat whether it has the capabilities to build a nuclear weapon.

But working alongside experienced Russian specialists or using Russian intelligence would help speed up the manufacturing process, however - Iran has denied that it is even attempting to build a nuclear bomb.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia's relationship with Iran has deepened to a level previously unparalleled.

Their military collaboration has continued to grow at an alarming rate, and Iran has become a vital member of Russia's air and ground campaign in war-torn Ukraine.

Since the brutal invasion, Iran has supplied Moscow with Shahed drones, which have been used to bomb Ukrainian cities.

The White House summit hosted talks on allowing Ukraine to use UK-made Storm Shadow missiles to blitz military targets on Russian soil

Russia and Iran, although not historically an alliance, have become increasingly solidified in their opposition to the west. Pictured: A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is test-fired as part of Russia's nuclear drills from a launch site in Plesetsk, northwestern Russia

Pictured: A Ghadr-H missle, center, a solid-fuel surface-to-surface Sejjil missile and a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Additionally, Tehran has reportedly helped Russia set up a factory to produce more drones for use in the ongoing conflict.

Iran had struck a deal in 2015 to halt their nuclear weapons making progress in exchange for sanctions relief with the US and other western nations - only for the agreement to be swiped in 2018 by former US President Donald Trump.

Iran retaliated by breaching agreed limits on the amount of enriched uranium it could hold.

Concerns over Iran's potential nuclear weapon development have been escalating for months, and are now causing fears to rise in the Middle East.

Iran's support for militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah has made its nuclear activities a major concern for Israel as the potential of Iran getting its hands on a nuclear weapon is seen as a direct threat by Jerusalem.

This is since Tehran's proxies in Lebanon and Gaza continue to repeatedly challenge Israeli military.

In April this year, Iran launched a Russian-style missile and drone attack aimed at Israel, though it was intercepted and stopped with the help of the US and UK.

Russia and Iran, although not historically an alliance, have become increasingly solidified in their opposition to the west.

This has resulted in what some analysts have dubbed an 'axis of upheaval' that also includes China and North Korea, reflecting a return to an era of state competition reminiscent of the cold war.

Following Friday's crunch talks, Starmer is set to travel to Italy tomorrow where he is expected to discuss using the Storm Shadows deep inside Russia - as the Italians have a stake in the weapons system.

British sources claim the PM would then encourage the French and German to echo his support for the crucial increase in Western support for Ukraine.
Tommy Robinson is to hold a mass far right protest on Sir Keir Starmer's doorstep in a 'peaceful show of resistance' to the Prime Minister's 'tyranny'.

The English Defence League founder, real name Stephen Yaxley Lennon, announced on his X page that he was 'coming home to unite the kingdom once again'.

Robinson, 41, issued a rallying cry to his one million followers to 'make your plans' for the October 26 protest outside 10 Downing Street.

The demonstration will take place just two days before he is due in the High Court in London to face contempt of court charges.

Robinson has vowed to work with Scotland Yard 'so all the boxes are ticked' ahead of what he describes as an 'assembly'.

Tommy Robinson is to hold a mass far right protest on Sir Keir Starmer's doorstep in a 'peaceful show of resistance' to the Prime Minister's 'tyranny'

Protesters outside Downing Street in London in July protesting the arrest of Robinson for the 'frustration' of a port stop at the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone

Writing on X last week, he said: 'I AM COMING HOME. It's fight or flight.

'We will fight, I'm coming home to unite the kingdom once again. This time on @Keir_Starmer doorstep. 10 Downing Street 26th of October.

'A peaceful show of resistance to his tyranny. We will also premier our latest documentary. Make your plans. I'll upload a video explaining all.

'We need each & every one of you. The British public will not be bullied into silence. Let's go.'

The Metropolitan Police told The Times: 'It is not the role of the police to grant permission for demonstrations.

'Our responsibility is to put a policing plan in place to ensure the safety of participants and the wider public, to prevent serious disruption and/or serious disorder.'

Robinson left Britain on July 28, the day before he was due in the High Court for contempt of court proceedings, and according to The Times is currently in the Algarve, Portugal.

Robinson was first served with contempt proceedings in June, with the Solicitor General telling a previous court hearing that he 'knowingly' breached the order by having 'published, caused, authorised or procured' a film titled Silenced in May last year.

It is also claimed Robinson repeated the allegations banned by the injunction in three interviews between February and June 2023.

Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley Lennon, attending a St George's Day rally on Whitehall, in Westminster, in April

Robinson, pictured here at the St George's Day rally in April, told his one million X followers he was 'coming home to unite the kingdom'

Demonstrators outside New Scotland Yard in London in July protesting the arrest of Robinson

Robinson supporters pictured outside Downing Street in July. Robinson left Britain on July 28, the day before he was due in the High Court for contempt of court proceedings

Silenced was then shown again at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in July this year, which is understood to be part of the alleged breach of the order under the second contempt application.

The day after the protest, Robinson was arrested for the 'frustration' of a port stop at the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Robinson was previously jailed after being found in contempt of court after he filmed men accused of the sexual exploitation of young girls and live-streamed the footage on Facebook, in breach of a reporting ban, outside Leeds Crown Court in May 2018.

He was sentenced to 13 months in jail after being found in contempt of court on the day of the broadcast, but served just two months before being freed after that finding of contempt was overturned by the Court of Appeal in August 2018.

The case was then referred back to the Attorney General and he was jailed again in July 2019.
James Cleverly today warned the Tories against doing a 'counter-productive' deal with Nigel Farage to win back right wing Tory voters.

The shadow home secretary and leadership contender said it was 'lazy' to think that joining forces with Reform UK after its election gains would help the Tories.

Mr Farage leads a group of five Reform MPs in the Commons after the Tories haemorrhaged votes to them over immigration, despite Rishi Sunak desperately trying to win them back.

Since then Tory politicians including Mr Cleverly's predecessor as home secretary, Suella Braverman, have called for closer ties and policies that could bring them back.

Some have suggested that Mr Farage and his party be absorbed by the Conservatives.

On Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme, it was put to Mr Cleverly that the Labour Party could hold government for a decade if the right-wing remains divided.

But he replied: 'Your analysis is completely off. We lost the confidence of voters, we need to regain that credibility, we need to have an honest conversation about the relationship between the state, the levels of taxation, the levels of immigration.

'The lazy idea that somehow cutting a deal with Nigel Farage will make all those problems go away, I think, is naive at best and deeply counterproductive at worst.

'We can and we should win those voters back by being ourselves, not by doing some pale imitation of someone else.'

The shadow home secretary and leadership contender said it was 'lazy' to think that joining forces with Reform UK after its election gains would help the Tories.

Mr Farage leads a group of five Reform MPs in the Commons after the Tories haemorrhaged votes to them over immigration, despite Rishi Sunak desperately trying to win them back.

Mr Cleverly also refused to rule out accepting future donations from Frank Hester, who reportedly suggested former Labour MP Diane Abbott made him 'want to hate all black women' and that she 'should be shot'.

Mr Cleverly was repeatedly asked on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme whether, if he became party leader, he would take donations from Mr Hester.

The Tory leadership hopeful responded: 'He's apologised, he admitted that what he said was completely wrong  the reason he donated to the Conservative Party's general election campaign was to protect the British people from the Labour Government that we now see.

'I've not had any discussions with Frank Hester about the future. What he said was totally unacceptable, he's apologised for that  he has been a donor to the (Conservative) party, whether he is again in the future I don't know'.

He was asked if he thought Mr Hester's comments were equivalent to Lady Victoria Starmer being given dresses that were not initially declared in the register for MPs' interests.

Mr Cleverly responded: 'Well that wealthy donor (Lord Alli) was then given a pass to Number 10, to run free at the very heart of Government, something that Mr Hester has not ever had'.

Lord Alli had been given a Downing Street security pass without apparently having a Government role.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has been accused of ignoring the pleas of hundreds of his own constituents potentially facing homelessness.

The Labour frontbencher, who only this week unveiled legislation to abolish no-fault evictions, has not yet intervened in the Labour-led council's decision to demolish 204 flats in his Greenwich patch.

Campaigners have said the MP must take responsibility during a 'deeply unsettling' time for residents living in Mast Quay Phase II, a pair of blocks in Woolwich.

Last September Greenwich Council ordered the developer to knock down the flats due to 'deviations' from the original planning permission.

Tenants are still moving into the blocks, which Greenwich Councillors have described as a 'mutant development that is a blight on the landscape'.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook (pictured) has been accused of ignoring the pleas of hundreds of his own constituents potentially facing homelessness

But residents are believed to be overwhelmingly happy with the state of their living conditions. One tenant said he was shocked that flats were being demolished during a housing supply crisis.

A spokesperson for the Save Our Sails residents group said: 'We are disappointed by the lack of engagement with not just our MP, Matthew Pennycook, but our local councillors on Greenwich Council and even the leader of the council, Anthony Okereke. Residents have sent letters asking for help and an explanation as to why we have this demolition uncertainty hanging over our heads. We have also invited Mr. Pennycook and the others to come and meet us, look at our flats, and inspect the building. However, the invitation has been rebuffed, and there has been no explanation or help offered.

'At what is a deeply unsettling time for us residents, we are disappointed by the lack of interest shown by our Greenwich council leader, Anthony Okereke. Residents have sent letters and petitions asking for help and an explanation as to why we have this demolition uncertainty hanging over our heads. We feel completely cut adrift. Clearly, the housing security of residents is not a priority for our council leader.'

Mr Pennycook is understood not to want to engage with any parties until the ongoing public inquiry has concluded.

Mr Pennycook is seen in Westminster during morning media round on September 11

Donovan Thompson, a Mast Quays resident of over a year, said: 'Matthew Pennycook should be here helping his constituents out. Why are the councillors and the MP going quiet on us? I bet there's another agenda.'

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'We are aware that the Royal Borough of Greenwich has taken enforcement action against the Mast Quay development in Woolwich, and this has been appealed by the developer.

'The appeal will be determined by the Planning Inspectorate, and it would be inappropriate to comment further.'

A Comer Homes spokesperson said last week: 'It is heartening to hear from the residents of Mast Quay that they are happy in their homes. We sympathise with each and every one of our tenants during what must be an unsettling time.'

A Greenwich council spokesperson said: 'No decision on Mast Quay has been made. The Planning Inspectorate's inquiry has now concluded, and its outcome is expected in a couple of months. We're extremely proud of the strong and robust case we put forward to the planning inspector and we now eagerly await their decision.

'In the Royal Borough of Greenwich, we take our duties seriously as a local planning authority and will continue to strive to ensure that new homes are sustainable, high-quality, and safe for all.'
Were YOU there?

EU flags were confiscated from Last Night of the Proms concert-goers yesterday following strict rules banning 'protest' and 'hatred'.

The concert celebrates British tradition with patriotic music of the United Kingdom and was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London last night.

The venue last month released guidance banning flags, 'including those from prescribed groups, flags related to protest, hatred' from the Proms finale.

But there seemed to be confusion among security staff at the event last night, as some concert-goers had flags taken from them at the door while others entered the venue carrying the yellow and blue flags without difficulty.

Last night, people from the pro-EU group Thank EU for the Music were handing out EU flags outside the venue as part of a demonstration.

The concert has previously seen anti-Brexit protesters holding EU flags during a campaign by a pro-Europe group.

Were YOU there? Email katherine.lawton@mailonline.co.uk

People outside the Royal Albert Hall for Last Night of the Proms yesterday

A woman stands outside the Royal Albert Hall with EU flags for Last Night of the Proms

Waving flags on the final evening is tradition, while the concert always features a performance of the national anthem.

Council worker Craig Amey, 35, of Leicester, arrived at the concert wearing a Union flag suit.

Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: 'Kick me out if you want to but you are not going to take my suit off.'

Guidance released in August said: 'Flags are permitted at the Proms and are traditionally part of the Last Night celebrations provided they do not interfere with the smooth running of the concert.'

It added that 'some flags will not be allowed in the auditorium, including those from proscribed groups, flags related to protest, hatred'.

The concert celebrates British tradition with patriotic music of the United Kingdom

People dress up for Last Night of the Proms concert in London last night

Some people arrived wearing national flags for Last Night of the Proms

An additional PDF states that 'flags related to protest may be confiscated'.

The venue's statement that some flags are not allowed reportedly came after public concern over the growing number of audience members holding the EU flag instead of the Union Jack flag at the Last Night concert.

Two security guards were seen confiscating EU flags from ticket-holders as they went through the back check area, The Telegraph reported.
Cleo Smith has been hailed as a future Australian Olympian less than three years since her abduction shocked the nation.

Cleo was just four-years-old when she was snatched from her sleeping bag as she slept alongside baby sister inside a tent while camping with her mum and stepdad at the Blowholes camping site in Western Australia's Gascoyne region, about 10 hours drive north of Perth, on October 16, 2021.

Police and rescue personnel, aided by horses, helicopters and drones, spent nearly three weeks scouring the western Australian scrub during mammoth operation.

Hope was fading as the days went on and experts feared young Cleo was dead.

But 18 days after she went missing, police found Cleo in the home of Terrence Darrell Kelly in Carnarvon, minutes away from her own family home.

Almost four years on from the horrific kidnapping and intense media scrutiny, Cleo, now 7, has made significant adjustments and appears to be living a happy and normal life.

Her mum Ellie Gliddon shared her daughter's most recent achievement, revealing her daughter won her first gymnastics competition.

The snaps, posted by 60 Minutes on Facebook, showed the seven-year-old holding her gold medal, a certificate and a number of ribbons.

Cleo Smith has won gold in her first gymnastics competition, nearly three years since her abduction

Cleo's mother, Ellie, feared the worrisome abduction would strip Cleo of her childhood

The photos were met with joy and plaudits from commenters.

Many were glad Cleo had been able to live 'a normal childhood' after the horrific abduction.

'I think the whole of Australia is behind you Cleo! Well done,' one woman wrote:

Another added: 'Bless her little heart! Her whole family are the epitome of resilience,' another woman said.

The update come just two months after the family shared a collection of photos of beaming Cleo enjoying life with her family.

The happy snaps included a family fishing trip, Cleo's seventh birthday, playing with her little sister Isla and the sisters' first day at school earlier this year.

'Cleo Smith, all grown up. The seven-year-old is enjoying life in Western Australia, loving school and being a big sister to Isla,' 60 Minutes captioned the heartwarming photos in July.

A beaming Cleo proudly showed off her gold medal and ribbons

Cleo's family previously revealed just how tough it was for the then-four-year-old to readjust to life after the kidnapping.

Ms Smith told Channel Nine after the ordeal that Cleo had been stripped of her ability to be a child.

'The first week (after Cleo returned home) it was probably the worst. We had to have all the doors open and all the lights on just for her to go to sleep, and even then, she would wake up screaming,' Ms Smith said at the time.

'Nightmare after nightmare, after being through the nightmare.'

In the weeks she was kidnapped, Cleo was held captive in a bedroom with just a mattress on the floor in Kelly's state housing duplex in Carnarvon.

Kelly left Cleo in the house alone for hours at a time while he attended other errands, turning up the radio in the bathroom to drown out her crying when he'd return.

Police smashed down the locked door of Kelly's home in Carnarvon - just 3km from her family's home - at 12.46am on November 3, 2021, freeing the little girl.

Then-four-year-old Cleo was held captive in Terrence Darrell Kelly's state housing for 18 days

They found her in a bedroom playing with toys, and had to ask her name three times before she finally replied: 'M-my name is Cleo'.

Kelly was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of forcibly taking a child under 16.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced on April 5, 2023, to 13-and-a-half years behind bars.

The sentence was backdated to his arrest in November 2021.

Kelly will be 48 by the time he is eligible for parole in May 2032.
Have YOU been hit by the floods?

At least six people are dead after torrential rain and flooding caused by Storm Boris wreaked havoc in eastern Europe.

A firefighter died during a flood rescue mission in an Austrian province declared a disaster zone, it was announced today.

Four people were killed in south eastern Romania yesterday in the worst-affected region, Galati, where 5,000 homes were damaged.

Emil Dragomir, the mayor of Slobozia Conachi, a village in Galati, declared: 'This is a catastrophe of epic proportions.'

Romania's President Klaus Iohannis blamed climate change for the 'dramatic consequences'.

Have YOU been hit by the floods? Email matt.strudwick@mailonline.co.uk

ROMANIA: Local residents rescue an elderly man from the rising flood waters in the village of Slobozia Conachi

AUSTRIA: A flooded road following heavy rainfall in Neulengbach, in north east Austria

POLAND: Residents take photos on their mobile phones as water from the Biala river come to the city centre in Glucholazy

POLAND: People with a dog carry their children through a flooded street in Glucholazy

'We must continue to strengthen our capacity to anticipate extreme weather phenomena,' he said.

'Severe floods that have affected a large part of the country have led to loss of lives and significant damage.

'We are again dealing with the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present throughout the European continent, with dramatic consequences on people.'

Hundreds of people have been rescued across 19 parts of the country, emergency services said, releasing a video of flooded homes in a village by the Danube river.

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed this morning one person drowned in the Klodzko region where 1,600 people have been evacuated and 17,000 are without power.

Mr Tusk took the decision to use Elon Musk's Starlink satellites with the internet and moblie phone signal not working in some locations in the area.

Polish authorities have called in the army to support firefighters.

Meanwhile, a military Blackhawk helicopter was called in and deployed to Klodzko's capital, Wroclaw, reported the BBC, where thousands of people at a high-rise tower blocks had to use the staircases to escape as the lifts were shut as a safety precaution.

In Glucholazy, Poland's south western Opole region, people have today been urged to scramble to higher ground after the river burst its banks and began to flood the town.

CZECHIA: People are evacuated as the flood waters continue to rise

POLAND: Firefighters work in a flooded street in Glucholazy

AUSTRIA: A local resident builds flood protection during heavy rainfall in Neulengbach

ROMANIA: An elderly man clings to a washing line as he is rescued from his home in Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA: A man inspects a flooded house in the Romanian village of Slobozia Conachi

CZECHIA: A woman stands in front of a house in a residential area flooded by the Opava river

SLOVAKIA: Firefighters load some food onto a boat for old people in a retirement home in the flooded town of Stupava

SLOVAKIA: Residents load sandbags on flooded streets in Stupava, a town west of Bratislava

POLAND: The Biala river in Glucholazy, southern Poland, is swollen on September 14

ROMANIA: Aerial view of the rising flood waters in the Romanian village of Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA: A dog makes its way through the rising flood waters in the Romanian village of Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA: Local residents rescue a dog from the rising flood waters in Slobozia Conachi

AUSTRIA: A pedestrian looks at the high level of the Wien river in Hutteldorf, Vienna

ROMANIA: People walk in the rising flood waters in Slobozia Conachi

CZECHIA: Firefighters drive their truck across a street flooded by the Opava river today

CZECHIA: A boy holding a dog walks besides a street flooded by the Opava river

POLAND: An aerial view of the flooded streets in Glucholazy

Resident Zofia Owsiaka, 65, watched with fear as the fast-flowing waters of the swollen Biala river surged past.

'Water is the most powerful force of nature. Everyone is scared,' she said.

While in the country's second largest city Krakow, sandbags are being offered as a way to protect homes.

In Czechia, 50,000 homes have been left without power in the north with police reporting today that four people are missing.

Three were in a car that was swept into a river in the northeastern town of Lipova-Lazne, and another man was missing after being swept away by floods in the southeast.

A dam in the south of the country burst its banks, flooding towns and villages downstream.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said 'we have to be ready for worst-case scenarios'.

'A tough weekend is ahead of us,' he warned.

The flood barriers have been raised in Prague and the embankments have been closed to the public as the storm continues to rage.

Some areas of Austria's Tyrol region were blanketed by up to three feet of snow - an exceptional situation for mid-September, which saw temperatures of up to 30C last week.

Rail services were suspended in the country's east early today and several metro lines were shut down in the capital Vienna, where the Wien river was threatening to overflow its banks, according to the APA news agency.

CZECHIA: An hydraulic excavator in the flooded town of Prelouc

CZECHIA: A man walks past a car through floodwater in a street by the Opava river

POLAND: Water ferociously flows through amid authorities calling in the army to support firefighters

POLAND: In Glucholazy, people have today been urged to scramble to higher ground after the river burst its banks and began to flood the town

POLAND: Residents shelter under umbrellas as they watch the flood waters a Storm Boris continues to batter eastern Europe

ROMANIA: An aerial view of the rising flood waters in Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA: Local residents watch the rising flood waters in Slobozia Conachi yesterday

POLAND: A firefighter stands next to sand bags piled up against the floods of the Biala river in Glucholazy

CZECHIA: Firefighters and volunteers build a wall of sand bags to stop flood water of the Opava river

POLAND: Local residents make barriers using sandbags to stop water of the Biala river flooding the city centre of Glucholazy

POLAND: A man piles up sand bags at the entrance of a house to protect it against the floods in Glucholazy

POLAND: A car is also submerged by the rising waters in Glucholazy

Firefighters have intervened around 150 times in Vienna since Friday to clear roads blocked by storm debris and pump water from cellars, local media reported.

In total, 24 villages in the Lower Austria province have been declared as disaster zones with evacuation orders being made since yesterday afternoon.

Neighbouring Slovakia has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bratislava.

Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually fierce rainfall.
The billionaire rocketman who made the first private spacewalk on the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission is back on earth after splashing down off the coast of Florida today.

Jared Isaacman, 41, led the four-member team who landed in the ocean at 3.37am, a webcast of the splashdown showed, with a recovery team deploying in the pre-dawn darkness to retrieve the Dragon spacecraft and crew.

The capsule was lifted from the water and onto the recovery vessel half an hour later.

After brief medical checks, a smiling and waving SpaceX engineer Anna Menon was the first of the crew to exit, followed by engineer Sarah Gillis, pilot Scott Poteet and commander Isaacman. A helicopter was due to transport them to land.

The team launched on Tuesday from the Kennedy Space Center, quickly journeying deeper into the cosmos than any humans in the past half century as they ventured into the dangerous Van Allen radiation belt.

Tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman (centre) smiles as he gets out of the capsule upon his return

The four-member crew including Isaacman (third left) seated in the capsule

The space capsule floating in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas upon returning to Earth

The space capsule landing in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas upon returning to Earth

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft is seen as it lands

They hit a peak altitude of 870 miles - more than three times higher than the International Space Station and the furthest humans had ever travelled from Earth since the Apollo missions to the Moon.

On Thursday, with their Dragon spacecraft's orbit brought down to 434 miles, Isaacman swung open the hatch and climbed out into the void, gripping a structure called 'Skywalker' as a breathtaking view of Earth unfolded before him.

'SpaceX, back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world,' he told mission control in Hawthorne, California, where teams erupted in applause.

He went back inside after a few minutes and was replaced by a second astronaut, SpaceX engineer Gillis, who, like Isaacman, performed a series of mobility tests on SpaceX's next-generation suits.

Since Dragon doesn't have an airlock, the entire crew was exposed to the vacuum of space. Mission pilot Poteet and SpaceX engineer Menon remained strapped in throughout as they monitored vital support systems.

It marked a 'giant leap forward' for the commercial space industry, said NASA chief Bill Nelson, as well as another triumphant achievement for SpaceX.

US Mission Specialist Anna Menon reacting as she gets out of the capsule upon returning to Earth

Crew working next to the space capsule after it landed in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas upon returning to Earth

The capsule (centre) carrying tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman with his crew

The space capsule splashing in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas upon returning to Earth

Tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, center, reacts as he gets out of its capsule upon his return with his crew

The space capsule floating in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas upon returning to Earth

Although the company was only founded in 2002, it has outpaced its legacy competitors thanks in large part to founder Elon Musk's vast fortune and zeal to begin the colonisation of Mars.

Since completing their extravehicular activity, the crew have continued to carry out roughly 40 science experiments, such as inserting endoscopic cameras through their noses and into their throats to image their airways and better understand the impact of long-duration space missions on human health.

They also demonstrated connectivity with SpaceX's Starlink internet satellite constellation by sending back to ground control a high-resolution video of Gillis playing 'Rey's Theme' by 'Star Wars' composer John Williams, on the violin.

Polaris Dawn is the first of three missions under the Polaris programme, a collaboration between Isaacman and SpaceX.

Financial terms of the partnership remain under wraps but Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, reportedly poured $200million of his own money into leading the 2021 all-civilian SpaceX Inspiration4 orbital mission.

The final Polaris mission aims to be the first crewed flight of SpaceX's Starship, a prototype next-generation rocket that is key to Musk's interplanetary ambitions.
The West will not be bullied by Vladimir Putin's threat of all-out war with Nato if Ukraine is given permission to use Western weapons to strike inside Russia, David Lammy said.

The Foreign Secretary said talks were continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russian airbases and military sites which are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy has been part of intensive UK-US diplomatic talks in Kyiv and Washington in the past week which have so far failed to produce a decision.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly pressed Western leaders for permission to use the weapons they have supplied to hit sites within Russia.

Mr Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes 'would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia'.

The Foreign Secretary said talks were continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russian airbases and military sites which are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy has been part of intensive UK-US diplomatic talks in Kyiv and Washington in the past week which have so far failed to produce a decision.

Russian president Mr Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes 'would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia'.

But Mr Lammy told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: 'Putin said ''don't send tanks''. We sent them.

'Putin said ''don't send any missiles''. We sent them.

'Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons.

'What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.'

Mr Lammy said there was 'a lot of bluster' from Mr Putin but 'we cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist' who 'wants to move into countries willy-nilly'.

On the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, he said talks would continue with Sir Keir Starmer, US President Joe Biden and Mr Zelensky at the United Nations in New York later this month.

'It's important that as allies supporting Ukraine, we have a shared strategy to win going forward.

'Now we've been discussing this with the United States and with other key allies, but of course, we head to the UN General Assembly, where we will all meet with Zelensky in just under 12 days' time.'

Mr Lammy said 'no war is won with any one weapon', but added: 'It's important that we support the Ukrainians to continue to repel Russia in the Black Sea, it's important that they can deal with the huge challenges in the air that are being mounted by Russia and of course that we support them  and we have  with training of their own men and women on the front line.

'We want to put Ukraine in the strongest position going forward.

'I can't tell you operationally, on air, what we will or won't do, and I particularly won't do that at a time when Russia is buying ballistic missiles from Iran and escalating further.

'But please understand this is under careful discussion with the Ukrainians as we assess what they need as they head into that winter.'

Mr Zelensky posted a fresh plea for aid on social media site X on Sunday: 'This week, the Russians have launched around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine.

'Ukraine needs strong support from our partners to defend lives against Russian terror-air defense, long-range capabilities, support for our warriors. Everything that will help force Russia to end this war.

Former foreign secretary and Tory leadership hopeful James Cleverly told Sky News: 'I think it's disappointing that Keir Starmer and David Lammy have failed to secure international agreement for Ukraine to use these missiles in their self-defence against the launch sites of those weapons that are currently hitting civilian infrastructure, energy infrastructure.'

'I thank everyone around the world who understands this and our partners who help and support us.'

A British military intelligence update suggested Russia was continuing a 'high tempo of offensive operations in multiple areas of the frontline' in the conflict.

A counter-offensive has been launched by airborne and naval infantry units in Kursk, the area of Russia invaded by Ukrainian forces, and they have 'highly likely retaken several villages'.

In eastern Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence intelligence update said Mr Putin's troops were making 'gradual advances' around Vuhledar and to the southeast of the important logistics hub Pokrovsk.

Senior Tories have pushed for the UK to give Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia with Storm Shadow missiles even without US agreement.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson and ex-defence secretaries Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox have pushed for the change, the Sunday Times reported.

Former foreign secretary and Tory leadership hopeful James Cleverly told Sky News: 'I think it's disappointing that Keir Starmer and David Lammy have failed to secure international agreement for Ukraine to use these missiles in their self-defence against the launch sites of those weapons that are currently hitting civilian infrastructure, energy infrastructure.

'It's complicated negotiations, but we've had a successful track record up until now, and I really hope that they will continue pushing on this.'
A grieving mother says life will never be the same again after her 12-year-old son was killed by a dangerous BMW driver.

Youngster Azaan Khan died in June last year after he was mown down in a hit-and-run crash as he rode his bike home from school.

Azaan had gone to the shops with his pals and was crossing Coventry Road in South Yardley, Birmingham, when Shazad Alam, 34, ploughed his BMW into him.

He was given a blood transfusion but died at the scene.

His heartbroken mother Zoe Homer spoke outside Birmingham Crown Court this week after Jaguar Land Rover worker Alam changed his plea to guilty to the charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Youngster Azaan Khan died in June last year when he was mown down in a hit-and-run crash as he rode his bike home from school in South Yardley, Birmingham

Little Azaan had gone to the shops with his pals and was crossing Coventry Road when Shazad Alam, 34, ploughed his BMW into him

The grieving mother was 36 weeks pregnant when Azaan was killed. She told ITV News: 'Your life carries on doesn't it, and it's never the same.

'I think [Alam] being sentenced is never going to bring Azaan back. Which is all we'd want to happen. I was 36 weeks pregnant at the time of the accident, so I gave birth three weeks after. It's just been really hard.'

Azaan's father Jakir Khan revealed his own anguish as he said he doesn't 'know how to deal with it in my head'.

'We had Azaan when we were quite young,' he said.

'He was everything that we ever had and he gave us purpose, to be honest.

'Being so young, I felt like he was not only my son, but he was also my friend as well. And all of that has been taken away from me. Every day feels like I'm alone, and I don't know how to get on with my life anymore.'

Floral tributes left at the scene where Azaan died in June last year. His grieving mother Zoe Homer says life will never be the same again after he was killed

On what Ms Homer will tell her other children about Azaan in the future, she said: 'How funny he was; he had a great sense of humour.

'He was just everything to the both of us, and to all of our families. I can't describe the loss that everyone feels.'

Alam, from Sheldon, had denied the charge but changed his plea on Thursday where a judge warned him an 'immediate sentence of imprisonment is inevitable', reported Birmingham Live.

He was released on bail and given an interim driving ban ahead of a sentencing hearing on November 21.
Donald Trump's estranged niece has slammed her uncle and his recent debate performance.

Mary Trump, 59, made the remarks Saturday on Substack, following a series of scathing interviews and social media posts issued alongside her new memoir.

Titled Who Could Ever Love You, the tome and accompanying media tour have all been critical of the former president, and was released Tuesday.

In it, she paints the Republican presidential candidate as a 'failure' and a 'bully'. The new blog post was titled 'Cheating as Way of Life, What Donald Keeps Getting Away With.

The latter came within days of the former, and hours after she appeared on MSNBC to discuss the debate between Trump and Vice President Harris. There, she said Trump had suffered a 'resounding defeat', from which he will never recover.

Mary Trump, 59, made the remarks Saturday on Substack , following a series of scathing interviews and social media posts issued alongside her new memoir. A still from one of those interviews, administered Saturday, is seen here

Titled Who Could Ever Love You, the tome and accompanying media tour have all been critical of the former president, and was released Tuesday

'Donald spent the weekend, as he often does, lying to the American people,' Mary Trump, whose grandfather Fred Trump Sr founded the Trump Organization, opened by saying.

'[R]anting about all of the ways in which the debate was rigged against him,' she added.

'[F]rom the moderators giving Kamala Harris the questions ahead of time to her having a microphone hidden in her ears through which other people were telling her what to say.'

Trump made those claims in the wake of the Tuesday event, leading his niece to compare them to assertions he made following his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

'It's always projection with my uncle,' the psychologist who obtained her master's studying literature at Columbia said.

'[A]nd that is never more true than when he's in the process of trying to pre-rig an upcoming election.'

The author proceed to point to a post made by her uncle on Truth Social Saturday, in which her uncle warned onlookers that he would imprison anyone who engages in 'unscrupulous behavior' during this year's race.

She quoted the post in full - singling out how her relative had wrote that this year's election '[would] be under the closest professional scrutiny' and that Democrats engaged in 'rampant Cheating and Skulduggery' in 2020 'will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law'.

To that, she wrote, 'Not surprisingly, this rant ignored the fact that the only people who got caught cheating in the last presidential election were a few old white Republicans, living in the Villages, and of course, him.'

'The stakes are much higher now than they were in either 2016 or 2020,' she went on.

'And he will stop at absolutely nothing to get back into the White House - which at this point, is the only thing that will save his dwindling fortune or keep him out of prison.'

The post goes on to mention mainstream media's supposed attempts to 'sanewash' these sort of 'delusional, and often incomprehensible rantings' - which Mary wrote includes now simply ignoring them.

Showing her disapproval of such strategies, she pointed out, 'After Donald made the above threat against election workers, donors, and operatives on Saturday night, the story was nowhere to be found on the homepage of The New York Times on Sunday.

'Donald is signaling clearly to us what's coming and we can't depend on corporate media to confirm it,' she continued.

'This election is too important to for us to rely on outlets that continue, against all evidence to the contrary, to normalize a deeply unwell traitor just so they can preserve the horse race of it all.'

She then claimed her uncle was not trying to win fairly anyway, and that 'he knows that he just needs to keep it close enough so he can cheat by having his friends in the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court throw the election to him.'

'We need to do everything we can to prevent that from happening.

'We need to be absolutely certain the entirety of the Republican Party is routed in a way that will force them to reconsider the path it's on,' she concluded. 'And that is up to us.'

The post was published just hours after the author's latest interview appearance as part of her book tour, which has seen her speak with big names like Anderson Cooper MSNBC's Alex Witt after joining the Biden campaign after the first debate in June.

In 'Who Could Ever Love You: A Family Memoir,' Mary writes that Donald told her father, Freddy Jr., that he was a 'glorified bus driver'

On Saturday, she spoke to MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace, saying that her uncle had suffered a 'resounding defeat,' at the second debate against Harris Tuesday

'I think Donald showed his hand, well, during the debate, for sure, but immediately afterwards,' she said.

'Winners do not show up in the spin room and winners do not turn down an opportunity to win again.'

She added that the loss was 'a narcissistic injury that he will never get over.'

The comments aligned with those aired in her book, the third in a series started in 2020 that are all critical of the former president.

In it, she writes how her uncle used to mock her late father Freddy, who quit the family real estate business for a career as a pilot before dying at 42.

His death came after a lifetime of drinking, and Mary writes how the Trump's brother's father was supposedly 'embarrassed' by him.

She also details how Donald took part in the alleged abuse as well, telling her father he was a 'glorified bus driver' in one of many alleged attacks that drove him to alcohol abuse that caused his death in 1981.

The comments aligned with those in her book, which critical of the ex president. In it, she writes how her uncle used to mock her late father Freddy (seen with Trump in 1988), who quit the family business for a career as a pilot before dying at 42

Mary, who now works as a therapist, at a point writes: 'Nobody liked Donald when he was growing up, not even his parents'. She is calling on Americans to vote against him

The Republican presidential candidate is depicted in the book as a 'failure' and a 'thin-skinned bully' who beat up smaller children when he was a boy.

Mary, who now works as a therapist, at a point writes: 'Nobody liked Donald when he was growing up, not even his parents.

'As he got older, those personality traits hardened and the hostile indifference and aggressive disrespect he'd developed as a toddler to help withstand the neglect from his mother, because she was seriously ill and psychologically unstable, and from his father because, as a sociopath, he had not interest in his children outside of Freddy.

'Even so the interest wasn't love - Fred (Sr) was incapable of loving anybody'.

Mary did have a reunion of sorts with her uncle in April 2017 when she accepted an invitation to visit him in the White House, the book recalls.

But she regretted it from the moment she accepted, she writes, adding that combined with the Trump administration policies she had to go into ketamine therapy.

Mary also underwent EMDR therapy, famously used by Prince Harry, which involves moving your eyelids a particular way to heal trauma.
Donald Trump says that the United States Postal Service (USPS) is running the 2024 election in a new post that accuses the agency of being unprepared to handle mail-in ballots.

The former president pointed to frequent delays and lost mail as proof that USPS cannot be trusted to receive and deliver 2024 ballots filled out at home.

Absentee, early and at-home voting has become much more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic forced states and the federal government to adapt to allowing voters to cast their ballots by mail.

But Trump and his allies claim this is what led to their allegations of massive fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

Donald Trump claims the U.S. Postal Service is running the 2024 election and is not prepared to handle mail-in ballots

'The United States Postal Service has admitted that it is a poorly run mess that is experiencing mail loss and delays at a level never seen before,' Trump posted to his Truth Social on Sunday morning.

'With this being the FACT, how can we possibly be expected to allow or trust the U.S. Postal Service to run the 2024 Presidential Election?' he questioned. 'It is not possible for them to do so. HELP!'

When filling out ballots at home, voters can either send them back through the mail or return them in a drop box specifically meant for the ballots.

Trump claimed in a follow-up post on Sunday that CNN reported the USPS was not prepared for an influx of ballots.

The former president didn't cite exactly where he got the information, but it appears to point to a 2020 report from CNN that said some states were worried they wouldn't be able to deliver ballots on time based on election laws.

Those who fill out ballots early or by mail can either send them through USPS or turn them in at a dedicated ballot drop box

'The United States Postal Service is not prepared for this massive influx of Ballots.' CNN,' Trump posted on Truth Social.

Multiple lawsuits are still ongoing from Trump and his camp that allege the 2020 election was riddled with fraud and interference by Democrats. None have been successful so far.

Trump is also facing legal battles related to his claims that the election was 'stolen.'

And the 2024 Republican presidential nominee still maintains that he was the rightful winner against President Joe Biden in the last election.
Sen. J.D. Vance says he won't try to speak for Donald Trump in the future after the vice presidential nominee expressed a contradicting viewpoint on a federal abortion ban.

The admission came after a moment at Tuesday's debate where the former president broke with his running mate and said they have not yet discussed a veto on banning abortion at a national level.

'I think that I've learned my lesson on speaking for the president before he and I have actually talked about an issue,' Vance said in an interview with Meet the Press host Kristen Welker on Sunday morning.

The Ohio Senator said his point last month was to reiterate that Trump has been clear he does not support the idea of a national ban  but that he also thinks the issue would never cross his desk because it wouldn't get through Congress in the first place.

Sen. J.D. Vance says he 'learned my lesson' about speaking publicly for Donald Trump before they spoke specifically about an issue after he said the former president would veto a national abortion bill if it hit his desk

WATCH: On #MTP in August, @JDVance said Donald Trump would veto a national abortion ban.



But on the debate stage, Trump said he wouldnt have to and that he and Vance had not discussed it.



Vance now tells MTP, Ive learned my lesson on speaking for the president. pic.twitter.com/0TevTpkR9c  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 15, 2024

Asked at the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Tuesday if he would veto a bill putting a federal ban on abortions, Trump was noncommittal.

'I won't have to,' he insisted.

But when the ABC debate moderator Linsey Davis pressed him on Vance's remarks just weeks earlier, the ex-president broke with his running mate

'I didn't discuss it with J.D. in all fairness,' Trump said on stage. 'J.D.  and I don't mind if he has a certain view  but I think he was speaking for me. But I really didn't.'

Harris's campaign hopped on Vance's latest remarks as proof that Trump would actually veto the ban  despite the senator repeatedly claiming to the contrary.

'Donald Trump and JD Vance are running on the most extreme, anti-choice ticket in history,' Harris-Walz 2024 spokesperson Sarafina Chitik wrote in a statement on the interview.

'Today's admission from Vance is the latest proof of what voters already know: Trump and Vance will implement their Project 2025 playbook to ban abortion nationwide the minute they get the chance,' she added. 'Trump and Vance can say whatever suits them, but their records speak louder than their lies  voters will hold them accountable this November.'

Vance said in an August interview with Welker that he 'thinks' Trump would not sign a bill regulating pregnancy terminations at the national level. And he reiterated on Sunday that a 'national abortion ban is not on the table.'

'I think he's been clear, he wouldn't support it. I mean he said that explicitly,' the Republican vice presidential nominee said last month.

'I mean if you're not supporting it as President of the United States, you fundamentally have to veto it,' he added.

Trump was noncommittal at Tuesday's debate with Kamala Harris when asked if he would veto an abortion ban  but maintained that he does not support the idea of regulating pregnancy termination on a federal level

Pressed for a final time on whether Trump would veto the proposal, Vance said at the time: 'I think he would. He said that explicitly that he would.'

Now, Vance is walking that back but maintaining that the GOP 2024 ticket is not in favor of a national abortion ban.

'We hadn't discussed it. We still haven't discussed it, by the way. Because it's not realistic,' Vance said on Sunday.

'He's been incredibly clear that he doesn't support a national abortion ban,' the senator said of Trump. 'He wants abortion policy to be made by the states. Because he thinks, look, Alabama is going to make a different decision from California and that's OK. We're a big country, we can disagree.'

'I think President Trump has been clear  a national abortion ban is not on the table. He wouldn't support it, he wouldn't sign it,' Vance concluded.
The grieving family of a former state park ranger has warned that no-one can take their safety for granted after it took nearly three weeks to find his body in the Yosemite wilderness.

Kirk Thomas Olsen, 61, was a seasoned backpacker and former staffer at Hearst San Simeon State Park in California.

But he disappeared during a four-day solo hike of Yosemite's Ostrander Lake trailhead on August 27 after wandering away from the path.

More than 160 people have died in the park's 1,187 square miles since 2007, many of them while traveling alone.

'Take as many precautions you can because even with all the experience in the world, it doesn't guarantee your safety sometimes,' his niece Holly Leeson said.

Kirk Thomas Olsen, 61, pictured with niece Holly Leeson was found dead in Yosemite on Saturday, nearly three weeks after setting out on its Ostrander Lake trailhead

The 11-mile trail has a 1,500 feet climb and is described as 'strenuous' by the NPS

Olsen had driven to the park from his home in San Luis Obispo for a five-day hiking trip on August 23.

He left a note on his car saying he expected to return to it on August 27 but the alarm was raised when he failed to appear.

He had set out to tackle the challenging Ostrander Lake hike which offers views of the granite domes topping Mount Starr King and the Clark Range.

Olsen was 6ft and 190 pounds, and an experienced backpacker.

Investigators believe he may have strayed from the path and become lost trying to find his way back

But the 11-mile trail has a 1,500 feet climb and is described as 'strenuous' by the National Parks Service.

'There is no drinking water available along this hike,' it warns on its website. 'Drinking water is available at Glacier Point seasonally, shortly after the road opens in spring until early fall.'

Days earlier hikers Ana Rodarte, 40, and Miguel Delgado, 63, had disappeared during what was expected to be a two-hour hike to Ostrander Lake.

But it took four dog search teams, 64 ground searchers, and an aircraft more than 48 hours to find them alive in the searing heat.

At the end of July the park claimed the life of Grace Rohloff, 20, who fell 200 feet down its notorious Half Dome after she lost her footing while descending cables on the cliff.

She and her dad Jonathan Rohloff were both experienced hikers but had slowed their descent to accommodate less experienced climbers and ended up getting stuck in a rain storm.

He immediately scrambled down after her, but was unable to get down the steep mountain to the spot where the University of Arizona student had come to rest.

It was an agonizing three hour wait until rescue teams could reach Grace, who had suffered a catastrophic head injury.

'It was one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen,' hiker Erin McGlynn said.

McGlynn, 20, was among the other hikers who encountered Rohloff as he was frantically praying for his daughter's safety.

'It was also one of the bravest things I've ever seen. He was able to compose himself, just in case he could provide any comfort to her. He did everything he possibly could have,' she added.

Hundreds joined the search for Olsen as the alarm was raised and fears for his safety grew.

'He's a wonderful person and I found him very insightful and informative, extremely nice,' said a former visitor to San Simeon where he worked as an interpreter and led elephant seal tours.

At the end of July the park claimed the life of Grace Rohloff, 20, who fell 200 feet down its notorious Half Dome while climbing with her father Jonathan

Since 2006 at least six people including the student have died after rainstorms made Half Dome's (pictured) surface slippery

Grace and her father were experienced hikers, pictured here in the last photo of them taken on their climb, but they got caught in a rain storm while waiting for slower hikers to descend

'He is an experienced hiker and former park ranger himself and as a family we are struggling to understand what has happened to him out there,' Leeson wrote on Facebook.

But his body was found on Saturday morning by investigators who believe he may have strayed from the path and become lost trying to find his way back.

'I would like to say a genuine thank you to Yosemite National Park for their diligent efforts to find him, and to this community for the support,' his niece wrote.

'He was passionate not only about enjoying nature himself but educating others about the world and their surroundings,' she added. 'He really loved to share that kind of information with people.

'Unfortunately Mother Nature in all of her glory does not account for past experience and solo hiking is never an endeavor that is without risks.

'Please, whenever possible, travel with a companion and be safe.

'The earth is beautiful and I myself will always be a supporter of our National Parks system and the opportunities they provide to see nature at her best, but take the necessary precautions and be safe in all of your endeavors.'
Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed to have unleashed a hypersonic ballistic missile to strike central Israel for the first time.

In what marks a major escalation from the Iran-backed militia, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the terrifying missile was launched 2,040km (1,270 miles) in just 11-and-a-half minutes.

Although Israel said the missile didn't strike its target and no casualties were reported, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would inflict a 'heavy price' on the Houthis, who control northern Yemen.

After initially saying the missile had fallen in an open area, Israel's military later said it had probably fragmented in the air, and that pieces of interceptors had landed in fields and near a railway station.

Air raid sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel moments before the impact at around 6.35am local time (3.35am GMT), sending residents running for shelter.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed to have unleashed a hypersonic ballistic missile to strike central Israel for the first time. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea shared this photo of the apparent hypersonic missile today

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the terrifying missile was launched 2,040km (1270 miles) in just 11-and-a-half minutes

Responders put out a fire in the area of Lod, near Tel Aviv, in central Israel after Houthis launched the missile

An employee sweeps shards of glass from an escalator damaged from the impact of a missile fired from Yemen , inside a train station in the Israeli town of Modin

Loud booms were heard as the missile appeared to breach Israel's Iron Dome and Reuters saw smoke billowing in an open field in central Israel.

At a weekly cabinet meeting, almost a year on from the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Netanyahu said the Houthis should have known that Israel would exact a 'heavy price' for attacks on Israel.

'Whoever needs a reminder of that is invited to visit the Hodeida port,' Netanyahu said, referring to an Israeli retaliatory air strike against Yemen in July for a Houthi drone that hit Tel Aviv.

The Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians, since the Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October.

The drone that hit Tel Aviv for the first time in July killed a man and wounded four people. Israeli air strikes in response on Houthi military targets near the port of Hodeidah killed six and wounded 80.

Previously, Houthi missiles have not penetrated deep into Israeli air space, with the only one reported to have hit Israeli territory falling in an open area near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March.

Israel should expect more strikes in the future 'as we approach the first anniversary of the October 7 operation, including responding to its aggression on the city of Hodeidah,' Sarea said.

Israel Police Bomb Disposal Unit examines the scene of a missile hit near Kfar Daniel, central Israel

Smoke billows after a missile attack from Yemen in central Israel

A firefighter extinguishes a fire that broke out after Houthis claimed to have launched a hypersonic missile

The deputy head of the Houthi's media office, Nasruddin Amer, said in a post on X on Sunday that the missile had reached Israel after '20 missiles failed to intercept' it, describing it as the 'beginning'.

He added: 'It crossed a distance of 2,040km in 11-and-a-half minutes, and caused a state of fear and panic among the Zionists, as more than two million Zionists headed to shelters for the first time in the history of the Israeli enemy.

'The geographical challenges, the American-British aggression, and the monitoring, espionage and interception systems will not prevent beloved Yemen from performing its religious, moral and humanitarian duty in solidarity with the Palestinian people.'

The Israeli military also said that 40 projectiles were fired towards Israel from Lebanon on Sunday and were either intercepted or landed in open areas.

'No injuries were reported,' the military said.

It comes amid fears that Russia has handed over nuclear nuclear bomb secrets to Iran in return for missiles to blast Ukraine.

A man in a cratar runs away as smoke billows and flames erupt behind him

Responders put out a fire in the area of Lod, near Tel Aviv, in central Israel

Israel Police Bomb Disposal Unit examines the scene of a surface-to-surface missile hit near Kfar Daniel

The terrifying prospect was discussed during a meeting between US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday at the White House.

If it is confirmed, such a deal would cause major concern with Tehran advancing its programme of uranium enrichment in a step towards developing a nuclear weapon.

British sources indicated that alarm bells were sounded over Iran's trade for nuclear technology - in what is feared to be part of a deepening alliance between Tehran and Moscow.

Last week the US and UK declassified crucial intelligence that revealed Russian President Vladimir Putin had accepted a shipment of Fath-360 ballistic missiles from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Following the delivery, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, shared a chilling warning during a visit to London with his British counterpart, David Lammy.

'For its part, Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks  this is a two-way street  including on nuclear issues as well as some space information,' Blinken said, suggesting that Russia and Iran are engaged in destabilising activities with global implications.
A notorious Australian vegan activist has filmed herself listening to horrifying threats made about her on the streets of Perth.

Tash Peterson was told by a man who had no idea whom he was talking to that if she went to his friend's farm, she would be made to 'vanish'.

In her latest bizarre stunt that tricked those involved, Peterson and her partner Jack Higgs had dressed up as farmers with signs saying 'Farmers Union against Vegans say NO! to VEGANISM'.

She filmed encounters of people coming up to her and expressing their strong opinions about her, unaware that she was the one they were talking about.

'Some guy just came up to me talking about me, obviously not knowing that it's me, thinking I'm actually an animal farmer,' she said.

Peterson recorded the man saying: 'She is despicable. She is beyond despicable.'

'I've got mates who are farmers and I tell you what they said, 'Come on our property you'll vanish',' the man told Ms Peterson.

Oblivious to who he was speaking to, the man then remarked on Peterson's scantily-clad attire and use of fake blood in her stunts.

Notorious Australian vegan activist Tash Peterson (pictured) was subjected to horrifying threats during her latest stunt in her hometown of Perth

The controversial vegan (pictured) was told by a man who didn't realise who he was talking to that if she went to his friend's farm she would be made to 'vanish'

'I mean just the way she does it in front of children in blood and bikinis. I think she's got mental issues,' he said.

Instead of fighting back, Peterson remained calm and egged the man on.

'Yeah, I think that b**** should end up in a slaughterhouse too,' she told the man, referring to herself.

While Peterson has since admitted the stunt was a social experiment, she's yet to clarify why she and Higgs dressed up pretending to be farmers.

Though the reaction on the streets of the Perth CBD was poor, Peterson got a much more positive reaction from viewers after posting footage of her latest stunt online.

'They disappear millions of lives per year, of course that's how they talk about you,' one viewer commented.

Another added: 'You're an amazing actor. I'm glad you're on the right side of history and using these skills for good.'

A third wrote: 'Damn I wish you would have revealed yourself to him at the end!

'I wanted to have that as a payoff, plus I don't think its good to send him off in agreement.'

Just days earlier, Peterson sparked outrage and confusion after she took to the streets in a bikini and fake blood to protest the sale of items made from animal skin.

The near-naked activist protested outside the David Jones on Hay Street in Perth's CBD last Monday in a joint stunt with animal rights organisation PETA.

She made her message loud and clear by lying on top of a 'blood-soaked chopping block' which read: 'David Jones: Drop Wild-Animal Skins'.

Tash Peterson says no one recognised her dressed as a farmer of the streets of Perth

The latest stunt comes days after Tash Peterson sparked outrage and confusion after she took to the Perth CBD in a bikini and fake blood to protest the sale of items made from animal skin

'Animals are brutally tortured, abused and murdered their skins alive to be turned into your jacket, your shoes, bags and belts,' Peterson said.

In August, Peterson paid a heavy price for storming a restaurant, sparking a cheeky response from the owner.

She pleaded guilty to two trespass and disorderly behaviour charges for two separate stand-offs at Fyre restaurant in the northern Perth suburb of Connolly last year.

Peterson was banned from leaving Western Australia due a six-month community-based order issued by a magistrate in Joondalup Magistrates Court, and was also hit with thousands of dollars in fines.

Fyre didn't hide its delight when the restaurant commented on the outcome of the case on its Facebook page.

'So Peterson pleaded guilty to the offences she committed at our venue over a year ago,' the post read.

'She received a six-month community order of 30 hours 's*** picking', $2,300 in fines and costs on top. Thanks WA Police, we at Fyre love you all.'
An elderly cyclist died when he was thrown off his e-bike after hitting a 'hole' in the road.

Grandfather Robert Ingram, 75, died two weeks after he came off his bicycle on Cowling Brow, in Chorley, at about 10.30am on August 14.

He was seriously injured after hitting a metal fire hydrant cover that had sunk beneath its surrounding rim.

Mr Ingram died in hospital on August 31. A full inquest hearing is listed to take place on January 6, 2025.

Recent photographs show tar plonked over the manhole cover with 'FH' sprayed on top as a temporary safety measure.

Grandfather Robert Ingram, 75, died two weeks after he came off his e-bike when he 'struck a hole in the road' on Cowling Brow, in Chorley, on August 14

But cracks have already started to appear, reported the Lancashire Post, amid a police investigation into the incident.

Lancashire Constabulary made its appeal last Saturday in which the force described how the pensioner had 'struck a hole in the road' and was 'thrown from his bike'.

Sgt Helen Parkinson, of the Road Policing Unit, said: 'This collision has sadly resulted in a man losing his life and my thoughts are with his loved ones.

'I appreciate this happened a few weeks ago now but if anyone remembers it, saw what happened and maybe stopped to help, or who has any footage such as dashcam, CCTV, Ring doorbell or mobile phone footage then I would ask they get in touch.'

As the highways authority, Lancashire County Council has an over-arching responsibility for carriageway safety and carries out routine inspections of the roads within its network on a monthly, quarterly and six-monthly basis, according to the strategic importance of the route.

When it comes to traditional potholes the situation is more clear cut, with County Hall having a series of targets for speed of repair following a report or discovery, depending on the urgency of the problem and the classification of road on which the defect has occurred.

Recent photographs show tar plonked over the manhole cover with 'FH' sprayed on top as a temporary safety measure

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: 'We are very sorry to hear about this incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the gentleman who has died.

'We are looking into the circumstances of what happened and will fully co-operate with the police investigation.'

Police asked anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam, doorbell or CCTV footage to contact the force on 101 quoting log 1330 of September 6.

Alternatively, the Serious Collision Investigation Unit can be emailed at SCIU@lancashire.police.uk.
A near daily record of 801 migrants crossed the English Channel on Saturday in just 14 small boats, the latest government figures show.

The current record for the highest number of arrivals in one day so far this year is 882 in 15 boats on June 18.

The latest small boat disaster claimed the lives of eight migrants today after their dinghy got into difficulty off the coast at Ambleteuse, near Calais, in the early hours of this morning.

A ten-month-old baby was among those rushed to hospital following the tragedy, which was brought to attention when emergency services received a Mayday from the dinghy.

'Several migrants lost their lives,' said Jacques Billant, the Pas de Calais prefect, as he confirmed eight unidentified migrants were declared dead at the scene.

Some 53 migrants were attempting to reach the UK on the stricken small boat, with 45 surviving the disaster.

This is believed to be the inflatable dinghy which led to the death of eight migrants trying to cross the Channel

The French emergency services received a Mayday from a dinghy that got into difficulty off the coast at Ambleteuse, near Calais, in the early hours of Sunday morning. French officials are seen using a tractor to pull the damaged boat out of the water

At least eight UK-bound migrants drowned today after the dinghy (pictured) got into trouble on the Channel

Others were seen being rescued (pictured) from the boat which was carrying 53 migrants

Mr Billant said that six people were taken to hospital 'in relative emergency', including a ten-month-old baby with hypothermia.

Survivors of the accident come from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran, he added.

A UK Government spokesperson said French authorities are leading the investigation.

'We can confirm there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters,' the spokesperson said.

'French authorities are leading the response and investigation. We will not be commenting further at this stage.'

The deflated dinghy was seen being towed away with a tractor on the beach in Ambleteuse this morning.

It comes as French authorities rescued some 200 people off the coast of Calais over a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday night.

The disaster at Ambleteuse took place just after 1am and  within six hours  another group of migrants were setting off in exactly the same location.

An emergency worker said: 'Bodies were being taken up on to a ramp at Ambleteuse, yet, by 7am, a second boat departure took place there too.

'Boats have been setting off in the area throughout the weekend  there have been non-stop rescues.'

A spokesman for the Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue at Cap Gris-Nez confirmed that 'at least 18 attempts' to reach Britain were made by different boats on Saturday.

Relatively calm conditions brought out the boats, all of them thought to have been organised by people smugglers charging around 1000-a-head for a passage to Britain.

French prosecutors were set start a criminal investigation into the Ambleteuse sinking, as police searched for the smugglers involved.

Between Friday and Saturday, one boat carrying migrants was located off the coast of Le Portel, with 55 rescued. Elsewhere, 61 migrants were saved off the coast of La Becque d'Hardelot, 48 were rescued near a lighthouse, and 36 others were recovered.

All of those rescued were taken back to land, French authorities said, adding that they monitored 18 attempts to launch boats across the Channel on Saturday.

The tragedy comes less than two weeks after the deaths of at least 12 people, including a pregnant woman and six children, when their flimsy dinghy broke up in the sea nearby.

It comes as French authorities rescued some 200 people off the coast of Calais over a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday night. (File image of migrants being brought to Dover as they attempted to reach the UK earlier this month)

People walk on a windy beach in Ambleteuse, France, earlier this week, with the White Cliffs of Dover in the UK visible in the distance

The tragedy comes less than two weeks after the deaths of at least 12 people, including a pregnant woman and six children, when their flimsy dinghy broke up in the sea nearby. Pictured: Emergency services at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais

Responding to the reports of more migrant deaths in the English Channel, shadow home secretary James Cleverly, who is running to be Tory party leader, told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: 'What we are seeing now is sadly is more fatalities in the Channel overnight and in the early hours of this morning.

'We have seen fatalities on illegal Channel crossings going up, because the very first action of this Labour government was to scrap an international partnership which was deterring migrants - we know this because those migrants told us so - and send out a signal to people smugglers that the UK is open for them to ply their evil trade.

'They came into government with no plan to stop the boats or smash the gangs. Saying stuff is not the same as doing stuff.'

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on the same programme: 'It's awful. It's a further loss of life.'

He said he had been to the National Crime Agency and seen the 'awful sort of rubber dinghies that people are coming across the Channel with, many of them, of course, not able to make it in these contraptions'.

Despite the disaster, Sir Keir Starmer last week insisted his Government was 'making progress' in stopping boats.

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.

But 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.'

Visiting the National Crime Agency with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on September 6, 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.'

Sir Keir will be in Italy on Monday for talks with counterpart Giorgia Meloni about her efforts to tackle the problem 'and the work they have done, particularly, with Albania'.

The Prime Minister has said he is interested in the rollout of the policy, under which Tirana will accept asylum seekers on Italy's behalf while their claims are processed.

The Prime Minister said he hopes to discuss his Ms Meloni's 'strong ideas' on the crucial topic of illegal immigration when he visits her in Rome.

It comes as Sir Keir Starmer revealed plans to discuss illegal immigration plans with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni (pictured together at Blenheim Palace in July)

It will be the third bilateral meeting between the two leaders in as many months, after they met at the NATO summit in Washington just after the election then again at Blenheim Palace when Britain hosted the European Political Community.

Speaking to reporters on his trip to the White House, Sir Keir said: 'I've already had a preliminary discussion with Giorgia Meloni about this, about how we can work together on irregular migration.

'She has of course got some strong ideas and I hope to discuss those with her.

'She and I have already discussed how we can improve joint operations, so that is something we will discuss.'

The latest eight deaths mean at least 45 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year, compared with 12 for the whole of 2023.

Some 22,440 people have crossed the Channel so far this year, with nearly 9,000 having made the crossing since the general election.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK's Refugee and Migrant Rights Director, said of the latest disaster: 'This is yet another appalling and avoidable tragedy and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who've died.

'These perilous crossings are seemingly becoming more and more dangerous, suggesting smugglers are taking greater chances with people's lives as they try to evade detection efforts by the UK and French authorities.

'The Government's 'smash the gangs' slogan and its security-heavy approach is contributing to the death toll because the refusal to establish safe asylum routes means these flimsy vessels controlled by people smugglers are the only real option for desperate people fleeing persecution.

'Until UK ministers and their counterparts in France start sharing responsibility over the need for safe routes, we should expect this weekend's tragedy to keep repeating itself time and time again.'
A small country town has been rocked by a homicide investigation after an elderly man was found dead inside a home.

St John WA paramedics were called to a home on Avon Terrace in York in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region just before 7.30am on Sunday following the discovery of a man's body.

Two ambulances attended the scene but were unable to revive the man, 76.

Police were alerted and homicide detectives have since launched an investigation into his death.

Police confirmed that a man, 63, known to the victim, is currently assisting officers with inquiries.

A man, 76, has been found dead inside a home in the WA inland town of York

Homicide detectives have travelled to York to investigate the man's death (stock image)

No charges have yet been laid.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia located 97km east of Perth with a population of almost 2,400.
Two different juries and four of the most senior judges in the land concluded that Lucy Letby was one of the most prolific serial killers of modern times.

Yet ever since she was convicted of murdering seven newborn babies and attempting to murder six more, a growing army of sceptics including medical experts has decided the verdict against her is deeply flawed.

Yesterday, in part one of his analysis of the case, GUY ADAMS looked at the crucial areas of evidence, from the 'confessional' notes she wrote to 'suspicious alterations' to medical records. Here, he continues his forensic examination...

Lucy Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six more while working as a nurse during 2015 and 2016

Disputed evidence

Case for guilt

Much of Letby's testimony was disputed by colleagues. Some was provably false.

In an apparent effort to gain the jury's sympathy, she complained for example about being arrested while wearing pyjamas. In fact, she was frog-marched out of her home in a blue tracksuit.

Prosecutor Nick Johnston KC asked Letby if she wanted the court to see a video of the incident, but she did not respond. 'You tell lies deliberately, don't you?' he added.

During police interviews, Letby claimed to be unaware that an air embolism (of the sort that affected four of the babies she was convicted of harming) could affect children, saying she'd not been trained about the condition.

In fact, she'd completed a training course immediately prior to the period when the killings began in which she replied 'air embolism' to a question about the potential risks of delivering medication via a long intravenous line. And in a text message to a colleague in 2016, she'd warned of the risk of an air embolism when carrying out a different procedure on an infant.

Letby told police she had not been taught about air embolism in infants, but there was strong evidence to indicate otherwise

Then came an occasion when nurse Ashleigh Hudson told how Letby had entered a nursery in the middle of the night and warned her that a baby, Child I, 'looked pale'.

At the time, no lights were on, the child's face was obscured by a canopy, and Letby was standing by the door several yards away, making it highly unlikely that she could observe this unless she already knew the symptom was there.

Under cross examination, Letby, who was accused of force-feeding milk and air to the child, said she was able to notice the baby's skin colour because she was experienced, 'so I knew what I was looking for'. Realising that this might suggest she was previously aware the child was seriously unwell, she then appeared to correct herself, changing 'for' to 'at'.

Case for innocence

Letby gave evidence over 14 days, with nine of them devoted to her being quizzed by the prosecution.

Some supporters argue that some factual inconsistencies are to be expected, given the immense pressure she found herself under and the amount of time that separated the events under discussion and the eventual trial. What's more, they say, no apparent motive for the alleged crimes ever emerged during trial.

Others point out that she was not the only one who made errors. During Letby's re-trial, on charges of attempting to murder an infant referred to as Baby K, it emerged that door-swipe data showing when doctors were entering and leaving the intensive care ward, had been mis-labelled during the original court case. Rather than showing when someone was leaving, it indicated when they were coming into the room.

The neo-natal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital, where Letby's crimes took place

This was a significant blunder. The prosecution had previously argued that Letby was alone when Dr Ravi Jayaram, a consultant, claimed to have walked in and seen her standing over the infant, whose breathing tube had been dislodged.

In fact, the updated data revealed that the child's assigned nurse had entered three minutes earlier, though that didn't stop the jury in the retrial convicting her of attempted murder.

Letby also attempted to appeal against her original conviction by claiming that the judge failed to properly investigate a complaint phoned into the court during the final days of the trial by a member of public who claimed to have overheard a juror saying they'd 'made up their minds from the start' about her guilt.

In fact, the complaint was extensively probed, the Court of Appeal ruled, finding it had been made maliciously by the owner of a cafe who was in dispute with the juror's partner over the sale of an iPhone.

A row over insulin

Case for guilt

Letby was found guilty of attempting to murder two babies by injecting synthetic insulin into their feed bags. This aspect of the case against her hinged on tests that suggested extremely high levels of the substance were present in their blood when they collapsed.

In court, Letby agreed with prosecutors that 'someone' had 'unlawfully' given insulin to the two babies by tampering with the bags. However she denied being that person: 'Insulin has been added by somebody. How or who I can't comment on, only that it wasn't me. I don't believe that any member of staff on the unit would make a mistake and give insulin.'

An expert witness, Professor Peter Hindmarsh, testified that blood test results indicated that one of the children, Baby F, had been given a contaminated feeding bag over a period of 17 hours. The other, Baby L, had been poisoned over two days. He calculated that the latter would have required two or three bags of feed. The jury concluded that Letby was responsible.

Case for innocence

Initially there was no suspicion of foul play, and because both babies survived, the tests were not checked at a proper forensic lab. Instead, they took place at a clinical lab of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

According to an NHS guidance note, such testing cannot usually be used to infer whether insulin has been administered artificially. They merely indicate what level it is at in a patient's blood. What's more, the samples were not checked by forensic experts and could not be re-tested, as would usually happen in a court case, since they were disposed of in the normal way. Some say this renders the evidence unsafe.

A police search takes place at Letby's home during her arrest

Professor Alan Wayne Jones, an expert in forensic chemistry, believes this renders these two convictions unreliable, saying the tests are 'not proof of foul play in a criminal prosecution for murder'.

He previously raised similar concerns over Colin Norris, a Leeds nurse convicted in 2008 of murdering four patients using insulin. He remains behind bars, but in 2021 the Criminal Cases Review Commission referred his case back to the Court of Appeal.

There are also questions about timing of these alleged attacks. Letby was not recorded as being present at the Countess of Chester during a period when at least one of the feed bags seems to have been administered. For her to have been behind this poisoning, she must therefore have left a contaminated bag in a fridge, hoping a colleague would use it. Does this seem credible? Critics think now.

The 'suspicious' rash

Case for guilt

In seven cases, Letby was convicted of harming babies by injecting air into their bloodstream, causing what is known as an 'air embolism.' These were principally identified via a strange rash which had appeared on their bodies around the time of collapse, often shortly after Letby had been seen in the company of the infants.

Although air embolism is a relatively rare condition, the prosecution cited a 1989 paper by a Canadian neonatologist named Shoo Lee as evidence that this was the likely cause of death.

Expert witnesses who reviewed X-rays of several victims were also used to identify what appeared to be bubbles of gas in their bodies. Owen Arthurs, an eminent Cambridge-educated radiologist based at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, found unusual 'columns' of air in the major blood vessels of Babies A, D, and O.

The jury was also shown a striking X-ray of a 'line of gas' in a blood vessel along Baby D's spine which, in the absence of a fracture or infection, Professor Arthurs said, must have been injected into her circulation.

A pathologist named Dr Andreas Marnerides, who also gave evidence, found a bubble of air in Baby A's brain and lung at post-mortem, and said Baby D had gas in a blood vessel in her belly.

Case for innocence

Supporters of Letby do not think this cause of death was ever established beyond reasonable doubt. In particular, several experts have criticised doctors' use of rashes to identify embolisms, the most notable of whom is the aforementioned Dr Lee.

The academic, who is one of Canada's most eminent specialists, believes none of the cases of skin discolouration described in accounts he has read of the Letby trial sound like the type that, in his experience, indicate that an embolism has occurred.

Giving evidence to the Court of Appeal, Lee said that the 'only sign' of the condition that could be relied on involves a rash featuring pink blood vessels 'superimposed' on a pink or blue background. He did not believe witnesses who gave evidence in court had described such a rash (though conceded that he'd not actually seen medical records of the affected children, or accessed the full witness statements).

The appeal judges ruled Dr Lee's evidence was inadmissible, pointing out the defence could have called him to testify at the original trial, but chose not to. Other doctors who have spoken out in recent weeks say skin discolouration is an unreliable means to diagnose an embolism, since rashes can have a huge number of causes, particularly in infants.

Expert witnesses

Case for guilt

The police investigation and eventual prosecution of Lucy Letby was assisted by no fewer than seven expert witnesses, who variously offered evidence that helped build the case against her.

But for a cruel twist of fate, there would have been an eighth, too. Dr Martin Ward Platt, who was instrumental in setting up the first neonatal network in northern England, was hired to assess the work of Dr Dewi Evans, the expert who first concluded that children were dying from air embolisms. He too agreed that Babies G, I, O and Q all likely had air injected into their naso-gastric tubes (The jury failed to reach a verdict in Baby Q's case).

Dr Dewi Evans, the expert who first concluded that children were dying from air embolisms

Dr Ward Platt's report, which the Mail has seen, arguably goes further than those shared in court because he identifies another baby boy, whose case was not part of either trial, who was likely hurt this way. However it was never presented to the jury because the doctor developed a terminal illness and died in 2019 before the trial began.

Case for innocence

The defence barrister, Ben Myers KC, did not call his own expert witness. But he certainly instructed one, in the shape of Michael Hall, a retired neonatologist who was expected to point out flaws in the prosecution's theory that babies had been killed or harmed by air embolism.

Hall attended much of the trial. Critics regard the failure to call him as a significant tactical error that may render the conviction unsafe.

There is, for what its worth, a second possibility: that Myers, a hugely competent barrister, decided that Hall's evidence might prove counterproductive were he to be cross-examined in court.

To that end, it seems significant that his written report into the death of Child A, which has been seen by the Mail, concludes that his cause of death was 'unascertained' but does not rule out air embolism or that a member of staff deliberately injected air to cause harm.

'If air embolism was the cause of Baby A's death it could have come about as a result of either inadvertent or deliberate actions taken by staff caring for him,' it states.

Other deaths

Case for guilt

Perhaps the most important piece of evidence against Letby involved a serious liver injury and internal bleeding suffered by Baby O  the first of two triplet brothers murdered on consecutive shifts, in June 2016.

An original post-mortem said the bleed was caused by vigorous CPR. But expert witness Dr Marnerides, a forensic pathologist from Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London, told the jury he'd only ever seen this type of 'extensive internal injury and haemorrhaging' in children involved in road accidents, or who'd fallen from trampolines or bicycles, or who'd been deliberately assaulted.

Letby was Baby O's designated nurse. She accepted when she gave evidence that the injury took place 'on her watch'.

Evidence that Letby was involved in more deaths and injuries is meanwhile mounting. Expert witness Dr Evans has reviewed 82 potential new cases for the police, while the Public Inquiry was on Thursday last week told that detectives are investigating the time she spent on placement at Liverpool Women's hospital in 2012 and 2015.

Richard Barker KC, representing the families of victims, said several babies had collapsed there due to breathing tubes being dislodged. Such events typically occur in less than one percent of shifts, he said. But an audit has discovered that tubes were dislodged on 40 percent of the occasions when Letby was on duty.

Case for innocence

Letby's defence revolved around the suggestion that she was being scapegoated by colleagues and NHS managers for the deaths of babies caused by serious failures at the Countess of Chester.

To this end, they called Lorenzo Mansutti, the estates manager at the Countess of Chester Hospital, to give evidence. He told the jury that plumbers were called out five times to drainage problems at the unit in 2015 and 2016, leading to claims that sewage back-ups could be behind some deaths. However, no evidence was presented at trial to show any of the infants contracted bacterial or parasitic infections linked to dirty water.

Read part one of Guy Adams's analysis by clicking here
Video footage has captured the horrifying moment a man creeped up behind a woman before knocking her unconscious in a viscous broad daylight attack.

An unidentified woman fell victim to the violent assault in downtown Dallas on Thursday afternoon in what authorities describe as an apparently 'unprovoked attack.'

The incident occurred around 1:15pm at the bustling intersection of Elm Street and Field Street.

The video, captured by Security footage from The Drakestone apartments, revealed the terrifying moment the unsuspecting woman was approached by the suspect while she was standing at the corner.

A man swiftly approached her from behind and without warning, he struck her in the head with what appears to be a pole.

An unidentified woman fell victim to the violent assault in downtown Dallas on Thursday afternoon in what authorities describe as an apparently 'unprovoked attack' (Pictured: the suspect is caught walking by surveillance video provided by Downtown Dallas Inc.)

A man swiftly approached her from behind and without warning, he struck her in the head with what appears to be a pole

The force of the blow caused the woman to collapse instantly.

The suspect then casually walks off like nothing happened.

She was transported to the hospital. The woman's condition is unknown at this time.

Downtown Dallas, Inc. reported that their security officers were quick to respond, arriving at the scene within minutes of the assault.

The organization's President and CEO, Jennifer Scripps, expressed her shock regarding the unprovoked attack.

We're horrified by this unprovoked attack,' Scripps told CBS News. 'We are praying for the victim's recovery and working with law enforcement to locate the attacker.'

'Our partners at Dallas City Hall share in our outrage, and we will work together to ensure downtown remains a safe place for all residents, workers and visitors,' she added. 'We have zero tolerance for violent crime.'

Noah Robertson, a witness who lives in the area, told Fox4 he never saw anything like it.

The force of the blow caused the woman to collapse instantly. The suspect then casually walks off like nothing happened

'I've never seen somebody just hit somebody and walk away like nothing happened, especially someone who at least appears to not know the other person,' he told the outlet.

'That lady is just standing there, and that guy hits her for like absolutely no reason. That's crazy,' Robertson said.

'Downtown is usually pretty cool,' he added. 'But I have seen some crazy stuff down here. It gets wild down here at night, for sure.'

The investigation is ongoing.
A man was arrested after being confronted by an online child predator hunter ahead of what he thought was a meetup with an underage girl.

A video shows Sean Brennan, 57, batting back the claims at his job in Wyoming Friday - before getting fired by his boss and booked into the local jail later that day.

It shows him coming face-to-face with Tommy Fellows, a member of Colorado Ped Patrol, at Brennan's place of work in Lander.

Throughout the clip, Fellows clutches and repeatedly references a binder he says contains a transcript of conversations between Brennan and decoy 'girls' - one of whom was allegedly 13.

During the altercation, Fellows accuses Brennan of teaching one of the made-up girls sex acts, and of making plans with her for the day. He also said he sent him and colleagues sexual pictures.

Scroll down for video:

A video shows Sean Brennan, 57, batting back claims of attempting to meet up with minor at his job in Wyoming Friday

'I have a little incident of a couple girls you've been talking to on the internet,' Fellows tells Brennan in the footage, after entering the Shirts and More store where he works.

Brennan, under the impression the watchdog was a potential customer, had first offered his assistance.

'Do you get sexual with them?' Fellows goes on to ask, leading the two men to walk outside together out of earshot of others inside.

'No,' responds Brennan, who by the end of the filmed altercation is seen conversing with several cops. 'I let them know off the bat.'

Fellows, however, proceeds to press the man further, citing correspondence sent between Brennan and his colleagues before the meet.

'So you'd never send, like, inappropriate pictures or anything like that?' he asks at a point - to which Brennan replies, 'Nope.'

'So that phone on you has no child porn on it or anything like that?' Fellows asks - leading to another 'Nope' from the man in question.

At this point, Fellows produces the binder saying he could prove otherwise - and asks the suspect if the police would rather come check.

The allegations saw him fired by his boss (left) and booked into the local jail later that day

Flipping through its pages, he tells Brennan: 'I have three of these books, right? Three different children.'

'Do you beg minors for naked pictures often?' he asks, before referencing a specific alleged exchange where he allegedly got angry after not receiving a photo from one of the made-up minors.

'You said, "Send me a picture" and you got pissed off,' he says outside the man's place of work.

'Then you said, "Listen little girl, just remember, I'm not mad, but don't ever ask me for a picture again.'

At another point in, Fellows brings up how Brennan was convicted of a child pornography crime in Arizona around 25 years ago, after which he had to register as a sex offender.

But Brennan responds by claiming that status did not carry over when he moved to Wyoming, because local officials told him his conviction was 'crap' by their standards, he said.

He goes on to claim he was only convicted after doing research on a public library computer about what nude beach to visit with his then girlfriend. He said it was images of underage girls on some of these sites that got him charged.

At this point, Brennan's boss emerges, confused about the commotion.

The video ends with officers discussing a need to investigate further. Off-screen, officers were able to make an arrest that day, with Brennan reportedly booked into the Fremont County Detention Center

'Im probably going to get canned now,' Brennan tells Fellows at the point - a prediction that would pan out in a matter if minutes.

The clip shows the business owner, identified as Daniel Carey, conveying disgust and concern about the situation.

At a point, he produces Brennan's job application - which, as he suspected, did not show any prior convictions.

He reportedly responded by firing Brennan that day, Cowboy State Daily reported - revealing how Caret told them how Brennan was on his phone often and struggled to focus at the job.

'This was so far from what my company would even consider,' he told the outlet. 'He was pretty, I dont know what the word is, good at hiding it, to say the least. Truly stunning that hed been doing this and I had no clue.'

After several minutes, Lander Police respond to the scene, with one officer heard remarking how 'Wyoming is way behind Colorado' in the strength of its sex-crime laws and how it would be unlikely they could make a felony arrest at this point.

The video ends with officers discussing a need to investigate further. Off-screen, officers were able to make an arrest that day, with Brennan booked into the Fremont County Detention Center Friday, Cowboy State Daily reported.

Court documents were not available because of state laws limiting public exposure of sex cases at preliminary stages, as is the case here.
Repair Shop presenter Jay Blades has made the decision to resign from the King's Foundation after being charged with engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour towards his wife.

Blades, 54, had supported the foundation - formerly the Prince's Foundation - as an ambassador.

He also visited its Dumfries House location in Ayrshire for the BBC special programme The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit.

However, the charity confirmed today that Blades has informed them of his resignation.

Blades also resigned from his role as chancellor at Buckinghamshire New University.

On Friday, Blades appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court having been charged with one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour.

In 2022, a special one-off episode to mark the BBC's centenary saw Jay Blades and the repair team visit the King, when he was still the Prince of Wales, at Dumfries House in Scotland

Jay Blades (left) has been charged with offences against his estranged wife Lisa Zbozen (right)

Blades's wife Lisa Zbozen, a fitness instructor, posted this photograph on Instagram

Jay Blades and Lisa Zbozen married at a beachfront villa in Barbados on November 22, 2022

Jay Blades found fame on the BBC restoration programme The Repair Shop, which sees members of the public take worn-out family heirlooms to be restored by a team of experts

The charge relates to his wife Lisa Zbozen, a fitness instructor, who posted on Instagram in May that their relationship had come to an end, according to court documents.

The couple married in the grounds of a beachfront villa in Barbados on November 22, 2022.

Police began an investigation after being called to an address the day after Ms Zbozen made the social media post.

Blades presents the popular BBC show Repair Shop, which shows people having valuable and sentimental objects repaired and brought back to life.

He is set to appear at Worcester Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on October 11.

Blades left school at 15 with no qualifications but got back on track studying for a degree in criminology and philosophy at Buckinghamshire New University from 2001.

Following his graduation, Blades co-founded the Out of the Dark charitable social enterprise that recycled and revamped furniture to train, educate and employ young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

And he found fame on the BBC restoration programme The Repair Shop  which sees members of the public take worn-out family heirlooms to be restored by a team of experts  starring on the show since its launch in 2017.

In 2022, a special one-off episode to mark the BBC's centenary saw Blades and the repair team visit the King, when he was still the Prince of Wales, at Dumfries House in Scotland.
Bloodcurdling audio recordings from 911 calls made on the day of the Apalachee High School shooting have been released by Georgia authorities.

The Barrow County 911 call center received an influx of calls starting at about 10.20am regarding the tragic shooting that left two teachers and two student dead, according to Fox News.

The recordings demonstrate the terror unleashed after 14-year-old Colt Gray opened fire on September 4.

The calls were from the horrified parents of the students at Apalachee High School and the surrounding schools, as well as loved ones of the school staff.

One panicked caller said: 'My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go, 'boom, boom, boom, boom.'

Colt Gray, 14, killed two teachers and two students and injured nine others on September 4

Gray's father bought him the gun he allegedly used during the deadly shooting

But the abundance of calls resulted in extended wait times.

One man, who called after reading text messages from his girlfriend, was put on hold for over 10 minutes, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

He said: 'She hears people yelling outside, so I dont know if thats officers in the building or thats  I dont know.'

Many of the recorded emergency calls cannot be released under Georgia law because they contain 'the speech or cries of minors,' according to a letter obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta.

Calls spilled over into the next county's call center as parents desperately searched for answers.

Gray and his father were interrogated about threats made on Discord about a school shooting

Colin Gray, the shooter's father, was charged with two counts of murder after the fatal incident

One caller said: 'Sir, my daughter goes to school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?'

'We do have an active situation at Apalachee High School right now. We have a lot of calls coming in,' an operator responded.

More than 500 radio correspondences between emergency responders were also released, according to The Associated Press.

The radio emergency recordings and dispatch records were obtained by CNN.

One officer yelled: 'Active shooter!'

In another recording, an officer is heard saying that a child is on the phone with their parent and 'they are in the art room, locked up.'

A memorial was set outside of Apalachee High School after the horrifying shooting that made parents flood 911 call centers

Colt comes from a troubled family, including his mother Marcee who has an extensive criminal record

The shooter's disturbing family history has been brought to light, including his criminal mother, Marcee, who has a history of drug use, domestic violence, fraud and property damage.

Gray's father, Colin, was charged with two counts of murder in connection to his son's shooting spree.

He bought his son the AR-15 allegedly used during the shooting, took him on hunting trips and reportedly called the 14-year-old a 'sissy,' according to relatives.

Gray is being charged as an adult for the shooting.

This shooting marked the 45th school shooting in 2024 and is the deadliest one since the March 2023 Convent School shooting in Nashville, according to CNN.
In the summer of 1940, as the Nazi war machine marched its way across Europe and set its sights on Britain, the RAF braced for the worst.

Young men, in their late teens or early twenties, were trained to fly Spitfires and Hurricanes for the coming Battle for Britain, with others flying Blenheims, Beaufighters and Defiants, becoming the 'aces' who would secure the country's freedom from Hitler's grasp.

But Britain's defiance came at a cost. From an estimated crew of 3,000 pilots, roughly half survived the four-month battle, with 544 Fighter Command pilots and crew among the dead, more than 700 from Bomber Command and almost 300 from Coastal Command falling to secure Britain's skies.

The losses were heavy, but the Germans, who thought they could eradicate the RAF in a matter of weeks, lost more.

2,500 Luftwaffe aircrew were killed in the battle, forcing German Air Command to reconsider how easily Britain would fall to an invading Nazi occupation force.

The pilots who gave everything in the aerial fight for British freedom were named 'The Few', after a speech from Sir Winston Churchill, who said: 'The gratitude of every home in our island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion.

'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.'



'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few' (pictured: An aerial photograph of Spitfires)

After the fall of France to the Axis in May 1940, German High Command considered how best to push the fight across the English Channel to take Britain out of the fight.

Up until mid-July the German campaign consisted of relatively small-scale day and night air raids, targeting towns, aerodromes, ports and the aircraft industry.

But the Luftwaffe was at full readiness, ready to ramp up attacks on ships and ports and eliminate the RAF in the air and on the ground.

After the Allies were defeated in western mainland Europe, the German Air Force set up bases near the Channel to more readily take on Britain, hurriedly establishing the infrastructure needed to co-ordinate an aerial conflict with the UK.

As the Battle of Britain begun, the Royal Air Force consistently downed more Axis aircraft than they lost, but British fighters were often overwhelmed by the greater number of enemy aircraft.

Pictured: One of the most iconic images of the summer of 1940 and the fight above Dunkirk, with Squadron 610's F/Lt Ellis pictured at the head of his section in DW-O, Sgt Arnfield in DW-K and F/O Warner in DW-Q

Fighting in France and Norway had left British squadrons weakened as the time now came to defend the homeland from Nazi occupation, but as the year went on, the RAF's fighting force increased in strength, with more pilots, aircraft and operational squadrons being made available.

The Luftwaffe started a mounting campaign of daylight bombing raids, targeting strategic targets such as shipping convoys, ports, and airfields - and probing inland to force RAF squadrons to engage in an attempt to exhaust them.

German air units also stepped up night raids across the West, Midlands and East Coast, targeting the aircraft industry with the objective of weakening Britain's Home Defence system, especially that of Fighter Command, in order to prepare for a full-scale aerial assault in August.

Heavy losses were sustained on both sides.

The main Luftwaffe assault against the RAF, named 'Adler Tag' (Eagle Day), was postponed from August 10 to three days later due to poor weather.

Hawker Hurricane planes from No 111 Squadron RAF based at Northolt in flight formation, circa 1940

Pictured: Squadron 610's fighter pilots, a unit which witnessed some of the most intensive aerial combat in the Second World War (taken at RAF Acklington, in Northumberland, between 17-19 September 1940)

The Germans' plan was to make RAF Fighter Command abandon south east England within four days and defeat British aerial forces completely in four weeks.

The Luftwaffe battled ruthlessly in an attempt to exhaust Fighter Command through ceaseless attacks on ground installations, which were moved further inland, with airfields in southern England facing intensive daylight raids while night attacks targeted ports, shipping targets and the aircraft industry.

But despite sustaining heavy damage across the south, Fighter Command continued to push back against the Germans in a series of air battles, which inflicted critical losses upon the enemy, who thought the RAF would have been exhausted by this point.

Both sides feared becoming exhausted through the constant engagements.

Pictured: German plans to invade Britain, if naval and air superiority was achieved

Focus of the German attacks then shifted to London, where the RAF would lose 248 and the Luftwaffe would lose 322 between August 26 and September 6.

By September London had become the primary target of Luftwaffe aggression, with large-scale round-the-clock attacks carried out by large bomber formations with fighter escorts.

German Air Command had still not exhausted the RAF as it had hoped to, and British forces continued to face off against their German counterparts, with Fighter Command pushing back Hitler's forces, forcing German invasion plans to be postponed.

By October, it had become apparent to the Germans that the RAF was still very much intact, and the Luftwaffe struck against Britain with single-engined modified fighter-bombers, which were hard to catch upon entry and still dangerous on their way out.

By the middle of the month German strategy had pivoted from exhausting the RAF to a ruthless bombing campaign targeting the Government, civilian population and the war economy - with London still the primary target.

But as of November, London became less of a target, with the Battle of Britain morphing into a new conflict - the Blitz.
The rescue mission of stricken Red Sea tanker Sounion is reportedly making slow progress after the oil ship was targeted by Houthi missiles.

The towing of the abandoned tanker which was struck by the Yemen rebels last month is proceeding slowly in its second day, according to a Greek military source.

The operation which began Saturday 'is proceeding at a very slow pace', the source said, adding that it was 'initially headed north' without revealing a destination.

The tanker was hit on August 21 by Iran-backed Houthis with small arms fire, missiles and a drone boat off the coast of Hodeida while carrying 136,000 tonnes of crude oil - setting off blasts that put the Red Sea at risk of a major oil spill four times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska.

After the initial strike, the Houthis returned and detonated charges on the ship's deck, setting off new fires.

Explosions took place on the deck of the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion on the Red Sea last month but the rescue mission is reportedly making slow progress

The Iranian-backed Houthi militant group detonated explosives on the oil tanker MT SOUNION off the coast of Yemen on August 19

The operation is being overseen by the European Union's Red Sea naval mission, Aspides, which Sunday said the tanker was being towed to a 'safe location'.

'The salvage of the MV SOUNION is a complex operation and consists of various phases,' the mission said on X, formerly Twitter.

It added aerial shots of the tanker escorted by two warships, one dated Sunday, in which it is still emitting smoke.

Greek state news agency ANA said the tugboat was escorted by three frigates, helicopters and a special forces team, without disclosing the states of origin.

Fires were still visible on board in Aspides pictures on X, formerly Twitter, dated Saturday.

'When it reaches safe mooring there will be an attempt to put out the fire and preliminary steps will be taken to secure the cargo from leaking,' the Greek source said Sunday.

The ships' radars have been turned off for security reasons.

The tanker had been anchored west of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, midway between Yemen and Eritrea.

The Sounion's crew - made up of 23 Filipinos and two Russians - was rescued the day after the attack by a French frigate serving with the EU mission.

The Sounion was carrying around one million barrels of oil when the Houthis initially attacked it.

In video footage of the attack, the Iran-backed Houthis could be heard chanting their motto as the bombs detonated aboard the oil tanker Sounion: 'God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam.'

The blasts put the Red Sea at risk of a major oil spill four times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska

The thick black clouds of smoke and flames on the tanker as it was blown up with explosives

The Sounion was carrying around one million barrels of oil when the Houthis initially attacked it on August 21 with small arms fire, projectiles and a drone boat

Smoke rising from the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion following Yemen's Houthis attacks on August 19

Fireballs and smoke pictured erupting aboard the tanker in the Red Sea

The explosives later dropped on the tanker found the barrels of oil with devastating effects

The footage showed masked Houthi fighters carrying Kalashnikov-style rifles boarding the Sounion after it was abandoned, with the bridge appearing ransacked.

Fighters then rigged explosives over hatches on its deck leading to the oil tankers below. At least six simultaneous blasts could be seen in the footage.

The Houthi-controlled SABA news agency described mysterious leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi as saying the Sounion attack shows America 'is lying in its claims regarding any deterrence of Yemeni operations supporting Palestine.'

'The effectiveness of our operations and their control of the situation is acknowledged by the enemies,' al-Houthi said at the time.

The EU naval force was formed in February to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthi rebels, who have waged a campaign against international shipping that they say is intended to show solidarity with Hamas in its war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Since November, the Houthi attacks have caused the sinking of two ships and deaths of at least four crew members.

The Houthis have been firing drones and missiles at ships in the vital commercial route, saying they are targeting vessels linked to Israel, the US and Britain in solidarity with Palestinians over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

They have also fired missiles and drones at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians, since the Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October.

The drone that hit Tel Aviv for the first time in July killed a man and wounded four people. Israeli air strikes in response on Houthi military targets near the port of Hodeidah killed six and wounded 80.

Previously, Houthi missiles have not penetrated deep into Israeli air space, with the only one reported to have hit Israeli territory falling in an open area near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March.

Israel should expect more strikes in the future 'as we approach the first anniversary of the October 7 operation, including responding to its aggression on the city of Hodeidah,' Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said.
Real Madrid has cancelled or rescheduled concerts at its Bernabeu stadium in Spain after loud gigs late at night turned the arena into a 'torture-drome'.

The Bernabeu recently underwent a five-year, 760million refurbishment and held a number of high-profile concerts earlier this year.

Major headliners have included Taylor Swift, Colombian star Karol G and Luis Miguel.

But the noisy concerts have driven some locals to despair, with a group representing those living around the stadium beginning legal action.

The locals complained about late finish times, fans camping in local parks, the blocking of roads and drunk people urinating in doorways.

Taylor Swift fans queue to enter the concert outside Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, on May 29

The Bernabeu stadium (pictured) recently underwent a five-year, 760million refurbishment

Taylor Swift performs on strage during The Eras Tour at the Bernabeu stadium in Madrid

In a statement, the club said: 'Real Madrid FC is announcing that it has decided to provisionally reschedule its event and concert programme at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

'This decision is part of a raft of measures that the club is taking to ensure that the concerts comply strictly with the relevant municipal regulations.'

The statement added: 'Real Madrid will continue working to make sure that the necessary sound production and emission conditions are in place to allow concerts to be held in our stadium.'

Jose Manuel Paredes, a spokesperson for the association formed in response to the noise, told The Guardian that the news provided some temporary relief to locals.

However, he stressed that the group had not abandoned its legal action.
There's a meme Im particularly fond of that sees a US comedian shoot his co-star then turn to camera, deeply upset, and ask why someone else made him do it.

The image popped into my head last week as I watched one politician after another line up to wring their hands over Grangemouth.

On Thursday, Petroineos announced the closure of its refinery with 400 workers facing redundancy.

Asked about it at First Ministers Questions, John Swinney pledged to support the workers of Grangemouth in their time of need and said that it was important parliament acts with solidarity.

Scottish Labours deputy leader Jackie Baillie called it a time of great anxiety but assured Holyrood that the UK Labour Government is ready to support the workforce and secure a viable, long-term future for the site.

The owners of Grangemouth, Petroineos, have announced the refinery will close next year with the loss of around 400 jobs

They say in politics you cant be all things to all people, but in presenting themselves as defenders of oil and gas workers while clamouring for the end of the oil and gas industry, the SNP and Labour are giving it a fair old try.

And, of course, offering their solidarity.

That word fell out of fashion for a while during the cool, carefree me-me-me 1990s, but it seems to have made a comeback of late.

I dont mind hearing it from old Lefties, the wizened class warriors who still wear donkey jackets, sup pints in draughty working mens clubs, and toddle about with a well-thumbed copy of the Morning Star under their arms.

Striking

They belong to a time when the word meant something because it involved doing something, like organising a whip-round for the families of striking miners or steelworkers.

But when used by politicians today the term grates on my ears, not only because it involves a very middle-class profession trying to feign common cause with the working class, but because solidarity is a term now used to signal political sentiments entirely at odds with political actions.

Stick a clenched fist in the air every now and then and you can do what you like to the workers.

Of all the towering cant inspired by the announcement, none can scale the heights of Gillian Mackay, a Green MSP who grew up next to the refinery.

She denounced it as a brutal blow, which would leave workers and locals devastated, angry and extremely worried.

It was the opposite of the just transition and Grangemouth workers deserve so much better. It was urgent Westminster and Holyrood work together to secure local jobs.

Local SNP MSP Michelle Thomson has revealed she has been approached by a mystery company which wants to take over the refinery

Wait till she reads what someone posted on her Twitter account in 2016: Living beside INEOS Ive pointed this out to people so many times. Id much rather have a wind farm than an oil refinery on my doorstep.

If you want to gauge the sincerity of politicians statements about Grangemouth, all you need do is ask what they did over Rosebank. In 2023, the North Sea Transition Authority gave development and production consent for Rosebank, a field off the north-west coast of Shetland and thought to be the largest untapped oil resource in the UK.

In response, then SNP leader Humza Yousaf accused the UK Government of climate denial. The Scottish Greens climate spokesman Mark Ruskell called it an utter catastrophe for our climate and the worst possible choice at the worst possible time.

As for Labours position, you might want to make sure youre sitting comfortably. This could take some time.

When the Rosebank licence was granted, Labour had already announced that if elected it would reject all oil and gas licence applications in the North Sea. On the day of the Rosebank decision, Sir Keir Starmer told LBC that as a matter of principle  no sniggering, please  Labour would accept the baseline that we inherit from the government. So Rosebank would go ahead.

Asked if Labours position had changed in light of the Supreme Courts Horse Hill judgment  which ruled in June that approval of an oil well in Surrey was unlawful  Angela Rayner said licences that have already been approved will carry on, before adding cryptically: If theres a decision to be made at the time, then that will come to that secretary of state to make that decision.

So, naturally, Labour won the election and decided it wouldnt oppose a legal challenge brought against Rosebank by the anti-fossil fuel lobby.

Yet Scottish Secretary Ian Murray says we shouldnt link this to net zero.

The refinery has been losing a lot of money, he points out, and Petroineos simply made a commercial decision to shut the site. Petroineos tell a different story.

While acknowledging the cost of upkeep on a half-century old refinery, chief executive Frank Damey says the energy transition is happening now and it is happening here, citing the drop in demand for fossil fuels and a ban on new petrol and diesel cars due to come into force within the next decade.

Who is right? Its a dispute we dont have to settle because the significance of the Grangemouth closure is the same. This is what it looks like when the fossil fuel industry shuts down.

In the 1980s, the more callous Thatcherites, confronted with redundancies in mining, would dismiss the industry as uneconomic. It was, of course, but that didnt make the social damage caused by its decline any less severe.

Once-solid communities came undone amid a toxic medley of unemployment, drugs, crime and family breakdown.

The reason the just transition is called that is because its proponents wanted to reassure oil and gas workers, and those employed in industry supply chains, that there would be no repeat.

Essential

The move from carbon to clean energy would be gradual, managed and with the welfare of the workers and local economies a leading priority.

There is no standing in the way of progress. The development of carbon neutral energy sources is essential for a liveable world, opens up a panoply of business opportunities and can help us fortify our energy security.

But if just transition means anything beyond a soundbite, meeting the challenges of the future must not mean abandoning people in the present.

Yet the Grangemouth workforce has every reason to feel abandoned, for it has been ill-served by Petroineos, the Scottish and the UK governments. The latter two have come forward with a 100million package for the workers and community, but this is cynical spin.

What Holyrood and Whitehall have come up with since Thursday is 20million between them. They got the 100million figure by counting the 80million capital funding allocated to Falkirk and Grangemouth under the pre-existing growth deal.

Now, that other 80million will undoubtedly benefit the local community, to the tune of more than 600million and more than 1,600 jobs in the next 30 years according to the government, but for the Grangemouth workers much of the benefit will come after the fact.

Acting SNP Energey Secretary Gillian Martin said says she has 'no idea' who the company is reported to want to buy the Grangemouth site

It wont save their jobs, though it might help them find new ones or retrain for different careers. This is the wrong way around. If its a just transition youre after, you have to put the investment in long before jobs are at risk.

The support is needed in enough time to help the industry shift gradually from fossil-centred jobs to careers built around green energy, striking a balance that gets you to net zero but avoids large-scale redundancies and devastating social and economic damage.

Grangemouth ought to have been the model for what a just transition looks like. Then again, maybe it is.
A food smokery loved by celebrity chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay has become embroiled in a row with a neighbouring zoo claiming its visitors are left choking on their fumes.

Halen Mon smokery, which has catered for royal weddings and ex-US presidents, has been accused by next door Anglesey Sea Zoo of 'choking' its visitors, who staff say are left 'gagging and with tears in their eyes'.

The smokery infuses its expensive natural salt in its specialist ovens neighbouring the marine wildlife zoo.

Zoo owner Frankie Hobro, 50, has called for smokery staff to keep doors and windows closed to prevent wind from blowing smoke towards the zoo.

But a year-long council study confirmed the smokery's emissions on Anglesey are safe and 'comfortably exceed Wales' quality air standards'.

Smoke rising from the Halen Mon food smokery, which is now embroiled in a row with a neighbouring zoo over fumes

Staff at next door Anglesey Sea Zoo claim that fumes from the smokery are 'choking' its visitors

Staff at the zoo said the smoke has a 'horrible' smell and the grey clouds of steam have cause discomfort to staff and visitors.

A video posted on its Facebook page showed clouds of grey smoke descending from the smokery alongside the costal path.

She said: 'It seeps through every gap and crevice. The smoke smells absolutely horrible and leaves people gagging and with tears in their eyes.

'It's been an almost daily occurrence since Halen Mon built its smokery next door four years ago.

'We constantly have to apologise to all our visitors.'

Alison Lea-Wilson, co-founder of Halen Mon, originally set up Anglesey Sea Zoo in 1984, alongside her husband David and a mutual friend.

It changed hands with Frankie in 2007 - who shifted the zoo towards indigenous British marine life with over 40 tanks and 150 species.

Ms Lea-Wilson's sea salt company next door has supplied royal weddings, the London 2012 Olympics and Gordon Ramsay's and Heston Blumenthal restaurants.

The company was recently awarded Protected Designation of Origin status - the first Welsh product to be protected alongside other iconic items like the great Cornish pasties and Parma ham.

It established its smokery in 2008 to enhance the flavour of Halen Mon's renowned sea salt - and has since expanded to other oak-smoked products, such as sugar, condiments, and even smoked water.

Halen Mon smokery is beloved by celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal

The smokery seen from the zoo. Staff have complained of 'horrible' smoke from the facility next door, which leaves 'people gagging and with tears in their eyes'

They improved the smokehouse in 2021 due to high demand and installed an electrostatic precipitator to capture fine particles and erecting a nine-metre flue to disperse emissions.

However, after the zoo raised concerns Anglesey Council conducted a year-long emissions study which found no significant problems.

It stated: 'Based upon the obtained particulate monitoring data and Public Protection officer site observations (conducted on various dates and times throughout the 12-month period), this local authority is satisfied that a Statutory Nuisance 'smoke emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance' is not in existence.

'Therefore, this Statutory Nuisance complaint has now been closed.'

Frankie added: 'I accept the smokery is meeting all its planning and environmental obligations but the fact remains we have thick grey smoke billowing across our attraction when the smokery fires up.

'It's unacceptable. We are fed up with it and so are people living nearby. We are in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and we're trying to attract people with the promise of fresh air and spectacular views across to Eryri (Snowdonia).

'Instead, we're having to live with the threat of smoke 24/7. If this is OK, then the system is broken and it needs to be fixed.'

Halen Mon said its in ongoing discussions with the zoo, just outside the village of Brynsiencyn, about its concerns.

Families enjoying the zoo as smoke rises from the nearby smokery.

A representative for the company said: 'Community is at the heart of Halen Mon and everything we do is aimed at celebrating the resources and reputation of Anglesey.

'We value a good relationship with all our neighbours and local community, most especially Sw Mor Mon (Anglesey Sea Zoo), a business which we actually started from scratch, nourished and ran for more than 20 years.

'In line with this, we have had several discussions with Frankie Hobro about her concerns, most recently this week.'

They added: 'We will always be a responsible business. We care deeply about our staff and environmental welfare across the board, as well as our local community.

'As part of our B CORP accreditation, we work closely with the local community, working with more than 100 local activities and groups.'

A spokesperson from Anglesey Council confirmed: 'No statutory nuisance was identified and the matter was subsequently closed.'
Scotland's 'traffic cone tsar' is among an army of bureaucrats costing taxpayers millions of pounds a year.

Now MSPs have demanded a halt to the hiring of such costly officials after warning the system is not fit for purpose.

A network of 'commissioners' and their staff act as watchdogs, with combined annual budgets of 15million.

They also monitor public sector bodies and report to parliament and ministers on a range of issues such as human rights and freedom of information.

But Holyrood's finance and public administration committee has called for a moratorium on the creation of any new commissioner-style bodies, criticising 'duplication and overlap'.

Kevin Hamilton, the Scottish Road Works Commissioner  nicknamed the 'traffic cone tsar' - is among a host of SNP tsars

Traffic cones sit on a UK highway as cars pass by

Its report looks at the work of seven 'tsars' but the cross-party group of MSPs say this number could double before the end of the current five-year parliamentary term.

Proposed commissioners include a Future Generations tsar to 'provide support in relation to the delivery of wellbeing, sustainable development and future generations outcomes'.

Tory finance spokesman Liz Smith said there had been concerns over the cost to taxpayers 'for some time'.

She added: 'There are varying roles of commissioners  some being responsible for regulation, some for adherence to public standards and some for advocacy  all of which have made it difficult to enhance public awareness about what exactly what commissioners do.'

Committee convener Kenneth Gibson said the evidence showed 'no clear, coherent framework underpinning how all of these bodies operate'.

He said new commissioners were appointed on a case-by-case basis, leading to a 'disjointed landscape of individual bodies with varying powers', and there was 'evidence of duplication and overlap between existing [commissioners] and other public bodies'.

Mr Gibson called for a 'moratorium' on the creation of any new bodies until a 'root-and-branch review' by a 'dedicated committee' of MSPs.

The bodies referred to include the Scottish Information Commissioner and the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

The report, published today, focuses on bodies directly responsible to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, but members hope the findings can 'set the tone' for the wider public sector.

Kenneth Gibson is convener of the Scottish parliament's finance and public administration committee which says tsar system not 'fit for purpose'

Holyrood's (pictured) finance and public administration committee has called for a moratorium on the creation of any new commissioner-style bodies, criticising 'duplication and overlap'

Others not mentioned in the report include Kevin Hamilton, the Scottish Road Works Commissioner  nicknamed 'the traffic cone tsar'  who aims to 'improve the planning, co-ordination and quality of road works' and earned 80,000-85,000 in 2022-23.

The Poverty and Inequality Commission was established in 2019 with a budget of 366,105 and 'staff costs' of 262,484.

Professor John McKendrick was appointed Commissioner for Fair Access last year to 'hold to account all those with a role in advancing fair access to higher education'.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: 'The Scottish Government will respond in due course.'
Kimberly Guilfoyle is known for her relationships with politicians such as Gavin Newson, an extensive career as a lawyer and TV personality, her brief stint as a lingerie and fashion model, and her 2017 scandal at Fox News.

Guilfoyle has been deeply intertwined with the Trump campaign and family since 2016 - becoming the fiancee of Donald Trump Jr. in 2020.

Don Jr. was caught locking lips with a Republican Palm Beach socialite, DailyMail.com revealed on Sunday.

The former president's son was spotted out to eat with 'it girl' Bettina Anderson, 37, during an intimate brunch date last month.

Exclusive DailyMail.com pictures showed Don Jr.'s rendezvous with the model, influencer, and philanthropist at The Honor Bar, located inside Palm Beach's Royal Poinciana Plaza shopping center on August 17.

Guilfoyle has been deeply intertwined with the Trump campaign and family since 2016 - becoming the fiance of Donald Trump Jr. in 2020

Pictured: Donald Trump Jr. (left) and Kimberly Guilfoyle (right)

The former president's son was spotted out to eat with 'it girl' Bettina Anderson, 37, during an intimate brunch date last month, DailyMail.com revealed today. Pictured: Don Jr (left) and Bettina Anderson (right)

Witnesses said it was clear this was a date, with one revealing Anderson was seen reaching over to kiss Don Jr.'s three times.

But his fiancee Guilfoyle was nowhere in sight.

Kimberly Guilfoyle is a prolific lawyer who received her Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1994.

She paid her way through law school by holding up three jobs: an intern at a district attorney's office, a clothing store, and as a lingerie and fashion model in the San Francisco and Sacramento area, Guilfoyle told Cosmopolitan.

The model campaigns were featured in local department stores such as Macy's and she modeled Victoria Secret lingerie for a bridal magazine.

She also had an interest in politics.

In 1995, she worked on the reelection campaign for district attorney Arlo Smith. Guilfoyle was frequented political fundraisers organized by oil billionaire Gordon Getty - dating his son William.

After their break-up, Guilfoyle moved up the political ladder after she began dating politician Gavin Newsom who was the San Francisco city supervisor at the time.

She paid her way through law school by holding up three jobs: an intern at a district attorney's office, a clothing store, and as a lingerie and fashion model in the San Francisco and Sacramento area, Guilfoyle told Cosmopolitan

Guilfoyle broke into the world of broadcast media in 2004 when she worked as a legal analyst on Anderson Cooper 360 and joined Fox News in February 2006 as the host of The Lineup - later joining The Five as a co-host in 2011. Pictured: Guilfoyle and Don Jr with family

Pictured: Gavin Newsom at home with his then-wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle

She married him in 2004 before divorcing in 2006 after it was revealed in 2008 that Newsom had an affair with Ruby Rippey-Tourk. the wife of his then-campaign manager and former deputy of staff, Alex Tourk.

While working as a prosecutor in San Francisco, Guilfoyle butted heads with Kamala Harris who was working as a former Alameda County prosecutor who supervised the offices Career Criminal Unit.

Guilfoyle said: 'She called me and said basically that she was on the hiring committee and in charge of the budget for the D.A.'s office, and that I should have gone through her if I wanted to return to the D.A.'s office -- and that there was no money to hire me.'

Harris has recalled that conversation differently saying she never told Guilfoyle there was no job or discouraged her from joining the office.

Guilfoyle broke into the world of broadcast media in 2004 when she worked as a legal analyst on Anderson Cooper 360 and joined Fox News in February 2006 as the host of The Lineup - later joining The Five as a co-host in 2011.

She would secure a long-term contract with Fox in mid-2017, before abruptly leaving in July of 2018 after a year-long investigation of sexual harassment against her left network officials giving Guilfoyle the option of termination or resignation.

Fox News would agree to an out-of-court settlement against Guilfoyle's accuser - who was an assistant - that was at least $4 million, the New Yorker reported.

This didn't leave Guilfoyle without a job or feeling the repercussions of the #MeToo movement that was in full swing.

Pictured: Guilfoyle and Trump Jr in Morning View, Kentucky, just hours before photos of him with another woman came to light

She had already been considered for the position of press secretary for former President Donald Trump in 2016. So the move to work for pro-Donald Trump super PAC was a no-brainer.

She had also been dating Donald Trump Jr. since mid-2018, confirmed by Vanessa Trump who had filed for divorce from Donald Trump Jr. three months earlier.

The couple got engaged on December 31, 2020 but it wasn't made public until January 2022.

Guilfoyle has been criticized for being 'loud and annoying' and for airing out her bedroom business.

Although Don Jr. was caught smooching a Palm Beach socialite, the two are putting on an air of normalcy - pictured together on Saturday at a Rumble Creators event in Morning View, Kentucky.
Have YOU been hit by the floods?

Storm Boris has brought a 'catastrophe of epic proportions' to Europe this weekend, after seven people including a firefighter on a rescue mission tragically died in floods caused by the torrential rains.

Storm Boris, a slow moving low-pressure system, set off heavy rain on Friday that has carried on over the weekend. It brought a month's worth of rain in just 24 hours to Poland, Romania, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, along with heavy winds.

A firefighter died during a flood rescue mission in an Austrian province declared a disaster zone, it was announced today. Four people were killed in south eastern Romania yesterday in the worst-affected region, Galati, where 5,000 homes were damaged.

Emil Dragomir, the mayor of Slobozia Conachi, a village in Galati, declared: 'This is a catastrophe of epic proportions.'

'The water came into the house, it destroyed the walls, everything,' Sofia Basalic, 60, a resident of Romania's village of Pechea, in the hard-hit region of Galati, told AFP.

AUSTRIA: A pedestrian looks at the high level of the Wien river in Hutteldorf, Vienna, during heavy rainfall

SLOVAKIA: Firefighters load onto a boat some food for old people in a retirement home in the flooded town of Stupava

POLAND: The flooded streets in Glucholazy, southern Poland

'It took the chickens, the rabbits, everything. It took the oven, the washing machine, the refrigerator. I have nothing left,' she said.

Romania's President Klaus Iohannis blamed climate change for the 'dramatic consequences'.

'We must continue to strengthen our capacity to anticipate extreme weather phenomena,' he said.

'Severe floods that have affected a large part of the country have led to loss of lives and significant damage.

'We are again dealing with the effects of climate chang e, which are increasingly present throughout the European continent, with dramatic consequences on people.'

Hundreds of people have been rescued across 19 parts of the country, emergency services said, releasing a video of flooded homes in a village by the Danube river.

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed this morning one person drowned in the Klodzko region where 1,600 people have been evacuated and 17,000 are without power.

POLAND: Damages on flooded streets after the heavy rainfalls in Glucholazy, southwestern Poland

POLAND: Residents observe the Vistula River's waters rising after nearly 48 hours of relentless heavy rain, in Krakow

AUSTRIA: The river Wien floods its banks in the west of Vienna

CZECH REPUBLIC: Rescue workers evacuate people across a flooded street on September 15, 2024 in Jesenik

POLAND: A general view on damages on flooded streets after the heavy rainfalls in Glucholaz

ROMANIA: Local residents rescue an elderly man from the rising flood waters in the village of Slobozia Conachi

AUSTRIA: A flooded road following heavy rainfall in Neulengbach, in north east Austria

POLAND: Residents take photos on their mobile phones as water from the Biala river come to the city centre in Glucholazy

POLAND: People with a dog carry their children through a flooded street in Glucholazy

POLAND: Damaged and flooded streets after the heavy rainfalls in a spa town Ladek-Zdroj

POLAND: A damaged car after the heavy rainfalls and flooding in a spa town Ladek-Zdroj

Mr Tusk took the decision to use Elon Musk's Starlink satellites with the internet and moblie phone signal not working in some locations in the area.

Polish authorities have called in the army to support firefighters.

Meanwhile, a military Blackhawk helicopter was called in and deployed to Klodzko's capital, Wroclaw, reported the BBC, where thousands of people at a high-rise tower blocks had to use the staircases to escape as the lifts were shut as a safety precaution.

In Glucholazy, Poland's south western Opole region, people have today been urged to scramble to higher ground after the river burst its banks and began to flood the town.

SLOVAKIA: People look at the River Danube where water levels continue to rise in Bratislava

CZECH REPUBLIC: A flooded street is pictured in Opava

CZECHIA: People are evacuated as the flood waters continue to rise

POLAND: Firefighters work in a flooded street in Glucholazy

AUSTRIA: A local resident builds flood protection during heavy rainfall in Neulengbach

ROMANIA: Marian, 45, checks his garage in the flood-affected village of Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA: An elderly man clings to a washing line as he is rescued from his home in Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA: A man inspects a flooded house in the Romanian village of Slobozia Conachi

CZECHIA: A woman stands in front of a house in a residential area flooded by the Opava river

ROMANIA: Two dogs stand in the mud, in the back of a house in the flood-affected village of Slobozia Conachi, near Galati city

SLOVAKIA: Residents load sandbags on flooded streets in Stupava, a town west of Bratislava

POLAND: The Biala river in Glucholazy, southern Poland, is swollen on September 14

ROMANIA: Aerial view of the rising flood waters in the Romanian village of Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA; Marian, 45, reacts in front of his family house, near a pile of saved objects in the flood-affected village of Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA: A dog makes its way through the rising flood waters in the Romanian village of Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA: Local residents rescue a dog from the rising flood waters in Slobozia Conachi

AUSTRIA: A pedestrian looks at the high level of the Wien river in Hutteldorf, Vienna

ROMANIA: People walk in the rising flood waters in Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA: A Romanian man clears the mud from his house with a plastic bucket, in the flood-affected village of Slobozia Conachi, near Galati city

CZECHIA: Firefighters drive their truck across a street flooded by the Opava river today

CZECHIA: A boy holding a dog walks besides a street flooded by the Opava river

POLAND: An aerial view of the flooded streets in Glucholazy

Resident Zofia Owsiaka, 65, watched with fear as the fast-flowing waters of the swollen Biala river surged past.

'Water is the most powerful force of nature. Everyone is scared,' she said.

While in the country's second largest city Krakow, sandbags are being offered as a way to protect homes.

In Czechia, 50,000 homes have been left without power in the north with police reporting today that four people are missing.

Three were in a car that was swept into a river in the northeastern town of Lipova-Lazne, and another man was missing after being swept away by floods in the southeast.

A dam in the south of the country burst its banks, flooding towns and villages downstream.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said 'we have to be ready for worst-case scenarios'.

'A tough weekend is ahead of us,' he warned.

CZECHIA: An hydraulic excavator in the flooded town of Prelouc

CZECHIA: A man walks past a car through floodwater in a street by the Opava river

POLAND: Water ferociously flows through amid authorities calling in the army to support firefighters

POLAND: In Glucholazy, people have today been urged to scramble to higher ground after the river burst its banks and began to flood the town

POLAND: Residents shelter under umbrellas as they watch the flood waters a Storm Boris continues to batter eastern Europe

ROMANIA: An aerial view of the rising flood waters in Slobozia Conachi

ROMANIA: Local residents watch the rising flood waters in Slobozia Conachi yesterday

POLAND: A firefighter stands next to sand bags piled up against the floods of the Biala river in Glucholazy

CZECHIA: Firefighters and volunteers build a wall of sand bags to stop flood water of the Opava river

POLAND: Local residents make barriers using sandbags to stop water of the Biala river flooding the city centre of Glucholazy

POLAND: A man piles up sand bags at the entrance of a house to protect it against the floods in Glucholazy

POLAND: A car is also submerged by the rising waters in Glucholazy

CZECH REPUBLIC: A bridge is swept away as floodwaters rise following heavy rain on September 15, 2024 in Jesenik

CZECH REPUBLIC: A car lies on its side as floodwaters rise following heavy rain on September 15, 2024 in Jesenik

CZECH REPUBLIC: Properties are damaged as floodwaters rise following heavy rain on September 15, 2024 in Jesenik

The flood barriers have been raised in Prague and the embankments have been closed to the public as the storm continues to rage.

Some areas of Austria's Tyrol region were blanketed by up to three feet of snow - an exceptional situation for mid-September, which saw temperatures of up to 30C last week.

Rail services were suspended in the country's east early today and several metro lines were shut down in the capital Vienna, where the Wien river was threatening to overflow its banks, according to the APA news agency.

Firefighters have intervened around 150 times in Vienna since Friday to clear roads blocked by storm debris and pump water from cellars, local media reported.

In total, 24 villages in the Lower Austria province have been declared as disaster zones with evacuation orders being made since yesterday afternoon.

Neighbouring Slovakia has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bratislava.
A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was stabbed in Tower Hamlets, east London.

Police were called just after 1am on Sunday morning to reports of a woman suffering stab injuries at an address in Duckett Street.

London Ambulance Service attended alongside Metropolitan police but the woman, believed to be in her thirties, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

Two arrests have been made. A 32-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of murder a short time after police arrived at the scene. She remains in custody.

A 37-year-old man has also been arrested n suspicion of assisting an offender and remains in custody.

A police car waits sits outside an address on Duckett Street

Emergency services were called to the street in east London in the early hours of Sunday morning

A spokesman for the Met Police confirmed that the people involved 'appear to be known to each other' and that they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Ben Dalloway of the Met's Specialist Crime Command said: 'This is a tragic incident which has resulted in a young woman losing her life. Those involved appear to be known to each other and were present at the address during the course of the evening.

'While this investigation is in its early stages we have made significant progress and arrested two people. At this time we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.

'Officers will continue to carry out vital work at the location and I would ask residents to remain patient while we do this. I would also ask if anyone saw anything or has information that could assist us then please make contact.'

Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney from the Central East Command Unit which covers Tower Hamlets said: 'My thoughts are with the family of this young woman at this very difficult time.

'Following this awful incident, my officers are working closely with our specialist colleagues to understand exactly what has occurred.

'Over the coming days local officers will be in and around Duckett Street to provide any reassurance that the community needs but also as an opportunity for anyone with concerns, or any information about this incident, to speak with us.'

A woman in her thirties was pronounced dead at the scene and two arrests have been made

Mr Cagney confirmed that the crime scene on Duckett Street remains in place and that local officers will be on hand to 'provide any reassurance that the community needs'.

As enquiries are ongoing, he urged anyone with information that could assist police to call 101 and quote CAD480/15Sep.

You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that he and co-stars Richard Hammond and James May were 'mostly smashed' while filming the last episode of The Grand Tour.

The veteran TV presenter made the comments at a Q&A after a premiere screening of The Grand Tour: One For The Road, which looks set to be the last ever motoring programme hosted by the trio.

The ticket-only screening took place at the Who Wants to be A Millionaire host's new pub The Farmer's Dog in the Cotswolds on Friday night.

During a Q&A following the premiere, Clarkson told the crowd how he and his co-stars were 'mostly smashed' during filming but 'hopefully nobody will notice'.

He also claimed to have filled a third of a cargo plane with beer after failing to fill it with crew and filming equipment.

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that he and his co-stars Richard Hammond and James May were 'mostly smashed' while filming the last episode of the Grand Tour

The veteran TV presenter made the comments at a Q&A after a premiere screening of The Grand Tour: One For The Road, which is set to be the last programme to be made by the trio. Pictured: The three adventurers at an event at Television Centre to launch the series' final episode

Adventurous trio, Jeremy, Richard and James May, 61, are completing their series with a stunning road trip through Zimbabwe in three luxury cars they have always wanted to own

Clarkson, 64, said the trio used a spare third of a cargo plane for moving all their gear to store beer

In their final escapade together, Clarkson and his co-stars will explore beautiful landscapes in a Lancia Montecarlo, a Ford Capri 3-litre, and a Triumph Stag.

When asked how many units of alcohol they drank per episode, Clarkson, 64, replied: 'I'll let you into a little secret.

'We had a big cargo plane to move all of the kit we needed to film and a crew of 70 people and more but we didn't fill the plane.

'A third of it was left - we thought, 'so what should we put on that?' Beer was the answer.

'But we do drink a lot, we are mostly smashed - hopefully, nobody will notice.

'I'm duty-bound to tell you there was a three-day gap between arriving and setting off - but there wasn't.'

Clarkson also said he does not have the same love for cars as he did 35 years ago as 'they're all s**t now' and called the capital of Bolivia, La Paz a 's**t hole.'

He said: 'Genuinely 80 per cent of them now 90 per cent, I couldn't even identify. I don't know what they are, I don't care.'

The Diddly Squat farm owner also spoke about the Top Gear days and filming in Alabama and Argentina where infamous episodes were filmed.

In an episode shot in Alabama, the trio are apparently chased out of town after spray-painting each others cars with offensive messages.

Clarkson, Hammond and May ill explore beautiful landscapes in a Lancia Montecarlo, a Ford Capri 3-litre and a Triumph Stag in their final escapade together

Clarkson sharing a tipple with May while filming the final episode of The Grand Tour

While in Argentina they caused a diplomatic incident after one of the cars' number plate had the number 82 - which locals believed was a deliberate reference to the 1982 Falklands War.

The last adventure also sees Jeremy, Richard, and James ignore producer Andy Wilman's instructions and head to Zimbabwe in three cars theyve always wanted to own.

Another first look snap shows the trio giggling around a campfire as they sip on a couple of beers and enjoy a relaxing break next to a stunning lake.

Jeremy said: 'I was more frightened in Alabama than Argentina. In Argentina, we bravely flew away before the trouble started.

'The crew was there, and they had a really torrid time. Alabama was bad - everybody ran there. I found myself at one point behind James May's Cadillac.

'Behind me was a pickup truck with good old boys with guns - I guess it was a kind of 'look after your mates' situation.

'I thought, 'f*** that,' and overtook James, leaving him to it - it was pretty scary.'

Clarkson was also asked who the fastest driver out of Hammond, May, and himself was.

He replied: 'Richard has driven fast twice, had his trousers cut off twice, and got in an ambulance twice.

Richard Hammond said he would miss co-stars Clarkson and May 'terribly' as their 20-year partnership comes to an end

The Grand Tour: One for the Road, which launches September 13 on Prime Video, will conclude the former Top Gear co-hosts' 21 year partnership

'James once went 45 mph, and it nearly killed him.'

After mishearing the question 'What's next for you?' as 'What sex are you?' he also quipped 'Oh the Labour Party's here!'

He also revealed the person he most wanted to see as the star in a reasonably priced car was music legend Bryan Ferry.

He went on to downplay Top Gear's influence on the motoring world and added:

'We never thought we were influential. It reviewed the Ford Orion and I gave it a really hard time.

'It went on to be Britain's best-selling car. I then said the Renault 6 TL was brilliant - but they sold six.'

Clarkson, May and Hammond at 'An Evening with The Grand Tour' at Television Centre in London on September 10

Hammond paid tribute to his two co-stars as the trio's 20-year partnership came to an end.

He said : 'I'll be really honest, and theyll mock me for this, but I'll miss them terribly. Weve worked together for twenty years.

'Weve worked hard, and we have to egg each other on, and its never just loafing about. So, it'd be difficult to recreate that situation.

'If I go over and visit Jeremy at his farm, it would be to go over and relax. That's not the same as having to get up at five in the morning and drive for eight hours through the jungle.'

Long-time producer Andy Wilman told the Edinburgh TV Festival that filming the episode was 'quite weepy' and 'quite heart-stringy'.

The Grand Tour: One for the Road launches globally from 13 September only on Prime Video
Survivors of the Sandy Hook shooting are set to vote in their very first presidential election come November, a report has revealed.

Grace Fischer, Emma Ehrens, Lilly Wasilnak, and Matt Holden are all 18, and were all in the first grade when the shooting occurred.

Nearly 12 years later, each spoke to NBC News about their plans to vote Vice President Kamala Harris as president.

The interviews come months after the then-graduating teens visited Harris at the White House in June, a weeks before she declared her candidacy.

When asked about their decision, he four who formerly attended Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut cited the candidate's stance on gun laws as the main reason.

Pictured, Sandy Hook shooting survivors Emma Ehrens, Grace Fischer, Henry Terifay, and Lilly Wasilnak meeting Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House in June

Several have told NBC News they plant to vote for Harris come November now that they are 18

'It's a no-brainer for me,' said survivor Wasilnak, 18, after meeting Harris at the White House on National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

'It's a huge turning point in our lives,' added Fischer, who was just six when 20-year-old Adam Lanza mercilessly gunned down 20 of her fellow classmates and six teachers on December 14, 2012.

She told the station how coming of age at such a monumental moment has given her and others hope that they can spur change, after spending most of their childhoods looking on.

She, like others, survived Lanza's onslaught buy staying quiet in a classroom - as the 20-year-old unloaded an array of guns purchased legally by his mother.

At the time, activists hoped the event would spark legislative changes surrounding gun laws, which since then have stayed up to each state.

Friday, meanwhile, marked 20 years since the a federal ban on assault weapons expired - and Harris, like other Democrats, is campaigning on a renewed countrywide guidance.

'The country was forced to look at this issue in a visceral, terrible way,' gun safety activist Emma Brown said of the seeds planted by the school shooting, which remains the second deadliest in history behind the one in 2007 at Virginia Tech.

'The loss of all of those kids in their classroom was so inconceivable and so horrific that even the politicians and the folks who had been trying to act like this wasn't a growing problem in this country were unable to deny it,' she continued.

'It's a huge turning point in our lives,' said Fischer, who was just six when 20-year-old Adam Lanza mercilessly gunned down 20 of her fellow classmates and six teachers in 2012

Friday, meanwhile, marked 20 years since the a federal ban on assault weapons expired - and Harris, like other Democrats, is campaigning on a renewed countrywide guidance

Their efforts to instill a more widespread ban have fallen flat - a failure the survivors are hoping Harris will set right if she is able to win the Oval Office

Brown is the executive director of Giffords, a gun safety group founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who is also a shooting survivor.

Their efforts to instill a more widespread ban have fallen flat - a failure the survivors are hoping Harris will set right if she is able to win the Oval Office.

Ehrens, who was next to Lanza when he shot her classmates, told the station how she has been left disillusioned by the lack of change since the shooting, worsened by the seemingly endless stream of similar incidents since.

'We were told this would be what turns everything around,' she said.

'It really breaks your heart a little bit more every time.'

The group already met Harris when she was VP just before graduation, during which they shared their individual accounts of that day.

Harris, in turn, told them: 'None of you should have had the experience that youve had at all.'

The candidate has since said that keeping students safe in schools is a top priority, championing a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as universal background checks.

Shattered tempered glass pieces cover chairs and seats at Sandy Hook Elementary school after the December 2012 shooting

A motive was never determined as to why the gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, massacred 20 first-graders and six educators

'Im casting a vote for the 26 who cant,' one of the survivors said of those who died. Shootings at schools, meanwhile, continue, with two students and two teachers killed at Georgias Apalachee High School earlier this month

Since announcing her campaign in July, Harris has also said that she supports laws that would allow a family member or law enforcement to seek a court order to temporarily confiscate guns if they feel the owner could cause harm.

Speculation surrounding such laws was renewed in the wake of Lanza's killing spree, due to the multiple semi-automatics used, and the fact that Lanza was old enough to carry a rifle at the time of the shooting in the eyes of the state.

Lanza, however, ended up using guns bought by his mother kept at their house, after trying to purchase a 'long gun' rifle from a local shop before being turned away do to not wanting to undergo the required 14-day background check.

He would shoot himself in the head as first-responders arrived, putting an end to one of dozens of school shootings in the US over the past few decades - something JD Vance recently said was a 'fact of life.'

This characterization is lost on people like Wasilnak and Holden, who both said it will be in honor of their slain first grade classmates that they would cast ballots for Harris come November,

'Im casting a vote for the 26 who cant,' Wasilnak said of those who died.

Since Sandy Hook, states have passed more than 620 gun safety laws.

Shootings at schools, however, continue, with two students and two teachers killed at Georgias Apalachee High School earlier this month, by a 14-year-old toting an AR-style rifle.
A criminal enquiry was launched today after eight men died and a baby ended up in intensive care following the latest small boat disaster in the English Channel.

Jacques Billant, the Pas de Calais prefect, as he confirmed eight unidentified migrants were declared dead at the scene, adding that six people were taken to hospital 'in relative emergency', including a ten-month-old baby with hypothermia.

They were among the 59 UK-bound migrants crammed into a flimsy dinghy which was 'ripped apart' when it hit rocks close to Calais on Sunday morning.

Less than 10 people on board had life jackets on inside a boat organised by people smugglers charging up to 1000-a-head for an illegal passage from France to the UK.

It had set off from the Slack River, which flows into the English Channel close to the towns of Ambleteuse and Wimereux.

'The toll was terrible, with eight people reported dead,' said Jacques Billant, the Pas de Calais prefect.

French gendarme and a member of the Civil Defence stand in front of a tent that receive migrants after a failed attempt to cross the English Channel that led to the death of 8 people near the beach of Ambleteuse, northern France on September 15, 2024

Less than 10 people on board had life jackets on inside a boat organised by people smugglers charging up to 1000-a-head for an illegal passage from France to the UK

There were 59 people in all, from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran, said Mr Billant, without further identifying anyone

Your browser does not support iframes.

'Six survivors were rushed to hospital, including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia.'

Confirming a criminal enquiry by Boulogne prosecutors into the deaths of eight men, Mr Billant said: 'Only one out of six people onboard had a life jacket.'

There were 59 people in all, from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran, said Mr Billant, without further identifying anyone.

'The boat quickly got into difficulty and ran aground. The boat was torn apart on the rocks.

'The entire floor of the boat was ripped off,' said Mr Billant, adding that the kind of boats being used by the smugglers were 'totally unsuitable, overloaded, of poor quality, under-inflated, and under-powered.'

The disaster at Ambleteuse took place just after 1am and - within six hours - migrants were putting out another boat in exactly the same location.

An emergency worker said: 'Bodies were being taken up on to a ramp at Ambleteuse, yet, by 7am, a second boat departure took place there too.

'Boats have been setting off in the area throughout the weekend - there have been non-stop rescues.'

Confirming the departure of the later boat, charity worker Christel Leclair, said: 'There are departures the whole time - winter, day, night, summer, as soon as the sea is calm.

'The boats are more and more overcrowded. They don't have life jackets, just sometimes the inner tube of a tire.

'There are children, pregnant women and tiny babies. We're sad and crushed by this.'

A spokesman for the Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue at Cap Gris-Nez confirmed that 'at least 18 attempts' to reach Britain were made by different boats on Saturday.

Today's death toll means 46 migrants have perished in the English Channel in similar circumstances this year alone.

Stephane Pinto, the Mayor of Ambleteuse and a former fisherman, said some of those on board may have been crushed to death, as happened at Wimereux earlier this year.

Mr Pinto said: 'I've often seen boats like this one go out to sea. These people are not sailors. With a low tide current, the current is stronger than the boat.

'It's possible they suffered engine failure, drifted, and hit the rocks.

Others were seen being rescued (pictured) from the boat which was carrying 53 migrants

The French emergency services received a Mayday from a dinghy that got into difficulty off the coast at Ambleteuse, near Calais, in the early hours of Sunday morning. French officials are seen using a tractor to pull the damaged boat out of the water

'Only the autopsy of the bodies will be able to determine whether the victims died of drowning or of being crushed, as was the case on April 23 in Wimereux'.

In April, a criminal enquiry was also launched following the deaths of five migrants including a little girl around Wimereux.

Five migrants also drowned while trying to get to Britain from Wimereux beach on January 14.

The furious Mayor of Wimereux has frequently argued that such tragedies are all the fault of the British.

Jean-Luc Dubaele said in April: 'It is Britain that is responsible for the boats setting off across the English Channel and the deaths that occur in the sea.

'The English pay us to stop the boats setting off but they look after the migrants when they arrive on their shores.

'The English give them accommodation, food, a bank account, and let them work without regulation.'

The worst tragedy of this kind came in November 2021, when 27 migrants died after a dinghy sank while heading to the UK - the highest recorded number of deaths from a single incident.

Last year, there were 67,337 asylum applications to the UK, and 29,437 of them came from people who arrived in small boats.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged this summer to 'strengthen cooperation' to fight the people smugglers.

Responding to the reports of more migrant deaths in the English Channel, shadow home secretary James Cleverly, who is running to be Tory party leader, told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: 'What we are seeing now is sadly is more fatalities in the Channel overnight and in the early hours of this morning.

'We have seen fatalities on illegal Channel crossings going up, because the very first action of this Labour government was to scrap an international partnership which was deterring migrants - we know this because those migrants told us so - and send out a signal to people smugglers that the UK is open for them to ply their evil trade.

'They came into government with no plan to stop the boats or smash the gangs. Saying stuff is not the same as doing stuff.'

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on the same programme: 'It's awful. It's a further loss of life.'

He said he had been to the National Crime Agency and seen the 'awful sort of rubber dinghies that people are coming across the Channel with, many of them, of course, not able to make it in these contraptions'.

It comes as French authorities rescued some 200 people off the coast of Calais over a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday night. (File image of migrants being brought to Dover as they attempted to reach the UK earlier this month)

People walk on a windy beach in Ambleteuse, France, earlier this week, with the White Cliffs of Dover in the UK visible in the distance

Despite the disaster, Sir Keir Starmer last week insisted his Government was 'making progress' in stopping boats.

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.

But 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.'

Visiting the National Crime Agency with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on September 6, 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.'
The residents of a tiny home village in Portland, Oregon are being blamed for a drastic increase in crimes in the neighborhood.

People living in University Park, a North Portland neighborhood, said that ever since the Peninsula Crossing Safe Rest Village appeared, crime rates have skyrocketed.

Portland police data supports this claim, according to KATU.

Between July 2023, shortly after the housing site opened, and July 2024, there were 923 reported property crimes in the University Park area.

But between July 2022 and July 2023, there were only 482 of the same reported crimes.

Residents of University Park blame a village of tiny homes for increased property crime in the area

A surveillance video from one of the community's neighbors showed someone breaking into a pickup truck.

The homeowner said to KATU that the person stole several valuable items.

The Peninsula Crossing Safe Rest Village is part of a larger initiative by City Commissioner Dan Ryan to fight homelessness. There were 67 residents as of May 2023 and is one of six villages, according to the Portland Mercury.

The village has 60 small climate-controlled homes with dressers and beds. There are bathrooms and kitchen areas on the site. Residents are given at least one free meal a day.

Some residents think the Safe Rest Village have cleaned up the neighborhood and contained the tents that used to be in the area

Police data shows that since the tiny village was built, property crimes have significantly increased from the previous year

The City of Portland allocated over $44million to this project and will receive a total sum of $208million from the American Rescue Plan by 2026, according to Portland's government website.

Despite criticism, many people living near the village see its value.

Brian Kim, a neighbor to the tiny community, told KATU: 'Since the city has put in the Safe Rest Village, things are honestly a lot better on this street. There used to be a massive tent city of more than a 150 tents up and down that bike path,

'Now, that there is the Safe Rest Village, it's all contained.'

This is Portland's largest Safe Rest Village. It is the only one managed by California-based nonprofit Urban Alchemy.

Urban Alchemy has become a notoriously controversial organization.

The organization's mission is to reduce homelessness, but their methods, especially in San Francisco, have been heavily criticized.

Controversial California-based nonprofit Urban Alchemy manages this village

As of 2023, there were 67 residents living in the tiny homes, which have beds and dressers inside

Since its birth in 2018, Urban Alchemy has faced dozens of allegations and at least six lawsuits regarding civil rights violations, physical and sexual harassment and theft, according to The Nation.

People working for Urban Alchemy have been accused by advocates and former employees of allegedly dealing drugs to the homeless, making sexual advances towards vulnerable individuals and harassing the people they are supposed to be helping.

Peninsula Crossing Safe Rest Village was built in response to Multnomah County's homeless population skyrocketing by 21 percent in 2022, according to the Portland Mercury.
Israel has admitted that there is a 'high probability' that its military killed three hostages taken by Hamas in a November airstrike.

The bodies of Corporal Nik Beizer, Sergeant Ron Sherman and French-Israeli Elia Toledano, were brought back to Israel in December, after they were taken by Hamas' militants during the deadly October 7 incursion.

The IDF said in a statement today that the three men were 'killed as a result of a byproduct of an IDF air strike, during the elimination of the Hamas Northern Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November 10th, 2023.'

The military claimed that the men were in a tunnel complex where the top Hamas commander was hiding.

'At the time of the strike, the IDF did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound,' the military said.

'Furthermore, there was information suggesting that they were located elsewhere, and thus the area was not designated as one with suspected presence of hostages.'

L-R: Elia Toledano, Cpl. Nik Beizer, Sgt. Ron Sherman, who were all killed in an IDF strike in November

The three hostages were killed in an IDF strike that aimed to eliminate top Hamas commander Ahmed Ghandour (pictured)

An explosion following an Israeli air strike on Al Bureije refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip 03 June 2024

A spokesperson for the Hostage Families Forum told MailOnline: 'This underscores the severe risk to the lives of the hostages in captivity. Each passing moment endangers them further.

'We know the hostages are held in inhumane conditions, tortured by Hamas and deprived of basic human rights. The only way to ensure their safe return is through a negotiated deal and not military pressure.'

The retaliatory invasion of the Gaza Strip, now in its 11th month, has been widely condemned by Israelis, many of whom have been marching to end the war.

Photos from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem taken over the past few weeks showed countless Israelis marching to protest prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to carry on the military operation in Gaza, accusing him of not doing enough to reach a ceasefire deal to bring the remaining 97 hostages.

The conflict has rippled out further in the Middle East, with Iran and allied militant groups attacking Israeli and U.S. targets and drawing retaliatory strikes from Israel and its Western allies. On several occasions, the strikes and counterstrikes have threatened to trigger a wider conflict.

A missile fired by Yemen's Iran-backed rebels landed in an open area in central Israel early Sunday and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, in the latest reverberation from the nearly yearlong war in Gaza. Israel hinted that it would respond militarily.

There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters in Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport authority said that it resumed normal operations shortly thereafter.

A fire could be seen in a rural area of central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be a fragment from an interceptor that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin.

Thousands of Israelis gather with banners and Israel flags to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government for not signing the ceasefire agreement with Gaza and to demand hostage swap deal with Palestinians in Tel Aviv, Israel on September 14, 2024

Israeli forces intervene as thousands of Israelis gather with banners and Israel flags to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government for not signing the ceasefire agreement with Gaza and to demand hostage swap deal with Palestinians in Tel Aviv, Israel on September 14, 2024

Protesters lift flags and placards during an anti-government rally demanding action for the release of Israelis held hostage by Palestinian militants in Gaza since October

Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) has been consistently criticised for his decision to carry on the military operation in Gaza

Israel's army said the surface-to-surface missile was intercepted by Israel's defense system, which hit and fragmented the target but did not destroy it. It said the missile appeared to have fragmented midair. The military said the sound of explosions in the area came from interceptors.

The Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, have repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

In July, an Iranian-made drone launched by the Houthis struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding 10 others. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen, including the port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a similar response in remarks at a Cabinet meeting after Sunday's attack.

'The Houthis should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us,' he said. 'Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah.'

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the rebels, said they fired a ballistic missile targeting 'a military target' in the area of Tel Aviv.

Rows of tents are set up for displaced Palestinians in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on September 14, 2024

A building heavily damaged in an overnight Israeli strike stands in Kfar Rumman near the southern Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh on September 14, 2024

A view of the destruction following the Israeli airstrike on the Zeitoun Martyrs School, a shelter for displaced Palestinians at the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City, Gaza on September 14, 2024

The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, in what the rebels portray as a blockade on Israel in support of the Palestinians. Most of the targeted ships have no connection to Israel.

On Sunday, a European Union naval mission operating in the Red Sea said salvagers had begun towing a tanker that had been on fire for weeks after a Houthi attack. Operations Aspides said the Greek-flagged Sounion was being taken to a 'safe location.'

Hezbollah has said it would halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire in Gaza. The United States and Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar have spent much of this year trying to broker a truce and the release of scores of hostages held by Hamas, but the talks have repeatedly bogged down.

In recent weeks, Netanyahu has insisted on lasting Israeli control over the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, which Israeli forces captured in May. He has said Hamas used a network of tunnels beneath the border to import arms, allegations denied by Egypt, which along with Hamas is opposed to any lasting Israeli presence there.

An Israeli military official said late Saturday that of the dozens of tunnels discovered along the border, only nine entered Egypt, and all were found to have been sealed off. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence, said that it wasn't clear when the tunnels were sealed.

The discovery appeared to weaken Netanyahu's argument that Israel needs to keep open-ended control of the corridor to prevent cross-border smuggling.

Egypt has said it sealed off the tunnels on its side of the border years ago, in part by creating its own military buffer zone along the frontier.
A bombshell update in the Bryan Kohberger murder trial emerged on Sunday morning.

The 29-year-old criminology lecturer accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death was flown to a new location where the trial will be held.

Kohberger was transported from Latah County, where the stabbings occurred, to Ada County, according to Fox News.

This move comes after the Idaho Supreme Court ordered that the case be moved to a different venue.

A new mugshot of Kohberger was taken at the Ada County Sheriff's Office.

A new mugshot of Bryan Kohberger was taken after he moved to a different county for his trial

Kohberger was escorted out of a small plane to a black suv when he arrived in Boise on Sunday

University of Idaho students, pictured from left to right, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were stabbed to death in their off-campus home

The accused quadrupled murder looked rugged with an unkempt beard and bloodshot eyes in his latest mugshot.

The murder suspect's attorneys argued that his trial would be unfair if it was held in Latah County because of the community's emotional ties to the case.

Ada County is about 300 miles south of Latah County and Boise, the capital of Idaho, is located there.

A new judge, Steven Hippler, has been assigned to this case, but Latah prosecutors are expected to stay on it, according to NBC News.

Kohberger was handcuffed and in an orange jumpsuit when he arrived in Boise in a small plane. He was moved to a black SUV.

Kohberger was escorted through the Latah Court Room just days before he was moved to Ada county

The accused killer was moved to Ada County, where his trial will be held, on Sunday morning

Kohberger will go on trial in June 2025 for the killing of four college students in September 2022

He is going on trial for the quadruple killings of students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle on November 13, 2022.

Theories revealed in journalist Howard Blum's book When the Night Comes Falling: A Requiem for the Idaho Student Murders state that Mogen was his only intended target.

The trial is scheduled from June 2 to August 29, 2025.
Hundreds of thousands in Nigeria have fled their homes to avoid the sweeping floods that have devastated the country and allowed nearly 300 prisoners to escape a single jail.

Maiduguri, the capital of the northern Borno state, suffered its worst floods in decades this week, which decimated a dam that was holding back the water.

The flood has killed at least 30 people according to the country's emergency agency and affected a million others, with hundreds of thousands of people forced into camps for displaced people. Since the beginning of the rainy season, nearly 260 people have been killed.

In Maiduguri, the floods 'brought down the walls of the correctional facilities including the Medium Security Custodial Centre, as well as the staff quarters in the city,' officials said, adding that so far just seven have been recaptured.

Meanwhile, regular citizens haven't been quite as lucky.

Fatima Yakubu told AFP she woke up in the middle of the night to find her legs submerged as water rose in her home in northeastern Nigeria earlier this week.

Hundreds of thousands in Nigeria have fled their homes to avoid the sweeping floods that have devastated the country

In Maiduguri, the floods 'brought down the walls of the correctional facilities including the Medium Security Custodial Centre' (pictured)

Maiduguri, the capital of the northern Borno state, suffered its worst floods in decades this week

She screamed and people helped her escape with her six children.

Flood waters have displaced more than one million people in and around Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, in one of the worst ever floods in Africa's most populous country.

Thousands of homes were engulfed by rapidly rising waters after a dam burst following a weekend of torrential rain in northeastern Nigeria.

'I shouted for help in terror and some men outside heard my scream and came into the house which was already flooded and rescued us,' said Yakubu, 26, describing her survival as a 'miracle'.

She and her children took shelter in one of the eight camps set up by authorities.

Flood waters have displaced more than one million people in and around Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State

Yobe state emergency workers and Nigerian soldiers rescue people from flooded areas in Maiduguri, northern Borno state

Thousands of homes were engulfed by rapidly rising waters after a dam burst following a weekend of torrential rain in northeastern Nigeria

A view of the prison where nearly three hundred prisoners escaped after floods in Maiduguri

Just seven prisonders have been apprehended following the mass escape

NEMA's director general Zubaida Umar said on X on Thursday she was relieved that the 'flood level in Maiduguri is receding, and normalcy is beginning to return to the metropolis,' adding that rescue operations were ongoing in the city flooded up to 40 percent.

'Children and families are still trapped in their homes,' British charity Save The Children said in a statement on Friday.

'The immense damage to water and sanitation services is driving up the risk of cholera and other water- and vector-borne diseases,' the NGO said, pointing out that the city's two main hospitals had also been flooded.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said the disaster would increase the risk of food insecurity, particularly in the vulnerable northeast.
The body of a missing British man has reportedly been found at the entrance to a stunning natural park in Lanzarote.

The unnamed holidaymaker is thought to have got lost while hiking in the south of the island although police are yet to make any official comment.

His body was found at the entrance to Los Ajaches, a protected natural park and beautiful area of mountains and beaches.

The exact spot where the dead man was discovered has been described as being between Playa Mujeres, one of the most spectacular beaches in Lanzarote with fine white sand, and another beach called Playa de Las Coloradas east of the town of Playa Blanca.

It was not clear last night what could have happened, although visitors to the area are warned to wear good footwear as the paths are quite rocky.

The body of a missing British tourist has been found near the entrance to Los Ajaches park (pictured) in Lanzarote

The exact spot where the dead man was discovered has been described as being between Playa Mujeres (left) and another beach called Playa de Las Coloradas (right)

The grim discovery was made earlier today. It is not known yet how the alarm was raised.

Civil Guard officers went to the scene along with Civil Protection officers and local police employed by Yaiza Town Hall, the municipality Playa Blanca is part of.

Police are expected to release more details about the discovery tomorrow.
Sir Keir Starmer was last night told not to rush new laws to legalise assisted dying amid fears it could put lives at risk.

The Prime Minister is privately paving the way for a controversial vote on the issue before Christmas, The Mail on Sunday reported yesterday.

Labour MPs who secured a top spot to introduce a Private Members Bill to the Commons are being urged to take up the proposal.

One backbencher told the MoS he had been offered two extra staff to help him draft a Bill if he proposed legalising assisted dying.

Labour backbencher Jake Richards, who came 11th in the ballot, has offered to put forward an assisted dying Bill, but is too low to be guaranteed a chance to debate it.

Sir Keir Starmer has been warned not to rush to legalise assisted dying over fears it could put lives at risk

Alistair Thompson, a spokesman for Care Not Killing, said that rushed through legislation was much more likely to be 'less rigorous in terms of safeguards'

A Labour source said it had been made clear to MPs at the top of the ballot that Sir Keir backs a change in the law.

But last night Care Not Killing, an organisation which promotes palliative care and opposes assisted dying and euthanasia, said rushing through legislation would put lives at risk.

Alistair Thompson, a spokesman for the group, told the Mail: To be offering extra staff members to MPs is appalling and underhand.

Any Bill that is rushed through is much more likely to be less rigorous in terms of safeguards and lead to more people feeling pressured into ending their life prematurely.

He added: You have to be incredibly careful when considering this Bill and any attempt to rush it through is likely to put lives at risk.

Reform MP Lee Anderson also said he did not think it should be rushed, tweeting: I do not think this should be rushed but I do think we need a full and frank debate on the issue.

After winning the election in July, Sir Keir said he remained committed to giving MPs a free vote on assisted dying laws but said his government had other priorities for the first year or so.

Cabinet ministers are also divided on the issue: Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary has spoken against it and Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, has said he is undecided.

Yet Sir Keir has said he is personally in favour of changing the law, and gave a commitment to terminally ill television presenter Dame Esther Rantzen, who is campaigning on the issue, that he would ensure there is parliamentary time for a debate.

Last night she told the Mail that she was extremely grateful to the Prime Minister for making time for this crucial debate.

Campaigners in support of assisted dying protest outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London

The Prime Minister gave a commitment to terminally ill TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen to ensure time for a parliamentary debate on the issue

When I talked to him before the election he told me he understood the need for the debate, and very kindly said he hoped I would be alive to hear it, she said.

At the time I thought that was extremely unlikely, but thanks to one of the new miracle drugs which seems to be holding my stage 4 lung cancer at bay, it may come true.

She added: If the current messy criminal law were to change, it would give me a new hope - that I can have a good, pain free death in my own home surrounded by those I love.

And that hope would transform my last months and weeks and bring the sunshine back for me and all those like me, whose time is running out.

Dignity in Dyings CEO, Sarah Wootton, added: The time for law change on assisted dying has clearly come for our country. Dying people simply do not have time to wait.
Kamala Harris left listeners baffled as her notoriously changeable accent went through another transition in front of an audience of black politicians in DC on Saturday night.

The Democrat nominee seemed keen to ingratiate herself as she addressed the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation at the Phoenix Awards Dinner.

'Hello to all of my Divine Nine brothers and sisters!' she hollered to the diners. 'And to all my HBCU brothers and sisters.'

'Kamala Harris is whatever you want her to be, depending on which audience she is talking to,' wrote one observer on X.

'But I give her credit for being able to change her accent for so many audiences!'

The Vice President seemed keen to ingratiate herself with her audience at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner on Saturday night

But many on social media were unimpressed at her attempt to appear relatable

The VP who spent her childhood in San Francisco and Montreal has long been accused of adapting her accent to whatever audience she is addressing.

She raised eyebrows on the campaign trail in 2020 when she adopted a languorous southern drawl to excite one Florida rally with the words 'We will tell them we were hangin' out in a parking lot this particular Saturday afternoon with Kamala.'

She unleashed her Dixie accent again in July at a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, when she told her audience 'You all helped us win in 2020 and we gonna do it again in 2024'.

In 2021 she was even accused of slipping into a cod French accent as she spoke to scientists at the Pasteur Institute in Paris.

And her latest switch came just days after teachers in Michigan were left scratching their heads at her attempt at a Detroit demotic.

'You may not be a union member but you better thank a union member for the five-day work week,' Harris told them.

'I'm from California. We all talk like this,' an X user sarcastically wrote alongside a phonetic spelling of how Harris spoke in her remarks: 'I'm gonna make sure to thanka union memba today.'

The VP has both Jamaica and Indian heritage and her vocal dexterity has been leapt on by Donald Trump after her GOP rival accused her of using her blackness to her advantage when it suits her.

'I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black,' he said during the annual convention. 'So, I don't know, is she Indian or is she Black?'

The VP's latest accent sparked similar derision from right-wing commentators after it she tried it out with her mainly black audience on Saturday.

'Kamala Harris is speaking in front of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation so of course she's suddenly developed a mysterious accent,' tweeted conservative pundit Benny Johnson.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called a suggestion that Kamala Harris uses different accents 'insane'

Your browser does not support iframes.

'New? Or is it her old fake black accent?' demanded Paul A. Szypula. 'Either way, it's incredibly insulting to black people. Shame on Kamala.'

'Kamala Harris revealed a new accent at the Black Caucus Dinner,' added Steve Guest.

'Despite a childhood in Berkley, California and Montreal, Canada, Kamala uses what she thinks is a Detroit accent, a southern accent, a French accent, and more' he added.

The White House refused to comment when challenged over Harris's mercurial enunciation earlier this month.

'I have no idea what you're talking about,' spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

'She was talking about unions in Detroit using one tone of voice,' Peter Doocy of Fox News pointed out.

'She used the same line in Pittsburgh, and it sounded like she at least had some kind of a southern drawl.'

'Do you think Americans seriously think that this is an important question?' Jean-Pierre demanded.

'They care  you know what they care about? They care about the economy. They care about lowering costs. They care about healthcare. That's what Americans care about.

'I'm not even going to entertain some question about -- hearing it sounds so ridiculous.

'It's insane,' she added.
Repair Shop presenter Jay Blades is facing a second court case just a few days after being charged with controlling and coercive behaviour against his estranged wife.

The 54-year-old appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, having been charged with one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour.

The charge relates to his wife Lisa Zbozen, a fitness instructor, who posted on Instagram in May that their relationship had come to an end, according to court documents.

Police began an investigation after being called to an address the day after Ms Zbozen made the social media post.

He is set to appear at Worcester Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on October 11.

Blades is also due at Cannock magistrates court tomorrow, having pleaded not guilty to an alleged driving offence of using his phone while driving in Wombourne, Staffordshire, in April last year.

BBC star Jay Blades appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on Friday (file image)

Jay Blades and Lisa Zbozen married at a beachfront villa in Barbados on November 22, 2022

Blades appeared in a Channel 4 documentary last month about his friendship with actress Dame Judi Dench, called 'Dame Judi and Jay: The Odd Couple'

It comes after he made the decision to resign from the King's Foundation. He had supported the foundation - formerly the Prince's Foundation - as an ambassador.

He also visited its Dumfries House location in Ayrshire for the BBC special programme The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit.

However, the charity confirmed today that Blades has informed them of his resignation.

Blades also resigned from his role as chancellor at Buckinghamshire New University.

He presents the popular BBC show Repair Shop, which shows people having valuable and sentimental objects repaired and brought back to life.

Blades left school at 15 with no qualifications but got back on track studying for a degree in criminology and philosophy at Buckinghamshire New University from 2001.

In 2022, a special one-off episode to mark the BBC's centenary saw Jay Blades and the repair team visit the King, when he was still the Prince of Wales, at Dumfries House in Scotland

Jay Blades (left) has been charged with offences against his estranged wife Lisa Zbozen (right)

Following his graduation, Blades co-founded the Out of the Dark charitable social enterprise that recycled and revamped furniture to train, educate and employ young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

And he found fame on the BBC restoration programme The Repair Shop  which sees members of the public take worn-out family heirlooms to be restored by a team of experts  starring on the show since its launch in 2017.

In 2022, a special one-off episode to mark the BBC's centenary saw Blades and the repair team visit the King, when he was still the Prince of Wales, at Dumfries House in Scotland.

Just hours before the presenter was charged for controlling and coercive behaviour towards his wife, The BBC had announced Jay Blades as part of a new The Repair Shop tour.

News of the case emerged the day after The Repair Shop's social media account announced 'an exciting new live tour' for the show, featuring Jay Blades.

The Repair Shop - Secrets From The Barn tour 2025, was due to see Blades and other experts from the show appearing around the country from February, including in Newcastle, Birmingham, Sheffield and Salford. Tickets are on sale for about 40.

Blades's wife Lisa Zbozen, a fitness instructor, posted this photograph on Instagram on Friday

His wife said that 'the world got the best parts of my husband' in a post to Instagram at the end of her 18-month marriage in May.

West Mercia Police launched an investigation on May 3, the day after Ms Zbozen posted a message on Instagram stating that their marriage had ended after 18 months.

In the post to Instagram in May Ms Zbozen said that the end of her marriage was 'really raw' and that she was 'incredibly sad about the whole thing.'

The 43-year-old fitness instructor said: 'I don't think I've ever cried so much.

'I wanted my husband to love me & keep me safe, and I would love him right back...'

In the aftermath of the marriage breakdown, Ms Zbozen wrote that she was 'crying as I type this I can't believe this even real'.

She said: ' The world got the best parts of my husband...'

Ms Zbozen later shared an article about Blades' charge to her 158,000 followers to her Instagram story.
Kamala Harris is closing the gap with former President Donald Trump in Iowa, new polling numbers show.

The survey conducted by the Des Moines Register and Mediacom Iowa was published Sunday, and shows Harris just four points behind her Republican rival.

Perhaps even more shockingly, the survey was taken September 8 to 11, days before Trump's debate against Harris that many in the media are convinced Harris won.

This comes after Trump handedly won the same poll in 2016 in the same state by nearly 10 points, and again in 2020 by more than 8 points.

Both times, the survey proved prophetic, with the GOP frontrunner winning the swing state by a narrow margin.

Kamala Harris is closing the gap with former President Donald Trump in Iowa , new polling numbers show

Perhaps even more shockingly, the survey was taken September 8 to 11, days before Trump's debate against Harris that many in the media are convinced Harris won

Barack Obama is the only Democrat to win the presidential race in Iowa since Al Gore in 2000.

No Democrat aside from Obama has won statewide since Tom Harkin was dragged over the line by the two-term president in 2008.

The poll is considered elite, having been declared by FiveThirtyEight in 2016 to be best in class.

A June poll, meanwhile, showed President Joe Biden trailing Trump by a whopping 18 points - a gap that's seemingly since been erased with the switch in candidates.

While Trump's lead is still outside any margin of error, the woman who runs the poll says it is not a great sign for the former president.

'I wouldn't say 4 points is comfortable [for Trump],' pollster J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co. who lead the Iowa poll, told Des Moines Register.

'The race has tightened significantly.'

Selzer asserted that the results 'signal a change in the mood of the electorate' since Harris' entry into the race.

Selzer asserted that the results 'signal a change in the mood of the electorate' since Harris' entry into the race

While Trump's lead is still outside any margin of error, the woman who runs the poll says it is not a great sign for the former president

A DailyMail.com snap poll determined Harris was the winner of the debate and seemed most presidential, while Trump was deemed the most aggressive.

A positive sign for Trump, besides still leading the race, is that the poll was taken before Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s exit from election.

RFK Jr. was polling at six percent, while libertarian Chase Oliver has garnered one percent.

Now, new polling from Yahoo News/YouGov shows the vice president gaining a five-point lead over Trump among registered voters in a head-to-head match-up.

The poll of 1,755 U.S. adults conducted from September 11-13 found 50 percent of people said they would vote for Harris, while 45 percent said they would vote for Trump.

Harris trailed Trump by 9 points among independent voters - 35 percent to 44 percent - prior to the debate. The new poll now has her leading with that bloc by 10 points, 47 percent to 37 percent.

While national polling has Harris taking the lead, a new poll of the crucial swing state of Michigan shows warning signs for the vice president as she looks to secure the so-called Democratic 'blue wall.'

The InsiderAdvantage poll shows Donald Trump leading by one point in the state.

It has the GOP nominee at 49 percent and Harris at 48 percent signaling it's going to be an extremely close race in the must-win state for Democrats on their path to the White House.

The InsiderAdvantage poll was conducted of 800 likely voters September 11 and 12, after the presidential debate.

Trump confirmed there will not be a debate rematch with the vice president in a lengthy Truth Social post.

And now the race becomes even more chaotic after the FBI investigated an apparent second assassination attempt on Trump in Florida Sunday.
Authorities in Exmouth hope a bold new plan will tackle the growing issue of illegal camping.

The Kurrajong Campground at Cape Range near Exmouth. Illegal camping is rife in the area due to a shortage of campsites. Source: WA Government

A local council at one of the country's most pristine traveller hotspots said it hopes a bold new plan will tackle the growing issue of illegal camping, which has been plaguing the area for years.

Exmouth, a small resort town on Western Australias North West Cape, is known for its breathtaking coastlines and white sand beaches, but in past years it has also dealt with soaring levels of illegal camping, which left residents and local authorities at odds over how best to manage the issue. It's a problem affecting popular camping spots all over the country, but is especially rife in parts of WA's north.

Due to the area's fragile and unique natural environment, council said illegal camping was badly impacting vegetation growth and voted in a February to increase the amount of funding allocated to illegal camping prevention to $200,000. It was then announced that a new campground would be erected in the area to combat the problem, which has since opened.

Council says 'new campground great', but not everyone complying

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a spokesperson for the Shire of Exmouth Council said the new campsite  near the town centre on Reserve 29066  has deterred some people from squatting in areas they shouldn't, with rangers regularly deployed to ensure travellers are compliant.

Authorities in the area had battled for years with how to combat the issue. Source: ABC

"While the site is great, the Shire still experiences illegal camping, which disgruntles residents and other travellers alike," the spokeswoman told Yahoo. "Due to our location and unique environment, the Shire cannot offer free or wild camp facilities without a camp host.

"In addition to travellers willing to plan their stay and book accommodation in advance, we experience those who do not plan ahead and travel the long way to Exmouth before securing accommodation and choosing to illegally camp on beaches and reserves instead."

The council said it is looking into other solutions to alleviate the stress on the natural environment and on the community."

There's been over 3,000 bookings since the new site opened on land leased by the Exmouth Horseman's Club.

After receiving approval from the Council in April, the Exmouth Horseman's Club Inc., which had been on a temporary lease since 1993, has now secured a 10-year lease, with the option to renew for another 10 years. This marks an important milestone for both the club and the Shire of Exmouth, supporting long-term growth and efforts to reduce illegal camping on the North West Cape, the council said.

Since erecting a new $200,000 campground, the issue appears to have reduced in severity, council said. Source: The West Australian

Sustainable solution for both locals and travellers

Shire President Matthew Niikkula described the new campground as a "sustainable solution" that benefits both locals and visitors.

"This collaborative effort is a testament to the commitment of the Shire of Exmouth and the Exmouth Horseman's Club to address the issue of illegal camping and to provide sustainable solutions that benefit both the local community and the environment," he earlier said. "I am excited to share more updates as this initiative progresses.

"As the club looks ahead to the future, the renewed lease and the ongoing collaboration with the Shire of Exmouth signify a commitment to sustainable and responsible land use. Council is very excited to work together to create a welcoming and well-managed space for all to enjoy. Exciting times lie ahead as we embark on this journey of progress and cooperation with one of our longstanding community clubs."

The spokeswoman said the campground is for camping use only, so "no caravans, camper trailers or RVs are permitted". "It's suitable for tents, cartop tents or swags," she said.

Camping is only allowed in designated campgrounds and caravan parks along the shire including in the Cape Range National Park.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
David Lammy must 'stop dithering' and allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, a former Nato commander has said.

The Foreign Secretary said the West will not be 'bullied' by Vladimir Putin, who has threatened to use nuclear weapons if Britain gives the green light.

He dismissed the Russian dictator's warning as 'a lot of bluster' and said: 'We cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist.'

However, Mr Lammy and Sir Keir Starmer returned from Washington this week without US approval to fire the long-range weapons onto Russian soil, where they could be used to take out airfields and missile sites.

And General Sir John McColl, former Nato Deputy Supreme Commander in Europe, warned Mr Lammy 'should not signal this kind of dither and dilemma'.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy (pictured) said the West would not be bullied by Putin

General Sir John McColll (pictured) warned Mr Lammy 'should not signal this kind of dither and dilemma'

He told the BBC that after delays in supplying Ukraine with tanks and fighter jets: 'Here we are again with missiles. We're dithering. What we should be doing is being firm from the outset.'

And Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western leaders to overcome 'the fear of making strong, objectively necessary decisions'. He said: 'Only decisiveness can bring a just end to this war. It is decisiveness that most effectively protects against terror.'

Referring directly to Storm Shadow, he added: 'The only way to counter this terror is through a systemic solution  long-range capabilities to destroy Russian military aviation at its bases.'

His latest plea came after more Russian strikes in Kharkiv and across the eastern regions of Sumy and Donetsk left dozens injured.

Five former defence secretaries and ex-prime minister Boris Johnson have also urged Sir Keir to allow Ukraine to use the missiles without US backing.

Grant Shapps, Sir Ben Wallace, Sir Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt, Sir Liam Fox and Mr Johnson told The Sunday Times that further delay will embolden Putin.

Britain can authorise Ukraine to fire the missiles onto Russian soil without US permission  despite Sir Keir repeatedly saying he needs Washington's approval.

However, if Storm Shadows are launched without American assistance they are more likely to be intercepted. A defence official explained that they use GPS to find their target, but Moscow's electronic warfare 'has rendered GPS useless'.

It means they are reliant on classified American-owned mapping data to be effective.

Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western leaders to overcome 'the fear of making strong, objectively necessary decisions'

US President Joe Biden and Sir Keir Starmer meet in the Blue Room at the White House on September 13

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Johnson has urged Sir Keir to allow Ukraine to use the missiles without US backing

The Storm Shadow cruise missile on display during the Paris Air Show in 2023

But hopes were dashed that Sir Keir could gain approval as crunch talks with President Biden in Washington last Friday ended without any agreement. Mr Biden and his team reportedly signalled they want to go into a 'holding pattern' until Volodymyr Zelensky presents his 'victory plan' at the UN later this month.

That is despite Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinting that the US was edging towards authorising the use of the Anglo-French weapon.

Meanwhile, a British military intelligence update suggested Russia was continuing a 'high tempo of offensive operations in multiple areas of the frontline'.

A counter-offensive has been launched in Kursk, the area of Russia invaded by Ukraine, and they have 'highly likely retaken several villages'.

In eastern Ukraine, Putin's troops are making 'gradual advances' around Vuhledar and the important logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Sir Keir Starmer will hold talks in Italy on Monday on paying third countries to help tackle the Channel migrant crisis.

The Prime Minister travelled to Rome last night ahead of intensive talks today with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, who has overseen a sharp fall in the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean this year.

He will be accompanied by former police chief Martin Hewitt, who was appointed last night as the UK's new 'Border Security Commander'.

Downing Street said the PM wanted to learn from Italy, which has cut the numbers arriving across the Mediterranean from 118,000 to 44,500 in the last year - a fall of 62 per cent.

The two leaders will discuss a radical new scheme which will see thousands of illegal migrants arriving in Italy sent to Albania to have their asylum claims processed.

The Prime Minister will hold talks in Italy on Monday to discuss paying third countries to tackle the migrant crisis

Sir Keir Starmer will attend intensive talks with his Italian counterpart Georgia Meloni (pictured), who has overseen a sharp drop in migrants crossing the Mediterranean this year

It comes as French authorities rescued some 200 people off the coast of Calais over a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday night. (File image of migrants being brought to Dover as they attempted to reach the UK earlier this month)

Ms Meloni believes the much-delayed plan will act as a deterrent to those seeking a new life in Europe.

However, unlike the UK's former Rwanda scheme, those found to have valid asylum claims will ultimately have the right to settle in Italy. Sir Keir scrapped the Rwanda scheme in his first week in office, describing it as an expensive gimmick'.

But speaking at the weekend, he voiced interest in the Italian approach, known as offshore processing.

Asked about the Albanian scheme, he told reporters: 'Let's see. It's in early days, I'm interested in how that works, I think everybody else is.'

The PM will also discuss Italy's deals with Tunisia and Libya which are credited with helping to slash the number of people arriving from the North African coast.

Tunisia was paid almost 100 million to beef up border security and improve coastguard operations. Italy also supplied patrol vessels to help pick up migrants in Tunisian waters. In a separate deal aimed at boosting diplomatic relations, Italy paid Tunisia 85 million to fund local education and economic schemes.

A No 10 spokesman said: 'The PM wants to discuss Meloni's success in tackling illegal migration. Different countries will have different approaches and they will be discussing her country's approach to tackling migration.'

Ministers are examining whether similar diplomatic and financial deals could be struck with countries like Vietnam, Turkey and Iraq, whose citizens comprise thousands of the migrants arriving in the UK each year.

Ms Meloni had close relations with Rishi Sunak and has been branded 'far Right' by some in Labour. Sir Keir acknowledged the Italian PM has 'strong opinions' on immigration, but said he was interested in working more closely with her on the issue.

The PM and Mr Hewitt will also visit a coastguard coordination centre in Italy today to learn operational lessons from a country on the front line of the EU's migrant crisis.

Mr Hewitt is a former chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council and is best known for leading the police response to the Covid pandemic.

Georgia Meloni with Albania's prime minister Edi Rama. A radical new scheme which will see thousands of illegal migrants arriving in Italy sent to Albania to have their asylum applications processed

The new role, which is expected to command a salary of around 200,000, has been seen by some as a poisoned chalice. Former counter-terror chief Neil Basu turned down the role in the summer after being approached by Labour.

Mr Hewitt last night said he was 'under no illusions of the challenges that lie ahead, but I am determined to face them head-on'.

As head of the new agency he will play a co-ordinating role in the effort to smash the people smuggling gangs, working with MI5 and MI6 along with the National Crime Agency, Border Force, local police and prosecutors.

Sir Keir said the appointment was a signal there would be 'no more gimmicks'. He added: 'Martin Hewitt's unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system.'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the new government's approach was already producing results, with closer cooperation across Europe resulting in 70 operations to tackle people smuggling gangs.

She added: 'With the Border Security Command we can go much further - building new law enforcement partnerships across Europe and getting new powers into place, to go after the gangs, tackle dangerous boat crossings and save lives.'
A grieving family is seeking long-awaited answers at an inquest into the death of their three-year-old daughter who died after doctors failed to spot that she had sepsis.

Zadie Ajetunmobi was taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, in November 2022 with a high temperature but died ten hours later after a cardiac arrest.

Her devastated family were unaware she had died from sepsis until post-mortem results two months later showed she had the deadly infection.

They now believe her death could have been avoided had she received the correct treatment at A&E.

Tomorrow an inquest will examine the hospital's sepsis treatment policies and any systemic failings in its treatment of Zadie.

The family of three-year-old Zadie (pictured) who died in November 2022 are seeking answers at an inquest

Her parents, Theo and Rhiannon, have been left for more than two years agonising over what happened to their daughter.

'She was a thriving, healthy child,' her father said. 'There was no mention of sepsis, so afterwards we were left in limbo trying to deduce what happened.'

Zadie had initially been seen for a raised temperature and sore throat by an out-of-hours GP at Broomfield Hospital who diagnosed her with tonsillitis and sent her home with antibiotics.

Three days later, Mrs Ajetunmobi took her back to A&E with a soaring temperature on the advice of 111.

But her father said doctors failed to administer antibiotics for more than seven hours after Zadie arrived at 10pm. She passed away at 7.42am.

Mr Ajetunmobi said the family received a 'root cause analysis investigation' report in March 2023 in which Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust was said to have accepted that there had been a delay in administering antibiotics.

Zadie was rushed to Broomfield Hospital (pictued) with a high temperature but died ten hours later after a cardiac arrest

The Trust also admitted having failed to update its guidance on tackling sepsis  had this been done, Zadie would have triggered the sepsis treatment 'pathway' when she was assessed in A&E.

The family is hoping to finally receive some clarity at the two-day inquest, after their lawyers from Kingsley Napley successfully argued that it should be held.

Diane Sarkar, the Trust's chief nursing and quality officer, said: 'We took action to ensure better processes were in place.'
A Russian missile fired into an apartment building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, has killed one and wounded 42 more, amid calls from Volodymyr Zelensky for permission to directly hit Russian military strikes.

The body of a 94-year-old was recovered from the ninth floor of the building, which suffered damage after the KAB-250 bomb with an UMPK module hit the building.

Three children were among those injured, Kharkiv's mayor Ihor Terekhov said, with other officials adding that residents may still be trapped underneath the rubble.

Photos taken at the scene showed firefighters extinguishing flames from the top section of the building, with other emergency service workers taking civilians away from the area.

Several elderly people, with serious injuries, were seen being led away from the building.

Zelensky said in his nightly address this evening that three other guided bombs had struck villages in the Kharkiv, where population centres have been a frequent target of Russian attacks near the Russian border.

A Russian missile fired into an apartment building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, has killed one and wounded 42 more

Several elderly people, with serious injuries, were seen being led away from the building

Photos taken at the scene showed firefighters extinguishing flames from the top section of the building

Odesa was also targeted as part of a tit-for-tat drone conflict, with two people tragically dying in the port city today, officials confirmed.

In his speech, Zelensky said Russia had also struck the Sumy and Donetsk regions on Sunday with guided bombs.

He said the Russian army carried out 'at least 100 such air attacks' daily.

Also Sunday, Russian shelling killed one person in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, local authorities said, as Moscow's troops inched closer to the key logistics hub.

More than 20,000 people - almost half of its population - have fled the city since August, while Russian strikes over the past two weeks have cut off water and electricity to many of its remaining residents.

An injured local man tries to send a message with a mobile phone at the site of a damaged residential building after shelling in Kharkiv

A person sits down near the scene after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv

A woman stands in front of residential building damaged as result of Russian shelling with guided aerial bomb on September 15, 2024 in Kharkiv,

'Around 11:00 am (0800 GMT), the enemy shelled the western part of the city... Unfortunately, one person died,' Pokrovsk's military administration said on Telegram.

Russia has been advancing towards Pokrovsk for months, getting to within 10 kilometres (six miles) of its eastern outskirts, according to the local administration.

The city lies on the intersection of rail and road routes that supply Ukrainian troops and towns across the eastern front line and has long been a target for Moscow's army.

Russian strikes damaged two overpasses in the city earlier this week, including one that connected Pokrovsk to the neighbouring town of Myrnograd, local media reported.

Other eastern cities such as Bakhmut and Mariupol suffered massive bombardment before falling to Russian forces.

Firefighters help a wounded person after Russia hit a high-rise building in Kharkiv with a KAB-250 bomb with an UMPK module in Kharkiv

Russia has denied intentionally targeting civilian populations

Russia has denied intentionally targeting civilian populations, but Zelensky said the latest set of attacks underscored the need for Ukraine's Western partners to provide weapons and air defence systems and permission to use weaponry on targets deep inside Russia to save lives.

Zelensky called for rapid decisions on long-range strikes 'in order to destroy Russian military aviation right where it is based. These are obvious, logical decisions.

'Every Russian strike of this nature, every instance of Russian terror, like today in Kharkiv...this proves that there must be long-range capability and it must be sufficient.'

He said appropriate decisions were expected in the first instance from the United States, France, Germany and Italy, 'those whose decisiveness can help save lives.'

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that the West would be directly fighting with Russia if it allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles.
Married at First Sight star Alex Henry has been jailed for abandoning his post to go on the Channel 4 dating show.

The RAF airman abandoned his post at an electronic warfare base for love - or fame - and he appeared on TV despite being denied permission by his commanding officer.

He was stationed at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria and asked for extra leave so he could take part, but this was refused.

The 28-year-old from Birmingham was seized by military police upon his return and served 24 days of his 34 day sentence.

Married at First Sight star Alex Henry has been jailed for abandoning his post to go on the Channel 4 dating show

The 28-year-old from Birmingham was seized by military police upon his return

His spokesman told The Sun: 'He returned after filming of his own volition and handed himself into the military authorities.

'He was sentenced to 34 days in a military prison and served 24 as a model inmate.'

When he appeared on the show, it was inundated with allegations of abuse from social media users after his video was shared online.

A person commented: '@alexander.henry_ should never have been allowed on this show.'

She added: 'In situations where people are marrying each other at first sight, allowing a domestic abuser to join the show is not acceptable at all.

'I have seen first hand the damage that this man has done. Something needs to be done about this situation. @e4mafsuk @e4grams domestic abusers should NOT be provided platforms.'

When he appeared on the show, it was inundated with allegations of abuse from social media users after his video was shared online. Pictured is the show lineup

Another wrote: 'This is why background checks should ALWAYS be done & past partners etc should be contacted, the trauma he's caused other women could be passed onto someone you've consented to go on your show. Do better next time.'

A spokesperson for MAFS UK said: 'MAFS UK contributors are subject to rigorous background vetting, including multiple independent psychological evaluations and a criminal record check before they can be cleared to take part.

'We cast contributors based on the information we are legally able to access and we continue to review this process to ensure checks are as thorough as legally possible.'

MailOnline has contacted Alex Henry for further comment.
Sir Keir Starmer tried to claim he does not want to tell people how to live their lives - despite preparing a series of new nanny state interventions.

The Prime Minister refused to say if he thought Britons should have more children after an alarming report by the Office for Budget Responsibility warned the country's population could soon start to go into decline.

And he insisted there was no need for the Government to intervene with a plan to boost the dwindling birth rate, even though some commentators say the economy will be damaged as the workforce ages.

Asked by reporters on his trip to Washington DC if the Government thinks the birth rate needs to rise, Sir Keir replied: 'I think there are a number of ways of growing the economy.

'When I said local growth plans I actually had in mind plans led by mayors, local businesses, local representatives, not the birth plan.

The Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted there was no need for the Government to intervene with a plan to boost the dwindling birth rate

The Government is also planning to ban outdoor smoking and may try to outlaw disposable vapes

Labour plans to introduce supervised toothbrushing for young children in free breakfast clubs. (Stock image)

'So I think growing the economy can be solved by local growth plans, by stabilising the economy and all the measures we've already set out - but I'm not going to lead a, sort of, birth plan.'

And asked if Britons should have more children, he insisted: 'I've spent my whole time saying I'm not going to tell people how to live their lives - I'm not going to start by dictating whether they should or shouldn't have children.'

His comments, however, came just days after he vowed to bring in a series of public health measures to combat childhood obesity.

'I know some prevention measures will be controversial but I'm prepared to be bold, even in the face of loud opposition,' Sir Keir said on Thursday as he announced a ban on television adverts for junk food before the 9pm watershed.

He also wants to bring in supervised toothbrushing for young children and ban energy drinks for under-16s.

The Government is also planning to ban outdoor smoking and may try to outlaw disposable vapes.

Last night former Tory MP Miriam Cates told the Mail: 'It's very concerning that the Prime Minister doesn't appear to understand the basic mathematical problem underpinning the UK's sluggish growth; namely that falling birthrates mean we have fewer and fewer working people supporting growing numbers of pensioners.

Sir Keir announced a ban on television adverts for junk food before the 9pm watershed last week (Pictured, people walk past an advert for McDonald's)

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured) said Keir Starmer spends his whole time telling people how to live their lives

'No amount of local business plans or productivity drives are going to change this fundamental fact.

'If the Prime Minister wants growth, he should follow the example of increasing numbers of Western leaders in urgently looking for ways to increase the birthrate.'

Former Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who has six children, said: 'Starmer seems incapable of telling the truth. He spends his whole time telling people how to live their lives with smoking bans, advertising bans and potentially sugar and salt taxes.

'No one is asking him to tell people how many children to have, all that is being suggested is that he should say having children is a good thing but the old lawyer never wants to give a straight answer.'
Martha Stewart has revealed who she will be voting for in this November's presidential election.

Speaking during the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum earlier this week, the TV star said she would be voting for Kamala Harris.

Stewart, 83, gave her reasoning as to why she is supporting Harris because she wants a president 'who doesn't hate New York' and 'doesn't hate democracy.'

The star has long been critical of Trump since both the pair had competing versions of The Apprentice back in 2006.

It was Trump's version that eventually won out with Stewart's version the victim of low ratings.

Martha Stewart has finally revealed who she will be voting for in this November's election

Stewart said she would be voting for Kamala Harris because she wants a president 'who doesn't hate New York' and 'doesn't hate democracy.'

At the time, she suggested Trump had agreed to be 'fired' so that only her version of the show would remain.

'Having two Apprentices was as unfair to him as it was unfair to me,' she said to CBS News at the time.

Trump disputed her telling of the tale and called her out in public with a letter telling the press, 'I wish she would be able to take responsibility for her failure.'

In 2016, Stewart threw her support behind Hillary Clinton over Trump saying to CNN at the time: 'We just can't have a country run by someone who is totally unprepared for what comes.'

Nevertheless, Stewart praised Trump in 2016 calling him a 'true entrepreneur' but then withdrew her comments following his victory.

Stewart was speaking during the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum earlier this week

The star has long been critical of Trump since both the pair both had competing versions of The Apprentice back in 2006 with Trump's version ultimately being victorious

Donald Trump and Martha Stewart are pictured together in 2014

Ahead of the 2020 election she remained silent when Trump took on Joe Biden, even dodging the question when asked by the New York Times.

'My personal conundrum is, my friends know who I am and what I stand for, but in terms of being the owner of the magazine, how do you take sides when 50 percent of your readers might be on one side, and 50 percent on the other? It's difficult. That's my answer to that.'

This time, Stewart appears to have no qualms about endorsing Harris even if it means alienating some of her audience, although she remains reticent on being drawn further about the topic.

'I'm not allowed to talk [about politics]. I can't post anything about politics because first of all, the eyeballs of a parent company come and [I'll] get a call right awaycan't do that,' Stewart said. 'You can't talk [about that], sokeep it quiet,' Stewart said.
A Minnesota woman who was stabbed to death by her husband during Bible study had divorce papers in her car, her mother revealed.

Robert Castillo, 41, was sentenced to 33 years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to one count of second-degree murder earlier this year.

On March 21, 2023, Castillo stabbed his 41-year-old wife Corrina Woodhull over 20 times while the two attended Bible study at a family member's house.

During her victim impact statement Woodhull's mother, Linda Castle, said when went to retrieve her belongings from her car they found divorce papers inside, reported KSTP.

'She knew it was time to walk away, and that's why she's dead,' Castle said.

Divorce papers were found in Corrina Woodhull's vehicle after she was killed by her husband

Robert Castillo (pictured), 41, was sentenced to 33 years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to murder

The couple was attending a weekly Bible study at Castillo's sister's home on the 1000 block of Maryland Avenue East in St. Paul.

Castillo stabbed Woodhull up to 20 times with a six-inch blade after he had whispered something in her ear and she shook her head no.

After stabbing her, witnesses claimed the mother-of-five begged them not to let her die.

Prior to the stabbing, Castillo's sister said the pair had been 'acting normally' and that he was holding her hand and kissing her, according to the Pioneer Press.

His sister and brother saw Castillo stab Woodhull with a hunting knife. Woodhull attempted to grab Castillo's hair to pull him off her, but family members had to intervene and pull him away, his sister said.

Castillo's defense attorney, Mark Austin, said the man got high with a friend 'and unfortunately ingested so much he doesn't recall what happened afterwards'

Woodhull was found on the ground with severe wounds to her torso, chest, and arms and she was rushed to Regions Hospital. Upon arrival, the mother-of-five was pronounced dead.

While speaking with investigators, he asked if Woodhull was 'going to be okay' and shook his head in disbelief when he was told she had died.

Castillo's defense attorney, Mark Austin, said the man got high with a friend 'and unfortunately ingested so much he doesn't recall what happened afterwards.'

Before his sentence was handed down, Castillo apologized in court claiming to take 'full responsibility.'

'I'm truly sorry and I hope you guys can find it in your hearts to forgive me one day,' Castillo said.

Woodhull, a mother-of-five (pictured with her children), was attending a Bible study and her sister-in-law's house when she was killed

After stabbing her, witnesses claimed the mother-of-five begged them not to let her die

'It's been a real struggle for me to even forgive myself for taking the life of my wife, my best friend.'

At the time of the stabbing, Castillo had a warrant out for his arrest after he failed to attend a pretrial hearing for assaulting an officer while in prison in Washington County.

Castillo has quite the rap sheet, clocking in eight felonies, including assault, burglary, and possession of a firearm.

He was also convicted for beating another woman with a hammer at his sister's house and he received 10 years.
A hearing into the Titan submarine disaster which killed five people is due to begin tomorrow.

The Titan submarine was on a deep-sea expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic on June 18 last year when it disappeared.

A massive transnational manhunt was launched before the wreckage of the deep-sea vessel was found on June 22.

It is believed the submarine imploded killing all five people onboard. This included British millionaires Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood as well his son Suleman.

French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Stockton Rush who was the chief executive of OceanGate Expeditions - which ran the expedition - were also killed.

The Titan submarine (pictured) was on a deep-sea expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic on June 18 last year when it disappeared. A massive transnational manhunt was launched before the wreckage of the deep-sea vessel was found on June 22

It is believed the submarine imploded killing all five people onboard. This included British millionaire Shahzada Dawood (right) and his son Suleman (left)

British adventurer and billionaire Hamish Harding was also onboard the Titan submersible when it seemingly imploded

On Monday, a marine board of investigation hearing into the tragedy will open in Charleston, South Carolina in the USA .

The investigation will hear from 24 witnesses over two weeks, including former executives of OceanGate.

The Titan submarine was on an expedition to the Titanic wreckage around 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland, when it lost contact with the tour operator an hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent, with the vessel reported missing eight hours after communication was lost.

After days of searching, wreckage from the submersible was recovered from the ocean floor near the Titanic.

The investigation will hear from 24 witnesses over two weeks, including former executives of OceanGate.

Jason Neubauer, chairman of the Titan Marine Board of Investigation, held a press conference on Sunday ahead of the hearing.

'Over the past 15 months, our team has worked continuously, in close co-ordination with multiple federal agencies, international partners and industry experts to uncover the facts surrounding this incident,' he said.

Stockton Rush who was the chief executive of OceanGate Expeditions - which ran the expedition -also perished

French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet was the fifth victim onboard the vessel

Your browser does not support iframes.

He said the upcoming hearing would allow them to hear key evidence from expert witnesses.

'These proceedings are not just a formality,' he said.

'They are a critical step in our mission to understand the contributing factors that led to the incident and, more importantly, the actions needed to prevent a similar occurrence.'

He said the purpose of the hearing was to uncover the facts, but if they find evidence of a criminal act then they will present those findings to the US Department of Justice.

'We are charged to also detect misconduct or negligence by credentialed mariners, and if there's any detection of a criminal act, we can make a recommendation to the Department of Justice,' he said.

Over a year on from the disaster most believe the hull collapsed as a result of enormous water pressure, it hasn't been conclusively decided whether 'cheap parts' were to blame.

The wreckage of the Titanic. The Titan submarine was on an expedition to the Titanic wreckage around 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland, when it lost contact with the tour operator an hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent

The Titan submersible. On Monday, a marine board of investigation hearing into the tragedy will open in Charleston, South Carolina in the USA . The investigation will hear from 24 witnesses over two weeks, including former executives of OceanGate

Many experts think the materials used to construct the vessel could have cracked under the pressure, making a small indecision which would have widened and then 'crushed in less than a second'.

In May, a paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggested that microscopic imperfections in the hull could have contributed, leading to 'micro buckling' from the surrounding pressure.

While 'presumed human remains' were located, there were no bodies found.

The US Coast Guard said presumed human remains were carefully recovered from within Titan's debris and transported for analysis by medics.

Investigators carried out DNA tests on human remains found among the wreckage of the Titan submersible to try and identify who they belonged to.

Experts say the chances of recovering corpses are very slim, because the five men aboard the sub were almost certainly instantly obliterated when it imploded.
Sir Keir Starmer was last night mired in a fresh scandal over clothes given to his wife by a Labour donor.

It emerged this weekend that Lord Alli  who is already at the centre of the 'passes for glasses' row  paid for high-end clothes, a personal shopper and garment alterations for Lady Starmer.

But the Prime Minister, who is thought to be worth around 3million, failed to declare the gifts. It comes less than a month after Lord Alli, who bought suits and spectacles worth 18,865 for Sir Keir, faced questions over being granted a rare No 10 security pass.

Conservatives have demanded an investigation into 'Wardrobegate', accusing Sir Keir of breaching parliamentary rules.

Some questioned why the PM, who has just stripped pensioners of their winter fuel allowance, seemingly could not pay for clothes despite earning 166,000 a year.

Sir Keir Starmer accompanied by his wife Victoria Starmer outside the door of 10 Downing Street following Labour's victory

It emerged this weekend that Lord Alli (pictured) paid for high-end clothes, a personal shopper and garment alterations for Lady Starmer

Tory former minister Andrew Griffith said: 'It beggars belief that the Prime Minister thinks it's acceptable that pensioners on 13,000 a year can afford to heat their home. But, when he earns more than 12 times that, he apparently can't afford to clothe himself or his wife.'

He added: 'While his top team want a taxpayer-funded clothes budget to look sharp, people across the country are being forced to make tough choices in the face of Labour's damaging decisions.'

Labour MP Clive Efford said the revelations were 'embarrassing' while another backbencher accused Sir Keir of being 'detached' from reality  with the elderly having to 'scrimp and save even more' to keep the heating on.

They told the Mail: 'If you are leading a party for people who struggle in life, you've got to walk in their shoes and this privilege is so adjunct from the reality of the lives of ordinary people in our country.'

Tonight the Tories wrote to the standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg demanding that the Prime Minister be 'thoroughly and robustly investigated'.

In the letter, seen by the Mail, the party said the 'scandal' must be probed as it is 'not the first instance of the Prime Minister failing to declare donations and abiding by parliamentary rules'.

Sir Keir was found to be in breach of the MPs' code of conduct for failing to register eight interests in time in 2022. He assured the then-commissioner Kathryn Stone that his office processes had been reviewed to 'ensure this doesn't happen again'.

But it emerged that Sir Keir had initially failed to declare clothing donations for his wife thought to have been given both before and after the Election  within the 28-day time limit.

Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria disembark from a plane to attend the Nato summit in July 2024

Prime Minister Keir Starmer with his wife Victoria at Doncaster Racecourse on September 14

Victoria Starmer (pictured) has been praised for her style with outfits by designer brands including Me+Em, Needle & Thread and Edeline Lee

Labour MP Clive Efford (pictured) said the revelations were 'embarrassing'

The Sunday Times reported that the PM approached the parliamentary authorities last Tuesday to make a late declaration after being given updated advice on what needed to be registered.

A No 10 spokesman said: 'We sought advice from the authorities on coming to office. We believed we had been compliant, however, following further interrogation this month, we have declared further items.'

Lord Alli's involvement with the Labour leader has already proven controversial after it emerged he had been given a Downing Street security pass without apparently having a Government role.

No 10 was initially unable to say why he was granted a temporary pass, but the PM later said the former TV mogul had been helping with the 'transition' into government.

Questions about who authorised the pass have also gone unanswered with suspicion falling on the PM and his chief of staff, Sue Gray.

Former No 10 adviser Henry Newman added: 'Every day brings more revelations about the Labour Government's growing cronyism scandal.

'Keir Starmer needs to come clean about who authorised Lord Alli's pass and exactly what he was doing in Government.'

Yesterday David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, sparked ridicule by saying there was no budget in the UK for leaders' clothes and they must 'look their best' for Britain.

He told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: 'I've just come back from the US, where presidents and first ladies have a huge budget paid for by the taxpayer so that they look their best on behalf of the US people. We don't have that system over here.

'The truth is that successive prime ministers  unless you're a billionaire like the last one  do rely on donations... so they can look their best, both in the hope of representing the country, if you're in the Opposition, or indeed as prime minister.'

While US presidents do have an expenses budget which can be used to buy clothes, their spouse does not.

Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria Starmer enter 10 Downing Street on July 4

A Conservative source responded: 'It's absurd of David Lammy to suggest that the prime minister on 160,000 a year cannot afford to buy himself or his wife clothes and deserves taxpayer support. This at the same time as the Labour Party is robbing pensioners to pay off their political paymasters.'

No 10 has declined to confirm the total value of the gifts to Lady Starmer, nor say when Lord Alli started to pay for her clothing.

The Prime Minister's wife has been praised for her style, with outfits by designer brands including Me+Em, Needle & Thread and Edeline Lee.

There are no recent records of prime ministers declaring that their partners have been given clothes.

Gordon Brown's wife Sarah rented high-end outfits for key events, as did Boris Johnson's wife Carrie.
The rate at which mechanic apprentices are completing trainee programs is already at a worryingly low 49 per cent in Australia.

Mechanic apprentice Jake, from NSW, said he's likely going to drop out of the traineeship due to cost-of-living pressures. Source: Supplied

Industry experts are warning that as cost-of-living pressures continue to cripple households, young Australian tradies are moving away from apprenticeships in record numbers, in favour of higher-paying labouring jobs which require little training.

The automotive sector is already struggling to cope with shortages of workers in the industry, in particular mechanics, experts warn, with the rate at which apprentices are completing trainee programs already a worryingly low 49 per cent.

Now, with the added pressures of the rising cost of living, those in the sector warn young tradies are walking off jobs in record numbers, which could result in an even worse shortage of workers, particularly when it comes to mechanics being able to service EVs.

Young tradie on brink of ditching apprenticeship

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, young tradie Jake, from Mittagong in the NSW Southern Highlands, says he's most likely going to abandon his apprenticeship.

Across the country, just 46 per cent of automotive apprenticeships are finished to completion. Source: Getty

"With the cost of fuel and other expenses there's no money left," he said. "Everything is expensive at the moment. Life is expensive now, decisions are made for me based on what I earn, over what I'd really like to do."

Jake said "I love my job and like the trade" but he simply isn't "earning enough money as an apprentice with the cost of living right now". "Amongst my friends it's hard to support ourselves on low wages and you can earn more money as a labourer," he said. "FIFO as a labourer is nearly $100,000 and I'm earning $30,000 as an apprentice right now.

"Ideally I would love to finish my trade. The salary as a qualified mechanic is really good. The problem is house prices and other dreams I have are getting more expensive by the day so to hold back for three more years makes the dream even further away."

Calls for government intervention

Phil Cooksey, General Manager of Apprenticeships Are Us Ltd (ARU), said young tradies leaving apprenticeships is exacerbating the existing mechanic shortage. He said the solution shouldn't be "stinging employers already doing it tough for more money" and called for better government incentives.

"The government's looking at bringing overseas workers, but as it stands we just can't keep up," Cooksey told Yahoo. "We've already got a serious shortage going on  that's without a doubt."

According to ARU, cost-of-living pressure has resulted in a whopping 60 per cent of all automotive apprenticeships in Australia being cancelled.

Cooksey said the situation is "unfortunate" because completing an apprenticeship offers long-term benefits, including valuable qualifications, real-world experience, and highly competitive pay.

"[Automotive apprentices] are instead looking at labour sites, warehousing, loading, unloading, those labour-intensive roles that require little experience and pay more," he said. "When people finish their apprenticeship, after four years, you can be earning some really good money.

"I mean, it just goes up and up. You can start looking at post-trade, owning businesses, moving into the white collar side management of dealerships and brands and stuff like that. But they've got to stay in apprenticeships first."

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
One person has been killed and another is fighting for life after a horrific crash on Queensland's Bruce Highway.

The accident happened at around 5pm on Sunday when a ute traveling on the Bruce Highway near Myrtlevale, north of Proserpine, collided with another car.

By the time emergency crews arrived, the car was fully engulfed in flames, Queensland Police said.

The driver of the car, who has not yet been identified, was declared dead shortly after the crash.

The ute's driver, a man in his 60s, was treated at the scene by paramedics and then airlifted to Mackay Base Hospital in critical condition.

'Forensic examinations are underway to formally identify the driver of the car,' police said.

'Witnesses, or anyone with relevant vision, are urged to contact police.'
Virgin Australia has launched a major flight sale to destinations across Queensland, offering fares starting at just $45.

The sale includes one-way fares such as $45 from Sydney to the Gold Coast, $59 from Melbourne to the Gold Coast, $69 from Brisbane to Proserpine (Whitsundays), and $95 from Sydney to Cairns.

'With summer just around the corner and great value fares from just $45, there is no better time to book a trip to Queensland,' Virgin Australia executive Libby Minogue said.

'We love sharing the beauty of our country with Aussie travellers and the scenic landscapes and picturesque beaches of Queensland are no exception.

'We encourage travellers to get in quick as the sale fares won't last long.'

Other major deals include a $999 Whitsundays package with seven nights at the Heart Hotel and Gallery Whitsundays, round-trip airport transfers for two, a complimentary bottle of wine on arrival, and late check-out.

The sale ends midnight AEST on Sunday, September 22, 2024 and is for travel dates between October 21, 2024 and June 30, 2025.

Virgin Australia has launched a major flight sale to Queensland , offering fares starting at just $45

Full list of flights on sale:
The police chief who was responsible for enforcing Covid lockdown laws during the pandemic has been appointed the head of the new Border Security Command.

Martin Hewitt, the former chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), previously coordinated the police forces on issues including terrorism.

He will be in charge of coordinating Labour's plans to curb small boat crossings in the Channel and crack down on people-smuggling gangs.

The appointment comes after eight migrants died in the early hours of Sunday morning while trying to cross the English Channel.

Mr Hewitt is set to join the PM for his visit to Rome to meet his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni in Rome today.

Martin Hewitt (pictured), the former chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), will be in charge of coordinating Labour's plans to curb small boat crossings in the Channel and crack down on people-smuggling gangs

Migrants attempting to cross the Channel earlier this month (file image). Mr Hewitt's appointment comes after eight migrants died in the early hours of Sunday morning while trying to cross the English Channel

Illegal migration is expecting to be at the top of the agenda after Italy saw a dramatic drop in its number of asylum seekers.

The PM is keen to learn how her government has managed to cut the number of migrants arriving in dinghies across the Mediterranean by almost two-thirds in the past year, from 118,000 to 44,500.

So far the right wing Italian leader has focused on financial deals with North African countries such as Tunisia and Libya to improve their border security so they can stop boats setting off across the sea.

But this autumn Ms Meloni will go further by opening a holding centre in Albania, where migrants picked up at sea by Italian rescue ships will be taken while their asylum applications are processed.

Sir Keir, who announced he was axing the previous Tory administration's Rwanda deportation policy as one of his first moves in office, declared there would be 'no more gimmicks' to curb migration ahead of the visit.

'This Government will tackle the smuggling gangs who trade the lives of men, women and children across borders,' he said.

'Martin Hewitt's unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system.'

Mr Hewitt previously coordinated all of Britain's police forces as they enforced controversial new rules governing lockdowns introduced by then-prime minister Boris Johnson's administration.

Sir Keir meeting with Mr Hewitt. The PM said: 'Martin Hewitt's unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system'

Sir Keir with Giorgia Meloni in July. Mr Hewitt is set to join the PM for his visit to Rome to meet his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni in Rome today

The emergency legislation was criticised by some as rushed and inconsistently applied while the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed some people had been wrongfully charged under the laws.

Mr Hewitt will now be in charge of joining up law enforcement and intelligence agencies to lead joint investigations with European counterparts to address organised immigration crime, No 10 said.

The former officer, who also helped shape national responses to major security threats including terrorism in his role as NPCC chairman, said he was 'under no illusions of the challenges that lie ahead' and 'determined to face them head-on.'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the new border unit would allow the Government to go 'much further' in taking action against people-smuggling gangs.

'With the Border Security Command we can go much further - building new law enforcement partnerships across Europe and getting new powers into place, to go after the gangs, tackle dangerous boat crossings and save lives,' she said.

It comes after eight migrants died while trying to cross the Channel overnight as some 801 migrants made the journey on Saturday - the second highest daily total so far this year, according to provisional Home Office figures.

Sir Keir is keen to learn how Ms Meloni's government has managed to cut the number of migrants arriving in dinghies across the Mediterranean by almost two-thirds in the past year, from 118,000 to 44,500

Giorgia Meloni and Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama. Sir Keir has signalled he is open to pursuing an arrangement similar to Italy's migration deal with Albania, whereby asylum seekers will be held in the Balkan state while their claims are processed

Both Sir Keir and Mr Hewitt are expected to visit Italy's National Coordination Centre during his trip, where they will be briefed on their response to irregular migration.

The Prime Minister is also set to sign a joint communique outlining further cooperation with Rome on migration, growth and defence.

Sir Keir has signalled he is open to pursuing an arrangement similar to Italy's migration deal with Albania, whereby asylum seekers will be held in the Balkan state while their claims are processed.

The scheme has been criticised by human rights campaigners as unworkable but the Italian government argues it is necessary to reduce migrant arrivals by sea.

Unlike the Rwanda policy, asylum seekers whose applications are successful would be able to enter Italy under the plans.
A 75-year-old man has been rushed to hospital after being hit by a minibus outside Sydney's International Airport.

The accident occurred along Departure Plaza in Mascot at about 6.40am.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the pedestrian at the scene before he was taken to St George Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

The driver of the minibus has been taken to Mascot Police Station to assist with inquiries.

One lane of Departure Plaza was closed, causing major traffic delays this morning.
What's driving Prince Harry to increasingly follow in the Duke of Windsor's ill-fated footsteps?

The two men, each in their generation the pin-up boys of the Royal Family, both fled the country when duty called.

In the case of David - the famously glamorous Prince of Wales before his short reign as King Edward VIII - it could be said he didn't know what he was doing.

But Harry? Just a peek into the pages of any royal history book would have warned him of the disorientation, despair, and loss of status that comes to a senior royal who runs away.

His great-great uncle endured it after his 1936 abdication, and now with the news that Harry may be wanting a partial return to the royal fold, we see history repeating itself.

Maybe it's no surprise  the two royals share too much in common, even though one was born to be king and the other just a spare.

Both adored, both wayward, both under the spell of an American divorcee, Harry, Duke of Sussex and David, Duke of Windsor, are separated by almost 100 years of history but their stories have an eerie similarity.

The Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Windsor are separated by almost 100 years of history but their stories have an eerie similarity. Above: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle photographed for Time100 Talks in 2020; the former King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson

David joined the Grenadier Guards aged 20 and Prince Harry was around the same age when he joined the British Army

Both princes were thrown into the combat zone at an early age, David into the First World War and Harry into Afghanistan

Both thrown into the combat zone at an early age  David with his duties in the First World War, Harry actually fighting in Afghanistan  they discovered a cameraderie in the armed services they could not find at home.

David joined the Grenadier Guards aged 20 in 1914 and hoped to see service on the Western Front.

But he was blocked by war minister Lord Kitchener who feared the propaganda coup if the future king were killed or captured by the Germans.

He did though witness trench warfare at first hand and had a narrow escape when an enemy shell hit his car.

Harry spent ten years in the Army, serving with distinction and ending as an Apache helicopter commander in Afghanistan.

Though afterwards he blotted his copybook by claiming to have killed 25 Taliban soldiers, which fellow veterans denounced as bad taste.

War hero Colonel Tim Collins snapped: 'We don't do notches on the rifle butt'.

Their army service gave both men a desire to help the underdog. In the 1930s, David called for unemployed miners in south Wales to be looked after in their poverty.

Harry focusing in on the plight of injured and disabled soldiers by creating the Invictus Games.

It made them both even more glamorous as they wowed the public with their unstuffy hands-on approach and their concern for those who needed help.

But both used drink, and women, to escape the pressures of the supposedly glamorous life they led.

The Army gave both men the desire to help the underdog. David called for unemployed miners in South Wales to be looked after in their poverty and Harry focusing on the plight of wounded veterans

But both men used drink, and women, to escape the pressures of the supposedly glamorous life they led

Both found solace from their woes in women with a stronger personality  David with Wallis Simpson, a highly ambitious American divorceee, and Harry with Meghan Markle, who could be described similarly

Harry was memorably pictured naked in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2012 enjoying a drunken game of strip pool with a group of women.

Later he wrote that he was filled with 'shame and guilt' after the photos were published.

David more privately but just as disgracefully drank and bedded women throughout his 1928 tour of British East Africa  though unlike Harry he never expressed any remorse.

Surrounded as they were by obsequious courtiers and hangers-on, both rarely heard the word 'No' uttered in their presence, and as a result developed the belief that whatever they did must be right.

That worked while they remained working royals, but led to difficulties when they emerged from behind the palace railings and were forced to face the real world.

Both allowed their well-developed persecution complexes to render them unattractive to the public and to friends.

The Duke was perpetually worrying about money and refusing to pay bills, Harry disproportionately concerned about what he claimed was press intrusion.

Both found solace from their woes in women with a stronger personality  Windsor with Wallis Simpson, a highly ambitious American divorcee, and Harry with Meghan Markle, who could be described similarly.

Both women imposed their will and their thinking on the husband.

Pretty soon the first Duchess grew bored with life as an exiled royal, which begs the question - will the second Duchess follow suit?

Both men allowed this love for their chosen other halves to dominate their thoughts, to the exclusion of sensible reasoning.

But both women had felt cold-shouldered by the royals as a whole and by courtiers in particular, and fostered in their husbands the belief there was a better world away from their royal destiny.

In both cases this had the effect of wrecking the mens' public appeal, and they fled into self-imposed exile.

Soon both men were to discover that what to them seemed like a logical step was seen by others as treachery.

Each then came to rely on the company of their wife's friends and acquaintances  feeling a fish out of water as they sat out their exile in Paris and California among people they didn't really know.

Both then were inspired to write a book of memoirs  for big money, which caused huge scandals and further alienated them from the royal family and the public.

Both released statements informing the public they were stepping down from royal duties

Both men wrote memoirs - for big money - which caused huge rifts within the Royal Family

Windsor came to be hated by his sibling Bertie, who was forced to take up the throne as King George VI when his elder brother deserted it and, in so doing, brought about his early death at the age of 56. In Harry's case he alienated the most powerful force in the Royal Family, the future king

To his dying day in 1971, at the age of 75, the Duke of Windsor longed to be invited back into the royal fold.

He was incapable of seeing the damage done, and the bitter disappointment he'd caused to the millions who were once his fans.

Similarly we now learn that Harry may wish to return to Britain and possibly take up some royal duties.

This latest development is just the latest example of his following his great-great-uncle's footsteps and is likely to meet with a very similar result.

And for one crucial reason: each man seemingly went out of his way to estrange himself from the one person who could have brought them in from the cold  their brother.

Windsor was hated by his sibling Bertie, who was forced to take up the throne as King George VI when his elder brother deserted it and, in so doing, helped bring about his early death at the age of 56.

In Harry's case his actions alienated the most powerful force in today's royal family, the future king, Prince William.

It would appear Harry learned nothing from his forbear's example.

Tragically both men shared an astonishing failure to understand what royal duty means - that something is expected from you in return for the honours, riches and adulation bestowed upon you.

Even in the royal world, nothing comes for free.
Fancy a trip to Europe but bewildered by the choice on offer?

Then heed the advice of 22-year-old German Luca Pferdmenges, a professional juggler, social media star and a world traveller since the age of 15.

He can save you days, possibly weeks, of Googling  because he's been to every nation on the Continent and here has revealed his top five and bottom five nations.

Speaking to MailOnline Travel, Luca noted: 'It's very hard for me to pick five favourites to visit, but I would go with Portugal, Cyprus, Spain, Austria, and Croatia.

'They're famous tourist destinations, but I think they are famous for good reasons.'

German Luca Pferdmenges, a professional juggler, social media star and a world traveller since the age of 15, has been to every country in Europe - and revealed his top and bottom five countries on the continent. He's pictured above in his favourite city, Lisbon

Explaining his fondness for Cyprus and Spain, he says: 'I am a fan of warm places over cold ones, so I prefer spending time in the South of Europe generally.

'All the Mediterranean countries have the best weather, in my opinion, and I love Mediterranean cuisine overall, lots of olive oil, sundried tomatoes, and fresh vegetables.

'I like the chill vibes of the Mediterranean and Cyprus is one of my favourite countries as the people are some of the warmest in the world.'

'I like the chill vibes of the Mediterranean,' says Luca. 'I prefer spending time in the South of Europe.' Pictured here is the old-town part of his favourite city, Portugal's capital

Luca at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Estonia's capital, Tallinn - a city that impressed him

However, Croatia, says Luca, has a very high standard of beaches, and Portugal's capital, Lisbon, is his favourite city.

He continues: 'I like the big cities with lots of things to do  but I prefer them to be warm.'

In addition to his top-five list, Luca is keen to point travellers in the direction of Europe's 'hidden gems'.

He says: 'There are hidden gems all over.

'The Montenegrin coast, for example, is amazing and I really like North Macedonia - Lake Ohrid is absolutely gorgeous and the capital city of Skopje makes you feel like you are walking in an outside museum. It's known as the city of statues.

Luca describes Albania as an 'underrated gem'. Above is the coast near Ksamil in Southern Albania

Luca remarks that Lake Ohrid in Macedonia (above) is 'absolutely gorgeous'

'Slovenia is great for mountains and hiking  and certainly a cheaper alternative to Switzerland or Austria.

'If you want to get a medieval vibe, I recommend visiting Tallinn in Estonia. It's one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world  but the old city looks like a medieval market town. I love it. The daily market in Riga, Latvia, just next door is amazing as well.

'Give places like Romania or Bulgaria a chance, too. They have stunning beaches, great people, exciting cities, awesome food and they are often more affordable.

'Albania, Kosovo and Serbia are underrated gems as well. Oh, and visit Sarajevo [the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina] to learn all about its history. All of those places are super affordable.'

The worst five

On Luca's least-favourite list is microstate San Marino (above). 'It's very hard to reach and there is nothing to do,' the traveller says

Luca enjoyed his time in Finland (above), but said it was one of his least favourite European places because it's not 'budget friendly'

So that's the bucket list updated. But what should be struck off?

Deciding on his five least favourite nations was tough for globetrotting Luca.

He says: 'Europe is my favourite continent to visit and live in. Picking a least favourite country is super difficult for me.

'But my least-favourite list includes underwhelming San Marino. The microstate [within north-central Italy] is very hard to reach and there is nothing to do. You can see everything within hours.

'The view is great and the architecture is impressive, but it's not a country to spend holidays in. If you are in Rimini, Italy, you can see San Marino in a day and then come back.'

He continues: 'Belgium is too grey and cold in winter though my Mum, Saskia Pferdmenges, highly disagrees and loves it!

'Belarus - I had a great time in Minsk, but it is very hard to reach and the only truly isolated country on the Continent.

Luca is not a fan of 'grey and cold' Belgium. He is pictured above at the Brussels Atomium

WANT TO SEE MORE FROM LUCA? Follow his adventures on Instagram under the username @thatgermantravelguy, YouTube at @lucapferdmengesjuggler or TikTok at @thegermantravelguy. Advertisement

'Liechtenstein is very isolated and expensive, though it's great if you can afford it, and the Nordics are some of the most stunning countries in the world, but just so expensive. They are not for the budget-friendly traveller. A short taxi ride in Finland can quickly cost 30-40 euros [25.30 - 33.75 / $33.12 - $44.16].'

He adds: 'If you are on a budget, avoid not only Finland but Iceland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Switzerland and Ireland are just as expensive as well.'

Having covered the underwhelming, are there any countries he found overwhelming?

He replied: 'Turkey or Belarus, because they are very different from most European countries. The closest to a "culture shock" that you can get in Europe.'

And any countries that get the award for the worst weather?

'The worst weather has to be in the UK,' declares Luca. 'My ex-girlfriend is from the UK, so I spent a lot of time there for nearly four years. I love the UK  and I miss the supermarkets like Morrison's  but the weather really isn't it.'
An American traveler who set a Guinness World Record for the most airlines flown has revealed his top tip to avoid flight cancelations.

Indy Nelson, 29, was determined to be the youngest and quickest person to visit every country in the world and took out an $80,000 loan after college to fund his globetrotting lifestyle.

Since then, the Californian has flown on an astonishing 170 different airlines - smashing the previous world record of 156.

Yet despite taking an incredible 500 flights during his bid for the world record, just two were canceled, he told Guinness World Records.

His secret: booking morning flights.

Indy Nelson, 29, took out an $80,000 loan to spend 18 months traveling the world when he was 22 years old

Nelson's secret to hassle-free flying is booking morning flights because they are less likely to get canceled than later ones

Nelson claims choosing flights earlier in the day means they are less likely to be delayed or canceled than later departures.

And his theory appears to be backed up a 2023 study by the Department of Transportation.

More than 80 percent of flights leaving from 6am to 9am are on time compared to fewer than 60 percent of flights from 6pm to 9pm, its figures showed.

Most of the flights Nelson completed were during his 18-month stint around the world that he began when he was 22 in 2017.

He wrote on his website: 'Rather than a typical backpacking trip, I wanted to challenge myself to become the youngest and fastest to visit all sovereign states.'

The previous record of 156 unique airlines flown was achieved by a Japanese man named Ryuji Furusho from 1996 to 2014.

Nelson revealed that his favorite airlines are Emirates and Qatar Airways - claiming that Middle Eastern companies tend to be 'awesome'.

Nelson flew on 170 different airlines and has been on about 500 flights. He said the only two of his flights have ever been canceled

Nelson claims the biggest issue he's ever had while flying is turbulence

Nelson's goal was to be the youngest and fastest person to travel to every country, but Lexie Alford holds that Guinness World Record

Lexie Alford from California, later beat Nelson's record as the youngest person to visit every country.

Also known as Limitless Lexie, she was 21-years-old when she earned the Guinness World Record for being the 'youngest person to travel to all sovereign countries,' according to Guinness World Records.

Alford had started jet-setting when she was just a child with her family. But for Nelson the travel bug came later when he was in college.

His first getaway without his family was to Greece during his senior year winter break where he and his fraternity brother volunteered at a refugee camp.

This trip inspired him to continue seeing the world. Nelson traveled to North Korea for an out of the ordinary spring break.

Nelson wrote on his website: 'During the journey, I had many interesting  and sometimes dangerous  experiences. In addition to beautiful tourist destinations, I also visited those ravaged by conflict and war, such as the front lines in Iraq.'

Nelson was provided free hotel rooms on the two occasions his flights did get canceled

Nelson's favorite airlines are Emirates and Qatar Airways but says that any Middle Eastern airlines are great

Even though his flights almost always went smoothly - with turbulence his only complaint - he was detained by four different countries because they suspected he was a spy.

Nelson told Guinness World Records: 'I feared for my life several times,

'There were definitely several times that I did not think that I was going to get out of that country.'

He was accused of spying in Iran, Russia, Libya and Papua New Guinea and spent about 24 hours in custody between all four incidents.

Nelson said his favorite country was Cambodia because the locals were very welcoming.

He added that Comoros was his least favorite because of 'not so friendly' interactions he had with residents.

Lexie Alford, 26, was the youngest person to visit every sovereign country in the world

Nelson has slowed down on traveling and is now focused on building his telecommunication start-up

Despite this, he told Guinness World Records: 'Get out of your comfort zone.

'It changes your foundation, changes who you are, changes your view of the world.'

Nelson's new focus is developing his own telecommunication start-up to deliver mobile data to underserved places.
Netflix fans have praised a sci-fi series on the streaming platform as a 'must watch'.

Posting to the Facebook group Netflix Bangers, which has over three million members, one individual asked if they should take the time to watch the show.

One person replied: 'You must watch it. Amazing series.'

Another said: 'Love this show'.

Netflix fans have praised a sci-fi series on the streaming platform as one that viewers 'must watch' (File image)

Fans were referring to the Netflix series Snowpiecer, which centres on planet Earth in 2026, seven years after it has frozen over

One wrote: 'One of the best series'.

Another said: 'It was good. I forget where I stopped watching it but I have to catch back up'.

However, while some fans loved the show - not everyone was convinced.

One viewer wroe: 'Nothing special, but watchable.'

Another admitted: 'I found it hard to watch'.

They were referring to the Netflix series Snowpiercer, which centres on planet Earth in 2026, seven years after it has frozen over, meaning that the last surviving humans live on a giant train circling the globe.

However, humanity is now struggling to co-exist amid the sheer number of people and the chaos it causes on board.

Designed by the eccentric billionaire Mr. Wilford, the train consists of 1,001 carriages and circles the globe 2.7 times per year.

Since the catastrophe, the train's population has become rigidly separated by class, caught up in a revolutionary struggle against the strictly imposed social hierarchy and unbalanced allocation of limited resources.

Designed by the eccentric billionaire Mr. Wilford, the train consists of 1,001 carriages and circles the globe 2.7 times per year

It stars Jennifer Connelly as Melanie Cavill, who is the train's announcer and Head of Hospitality - meaning she must ensure smooth relations on the train.

Daveed Diggs plays the role of Andre Layton, an ex-detective-turned-leader of the Tail, a group of passengers who boarded the train by force without tickets and are treated poorly as a result, often having their food, water, and electricity taken away.

Micky Sumner also features - as Bess Till - a brakeman who forms part of the train's security force.

Having originally been released by American network TNT in 2020, the show ran for three seasons, before a fourth was commissioned by AMC earlier this year, and is currently broadcasting on the network.
Joe Cole's career is skyrocketing to dizzying heights as he's set to star in the BBC's latest nail-biting drama Nightsleeper.

Created by BAFTA-winning writer Nick Leather, the six-part series, which will make it's debut on Sunday, is a real-time drama that sees a train hijacked and driven from Glasgow to London on a single night.

The 35-year-old actor is taking on a leading role as Joe Roag, an an off-duty cop who is unlucky enough to be on the wrong train at the wrong time.

He stars alongside alongside Alexandra Roach who portrays Abby Aysgarth, the acting technical director at the National Cyber Security Centre.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated show's first episode, MailOnline looks inside the life of Peaky Blinders and Gangs Of London star Joe Cole - from a surprising arrest to his famous sibling and the job he had before becoming famous.

MailOnline looks inside the life of Peaky Blinders and Gangs Of London star Joe Cole, as his newest drama Nightsleeper is set to air on Sunday

Joe rose to fame as John Shelby in the gangster drama series Peaky Blinders, set in the lawless streets of 1920s Birmingham

Who is Joe Cole?

Joe Cole is a BAFTA-nominated English actor, who grew up in Kingston-upon-Thames, London, as the oldest of five boys.

He trained at the National Youth Theatre and began his acting career in the West End, before bagging roles on The Bill and Holby City.

The actor returned to the stage for the Bush Theatre's School Season, before writing a comedy series with Matt Lucas in the 2010s.

He played the minor character of Luke in Skins (UK) appearing in a few episodes throughout season six.

However, Joe's career really took off when he shot to fame in 2013 as John Shelby in the gangster drama series Peaky Blinders, set in the lawless streets of 1920s Birmingham.

His character was the younger brother to Cillian Murphy's character Tommy Shelby, but left the show in 2017 so he could explore 'new avenues and new characters and new stories'.

He told Metro in 2020: 'With Peaky Blinders I never really got out of the gates in that role. It's Cillian's show really.'

Joe's career is skyrocketing to dizzying heights as he's set to star in the BBC's latest nail-biting drama Nightsleeper

His character (middle) was the younger brother to Cillian Murphy's character Tommy Shelby (right), but left the show in 2017 so he could explore 'new avenues and new characters and new stories'

He went on to star as Sean Wallace in the hugely-successful television series Gangs Of London

Joe also stepped into the beige raincoat and thick-rimmed glasses of Harry Palmer as he revives Len Deighton's Cold War spy for a TV remake of The Ipcress File

Following his role in the gang show, Joe has gone on to bag a variety of challenging roles.

He went on to star as Sean Wallace in the hugely-successful television series Gangs Of London.

Joe also stepped into the beige raincoat and thick-rimmed glasses of Harry Palmer as he revived Len Deighton's Cold War spy for a TV remake of The Ipcress File.

He even picked up a BAFTA-nomination for his portrayal of Frank in the Black Mirror episode Hang The DJ.

Was Joe Cole arrested and what was his job before fame?

Joe admitted that his life could have taken a very path if he didn't find his passion for acting, and revealed that he was once arrested.

Before his acting career took off, the Peaky Blinders star revealed he was selling carpets and coffee.

In 2022 he told The Mirror: 'I never thought I was gonna be an actor. I had a bit of a bad break-up, I didnt get into university, I felt very sorry for myself.

'Perhaps I shouldnt have, but I did. I got arrested. I was just getting up to nonsense, really.'

Joe admitted that his life could have taken a very path if he didn't find his passion for acting, and revealed that he was once arrested

Joe (second from the left) is not the only Cole sibling to make it big and he has actually acting alongside his very famous brother, Finn Cole (far left)

Who is Joe Cole's famous sibling?

Joe is not the only Cole sibling to make it big and he has actually acting alongside his very famous brother, Finn Cole.

Cole joined his brother in the show in 2014, as he took on the role of Michael Gray, Polly Gray's long-lost son. He remained on the show all the way through to it's final season.

Joe revealed that he wanted to help his younger brother kickstart his career so helped him get the role by speaking to show bosses.

He told Clash in 2014: 'Finn always wanted to find his own path  he was very keen and showed a real energy and passion for acting.

'He just kept nagging me. I batted him off, actually, but eventually I said, "I'll talk to [the show's producers] if you read the lines and you figure out the character and you learn the accent and you learn the scenes. You do the preparation, and I'll film you doing it."

'He put in the work and, credit to him, he worked very hard at it and he got his just desserts.'

Finn added that he had extra stress around the time of the audition because he was still in school and didn't have the funds to go to auditions.

He explained: 'He got the script through and we were chatting about it and reading them together and there was a character in there that was really cool and that I really liked.

Joe (right) revealed that he wanted to help his younger brother (left) kickstart his career so helped him get the role by speaking to show bosses

Cole joined his brother in the show in 2014, as he took on the role of Michael Gray, Polly Gray's long-lost son. He remained on the show all the way through to it's final season

'I never really had the intention of auditioning for it, I was still at college at the time doing my A levels and I had to concentrate on them.

'Then the following week after I had read it, I was in college and I was really bored and I just thought "you know what? I'm going to give Joe a call and see what he says".

'If there's any way of me auditioning for it that would be absolutely great and he said go up to Birmingham, they're doing open auditions.

'I was looking for train tickets up to Birmingham and I had no money so I couldn't do it, and then he called me back and said why don't we just tape an audition and I'll send it to my agent?'.

Thankfully it worked and Finn made his debut in 2014 when he was cast as Michael Gray.

The following year saw more TV gigs for Finn as he appeared as Eric Birling in Helen Edmundson's BBC One adaptation of An Inspector Calls and also had a guest appearance in the detective drama series Lewis.

Finn earned a new legion of fans when he took on the role of Joshua 'J' Cody in the American drama series Animal Kingdom from 2016 to 2022.

Film roles also soon beckoned, with Joe landing roles in 2018 comedy horror Slaughterhouse Rulez and 2020 drama Young Men.

He was cast alongside Margot Robbie in Dreamland, with the pair filming a steamy naked smooch.
The BBC's latest thriller, Nightsleeper, is so intense it left its cast 'sick and needing medication on set'.

Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole revealed filming the scenes for his latest thriller series made him feel unwell, ahead of Sunday night's premiere.

The six-part real-time series sees a sleeper train hijacked and driven from Glasgow to London over the course of a single night.

And Joe, 35, who plays leading role Joe Roag, has revealed that he was left feeling motion sick after spending up to 12 hours a day tightly packed into the carriages.

'We were cooped up in these small carriages for 10, 12 hours a day and they'd pre-recorded the entirety of the train journey exteriors from Aberdeen to London on LED screens, which were outside the train,' Joe revealed at a Q&A hosted by BFI.

The BBC's latest thriller, Nightsleeper, is so intense it left its cast 'sick and needing medication on set'

Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole (pictured) revealed filming the scenes for his latest thriller series made him feel unwell

'Although it was dark so you couldn't really see much. They used it for the lighting in the windows on our faces a little bit here and there, which saves a lot of time in the edit and just looks better and more realistic.'

Despite being stationary, Joe - who is best known for his role as John Shelby - said the cast and crew battled with motion sickness.

'Because you feel like you're on a train, people were getting motion sickness if they looked out of the window for too long,' he added.

Created by BAFTA-winning writer Nick Leather Nightsleeper is an action adventure that is also a whodunnit with a series of twists and turns along the way.

Joe stars alongside Alexandra Roach (Utopia, No Offence) who plays Abby Aysgarth, the acting technical director at the National Cyber Security Centre.

Meanwhile, Joe portrays an off-duty cop who is unlucky enough to be on the wrong train at the wrong time.

Together, they must piece together the puzzle of who they are up against and how they can defeat the self-styled 'Driver', who always seems one step ahead.

There's a small team working alongside Abby and a handful of passengers left on the train with Joe, but they might not all be as innocent as they seem.

The six-part live Stan series, set to debut on Sunday, is a nail-biting real-time thriller that sees a train hijacked and driven from Glasgow to London on a single night

And Joe, 35, who plays leading role Joe Roag, has revealed that he was left feeling motion sick after spending up to 12 hours a day tightly packed into the carriages

Despite being stationary, Joe - who is best known for his role as John Shelby - said the cast and crew battled with motion sickness

The show has more than a little in common with legendary BBC drama 24.

The plot of 24 revolves around federal agent Jack Bauer, who works for the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) in the U.S., as he attempts to thwart various national security threats over the course of 24-hour periods.

Both 24 and Nightsleeper focus on real-time storytelling. 24 is famous for its 'real-time' format, where each hour-long episode represents one hour in the story's timeline.

Nightsleeper follows a similar concept, with the narrative unfolding in real time, heightening tension and urgency.

Both shows also center around high-stakes scenarios as 24 follows counter-terrorism agent Jack as he deals with crises like terrorist attacks.

The show mirrored similarities of BBC's drama 24. It is famous for its 'real-time' format, where each hour-long episode represents one hour in the story's timeline - similar to Nightsleeper

Nightsleeper also features a suspenseful setting aboard an overnight train, where a crisis of national importance must be averted, creating a sense of ongoing danger.

While not real-time, Snowpiercer takes place against a similar backdrop, with a dystopian twist.

The Netflix series - rebooted from the 2013 movie - features a frozen, future version of Earth, where survivors live on a perpetually moving train to keep warm.

The train's limited space and strict class system create a pressure-cooker atmosphere, similar to the urgency in Nightsleeper and 24.

All episodes of Nightsleeper are available to stream on BBC iPlayer on Sunday 15th September.
The single mum was distraught after her neighbour made threats over food left outside for her dogs. It highlights a problem many tenants face.

Sydney mum-of-three Lisa Biscoff was horrified when her neighbour threatened to complain about her leaving food outside for her dogs. Source: Supplied

An Aussie single mum-of-three has shared the moment she was left "shaking with anger" after a neighbour threatened to report her to her real estate agent over where she left out dry food for her dogs. Experts say the dispute highlights a bigger issue many tenants struggle with.

Renter Lisa Biscoff said she fed her pets  eight-year-old husky Charlie and three-year-old cavoodle Cedric  their mushy food at night but left dry dog biscuits and water for them in her backyard during day while she was at work.

The neighbour claimed the wild birds which poop on their shared fence, were attracted to the spot by her dogs uneaten biscuits.

Biscoff told Yahoo News Australia shed been living in her western Sydney home for more than a year without issue, until this week her neighbour threatened to complain to her real estate agent about the bird poo unless she moved the food indoors.

My dogs are on my lease with my real estate agency, Biscoff said in a video online. I'm shaking because I'm angry and upset. Am I in the wrong here?"

Tenant Union NSW CEO Leo Patterson Ross told Yahoo News that Biscoff's reaction illustrates how stressed many tenants feel about disputes as they can be evicted "for any reason at any time", leaving them in a vulnerable position.

If the agent gets repeated complaints "it might be easier for them to say, You are evicted'," Patterson Ross said. "If they dont want to keep taking the calls, they can just turf you out."

Real estate agent rules on neighbour dispute

Tackling the issue head on, Biscoff spoke to her property manager who had a chuckle about the situation before stating as per my tenancy agreement, I should be feeding my dogs outside.

And thats what Ive been doing, she told Yahoo News. He did say that if she calls him, he will be telling her that I have been doing the correct thing and that Im not in any way breaking any contract.

Biscoff said her dogs stayed outside during the day while she was at work and her children were at school. Source: Supplied

I also wash out their bowls and the small outdoor pergola area. I live in a clean home but I cant control what birds do or where they decide to poop. Theyre birds after all.

Being a single mum with three young children, working two jobs, I was fortunate enough to have found this place which is close to my childrens school and my work places.

My question is though  how would she have known that I feed my dogs outside unless shes been looking over the fence? So my privacy is being invaded I think.

Biscoff said for now shes moved the dog biscuits inside, but added her neighbour could install spikes on the fence if she wished.

Tenants most at risk in neighbourhood battles

Patterson Ross said people renting were at real risk in disputes like this in Australia's competitive rental market as "roughly 30,000 tenants each year in NSW are subject to no grounds evictions".

The tenant doesnt get to have a reasonable adult conversation with the agent or neighbour.

While tenants can take the matter to a tribunal, it quite often sided with the real estate agency, Patterson Ross said.

Legislation to prevent no grounds evictions was due to be put to the NSW Parliament next month, Patterson Ross added.

Tenants under contract have a responsibility not to disturb other neighbours so there could be a breach of lease through that.

We do need to make sure were not disturbing neighbours with too much noise. Thats just part of being a good neighbour. In this situation, its a little bit more questionable  whats reasonable and so on.

I think the agent here has made the right call. Are the birds pooping on the fence because of the food or were they going to anyway? Is it just a good place to have a poop?

Biscoff was visibly upset in the video about the dispute which she shared online. Source: TikTok

Install a backyard bird feeder, joked social media users

Most fellow Ausises responding to Biscoff's video sympathised with her and many were appalled that her neighbour had been peeping" into the mum's yard.

Some suggested the mum install bird feeders to rile up the neighbour even more, while many others advised her to call her real estate agent first to pre-empt the situation.

You can put food inside but it wont stop birds coming into the yard or pooping on the fence, one said.

Some others suggested that the mum should find a way to compromise with the neighbour, with one sharing that "we stopped leaving kibble outside because it does attract birds".

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The Primetime Emmy Awards are set to return for their 76th annual event at Los Angeless Peacock Theater on Sunday night.

It comes just months after the delayed 2023 ceremony took place in January when the historic Hollywood actors' strike finally came to an end after 118 days.

Hosted by father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy, this year's event will see some of the biggest stars accept statuettes.

Shogun, which transported viewers to early 17th-century Japan, has topped television nominations earning 25 nods while The Bear has broken the comedy record for most nominations in a single year, with 23.

Previous years have seen all kinds of both shocking and memorable moments from Donald Trump performing a skit to historic wins and on stage proposals.

So, as we gear up for this year's event... here, MailOnline takes a look at some memorable moments from televisions biggest night.

1975: Lucille Ball forgets her glasses

Comedy icon Lucille Ball left audiences in stitches back in 1975 when she took to the stage to read out the nominees and winner of the Outstanding Comedy category

Comedy icon Lucille Ball left audiences in stitches back in 1975 when she took to the stage to read out the nominees and winner of the Outstanding Comedy category.

A problem arose however - Lucille left her glasses on her seat meaning she could not read her cue card and reveal the eventual winner.

Fellow comedian Milton Berle stepped in to help read out... much to the delight of the tickled and guffawing all-star audience.

2001: Ellen DeGeneres mocks Bjork

After Icelandic songstress Bjork wore that swan dress to the 73rd Academy Awards in March 2001, come November of that year, the Emmy's host Ellen DeGeneres created her own

After Icelandic songstress Bjork wore that swan dress to the 73rd Academy Awards in March 2001, come November of that year, the Emmy's host Ellen DeGeneres opted to copy the now-iconic gown in dramatic style.

After the show had been postponed from September due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she shocked audiences when she said: 'Everyone knows that it's fine to wear swan in September, but is it okay to wear it after?'

2006: Donald Trump sings Greenacres theme song

Back in 2006, long before he was the President Of The United States, the world saw a wholly different Donald Trump take the stage at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards

Back in 2006, long before he was the President Of The United States, the world saw a wholly different Donald Trump take the stage at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards.

The former-POTUS donned dungarees and clutched a pitchfork, while singing the Greenacres theme song alongside Megan Mullally, of Will & Grace fame.

At the time, Trump was the host and executive producer of the NBC reality show The Apprentice. Incredibly, last year he shared a flashback video of the performance to mark the signing of a farm bill at the White House.

2011: Beauty pageant skit

The ladies in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy category in 2011 took a different angle to the nominee announcements when they hosted a beauty pageant

Opting to shun the usual sage nod and wry smile while their names are announced as nominees, the ladies in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy category took a different angle.

While their names were announced, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Martha Plimpton, Edie Falco and Laura Linney pretended to stand in a line-up for a beauty pageant, while pulling fake nervous faces.

They held on to one another's hands in a skit, shortly before Melissa was named winner and the ladies pulled off a hilarious faux, OTT reaction - complete with a dazzling crown and a bunch of flowers in true, pageant style.

2014: Robin Williams is memorialised

Following his passing in August 2014, Robin Williams was memorialised at the award show the following month, with a heartbreaking montage leaving viewers weeping

Following his passing in August, Robin Williams was memorialised at the award show the following month, with a heartbreaking montage leaving viewers weeping.

Following the annual In Memoriam section, Billy Crystal took to the stage to lead a gushing tribute to his long-time pal Robin.

2015: Viola Davis makes history

At 2015's 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, Viola Davis made history when she became the first African-American woman to win the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

At 2015's 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, Viola Davis made history when she became the first African-American woman to win the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Annalise Keating on How To Get Away With Murder.

In her showstopping speech, which made headlines all over the globe, the esteemed actress said: 'The only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.'

2018: Glenn Weiss gets down on one knee

When Glenn Weiss accepted his award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special he left audiences in shock as he proposed to Jan Svendsen

In yet another iconic moment, while Glenn Weiss accepted his award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special he left audiences in shock.

The iconic director delighted both fans and his girlfriend when he addressed athlete Jan Svendsen and said: 'You wonder why I dont like to call you my girlfriend? Because I want to call you my wife.'

He then dropped to one knee, withdrew a ring and popped the question - which was met with an overjoyed yes.

2020: Virtual event

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the winners accepted their Emmys from the comfort of their own homes (left, Regina King, right, Zendaya,)

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the no-audience event in 2020 was presented by Jimmy Kimmel at LA's Staples Center - who branded the awards the 'Pand-Emmys.'

Winners accepted their awards from their homes for the first time ever to adhere to social distancing rules.

During the ceremony Zendaya made history to become the youngest person to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at 24 for her work on Euphoria.

Meanwhile, the ceremony took the opportunity to thank everyday people who had worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, such as nurses and delivery drivers.

2023: Pedro Pascal gets censored

Pedro Pascal couldn't resist the opportunity to roast Succession star Kieran Culkin before presenting the award for Best Supporting Actor but producers were quick to bleep him

Pedro Pascal couldn't resist the opportunity to roast Succession star Kieran Culkin, before presenting the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama.

While addressing why his left arm was in a sling, the heartthrob, 48, hilariously joked that the father-of-two, 41, caused his injury.

'Before we get into the nominees for best supporting actor in a drama series, I'd like to take just a second and make this about me,' Pascal, 48, said. 'A lot of people have been asking about my arm; it's actually my shoulder.'

He continued: 'And I think tonight is a perfect time to tell everyone that Kieran Culkin beat the s**t out of me.'

In response, Kieran stared blankly at the camera, before erupting into laughter.

Pedro's quip got bleeped for using a cuss word, but the moment quickly went viral on X (previously known as Twitter) as fans explained why he had been censored.

2023: Elton John earns EGOT status

Elton John finally scored an EGOT after winning his first Emmy during the 2024 ceremony but was forced to miss the event

Elton John finally scored an EGOT after winning his first Emmy during the 2024 ceremony.

The distinction goes to artists who have won a top award in television, music, film and theatre  an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.

The super-selective distinction has only been earned in competitive categories by 19 people, along with six others who became EGOT holders thanks to some honorary awards.

But despite the monumental accomplishment, Elton wasn't there in person in Los Angeles to accept the award, as he had to sit out the show due to a knee surgery.
The staggeringly low salaries of some of Channel Seven's newest reality TV stars have been leaked.

Made In Bondi debuted on the network last month and saw a string of influencers sign up in a bid to launch their national reality TV careers.

However, the Made In Chelsea spin-off series got very mixed reviews from viewers and the shockingly meagre salaries of its cast members have now been revealed.

A source exclusively told Daily Mail Australia that the cast were paid as little as $70 per day - meaning they could have earned more working in a minimum wage job.

'The cast of Made In Bondi salaries are more embarrassing than the show's storylines,' the source confirmed.

'The core cast are on minimum wage, and I was told that some of the cast were on $70 a day.'

One of the castmates' parents were said to be seriously concerned about the show ruining their socialite reputation, with the low salary doing little to allay their fears.

'He would be making more money as a busboy,' the source went on. 'Hardly worth the risk of ruining the family's reputation.'

The shockingly low salaries of some of Channel Seven 's newest reality TV stars on Made In Bondi (all pictured) have been leaked

They claimed that one cast member wasn't overly interested in becoming a TV star and insiders close to them said the lack of remuneration felt like a 'red flag'.

In stark contrast, the Real Housewives of Sydney cast have contracts worth between $30,000 and $50,000.

However, the now-recognisable cast were thought to be on little more than minimum wage when the show first launched back in 2017.

Made In Chelsea's Louise Thompson claimed she was paid just $50 (25) per day when she first signed on, which went up to $400 (200) per day as the show became more successful.

The cast have since reportedly raked in as much as $16,000 (8,000) per season, while Spencer Matthews was said to have been paid $800 (400) per episode.

The source also clarified that Made In Bondi is staged, revealing the action on screen was 'scripted,' with castmates told to watch the Real Housewives to get an understanding of the concept.

'The situations will be set up. The friendships will be new. You will get a chance to speak from the heart but ultimately you are following a bigger narrative that would be curated, that is what they were being told,' they added.

It has also been claimed that Made In Bondi's producers seemed more interested in the cast's social media appeal, rather than the fact they actually lived in Bondi.

A source exclusively told Daily Mail Australia that the cast were paid as little as $70 per day and could have earned more working in a minimum wage job as a busboy

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Seven for comment.

According to Seven, the reality TV series 'follows the real lives and loves of young Sydney socialites living in the affluent Eastern Suburbs and the most famous beach in the world  Bondi'.

However, the show prompted a divisive reaction from viewers when it was revealed the majority of the cast aren't actually from Bondi, or even Sydney.

'Producers tried hard to get actual Bondi locals with a profile on board, but they didn't have much luck,' a source disclosed told The Sunday Telegraph.

Producers initially tried to recruit model Montana Cox, fashion designer Sophie Coote, Pilates instructor Bernadette Fahey, and socialites Andy El-Bayeh and his wife Harriet Williams.

When these efforts didn't pan out, they had to settle for a mix of influencers and socialites from various parts of Australia.

The cast includes Bella Salerno, 23, who spent much of her childhood in Europe; Molly Paradice, 23, from Scone in country NSW and Isabella Cicero, 31, a content creator from Perth.

Pippa Hanan, 22, from Paddington, publicist Billy Daniels, 32, who moved from Perth to Paddington, and model Lachlan McLean, 27, from Sydney's northern beaches also appear in the series.

Jewellery designer Emma Pillemer, 22, is believed to be the only cast member genuinely raised in Bondi.

Made In Chelsea's Louise Thompson (pictured with her brother Sam) claimed she was paid just $50 (25) per day when she first signed on, which later went up to $400 (200) per day

Its spin-off show Made In Bondi prompted a divisive reaction from viewers when it was revealed the majority of the cast aren't actually from Bondi, or even Sydney

On set sources claimed the majority of the filming took place in Brighton Le Sands, approximately 30 minutes from Bondi Beach.

Bondi residents have also told Yahoo that they're upset by how the beachside suburb is being portrayed on the reality show.

'Bondi isn't defined by a handful of cosmetically enhanced, entitled rich kids wanting attention,' local Jake Leech told the publication.

Another local called Jean said: 'The last thing Bondi needs is more unrealistic media reinforcing these stereotypes [that everybody is an influencer here].

'This is one of the most diverse suburbs in Sydney with such a strong sense of community but that is never highlighted.'

A third resident quipped: 'The real elite wouldn't be caught dead doing this.'
With his devilish good looks and royal plots, he's come to rule the small screen in The Serpent Queen.

But Stanley Morgan, who stars as the young Duke of Anjou in the period drama, knows a thing or two about family dynasties.

For the 27-year-old is the son of TV presenter Piers Morgan  much to the bewilderment of his fans.

Morgan has been praised for his performance in The Serpent Queen, which streams on MGM+ and Amazon Prime.

One fan wrote on social media: 'Anjou is my favourite character on this show and the actor who plays him is so hot. He steals every scene he's in.'

But they added: 'Bit of a shocker to find out who his dad is.'

Stanley Morgan plays the Duke of Anjou in the acclaimed show The Serpent Queen

Piers Morgan, Stanley Morgan and Spencer Morgan attend the European Premiere of "Creed II" at BFI IMAX on November 28, 2018

Another posted: 'I've been watching The Serpent Queen and thinking the Duke d'Anjou was cute so I googled him. Turns out he's Piers Morgan's son. Horrified. Still would but'

The show, which also stars Samantha Morton and Minnie Driver, has received an unprecedented 100 per cent rating from critics on the movie review site Rotten Tomatoes.

Bafta winner Ms Morton plays Italian noblewoman Catherine de Medici who married French King Henry II and ruled France from 1547 to 1559.

She was nicknamed The Serpent Queen because of her brutality in dispatching any rivals to three of her sons, who ruled France for the 30 years after her husband's death.

Ms Driver plays Queen Elizabeth I and shares several scenes with Morgan, prompting one fan to say 'he not only holds his own with legends like Samantha Morton and Minnie Driver, he steals scenes from them'.

Other stars include French actress Ludivine Sagnier, who plays Henry's influential mistress Diane de Poitiers.

Morgan stars as one of Catherine de Medici's sons in the show's second season, which ended last month.

In the series finale, his character spearheads a wedding massacre  which sets him up to become King Henry III.

Piers Morgan and Gary Lineker with their sons, Spencer and George

While a third season has yet to be confirmed, a Hollywood producer said: 'The show has been a critical and commercial hit so the announcement of season three should come any day.

'Stanley Morgan is the name on everyone's lips in Hollywood. It's a breakthrough role and one that has people talking about him being the next big thing.'

Morgan, who has previously starred in the film comedy Argylle, wrote on Instagram this week: 'I'm sure I'll wake up and this will all have been a dream but that in itself will have been more than enough.'

He is the second of Morgan's three sons with his first wife Marion Shalloe.

The presenter, who also has a 12-year-old daughter with second wife Celia Walden, previously praised his son for getting the role, writing on social media: 'Congrats Stanley Morgan  no need to prep for this character...'
An EastEnder legend is 'set to return for the soap's 40th anniversary' in a surprising comeback.

Ross Kemp, 60, will reportedly join Walford again, 25 years after quitting the BBC soap.

The TV alum, who played hardman Grant Mitchell from 1990 to 1999, is rumoured to present a special one-off BBC1 documentary about the beloved series, The Sun reported.

A source told the publication: 'Ross is joining in celebrations by hosting his own EastEnders documentary.

'He will interview stars past and present about why it is so good and how important it is. EastEnders will always have a special place in his heart and he's really excited.'

An EastEnder legend is 'set to return for the soap's 40th anniversary' in a surprising comeback

Ross Kemp , 60, will reportedly join Walford again, 25 years after quitting the BBC soap

MailOnline has contacted Ross and EastEnders' reps for a comment.

Ross joined EastEnders again for a brief return in 2005 and another one in 2016, but since then he continued to appear and host a slew of gutsy shows - including his famous documentary Ross Kemp: Extreme World.

EastEnders is going live for one episode only as will let the public decide the fate of the storyline for the first time in honour of its 40th anniversary.

For the show's anniversary, the week will feature an exciting twist and include an interactive element to show and potentially break the fourth wall.

Fans will have the power to choose the outcome they desire for a love story.

The BBC is keeping a tight lid on the love story, adding an extra layer of mystery and excitement for the viewers who will ultimately decide its fate.

The outcome of the public's choice will played out live during a live episode as the cast and crew will be prepared to adapt to the scene picked out by the public.

The episode will broadcast live from BBC Elstree Centre in February, 2025.

The TV alum is rumoured to present a special one-off BBC1 documentary about the beloved series, The Sun reported

A source told the publication: 'Ross is joining in celebrations by hosting his own EastEnders documentary. He will interview stars past and present about why it is so good and how important it is'

Ross played hardman Grant Mitchell from 1990 to 1999 and then joined again for a brief return in 2005 and another one in 2016 (pictured on the show in 2005 with Barbara Windsor and Steve McFadden)

Executive Producer said of the live episode, Chris Clenshaw said: 'The 40th anniversary is a milestone event for EastEnders, and we have been planning this week for a long time to ensure that it's a week full of drama and surprises.

'In fact, as our regular audience will know, we have already seen the return of familiar faces and have many more nods to our history to come which will all build up to our momentous anniversary week.

'This time, as well as going live, we are adding an extra twist and for the very first time in the history of the show and as a gift to the viewers, we are giving the audience the power to have their say in choosing the outcome of one of our storylines.

'Whilst we're still keeping the finite details of the 40th close to our chest, I can promise that it will be an unmissable week full of shocking twists that will change Albert Square, and the lives of those who live in it, forever.'

It comes after the show 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.

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.'

EastEnders is going live for one episode only as will let the public decide the fate of the storyline for the first time in honour of its 40th anniversary

For the show's first, the anniversary week will feature an exciting twist and include an interactive element to show and potentially break the fourth wall

It comes after the show 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

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!'
He's known as the charming French maitre d'hotel who welcomes hopeful singletons on Channel 4's First Dates.

However, Fred Sirieix has revealed he was charmed by Britain at just 13 when he found himself surrounded by much wanted female attention.

The TV star, 52, confessed that during a school exchange trip to Stratford-upon-Avon he fell in love with England after kissing 10 girls in just 15 days.

Speaking in an interview with The Mirror, Fred admitted: 'I was 14 or 13 I was there 15 days and kissed 10 girls. In France, I couldn't kiss as many girls as that. So suddenly it was like, "Wow, this is like paradise!"'

Honouring one of the special ladies, he added: 'One girl I kissed, her name was Belinda. When I came home, my parents had bought me a guinea pig I called it Belinda.'

Fred Sirieix has revealed he kissed 10 girls in just 15 days on school trip to England as he recalls falling in love with the country

Fred admitted: 'I was 14 or 13 I was there 15 days and kissed 10 girls. In France, I couldn't kiss as many girls as that. So suddenly it was like, "Wow, this is like paradise!"'

Fred has lived in the UK since he was 20-years-old and he added: 'I've always felt welcome here. I've loved it since the very first day.'

Commenting on the difference between the bluntness of French people and the British, Fred said he notices that the two cultures are completely opposite.

He observed that while Brits are typically more introverted and shy, the French will just say it how it is.

While his love affair with the UK began as an early teen, Fred has since found love with his fiancee Fruitcake.

Fred previously revealed that he and Fruitcake had cancelled their wedding due to the Covid pandemic but are hoping to marry this year.

Fred also revealed that due to lockdown he couldn't present his fiancee with a ring when he popped the question, but luckily she still said yes.

While in the I'm A Celebrity jungle last year, Fred said the pair were planning to say 'I do' in Jamaica.

Fred said: 'I've never had a bad date. But the way I met Fruitcake, I met her in Peckham

Fred has lived in the UK since he was 20-years-old and he added: 'I've always felt welcome here. I've loved it since the very first day'

While his love affair with the UK began as an early teen, Fred has since found love with his fiancee Fruitcake (pictured in December)

While in the I'm A Celebrity jungle last year, Fred said the pair were planning to say 'I do' in Jamaica this year

More recently Fred spent his summer in Paris, supporting his daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 19, at the Olympics

In the post he shared a video of his daughter's dive before a picture of the two of them hugging afterwards alongside a heartfelt message of love and support

'I was walking up and she was smiling at me and I was smiling at her and I liked her eyes I just had to talk to her

'I asked for her number, I said, ''Shall we go for a drink tonight?''

'That was nine years ago. We're getting married next year in Jamaica.'

More recently Fred spent his summer in Paris, supporting his daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 19, at the Olympics.

His daughter won a bronze medal in the 10m synchronised dive, but only finished in sixth place in the Women's 10m Platform for the second Olympics in a row.

The Team GB diving star has previously disclosed how she struggled with anxiety following her Games debut in Tokyo 2021 and almost gave up the sport.

And while the diver was visibly upset by the result, her father Fred posted an emotional Instagram message praising her.

In the post he shared a video of his daughter's dive before a picture of the two of them hugging afterwards with the pair beaming at the camera.

The proud father captioned the post: 'Thank you for this incredible adventure and the inspiration Andrea. What a beautiful moment! You and your brother are the best thing I have ever done and will ever do  #lavieestbelle'.
The upcoming Block auction is already shaping up to be one for the history books.

And it looks like serial bidder Adrian Portelli is preparing to make a bold and game-changing move that will leave fans stunned.

A source has exclusively revealed to Daily Mail Australia that the millionaire entrepreneur is planning to purchase all five of the Phillip Island homes at this year's auction  a first in the show's long-running history.

'The word is Adrian Portelli has his sights set on buying every single property,' the insider disclosed.

The source said Portelli is serious about making a statement and cementing his position as The Block's most powerful buyer.

'He's been talking to the producers about this for weeks and is very confident the deal will go through.'

Portelli, who became a household name after his high-profile purchases on previous seasons, is no stranger to turning Block homes into major publicity stunts.

His company, LMCT+, has frequently raffled off properties from the show, including last year's $5 million purchase of Steph and Gian's winning home.

The Block bidder Adrian 'Mr Lambo' Portelli is preparing to make a bold and game-changing move that will leave fans stunned

The millionaire entrepreneur is planning to purchase all five of the Phillip Island homes at this year's auction  a first in the show's long-running history

As one of Australia's wealthiest and most recognisable personalities, Portelli has already stirred excitement, with sources suggesting he'll make a grand entrance to the auction, potentially arriving in his signature Lamborghini.

'It's all about spectacle with Adrian,' a close friend told Daily Mail Australia.

'He loves the drama, and this auction will be no exception. He's ready to steal the show.'

What has really grabbed attention, however, is the prices of this year's homes.

In a surprising twist, the five renovated properties have been listed with price guides well below $2 million  a significant drop compared to last year's season, where reserve prices ranged between $2.97 million and $3.35 million.

The Block continues on Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine
Socialite and TV personality Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo turns 30 next month and there is only one gift she wants  an engagement sparkler from boyfriend James Watt.

The Made In Chelsea star has been dating the millionaire BrewDog co-founder since last summer and the pair now live together in London.

When I ran into her last week and asked about what she'd like for her milestone birthday, the former I'm A Celebrity winner replied: 'I always want jewellery  a lovely piece of jewellery would be nice. Darling, I am always in the market for a diamond ring.'

When I asked if she meant an engagement ring, Toff told me: 'It would be the ultimate 30th birthday present. You never know, I can hope and pray and I was praying yesterday so hopefully it's not too far off.'

Watt's fortune has been estimated at 262 million, so there should be plenty in the bank for a wedding.

Made in Chelsea star Toff pictured while on a romantic Maldives trip with James

The Made In Chelsea star has been dating the millionaire BrewDog co-founder since last summer

The 42-year-old stepped down as Brewdog's CEO in the summer and has just raised more than 2.5 million of investment for his new venture, a brand-led social media platform called Social Tip.

If she gets her prayers answered it will be the second engagement for Toff.

This column revealed in 2020 the reality TV star was secretly engaged to Nigel Farage's former right-hand man  the millionaire aristocrat George Cottrell, dubbed Posh George.

He spent eight months in a US prison over a money-laundering scandal.

The pair broke it off, then briefly rekindled their spark in 2022 before going their separate ways for good.

Toff, who I met at the King's Road launch of the first store for Trinny Woodall's Trinny London brand, says her time for 'kissing the frogs' is over, even though she admits she did it with aplomb.

Let's hope for her sake that stage in her life has gone for good.

Over to you, James!
Rebel Wilson commanded attention on the Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere of her directorial debut The Deb on Saturday evening.

The 44-year-old Australian actress  who is currently in a legal battle with the film's producers  wore a strapless purple gown with a standout, V-shaped accoutrement attached at the bodice.

The slim-fitting dress clung to her slender frame as she confidently strolled and posed for cameras.

Her icy blonde locks were arranged in a side part, sideswept bang, and updo with a voluminous bun set at the back of her head.

Despite being sued for defamation by Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden, Wilson told People, 'The movie will shine.'

Rebel Wilson commanded attention on the Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere of her directorial debut The Deb on Saturday evening

The 44-year-old Australian actress wore a strapless purple gown with a standout, V-shaped accoutrement attached at the bodice

While chatting with People ahead of Saturday's premiere, Rebel admitted the legal situation 'is not ideal.'

She noted, 'Obviously there was a struggle to have the movie play,' after accusing three of the producers of trying to block the movie from being shown at TIFF.

'At the end of the day, I'm so proud the fact that [TIFF CEO] Cameron Bailey chose this to play at the festival. And the honor to be chosen for TIFF  and again, as a first-time female director  it's just huge,' she added.

She said about the musical film, 'The movie speaks for itself. It's so good and it's so original and so unique and it's just going to  the movie will shine.'

Wilson appears in the movie, which is set in her native Australia and stars Natalie Abbott.

It follows Abbott, who plays a high school outcast, as she sets out to redefine herself at her town's Debutante Ball, The Deb.

Wilson revealed that she had wanted to focus solely on directing the movie, but ended up acting in it to help ensure financing.

She appears as Janette, a salon worker and mother of the town's teen bully, Annabelle, played by Stevie Jean.

The slim-fitting dress clung to her slender frame as she confidently strolled and posed for cameras; pictured with eight-year-old Australian actress Scarlett Crabtree, who stars in The Deb

Her icy blonde locks were arranged in a side part, sideswept bang, and updo with a voluminous bun set at the back of her head

Rebel and her partner Ramona Agruma made an adorable couple on the red carpet

Ramona Agruma is the founder and creative director of the fashion brand R.RAMONA, which is known for its elegant and contemporary designs and she has also been featured in fashion magazines and has worked with various high-profile clients, establishing herself as a notable figure in the fashion industry

Rebel began her career in Australian comedy before gaining international fame with her breakout role in Pitch Perfect

Romona looked captivating in white

Her blonde hair was pulled back in a chic ponytail

Rebel held her adorable daughter Royce

Per People, Natalie gushed about Wilson's direction, describing her as having 'a clear vision' while also 'letting the actors experiment.'

She dished: 'Technically it was all thought out, but then when the scene is happening and you are acting, I think there was a lot of freedom to play, which is really cool.'

Jean weighed in, 'There was a lot of improv, which was great, especially for scenes with me and Rebel.

'It was a lot of just back and forth moments. It was just so much fun.'

Wilson appears in the movie, which is set in her native Australia and stars Natalie Abbott (right) and Stevie Jean (left)

The trio gathered for a group photo before heading inside Roy Thomson Hall

Ahead of the premiere, Rebel told People, 'The movie speaks for itself. It's so good and it's so original and so unique and it's just going to - the movie will shine'

Wilson's defamation lawsuit comes after she accused the trio of 'bad behavior' in an Instagram video on July 10.

In August, the producers filed a complaint, prompting Wilson to hit back in a fiery statement aimed at Len Blavatnik, the billionaire whose company AI Film financed the coming-of-age musical.

'Len Blavatnik, please stop funding and protecting Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden,' Wilson wrote in a post on Instagram.

'All I did was tell the truth about these absolute f****wits  now they launch a bogus defamation suit and bogus articles to inflict further harm,' she went on.

The producers branded Wilson a 'malicious bully' in their defamation lawsuit.
Lisa Wilkinson made a style statement as she stepped out for lunch in Sydney on Friday.

The embattled television star looked chic in white pants and a mini trench coat as she visited Sydney's Bondi Icebergs restaurant.

The 64-year-old completed her stylish look with a $7000 beige woven Chanel bag, and a pair of strappy heels.

Lisa curled her short brunette locks and wore dark sunglasses as she arrived to the popular venue.

She finished her look with a stack of gold chain link bracelets, a watch and a pair of gold hoop earrings.

For makeup, the former star of The Project chose a muted palette with a soft nude lip gloss and blush.

The sighting comes amid news Lisa wants to make a return to TV screens following months of inaction and five tedious weeks spent in a courtroom, sources say.

The Channel 10 star and former darling of breakfast TV is keen to get back to delivering more 'blockbuster interviews' in the New Year, friends told the Weekend Australian last month.

Lisa Wilkinson glammed up and carried a $7000 Chanel bag as she visited Sydney's Bondi Icebergs restaurant on Friday

Wilkinson quit The Project last November and despite remaining on the Ten payroll until the end of 2024, she hasn't appeared on the channel for over a year.

Despite her lengthy hiatus from the network, Wilkinson has remained in the public eye through her role in a highly-publicised defamation trial.

She was embroiled in a case with Bruce Lehrmann who was suing Network 10 and Wilkinson over an interview with Brittany Higgins that was broadcast on The Project and online.

The embattled television star looked chic in white pants and a mini trench coat as she arrived to the establishment

Friends of Wilkinson say her court appearances have played in her favour by giving the TV star 'a constant stream of publicity'.

'Yes, she's been off air for a while but I don't think anyone will have forgotten her,' former Seven and Nine executive Peter Meakin told the Weekend Australian.

'I'm sure her loyal followers will remain loyal.'

Network Ten maintains they are in talks to develop 'other projects' with Wilkinson.
Some of the original members of the hit Fox series Beverly Hills, 90210 reunited for 90s Con 2024 in Daytona Beach, Florida over the weekend.

While hanging out and greeting fans, Jennie Garth, Brian Austin Green, Ian Ziering and Gabrielle Carteris took some time out to reminisce about the old days, during which they dished on The CW's reboot, simply called 90210.

Like its predecessor, the show followed the lives of several wealthy students attending West Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California, and later focuses on their lives after graduation.

During their chat, Green revealed he actually liked the show's concept, but Garth wasn't as forgiving, and let it be known she now regrets reprising her role as Kelly Taylor, as reported by People.

'I wish I hadn't done it. No offense to them,' Garth, 52, said of her role. 'The producer was a friend of a friend, and I remember he came over in my living room, sat me down, [billed it as] this chance of a lifetime. He asked me to do it and I didn't know how to say no then. But the people were very nice and all the best to them.

Jennie Garth, 52, admitted she now regrets reprising her role as Kelly Taylor in The CW's 90210 reboot; seen in 2023

Producers actually offered Garth a role as a series regular, but she balked at the the opportunity, and ended up agreeing to sign on to the reboot as a recurring character.

The new version starred Shenae Grimes, AnnaLynne McCord, Lori Loughlin, Rob Estes, Tristan Wilds, Dustin Milligan, Ryan Eggold, Jessica Stroup, Michael Steger, Jessica Walter, Jessica Lowndes, Matt Lanter, Trevor Donovan and Gillian Zinser.

Along with Garth, some other cast members from the original show to appear in those first two seasons of the 90210 reboot included the late Shannen Doherty, Ann Gillespie, Tori Spelling, and Joe E. Tata.

Carteris, 63, chimed in, 'I never wanted to [do it]. I was so shocked they were doing a new show. I was like, is it like, they long so much you're just going to try to reinvent it over and over?'

Green maintained he was surprised to find out about the reboot, saying, 'No offense at all, it's to me, we did 10 years of that show and it's like okay, done.'

The reboot, which premiered in September 2008, ended up running for five seasons, ending with the finale in May 2013.

Most of the original cast did take part in another revival of the show, Fox's BH90210 in 2019, in which they played heightened versions of themselves in a serialized drama.

Nearly two decades after the original series ended, the group reunite, without Luke Perry, 'to get a reboot up and running, and must reconcile their new lives with the complications of their histories together.'

When Garth reprised her role as Kelly Taylor in 2008, her character was now working as a guidance counselor at the show's West Beverly High School

The former cast members seemed to be in agreement that they were glad to have taken part in the revival of the show with Fox's BH90210 in 2019, for which they played heightened versions of themselves in a serialized drama for one season of six episodes

For this version OG cast members Garth, Carteris, Doherty, Green, Priestley, Spelling, and Ziering all took part for the one season, consisting of six episodes that aired on Fox from August 7 to September 11, 2019.

'I was pretty much the only outspoken person saying I think we should give the audience what they want: comfort food,' Ziering, 60, said of his thought process about the show.

Carteris called the short-lived experience, 'cathartic,' before adding, 'It felt full circle, to be together as adults, having had our children, being able to work together. I thought it was probably one of those most impactful moments of my life.'

The original Beverly Hills, 90210 show became a global pop culture phenomenon with its cast members, particularly, Luke Perry and Jason Priestley, who would go on to be come high-profile teen idols.

It also made the rest of the main cast household names in the U.S., Garth and Shannen Doherty, who seemed to get a lot of press over the years.

Green thinks the success of the series, in part, was due to 'a lack of the Internet' at that time.

'The '90s were a different time: no way to fact check, no one was walking around videotaping everything," the actor explained. 'We were bringing a piece of the world that was famous that no one had really seen. Because there wasnt access to it, people really enjoyed what it is we did. I honestly don't feel now, this time it would have the same impact it did back then.'

The main cast of the original hit Fox series Beverly Hills, 90210 all became stars following the shows run of 10 seasons from 1990 to 2000; the young main cast consisted of Gabrielle Carteris, Jennie Garth, the late Luke Perry, Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Ian Ziering, Tori Spelling and Brian Austin Green

Garth would become a high-profile star along with the rest of the main cast of the OG series

Beverly Hills, 90210 cast members Garth, Green, Ziering, and Carteris all paid tribute to the late Shannen Doherty at 90s Con in Florida this weekend, in the wake of her passing in July

Carteris believes the show's willingness to tackle issues that were close to the vest of young people back then such as teen sex, domestic violence and alcohol and drug abuse.

Both Ziering and Garth admitted the show jumped the shark on more than one occasion, but they're okay with all that being part of its charm.

'We had a lot of jump the shark moments but I enjoyed them,' Garth admitted. 'Just watching the show back, we get more and more outlandish. Even I watch it and I enjoy it as a fan. Even in the jump the shark moments, I'm still so proud of the show and love it.'

The show is credited with creating or popularizing the teen soap genre that many other successful television shows followed in the years to come.

The four stars of the OG show took some time out at 90s Con in Florida this weekend to pay tribute to Shannen Doherty following her death on July 13 from cancer at the age of 53.
Brie Garcia is supporting her twin sister Nikki, reportedly advising her to end things with Artem Chigvintsev following his recent arrest for domestic violence.

The 40-year-old former pro wrestler 'encouraged' her sister to end her two-year marriage just days before her estranged husband filed for joint custody of their four-year-old son, Matteo, amid their ongoing divorce, a source told ET on Saturday.

'Brie encouraged Nikki to leave the marriage. Any sort of violence does not fly, and they were very worried about Nikki and her son,' the insider said.

The outlet's source added that the couple are 'not living under the same roof' as the incident left Nikki 'scared and rattled.'

On August 29, the 42-year-old Dancing With the Stars professional was taken into custody for allegedly attacking Nikki at their Napa, California home.

Brie Garcia is supporting her twin sister Nikki , reportedly advising her to end things with Artem Chigvintsev following his recent arrest for domestic violence; Brie and Nikki in February

The 40-year-old former pro wrestler 'encouraged' her sister to end her two-year marriage just days before her estranged husband filed for joint custody of their four-year-old son, Matteo, amid their ongoing divorce , a source told ET on Saturday; seen in 2019

The report comes after Artem, who briefly removed and then re-added Nikki from his Instagram profile, has responded to her divorce filing by citing 'irreconcilable differences.'

He listed August 29 as the separation date, which coincides with his arrest for felony domestic violence following an alleged altercation at their home.

In addition to seeking joint custody of their son Matteo, he is requesting spousal support and that Nikki cover his legal fees.

The move follows sources telling DailyMail.com that Chigvintsev is desperately trying to salvage the marriage.

Cops were called to the couples $1.5 million marital home in Yountville, California, following reports of a bust-up.

Sources said the couple dialed 911 twice  first to request assistance for an injury before calling back and asking paramedics not to come.

But due to the sounds of a domestic disturbance in the background, cops from the Napa Sheriffs Department descended on the couples leafy neighborhood anyway, taking Russian-born Chigvintsev with them.

He was booked into the Napa County Jail on felony domestic violence charges at 10:59 am before being released on a $25,000 bond at approximately 2.18am.

A mugshot released by the Napa County Sheriffs office showed the ballroom star looking glum-faced in a check shirt while sporting a grizzled beard.

The arrest, which reportedly came after Garcia threw shoes at her husband, took place less than four days after the pair celebrated the anniversary of their August 2022 wedding  with both marking the moment on social media.

Sources said Chigvintsev is currently scheduled to face court in Napa on Tuesday over the incident and cannot leave Napa County until the case is resolved.

And now Artem is said to be hellbent on proving to wife Nikki that he 'can be a changed man.'

While she has allegedly banned Artem from seeing their four-year-old son Matteo without supervision and is searching for a divorce lawyer, sources have revealed to DailyMail.com that he is in the 'fight of his life' to win her back  especially now that he has been dropped from the upcoming season of DWTS.

'Brie encouraged Nikki to leave the marriage. Any sort of violence does not fly, and they were very worried about Nikki and her son,' the insider said

Artem and Nikki are still both following each other on the social media platform; seen in 2019

Insiders told DailyMail.com that Artem has to be supervised 'if and when' he wants to see his young son Matteo, four

'Artem is very frustrated and mad that he wasn't asked to be on this season of Dancing with the Stars, and now it looks like he will never be back,' they said.

'His life professionally and personally is and has been flipped upside down.'

'He doesn't know what his next steps are with Nikki, he has been upset for a long time and now he is in the fight of his life to clear his name and win back Nikki, but as of right now he hasn't decided what he might do to show her that he can be a changed man.'

'They currently have limited dialogue with each other.'

'If and when he sees Matteo, Nikki wants it supervised. Her trust has been thrown out the door and she is very angry with Artem, he has an uphill battle ahead of him. The whole thing is a mess.'

'She has tried and tried to make it work, but she feels divorce is the only option. It hurts but Nikki is such a strong woman, and she is doing what is right for her, and for Matteo.'

Although Artem is desperately trying to repair his marriage, a source previously dished that Nikki's sister Brie wants her sister to leave him for good.

His arrest  which reportedly happened after Nikki threw shoes at him  came days after he and Nikki celebrated their second wedding anniversary; they are seen in 2017

Sources said Chigvintsev is currently scheduled to face court in Napa on Tuesday over the incident and cannot leave Napa County until the case is resolved

Last week, an insider close to former WWE star Brie said she is 'disgusted' by the news of Artem's arrest, and wants her twin to have nothing to do with him.

'Nikki's sister Brie is disgusted, shocked, disappointed and just sad that this happened,' they told DailyMail.com.

'She loves Artem, and for this to be going down is so out of the realm of possibility of the person who she knows. Brie is very concerned about it all and is there for her sister at all costs.'

The added: 'Brie, who is obviously the closest to Nikki, as anyone would, is telling her to leave Artem, if this is as bad as it seems, and if it happened before, once she finds out everything that happened, she will be the first to tell Nikki to leave him.'

Nikki and Artem's two-year marriage was reportedly plagued by arguments, but his violent outburst has shocked the WWE star and her family.

'One thing Nikki never showed was the verbal troubles that she had with Artem,' the source continued. 'They wouldn't treat each other very nice and they never built on a friendship.'

'Their sole focus has been on their son and not on each other. That caused arguments, but as far as everyone knows it never got physical.'

'Family and friends are very surprised things got physical, but they're not exactly surprised that they were having trouble, it just seemed like normal relationship issues to outsiders.'

Over the weekend, Nikki was seen boarding a JSX flight to Sin City at Oakland airport without her wedding ring. She was accompanied by her son and an assistant.

Nikki's twin Brie (pictured) is said to want her sister to leave Artem for good

On Tuesday, TMZ claimed that Nikki began the hunt for an attorney the day after Artem had allegedly attacked her.

The publication alleged that she has been making calls since Friday and has the intention of ending her marriage.

Artem and Nikki initially crossed paths in 2017 when they were paired up on the 25th season of Dancing with the Stars.

Artem had previously been in high-profile relationships with other celebrities, including dancer Giselle Peacock, 43, between 2004 and 2005. He also dated DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba, 56, between 2006 and 2008.
Rebel Wilson's one-year-old daughter made her red carpet debut at the premiere of The Deb during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday.

The Pitch Perfect star, 44 - who stunned in a strapless purple gown at the event - posed for a memorable snap with her little one during the festivities that took place at Rob Thomson Hall.

Wilson notably made her directorial debut with the musical comedy, and also starred in the project.

The actress was seen flashing a cheerful smile as she held Royce in her arms inside the spacious venue amid the screening.

Rebel welcomed her nearly two-year-old daughter via surrogate in November 2022 - and shares Royce with fiancee, Ramona Agruma.

Rebel Wilson's, 44, one-year-old daughter made her red carpet debut at the premiere of The Deb during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday

Rebel welcomed her nearly two-year-old daughter via surrogate in November 2022 - and shares Royce with fiancee, Ramona Agruma

During an interview with People in March, Wilson gushed about motherhood and revealed her daughter's first and 'favorite' word.

'It shocks me how much she melts my heart,' the star told the outlet. 'And when says, "Mama?" Lately that's her new favorite word.'

'And that was her first word ever. It just, it melts you and you're like, "Aw." I thought I would be a strict parent, but apparently I'm the opposite.'

Rebel discussed how her surrogate became pregnant with her 'last viable embryo' and called her daughter 'a miracle.'

'She opens her eyes, and she looks at us. We're a family now,' the actress continued, referencing to Agruma, and later added, 'I'm a mother. It's a bloody miracle.'

And while talking to Romper in July, the Australian-born star admitted that, 'The sleep deprivation is insane.'

'It's just myself and [my fiancee] Ramona parenting right now and Roycey was up at 5 a.m. this morning,' she reflected at the time while using her daughter's nickname.

'Even if she's sleeping and she might wake up twice a night, that's twice when you're in deep sleep and you hear the baby monitor and you're like'

During an interview with People in March, Wilson gushed about motherhood and revealed her daughter's first and 'favorite' word

While strutting on the red carpet during The Deb premiere at TIFF, the star turned heads in a strapless, purple gown that clung to her frame and contained pieces of sheer fabric around the bodice for a dramatic flare

Her blonde locks were parted to the side, and swept up into a chic up do, allowing wavy strands to border the right side of her face

A slit could be seen on the left side and the material of the gown flowed down into a short train on the ground

Rebel added, 'But she's just in such an adorable phase. She is very into books and classical music, which is really, really cool. Beethoven, Mozart, all of that.'

'I think she's a little genius, but I think all moms might think that about their children at that age.'

While strutting on the red carpet during The Deb premiere at TIFF, the star turned heads in a strapless, purple gown that clung to her frame and contained pieces of sheer fabric around the bodice for a dramatic flare.

Her blonde locks were parted to the side, and swept up into a chic up do, allowing wavy strands to border the right side of her face.

Wilson was joined by Ramona who wore a strapless, white dress that had ruched details around the waist.

A slit could be seen on the left side and the material of the gown flowed down into a short train on the ground.

The couple - who announced their engagement in February of last year - sweetly held hands during a photo session together at the screening.

Rebel not only made her directorial debut with The Deb - but also co-wrote the screenplay and took on the role of a salon owner in the musical comedy.

The couple - who announced their engagement in February of last year - sweetly held hands during a photo session together at the screening

Rebel not only made her directorial debut with The Deb - but also co-wrote the screenplay and took on the role of a salon owner in the musical comedy

The premise follows, 'two teenage girls attending a debutante ball in a small country town,' per an official IMDB synopsis.

Other stars that were cast in the movie include Natalie Abbott, Stevie Jean, Charlotte MacInnes, Tara Morice and Shane Jacobson.

Amid the film's premiere at TIFF, Rebel has been embroiled in legal drama with three producers of the project.

She is being sued for defamation by Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden after Wilson accused the three of 'bad behavior' on set.

She also accused them of embezzlement and trying to prevent the movie from being shown at TIFF.

After the lawsuit filing was made by the producers, Wilson responded on Instagram and addressed Len Blavatnik - who financed the film.

'Len Blavatnik, please stop funding and protecting Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden,' she expressed in a post.

'All I did was tell the truth about these absolute f****wits - now they launch a bogus defamation suit and bogus articles to inflict further harm.'

Wilson told People ahead of the premiere that The Deb 'will shine' - although the legal issues are 'not ideal.'

Amid the film's premiere at TIFF, Rebel has been embroiled in legal drama with three producers of the project

'At the end of the day, I'm so proud the fact that [TIFF CEO] Cameron Bailey chose this to play at the festival.'

She continued, 'And the honor to be chosen for TIFF - and again, as a first-time female director, - it's just huge.'

When questioned if the legal drama will possibly come to an end soon, Rebel said, 'Yeah, I feel very confident that...Yeah, because the movie speaks for itself.'

'It's so good and it's so original and so unique and it's just going to - the movie will shine.'
Natalie Portman looked sensational in a glittering evening gown at the Deauville American Film Festival on Friday.

The Academy Award-winning actress, 43, attended the glamorous occasion in the French commune wearing a stunning textured number complete with puffy sleeves.

The black-and-silver outfit was emblazoned with a dramatic pattern across the bodice area.

Natalie accessorsied with a black belt around her cinched middle and styled the whole thing out with an abstract choker around her neck.

Natalie Portman looked sensational in a glittering evening gown at the Deauville American Film Festival on Saturday

The Academy Award-winning actress, 43, attended the glamorous occasion in the French commune wearing a stunning textured number complete with puffy sleeves

Natalie was at the ceremony to receive the Deauville 2024 Talent Award from French acting legend Isabelle Adjani, 69, and the pair posed together with the new accolade.

The actress started her career when she was spotted by an agent at a pizza restaurant by chance.

She got her big break alongside Britney Spears when they were chosen to serve as understudies for future theatre star Laura Bell Bundy in the Off-Broadway musical Ruthless! in 1992.

Her film debut came in the form of playing a young protegee in 1994's Leon: The Professional opposite future Harry Potter star Gary Oldman.

After playing the title role of the tragic Holocaust victim in an acclaimed run of The Diary of Anne Frank on Broadway as a teenager, she was cast as Padme Amidala in Star Wars.

Her transition into adult stardom came with roles in Closer, Black Swan and Jackie and the award served as a recognition of her longevity in Hollywood.

When it was announced that the My Blueberry Nights star had been chosen for the honour, bosses of the festival noted that her versatility was the reason behind it.

A rep said: 'All of these roles are marked by her ambivalent presence, a blend of strength and fragility '

The Black Swan star let her dark locks flow free for the evening and opted for a blushed but otherwise natural look in terms of her makeup

The Hollywood star - who has been working since she was a child and got her big break alongside Britney Spears - strode down the red carpet with confidence

Natalie was at the ceremony to receive the Deauville 2024 Talent Award from French acting legend Isabelle Adjani, 69, and the pair posed together with the new accolade

Natalie was also given a dedicated beach locker room on the Promenade des Plances during the 50th anniversary of the film festival

Her film debut came in the form of playing a young protegee in 1994's Leon: The Professional opposite Gary Oldman

After playing the title role of the tragic Holocaust victim in an acclaimed run of The Diary of Anne Frank on Broadway as a teenager, she was cast as Padme Amidala in Star Wars (pictured in 1999)

And in 2011, she won an Oscar for her role as a tortured ballet dancer in the psychological horror Black Swan

'Throughout her journey, she has been able to prove her ability to portray all types of characters with depth and accuracy.'

Natalie was also given a dedicated beach locker room on the Promenade des Plances during the 50th anniversary of the film festival.

She opted for a smart suit as she posed by her new honour, which had been emblazoned with her name.

This year, Pam and Tommy star Sebastian Stan, 42, received the Rising Star Award, whilst Michelle Williams was also gifted a beach hut for her efforts in film.
Sophie Delezio welcomed her first child with her fiance Joseph Salerno on Friday.

And the brave burns survivor shared a glimpse at life at home with her newborn son the following day.

The double car crash victim, 23, posted to Instagram Stories to share sweet black and white images of herself cuddling her bundle of joy.

'Thank you all for the kind words and well wishes!' she captioned one adorable photograph.

'We're soaking in every moment with out little one and feeling like we're on cloud nine' she continued.

She additionally posted a glimpse at the little boy's well decorated nursery, which includes a wooden crib and monogrammed blanket.

'I can't believe he's finally here, and this room is now being used!' Sophie wrote.

'It's been such a wonderful journey watching it come together throughout my pregnancy. I love it so much.'

Sophie Delezio welcomed her first child with her fiance Joseph Salerno on Friday. The burns survivor shared a glimpse at life at home with her newborn son the following day. Pictured

Sophie earlier announced the jovial news of the new arrival as they shared a sweet picture of their newborn son - and revealed his adorable name.

They previously confirmed they were set to welcome a baby boy and on Friday she gave birth to their bundle of joy.

'Welcome to the world, Frankie. Our hearts are so full,' Sophie wrote next to a photo of her hand holding her bub, and added a blue love heart to confirm it was a boy.

They were quickly flooded with congratulatory messages from their friends and loved ones as they celebrated their exciting news.

'Thank you all for the kind words and well wishes!' she captioned one adorable photograph. 'We're soaking in every moment with out little one and feeling like we're on cloud nine'

She additionally posted a glimpse at the little boy's well decorated nursery, which includes a wooden crib and monogrammed blanket. 'I can't believe he's finally here, and this room is now being used!' Sophie wrote

'Oh my gosh!!! Frankie!!!' gushed heavily pregnant reality star Alisha Aitken-Radburn.

Meanwhile, celebrity disability advocate Carly Findlay wrote, 'Congrats' and Bree Lenehan added: 'Awh!! Congratulations, you did it mama! Enjoy the newborn bubble.'

Just weeks before welcoming her first child, Sophie had confirmed she was set to have a baby boy as she hosted a gender reveal party.

She shared a video of the moment she popped confetti to reveal she was having a son, with Sophie looking thrilled over the news.

'It's a BOY!! We can't wait to welcome you to the world little man! Your mum and dad are so excited to meet you,' she gushed in a caption at the time.

'@thetroseph and I are beyond grateful for the love, laughter, and amazing memories made with friends and family near and far. Our little bubba is already so loved.'

Sophie shared the wonderful news of her pregnancy on social media in April alongside a gallery of celebratory images.

Pictured with fiance Joseph Salerno

The double car crash survivor, 23, took to Instagram to announce the jovial news as they shared a sweet picture with their newborn son - and revealed his adorable name

In the first picture, Sophie and her partner Joseph were seen proudly posing on the beach in Sydney's Manly.

The couple look elated as they both cradle Sophie's growing baby bump.

'The greatest gift of all coming in September!' she wrote alongside a baby face and heart emoji.

Sophie has been in a longtime relationship with her partner and childhood friend Joseph and the pair got engaged in April last year.

He popped the question on Valentine's Day in a surprise proposal, after he made her a scrapbook with a photograph of a ring on the final page.

'I had no idea,' Sophie told The Australian Women's Weekly at the time.

'Our go-to song is 'Be My Baby' so I just asked if Sophie would be my baby and luckily she ticked the box on the back of the scrapbook that said yes,' Joseph added.

The couple first met in a swimming class when she was six years old before the pair eventually became close in high school when she was 14.

The two then reconnected after Sophie moved back to Sydney in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, and they became a couple in 2021.

They previously confirmed they were set to welcome a baby boy and on Friday she gave birth to their bundle of joy

Sophie shared the wonderful news of her pregnancy on social media in April and confirmed she was set to welcome a baby boy just months later

Australia rallied around Sophie when a car crashed through the window of her daycare in 2003 when she was two, trapping her underneath.

Burns covered 85 per cent of her body after the tragedy, which also took both of her feet, several fingers and her right ear.

Three years later, tragedy struck again when the five-year-old was hit by a car near her home in Sydney's northern beaches while out with her nanny.

The impact launched her 18 metres out of her wheelchair, leaving her with a broken jaw, broken collarbone, nine broken ribs, punctured lungs, two fractured vertebrae and a brain injury.

Sophie suffered a heart attack during the ordeal and doctors at Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick asked her family twice if they would like to turn off her life support.

She made another remarkable recovery and only a month later she left the hospital and went back to school.
Amy Dowden was supported by the doctors and nurses responsible for helping her through breast cancer treatment as she returned to Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday evening.

The ballroom specialist made an emotional return to the BBC show following a two-year absence, during which she underwent chemotherapy after being diagnosed with grade III breast cancer in 2023.

Paired with JLS star JB Gill, Dowden, 34, moved viewers to tears with her return for the twenty-second series of the long-running celebrity-talent show.

And she was reduced to tears after being given a ringing endorsement from medical professionals at Birmingham 's Good Hope Hospital prior to her appearance.

Taking to Instagram after show aired, the Welsh dancer shared a special message from the team at Good Hope's Haematology Oncology Day Unit, where she received treatment and after-care.

Amy Dowden was supported by the doctors and nurses responsible for helping her through breast cancer treatment as she returned to Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday evening

She was reduced to tears after being given a ringing endorsement from medical professionals at Birmingham 's Good Hope Hospital (pictured) prior to her appearance

Opening the message with an address to camera, one doctor - dressed in hospital scrubs - said: 'Hi Amy, wishing you all the best from your breast team in Birmingham. You truly are an ambassador for the cause.

'I'm sure you'll make it all the way to the final. Keep dancing.'

The address was followed by a montage of good luck messages from staff-members at the unit, filmed just hours before she returned to the show.

Sharing the video with her own followers, Dowden admitted she was reduced to tears after seeing it on the Good Hope's Instagram platform.

'This video from the drs and nurses who look after me made me cry,' she wrote. 'Thank you! Down to you all why I'm back doing what I love! You are all heroes.'

A segment of the launch episode was exclusively dedicated to Dowden's own performance, for which she was accompanied by a group of fellow professional dancers.

Dowden who is now cancer free - was a vision in a dazzling fuchsia ballroom gown with feather-trim embellishments, twirling around as she displayed her incredible moves.

Strictly fans have been eagerly waiting the star's return, and didn't hesitate racing to X - formerly Twitter - to share their excitement.

Doctors and nurses at Good Hope's Haematology Oncology Day Unit, where she received treatment and after-care, gave her the thumb's up on Saturday

Dowden shared the video with her own Instagram followers following her return to the show

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated? What is breast cancer? It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts. When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule. Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare. Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body. The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated. What causes breast cancer? A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'. Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics. What are the symptoms of breast cancer? The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign. The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit. How is breast cancer diagnosed? Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.

Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer. If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray. How is breast cancer treated? Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used. Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.

Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.

Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.

Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer. How successful is treatment? The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure. The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage. For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000 Advertisement

The team offered Dowden their unwavering support ahead of her emotional return to the show

'Its so lovely to see Amy Dowden back on the strictly dance floor she has been through hell and back and her family and friends must be so proud she has fought back and returned to good health keep fighting Amy we love you,' wrote one.

A second added: 'The mere sight of Amy was enough to induce a cry, I'm so happy she's back.'

While a third wrote: 'Lovely to see Amy Dowden back where she belongs on the dance floor & looking so happy & healthy.'

Elsewhere a fourth quipped: 'I'm literally in happy tears over amy s dance like have i turned 40 overnight?'

The Strictly Come Dancing star was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May 2023

Strictly fans have been eagerly waiting the star's return, and didn't hesitate racing to X - formerly Twitter - to share their excitement

A segment of the new episode of the hit dancing show was dedicated to Dowden's own performance, where she was accompanied by a group of fellow dancers

The Strictly star was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer in May 2023 and in what became the toughest year of her life,underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, fertility treatment and also almost died of sepsis.

Dowden recently told how she's taking a positive outlook on life after coming through the other side, admitting she's no longer 'angry' at the disease.

Speaking to Prima magazine on how her cancer experience has shaped her, she explained: 'Cancer has changed me forever. Ill never take anyone or anything for granted, and I know my own self-worth now.

'You could maybe have walked over me in the past, but now I know my strength.'

The dancer had found a lump in her breast the day before heading on honeymoon in May last year and after undergoing treatment, she was given the all clear this year.

But while she's over the worst, Dowden admitted that there were times that she didn't think she'd make it through the illness as negative thoughts engulfed her.

Recalling the dark times she endured, she explained: 'I would lay awake for hours, thinking, "Am I going to make it to Christmas? Am I going to dance again?"

'I dont go to bed worrying now.'

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday September 21 on BBC1.
Jessika Power has quietly confirmed her split with British DJ Brent Anthony.

The serial reality star, 31, made the confession in the comments of her recent Instagram post.

A fan wrote under an image of the blonde in skimpy pink underwear: 'I'm sad you and Brent broke up, you looked so happy with him'.

Jessika replied to the fan personally, writing, 'I really wasn't and I hid a lot of my emotions and embarrassment from the internet.'

The former Married At First Sight star had hinted that the romance was over just days prior.

She explained to fans that her beloved sausage dog Sushi is living with her ex-boyfriend in France.

'Sushi is with my ex because I had to leave in a rush for my father's funeral,' the Aussie MAFS star said in an Instagram Q&A.

One of Jessika's 344,000 followers had asked who is looking after her dog now.

Jessika Power has quietly confirmed her split with British DJ Brent Anthony. The serial reality star, 31, made the confession in the comments of her recent Instagram post. Both pictured

'I'm trying to get [Sushi] on a flight ASAP from France to the UK,' she wrote.

'If anyone knows of any airlines that can help let me know because it's a little unfair he's having to watch my dog as we aren't together anymore.'

Jessika has appeared on a string of reality shows around the world since she found fame on MAFS Australia in 2019.

She unveiled plans to move home to Australia last year after calling time on her two-year relationship with fellow British DJ Connor Thompson in June 2023.

She told fans last December she was 'saving money' to relocate back to the Gold Coast with Sushi, but not long after that began dating Brent and seemingly changed her mind.

The serial reality star, 31, made the confession in the comments of her recent Instagram post

Instead, she moved to the French Riviera with Brent.

In May, Jessika shared a sweet video of herself and Brent walking through Nice hand-in-hand before the reality star jumped into his arms.

Eagle-eyed fans picked up on Brent and Sushi's absence from Jessika's posts in the last few weeks and have been flooding her comments sections with questions about what happened between the pair.

Over the weekend, Jessika appeared to confirm she and Brent had broken up and he is the 'ex' that's looking after her dog while she's returned to the UK.

'Are you and Brent not together anymore?' one fan commented on a post of Jessika dolled up in 'dreamy' pink lingerie for OnlyFans.

A fan wrote: 'I'm sad you and Brent broke up, you looked so happy with him'. Jessika replied personally, 'I really wasn't and I hid a lot of my emotions and embarrassment from the internet'

Jessika, who is reportedly the most successful of any MAFS Australia bride on the OnlyFans platform, shared the snap last week.

She responded: 'Brent and I have a lot of care for each other. Sushi will be back with me in a few months.'

'I would have loved to seen Brent follow you out to Aus you were great together,' the fan wrote back to Jessika a second time.

Soon after, Brent shared multiple videos of himself cuddled up with Sushi on his couch playing video games.

Jessika has been in a relationship wit British DJ Brent Anthony since early 2024 and the pair were living together in Nice, France with her dog Sushi until recently

'Arghhhh I can't wait,' Jessika replied, not offering any clarification as to whether she meant she can't wait to be reunited with Sushi in the UK, or she has hopes that she'll rekindle her romance with the DJ in Australia.

The Married At First Sight star was forced to make a snap return to the Gold Coast in August to farewell her beloved father at a moving funeral.

Jessika filmed herself riding in a black funeral car, which appeared to be in Queensland, as a group of motorcyclists followed behind.

She also shared a quick look inside the wake, which appeared to be held in rustic pub.

Over the weekend, Jessika appeared to confirm she and Brent had broken up and he is the 'ex' that's looking after her dog while she's returned to the UK

The former TV bride, who has dyed her hair back to blonde after being a redhead for a time, captioned the clips with the words 'Love you dad'.

Jessika revealed the shock news of her dad's death in July, sharing the sad news of the passing of former professional boxer Troy Power.

She also posted to social media to provide a mental health update after she was trolled when asking for donation's to fund her late father's funeral.

'I'm getting messages asking how I am, which I appreciate. I'm staying in my childhood home  father's house  which has been hard, but comforting,' she began.

'We grew up here and are surrounded by his things, which is helping.'

Jessika then added the ongoing media coverage surrounding her father's funeral was having a negative effect on her mental health and has decided to keep his funeral details private.

'I know I'm a public figure, but I need this to be private,' she said.

'I'm not going to be sharing anything on the day, like where it is or the date. I'm not in the right headspace at the moment, funerals are devastating but they bring the family back together.'
Selling Sunset star Mary Fitzgerald Bonnet says the devastating sexual assault she endured more than a decade ago has affected her personal life with husband Romain.

The American realtor has detailed the Memorial Day assault in her warts-and-all memoir Selling Sunshine: Surviving Teenage Motherhood, Thriving in Luxury Real Estate, and Finally Finding My Voice, published on September 24.

Discussing the forthcoming book with MailOnline, Bonnet, 44, says the lasting repercussions have impacted her sex-life with 30-year old Romain, who she married in 2018.

'I just never opened up,' she said. 'But, you can't protect yourself if you don't tell people, because the trauma can hit so fast, and you can try to avoid certain things.

'Even with sex with Romain, sometimes I feel so bad because he's the most loving, patient, handsome man and sometimes if I don't it's coming and he touches me I pull away, and I just shudder.'

Selling Sunset star Mary Fitzgerald Bonnet says the devastating sexual assault she endured more than a decade ago has affected her personal life with husband Romain. Pictured here in 2022

She added: 'He's like, babe, that "hurts my feelings" and I was like, it's not you. It's not you at all and so that's when I started doing EMDR [eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy] because I don't ever want to make him feel that way, but it's just a reaction I don't have. It's involuntary.

'I think the more we can empower women to watch, protect themselves and watch out for certain situations and obviously not blame themselves because these predatory men are the ones doing this.

'It can go either way as a woman can do it too. I think we just need to be more open and vocal about it and try to help in any way we can.'

In Selling Sunshine's sixth chapter, Rock Bottom, she details being assaulted over a Memorial Day weekend after accepting an invite from a friend of Selling Sunset co-star Amanza Smith, long before they worked together at the Oppenheim Group.

A man she calls Joe invited her to his apartment in Los Angeles, where another friend she knew better was going to join them and they they'd all go meet up with a larger group of friends.

But when she arrived at Joe's, it was only the two of them and he gave her a glass with 'bright blue liquid' in it, claiming it was a vodka cocktail which caused her to pass out rapidly, before being assaulted.

'When I woke up, I was on Joes bed, with my arms pinned against his mattress, and my pants around my ankles,' she writes. 'He was on top of me and inside of me.'

Mary said she ran out of the apartment 'bawling and shaking' and went into 'total survival mode.'

Discussing the forthcoming book with MailOnline, Bonnet, 44, says the lasting repercussions have impacted her sex-life with 30-year old Romain, who she married in 2018

In Selling Sunshine's sixth chapter, Rock Bottom, she details being assaulted over a Memorial Day weekend after accepting an invite from a friend of Selling Sunset co-star Amanza Smith

After recalling the assault, she writes about how she dealt with it and learned to if not totally move past it, at least deal with the repercussions it caused in her life.

'The repercussions of that night still haunt me,' she added. 'I never go to peoples houses that I dont know. I wont be alone with any man that I havent been friends with for at least five years or whos 100 percent gay, so I know Im safe.'

Bonnet is currently promoting her memoir across the United Kingdom, including a recent appearance on GB News show Saturday Morning Live with Ben Leo and Ellie Costello.

And she admits recalling her assault during the writing process has been a cathartic experience.

She said: 'I think it has been healing. It didn't feel like that in the beginning when I was writing it, because I had put a wall up.

'I mean, you almost have to not think about it. I went to therapy, and I did EMDR and it's gonna be, I think, a lifelong battle with it.

'But I'm doing much, much better. But I just know so many people go through stuff like this, and you just sit with it and it affects you, and it's almost like you feel shamed about it.

'So, I want to open up about it and try, if I can use my bad experience to help other people, like, do better and start talking about it and be healed a little bit more or just to see that they're not alone, it's worth it to me. I can't change what happened.'

Bonnet welcomed son Austin Babbit (pictured), her only child with an undisclosed former partner, when she was 16-years old, but has struggled with fertility issues over recent years

Of the decision to take the surrogacy or adoption route, Bonnet admits the couple are 'yet to cross that bridge' in terms of discussing it as a serious possibility

Bonnet welcomed son Austin Babbit, her only child with an undisclosed former partner, when she was 16-years old, but has struggled with fertility issues over recent years and previously admitted she's 'open to surrogacy' after suffering a septic miscarriage and undergoing several rounds of IVF treatment.

'It's been tough,' she said. 'I don't understand how he is just so patient and understanding. We honestly have so much love for each other.

'Like, I wasn't anticipating having another kid. I was like, I want it so much, especially for him, and have this amazing experience. And then I had such a difficult time. It's, like, nice to actually do it the right way but it shouldn't be this hard.

'But if it's not in the cards for us, it's just not and we're both okay with that.'

She added: 'He has just fallen in love with our fur baby a boy, Thor, he's like his son and oh, my goodness, I have never seen someone so obsessed with their dog.'

Of the decision to take the surrogacy or adoption route, Bonnet admits the couple are 'yet to cross that bridge' in terms of discussing it as a serious possibility.

'I know there's so many children in adoption, so it could be a good opportunity,' she said. 'I don't know that Romain wants a baby just for the sake of a baby. I think he wants to have his own.

'We just haven't really talked about it that much, because we're gonna just see if we can do it. And we'll cross that bridge when we get there, because we love travelling, so I was like, honey, you have no idea. Like, that comes to a halt for many, many years.

'Even if you can do it, is not the same. It's a trade off, because we will not be doing all these, like, different events you just don't have the freedom anymore.

'It's part of it.'
Saoirse Ronan admits she and husband Jack Lowden had 'high expectations' of one another after the couple worked together on her new film.

Ronan takes a starring role in forthcoming drama The Outrun as Rona, a vulnerable young woman in the early stages of recovery who relocates to the Orkney Islands after receiving treatment for alcoholism at a residential rehabilitation centre.

A subject close to her heart, the actress - who admits to having seen the impact of addiction on some of her closest friends - also co-produced the film with husband Lowden, who she married in July.

And Ronan, 30, says she enjoyed a strong creative bond with 'comrade' Lowden, 34, who she curiously refers to by his full name.

She told the Sunday Times: 'Jack Lowden and I were trying to keep an eye on the representation of Rona, how nothing else matters to her except alcohol but also remembering that she is human, so anyone can see themselves in her.

Saoirse Ronan admits she and husband Jack Lowden had 'high expectations' of one another after the couple worked together on her new film

Ronan takes a starring role in forthcoming drama The Outrun as Rona (pictured), a young woman who relocates to the Orkney Islands after receiving treatment for alcoholism

'If you find people that you love and you trust creatively, why would you not want to keep working with them?'

'We have very high expectations for one another  when I tried out Ronas Orcadian accent on him for The Outrun, he said, "Youre not doing that, are you?"'

The actress admits she was able to draw from a deep well of experience while preparing for the role, having 'been on the receiving end' of the pain and damage caused by addiction.

She said: 'Ive watched people I love change because of addiction. Theres a helplessness you feel when you watch someone you love  friends my age and one in particular who Im close to  go through that.

'What will be etched in my brain forever is that switch, when the glaze goes over someones eyes and they are gone.

'If youve become second best to alcohol you become resentful, so for this role I needed to put my own feeling towards it to one side. And I needed not to be angry about that any more.'

Ronan previously suggested theres still time for her Scots actor husband to become the next James Bond.

The Irish actress touched on the subject of Lowdens Bond potential as she co-hosted a BBC Radio 2 show with Scottish DJ Edith Bowman.

The actress (second right) - who admits to having seen the impact of addiction on some of her friends - also co-produced the film with husband Lowden (far right) who she married in July

'Jack and I were trying to keep an eye on the representation of Rona, how nothing else matters to her except alcohol but also remembering that she is human, she said (pictured in the film)

During a chat in the studio, Bowman brought up her belief that Lowden would be a great choice for the iconic role, adding that she had been making a similar argument for years.

Ronan also discussed how she and Lowden - who helped her produce new Orkney-based movie The Outrun - believe it is important to work with people they feel comfortable with.

The Mary Queen of Scots star said: When you feel safe in the company youre in but youre also being pushed, its the best environment.

The older we get, and certainly for myself and Jack, the more that we do this, the more important it is to us - and essential actually - to exclusively work with people who are on the same wavelength as us and who are just nice and good at what they do.

It doesnt mean you have to be the best but you just have to be passionate about it and look after one another because theres a lot of people out there who are not like that.
Bachelorette vet Katie Thurston has announced her engagement to comedian Jeff Arcuri.

The couple announced Thurston had said 'yes' in a post shared to their Instagram accounts on Sunday morning.

In the photos, Katie proudly presented her ring-adorned hand for the camera as her new fiancee struck a playful pose in the background.

The couple put on a loved-up display as they took photos on a beach in a lush, tropical location.

The post also contained video of the moment Arcuri dropped down to one knee.

Bachelorette vet Katie Thurston has announced her engagement to comedian Jeff Arcuri after just four months of dating

The couple were taking a photo together - or so it seemed to Katie.

Unbeknownst to her, her boyfriend was planning to propose.

He then dropped down to one knee to ask for her hand in marriage.

They shared an emotional embrace before Katie rushed to the camera, her hand flashing her new ring.

The couple's proposal occurred on August 26 at Secret Beach in Kauai, Hawaii, according to Us Weekly.

They've been dating for less than a year.

The couple met in person in May after first connecting the month prior, according to Us Weekly.

And they've been in a long-distance relationship, with Thurstan residing in Los Angeles and her love based in New York.

But next year that'll all change with Thurston relocating to the Big Apple in early 2025, according to Us.

The post also contained video of the moment Arcuri dropped down to one knee

They shared an emotional embrace before Katie rushed to the camera, her hand flashing her new ring

They met in person in May after first connecting the month prior, according to Us Weekly

Thurston was on The Bachelor before getting her own season of The Bachelorette; pictured with her then-fiance Blake Moynes

Thurston rose to fame on season 25 of The Bachelor, where she competed for Matt James' heart.

She was ultimately eliminated but was given her own season of The Bachelorette.

Thurston ultimately became engaged to Blake Moynes but they called it quits in October 2021.

Shortly after the split, she dated John Hersey, a contestant on her season who she eliminated on night one. They dated for seven months before splitting in 2022.
Eamonn Holmes arrived back in the UK on Sunday with his girlfriend Katie Alexander, after the couple spent the last week on a luxury getaway together.

The GB News presenter, 64, and the relationship counsellor, 42, touched down in Heathrow airport, after jetting off to Barcelona and embarking on a romantic cruise.

The getaway reportedly left Eamonn's estranged wife Ruth Langsford, 64, shocked, with the holiday occurring just four months after the former golden couple announced they were divorcing after 14 years of marriage.

But Eamonn and Katie weren't shy about showing off their new romance, with the pair spotted engaging in PDA during the trip.

On Friday evening, the broadcaster was even seen cheekily grabbing her bottom as they headed on a night out in Ibiza.

Eamonn Holmes arrived back in the UK on Sunday with his girlfriend Katie Alexander, after the couple spent the last week on a luxury getaway together

The GB News presenter, 64, and the relationship counsellor, 42, touched down in Heathrow airport, after jetting off to Barcelona and embarking on a romantic cruise

The getaway reportedly left Eamonn's estranged wife Ruth Langsford, 64, shocked, with the holiday occurring just four months after the former golden couple announced they were divorcing after 14 years of marriage (pictured together in 2018)

In contrast, Eamonn looked slightly worn out from the holiday as the couple arrived at Heathrow, sitting in a self-drive electric wheelchair amid his crippling back problems.

He cut a casual figure in a navy blue jacket and jeans, with matching slip-on shoes and carrying his backpack on his lap.

The Northern Irish presenter took the opportunity to check his phone after landing and was seen to still be wearing his wedding ring.

While Katie looked in very cheerful spirits, as she beamed while walking ahead of her new boyfriend, with an airport worker pushing their suitcases.

She put on a effortlessly stylish display for the flight, donning white trousers and a lowcut black top, with a red jumper draped over her shoulders.

She also added black open-toed sliders and a chic leather handbag, styling her hair in waves and sporting a striking smoky eyeshadow look.

Eamonn has been open about his new relationship with the blonde beauty, with the pair pictured enjoying two holidays together over the summer.

The couple flew from Heathrow Airport last Sunday morning before landing in Barcelona for a luxury holiday together.

But Eamonn and Katie weren't shy about showing off their new romance, with the pair spotted engaging in PDA during the trip

In contrast, Eamonn looked slightly worn out from the holiday as the couple arrived at Heathrow, sitting in a self-drive electric wheelchair amid his crippling back problems

The Northern Irish presenter took the opportunity to check his phone after landing and was seen to still be wearing his wedding ring

He cut a casual figure in a navy blue jacket and jeans, with matching slip-on shoes and carrying his backpack on his lap

While Katie looked in very cheerful spirits, as she beamed while walking ahead of her new boyfriend, with an airport worker pushing their suitcases

However, a source has told MailOnline that Ruth wasn't expecting her estranged husband to be so open about his new romance.

The insider shared: 'Ruth is shocked by how open Eamonn is being about his relationship, after all they both still have their wedding rings on.'

Revealing the real reason the estranged couple haven't removed their rings, they added: 'Neither of them want to be the first to take it off because they don't want to look like they're to blame for the split.'

In contrast, Eamonn is said to be 'smitten' with his new love.

Speaking about the presenter and Katie's holiday plans, the source shared: 'They both love cruises and they feel like they can be free onboard to act how they want. They are both smitten.'

When approached by MailOnline, Ruth's representatives declined to comment and Eamonn's representatives did not respond to comment.

The holiday comes after Katie denied claims she's set to move in with the broadcaster.

The pair were reported to be house-hunting together just four months after their blossoming romance began.

However, Katie's representatives have exclusively told MailOnline this is not the case.

She put on a effortlessly stylish display for the flight, donning white trousers and a lowcut black top, with a red jumper draped over her shoulders

She also added black open-toed sliders and a chic leather handbag, styling her hair in waves and sporting a striking smoky eyeshadow look

Eamonn has been open about his new relationship with the blonde beauty, with the pair pictured enjoying two holidays together over the summer

The rumours were sparked after a source told The Sun: 'Katies assured him she's in it for the long haul and theyre both settling down nicely.'

'Theyve been spending so much time at his Kingston flat that theyre even looking to move in together permanently.'

It isn't the first trip the pair have been on this month, as Eamonn took his girlfriend Katie to visit his hometown of Belfast amid claims they are 'in it for the long haul.'

Eamonn is said to be smitten with Katie and their relationship has been 'taken to the next level', MailOnline previously revealed.

Friends claimed they are now spending most weekends together at his Richmond flat after his marriage to Ruth ended.

Eamonn and Katie are mulling over when to take their relationship public and are said to have been offered 'big money' for the official first pictures of them together.

The source shared: 'They've been offered some decent money for the first pictures of them together.'

They continued: 'Katie and Eamonn are definitely in it for the long haul. She says she loves him and he loves her.'

However, a source has told MailOnline that Ruth wasn't expecting her estranged husband to be so open about his new romance (pictured last month)

The pair's friendship advanced when he moved out of the marital home he shared with Ruth after his devastated wife discovered messages between him and another mystery woman.

In May, Ruth and Eamonn were said to be in the process of divorcing' after work commitments 'took their marriage in different directions'.

A spokesperson for the couple said: 'Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes have confirmed their marriage is over and they are in the process of divorcing.'

Eamonn and Ruth, who wed in 2010 after 13 years together, are 'determined to stay friends and keep things amicable'.